Working Trials is split
into stakes: the first 2 being CD and UD and from these it is possible to qualify a
'small' dog as there are height allowances in the Agility section. To qualify you
have to score 80% or higher and what is nice is that you aren't in competition with anyone
else - if you achieve the marks you qualify.
After qualifying your dog this then entitles you to add letters after your dog's name, i.e.: CDex, UDex.
CD is split into various exercises:-
Agility
- Long Jump - 6' long (9' for standard dogs)
- High Jump - 2' height (3' for standard dogs)
- Scale - 4' high (6' for standard dogs)
Control
- Heelwork on lead
- Heelwork off lead
- Recall
- Sendaway (minimum of 30 yards)
The heelwork is very different to obedience in that you are not looking for a dog's head glued to your knee, the dog should walk naturally, close to your left leg. The recall is from any distance. The sendaway is where you send you dog away, hopefully in a straight line, normally to a marker such as a marker in a hedge or a telegraph pole.
Nosework
- Search-Square - 3 items to be found in a 15 yard square
- Retrieve with a dumbbell
The search square is set up and the items hidden before you arrive, so only the steward/judge knows where they are. Your dog should go into the square, find the items and return them to the handler. There items are normally about 1-2" in size. The square can be on any surface such as grass or stubble.
Stays
- Sit Stay - 2 minutes, out of sight
- Down Stay - 10 minutes, out of sight.
Both stays are done out of sight, the dog should remain in the position until the steward ends the exercise, any movement is penalised.
Tracking
The UD stake includes steadiness to gunfire and a track from which the dog needs to follow a 1/2 hour old track set by a tracklayer and find 2 articles. As the stakes get higher the tracks get longer and older.
The trial was held in Wisbech about 1998 so we had only a 10 minute car
journey, having an 'alternative' breed can be both a good and a bad thing as you do seem
to get noticed but have difficulty blending into the background.
We started with the search square from which Tammy found all 3 items but only decided to return 1 of them ( a 1" piece of garden hose) she'd done very well though as these tiny items were hidden in a stubble field. Second was the retrieve - no problems here, next the heelwork exercises which was in 6" long lush grass, no problems here except Tammy doing occasional cud chewing.
Then onto the Agility section, no problems with the clear and scale but the long jump at 6' proved a little too much as she hit the last section. The stays next: again, she stayed glued to the spot.
The temperature was in the 80's so after the stays she'd really had enough when they discovered they'd forgotten the recall. So one last exercise, this was not going to be a case of 'saving the best till last'.
She decided she wasn't going to wait in the sit but lay with her legs outstretched behind her, then when I was given the command to walk away from her, turn and call her, she came halfway, dropped flat to the floor and rolled on her back chewing grass!
We didn't qualify but had a lovely day, we are planning other trials so fingers crossed, Competitive trials are not for everybody but I have found that my Stafford's love using their noses, try hiding you dog's favourite toy in a room - you'll be amazed at how much they love it and with another baby (Araidh Kiss of Life) in the wings who knows....
Since writing this Tammy and I have attended another trial at which we had a good day, even with not practising the scale for nearly 6 months she completed the Agility section very well even managing the 6' long jump this time, Tammy scored 18 out of the possible 20 marks on the Agility section.
Heelwork was lovely (even with stopping for a wee!) the recall which is a really easy exercise was again marred by an enthusiastic young lady instead of finishing the exercise sitting neatly by my left leg, decided to pop her head between my legs and during the retrieve we decided to go fetch the dumb-bell via the judge (for a cuddle!).