# crossover competition



## Doug Humphrey (Jul 25, 2010)

Looking for opinions from the diverse group on this forum. what are your thoughts about a dog competing in more than one sport, say schutzhund and french ring. Do you think that the dog can excel at the higher levels of each sport? (assuming of course that he has the inherent ability to excel in one). Or will the training in one discipline conflict with the other?

Thanks in advance!


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Are you any good at training ? Do you belong to strong clubs with lots of experience ?

A good dog, or the definition of what is a good dog varies a lot, but you should be able to do something. I don't know about real high level.


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## Doug Humphrey (Jul 25, 2010)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> Are you any good at training ?


 
I guess we'll see


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## Martine Loots (Dec 28, 2009)

Depends on how easily you are satisfied.
If you want to compete high level (here I mean Nationals in a country with a lot of competition), then I'd say it's not possible, at least not at the same time.
However it's possible to combine sports that are related (like f.i. Belgian Ring & Mondio)

And eventually the more entertaining sports (canicross, dock diving, etc...) that don't put much mental pressure on the dog, can be done in combination with more demanding sports (for the dog to have fun and make his mind relax)

But competing high level means you have to invest a lot of time and energy and there will be very little time left for something else


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## Doug Humphrey (Jul 25, 2010)

Martine Loots said:


> Depends on how easily you are satisfied.
> If you want to compete high level (here I mean Nationals in a country with a lot of competition), then I'd say it's not possible, at least not at the same time.
> However it's possible to combine sports that are related (like f.i. Belgian Ring & Mondio)
> 
> ...


 
Jack of all trades master of none..... that's kind of what i thought. Got it Thanks!!!!!


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## Mike Jones (Jan 22, 2009)

I think it best to cross train a dog in another sport once you have retired him from one sport. For instance there was a Sch III GSD that received high in trial for a PSA I. This GSD was retired from Sch. I believe in concentrating in one thing at a time and becoming very proficient in that area. I want to get the best scores that I can get within my dog's capabilities and this requires lots of dedication. 

Like the others stated it depends upon what your aspirations are, if you just want to barely pass then cross train now but, if you want to truly be a competitor concentrate on one thing at a time and bring your 'A' game.


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## Doug Humphrey (Jul 25, 2010)

Like the others stated it depends upon what your aspirations are said:


> Good Advice thanks!!!!


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## Shade Whitesel (Aug 18, 2010)

I'm training and competing at both French Ring and Schutzhund with the same dog. He had his Sch 2 before I even introduced him to the suit, and has since (in the last year) gotten his Brevet, his Sch 3, got 5th at AWDF in Sch 3, and then both legs of his ring 1 in one weekend. In that order, and all those trials were about 6 weeks apart. 
I've had tons of problems with him being able to tell the difference between the sports, nothing that I haven't been able to work out though. Mainly I've had issues with some of the obedience and what is expected in the difference sports. The protection seems to be very in context for him, and I think every little thing through, to try to make them very different. It's very fun!


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## andreas broqvist (Jun 2, 2009)

Frida with A'best is doing al that. Shes a realy nice person and she is wery wery comited to her work.
She won WM Mondioring II 2010 
Shes in Mondioring III
IPO II
She compets at the nationlas in Swedish protection and the she has ben titeld Nationlas 3 place skydd 2007. Nationals Gold skydd 2008.Nationals 3 places skydd 2009. 

She is competing at the Nationals this wekend so we will se how she does. Im thinking gold again 

She also competes at the higest level Of OB "elite" Tracking "elite" Sertsh "elite"

So yes It can be done but you downt se it every day and the peopel doing this is realy living for ther dogs and the sports. Plus have a special nack for it 

FMBB 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzj8Mh7QcKg

Nationals in Swedish protection 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S09DnWQcVXc Curage test

IPO, Swedish protection and Mondio is realy difrent type of sport. Muzzel work, Leg biting, Soft sleev, hard sleev.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Martine Loots said:


> And eventually the more entertaining sports (canicross, dock diving, etc...) that don't put much mental pressure on the dog, can be done in combination with more demanding sports (for the dog to have fun and make his mind relax)


I don't know much about canicross, but competitive dock diving is a bit more stressful than you might suspect, at least in the States. Loud blaring music, often in the middle of state or county fairs, TONS of people and other dogs milling about in very close quarters, having to get up on an elevated alumninum dock is way way different than practicing in your own pond in your backyard. We've got a couple dogs in our club that love practicing at our nice practice dock into a pond out in the country, but who often don't even go in the water at actual events. Not sure if you've tried competitive dock diving or not, but it's not quite as easy as it looks. :wink: But it sure can be fun, that's definitely true!


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

andreas broqvist said:


> Nationals in Swedish protection 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S09DnWQcVXc Curage test


that is a crazy sleeve presentation..


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## Martine Loots (Dec 28, 2009)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> I don't know much about canicross, but competitive dock diving is a bit more stressful than you might suspect, at least in the States.* Loud blaring music, often in the middle of state or county fairs, TONS of people and other dogs milling about in very close quarters, having to get up on an elevated alumninum dock is* way way different than practicing in your own pond in your backyard. We've got a couple dogs in our club that love practicing at our nice practice dock into a pond out in the country, but who often don't even go in the water at actual events. Not sure if you've tried competitive dock diving or not, but it's not quite as easy as it looks. :wink: But it sure can be fun, that's definitely true!


These are situations our dogs are used to and don't care about at all. They wouldn't see it as stressful :wink:
A top competing dog in dock diving in the US comes from our club and has been sold because he couldn't handle the stress of NVBK. But he still was a very nice working dog and he's doing what he's good at now.

Our dogs have to handle stress from a very young age. I remember Fils' and Gast's first demo was at a big Fair, in a large hall full of barking dogs, with loud music and about 9000 spectators. They had just turned 1 yr old at the time and never done ant competition whatsoever. It didn't bother them at all.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

No, I understand strong dogs likely wouldn't be bothered and I'm not saying dogs that excel at dock diving are "stronger" than dogs that do protection sport, but dock diving isn't quite as easy as it looks and a dog really has to have quite a high level of drive to want to do it to get over the level of distractions and stress that are around. Dock diving is dominated by labs (well, in numbers anyways) and their sometimes clueless owners and even more clueless spectators have no clue about space bubbles whereas protection sport people usually understand those things and give the dogs a wider berth. Not so in the average dock diving event (especially when there is alcohol nearby!). I am glad I have a socially neutral dog and environmentally sound dog is all. ;-)


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## andreas broqvist (Jun 2, 2009)

Joby Becker said:


> that is a crazy sleeve presentation..


That it the way we do it. Hers me catshing the mali I probobly will be competing with later this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRyVvw6zKvY

We will try to make a video of al the parts of the program and show how it is done.
Its a big program with alot of parts, We have been doing it for many yeras in sweden. But its only done her. It a pitty becaus its a fun program with Muzzle work, Slevee, Tracking, Senting, Ob, and object senting.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

andreas broqvist said:


> That it the way we do it. Hers me catshing the mali I probobly will be competing with later this year.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRyVvw6zKvY
> 
> ...


that presentation is very different..I do hope you make some videos of your sport, it looks interesting for sure...


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