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Obedience
Obedience
Qualifying Score A dog receives a qualifying score when it earns more than 50 percent of the points for each exercise, with a total of at least 170 points. A perfect score in any class is 200.
NOVICE - For the dog just getting started in obedience. Exercises include:
• Heel on Leash and Figure Eight - show whether the dog has learned to watch its handler and adjust its pace to stay with the handler.
• Heel Free - done off leash.
•Stand for Examination - is of great benefit when the dog needs hands-on care by a veterinarian.
• Recall - provides the handler with the ability to call the dog and get an immediate response at all times.
• Long Sit (1 minute) - allows the handler to have control of the dog when visitors come to the home.
• Long Down (3 minutes) - dog must remain in a down position.
OPEN - The second level includes more complicated exercises, which teach the dog to do a variety of tasks and to follow commands either by voice or signal. Exercises include:
• Heel Free and Figure Eight - Same as Novice, but off leash.
• Drop on Recall - can be a lifesaving command for a dog, since it gives the handler control in potentially dangerous situations.
• Retrieve on Flat
• Retrieve Over High Jump
• Broad Jump
• Long Sit (3 minutes) - similar to the long sit in Novice, but the position must be held for a longer period of time with the handler out of the dog's sight.
• Long Down (5 minutes) - dog must remain in a down position.
UTILITY - The third and highest level of obedience competition. Exercises include:
Signal Exercise - shows the dog's ability to under-stand and correctly respond to the handler's signal to stand, stay, down, sit and come. No voice commands are given; only hand signals are allowed.
• Scent Discrimination - shows the dog's ability to find the handler's scent among a pile of articles.
• Directed Retrieve - proves the dog's ability to follow a directional signal to retrieve a glove and promptly return it to the handler.
• Moving Stand and Examination - the dog must heel, stand and stay as the handler moves away. The dog must stay and accept an examination by the judge and return to the handler on command.
• Directed Jumping - the dog must go away from the handler, turn and sit. Then, the dog must clear whichever jump its handler indicates and promptly return to the handler.
Obedience Titles
AKC titles can only be earned at an AKC-licensed or member club trial. The Novice (CD) title must be completed before an exhibitor can enter the Open class. The Open title (CDX) must be earned before an exhibitor can enter the Utility class.
Companion Dog (CD) - The letters CD may be added after a dog's registered name when it has been certified by three different judges as receiving qualifying scores in Novice classes at three licensed or member obedience trials.
Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) - The letters CDX may be added after a dog's registered name after it has been certified by three different judges as receiving qualifying scores in Open classes at three licensed or member obedience trials.
Utility Dog (UD) - The letters UD may be added after a dog's registered name after it has been certified by three different judges as receiving qualify-ing scores in Utility classes at three licensed or member obedience trials.
Utility Dog Excellent (UDX) - Dogs with UD titles must earn qualifying scores in both Open B and Utility B at 10 trials in order to add the UDX title after their registered names.
Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH) - Dogs with UD titles must win 100 points and a first-place in Utility B and Open B, plus a third first-place win in either class, under three different judges.
National Obedience Champion (NOC) - The AKC awards this prestigious title annually to the dog that wins the AKC National Obedience Invitational. The letters NOC are placed before the dog's AKC-registered name and become part of the dog's permanent title.
