Show people - pacing in the ring!

[Dizzy]

Fred is a pacer and it drives me MAD.

He can trot beautifully, but just prefers to pace. I've read everything I can. All the things!!

I know it's a lazy gait. I think it is habit for him, and he favours it over trotting.

I've tried moving him in a circle, baiting him, having him on the opposite side, put the lead on the opposite side... It's still hit and miss every time.

And what's even more frustrating is he's such a happy dopey boy and he just wags his tail and smiles at me when I am fizzing inside with frustration lol

Any tips??

We have a champ show on Sunday, so we have been moving up and down, stacking is fine. I am planning to ask someone to move him for me and get some hands on tips before we go in, his breeders will be there to advise. But argh!!

I suspect it is partly his habit and partly my amateur handling skills!!

 

[SaraB]

Can you be more jazzy/quicker about starting him out? A lot of people ease into the gait, but if you were to amp him up, get him jazzed and then settle into it? Take off quickly and then settle into his gaiting speed.

 

[sassafras]

Squash is a pacer, too. I agree with Sara, try taking off a bit faster. Quite a bit faster.

 

[Romy]

If you pretend you're a prancy dancy ballerina dressage horse yourself and really move your own legs out with really long strides and at a quick pace, that tends to feed down the leash to the dog.

I'm talking looong strides. You'll feel kind of dorky, at least I did. I have super long legs, show a long legged breed, and almost hurt myself trying it out the first time when the instructor showed me. Unless you take freakishly long strides when you walk normally, you'll feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

If you're not first in line going around the ring, give the dog and handler in front of you a good head start before moving Fred out. You want lots of space for him to stretch out and move so he doesn't get all munched up behind a slowpoke and it ruin his movement.

Also, you have a pointer. Judges expect pointer puppies to be doofuses for the first several years. They're experts at making their handlers look like doofuses too. Charlie was the master. lol

ETA: it's easier to practice your own gait without the dog at first too.

 

[Dizzy]

Can you be more jazzy/quicker about starting him out? A lot of people ease into the gait, but if you were to amp him up, get him jazzed and then settle into it? Take off quickly and then settle into his gaiting speed.

Squash is a pacer, too. I agree with Sara, try taking off a bit faster. Quite a bit faster.

I've tried this and it does sort of work... But he gets all wooooooo we are playing and pounces on me and tries to tug his lead..... I'm trying to get him NOT tugging his lead

I do think I need to move quicker though.... I think I'm trying to move and look at him and we are just getting messy.

 

[DobeLove]

Knock him off balance. Either hip check his side, or you can pop him with the collar gently. Both seem to work. When I show a dog that paces I do a big courtesy turn and do either one, I try my best to do it when the judge isn't looking. You also have to perfect it to make the courtesy turn into the down and back one smooth motion otherwise he will start pacing again.

I prefer the starting fast then slowing down, but dogs that are completely set in their ways will go right back to pacing as soon as you slow down.

 

[Dizzy]

If you pretend you're a prancy dancy ballerina dressage horse yourself and really move your own legs out with really long strides and at a quick pace, that tends to feed down the leash to the dog.

I'm talking looong strides. You'll feel kind of dorky, at least I did. I have super long legs, show a long legged breed, and almost hurt myself trying it out the first time when the instructor showed me. Unless you take freakishly long strides when you walk normally, you'll feel the stretch in your inner thighs.

If you're not first in line going around the ring, give the dog and handler in front of you a good head start before moving Fred out. You want lots of space for him to stretch out and move so he doesn't get all munched up behind a slowpoke and it ruin his movement.

Also, you have a pointer. Judges expect pointer puppies to be doofuses for the first several years. They're experts at making their handlers look like doofuses too. Charlie was the master. lol

ETA: it's easier to practice your own gait without the dog at first too.

Watching how the breeder (well son, they're all and one) moves his dogs he does this.... He does massive strides (and they won gundog group 3 in crufts this year, so prob is someone worth emulating!!).

I don't have long legs, and like I just posted, am a bit clumsy trying to watch him and move and keep him in a straight line... Fred's quite forgiving bless him, but we end up all wonky.....

I will have a go at this tomorrow!!!!!

Last show we went to, the ring was TINY. Like a few metres square tiny..... I couldn't get him moving at all (as it was sooooooooooo hot).

I wouldn't mind so much but I want him to look good, because he can!!! But he looks like a right donkey when he paces!!

Not sure this showing lark is for us lol

 

[Dizzy]

I tried the running like a giraffe thing! Worked to a degree, but he paced again when I turned! It's pouring with rain so I can't practice again tonight will keep at it and a miracle may occur!! He moved lovely for the other half.. I think we need to get him trotting long distance so he gets used to it.

 

[adojrts]

Trotting poles on the ground, spaced for his stride. Will build muscle memory as well. Doesn't have to high (one inch pvc or broom handles on the ground) and I don't recommend the normal ladder work because isn't what you need. Youtube trotting poles for horses and make a smaller version, on leash and start with straight lines. Then you can add gentle curves to he doesn't loose the cadence on corners

Also, start with the poles closer together and start at the walk and progress to the poles spaced further apart for trotting. As he starts to understand and find the stride, slowly increase the distance between the poles for that perfect long flowing stride that you are seeking.

 

[Dizzy]

Trotting poles on the ground, spaced for his stride. Will build muscle memory as well. Does have to high and I don't recommend the normal ladder work because isn't what you need. Youtube trotting poles for horses and make a smaller version, on leash and start with straight lines. Then you can add gentle curves to he doesn't loose the cadence on corners

Actually did this a few weeks ago with random house hold objects (mop, broom, Hoover tube thing lol). I need to find better poles as he just ploughed through them :/ will have another go!!

 

[adojrts]

Actually did this a few weeks ago with random house hold objects (mop, broom, Hoover tube thing lol). I need to find better poles as he just ploughed through them :/ will have another go!!

If he is ploughing through them, then start at a walk with a ladder, but at a walk. Again youtube has countless vids on dog agility ladder work

 

[Dizzy]

If he is ploughing through them, then start at a walk with a ladder, but at a walk. Again youtube has countless vids on dog agility ladder work

Brilliant, will get the ladder out he's done this before so hopefully he will remember. Will look on youtube aswell