[miranadobe]

I have a training associate w/an Akita who is getting really bummed out that his dog will do everything except hold a Sit-Stay. She's only earned 1 leg in 12 attempts, and early on the sit-stay wasn't the deal breaker. Now it is and he's heartbroken.

Once upon a time I had heard that it takes an average of 8 attempts before all three CDX legs are earned.

Do you think that's accurate? Fewer than 8 attempts? More? Obviously, our Dobes might be better than average, and training goes a long way toward knowing when you're dog is ready and not pushing it too soon (as I think he may have done.) But I want him to understand that jumping from CD to CDX is a big step and he can't assume things would go as smoothly in CDX as they did in CD.

So, how many entries did it take you before your dog earned his/her CDX?
Thanks for all contributors/suggestions/feedback.

 

[ellenm]

First of all, I'd stop trialing that dog and work on sit stays in many different venues to get it back. If a dog gets away with something more than twice in competition, it is really hard to overcome it. (I speak from experience!)

Rexy (a rescue) did not start obedience until he was 3 yrs old. Sit stays are his least favorite thing, as even in a regular sit in heel position he sticks his front feet out in front of himself, lowering himself slightly. Thus the slump into a down in the out of sight stay happened 9 times in a row with him in Open A. He was trained, trained trained and proofed proofed proofed- and FINALLY got his CDX in a 3 day weekend.

Cheers got her CDX in 5 tries, I believe, as she had a couple dumbbell over the high jump snafus with my crooked throws not helping the situation! I don't want to jinx her, but due to Rexy's trouble- she has learned great stays!

** I was told it takes about 15 attempts to achieve the first Utility leg. That's why they call it "Futility."

 

[dax0402]

Thanks Ellen for this information. My goal for Baron next year is to get his CDX. Think we are almost ready but still need more proofing out of sights and his retrieve over the high jump is not quite consistent enough. Also, last week in class he decided to go down before I asked him on the drop on recall. So back to the beginning with that. Its a process! Also, is there a point in training when you just have to out and give it a try in the ring and see what happens?

 

[VZ-Doberman]

I no longer do ob with Bacchus but I can say that when you think you have all the exercises down pat, the dog will pick something to become a new issue. I think this holds true for rally, ob and agility.

 

[achiever]

I my opinion if the dog is failing that consistently then he needs to quit showing for a while and focus on getting the dog to succeed, build his confidence and get his dog to enjoy the sits. He is getting away with laying down and has no reason to stay in a sit. The dog should also never really practice a down stay. My 1 yr old has never even been told to do a formal down stay. When everyone practices in class we will practice a 1 min. sit and then I release and ask for another sit and do a 3 min sit while everyone else is down. I would also not show my dog unless I felt as though he was 100% ready.
Good luck to both of you!

 

[miranadobe]

The dog has been trained-trained-trained with a well-respected competition trainer as well as a balanced general obed trainer, and proofed through escalating distractions, I'm told. Extended duration stays, tension pulls w/flexi or long-line, (something I've never heard of called a chair stay where you sit behind the dog and make her stay), stays in public places, on various objects, with multiple random strangers approaching her (this seems to be the most distracting to her). Even things like sitting between floating balloons.

She's gone to show-n-gos, trained in 3 different training facilities - he thinks she's gotten to the point that she's mastered a distraction or other, and enters her into a trial and whoops, there she goes down on the sit-stay. She is more than capable of holding that sit-stay and it hadn't become an issue until he started with her CDX work.

I just learned that these last 10 failures have come since the end of AUGUST! SO, yeah, I fully believe he is over-trialing this dog and she's ring-wise and knows she doesn't have to sit in the ring b/c there's not a thing he can/will do about her sinking into the down. (PS, down-stays she fine)

I am glad to see my recommendation falls in line with those above. I actually suggested he go to a trial he is NOT entered in - go through all his usual routine of morning preps, driving, setting up the crate, warming her up, even doing a heeling pattern, then setting her up for a sit stay and having someone prepared to keep her from sinking into the down when he walks away. I think she knows the ring on competition day is the ONE place she doesn't have to do a sit-stay.

I just feel badly for his frustration - and why his competition trainer hasn't given him strong enough advice to STOP trialing, I'm not sure.

Thanks for all this info.