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| The purpose of obedience trials is to
demonstrate the usefulness of the purebred dog as a companion of man, not merely the
dog’s ability to follow specified routines in the obedience ring. The basic objective
is to produce dogs that have been trained to behave in the home, in public places and in
the presence of other dogs in a manner that reflects credit on the sport of obedience.
Training in competitive obedience will be beneficial for many other canine activities such
as agility, field, and conformation. It's a great way to get to know your dog and
learn something about yourself as well! At its finest, it can be compared to
equestrian dressage with a team performing as one, moving smoothly together. All
exhibitors in a class are required to perform the same exercises in substantially the same
way so that the relative quality of the various performances may be compared and scored.
There are 3 levels of classes: Novice (Companion Dog), Open (Companion Dog Excellent),
Utility. A dog must pass each level 3 times under 2 different judges before moving up to
the next level. |
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The first level, Novice, results in your dog
earning a Companion Dog (CD) title. The title actually describes what is expected of your
dog: demonstrating the skills required of a good canine companion. The dog will have to
heel both on and off leash at different speeds, come when called, stay (still and
quietly!) with a group of other dogs when told, and stand for a simple physical exam.
The CKC now offers a Novice C class for dogs that have earned at least a
CD. This class is useful for handlers who would like to give their dogs more ring
experience at a simpler level. It may also be good for the team like enjoys showing
together but are not able to compete at the Open level. |
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The second level, Open, results in your dog
earning a Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title. He must do many of the same exercises as in
Novice, but off-leash and for longer periods. Additionally, there is a down in the middle
of a recall, retrieving on level ground and over a jump and a broad jump. The group
stays are peformed with the handler out of sight for longer periods of time. |
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The final level results in a Utility Dog (UD) title. These are
intended to judge the dog's ability to perform more utilitarian exercises. All
exercises are performed off-leash. |
| Under CKC rules, the dog must find a dropped glove, perform
scent discrimination tasks, respond to hand signals, stop and stand in the middle of
heeling and go across the ring, stop and jump as directed by the handler. Under AKC
rules, the dropped glove exercise is replaced with a directed retrieve of a glove.
In Canada, the dog earns a Obedience Trial Champion (OTCh) title when it earns its UD. |
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Pre-Companion Dog
This is intended to be a precursor to the Companion Dog title.
The exercises are simpler but still a reasonable expectation for a well-behaved
dog. The exercises included healing on-leash, circling left and right, sitting
for a simple examination, a recall and sitting and staying with a group of other dogs. |
Companion Dog
Intermediate
The exercises at this level include honouring while another dog
is working in the ring, off-leash heelwork, standing for a physical examination, come when
called while carrying a dumbbell, dropping into a down while heeling and jumping a broad
jump. |
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