International Rules for Team Competition in Rescue Dog Sport

General abbreviations

FCI Fédération Cynologique Internationale (International Canine Federation)
IRO Internationale Rettungshundeorganisation (International Rescue Dog Organisation)
RH-M Rescue Dog Team Competition
LAO National organisation
NRO National rescue dog organisation
FL Trail layer
HF Dog handler
HZ Voice command
SZ Hand signals
PR Judge
PL Test Organiser

Obedience and dexterity (UO+G)

Obedience is absolutely necessary for the resolving of many tasks and situations as well as in cooperation between the rescue dog handler and his/her dog. Equally, the dog requires skilfulness, agility and familiarity with as many different conditions as possible. The selection of exercises is geared to the most important demands made on rescue dogs in this area.


Maximum score 95 points
Exercise 1: off-leash heeling 10 points
Exercise 2: carrying and handing over 5 points
Exercise 3: sit exercise 5 points
Exercise 4: down stay with recall 5 points
Exercise 5: stand stay with recall 5 points
Exercise 6: retrieval on flat ground 5 points
Exercise 7: changing position at distance 10 points
Exercise 8: send out and lay down 5 points
Exercise 9: crawling exercise 5 points
Exercise 10: seesaw 5 points
Exercise 11: long jump 5 points
Exercise 12: horizontal ladder 5 points
Exercise 13: directability at a distance 10 points
Exercise 14: soft tunnel 5 points
Exercise 15: lying down while distracted 10 points


General provisions:
The dog must perform the tasks willingly and briskly. In the start position, the dog sits on the left-hand side of the handler. The judge gives the instruction to start an exercise, with further performance left to the handler and, unless stated otherwise, without any further instruction from the judge. A single hand signal and/or voice command is permitted for all commands.

Exercises 1, 2 and 15 are compulsory exercises and must be performed in this order by all the individual teams of a rescue dog team. The order of the other 12 exercises is determined by drawing lots. The first four exercises drawn are performed by a team designated by the team leader, the next four exercises by the second team, also designated by the team leader, and the remaining four exercises by the third team member.

1. Off-leash heeling - 10 Points
The three teams of a rescue dog team perform the exercise together. One hand signal and/or voice command is permitted at the beginning of the exercise and when changing pace. From the start position, the dog must follow the handler attentively and willingly, remain on the left-hand side of the handler and sit of its own accord when stopping at least for the second time. Moving slightly ahead, lagging slightly behind or straying slightly to the side by the dog, as well as slight stalling by the dog handler at the turns shall not be penalised. At least one left-hand turn and one right-hand turn, as well as one about turn, are to be demonstrated at normal pace, as well as at least one change of pace from normal to running and from normal to slow pace. The procedure for off-leash heeling (see Annex) must be adhered to.
During off-leash heeling, diversion is carried out by the firing of two shots (6-9 mm calibre) and engine noise.

2. Carrying and handing over - 5 Points
The dog is picked up from the floor or a raised object (e.g. detachment table) by the handler or another person, carried for 10 metres and then handed over to the handler or a second person. The second person also carries the dog for around 10 metres and then places it on the ground. On the instruction of the judge, the handler calls his/her dog to come to him/her by way of a hand signal and/or voice command and adopt the start position. If the handler is the person to whom the dog is handed over, the dog must stand still on the ground until the handler is around 10 metres away. The handler then calls his/her dog to him/her and the dog immediately re-adopts the start position.
The dog may not display shyness or aggression to the handler or those assisting.

3. Sit exercise - 5 Points
From the start position, the dog handler walks in a straight line with his/her dog heeling off leash. After 10 -15 paces, the dog must sit in response to a hand signal voice command, while the dog handler continues walking without slowing down or looking back. After another 30 paces, the dog handler stops and turns round to face the dog. Upon a command from the judge, the dog handler walks back to his/her dog.

4. Down stay with recall - 5 Points
From the start position, the dog handler must walk in a straight line with his dog heeling off leash. After 10 - 15 paces, the dog must lay down on a hand signal and/or voice command, while the dog handler continues walking without slowing down or looking back. After walking straight ahead for another 30 paces, the dog handler stops and turns to face the dog, which must be lying still. Upon a command from the judge, the dog handler must recall the dog by means of a hand signal and/or voice command. The dog must approach the dog handler swiftly and willingly and sit immediately in front of its handler. On a voice command or hand signal, the dog must resume the start position.

5. Stand stay with recall - 5 Points
From the start position, the dog handler must walk in a straight line with his dog heeling off leash. After 10 - 15 paces, the dog must stop and remain standing on a hand signal and/or voice command, while the dog handler continues walking without slowing down or looking back. After walking straight ahead for another 30 paces, the dog handler stops and turns to face the dog, which must be standing still. Upon a command from the judge, the dog handler must recall the dog by means of a hand signal and/or voice command. The dog must approach the dog handler swiftly and willingly and sit immediately in front of its handler. On a voice command or hand signal, the dog must resume the start position.

6. Retrieval on flat ground - 5 Points
From the start position, the dog handler throws an article which he has been carrying with him about 10 paces away. The hand signal and/or voice command for “Fetch” may not be given until the article has come to a complete stop. The dog, sitting off-leash beside its handler, must run determinedly to the object, retrieve it and return it to its handler. The dog must sit in front of its handler and retain the object in its mouth until the handler shortly afterwards gives a hand signal and/or voice command for the dog to release it. On instruction from the judge, the handler gives hand signal and/or voice command for the dog to return to the start position.

7. Changing position at distance - 10 Points
When instructed by the judge, the handler walks 10-15 paces straight ahead with his/her dog at a normal pace and tells the dog to lie down by means of a hand signal and/or voice command while still moving. The handler walks on for about another 30 paces and turns to the dog. The dog must then change its position three times between lying, standing and sitting in response to hand signals and/or voice commands. The dog must be lying after the final change of position. The Test Organiser, who stands behind the dog, shows the handler with sign boards at three second intervals what position is to be performed in each case. The handler gives the dog the appropriate hand signal and/or voice command from a distance. The dog may not move more than one body length during the changes of position. An interval of approx. 3 seconds is to be observed between the individual positions. The handler is then instructed to recall his/her dog. The dog sits in front of the handler and returns to the start position in response to a hand signal and/or voice command.


8. Send out and lay down - 5 Points
When instructed by the judge, the dog handler walks from the start position in the direction indicated by the judge with his dog heeling off leash. After 10 - 15 paces, the dog handler sends the dog forward using a hand signal and/or voice command. The dog must continue to go quickly in the indicated direction for around 40 paces and then lie down in response to a hand signal and/or voice command. On instruction from the judge, the dog handler goes to collect the dog and gives a hand signal and/or voice command for it to return to the start position.

9. Crawling exercise - 5 Points
From the start position, the dog handler gives its dog the hand signal and/or voice command for “Down”, upon which the dog must immediately lay down. When ordered by the judge, the dog handler must instruct his/her dog to crawl over a distance of 10 meters. Several hand signals or voice commands are allowed while the dog is crawling. Touching the dog, however, will be penalized. The dog handler can either walk alongside the dog or crawl along with his dog. At the end of the exercise, the dog is to remain in the “down” position. When instructed by the judge, the handler is to bring his/her dog to the start position.

10. Seesaw - 5 Points
Obstacle: wooden plank approx. 4 m long and 0.3 m wide with a barrel of approx. 0.4 m diameter in the middle.
The handler takes up the start position with his/her dog at a reasonable distance from the obstacle. In response to a hand signal and/or voice command, the dog must proceed to the pivotal point (centre) of the object, make the seesaw tilt and hold this position until the handler comes. The handler may not approach the dog remaining on the object until instructed by the judge. The dog then walks to the end of the plank and leaves it. The handler walks along the side of the object, though without touching he dog or the object. At the end of the object, the handler gives a hand signal and/or voice command for the dog to return to the start position.

11. Long jump 150 cm - 5 Points
The exercise can be performed via an artificial (e.g. jumping device, landing pit) or natural obstacle (e.g. water ditch). The handler with his/her dog takes up the start position at an appropriate distance from the obstacle. In response to a hand signal and/or voice command, the dog has to jump over the obstacle and then stop in response to the handler’s hand signal and/or voice command. When instructed by the judge, the handler goes to the dog and gives a hand signal and/or voice command for the dog to return to the start position.

12. Horizontal ladder - 5 Points
Obstacle: Wooden ladder with rungs, approx. 4 m long and 0.5 m wide, distance between rungs 0.3 m, width of rungs 5 cm, lying across two supports approx. 50 cm high, with plank from the ground providing access.
The handler with his/her dog takes up the start position at an appropriate distance from the obstacle. In response to a hand signal and/or voice command, the dog mounts the ladder via the access plank and walks across to the last rung on the other side, where the dog is lifted down by the handler and given a hand signal and/or voice command to return to the start position. The handler can walk alongside the dog working on the ladder, but must not touch the dog or the equipment.

13. Directability at distance - 10 Points
The handler takes up the start position with his/her dog at the starting point. When instructed by the judge, the handler, without changing his/her position, sends the dog by way of a hand signal for “Approach the area” and a voice command to a clearly marked out area around 20 m away. Once the dog has reached the area, it is given a hand signal and/or voice command to "stay". On a further instruction from the judge, the handler, without changing his/her position, sends the dog by way of a hand signal for "approach the marked objects” and a voice command to the first point indicated. When given the hand signal for "mount" and a voice command, the dog jumps onto this object and stays there. The handler then sends the dog to the next point, which it also has to jump onto and stay. The same applies to the third point indicated.
The order in which the objects are to be approached is stipulated by the judge at the beginning of the exercise.
The dog is to be recalled from the third object to the dog handler with the hand signal for “come” and a voice command, upon which the dog is to return to the handler and sit in front of him/her. The handler then gives the dog a hand signal or voice command to re-adopt the start position.

14. Soft tunnel - 5 Points
The tunnel consists of a 4 metre long fixed section 60 cm in diameter, with the second part comprising a 3.5 m long piece of soft material. The handler takes up the start position at an appropriate distance in front of the tunnel. In response to a hand signal and/or voice command, the dog has to run through the tunnel and then stop when given another hand signal and/or voice command. When instructed by the judge, the handler goes to his/her dog and gives a hand signal and or /voice command for the dog to return to the start position.

15. Lying down while distracted - 10 Points
After exercise 2, all the handlers of a team give a hand signal and/or a voice command for their dogs to lie down together in a row. The handlers move away at least 40 m on the instruction of the judge and go out of sight together. The dog must lie still without any influence from the handler while the teams selected by the team leader perform exercises 3 - 13. The handler chosen in each case collects his/her dog from the place where it is lying down, performs the exercise and then returns the dog to the lying down position. When exercises 3 – 13 have been completed, all the handlers go to their dogs together, position themselves to the right of their dogs and, when instructed by the judge, give a hand signal and/or voice command for the dogs to sit up.

The task ends with the announcement of the score by the judge.

Task Rubble search

The team is free to choose the means and the tactics for the solution. The team members are to work together and support and assist each other.

The method of alerting by the dog can be chosen freely. Several dogs can search or find at the same time. If the victim is found quickly, the time not used is rewarded with bonus points. The number of victims has to stay the same within an event.

Scoring:

Finding the victims: for 2: 60 points each;
for 3: 40 each;
for 4: 30 each;
for 5: 24 points each
120 points

Bonus points per minute not used 1 point
Cooperation in the rescue dog team 20 points

• Rubble area of at least 1000 m², on one level or divided into levels
• Diversion – smouldering fire, motor noise, hammering, beating drums, etc.
• 2-5 victims concealed (it should not be possible for the dog to have visual or physical contact; the covering should therefore be as inconspicuous as possible). The hiding places must be at least 10 m apart. The victims must take up their positions 15 minutes before the dogs are sent in. The victims are assistants of the judge and must not move; they have to remain completely quiet and not give the handler or the dog any assistance. The possibility of handing over cards from the victim to the handler must be taken into account in the layout of the test situation.
• Used hiding places must be left open; used hiding places can also be used again.
• The search area must be walked all over by at least 3 persons with a test dog 15 minutes before the dogs are sent in; the search area is to be walked all over by at least 3 persons (without a dog) immediately before the dogs enter and while the dogs are working.
• Working time - maximum 20 minutes


Search work:
The rescue dog team must wait out of sight with their dogs until called. The rescue dog team is given a written description of the location and tasks (in the language of the organiser or in English or German on request). The search area, which has visual or clearly recognisable boundaries, is described verbally. The team leader can use any search system that appears favourable and as many dogs as he/she wants. The judge is to be informed of the tactics chosen. The time starts when the team is ready to start searching and the judge gives the signal to go. The manner of alert is left up to the dogs. The team leader may not enter the search area and the dog handler may only do so on alert by his/her dog and/or instruction by the judge.
The victim has a card which he/she gives to the dog handler finding him/her. The handler gives the card to the judge to show that the person has been found and then leaves the search area again. The rubble search ends with the handover of the second card and simultaneous stopping of the time or on expiry of the maximum search time. One bonus point is awarded to the rescue dog team per minute of unused time or part thereof.

The task ends with the announcement of the score by the judge.

Task Area search

The team is free to choose the means and the tactics for the solution. The team members are to work together and support and assist each other.

The method of alerting by the dog can be chosen freely. Several dogs can search or find at the same time. If the victim is found quickly, the time not used is rewarded with bonus points. The number of victims has to stay the same within an event.

Scoring:
Finding the victims: for 2: 60 points each;
for 3: 40 each;
for 4: 30 each;
for 5: 24 points each
120 points
Bonus points per minute not used 1 point
Cooperation in the rescue dog team 20 points

• Search area, open and covered grounds, terrain-related 40,000 m2, open for 2-5 persons (it should be possible for the dog to have visual or physical contact). The hiding places must be at least 10 m apart, up to 2 metre height permitted. The victims must take up their positions 15 minutes before the dogs are sent in. The victims are assistants of the judge and must not move; they have to remain completely quiet and not give the handler or the dog any assistance. The possibility of handing over cards from the victim to the handler must be taken into account in the layout of the test situation.
• Used hiding places can also be used again.
• The search area must be walked all over by at least 3 persons with a test dog 15 minutes before the dogs are sent in; the search area is to be walked all over by at least 3 persons (without a dog) immediately before the dogs enter and while the dogs are working.
• Working time up to a maximum of 20 minutes

Search work:
The rescue dog team must wait out of sight with their dogs until called. The rescue dog team is given a written description of the location and tasks (in the language of the organiser or in English or German on request). The search area, which has visual or clearly recognisable boundaries, is described verbally. Furthermore, the team is allocated a particular part of the search area within which the team can move freely. The team leader may not enter the actual search area and the dog handler may only do so on alert by his/her dog and/or instruction by the judge. The team leader can use any search system that appears favourable and as many dogs as he/she wants. The judge is to be informed of the tactics chosen. The time starts when the team is ready to start searching and the judge gives the signal to go. The manner of alert is left up to the dogs.
The victim has a card which he/she gives to the dog handler finding him/her. The handler gives the card to the judge to show that the person has been found and then returns to the team's allocated area. The area search ends with the handover of the second card and simultaneous stopping of the time or on expiry of the maximum search time. One bonus point is awarded to the rescue dog team per minute of unused time or part thereof.

The task ends with the announcement of the score by the judge.

Task Tracking

The team is free to choose the means and the tactics for the solution. The team members are to work together and support and assist each other.

The method of alerting by the dog can be chosen freely. If the victim is found quickly, the time not used is rewarded with bonus points.

Scoring:
Adhering to scent trail 50 points
Objects 10 points each 20 points
Alert of person 30 points
Bonus points per unused minute 1 point

• Track length 1500 paces ( pace length 70 cm )
• 120 minutes old
• As natural as possible with change of terrain and adapted to the terrain, 6 sides (do not have to be straight), any 5 changes of direction (corners and bends between 30 and 150 degrees), inducements and paths not possible
• 2 well-worn objects from the track layer measuring a maximum of 15 x 5 x 5 cm (change of team for each object), person lying at the end of the track
• Working time maximum 30 minutes

Search work:
After being called, the point of departure located on an unmarked stretch 20 m long is clearly described to the rescue dog team by the judge. The time starts when the team is ready to start searching and the judge gives the signal to go. A team designated by the team leader starts the search work. If this team does pick up the scent, another team can be deployed after 5 minutes. The dog must follow the course of the track more or less. The handler follows his/her dog at a distance of 10 m at the end of a track leash or off leash. As soon as the dog has found an object, it must give the alert immediately without any influence from its handler. The type of alert can be chosen freely; the handler confirms the find to the judge by holding up the object. Another team of the rescue dog team must then continue the tracking work. If the object is passed by, the judge will order a change of handler.

The work is stopped by the judge if the handler is more than 10 metres away from the track. The judge can allow a greater distance in difficult terrain. Work is stopped in any case of the judge is of the impression that the dog can no longer trace the scent on its own.

When the dog reaches the person, the handler must stop immediately. The dog must give a clear alert of the person without any influence from the handler. The type of alert can be chosen freely. After the alert by the dog, the handler goes directly to the person. The tracking ends when the handler has reached the person found and simultaneous stopping of the time. One bonus point is awarded for each unused minute or part thereof.

The task ends with the announcement of the score by the judge.

Task Avalanche search

The team is free to choose the means and the tactics for the solution. The team members are to work together and support and assist each other.

The method of alerting by the dog can be chosen freely. Several dogs can search or find at the same time. If the victim is found quickly, the time not used is rewarded with bonus points.

Scoring:

Finding the persons: 60 Points each 120 points
Bonus points per unused minute 1 point
Cooperation in the dog rescue team 20 points


• Search area, avalanche area of at least 20,000 m2,
2 persons buried, approx. 1 metre deep (it should not be possible for the dog to have visual or physical contact). The victims should be lying at least 20 m apart. The victims must have taken up their positions 20 minutes before the dog is sent in. The victims are assistants of the judge and must not move; they have to remain completely quiet and not give the handler or the dog any assistance. They are also forbidden from taking part in the preparatory work for the snow hollow immediately prior to being buried.
• The corresponding safety guidelines and directives must be adhered to when burying the victims.
• The hiding places of the victims must be changed after each round. Used hiding places must be left open; used hiding places can also be used again.
• The search area must be walked all over by at least 3 persons with a test dog 15 minutes before the dogs are sent in; the search area is to be walked all over by at least 3 persons (without a dog) immediately before the dogs enter and while the dogs are working
• Working time up to a maximum of 20 minutes.

Search work:

The rescue dog team must wait out of sight with their dogs until called. The rescue dog team is given a written description of the location and tasks (in the language of the organiser or in English or German on request). The search area, which has visual or clearly recognisable boundaries, is described verbally. Furthermore, the team is allocated a particular part of the search area within which the team can move freely. The team leader may not enter the actual search area and the dog handler may only do so on alert by his/her dog and/or instruction by the judge. The team leader can use any search system that appears favourable and as many dogs as he/she wants. The judge is to be informed of the tactics chosen. The time starts when the team is ready to start searching and the judge gives the signal to go. The manner of alert is left up to the dogs.
The victim has a card which he/she gives to the dog handler finding him/her. The rescue is carried out by the handler him/herself only to the extent that the card can be handed over. Where requested, the handler gives the card to the judge to show that the person has been found and then returns to the team's allocated area. The area search ends with the handover of the second card, where requested, and simultaneous stopping of the time or on expiry of the maximum search time. One bonus point is awarded to the rescue dog team per minute of unused time or part thereof.

The task ends with the announcement of the score by the judge.