Competing in Dog Obedience

Does your dog know how to sit, stay, and heel on command? Why not compete in Obedience? You don't have to have a purebred dog in order to compete either; you only need to enroll in the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Partners program. Even a purebred dog that is not registered with the AKC can compete if they are enrolled in the Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL). AKC Obedience trials are a great way to show what your dog can do; and taking classes will not only stimulate your dog's mind, but he'll have a chance to socialize as well.

Dogs who are advanced in their obedience skills are better behaved at home and in public, and the knowledge they learn gives them confidence. Wondering where to start? Find a dog training facility in your area that specializes in obedience and has current students or graduates who have gone on to compete in Obedience trials. Do your research, ask questions, and look for places that others have personally recommended. Click here for a list of AKC training clubs throughout the United States.

The Different Types of Competitive Dog Obedience

According to the AKC, there are three levels of Obedience: Novice, Open, and Utility. The following information is from the American Kennel Club's pamphlet A Beginner's Guide to Companion Events.

NOVICE

Stand -- Dogs will have to stand for examination which means they have to stay standing while their handler walks a short distance to allow the judge to lightly touché the do on the head, bottom and body. The handler will then return to the dog while the dog is standing.

Heel - By the time your dog gets to novice level obedience, he should be able to heel nicely on a leash but in novice, your dog should also be able to follow you as you walk in a figure eight.

Heel Off-Leash - Hopefully there won't be any squirrels around when it comes time for competition because your dog will have to heel off-leash.

Long Down - Dogs must remain in the down position for a full three minutes.

Recall - This simply means that your dog must come to you and sit in front of your feet when you call him.

Long Sit - Dogs must sit for one minute while the handler stands across the ring.

OPEN

Long Down - With Open, dogs must stay in the down position for five minutes while their handler is out of sight.

Drop on Recall - Dogs should be able to come to the handler when called from across the ring and drop into the down position on the handler's command (or hand signal).

Long Sit - Dogs must sit for three minutes while their handler is out of sight.

Retrieve Over High Jump - This is where dogs jump over an obstacle (similar to a bar jump in agility) and retrieve an object before turning around and jumping back over the obstacle and returning the object to the handler.

Broad Jump - Dogs have to jump a width that is twice as long as the dog is tall.

Heel Off-Leash and Figure Eight - Same as Novice.

Retrieve on Flat - This demonstrates the dog's ability to retrieve an object on command.

UTILITY

Scent Discrimination - This is where a dog show's his ability to find the handler's scent among a pile of articles.

Signal Exercise - This demonstrates the dog's ability to understand and respond to the handler's hand signals to "Stand," "Stay," "Down," "Come," and "Sit."

Moving Stand and Examination - A dog must heel, stand and stay as the handler moves away and a judge examines the dog. The dog should then return to his handler.

Directed Retrieve - This exercise shows the dog's ability to foll0w a directional signal to retrieve a glove and promptly return it to the handler.

Directed Jumping - Dogs have to go away from their handler, turn, and sit before clearing whichever jump the handler has indicated. The dog should then return to the handler.

To learn more about the competing in Obedience with your dog and how your dog can obtain an Obedience title, visit the American Kennel Club's website at http://www.akc.org/events/obedience/getting_started.cfm

*Source: American Kennel Club's pamphlet A Beginner's Guide to Companion Events.