Utility Dog Obedience Training

To train for American Kennel Club (AKC) obedience completion you will have to do Utility Obedience Training for your dog. Training at the Utility Dog level requires lots of patience and great skill. The dogs that perform the exercises correctly and qualify under the judges are awarded the title Utility dog (UD).

Obedience Trials

The AKC in the United States holds hundreds of obedience trials each weekend. The highest level of training available in the utility class is included in the obedience competition classes offered by the AKC. At least a month prior to the trials dogs will enter obedience trials. The AKC website shows all of the event information, including a list of obedience trials designated by dates, and the states the event is available in.

Exercises

The dog gets directed via hand signals by various utility exercises. Some of these exercises include a moving stand for exam, a sent discrimination exercise, and a direct blind retrieve. No leash is used when performing the utility exercises.

Judging

Licensed AKC judges are used to judge the utility exercises according to the AKC Obedience Regulations. A certain number of awarded points are allowed for each individual exercise. Once the judging begins points are deducted from the judges score for each error a dog does during the individual exercise. There are judging guidelines that lists what points and errors are acceptable or not to cause the dog to fail an exercise. To obtain the Utility Dog title the dog needs to pass all exercises and qualify three times under three different judges.

Finding a Reputable Trainer

It is extremely important to find a trainer who can teach our dog the proper obedience and utility skills. In advanced training it is recommended to hire a trainer who has successfully showed their dogs in obedience trials or has a great history of doing so. The AKC website shows a list of clubs that offers these types of obedience classes.