# Most embarassing trial moments



## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

Another poster started a thread about first trials. Almost everyone was worried about embarassing themselves. So I thought, maybe this would be a fun way for everyone to ease their minds - knowing they won't be the first and/or last to do something funny.

Here is mine!

Picture this:

First ever IPO 2.
FAST tracking dog. And I mean FAST. I have to lean back on the line to hold her back and wear gloves so I don't burn my flesh off letting the line out.

Start the track - everything looks BEAUTIFUL. She hits the first corner, I second guess my dog. (What, the corner alread?). She indicates the first article perfectly, but I am still hesitant (She has never misindicated before, but this article seems too early on the track for the first article...)

She senses my hesitation and decides she must have made a mistake, so to correct herself, she jumps forward to continue tracking - except I have already dropped the line and am in the process of walking up to the dog to see what she indicated LOL!

So I flail my arms in the air and proceed to run behind my female, trying to pace her as best I can until she hits the corner and slows down enough for me to reach down and grab the end of the line. I was MORTIFIED! I probably looked like Phoebe (Friends fans will know what I mean!) running that track the whole way.

She finished the track wonderfully, indicated the last article perfectly. When we were all done, the only points she lost were for the "missed" article. So it would have been a very nice track if not for my stupidity. But I tell you, I learned my lesson and always walk up my line  And never second guess my dog, when she has more than earned my trust HAHA!


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

LOL! This is going to be a great thread!!! 

I have a couple of Keeta moments to share. 

I was doing her Bh (very first dog trial of any kind for me) with Doug Deacon as judge. During the on-leash heeling, I sense that she is falling a few steps behind me, I was going to give her an extra Fuss command and as I'm glancing back ready to 'make' her heel, the judge raises his hand and stops me "hang on, wait a minute!". I look back and Keeta HAD STOPPPED and WAS HAVING A PEE! I was mortified! I knew her and read her well enough that I could tell that she was marking territory because the other dog in the long down was a dog she didn't know - was marking to let the other dog know that this was HER field! 

Well, that's my girl! Waited for her to be done, gave another heel command, continued on the routine with no further issues, and we Passed!!! I guessed that when not marking, she was in control and a happy-enough worker to qualify as a pass. 

My first attempt at TR1, again Keeta: I was so worried about her not indicating, worked on articles so much! We came to the first article, and I guess she was really really really trying to show me that she found the article because she stopped, PICKED IT UP, turned around to face me, dropped it, THEN platzed to indicate. One of those famous "My dog never did this before" moments! 
And this time, we did not pass our track due to this and number of other issues. The Judge did comment that a dog may A) retrieve the article, OR B) indicate the article, but NOT A & B on the same track, or even with the same article!.

But to give encouragement to newbies, we tried again a year later and got High Tracking in Trial! That felt pretty darn good, and all the article indications where by the book this time.


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

Castlemaid said:


> LOL! This is going to be a great thread!!!
> 
> I have a couple of Keeta moments to share.
> 
> ...


HAHAHAHA! Both moments I would have been mortified to be in at the time, but definitely would have laughed about later!

I seriously can't imagine what I would do if my dog started peeing on the field - that is one of my WORST nightmares, so I am almost obessesive about "potty" times before going on the field LOL Like, how many times can one dog pee on command before they start to think you are nuts!


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## Traveler's Mom (Sep 24, 2012)

First time we tried for the BH and I had our trainer handle Traveler. The trainer said to hide behind the barn so Traveler wouldn't see us. All was well until off leash. Traveler took off like a bee bit his behind and next thing we see is him rounding the corner of the barn looking for mom and dad! I brought him back onto the field and the judge told me that he'd likely do better if I handle him. Uh, ok, I guess. We start off and he's doing wonderful! We go to the off leash portion and he runs over to the dog in the down and starts licking her all over, obviously looking for a love interest The judge told me that next time I should not allow Traveler to trial with a girl dog. Heck! I figured when they set up the pairs it was a given, but I guess not.

The second time he got as far as off leash and decided to attack the down dog. That was horrible-everyone was running onto the field ready to break it up and I'm yelling like an idiot for him to come. 

But! Perseverance prevails! The third time was a charm 

I dare somebody to one up this story

Lynn & Traveler


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Traveler's Mom said:


> First time we tried for the BH and I had our trainer handle Traveler. The trainer said to hide behind the barn so Traveler wouldn't see us. All was well until off leash. Traveler took off like a bee bit his behind and next thing we see is him rounding the corner of the barn looking for mom and dad! I brought him back onto the field and the judge told me that he'd likely do better if I handle him. Uh, ok, I guess. We start off and he's doing wonderful! We go to the off leash portion and he runs over to the dog in the down and starts licking her all over, obviously looking for a love interest The judge told me that next time I should not allow Traveler to trial with a girl dog. Heck! I figured when they set up the pairs it was a given, but I guess not.
> 
> The second time he got as far as off leash and decided to attack the down dog. That was horrible-everyone was running onto the field ready to break it up and I'm yelling like an idiot for him to come.
> 
> ...


Omg.
He actually went at another dog in the long down!!
I would have been so embarrassed lol
Good for him on his third try !!!
Yey Traveler


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## Steve Strom (Oct 26, 2013)

Nothing too bad, but I didnt have a clue what to do when the dumbell thrown over the wall, took a bad bounce. I asked for a re-throw and my dog broke. Then I just fumbled around. What's kinda cool though, is the way he recovers and shakes it off. Just always felt like one of those, that's MY dog moments. Why I really enjoy all the training with them. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kcXs3Nzbt0


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Well....my first trial was the for 1st leg of a CD title with my Siberian Husky "Homer". This was also how I learnt to bring alot of friends to surround the ring for the off lead portion. Everyone told me I was crazy to try this with my Huskies. 
He was such a good dog, perfect heel and Sooo happy to be beside me, a Husky happy to be beside me...what a gift, right? 
Down stay, I turn to walk away and he was gone like the wind. This was no break to follow me, this was "I'm going for a run and I will visit 3 conformation rings" before a very annoyed handler grabbed him. Imagine a young girl running through multiple rings yelling "Homer come". I'm turning red just thinking about it.
I apologized to every person I saw, spectators, judges and handlers. 
Returned to the ring where the judge was so sweet. He gave me a lunge lead and asked me to finish but to hold the lead. We finished, he was disqualified of course but I will never forget how gentle and understanding the judge was. Homer did however finish his CD title, just not that weekend.


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## Traveler's Mom (Sep 24, 2012)

Yup. I absolutely couldn't believe it!!! The dog was quite a distance away and there was no interaction between them prior to trial. I have no idea. Baffling. Never happened before or since.

Can you imagine all these people running on the field? I will never forget that. Never. I was ready to send him back to Germany on the next flight out 

Lynn & Traveler


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

Singe was 7 months old. I was working our local obedience trial anyway so I entered Singe just to get him used to the atmosphere and noises. 
Day 1, he was a bit overexcited but he qualified.
Day 2, he did good and added a couple more points to his previous score.
Day 3... OMG day 3. 

Started off PERFECTLY. I guess that should have been a clue. We made it halfway through the course with a perfect heel and spot on happy puppy hitting all of his cues. 
Then he simply decided that he had had enough. He grabbed the leash. He tugged on the leash, doing a happy little puppy bounce. Then he was on his back, rolling like an alligator. Leash wrapped around his body and growling like a maniac, flopping around like a fish.

Needless to say, we were excused from the ring. My friends, who happened to be stewarding the rally table, have their heads on the table laughing and trying to hide it. 

Till this day, I won't enter a 3rd day of a trial


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Lol these are great


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Not a working title or show, but for fun I entered Ike into a conformation match the local GSD club was having. I was totally unprepared, never taught him how to stack, but he did ok. Until it was my time to trot around the ring. About 20 steps in, he grabs the leash, turns backwards and start backwards hopping around with the leash in his mouth. 

The judge came over and oh so politely asked " do you actually plan on showing this dog". I just laughed. 

Later that same day I was sitting in a chair off to the side. Ike's leash was wrapped around the leg of the chair. I was unaware of the kids in the field behind the show ring, throwing a ball around. Ike was very aware. Next thing I know, the chair is upended, me still in the seat, getting dragged towards the kids by my dog. Who wanted to play ball.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Lolol


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

gsdsar said:


> Not a working title or show, but for fun I entered Ike into a conformation match the local GSD club was having. I was totally unprepared, never taught him how to stack, but he did ok. Until it was my time to trot around the ring. About 20 steps in, he grabs the leash, turns backwards and start backwards hopping around with the leash in his mouth.
> 
> The judge came over and oh so politely asked " do you actually plan on showing this dog". I just laughed.
> 
> Later that same day I was sitting in a chair off to the side. Ike's leash was wrapped around the leg of the chair. I was unaware of the kids in the field behind the show ring, throwing a ball around. Ike was very aware. Next thing I know, the chair is upended, me still in the seat, getting dragged towards the kids by my dog. Who wanted to play ball.


OUCH! lol

I was clueless when I showed Karlo in a UKC puppy class. The judge was very kind, told me to find a mentor(pointed one out to me in fact!) Karlo had a dirty nose. I wasn't serious about it, so no nervousness. I think I showed a bit of disrespect because I wasn't serious about it. Not fair to the judge or others showing. In hindsight, I learned never to show if I wasn't somewhat prepared and willing.

Oddly, I twisted my back when I was letting him out of his crate so I was in excruciating pain shortly after we arrived. I've never had back problems! Karlo did get two blue ribbons that day. I ended our show career then too. Not my cup of tea!


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## d4lilbitz (Dec 30, 2013)

Not my dog, but a guy in our club was trialing his dog for a BH. During the long down she decided to get up, take a side step to crap, then go back into her long down. He said he was so embarrassed and she acted like nothing happened...they failed lol. We all laugh to this day every time he tells this story...one of many stories he has about this dog. 

Haven't trialed yet...I can only imagine what I'm going to experience haha! There are some really great stories in this thread!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Pretty much every time I've trialed I've been embarrassed. Failed tracking because of my handler error, I forgot to finish the dog after the retrieve(not once but twice) and truncated my paces...though the judge never mentioned that in the critique.
When I did a BH, there was another dog(pittie) that was trying for the BH for the third time I think...the dog left the group after the handler took the leash off, and dog proceded to walk over to the judge, and lifted his leg on judge. That was about the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen in trial. It took all the self control the judge had not to kick that dog away! The handler didn't seem to feel bad, she kept on with the routine and was surprised when she was failed.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

onyx'girl said:


> OUCH! lol
> 
> I was clueless when I showed Karlo in a UKC puppy class. The judge was very kind, told me to find a mentor(pointed one out to me in fact!) Karlo had a dirty nose. I wasn't serious about it, so no nervousness. I think I showed a bit of disrespect because I wasn't serious about it. Not fair to the judge or others showing. In hindsight, I learned never to show if I wasn't somewhat prepared and



Oh I totally agree. And I would never be so disrespectful now. It wasn't until I really got into sport and judging and stuff that I even realized I was being rude. 

However, like you I had a great judge. Once I answered him that "no I don't plan on showing, this is my search dog and I am just trying to give him lots of experiences" he smiled big and said " well then let's make this a good one". 

All in all, I actually found the club very welcoming. It was a good experience.


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## N Smith (Aug 25, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> Pretty much every time I've trialed I've been embarrassed. Failed tracking because of my handler error, I forgot to finish the dog after the retrieve(not once but twice) and truncated my paces...though the judge never mentioned that in the critique.
> When I did a BH, there was another dog(pittie) that was trying for the BH for the third time I think...the dog left the group after the handler took the leash off, and dog proceded to walk over to the judge, and lifted his leg on judge. That was about the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen in trial. It took all the self control the judge had not to kick that dog away! The handler didn't seem to feel bad, she kept on with the routine and was surprised when she was failed.


Omg!!! I take back every embarrassing moment I ever thought I had. Peeing on the Judge takes the cake!


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

gsdsar said:


> Later that same day I was sitting in a chair off to the side. Ike's leash was wrapped around the leg of the chair. I was unaware of the kids in the field behind the show ring, throwing a ball around. Ike was very aware. Next thing I know, the chair is upended, me still in the seat, getting dragged towards the kids by my dog. Who wanted to play ball.


You win!

The visual in my head of this moment is just over the top funny!


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## Mikelia (Aug 29, 2012)

No major mishaps so far for us but lots of small ones. I think it was our first trial for our CD and the judge knew I was a newbie and was being very helpful. Before the recall she told me to make sure to speak at a normal pace and pause between his name and the command. She specifically told me this. So I'm standing there all nervous and say 'elicome' fast and all one word like. Eli sits there looking at me, I looked at the judge who has an 'I told you so' look on her face. I repeat my command properly and he recalled and finished beautifully. But we NQd because he did not come on the first command. Big lesson learned there haha. 
Another was with Evie on the agility field, I could tell as soon as we started running she had to poop. Why she did not go before our run is beyond me. But she was doing the poop walk and I was just praying she'd hold it until our run was over. She started to squat and I just grabbed her 60lbs and carried her out of the ring. I imagine it looked funny, me scooping up this largish dog as if she were a Chihuahua. At least we didn't get excused for soiling in the ring lol.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

d4lilbitz said:


> Not my dog, but a guy in our club was trialing his dog for a BH. During the long down she decided to get up, take a side step to crap, then go back into her long down. He said he was so embarrassed and she acted like nothing happened...they failed lol. We all laugh to this day every time he tells this story...one of many stories he has about this dog.
> 
> Haven't trialed yet...I can only imagine what I'm going to experience haha! There are some really great stories in this thread!


During a BH....during the down, she got up,pee'd poo'd and went back to the long down. Judge passed them. I was sure they'd have failed. The judge was quite all over the place that trial...either he was extremely sharp penciled or very lax. I think his meds had him really off his norm.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Way too many times.  The one I think the spectators and judge found the funniest was when I used Vala as a dummy dog. We were not entered because she had had puppies. We did the retrieve on the flat and the judge decided that was enough and didn't need to see the ones over the jump/wall. I put the 3 DB back on the stand and walked away. I guess Vala thought that was NOT how things were supposed to be because she swung around and nailed me in the crotch.  I so wanted to grab her and correct her, but I really couldn't so a strong "BITCH" flowed freely from my mouth instead.  

A good friend of mine was at a regional event and her bitch decided to stand on the top of the wall - left feet on one side, right on the other - and survey her surroundings before being reminded that she was supposed to be retrieving.


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## Andaka (Jun 29, 2003)

Mine is a conformation one -- I sent Keno to a dog show in Iowa with his handler. The team groomed him up, and rather than put him in a crate (that would flatten his coat) they put him loose in the travel trailer. Keno managed to open the door to the trailer, go up to the building where the show was being held, and waited for someone to open the door. keno went into the building, thru the Pom ring, and into the GSD ring where he stood next to his handler. No leash, no collar. So his handler put him on a down stay at ring side and sent someone back to the trailer for his leash and collar.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Our first herding trial, going for the HT which is the very first step. You have to enter the arena, down your dog, send him to pick up the sheep and bring them to you then you work a figure eight kind of pattern around orange cones. After that, you have to call the dog off the sheep, and have him walk with you out of the arena leaving the sheep behind. You get 15 mins to do this. Piece of cake

Stosh flunked in less than 30 seconds. He did really well until after he gathered the sheep and brought them to me. He started doing donuts around me and the sheep, bit one in the butt and got a mouth full of hair, then darted off to a big puddle, laid down and got a drink. We were thrown out by the judge with a "Nice dog but needs more work" comment. I was ready to pack it in, but the next day he was perfect!!! We passed in three minutes and got a big hand from the crowd. He must have known it was my birthday that day.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Stark and I trialed for our Scent Detection novice title this year. We were more than ready and rocked it in class, in practices and even out and about in the world. We were probably over prepared and he is really good. 

Well.... went in to do the room search, he went over the room nicely, went to a corner, cocked his leg and marked before I could even react (fastest pee I have ever seen!) then went to sit by the judge.

Judge looked at Stark, at me and said, "well, that was it". 

Nice... good job Stark, good job.... we failed.


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## Zahnburg (Nov 13, 2009)

My first SchH1 I was showing a young 19 month old dog. It was fall so the trees were losing their leaves and a small tree was on the other side of the hurdle. I sent my dog over the hurdle and he just started eating dead leaves. I tell him "Bring" again, he looks at me and continues eating the leaves. By this time everyone is laughing. I tell him "Bring" again, he looks at me and then takes the dumbbell and returns. It is pretty funny to think about now but it was not funny at the time.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

It's never funny at the time! My trainer still doesn't think it was funny


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

I had a teammate once, while out on a search, have his dog range really far. He kept his plan and kept moving. Until he got a call from base camp asking if he was missing anything. Appearantly his dog decided to go back to base camp and was sleeping in her crate in his truck. Needless to say she was retired from live find searches. 

I always warn people new to any kind of dog sport that there dog will inevitably humble them at some point. And it best to just laugh it off and move on. It happens to everyone.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

love this thread. Y'all have earned a "my dog never did that before" t-shirt


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

During the BH, things were going fine, we were heeling off leash, he did a nice about turrn. Then, suddenly on the way down field, he left. Just exited the field to go say Hi to a friend of ours.

Needless to say, we failed. My fault, really. I hadn't worked with him enough but decided to chance it.

IOW: My dog never did that before.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

This has just actually turned into a sweet memory for me-my first GSD Max-and I never really planned to compete in anything and he was my first time competing-he earned his first 2 legs with 170 and 171 1/4-the judges were being generous-for our 3 leg everyone we trained with was there and the judge drew a line and that was where we were supposed to start-well for some reason Max would sit everywhere but there-it took us ages to set up -we finally did -he did horrible-we disqualified. But since we had 2 legs I figured we would finish. So I entered a GSD speciality in another state-so no one would see us. We were the only dog entered in Novice A -It was a beautiful early spring day-the grass was green. Max did the obedience portion and it was beautiful. I kept checking to see if it was really him-the judge raved about him performing better than CDX dogs. I am sure we had a score in the 190s. I held my breathe thru the sit stays -but he was fine-and I was starting to visualize us with the trophy-no one was going to believe this. The down stay was his best exercise-I put him in the down and for the entire time he ate the grass-never once moved out of position. Everyone was laughing. After what seemed like an eternity the judge said return to your dogs-I walked into heel position Max stood up and threw up. We were disqualified. He eventually did earn his CD.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

The first time I took Raina to a Rally Novice trial we did really bad. It was the first time for me as well and I had decided to try it to see what happens and how it goes and get experience and all that. First Raina decided to forget every thing I thought she had learned, would not front for anything, kept looking for my daughter who was back at the crate away from the ring, and then on top of all that a lady decided to play with her poodle right next to the ring with a squeaky toy. She was tossing it in the air and squeaking it for her poodle. Raina was totally distracted and kept turning to see the toy and poodle. She didn't complete at least half the exercises correctly but we did finish the course just for practice. I knew she had not qualified before we left the ring but it was good experience. I still don't know why one of the ring stewards didn't tell the poodle lady to stop what she was doing. I was a little disappointed that Raina didn't show a little better, but I really didn't expect to get a high score, just at least a score. We did complete her RN a few months later after much more practice at class.


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