Mistakes in competitions

In the video is Haru’s first run in his first official competition this past weekend. Everything went well until that 6th obstacle (he should have taken the yellow hoop after the red one). 

What would you do when your dog takes the wrong obstacle? Yell their name? Give up? Go outside the handling zone and help them? Just keep going?

In competitions, I have seen a lot of handlers call their dog and try again and again and again to the point of the dog being visible frustrated about what he should do, which I think is counterproductive. If the dog gets too frustrated, the frustration takes over the thinking part of their brain. 

So, what would be a better way of correcting the mistake? It all depends on the dog. Haru is a bit of a sensitive soul, so I try not to yell his name, since he takes it very seriously and thinks something is seriously wrong. And making a mistake in competition is not that big of a deal. I try again from the handling zone and if it was the case he wouldn’t understand what I wanted I would go outside the zone and put him a sit before that yellow hoop in the video, and we would do the 3 last obstacles that way. 

Sky is a different story. He doesn’t frustrate so easily and even if there is a mistake after a mistake in a run, he knows I won’t be frustrated or mad at him, and he tries again and again while I don’t step outside the handling zone and still has concentration to finish a course. So we do it that way, but just because I know him and know where his point of too much frustration lies.

It is all about a maintaining that great connection between the handler and the dog. Even if there is a competition, even if you really want that last exam to move to the next category. In the long run, you and the dog will be a better team if you prioritize that connection 🔗✨