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JUDGES CORNER - October / November 1999 - Hunting Retriever magazine

by Tim Gibson        

            I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has taken the time to look at my Judge’s Corner website and sent a note of appreciation or compliment about it.  As I mentioned in the last magazine, all the past Judge’s Corner articles (indexed by topic for easy reference) are now available online.  Those of you with access to the web can find the Judge’s Corner via a link from the HRC website, or you can go directly to the site at http://scribers.midwest.net/timg.   

There is a new online magazine for gundog enthusiasts on the worldwide web at: www.gundogsunlimited.com.  This web magazine has some interesting and entertaining articles.  They are very interested in helping promote our HRC program.  I wrote an article about judging HRC-UKC events for them.  You might want to take a look at it.  Let’s get to our first scenario.  

Scenario:  

            At the Upland Hunt Test, the retriever came to the retrieving line with an orange collar on.  The handler explained that while upland hunting he always hunted the dog with its orange collar for safety.  The judges insisted that the hunter remove the collar to run the test.  

Question:  

            Where the judges correct in asking the handler to remove the collar?  

Answer:  

            Yes.  The judges acted properly in requiring the retriever to run the test without the collar.  The first sentence on page 39 of our rulebook under the Rules for Conducting the Upland Hunt states:  “The Upland Hunt Test will be conducted according to the rules already established in this rulebook for the Finished Hunting Retriever.”  Since finished dogs are not allowed to wear a collar, this sentence tells us that Upland Hunt Test dogs are also not allowed to wear a collar.  I’m sure the judges understood what the handler was saying from a safety standpoint, but they are required to follow the rules.  Personally, I almost always have a bright orange collar on my dogs when I upland hunt them.  However, the Upland Hunt test is conducted in a much more controlled environment than an actual hunt.  In hunting, while attempting to produce game, the dog may move into very heavy cover.  Further, quite often there are other hunters in the field not always used to hunting with a dog and watching for it.  Upland Hunt test judges are quite aware of the safety issues in the test, and will give explicit instructions to the handlers and gunners about low flushing birds and shot direction.  The dog must remain visible in order for the handler to see and work the dog, and for the judges to evaluate the retriever’s performance.  Our next scenario also involves a dog wearing a collar.

Scenario:  

            The dog came to the Seasoned test wearing what one of the judges seemed to think was a “tight” collar.  One of the judges reached down, and ran his fingers around under the collar, then told the handler to proceed with the test.  

Question:  

            Was it acceptable for the judge to run his fingers under the dog’s collar at the retrieving line?  

Answer:

            There are really three issues here.  The first is the tight collar. The second is the judge touching the dog, and the third is the judge running his fingers under the collar. About a year ago, I wrote about a scenario where a handler came to the line with a very tight black plastic collar (which looked like an electronic collar). I stated then that the judges had the responsibility to insure that the handler was not using the collar to intimidate the dog, and they had the authority to request that the handler loosen the collar.  I guess I should have stated that the judge should not take the collar off the dog, or otherwise touch the retriever.  You can read the complete scenario about the tight collar in the December 98/January 99 issue of Hunting Retriever.  The judge in our present scenario went beyond asking the handler to loosen a tight collar.  

            I talked with several of the field reps about the judge touching the dog and running his fingers under the collar.  I knew what most of them would say, but wanted to get their reactions, and possibly a good quote or two. Without exception, the field reps stated that it is unacceptable for a judge to touch a handler’s dog on the line, especially prior to running the test.  We don’t specifically mention this in the Judge’s/Handler’s Seminar, probably because we assume this is just common sense.  Maybe we should.  The act of the judge running his fingers under the dog’s collar was especially objectionable.  As one of the field reps stated, “You should never touch a handlers dog in the first place, and if you run your fingers under a dog’s collar, there had better be something under that collar, because you’ve just accused the handler of cheating”! True.  For those of you who don’t use an electronic collar in your training, if you’d like to know what the judge was feeling for under the retriever’s collar, find a friend with an e-collar and run your fingers under it.  Just make sure they have their finger off the transmitter button when you do!  Let’s look at our next scenario.  

Scenario:  

            At the started test, the handler elected to hold their retriever.  The judge asked the gunner to stand a couple of feet to the right of the handler and shoot the bird at the top of the arc when it was thrown.  The gun was visible to the dog.  The handler protested the position of the gunner stating:  “The gunner is too close because this dog is not used to any shooting.  I would like the gunner moved farther away from my dog”.  

Question:  

            Was it acceptable for the handler to ask that the gunner be moved farther away, and should the judges have complied with the handler’s request?  

Answer:      

             I’ve heard of this occurring several times in our hunt tests recently and it happened in a Started test I was judging this past spring. A handler told me “You’ll have to move the gun way away since I haven’t shot very much over the dog”.  In the Judge’s/Handler’s Seminar we carefully explain the correct position to place the gunner in Started.  The gun should be in front of, and in full view of the retriever.  The gunner should not be behind the dog so as to startle it, or make it turn around and loose sight of the bird.  The gunner should be instructed to shoot at the bird at the top of the arc, and then hold still until the dog is released (not breaking the gun open, or moving back). 

            It is the judges responsibility to put the gunner in a safe position, and to simulate hunting over the Started dog.  If the dog has not had shotguns fired over it in a training situation, the handler should probably not be entering the dog in a hunt test!  You can imagine what I told the handler who asked that I move the gunner “way over”.  Kindly, I informed the handler that the gunner was going to remain where I had positioned him for every dog.  I said if their dog had any experience with the gun at all, it would be better for the dog to have the gunner close where it could see and understand where the shot was coming from. In my particular case, the gun did not bother the dog, and the retriever performed well.  Prior to beginning the test, the judges should inform the handlers not only where they are expected to work their dog, but in the event they wish to hold their dog, where the gunner will be placed, and why.  Explain that we are judging a hunting dog in a hunting test, and that a popper shot will be fired at the bird to simulate shooting a game bird.  Properly prepared and well trained, a young Started dog will pick up a lot of single marked retrieves for its handler and be a pleasure to take to the field.   

            One more thing, which you could call a pet peeve of mine.  Often, I’ve seen clubs provide a single shot shotgun for Started with a very short barrel.  I would not want to hunt next to someone with a short-barreled gun since the noise can be deafening.  If given a choice, I’ll always opt for as long a barrel as I can get on a popper gun.  Given no other choice of gun, judges should make sure the barrel is well out in front of both the handler and the retriever when using a short-barreled weapon.  Use common sense, and be safe!                                                                       

We hope the “Judge’s Corner” will both entertain and inform you. 

            Answers to your questions will come from the UKC/HRC Rulebook, the Judges/Handlers Seminar and the consensus of your Regional Field Representatives.  

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