I believe that an honor dog has to honor until a working dog is actually released.

 

ayup, my old bitch used to break from the honor on the judges voice saying the working dogs number. Judges know about this.

 

ok that makes sense like I said I wasn't complaining just curious

 

In one senior test, my old dog had to honor through 4 breaking dogs IN A ROW until one working dog was actually released. Darn out-of-order flyers! Even my steady girl was bugeyed coming off that line.

 

As a judge, I make the honoring dog stay until a dog makes a retrieve whether it broke or was released.

 

the 1st dog made the retrieve. it was hard on the dog I thought he was going to come out of his skin. I got a pass that day the next day he was a complete wreck and didn't pass but that is another day. when we got up for the sun. test his eyes were huge and was wired before we got to the grounds. I don't know how he got out of the motel room and scored some crack but he was a wild child. also before the honor as he was going for the blind as he reached down to pick up the bird a rabbit came out beside him I thought he was toast then but he stopped on the whistle and then took the cast to the bird. i swear this boy may give me a heart attack

 

The RB saids only needs to see a dog leave the line not be sent or released. I looked this up because one of the 1st master test I ran I had to honor 5 times in a row. Anyone that knows my dog, it is not easy. After the 3rd time, I told the judges that she has seen mutiple birds down and 2 dogs leave after mutiple birds down and the judges agreed that I could leave and get a by- dog for the next handler. Jerry Mann was standing behind the judges and told them NO they could not release me that the working dog had to be released. I did not have the rule book with me, so honored 2 mores times before finially leaving the honor bucket. After that I had her break several times on honor. I have released honor that have seen several birds down and dogs leave the line as the judge.

 

I would have released you after the first dog broke. All the birds were down and your dog sat while another went. The only thing missing for the honor dog was a judge calling a number. But all the noise of the break cetainly makes up for lack of a #.

Tim

 

I witnessed a situation at a Senior test where the honoring dog was released by the judges after holding steady to the first fall. The handler did not leash the dog and on the way back to the truck the dog couldn't stand it any more and charged out into the field to pick up the memory bird while the working dog was on the way back with the go bird.

He was dropped but the handler argued that the judges had already released them and his test was complete. Guess who won that argument?

 

I agree the judges have some leeway here. However, I would want an honor dog to sit thru the working dog leaving the line without all the screaming "NO", "HERE" etc and whistle blowing. That usually happens when the judges release the working dog.

 

I will bet a tall cold adult beverage that if one were to call Jerry D Mann that his answer would be that the honor dog hasn't completed his job until the working dog has been sent on a "legal" retrieve.

Here's my chance to earn back that beer I lost last year regards

Bubba

 

Your dog should not have been required to honor again. Once the working dog left, your honor requirement was fulfilled and you should have been dismissed. The dog that broke should have to honor, on lead, the next dog.

 

I think this is the correct answer !

 

Once at a senior test, the honor dogs were required to remain at honor until the working dog was sent for the second bird. My chessie was fine when the working dog left, but when the working dog returned with the bird I thought I was going to have to restrain her. She held it together... barely... and was excused after the working dog was sent for the memory bird. Crazy huh.

 

Once at a senior test, the honor dogs were required to remain at honor until the working dog was sent for the second bird. My chessie was fine when the working dog left, but when the working dog returned with the bird I thought I was going to have to restrain her. She held it together... barely... and was excused after the working dog was sent for the memory bird. Crazy huh.

 

The regs allow a lot of play for the judges. There is nothing that says that the honor dog can't be required to honor the complete retrieve or multiple retrieves. (As opposed to just marks and the first cast.) And while the book is silent as to what constitutes a "legal retrieve" the accepted standard seems to be that the honor is not over until the working dog has been sent upon release by the judges and leaves for at least one mark. I'm not of the opinion that an honoring dog is smart enough to know the difference between a break by the WD or a legal cast and dislike requiring the HD to sit thru multiple breaks, no-birds, no-gos, etc. But that's just my opinion and it's worth what you paid for it.

 

The honor is not complete until the honor dog is excused by the judges.

The Judges have the leeway to create a wide variety of honor scenarios. If they choose to do so you may have to honor through the entire test (marks and blinds). Be prepared for the unexpected.

 

I had an honor on the water marks once that I will never forget. First dog up broke on the flyer which was sluiced. Much screaming and hollering by handler AND the judge because when the dog had broken the gunners had shot again! Next dog up was a "no bird". Then another dog came to the line. This one also broke on the flyer, the handler hollered, whistled, jumped up and down etc. to try to get the dog back without retrieving the bird. After that dog left, the judges turned to me and said "leash your dog, you are excused" My dog never moved a whisker. I was astounded, thinking they had not been watching her and thought she had moved. So I very politely asked "Excused?" and then they apologized for the wording and explained that the rules say that both birds must come down, and a dog must be sent, to meet the honor requirement. But they had decided that even though it was not the letter of the law, my dog had certainly fulfilled the intent and had done it very well. I finally took a deep breath, as I had been holding my breath a VERY long time! and heeled her quietly, but quickly from the line. So, there are rules, and there are judges to interpret the rules, was the lesson I took from that day.