Obedience

There are slight differences in the Open and Utility exercises at obedience trials in Canada and the U.S. If you are interested in competitive obedience, one of the first things you should do is get a rule book for the country in which you'll be competing. There are more classes that clubs can offer—both official and unofficial—than those listed below. The listed classes are used to gain the most common titles.
The judge carries a mental picture of a theoretically perfect performance in each exercise and scores the performance against this visualized standard of perfection. This picture combines the utmost in willingness, enjoyment and precision in the dog, and naturalness, gentleness and smoothness in the handler. Lack of willingness or enjoyment on the part of the dog, or roughness, military precision or pre-emptory commands by the handler are penalized. There must be teamwork between dog and handler. The penalties are scored at no less than a half-point and always in multiples of a half-point.
Before each exercise the judge asks if the exhibitor is ready, then gives the signal to begin the exercise. The judge follows the handler (at a discreet distance) through each exercise. At the end of each exercise the judge states that the exercise is finished. Moderate praise and petting is allowed between exercises. No food or toys are allowed in the ring during competition.
The leash must be approximately six feet long and made of fabric or leather. The collar must be a well-fitting plain buckle or slip collar. Slip collars can be made of a single length of leather, fabric or chain with two rings, one on each end. Nothing is permitted to hang on the collar.
You must earn three qualifying legs, under at least two different judges, in order to obtain a title. Each leg is judged against a maximum point system of 200. To receive a qualifying score, you must score more than 50% of the available points in each of the exercises and have a total of 170 points.

Companion Dog (CD)
The title CD follows the dog's registered name.

Classes:
Novice A is for all purebred dogs that have not previously earned a CD. The handler must be the owner or a member of their immediate family. No licensed handler, trainer or anyone who has completed a UD title may compete in this class.

Novice B is for all purebred dogs that have not previously earned a CD. Any person can handle the dog.

Exercises:
Heel on leash, 35 available points
Stand for examination, 30 available points
Heel free, 45 available points
Recall, 30 available points
Long sit, 30 available points
Long down, 30 available points

Heel on leash exercises include a forward, halt, right and left turn, about turn, slow, normal, fast and figure eight.

Stand for examination is to stand your dog, give a stay command, move to the end of your six foot lead, turn and face your dog. The judge then touches the dog on the head, body and hind quarters. The exhibitor is then asked to return to the dog and told that the exercise is finished. The dog must not move, growl or snap at any time.

Heel free exercises are the same as the heel on leash, except that the dog is off leash.

Recall exercises start by sitting the dog by your left side. Command the dog to wait. Leave the dog when asked by the judge and walk approximately 40 feet from the dog. Turn and face the dog. When given the signal by the judge you call the dog. The dog must come to you at a brisk pace and sit close enough in front of you so that you could easily reach out and touch the dog. You are then asked to finish the dog. The dog is then commanded to return to the handler into a heel position.

Group sits and downs are performed in groups of not more than twelve dogs. All the dogs enter the ring on leash and must line up in catalogue order. When asked by the judge the dogs are given a sit command and a stay command. The handler then leaves the dog and walks to the opposite side of the ring, turns and faces the dog. The dog must stay in a sit position for one minute. The handlers are then asked to return to the dog by approaching and going around the dog into a heel position. The judge will say when the sit exercise is finished. The dogs remain for the down exercise, whether or not they passed the sit exercise. When asked by the judge, the dogs are given a down command and a stay command. The handler then leaves the dog and walks to the opposite side of the ring, turns and faces the dog. The dog must stay in a down position for three minutes. The handlers are then asked to return to the dog by approaching and going around the dog into a heel position. The judge will say when the exercise is finished.
All dogs remain ringside until the scores are tallied and the qualified dogs are called back into the ring to hear their scores announced and to receive their awards.

Companion Dog Excellent (CDX)
All exercises are performed off leash. The title CDX follows the dog's registered name.

Classes:
Open A is for all purebred dogs that have previously earned a CD. The handler must be the owner or a member of their immediate family. No licensed handler, trainer or anyone who has completed a UD title may compete in this class.

Open B is for all purebred dogs that have previously earned a CD. Any person can handle the dog.

Exercises:
Heel Free, 40 available points
Drop on recall, 30 available points
Retrieve on flat, 25 available points
Retrieve over High Jump, 35 available points
Broad Jump, 20 available points
Long Sit, 25 available points
Long down, 25 available points

The heel position
Heeling is the same in both the Novice and Open classes, except that all Open class exercises are done off leash, including the figure eight.

Drop on recall is to sit your dog, give a stay command and walk approximately 40 feet away from the dog, turn and face the dog. When the judge signals, the handler calls or signals the dog to come. The dog must come at a brisk pace. While the dog is in motion the judge signals and the handler will command or signal the dog to drop to a down position. The judge then signals to call the dog again. The handler signals the dog to come. The dog should come at a brisk pace and sit in front of the handler. The judge will ask for a finish, at which point you command the dog to sit on your right side in a heel position. This completes the exercise.

Retrieve on Flat With your dog sitting in heel position, the judge will ask you to throw the dumbbell. The handler commands the dog to stay and then throws the dumbbell. The judge then asks you to send your dog. The handler commands the dog to get it. The dog must go and pick up the dumbbell, by the bar only, and bring it back to the handler. The dog must come back to a sit position directly in front of the handler. When the judge gives a signal the handler then commands the dog to let go of the dumbbell and takes it from the dogs' mouth. The judge will then ask for a finish. After the handler has given the command or signal the dog must return to a sit in the heel position. This completes the exercise.

Retrieve over High Jump is the same as the retrieve on flat except the dog must jump over a high or bar jump to retrieve the dumbbell. The dog must not touch the jump, go around the jump or be slow. The jump is approximately as high as the dog's shoulders or 36 inches, whichever is less.

Broad Jump is spaced so that the distance to jump over is twice the height of the high jump for that dog. The handler and dog are eight feet from the jump. The dog is sitting in a heel position. When signaled by the judge the handler commands the dog to stay and leaves the dog to stand in a position facing the right side of the jump. On order from the judge the handler commands or signals the dog to jump over the broad jump. The dog must jump over the jump and sit in a sit position in front of the handler. While the dog was in mid-air the handler must make a right turn to allow the dog to sit in front. The judge will ask for a finish. The handler gives a command or signal and the dog must return and sit in a heel position.

Group Sits and Downs are the same as in Novice except the handler must leave the ring and go out of sight. The sit is for three minutes; the down is for fives minutes.

Utility Dog (UD)
All exercises are performed off leash. The title UD follows the dog's registered name.

Class:
Utility is for all purebred dogs that have previously earned a CDX. Any person can handle the dog. Classes differ in the U.S.—see AKC rulebook.

Exercises:
Seek Back, 30 available points
Scent Discrimination - Article 1, 20 available points
Scent Discrimination - Article 2, 20 available points
Scent Discrimination - Article 3, 20 available points
Signal, 35 available points
Directed Jumping, 40 available points
Group Examination, 35 available points

Seek Back The handler stands with the dog sitting in a heel position. When the judge asks, the handler moves forward. With the dog heeling beside the handler the judge will ask the handler to drop the glove. The handler drops the glove and continues heeling. After the dog and handler have gone at least thirty feet beyond the glove, the judge will ask the handler to turn and halt facing the end of the ring where the glove was dropped. As soon as the judge gives the command the handler will command the dog to go and get the glove. The handler remains in place while the dog seeks the glove, picks it up and returns to a sitting position in front of the handler, while holding the glove. The judge will ask the handler to take it, and the handler will give a command to the dog so that they can take the glove from the dog's mouth. The judge will then ask for a finish, and the handler commands the dog to return to a sit in the heel position.

Scent discrimination consists of three separate exercises where the dog must select, by scent, and retrieve an article, which has been handled by the handler. The articles are provided by the handler and are made of three sets of five identical articles: one set of wood, one metal and one of leather. The articles are presented to the judge who designates one article from each set. These are placed and remain on either the judges' table or a chair until ordered by the judge to take an article. The remaining twelve articles are placed about fifteen feet in front of the handler and dog. After the articles are placed the handler is asked to turn his and the dogs back to the articles. When asked the handler will choose one of the three designated articles. The handler will then, with their hands, scent the article, which remains in sight. When requested the handler will place the article on the judge's clipboard and the judge places the article amongst the other articles. The judge then asks the handler to send the dog. The handler commands the dog and executes a right about turn, stops and faces the articles with the dog in a heel and then sit position. Once in the sit position the handler commands the dog to find and bring the particular article that she just touched. The dog must then go to the articles, find the correct article, bring it back to the handler and sit in front of the handler with the article held correctly in their mouth. When asked the handler takes the article from the dog's mouth. The handler is then asked to finish, where the dog completes the exercise by returning to the handler sitting in a heel position. The exercise is then repeated with the other two articles.

Signals are where the handler must not speak aloud to the dog. The dog and handler must do a heeling pattern that is the same as in the novice classes. During the pattern the judge will ask for a stand where the handler signals to the dog to stand in heel position. The handler is then asked to leave the dog and proceed to the far end of the ring turn and face the dog. When the judge signals the handler must signal the dog to down, sit, come and finish.

Directed jumping is where two jumps (the bar jump and high jump) are placed fourteen feet apart with each one on a different side of the ring. With the dog sitting in heel position, the judge asks the handler to send the dog. The handler commands the dog to go the far side of the ring, turn and sit in between both jumps. When the dog is sitting, the judge will signal which jump the dog must go over. The handler must signal—but not speak—to the dog which of the two jumps it is to jump over. The dog then jumps over the designated jump and sits directly in front of the handler. The judge will ask for a finish where the dog returns to a sit in the heel position. This exercise is then repeated so that both jumps are jumped. This completes the exercise.

Group Stand for Examination is where all the competing dogs do this exercise in the ring at the same time. The handlers enter the ring with their dogs on leash and line up in catalogue order down the center of the ring. The judge will ask the handlers to stand their dogs. Once all dogs are standing the handlers are asked to leave their dogs. The handlers will give a stay command and proceed to the other side of the ring, turn and face their dog. The judge will approach each dog in turn from the front and examine each dog. After each dog has been examined and after the handlers have been away from their dog for at least three minutes, the judge will ask for the handlers to return to their dog. The handlers will return to their dogs, walking around and behind them to the heel position. This completes the exercise.

Obedience Trial Champion (OTCh)
In Canada and the U.S., the title OTCh precedes the dog's registered name. In Canada, any dog attaining a UD is recognized as an Obedience Trial Champion (OTCh). In the U.S., points are awarded for dogs that have their UD title. These points are awarded—according to the schedule of points—when a dog is entered in the Open B or Utility B class and has placed first or second in the class.

The requirements for obtaining an AKC OTCh are:
1) accumulation of 100 points;
2) must have won at least one 1st place in Utility, provided there were at least three dogs competing;
3) must have won at least one 1st place in Open B, provided there were at least six dogs competing;
4) must have won a second 1st place in 2) or 3) above;
5) the 1st place awards must have been given by three different judges.