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What is Mondioring?

By Ed Frawley

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The Mondioring dog sport is the most difficult dog sport in the world. If you've never seen a Mondioring competition, you can visit our Free Streaming Video section and watch Cindy in her 2nd place finish in the 2010 Mondioring One Championship.

If you are tired of the politics and the un-sportsmanlike corruption at the highest levels of Schutzhund USA, give Mondioring a hard look because the dogs love it and the training is fun!

Cindy also wrote an excellent article on what it was like training in her first Mondioring trial. Read My First Mondioring Trial.

Mondioring is an F.C.I. authorized international dog sport developed in the late 80s by representatives from every major country that has a competition dog sport. The 'new' sport was designed to "level the playing ground" and allow competitors from any of the world's disciplines to compete in a common sport. French Ring, Belgian Ring, IPO (SchH), and KNPV were all represented. The result is a sport that combines the best of all of these dog sports: Mondioring.

Like most protection dog sports, Mondioring has a series of exercises to be executed by the dog/handler team in the categories of obedience, agility (jumps), and protection. At the Mondioring III level, there are a total of 17 exercises, completed without interruption, and lasting approximately 45 minutes. An interesting possibility in Mondioring is that a dog that has titled in another protection sport—for example, French Ring or Schutzhund—is allowed to enter Mondioring at the level that it has achieved in its own country.

The obedience in Mondioring is based on functionality with the emphasis being on control despite of distraction. The jumps in Mondioring test the structure and willingness of the dog. The protection phase of the competition requires that the dog demonstrate tremendous control. A Mondioring dog competes at each level without collar or leash throughout the trial, thus testing the control of the animal from the very beginning. The complexity of the trial field, combined with the demands of extreme control, requires that the dog be clear-headed and have excellent character.

Each trial (competition) is based on a theme, much like a theatre setup on a field. Props, scenarios, and distractions are placed at strategic points on the trial field. While the exercises remain the same from trial to trial, the order and setup will change with each judge's own creativity. No two trials are ever alike, thus preventing the possibility of preparing a dog 'by rote'.

Mondioring has grown steadily in the United States since the first trial in 2000. There are several full member clubs and a variety of other clubs forming around the country. Trials are held regularly and provide an opportunity to earn titles in this fascinating sport. Mondioring titles are recognized internationally. Each year the organization in America, the USMRA, sends a team to compete in the International Championship of Mondioring in a different country in Europe. An interesting note is that international competition is quite "do-able", as we are still a relatively small organization in a new sport.

Mondioring is represented in this country by the Unites States Mondioring Association.

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About Author

Ed Frawley

Ed Frawley is the founder of Leerburg. He has been training dogs since the 1950s. For 30 years, Ed bred working bloodline German Shepherds and has produced over 350 litters. During this time, Ed began recording dog training videos and soon grew an interest in police service dogs. His narcotic dogs have been involved in over 1,000 narcotics searches resulting in hundreds of arrests in the state of Wisconsin. Ed now solely focuses on producing dog training courses with renowned dog trainers nationwide. If you want to learn more about Ed, read about his history here.