Open class separates handlers who understood Novice from those who merely survived it. The exercises demand skills that Novice only hinted at: retrieves that reveal whether your dog actually enjoys working, jumps that test physical ability and handler trust, and out-of-sight stays that prove your training extends beyond your physical presence. After judging Open classes for fifteen years, I recognize within the first exercise which dogs have genuine foundation and which are about to struggle.
The Open Structure
Open removes the leash entirely and introduces new challenges: the drop on recall, formal retrieves, jumping, and extended stays with the handler out of sight. These exercises expose gaps that Novice concealed. The handler who rushed through Novice training discovers Open unforgiving.
Open Point Distribution
Heel Free and Figure Eight
Open heeling uses the same pattern as Novice heel free but with higher expectations. By Open level, your heeling should be polished. The handlers who barely passed Novice heeling find Open judges less tolerant of the same errors.
From my judging perspective, Open heeling should show refinement. The dog maintains position smoothly. Sits are automatic and straight. Pace changes happen without apparent adjustment. The partnership looks natural rather than managed. Handlers who earned their CD with marginal heeling must improve significantly for CDX. For detailed heeling training strategies, see my guide on heeling precision.
Drop on Recall
The drop on recall tests a skill Novice never required: instant response to a command given while your dog is in motion toward you. You leave your dog on a sit-stay, walk to the opposite end of the ring, call your dog, give a drop command as they approach, they drop immediately into a down, then on your second command they complete the recall, sit in front, and finish to heel.
What Judges Evaluate
The drop must be immediate. A dog who takes two or three additional steps before dropping loses points. A dog who stops and sits instead of dropping fails the exercise. A dog who drops but then crawls forward loses points. A dog who anticipates and drops before the command is given fails.
I look for the drop to happen where your dog was when the command was given, not several feet closer to you. The completion after the drop follows standard recall criteria: prompt response, direct approach, straight front sit, clean finish.
Building the Drop
Train the drop as an independent behavior before combining it with recalls. Your dog should drop instantly from any position, any distance, in any location. Only when the drop is reflexive should you add it to approaching recalls. Dogs who learn "drop on recall" as a combined exercise often anticipate the drop, creating a different problem.
Retrieve on Flat
The retrieve on flat introduces formal retrieve work. You throw a dumbbell, send your dog to retrieve it, they return directly to you, sit in front holding the dumbbell, release it on command, and finish to heel. Worth 20 points, this exercise seems straightforward but reveals training quality immediately.
The Retrieve Chain
A competition retrieve has multiple components: the go-out, the pickup, the return, the front sit with hold, the release, and the finish. Each component can lose points. A slow response to the retrieve command, a sloppy pickup, a detour on the return, a crooked sit, mouthing the dumbbell, dropping before commanded, or a poor finish all result in deductions.
I see handlers who train fast retrieves but neglect clean holds. The dog who races out, grabs the dumbbell, and races back often mouths the article or drops it early. Speed without control costs more points than moderate speed with precision. For complete retrieve training methodology, see my article on retrieve training.
Retrieve Over High Jump
The retrieve over high jump combines retrieve work with jumping. You throw the dumbbell over the high jump, send your dog, they jump, retrieve the dumbbell, jump back, sit in front, release, and finish. Worth 30 points, this exercise tests both retrieve skills and jumping ability.
Jump Height Considerations
Jump heights are set based on your dog's height at the withers, following AKC regulations. Your dog must be physically capable of jumping their required height reliably. Dogs with structural issues or those carrying excess weight struggle with the jumping exercises.
The common errors include going around the jump (either direction), knocking the jump, refusing to jump, and all the retrieve errors possible on the flat. A dog who goes around the jump fails the exercise. A dog who knocks the jump loses points but does not fail.
Retrieve Over High Jump Deductions
Broad Jump
The broad jump tests your dog's ability to clear a horizontal distance. You position your dog facing the broad jump, walk to the right side perpendicular to the jump, command your dog to jump, they clear the boards, turn and sit facing you. Worth 20 points, this exercise requires different training than the high jump.
Training the Broad Jump
Dogs naturally jump up more readily than across. The broad jump requires teaching them to extend their jump distance. Common errors include stepping on boards, cutting the corner, not turning completely, and sitting before you give the sit command.
I see dogs fail the broad jump because handlers did not train it specifically. Jumping over high jumps does not prepare a dog for broad jumps. The mechanics differ. Train broad jumps as their own skill with appropriate progressions in distance.
Out-of-Sight Stays
The group exercises increase dramatically in Open. The long sit extends to three minutes with the handler out of sight. The long down extends to five minutes with the handler out of sight. You leave the ring entirely while your dog holds position among other dogs.
The Out-of-Sight Challenge
Dogs who held stays reliably with their handler visible across the ring may break when the handler disappears entirely. The three-minute sit feels endless to a dog who has never experienced that duration without visual contact. The five-minute down tests patience most dogs have never developed.
From my judging position outside the ring gates, I watch dogs begin to fidget around the ninety-second mark of the sit. Some recover; many do not. The down sees similar patterns around the three-minute mark. Dogs who lack genuine understanding of the stay command use handler presence as their cue to maintain position. Remove the handler, and the cue disappears.
Building Out-of-Sight Stays
Train stay duration before training handler absence. A dog who holds a five-minute down with you visible can learn to hold it with you invisible. A dog who cannot hold duration with you present will not magically gain that skill when you disappear. Build duration first, then gradually introduce brief absences, extending until full out-of-sight duration is reliable.
Transitioning from Novice to Open
The jump from Novice to Open typically requires twelve to eighteen months of additional training. Some handlers progress faster with talented dogs and skilled training. Many need longer to address gaps revealed when Open exercises expose weaknesses.
Begin training Open exercises before finishing your Novice title. The retrieve work, jumping, and drop on recall all require months of foundation. Handlers who wait until earning their CD to start Open training face unnecessarily long gaps between titles.
Common Open Struggles
The exercises handlers struggle with most vary by dog, but patterns emerge from my judging experience. The drop on recall trips up dogs with strong prey drive who find stopping mid-pursuit difficult. The retrieves challenge dogs who lack genuine enthusiasm for the work. The out-of-sight stays expose dogs who depended on handler proximity rather than understanding.
Address weaknesses early. The exercise you avoid training becomes the exercise that fails you in competition. Balance your training across all Open exercises, spending more time on weaknesses than strengths.
Preparing for Open Competition
Before entering Open, your dog should perform all exercises reliably in multiple locations with distractions. Run full Open routines, not just individual exercises. Practice ring procedures - entering, setting up, moving between exercises. Simulate competition conditions as closely as possible.
Find opportunities to practice out-of-sight stays with other dogs present. Training clubs often offer group exercise practice specifically for this purpose. The more experience your dog has holding stays among strange dogs while you are absent, the more reliable they become.
The CDX Mindset
Approach Open as a significant step up from Novice, not a minor advancement. The exercises demand more training depth, more proofing, more precision. Handlers who treat Open as "Novice plus retrieves" struggle with scores that reflect inadequate preparation. Respect the increased difficulty and train accordingly.
Looking Ahead to Utility
Open success sets the foundation for Utility work. The retrieve skills transfer directly to scent discrimination. The directional work in broad jump preludes directed retrieve and directed jumping. The independent stays build toward the handler distance required in Utility exercises.
Handlers serious about Utility should begin that training while working toward their CDX. The exercises require even more foundation time than Open. Starting early creates smoother transitions between titles. Learn about Utility preparation in my guide on Utility class preparation.