Obedience heats which will enable dogs and their owners to qualify for the Obedience competition at Crufts 2018 have been announced by the Kennel Club.
The heats, held throughout the year at various dog shows around the country, including breed club shows, general championship shows and obedience shows, will enable teams to compete to accumulate points at as many heats as they choose. Further heats may be announced throughout 2017, and for clubs which would like to host a heat, there is still an opportunity to do so.
The ten breed teams with the highest number of points will qualify to compete at Crufts 2018. In the event that two or more teams of the same breed have the same number of points, the team which has achieved the highest placing at the heats will take precedence. A maximum of three breeds will be invited to compete in the final from any one breed group, subject to Kennel Club discretion.
The Kennel Club is encouraging as many teams as possible to enter the heats and demonstrate the obedience skills of their respective breeds. Teams must comprise four dogs and four handlers and may be made up of dogs of any level of obedience ability. However, no more than one dog in each team may have won out of Class A at Kennel Club licensed G regulation open or championship obedience shows.
The ten heats so far announced for 2017 are:
|
Show |
Type of show |
Venue and date |
|---|---|---|
|
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club of UK |
Open Rally/Limited Obedience |
2 April 2017 at Solihull Riding Club, West Midlands |
|
Chalfield Dog Training Club |
Open Obedience |
18 June 2017 at Rushcliffe Country Park, Ruddington, Nottinghamshire |
|
Solihull Dog Training Club |
Rally |
24 June 2017 at Woodrush Rugby Football Ground, Icknield Street, Forhill, Birmingham |
|
Banbury and District Dog Training Society |
Rally |
1 July 2017 at the National Herb Centre, Warington, Banbury |
|
East of England Championship Dog Show (Just Dogs Live) |
General Championship |
8 July 2017 at the East of England Showground, Peterborough |
|
Horley & District Show Society |
Open All Breeds |
27 August 2017 at South of England Showground, Ardingly, West Sussex |
|
Whippet Club |
Breed Club (note - Obreedience heat open to all breeds) |
23 September 2017 at Benson, Oxfordshire |
|
Lagotto Romagnolo Club of Great Britain |
Rally |
23-24 September 2017 at Green Acres, Hellidon Road, Daventry, Northamptonshire |
|
The Kennel Club |
Obreedience |
2 December 2017 at the Kennel Club Building, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire |
|
Ladies Kennel Association |
General Championship |
9-10 December 2017 at the NEC, Birmingham |
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Obreedience is a fun competition which showcases the obedience abilities of any breed, so we would encourage as many teams as possible to enter for their chance to qualify for Crufts 2018.
“Previously we’ve seen breeds such as Samoyeds, Newfoundlands, Greyhounds and Chihuahuas taking part in Obreedience and we are excited to see which breeds will be forming teams and entering the heats this year. It’s a great opportunity for dog lovers to form a team with friends, have fun and showcase what their chosen breed is capable of.”
To enter a heat, interested parties should contact the host club direct. Details can be found on the Kennel Club website where more information can be found on Obreedience qualifying heats, including the competition rules and FAQs for secretaries and competitors. Additional heats will be added to the website when known.