Obedience
The first step to having an obedient dog is to take it to training, contact us to find a trainer or club in your area.
After doing basic obedience with your dog, you may want to try your hand at more advanced obedience training, and in due course test your progress by entering your dog in an Obedience competition at one of the many Obedience Shows held across the country throughout the year.
Dog training clubs are usually very sociable, where groups of like-minded people meet on a regular basis, and get great enjoyment in training their pets. Most clubs will have a cross-section of breeds (including crossbreeds) and will welcome all standards of handlers and dogs to be trained.
What is Obedience?
Obedience can be likened to dressage, or maybe gymnastics. The overall objective is to execute each exercise within a class with precision and accuracy, dog and handler working as a complete team. Thus both handlers and dogs can be penalised for errors and faults.
Each exercise is given a maximum number of points and judges will judge each team (handler and Dog) against their personal view of the perfect execution of the test (within the guidance set within the regulations). Dogs are expected to work in a happy and natural manner, with the handler responding smartly and quickly to the steward or judge’s commands.
All obedience events will have a judge for each class that takes place. The judge must use a steward for the test. Many will also use a scribe, especially when judging the higher levels and a score steward to keep the scoreboard in order.
Scores are given as points deducted, rather than points awarded. So the dog with the lowest score wins.
Getting Started in Obedience
There are six 'classes' - levels of competitive obedience - available for entry at Obedience shows. New handlers will start in the basic Beginners Classes; as you become more experienced you can qualify for the higher classes right up to Class C, the highest (and most difficult). Each class contains a set of exercises which the judge will ask you and your dog to perform.
The exercises range from heelwork (on and off the lead), to a recall, control exercises such as a one minute sit and a two minute down stay. As you progress through the classes the exercises obviously become more difficult until you reach Class C where your dog will have to perform additional exercises such as a scent discrimination exercise and also a send away and distant control exercise.
Whatever competition you choose and whatever your level of training, your dog will be happier for being trained.
After doing basic obedience with your dog, you may want to try your hand at more advanced obedience training, and in due course test your progress by entering your dog in an Obedience competition at one of the many Obedience Shows held across the country throughout the year.
Dog training clubs are usually very sociable, where groups of like-minded people meet on a regular basis, and get great enjoyment in training their pets. Most clubs will have a cross-section of breeds (including crossbreeds) and will welcome all standards of handlers and dogs to be trained.
What is Obedience?
Obedience can be likened to dressage, or maybe gymnastics. The overall objective is to execute each exercise within a class with precision and accuracy, dog and handler working as a complete team. Thus both handlers and dogs can be penalised for errors and faults.
Each exercise is given a maximum number of points and judges will judge each team (handler and Dog) against their personal view of the perfect execution of the test (within the guidance set within the regulations). Dogs are expected to work in a happy and natural manner, with the handler responding smartly and quickly to the steward or judge’s commands.
All obedience events will have a judge for each class that takes place. The judge must use a steward for the test. Many will also use a scribe, especially when judging the higher levels and a score steward to keep the scoreboard in order.
Scores are given as points deducted, rather than points awarded. So the dog with the lowest score wins.
Getting Started in Obedience
There are six 'classes' - levels of competitive obedience - available for entry at Obedience shows. New handlers will start in the basic Beginners Classes; as you become more experienced you can qualify for the higher classes right up to Class C, the highest (and most difficult). Each class contains a set of exercises which the judge will ask you and your dog to perform.
The exercises range from heelwork (on and off the lead), to a recall, control exercises such as a one minute sit and a two minute down stay. As you progress through the classes the exercises obviously become more difficult until you reach Class C where your dog will have to perform additional exercises such as a scent discrimination exercise and also a send away and distant control exercise.
Whatever competition you choose and whatever your level of training, your dog will be happier for being trained.
