GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT NEWS - Man and dog worked with military precision and exuberance at the South Cape IGP Working Dog Club's third IGP trials.
IGP stands for Internationale Gebrauchshund Prüfung (international working dog test).
IGP tests three specific areas of a dog's training and behaviour. The first is tracking, second, obedience and third, protection.
The competitive dog event was well attended by four IGP clubs from the Western Cape district.
South Cape Club members did exceptionally well, including Candice de Jongh who competed with German shepherds Egan and Chloe. Chloe finished top of the class with first place in the IGP 3, while Eagan passed the entry level BH certificate. BH stands for Begleithundprüfung, which translates to "traffic-sure companion dog test".
Sarel du Preez's German shepherd, Byster, flew through the course and was awarded IGP 1 first place, Best Novice and Best Trial score. Caryn Kritzinger, with her Malinois breed, called Maveric, passed IGP 1 in second place.
South Cape IGP Club members with their spoils from the IGP trial, from left: Candice de Jongh with Eagan and Chloe, Sarel du Preez with Byster and Caryn Kritzinger with Maverick. Photo: Trish Hall
IGP is a challenging dog sport designed to test the character, endurance and courage of the dog, the dog's willingness to work and handler loyalty. It requires precision, perfection, obedience and a high quality of bond between dog and handler.
"It's an incredibly rewarding sport which binds the hearts and minds of dog and handler to beat as one. It takes dedication from both trainer and dog but the result is a brave, obedient and motivated family protection dog," said De Jongh.
The BH is the mandatory entry level certificate. A companion and conditioning test, it must be achieved by all competitors before going on to the competitive levels of IGP 1, IGP 2 and IGP 3.
De Jongh said: "People train their dogs in different ways but the common denominator is that the teams who perform really well, train really hard. It takes the dog's lifetime and the handler's lifetime of progression. There is an enormous amount of work involved, but the more you work with the dog, the more connected you become." - Robyn Joubert
• The South Cape IGP Club practises at the Van Kervel School grounds in George on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 17:00 and on Saturday afternoons from 16:00; and tracks on local farms on Saturdays from 08:00. All dog breeds are welcome.
To join, contact Trish Hall (082 849 3789) or Merelle du Preez (084 465 5530).
Chloe clears a 1m high frame to retrieve a dumbbell for her handler, Candice de Jongh. Photo: Trish Hall
Caryn Kritzinger's Malinois, Maverick, completes man work in the IGP 1 obedience test. Photo: Trish Hall
Caryn Kritzinger's dog Maverick, a Malinois breed, clears a 1,8m A-frame in the obedience component of the IGP 1. Photo: Trish Hall
Candice de Jongh puts Chloe through her paces in the obedience component of the IGP 3. Photo: Trish Hall
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