OBEDIENCE AND RALLY - ALL BREED PERFORMANCE SPORTS

Obedience competition (or Obedience Test as it was known then), got its start in the United States through the effort of Mrs. Helene Whitehouse Walker. The first all-breed Obedience Test was held in Mount Kisco, New York in 1933 and it gave dog owners the realization that no matter the breed, no matter that the owners were amateurs, here was the opportunity to show what one could do in the training field. “Train your own dog!” became the popular slogan and owners from all parts of the country were quick to respond. This widening enthusiasm spurred Mrs. Walker to greater goals. And she began aiming toward the introduction of obedience at the next all-breed event, the North Westchester Kennel Club show on June 9, 1934. Mrs. Walker then persuaded the Somerset Hills Kennel Club to join with the North Westchester Club in holding Obedience Tests. Somerset’s event in Far Hills, New Jersey took place on September 22, 1934. Somerset Hills Kennel Club thus became the second club to hold obedience tests in conjunction with and all-breed show. 1935 saw the sport grow to six obedience tests in conjunction with all-breed shows. The sponsoring clubs were the North Westchester Kennel Club, the Lenox Kennel Club, The North Shore Kennel Club, the Westchester Kennel Club, The Somerset Hills Kennel Club and the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. Since the North Westchester Kennel Club is no longer in existence, the Somerset Hills Kennel Club is now the club that has held Obedience the longest but unfortunately there were a couple of years when there was no Obedience so the club can’t claim the longest continuous Obedience. CANINE GOOD CITIZEN TESTING TRICK DOG TESTING