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Ashley · Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 10 **Breed:** Weimaraner

My Weimaraner, Darci, is due to take her bronze award on 10th July. She is brilliant at all the commands, but I'm worried she may mess up on a few points.

1. Walking calmly alongside me - she does have a tendency to pull ahead of me.

2. Sitting calmly while I hold a conversation - she will do this eventually, but it can take some time.

3. Walking calmly through other people and dogs - she always wants to play with the other dogs

Does anyone have tips on how we can work on these? I know I don't have long, but I'm prepared to work really hard and give her the best chance I can...

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Ashley + Darci

Munsti-Sue · Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:37 pm Post subject:

I had similar worries when I took the Bronze award in April with my small munster. She was and still is terrible for jumping up people and wanted to play with other dogs. The oflead recall is what worried me the most..but she performed on the day which is all that mattered.

We were allowed to use titbits/treats on ours...and all 12 people who took the test (half of which were gundogs) used the titbits to get through the meeting people and mingling with people and dogs.

We also did mock tests for the 2 weeks before the test so we found out which dogs could sit next to eachother without going all silly.

With the walking practice is the only thing i can suggest.

Sorry it isnt the most helpful advice...but it got us through.

Greyghost · Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:42 pm Post subject:

Good luck Ashley and Darci. Very Happy

I hope you can use titbits it might make all the difference and divert her attention.

I met Darci last week after a couple of months break and she has come on leaps and bounds. Ashley has worked really hard with her.
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Lesley & Holly (Age 7.5 - re-home)

Holly & Abbie

münstermanager · Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:02 pm Post subject:

Hi Ashley

Good luck with the Bronze.

Everyone's awards seem to vary and much depends on the examiner on the day. Beecham & I took the Bronze twice, he jumped at the examiner (very drippy woman) several times the first time. For both Bronzes & the Silver, we always have been told absolutely NO titbits or treats. However, we have been allowed to treat the dog whilst he has been standing in line waiting his turn provided he was not being tested at the time. My trainer suggested putting our hands into our pockets and then curling our fingers in front of the dogs as if we had titbits but, obviously, one cannot hold one's hand directly in front of the dog's nose, if that's usual, as there is no smelly titbit there.

With the walking, I don't think the rules & regs say that you cannot use heelwork. I think it just says that competition heelwork, or something, isn't necessary. So, you could command the dog to heel for the looselead work if you wanted provided that your lead is not taut at any time. I was told not to hold the lead as I normally did (ie across my body) as it can look like a brace, but that was for the Silver roadwalk, I think. I certainly did heelwork for my Bronze.

Beecham loves to say hi to everyone too and I was very worried about this for both tests. Where I go, people take the awards from various classes so many of the dogs were/are unknown. Although we had a practise run-through the week before the test, I made sure that I got to the test extra early and that Beecham said 'hello' to every dog present. This worked very well and he was able to pass within 2' of every dog on the Silver roadwalk without any attempt at a greeting and I didn't do heel work for this just a general loose lead. I just hope it works as well on the Gold in 2 weeks as he's back to pulling like a train. For the Bronze, I, personally, would do heelwork unless you've been told not to do so, though it helps if you do not have to have your hand in front of the dog's nose! That way, the dog's attention is more likely to be focused on you with or without treat.

Above all, try to keep calm & don't worry if things go wrong. Get there in plenty of time, but not so much time that Darci is bored before you start!

Good luck!

Sue

josie · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:01 am Post subject:

Hi Ashley & good luck -

I wish they were consistent across the country about this treat thing during tests though - at none of my tests have we been allowed to use treats during an actual test, although we were allowed to use them inbetween tests and as a warm up.

The other thing to say is - find out if you're allowed to use a halti or head collar. I always assumed that we weren't, for my tests - but then I saw people at our Gold test, who were doing Silver, and they were using a head collar. When I asked about this it emerged that it was ok to use a head collar. So - there's an idea - if you have one and she walks better on it, use that.

The dog doesn't have to stay in a position during the conversation (so don't do a stay), as it says "this is not a stay exercise" - they just have to be under control. Perhas you could stand on the lead and just not give her much room to wander?
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Slate and Grey

Hairy or not, it's got to be grey!

Allyson · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:21 am Post subject:

Hi Ashley, as a KC Approved Examiner perhaps I can clarify some points.

First of all it is human nature to want to test our dogs (if we are competitive) unfortunately this is what I mostly see, dogs being tested instead of being trained and then "formally" tested far too soon.

IMHO NO dog, in whatever discipline, should be entered into competition on a wing and a prayer. I NEVER put my dogs into any sort of test until and unless I am confident that the dog has been extremely thoroughly trained to cope with anything that may happen in that environment.

If the dog then fails (or in the KC test is pronounced "not ready") I have to put it down to either an unfortunate event or, more probably, insufficient training has been conducted (which is at the root of most failures). Wink

You should not, IMHO, put pressure on yourself or your dog to enter anything for which you are both not sufficiently prepared.

None of the KC GC Awards are looking for competitive style heelwork. Examiners are merely looking for dogs that can walk calmly on a loose lead, under control, and not lunging at other dogs, people, etc.

"Eventually" what is your definition of this? Again the Award is there to demonstrate that your dog is under control should you need to stop and speak to someone etc. Your dog does not have to be in the sit, it can be in the stand or lying down. Your dog should not bark, bite, jump etc. If you only reward the dog for being calm and quiet it should have no reason to do anything else. In my experience dogs bark, bite, jump around because it works ie they get the attention they crave.

Again if your dog always wants to play with other dogs you need to increase its attention on you. Does your dog formally check in with you before it does anything? Can you get a "watch" from your dog at the sit for two minutes with no distractions, then with then ask for some heelwork.

It specifically says in the Assessor guidelines that treats are NOT allowed during the tests. Unfortunately as everyone and his wife (practically) can examine this test you will get dogs "passing" who should not which undermines the credibility of the scheme and the work that others have put in. If you cannot do any of these exercises without the use of food or toys then IMHO (and that of the KC) you are not ready.

Of course there is no reason why one should not use treats between exercises etc.

Whether or not head halters are used is up to the individual examiner. Again personally I do not allow this; if you cannot control your dog in a village hall without the use of a head halter then it makes a mockery of the whole scheme.

Sorry if this sounds a bit heavy but I am appalled at some of the dogs that I have seen "passed". The criteria is clear and so are the KC Examiner Guidelines.

One of the reasons the Approved Examiner system was set up was because of this very issue, lack of consistency.

Anyway the best of luck and I hope that if you deserve to pass you do!
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Nothing could be finer than to work a Weimaraner!

münstermanager · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:03 am Post subject:

Ashley
Do you always allow Darci to say hello to every dog? I don't. Whether you do or not, you could go somewhere where there are plenty of dogs on leads, like a town, and work @ increasing Darci's attention on you & not allowing greetings. It is fine to use treats until Darci gets used to walking past other dogs without trying to say hello (personally, I include looking at the other dog in this). I actually have a command for walking past things, but this may or may not be deemed a good idea by some. However, in the village we have a lot of dogs who bark @ passing dogs and throw themselves around at gates and, if in cars, the cars rock from side to side, so I've always found a command quite useful as I walk my dog on a 'loose' short lead and not to heel in general, which to him would mean his head turned up at me. My command means he keeps walking without looking at whatever it is causing the distraction... Not a very good explanation, sorry...

We've not been allowed to use head collars on harnesses in our tests. One dog did do the Bronze on a harness but it was checked to make sure that it was not an anti-pull harness - the dog was a rescue with a fear of collars due to nasty treatment.

Allyson
Consistency would be lovely.

At the Bronze I failed, and I would have failed Beecham too for jumping at the examiner (he hadn't jumped at anyone for several months, but I might have sent my thoughts down the lead!), a couple of dogs passed even though they had jumped at other dogs, barking, when weaving in an out of people & dogs during the test. Several of us thought this was awful. I don't think that examiner will be invited again. She was the one who thought Beecham (LM) looked like a labrador crossed with a dalmatian crossed with a GSD & was utterly surprised to find out he was a gundog as he didn't have a gundog head & wasn't slobbery!!

Where I go, dogs that are not considered ready are not allowed to take the test. However, anything can happen on the day particularly if handlers panic. The examiners I've seen who have been more relaxed have had better responses from the dogs anyway. Many normally very good dogs did 'odd' things that day I first took the Bronze as I believe did those taking the Silver & Gold the next day.

Best wishes
Sue

lagopuslagopus · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:15 am Post subject:

I actually agree with you on something for a change Allyson! When my youngest took her bronze I made sure she did everything as it was set down by the KC as the assessor was letting the dogs stand next to the handlers for the downstay, letting them get up in the middle, not checking tags etc. They did make a comment at the end that Inca and I were the best partnership but she also should have been the only one to pass!!! It does as you say make a mockery of the award if unprepared dogs are passed.

Ashley · Joined: 31 May 2006 Posts: 10 **Breed:** Weimaraner

Thanks for the advice everyone...

Allyson, what I mean by 'eventually' is that in the first instance Darci will go straight up to the other dog for a sniff and sometimes then wants to play. She is NEVER aggressive - never barks or lunges at other dogs. If I tell her to leave the other dog alone, she will 'eventually' settle down.

I can get her attention if I have treats, but we have been told this is not allowed in the test. Do you have a good method for teaching 'Watch'.

When they say 'walking calmly on a loose lead' is it acceptable if she walks slightly ahead of you? Is it a fail only if the lead pulls taught?
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Ashley + Darci

josie · Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 1:51 pm Post subject:

It actually says in the info that it is acceptable for the lead to go taut sometimes - can't remember exact wording.
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Slate and Grey

Hairy or not, it's got to be grey!