What is Distant Control (or 'DC')?
In Class C only:
Dog to do 6 different positions at a distance of no more than 20 paces and no less than 10 paces.
Dog to do 6 different positions at a distance of no more than 20 paces and no less than 10 paces.
- The dog is to wait at a designated area in a position chosen by the judge
- You leave the dog and at distance you instruct the dog to move from one position to another until six positions have been completed
- 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)
- If your dog does not do the instructed position, then you must re-command your dog until it does the required position before continuing to the next position
- The dog is to stay in each position until commanded to do a different position
- The choice of positions are sit, down and stand and these can be in any order
- 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 ..
The 'Distant Control' exercise begins with the dog beside you (on your left side) in any one of the Sit, Down or Stand positions (as chosen by the judge, and as told to you by the Ring Steward)
- You will be directed by the ring steward to the starting position
- The Ring Steward will wait for you to set your dog up in the required position
- The judge may then place a marker (at distance) in line with your dogs front feet/legs to mark the dogs starting position or you may be asked to set your dog up in the required position between pre-positioned markers
- You will then be instructed to 'command your dog & leave your dog' and walk a minimum of 10 paces and a maximum of 20 paces (but in a straight line from your dog - you may be given the 'card' (if there is one) during this walk
- You will be asked to turn and face your dog - again you may be given the 'card' (if there is one) at this point
- The Ring Steward will remain standing very near to you during this exercise
There are two options of instruction to do these positions, you are either told:
The position 'word' (1)
OR
You are given a 'card' with the order of the positions on it to hold during your DC then you will be told to do the position as a number and not a word (2).
The position 'word' (1)
OR
You are given a 'card' with the order of the positions on it to hold during your DC then you will be told to do the position as a number and not a word (2).
(1) This option requires the ring steward to tell you the correct position for your dog to take up, you may hear something simple like:
- 'Sit' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static sit position)
- 'Stand' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static stand position)
- 'Down' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static down position)
- 'Give the Sit' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static sit position)
- 'Give the Stand' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static stand position)
- 'Give the Down' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static down position)
- 'One' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static sit position as per 1 on the card)
- 'Two (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static sit position as per 2 on the card)
- 'Three' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static sit position as per 3 on the card)
- 'Four' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static sit position as per 4 on the card)
- 'Five' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static sit position as per 5 on the card)
- 'Six' (you immediately instruct your dog to take up the static sit position as per 6 on the card)
- 'Return to your dog'
- 'Exercise Complete'
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Video shows Caroline and her Flat-Coated Retriever 'Tangle' showing examples of the Distant Control positions: Stand, Sit, Down Stand at a distance + Gill with Lyka (XB) showing a bit of DC training Many thanks to Caroline & Gill for permission to post this |
What You Might Lose Points For During Distant Control ...
Commonly judges score around 7 maximum penalty points for each of the 6 positions. Below are what you MIGHT (depending on the judge) lose marks for on the positions:
- Dog following you out from the starting position
- Handler giving an 'extended' (ie too long or too exaggerated) command either verbally or by signal
- For intentional or unintentional body signals by hand, arm, shoulder, head etc movements
- Dog doing an incorrect position (ie down instead of a sit) (the maximum points) - NOTE: You must re-command your dog into the correct position before continuing the exercise
- Dog walking on a bit before doing the correct position (often called paddling)
- Dog not staying in the required position (ie maybe sitting during the stand position etc)
- Dog anticipating a position instruction
- Dog doing the positions very slowly
- Dog moving more than its body length in any direction of its starting point
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