Working Trials are just the most fun to have with your dog – dogs love it as they are in charge for parts of it and handlers love it because they are working so much as a team with their dogs.

Working Trials are split into Stakes, the first one being the Introductory Stake which has a nosework section where the dog has to take the initiative and find three out of the four ‘articles’ that have been laid in a search square by a steward. These can be anything that is not injurious to the dog (eg. a wine cork, a piece of carpet or a teaspoon). The dog has to find and retrieve the articles to the handler who is not allowed to enter the search area. They also have to do a dumb-bell retrieve. Then the handler takes control for exercises involving heelwork at three different paces, a recall, a sendaway (longer and much more exciting than in obedience, but no longer than 50 yards in this stake), also, as part of the Control section, there are the stays - a one minute sit stay and a five minute down stay. The last section is the Agility with a scale, a clear jump and a long jump. The agility exercises are included in all of the stakes but they are not full size jumps in the Introductory Stake.

The second stake is the CD (Companion Dog) Stake which is similar to the Introductory Stake but there are now only three articles in the square, less commands are used while working your dog, the stays are longer and the jumps are now at full sizes.

The next stake is the UD (Utility Dog) Stake, which is the first one where the most exciting part of trials comes in, the track. In UD this is about half a mile long and laid to a predetermined pattern by a stranger to the dog. Half an hour after it is laid, the dog has to follow the track and find the two articles that have been laid on it by the track layer. It is a wonderful feeling to have your dog confidently take you round a track, which is completely invisible to a mere human - and the dogs love it! After the track there is a search square: larger than in CD and with four articles. The control exercises are similar to CD but there is no recall, no sit stay and a steadiness to gunshot test is included. As the dog progresses up the stakes, sendaways become more challenging and a higher standard of control is expected.

The third stake is the WD (Working Dog) Stake and in this, the track, which is one and a half hours old, becomes more complicated and the articles smaller. Again, the control is similar but more demanding.

The fourth stake is the TD (Tracking Dog) Stake with a three hour old track with a more difficult track pattern and articles. There are also three articles to be found on the track as well as the four in the square. In the control round there is now a redirection to right or left when the dog has reached the sendaway point. It is also expected to do a ‘speak’ on command.

The other stake in trials is the PD (Patrol Dog) Stake which includes finding and detaining ‘criminals’ in much the same way as an operational police dog would.

In all of these, the main aim of the competitor is to gain sufficient marks to qualify and thus have the honour of having the appropriate letters after the dog’s name; ie CDex, UDex, WDex, TDex and PDex. To do this, the dog has to get at least 80% of the marks at a Championship Working Trial. By winning two TD or PD stakes at championship trials the dog can become a Working Trials Champion.

Most breeds of dog are capable of being trained for trials, and love it! Unfortunately, if the dog is under fifteen inches at the withers, it is hard to progress beyond UD as the jumps are not reduced in size in the higher stakes as they are in CD and UD. But that does not mean that it is any less fun to train.

The Welsh Kennel Club runs two trials every year, a championship trial in February and an open trial in August which are both based at Laleston near Bridgend and anyone who wants to come along and have a look is more than welcome.

For more information about working trials, please contact any of the following:

Lindsey Poole (trails manager) tel:01460 281741

Linda Reynolds (assistant trials manager) tel:01792 863391

Marney Wells (KCLC rep.) tel: 01380 860779