Machtzucht Kennels
BH - Traffic Steady Companion Dog Test
Total: 60 points (70% must be earned for passing score).
10-15 paces
(normal) "Sit" Minimum of 30 normal paces
Basic Position>----------------- x -------------------------------------- "Stop"
"Come"/dog’s name, "Heel"
10-15 paces
(normal) "Down" Minimum of 30 normal paces
Basic Position>----------------- x -------------------------------------- "Stop"
All breeds and sizes are eligible to enter the BH test. The minimum entry age is 12 months. At the end of the test, the results are not given out as "points" but only as a "Pass" or "Fail" rating announced by the judge. The test is passed when 70% of the total points available in Part A are earned, and the exercises in Part B are considered by the trial judge to be "sufficient" The "title" given (BH) is not a "training title" in the
sense of the breeding, showing, Körung (breed-survey) or exhibition requirements of a member-club of the VDH. There is no "waiting period" required before the test may be repeated.
A) Companion Dog Test on a training-field or on open ground
Each individual exercise begins and ends with the basic position. The dog sits straight, in the basic position, next to the handler's left side, with its right shoulder-blade level with the knee. The ending basic position of one exercise may be used as the starting basic position for the following exercise.
The judge will signal the handler to start an exercise. Everything further, such as turns, halts, changes of pace etc. are carried out without any signal from the judge. The handler may, however, request the judge to give all of these signals.
Praising of the dog is allowed after the completion of each exercise. Afterwards the handler may take up a new basic position. If he does not take a new basic position, he must observe a definite 3-second pause between praising the dog and starting the next exercise. Between the exercises, the dog must remain at heel.
General:
The exercises shall be carried out in a public traffic-area (streets, roads or public areas) with moderate traffic. The public traffic may not be interfered with (impeded). Only the dog being tested, his handler, the judge, and possibly also the trial chairperson will be in action at any time. All the other handlers will remain waiting "on call" with their dogs off to the side in a suitable location (clubhouse, training-field, other meeting-point). The carrying-out of this part of the test, because of its own peculiarities, requires a considerable expenditure of time. The performance requirements may not be compromised by the superficial inspection of many dogs. Therefore, a maximum of 15 dogs may be tested on any one trial day. Point scores are not given out for the individual exercises in Part B. For the passing of this part of the trial, the overall impression of the dog moving about in traffic is determinative.
Testing Procedure:
1. Controllability and behaviour in street traffic:
On the judge's signal, the handler proceeds with his dog on lead on the footpath of a section of the indicated street. The judge follows the handler at a measured distance. The dog should willingly follow, on a slack lead, at the handler's left side with his shoulder remaining at about the level of the knee.
The dog should behave impartially towards all pedestrians and towards the motoring traffic opposite. Along the way, the handler will be cut off by a passer-by running past (staged for the test).
A short time later, the handler is overtaken by a bicyclist who overtakes him from close behind on the bicycle-path or coming from the street. (Also staged for test.) The overtaking must be done so that the dog finds himself between the handler and the passing bicyclist. As the cyclist passes the dog and handler, he will ring his bicycle-bell several times. After this the handler turns, goes to the judge, remains standing by him, greets him with a handshake, and converses with him. During all of this the dog may stand, sit or lie down, but must in any case remain quiet.
2. Behaviour of the dog under more difficult traffic conditions:
On the judge's signal, the handler will move out with his dog into the middle of heavier pedestrian traffic. The handler will stop twice while moving about among the pedestrians. At the first stop the dog must sit on command, and at the second stop the dog will receive a command to "Down", whereupon he must quickly lie down and remain lying down.
Within this exercise, a brief period of "loitering" will be worked in, at a spot with unaccustomed noises (overhead trains on a stretch of track, going through an under- or overpass by a train right-of-way, tram-way etc.)
The dog should follow his handler attentively, willingly, and be uninfluenced by heavy pedestrian traffic and by the unaccustomed noises. (Suitable locations for these exercises: Busy Malls, train-station hallways, bus-stations etc.)
3. Behaviour of leashed dog left alone for short period in traffic; behaviour of dog towards other animals:
On the judge's signal the handler takes his leashed dog along the footpath of a moderately busy street. After walking a short distance the handler stops on the judge's signal and fastens the dog's leash to a fence, a ring in a wall, or similar object. The handler then goes out of sight for two minutes, entering a shop or going into a house entry-way. The dog may stand sit or lie down.
During the handler's absence, a passer-by (staged) with a dog on a lead will pass by the fastened dog, walking parallel to him at a distance of about 5 paces. The left-alone dog should behave quietly during the handler's absence. He should allow the passer-by and his leashed dog (which must not be a dog-aggressive dog) to pass without showing dog-aggressive tendencies (lunging on his fastened lead; continuous barking),
Note:
It is to be left up to the officiating judge, whether he will carry out the individual exercises with each dog at the anticipated location, or whether he will have the test candidates work through only one exercise at that location and then will go look for another testing place and continue the testing there.