This class is designed to teach the skills necessary for the handler/dog team to
enter an Open class at an obedience trial. This class offers critiquing/suggestions,
as well as the opportunity to practice those skills in a group environment.
This class is ongoing, i.e. there is no starting or ending date. It is also a
drop-in class, so you do not have to sign-up to attend - just join in. However, this
class is not held on the night of a Correction Clinic - please check the Calendar
for those dates.
We also offer the opportunity for the handler/dog team to practice those
skills individually with "run-throughs". A "run-through" is an opportunity to do all
or part of the exercises explained below, with the instructor acting as the Judge.
The run-throughs are done at a separate time from the Open class. Individuals must
sign-up for the run-through.
When competing in the Open class at an obedience trial, the handler/dog team is
judged on a series of "exercises" which are executed at the command of the Judge.
To obtain an AKC Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title, one must receive a score of
170 points (out of a maximum of 200 points) in the Open class at three different
AKC sanctioned obedience trials, with three different Judges.
The handler/dog team is judged on their execution of these exercises:
Heeling Off Leash
- A change of pace from normal to fast
- A change of pace from normal to slow
- About turns
- Left turns
- Right turns
- Halts
- Executing a Figure-Eight (with two people acting as the posts)
Drop on Recall
- Leaving the dog on a Sit/Stay and walking to the opposite side of the ring
- Calling the dog
- Having the dog do a Down (and then waiting)
- Calling the dog from the Down position
- Having the dog sit in front of you (automatically, without any guidance)
- Having the dog return to heel position, using either the "around" or the "swing" finish
Retrieve on the Flat
- Telling the dog to Stay, while in heel position
- Throwing a dumbbell
- Having the dog retrieve the dumbbell
- Having the dog sit in front of you (automatically, without any guidance)
- Having the dog release the dumbbell in your hands
- Having the dog return to heel position, using either the "around" or the "swing" finish
|
Retrieve Over the High Jump
- Telling the dog to Stay, while in heel position
- Throwing a dumbbell over the solid board high jump (set to the appropriate height for the dog)
- Having the dog retrieve the dumbbell
- Jumping over the high jump on the way to picking up the dumbbell
- Picking up the dumbbell
- Jumping over the high jump after picking up the dumbbell
- Having the dog sit in front of you (automatically, without any guidance)
- Having the dog release the dumbbell in your hands
- Having the dog return to heel position, using either the "around" or the "swing" finish
Broad Jump
- Telling the dog to Stay, while in heel position
- Leaving the dog on a Sit/Stay and walking to the side of the Broad jump
- Have the dog jump over the jump (without touching any of the boards)
- Having the dog sit in front of you (automatically, without any guidance)
- Having the dog return to heel position, using either the "around" or the "swing" finish
Group Exercises
The dogs and handlers are brought back into the ring to execute the 3-minute Sit/Stay and
5-minute Down/Stay exercises. A maximum of 12 dogs is brought into the ring together to
do these exercises. The handlers are escorted out of the ring so the dogs may no
longer see them.
|
Open