Other Activities

Obedience & Rally

Competitive Obedience and Whippets! Not words that most whippet folk would put together but with a lot of patience and fun not impossible to achieve.
Competitive Obedience is a dog sport that assesses a dog's ability to perform exercises with precision and obedience. It's also a great way to make new friends and enjoy a good day out.
There is the opportunity to progress through the levels from Introductory to Championship level.
At the entry level Introductory class incentives in the form of a toy or rewards are allowed to be given to the dog after each exercise. A great starting point. By gaining a series of wins or points, dogs qualify through the classes to class C, which is the highest and most difficult. Exercises include heelwork (on and off lead), recall, retrieve, scent discrimination, sendaway, and distance control.
A good class for those starting out and who have obtained the Good Citizen Bronze award is the KCGCDS Special Pre Beginners Stakes, which is a combination of Good Citizen and Pre Beginner exercises. There is the opportunity to qualify for the Grand Final at Crufts each year. And yes it is a possibility as Whippets have qualified in the past.
There is also an Inter Regional Obedience competition at Crufts. Try outs are held for each level and those lucky enough to be selected enjoy a fabulous day out competing on the famous green carpet in the special atmosphere of the Crufts Obedience arena. Again a Whippet has been selected twice and represented the breed by being a member of the South and South West team.

Obreedience encourages different breeds to have a go at Obedience. It is a team event and showcases the talents of each breed. Each team comprises of four handlers and dogs of the same breed. There is one round of team heelwork and four individual set exercises. There are heats during the year and qualifying teams reach the final at Crufts. A wide variety of breeds are to be found competing in Obreedience. Indeed Whippet obreedience teams have competed at Crufts in the past. Hopefully we will see a team of Whippets again in the near future.
The great thing about Obedience is it doesn't matter what age you are and you don't need any expensive equipment. A dumbbell, toys and plenty of treats are the essentials.
Training a Whippet needs a lot of patience. As a breed it is not a natural instinct for them to listen and watch for commands. It works well with whippets to train for short periods at a time to avoid them switching off. They are happy to complete an exercise a couple of times but then need to focus on something different. Most of all enjoy your training and treasure each achievement however small.
A lot of satisfaction comes from training a Whippet and the partnership you build together bonds you in an incredible way.
Have a go and most of all have fun!


Rally


Rally Obedience involves you and your dog working as a team to navigate a course of numbered signs that indicate different exercises to perform.
Levels range from 1-6. At Level 1 and 2 dogs compete on lead and the exercises at this level are basic entry level and easily obtainable.
Competitors start each round with a perfect score and deductions are made for inaccuracies and mistakes. Progression to the next level is based on reaching a qualifying standard.
A great variety of breeds are to be found competing at Rally and the variety of exercises help keep whippets interested and amused.
There is an Inter Regional Rally competition at Crufts each year. Something to aim for!

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Kindly Written by Bex Ford.