Training with Distractions: Preparing for Judges and Ring Crew
20 Aug 2024
Practice with a distracting judge and ring crew!! Yesterday’s post about judges needing to be aware of how their motion can influence a dog’s path (and to a lesser extent moving ring crew) brought some excellent comments. Of course, judges and ring crew should always do their best to NOT influence a dog’s run. But, it also reminded me that the best teams will ask other students in their training classes to be ring crew for their dogs while working them.
Of course, you can’t take a novice dog and have your classmates traumatize them by doing crazy things! You start with basic acclimatization. Just have folks sit/stand still in the ring while working the dog. Then over time, ask someone to be a normal leash walker. Then add a walking judge at a distance.
Eventually, you want to build up to the leash walker who grabs your dog’s leash while the dog is still in their waiting position. Maybe even swings the leash around or plays catch with it as they jog to the end of the course. Bar setters running out and setting bars while the dog is running the course. The classmate judge who runs behind you to see the down contacts or while your dog is weaving, etc. You get the picture.
IT TAKES TIME AND PATIENCE. Kind of like… dog training! Many of us don’t do this work. But, this training does pay off. Your fellow students should be happy to help out; because you’ll do the same for them.
If you want to see a trainer who definitely works this with her students check out the always upbeat Tara Baggerman for all the proofing/distraction games she plays with her dogs and her students. I hope she won’t mind my screen grab of her double unicorn weave poles!
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