Thinking (kind of long)

I've been thinking about not showing Kaige in obedience. He is still doing really good in class... well so far. We had a week off due to Thanksgiving and we didn't go this past Sat as he scratched his eye & had an upset tummy. He's fine now though.

Anyways I originally got him for agility (and to be my best friends of course) I just thought since he was doing so well in class that we would go ahead & show in obedience first. I figured it would be fun & it would give us something to do while we wait until he's old enough to show in agility. And of course it would be neat for him to earn titles in different sports.
But after thinking about it he won't really be ready to show in obedience until at least sometime next year which is when he'd be old enough to start training in agility. Once he starts training in agility he probably won't want to do obedience anyways as it is pretty boring compared to agility, especially from a dogs point of view.
I have noticed that although he is doing good at obedience, the obedience skills that my other 2 dogs have are impacting him. My other 2 dogs are well behaved and know their commands it's just that they don't listen as well & I don't inforce it because I never planned on showing them. I also use different hand signals for them, as I didn't know the correct hand signals when I got Nanook so I made up my own... when I got Raustyk to make it easier I taught her the same hand signals I taught Nanook. Now that Nanook is older and his eyesight & hearing are failing him I've had to revise some hadn signals for him. I can just see it in Kaige, for example I give Nanook his hand signal for down & Kaige looks all confused that his is different. Luckily Kaige still listens to his. I just don't know how much of an impact this make down the road.

We'd still go to another obedience class or 2, I'd like him to complete at least Advanced 2 and earn his CGC, I just don't think we are going to show.

He's also starting to show a very intense reaction to tennis balls so I'm thinking maybe flyball too. I'd LOVE to show him in frisbee as well but unfortunatly it is not popular at all in my area.

Even though I know that Kaige AND I are not ALL THAT interested in obedience AND that I didn't even think about showing in obedience until a couple months ago for some reason I feel like I am failing him &/or me for changing my mind. I don't know why but I am. I don't know how that could be a sign given the reasons that we weren't even planning this nor are we that interested in it.

I just posted this because it was on my mind. I don't have any questions or anything but if you want to add anything please feel free to.

Well after thinking a lot this week, talking to my trainer & other trainers & my breeder I think we may try Rally Obedience. I don't really know a lot about it, I haven't done my research on it yet but thats what everyone is suggesting. I still have to look inot it more, but they all say that Kaige is just about ready to start showing in it. We'd just have to take one class to learn a few things but he's got most if down. I guess it's like obedience but a lot more laid back... they say it's even a little like agility. Its a new sport & you can earn titles.

My trainer who is awesome, Bob Minchella. He has 27 years professional experience in dog obedience. He has trained in the United States, Canada and Germany with some of the best known trainers and behaviorists in the world. He has competed in the ring for many years too. Although Bob has a lot of knowledge & experience he has just recently started to become less involved in the competition arena and has dedicated himself more to solving problem behaviors in dog and making shelter pets more loving and well behaved companions. After teaching classes in the shelter for years he has started to see a major need for focusing more problematic dogs & the such. Just within the last month or so he stopped running all of his show classes and even advanced 2 class is not offered as often as beginner & advanced 1. Now I understand this & it is an AEWSOME thing that he's doing... it does stink for me. I started this class knowing that he's an awesome trainer especially for the show ring. Well not so much anymore. Unless I can work my schedule around his limited advanced classes or pay $75/hour for private lessons I'll have to find another trainer.
Which I have. So this is our last class with Bob, it ends the begining of Jan. From then on we are going to: this place (if you have a minute look around it's ral neat dog facility that offers a LOT and it's only 10 minutes from my house.


Does anyone know anything about Rally? Any reccomendations on websites or books? I'll be researching this a lot the next week or two before I make my final decision but from what little I do know it sounds like a lot of fun.

Well I'm not of much help, I don't know about obedienace classes beyond the basics. I can see where Kaige is confused, though, if you 're using 2 sets of signals. He seems like a smart little guy and whatever you choose to do with him, I'm sure he'll be great and you'll have fun doing it together. Keep us posted -- with pictures-- he's such a handsome little dude, too.

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Originally Posted by cyber-sibes

Well I'm not of much help, I don't know about obedienace classes beyond the basics. I can see where Kaige is confused, though, if you 're using 2 sets of signals. He seems like a smart little guy and whatever you choose to do with him, I'm sure he'll be great and you'll have fun doing it together. Keep us posted -- with pictures-- he's such a handsome little dude, too.

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Thanks for the kind words.

I love your little gingerbread man. lol thats too cute!