How many stakes is too much?

remmy · Post by **remmy** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:18 pm

In a weekend AKC trial, how many stakes would you let your dog run in? The reason I am asking is that a pro trainer told me to never enter a dog in more than two stakes. I know a lot of people who enter dogs in three stakes and this pro told me not too. I could understand an AF trial but a half hour stake? His reasoning is that if the dog does something wrong in the first stake it would only get worse in later stakes...I guess he was referring to a single course only.

What opinions are out there?

original mngsp · Post by **original mngsp** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:25 pm

Lots of things to factor in making a decsion like that.

I will usually enter 2-3 stakes with my soon to 5 yr old dog, sometimes 4 if I am making a long drive and can. This dog is in condition and very consitstant.

The pro that gave you the advice that if a dog screws up it will only get worse is correct. Nothing rights itself in competition, thats what training is for.

If your dog is reliable and in shape 2-4 stakes in a weekend trial isn't out of line. But be prepared to scratch from a stake or two and make a donation if things start heading south in the trial. Sometimes not easy to throw away entry money that way but often times it will end up saving lots of money and time in correcting any problems.

WildRose · Post by **WildRose** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:06 pm

It's going to vary a lot with each dog. For the most part with young dogs your trainer is probably right on.

I have one three year old that I could easily run in 3 to five stakes at any trial as long as the AA is first and she had at least three or four hours after it before the next stake. That's pretty rare though.

I see a lot of dogs that will be run say in both Open and Open limited, then Amateur and Amateur Limited and if they are not REALLY REALLY broke they usually look terrible in the third and fourth stakes.

I'd trust my trainer/handler if I were you, that's a big part of what you are paying for. CR

nrcgsp · Post by **nrcgsp** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:02 pm

Our dogs are trained/conditioned for the hour stakes, we will run them up to 4 times, try to look to see that they are running no more than an hour worth of running a day, with some rest time, but you know they don't get the break at nat'l and regionals. Like Wildrose said, talk to your trainer, we go by what they say the dog(s) are ready for. Of course, with aa dogs, usually only once a weekend, unless, there is an aaa or laa.

remmy · Post by **remmy** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:45 pm

It's not a question of conditioning...my dog is conditioned for one hour stakes and she is broke. The problem, in my case, was when I got my dog back from my pro and ran her in three stakes the following weekend. What happened was my dog did not listen to me. Her first stake she handled fairly well for me...placed third. However, it got worse in later stakes. I guess my pro was referring to other problems that could arise and get worse as well...busting birds, etc., none of which she does but just generally speaking.

Wildrose, if you recall, I pm'd you about the listening problem last year and your answer was right on...it just took my dog a little while to get used to me again, instead of the pro. Once we got back on the same page everything was fine again.

I guess it reverts back to how long does it take, once you get a dog back from a pro, to get used to you again? It obviously depends how long the pro has the dog...usually three months at a time.

larue · Post by **larue** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 5:36 am

every dog is different,some will get more pumped up everytime out and become harder to handle each time out,while others will get some edge off them and actually handle better with some miles on them.
The other thing to look at is the dogs maturity level,if a dog is really honest no problem,but if the dog is getting away with stuff,you can really set it back in one long weekend.
As far as how long a dog takes to adjust back to you,from a pro
it depends on what your relationship was with the dog before he went out to the pro,and if you are useing the same handling techniques the pro was,the same commands ect.
Dogs will often revert back to habits they had before they went to the pro,if you handle them the same as you did in the past.