Swedish Obedience

Obedience in Sweden

Marc Elmlund

There are four different levels- Class 1 - Class 2 - Class 3 and finally Class Elite. After you qualify in one level you're allowed to move on to the next. If you qualify three times in a class you get a title. The titles are - LP I - LP II - LP III and finally LP Elite or SLCH.

SLCH is a Swedish Obedience Champion and this title is only given to pure breed dogs who has been to a conform show and there have been proved to meet the breedstandard, have good or excellent hips and has qualified three times in the Elite class. Border Collies must also have a Herding title.

Our scoring system is based on coefficients which means that for each exercise the score you get you then multiply with a certain coefficient in order to get the actual score for that exercise. The scores for each exercise are 0 - 5- 5,5 - 6 - 6,5 - 7 - 7,5 - 8 - 8,5 - 9 -9,5 - 10. This means that it's very hard to get high scores since each point you lose is multiplied with some coefficient. It's rather unusual that anyone scores over 190 points and I have never seen anyone score over 195 in the lower classes. Personally I'm very proud over the fact that I have a couple of 194 scores. Maximum points in Class 1 and 2 are 200 and in 3 and Elite 320.

There are three officials in the ring when you're competing. The Head steward is the one who leads the trial and gives all the instructions to the competitor as well as issues the commands. Then you have the judge and his only task is to give scores. Finally you have a person who fills in the scores and the comments on the score sheet.

The whole attitude are more relaxed than it seems to be in the US. For example no one cares if and how much you train outside the ring. If you want to warm up for a half hour it's up to you. With any exercise you want. No one cares if you have food in your pockets since you're not allowed to use it anyway. You can have any kind of clothing. With or without printing Commercials, kennel names, slogans all is allowed. No one cares what kind of collar your dog has got. If you want to have a metal choke with blinking lamps on it, fine. Many people trials without any collar at all. (However prong collar is illegal but then no one EVER uses a prong collar. I have yet to see one. I know there's a mail order company down on the west coast who sells them but like I said, I haven't seen one in real life.)

You don't need (or is allowed to have) any equipment of your own. No db's, no articles, no nothing. Well a leash might be good in Class 1 ;-)

Here are the exercises for each class.

(The x stands for the score you get. Max 10 points)

Level I
Long Down (2 min) 3x dogs 15 feet apart, handlers 60 feet away facing the dogs
Teeth Examination 1x no one cares about the teeth really, it's more a test that the dog isn't aggressive.
Heel On Leash 2x turn and halts in every direction, fast and normal pace
Heel Off Leash 4x turn and halts in every direction, fast and normal pace
Down During Heel Off Leash 2x handler walks 30 feet away then returns
Recall 2x (from 45 feet)
Stand During Heel Off Leash 3x handler walks 30 feet away then returns
High Jump With Heel O.L. 2x
General Impression 1x
Maximum Total Score 200 pts

Level II
Long Down (3 minutes) 4x (dogs 15 feet apart, handlers out of sight)
Heel Off Leash 3x (turn and halts in every direction, fast and normal pace)
Down During Heel Off Leash 1x (handler walks 30 feet away then returns)
Stand On Recall 3x (handler 100 feet away recalls the dog, when the dog is halfway it's commanded to stand and then recalled again.)
Stand During Heel Off Leash 2x (handler walks 30 feet away then returns)
Retrieve 2x (wood db)
Signal Exercise 2x (sit/down on signals, 4 shifts, handler at 15 feet)
High Jump 2x (dog jumps, sits on other side and jumps back)
General Impression 1x
Maximum Total Score 200 pts

Level III
Long Down (6 minutes) 4x dogs 15 feet apart, handlers out of sight
Heel Off Leash 3x urn and halts in every direction, fast, normal and slow pace, sideways heeling and backward heeling.
Down During Heel Off Leash 2x handler downs the dog and then runs away 30 feet
Stand and Drop On Recall 4x handler 100 feet away recalls the dog, when the dog is one third of the way it's commanded to stand. Then it's recalled again and when the dog has gotten two thirds of the distance it's commanded to down and then finally recalled one more time
Go out with Down and Recall 4x the dog is sent toward a "box" marked with 4 cones and then commanded to down inside the box. The handler then walks toward the dog, turns to the right 6 feet from the dog then turns right again. The dog is then recalled (the handler is facing away from the dog) and finally when the dog is at handlers left side the exercise is ended with an about turn.
Retrieve Over High Jump 3x
Retrieve 2x metal db
Scent Discrimination 4x five identical 4" long wood pieces, one scented)
Signal Exercise 5x sit/down/stand, 6 shifts, handler at 45 feet)
General Impression 1x
Maximum Total Score 320 pts

Elite Level
Long Sit (2 min) 3x dogs 9 feet apart, handler out of sight
Long Down with Disturbance 2x dogs 15 feet apart, 4 min, steward weaves between dogs
Heel Off Leash 3x turn and halts in every direction, fast, normal and slow pace, sideways heeling and backward heeling, turns during fast and slow
Stand/Sit/Down During HOL 3x handler walks around a 30 feet x 30 feet "box" marked with cones, the dog is first commanded to stand on the first side and the handler continues to walk around, when handler passes the dog it's commended to heal and then the whole thing is repeated two more time but with sit and down instead.
Stand and Drop on Recall 4x handler 100 feet away recalls the dog, when the dog is one third of the way it's commanded to stand. Then it's recalled again and when the dog has gotten two thirds of the distance it's commanded to down and then finally recalled one more time
Go-Out with Down and Recall 4x the dog is first sent toward a cone 30 feet in front of you, then it's commanded to stand, the dog is then sent toward a "box" marked with 4 cones 30 feet on the right or left and then commanded to down inside the box. The handler then walks toward the dog, turns to the right 6 feet from the dog then turns right again. The dog is then recalled (the handler is facing away from the dog) and finally when the dog is at handlers left side the exercise is ended with an about turn.
Directed retrieve 3x the dog is first sent toward a cone 30 feet in front of you, then it's commanded to retrieve the right or left db (it's determined by a coin toss) There are three wood db's 30 feet from the cone. One on the left, one in the middle and one on the right.
Retrieve over High Jump 3x metal object
Scent Discrimination 3x five identical 4" long wood pieces, one scented with handlers scent the others scented with head stewards scent
Signal Exercise 4x sit/down/stand, 6 shifts, handler at 45 feet
Maximum Total Score 320 pts

Level I
Long Down (2 min)	3x	dogs 15 feet apart, handlers 60 feet away facing the dogs
Teeth Examination	1x	no one cares about the teeth really, it's more a test that the dog isn't aggressive.
Heel On Leash	2x	turn and halts in every direction, fast and normal pace
Heel Off Leash	4x	turn and halts in every direction, fast and normal pace
Down During Heel Off Leash	2x	handler walks 30 feet away then returns
Recall	2x	(from 45 feet)
Stand During Heel Off Leash	3x	handler walks 30 feet away then returns
High Jump With Heel O.L.	2x
General Impression	1x
Maximum Total Score	200 pts

Level II
Long Down (3 minutes)	4x	(dogs 15 feet apart, handlers out of sight)
Heel Off Leash	3x	(turn and halts in every direction, fast and normal pace)
Down During Heel Off Leash	1x	(handler walks 30 feet away then returns)
Stand On Recall	3x	(handler 100 feet away recalls the dog, when the dog is halfway it's commanded to stand and then recalled again.)
Stand During Heel Off Leash	2x	(handler walks 30 feet away then returns)
Retrieve	2x	(wood db)
Signal Exercise	2x	(sit/down on signals, 4 shifts, handler at 15 feet)
High Jump	2x	(dog jumps, sits on other side and jumps back)
General Impression	1x
Maximum Total Score	200 pts

Level III
Long Down (6 minutes)	4x	dogs 15 feet apart, handlers out of sight
Heel Off Leash	3x	urn and halts in every direction, fast, normal and slow pace, sideways heeling and backward heeling.
Down During Heel Off Leash	2x	handler downs the dog and then runs away 30 feet
Stand and Drop On Recall	4x	handler 100 feet away recalls the dog, when the dog is one third of the way it's commanded to stand. Then it's recalled again and when the dog has gotten two thirds of the distance it's commanded to down and then finally recalled one more time
Go out with Down and Recall	4x	the dog is sent toward a "box" marked with 4 cones and then commanded to down inside the box. The handler then walks toward the dog, turns to the right 6 feet from the dog then turns right again. The dog is then recalled (the handler is facing away from the dog) and finally when the dog is at handlers left side the exercise is ended with an about turn.
Retrieve Over High Jump	3x
Retrieve	2x	metal db
Scent Discrimination	4x	five identical 4" long wood pieces, one scented)
Signal Exercise	5x	sit/down/stand, 6 shifts, handler at 45 feet)
General Impression	1x
Maximum Total Score	320 pts

Elite Level
Long Sit (2 min)	3x	dogs 9 feet apart, handler out of sight
Long Down with Disturbance	2x	dogs 15 feet apart, 4 min, steward weaves between dogs
Heel Off Leash	3x	turn and halts in every direction, fast, normal and slow pace, sideways heeling and backward heeling, turns during fast and slow
Stand/Sit/Down During HOL	3x	handler walks around a 30 feet x 30 feet "box" marked with cones, the dog is first commanded to stand on the first side and the handler continues to walk around, when handler passes the dog it's commended to heal and then the whole thing is repeated two more time but with sit and down instead.
Stand and Drop on Recall	4x	handler 100 feet away recalls the dog, when the dog is one third of the way it's commanded to stand. Then it's recalled again and when the dog has gotten two thirds of the distance it's commanded to down and then finally recalled one more time
Go-Out with Down and Recall	4x	the dog is first sent toward a cone 30 feet in front of you, then it's commanded to stand, the dog is then sent toward a "box" marked with 4 cones 30 feet on the right or left and then commanded to down inside the box. The handler then walks toward the dog, turns to the right 6 feet from the dog then turns right again. The dog is then recalled (the handler is facing away from the dog) and finally when the dog is at handlers left side the exercise is ended with an about turn.
Directed retrieve	3x	the dog is first sent toward a cone 30 feet in front of you, then it's commanded to retrieve the right or left db (it's determined by a coin toss) There are three wood db's 30 feet from the cone. One on the left, one in the middle and one on the right.
Retrieve over High Jump	3x	metal object
Scent Discrimination	3x	five identical 4" long wood pieces, one scented with handlers scent the others scented with head stewards scent
Signal Exercise	4x	sit/down/stand, 6 shifts, handler at 45 feet
Maximum Total Score	320 pts