# Novice Exhibitors, Don't let these mistakes happen to you.



## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Noelle is my A dog, the first dog I've ever shown. I made a newbie mistake at my last trial and arrived too late. The start time was listed as "afternoon," and I showed up at 11:30. The judge decided to start at 12:01. I'd just gotten there and poof, we were in the ring. I learned my lesson the hard way. Subtract at least an hour from the start time and get there early. That gives both of you a chance to settle down and get in the groove.

Another newbie mistake I made was driving two hours to a trial on the same morning as the trial. Leaving home at five AM and driving in an unfamiliar area doesn't work well for me. Better to get a hotel nearby the night before and arrive at the trial rested. 

Crates are mandatory. I can't figure out how I would do a rally walkthrough without a crate. Noelle falls asleep in her crate now, and I'm really glad she learned stop singing Lament For a Caged Poodle In D Minor. It's very embarrassing to walk the course and listen to your own dog wailing the song of her people.

If anyone else has any trial suggestions, send them my way. Thanks for the topic, Catherine. I still have a ton to learn.


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## Moni (May 8, 2018)

"Lament For a Caged Poodle In D Minor" boy are we familiar with that song! Louie gives it all he got - if he weren't a boy my husband would rename him "Callas" although we have considered "Enrico" as in Caruso..


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Babykins is my A dog too, just like Click with Noelle.

When I was reading what you wrote Catherine I was thinking - wow - who are those people. I never made these mistakes.............. but it's not because any of my trainers or classes prepared me to not make them. I stumbled upon these things along the way myself.............. but it really should be something your trainers discuss early on as part of the training.

I've posted here many times how I figured out it was best to get to class at least a half hour early so Babykins had time to potty and get settled - same approach to trial only I know I also need time to set up the crate and chair and to allot extra time because everything is an estimated time at a trial etc. But I see so many people just pull their car up at start of class and run into the building - those are the people who probably show up on time or even late to their first trial. 

Early on I went to watch an Agility competition where I saw all kinds of chairs and crates including some very elaborate set ups with large expens and folding carts to help transport all that stuff. That's when I realized I needed a folding, lightweight crate because the metal one at home wouldn't work. I was using an old folding lawn for awhile but I have to thank you Catherine for a post you made about your Picnic Time folding sports chair. I sat on a friends and discovered it was so much more comfortable, lighter weight, practical and easier to carry than my old lawn chair. I guess newbies assume there will be crates available to stick their dog just like they do in class? I probably would have. Instead I replaced her metal crate with the folding crate in the family room so she had plenty of time to get used to it before I used it at a trial. 

To this I would add, read the rules, know what you and your dog have to perform before entering the ring. I compete in WCRL rally which has married signs and heeling on the right as well as left. Every competition there's someone who competes in AKC who during the walk through is asking what the signs mean and the rules for married signs. Other competitors, including the judges are generous with their explanation - but you're here to compete, you should have read the rules ......... they are on line for free to read and download and videos to watch.

At the recent trial I went to I lost two points - and so did a lot of people until the word spread because I performed the exercise on the wrong side of the sign. It's always subtle but there are several ways to be trapped. In my case I was doing a sit, pivot, sit then saw the last sign which was a finish sign so we heeled forward from the pivot sit....... oops, we needed to make a 45 degree angle to get on the right side of the finish side. In a perfect world that finish sign would have been on the right when you heeled from the sit. In a messy world the finish sign had to be moved significantly off course to the right because it was blocking a heeling pattern earlier in the course. You could argue it was a poorly planned rally course, but I think judges would argue that what looks good on paper doesn't always translate on the ground. There is a 45 degree angle heel sign that she could have added except there's a limit to the amount of signs and she couldn't change the course. Lesson learned.

As a ring steward I've noticed there is always someone who is walking their dog or chatting when it's their turn to go into the ring. There is a list posted showing the order and the steward calls three dog's names - the one going into the ring, the one in the chute waiting to go in and the one that should be warming up. 

And this has happened to me three times, twice in WCRL rally and once in AKC obedience...... you can be called back at the end for a "run off" if you are tied in points and time with another competitor and you're both in the running for a ribbon. It's very unnerving at the beginning especially when I didn't know they even did this. You have no time to prepare your dog, you're just thrown in and have to repeat a section of the course as fast and as well as possible knowing your competitor is doing the same. There's extra pressure because everyone is hanging around waiting for ribbons to be announced and you thought you had finished.

This is a good topic.


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## asuk (Jan 6, 2017)

Click-N-Treat said:


> I'm really glad she learned stop singing Lament For a Caged Poodle In D Minor. It's very embarrassing to walk the course and listen to your own dog wailing the song of her people.


this made me giggle....hahaha.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Oh remember Lily is my novice A dog as well. We've just been at it for a longer time (seven years now). But yes Skylar you are right I never showed up late or with no crate, etc. On Sunday I did miss the original round of checking in for the afternoon advanced because when the stewards were calling for us we were in the Master ring! Generally though it is certainly never a good idea to leave the stewards searching for you. I have table stewarded rally many times and have had to look for enough MIA teams that I don't put other stewards in the position of having to look for me.

Click I am with you in generally preferring not to be driving in an unfamiliar place early in the morning of a trial. I would much rather spring for a hotel. If possible I also try to get into the venue and set up my chair and crate(s) the night before and to walk around outside the rings with whoever is with me so they are familiar with the lighting, the smells and how the sounds bounce around.

Skylar I don't understand people showing up at the designated start time of class either. My novice class on Fridays starts at 12:30 PM. And people drift in for up to ten minutes after that. This is a short class so I don't know what they think they are getting out of it. I think I need to do what I do at the college for a while and just start at 12:30 no matter who is there to show the late arrivers that they need to arrive before class is to start. Before I started teaching the classes at my club on Fridays if I was planning to take the novice class I arrived not later than noon and warmed up and/or watched open. Routines matter to dogs and this should apply to training as well as trialing. At my ring rentals on Saturdays I take both dogs into the building and put Javelin in a crate. I work with Lily first on rally signs. I then put Lily on a down stay near the desk and behind a section of ring gate while I work with Javelin. I end by doing novice type group sit and down stays and then while I pack up I let them play if the weather is bad or there is snow that will keep them from being able to do so when we get home. Otherwise they are on down stays near me while I get organized to get packed out.

In agility I have often noticed that a lot of dogs don't really relax in their crates. There is often lots of barking in agility crating areas whereas at obedience trials the crating area is often almost like being in a reserved Sunday church service, quiet as a church mouse. Those dogs that have been unsettled in their crates come out of them showing whale eye and all sorts of other stress signs. Then their handlers wonder why the dog can't hold a start line stay. I totally understand why people think agility is more fun/exciting than obedience and rally but they should pay more attention to some of the things we have talked about here in terms of how their dog deals with the crate and having them be able to maintain focus at the start line and on course.


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## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

I would also add know your dog. Know how they react to show areas and to the performance event its self. If they show signs they don't like it don't force them to compete. In the end neither of you will enjoy yourselves. 

For example:
Jazz leave in crate until almost last minute, play attention games on way to ring, know that she is more concerned with doing her JOB then playing some silly heeling game even if she knows it pleases me. UMM yep we stopped at her URO1. 

Cole get there early, walk him around, play attention getting games. I know from classes it takes him about 45 to 50 minutes to firmly engage in the OH we are doing fun things mode. Once there he is solid and totally tuned into me and is having a blast. The more surprises in the rally course the happier he gets. This kid is the one I will keep going forward with.

Twilight - get there early walk her around a bit but mostly just let her see and hear everything and get settled down as she can be timid. Jolly her along for a while as once in the ring she tries hard but loud sounds or sudden movement out the corner of her eye can distract her. The main thing is she is trying but she is a very superstitious dog and I have to always keep in mind that one bad experience is all it would need to ruin her as a performance dog. And we will probably stop at her URO1 or RN.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

spindledreams said:


> I would also add know your dog. Know how they react to show areas and to the performance event its self. *If they show signs they don't like it don't force them to compete. In the end neither of you will enjoy yourselves. *
> 
> For example:
> Jazz leave in crate until almost last minute, play attention games on way to ring, know that she is more concerned with doing her JOB then playing some silly heeling game even if she knows it pleases me. UMM yep we stopped at her URO1.
> ...





For sure, someone blew a gasket with her dog who was just worried beyond belief in both trials. They were excused twice, but late in the day the handler got into it with another person and started carrying on about how crappy her life is. Sorry your dog is wildly stressed and don't take your problems out on the dog and add to its worries and stresses. We are the "grownups" in relationships with dogs.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

Great topic thank you for all of the tips everyone. I admit that I may have been someone to not bring a crate just because of poor planning, but I think it’s because I never brought a crate for conformation. Lol I would be more likely to bring a table for her to rest on since that is what we did for confo! Good thing I know now. When I did the walk through at our recent match I had a friend hold her leash and she did fine. Watched me but no noise or anything. I hope that I would never be late though. We are used to arriving 4 hours before show time as ring times are extremely strict in conformation (and the grooming takes forever.)

I still haven’t decided whether or not to pursue other sports. But these tips help me to feel less clueless.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I learned and followed the rules due to my own personality being very conscientious, plus my trainer is a stickler for her pupils showing courtesy and respect to everyone at our classes and trials. However, I did have to learn to keep Frosty engaged before going in the ring. I thought it was best to keep him calm and relaxed, but like you said, Catherine, engagement is a much better strategy.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

chinchillafuzzy part of why I think the crate is a much better option than handing a dog off to another person is that you don't have to worry about the dog getting too engaged with their new friend and not having the best focus on you.


And ZM I am amazed that people are not more respectful of judges and stewards sometimes. The judges don't get paid much and the stewards get at best breakfast and/or lunch. I never trial wearing jeans or T shirts and I also try very very hard never to have stewards have to wonder where I am.


I am friendly with quite a number of judges with whom I have either taken work shops, been an exhibitor with or shown to, but when I go in the ring it is all business until we are all done. That is another thing to remember, to not seem to take advantage of personal ties.


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## mvhplank (Dec 5, 2012)

My show-day routine is to get to the site at least an hour before ring time, and even earlier if it makes sense to be there when the doors open to try to grab a prime spot for the crate and chair.

If I can sit with our backs to a wall, I'm ecstatic. I have a folding chair with a side table that I like to set on the right (so the table is between the chair and the crate). Then there's a nice, small place to put Neely's water dish just outside the crate, with the zipper open just enough for him to reach it. If I put it IN the crate, he'll turn it over when he rearranges his bedding.

If I have to set up in the middle of the floor, I have a beach towel I can drape over the chair's side table to hang down both front and back so it obscures the view of the water dish--it also keeps random dogs from helping themselves, and then getting grumbled at by Neely.

Then, also to keep the grumbles down, I wrap a fleece around the crate to obscure the view both in and out. The fleece was a prize for HIT in UKC rally, but I don't make an effort to display the embroidery that says so.  If someone remarked on it, I would be compelled to say that it wasn't for obedience. The top of the crate has a mesh panel that can unzip all around, but I just leave a tiny slit open so I can drop random treats in.

I carry a ring binder containing the rules for the venue I'm showing in, printouts of my entry confirmation, and printouts of the judging program--and sometimes the premium list. I clip the printouts to the front of the notebook with a binder clip. 

If your trial allows move-ups (the premium list will state that) and you might want to advance in the next trial after a title, it might be a good idea to prepare a move-up (transfer) form with your dog's information prefilled, all except for the classes you want to change.

When you pick up your armband number, the first thing the stewards need to know is what the number is. If you can refer to your confirmation notice, they don't have to look you up in the catalog. Please don't give the stewards extra work!

My novice A dog, Devlin, was a rescue who had lifelong issues with being crated. Finding people to hold him during a walkthrough was always a problem. So every time I put Neely in a crate, I silently thank him for being so content in one.


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