The Royal Kennel Club has approved the following changes to the regulations for Obedience.
The following amendment to the regulation allows for dogs of 12 weeks and over to enter Obedience shows as Not for Competition.
Amendment to Regulation G1.c
Regulation G1.c
TO:
- Only dogs of six calendar months of age and over are eligible for competition at Kennel Club licensed obedience shows. However, show organisers may accept Not for Competition entries at their discretion. Dogs four months and over are eligible to enter Not For Competition. Dogs 12 weeks and over are eligible to enter Not for Competition.
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The below regulation amendment allows for caller and scribe stewards to work a dog on the same day that they are officiating.
Amendment to Regulation G30.g
Regulation G30.g
TO:
Judges should, whenever possible, provide their own caller stewards, but the show management shall provide any caller stewards if necessary. Caller and scribe stewards used by judges at the show must not work a dog on the same day, with the exception that with 6 scheduled classes or less, a caller and scribe stewards may compete in one class, other than the class in which they are officiating, provided that the class in which they are officiating has 20 25 entries or less. Caller and scribe stewards taking up this option will be exempt from any running order and may compete at a convenient time agreed by the judges concerned.
(Deletion struck through. Insertion in bold)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The following regulation amendment has been made to define how to win a class.
Definition of How to Win a Class
Amendment to Regulation G(A)6.
TO:
Progression may be on wins or progression points and the handler may select their preferred means of progression on a class by class basis.
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.
(Insertion in bold)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The following regulation amendment changes the eligibility for the Beginners class to ensure that experienced handlers could not enter but would allow those newly qualified out of Beginners to compete with new dogs in Beginners if they so wished. Guidance regarding this change can be found here: Already competing in obedience? | The Kennel Club
Amendment to Regulation G(1)11 and G32.c.(1)
Regulation G(A)11
TO:
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.
(Deletion struck through. Insertion in bold.)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
Regulation G32.c.(1)
TO:
On first appointment judges must satisfy the show committee that they:
(1) have won progressed out of Beginners at a licensed championship, premier or open obedience show as a handler.
(Deletion struck through. Insertion in bold.)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The following regulations relates to when an appeal may be permitted, and to provide further clarity when handler information may be required.
Regulation G40
TO:
Penalties
The Board shall have power to impose any of the following penalties upon any person for any breach of Kennel Club Regulations subject to a right of appeal, notice of intention of which must be lodged within 14 days from the date on which the decision is given and subject to the prescribed appeals process as shall be determined by the Board from time to time.
- Warn
- Censure/Reprimand
- Apology directive (Conduct Regulation or the Control of Dog Regulation)
- Fine
- Award disqualified
In addition, the Board may make the following directives; - A dog’s registration record may be marked ‘incident recorded’
- A dog’s registration record may be endorsed ‘not eligible for entry in any event held under Kennel Club Rules and Regulations, nor any unlicensed event recognised by the Kennel Club.’
The right of appeal against directives f) and g) listed above extends to an appeal on the finding of fact of a deliberate dog bite only, but does not extend to an appeal against those directives f) and g) in terms of cancellation or modification of such directives if there is a finding of fact of an intentional dog bite.
In the event of any fine not being paid, or non compliance with any apology directive issued within the time stipulated by the Board, then that person may, at the discretion of the Board, be dealt with as if a complaint under Kennel Club Rule A11 had been lodged and proved to the satisfaction of the Board.
For complaints of conduct whether at a licensed event or on social media, in addition to a warning issued - a short term fixed period of refusal of entry/attendance at Kennel Club licensed events may also be imposed in accordance with procedures to be published from time to time to implement this regulation.
(Insertion in bold)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
Regulation G23
TO:
The owner, exhibitor, handler or other person in charge of a dog at Kennel Club licensed events must at all times ensure that the dog is kept under proper control whilst at the licensed venue, including its environs, car and caravan parks and approaches. This Regulation applies before (at any time during the set up period at the venue), during the event and afterwards (at any time during the breakdown of the event). The mating of bitches within the precincts of the competition, as stipulated above, is forbidden
An exhibitor or competitor should ensure that contact details for any handler are available and must be provided upon request in any investigation of a breach of this regulation by such handler.
(Insertion in bold)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
Regulation G35.I
TO:
No person shall carry out punitive correction or harsh handling of a dog at any time within the precincts of the show whilst at the licensed venue, including its environs, car and caravan parks and approaches.
(Deletions struck through. Insertion in bold)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The following regulation amendment relating to how many dogs a judge could judge per hour was updated to bring the regulations in line with the current timing for Introductory and Pre-Beginners classes.
Amendment to Regulations G(C)1.f.(6) and (7)
Regulation G(C)1.f.(6) and (7)
TO:
(6) Pre- Beginners ……..18 12 dogs per hour
(7) Introductory ………..18 10 dogs per hour
(Insertion in bold. Deletion struck through)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The renaming of the Obedience discipline to ‘Competitive Obedience’ will be in effect from January 2025. There seemed to be a misconception of the distinction between obedience and basic dog training, it is hoped that renaming the discipline will provide clarity.
