When s*** hits the fan - IN THE RING! Part 2!

The last time I wrote, I talked about how to handle your dogs failures in training. Those same principles apply in the ring, but the fact that you are being judged at a trial tends to muddy the waters. Here's how I think of failures in the ring and I hope this post will empower more trainers to create their own protocol for what they should do if their dog is failing an exercise or exercises in the Obedience Ring.

Mark it!

If you are using markers in your training program - then use them in the ring. Giving the dog important information - in the place it matters most is just common sense. Besides, do what you would do normally in training.

Move on!

Do not spend additional time stressing your dog out with needless conversation that is really the handlers attempt at saving face with the audience. Forget about it and move to the next thing - QUICKLY. Motion is attention - so MOVE on to the next exercise!Marinating your dog in stress is one sure way to make the ring a bad place. If stress is taking over in one exercise, MOVE ON!

Support your dog!

If your dog surprised you, showed you holes in your training,or has clearly been abducted by aliens, then go into training mode. The judge will tell you if you are pushing it too far and may excuse you - IF THEY DO, BE POLITE AND GET OUT OF THE RING. This was about your dog, not arguing about an additional 4 minutes of failure in the ring - just THANKFULLY leave if your judge feels you took your "support" too far.

Leave!

If things are going from bad to worse, do not let it continue. Excuse yourself from the ring. Thank the judge for their time and walk out. You owe no one an explanation - this is not about their journey, it is yours. We spend so much time, money, effort in this, why let it go south? Many handlers have a hard time grasping that they own the ring. It is their entry that put them there - so spend your time and money wisely!

Train!

Ask for the same behavior that flopped in the ring, outside and if you get it (Without a motivator) then take the time to reinforce it. This really isn't a time to utilize corrective methods, but you certainly can reinforce pieces outside the ring (multiple times ideally) that the dog just couldn't give you in the ring. This is actually a smart idea as it serves to remind you the dog can do it and it simply may need more miles. You may find you need a new method, to counter condition a new correction, or find a different way to make things more clear!

Cancel your next shows!

Rarely can anyone fix severe problems quickly. If your dog is having lack of focus or attention, clearly isn't understanding without your motivators, etc - showing is the worst idea if you want to get back on track with being consistent. If your dog is struggling with generalizing behavior, then you have a lot of "on the road" work to do and it probably wont happen by next months show.

I wish you all much success in 2016 and remember, life is stressful, training your dog shouldn't be!