Acceptable Allowances for Rally and Obedience Trials During COVID-19

These changes are permissible

December 28, 2020

All clubs are to follow their local and state guidelines regarding what is allowed during this health crisis. The following guidelines below are to help clubs in keeping exhibitors, workers, and judges safe. UKC is not responsible for any illness or health issues that may be contracted by those who choose to attend any event hosted by clubs offering events.

For all exercises in Obedience:

• The use of cones may be used in place of people for the Figure 8 exercise.
• For the Greeting exercise, judges and exhibitors are not required to shake hands and should be no closer than six feet from one another.
• Walking stewards on the heeling and drop on recall exercise must be the minimum 6 distance from the handler, dog, and/or judge when walking the required pattern.
• Tongs should be used in any class where a dumbbell or article is required to give to the handler. This happens in both the Open and Utility classes. Designate one specific steward for exercises that require the use of a dumbbell or article.
• In the Utility class, the steward will use tongs to handle the gloves, and all articles for the scent discrimination exercise. Except for the article that the handler takes themselves, the remaining articles are not to be touched or scented by either the judge or steward but will remain unscented.
• Designate specific stewards to handle the jumps when moving them into and out of the ring.

For Obedience and Rally:
For all classes that require the leash to be removed from the dog, the hander may carry the leash with them instead of surrendering it to the steward or judge in the following manner:

1. The leash may be hung around the body in such a way that the clip that attaches to the dog is resting on the side of the handlers body that is opposite the dog.
2. The leash may be carried either around the waist or over the shoulder in a left to right fashion across the body.
3. The leash may be around the neck, go under the handlers arms and clipped behind the back.
4. The clip should never be in the front position where the dog could use it as a help to line up for a straight front.

• If clubs are holding two trials per day, they may run their individual classes for Trial 1 and Trial 2 back-to-back, they do not need to finish one entire trial before starting the next one. Clubs are currently allowed to run trials in this manner, it is not a new allowance.

Guided by the belief that dogs make a difference by being the best partner a human can have in the field, on the job, or in a competition event, UKC is a community for people and dogs to pursue excellence together. Founded in 1898, UKC has been dedicated to enhancing the lives of Dogs That Do More, and their owners, by providing essential resources to help owners and breeders make informed decisions. The dog-human bond is celebrated through family-friendly programs highlighting the instincts and heritage of purebred and mixed-breed dogs alike at over 15,000 licensed events annually.