If one consults the Oxford dictionary, "obedient" is defined as "obeying or ready to obey". A second definition is "submission to another's will".

The purpose of obedience contained in the Canadian Kennel Club Obedience Trials Rules and Regulations is to "demonstrate the usefulness of the purebred dog as a companion of man, not merely the dog's ability to follow specified routines in the obedience ring.  The basic objective of obedience trials is to produce dogs that have been trained to behave in the home, in public places and in the presence of other dogs, in a manner that reflects credit on the sport of obedience."

 That can apply to any dog – a dog doesn't have to be a purebred  to be useful and to be a companion of man.

I was sitting at ringside at an obedience trial a few weeks ago and observed a very fine obedience round by a dog handled by a woman who teaches obedience.  Her dog worked with precision and appeared happy to be working.  When, however, she hooked the leash on and began walking out of the ring, the dog began to pull hard while she hung on and was literally dragged along behind her dog.

I guess I'd just witnessed a performance – not obedience as defined - but rather a cluster of movements which - while they resembled obedience - weren't obedience in its purest form. The "obedience" went out the window when the routine was finished.

When we are teaching the Canadian Canine Good Citizen Orientation classes, folks repeatedly tell us that their dogs walk politely on the leash, "But not here, because there are things going on".  The foundation for honest-to-goodness obedience has been laid, but the dog isn't capable of maintaining the training when distractions are added.

I got up during the night a few weeks ago.  The dogs told me they had to go outside.  We live on 40 acres and sometimes there are critters in the yard at night.  This particular night, I opened the door and all 4 dogs took off at a full gallop, barking and chasing.  I still don't know what was out there, but suffice it to say that I didn't feel comfortable letting them continue the chase.

My command to return to me is "With Me".  A dog doesn't have to do anything more than come and stand close enough that I can give the dog a pat on the head or attach a leash.  "With Me" applies not only to each individual but to the pack as well. 

When they hear "With Me" I expect each dog to respond by immediately moving toward me.  That's in a perfect world.  Like the dogs at the CCGC Orientation Night – would they be able to return to me under the distraction of the critter?  Like the obedience trial dog, would the obedience training hold up when the scene had changed and we weren't practicing in a building with collars, leashes, verbal cues and footwork?

As I hollered the command, I wondered how many of our dogs would actually turn around and come back to me.  All 4 broke off the chase and came back. 

I can't tell you how relieved I was.  Firstly, it was cold and I was in my jammies and barefooted.  Secondly, it was dark out there and I didn't relish the prospect of having to go out to find my dog (the one -- or some -- who hadn't come back) and possibly encounter whatever creature was being chased!

The dogs' response to my command is, in my opinion, true obedience.  None of the canine kids had any "yah buts" or "I can't right now 'cause I'm busy ", they just turned around and ran to me.

Years ago we had a Collie/German Shepherd Cross named Julie.  Julie was born good.  She didn't run away, she didn't pull on her leash, she stayed when told to. She didn't fight, bite or chase cars.  She left things alone when she was supposed to and was in every sense the essence of a perfectly obedient dog.

She played ball and did so with gusto, but when we asked her to give it up, she did so right away – no "catch me if you can", just a quick release of the ball and a step back with eyes bright and tail wagging, waiting for the next toss.

The dogs we have right now are lovely and I adore them. They're good, but they can be better.   They don't respond to ALL commands to the same degree that Julie did.  It's a wake up call to me to remember Julie and her manners. She never attempted to negotiate her way out of having to respond to a command and never required a second command.  She was glad to be with us and took pride in doing what was asked.

How about your dog? Is there room for improvement? 

I think we all have to focus on the purest definition of the word "obedience" and strive to achieve it with our dogs.  It makes life so much easier.

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