For some general information of what is each level expected of you and your dog to obtain an obedience title (<-- Click here) or if you need the offical requirements see Dogs NSW Trialling Standards.
DogsNSW Trialling Standards
Below is a brief description of what could be expected of you and your dog at each level of obedience trialling. These change from time to time so, if you need more information about each exercise ask your instructor or enquire at our Club house. For all current rules and levels you should refer to Australian Nationsl Kennel Council Ltd - Rules for the conduct of Obedience Trials ...
Community Companion Dog (C.C.D.)
This is the basic level of competition and is not a compulsory section.
In this class the exercises are:
- The dog and handler work together as a team to perform a heel on lead exercise, including sits, stands and downs as the judge calls them.
- Next is stand for examination where the dog stands steadily on lead whilst the judge approaches and examines the dog’s back and head.
- Finally the dog is left sitting whilst the handler walks away 12 metres then turns and calls the dog, which should come straight in and sit in front, the handler returns around it and releases, usually with much praise for a job well done.
- Then all dogs in the class have had their turn, they all come together to do a one minute sit stay and a two minute down stay, all off lead in a row with the handlers standing five metres away.
Three passes of a minimum 85 points out of a possible 100 points under at least two different judges will qualify the dog for the award Community Companion Dog, which follows after the dog's name and is normally abbreviated to C.C.D
Companion Dog (C.D.)
Obedience trialling at the Novice level consists of the performance of a number of exercises in a formal ring situation. These exercises are:
- The heeling exercise is off lead so it requires a lot more input and concentration from the dog to stay with the handler
- The stand for examination is also off lead with the handler standing two metres away
- The recall is a bit longer at 15 metres and after the dog comes in and sits, it must return to the handler and sit at heel on the left side.
- The last exercise has a handler’s choice between retrieving a dumbbell over four metres or the dog doing a change of position where it is left in a stand and, with the handler three metres in front, goes into the down on command and stays there whilst the handler returns around it.
- The stay exercises are harder too, the sit for a minute and the down for three minutes and the handlers are all 10 metres away.
Three passes of a minimum of 170 points out of a possible 200 under at least two different judges will qualify the dog for the award Companion Dog, which follows after the dog's name and is normally abbreviated to C.D.
Companion Dog Excellent (C.D.X.)
Most dogs enjoy this, it’s fun, but the expected standard of the work is higher and introduces jumping, and stays in which the handler is out of sight. The formal exercises are:
- The heeling is off lead and more demanding.
- The stand for examination has the handler five metres away and the judge touches all of the dog, except its mouth and tail.
- The recall has a drop somewhere in the middle, when the judge says, and the dog must remain in the down position until called in.
- The dog retrieves a dumbbell thrown at least six metres, sits in front, lets the handler take it, and returns to the handler’s left side.
- The other retrieve is the handler’s choice of retrieve a dumbbell thrown 4 metres over a solid jump or a directed retrieve of a glove at 10 metres distance.
- Next comes a handler’s choice between jumping over a broad jump and returning to the handler or a change of position where the dog is left in a stand and does a down and sit on the spot then recalls to the handler.
- The stays have the handlers all leaving the ring and waiting out of sight nearby whilst the dogs do a three minute down stay.
Three passes of a minimum of 170 points out of a possible 200 under at least two different judges will qualify the dog for the award Companion Dog Excellent, which follows after the dog's name and is normally abbreviated to C.D.X.
Utility Dog (U.D.)
This gets really hard because the dog has to leave the handler and perform tasks which are more complex, although it looks easy watching a well trained dog going through the exercises. It introduces scent work, and demands a high level of training and understanding between dog and handler. The formal exercises are:
- First is the seek back, where the dog and handler heel around the ring to make a track and somewhere along the track an article carrying the handler’s scent is placed, then the dog has to go and find this and bring it back and present it to the handler.
- Most dogs love directed jumping where they run out 25 metres and sit in a square frame, then return to the handler over a bar jump or a solid jump on either side of the ring, whichever the handler points to.
- The dog performs scent discrimination, either on a canvas mat or on the ground, there are 12 articles of metal, wood and leather put out by the judge or steward, and the dog is sent to the articles to retrieve a similar article which the handler has touched, this is done three times, once for each sort of article
- The heeling exercise is harder because it is all done by signals only, no voice commands allowed, and at the end the dog is left in the stand, the handler signals it to down, sit, recall and finish.
- A choice of three exercises, the dog can speak on command where it barks in two positions, the sit, stand or drop, or it can do food refusal where it refuses offered food in two positions, the sit, stand or drop or it may do directed retrieve where it retrieves the designated glove out of three placed six metres apart.
- The stand for examination is done as a group exercise.
- The only stay exercise is a five minute down with the handlers out of sight nearby.
Three passes of a minimum of 170 points out of a possible 200 under at least two different judges will qualify the dog for the award Utility Dog, which follows after the dog's name and is normally abbreviated to U.D.
Utility Dog Excellent (U.D.X.)
The exercises at this level extend on those in the Utility section but there is no jumping, so it suits our older dogs. The exercises are:
- The seek back is as in utility but there is a decoy article scented by someone else which the dog must not retrieve.
- A heeling pattern, positions in motion, in which signals or voice may be used, and three times the dog is left in a sit, a stand or a drop whilst the handler walks forward five metres, returns three metres past the dog and returns, collecting the dog on the way.
- The scent discrimination is finding a cloth article scented by the judge from amongst unscented ones.
- A two part exercise, directed send away and recall in which the dog goes out 25 metres and sits in a square marked by four cones, the handler walks towards the dog and, when instructed, turns and calls the dog to heel, does a right or left turn then a halt, with the dog at heel by this time.
- Distance control where the dog is left in a stand and changes position six times as the judge instructs, including sits, stands and downs, all on the spot.
- The dog retrieves two articles, following the handler’s direction signal.
- The last exercise is a group stand for examination with the handlers facing away from the dogs.
Three passes of a minimum of 170 points out of a possible 200 under at least two different judges will qualify the dog for the award Utility Dog Excellent, which follows after the dog's name and is normally abbreviated to U.D.X
Link to current ANKC Obedience Rules ---> Obedience Rule Book [01-01-2021]