# Question About Competing in More Than Just Conformation



## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

Yes you CAN show in multiple events at one time. I showed my Whippet in agility, conformation, lure coursing and obedience during the same time period. Sometimes, if I was lucky, I could get into an obedience or agility trial at the same place they were holding a conformation show. You train your dog for each specific thing. Your conformation dog will not sit just because you train for obedience or whatever at the same time.


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

Don't forget poodles are SMART! They will KNOW when it's obedience time and when it's conformation time. Heck, I know a lady with samoyeds who do obedience, rally, agility and still rake it in in the conformation ring. Her guys all know the difference in her body language and the cues she gives. At obedience training one night, she showed us by doing wonderful close heelwork with instant sits when she stopped, and literally the next moment she had the dog running out like in a show ring, and stacking itself up on it's toes when she stopped! lol

To help for a start train one thing at a time, and use different collars for different things to help make that difference for them. Ie a show lead for conformation handling, and a buckle collar for agility and a check chain for obedience or whatever!

And in the end your body language and the environment will be different for each thing too; they'll be groomed up for the conformation ring, and you'll likely be dressed up too, and you'll be running them by holding your hand up and away from your body usually (?), whereas in the obedience ring they wont' be groomed out to the same extent (if at all) nor do you need to be as perfectly dressed, and you'll be going into the ring with your hands down and getting them to heel beside you rather than run out. 

Honestly, dogs are smart. Poodles are smarter! I wouldn't worry about it, and train whatever you want!


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## markfsanderson (Oct 25, 2009)

*Obedience,Conformation and such . . .*

KalaMama,
Yes they can! Let me put it this way, my Mastiff (somes years back) did his conformation work while earning his CD. We managed to do 192/200 in Novice B and first place in MCOA Natl's Ambred. He got sick just as we were about to show for Open . . . If it can be done with a Mastiff - poodles aren't a problem. How do you do this? By making sure that you 'cue' your dog properly:



Always do obedience training in a slip chain (or whatever you use)
Always do conformation training in a show collar
Tracking in a harness . . . yada yada . . you get the picture
When you are doing obedience make sure that you keep the dog point in the same direction that you are when you stop. Some people will tell you to NOT have the dog sit when you stop - mine figured out pretty quick what they were supposed to do. I always had a 'stand' command that I could use.
When you are in formation make sure you face your dog when you stop - either from the fron or the side.
They'll figure it out pretty quick from there . . .

Regards,
Mark, Jamie and The Poodle Gangsters!


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