Obedience competition dress code?

Obedience has gone the way of casual Friday but there is a range.  I have seen folks look like they have stepped out of the garden and into competition.  The some of the  best handlers are dressed corporate casual in colors that blend closely with the dog.  Shoes are almost always tenny runners or a walking shoo.  Some folks compete in jeans and tee shirts. 

The general code in dog sport in the USA is to dress in the manner of the judge  (ie sport coat on in the heat, handlers keep their coats on).  I have never seen a judge in jeans and a tee shirt.   I personally think a well groomed dog ( I have seen dogs obviously right out of the field) and a well groomed handler are a good thing.  I believe it shows some respect for the sport, the judge and the partnership.  (BTW  I am the obedience chair and a competitor at other shows, I always dress up.  Most my dog show wear is from Goodwill.)

mrv

dressed corporate casual in colors that blend closely with the dog.

 Just to note here, though, if you have a black dog, do not wear black pants.  Judges look for that because they suspect you're attempting to hide something by having your clothing match your dog.  Trainers will also recommend choosing a shirt color that contrasts w/the background so the dog can see you make hand signals more easily.  Also, no logos for training clubs, equipment, etc.. no advertising, basically. 

Most commonly I've seen khakis w/some of these sportier flats (good traction like a sneaker, but more stylized as casual wear), and a nicer top.  A lot of folks wear vests, too, for warmth.  This past weekend I wore jeans, but I wore a nice top to "dress it up" a smidge, did my makeup and made sure my hair was secured but looked decent.  I have a black dog, so khakis get messy w/black hair, and I can't wear black pants because of the reason mentioned above.

At this show, I saw a few women who dressed like they were going into the show (conformation) ring, which was somewhat unusual for me, because the only times I've seen that is when the handler is showing conformation with a dog, and needs to run over to Obed/Rally, too.  Agility looks much much less formal from all the trials I've been to, and I assume that's because people are running around catching a sweat. 

 I generally do jeans (not faded or ragged) and a nice looking top. Occasionally, I'll wear khakis, but my dog doesn't stand out, well, against them (I don't want anyone to ever think I'm trying to hide her), and I end up with pawprints on them. At shows that are obedience only, and more casual, I sometimes wear cute, dog related t shirts.

miranadobe

mrv

dressed corporate casual in colors that blend closely with the dog.

 Just to note here, though, if you have a black dog, do not wear black pants.  Judges look for that because they suspect you're attempting to hide something by having your clothing match your dog. 

 I have always heard not to wear a contrasting color because it makes your dog's heeling/sit faults stand out. I often have worn black or dark pants with a black dog.

Guess it's a good thing that 1 dog is black and white speckled, 1 is red speckled, and one is mostly white - black on black will not be an issue for us!

AgileGSD

I have always heard not to wear a contrasting color because it makes your dog's heeling/sit faults stand out.  I often have worn black or dark pants with a black dog.

I've never seen such nice dress as described in this thread, lol!  Unless of course there's a pro handler bringing the dog over to obedience from conformation, but most of the obedience/rally trials I attend are not part of conformation shows.  I usually see people wearing nicer jeans or casual khakis and a sporty top like a plain sweatshirt or fleece jacket.  Perhaps weather plays a role?  The trials I usually attend are indoors but it's still freezing.  My first trial (rally, but obedience was going on too) was in Detroit in Jan and the windchill that day was -10.  Dogs and people doing in/out all day, you might as well assume the doors are propped open, plus they aren't going to heat the whole building/arena to 65. Other times we've gone to trials that are at MSU in this agricultural building where they have a horse arena, so it is also cold, dark, and damp.  If I was entering an obedience trial this month, I'd be wearing my nicest jeans and my LL Bean fleece jacket (it's a thin, sporty jacket, not bulky but still warm).  Mind you, I look more "put together" in my nicest jeans and a clean sporty jacket than some people I see wearing khakis and blazers that looked like they dressed in the dark or haven't washed their clothes in a year.

miranadobe

AgileGSD

I have always heard not to wear a contrasting color because it makes your dog's heeling/sit faults stand out.  I often have worn black or dark pants with a black dog.

That's the point, though, that judges see a handler wearing black w/a black dog and assume the handler is trying to hide something.  Just this past weekend, another competitor told me a judge stopped her after her entry in the ring and told her to never wear all-black again because she might have taken points off because of it, had she not been a more forgiving judge.  The judge was saying it stands out as someone trying to hide faults, and could be penalized as such by other judges.  I've just taken the advice and never worn black pants in the ring. 

 That is really interesting. You are the first person I have ever heard say not to wear a matching color to their dog in OB LOL. To be honest if a judge told me that they took more points off because my dog is black and I wore black, I'd consider filing a complaint against them since that shouldn't be what they are basing their judging on. Wearing clothing that interfers with the dog or covers the dog up (like long flowing skirts) would be reasonable to deduct points but not just based on color.

 FWIW I have also shown in OB/Rally my breed showing clothes - often light gray or white because I'm doing both at the same show. I often wear nice dark denim jeans and a nice shirt. I do try not to contrast the dog though, because OB is sort of the opposite of conformation - you want the dog and handler to give the appearance of being a team and not try to make the dog stand out.

AgileGSD

To be honest if a judge told me that they took more points off because my dog is black and I wore black, I'd consider filing a complaint against them since that shouldn't be what they are basing their judging on.

Liesje

I got two RA Qs (and 1st places) wearing flip-flops, lol.

Wow your shows really are casual!!  I've been to AKC shows all around New England, plus AZ, Washington State, and now Colorado and I've never seen (or never noticed?) anyone wearing flipflops.  I have seen some sloppy casual dress that should be embarrassing (t-shirts and stretch pants with holes in them?  really??), because it was pointed out by others (particularly Obed & Conf handlers who prefer the old standards.... like those of us who wouldn't dream of going to church in jeans, or something.)

Just googling AKC Obedience Trials for images or vids shows a pretty wide range of attire.

miranadobe

AgileGSD

To be honest if a judge told me that they took more points off because my dog is black and I wore black, I'd consider filing a complaint against them since that shouldn't be what they are basing their judging on.

  Now I'm curious if that competitor had the right to file a complaint.  Off to send the question to AKC.... I wonder what their official response will be.

 Let me know what AKC says! I don't think she could have complained to AKC about the judge warning her other judges may take points off for her clothes. The judge who told her didn't take points off or say she should have, so I'm not sure she is really in the wrong.

Liesje, for the umpteenth time, you are so pretty!

Agile, I'll let you know as soon as they respond.  I explained it, then ended my message with: "Is there a "correct" answer to this?  Is a judge allowed, or dis-allowed, to deduct points in Obedience if the handler wears black and the judge suspects they're attempting to hide flaws with their black dog?"