NSTRA question
NSTRA question
I was at the NSTRA 'Dog of the Year', trial today in Amo Indiana. I am not a NSTRA trialer, but I live close by and usually try to watch a little each year. I saw something today that really surprised me. This happened close enough to the front of the field that I could see and hear the whole thing pretty well. A dog went on point, his handler was on the other side of the field and it took him a few minutes to get there. When the handler got within about 100 yards of the pointing dog, he began shouting/screaming "WHOA", as loud as he possibly could. While walking to the dog and during the flush this handler shouted/screamed "WHOA", at least twenty times, maybe more. The dog handled the find pretty well as far as I could tell. Is this common? Would constantly cautioning the pointing dog in this manner reduce the score for the find?
- kninebirddog
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Re: NSTRA question
It is very common that handlers feel the need to start saying whoa and Yes as a judge I do down grade a little for it because I as a judge now have to question if the dog is doing their job or if they are standing because the handler has to yell a command at the dog..I do not down grade it majorly but it will be that of a point or two it maybe more if the handlers yelling distracts the dog
I see this with hunters also.. :roll:
I see this with hunters also.. :roll:
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"When I hear somebody talk about a horse or cow being stupid, I figure its a sure sign that the animal has outfoxed them." Tom Dorrance
If you feel like you are banging your head against the wall, try using the door.
Re: NSTRA question
The handler wasnt saying "whoa" but screaming to the heavens "MY DOG HAS HOLES IN IT AND I DONT TRUST HIM!" If I was judging it surely wouldnt impress me. This is a team sport and you have to judge both the handler and the dog. Sometimes the dogs hate that fact.
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CEK Kennels
http://www.cekkennels.com
785-288-0461
Governments govern best when governments governs least
-Thomas Paine
Re: NSTRA question
If the dog has never moved or lost intensity, etc. Then I as a judge won't downgrade the dog because it has an idiot as a handler. Although if all that screaming the dog starts to soften up, look around, I'm knocking points pretty severely. I'm pretty tough judge too though, don't get invited to judge much.
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Re: NSTRA question
Exactly. You're judging the dog, not the handler. That said, all things being equal, the handler who's dog is staunch and the handler never says a word to the dog will score a couple points higher.hustonmc wrote:If the dog has never moved or lost intensity, etc. Then I as a judge won't downgrade the dog because it has an idiot as a handler. Although if all that screaming the dog starts to soften up, look around, I'm knocking points pretty severely. I'm pretty tough judge too though, don't get invited to judge much.