General regulations

The trial judge or his designee determines the course and suitability of each track at the available tracking fields. the track must be designed different. For example it may not by that the corners and dropped articles in each teach are identical. The starting point of the track must be marked well by a sign or marker stuck in the ground on the left side of the starting point.

The sequence of the participants is drawn by the judgr after the trackers are laid The tracklayer has to show the articles to the judge or someone answerable to him, before the start of the track. Only well “aged” scent articles left fir at least 30 minutes on the track may be used. The track layer lingers briefly on the starting point and then goes with normal steps in the direction designed by the judge. the corners steps in the direction designed by the judge. The corners are also made at normal pace. The first article is dropped after at least 100 steps on the 1st or 2nd leg, at the judge’s direction. The second object is dropped at the end of the track. The articles must be placed while moving. After dropping the last article, the tracklayer must continue walking some steps in the same direction. Different articles must be used, made of leather, textile, or wood (any two of these).The article length must be a maximum of approximately 10cm (about 4 inches) with a width of 2-3 cm (a little over an inch) and a thickness of 0.5-1 cm (less than half an inch). They may not stand out in color much from the terrain on which they are dropped. All articles are to be visibly numbered, so that the numbers on the articles agree with the numbers that the judge and trial manager have. During the laying of the track, the dog must be out of sight.

The judge and assistants or companions may not interfere with the work of the dogs in the area in which the team (handler and dog) is searching.

A)Voice Command

Example of a comand to begin searching : Such (pronouncrd almost like”sook”.)

The command to “search” is permitted at the start of the tracvk and after the first article.

b)Performance of the Exercise

The handler brings his dog to the track. The dopg may search freely, or on a 1-meter long line. The 10-m tracking lead can lie over the back, at the side, cetween the front and/or hind legs.it can either be directly fastened to the “ dead ring “ of the approved collar or to a harness (allowed is a chest harness or a Bottger harness, without additional straps.

After being summoned for their test, the dog handler report wirh his dog to the judge near or at the articles or indiciate their position. Before the track, during the search, and throughout the total exercise, there must not be any psychological pressure given to the dog. On instruction of the judge,the handler leads the dog slowly and steadily tio the starting point and tells the dog tio search. The dog must right away take the scent intensively, steadily and with a deep nose. The dog must continue tyhen with deep nose, in a constant, steady tempo, intensly following the course. The handler follows his dog at the 10-meter distance,whether at the end of the tracking lead or doing a free search(withoutb lead or line). The tracking lead may sag, as long as it is not dropped by the handler. The dog must work out the corners surely. After the corner, the dog has found an article, it must immediately pick it up or convingly indicate its location without influence from the handler. The dog may remain standing when picking it up, sit, or come to the handler. Going on with the artic;le, or picking it up while lying down, are faculty. The indictations can be accomplished by lying, sitting or standing (or any combination of these). If the dog has indicated or piocked up the article, the handler drops the tracking lead and proceeds to his dog. By lifting of the articles, he shows that the dog has found them. After this, the handler picks up the tracking lead again and continues the track with his dog. After performance of the track, the handler is to show recovered articles to the judge.

C) Evaluation /Scroling

The speed of search is not a criterion in the performance appraisal, as long as the track work is intense, steady, and convicting, with the dog showing a positive search attitude. Exuberance (without leaving the track) is not faulty. Inattentiveness, high nose, voiding (urinating or defecating), circling atb the corners, constand encouragement, uising the line or verbal assistance during the track or at the articles is faulty, as is incorrect picking up or indicating of the articles: points are deducted accordingly. If the dog leaves the track more than the length of a tracking lead, the track is halted; the exercise is over. If the dog leaves the track and is held back from doing so by the handler, the judge will order the handler to follow the dog. If this order is not followed, the tracking is to be halted by the judge. If the end of the track is not reached within 15 minutes after arriving at the starting point, the tracking is halted by the judge. The performance up to that discontinuance is rated.

It a dog both indicates and picks up articles on the track, this is faulty. Only the scent articles that were exhibited and approved at the beginning are allowed. Indication faults are recorded in connection with the evaluation/ scoring of the respective legs.

No Points will be awarded if articles are neither indicated nor picked up.

The distribution or allotment of points for holding to the track on each leg will be made according to length and degrees of difficulty.

Evaluation of the respective legs is made by the judge after consulting his notes and adding the points. If the dog does not actively search (if it dwells in place for too long without searching for the track), the exercise can also be stopped then, even if the dog is still on the track course.

IPO/SchH/VPG 2, Phase “B” OBEDIENC

General Regulations

The judge gives the order for the beginning of an exercise. Everything following, such as turns, stopping, changes of pace, etc.

Are executed without further order.

The voice commands are established in the rules (see Sch H/VPG-1 rules). Orders to the dog are spoken in a normal voice, and are short, single- word commands. They can be given in any language; however for each activity they always must be the same. If, after the third command, a dog does not execute an exercise or a part of an exercise, the respective exercise is to be stopped without a score for that part. For the recall, the name of the dog can be used in lieu of the action command, but not both. The name of the dog together with any voice command is considered as double voice commands.

In the starting position (“Basic position) for heeling, the dog sits close and straight at the left side of the handler so that the shoulder of the dog is close to the knee of the handler. Each exercise begins and ends with the basic position. Setting up the basic position is allowed only once at the beginning of any exercise. A short praise is allowed after each finished exercise, but only in the basic position. After that, the handler can take a new starting place and, for the dog, a new basic position. A clear time interval (approximately 3 seconds) must be observed, in any case, between praise and a new beginning.

From the basic position, the so- called “development” is worked out. The team must take at least 10, and at most 15, steps before a voice command is given for the performance of any difference part of an exercise. Between the parts of an exercise. Between the parts of an exercise and at its conclusion, clear pauses (approximately 3 seconds) are to be observed before the delivery of a subsequent command. This includes the pauses before and after taking up a new basic heel position, as well as when returning to the dog that is sitting, standing, or lying at a distance. When picking up the dog, the handler can step in front of, or go around behind, his dog to the basic position.

The off-lead heeling is to be maintained while moving between exercises or their parts. The dog must also accompany the handler when getting the dumbbell for the retrieve. A loose grip or playing with the dumbbell is not allowed.

The about-face is to be executed by the handler pivoting to the left. During the about-face, the dog can either finish (go to heel) behind the handler or cross in front, the execution of which must be the same every time.

When commanded to heel, the dog can either go around behind the handler or turn in front to get to the basic position. This “finish” must be in the same style each time.

The solid 1-meter hurdle [no soft or brush top] has a height of 100com and a width of 150 cm. The incline wall is composed of two climbing walls of 150 cm width and 191 cm length, joined at the top. These two walls stand on the ground with the bottoms set apart so that the vertical height of the A-frame is 180 cm. The whole surface of the incline wall must be furnished with a skid-proof covering. There are 3 horizontal climbing ledges on each side, approximately 24/48 mm (1x2 inches) in cross-section. All dogs in any competition must climb the same or equal obstacles.