About Traditional Obedience Trials
The American Kennel Club offers the most obedience competitions throughout the United States. The obedience requirements mentioned in this chapter refer to AKC competition. (The United Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club also offer obedience competitions.)
At AKC obedience trials, there are three levels that you and your poodle can work through, each one more difficult than the last: novice, open, and utility.
What Is an Obedience Competition?
An obedience trial involves a prescribed set of exercises you put your dog through, with each level of competition involving different exercises. A judge scores your dog's performance, with a total possible score of 200. If your dog earns at least half of the possible score in each individual exercise, and if she has a cumulative score of 170 or higher (known as a qualifying score), she earns a “leg” toward a title in that level.
Once she gets three legs, she achieves the obedience title of that level of competition and is eligible to advance to the next level. At the novice level, the dog earns a Companion Dog (CD) title. At the open level, it's Companion Dog Excellent (CDX), and at the utility level, it's Utility Dog (UD).
Fact
Once you've achieved titles in all three AKC levels, you can work toward the Utility Dog Excellent (UDX) title, and then toward Obedience Trial Championship (OTCh), sometimes called a Ph.D. for dogs. The highest AKC obedience honor is National Obedience Champion (NOC), awarded to the winning dog at the National Obedience Invitational.
Obedience trials are often held in conjunction with conformation shows. If you're active with a local obedience school or club, you'll be able to find out about nearby trials and fun matches. Or you can check with the AKC for a schedule of competitions.
Any poodle can compete in AKC obedience competitions. If your poodle isn't AKC registered, you can apply for an indefinite listing privilege (ILP) number (by filling out an application and submitting a picture), which indicates that your dog has been recognized as a purebred poodle. Spayed and neutered dogs are eligible to compete.
Training for Obedience
Most communities have training classes for people interested in obedience competitions. The basic classes provide the groundwork in obedience, and these are recommended for all dogs, whether or not you're interested in competing. If you think you might enjoy competing in obedience with your poodle, you can sign up for novice classes and work your way up in classes as you train the skills for each level of competition. See Chapter 14 for more information about choosing the right class and trainer.
Essential
Nonconformation performance events don't adhere to the restrictions of the breed standard the way the conformation events do. So in obedience (as well as any other AKC event except conformation) any poodle hairstyle is welcome. Particolored poodles, phantoms, and poodles with unusual markings can compete as well.
