The Divisions
Four levels. One standard. Every team welcomed at every one of them.
Preliminary
Five minutes. One hide. Your dog will always be able to get their nose to source. The hide will never be more than 3 feet (1 meter) off the floor and will not be placed below floor level.
Preliminary is where every team is welcome regardless of where they are in their journey. The search is designed to be achievable while asking something real of the team that steps into it. What it measures is genuine. What it reveals about the partnership between a dog and their handler is the same thing every other level reveals. Just the beginning of the conversation.
Score 80 or above three times and the Sapphire Title is yours. Novice is waiting.
Novice
Five minutes. Two hides. The first is Preliminary standard — your dog will be able to get to source, the hide no more than 3 feet (1 meter) off the floor and not below ground level. The second hide asks more. It may be up to 6 feet (2 meters) off the ground. If it is deep — in a drawer or behind a barrier — your dog's nose will be within 1 foot (30 cm) of the hide. It will never exceed these maximums.
Novice is where the search starts to ask questions your team has to answer together. The clock is the same. The complexity is not.
Score 80 or above five times and the Ruby Title is yours. Intermediate is waiting.
Intermediate
Eight minutes. Between one and three hides. Handlers do not know how many.
Intermediate is where the search stops giving you information and starts asking for it. Your dog may or may not reach source. Hides will be no more than 10 feet (3 meters) above the dog and may be up to 8 inches (20 cm) below floor level. For open deep hides, your dog's nose will be within 20 inches (50 cm) of the hide. For concealed hides, within 8 inches (20 cm).
The clock is longer. The search is more complex. What it asks of the partnership between you and your dog is more than anything that came before it. Handlers may request a time check during the run.
Score 80 or above eight times and the Emerald Title is yours. Advanced is waiting.
Advanced
Eight minutes. Between zero and four hides. Handlers do not know how many.
Advanced is the full expression of what this sport asks of a detection team. Your dog may or may not reach source. Hides will be no more than 10 feet (3 meters) above the dog and may be buried up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep. For open deep hides, your dog's nose will be within 20 inches (50 cm) of the hide. For concealed hides, within 8 inches (20 cm).
Zero hides is not an error. It is a test of a different kind — asking the handler to trust what their dog is telling them and call it accordingly. Handlers may request a time check during the run.
Advanced has no ceiling. The titles accumulate with the work. Every five qualifying scores of 80 or above, the next one is yours.
Not For Competition
Any team may enter any level Not For Competition regardless of where they are currently competing. NFC runs are not scored and do not count toward titles or progression.
Some days the goal is simply to work your dog in a new environment, at a different level, without the weight of the result. DDT welcomes that. The search area is the same. The standard is the same. The only thing that changes is what you are asking of yourself that day.
Moving Up
You may move up a level at any time. That decision belongs entirely to you and your dog. There is no requirement to win out before stepping into the next division. If you feel ready, the door is open.
Winning out is a different thing. Three qualifying scores of 80 or above at Preliminary earns the Sapphire Title and moves your team to Novice. Five at Novice earns the Ruby Title and opens Intermediate. Eight at Intermediate earns the Emerald Title and Advanced is waiting.
Once established at a level, moving back down is not permitted except in limited circumstances. Full details are on The Rules page.