[WonderPup]

weird tip for you roxy but when I have issues I somtimes work the dog on the opposite side a couple of times. It throws them off just enough to make them pay a little closer attention to you and you can correct the problem. It may or may not work, it doesn't always work when I do it.

Another thing is to perhaps vary the speed at which you gate in your training sessions. This may sound counter productive but again it kind of goes back to attention. Obviously you are going to want to gate him most often at the same speed that you'll use in the ring but changing it up from time to time in practice helps a little to get their attention.

Another thing I'd suggest is to try giving him less leash, shorten it up a bit. When you take off and start gating and he has all this slack he is probably going to take you up on it and inthe process break into a gallop rather than keep it at a trot. You probably won't want him right next to you, it isn't heeling after all. I like my guys, regaurdless of breed, to move out a little in front of me with very few exceptions. I think the Chessies were the only ones I didn't let do that, but it had more to do with the actual dogs I took than the breed itself.

The check and release is ok too, but Im betting I do it differently than what is being discribed, though I couldn't begin to tell you how lol. Somebody a couple of years ago was trying to use me as an example in a handling seminar and failed in her attempt to explain exactly what I was doing to check the dog and keep it gating properly, just like I can't explain it to you now LoL. It's a wrist movement not a whole arm kind of thing is the best I can do.

I can't speak to the use of this or that type of collar with poodle coats, we've used those martingale resco leads on the bichons. They have a similar coat to poodles. With a larger dog I'd be more likely to use a chain though (I personaly perfer snake chains and I can't really give you a solid reason why) or a nylon slip collar with matching leash.

Ummm K, this post is probably long enough and I've probably not really answered your questions ROFL. It's been that kind of day

 

[WonderPup]

Roxy, every judge (haha just like every trainer or handler) has their own opinion on how to do things. Try not to let it confuse you. I actualy like the advice on stopping, thats how we teach dogs to walk politely in puppy classes so it's a similar thing, go my speed or you don't get to go. More to the point though you would be wise to stop moving and start your pattern over if he breaks his gate in the ring. Entry fee's cost money and you might as well get the best out of your two minutes you know what I mean? So if he breaks in the ring right after you start out say on the down and back pattern for the judge. STOP, walk back to the judge, (or walk back to the other end of the matt if you're already gone down and have turned around to come back) Get his attention and start again. Like I said, it's your two minutes, make the most of it. Be warned though that if you do this over and over you will definitly annoy the judge and most likely it'll cost you so try to keept he stopping to just once maybe twice if you reeeeaaallllly had to in the ring.

In training though, I do correct my dogs.. Hummm, I wonder if I can dig out a lead for and try and run saleen around the yard? I'm not sure I can find any of my big dog stuff it's all been packed away since I got married and took a break from handling. She's is SURE to break into a gallop from a trot I could video the correction. Bummer I don't have a class in session right now or I'd definitly tape one of them to show you the stop and start and the leash movements I was trying and probably failed to explain last night LoL.

From the video you post I see he is definitly attentive, my computer wouldn't play the vid smoothly so it was hard to see some of the movement. Maybe what the judge who told you not to show bait was talking about it that they didn't like Enzo looking up at your sister as often as he did while moving. It's nice to have the dog check in from time to time but it would be nicer if and make for a prettier picture to have him be moving out a little more (still in control of course) and looking forward, looks more confident that way in my opinion.

Frustrating but I just don't have any larger breed video's of what I'm talking about, all I have are small dogs and I don't know that you'd find that helpful? Video's are sooo helpful but maybe thats just me, I'm very visual.

 

[WonderPup]

They do want the head up Roxy thats correct, I doubt very seriously you've been doing anything wrong with him Head up though does not mean looking at you. When they look at you constantly throughout movement it throws their outline off just a tad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwvLTMYTH2M (ignore the running conversation in the background)

I found a video that shows what I'm talking about - sorry it's a little guy, it's going to look slow to you like he's just plodding around the ring lol Not like what the swift graceful poodle movement.
Anyway in the vid his head is up the entire time, but he is NOT looking at me on the down and back. Thats what I want, and you can see the pretty outline/movement as he goes.
On the trip around the ring though he's sighted the bait (no pockest in those dang pants I'm afraid) and he's trying to decide if he should move out or heel lol. With his head turned in and looking up he's throwing off his outline and bouncing in his front movement messing a little with the whole reach and drive goal. See the difference?
It's something I would normaly correct sometimes a(little leash movement does the trick) but in this case... what do you want for a retired senior citizen - That boy is NINE! He was in the top ten when we retired him to do obedience seven 1/2 years ago. Im not sure but you might catch a couple of those wrist movements and leash adjustments I was trying to explain... I can't see them but I know they are there b/c this guy would love nother better than the tear around the ring full steam ahead.

 

[WonderPup]

Ah sorry about the youtube, I have issues from time to time with Photobucket and couldn't upload it there for some reason.

It's a tuff one in a way. I do a lot of obedience training at the same time as I do conformation so sometimes my dogs can be confused. In one event they are required to look up at me and pay attention in the other I would perfer that they didn't.

I would probably not do this for the first time in the ring, but in training classes I give them a little leash correction with a movement that moves the leash out from my body. Balance in key in movement and pulling them away from you like that causes them to have to right themselves and look forward to see where they are going. To be clear I'm not talking about puling the dog off his feet or anything. Just throw him off enough that he may think you are going to change directions with him towards the inside and he'll have to watch where he is going. If I had the problem in the ring the movement of pulling the leash out from my body would be much much more slight, though if you practiced it enough and the dog has made the connection already it will still be effective. Obviously I wouldn't advise you to do anything to throw off your dog's movement/balance in the ring that wouldn't do you any favors really.

I find that my dogs, like you mentioned already about Enzo, know the difference between showing and training and between their different collars. I also am a weirdo and use a different vocab word for movement in the ring than I do with walking normaly or heeling. I may add the word lets go but "move out" is always stuck in their somewhere. I do NOT allow pulling on the lead at any other time except int he show ring, I want the dog out there and going strong so to speak. How I explain the difference to the dog I dunno I can't say, it just happens for me LoL.