Utility Training Equipment for Dogs

The highest obedience title that a dog can attain in an American Kennel Club obedience competition is the coveted utility title. The third and final title in obedience competitions, the utility title exercises involve off-leash functions such as healing, staying and standing for examination by the judge. The dog must recognize hand signals that direct it to jump over obstacles, come, heel, stand, sit and drop. During the competition, no voice commands are issued by the handler. The dog also must retrieve and perform scent work. To train for the utility title, dog owners must own several pieces of important equipment.

  1. Jumps

    • Trainers will require a set of regulation jumps to train a dog for the utility title in obedience. A broad jump, bar jump and high jump are utilized when training a dog. The jumps will be a large part of the competition in an American Kennel Club obedience trial.

      The high jump and broad jump equipment must be painted white. The bar jump is painted a combination of white and black. Most jump sets assemble quickly with no tools required. They can be packed in a carrying case for easy transport to a variety of dog-training locations.

      Jumps can be purchased at most dog training supply stores. They also can be built if a person is handy in the wood shop.

    Utility Articles

    • Utility articles are barbell-shaped training aids. They are widely available in single, double and triple bar styles to appeal to a wide range of dogs. Many dogs prefer to grip a barbell with a single bar, but others prefer the triple or double styles.

      A trainer will need twelve articles for training. Six will be constructed of metal and six will be made from hard leather. Only five metal and five leather articles are used in competition, but it is always nice to have extra articles in case one gets misplaced or lost. The articles are used in the scent section of the utility training and competition. A handler will touch one of the articles and then it will be placed with the group of articles that have not been touched, according to the Dog Owner's Guide. The dog will need to smell each article and choose the one that the owner touched.

    White Gloves

    • A set of three all-white gloves will be needed to train for utility. Most trainers will purchase two sets so that one clean set is always available for training. The gloves are used to train the dog to pick up and retrieve a designated item. The dog must seek out the correct glove and promptly return it to the handler. The dog will sit in front of the handler and relinquish the glove.

    Scent Article Bag

    • A nylon mesh scent article bag is required to carry scent articles to training sessions or dog shows. Scent articles should never be stored in a purse or bag with other items. The added scents that the articles draw and absorb will confuse the dog during training and competition. Choosing a nylon mesh bag allows the articles to breath and not absorb confusing smells during transport.