FT judging scenario

Tobias said:

Is it common for judges to come to an agreement on these sort of scenarios before an event?

examples might include
see the handler intimidate the dog
see the handler touch the dog
hear verbal before released and after birds were called for
see handler pinch lip for a sticky mouth or step on toe

and if one judge is watching the honor dog/handler and the other is watching the birds thrown/working dog...

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I am new to judging, but I don't think all these things are discussed prior to an event but should be watched for by both judges. However, per the rulebook, judges should discuss in advance:

1 - instructions to handlers
2 - who signals for birds
3 - who calls the dogs number
4 - each judge has liberty to say "no bird"
5 - every bird retrieved should be inspected (preferably by the judge not calling numbers)
6 - who gives instructions to handler if dog is to be picked up
7 - running or crippled birds - judges should decide in advanced how to deal with runners should problem arise
8 - judges should decide how to deal with encountering of wild birds
9 - agree in advance on creeping and if dog should be brought to heel before sending. (also in minor stakes, judges should agree about the degree of controlled break)

Sabireley said:

That’s a good list. the rule book could be organized a bit better and a section for pre-stake preparation that included this kind of a checklist would be useful.

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I take no pride in authorship as I pretty much took that list directly from the rulebook in “Trial Procedure Part I” in the section starting with “Judges Responsibility On Line” on pages 44 -45.

Is it critical to tell the handler he made this mistake prior to picking up the memory birds? Or can you just let him pick up the birds and then inform them?

J. Marti said:

But can't a judge have his own judging point system in his head? For instance, if a dog refuses a cast 3 times, can the judge not have his own point system in his head in which he says: I won't call back a dog who refuses the same cast 3 times? Or is that illegal in field trial judging?

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I don’t know where the comment about a point system stemmed from, but likely from the AKC Hunt Test rulebook (which is diff then the AKC Field Trial Rulebook) .

Here is a small section from the rulebook about the Akc Hunt Test point system:

“A frequently asked question is how to determine what score—from 0 to 10—should be given in any one ability category. One method is to determine whether the dog should qualify in that ability category, that might mean a minimum score of five. Knowing the dog must have an overall average of seven, the Judge considers whether other abilities deserve a seven or higher. With a five or less (but not with a zero by both Judges), the dog would have to score higher in that ability and other abilities to acquire the 7.0 overall average. A score of 5.0 or less on a given ability during a series does not necessarily mean that the dog cannot receive a qualifying score, unless both Judges score that ability as a zero.”