Gate Boundary

Good leaders control the three feet of space from the playgroup entry door or gate by keeping dogs out of this space on cue or with body blocking.  Document the number of dogs that you have waiting calmly at the boundary line of your entry door/gate.  Dogs can be in a sit or standing position.  Also document position of gate and staff’s body position.

Facilities starting with A-D – Enter your scores here

Facilities starting with E-M – Enter your scores here

Facilities starting with N-Z – Enter your scores here

Event Goals: Gate Boundary

	Master	Leader	Apprentice	Variable
Novice	7	5	3	Closest dog 2 feet away (Gate closed) (Body positioned in middle)
Intermediate	9	7	5	Closest dog 3 feet away (Gate partially open) (Body partially blocks gate)
Advanced	11	9	7	Closest dog 3 feet away (Gate fully open) (Body at side of gate)

• Novice: New employees or owners/ operators still in training to be off-leash dog playgroup attendants.
• Intermediate: Employees or owner/ operators that have completed training at a center and have one year or less experience leading dog playgroups.
• Advanced: Employees or owner/ operators that have one or more years of experience leading playgroups.

Competition Guidelines

• All dog management tools used during the competition events must be positive (e.g., body blocking, praise, verbal cues). Positive methods preclude the use of prong collars, choke collars, electronic shock collars, muzzles, and physical manipulation to handle dogs in off-leash play. Dog body language during the events should be green with minimal stress signals.
• No food or treat lures or rewards can be used
• Dog playgroups must be “as is” (e.g., you cannot put the hard dogs on a rest period during the event)
• The Dog Guru Community Honor Code is followed by honestly and accurately reporting starting benchmarks and event scores for individual performances
• Submit each individual’s starting benchmark and best event score during the competition week by the reporting deadline
• Late or no entry of results for an event will disqualify the center from the competition
• Take photos and share through social media and with The Dog Gurus
• Use #DaycareGames when you tweet on your success