International
Triathlon: ID3/Pentathlon: ID5
Your dog will be scored on three events for the Triathlon, but there is a menu of four events to choose from: 50 yard Sprint Race, Hardest Hitting, Weight Pull, and 12-mile Endurance Test. Your dog will be scored on five events for a Pentathlon but there is a menu of six events to choose from: 50 yard Sprint Race, Hardest Hitting, Weight Pull, Tug of War, Hang-time, and 12-mile Endurance Test. The 12-mile Endurance Test is optional for the Pentathlon and the Triathlon. If you enter and finish all six events in the Pentathlon and all four events in the Triathlon we will throw out your lowest score among the mandatory events and replace it with the ten points you earned by completing the optional 12-mile Endurance Test, with this exception: we will not throw out your score in Hardest Hitting. Each event is worth ten points if you take first place, nine points if you take second place and so forth. All the scores are added together and the highest score wins. The Endurance Test is worth ten points if your dog runs it in the allotted time and zero points if he does not. If there is a tie score, the Hardest Hitting event will be a tie-breaker. The order that dogs will run the events in will be determined by drawing names from a hat, during the handler's meeting, or some other random selection process. Dogs must be crated near the field when not competing. Dogs must not be given corrections. Events are run back to back in rapid succession. If a handler and dog are not ready when their turn is up they will be ejected from the trial. An assistant judge will make sure there is a dog on deck at all times, to expedite the trial. Contestants must provide their own tug toy with snaps and their own weight pull harness. Each dog must have two handlers. Your dog MUST have a GDT/DHT or equivalent to title in a ID3 Triathlon or ID5 Pentathlon. A dog without a Guard Dog Temperament Test/Defensive Handler Test GDT/DHT or equivalent such as a BST/Brevet/PDC can compete but will not receive a title or be recorded as achieving an ID3 Triathlon or ID5 Pentathlon. A DHT is only good for 6 months. In order to continue to title in the ID3 Triathlon or ID5 Pentathlon the dog must achieve a GDT or equivalent. When there are 5 dogs entered the top three will be recorded as “Ranked”.
Sprint Race: Dogs will run against a stopwatch, one at a time, on a straight 50-yard course. One handler will hold the dog at the start line and the second handler will bait the dog past the finish line. The stopwatch starts when an assistant judge near the start line fires a starter's pistol after yelling, "On your mark, get set," BANG! If no starter's pistol is available the assistant judge will yell, "On your mark, get set, GO!" and throw his raised arm down after saying the word, "GO". The stopwatch will start on the word, "GO" and the assistant judge’s arm signal. The assistant judge will watch the handler on the start line and disqualify him if he releases the dog before the gun or before the word, "GO". The handler, on the starting line, must throw his hands fully overhead as he releases the dog. Bait may be protection equipment or nonliving food.
Hardest Hitting: Decoy may wear either a suit or a sleeve depending on the dog's training. The competition bite will be done from a distance of at least 15 yards. Each dog will start from the same spot, which must be marked. On the judge's signal the decoy will prime up the dog (all dogs will be primed in the same manner). The dog is released on the decoy’s direction (either a clatter stick, padded baton or blank gun can be used). The decoy may shout, scream or use any traditional method to pressure the dog. The judge has the option of including gunfire in the Hardest Hitting bite. In this case, the decoy would not carry a stick, but a starter's pistol and would fire one time immediately before impact. After impact, the decoy will drive the dog very briefly, then lockup. The drive must include at least one stick threat with the padded baton or clatter stick, if the decoy did not use gunfire. The dog must stick to his bite during the brief drive to complete this event. Dogs will be judged on impact, how hard they hit the decoy, i.e. how much pain they were able to inflict through the equipment. After each bite, the decoy will give the judge a number from one to ten with ten being the greatest impact, to rank the dogs. Contestants may attempt to out their dog after the decoy locks up. A successful out adds 1 point to the HH score. A successful out is defined as the dog not re-engaging and not leaving the protection field before the handler picks him up, i.e., the dog must be under control until it is picked up. Only one out command is allowed; it must come from the dog's handler. The handler must be standing at the marked start point when he gives the out command. The dog has three seconds to obey the out command. After the dog outs, the handler may run to the dog to pick it up.
Weight Pull 16Ft.: May be done with a sled, a cart or a rail system. Each dog is given 5 turns in a row with the cart or sled. There is a 60-second time limit for each of the 5 pulls. Baiting is allowed with nonliving food or protection equipment. The team can earn 1 extra point in the Weight Pull if you do NOT use bait. The point of the extra point is toaward those exercising proper form and technique. Handler may stand anywhere on the pull track but may not touch the dog. Leashes are not allowed. In the event of a tie, the fastest pull wins. There is a minimum permissible increment of 25 pounds for a sled and 250 pounds for a cart. The judge may increase the minimum increment within reason, but he may not decrease it. Handlers will tell the judge and his assistants how much weight to put on the sled or cart for each pull, but must abide by the minimum increment standard. The weight added to the sled or cart, must go from lighter to heavier. Each turn the dog takes with the sled or cart must be heavier than the previous turn. Increases in weight must be in at least 25-pound increments or multiples of 25 for a sled. For a cart the increments must be AT LEAST 250 pounds.
Tug of War: Dogs will tug, from behind an upright plywood barrier, with a hole drilled in it for the rope to pass through. Handlers must have a leash on the dogs at all times but may not issue corrections. Two assistant judges will be watching either dog at all times during the pull. The assistant judges may disqualify a contestant for giving corrections. The rope is 30 feet long and is marked in the center and 10 feet from the center (length of pull is 10 feet for a win). A dog wins when it has pulled his opponent past the outer rope mark. Each pair of tugging dogs will go against each other only one time. A round robin elimination system will be used. A coin flip or other random method will determine which side of the barrier a dog will pull from. To complete this event a dog must grab the tug toy and pull backwards, i.e., it must tug against its opponent. It must grab the tug toy and begin pulling within 20 seconds of the start of the Tug of War or it automatically loses. There are no weight classes.
Hang time: This event must come after the above events. The dog has a 3-minute time limit on the spring pole to complete this event. The clock starts when all four feet are off the ground. If the dog gets a single bite upon presentation of the tug toy and hangs on without re-biting for the full 3-minutes, it gets a perfect score of ten points. For every time it loses its grip and is forced to re-bite, it loses one point. The clock stops when (if) the dog loses its grip and starts again when all four feet are off the ground. If the dog loses his grip he must immediately be presented with the tug and hoisted upward. The dog is disqualified after losing its grip four times, for safety reasons. The Judge may disqualify a dog before it loses its grip four times if he believes the grips are not solid (for the safety of the dog).
12-mile AD Endurance Test: This event should be done between 12 to 24 hours before the core Three Triathlon or Five Pentathlon events and in cool weather (but not mandatory). The dog must run 12-miles at a pace between 6.5 mph and 10 mph. Handler may be on a bike, on foot, roller blades or a small all-terrain vehicle. The dog will rest for 5 minutes after 5 miles so the judge can inspect the dog's feet and general condition. If either is questionable the dog is disqualified and receives zero points. At 10 miles there is another 5 minute rest and inspection. If the dog passes the final inspection it may continue the last two miles and complete the Endurance Test. This event is optional for the Triathlon and Pentathlon. The dog MUST complete the 12-Mile run start to finish in 2 Hours.
NOTE: Throughout the ENTIRE Trial ID3 Triathlon or ID5 Pentathlon a team is allowed ONLY 1 Foul. In the event a 2nd foul is committed the team will be disqualified.
Fouls: False start, leaving leads on dogs during competitions, corrections and or pinch collars.
Disqualifications: Aggressive or uncontrollable dogs (including loose dog), aggressive gestures by handlers and or unsportsman like conduct.