So I went to our local French Ring club last night to watch them practice, as eventually I would like to have my own dog to train in protection sports. I like this club a lot because they do FR and Mondio and they're literally five minutes from me. Couldn't be any more awesome.

Anyway, it was really great to be able to watch everyone train and at the end of it all they let me handle one of their old retired GSDs! It was so much fun!! I did absolutely terrible, but I'd never even seen any sports in real life yet so I don't feel too bad. They are such nice people too.

My biggest problem is not being assertive enough with my commands. I'm just not the type of person to yell for any reason, so I was really having a hard time! Even when I'd given a command in full confidence that I was being as assertive and serious as possible, one of the trainers told me to be MORE assertive. So I have a lot to work on.

I guess my two questions are these:

1. Why do you have to sound so angry when giving commands? I guess it makes sense if we're in a real situation, where I would actually be yelling if my dog were protecting me from someone.. is that it? I think understanding it might help me get my big girl voice out.

2. Did anyone else have this problem in the beginning? How did you overcome it? I really thought I was being loud and serious, but apparently not enough haha!

It won't be at LEAST another year or so before I will be in the position to even think about getting another dog, especially my first working dog. I'm really looking forward to going to the club more to get as much hands on experience as possible, and learn what the handlers do right/wrong and what works for some dogs and not for others and all that good stuff. I'm hoping by the time I can get another dog I will really have a lot of background knowledge of what I'll be getting myself into and how to best handle a new dog when I get one. I'm so glad I've found a club close by with really nice people that don't mind having me come, and even let me work some of their dogs!

Angry?? Eek! If I sounded angry all the time my dogs would be so worried about what I was upset about that they wouldn't be able to concentrate on what I wanted them to do.

You can be assertive without sounding angry. It's more your presence about you. Look at those who have good control over their dogs - they don't have to yell, sound angry or repeat the command 5 times. If you're needing to do that, you need to take a step back in your training. Set your dog up for success, make training a positive time. Train in low distraction areas and when your dog is solid, add in more distractions. Make training time highly rewarding and stop your session while your dog is still really into it so he'll be eager to train again the next time.

Working like this should also help boost your confidence in the training process as you see your dog progressing, which will help you to be a more calm assertive trainer/handler overall

Maybe it just sounds angry to me and I'm misinterpreting the tone myself. I thought I was sounding pretty assertive and in control but I was nervous with everyone watching me for the first time ever and I'm sure the dog knew that.

Just guessing here but a good deal of your issues could have have been your nervousness combined with a brand new place with new distractions for your dog. Practice, practice, practice should help both of you, just remember not to add in too many distractions too quickly!

Tone of voice is one thing, but dogs pick up your on emotions and body language just as much or more so. You can have a calm voice and be assertive and in control and your dog knows it. On the flip side you can be yelling at your dog with zero control and your dog figures that out, too.

Do you regularly train your dog around other people and dogs?

 Quote: Mara Jessup

.... a brand new place with new distractions for your dog. .... Do you regularly train your dog around other people and dogs? ...

I think there might be two somewhat different conversations happening here.
(I recognize the phenomenon because it's usually me who's doing it. )

 Quote: Katie Finlay

So I went to our local French Ring club last night to watch them practice, as eventually I would like to have my own dog to train .... at the end of it all they let me handle one of their old retired GSDs! ... Even when I'd given a command in full confidence that I was being as assertive and serious as possible, one of the trainers told me to be MORE assertive ..... I'm so glad I've found a club close by with really nice people that don't mind having me come, and even let me work some of their dogs! ... It won't be at LEAST another year or so before I will be in the position to even think about getting another dog, especially my first working dog ...

Haha yes, there are Connie

Mara, it isn't my dog I was working (I don't even have a dog for protection sports). I was handling one of the trainer's retired dogs. They let me handle her because she's a lot easier for a new person to handle now that she's older and not as turned on as the younger, competing dogs. I'm sure my nervousness had a lot to do with it. She listened to almost everything I said but every once in a while would look at me like, "Who is this girl telling me what to do?" It was really great to work an already trained dog, and if they keep letting me do a bit of handling (I hope!) at the end of their sessions I think it will help me be a lot less anxious. Which will help a lot when I do get my own sport dog.

Thanks for the input! I definitely have a lot of practicing to do even without a dog!

Duh!! For some reason I thought she was talking about handling her own dog at the club. Not sure why...

To bring this back on track then..

To the OP, it will still help your handling abilities overall the more you get out and train your current dog (at least I thought through your other posts that you had a dog??) in a variety of situations. You'll gain confidence and skill through the practice and that confidence will flow down leash.

No problem! I do have a dog, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Certainly not the most common FR candidate. I just started herding with him (we've had two sessions so far) and have been working with his obedience a lot at home. We tried taking him out and working on ob on a walk, but I think it was too early for him. Normally there isn't anyone out in the middle of the day on a Friday but a family was outside with their howling Beagle.. couldn't blame my Corgi for taking a long time to sit (he did sit though!).

I think you're right that the more I get out with my dog now the more my confidence will grow. I think between herding with him and going to watch the FR club I should be on the right track!

You should be able to give commands in any tone of voice, as long as the dog can hear it, and get results.

My wife showed me this video the other day and it made me laugh. Reminded me of a few trainers I've watched in the protection sports world :p This thread reminded me of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzqs54qMgQA

I loooove that video.