General Information
Have you considered entering your dog in obedience competitions? It can be fun and you meet some interesting people from the other clubs. We recommend obtaining a Rule Book (about $5 from the club Office).
You can earn an obedience title for your dog - a bit like a university degree. A brief explanation of each class and their "degrees" follows. Dog degrees are called titles, for example Fido CD or Rover CDX.
Dover Gardens Kennel and Obedience Club encourages its members to continue training their dogs past Grade 5, and enter the sport of obedience trialing.
We help guide you through the process of entering and competing in a trial.
We have several trial rings erected on Sunday mornings, with experienced instructors - many who are currrently trialing themselves.
For extra support, consider joining Dover's Trialing Club.
When going to a trial, please allow yourself plenty of time to get there, and be prepared to stay most of the day. Your dog may be judged anytime between 9 am and 4 pm and you won't know at what time until you arrive.
For all classes you need to check in with the officials by the required check-in time (usually 15 minutes before the start of the trial). You can obtain this information at your club. When checking in you will be given a number which you must wear on the left side of your shirt/jumper whilst in the ring. Take a safety pin for this purpose.
If you have a desexed bitch, you must produce produce your desexing certificate. If your bitch is not desexed, or you do not have a desexing certificate, she will have to be "vetted" by the required vetting time. The vetting line is separate from the checking in line.
Always stay near your allocated "ring" as some dogs may go through quickly. If you miss your call, you cannot trial. The order of judging will be by consecutive numbers, but watch out for "scratchings" (last minute cancellations) or if they skip a number due to a handler being in another ring. If your number is called three times and you do not present to the ring, you will be disqualified.
Please ensure you "toilet" your dog before going in the ring, as you will lose 10 points for him "fouling" the ring.
Dover also has a video on what to do at a trial. Look out for other Dover members at the Trial who can help you with your trialing. You may also consider joining Dover's Trialing Club for more support.
Tips/warnings:
- The dog must be on lead entering and leaving the ring (and when near any other rings too)
- No food is allowed inside the ring at anytime (including pockets)
- No bum bags, movile phones, toys or training aids are allowed inside the ring
- No physical handling, guiding or reprimanding your dog is allowed
- You must not touch the dog's collar, even to adjust it, without getting the judge's permission
- You are not allowed to talk to your dog during an exercise. Of course, you may give the commands Heel, Drop, Stand, Stay, Come, Finish etc. The command Heel can only be used when stepping off from a stationary position or finishing your dog. You cannot say heel to bring your dog into position if it is lagging. You may talk to your dog, praise her, pat him in between exercises (between the commands "exercise finished" and "are you ready?"). Remember, you may think the judge did not hear you talk or see you correct your dog, but they have years of experience and know what to look for.
Full details of CCD, CD (Novice), CDX (Open), UD (Utility), UDX and OC are on separate pages.
You will receive a certificate and may receive a ribbon for each pass from the club which conducts the trial. After you have passed three trials (under two judges), you will need to take your certificates to SACA for registering (approx. $16). They will post your CD title certiificate once their records have been checked.
