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Working Trials

Section written by : Lindsay Mann

What is it? Working trials is one of the lesser known canine sports but for some is the most satisfying, as it combines nosework, obedience and agility exercises, so provides for plenty of variety when training.

Trials date back to the early 1920’s when the Associated Sheep, Police and Army Dog Society organised the first event, which was basically designed to test the ability of working dogs.

The trials scene then continued to develop and started to get a dedicated following over the years; a specialist background is not necessary, but a love of being out of doors in the countryside and of being able to cope with all types of weather is! Trials are held all over the country so it is necessary to travel quite a distance sometimes to be able to enter a suitable trial.

The breeds most often seen tend to be ones most often associated with doing a “job” – German shepherds, black Labradors and border collies predominate. However plenty of other breeds can and do compete successfully –beagles, Staffordshire bull terriers, poodles and of course Belgian Shepherds amongst them. It should also be noted that a dog does not need to be a pedigree to compete as long as it is registered with the Kennel Club’s working register.

Working trials is based around a series of “stakes” and marks are given out of possible totals for each individual test. As an example, in the CD search square, marks are awarded out of a possible 20, and the aim is to earn as many marks as possible in this and each individual test in the hope of qualifying in that particular stake.

There are 5 stakes altogether:

• Companion Dog (CD)
• Utility Dog (UD)
• Working Dog (WD)
• Tracking Dog (TD)
• Patrol Dog (PD)

The TD and PD are at the same level: the PD requires a knowledge of man work and for this reason many people tend to opt for the TD in trials training.

The stakes are at 2 levels, Open and Championship, so that the team of dog and handler progress through them, and may after much hard work, dedication and training reach the top level of PD or TD. Working Trial Tickets (certificates) are the ultimate aim and if the team are lucky enough to gain 2, the dog gains the title of Working Trials Champion.

It must be remembered however, that although working trials training can be hard work and often require some land, which is not always easy to find, it is fascinating to watch the dog harnessing its innate abilities regarding nosework and it’s not unusual for people to find that the training is enough, and actually competing not so important.

Exercises in the Stakes The exercises in all stakes are Control, Agility and Nosework. Not all exercises are in all stakes; for example the CD is a non tracking stake and does not include speak on command either.

• Heelwork – The idea is that the dog keeps its shoulder reasonably close to your left knee; handler walking in what is termed a “natural” manner i.e. arms relaxed. This is essentially for practical reasons, as no working dog would be expected to do competition Obedience style heelwork on difficult and uneven ground. Heelwork is both on lead and free for CD, and free for other stakes. The judge will ask for variations e.g slow pace, normal, and running.
• Recall to handler – The dog recalls from a Stay position and sits in front of the owner, returning to heel on command.
• Sendaway – The dog is required to run in a straight line to a designated spot and wait in either sit, stand or down. In higher stakes the distance can be over a hundred yards and will also require the Re-direct, which again may be over quite a distance.
• Stays – Usually these are done last when all competitors are together. In CD the dogs are required to do a Sit and a Down Stay, for 2 and 10 minutes each. After CD the Sit Stay is no longer required. All Stays are done with handler out of sight of the dog.
• Dumbbell retrieve – The dog should retrieve a dumbbell thrown by the handler
• Steadiness to Gunshot – The handler is warned when this is about to take place, and the dog is under control although not necessarily on the lead. The dog should not show any signs of alarm or aggression e.g. barking
• Speak on Command – self explanatory! This does not occur in the lower stakes.
• Clear Jump – This is a 3 ft hurdle the dog must clear whilst under control of the handler. Casual fouling is penalised. Having jumped, the dog must await the handler and would be penalised for coming back and past the jump.
• Long Jump – This consists of 5 small jumps spanning a 9 ft length for dogs the size of a Belgian. Many handlers like to pace out the take off although not all do. Once again the dog must remain on the other side of the jump until released.
• Scale Jump – This is a structure of wooden planks, which makes up a wall the dog must negotiate. Sometimes the top is padded with carpet or similar. The height of the scale is 6ft for dogs of a Belgian Shepherd’s size. The jump must be approached as indicated by the steward, and dog and handler halt within the marked 9ft of the scale jump. The dog is asked to scale and must scramble upwards, and over and remain in a pre-nominated position (sit, stand or down) before being asked to recall back over. Agility in trials is demanding, and it goes without saying that your Belgian must be fit, and warmed up before attempting before either training or competing. It’s also very important that the jumps are learnt correctly – Belgians may fling themselves at jumps and later lose confidence for good reason. I’ve seen a Belgian take off almost literally at 9ft and throw itself at the top of the scale, and perform a real “tally ho” leap off the other side. This is not ideal and, although a testament to Belgian agility and courage, is not fair on the dog. Ideally with the scale, the dog builds the correct muscles in shoulder and stomach (tuggie toys are helpful here!) and does a true scramble upwards, then a considered jump from the top.
• Search Squares –In the CD stake, these are elementary and 15 yards square; in higher stakes they are 25 yards square. The area is marked out with 4 corner poles, and the dog is sent into the square to find human scented articles. In CD there are 3 articles to find in 4 minutes, in the other stakes, UD and above, 4 articles to find in 5 minutes. The handler must not enter the square, but is permitted to move around the perimeter with regard to wind direction, and to give some sensible verbal help. Marks are divided between the articles and style of the search, so handler fumbling and dog mouthing will lose marks.
• Track – The dog has to follow the track put down by the tracklayer, in higher stakes as much as several hours beforehand. The handler follows, holding onto a tracking line, which is attached to the dog’s special harness. The dog is searching for articles along the track, and in all the stakes, one of the articles designates the end of the tracking. Marks are allocated for a variety of things including style, articles found, deviating from the track laid, and casting, amongst others. It goes without saying that weather conditions can play a large part in tracking success or not.
• Patrol work – This is very exciting to watch. There are various Patrol exercises, including the recall from the criminal, and the pursuit and detention of the criminal. This last is quite thrilling as the dog is sent after a “criminal” on the run, and may grab hold of the person and knock him to the ground. The recall is also very interesting to watch and again requires a high level of skill, as the dog is sent after the fleeing criminal but is required to recall on verbal or whistled command. Other exercises involved in this are the quartering the ground, test of courage and search and escort.

Belgians in Working TrialsBelgian shepherds are bright and, providing they have good working conformation, naturally agile dogs. Coupled with an eagerness to learn, what could possibly go wrong?

If the owner/trainer/handler doesn’t understand the breed, lots of things!

For instance, they can be strong-minded but also emotional marshmallows. Physically they can be ultra sensitive (easily put off jumps if they miscalculate one for example) and yet this sensitivity can disappear when the adrenalin kicks in. They can also lose concentration and be spooked or distracted – part of their genetic inheritance and the mark of a good watchdog, but it can be disastrous if this happens when competing in a trial!

Finally we have their innate desire to keep family together. If this instinct is not taken into account when training, the BSD in question may well have one eye on the “other half” who has come to watch – not exactly ideal.

The good news is that with an understanding of the breed, and a reasonable comprehension of motivational training, these negatives can be turned around very successfully. Reward based training is most productive for Belgians due to their innate sensitivity, and they respond very well to clicker training. Even a difficult dog can be trained with these methods very successfully.

Getting Started in Working Trials Most areas have a working trials club, but, as with all clubs in all canine sports, not all will be aware of the Belgian’s needs, nor will all be knowledgeable regarding correct training. Anyone considering taking up working trials with their Belgian should go along and watch at least one training session, and don’t be tempted to join if you don’t like what you see.

Often it can be better to travel to learn from the best. A one to one session with someone, who has done well in trials and uses clicker training for example, will be worth hours of learning elsewhere. Do your homework before committing to any training with your Belgian!

Websites to help you get started...

• www.johnrogerson.com - John Rogerson has been involved in working trials for years and is a useful contact for the North east areas
• www.apdt.co.uk - Some trainers in some areas teach working trials
• www.marysmoffat.co.uk/dogs/derby.htm - The website of Sheila Bailey, trainer and behaviourist who runs nosework courses and working trials weekends in Derbyshire
• www.joannahill.co.uk - Highly experienced motivational trainer – currently training her young Malinois for PD work

Useful Publications

• Magazine

  WTM publishing, 26 Broad Lane, Betteshanger, Kent, CT14 0LX
  Tel. 01304 614708
  The above magazine helps triallists to keep in touch with the working trials scene – contains dates of working trials, articles, judges reports, etc. www.workingtrials.co.uk

• Book

  A Beginner’s Guide to Working Trials by Wendy Beasley
  ISBN: 185279113-6
  £7.95 approx.