RULES - CHAPTER 3 - NOVICE - STAND FOR EXAMINATION

 Section 7. Stand for Examination. 
The principal feature of this exercise is that the dog stand in position before and during the examination without displaying resentment. 

THE ORDERS ARE: 

1. “Stand your dog and leave when you are ready,” 
2. “Back to your dog,” and 
3. “Exercise finished.” 

• Prior to the start of the exercises the handler will remove the leash and give it to a steward, who will place it on the judge’s table or other designated place. 
• The handler will take their dog to the place indicated by the judge. 
• The judge will ask “Are you ready?” before giving the first order.
• On the judge’s order, the handler will stand/pose the dog by the method of the handler’s choice, taking any reasonable time if they choose to pose the dog as in the show ring. 
• The handler will then stand with the dog in the heel position, and may give the command and/or signal to stay, walk straight forward about 6 feet, and then turn and face the dog. 
• The judge will approach the dog from the front. 
• Using the fingers and palm of one hand, the judge will touch the dog’s head, body and hindquarters. 
• On the order “Back to your dog,” the handler will walk around behind the dog and return to the heel position. 
• The dog must remain standing until the judge has said “Exercise finished.” 

Regulations Obedience Judging Procedures: 

• The dog need not be sitting at the start of this exercise. 
• The judge must be alert to keep handlers from going more or less than about 6 feet and must penalize, even to the point of nonqualifying, the dog whose handler backs away when leaving. 
• The examination is complete when the judge lifts their fingers and palm from the dog’s hindquarters. 
• Judges should not expose themselves needlessly to the danger of being bitten. Should a dog in the ring give warning that it may bite if you proceed with the examination, you should excuse the dog from the ring and mark the judge’s book “Excused – Unable to Examine.” If a dog attempts to attack or bites any person in the ring, the judge must disqualify the dog, mark the judge’s book “Disqualified – Attack” and fill out the “Disqualification for Attacking” form (AEDSQ1). 

Section 8. Stand for Examination, Scoring. 

• The scoring of this exercise will not start until the handler has given the command and/or signal to stay, except for such things as rough treatment by the handler or active resistance by the dog to its handler’s attempts to have it stand.
• Either of these will be penalized substantially. 
• A dog must receive a non-qualifying (NQ) score if it sits or lies down, moves away from the place where it was left either before or during the examination, or growls, snaps or displays resentment. 
• Minor or substantial deductions, even to the point of a non-qualifying (NQ) score, will be made for shyness. 
• Minor or substantial deductions will be made for a dog that moves its feet at any time or sits or moves away after the examination has been completed.