Any judges here ever have a handler come up, watch the marks go down and then leash up their pooch and walk-off without picking up a bird (out of protest)?
Wasn't there already a dog sitting at the honor?....I called his number and he took out his leash and went to the honor.....
Not your problem. Judges judge, handlers handle, dogs dog....Not sure what point he was intending to make. ...
Just guessing but you were probably the RD (commodore in charge so to speak) at at least a few of those unsafe and poorly designed tests. Odd that you wouldn't speak up for the benefit of your fellow handlers.Here are some tests (over many years) I wish I had thanked the judges and walked away from:
Started Mark toward a busy highway.
Senior Trail toward a busy highway.i
Water mark with one Over-Under and a third mark with an entry into a deadfall with potentially dangerous sticks.
Into-the-wind triple where there was equal access downwind (following a screwed up land series.)
Upland tests quartering into "blockers." (X n)
Upland with flush at the end a long trail.
Marks into 6 ft. cattails.
"No-see-em" water blind that was technical enough w/o a trick.
The ones that come to mind were either potentially unsafe or unfair to the dog (at the level he was at.)
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Misteaks happen, judges only make my "list" with repeats.
I have seen it done for a variety of reasons--even saw one time where several handlers did it. No big deal in my book. It doesn't really affect the club much--no more than a 'no bird' or a break--and a handler can scratch whenever they want. If it is a big deal for the club, perhaps they should look into the reasons a handler or handlers feel the need to do such a thing.Back to the original intention of this thread, I just think that for someone to come up to the line knowing they are only going to waste the club's resources and everyone's time by watching the birds fall and then walking off is very poor sportsmanship. I have no issue with someone deciding not to run a test, for various reasons, but to demonstrate that level of character, walking off, is pretty lowly in my opinion.
First of all welcome to the sport, I hope you have a lot of fun as you and your dog progress in hunt test. That said I really don't believe he drove any point home to the judges, they just upheld a written rule. As a judge in that position I would just shake my head and call for the next dog. I feel for the rooky handler who made the nervous mistake, but that's why we have the Junior stake, to give beginning handlers time on line to make mistakes and learn without being dropped. When a handler steps up to the line in a major stake, newbie or old pro, the standards are high and everybody running expects them to be upheld by the judges.Walk off was do to the handler trainer walking off because judges called one of his clients dogs for a break a few dogs previous. You had to blow the duck call a couple of times to start the trial. Rookie handler did and quietly said sit. Dog ran a perfect water triple and had a near perfect trial all weekend. Trainer that walked off to prove a point to the judges was that he disagreed with their call.His point as also a judge is we as judges are here to judge the dog and should not have disquailified the dog on that minor infraction. Again up to that point the dog was flawless and so was the handler. Point is also made that we need to keep people interested in the sport.I am also a rookie at this game with a 16 month old lab that is being trained. I joined the club in Saulk Rapids and actively participated in their test this last winter. Had a lot of fun. Not sure what to think about the above. I also train with the walk off trainer and I gained a lot of respect for him that day. He handled himself very professionaly and showed the judges no disrespect. Interesting I also atteneded a judging seminar thai past winter at my club that was conducted by AKC. The instructor we had I am pretty sure would have not called that a controled break and pulled the handler off to the side and corrected his mistake. He really drove home the point that as judges we are there to judge the dog.
Yeah, bring it, Aretha: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. How about an analogy? My friend gets ticketed for jaywalking and it burns me up because, you know, everybody does it, but nobody ever does anything about it. Until my friend gets ticketed, and I'm p*ssed. So I decide to tell that mean old "Walk/Don't Walk" sign where to shove it, and do my own "walk-off" into the traffic. And the nice big Freightliner pays me the respect I'm due just as I see it bearing down on me. And my last thought is, "That was some kind of gallant protest I just made, weren't it?"Walk off was do to the handler trainer walking off because judges call one of his clients dogs for a break a few dogs previous. ... I also train with the walk off trainer and I gained a lot of respect for him that day. He handled himself very professionaly and showed the judges the respect they are due.