movement in the ring

[Rachel]

Hi all,  

even at the best of times Ginger will only walk beside me in the ring.  Watching the different dog movements at the NWA I thought the dogs that looked the most dynamic were the ones that no sooner did they get off the table than they were speeding ahead of their owners round the triangle with enormous enthusiasm - how can you get your dog to move off ahead of you? can you train for it?

Rachel

 

[Karen]

Hi Rachel, This is a very interesting topic, it could have started 'How can I stop my dog pulling in the ring?!! '

Firstly you can train your dog to go out in front by getting someone with a tasty treat to tease your dog, just keeping the treat in front of him, praise when he pulls you forward.  Make it exciting, use a ball or favorite toy, use your show lead and praise when he moves into it.  If you have trained your dog to walk to heal you can also train him to pull a bit in the same way.  When people say they cant get thier dog to stand you usually find they have managed to get him to sit!

But, these dogs at NWA, did thier owners want them to roar off ahead, Im sure some people looked at yours and thought 'I wish my dog went steady like that'.

Did they win and if so was it because of the fast movement or something else?  I saw one or two going fast but their actual movement was really bad.  Have you got someone to show you how Ginger moves?  It is a good idea to watch your own dog moving then you can assess the best speed for him.

 You should look at him from the side and see that hes not ploding along or going so fast he picks his knees up.  coming and going, if he goes too fast his legs may all converge at the feet or worse cross and look untidy, too slow and the ploding gives a wide at feet look sometimes, and at the back, that I want a poo sort of action!

Hope this helps, all my dogs have their own special speed where I think they look best.  

Best of luck if you want to train Ginger to go faster, Im sure you wont have much trouble.  Bye the way what is his breeding, sometimes this eagerness is in the lines,

 

[Millie]

I'm one of those people that say "I wish mine would go nice and steady!"

Both mine like to take off at full speed. Have had to resort to a fine check chain on Freeway, which both he and I hate but it does the trick.

It takes time to work out the right pace for each and every dog but with practice you can finally work it out.

Mind you saying that, I'm still working on it after showing dogs for 15 years. LOL  

 

[Rachel]

Thanks for your replies Karen and Wendy - I think I may be part way to solving the problem.  Ginger (a la Rogers - very much a lady dog!!!) was fighting the show lead - I've been walking her on it every walk and she seems to be more dynamic now - I think I had underestimated how uncomfortable those leads.  Now that I've got her feeling confident about being walked on one I think I can work on the speed control - bonio on a stick should do it!!! - make a novel ring perfomance anyway!

Karen Gingers breeding is Fincorrie Mood Indigo/Stormalong Double Diamond - I know Diamond walks steadily, but as Mood Indigo is no more I don't know what his show speed was like.

Thanks again for the advice - I'm already practising like mad!

Rachel