Hearing about obedience in other countries is so interesting...everywhere seems to do things differently!
Technically there are 3 classes you could start with your dog in obedience in the UK.
Everyone starts off in Pre-Beginners...exercises...
Heel on Lead, Heel Free (off lead), Novice Recall (to front), 1-minute sit-stay, 2-minute down-stay.
Heelwork, the general fashion is for the dog to touch the handlers leg with the shoulder and head...people over the pond call it 'heel-by-feel'. Like you if the dog loses position, tight lead, or doesnt sit promptly on the halts it will be penalised. The heelwork pattern is the judges choice, but left-about turns arent included at this level. Novice recall sounds the same as your recall, but the dog finishes to the handler. Stays the same, no extra commands, no movement from dogs. We do our stays as a whole class (usually 30-60 dogs). They are often done in a seperate 'stay ring' at an appointed time during the day.
If a dog gains 10 points in Pre-beginner (1st = 10, 2nd = 4, 3rd = 2, 4th = 1) they qualify Pre-Beginner Excellent (P-Beg Ex after name).
You get one win in Pre-Beg, and then you are out for life.
So, if as a handler you have won a Pre-Beg with a dog you will go straight into Beginners with your dog.
Beginners is the same as Pre-Beginners apart from the retreive...similar to novice recall, but dog goes from beside you out to pick up the handlers article to present to the handler.
20 points are needed to qualify Beginner Excellent (Beg Ex).
You get 2x wins at Beginners and you win out for life (doesnt have to be with the same dog).
So...if you are out of Beginners, you always start in novice with each new dog.
Novice is the same as beginners apart from the temperament test. Dog in the stand and judge runs their hand down the dogs back. Usually dogs are only penalised for signs of aggression, nervousness, or not being under control (e.g. jumping up). That depends on the judge a bit though. The other subtle dfference is that the retrieve must be a dumbell.
As with Beginners, 20 points = Novice Excellent (Nov Ex). 2x wins and you are into 'A'.
In all the above classes we can talk to our dogs in all exercises, apart from stays, it is only once you are in A that no extra commands are allowed. We cant touch them or use the lead during exercises, and no food, toys, etc can be carried by the handler or given to the dog whilst the dog is working in the ring.
Generally it is fairly quiet round the rings, just people quietly warming their dogs up and chatting, but this is more courtesy than a rule. Some competitions are in barns/halls over the winter, but most are held outside (usually on grass, but a couple are on tarmac). We can fail an exercise and still keep working the rest of the round if we choose to.
When your dog gets a new qualification it replaces the lower class one after the dogs name.
Titles in the UK refer to the letters before a dogs name e.g. Obedience Champion (Ob Ch).