Can you do both? Wasn't quite sure how to title it, but what's on my mind is this:

Let's suppose you're a person who loves the companionship of dogs and loves to go for long walks at your local parks, beaches, hiking in the woods, or getting out in your subdivision and walking or jogging around the neighborhood for pleasure and exercise. Just getting out in nature and enjoying the day, with your dog along and hopefully enjoying it as much as you are.

Now, let's suppose you also enjoy competitive dog sports. I know we have forum members here who train and compete in Schutzhund/IPO, Mondioring, obedience, rally, agility, and much more. But let's say it's the type of sport where your dog has to focus on you, follow direction, work as a team, and do precision, heads-up heeling as one of the judged aspects.

What I'm wondering is can you do both of those things with the same dog? Is it common? Is it a reasonable expectation?

Years ago, I used to show horses, but before I ever showed seriously, I did a fair amount of trail riding or even riding down the local dirt roads. When I got serious about showing and started paying professional trainers to help me, I learned that is was a common belief that you should never go trail-riding with your show horse, not if you want to be successful in the ring.

Is it the same way with dogs? Will I ruin my competition obedience dog by taking him on hikes in the woods where I don't want or expect him to heel by my side and watch me the whole time? For me, there are very few rules on a walk as it's about relaxation and enjoyment, not precision. The dog can walk wherever he wants, as long as he's not pulling on the leash. I use a five- or six-foot leash for walks to give him plenty of space but not allow him to get too far away. It also goes without saying that I don't allow greeting other dogs or people along the way, and no freaking out over squirrels, etc. Just looking for a calm and pleasant experience for both of us.

So do you ruin a dog's formal heeling and other ring behaviors by allowing that, or are they smart enough to know the difference between a hiking trail/beach/sidewalk and the competition ring? I hear it over and over again that dogs are situational. I would love to hear what you guys think and what your experiences have been.

Absolutely you can do both!!
All my competition dogs have been pets.I've had a Nationally ranked AKC OB dog, Schutzhund III dog, SAR dog, CH show dogs, hunt terriers, bird dog,Den trial terriers, racing trial terriers, herding dog. ALL were "pets" that went with me pretty much everywhere, all the time.
The very simple key to it is to teach different commands for every day use. I use "Fuss" for competitive heeling and "With me" for a casual heel. "Platz" for a formal down and "Down" or "Go lay down" for informal.
I expect fast and clean performance for competition but for the house all I want is compliance. I don't care if they walk across the room to lay down. I don't expect or want a dog that is constantly being asked to perform at it's best. That wont work for you or the dog!
The particular words matter little to the dog but you have to be consistent in how you expect the dog to respond.

Can't see why you can't do both. Animals LOVE a chance to let down their hair so to speak & just have FUN.

Even when doing SchH & PP work with my dogs we always went to take hikes in the woods & state parks & to run & swim at the beach etc. My X-country competition horse loved fun train rides, hunter paces & jumping stone walls out in the woods & gallops on the beach & playing in the beach water.

My dog was a companion/fishing partner before we ever started schutzhund training. The obedience she learned in upping her game as a sport dog has only served to make her a better behaved companion (and gets her a lot of praise and admiration from other humans, which she enjoys).

Like Bob, I have different commands and expectations for different scenarios.

I do anything and everything with my dogs. That won't change when we're competing.

never go trail-riding with your show horse, not if you want to be successful in the ring.

I ride competitively and have always gotten the exact opposite from my trainers. These are hunter/jumper horses. They get bored in the ring as do I. Getting out for a relaxing stroll does us both good, mentally. We seem to be able to focus better the next time we train.
I have heard of saddleseat horses being strictly ring horses, but I believe that's because the vast majority of their training is focusing on their strides and flash. Also, the way their feet are kept doesn't lend itself to sure-footedness on the trail.

Appreciate the responses! Yes, I definitely use different commands for formal obedience versus out for a walk.

What prompted my question was that I'm having several issues with one of my dogs in getting him ready for the AKC obedience ring, most of them related to extreme distractability. So I've been trying to objectively examine my entire relationship with him to see where the problem(s) may be. (And trust me, I'm closely examining and trying to weed out handler error issues.)

Many of my dog-owning acquaintances who are successful in the obedience ring will say, "Sure, I take my dog for walks!" But I don't believe any of them do it to the extent I do. I'm the kind of person who will take my dog on a week-long vacation up north and go hiking every day. There will be lots of interesting sights, smells, sounds, etc., and I let him enjoy himself and just be a dog (within the boundaries of good manners.) So I was just wondering if that could have anything to do with his desire to look around at anything and everything whenever we enter the ring.

This dog is going on five years old, and I have had him since he was a pup. He's been very successful in the rally ring, but I had certainly hoped and believed that we would be into the obedience ring by now. In rally, you can talk to your dog as much as you need to, which is how I keep his attention on me. In obedience, you get one command per exercise, and he just gets so overstimulated by everything going on around him that he can't look at me for more than about three seconds.

I'm starting to seriously consider the idea that he is simply not cut out for the sport I have chosen for him. I'm sure it happens. Not every dog is cut out for the particular sport or activity we had our heart set on. I have a very nice dog that I love very much, but I think I may have a square peg/round hole situation here. If so, that's fine. I'll continue to enjoy my walks and hikes and leave obedience competition for another dog, another time.

What breed is he? What have you done as far as focus work goes?

Hello Cheri,
You may be right about obedience not being the best match (no pun intended)but if you are getting immediate attention and focus in the woods when you do ask him to do something; perhaps you have not worked enough in the venues where the competitions are held.
It probably sounds foolish, but since I hike with Thor everyday, mostly laid back but I always do a few minutes of obedience; he is far less distracted in the woods.
Where compliance is an issue is inside a different house because for the most part he's big and shedding so I don't take him to visit too many people inside their homes. For example I can recall him in the midst of a squirrel chase but leashed within 5 feet of me in a new kitchen, I have to reel him in if I call him.
Maybe he just requires more time to generalize and more distraction training in a competition venue.

He is a Doberman, from American show lines. From the get-go, I have used marker training with food rewards. He is very, very food motivated.

I should clarify that, when we are out for walks at the local parks, we do take a few minutes here and there to practice obedience. Not so much if I'm hiking trails on vacation, but I sometimes do mini-marker training sessions around the campground vicinity.

We've always worked on focus and attention. He has been taught to watch me and will do a very good job in familiar situations, say, at my club, if there are no more than a couple other dogs around, or even in a group class if it's one he's been to repeatedly. But any change of venue and it is like being back to square one. I understand he needs lots of exposure to different locations, and we do lots of matches for that purpose, plus he's been to many trials (rally not obedience).

We've been working on these issues for several years now and I'm seeing no improvement. He has little impulse control, he cannot focus on me for more than a couple seconds, he is distracted by anything and everything going on around him. The distractibility is worst when we are heeling, or, really, any time we are just walking around, going from one place to another at a trial.

Now, he is good at some things! He has a great recall. We're still working on polishing perfect position in the front and finish, but there's no lack of attention there. His stays are also excellent. He doesn't budge. The problem with stays, however, is the whining. I posted a couple years ago about him whining constantly during stays. It's still a big issue. Nothing I've tried has changed that.

So I'm feeling like I'm at a crossroads with him. Do I continue to work toward the goal of competition obedience, or do I just do other doggy stuff with him and try to have fun without the pressure. Thanks again for your insights. Sorry for rambling on.

My GSD pup is 11 months old now. I have done IPO/Schutzhund training with him since he was 9 weeks old. When that bite sleeve comes out and our trainer is in his scratch pants, he goes bonkers. He flies down the field and hits hard. Last weekend he nearly knocked the helper over. He knows that is his "go time".

We can head up to the local shopping mall, metro park or subdivision street and he'll walk around like a normal puppy. They know the difference.