What are Judges responsible for? What Judges Like to See [or not]!

The judge is a friendly person that loves dogs and is happy to answer any questions you have.  The judge is the authority on the field.  The judge designed the courses that she/he judges.

The judge will give a judge’s briefing before each course is run.  While you run the course, the judge will watch you and raise his/her arm to call faults after they occur.  In Snooker and Gamblers the judge will call out numbers and blow a whistle at appropriate times.  Hint:  don’t be watching the judge for all these signals; run your dog!  You’ll see the outcome soon enough when the scores are posted!

During a run if you ask a question, the judge is not permitted to answer. It’s not that she doesn’t want to help.

The judge will count out 5 seconds  when your dog goes down on the table.  This you do need to pay attention to.  To be safe, many handlers don’t release their dogs from the table until they hear the “O” in “Go”!

The judge will measure your dog.

Judges' Likes  and Dislikes

• Judges love to see people that are having a good time and treating their dog nicely regardless of what is happening.
  

• Judges dislike it when handlers are angry and yell at their dogs. If it gets bad enough a judge can throw you out of a run or the entire trial.
  

• Judges like it when handlers that are not running, pay attention to the team running and cheer at the end of each run.
  

• Judges like you to help keep the trial moving by being on time for your runs. Do not take too long to get going when it is your turn.
  

• It is not nice to block the judge’s view of the contacts.  Judges do not likely it if you intentionally block their view of a contact or the table.
  

• Judges do not like to argue calls. After watching a hundred dogs, do not expect the judge to remember your dog’s run.