By John
Date 26.02.04 21:45 UTC
Obedience was where I started out with dogs many years ago Rox. The show people used to come to ring craft at the dog club thinking the obedience people were hard on their dogs. One by one they approached me about bringing their dogs into the obedience class because "All the dogs in the class seem to be having so much fun!"
Best wishes, John

Oh when I did basic obedience it was always fun, well for everyone else, embaresing for me!!!!! :D
I did do obedience training (some people where very rough on their dogs!!!) but most people were really nice and I got alot of general advice from them. I just never did the shows as I was too busy with breed shows as thats what I have been doing since I could walk!!!
Rox
Who thinks John may be out to spoile her fun of thinking shes right!!!!!!!!!! ;)
By Jackie H
Date 27.02.04 08:40 UTC
Hi John, guess you must be younger than I. When I started doing obedience it was all check chains and yank and we thought the ringcraft people were very strange, still think that the GSD breed show people are a law unto them selves, still as long as they are happy. But I digress, after I had been 'training' for about 2 years this wonderful 'new' training method was shown to us by a new trainer, you did not insist you encouraged your dog to do as required. Now most of us thought it was nonsense, including me, but at the time I had a very worried rescue that I was trying to 'make safe' so she could become a pet and not be PTS. Anyway I decided the 'new' type of training may suit her better and it did it worked a treat, in fact I kept her and did competition with her. We did not do that well but not that bad either and I have not used a check chain since.
Looking back I think I can remember at least a dozen training fads and methods, some still with us, others not. Sorry nothing to do with Crufts at all, put it down to my age. :D

Crufts is the only show at which if you win the obedience your dog becomes a champion even if it has only won one CC beforehand. In all other show breed & obedience you have to win three CC's under three different judges. As you cannot Judge more than one set of CC's in obedience within I2 months & crufts entries close in January(before the obedience Ch Shows start)every dog that wins the obedience at crufts becomes a champion even if they never win another CC. So in a way yes a dog that wins one CC & Crufts(it has happpened)becomes a champion because they win at crufts
KC rules G 3,82(15)states that the competition at Crufts is the Obedience Championships so Yes the dog/bitch winners are "Cruft"Champions or more correctly the Obedience Championship Winners as they beat all the dogs/bitches that have won CC's in the previious year(unless they don't compete as has happened because one of the bitches invited has just had puppies & last year one bitch was too ill to compete). They actually get
invited to enter unlike any other class where the dogs has to qualify & you enter

Too true Rox
I think the pressure on the handlers in the Ob Championships is immense, my friends dog was third one year then she lost him to cancer & then his son(owned by another handler)won I have never cried so much in my life as Daley was Rookie double both in working & looks.
I've got my fingers crossed for this year as some of the handlers had problems with the turf last year as they were wearing the wrong type of shoes. there has been lots of debates aboput foorwear this year so hopefully there won't b ethe same problems.
The handlers usually look very smart too unlike some of the breed people(me included when I entered)I went for comfort first.