ENTERING OBEDIENCE COMPETITIONS

Dog showing is character building, and is a sport which, just like all sports, demands that competitors behave in a sportsmanlike way. It is certainly not as easy as it may look.

 The purpose of CKC obedience trials may be to demonstrate the usefulness of the purebred dog as a companion of man, but more than this, an obedience trial will give a fair assessment of how trained a dog really is (or is not).
The development of trials such as rally and agility have actually undermined the quality of training in today’s dogs. The standard of testing is easier for rally compared to CD, CDX (Open) and Utility classes. When confronted with the challenges of B competitions people just invented new classes. Fine. So be it. However, regardless of how many hoops and ramps a dog jumps, at the end of the day, a dog is not fully and reliably trained to be trusted in public if it cannot pass a regular National Kennel Club Novice B or A class obedience trial.

CONFORMATION
MR. JONES WINNERS DOG AND BEST OF OPPOSITE 

There you have it. Even in Comformation showing, the dog must be obedience trained to show at his best. Many excellent conformation dogs who are not winning just need foundation obedience to turn things around.

CKC NOVICE OBEDIENCE TITLE FOR PUREBRED DOGS

CONFORMATION FOR PUREBRED BREED STANDARDS

CKC CANINE GOOD NEIGHBOUR CERTIFICATE  for all dogs great starting place

 Only dogs who are entered in the show are allowed at a show venue, so spectators must leave their dogs at home. Observing how the show works, reading up on the rules and  planning to enter a show only after the dog is ready (and not until) will all help ensure a successful test result and a pleasant show experience.