Obedience With Your Rottweiler
CH Nikki UD - Winning back to back MRC High in Trial
wins 1999
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Obedience Training: What's it all about? Is it worth the time and effort to take a dog to obedience class? Consider these facts. The average female Rottweiler weighs 80-90 pounds and the males are 100-120 pounds. Dogs walk on 4 legs which gives them extra leverage. Obedience training gives a bit of leverage back to the owner! This explains why so many Rottweiler breeders encourage their puppy owners to enroll in Puppy Kindergarten classes, and continue on with Canine Good Citizen and Obedience training. |
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Walking a well socialized and trained Rottweiler around the neighborhood is a pleasant experience for dog and owner. It has the added benefit of letting the neighbors see the dog as a well-mannered member of the family. So, Obedience training is a win-win for everyone.
Besides being useful for every day living with dogs, Obedience is a competitive sport. The AKC sport of dog Obedience began in the United States in the 1930's when Helene Whitehouse Walker and Blanche Saunders developed a program and began teaching classes. They convinced the AKC to administer their program as a new activity for dog owners.
Prior to the 1930's dog training was predominately for working breeds. German Shepherds and Doberman Pinchers were the most common breeds that were trained. The AKC Obedience exercises were initially fashioned after European working dog trials. The early high jump in AKC Obedience was approximately a meter tall and could be jumped or scaled. In the early days, double commands were points off, not an automatic NQ. Sits and downs could earn a passing score if the dog stayed 75% of the time.
One of the first AKC obedience trials was held by the North West Chester Kennel Club at their show in 1934. Dogs entered in Obedience were also required to show in Conformation. The Obedience classes included Novice and Open, which were very similar to those classes today. Utility was added in 1936. The Obedience Advisory Committee of 1949 proposed changes to Utility that made it closer to what it is today with some major changes in the 1960's.
The best way to learn more about obedience is to go to an obedience trial and watch the dogs and handlers in action.
AKC Obedience Levels
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At each level, dog and handler teams are judged on how closely they match the judge's mental picture of a theoretically perfect performance as they execute a series of specified exercises, with the ideal performance offering 200 points in total. A qualifying score in any class is 170 with the additional requirement that 50% of the points for every exercise must be earned. Each level is further divided into "A" and "B" classes. A rulebook can be ordered directly from the AKC which outlines class eligibility, as well as requirements for each exercise |
Novice Obedience:
The Novice exercises include both on and off lead
heeling, stand for exam, recall, and sit & down stays. This
is a very practical list of exercises to teach any dog, especially a
big dog. Heeling teaches the dog control and makes for a nice
walk in the park or neighborhood. The stand for exam teaches
the dog to accept another person touching them, such as a groomer or
veterinarian. The recall is a life saving exercise for
dogs. The ability to recall a dog headed for a busy road is
invaluable. The stay exercises might not be practical in every
situation, but sure can be useful at times. Qualifying in this
class under three different judges earns the AKC Companion Dog (CD) designation.
Open Obedience:
The skills for Open add two retrieves. The first
is without a jump, commonly referred to as "on flat", and
the second is over a jump. Other exercises include the drop on
recall and the broad jump. The stay exercises in the Open class
are longer duration and out of sight. Qualifying in this class
under three different judges earns the AKC Companion Dog Excellent
(CDX) designation.
Utility Obedience:
Utility exercises have changed the most over the
years. Originally Utility required the dog to pass a tracking
test to qualify for the title. This became difficult due to
land requirements and was replaced by the "seek back"
exercise. Few dogs ever actually tracked the handler's path
back to the glove and the seek back exercise was dropped by AKC in
1966. It was replaced with the directed retrieve. Another
early Utility exercise that was eventually dropped was "speaking
on command". Utility exercises now include: Signals, Scent
Discrimination (leather & metal), Directed Retrieve (glove),
Moving Stand and Examination, and Directed Jumping. The
training required for Utility is more in depth. Only 9% of
Rottweilers that earn a CD go on to earn a UD. But, Utility
training is rewarding and fun. It requires a systematic
approach, but it's great to watch a Rottweiler use their intelligence
to work out the exercises. Qualifying in this class under three
different judges earns the AKC Utility Dog (UD) designation.
Blitz VCD3, UDX, RE, TDX, AX, AXJ - 2005 MRC High in Trial
Utility Dog Excellent Title (UDX)
Upon completion of the UD title, dogs may earn the Utility Dog Excellent (UDX) by receiving 10 passing scores in both Open B and Utility B at the same show
Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH)
To obtain an OTCH title, a dog and handler team must receive 100 points by placing first through fourth in the Open B or Utility B class with competition, including a first place win from each of these two classes, plus a third first place win from either class.
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There are few endeavors that bring a dog owner more joy than working with their Rottweiler to teach them new things! So, go ahead... give Obedience a try! Submitted by: Lynette Nehmer
Of 3840 obedience titles earned by Rottweilers during
the years 1996-2006... |
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