Nosework, Obedience, & Rally
UKC Nosework, Obedience, & Rally
Hello everyone,
I would like to introduce myself and tell you how honored I am to be writing for Front & Finish. I have been a fan for many years.
I am the program manager for the United Kennel Club (UKC) for Nosework, Obedience and Rally. UKC is a Kalamazoo, Michigan-based company founded in 1898 and is the largest All-Breed performance-dog registry in the world, registering dogs from all 50 states and 25 foreign countries. Celebrating the unique Total Dog philosophy, UKC events highlight the instincts and heritage of dogs that look and perform equally well in both conformation and performance events. United Kennel Club prides itself on its family-oriented, friendly, educational events, welcoming both purebred dogs and dogs of unknown ancestry.
I been involved in the sport of dogs since 1969. I have been an instructor, trainer and competitor in obedience, rally, conformation, agility, tracking, herding, detection work, nosework, and protection sports. I also operate a private investigation, detection, guard dog, security business, and training school under the Texas DPS licensed Tactical K9 & Investigation company. I am the current past president of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors and hold a Masters degree in both Secondary Education and Criminal Justice. I currently share my love with 13 Belgian Malinois, two Shetland Sheepdog and a Labrador Retriever.
Now that you know a little about me and what I do, for this first newsletter, I would like to introduce our newly released Obedience program. Obedience is a competitive evaluation of a dog and handler team that executes specified routines that emphasize the usefulness of the dog as a companion, and the handler’s ability to train a dog that demonstrates willingness and enjoyment to work. Obedience should be all about the relationship that develops between a dog and handler and the bond that is created that is unlike any other.
Because we understand that everyone must start somewhere, we have tailored a program to help beginners experience the sport while offering classes that continue to challenge the dog and handler team as they move forward with their training. There are a total of nine licensed Obedience classes that one can enter. There are 6 additional licensed classes and 3 regular classes. The additional licensed classes require no prerequisites to enter and do not have an “A” or “B” division. The regular licensed classes have an “A” and “B” division and must be earned in order. Each class builds on the previous class to help advance the handler in dog with more difficult and challenging exercises.
Here is a short overview of the additional licensed classes:
Pre-Novice: This class gives dogs and handlers the opportunity to gain experience working together as a team in a competitive atmosphere while performing all exercises on leash. Exhibitors can give extra command and praise their dog throughout the routine. The exercises are: Heel On Leash, Serpentine Loop 3 Cones, Sit for Exam, Down Stay, and Recall.
Beginner Novice: This class gives handlers and dogs the opportunity to experience traditional obedience in a more relaxed competition environment while using modified Novice Obedience exercises. The exercises are: Heel on Leash & Figure 8, Stand or Sit for Exam, Down Stay/Walk Away, Recall Over a High Jump, and Sit Stay.
Advanced Novice: This class provides a bridge between Novice and Open and demonstrates the usefulness of a dog as a socialized companion that has been trained to advanced exercises with a specific skill set. The exercises in this class are: Greeting, Honor, Heel Off Leash & Figure 8, Moving Down with Recall, Recall Over the High Jump with a Dumbbell, Recall Over the Broad Jump.
Advanced Open: This class provides a bridge between Open and Utility while offering advanced exercises that demonstrate the usefulness of the dog. This class introduces scent recognition and direction exercises. The exercises in this class are: Heel Off Leash with Moving Exercises, Figure 8 & Down Stay, Retrieve of an Object, Scent Discrimination, Directed Retrieve, Send Away to a Box.
Master: This class provides the handler and dog team with specific challenges outside the traditional obedience exercises. This class incorporates a much higher level of scent discrimination with obedience to the scent of the handler. The exercises in this class are: Seek Back, Positions with Recall, Send to a Cone and Return, Send Away with Dumbbell Retrieve, Handler Discrimination.
Elite: This is the highest-level class and demonstrates the ability of the dog to be trained to an extremely advanced level of obedience while developing a strong bond and relationship with the handler. It is a culmination of exercises that may be similar to other disciplines that include European Obedience and Ringsport exercises but is unique in its own right. The class also introduces scent discrimination from someone other than the handler and the obedience to that odor. The exercises in this class are: Signal Heeling with Moving Stand for Exam, Food Refusal, Recall with Stand and Down, Advanced Directed Retrieve and Jumping, Unfamiliar Scent Discrimination.
Below is a short overview of the regular Licensed Classes. To enter Open, the dog must have a Novice title and to enter Utility the dog must have an Open title.
Novice: This class demonstrates the usefulness of the dog as a socialized companion that has been trained to a specific skill set. The exercises in this class are: Greeting, Honor, Heel on Leash & Figure 8, Stand for Exam, Heel Off Leash, and Recall Over a High Jump.
Open: This class demonstrates the usefulness of the dog as a socialized companion that has been trained to a more advanced and specific skill set. The exercises in this class are: Greeting, Heel Off Leash & Figure 8, Drop on Recall, Retrieve on the Flat, Retrieve Over the High Jump, Broad Jump and Socialized Heeling.
Utility: This class demonstrates the usefulness of the dog as a socialized companion that has been trained to a high level of difficulty and continues to build on the partnership between handler and dog. The exercises in this class are: Signal and Heeling, Scent Discrimination, Directed Marked Retrieve, Directed Signal Retrieve, Consecutive Recalls and Directed Jumping.
Videos of each class and exercises can be found here!
If you have questions about the program, please feel free to contact me at any time. Until the next issue, have fun training and remember how awesome life is sharing it with your best friend and companion!
UKC Nosework, Obedience, & Rally
Hello everyone,
I would like to introduce myself and tell you how honored I am to be writing for Front & Finish. I have been a fan for many years.
I am the program manager for the United Kennel Club (UKC) for Nosework, Obedience and Rally. UKC is a Kalamazoo, Michigan-based company founded in 1898 and is the largest All-Breed performance-dog registry in the world, registering dogs from all 50 states and 25 foreign countries. Celebrating the unique Total Dog philosophy, UKC events highlight the instincts and heritage of dogs that look and perform equally well in both conformation and performance events. United Kennel Club prides itself on its family-oriented, friendly, educational events, welcoming both purebred dogs and dogs of unknown ancestry.
I been involved in the sport of dogs since 1969. I have been an instructor, trainer and competitor in obedience, rally, conformation, agility, tracking, herding, detection work, nosework, and protection sports. I also operate a private investigation, detection, guard dog, security business, and training school under the Texas DPS licensed Tactical K9 & Investigation company. I am the current past president of the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors and hold a Masters degree in both Secondary Education and Criminal Justice. I currently share my love with 13 Belgian Malinois, two Shetland Sheepdog and a Labrador Retriever.
Now that you know a little about me and what I do, for this first newsletter, I would like to introduce our newly released Obedience program. Obedience is a competitive evaluation of a dog and handler team that executes specified routines that emphasize the usefulness of the dog as a companion, and the handler’s ability to train a dog that demonstrates willingness and enjoyment to work. Obedience should be all about the relationship that develops between a dog and handler and the bond that is created that is unlike any other.
Because we understand that everyone must start somewhere, we have tailored a program to help beginners experience the sport while offering classes that continue to challenge the dog and handler team as they move forward with their training. There are a total of nine licensed Obedience classes that one can enter. There are 6 additional licensed classes and 3 regular classes. The additional licensed classes require no prerequisites to enter and do not have an “A” or “B” division. The regular licensed classes have an “A” and “B” division and must be earned in order. Each class builds on the previous class to help advance the handler in dog with more difficult and challenging exercises.
Here is a short overview of the additional licensed classes:
Pre-Novice: This class gives dogs and handlers the opportunity to gain experience working together as a team in a competitive atmosphere while performing all exercises on leash. Exhibitors can give extra command and praise their dog throughout the routine. The exercises are: Heel On Leash, Serpentine Loop 3 Cones, Sit for Exam, Down Stay, and Recall.
Beginner Novice: This class gives handlers and dogs the opportunity to experience traditional obedience in a more relaxed competition environment while using modified Novice Obedience exercises. The exercises are: Heel on Leash & Figure 8, Stand or Sit for Exam, Down Stay/Walk Away, Recall Over a High Jump, and Sit Stay.
Advanced Novice: This class provides a bridge between Novice and Open and demonstrates the usefulness of a dog as a socialized companion that has been trained to advanced exercises with a specific skill set. The exercises in this class are: Greeting, Honor, Heel Off Leash & Figure 8, Moving Down with Recall, Recall Over the High Jump with a Dumbbell, Recall Over the Broad Jump.
Advanced Open: This class provides a bridge between Open and Utility while offering advanced exercises that demonstrate the usefulness of the dog. This class introduces scent recognition and direction exercises. The exercises in this class are: Heel Off Leash with Moving Exercises, Figure 8 & Down Stay, Retrieve of an Object, Scent Discrimination, Directed Retrieve, Send Away to a Box.
Master: This class provides the handler and dog team with specific challenges outside the traditional obedience exercises. This class incorporates a much higher level of scent discrimination with obedience to the scent of the handler. The exercises in this class are: Seek Back, Positions with Recall, Send to a Cone and Return, Send Away with Dumbbell Retrieve, Handler Discrimination.
Elite: This is the highest-level class and demonstrates the ability of the dog to be trained to an extremely advanced level of obedience while developing a strong bond and relationship with the handler. It is a culmination of exercises that may be similar to other disciplines that include European Obedience and Ringsport exercises but is unique in its own right. The class also introduces scent discrimination from someone other than the handler and the obedience to that odor. The exercises in this class are: Signal Heeling with Moving Stand for Exam, Food Refusal, Recall with Stand and Down, Advanced Directed Retrieve and Jumping, Unfamiliar Scent Discrimination.
Below is a short overview of the regular Licensed Classes. To enter Open, the dog must have a Novice title and to enter Utility the dog must have an Open title.
Novice: This class demonstrates the usefulness of the dog as a socialized companion that has been trained to a specific skill set. The exercises in this class are: Greeting, Honor, Heel on Leash & Figure 8, Stand for Exam, Heel Off Leash, and Recall Over a High Jump.
Open: This class demonstrates the usefulness of the dog as a socialized companion that has been trained to a more advanced and specific skill set. The exercises in this class are: Greeting, Heel Off Leash & Figure 8, Drop on Recall, Retrieve on the Flat, Retrieve Over the High Jump, Broad Jump and Socialized Heeling.
Utility: This class demonstrates the usefulness of the dog as a socialized companion that has been trained to a high level of difficulty and continues to build on the partnership between handler and dog. The exercises in this class are: Signal and Heeling, Scent Discrimination, Directed Marked Retrieve, Directed Signal Retrieve, Consecutive Recalls and Directed Jumping.
Videos of each class and exercises can be found here!
If you have questions about the program, please feel free to contact me at any time. Until the next issue, have fun training and remember how awesome life is sharing it with your best friend and companion!