FLATCOATED RETRIEVER CLUB OF SCOTLAND

GUNDOG TRAINING GROUP - ASSESSMENTS.

Grade 1
Heelwork	Dog to walk to heel on and off the lead. As for Beginners Obedience.
Heelwork with stop	Ditto and to sit at heel on stop whistle off the lead.
Recall	Dog walks out at heel off the lead, left on stay command, handler return start. Waits 30secs then calls dog.
Steadiness	Dog to sit at heel while dummy thrown by one person around dog. Dog the lead.
Grade 2
Recall	Dog walks out at heel off the lead, left on stay command, handler return start. Waits one minute then calls dog but stops dog at predetermined location on route before finally calling dog back in.
Retrieve 1	Dog to walk out at heel, sit, dummy thrown in front by handler. Dog returns to start at heel and is then sent for retrieve.
Retrieve 2	Dog to retrieve two dummies, in order, thrown at right angles to each other.
Walk up	Two dogs in line at heel on the lead. Stopped dummy thrown one dog se for retrieve.
Grade 3
Retrieve	Clock exercise, 3 retrieve in total, selection of retrieves and order by assessor
Recall	Dog walks out at heel off the lead, left on stay command, handler returns to start. Waits one minute then calls dog but stops dog at predetermined location on route. Dummy thrown to one side, by others, dog sent on command by the handler to retrieve the dummy.
Blind Retrieve	Blind retrieve from light cover.
Water Work	Retrieve from water
Grade 4
Blind Retrieve	Blind retrieve from cover.
Double retrieve	Both seen one over an obstacle other into cover.
Steadiness	Dog left by handler, who walks a reasonable distance from the dog. A dummy is thrown and another dog sent past the sitting dog to collect the dummy.
Walk up	Three dogs in line I seen, I blind retrieve for each dog.
Grade 5
Retrieve I	Seen dummy in cover with blind over obstacle, collect blind first.
Retrieve 2	Seen retrieve over obstacle, distraction thrown during dogs return.
Control	Dog sent for seen retrieve, stopped, alternative dummy thrown, dog to fetch dummy as required by judge/assessor.
Retrieve 3	Dog to pass between two seen dummies to collect blind.
Water work	Dog to collect blind from over water.

Assessment Marking

Dogs require to get at least 7 out of 10 for each exercise.

Marks deducted for –

Not retrieving to hand (2)

Movement without command (2)

Excessive use of whistle or voice commands (1)

(The definition of excessive is dependant on the test in question) Marking in the test area. (1)

Dog not responding correctly to command from handler (1)

Dogs shall be excluded for barking or whining during any of the assessments.

Assessors Criteria.

Grade 1 & 3 shall be assessed by two people, their scores being aggregated. The assessors may include the Training Group leader plus one other person from within or out with the training group. The other person must have at least three years experience of working a retriever breed of dog in the field or have competed in at least ten working tests or five working trials.

Grade 4 –5 shall be assessed by two people, their scores being aggregated. The assessors may include one of the Training Group leaders plus one other person from out with the training group. The other person must have at least three years experience of working a retrieve breed of dog in the field or have competed in at least ten working tests or five working trials.

Alternatively both assessors may be from out with the training group provided that they meet the criteria.

Eligibility

The handler must have been a member of the Flatcoated Retriever Club of Scotland for at least four months before sitting an assessment.

Dogs require to be at least nine months old before they can sit Grade 1 assessment.

A minimum of two months must pass between dogs sitting grade assessments.

Assessments must be taken in order.

Any dog failing an assessment must wait a minimum of two weeks before re-sitting the assessment.

No bitch in season may be entered in an assessment.

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