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Utility
The
Utility class is for those dogs that
have won the CDX title
but have not won the UD title. Anyone
who has trained or exhibited a
dog that has earned an Obedience Trial
Championship may not
enter or handle dogs in this class.
Each dog will be handled by its
owner or by a member of the owner’s
immediate family or household. Owners
may enter more than one dog in this
class.
Utility
Exercises and Scores.
The
exercises, maximum scores and order of
judging in the Utility A class:
-
Signal Exercise 40
points
-
Scent
Discrimination Article No. 1 30 points
-
Scent
Discrimination Article No. 2 30 points
-
Directed Retrieve
30 points
-
Moving Stand and
Examination 30 points
-
Directed Jumping 40
points
Maximum Total Score
200 points
Utility Dog
Title.
The
letters UD may be added after the name of each dog that
has been certified by three different
judges to have received
qualifying scores in Utility classes
at three licensed or member obedience
trials. That dog will receive a
Utility Dog certificate from the
Puppycom
Signal
Exercise.
The
principal features of this exercise
are the ability of dog and
handler to work as a team while
heeling and the dog’s correct
response to the signals to stand,
stay, down, sit and come. Orders are the same as
in the Novice Heel on Leash, except
for the judge’s order to “Stand
your dog.” This order will only be
given when the dog and handler are
walking at a normal pace and will be
followed by the order to “Leave your
dog.” The judge must use signals for
directing the handler to signal the dog to
down, sit, come (in that sequence) and
to finish. Heeling will be done
as in the Heel Free, except that
handlers may use signals only and
must not speak to their dogs at any
time during this exercise. While the
dog is heeling at one end of the ring,
the judge will order the handler to
“Stand your dog.” On further order
to “Leave your dog,” the handler
will signal the dog to stay, go to the
other end of the ring, then turn and
face the dog. On the judge’s signal,
the handler will
give the signals to
down, sit, come and finish as in the
Novice Recall.
Signal
Exercise, Scoring.
A
dog that fails to obey the handler’s first
signal to stand, stay, down, sit or
come or that receives a verbal command from
the handler to do any of these parts
of the exercise, must receive a
non-qualifying (NQ) score. Depending
on the specific
circumstances, minor or substantial
deductions will be made for a dog that walks
forward on the stand, down or sit
portions of the exercise. The deduction could be
up to an NQ. A substantial deduction
will be made for any
audible command during the heeling or
finish portions of the exercise. All
applicable penalties listed under the
Heel on Leash and the Novice Recall
(after the dog has been signaled to
come) exercises will apply.
Scent
Discrimination.
The
principal features of these exercises are the
selection of the handler’s article
from among the other articles by scent
alone and the prompt delivery of the
correct article to the handler. The judge will ask,
“What method will you be using to
send your dog?” The handler
must respond with either “After a
sit” or “Send directly.” The judge
will then ask, “Are you ready?”
immediately prior to taking the article
from the handler. This taking of the
article will be considered to be the
first order, and scoring of the
exercise will begin at that time. The
remaining orders are: “Send your
dog,” “Take it,” and
“Finish.”
In each of these two
exercises, the dog must select and
retrieve an article that has been
handled by its handler. The dog must
make this selection based on
scent alone. The articles will be
provided by the handler and will
consist of two sets, each comprised
of five identical objects, which may
be items of everyday use. The size
of the articles will be proportionate
to the size of the dog. One set must
be made entirely of rigid metal and
one of leather, designed so that only
a minimum amount of thread or other
material is visible. The articles
in each set will be legibly numbered
with a different number and must be
approved by the judge. The handler
will present all ten articles to
the judge, who will make a written
note of the numbers on the two articles
they have selected. These articles
will be placed on a table or chair within
the ring until the handler picks each
up separately. The judge or steward
will handle each of the remaining
eight articles while randomly
arranging them on the floor or ground
about 6 inches apart. The closest
article should be about 20 feet from
the handler and dog. Before the dog is
sent, the judge must make sure that
the articles are visible to both
dog and handler and that they are far
enough apart so that there will be no
confusion of scent among articles. After the articles
have been put out, the handler and dog
will turn around and will remain
facing away until the judge has given
the order,
“Send your dog.”
The handler may use either article
first, but must hand it to the judge
immediately when ordered. The judge
will make certain handlers scent each
article with their hands only. On the judge’s
order, the handler will place the
article on the judge’s book or worksheet.
Without touching that article, the
judge or steward will place it among
the others. On order from the
judge to “Send your dog,” the
handler may give the command to heel
and will turn in place, either right
or left, to face the articles. The
handler will come to a halt with the
dog sitting in the heel position. The
handler will then give the command or
signal to retrieve. Handlers
may, on order from the judge to “Send
your dog,” do a right about-turn,
simultaneously giving the command or
signal to retrieve. In this
case, the dog should not assume a
sitting position but must go directly to
the articles. Handlers have the
option as to how the dog is sent.
Handlers may give their scent by
extending the palm of one hand in
front of the dog’s nose or gently touching the
dog’s nose, but the arm and hand
must be returned to a natural position
before they turn and face the
articles. The dog should go
directly to the articles at a brisk
trot or gallop. It may take any
reasonable time to select the correct
article but must work continuously. After
picking up the correct article, the
dog will complete the exercise as in the
Retrieve on Flat. This procedure
should be followed for both articles. If a dog retrieves the
wrong first article, that article and
the correct one must be removed.
They will be placed on the table or
chair, and the next exercise will be
done with one less article.
Scent
Discrimination, Scoring.
A
dog that retrieves a wrong article or that
does not complete the retrieve of the
right article must receive a non-qualifying (NQ)
score. If the “After a sit” method
is used, anticipating the
command to retrieve must receive a
non-qualifying (NQ) score. If the “Send
directly” method is used, any
additional command to retrieve must
receive a non-qualifying (NQ) score.
Depending on the circumstances,
minor or substantial deductions should
be made for a dog that is
slow, that does not go directly to the
articles, that does not work continuously,
or for a handler who uses excessive
motions when turning toward
the articles. Similar deductions
will be made for a dog that picks up
the wrong article, even if it is
immediately put down again, for any
roughness by handlers in giving
their scent to the dog, or for
handlers not turning in place. There should be
no penalty for a dog that takes a
reasonably long time examining the
articles, provided it is working
continuously. All applicable penalties
listed under the Novice Recall and the
Retrieve on Flat will apply.
Directed
Retrieve.
The
principal features of this exercise are that the dog stay
until directed to retrieve and that it
go directly to the designated glove
and retrieve it promptly. In this
exercise the handler will provide three
gloves that are predominately white.
They must be open and must be
approved by the judge. Handlers will
stand with their backs to the
unobstructed end of the ring midway
between and in line with the jumps.
The dog will be sitting in heel
position. The judge or steward will drop
the gloves across the end of the ring
while the handler and dog are facing the
opposite direction. One glove is
dropped about 3 feet in from
each corner, and the remaining glove
is dropped in the center, about 3
feet from the end of the ring. The gloves will be
designated “One,” “Two,” or
“Three,” reading from left to right
when the handler is facing the gloves.
The orders for the exercise are: “One,”
“Two,” or “Three,” “Take it,”
and “Finish.”
When the judge
designates the glove by number, the
handler will turn in place to face the
glove, halting with the dog sitting in
heel position. The handler may not touch
the dog or reposition it. The handler
will give the dog the direction to
the designated glove with a single
motion of the left hand and arm along the
right side of the dog. Either
simultaneously with or immediately
following giving the direction, the
handler must give a verbal retrieve
command. The dog must then go directly
to the glove, completing the
exercise as in the Retrieve on Flat.
Handlers may bend
their bodies and knees as far as
necessary to give the direction to the
dogs but must then stand up in a
natural position with their arms at their
sides. The
judge will designate the same glove
number for each handler. For
each judging assignment, the judge
must alternate the number
of the glove used.
Directed
Retrieve, Scoring.
Anon-qualifying
(NQ) score is required for any
commands or signals to position the
dog after the handler turns to face
the glove, for a dog that does not go
directly to the designated glove, or
for a dog that does not retrieve the
correct glove. A handler who does not
give a verbal command to retrieve
simultaneously or immediately after
giving the direction to retrieve must
receive a non-qualifying (NQ) score. A substantial
deduction, depending on the extent of
the infraction, will be made for a
handler who does not turn in place or
does not face the designated glove.
The substantial deduction may include
a non-qualifying (NQ) score. All
applicable penalties listed under the
Novice Recall and the
Retrieve on Flat will apply.
Moving
Stand and Examination.
The
principal features of the exercise are
that the dog heel, stand and stay as
the handler moves away; accept the
examination without shyness or
resentment; and return to the handler on
command. Orders for the
exercise are: “Forward,” “Stand
your dog,” and “Call your dog to heel.” The handler will stand
with the dog sitting in heel position
at a point indicated by the
judge. The judge will ask, “Are you
ready?” and then will order “Forward.”
The handler will command or signal the
dog to heel. After the
handler has proceeded about 10 feet,
the judge will order “Stand your dog.”
Without pausing, the handler will
command and/or signal the dog to
stand and continue forward about 10 to
12 feet. The handler will then turn
either to the right or left to face
the dog, which must stand and stay in
position. The judge will approach the
dog from the front to examine
it as in dog show judging, except the
exam will not include the teeth,
testicles or
tail. When the judge orders
“Call your dog to heel,” the
handler will command and/or signal the dog
to return to the heel position. The
dog should return to heel
position in a brisk manner.
Moving
Stand and Examination, Scoring.
A
non-qualifying (NQ) score is required
for a dog that does any of the
following:
-
displays fear or
resentment;
-
moves from the place where
it was left;
-
sits
or lies down before it
is called;
-
growls or snaps;
-
repeatedly
whines or barks;
-
fails to heel,
stand, stay, or accept the judge’s
examination;
-
or
fails to return to the
handler.
Depending on the
circumstances, minor or substantial
deductions must be made for a dog
that moves its feet repeatedly while
remaining in place or for a dog
that returns to the handler as defined
in the Novice Recall but not to heel
position.
Depending on the
extent of hesitation, minor or
substantial deductions should be made for the
handler who hesitates or pauses while
giving the stand command and/or
signal. All appropriate penalties of
the Novice Heel Free, Stand for Examination
and Recall exercises will apply.
Directed
Jumping.
The
principal features of this exercise are that the dog goes
away from the handler to the opposite
end of the ring, stop, jump as
directed, and return as in the Novice
Recall. The orders are: “Send
your dog,” “Bar,” “High” and
“Finish.” The jumps will be
placed midway in the ring at right
angles to the longest sides of the
ring about 18 to 20 feet apart. The
judge must see that the jumps are set
at the required height for each dog,
as described in the Retrieve Over High
Jump. The handler will stand
in the approximate center of the ring
with the dog sitting in heel
position, about 20 feet from the jumps
and midway between them. Upon
order from the judge, the handler will
command and/or signal the dog
to go forward at a brisk trot or
gallop to a point about 20 feet past the
jumps in the approximate center of the
unobstructed end of the ring. When
the dog reaches this point, the
handler will give a command to sit. The
dog must stop and sit with its
attention on the handler, but it need
not sit squarely. The judge will order
either “Bar” or “High” for the
first jump, and the handler will command
and/or signal the dog to return to the
handler over the designated jump.
While the dog is in midair, the
handler may turn to face the dog as it
returns. The dog will sit in front of
the handler and, on order from the judge,
finish as in the Novice Recall. After
the dog has returned to heel
position, the judge will say, “Exercise
finished.” When the dog is set up for
the second half of this exercise, the
judge will ask, “Are you ready?”
before giving the order for the second
part of the exercise. The same procedure
will be followed for the second jump. It is optional which
jump the judge first indicates, but
both jumps must be included. The
judge must not designate the jump
until the dog has reached the far
end of the ring. The height of the
jumps and construction of the high
jump will be the same as required in
the Open classes. The bar jump will
consist of a bar between 2 and 21⁄2
inches
square with the edges rounded to
remove any sharpness. The bar
will be flat black and white in
alternate sections each about 3 inches wide.
The bar will have the weight of wood.
It will be supported by two
unconnected 4-foot upright posts about
5 feet apart and built
to be set at a height of 4 inches and must
be adjustable for each 2 inches of
height from 8 inches to 36 inches. The
jump must be built so that the bar
may be knocked off without affecting
the uprights.
Directed
Jumping, Scoring.
A
dog will receive a non-qualifying (NQ) score if it:
anticipates the handler’s command
and/or signal to go out;
fails to leave the handler; does not
go out between the jumps; does not stop
and remain at least 10 feet past the
jumps without an additional command;
anticipates
the handler’s command and/or signal to jump;
returns over the wrong jump; knocks
the bar off the uprights; or uses the
top of any jump for aid in going over.
Minor or substantial
deductions will be made for a dog that
does not stop on command, that
does not stop in the approximate
center of the ring about 20 feet
past the jumps, that does not sit, that
receives an additional command to sit after
the dog has stopped, or
that anticipates the handler’s command to
sit. Depending on the
extent of the violation, minor or
substantial deductions will be made for
slowness in going out, for touching
the jumps, or for any hesitation in
jumping. All applicable penalties of the
Novice Recall exercises will apply.
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