DOMESTIC TRIALS
PROGRAMME
THE BH TITLE CAN BE
THE BEGINNNG OF SOMETHING MUCH MORE
To some dog owners the attainment of
a BH title is an end in itself. True, it entitles one to compete for an
‘Excellent’ rating in the show ring and in addition to clinical
certification for hips and elbows it may be used to bolster dogs
attractiveness in terms of its breeding profile and achievement claims.
It should be, and rightly so, used to acclaim the dogs adaptability, its
obedience, trainability and general sociability. It is an earned title
achieved with considerable application, perseverance and dedication.
However, the
prospects offered by the achievement of a Companion Dog (BH) title gives
(it is really only the first rung on the trials programme ladder) rise
to many exciting possibilities well beyond the advantages previously
described. With a BH title inscribed in the dog’s performance record
book the opportunities to go onwards and upwards in the performance dog
sport programme stakes are numerous and varied. There is really
something for everyone and their dog. To ignore or overlook the
possibilities and advantages of selecting a career for the dog - of
taking the dog further along the training route and of developing its
instincts and skills further is not only to do a disservice to the
essential nature of the dog itself but to ones own integrity and
proficiency as a dog trainer. Only when we begin to work with the dog
and investigate its potential to fulfil the purposes of one on the
primary service roles intended for the working breed do we begin to
understand and appreciate the complexity and true worth of the dog.
Without some degree of an understanding of the true values and innate
drives of the animal we are charged with looking after we can not
honestly nor realistically discharge our duty properly.
When we embark on the
task of training our dog for the rudimentary aspects of control and
obedience we are in essence taking a first step towards understanding
the animal – albeit in a constrained way. And while some are owners are
content to proceed only to the point of obtaining a basic training
degree, others continue on and make aspects of the dog performance sport
a lifetime pursuit. The initial developmental training and the ever
evolving techniques which can be learned and applied to generate a
response, get attention and establish compliance from the dog is, or
should be, looked upon by the dog owner/handler as an essential learning
experience. The experience to be learned from understanding the
component parts of the dogs temperament, its character, drives and
abilities so fundamentally more important than being able to recite the
physical features pertaining to show/beauty exhibition. In a nutshell –
the dog is a working animal and therefore that which is vital to that
purpose must be given precedence above everything else.
It’s perhaps simplest
and best if we think of the BH title as a starting point – for both dog
and handler. Remember that all National and World Schutzhund Champions
began their involvement in dog sport with this simple yet important
enunciation of ability test. It has also been the very first formal
introduction to training augmentation for many other canines adapted for
all kinds of service, for rescue, blind and other aid work. The BH has a
significant place in the order of selection for suitability, and its
importance is well proven.
With a verifiable
earned BH title the dog owner should – regardless of the role for which
the dog was obtained or intended – look to all the available options. A
studied examination of the GSA domestic trial programme will divulge
many interesting and worthwhile training options and opportunities which
carry certified degrees. The syllabus to the activities involved provide
for all levels of interest and commitment on the part of the handler –
allowing participation in test and trials on a chosen basis. In addition
to the rewarding sense of achievement of having brought a dog to some
measure of competitive competence there is the additional incentives of
certification at all levels, trophies and special awards.
The training degrees
which are immediately available to the dog with a BH title are –
Obedience Dog 1 – Tracking Dog 1 – Search and Rescue Dog 1 – and of
course the fundamentally most exciting and challenging of all trial
disciplines – Schutzhund ‘A’ (Obedience + Protection) or the first step
towards the International competitive programme which could potentially
lead to a place on a World Championships team –Schutzhund 1 (Tracking +
Obedience + Protection). All these categories of sport have several
degree levels through which the contestant can rise as titles are added.
Teams are not confined to any particular category and are free to enter
for different titles at successive trials. A more extensive elucidation
as to how the system is structured and operated is best learned on a
one-to-one basis with a Group Training Warden or a GSA Performance
Trials Judge.
The most frequently
pursued working degree qualification immediately attempted by BH
qualifiers is the basic tracking degree – Tracking Dog 1- abbreviated to
- TD 1. Providing the dog has had the proper initial training for the
test requirements on the field the obedience and control aspects of the
BH should prove more than adequate preparation for the formal
presentations, the regulated behaviour, and the indication of the
articles. All in all, the tracking disciplines provide a very satisfying
extension of the positive work that can be carried out with the dog. The
tracking degree programme allows for regular participation at several
levels in trials and also gives the trainer a fantastic opportunity to
try for a national title each year. All dogs with Tracking Degrees are
automatically eligible to participate at their own level in the National
tracking Championships held in October each year. Tracking is also a
mandatory feature in the Search and Rescue Dog qualification
examinations. The tracking tests are regulated according to the rules
and regulations of the International Schutzhund/VPG/IPO directives. A
total of 100 points are allocated to be earned in tracking – with a
minimum of 70 points necessary to obtain a qualifying title.
The BH obedience and
traffic sureness tests are a very sound preparatory work for a future
career or pastime in Obedience Dog 1 (OD 1) beginner’s competition
category. The basic foundation training and several important exercises
is already in place – those for the heelwork, for the sit in motion,
the down in motion with recall, and of course the long down under
distraction. The additional training to be undertaken for this new
degree essentially centres on the retrieve exercises – on the flat –
over the one meter hurdle – and over the climbing wall. There is also of
course the send away exercise to be trained for. With these additional
exercises successfully completed the dog can be progressed through the
various degree levels and receive appropriate titles along the way. The
dog has the possibility to earn 100 points in the obedience tests – but
it is necessary to achieve 70 in order to receive the minimum
qualification title.
With titles for
Tracking 1 and Obedience 1 – the groundwork is firmly in place to
proceed to other challenges and the dog should be sufficiently prepared
and primed for a further challenges. This next important career step
should, we suggest, be the appropriately titled Utility Dog Degree 1.
This category of trial requires the dog to participate in and qualify in
two separate disciplines at the same trial – Tracking and Obedience. The
requirements are as per the International Schutzhund/VPG/IPO rules. This
important degree is regularly mistakenly overlooked by trainers
ascending the Schutzhund ladder. It should realistically be thought of
as an opportune way of testing the dogs training without the attendant
stresses of the protection work. Its value could also be considered in
terms of the opportunity it affords the handler to acclimatise the dog
to the trial environment and proof it against the distractions of the
competition arena. For the novice or intermediate handler it is a chance
to learn the ropes in low-key terms and develop a trial wisdom that
ensures that mistakes on the trial field are confined only to the dog.
The Utility Dog title
positions the dog ideally for the attempt at the Search and Rescue
Degree 1. With UD 1 the dog should have the essential abilities to meet
the requirements. What is however additionally required is some new
aspects of agility and social training – particularly in relation to the
dog being handled, lifted and carried by strangers. This prestigious
title also carries with it the opportunity to participate in practical
call-out SRD units attached to local area training organisations.
Titles accumulated in
performance tests and competitions sometimes add greatly to the dog’s
status, and serves to further emphasis that the animals working
characteristics are on parity with the desired abilities articulated in
the breed standard. Of course, the more important the title the greater
the dogs appeal can be to the breeder. And every new puppy owner is
enamoured with the idea that their ‘special’ dog is from the best – and
what better way to announce that fact than to show evidence of the sires
listed titles and achievements. When claimed achievements or titles are
other than the show kind – that is, those obtained in performance sport
then they take-on a much more realistic and significance dimension.
Working and
performance trial degrees have an enormous credibility attached to them
and are reasonable evidence of the existence of ability.
By drawing attention
to the various training degrees and qualification titles that can be
built upon the foundations of the BH (Companion Dog) work we have shown
how a pet can be appropriately advanced to being a purpousful asset – a
real source of enjoyment - and a reliable resource that has the
potential for great things including saving lives.
Think about it – you
know it makes sense – there is a life for the dog after BH.
O’Buachalla.
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