Mondioring Obedience has a new modified program that I wrote for it in 2019.
It now includes jumps that are lower for all dogs under 22″ at the withers.
The obedience only title is open to ALL breeds and can be done with or without the jumps. The obedience only exercises would be very similar to the Open & Utility levels in AKC/UKC with a lot more “stuff” added. Jumps are much higher than the norm so most likely only ringsport type dogs would be interested in titling with the jump included. As an example, all dogs doing jump work at Level I, must be able to at least jump 3.2′ if they choose the hurdle. The ring set-ups and patterns are different at every trial so it is not possible to pattern train the dog. There is also a theme for every trial. Depending on the heeling pattern the entire ring is not always used for the obedience only title but the dog, handler, judge, deputy judge, and scribe are all out on the field with the competitor. Apprentice judges are also approved to judge for obedience only titles. Dogs and handlers must enter the field, at heel, without any leash or collar on and present themselves to the judge to begin the exercises. The fields are always fenced. The judge determines the heeling pattern for each level and all the exercises are shown to the handlers on the field prior to the start of the competition.
The obedience exercises include: Level I: Heeling without a leash; Absence of handler (1 minute for level 1); Go out, or as Mondioring calls it, the Send-away; Positions (dog must be able to stand, sit, and down in any order away from the handler), Food refusal; and Retrieve of a thrown object (judge’s choice).
Level II & III: All of the above exercises with the addition of Search for an Object. This is much like the articles in Utility except that it is done with what Mondioring calls “little woods.” It is a small wooden dowel about 6″ long and is scented by the handler and then put out with the other wooden dowels on the field for the retrieve. The dog is allowed to watch the dowel go out and down. Scoring is done by point deductions.
Dog and handler teams do not have to have at least 50% of each exercise to qualify and can achieve the title in one trial. There is a possible 55 points in Level I Obedience without the jump and 70 points with it. Level II Obedience has 85 points with additional points for jumps depending on which one the handler chooses (handlers must choose two jumps in level 2), and Level III has the same start points of 85 with additional jump points if they are chosen. All three of the jumps, if chosen, must be done in Level III. There are only three types of jumps. They are the Palisade, Hurdle, and Long Jump. The obedience exercises are never done in the same order at different trials but are always done in the same order at that particular trail. The order doesn’t change once the judge for that trial establishes it. The heeling pattern is determined by the judge and must contain two halts, a right turn, left turn and an about turn. It can be as long or as short as the judge desires. The three different levels progress in difficulty in all phases.
