Competition Obedience Training

“Obedience Brittany” isn’t necessarily an oxymoron. There are many Brittanys competing successfully in obedience and many Brittany lovers having the time of their life competing in Obedience trials with their Brits.

So, what is it that makes obedience so special? First, it is dog and human teamwork, an activity where the relationship between you and your Brittany can develop to the fullest extent. Higher scores depend on how well you and your buddy know each other and how well you cooperate to become a real team. That relationship is a joy to both you and your Brittany and it only grows with continued training. Even if you don’t plan to compete in obedience trials, the training itself is rewarding and sensible. Almost all obedience exercises have some practical application in the real world.

It’s easy to get started. It requires very little equipment – just a collar and leash to begin with—and it is not expensive to learn. You can participate in obedience regardless of your physical condition, your geographic location, or your level of expertise. Obedience training builds upon itself in steps, so you will start at a basic level then progress upward as you and your dog become ready.

Obedience Trials are considered a sport. As such, participants should always remember and practice principles of good sportsmanship--both inside and outside the ring. These trials demonstrate the importance of purebred dogs as companions of man. All entrants in a given class must perform the same exercises in essentially the same way and are scored accordingly. The overall aim of obedience training, however, is to turn out dogs that will behave well at home, in public places, and around other dogs and people.

The Obedience titles that can be earned are C.D., C.D.X., U.D., U.D.X., and O.T.Ch. You must earn three legs (qualify three times) under three different judges to earn each title.

Qualifying with a score of 195 or higher in the first three attempts qualifies dog and handler for a Dog World Award. In addition to earning a Dog World Award for each Obedience title, you may also qualify to earn a Dog World.Award for completing all three titles in one year. The C.D., C.D.X., U.D., and U.D.X. titles follow the dog's registered name and in each case, the higher title will take the place of the preceding title in all official AKC records.

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