# Beginner obedience work advice please.



## Rug Guy (Jan 29, 2019)

My boy Bentley and I just completed a ‘pet/companion’ obedience program in which final exam was the CGC exam. We passed and Bentley now has a CGC title. I would like to start training for obedience trials and i joined the local club. I appreciate the club and advice from veteran members. I feel Bentley and I would benefit from following a structured program at least for the beginning of our new adventure. Does anyone have a book or video series they would recommend for us?


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Congratulations on attaining that CGC. It is a great first step in making really nice teamwork. I would make sure you are familiar withthe rules for all levels of obedience (novice, open and utility) for a start. I have tons of books, but think videos are easier to see what the words mean. The great obedience trainers who have videos available include (not limited to): Petra Ford, Betsy Scappicchio, Linda Brennan and Denise Fenzi. The first thing I would teach is heads up attention for all work, not just heeling but also in between exercises. I have a YouTube channel with my own videos (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvg0UyN051LpJ436IDB8KNQ) and I also have a blog thread here with a long running explanation of what I have been doing. It needs some updating, but we have had very limited working times this fall. Anyway you can find it here. Javelin's road to ring ready!

There aren't too many of us who do obedience, so we are happy to have another person who is interested in pursuing formal obedience work.


----------



## Rug Guy (Jan 29, 2019)

lily cd re said:


> Congratulations on attaining that CGC. It is a great first step in making really nice teamwork. I would make sure you are familiar withthe rules for all levels of obedience (novice, open and utility) for a start. I have tons of books, but think videos are easier to see what the words mean. The great obedience trainers who have videos available include (not limited to): Petra Ford, Betsy Scappicchio, Linda Brennan and Denise Fenzi. The first thing I would teach is heads up attention for all work, not just heeling but also in between exercises. I have a YouTube channel with my own videos (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvg0UyN051LpJ436IDB8KNQ) and I also have a blog thread here with a long running explanation of what I have been doing. It needs some updating, but we have had very limited working times this fall. Anyway you can find it here. Javelin's road to ring ready!
> 
> There aren't too many of us who do obedience, so we are happy to have another person who is interested in pursuing formal obedience work.


Thank you, I will investigate the videos and get started! We intended to show in conformation first (Bentley didnt develop quite as intended) so we were a bit slow starting towards the obedience ring. He's still young (11 months on 12/30) so hopefully I haven't created many issues to work through. I think if we get his head up and at attention and continue working away from his rock back sit we will be well on our way.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Heads up is the key to many things in this part of the world!


----------



## mashaphan (Sep 4, 2014)

Yes, attention is the key, though one of my trainers says Otter can "blind heel'-must be he tracks me from the corner of his right eye. We have picture perfect work at home most times, but in class he is more interested in his friends


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Huge congratulations on your CGC. Bentley is brains and beauty. 

I found it very helpful to sit in and watch the open and utility classes when I was taking novice. I realized they were spending a lot of time on heeling, working on heeling never ends.

Volunteer to be ring steward in as many competitions as possible. If the experienced obedience competitors in your club see you often and see you helping the club, they will talk to you pointing out mistakes being made, things you should be careful training. They will help you and if your club has any special classes like mine does you’ll be invited to those classes when you are ready. Ask to be ring steward in novice at the beginning so you will get very comfortable with the process before you step in the ring. 

You club may have classes that are between GCG and pre-novice. My club had one and when you meet the requirements you could then choose to go to rally class or obedience or both. Most people went to rally and only 2 of us went to obedience. If you have that choice take obedience. You can learn rally on your own. Obedience is harder than rally.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

If you can take a stand alone attention and focus class that would be worth the time since it is part of almost all activities. We have such a class for teams that just finished our beginner classes. It is optional but I think the people who have done it have liked it a lot.


----------



## Rug Guy (Jan 29, 2019)

Thank you, I will be volunteering at a trial on January 9th. We have an attention class in the syllabus but it is not offered this session. I signed up for another fundamentals class.


----------

