Preparing to Go Into the Ring

I recently had a person ask about getting attention while in the ring when showing and how to help the dog get the same performance inside the ring as in training. Here are some suggestions that I have given to some of my students and I hope you find them helpful also.

I think it is important to train the dog how to enter the ring. This may sound trivial, but it is extremely important. Your whole performance can be affected by how you as a team walk in to the ring. In Novice you do not need to remove the leash, however in both Open and Utility you do so it is good to train for that experience. If possible, set up a couple of ring gates if that is what is used in your part of the country. You don’t need a whole ring set up, just a couple of gates. Make an entrance and repeat several times doing a small warm up and then entering the ring gate. I give a treat and release. I want this to be a really good experience and build my dog’s confidence that when we enter the ring, good things happen! I like to talk to my dog as I enter the ring, I usually say something like, “are you ready, lets go!”.  I practice this in warm-ups as well as when we enter the real ring.

Next, after a session or two of just walking in and releasing, I’ll add the sit and either take off the leash or pretend to take off the leash. When I do this, the dog is treated for watching me and then released. This is repeated several times. I am teaching that coming into the ring, sitting and getting the leash off is a good thing!
          My next step in training is to repeat the ring entrance, sitting and taking the leash off, then heeling a few steps and releasing the dog. During this entire process, I am expecting perfect attention. That is why I might leave the leash on and just act like I am taking it off so I can correct if needed.

I follow this with adding more heeling steps until I can get all the way to the corner and get ready with my first set up. The dog is then treated and released.

Finally, I do all of the above, do the set up, and take a couple of heeling steps and then release, treat and praise. While this type of training takes some time and repetition it can pay off with a successful beginning to your performance. It is important to stay very connected with your dog during this portion of your performance and it does need to be trained for it to be come habit for both you and the dog.

          Just a quick story: I had a student with a dog (not a golden) who had been trying to put a CDX on the dog for several years before coming to me. The dog had talent and the handler lacked some confidence in her dog due to some experiences she had had with it. She came to me to take some classes and private lessons. I showed her how to do what I suggested above. She practiced it on a regular basis and before long had her CDX. The dog became more confident when entering the ring and starting the heeling and the owner became more confident in herself and her dog. We also spent a lot of time working the set ups for each exercise. I believe this is also an important part of preparing to show in the real ring.

          On set ups, move with attitude to a start of an exercise, move with intent. Teach the dog to set up quickly and accurately. This can be done with treats to start with and collar pops once the dog understands. Once you get a nice set up, move to another spot and do another set up and another release. You want perfect attention while moving from spot to spot and on the set up. You also want attitude on the set ups so they should be rewarded when done well. If you are in Open or Utility, move in front of one of the jumps, practice the set up and then release. Do this back and forth between the different jumps and figure 8 posts. At this time, you are not working the exercise, but rather the set up.

          Each on of these suggestions can help you and your dog to perform in the ring as well as you do in practice! Happy training! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me at indy@centurytel.net.

   This page has been visited since 3/2/05

Other Great Articles By Cindy Pischke:

Rally Obedience – New Titles Offered by AKC
Moving Side Step Right
270 Right and Left Turns
The Clue is the Stop Sign in Rally Competition
Which Way Do I Turn?
The Connection
Handler Power!
Learning Rally Exercise #48
How to Improve Your Scores
Walking The Straight Line
It's Not the Props
Flip Finish
Rally 24
No Lag-Figure 8's
Ring Etiquette
Those Frustrating Utility Signals
Are You Ready To Rally
Utility Heeling
The About Turn
Good Sportsmanship
Keeping Those Precious Obedience Points
Sidewinding 
Scent Articles
The Dreaded Sit
Utility B & Open B Oozing
Cross-Training Your Obedience Dog!
The Power Of Failure
The Definition of Fast Pace and how to train it!
Perfecting Halt-Turn Right 1 Step Right – Call Dog to Heel
Re-tries in Rally
Cross Training for Obedience & Rally
Imprinting Your Next Breed and Obedience Prospect
To Correct Or Not To Correct
Play to Build Drive
Cutting the Chatter
De-stress Your Obedience Experience
Consistent Straight Sits
Heeling Backwards
Obedience Start Routine
How to become a Successful Multi-tasking Dog Trainer
Hard Work Does Not = Success!  

Articles by Christy Thomas

An Introduction to Christy Thomas
How to Choose an Obedience Instructor
Obedience Training Resources
Time for a New Puppy
A New Beginning a New Puppy
Retrieving And What I Have Learned Along The Way

More Retrieving And What I've Learned Along The Way

Heeling with the Forging Dog
Keeping Attention While Heeling

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