Beginner Novice

Recently, I've decided that it's time to get Ranger into the Obedience ring. He's ready, but I'm not sure that I am.   Since I don't want him learning any bad ring habits while off leash heeling, I decided to enter him in "Beginner Novice" for his first non-conformation, non-rally ring experience.  My thinking was that this would be similar to the old Pre Novice class of yesteryear, but clearly, I should've read the rules first.

Beginner Novice, other than the fact that it's mostly on-lead is very different from Pre Novice.  It's been designed as sort of a crossover class to lure the Rally Obedience folks into the regular Obedience ring.  AKC Beginner Novice class contains the following exercises:

1. Heel on Leash - 40 points
2. Figure Eight -    40 points
3. Sit for Exam -    40 points
4. Sit Stay  -          40 points
5. Recall-               40 points
Max Total Score  200 points

Key differences between Beginner Novice and Regular Obedience:

There is one obvious difference, the "Sit for Exam" exercise.  Personally, I think it's probably easier for the dog to break a sit for exam, than a stand for exam, but my dog is crossing over from conformation where standing for a more thorough exam involving the judge touching sensitive areas is a key to success.  An area to be careful of handler error here is not pulling your dog out of a sit with the leash as you walk facing outward out to the end of the leash.

The not-so-obvious, based upon nomenclature, differences are, "Heel on Leash", and "Sit Stay".
Heel on Leash is performed using Rally signs rather than reacting to commands from the judge. The dog/handler teams are being scored similarly to how they would be scored in rally, with perhaps a little more stringency required and attention paid to lagging, forging, crowding and wide heeling.  Another change from Rally is that the handler is only allowed a "One time single phrase of praise or encouragement"  Folks making the transition from Rally are going to have to be careful about not going beyond one phrase.

The "Sit Stay" exercise is really diffrent, and perhaps even more difficult than the Novice Sit Stay.  It involves sitting the dog, giving the stay command and then walking around the inside perimeter of the ring in a direction indicated by the judge.  After completing a full walk around the perimeter, the handler approaches the dog from the front, walks around the back of the dog to heel position.  I can see many an unprepared or nervous dog breaking a stay and following the handler around the ring. 

Other than these key areas the other exercises are pretty similar to regular obedience exercises.  Beginner Novice truly is a blending of Rally and Novice obedience.