Obedience

Obedience

A well trained dog is a happy dog, and the owner of a well trained dog is a happy owner.

Reasons to Obedience Train your dog:

	A well behaved dog is a joy to live with and is appreciated by society!
	Training is as important for your dog as schooling is for your child.
	To deepen the bond between you and your dog, and increase the enjoyment, companionship and satisfaction of the relationship with your dog.
	To provide for the safety and happiness of your dog.
	To develop a good canine citizen for the benefit of your family, neighborhood and community.
	To enjoy exhibiting in Obedience trials, to earn titles.

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About Obedience Training

Dogs, by nature, are pack animals with a well defined social order. When you train your dog, you assume the alpha role (pack leader). It is not cruel to train a dog. In fact, it is unkind to not train him. Your dog cannot be expected to be well behaved on his own. You must teach him what is good behavior and what is bad behavior. All dogs need to have good social manners in order to get along in today's society. Obedience training, with a group of other dogs and experienced trainers, can help you to achieve good manners for your pet.

More about Obedience Trials:

Obedience Trials test a dog's ability to perform a prescribed set of exercises on which it is scored. In each exercise, the dog must score more than 50% of the possible points (ranging from 20 to 40) and get a total score of at least 170 out of a possible 200 points, a 'qualifying score.' Each time a dog gets a qualifying score, he's gotten a 'leg' towards his title. Three legs and the dog has become an Obedience Titled dog! There are 3 levels at which a dog can earn a title and each is more difficult than the one before it. You may see levels divided into 'A' and 'B' at a trial; 'A' classes are for beginners whose dogs have never received a title while 'B' classes are for more experienced handlers.

Novice: The first level, Novice, results in the dog earning a Companion Dog (CD) title. The title actually describes what is expected of the dog: demonstrating the skills required of a good canine companion. He will have to heel both on and off leash at different speeds, come when called, stay (still and quietly!) with a group of other dogs when told and stand for a simple physical exam.

Open: The second level, Open, results in the dog earning a Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title. He must do many of the same exercises as in Novice, but off-leash and for longer periods. Additionally, there are jumping and retrieving tasks. Also, for the stay exercises, the handler must leave the dog's sight.

Utility: The final level results in a Utility Dog (UD) title. These dogs are the cream of the crop. In addition to more difficult exercises, the dog must perform scent discrimination tasks, and work away from the handler.

OTCH and UDX: The best of the best can go on for more titles. Utility Dogs that continue to compete and earn legs in Open and Utility at 10 shows become Utility Dog Excellent (UDX). Utility Dogs that are ranked 1st or 2nd in Open B or Utility classes can earn points toward an Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH) title.