Endurance Tests

Endurance Trials are sometimes held in the Northern Territory, typically only in the cooler months of the year.

What is an Endurance Test?

The object of an Endurance Test is to demonstrate the dog’s ability to work after being subject to a certain degree of physical strain without showing signs of undue stress or lack of constitution.

Due to the dog’s physical structure, such a test can only consist of a dog traveling at a suitable pace for a performance of some lengthy duration, which, it is known places an increasing load, not only on its internal organs, such as the heart and lungs but on many other aspects of the dog’s physical structure and temperamental characteristics.

The effortless accomplishment of such a test shall be the evidence of the physical fitness of the dog. The Endurance Test is over a distance of 20 kilometers and is split into three sections, consisting of one leg of eight (8) km and two (2) legs of six (6) km. There are breaks of fifteen (15) minutes between the first and second sections and twenty (20) minutes between the second and third sections. While the dog must run the entire distance, the handler often rides a bicycle. Handlers have to spend a suitable amount of time to get both themselves and the dog fit to compete in this sport.

All of the Trial is carefully watched over by an ANKC Endurance Trial judge. The dog’s fitness and condition is carefully monitored by a Veterinary Surgeon who examines each dog during the breaks.

Qualifications and Title – To qualify for the title of Endurance Test (ET) the dog must have passed the Endurance Test held by an affiliate of the Member Bodies of the ANKC, subject to the approval of the State or Territory canine controlling body. Upon application to the Member Body and production of the qualifying certificate and prescribed fee, the letters “ET” will become part of the registered name of the dog. After qualifying for the “ET” title, it is deemed to be a domestic matter whether or not dogs with a title are allowed to continue to compete. A qualifying certificate from the Affiliate holding the test shall be presented for each dog passing the test, signed and dated by the officiating judge on the day.

Exhibits – The Endurance Test shall be open to all dogs eligible for inclusion in the Register of the Control in which the event is conducted. The test is open to dogs aged between two (2) and under eight (8) years but must not have reached the birth date of eight (8).

Judging – Judges must be licensed with the Control in their respective State or Territory to judge Endurance Tests. The judge shall judge no more than twenty (20) dogs and shall travel with the dogs, either walking, bike riding, jogging, or using any other form of non-motorized mechanical vehicle.

Terrain – The Test shall be carried out over three (3) varying surfaces such as bitumen, unsealed roads, dirt tracks, grass, etc, such that the total distance of the course shall be twenty (20 km).

General Rules – 
1. The Test is to be conducted by a Member Body (‘Control’) Affiliate only. Providing the Affiliate has the approval of the Control.
2. The time of the year for the conducting of the test is to be deemed a domestic matter for determination by the Control in which the Test is to be conducted.
3. The date of the proposed Test is to be submitted to the Control at least sixty (60) days prior to the conduct of the Test.
4. Entries are to be completed on official entry forms.
5. The date set for the closure of entry shall be a domestic matter determined by the Control in which the Test is to be conducted.
6. All officials, except veterinary surgeons and veterinary teams, must be financial members of a Controlling Body.
7. If the climatic temperature reaches 24ºC. the test is to be canceled, regardless of what stage the test has reached.