Hi Everyone ~ I started breed handling classes last night with my 19 week old chocolate girl. I have entered her mom in conformation in the past but really was just winging it and want to get it right this time around. I also like to do obedience and rally with my dogs. I have been working seperately on stand and not having my pup sit for everything (which was my problem in the past) but will I confuse her by asking for an automatic sit when heeling then a stand in conformation? Or is it just me that's confused??? Thank-you in advice for any help! I think I'm going to need it!!!!

I am so glad you asked this question! Hope you get some good replies. I am in a similar spot. I have only done conformation but want to do rally obedience, and am worried about how to teach my pup.

Definitely give different commands and maybe signals, too, while teaching if one of your goals is a UD or higher. Rally is safer, as the sit while heeling can be on verbal command. Rally can be a stepping stone to more formal, quiet obedience. Use different, very different collars, and leads--although around the house, baiting or dropping for a cookie doesn't always have to be on the right lead. Some folks even make sure that they change their own clothes in between types of rings, but that can be hard to pull off in a time crunch at a specialty. A thicker lead and a buckle or different collar for obedience can help the dog know what to expect. If you almost always use a leather or nylon lead in conformation, then you can use a choke chain in obedience. If you almost always use a choke chain in conformation, use a buckle collar or a nylon martingale in rally or obedience. You get the drift. Mostly, train in a positive manner, making both rings fun.

Thank-you!!!!! I am using a leather slip lead for bred and have been using a flat buckle for obedience but need to change that for more control. Was planning to go to a martingale or choke check (martingale w/a chain). I hope that's a big enough difference. We will start w/rally so I can give the verbals. That's a good suggestion! Thanks again!

I often enter both obedience and conformation at the same show and have gotten points in the breed ring and legs in obedience at the same show. I second using different collars and leashes for both as well as different commands for moving. I use "heel" in obedience and "let's go" in conformation. Teach the "sit" AND the "stand" commands and tell your dog to stand whenever you stop moving in the conformation ring. You can get an automatic sit without the command and a stand with it. Use a different tone of voice for giving obedience commands. I try to be more formal in the obedience ring and more relaxed in my attitude (at least from the dog's point of view) in the conformation ring.

The two activities are really quite different, lots of running and standing in conformation, with other dogs in the ring plus using bait, vs. demanding a sit and heel in obedience. Dogs figure out the difference. I haven't had much trouble between the two. But start them both while the dog is young.

You don't mention field work, but that has its own set of difficulties. I didn't show Jake until he was three years old, by which time he already had his Senior title in the field, had had "sit" ingrained into him, and was used to heeling on either side. Most of the advanced field dogs around here are "two sided" because you cam place them on the side that will most help with the retrieve. If you're only going for a JH and want to show in obedience, don't' bother with this. "Stand" and "down" weren't taught - my mistake. I have trouble with him in the breed ring because whenever he feels stressed, he wants to sit. He associates sitting with being a good dog and staying out of trouble. And in the obedience ring, when you aren't allowed to tell them which side to heel on, he has sometimes ended up on my right after an about turn off lead. To his mind, this is perfectly acceptable. I didn't start obedience until after Rally, where that problem didn't show up because you can talk and gesture to the dog, so I could show Jake what side he should be on. We are now working on open, and his field training has been helpful for (obviously) the retrieving exercises and for the broad jump. He also seems to be be getting reliable on the drop on recall faster. It took some time to convince him that he should drop where he was rather than coming to me first, but he was already used to sitting at a distance, so once he realized what I wanted, he seemed to become reliable faster.

For my next multipurpose dog I'll teach the stand and down before they start yard work for the field, which should eliminate some of the problems I've experienced with Jake. If you are just going for obedience and conformation, teach the stand along with the sit and make conformation fun, and I think you'll be fine.

My pup just took RWB in a show and earned a 95 in Rally. I won't say my current girl is easy to do in both, but my other dogs never had an issue. I use my finger with bait in my hand pointing forward for stand and give the stand command quietly before we stop gaiting. Every morning we rotate with stand before feeding and the next morning sit before feeding. She did well with the last show, but previously did want to sit and whoever was showing (my 11 yo does Juniors) would have to repeat stand command. My daughter kneels in Juniors and discreetly puts her hand just a little under the leg on her side to prevent a sit. She has placed 1st many times. I'm not comfortable with that position in the breed ring myself. I think it's really a matter of training and making sure they understand the difference of stand and sit commands. All the best!

I used to be quite concerned about this but have learned it's really not that big a deal. After all, Labradors are supposed to be intelligent and biddable. All my girls switch between conformation (in several venues), field, rally, obedience, and agility and really have not had an issue switching between them. As other have said, your mannerisms are quite different between conformation and the performance events. Your dog will learn to take cues from your voice and body positioning to determine how to behave and what to do.

I use a thicker lead and heavier collar when doing obedience/rally and don't have bait in the ring. I am much more regimented with my commands when heading into the obedience ring and more serious.

When it's time to do conformation, not only am I usually dressed quite different, but I have a very light (or a slip) lead, light collar, bait, and am more tolerant of a little bit of naughtiness as I like my dogs to stay slightly more up for conformation. But, that's just me.

Thank you all so much for the advice and encouragement! It doesn't seem so overwhelming now! We will do field work as well, my whole crew hunts and I am hoping to get at least a JH but that's a hurdle for another day :) I will definitely use different equipment and work on clear signals! Thank-you again! The success stories make me feel much better!!!!!!!!

I also do both and this is what I do.

1) different collars and leads
2) different attitude. In obedience I look more serious, am quieter, and more deliberate in my body language. While in conformation, I play, smile, laugh, and act more natural/relaxed in body language. I do a lot of talking to them. Not quite baby talk, but close, especially when they are puppies.
3) I think this one is the most important. I don't treat the same way. For obedience training I use a training bag clipped to my waist. I don't give the command with a treat in my hand. I wait for the dog to respond and grab a morsel to quickly give them. As time goes by, I move from treats at every turn to praise, with a treat at the end of our session. For conformation I will constantly hold a juicy morsel in my hand and encourage them through my attitude and voice to stand pretty with their ears up while wagging.

Even though my dogs know how to sit, and do the automatic sits while heeling, I do not reward them around the house or in normal life for automatic sits. Before they go into their crates every night I give them treats for freebaiting, I will carry cookies around during the day and if one of my dogs comes up to me wanting a cookie, they know to stand and wag. If they sit, I will pet them, but if they want to get a treat, they stand and wag. They have me trained. :)

I have never had a dog get confused. Another thing I do is to make SURE they are great show dogs before teaching obedience. I make sure they are showy/happy, or I don't do anything else until they are. If your 19 week old pup already knows to stand and be happy, I would move on to obedience. If she doesn't, I would hold off. There is plenty of time to teach other things, but if conformation is your goal, start early and encourage them to fall in love with "showing themselves".

Thank-you! Great tips! I love the idea of treats for a happy stand! I'll start that one today!!!