NOVICE  Competition - a basic overview

There are three basic titles to be attained:

The CD - Companion Dog Title - this is like a High School graduation for humans
The CDX - Companion Dog Excellent Title - this is like a College graduation for humans
The UD - Utility Dog Title - this is like the PhD of Obedience DogDom

To attain a CD one must attend 3 shows with qualifying scores - a qualifying score being 170 or more points and more than 50 percent of each exercise. The maximum - or perfect - score is 200. Each show at which your dog qualifies he receives a point also called a "leg" towards his obedience certificate. The same goes for the CDX and the UD with the exception of different exercises for each "degree".

The exercises to perform include the following for Novice (CD):

All exercises on leash and off are performed with the dog on your LEFT side.

FIRST PART OF COMPETITION - IN AKC competition all exercises done with only you, your dog and the judge/stewards (for the figure eight) in the ring. Other dogs are not there.

Heel on Leash - the dog walks alongside you on leash in a "heel" position without pulling (forging) or being dragged (lagging)

Heel off leash - the dog walks alongside you off leash n a "heel" position without walking ahead (forging) or lagging behind (lagging).

Figure 8 - the dog walks alongside you on leash in a "heel" position around two "posts" (usually two people standing face to face about 6 - 8 feet apart) without forging or lagging.

Stand for Examination - you stand your dog (stand straight and comfortably on all fours), tell the dog to stay, and go to the end of the leash and face your dog. At this point the judge will walk up to the dog, lightly tap head, shoulders and lower back as he is walking around the dog and back to you. The judge will then tell you to return to your dog and "exercise over" is the judges clue to you to release your dog from the stay command. The dog should not move or creep or shift around.

Recall - the dog is told to sit and stay. You walk away from your dog and turn to face it. When the judge says "call your dog" you do so. The dog should run to you and sit straight in front of you. At this point the judge will say "finish" and you will tell your dog to "heel" and the dog should go around you (either around your right side or your left) and end up in a heeling sit position - i.e. a sit right beside you on your left side.

SECOND PART OF COMPETITION - IN AKC competition these exercises are done with all the dogs entered in competition in the ring together.

Long Sit - When the judge says to "sit your dogs, and leave your dogs", you tell your dog to sit, and you walk away from your dog and face your dog. The dog should not break - meaning it should not lay down, stand up or squirm and wiggle, or bark and carry on. The judge will then say to return to your dog which you do, and when the judge says "exercise over" this is your clue to release the dog from its command.

Long Down - When the judge says to "down your dogs, and leave your dogs", you tell your dog to down, and you walk away from your dog and face your dog. The dog should not break - meaning it should not sit, stand up, creep, squirm and wiggle, or bark and carry on. The judge will then say to return to your dog which you do, and when the judge says "exercise over" this is your clue to release the dog from its command.

This is the entire exercise set for competing your dogs in Novice.

exercises are rated with points (from 1 points and up) taken off for reasons such as the following:

Improper heel position, crooked sits, slow recall, extra commands, handler error (this means YOU make the mistake - however most judges are tolerant and encouraging with novice handlers), moving during exam, no sit in front on recall etc. etc. etc.

Novice Page is created by Carrie Pryor
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Last update 08/04/99