MONDIORING
The New Game in Town.
Written by Ann Putegnat
Contributed by Nancy Christensen, Renejade Dobermans
Mondioring is an international protection sport developed in the late 80's by representatives from every major country that has a protection sport. The new sport was designed to 'level the playing ground' and allow competitors from any of the world's disciplines to compete in a common sport. French Ring, Belgian Ring, IPO (Schutzhund),and KNPV were all represented. The result is a sport that combines the best of all of these sports.
Holly Mailander and Anastasia Germania, FR I (Stassi) in the heeling exercise in Mondioring II.
While the exercise is only worth 6 points at any level and the dogs are not required to maintain the level of focus normally seen in SchH or AKC, there are ALWAYS complications that will 'steal your dog away' if they have not been carefully prepared to deal with this level of distraction. The theme of this particular trial was "Fiesta", an annual San Antonio tradition which of course includes a parade with floats.
William Fredrichs and Arcas Vom Kamau, MR Brevet, check in with the judge prior to their routine. This team walked away with their title and also the trophy for High Scoring Brevet with a score if 90 out of 100 possible points.
Like most protection sports, Mondioring has a series of exercises to be executed by the dog/handler team in the categories of obedience, agility (jumps) and protection. There are 17 exercises in all, at the upper level. Mondioring titles are issued at three levels: Mondioring I, II and III. A Brevet title is offered in some countries, and is considered a national title. It is not a requirement for entry into the sport, unlike French Ring which does require this 'certificate'. An interesting possibility in Mondioring is that a dog who has titled in another protection sport in it's own country - for example French Ring, Schutzhund, Belgian Ring - is allowed to enter the sport at the level that it has achieved in it's own country. Thus, a FR III dog can cross directly over to MR III, etc.
The obedience in Mondioring is based on functionality. In particular, heeling is not the high point exercise seen in AKC or IPO. It is expected that the dog remain with the handler at his or her side in spite of distractions and possible tasks that the handler must perform during the process. Total focus, absolute precision..these are not part of the judging process for this sport. The emphasis is on control in spite of distraction. The jumps in Mondioring test the structure of the dog. One main difference between French Ring and Mondioring is that the Pallisade has a ramp on the back side and is executed one way only.
Arcas in the Absence. This is a one minute long down with the handler absent. There are distractions at each level, but at the Brevet level they are minimal. In this case, the distraction was a 'construction worker' pushing a wheelbarrow around the dog at a distance of 10 meters.
Greta Fredrichs and Dulcee vom Haus Jagen
Dulcee clears the Hurdle in Mondioring Brevet
The Defense of Handler exercise in Mondioring is definitely considered the signature exercise of the sport. Each trial is based in a theme - much like a theatre set up on a field. Props, scenarios, distractions are placed at strategic points on the trial field. The dog must have tremendous self control, and the ability to problem solve without direction from the handler once the exercise has begun.
Dulcee vom Haus Jagen in the Defense of Handler exercise. Decoy is Officer Donald Lee, who many of you may remember from Schutzhund in years past. He titled one Dobe to SchH III, another to DPO 1. Dulcee is guarding her handler, Greta Frederichs, from the bad guy. She is not allowed to bite until and unless her person is struck. While she is a bit out of position, the picture is a definite photo op. Dulcee is nine years old, and this was her first trial. It was also Greta's first trial. Both survived, and a title was earned.
Some basic rules must be followed. The decoy that eventually shakes the hand of the handler will be the one who strikes the handler. That decoy must hold his attack for two seconds minimum to allow the dog to bite. It must be two hands..clear and unambiguous. There is a 10 second bite with an out and guard. There may be more than one decoy on the field in this exercise. The handler is allowed to give only one command at the start line. Any command after that point will disqualify the exercise. The dog is expected to remain with the handler, no matter what happens. The handler could be asked to walk from one point to another, to sit in a chair then move on, climb steps, lay on a stretcher, be handed objects to carry, push a wheelbarrow, or any variation that the judge comes up with. No repeated command may be given to assist the dog in staying with the handler. This challenge, along with the challenge of deciding WHEN to bite (only when handler is struck), makes for an exercise that demands clear headed dogs and careful, consistent training.
Stassi pushes through the 'accessory' to bite the bad guy on the 'Face Attack with Accessories". The decoy is allowed to use objects to 'impress' the dogs on their way in to bite. In this case, it was a very traditional 'bottle wall' used by decoy Chris Moody of Amarillo. His intent was to keep the dog from biting, but Stassi would have none of that. This exercise was in Mondioring II.
Postscript: Stassi died at at five years of age from carcinoma mesothelioma. She was an exceptional bitch, with a very big heart. We were all saddened to hear of her early death. She and Holly made an incredible team that was a blast to watch.
A dog handler team enters the Mondioring field and completes each exercise before leaving the field. This is unlike Schutzhund, where the dog handler team complete the three phases separately. At the Mondioring III level, the dog will be on the field for 45 minutes. This one fact is something that changes the basic style of training for a Mondioring dog. It is not possible to enter the trial field with a dog in the top of its drive (as we routinely see in a SchH trial) , and maintain that level for 45 minutes. Thus, Mondioring dogs learn to have an off and on switch, so to speak, that allows them to pace themselves throughout the trial.
Some allowances have been made for dogs that come to Mondioring from Schutzhund. At the Brevet and Mondioring I level, the handler can elect to have the arm presented for the dog on the 'long bites' where the dog is sent down the field to bite. In addition, it is allowed that the handler go to pick up his or her dog on these bites rather than the traditional call back to heel position.
Mondioring has grown steadily in the United States since the first trial in the year 2000. Most of the activity in the sport is centered in California, Colorado and Texas. However, interest is growing in other areas of the country. Mondioring titles are recognized internationally, and each year the organization sends a team to compete in the International Championships in a different country in Europe. An interesting note is that international competition is quite 'do-able' in Mondioring, as it is a new sport and there are not many competitors to date.
Mondioring is represented in this country by the United States Mondioring Association. This organization is a member of the American Working Dog Federation (AWDF). For information please contact :
Ann Putegnat, Secretary Treasurer
400 Hidden Oak
Bulverde, TX 78163
(830) 438-3327