# question about optional titling classes???



## roxanness (May 29, 2009)

No, you do not need to do the classes in order. As far as I know, you can enter Versatility at any time you feel your dog is ready as it is "open to all dogs".


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

thanks! I was hoping we wouldn't have to back up thru all the other levels !


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## Titan1 (Jan 19, 2010)

hotel4dogs said:


> I looked in the rule book but couldn't find the answer (although I'm sure it's there), so I thought I'd ask the obedience gurus on the forum  .
> Do you have to do the optional titling classes in order? Specifically, I'd like to, at some point, enter Tito in Versatility, do I need to do beginner novice, graduate novice, graduate open in order first? It would seem a bit silly to put a UDX dog in BN....
> Thanks


LOL.. I sure hope not because Titan is showing in Versatility next weekend..
I did check and I am safe!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

OMG, I'd die laughing to see Titie Pants in beginner novice, LOLOL.
Next question....is there an easy way to find out which shows offer Versatility???


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## Titan1 (Jan 19, 2010)

hotel4dogs said:


> OMG, I'd die laughing to see Titie Pants in beginner novice, LOLOL.
> Next question....is there an easy way to find out which shows offer Versatility???


That would be pretty funny.. Not sure what he would think of sitting while I walk all around the ring. After I signed up the the show I figured I better read up on what all is in there.. :doh: I have not done a stand for exam in 6 years! So guess what we have been practicing..

They show in the premiums and I am not sure if you can search AKc for that yet.


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## Stretchdrive (Mar 12, 2011)

My son will be showing one of my dogs in Beginner Novice eventually. The thing I do not like though is that after he titles the dog(Rivet), he will be forced out of the class. I wish they had more for juniors in AKC! I hate to think of him being forced from easy stuff like Beginner Novice, and Grad Novice, straight into Open B! The Beginner Novice classes that I have seen at most shows is terrible, to the point of making me want to puke!! Dogs having no idea how to heel, and handlers adjusting their pace, and popping the dogs, and then getting a 197:gotme:

I am excited to do versatility though!! Will probably do it this spring.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Stretchdrive said:


> The Beginner Novice classes that I have seen at most shows is terrible, to the point of making me want to puke!! Dogs having no idea how to heel, and handlers adjusting their pace, and popping the dogs, and then getting a 197:gotme:


That's actually what I've seen with the rally novice classes and even advanced and excellent (hopefully will go away with the 2012 rule changes). I think I mentioned how stunned I felt that our first rally trial when we went through the course and made a lot of errors because of my guy being thrown off by a high pitched electric drone from the speakers... and we still got a semi decent score and placed.  

Beginner Novice though... I haven't seen anything that bad. The ones I've seen actually look better trained (handler and dog) than some novice A classes I've watched. I mean the dogs are on leash, but... I actually feel hopeful for obedience watching some BN classes. Or maybe I'm being optimistic.  

And I semi thought that the judges are a bit fiercer than with novice as far as taking points off for every forge, leash tightening, lag, "wide" heeling... because there are fewer exercises they are judging on? So they have a magnifying glass on and feel free to really pick-pick-pick points off? 

Like when we did novice B three times last year, checking out our score sheets - we got two 198 scores and one 196 score (which is when I actually did a correction in the ring because Jacks was grabbing my clothes during the f8). Of course we nq'd on the stays, but still we did twice as much heeling in novice as we did in BN, twice as many exercises... but we lost fewer points in regular novice than we did in BN. <- And I don't really think we heeled any differently in BN than we did in novice last year. Heeling has always been our strongest exercise... even with BN and that fangled mile long leash they force us to use.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Susan, do you have any UKC clubs near you? They offer similar obedience, but are much more Jr. friendly!


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## Stretchdrive (Mar 12, 2011)

hotel4dogs said:


> Susan, do you have any UKC clubs near you? They offer similar obedience, but are much more Jr. friendly!


There are some up in the Twin Cities 60 miles north of here. I have actually been holding off titling Rivet in UKC Novice, so Clayton can actually do Sub Novice, and title him in Novice. Clayton did Sub Junior showmanship a couple years ago in UKC. He liked it, even though Rivet was kinda naughty(Rivet is a squirrly boy!). I was also thinking Clayton could do altered breed for the fun of it with Rivet. Clayton is in 4-H this year, but now I need to see if he will be disqualified from the dog project, since he takes professional obedience lessons. I am hoping he will not be, but you never know.


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## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

Have you thought about letting him get the BN title and then go into Rally Nov.? That would giive him more ring experience and maybe fun matches in your area would be good too.
I accidently did a correction on the figure 8 in my first show and just about melted into the ground. However, it straightened my dog right up for the rest of our ring time.  It is sure harder I think, being an older adult and showing for the first time in obedience.


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## Stretchdrive (Mar 12, 2011)

Happy said:


> Have you thought about letting him get the BN title and then go into Rally Nov.? That would giive him more ring experience and maybe fun matches in your area would be good too.
> I accidently did a correction on the figure 8 in my first show and just about melted into the ground. However, it straightened my dog right up for the rest of our ring time.  It is sure harder I think, being an older adult and showing for the first time in obedience.


Sadly Rivet already has his RE, so he will have to go into Rally Advanced, or Excellent. He could do the Rally in UKC though I really need a UKC rulebook. My AKC one is like a bible!!

We don't have many fun matches in our area, but there are run thrus every week. I am also thinking of having him join the obedience club I belong to in St. Paul MN.

I have a few videos of Clayton training Rivet from the past 2 years. His handleing has gotten better, since he listens quite well to our instructor. Sometimes it is like pulling teeth to get a 9 year old to train though.


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## Beanie (Mar 18, 2010)

what I've seen at recent shows is PACKED BN classes B classes. It seems a lot of folks with dogs competing in upper levels are coming back for the BN title. The competition is quite fierce and makes me feel very sad for the true beginners. A couple of my friends are new to all of this and were blown away by the competition. I'm hoping that after these folks breeze through then the class will settle down a bit. People I know who have been showing for a while tell me the same thing happened when rally started. 

As a new competitor I liked the BN class as it gave us a change to get our feet wet.


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