Internationale Prüfungs-Ordnung (IPO)
IPO is a three phase working dog sport. There are three levels - IPO 1, IPO 2, and IPO 3. As the levels progress from 1 to 3, the phases become more difficult for the team. Each level has three phases that the team (handler and dog) must pass. Here's a brief description of each phase:
- Tracking - the dog must find and follow an aged track and locate articles for the handler.
- Obedience - the dog must off leash complete various obedience exercises such as heeling, jumping, climbing an A frame, down with distraction, out of motion exercises (sit, down, stay), recall, and the send away.
- Protection - the dog must be obedient to the handler throughout the entire phase. The dog must protect the handler from a decoy after searching for the decoy. The dog protects the handler by guarding, stopping the escape by the decoy, and countering a decoy coming towards the handler.
