Clean Run - October 2016 - 44

Judge's Eye Eyes on the Finish By Cindy Deak Last month we talked about the various organizations and many of their rules regarding getting to the ring and being on the start line. It was pointed out to me that I forgot to discuss an important aspect of ring rules: handler clothing. AKC is the only major organization with specific rules related just to handler attire in the ring. Over the past several years the AKC has issued several clothing policy clarifications; these were not rule changes, just an attempt to make the rules that already existed clearer. Here's a summary of those clarifications: * The first one was regarding the wearing of items with club logos in the ring. It is perfectly legal to wear a club logo and/or name shirt in the ring. What is not appropriate is to wear a shirt that advertises any club. For instance, a shirt that says "Train at XYZ Dog Agility Club" would not be allowed. * For many years there was a rumor going around that handlers could not wear a shirt with a corporate logo if that was the same name as their dog. For instance, a shirt that said "Nike" or "Sprint" was not acceptable if that was the dog's name. AKC Field Rep Steve Herwig posted a myth buster on the AKC Judges blog list in 2013 reporting this was not true and the wearing of such a shirt was perfectly acceptable. * The AKC also allows handlers to wear clothing bearing the dog's name, the person's name, and a picture of the dog; however, no titles may be displayed on the clothing. * AKC forbids shirts that are in "poor taste" or contain profanity. What constitutes poor taste is obviously subjective. An exhibitor cannot wear a shirt that advertises a conflicting brand with a show sponsor. For instance, at a show sponsored by Purina, an exhibitor should not wear a Eukanuba shirt. On to the Finish Line Moving on to the finish line of the course... Let's look at how the some organizations treat the finish line as well as the premature exit of the dog and/or handler from the ring. American Kennel Club The AKC has a well-defined rule regarding a dog leaving the ring before crossing the finish line. In Chapter 5, Section 6 of the AKC Regulations for Agility Trials, the third fault that calls for a mandatory excusal is: "A dog that leaves the course area and/or discontinues working and/or is unresponsive and/or out of control." This rule is intended to aid in the safety of dogs and handlers both in and out of the ring. There are zero exceptions to the rule. At some point there was some discussion among judges as to what constitutes "leaving the ring." So in 2014 the AKC issued a clarification that a dog is considered to have exited the ring when all four paws are over the plane of the ring barrier. While there are a considerable number of rules about entering the ring, there are far less on exiting the ring. Be sure to check with you agility judge at the trial if you have any questions about what is appropriate. 44 Clean Run | October 16

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - October 2016