Having both judged level one previously, we were looking forward to level two, particularly as we had some input into the content of the programme. The instructions were published on the association website and a walk-through was carried out before the competition started, so all the handlers could see what was required and ask questions.

The overall picture of all the dogs was good, but the majority of handlers lost points on the control section; these were silly points to lose, e.g. zero for jumps; big deductions for retrieve (mouthing or refusal to loose the object). These points prevented some good dogs from gaining high positions in the overall trial.

Most of the protection work was of a high standard, with the dogs under control and understanding what was required.

It is important for the handlers to remember that the obedience and agility exercises are as important as the protection exercises.

We hope our comments are taken in a constructive way. We believe the majority of the dogs we judged are capable of competing in level three.

We look forward to seeing you all in the future, and remember, train your weaknesses, not your strengths.

John Clark
John Rumble