# Obedience Question & Regarding Heelwork



## LittleAussiePoodle (Jun 2, 2016)

For those in obedience, what can one expect from a beginner's obedience competition? I am thinking about entering one next year and want to know how I can be prepared, what Hendrix will need to know, ect. He pays rapt attention to me, eye contact on command, sit, down, stay are all perfect. He trots at my side, shoulder brushing my leg and we are learning to do tighter turns now. Is there anything else I should be teaching him?
I plan on taking him to shows beforehand to see how he is in the environment. I'm not very into obedience, so I'm not entirely sure of what the beginner's competitions would be like or entail.

And another quick question: Is there anybody on here who does Heelwork to music competitions, freestyle or otherwise? It's my dream to get Hendrix into Heelwork to music (freestyle specifically), and I'd love to have some people to talk to about it. So far I haven't seen anybody talking about it at all, so I do wonder.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am always happy when I see people who want to take their training to the level of doing a performance sport with their dog(s). The training to be that in tune and connected with a dog is very enriching to the overall relationship you develop.

If you plan is AKC beginner novice, here is the routine (always done in this order). 

1. Heel on leash: You will set up at a rally start sign and your dog will sit at heel, once the judge says forward you will follow a set of rally signs that will be your heeling pattern. The pattern must include a right, left and about turn along with pace changes that include normal, fast and slow. The pattern ends with a halt sit sign. It is most important for the dog to stick with you so that you don't get tight leashes.

2. Figure Eight: You will do a novice type on leash figure eight with stewards as the posts.

3. Sit for Examination: The judge will direct you to the place where you will set up with your dog on leash and sitting at heel. On the judge's order you will tell your dog to remain in the sit and you walk out holding the leash to the place where you will turn around and face your dog while you keep the leash in your hand. You must have a six foot leash to be able to go far enough away from the dog. Once you have stopped moving the judge will touch your dog on the head and then move away. The next order will be return to your dog at which time you return to heel by walking around behind the dog.

4. Sit Stay Walk Around: You will seat your dog near the center of the ring as directed by the judge. After asking are you ready the judge will tell you to sit your dog and leave your dog. Once you are ready to leave you put the leash (attached to the collar) on the floor next to the dog, tell it to stay and then you walk straight out to the edge of the ring and walk completely around the ring (important not to cut corners). Once you have gone all the way around the ring you return to heel. 

5. Recall: This is a slightly shorter recall than in any other class. You will set your dog off at heel. On the judges orders you will take the leash off the dog and tell it to wait (stay) and walk tothe place designated by the judge and then turn and face your dog. When the judge gives the order to call your dog you do so. The dog is required to front, but not to finish. You reattach the leash on the judge's order and your routine is finished.

The general things about regular obedience classes that can cost points or NQ you will apply here as well. Dogs are to heel without verbals (although you can say something encouraging one time). Anticipating orders and breaking positions will be NQs, etc.

I don't do freestyle, so I can't help you on that.


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## LittleAussiePoodle (Jun 2, 2016)

Thanks, that is so helpful!
Only part of that I will really need to work on will be making sure Hendrix won't freak out if someone pets him, because he is annoyingly friendly. That list is awesome, even if anything was slightly different it's still a great help.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

You are most welcome. I think the beginner novice sit for exam is the hardest exercise for most dogs, even more so than the sit stay walk around. Nearly all dogs that are trained to being ring ready clearly know what stay means and will stay even if they are a little nervous. But lots of dogs are head shy and either don't like having their heads touched or are just so friendly they think the judge is petting them and they wiggle around quite a bit.

I've judged lots of dogs in beginner novice for matches and when the dog is having a hard time with that exercise my suggestion is that the handler take the dog to a big chain pet store and enlist the help either of people working there or adults who don't have dogs with them and seem interested in what you are doing. Have the dog sit at heel. Tell the person to touch the dog on the head while you remain at heel and give the dog a treat to distract and to make it think being touched on the head is good. Make sure the person understands not to touch the dog if it stands up or otherwise breaks position. Once you have good reliability at that level you will sit the dog and step out one step and face the dog toe to toe and have the person touch while you treat. Next take two steps and have the person touch the dog while you treat. Once you are too far to treat the dog yourself without taking step to approach give the treat to the helper. At each level fade the treats by having the dog wait before giving it and also by giving the treat on random retries, eventually only treating the very best performance of the exercise, which for this means sitting very still and keeping focused on you even though a stranger is touching the dog on the head.


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## Muggles (Mar 14, 2015)

If you're doing a CCD (community companion dog) trial, the stay section in Australia is a bit different to what Lily described. You can read the descriptions here: http://ankc.org.au/media/4431/obedience-2016v2.pdf
- CCD is on page 18. 

Is heelwork to music dances with dogs? They offer it at my club and I've seen it done a few times but don't have any experience myself.


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## LittleAussiePoodle (Jun 2, 2016)

Yes, heelwork to music is probably the same as dances with dogs. It's basically a performance to music, where the dog uses both heelwork and other tricks to show how they and their handler work together.
Freestyle is my favourite - The heelwork element must be less than 1 third of the performance, and you can use any props you want. I love how varied everybody's acts are.
And the regular heelwork to music is up to two thirds heelwork, and all other tricks must come from the heel position. It's not nearly as creative, more obedience than trick training.
I suggest having a look at Crufts' freestyle heelwork to music, it's amazing.


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