Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 17
  1. #1
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    2,366
    Thanked: 1096

    Agility vrs. Rally vrs. Obedience

    I know that collies just rule in Agility (blast them!). And at the WKC a lab (cool!) took first place in Obedience. Was that a fluke? Or are labs and all breeds more or less on an equal footing in the Ob ring? What about in Rally? Do you see a preponderance of collies or any other particular breed?

    Just curious.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    3,947
    Thanked: 2421
    Quote Originally Posted by TuMicks View Post
    I know that collies just rule in Agility (blast them!). And at the WKC a lab (cool!) took first place in Obedience. Was that a fluke? Or are labs and all breeds more or less on an equal footing in the Ob ring? What about in Rally? Do you see a preponderance of collies or any other particular breed?

    Just curious.
    Labs and Goldens are often top dogs in obedience at the national level. I think all the winners last year were Goldens. Shelties are pretty popular in obedience, Border Collies, too. Locally, we have a lot of Aussies, Border Collies and Belgian Tervurens that do well. There are a handful of Goldens and, if Janice Gunn comes down to show, we might have more than a handful of Labs. Oh, Papillons are kinda popular around here for obedience and do well. Don't forget the Poodles!

    For Rally it's really a crapshoot. Even at your local Rally shows, you see a huge variety, probably more so than obedience. I just looked up last years AKC national winners and the number one dog was a Golden followed by a Belgian Tervuren, a Boxer and a German Shepherd. Locally for the past two trials a Papillon and a Frenchie went high combined in Rally. Rally is interesting because a perfect score is much more attainable than in obedience, but you are also timed.

  3. #3
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    8,135
    Thanked: 5108
    Border Collies more so than Collies, that I've seen. When we were doing agility our trainer said, poor pity you people with a dog that's going to fall into the same height as most BC. At that time my small Lab was taller than most BC competing. The height categories were different then, poor little Jet had to jump 30 inches.

    WE did CKC Rally and CARO Rally. CARO takes mixed breeds so we saw dogs I couldn't even begin to guess at their lineage and since several were rescues even the owners weren't sure. IN CKC though, two star dogs were a Siberian Husky and a Beagle. I only saw those two, no others of the breed.

    You should be on an equal footing in all three venues. There is some subjectivity to the judging, especially in RAlly, I think, but I think it would depend more on the judge. I think the breeds you see are going to vary by where you are. Here, our Rally trainer loves Labs and NSDTR, she's bred a couple of Toller litters. NSDTR are getting more and more popular in all three venues plus WC tests. They seem to be a lot like BC in their ability to do everything.
    Hidden Content

    Castilleja's Dubhgall Oban, the Black Stranger of The Little Bay
    Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
    Oxtongue Rapids Park. Oct. 2019 Hidden Content

  4. #4
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    2,366
    Thanked: 1096
    I have had a friend who has NSDTD's and used them in fly-ball and dock diving. Hers are smart, tough little competitors. I've also seen them in Master hunt tests down here. Not a lot of them... but I think they are catching on.

  5. #5
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Central NJ
    Posts
    2,603
    Thanked: 2277
    Labs are definitely among the top breeds for Obedience (along with Goldens and Border Collies). It wasn’t that way years ago, but recently they have been VERY competitive.

    Rally is easier, so I think a wider variety of breeds can do well at it.

    I don’t do Agility, but from people I know who do, I think border collies, shelties, and Aussies seem to be most prevalent. I know a few people with Labs that do ok, but not the breed as a whole. They’re not really physically designed for it as much as some of the other breeds.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

    Hidden Content

  6. #6
    Senior Dog
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Central NJ
    Posts
    2,603
    Thanked: 2277
    Quote Originally Posted by TuMicks View Post
    I have had a friend who has NSDTD's and used them in fly-ball and dock diving. Hers are smart, tough little competitors. I've also seen them in Master hunt tests down here. Not a lot of them... but I think they are catching on.
    A friend I train with just put a UD on her Toller at the same shows as Chloe. She’s trained several OTCH dogs already, including another Toller.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

    Hidden Content

  7. #7
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Eastern Ontario Canada
    Posts
    3,336
    Thanked: 2070
    interesting question! Actually makes me think how you see different breeds when you go to different types of events.

    Locally - anything sport - aussie's and tollers. Tollers are ODDLY popular around here. Aussies are much more "popular" in numbers but the bc's seem to be "more competitive" getting top scores. You see more of the herding/sporty breeds coming in.

    I haven't participated in much rally and not at all in obedience so can't say. there are SOME labs in rally but lots of poodles and goldens. shelties. trying to remember but not much in the way or sporting dogs. But definitely this is where you find all the "missing" goldens and poodles haha.

    Flyball is border collie and "sport dog mixes". flyball mixes are hugely popular. some malinois. some ACD's of course.

    Aussies are quite popular locally as well but many don't have the drive to be top competitors (but some do!).

    We have a yearly multi-sport event so will try to keep my eyes open on the different venues and the breeds! disc is lots of herders and labs and mixes. Scent detection lots of hounds and such. herding trial - well the herders - so fun to see GSD's and shelties herd!

  8. #8
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    3,947
    Thanked: 2421
    Quote Originally Posted by Tanya View Post
    Aussies are quite popular locally as well but many don't have the drive to be top competitors (but some do!).
    So interesting... Aussies are in the top five most winningest dogs in obedience, rally and agility around here.

  9. #9
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    3,947
    Thanked: 2421
    Sounds like Tollers are gaining in popularity. We have one locally at the utility level, but cannot perform. She is a spooky little thing! There are a few that my field trainer has, including the BOB at Crufts last year. As an aside, a Toller attacked Linus while honoring him. Admittedly, I haven't had a lot of experience around them, but from what I've seen, temperaments seem to be really across the board.

    They are super cute though! Perfect size. Fluffy. Tail dipped in white paint. We let them enter our WC a couple years ago and the board said, NO MORE. They are really loud.

  10. #10
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Eastern Ontario Canada
    Posts
    3,336
    Thanked: 2070
    Yeah the tollers i see are intense. but then i see them in dog sport venues I don't have much direct experience with the breed other than having meet a breeder (took a class on her property for hunt training) and seeing them around.

    SOME aussies are placing and have drive but many are more moderate (great family pets). there are plenty of them though! and now many mini aussie's. There was an aussie in our flyball class - the poor guy couldn't motivate the dog to get drive. looked more like me and Rocky back in the day! but the aussie was very well behaved and all that Or maybe he just hadn't yet found what motivates the dog (i was in high management mode during flyball class so wasn't watching others that closely).

 



Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet?
Register for Free and Share Your Labrador Retriever Photos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •