Maybe she just don't want to be shown? bless her.

Lighten up a bit Rips you were angry in the ring and your dog sensed it

Don't take showing so seriously, it's supposed to be fun.

She doesn't lean, she bites my trousers! If I keep swapping sides I'd have no trousers left!

Err was I? Nope don't think I was and therefore she can't have!

Sorry Denis, but unless you actually saw me in the ring I really don't think that's a very fair assumption to make. Your post really has offended me somewhat to suggest I'd behave in such a way towards my dog.

I was cross afterwards, yes, but I'm never angry when in the ring (or going through any other activity with my dog) as I want her to enjoy it. Which she does, hence her bouncing up and down constantly.

I don't taking showing so seriously and we do have fun.

Apologies for any offence caused Rips, none was intended, it was a lighthearted comment.

I've got exactly the same problem with my young sibe (apart from the trouser chewing). Loona has a habit of looking at me when we're moving, she turns her head to the side, looks at me and Woo Woos, this also throws her front movement. I suppose i don't help things because it makes me laugh. I have been told by others to stop looking at her and making eye contact and folk at the ringside seem to think it's funny when I'm saying "I'm not looking at you" . She's always worse indoors. Thankfully it's not held her back as she won 2 CC's this year. She's only 2 so I keep telling myself she'll get better when she "grows up" to be honest I wouldn't have her any other way.

dogs get ring smart,,,hence it didnt happen in practice but it did in the ring,,,Its a common problem, we may not admit it to ourselfs, but when we are in the ring,,,the pressure to do things properly is there,,,its not in training, the dog picks up on it,,,some go all loopy loopy, others go flat, some dont give a stuff, I would enter a few throw away shows,,, little opens or similar,,the other thing the dog gets wise to is that you prob wont correct the behaviour in the ring as it kinda draws the judges attention to it, so at the opens correct the behaviour in the manner you would outside in practice,

my dogs do healwork and showing,,,as mentioned it looks bad when moving a dog in the show ring if its in a healwork possition, so I prefer my dogs dont run level with me in the show ring, but just behind, that way I dont obscure there lines with my body, I did this by changing my manner of working in obed,,,normal manner,,,in the show ring, my left hand comes out away from my body kinda like a focus point which the dog follows, with time you can do it without being so obvious, with a springer you may still get the head coming up to watch the hand though as they are a bit smaller. But given time it wouldnt need the focus, I normaly just tell my dogs healwork when I want it, then show,,,when I want show, they get to know the diff quite fast,

the other way you could get the focus without the head coming up is use a long lead,, poss tie a small tuggy at the handle end, but let it hang through the hand low enough that the dog can focus on it so you can really pick and chose your head hieght

,... hope that makes sence,,,very often my posts make perfect sence to me but not others lol, x

Thanks for that Shona, it made perfect sense to me!

I definitely think she is ring smart. She's always gone for my trousers, but it has gradually got worse to the point where she rarely has four feet on the ground!

I might try the tuggy idea, but with a toy she has around all the time as she loves her toys and I know she'd bounce around trying to grab it! You'd think I owned a Tigger wouldn't you?!

Apart from the tuggy idea what would you suggest then? A treat in my left hand, then gradually removing the treat?

Thanks again Shona, definitely given me food for thought!

if you use clickers,,,or know how to use them the other thing I would suggest useing is a touch/target stick, that way you can have her head exactly where you want it, there are loads of ideas really its just finding one that suits your dog, height, so on, Its not that hard with rotts as they are bigger, so head and hand are around the same height,, but with smaller dogs ya need to be a bit more inventive,.. if she is loopy over toys,,,its a bit more of a handful, but you could play it to your benifit,,,eg,,she gets the toy when she runs at the right pace and stops lungeing at it,,,kinda on the same idea as food refusal,,,lol
yip treat in the left hand would help, but again she may jump up,

where do you prefer the dog to be when moving in the ring? eg level with your leg or behind? to me training to move slightly behind is better that way you get nice clean turns, there is some vid on another thread of me showing Kodi for megan, it kinda gives you the idea,,, will find the link and post it, xx

the thread is headed ,,,,JUST TO SAY,, the videos start on post 37

in comparison,,,there is a vid of royce doing healwork called " royce playing at healwork, hth

http://s133.photobucket.com/albums/q...eoroyce001.flv
http://s133.photobucket.com/albums/q...eoroyce001.flv

I have used a clicker in the past, to back chain Isla's retrieve, so she knows what the click means etc.

Thing is I struggle a bit as I can forget to click and am not always sure where to click!

One question, how would I build it up from touching the stick and clicking to moving and clicking?

I tend to move just infront, but not a great deal. She's quite fast and I'm very unfit! :smt043

A vid would be good, as I'm sure you've realised!

Ok,,, If I were you I would use the clicker and target stick,,you can start by just getting her to sniff the stick,,eg if she mouths just ignore and when she stops mouthing even if its just as she is about to give up,,the min her mouth comes off, click and treat,, once you get this sniffing sorted,,begin to move the stick when she takes a step towards it click and treat,,after a few times give the command to follow,,,or target or whatever,,, once she gets to that stage,,,you dont need to have the clicker really just give the command and she should do it, but remember to treat her regularly,,,I think people get a bit fixated on the clicker,,but once the dog knows the command you dont really need it, The clicker is a method of getting there,,,so once there you dont need it, if she becomes a bit funny with it just go back to using the clicker,, but you shouldnt need to,,then move onto moving her with the target stick,,,again when she gets it right click and treat, but drop the click as soon as she has the idea,,,hth,,,