Fun Match BEGINNER Information

Are you new to Fun Matches and Obedience Trials?

    • This article will help you understand the incredible value of Fun Matches and how they will prepare you and your dog for the real thing at an Obedience Trial.

 

A Fun Match? What’s So Fun About it?

By Marianne Noble, NOCI Member

We’ve all been there. After months, or maybe even years of practice, you are confident your lovable pooch, Laser, is finally ready for his first Novice A Trial. In class, Laser heels like a champ. Solid as Gibraltar on the “Stand for Exam”. Thunders to you on recall.  Fronts and finishes may be a little crooked, but, eh, that’s just a few points.  Now you’re ready for the show ring, right? 

You’ve filled out the convoluted trial entry form, paid the trial fees (approximately the cost of a nice dinner), nervously checked-in ringside, and boom! Suddenly, when it’s showtime, Laser morphs into Loser.

He acts as though he’s never heard the word “Heel” in his life. You halt and he just stands there next to you, looking up quizzically as though he has absolutely no idea what he is supposed to do when you stop.  

He dives after every piece of fluff on the floor on the off-chance it could be sirloin.  “Stand for exam” is an invitation to go visit the judge. While heeling off leash, you lose him at the about-turn. He stands mesmerized by the activity in the adjacent ring, anxious to go chase that dumbbell while you continue to walk the judge’s pattern self-consciously and alone. Recall? Nope — it’s Zoomie time!  Humiliated — and baffled — by your canine partner, you and Laser slink out of the ring with your eyes down trying to avoid sympathetic (or perceived judgmental) faces all around. 

At this point, you probably fail to recognize that Laser is crushed by your post-debacle behavior. No joy, no ruffling his fur, you barely even look at him.

“What is this awful place that made my human so sad?” Laser wonders. “I hope we NEVER come back here!”

Good luck getting his enthusiasm for training back! You have now set the stage for ongoing frustration.

Remember that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.  

“What went wrong???” you cry to your instructor.  You’ll get various, but similar answers: “Ring stress” or “Not proofed enough” or “You need practice in the ring” or “He needs Match practice.” 

Let’s look at it from Laser’s perspective: 

Laser knew something was up right away.  You were emanating nervous vibes even if you think you didn’t show it. You were all dressed up in your finest trial wear, not in your familiar t-shirt and jeans that had a pocket full of treats. A man with a clipboard barked orders at you. All these strangers were watching. Laser discovered he could do whatever he wanted with no correction. And, other than your single word commands, you were strangely silent during the exercises. No “good boy,” no “YESSSS,” no exuberance, no jackpots… no nothing!

“MOM! YOU WEREN’T TALKING TO ME!!!  WHAT’S  WRONG???”

And worst of all in Laser’s estimation, there were no treats!

We know our dogs are sensitive to unusual stimuli and all these changes in your normal routine set off warning bells in Laser.

All these stimuli contribute to ring stress, which dogs exhibit in various ways. They may yawn, scratch, sniff the floor, they zoom, and avoid eye contact. They seem to forget everything they ever knew.  They may even run out of the ring.

How do we correct this problem? Or better yet, how can a new handler PREVENT this problem?

In class, we teach the value of positive reinforcement, especially when training a new skill. We praise, praise, praise and treat, treat, treat to let our dogs know we approve.

If your dog is at this stage in training, he is NOT ready for an official AKC or UKC trial because his skills will deteriorate rapidly when the praise and rewards are withheld.

This is where the Fun Match enters the picture. Fun Matches are an effective way to transition from training to trial. 

Fun Matches offer the opportunity to take one or more practice runs with your dog with a neutral volunteer “judge” and stewards, simulating trial conditions, doing the exact same exercises in the same order as you would at an official trial — and at minimal cost.  

The judge’s role is simply to give standard handler commands and let your dog grow accustomed to working with you while a stranger with a clipboard watches you work. The judge is not there to train you, evaluate you, or score you, although if you ask, they may have a suggestion or two after your run. 

The main difference between a Fun Match and an official AKC or UKC Trial is that you can use whatever training methods you’d like during your Fun Match run.

For example, in an official Novice level or higher trial, you will be NQ’d (not qualified) if you issue a second command when your dog does not respond to the first one. You must complete each exercise in near silence after giving a signal or brief command in a trial. No treats or conversational patter are allowed.

Clearly there is a giant chasm between doing well in a class with loads of praise and rewards and being ready to succeed in a trial with no adulation or rewards from you, other than a warm “Atta boy” between exercises.

As an aside — here’s a brief intro about “registration” with AKC or UKC.

          • Your dog can be a mixed breed or a purebred without full registration and still show in AKC and UKC obedience trials.  This is allowed with an AKC special registration under their “Canine Partners” or “Purebred Alternative Listing” (PAL) programs.  UKC has same a similar option with their “Performance Listing” program.
          • Your dog does not have to be “registered” at all to enter a NOCI Fun Match.  We accept all breeds and mixed breeds.

The Fun Match helps you bridge the gap between classes and trials.

You can’t go directly from being a chatty, treat-dispensing machine to a silent and nervous handler without really confusing your dog. These changes have to be made gradually, with you offering less praise and fewer treats as your dog’s understanding and confidence grows. He will begin to do just fine with exuberant praise and maybe a random jackpot between exercises. 

Sometimes a random extra-delicious treat appearing from seemingly nowhere right in the middle of his heeling pattern is what it takes to keep your dog’s heeling focus where it belongs…on YOU.

At Fun Matches, you can talk to your dog as much or as little as you like. You can use double or even triple commands … or begin to fade them out gradually as your dog gains confidence. You may correct your dog when he sniffs or loses interest in heeling and then reward him heavily when he responds appropriately. 

Feel free to use treats and praise liberally — or sparingly — or randomly — or not at all until you leave the ring, at which point you might want to jackpot heavily,  depending where you are on the  training continuum. It is entirely up to you. Fun Matches enable you develop a plan, with the suggestions of your instructor, as to how to get your dog ready for an official trial.

Most importantly, never lose your enthusiasm for working with your canine partner or squash his desire to train with you. Remember that he wants nothing more than you to be happy with him, and maybe a jackpot when it’s all over. Don’t forget, you are always allowed to verbally praise your dog between exercises even at an official trial.

Hmmm, that still sounds rather stressful. Despite all your best efforts, Laser can have a bad day even at a Fun Match. What’s so FUN about that? 

Well, at NOCI, Fun Matches are fun because our wonderful volunteers and fellow handlers make them fun. The NOCI Fun Match atmosphere is familiar, light, happy and supportive. We all understand the concept that a dog or a handler may have an off day. You may even get an opportunity to see an experienced handler’s dog have difficulty in the ring, and get to see how they handle it.

There is a warm, welcoming buzz when you walk into the NOCI building. It has become the “in” place to be on the first Friday of the month. Pre-register online for runs at any level from Beginner Novice to Utility. We accept PayPal or credit/debit cards. Running orders are posted online so you know about what time to arrive for your turn(s) in the ring. 

Laughter, cheering and support are great ways to relieve stress for handlers and dogs. For both you and your canine partner, repetition, repetition, repetition is key to developing confidence in the ring. Fun Matches enable you to accomplish the transition to official AKC or UKC Trials seamlessly.

Our judges and stewards are all NOCI volunteers — some were Beginners many years ago; others are Beginners now, learning how to steward and train their dogs. 

We follow standard AKC or UKC protocols in setting up and managing rings and our stewards do their best to ensure the handlers can relax and work at ease in the ring.

NOCI’s volunteer-workers are essential components to the success of a Fun Match and any NOCI member can sign up online to volunteer. We’ll team newcomers with one or more experienced stewards to show you the ropes. You will earn service credits for your volunteer time which can be used to reduce your class fees.

NOCI Fun Matches are held on the first Friday of each month from 7 – 9 pm (or so), except for January, May, and July. We run four rings simultaneously and offer Beginner Novice, Novice, Open and Utility runs.  Everyone is welcome, whether or not they are NOCI members.

We average about 80 dog/handler runs per match. Now that’s a LOT of fun! 

If you’re a NOCI member and you’ve never been to a Fun Match, you might want to volunteer for one or two first so you are more familiar with how things work.  If you’re not a NOCI member, come watch a Fun Match and see what we’re all about!

Come join Fun Match Chair & NOCI Vice-president, Shawn Hacker, and her terrific team of volunteers! 

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