For years, I have been working with the wrong dog for obedience. Wyatt is so motivated to learn and so quick to learn that I worked with him for years and trained him to utility. However, despite many, many attempts (I stopped counting), we have never been able to qualify in AKC Open Obedience. He needs lots of double commands in the ring, especially for the recall, does not sit while heeling, and has trouble with the long sit. He does all these things perfectly at home and even right outside the ring. He does this even though he is an awesome rally dog (you can talk to your dog in rally) frequently scoring 98, 99, and 100 and placing in large classes full of traditional obedience breeds. The lack of verbal reinforcement and stimulation provided by agility seems to really hamper him in traditional obedience.
Patriot has been much slower to learn and not nearly as motivated to practice and especially retrieve. I started training him more seriously about a year ago. He has multiple issues in his first outing but I was amazed at his performance last week where he would have got a 193/200 and a second place had be not went down on the long sit. So I learned that confidence in the ring is even more important that being a quick learner, at least if you want to compete. I am excited to be working with Patriot more and competing again. We have been working daily on the long sit.
Hello,
I have been following your success with your dogs for some time now – I own two whippets – Reilly is 5 1/2 and Willow is 20 months. I am a teacher and these are my first dogs. I have Reilly trained in competitive obedience and rally and also agility. I have just started trialing him – 2 venues – one Q on 1 leg in Novice ASCA – he ran out on me at his first AKC run (he is my sensitive flower) and gets very nervous. He has his Rally Novice title, but I stopped there to focus on his attitude and confidence. Willow is also trained – I started her at 8 weeks and she is a much more determined confident whippet. She has already learned articles and more, but once she fixates on something her concentration goes out the door. (I have posted on you tube under nandersbrizius) I am a stubborn woman though and I will continue to work on my pigs fly dogs loving every minute of it. Reilly will try for his first leg of CD this coming January. Willow’s first agility trial this January as well. Thank you for your postings and insights. I love my whippets and the challenges they present, and I need the hope that we will continue growing as a team.
Thanks for writing and good luck. You need to be very stubborn and persistent to train whippets, in my experience!