Upcoming Obedience Rules

1.1.2 Sanction Request
Only ASCA Affiliate Clubs in good standing may sanction ASCA events. An Event is defined as Conformation, Obedience, Tracking, Agility, Rally or a Stockdog Trial. One club’s event must not conflict on the same day with another club’s event held within a 200-mile radius of the event unless both clubs concur in writing that this may occur. Affiliates may have up to two Obedience Trials per day.
ASCA Affiliate Clubs that meet the requirements of ASCA and wish to hold an Obedience Trial, at which qualifying scores toward an obedience title may be awarded, must apply to ASCA on the form provided for permission to hold such trial. This application must be submitted and postmarked no later than sixty (60) days prior to the event. A sanctioning fee (see Schedule of Fees) per trial shall be submitted with the application along with a copy of the premium. Once an event has been sanctioned by the ASCA Business Office, additional classes may not be added to the event.
Effective Date: Immediately upon Board approval

Section 1.2.2 Group Exercises

Novice Group Exercises may be held either before or after the Novice Individual Exercises, or at the beginning of the trial before all classes. Premiums must clearly state whether Novice Group Exercises will be held before or after the Novice Individual Exercises, or at the beginning of the trial. Non-Regular class Group Exercises will be held after Regular and Optional Titling classes are completed, immediately after each class’s Individual Exercises.

Section 1.1.3  Premium

The Premium shall at a minimum indicate:

…

1. When NoviceGroup Exercises shall be held.

Effective Date: Immediately upon Board approval.

ASCA Obedience Reference Sheet

Obedience Jumps:

Jumps used in the obedience classes must be five feet (5’) wide (including the largest broad jump board).  Jump specifications and required dimensions are located in the following sections:

High Jump:             Section 4.6.6       &     Suggested Construction of Bar and High Jump

Broad Jump:           Section 4.6.8       &     Suggested Construction of Broad Jump

Bar Jump:                Section 5.14        &     Suggested Construction of Bar and High Jump

Jump Heights:

1. The Judge has the authority to measure any dog to confirm that dog’s applicable jump height. Minimum jump height is 4”.  Veterans (dogs 7 years old and up) may jump 2” to 4” lower than regular height).
2. If the height of the dog at the withers is over an even number (10”, 12”, 14”16”, 18”, 20”…), the dog shall jump the next lowest height. (EXAMPLE: If the dog measures 21½”, the dog shall jump 20”).)
3. If using fewer than 4 boards for the Broad jump, always remove the tallest board(s) first.

All breeds, except those listed below, will jump at minimum their height at the withers, as listed in the Standard Jump Height Table:

The following breeds, including dogs mixed with these breeds, will jump at a measurement of three-quarters (¾) their height at the withers.

The minimum high and bar jump height shall be set to the nearest multiple of two (2) inches as listed in the ¾ Jump Height Table below:

Section 5.14 Directed Jumping

The principal features of this exercise are that the dog go away from the handler in the direction indicated, stop when commanded, jump as directed and return as in the Recall. The orders are “Send your dog,” “Bar” or “High,” and “Finish.”

The jumps shall be placed midway in the ring at right angles to the sides of the ring and eighteen (18) to twenty (20) feet apart, the Bar Jump on one side, the High Jump on the other. The judge must make certain that the jumps are set at the required height for each dog by following the procedure described in Retrieve over the High Jump.

The handler, from a position on the center line of the ring and about twenty (20) feet from the line of the jumps, shall stand with his dog sitting in the Heel position and on order from the judge shall command and/or signal his dog to go forward at a brisk trot or gallop to a point about twenty (20) feet beyond the jumps and in the 49 approximate center. When the dog has reached this point, the handler shall give a command to Sit; the dog must stop and sit with his attention on the handler but need not sit squarely.

The judge will designate which jump is to be taken first by the dog and shall order either “High” or “Bar” when designating either the High or Bar Jump. The handler shall command and/or signal the dog to return to him over the designated jump. While the dog is in midair the handler may turn so as to be facing the dog as it returns. The dog shall sit in front of the handler and, on order from the judge, finish as in the Novice Recall. The judge will say “Exercise Finished” after the dog has returned to the Heel position.

When the dog is again sitting in the Heel position the judge shall ask, “Are you ready?” before giving the order to send the dog for the second part of the exercise. The same procedure shall be followed for the second jump. It is optional which jump the judge will first indicate, but both jumps must be taken to complete the exercise and the judge must not designate the jump until the dog is at the far end of the ring. The dog shall clear the jumps without touching them.

The height of the jumps shall be the same as required in the Open classes. The High Jump shall be the same as that used in the Open classes, and the Bar Jump shall consist of a bar, which may be made of any rigid material that is between two (2) and two and one-half (2 ½) inches square with the four (4) edges rounded sufficiently to remove any sharpness. The bar shall be painted a flat black and white in alternate sections of about three (3) inches each. The bar shall be supported by two (2) unconnected four (4) foot upright posts, which may be made of metal, wood or wood like material, about five (5) feet apart. The bar shall be adjustable for each two (2) inches of height from four (4) inches to thirty-six (36) inches, and the jump shall be so constructed and positioned that the bar can be knocked off without disturbing the uprights. The bar will be weighted if made of material other than wood, so it is not dislodged any easier than if it was made of wood.

• Effective date: June 1, 2023

Section 1.9 Dogs that May Not Compete

No dog without an ASCA individual registration, LEP number or ASCA QTracker number may compete in any ASCA Obedience Trial.  Dogs may not compete until they are six (6) months of age or older. No dog that is owned or co-owned by the judge or a member of the judge’s immediate family may be shown in a class, or participate in a runoff, officiated by that judge.  An obedience judge’s immediate family or household members, and dogs owned wholly or in part by an obedience judge, may compete under other officiating judges at the same trial.  Obedience judges may show in cluster trials on weekends in which they are judging without restrictions on the order in which they judge and show.  This includes same day obedience trials when such events precede or follow but do not overlap the trial at which they officiate.  The official veterinarian shall not exhibit or act as agent or handler at the show and dogs owned wholly or in part shall not be eligible to be entered at that show.

If a club does not advertise in its premium list who is to judge run-offs between classes, an exhibitor shall automatically be considered to have lost the run-off of any tie scores between classes if the judge of the run-off is a member of the exhibitor’s immediate family.

Comments/Rationale: The current language in Section 1.9 is somewhat confusing, leading to questions about which dogs may or may not compete under a judge.  The motion clarifies that dogs owned or co-owned by a judge or judge’s immediate family cannot be shown to that judge.  The motion does not change the current rule, but simplifies the language describing the rule.

Effective Date: June 1, 2023.