Think It Is Possible?

Okay I would LOVE to show Lizzie in 4H....but...there are a few things that she would have to be okay with/learn before this could happen!

So here is a list of the things I would have to teach her in order to do it......

1. Free stacking...that would be NO big deal for her to learn

2. Focusing on ME and NOT other DOGS! That would be probably the hardest for her .

3. Learn to be touched all over with out moving/getting upset...I think this woud be not that hard either with daily training!

4. Being able to run on leash without wanting to take the leash in her mouth and run.

5. Learning to be on a "show" lead!

6. And just over all being nice to other dogs and not caring they are around!


Think it is possible....I would be doing TONS of training with her!

You'll never know until you try, will you?

LOL, I know...I hate trying!

I think *well know* all of these would be easy for Lizzie...EXCEPT the being around other dogs, being nice on leash and and focusing on ME and not other dog part

Just that one PART!!!

Then there's a good reason to do it! Think of how good the two of you will feel when you get that accomplished

You know you want to . . .

I want you to, too!

I think it'll be a wonderful experiance for both of you!!

Go for it. You don't have anything to lose

You guys are right! *as always*

I am going to start training tomorrow!

Ooo RD and Brattina I LOVE your new avatars!!!

I think 4H is great !!! Very good place to start and you'll have lots of help along the way ! Good luck ! You can do it !

Thanks Grammy...I think it is a great place for me to start too!

To be able to get a feel for it....found out what it is like to be the one IN the ring and not just watching


I am going to email the AL 4H club in a few mins because I found NO where on there site that talked about Dog Shows

yah in my 4-H were starting obedience,showmansahip, and agility

i have a few problems in both

Agility:Rascal is really lazy
showmanship: once again he is lazy and he needs to stand up to be able to be checked over by the judge person.You need a chocker collar and the last time we put one on him he freaked out.
obedience:he wont sit or do many of his tricks without a treat

I just emailed the Alabma 4H club!

Although I did not know who to email about it...So I just picked the first one And ask if this was the right one to be emailing about it and if not please tell.

Senna, How are you starting all of that at once?

no you work on one thing at a time...

i beleive it goes in this order

obedience
then agility
then showmanship

im just saying those would be the problems i would have with rascal

Oh okay

Good luck!!

Here you must have obedience training in your dog to start agility. If it has not previously done an obedience class and passed, or has not had a year in obedience 4-H, you cannot yet do agility. (A Safety issue.) And showmanship and obedience are started at the same time. But, if I were you, I'd train them on seperate days, so the dog does not get confused.

Sounds like fun! I'm excited for you, keep us posted on how everything goes!

Just rememeber u go there to learn this, you don't have to already know it before you start.

Thanks guys!

And yes, Smkie you are right! But I would like Lizzie to know some stuff before I go into this!

I found a club about 15 minutes from me....but I saw nothing about Dog Showing

So My question is....do all 4H clubs have dog showing?

Definately go for it.

Just a note: The harder the task is, the more rewarded and amazing you will feel. You have already broken your goal down into smaller goals. That's perfect, because as you accomplish each one, you will feel the reward sooner. Now, take each goal and devise a training plan. For example:

1. Free stacking...that would be NO big deal for her to learn

Practice this 2-3 times every day. Then move to where there are distractions and practice again.


2. Focusing on ME and NOT other DOGS! That would be probably the hardest for her .

Find some attention exercises in books and online, write them down, and start teaching her specifically to look at you. Practice ___ times every day.


3. Learn to be touched all over with out moving/getting upset...I think this woud be not that hard either with daily training!

Practice this 2-3 times every day. Then have many different people practice touching and going over her several times each week.

4. Being able to run on leash without wanting to take the leash in her mouth and run.

Find out how to teach this exercise, write it down, and make a plan to teach and practice it just a couple minutes, several times a day.


5. Learning to be on a "show" lead!

Talk to some people with experience about how to do this, write it down, and make a practice plan

6. And just over all being nice to other dogs and not caring they are around!

Socialize, socialize, socialize. Here's a list of socialization exercises you can dog: http://www.loveyourdog.com/fieldtrips.html

You may want to do this different, but the point is that it's much easier to break things down a little bit at a time. You sound like a very responsible and ambitious person, and I know you'll be great in whatever you do! Good luck!