# Update On The Groups



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

http://www.akc.org/events/obedience/news-updates/" said:


> Obedience News and Updates - American Kennel Club;2952130]The creation of new individual exercises for Novice and Open that will test a stay with distance between dog and handler.
> 
> That one group exercise be retained in Novice that will test both sit and down stays in the presence of other dogs, with spacing and leash use to ensure safety, and a formation option that will allow up to ten dogs in the ring.
> 
> That open out-of-sight stays be replaced by an individual exercise also testing sit and down skills, and a command discrimination exercise that will demonstrate steadiness and obedience at a distance with skills performed in place. For Open A dogs the exercise creates a stepping stone toward Utility. For the Open B dogs, a randomized order of skills is designed to challenge experienced teams at least as much as the group exercises do now.


They mention changes in *Novice *as well as *Open*. With "leash use to ensure safety" in the sit and down stays - I wonder if they are going to use very long leads? Right now the dog has their lead attached laying on the floor next to them while the handler walks across to the other side of the ring. Currently, handlers are no where near the leash and have no leash control over their dog.

I wish they would publish the new rules so we don't have to hang around for months speculating.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

For novice it will be a six foot leash and you will go to the end of that leash, so not very far.

Skylar go to the second link I gave above and you will see descriptions of the novice and open changes along with a note that there will be changes made in grad novice, grad open and the other optional titling classes (but no description of those).


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

lily cd re said:


> For novice it will be a six foot leash and you will go to the end of that leash, so not very far.
> 
> Skylar go to the second link I gave above and you will see descriptions of the novice and open changes along with a note that there will be changes made in grad novice, grad open and the other optional titling classes (but no description of those).


Catherine, the second link didn't work for me so I couldn't open and read it.

6' - is that all? That can't be right - that's nothing compared to where we currently stand - that's where people stand when their dogs are first learning the exercise.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Skylar, I am sorry the second link didn't work for you. You can get to that second item through the first one, but in the meantime here is the information for novice as it is in the second link (which is really a copy of a Word document).

"Recommendations: 
•One of the two Novice class group exercises will be eliminated and replaced with a new individual exercise that demonstrates the dog’s ability to stay. 
The “Sit Stay – Get Your Leash” is an individual exercise that will demonstrate how steady a dog is in a stay position, with the handler at a distance. This exercise should further show the judge that the dog is under the handler’s control prior to the team returning to the ring for a group exercise with other dogs in the ring. 
The “Group Exercise – Sit & Down Stay” will be a two-part stay exercise performed on-leash, with the handler holding the leash for safety. Handlers will stand six feet away from the dog and the dog will perform a sit and a down stay. The spacing between dogs has also 
been increased to six feet for safety. If a dog fails the first part of the exercise, they will be released from the second part of the exercise."

What I understand from this is that you will do your heel on leash, stand for exam, take the leash off, do your heel free, do your recall and then you will do the new individual exercise of the Sit Stay-Get Your Leash (long distance stay). You will then be told if you are allowed to come back for the group stays which will be at a distance of six feet and will be done in such a way that there will be 6 feet between teams, yet possibly more teams per group.


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## mashaphan (Sep 4, 2014)

hmm,if these were in place in 2015,Che would have had his CD. The presence of the other dogs was what worried him. (He has his PCD,which now is the equivalent -no groups stays,though) if AKC hadn't made the PCD equal,we might consider going back. (Had to retire from rally due to jumping needed :bye: )

Martha,Che and Otter WildMan


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

*It's Official...*

The AKC board voted unanimously to approve the new obedience exercises and rules that the task force recommended. Links to the descriptions of the changes are above.

Obedience News and Updates - American Kennel Club

The new rules will take effect May 1, 2018. There are no changes in utility so it won't have any effect on Lily, but it makes it clear for me that Javelin will now seriously start working on the new version of the exercises and I will not enter him in novice until after May 1st next year. 

What do you all think? How might it affect your planning for training and entries?


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Can you explain what "get your leash" means? Walk me through this because I'm a little confused.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Wait, I think I found a link. Is this it? http://images.akc.org/pdf/events/obedience/Obedience_Stay_Exercises_-_Regulation_Proposal.pdf


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

That link is to the changes as proposed and adopted. The sit stay get your leash will be at the end of your individual work. You will ahve taken your leash off and given it to a steward at the time of your stand for exam. The steward will put it in a designated location (probably on the ring gate). After the recall, you will put your dog on a sit stay and leave to go to where the leash is and then return to the dog at heel before putting the leash on to leave the ring. It will be like the sit stay at the end of a rally excellent routine.


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## grab (Jun 1, 2010)

I do think these new stays will possibly open the sport up to more small dog owners. I know of many who will train obedience but will not do group stays due to issues with other dogs breaking the stay and the potential of harm to their pet


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

grab said:


> I do think these new stays will possibly open the sport up to more small dog owners. I know of many who will train obedience but will not do group stays due to issues with other dogs breaking the stay and the potential of harm to their pet



That certainly is the goal! Time will tell and I hope it works. Obedience is a great sport and if you train to show you are building such a great relationship with your dog(s).


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