At ringcraft If we practice pups walking while everyone is having a teabreak etc or if no-one is looking he is great and I finally think are getting there - but the moment it comes back to handling time when anyone is looking you can guarantee he will try to do the two legged Staffy walk or race along the mat at 100 miles an hour ( well, almost :) )
Do they do it deliberately ?? :D

Sometimes, especially a dog like a staffie need just to learn whats right and whats wrong. We had a incredibly naughty pup a bit like yours come to our club. He did the two legged staffie walk for about 3 weeks, and eventually one of the trainers gave him a good, hard slap. It corrected the problem and he's super now. That's all it took to tell him his behaviour was unacceptable. He's won 2 Res CC's now and's absolutely gorgeous.

Last night I took him for a quick walk before ringcraft and he was great .
Took him into the hall and while everyone wascoming in etc I decided to have some practice walking - again he was great .
Walked quite a few times before we got into the handling side of things and thought it had all finally come together :)
Soon as he had been handled off he went like a bat out of hell and no matter what I tried he just wouldnt do it again !
I'm sure he does it deliberately !!!!
I wll get there ifit kills me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi.

I have a Staff, 12 weeks old, I want to start ringcraft classes. At what age is the best to start, and would it be best to try and find a Staffie ringcraft or will a mixed be better.

Michelle.

hi Michelle

you can start as soon as he has had his second jab

and you can also go to both i went to just Staffie classies at first until he was about 5 months and then just before his first show started taken him to a mixed class so he could get used to diffrent dogs and diffrent people going over him

Natalie

We go to both mixed and SBT only classes with Gus .
I have received different views on this but at such a young age you can also use it as a form of socialising with lots of different breeds for your pup.

Lel - one day he will just do it :) Our Aussie is great at sit/down stays at home, but has been refusing to do them at training classes. The last couple of weeks she has suddenly become bomb proof and will just lie/sit there happily while other dogs are doing heel work around her while I am standing quite some way away. Why she has suddenly decided that it is OK I don't know - maybe she feels sorry for me :D

Daisy

Lel- i think my dogs been to the same behaviour school as yours. My beagle has been to ringcraft for 3 month now and she was better behaved the second week than she is now. If shes in the mood she'll try for all of 2 seconds and she looks beautiful and everyone comments on how nice she looks. Then all of a sudden she just jumps forward and of she goes, dragging me down the hall, running sideways, charging towards other dogs to sniff them. However. we took her to her first show and she was completely different. For the first 5 minutes while we were walking round she was excited and then she just calmed down all of a sudden and she was an angel. I don't know what your dog is like but she is like a bomb of excitement waiting to go off. She just wants to play. I'm hoping this is just a puppy phase and she will grow out of it. I sometimes feel demoralised as we've put loads of training in with her and shes fine at home or in the garden but when we get to ringcraft she goes stupid. I think they play on it a bit, now shes used to going and knows the other dogs she seems to show off, it is annoying as some dogs are alot younger than her and they hardly go to the class but they are more well behaved. We tried clicker training with her and when she was walking properly i would click and reward her and this worked quite well for a while but to be honest i think its just time that will help.
Good Luck

You can almost see the owners of the well behaved pups thinking " what are they doing ?" and thinking we have put no effort whatsoever into his training but we HAVE !!!! :(
His first show was terrible ( tiny venue and too many distractions right on top of him ) - his second show last week was great - he stood well :) and walked great :)
I was chuffed .
Went to Ringcraft again last night and there he was again - tearing up the mat , trying to meet the other dogs and totally ignoring me
Lel
Everyone else makes it look so easy

Oh how I sympathise! My daughters dog acted up at SKC on Friday, jumping and running too fast. They got vhc, though. When they came out of the ring a gentleman(?) said "What a lovely dog you have, what a pity you don't know how to show it!" She's been handling for over half her life, winning most of the junior handling classes she entered, so it's not her, it's definately the dog! We'll just have to be patient with him, the horror!

Hi, - have just read your comments about your beagle training with amusement. I have an eight month old beagle, who like you I practice with in the garden - even have an old table outside - and she's fine - even when my husband tries his best to distract her. He's run past her pretending to be flying duck and all sorts - and she doesn't move. The neighbours must think we're potty. I walk her up and down our road, probably looking like a right prat - and she'll walk fine, so I know she can do it. However, when it comes to ringcraft she becomes a right fidgit and then races off/ or paces down the 'triangle'. We've been told she is a nice dog so I think perseverence and practice is the name of the game. By the way, where about do you live? I live near Leicester and am going to Newark open show on Sunday. I've entered the Hound show on August 2nd - first champ show ever - so should be an interesting experience. Good luck with the future.

Hi Lel,
I totally sympathise with you. I have a 17 week old dobe called Sydney and he walks like a dream when he is every where but at ringcraft classes. His latest trick is to jump up and try to bit my bum. (sigh perhaps he is trying to tell me something **Grin**).

Attended a training show with him and the judge didnt even give him a look because he was being naughty whilst walking. It is frustrating as I know he would be placed if he behaved. Puppies!!!! Dont ya just love em.

I just keep on trying and looking for positive steps he makes rather than this unruly behaviour because he just wants to play.

Jackie
LOL at pup biting bum :D
The frustrating thing is - I KNOW he can DO IT !! :)
Suppose it makes life more interesting !! ;)
Lel