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GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP This article will not be about obedience training, but rather about an exhibitors good sportsmanship. As a judge and exhibitor, it is not uncommon for me to be ringside and hear many comments about either other exhibitors or about the judging that is going on in the ring. I have also been privy to many conclusions that exhibitors come to based on their previous experiences showing dogs in obedience. For instance, at the last dog show I was at, a fellow judge came up to me and said that an exhibitor was quite upset with her when she failed the exhibitors dog for barking in the ring. Someone else at the show had come to her and said that she had heard that the fellow judge had failed that dog unjustly, that it had only barked once or twice. The judge stated that the dog was continuously barking. Chapter 2, Section 25 speaks to uncontrolled behavior such as barking can result in excusal of the dog from the ring if between exercises and if during the exercise deducted from the score of that exercise. Another comment made recently to me by an exhibitor was that they know better than to ask for an explanation of the scores from me. Now this exhibitor shows in OTCH competition and the classes that she was referring to were for Open B and Utility B. Next time you are observing these classes at a dog show, watch what happens right after the scores have been given out. A swarm of exhibitors want to see their breakdowns. Chapter 2, Section 12 clearly states that “after the class is finished and the judge’s book has been turned in, the judge is encouraged to discuss the scoring with the exhibitors.” All us judges would like to do is turn in our book first. We are glad to discuss scores once we meet the requirements of the regs on that issue. However, and especially if we are being evaluated by a rep of the AKC, we need to meet the regs and turn in our book first! Another tough spot that both exhibitors and judges get put into is commenting on the points that another judge took off for a dog’s performance. Unless you are actually in the ring judging, it is impossible to clearly evaluate whether that sit was crooked or not, or if a mistake is worthy of a minor or substantial deduction. The other aspect to this is that judges are strictly prohibited by the AKC from making any derogatory remarks about another judge. Commenting on another judge’s evaluation would fall in that category. So, please when you are at a dog show exhibiting in obedience don’t put another judge in that position. Although we may have an opinion, we really need to keep it to ourselves. In closing, let me paraphrase a comment from the AKC regs, page 1. “Obedience trials are a sport, and all participants should be guided by the principals of good sportsmanship both in and out of the ring”. Next time you attend a dog show, think about this, and find a nice comment to say about an exhibitor or a judge. |
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