What is ASSD (Advanced Sit Stand Down)?
In Class Open C & Championship C only:
- Whilst dog and handler are doing Normal pace heelwork (see 'What is Heelwork') (when told by ring steward) the dog is instructed to stop doing heelwork with you and to do either a sit, down or stand position and wait in that position until you are told to 'collect' the dog and continue together in heelwork.
- During this command you must continue walking without breaking from your stride
- Where you walk without the dog is up to the judge, but most common is to continue forward then upon instruction do; an about turn, continue walking past your dog (walking close to your dog) and then another about turn - after which you will hear the steward say 'collect your dog' which is when you command the dog to continue doing heelwork with you.
- You are only allowed one single command OR one single signal (with the dogs name if required) for each position (ie 'Fred, Sit' or 'Fred' plus a hand or arm signal to tell the dog to sit).
- The choice of positions are sit, down and stand.
- The position order are pre-chosen by the judge.
- All this in a public area, in a marked out ring area.
What to Expect in the ring:
There are three options of instruction to do these positions on the move, you are either told to give an immediate position (1) or you are told to do the position on a 'word' (2), or you are given a 'card' with the order of the positions on it to carry during your heelwork then you will be told to do the position as per (3).
You will be told which option for position instruction will be used by the ring steward before you start the round .. see below:
(1) At some point during moving Normal pace heelwork you will hear instructions like:
(2) At some point during moving Normal pace heelwork you will hear instructions like:
(3) IF you are given a card to carry, then it is up to you to remember the order of the positions, and you need to memorise at least the first one; then if you need reminding of the 2nd and 3rd position you are allowed to take a brief look at the card each time you walk BEHIND your dog during a position.
At some point during moving Normal pace heelwork you will hear instructions like:
There are three options of instruction to do these positions on the move, you are either told to give an immediate position (1) or you are told to do the position on a 'word' (2), or you are given a 'card' with the order of the positions on it to carry during your heelwork then you will be told to do the position as per (3).
You will be told which option for position instruction will be used by the ring steward before you start the round .. see below:
(1) At some point during moving Normal pace heelwork you will hear instructions like:
- 'Give the Sit' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static sit position whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
- 'Give the Stand' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static stand position whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
- 'Give the Down' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static down position whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
(2) At some point during moving Normal pace heelwork you will hear instructions like:
- 'Sit position coming ... pause ... Now' (you instruct your dog to take up the static sit position when you hear 'Now' whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
- 'Stand position coming ... pause ... Now' (you instruct your dog to take up the static stand position when you hear 'Now' whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
- 'Down position coming ... pause ... Now' (you instruct your dog to take up the static down position when you hear 'Now' whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
(3) IF you are given a card to carry, then it is up to you to remember the order of the positions, and you need to memorise at least the first one; then if you need reminding of the 2nd and 3rd position you are allowed to take a brief look at the card each time you walk BEHIND your dog during a position.
At some point during moving Normal pace heelwork you will hear instructions like:
- 'Give the First position' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static position listed first on the card whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
- 'Give the Second position' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static position listed second on the card whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
- 'Give the Third position' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static position listed third on the card whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
- 'First position coming ... pause ... ' Now' (you instruct your dog to take up the static position listed first on the card when you hear 'Now' whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
- 'Second position coming ... pause ... Now' (you instruct your dog to take up the static position listed second on the card when you hear 'Now' whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
- 'Third position coming ... pause ... Now' (you instruct your dog to take up the static position listed third on the card when you hear 'Now' whilst you continue walking without breaking from your stride)
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Video shows Caroline and her Flat-Coated Retriever 'Tangle' showing examples of the ASSD positions: Sit, Stand & Down on the move Thanks to Caroline for permission to post |
What You Might Lose Points for During ASSD ..
There is no maximum amount that judges are allowed to mark ASSD, as it is listed under the heelwork total, but commonly judges score between 4 and 7 maximum for each of the 3 positions. Below are what you MIGHT (depending on the judge) lose marks for on the positions:
- Handler giving an 'extended' (ie too long or too exaggerated) command either verbally or by signal
- Handler 'pausing' in their pace to give the position
- Dog failing to stop (ie continues in heelwork with handler) (the maximum points)
- Dog doing an incorrect position (ie down instead of a sit) (the maximum points)
- Dog walking on a bit before doing the correct position (often called paddling)
- Dog moving/twisting around (to various amounts) during the stand position
- Dog doing the down or sit very slowly
- Handler passing the dog very wide
- Handler unintentional (or intentional) body signals to the dog
- Handler giving an 'extended' (ie too long or too exaggerated) command either verbally or by signal
- Handler 'pausing' in their pace to meet the dog
- Dog joining handler too early (ie anticipating the joining)
- Dog jumping up high beside the handler during the pick up
- Dog joining handler too late
- Dog not taking up a consistent position during the joining
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