RULES - CHAPTER 2 REGULATIONS FOR PERFORMANCE AND JUDGING STANDARDS AND PROCEDURE. Section 1. Standardized Judging. Heeling Pattern.



 FROM AKC® OBEDIENCE REGULATIONS


CHAPTER 2 
REGULATIONS  FOR PERFORMANCE 
AND JUDGING STANDARDS  AND  PROCEDURES 

Section  1. Standardized  Judging.  
  • The Obedience  Regulations are the basic guide to judging but do not contain explicit  directions for every possible situation and only list the more common and serious faults. 
  • They clearly define the exercises, their order and the standards  by which they  are to be judged. 
  • If a decision  depends on the exact  wording of the Obedience  Regulations,  the  judge  is  expected  to  look  up  the  specific regulation  prior to making the decision. 
  • Standardized  judging  is of paramount  importance.  Judges are not permitted  to inject their own variations  into the exercise  but will see that each handler and dog perform the various exercises exactly as described in these regulations. 
  • A handler who is familiar  with these regulations should be able to enter the ring under any judge without having to inquire how that particular  judge wishes to have an exercise performed and without being confronted  with any unexpected  requirements. 
  • Handlers should expect  and train for a reasonable amount of movement  by  the  judge  while  the  dog  is working.  Judges  must not  move quickly  toward a dog as it is moving, stand closely  behind a dog, or follow a heeling  dog too closely. 
  • Judges should always be in a position to  see  both the  dog and handler  at  the  same time  without  having  to  turn their heads. 
  • The judge will inform the first exhibitor in each class what the heeling pattern  will  be  before  that  exhibitor  enters  the  ring.  This  may  be  done verbally, by posting the pattern ringside or by demonstration.  
  • This same procedure will be followed in the event  of run-offs. 
Heeling  Pattern.  
  • The same pattern should be maintained  as far as practicable  for each  competing  dog. 
  • This is a foundation  exercise,  and it  determines  the  standards for  all  exercises  in  which  the  dog  is  heeling. 
  • The minimum heeling  requirements for any class are
    •  normal heeling, 
    • a fast, a slow, 
    • a left  turn, 
    • a right turn, 
    • an about-turn, 
    • a halt, 
    • and a sit. 
  • The heeling patterns should not be in the area of the table and/or gate and 
  • should have only one element  of an exercise on a leg. (For example,  there  shall not be  a halt  and a slow on the  same leg  of an exercise.)  
  • A fast must always be on a long dimension of  the  ring; 
  • slow may be either on the short or long dimension of the ring. 
  • The fast and slow should be of significant length, not just several steps. 
  • No pattern will  have  more than  one  fast  and  one  slow.  
  • If  possible,  have  one  leg  of the heeling pattern  with no element on it. 
  • The “L”  pattern is a minimal pattern.  Other patterns  are acceptable,  but  excessive  complexity  should be avoided. 

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