Trial Day - Page 1

Anyone have any ideas on how to improve the beginning of ones exercises?  Yesterday Molly and I redid her bh as a friend handled her the first time for me as nerves got to me.  I wanted to redo her bh to get trial experience and to proove we could finish it together.  We got nice comments from the judge but he commented that in  the beginning - on leash heeling the dog was sniffing, tight leash, but once we hit the group, she became a different dog.  I think I need some sort of routine before we start and need to get a better handle on my nerves, but was wondering if anyone knows of something we could practice that would signal to Molly that work begins now, not 100 paces into the routine.

The same things happens in AKC obedienc trials as well.  We don't get into a groove immediately and lose points.

Cheryl

I warm the dog up with a toy, a little heeling, sit and platz, lose the toy (out of sight of the dog)  before we step on the field to report to the judge. Walk quickly and purposefully. Only vary your pace when the routine calls for it and NEVER slow down to wait for the dog to catch up.  If you lag, so will the dog, till neither one of you is making any headway. If things start to go wrong, don't lose your cool. You can slow down or even stop for a few seconds between exercises to get your head back on straight and your dog's attention where it belongs before you go to the start position for the next exercise with no serious point penalties, especially in the BH.
Hope that helps.

SS