Saturday, January 23, 2010

UKC Ultra Dog

I have a post in the writing updating you on all of last weekend, in which Howie earned his UWP! However, I wanted to post this first. I'll finish the weight pull update post later...

My main goal for 2010 is to work toward UKC's Ultra Dog title for Howie. After earning his UWP, we're 1/3 of the way there! The Ultra Dog title goes along with UKC's Total Dog philosophy, but is only available to dogs with a Limited Privilege registration, or Permanently registered altered (fixed) dogs. Three of the top-ten Ultra Dogs are American Pit Bull Terriers, so this gives me great motivation!

To earn the Ultra Dog title, Howie needs to earn his UWP (check!), his UCD (formal obedience), and his AG1 (the first agility title you can earn). Agility is going to be the hardest, but I think that if we start training now, we'll be ready by the end of the year.

For the UCD he needs to know:
  • Honor (long down on leash in opposite corner of the ring while another dog does their test)
  • Heel on leash and off-leash
  • Figure 8
  • Stand for exam
  • Recall over jump, and
  • Long sit
The only new thing he needs to learn is the recall over the jump; everything else we just need to brush up on, and master. But I think we can be ready be summer, if I can get over my ring nerves. There's a show in Ohio in June that we should be able to go to a title out in one weekend.

Agility is going to be a whole different monster to tackle. The closest training club to me is an AKC club, but it should give us the basics until I can travel a little further to work on UKC equipment. But I think it's doable. Once all our snow melts, it'll be a whole lot easier for me to train in the back yard.

It's a goal :)

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