East Grinstead & District Dog Training Club

Generally there are three types of dog shows, that may have obedience in them:

Companion Dog Shows (dogs need not be registered at the Kennel Club)

Limited Obedience Shows (dogs MUST be registered at the Kennel Club)

Open or Championship Obedience Shows (dogs MUST be registered at the Kennel Club)

The notes on this page are only specific to shows holding obedience competitions.

To register your dog with the Kennel Club, you can download a form at the Kennel Club site (link below).   Any breed or Crossbreed or Mixedbreed can be registered on the Kennel Club Activity Register.   This allows you to enter Limited, Open or Championship Obedience shows with your dog.  

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE KENNEL CLUB REGISTRATION FORM

There is a very good booklet about 'getting started' in obedience competitions (written by Jane Ellen), and you can download it from the internet (link below).  It tells you what is expected of you at a show, and informs you of the things you need to know about on the day of the show (booking into your ring, etc).

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE 'GETTING STARTED' BOOKLET

(Shirley 21/03/2008)

Companion Dog Shows (previously called 'Exemption Shows'), are usually advertised in the local papers, at Pet Shops, etc.  Your dog does not need to be registered with the Kennel Club to compete in these shows.

These are shows where you can just turn up on the day and enter the classes you like.

If there is a contact address or phone number in the advert you have seen, you can send the Show Secretary an SAE for a schedule (allow plenty of time for return post).  All you need to do is turn up on the day at the stated time.  Find the Secretary area and fill in an entry form, hand over your money and keep an eye out for when your classes start.

Breed and Novelty Classes:

These shows usually have at least two rings.  One for 'breed' dogs (ie those dogs of a particular breed, which are shown according to the breed category), and one for 'Novelty' classes.  If you are entering into the Breed you need to know which category your pedigree dog is classed as.  Novelty classes can be anything from 'Best 6 legs' to 'Best Condition'.  There are no set rules for the Novelty classes, and these can be decided by those running the show, and will be stated on the show schedule.

Obedience Classes:

Companion Shows also occasionally run obedience classes.  Again, each class content is decided by the Show Committee and is stated in the Schedule.

Most obedience classes will include heelwork, recall and stays.  More advanced classes could include retrieve, scent and possibly sendaways.   These tests can only be done without having any food or titbits on you.  Food cannot be carried while a dog is doing obedience type tests, likewise toys cannot be used in the ring to encourage your dog to perform.   However, if you just wished to go into the ring and encourage your dog for the future, then you could ask the judge if you could compete 'not for competition' and use a toy to reward your dog during the round (unfortunately food cannot be used incase it is dropped and could put off other dogs in the ring after you).  Competing 'not for competition' (or NFC) will mean that you will not get marked and you will not receive a rosette in the class.  Doing this is often referred to as doing a 'training round'.

If you are competing in a class which requires heelwork on a lead, then beware; you could lose alot of marks IF you lead goes tight (this could mean you either pull the lead - intentially or unintentionally, or the dog goes too far from you so the lead tightens).   The higher classes (A, B & C at Kennel Club shows) have to be completed without talking to your dog; therefore any extra 'speaking' to your dog or also 'body signals' which may help the dog will lose you marks.

(Shirley 29/03/2008)

Finding out about when and where these shows are held is not so easy, they are not advertised in local papers.  There is one magazine you can subscribe to that lists all the shows:  

Dog Training Weekly (referred to as 'DTW'),  Print House, Parc Y Shwt, Fishguard, Pembrokeshire.  SA65 9AP .. tel:  01348 875011 .. email:   DTWPress@aol.com

There is also the Obedience UK website (link below), click on the 'schedules' page and you will see dates and venues of shows listed.  You can also download copies of schedules from here, but you do need to join the website and pay for this.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE OBEDIENCE UK WEBSITE

These shows have to be entered (and paid for) a long time in advance of the actual show date.  The 'entries close' date is usually at least one month before the show.  If you do not download schedules and entry forms from the obedienceUK website, then you need to send off to the show secretary for a schedule.  This obviously needs to be done in plenty of time (at least two weeks before the entries close by date), so you can receive the schedule, and then post it back to them duly completed in time.

You have to know what classes you are eligible for (brief description below).  If you have never entered before 'Pre-Beginners' would be your lowest class.  You are also allowed to enter one other class (usually the next class up, which in this example would be 'Beginners').   Some shows hold 'Special Pre-Beginner' classes which are more shaped around the Good Citizen tests, but more competition type heelwork is looked for.  Occasionally some shows do not hold 'Pre-Beginner' classes, if this is the case then you need to enter the lowest class you are eligible for, which would most probably be 'Beginners'.

At these shows you also have arrive at the show around one hour before the judging starts.  You may have a running order (extremely likely if you enter more than one class), which means you could be working very early in the morning.  The Schedules state the start of judging time (usually 9am).  So this type of event is an all day thing, with a very early start.

Limit, Open and Championship Obedience Shows are all under strict control of the Kennel Club.  The type of competitions (and the content of each class) are laid down in Kennel Club rules (brief description of classes is below).

Limit Obedience Shows:

These are either limited to the 'amount of entries they will accept' OR limited to a certain 'breed' of dog OR limited to the 'number of classes' they put on.  If you choose to enter one limited by the amount of entries, then please send off your entry well before the entries closing date to ensure you get into the class you want.

Open Obedience Shows:

These are the 'usual' type of shows held weekly around the country.   They will usually have classes from Pre-Beginners up to Class C.

Championship Obedience Shows:

These are almost the same as Open Shows (ie they have classes from Pre-Beginners up to Class C), BUT they have an extra top class, which is the 'Championship C' class.  This class is only for dogs that have qualified to work in this class.  The winner of this class is then eligible to compete in the Crufts Obedience Championships.

(Shirley 21/03/2008)

Pre-Beginners:

To compete in Pre-Beginners a handler OR dog must not have won a first place in either Pre-Beginners OR Beginners nor gained a thrid place or above in any other Kennel Club obedience class.

Handlers will not be penalised for verbal encouragement or extra commands except in the Stay tests.

Test Content:  Heel on lead, Heel free, Recall (sit in front, then go to heel on command), Sit stay for one minute and down stay for two minutes (handler in sight).

Beginners:

To compete in Beginners a handler OR dog must not have won a total of two more more first places in Beginners Class, or one first place in any other Kennel Club obedience class (Pre-Beginners excepted).

Handlers will not be penalised for verbal encouragement or extra commands except in the Stay tests.

Test Content:  Heel on lead, Heel free, Retrieve (any handlers article or handlers dumbell), Recall (sit in front, then go to heel on command), Sit stay for one minute and down stay for two minutes (handler in sight).

Novice:

Class for dogs which have not won two first places in Kennel Club obedience classes (Pre-Beginners and Beginners excepted).

Handlers will not be penalised for verbal encouragement or extra commands except in the Stay tests.

Test Content:  Temperament Test, Heel on lead, Heel free, Retrieve (handlers dumbell), Recall (sit in front, then go to heel on command), Sit stay for one minute and down stay for two minutes (handler in sight).

Class A:

Class for dogs which have not won three first places in Class A, B and Open Class C in total in Kennel Club obedience classes.

A simultaneous command and signal will be permitted.  Extra commands or signals will be penalised.

Test Content:  Heel free, Retrieve (handlers dumbell), Recall (sit in front, then go to heel on command), Sit stay for two minutes (handler in sight) and down stay for three minutes (handler out of sight), Scent (handlers scent on cloth supplied by judge) (total of 6 cloths NO decoys).

Class B:

Class for dogs which have not won three first places in Class B and Open Class C in total in Kennel Club obedience classes.

One command by word or signal is permitted.  Extra commands or signals will be penalised.  However, a simultaneous command and signal is permitted in the sendout part of the sendaway exercise.

Test Content:  Heel free (normal, slow and fast pace), Retrieve (judges chosen article), Sendaway and Recall (send dog to marked area, dog to down in that position, then be recalled to heelwork position when commanded), Sit stay for two minutes (handler out of sight) and down stay for five minutes (handler out of sight).  Scent (handlers scent on cloth supplied by judge) (minimum of 6 cloths up to total of 10 cloths, there will be ONE decoy).

Class C:

At Open Shows: Open to all dogs. 

At Limit Shows:  Open to all dogs except Obedience Certificate winners and dogs which have obtained any award towards title of Obedience Champion.

One command by word or signal is permitted.  Extra commands or signals will be penalised.  However, a simultaneous command and signal is permitted in the sendout part of the sendaway exercise.

Test Content:  Heel free (normal with a stand, sit and down position, slow and fast pace), Retrieve (judges chosen article), Sendaway and Recall (send dog to marked area, dog to down in that position, then be recalled to heelwork position when commanded), Distance Control (sit, stand and down in any order decided by judge, handler to be minimum of 10 paces & maximum of 20 paces from dog), Sit stay for two minutes (handler out of sight) and down stay for ten minutes (handler out of sight).  Scent (judges scent on cloth supplied by judge) (minimum of 6 cloths up to total of 10 cloths, there will be AT LEAST ONE decoy).

(Shirley 21/03/2008)

Every judge has their own ideas on what they are looking for as their class winner.  Points are deducted for errors.  Therefore the lowest score on the scoreboard sheet will be the winner.  Some judges mark each fault in quarters, some in halves, some in full points.  Points should always be graduated, so therefore a slight fault will only be a quarter, but the same fault but more exaggerated could be a whole point. 

In addition to the marking below, in higher classes, extra commands and body signals will also be marked.

Judges (very briefly) will usually deduct points as follows:

In heelwork: points will be lost for inconsistent position (ie a dog that weaves on and off leg, or moves backwards or forwards from the ideal heel position).  Points will be deducted for each time the dog does something wrong.  Barking during heelwork may also be marked. 

In recall:  points will be lost if the dog does not wait until commanded.  The present must be very straight, the 'finish' (dog going to heel) must be neat and straight to your side.

In retrieve and scent:  points will be as per recall above and also points taken off for bad pick up of the article and any mouthing or dropping of the article on the return to the handler or in the present position.  In scent a lot of marks will be lost for bringing in the wrong cloth, also points are lost for briefly 'pecking' at cloths.

In sendaway:  points will be lost if the dog does not run in a straight line to the required area and if the dog goes to the side of the required area.  Marks are deducted if the dog does not run all the way to the required area (called 'dropping short').  Likewise if the dog is commanded down, but keeps going and decides where to drop itself marks will be lost. Points will be lost if the dog does not wait until recalled to heel, and also the heelwork in the recall will be marked for heelwork position.

In distance control:  points will be lost if the dog does not take up the commanded position.  Faults in the correct position may also be marked (slow position, moving forward or backward too far). Going 'through another position' can be marked, ie if the dog was left in the stand and was told to do the down, the dog 'might' briefly sit before doing the down, this would be marked.

In stays:  your dog is expected to stay in the same position for the whole time of the test (you cannot talk to or signal your dog during these tests).  If the dog lays down in the sit, marks will be lost, likewise if the dog stands or sits during the down stay, marks will be lost.  Marks are graduated, if the dog gets marked for a fault early in the stay then the losses will be high, but if the fault occures near the end of the stay the mark will be lower.   Points can also be deducted if the dog 'shifts' position, ie if the dog 'lifts' its shoulders off the ground during the down, or if it rolls, or if it crawls or shuffles.

(Shirley 29/03/2008)