Another thing you need to consider, is this just going to be a show dog or are you thinking that you may some day breed her? The puppy that may be the best starter show dog may not be the best choice if you are thinking this may also become your foundation bitch.
Need ideas to help young dog stand still on table for judge
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New to showing both ourselves and our dog. We've been going to handling classes and have gone to a couple of shows. Our young girl stands really well on the table at home and at class but she would not stand for the judges. What can we do to help get her to stay put? She pulls back when they approach and struggles to turn around to see the judge. Any constructive advice is appreciated. Thanks
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If she is good at handling class but not at the show, I am wondering what is different? Is she familiar with the people at handling class? Can you try practicing with her in an unfamiliar place using people she does not know? You could also set up a table at a show and ask strangers to come up and examine her until it is "old hat". Also, work lots of distractions while she is being examined. Let her learn that if something unusual happens her job is to keep her place and she will be rewarded for it. Good luck!
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Dogs pick up on our feelings….. so if you are nervous with her in the ring, she knows it... and reacts. Have you worked with her breeder? Any tips from the breeder?
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I did think it might be my nervousness causing it. The breeder also took her in one show. She misbehaved the same way on the table but settled much quicker for the breeder but then broke her pace trying to chase the Afghan in front of her. lol! We will keep training. I thought maybe parking ourselves outside a busy store and ask people to approach her on the table and then pet her when she's standing quiet.
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I had similar problems with my young girl when she was out as a senior puppy. Particularly wanting to chase the dog in front, or look around at the one behind, when we were parading. With the judge, she wasn't bad with women, did not like men. I kept a hand under her chin when the judge approached, with my fingers in a good place to deter her moving her head.
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Also a stack tray might train her to glue those feet to one spot.
Take her to a highly distracting place like a park and ask people to come pet her and keep walking. -
Charging after the dog in front, pretty typical for a puppy! All takes time
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Thanks everyone for the help. We took all advice and worked on her table "manners". This weekend she stood nicely on the table for the judges and earned her first 2 points.
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WTG! Hope you took pictures to share!
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Excellent! Glad it worked out for you.
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I put one pic up. We didn't get any good ones but it shows her standing for the judge.
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not sure why but I can't see the pic, just a blue box thing. If I open in new tab, same thing.
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The picture is under my profile in albums. I will try to put it here. Not sure if I know how. lol Sorry I can't figure out how to get a pic in here. A short update on our girl. She did well at her last show as I said but last week at handling class, she growled at the instructor when she was on the table and would not stand still on the floor when the instructor tried to walk around behind her. This lady was not the usual instructor but we had her once last spring and our dog behaved the same way towards her last time. Any one else have this problem with their basenji disliking a certain person for unknown reasons? The instructor could take the leash and take her around the ring no problem just not approach her when she had to stand still.
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I have seen dogs react to a certain person…. could be a number of reason.... If the person is ill and on medication, they can give off a scent... same with perfume/after shave.... or if a smoker...... and one big one is reflective sunglasses.... it is like the dog is just seeing another dog....
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I have no experience with shows and stacking, but what I do know is that some dogs do not want to be approached or touched in a not-familiar or unquiet environment. Maybe you can train in into her, but maybe she still will not like it.
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Any one else have this problem with their basenji disliking a certain person for unknown reasons? The instructor could take the leash and take her around the ring no problem just not approach her when she had to stand still.
I don't find this unusual. My boy will occasionally react to different people even on a walk. Just something he doesn't like about the way they appear, the way they walk, the way they smell. Something sets off his "Spidey sense" and he doesn't trust the person. He has even barked at someone a couple of times! (typical Basenji alert bark, just one). It could be something in the way the woman moves or smells. Once she has control of him with the leash, she knows that person has "control", so in my experience that generally turns off the aggression.
As far as posting pictures, I find the easiest way is to hot link them from another site, e.g. photobucket. (a free service)
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If your dog has a dislike for someone, why waste your money using that person to handle your dog? Or risk making the behavior more common by it being repeated.
That said, you can in fact work on the "approaching" issue. Take your dog to a show he's not actually doing, or a human park that allows dogs. Get a helped to ask people to walk close by, but no closer than about 5 feet, and toss a small treat. Once your dog is happily anticipating the approach. .. go home. Next time have them come withing a couple of feet and drop the treat. Next time, have them squat down with hand out with treat. Next outing, try to allow to smell and lightly pet shoulder area then move on. Don't force any contact. If the dog dislikes some folks, try to figure out what the common issue might be. If you can figure it out, break out the fantastic treats and get people (for example, could be hats, perfume, flappy shirts…whatever) with that to come. It helps if your dog is HUNGRY prior to the training. It is a bit of a pain, but a dog who shows aggression or fear in the ring is not going to have a very successful time. In fact you risk being banned.
If you can't fix it with the above, it may be time to call in a good, positive trainer to evaluate. Because if you simply have a dog that is fearful/aggressive that cannot be overcome, you might want to seriously question whether this dog should be show or bred.
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DebraDownSouth , thanks for the advice. This young girl goes out everywhere she can with us. She normally loves all attention even from strangers. She will go willingly to a new person for attention, pets and sniffs. This instructor is not "handling" her for shows but just took the leash at the end of training class to see if she would go with her and she did. The issue was when the dog was on the table or stacked on the floor. We have taken the grooming table to a busy public park and have people going by or stopping to chat with no problems. She's young and we'll keep working with her. She's an awesome girl and we love her no matter what.
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Good luck with her. Sounds like you are working on things … hopefully she'll come around.
