AKC Open Test

AKC Open Test
Pattern Diagrams and Commands
Used by the Judge & Handler
Prepared by Mark Plonsky, Ph.D.

The Open test consists of 7 exercises as follows:

Exercise	Points
1. Heel Free & Figure 8	40
2. Drop on Recall	30
3. Retrieve on Flat	20
4. Retrieve Over High Jump	30
5. Broad Jump	20
6. Long sit	30
7. Long down	30
Maximum Score	200

1. Heel Free & Figure 8

A. Heel Free

Diagram

Figure 1. A Typical Open Heeling Pattern.
Note that this pattern correlates with the commands given in the table below.

Judge's Commands	Handler's Commands	Dog's Behavior
Are you ready?	Ready (gave leash to steward upon entering the ring)	Attentive
Forward	Heel (or Name, Heel)	Heeling
Halt	Heel (or Name, Heel)	Sits straight
Forward	Heel (or Name, Heel)	Heeling
Left turn		"
Slow		"
Normal		"
About turn		"
Right turn		"
Fast		"
Normal		"
About turn		"
Halt		Sits straight
Exercise finished	OK	Free (reasonably)

B. Figure 8

Diagram

Figure 2. Schematic of the Figure 8 Exercise.
Note that this pattern correlates with the commands given in the table below.

Judge's Commands	Handler's Commands	Dog's Behavior
Are you ready?	Ready (still off leash)	Attentive
Forward	Heel (or Name, Heel)	Heeling
Halt	Heel (or Name, Heel)	Sits straight
Forward	Heel (or Name, Heel)	Heeling
Halt	Heel (or Name, Heel)	Sits straight
Exercise finished	OK	Free (reasonably)

2. Drop on Recall

Judge's Commands	Handler's Commands	Dog's Behavior
Are you ready?	Ready	Attentive
Leave your dog	Stay (& hand signal)	Feet planted & still
Call your dog	Come	Moves toward handler
Signal to drop	Command or signal	Does a down immediately
Call your dog	Come	Moves to handler & sits in front
Finish	Command or signal	Assumes heel position
Exercise finished	OK	Free (reasonably)

3. Retrieve on Flat

Judge's Commands	Handler's Commands	Dog's Behavior
Are you ready?	Ready	Attentive
Throw it	Stay (& hand signal) then 20'	Remains sitting
Send your dog	Fetch	Directly & quickly
Take it	Give	Releases the dumbell
Finish	Command or signal	Assumes heel position
Exercise finished	OK	Free (reasonably)

4. Retrieve over High Jump

Judge's Commands	Handler's Commands	Dog's Behavior
Are you ready?	Ready	Attentive
Throw it	Stay (& hand signal)	Remains sitting
Send your dog	Fetch	Directly & quickly
Take it	Give	Releases the dumbell
Finish	Command or signal	Assumes heel position
Exercise finished	OK	Free (reasonably)

5. Broad Jump

Judge's Commands	Handler's Commands	Dog's Behavior
Are you ready?	Ready	Attentive
Leave your dog	Stay (& hand signal)	Remains sitting
Send your dog	Jump	The dog does the jump, turns and sits straight in front
Finish	Command or signal	Assumes heel position
Exercise finished	OK	Free (reasonably)

6. Long sit

Judge's Commands	Handler's Commands	Dog's Behavior
	Armband weighted with leash placed behind dog
Are you ready?	Ready	Attentive
Sit your dogs	Sit	Sits
Leave your dogs	Stay (& hand signal) (Note, the handler is then instructed to leave the ring since this exercise is done out of site)	Remains sitting for 3 minutes
Return to your dogs	Return to heel position	Remains calm
Exercise finished	OK	Free (reasonably)

7. Long down

This is performed identically to the long sit exercise except that the dog is to assume the down position and the duration is for 5 minutes.

Return Home