I love being able to have a toy in the ring at Intro and Novice level. No matter how hard you try, you can't duplicate the trial environment for training. I mostly train alone or, rarely, with one or two friends. There is no ring crew sitting around the ring, no judge, no scoring table in the ring, and no dogs and people milling about outside the ring. The toy helps my baby dog stay focused and has helped him learn what he is supposed to do. He LOVES people and want to visit everyone in the ring so the toy helps keep him with me. My hope is that by the time we are ready to compete in Novice, we won't need the toy. However, if there is a time when we do, I will most certainly use it in Novice or move him back down to a level where we can use the toy to regain focus. Thank goodness NADAC allows this type training. It makes for happy dog and happy handler!!!!
Sara