Sunday Salutations and Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
Sunday Salutations and Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
As you heard in the previous blog, I am working on preparing Crokell for our first dog competition. I am really nervous about it. Crokell can be an angel or a doofus, at the drop of a hat.
We are competing in rally, which is sequential obedience exercises ( https://www.akc.org/sports/rally/ ). You can find the official descriptions and rule book at that link.
In preparation for that, I have been reviewing all the Novice signs, with and without Crokell. There are forty-two of these signs for Novice, counting the start and finish signs. Does this mean that dogs are the answer to life, the universe, and everything? I think it does!
To make it fun today, I am asking: what is your favorite dog trick?
I really like sign 29, left about turn. It looks really slick as you turn one way, and the dog goes the other. It’s difficult to describe, but when you see it done, the explanation makes so much more sense. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgjsubQbW6M )
My other favorite is sign 12, 360 Degrees Left Turn. In this one, Crokell basically backs up as I turn, in order to stay in heel position. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8XuNbLUj2I )
I like both of these so much, Crokell has to perform them almost every day before breakfast and dinner.
I considered doing a Rally 101 sign review, but decided there were other better reviews of rally signs elsewhere. The AKC Obedience and Rally Channel has a playlist of all the Rally Novice signs. ( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpkaTxdGkvI3lFUBckw-NS4BXxVBzwK1_ )
I did, however, want to talk about what I consider some of the deceptively hard signs. I don’t think they will be what most people think. The 4 signs that I consider hardest are all what I call pace change signs.
“Pace change” sounds easy, but getting your dog to change pace in time with you and stay in heel position can be hard. Crokell only has three gaits. His normal gait is very slow. He has a trot which is just a little too fast for most signs. And he has the Newfie galumph which is more of a full out run. All of which makes these signs more challenging for us!
So, that makes sign 17, slow pace, a hard sign for us. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J25gFYS0xzA ) Crokell must take one step and wait before taking another. This sounds easy, but some dogs will keep walking at the same pace and end up out of position. If you slow too much, some dogs will think you want them to sit. And worse, I saw one competition where during a slow, the dog that it meant she could squat and pee. I felt so bad for the handler. That was a very young dog, but such behavior gave the handler an “NQ” – meaning it was a non-qualifying run – so they didn’t get any credit for their good work up to then. Inappropriate potty activities are pretty far from obedience, and make it difficult to prepare for the next dogs, since everything has to be scent sanitized.
The three-pace changing signs in novice are:
Sign #17 – Slow Pace ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J25gFYS0xzA )
Sign #18 – Fast Pace ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLrv6m5btxA )
Sign #19 – Normal Pace – this does not have its own video, as this sign follows one of the other two signs.
There are also two more pace change signs. In these, the dog sits and then leaves the sit at something other than normal pace. This is trickier than it sounds.
Sign #28 – Halt, Fast Forward from Sit ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3fnzuHWUzM )
Sign #36 – Halt, Slow Forward from Sit ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWbRl3IzJO4 )
These signs are all deceptively hard in my opinion.
On the other hand, some signs that look difficult are a lot of fun. (Sometimes they are difficult too, but still fun.) I call these Heeling Pattern signs.
I like signs that use cones. There is something really fun about weaving between cones, especially with a big goofy lummox like Crokell next to me. There are seven of these.
Sign #21 – Spiral Right, Dog Outside ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMW-Y9_gIdU )
Sign #22 – Spiral Left, Dog Inside ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN_AF6x8hAA )
Sign #23 – Straight Figure 8 Weave Twice ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=652txE_kEIk )
Sign #24 – Serpentine Weave Once ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1L0W7FE25c )
Sign #32 – Figure 8 No Distractions ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwGL5Pki8Yw ) – at higher levels, they put toys or food on the floor that the dog has to ignore.
Sign #41 – Offset Serpentine Right ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJvVq1Fxi8 )
Sign #42 – Offset Serpentine Left ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzItXGSCTfo )
My main goal for next weekend is not to get an NQ (non-qualifying, the run didn’t count), DQ (disqualified, you can’t come back), and to make sure Crokell does not knock over any signs (this is a stretch goal). In reality, I would love a qualify score but I am trying to not make myself too nervous.
Hope everyone has a good weekend and didn’t knock over any signs!
Let us know if you want to see any specific signs performed by the big lummox known as Crokell! We would be happy to give it a try.
~Anna, Tod, and Crokell
