Harmonization of the Judgments

Draw for the exercises
Is considered a waste of time because certain exercises in the bite work cannot begin at the start ie., Search and escort and stopped flee attack.
Modification proposal: the draw of the exercises is optional, even if the competitors are present or not. At the judges appreciation

Send Away
Recall the judge's breviary: neutral reference marks 9no toys, balls etc.)
The dog course will be free of any obstacle or objects, and will respect the orthogonal axes (avoid diagonals on rectangular grounds)
Specified:
If the dog does a full rotation "a circle' of it's self or starts its' return before command -2
If the dog wanders or roams or makes an unspecified fault on the return, the judge has the possibility to withdraw a maximum of 10% from the general outlook. If the dog returns straight away, but slowly, it will not lose points if it returns within the 20 seconds.

Change of Positions
The exercise will take place with the dog on the Ground.
Normally, no diversion will be carried out at the time of this exercise. The diversion is reserved for the absence of the handler.
Recall of the rules:
The handler places the dog in a sit position at the beginning and then he looks at the judge who will give a signal so that he can order the initial position. If the dog loses the initial position, the handler must obligatorily make the dog do the position ( 2 authorized additional commands)
Proposal' Take photographs of dogs in a "down, sit, and stand" presented on signs.

Retrieve
No other retrieve object will have been placed in a radius of 5 meters as it would be an identification exercise.
Food for refusal is also prohibited.
The handler cannot move his feet until he has the retrieve object in his hands.
The handler is entitled to one command ordering the dog to bring the object.
The rules say an object. However, one can consider, for example that a pair of shoes attached in a compact way represents an object. but it is necessary to remain reasonable!
The dog is entitled to move his mouth three times before losing a point for chewing.
Penalties-
If the dog drops the object at the handler's feet: -1, -1 from the general outlook because the handler must pick the object up, -1 object not given in a sit position
Proposal: To remove 3 points

Search of an object "Little Wood"
Obligatory length: 15 cm Section 2cm by 2cm
Same penalties as the retrieve object.
If the handler shows the little wood to the dog when taking it, when putting it into his pocket, or when placing it on the ground: 0 for the exercise
Obligation to place the object with the handler's back to the dog.
Same as the retrieve object, one cannot have other objects, or food refusal, in a radius of 5 meters unless they are part of the "decoration."
For memory: no diversion in this exercise.

Heeling with out leash
As specified in the judge's breviary: do not give an unspecified object in the handler's hands (wheel barrow...)
If the handler makes an error in the pattern, the judge can revoke 10% of the general outlook. If the handler voluntarily avoids a major difficulty, the judge could give a zero to the exercise.
The deputy judge can give direction information to the handler, but only to the test dog.

Food Refusal
The food for refusal will be presented or thrown to the dog.
If the dog eats the food on the ground or on an unspecified support: it will lose the points attributed for this exercise.
The goal is not to trap the dog (do not place food for refusal in the working area, in the reception area of the jumps, at the end area of the send away..)

Absence of handler
This exercise will be executed on the ground or on a fixed stable place sufficiently roomy for the dog.
The diversion should not be an aggression
Sudden noises are authorized.

Jumps
The handler can at the time of the test dog, take reference marks for the jump departures. He will not be allowed to do it afterwards, risking the loss of penalty points.
The long jump and the palisade, the handler will be able to recall the dog to a heel position or make it stay behind the jump "block" then the handler must go to the dog. If he recalls, he will be able to do it with the voice or with the whistle, but the choice will have to be the same for all the jumps.
If the dog is blocked without taking the position ordered by the handler, it will not lose a point.
An evasion is regarded as a refusal.

The handler will not be allowed to touch the jump (to lean against the palisade, etc..) and will have to place himself in the square traced on the ground next to the jump.

Defense of Handler
Important notice- Graduate the difficulties according to the levels.
The decoy must never try t all costs to make the dog abandon the handler; the decoy must follow the course indicated by the judge. When the test dog is being tested, the judge will decide if the decoy has or has not to embark the dog that abandons the handler and take it beyond the 10 meters.
The handler will have it's do heel on the left or on the right side. Never between the legs, except when the handler is immobilized.
There will always be a handshake, but there will not be systematically a conversation.
The two decoys can handshake the handler's hand.
Once the first command is given, the judge can require that the handler say nothing more.
The handler can answer hello to the decoy ( in a normal tone of voice.) If not, he will not say anything.
Before the handshake, the decoy will not provoke the dog.
After the handshake, in the case of a scenario utilizing two decoys, 2nd (the false should never be with less than 3 meters of the handler during the diversion phases when there is provocation. The decoy that does the aggression (the strike) can provoke in a shorter rayon. The distance is measured compared to the handler.
A dog that misses the "OUT" ( in re bites or late in releasing) will lose 10 points maximum 20 points are planned for the bite work. All the remainder is cumulative (additional command, no guard, no return in 10 seconds..)
As in the attacks, the dog will have one second "FREE" before being penalized.
The dog which does not react within two seconds will lose the points attributed to the exercise. Make sure of the difference between the reaction time and time to bite "defend." The reaction time can be lengthened if there is a displacement or going round an obstacle.

Attacks with obstacles and accessories
A decoy must signal his presence ( in a gestured way and with noise) during the first 10 meters at least, following the judges appreciation, in order to attract the dog's attention on the decoy.
If a dog voluntarily goes towards a civilian, the exercise will be immediately stopped by the judge. It will lose all the points allowed for the exercise. If it is regarded as dangerous, it will have to leave the field. If it was accidental, the judge can decide to restart the exercise.
A portico can be placed above the obstacle. The decoy will then have to show himself before the portico, and to remain constantly visible to the dog during the course.
The decoy will be at least 5 meters behind the obstacle. He will not under any circumstances charge the dog if the dog is still in the air. If the decoy charges the dog, he will have to add the distance to the 5 meters allowed.
In any attack, the decoy must absorb the dog's entry, while remaining in in axis of the animal's course, The esquive remains prohibited. If the decoy anticipated the esquive too early, it becomes an involuntary "esquive." We must not then deduct points by "late to bite."

Accessory Attack
The accessory can be closed, provided that the dog can go through it with out getting wounded.
If the decoy considers that the dog arrives on his face, He has the right to protect himself by pushing the dog or by dodging it.

Flee attacks
The decoy will begin the exercise at 10 meters from the dog and the judge will horn the beginning of the exercise without losing too much time. The flees will be done between 30 and 40 meters.

In category 2 & 3, the dog will lose 1 point per second if it ceases biting.
For all the flee attacks, the decoy will accelerate when the dog arrives at approximately 10 meters from him, and must as of this moment maintain the same speed until the impact.

Guard of object
Correction in the current rules
Take into account the distance to which the dog bites without accessories is the distance between the part of the decoys body nearest to the object.
From the moment when the decoy crosses a circle with an unspecified part of his body, he will have to penetrate directly into the circle. If it's the small (2m)circle, he must make his attempt within 30 seconds.
Between 2 and 5 meters, if the dog leaves to bite, the decoy will be able to dodge and must bar the dog if he has an accessory. However, this accessory should not be used to help the decoy to place an esquive.
If the end of the accessory is in the 2 meter circle of the object, the decoy will be regarded as being in the last circle also. He will consequently be able: to do all that he can to take the object.
There can only be one single object to guard in the small circle and posed on the ground.

Corrections in the current rules:
To be changed in the penalties: "the dog bites and lets itself be dragged beyond the 5 meters" by "the dog bites and lets itself be dragged beyond 5 meters of distance from the object."
The handler will not be able to turn around or look at his dog during the way towards (or at the entry of) the hiding plaice. Without what, he will lose all the pints intended for the exercise (same as the absence of the the handler.)
Is regarded at bitten, an attempt where the dog places his teeth the open mouth.
A dog which nibbles the object will lose points in the general outlook and if it destroys the object, it will lose all the points allotted to the exercise.
If the dog moves away from the object before the blow of horn authorizing the return of the handler, loss of 1 point per meter up to 10 meters, and beyond equals 0 points.
When the handler appears (after authorization) and the dog goes towards the handler equals -3 general outlook

Search and Escort
The decoy should not be focused exaggeratedly on the obstacles to take a maximum of meters. He can use only once the same obstacle and use only two obstacle maximum in category 3. He will be able to pass over the obstacle a maximum of three times before carrying out his escape. The use of the obstacle will be defined by the judge in the "chien blanc" to avoid any exaggerations.
A dog is considered vigilant in the blind if it looks at and supervises the decoy. Without that, the judge will be able to ask the decoy to flee. The decoy can never flee on his own initiative.
If the dog is not vigilant with the guard, it will lose points allotted to the guard.
After the discovery of the decoy, the handler will approach at least three meters minimum from the the dog before asking the decoy to leave the blind.
The decoy will obligatorily to be hidden to preserve the spirit of exercise of the discovery.
If a dog goes out of the competition field, and if the field is not suitably enclosed, the handler will be able to call back his dog. It will not be penalized and the stopwatch will be stopped. The exercise will begin again when the animal is again in the ground enclosure. However, if the field is regarded as being well enclosed, the time assigned for the exercise will not be modified.
If the judge is alone, he will be placed preferably near the discovery.
Recall of the rules:
An additional search command is possible if the dog is in a radius of 3 meters from the handler.

Notice:
the only official rules are the ones which were validated by the utility dogs commission of the FCI on March 17, 2001. It was adopted by the committee general of the FCI in May 2002.

These changes are unanimously approved at the latest international juge's congres, at the same time one has asked to judge in the future this way.

-above posted 07 December 2007

THANK YOU JOS HELSEN for providing us with the above information
BACK to NEWS
BACK to ARTICLES