Does anyone here do both showing and obedience? As someone said to me that if you are doing a lot of showing and obedience then often the dog will get confused between the two and not show as well or not do obedience as well. but surely they would know the difference? I can't get to ringcraft as work evenings, so can anyone give me any tips on how to teach my dog to show? Like making them look ahead and not at you etc.
Gina

Hi Gina

I do both, I train the breed first because it is easier :D & I do the breed training at an obedience club too. In stead of getting the dog to be super close as you do in obedience you want him/her to walk on a loose lead about a foot or so from you so that judges can see the dog & not your legs :) I use a show lead for ringcraft training & make quite a big thing about it being different to the normal or obedience collar & lead. When the obedience clas halt instead of sitting my puppies I use the stand command(back in my case)& titbit when the puppy stands four square in front of me. Then when the class set off again I use a heel command(walk on in my case)

When the puppy has grasped the showing basics well I start obedience training using a rolled collar & totally different commands for the heelwork.

As my dogs have been trained the sit stand & down they never get confused & sit when they should stand etc It is the heelwork that needs the work & I feel the different collars & commands do help.

i do not compete in competition now due to time not being available but it pays off in the breed rind having a dog that stands & moves naturally & relaxed without having to be strung up as some do in my breed have to be due to lack of training

It does put back the obedience side but I have never been one to rush my puppies into obedience.

Your puppy is a sheltie & the free standing dogs are harder to train than stacked breeds so obedience is a get help

I used to show a GSD in both & he was even trained to walk into the breed stance rather than being stacked

There is no reason you cannot compete in all disciplines with the same dog. My bitch has competed successfully in showing, gundog tests of work, schutzhund, working trials and agility; next year I hope to start obedience. Using different leads helps and different commands.

I too do everything in mine and it annoys me at ringcraft classes when the trainers say oh you've been to obedience, you'll never be able to get it to stand!!! I'm sure that they think that the stand command isn't used in obedience. Have to say that I've not had any problems with doing, obedience, ringcraft, gundog training, heelwork to music etc. with my dogs. As Thome put use different leads for each and they soon realise when you go to pick up a lead which is for which speciality!!

i do obedience and showing with my affie :) the two seem to complement each other, i get a well behaved girl who is happy and confident in the ring.

I,v done both obedience with my Afghan and Agility and Breed shown,

Use different leads and commands - particularly body language and your dog will know the difference. In fairness I have judged dogs with lots of obedience (and little show) training and you can't see movement because the dogs head is half way up the handlers groin (being polite). When the dog is placed down the line the rely has been "Oh he is a working dog" as if that gave him some sort of inate superiority. A good handler will tell their dog what they are doing - for God's sake your dog knows the difference between you getting up to put the kettle on and getting up to go take them for a walk however you try to hide it!
Just make sure YOU tell him what you are doing - it won't be him that gets it wrong!

Thanks everyone I do obedience with my x-breed and have done handling with her and she doesn't get confused but I didn't do any handling with her until she was older and we only do the handling at exemption shows.
Gina