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Obedience: For fun and profit!

© Nancy McMillan

Dog Shows really are the best place to meet others interested in purebred dogs. They are the place to watch obedience trained purebred dogs complete trials designed to demonstrate the working relationship between each handler and their canine. Novice, Open, and Utility are the classes you are likely to see. When making your plan, first confirm that the dog show you plan to attend has an Obedience Trial component. A number of Dog Shows offer both conformation and obedience so when you arrive at your location there may be a number of rings in action. Take a moment to study what is taking place in each ring. Look for the jumps -the Obedience rings typically have jumps in use or positioned close by for easy set-up.

Once you are in place you will see each twosome of dog and handler following the direction of the Judge. Each duo will complete the exact same exercises, in the identical sequence, allowing the judge to score each performance. You will see up to 12 dogs put through their paces and then you will see the same twosomes re-enter the ring and line up for the long sits and downs. These can seem very long (the longest is the 5 minute down at the Open level with the handler out of sight), sometimes endless, particularly to the participants! Once all entries are judged scores will be presented. To attain each level, 3 passing scores (170 + points) must be achieved from at least two different judges. In each class the highest score will be recognized and at the end a highest in trial will be awarded.

Maggie (that's her grinning in the right hand corner of this page) has successfully completed her three legs at the Novice level. This past weekend we were out at a practice match honing our skills in preparation for a try a the Open level later this spring. The thrill of performing well in the ring situation has rewards, but the pleasure of working well with your canine companion has even greater value. A well-trained dog is guaranteed a warm welcome and as part of your family the more places you can take your dog the better!

Speaking of profit, the brief article by Robin Kovary Why Train Your Dog? makes this point: "The bottom line is that obedience training truly benefits everyone: the dog's owner, the owner's neighbors, and the dog himself."

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