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jtabor

Rattie

07/06/2008 2:42 PM
Is anyone either competing with their Ratties or thinking about competing? I live in Southern Wisconsin, and compete in AKC Rally and Obedience with Dee Dee. Last November, I got a conformation Rat Terrier from King Pen Kennels in California, and we've been showing her in conformation events in the UKC. Dee Dee has also been training in tracking and agility, and we are very interested in getting terrier racing started in our area. We live in southwestern Wisconsin. I' ve trained other breeds before, but Dee Dee is absolutely the easiest dog I've ever worked with, It's as if someone transplanted a Border Collie brain into her little head, but without the issues. She excels at everything. Ten-month-old Magic just finished her conformation career, and we are starting to train her in obedience. She's also training very easily. Our next project is exploring terrier racing. I was just wondering what experiences others have had competing with their Ratties. Jan Jan My dogs are handler-impaired.

melo

Ratastic

07/06/2008 3:03 PM
Hi I am melody and my dog is Nora--There is very little if any talk here of competitions that I have seen. I might be interested as she might have potential. Her pedigree has some champoins and she is as fast as a bullet. How old do they have to be to compete for conformity? And when should I start agility formally--she is already doing some of the moves, but don't know when I should start the formal training. She is five months.

MurphyDog

Ratastic

07/06/2008 3:27 PM
Yes I compete with Murphy at checkers. And one day... I'm gonna win.

Mitch and Murphy Hancock (the dog) "I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck

jtabor

Rattie

07/06/2008 3:55 PM
Melody: Right now, the only place I know of which offers Conformation competitions is the United Kennel Club, and your puppy must be either registered with the UKC or registerable to compete. The Rat Terrier Club of America is working on getting Rat Terriers into conformation competition in the AKC. If your puppy is registered in either the AKC or the UKC, it is registerable with the other club. Dogs who are competing for Championship or Grand Championship points cannot be neutered, since purpose of conformation competitions is to judge potential breeding stock. Even if your puppy isn't registered, or is registered with some other registry, you can still compete in the UKC or the AKC under the Indefinite Listing Program. You send in two pictures of your dog, one from the front and one from the side, along with the application, and you receive an ILP number which allows you to compete in performance events. Your puppy is very young to start seriously training for agility but this is a great time to start learning basic skills. I'd check around and see if you can find a training facility which offers both puppy agility skill building and basic obedience. There are so many really fun things you can do with your dog, and the dogs absolutely love it. We have to spell the words: "class" and "show"at our house because as soon as they hear them, the dogs won't let me out of their sight. A lot of what you do depends on where you live and what is available there. There are AKC Rally competitions and agility competitions just about everywhere. UKC competitions may be harder to find. If you can't find a good training facility, I can point you on some really great training resources for obedience, rally,, and agility. Jan

jtabor

Rattie

07/06/2008 3:58 PM
Mitch, I'd never try to take on Dee Dee at checkers. I know my limitations.

MurphyDog

Ratastic

07/06/2008 4:53 PM
Posted By jtabor on 07/06/2008 3:58 PM Mitch, I'd never try to take on Dee Dee at checkers. I know my limitations. Ha! And welcome!

Mitch and Murphy Hancock (the dog) "I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck

melo

Ratastic

07/06/2008 10:38 PM
Thank much jan, nora has already beaten me at chess, but I was never that good-- Yes she is registered UKA---her breeder did that--I guess I will go for the sporting end--and not conformity, cause I ain't breeding her!! She had done puppy obedience class and is doing ok with that--she has to learn a bit more focus---she is still to friendly sometimes!! There is a puppy agility class in my 'hood--I will check in on it. Welcome to the board)) Melody

tauney4

Pack Leader

07/06/2008 10:52 PM
i dont have anything like that around here. if i had to compete with tauney i would lose for sure!!!!!

rattytatty

Training Moderator

07/07/2008 9:34 AM
Actually, Melody... I DO love to play chess! haha Jtabor...did you know that the AKC ILP was replaced by the PAL (Purebred Alternative Listing) a year or so ago? Bailey has an ILP in order to compete in AKC agility trials. We don't compete in the USDAA or NADAC trials, as I simply don't have the time (too many other commitments at this point in my life). Bailey (my rat terrier) is the first dog I've trained in agility, and it's fun, fun, fun! Prior to becoming involved in the agility community, I was heavily involved in obedience for several years... and Schutzhund for 5 years. Although I still train obedience on a selective basis... I don't compete anymore. I have been to a few rally obedience trials -- they are fun! As far as conformation... I'm simply not into it, but certainly to each his/her own. Glad to have someone aboard who has found great jobs for their ratties!!

~Nora~ Mom to Hoss, Lil'Bit, Buster & Bailey, CGC, NA, NAJ

PamWh

Attention Starved

07/07/2008 10:43 AM
My hubby competes with Bob for my attention and affection.

PamWh aka Bob's Mom If your rattie ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

rattytatty

Training Moderator

07/07/2008 10:49 AM
hahaha -- Pam, you just ain't right woman! (although I don't doubt for a minute that what you way is true!) LOL

~Nora~ Mom to Hoss, Lil'Bit, Buster & Bailey, CGC, NA, NAJ

jtabor

Rattie

07/07/2008 8:14 PM
Nora, Yeah, I know about the PAL numbers now. I'm just kind of old and I just forget. Dee Dee competes with an ILP, too. I LOVE agility and tracking (and so does Dee Dee), but my knees got too bad for them, so Rally and Obedience are a substitute. We train with Melinda Clark and Kathy Wirka at Mad City in Madison, Wisconsin. They have a great flyball team there, too. Dee Dee got me hooked on Rat Terriers. When I decided to get a puppy, I chose one from a well-known breeder (King Pen Kennels) because I thought I might want to raise a litter of puppies. We've been very lucky with Magic because she's a natural, even though we don't really know what we're doing. She finished her Championship from the puppy class at 8 months old. Then we took her to the UKC Premier, and she got two legs toward her Grand Championship. At this rate, she'll have her Grand Championship by the time she's ten months old. Both Magic and Dee Dee are awesome little working dogs. So many people have come up to me after we've shown at AKC events and asked me what kind of dog Dee Dee is and where they can find one. We had such a great time at the Premier this year. It was so much fun to see people doing so many different things with their dogs from dock jumping, to weight pull, to terrier racing, to agility and obedience, not to mention conformation. I know what you mean about competing in different venues. Particularly if you are chasing points in one venue, it's tough to divide your energy. BTW--Magic's grandfather competes in AKC agility--King Pen Yankee Doodle Dandy. Jan

melo

Ratastic

07/07/2008 11:15 PM
Nora, love your new avatar- is it Baily? I have been reading a bit about Shutzhund. Is that something a rattie can do? I was reading it as it related to GSheps. My nora, might be able to do it, but the question is can I? eheh

Rowdy's Mom

Rat-A-Tat-Tat

07/08/2008 12:37 AM
Posted By PamWh on 07/07/2008 10:43 AM My hubby competes with Bob for my attention and affection. LOL! My poor BF has to do the same thing for my attention. Seems like so often Rowdy wins... As far as competeing is concerned, Rowdy is not very good at his recall, but we are actively working on that and with an obedience trainer so that he will be able to participate with the local flyball club here in Portland. They have a flyball intro class in a couple weeks Rowdy may be going to. I'm still not sure about his training, so he may wait a month or so still. He is my running partner and kicks my butt at that an awful lot of the time, too. Embarassing to lose a race to a dog two feet tall (on a good day) and weighing in at 25lbs soaking wet!

~Chrys~ Mom to Rowdy, Schatzi (shephard mix), and Sam (lab mix) and Lovin' Every Minute of It! http://www.myspace.com/rowdyluvsschatzi

Katie'sMom

Terrier Terror

07/08/2008 5:17 AM
I tried to compete with Katie Scarlett for clothes, but she won paws down

Check out Katie Scarlett and Company, KS's new site (includes magazine): Katie Scarlett and Company And email her at: katiescarlettorattie@gmail.com

rattytatty

Training Moderator

07/08/2008 7:08 AM
Posted By melo on 07/07/2008 11:15 PM Nora, love your new avatar- is it Baily? I have been reading a bit about Shutzhund. Is that something a rattie can do? I was reading it as it related to GSheps. My nora, might be able to do it, but the question is can I? eheh I trained Shutzhund with german shepherds.... I would not think that Shutzhund would be a sport for a rattie. I was big into german shepherds for many years, and lost my last GS not long before I inherited Bailey. I had planned to replace Duchess (my GS) with another GS but then Bailey landed in my life and the rest is history! LOL My life took a totally different path training-wise, and needless to say... it has been a fun adventure! Yes.. the dog in my avatar is Bailey... sitting on an "elephant" bale of hay. Thank you for the compliment. I'm proud of my little guy!

~Nora~ Mom to Hoss, Lil'Bit, Buster & Bailey, CGC, NA, NAJ

lkemmerick

Newbie

07/08/2008 3:45 PM
I do flyball with my RT Jake and I just started his first Rally-O class last night! Lane

jtabor

Rattie

07/08/2008 7:11 PM
Lane, Where do you train? Jan

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