RULES - CHAPTER 16 BEGINNER NOVICE OPTIONAL TITLING CLASS: Section 6. Heel on Leash. Section 7. Heel on Leash, Scoring.

AKC® OBEDIENCE REGULATIONS

CHAPTER 16 

BEGINNER NOVICE OPTIONAL TITLING CLASS 

(Established  July 1, 2010) 

Section 6. Heel on Leash.  

The principal  feature of this exercise is the ability  of the dog and handler to work as a team. 

• The orders are: “Forward” and “Exercise  Finished.” 
• Rally  signs will  be  used  for this  exercise  and  will  be  placed  to  the  right of the  handler’s  path  except  for those  indicating  a  change  in  direction, in which case the sign will be directly  in front of the team  to aid in that change.  
• The  “Start”  sign,  while  not  required,  may  be  used  to  signify  the starting  point for the heel  on leash exercise. 
• Signs  to be used are “Right turn,” “Left turn,” “About turn,” “Slow,” “Normal,”  “Fast”  and  “Halt/Sit.”  “Fast”  means  that  the  handler  must run, and the  handler  and  dog must  move  forward at  a  noticeably accelerated  speed. 
• Turns will be used only when the handler is moving at  a normal  speed. 
• Turn signs may  be placed  in any sequence  and may be repeated. 
• Two of each turn sign must be available  for the judge’s use.
•  Both  the  fast  and  slow signs must  be  followed  by a  normal  sign.
• The “Halt/Sit”  sign will  be used once  at  the  end of the  exercise.
• The judge will standardize  the heeling  pattern  for all dogs in the class. 
• The leash may be held in either  hand or in both hands, but the hands must be held in a natural  position. 
• The  handler  will  enter  the  ring  with  the  dog  on  a  loose  leash  and  stand with the dog sitting in the heel position. 
• The judge will ask “Are you ready?”  before giving  the  first order. 
• On the  judge’s order the  handler may  give a command  or signal to heel  and will  walk briskly and naturally with the dog on a loose leash. The dog should walk close to the handler’s left side without swinging wide, lagging, forging, or crowding. 
• The dog must not interfere with the handler’s freedom of motion at any time. At the “Halt/Sit”  sign, the handler will stop. The dog shall sit straight and promptly in the heel position without command  or signal. 
• The judge will order “Exercise  finished”  at the completion  of this exercise. 

Section 7. Heel on Leash, Scoring.  

• If a handler is constantly controlling  the  dog by tugging  on the  leash,  constantly  talking  to the  dog or is adapting to the dog’s pace,  that  dog must receive  a non-qualifying (NQ) score for this exercise. 
• Minor deductions will be made for lagging, heeling wide, forging, crowding, poor sits, failure  to sit at a halt,  and other heeling  imperfections. 
• Similar  deductions will  be  made  for any  tightening  or jerking  of the leash, for a handler who guides the dog with the leash, or does not walk at  a  brisk  pace.  
• Minor  deductions  will  be  made  for  additional  commands or signals to heel, or for failure of dog or handler to speed up noticeably for the fast, or slow down noticeably  for the slow. 
• A one-time single phrase of praise or encouragement  by the handler to the  dog will  be  allowed  without  penalty.  (Good, yes,  nice,  super, great, and atta  boy/girl,  are some examples  of praise that  would be allowed.) 
• While  scoring  this exercise,  the  judge  should be  near  enough  to observe any signals or commands given by the handler to the dog without interfering  with either.