New to competitive obedience?

Competitive obedience publicly showcases the training you and your dog have achieved through a set of obedience tests. General training classes will teach you the basics and then if you decide you want to progress in this discipline your dog could even end up doing such advanced exercises as scent discrimination.

There are seven levels of competitive obedience classes at shows and dogs start in the basic introductory class. By gaining a series of 1st prizes, dogs qualify through to class C, the highest and most difficult. Exercises range from heelwork (on and off the lead), to a scent discrimination exercise. There are numerous obedience shows held in the UK.

A class will be won by the dog that has lost the least number of points in the test, unless otherwise stated for special classes.  

• Your dog must be registered on The Kennel Club's Breed Register or Activity Register
• Competitors taking part in any Kennel Club licensed event must familiarise themselves with The Kennel Club's rules and regulations beforehand
• You can purchase the Obedience Regulations booklet from our online shop, or you can download the pdf version
• Dogs can start competing at 6 months of age
• No previous experience is necessary - get started with Find a Club

Preparing your dog to compete successfully will take a little longer than the formal requirements. It is essential that your dog is fully socialised and that you have effective control at all times, especially as your dog will be competing off lead. Taking guidance from a specialist at a training club is the best way to identify when your dog is ready to start training.

Plenty of regular practice is essential preparation for competitive obedience competitions. There are a number of training clubs across the country, many of which can be located via Find a Club.

It is not advised that blind dogs compete in Kennel Club activities as it is not in their best interests. This specifically relates to dogs that have no sight whatsoever and does not apply to dogs with partial vision. Owners are reminded to consider the welfare of their dogs at all times.

Competitive obedience clubs can hold a range of different shows depending on what licence they hold. The options are championship, premier, open, limited and matches. You will need to check with each show as to what status they are.

Introductory

This class is to introduce and support newcomers to competitive obedience competition. In this class, only incentives in the form of a toy or rewards are allowed to be carried by the handler in the competition ring and may be given to the dog at the end of an exercise or in between exercises. Rewards including food must be carried in a small, closed container during the exercises. The judge will designate an area in the competitive ring where food may be given to the dog by the handler. To compete in the introductory class a handler or dog must not have won one introductory class or have achieved a 4th place or above in pre-beginners or in any other class.

Pre-beginners 

To compete in pre-beginners, a handler or dog must not have won two first places in either pre-beginners or beginners or gained a third place or above in any other obedience class (introductory class excepted) and have not elected to progress on points from pre-beginners.

Beginner

To compete in beginners a handler or dog must not have won a total of two or more first places in beginners class or one first place in any other obedience class (Introductory class and pre-beginners excepted) and have not elected to progress on points from beginners; plus, the handler must not have won a first place in any other Obedience class (Introductory class, Pre-Beginners and Beginners excepted) and have not elected to progress on points from Novice.  

Handlers that have previously entered Novice as their lowest available class before 31 December 2024 may elect to continue to treat Novice as their lowest available class. Once they have elected to do so they will not be eligible for Beginners thereafter.  

Novice 

For dogs that have not won two first places in competitive obedience classes (Introductory class, pre-beginners and beginners excepted) and where the handler has not elected to progress on points from Novice.

Class A 

For dogs that have not won three first prizes in class A, B and Open class C in total and where the handler has not elected to progress on points from class A.

Class B 

For dogs which have not won 3 first prizes in class B and Open class C in total and where the handler.

Class C 

• For championship class C at championship shows - dogs must have won out of novice, class A and class B, or have progressed on points from those classes, and have won open class C on one occasion and have been placed not lower than third on three further occasions; all open class C places and wins must have been won under different judges at Kennel Club licensed shows
• Class C for open shows, premier shows and open C classes held at championship shows - open to all dogs
• Limited shows - open to all dogs except Obedience Certificate winners and dogs which have obtained any award that counts towards the title of Obedience Champion, or the equivalent thereof, under the rules of any governing body recognised by The Kennel Club

Multi-choice class

Open to all dogs and handlers. Awards to be given to dogs competing in three award categories:

• Pre-beginners and beginners
• Novice and class A  
• Class B and class C

Competitive obedience competitors work at different levels/classes depending on their own and their dog's experience and previous success. Although each class increases in difficulty, the types of the exercises remain similar for the different levels.

The different exercises which each dog and handler team are expected to do are listed below:

Heelwork

Each judge will design a pattern of heelwork that each dog and handler in the class will complete. The complexity and content is dependent upon the class being judged. It is quite simple and straightforward for the beginner and novice classes, straight lines with right left and right about turns. Class B introduces changes of pace, slow and fast. Class C heelwork can involve circles, weaves and multiple turning manoeuvres.

Recall

In beginner and novice, this is a recall to sit in front of the handler. The dog must wait while the handler walks away, turns and calls the dog to sit neatly in front and then go to heel. In class A it is a recall to heel. The handler walks away and then calls the dog while continuing to walk forwards. The dog must catch up and walk to heel with the handler as in heelwork until told to stop.

Retrieve

In all classes the dog sits at the handler's side while an article is thrown. It is then sent to retrieve it, return smartly to sit in front, give up the article and then go to heel. Beginner dogs can retrieve whatever their handler provides, in novice and class A it is a dumbbell, in class B and C the judge will provide a similar article for each dog. The stipulations are that no item can be food; it must be clearly visible and capable of being picked up by each dog.

Sendaway

The dog is sent to a designated place within the ring, it must drop to the down, smartly, on command from the handler. The dog must then wait until called to heel. The sendaway area is usually set out by markers and the judge will stipulate where the dog must land within this section. During its career a dog will be expected to cope with a variety of sendaway areas. This test is quite difficult to teach well as it requires the dog to understand but not anticipate the various needs of the test.

Scent discrimination

Dogs naturally have a far superior sense of smell to humans. The scent discrimination test is first introduced in class A where the dog must find a cloth with the handler's scent on it from a line of five other blank (non-scented) cloths. In class B up to 10 cloths can be set out in any pattern but this time one has a decoy scent on it. In class C the dog must locate the cloth with the judge's scent on it. Multiple decoy cloths may be used at this level.

Distant control

Distant control is only found in class C. The dog is left in a sit, stand or down position while the handler walks away to a distance of between 10 and 20 paces. The dog is then given a combination of six positions including sit, stand and down. The dog must not move more than its body length, in any direction, during this exercise.