Formal Obedience

Beginners

Heel on lead:   Include right, left and about turns and halts all at                                 normal pace.

Recall:               Come in recall with finish.

Retrieve:           Handler’s article; Formal retrieve with a

                           wait, command to retrieve, presentation and finish.

Sit stay:            1 minute – handler in sight facing dog.

Down stay:      2 minutes – handler in sight facing dog.

Handlers will not be penalised for extra commands/signals or for encouraging their dogs except when dogs are left in the “Stay” exercise. Handlers will be penalised for touching their dogs and for moving their feet once they have assumed a position require in an exercise.

Novice

Heel on lead:    (Course 1)

Heel off lead:    (Course 2)

Both heel courses include normal, fast and slow pace, halts and left, right and about turns, both at the halt and on the move. Halts and turns on the move to be done at normal pace only.

Recall:               (Come in recall)

Retrieve:            Handler’s dumbbell; Formal retrieve with a wait,

                              command to retrieve, presentation and finish.

Sit stay:               1 minute – handler in sight.

Down stay:         3 minutes – handler in sight.

At the direction of the Judge, handlers will face or face away from their dogs during stay exercises.

Handlers will not be penalised for extra commands/signals or for encouraging their dogs except when dogs are left in the “Stay” exercise. Handlers will be penalised for touching their dogs and for moving their feet once they have assumed a position required in an exercise.

A - Class

Heel off lead: Include normal, fast and slow pace, halts and left,                               right and about turns, both at the halt and on the                                 move. Halts and turns on the move may be done at                             any pace.

In the heel free exercise, one command and/or signal is permitted on recommencing movement after a halt.

Recall:             (A-type or heel recall while moving, then halt)

Scent Discrimination:

Handler’s own cloth, size approximately 15cm x 15cm and scented by the handler, will be placed with five (5) cloths supplied by the judge. There shall be no decoy cloths. The six cloths must be set out in a straight line in any direction with due regard to wind direction Retrieve: Handler’s dumbbell; Formal retrieve with a wait, command to retrieve, presentation and finish.

Sit stay:          1 minute – handler in sight.

Down stay:     5 minutes – handler out of sight.

Where a command is permitted, it may be either verbal and/or a signal and if both are used they must be simultaneous.

Extra commands / signals and other communications from handler to dog, handlers touching their dogs or handlers moving their feet once they have assumed a position in an exercise will be penalised.

B - CLass

Heel off lead:   Includes normal, fast and slow pace, halts and left,                             right and about turns, both at the halt and on the                                 move. Halts and turns on the move may be done at                             any pace. Included in the heel course is a figure of                               8 (at normal pace) A single command or signal is                                 permitted.

Send away-drop and recall:

20m to a marker (10cm x 10cm) In the send away exercise, drop and recall a simultaneous signal may be given with the command to send the dog away but the arm must be returned promptly to the handler’s side.

Scent discrimination:

Handler will be given one or two (at their choice) similar cloths for scenting. The second cloth (if requested) will be used to give the scent to the dog. A decoy steward will scent a single decoy cloth and place it in position. Handlers and decoy stewards will scent their cloths for thirty (30) seconds.

Retrieve:        Judge’s article. Formal retrieve with await, command                          to retrieve, presentation and finish

Stand stay:   1 minute – handler in sight

Sit stay:         2 minutes – handler out of sight



Down stay:   10 minutes – handler out of sight

C - Class

Heel off lead:        Including Advance Stand, Sit and Down (done at                                  normal pace, handler to leave their dog in the                                      Stand, Sit and Down positions whilst still moving                                  and given directional orders and directed to pick                                  up the dog on the working side), figure of 8. A                                      single command or signal is permitted.

Send away-drop and recall:

20m to a discreet marker visible to the handler. In the send away exercise, drop and recall a simultaneous signal may be given with the command to send the dog away but the arm must be returned promptly to the handler’s side.

Distance control:

Sit, down stand in any combination. The dog may not move more than a body length.

Retrieve:        Judge’s article; Formal retrieve with a wait, command

                         to retrieve, presentation and finish.

Sit stay:          2 minutes – handler out of sight.

Down Stay:    10 minutes – handler out of sight.

Scent discrimination:

The Judge shall provide for each dog two (2) cloths, one to be placed by the steward for selection by the dog and the other given to the handler by the judge for the purpose of giving scent to the dog. At least two (2) decoy cloths must be used, placed by separate decoy stewards and changed for each dog. The judge’s two (2) cloths used for the dog and the decoy steward’s cloths will be scented by the ju and decoy stewards respectively for one (1) minute before being used.

Rally Obedience

Beginners

Heel on lead:     Include right, left and about turns and

                              halts all at normal pace.

Recall:               Come in recall with finish and a heel recall.

Retrieve:             Handler’s article and fun retrieve.

Sit stay:            30 seconds – handler in sight facing dog.

Down stay:        1 minute – handler in sight facing dog.

Tricks:                Lift paw or bow and free choice*

                            (*for bonus points)

Handlers will not be penalised for extra commands/signals or for encouraging their dogs except when dogs are left in the “Stay” exercise. Handlers will be penalised for touching their dogs and for moving their feet once they have assumed a position require in an exercise.

Rally Intermediate

Heel:            Course is done off lead, 17 to 20 signs or “stations”

Handlers can talk, praise, encourage, give additional commands and/or signals using one or both arms, clap their hands, pat their legs, or use any verbal means of encouragement.

Treats / toys are NOT allowed during the assessment. The perfect heel is not required and is defined as a dog under control within 1⁄2 meter from the heel position.

The handler may restart any exercise station should it be inadvertently missed or not performed, provided they have not started the next exercise.

A maximum of five retries are permitted for the course during the assessment.

Only ONE sit command to be given.

Retrieve:       Handler’s article or *dumbbell. (* bonus point for using                         a dumbbell, bonus point for a wait and a bonus point                           for an automatic sit at presentation)

Sit stay:         1 minute – handler in sight, facing away from the dog



Down stay:   3 minutes – handler out of sight

Tricks: Free choice, Walk Back and Clockwise Spin (for bonus points)

Rally Advanced

Heel:          The course is done off lead, 20 to 24 signs or “stations”

Handlers can talk, praise, encourage, using one or both arms, clap their hands, pat their legs, or use any verbal means of encouragement. “Sit” is automatic. Food is not allowed in the ring. The perfect heel is not required and is defined as a dog under control within less than 30 centimetres from the heel position. Repetition of commands may be given, but the length of time from the first command until the dog responds to the command is what is evaluated. A major or minor deduction may be assessed for a dog that takes an excessive amount of time to respond, but then performs the exercise successfully.

The handler may restart any exercise station should it

be inadvertently missed or not performed provided

they have not started the next exercise. A maximum

of three retries for the course are allowed (which can

all be on the same station).

Retrieve:       Handler’s own article or dumbbell. Bonus points* are                           allocated to handlers who use a dumbbell* and the                               dog sits automatically at presentation. The retrieve                             includes Finish. The handlers may give ONE “Sit”                                   command on presentation of the dumbbell, without                             being penalised.



Stand stay:  1 minute handlers back to the dog, 10 paces away.

Sit stay:        2 minutes – handler out of sight

Down stay:  5 minutes – handler out of sight

Tricks:          Free choice, Back away in centre, Clockwise

                   spin simultaneous, Follow Behind

                      (for bonus points)