Newfoundland Dog NEWFS Olympics

The NEWFS Olympics

 

The NEWFS (Newfoundland Extreme Working FUN-da-MENTAL Skills) has been an event at the Newfoundland Club of America's national specialty the past two years. It combines draft skills and on-land water skills into a hilariously fun, fast-paced, timed event. There are three water rescue drills and three draft drills. The water exercises are all modified land-based versions of exercises found in the WRDX level. All exercises are excellent examples of ways to train your dog for both Draft and Water Rescue. The Olympics are a great excuse to train and go out and have fun!

Water Rescue Skills

Mannequin Mayhem  (Rescue unconscious victim)
A light-weight mannequin will be across the ring from the handler and dog. The dog will go out, take the neoprene gloved hand of the mannequin and bring the mannequin back to the handler. The mannequin must be delivered to the handler’s hand. (FUN-da-MENTAL skills – go out, take and hold, retrieve, deliver to hand).



Insane Inflatable (Rescue under the inflatable)
An inflatable boat on risers with an easily partable curtain will be across the ring with a steward underneath. The steward will call for help. The dog will be directed to go out and rescue. The dog must go willingly and completely under the boat. The steward will give the dog a bumper*. The dog will then return to the handler and deliver the bumper to hand. (FUN-da-MENTAL skills – go out, go under objects, take/retrieve, hold, deliver to hand).



Derelict Dinghy (Search for abandoned boat)

Abandoned boat will be across the ring from the dog and handler. There will be a bumper behind it. The dog will go out to the boat, go behind the boat, find the bumper and bring the bumper back to the handler pulling the “boat”. (FUN-da-MENTAL skills – go out, go around, blind retrieve, hold, pull, deliver to hand).

Draft Skills


Marvellous Manoeuvring (Manoeuvring course)
5 (or space allowing 6) cones are set in a line with the cones 6 feet apart. Dog and handler weave out and back through the cones. No bumps allowed. (FUN-da-MENTAL skills – controlled direction, controlled tight turns).

 

Remarkable Reverse (Back-up and adjustable narrows)
6 foot low narrows will be adjusted to 12 inches wider than wheels of the team’s cart.  The dog and handler position themselves on the start line with the back of the cart just outside the narrows. The handler will then have the dog back at their side through the narrows. The exercise is complete when the dog’s nose exits the narrows and the judge signals completion. The handler may not wave, gesture, stand or move in front of the dog (i.e. past a virtual line at the dog’s nose). The handler may use verbal commands and/or hand signals from outside the narrows as long as the handler remains between the area of the rear of the cart and the tip of the dogs nose. The handler may not step into the dog’s narrows. Bumps allowed (each adds 15 seconds to recorded time) but fully rolling out of the lane or backing-up onto the narrows marker is non-qualifying. (FUN-da-MENTAL skills – backing without physical forcing, backing in straight line, verbal/hand signal controlled motion, control from the dog’s side).

 

Pivoting Pandemonium (Right and Left tight turns)
The cart will be positioned with its rear wheel inside of a 12 inch circle/ring. The handler will then have the dog pivot one complete circle (360 degrees) in one direction (left or right). The handler will then have the dog pivot one complete circle the other direction.  The wheel may not leave the circle during the exercise/pivots. The wheel that is in the circle may be changed between the pivots. (FUN-da-MENTAL skills – turns without forward or backward motion).