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Hail Call Keith G..............

3517 Views 24 Replies 15 Participants Last post by  badbullgator
Keith serious question for ya since you are Guru on AKC rules...........

I presently have training with me a 5 1/2 month BLM who's owner/handler is blind. The pup has been CC to here, sits (vioce and whistle), and is in the process of learning heel. Pup is doing single land marks in low cover out to 80-90 yds and water marks to 60 yards.
Along with with wearing his e-collar he also wears a thin collar with a small bell on it. This is so the handler can tell when he is returning with the mark and he is learning a frontal sit for delivery of the bird and then moves to the heel position.
Pup and handler are doing quite well.
The handler I might add hunts pheasant, bow hunts for deer and shoots trap quite well. Amazing accomplishments considering she is blind.
To her accomplishments she plans on running AKC & NFRA HTs.

My question is this, as I don't necessarily see it as a problem in Junior but Senior will be a different story.
The pup wears a bell to help the handler know his location especially on returning with a mark for delivery purposes.
How will this be addressed as far as the AKC is concerned?
Should this be only a concern at the FTC and Judges level of a Stake?
Should this be addressed before entering a HT with the sponsoring club?

Senior will be a whole different story as no collar are allowed on the dawgs.
Her husband normally stands behind her and will be giving her guidance on mark locations. Will this be permitted because now we're talking about doubles? How about the bell issue, will the dawg be allowed to wear it?
How about accidently touching the dawg to take the bird?
Blinds will be a different story also................though she will be doing the handling.......her husband will have to tell her when to blow the whistle.....will this be allowed?

Believe me Keith, this has kept me on my toes as a trainer..........but the handler is determine to put a MH on the pup in the future and plans on running Junior next year......so I thought I'd ask now...

I appreciate your thoughts on the matter.............
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I personally have seen our own Dr. Aycock squat behind a handler with severe enphesyma and blow the sit whistle when signaled by the handler.

The FT rules (somewhere) encourage about anything to help the "handicapped" handler.

If I were to Judge that Lady, and she brought the dog to the line with a bell tied around it's chest, waist, tail, anywhere but it's neck (no collars), it would not bother me ONE BIT!!!! And if ANYONE complained I would get Guthrie or Shayne to bitch slap them!!!!!

Some people have been known to spray paint their dog with Orange paint in order to see them and I see no difference in a bell to "hear" them.

Sometimes we just gotta do what is right.

Jerry
Don't ya just LOVE stories with happy endings???

Go SHARRON!!!!

Jerry
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