It's not rocket science, folks!

According to the USBCHA Board of Directors agenda, there are currently three issues being discussed by the Board:

• Whether or not to post any motion that has been moved and seconded by the Board (and is thus currently under discussion) to the USBCHA web site for at least one week prior to the Board's vote for member input.
• Whether or not to uphold a current USBCHA policy that allows dogs running in the National Finals asked by the judge to retire because of overheating or physical unfitness to keep the points they had earned up to that point in the run
• Whether or not to make it mandatory to have water on the field of the National Finals at all times for the competing dogs who might need to cool off during a run.

There's been a bit of talk about these issues in various corners of the Internet, but nothing's been very hot and heavy.  And, in my opinion, that's not because USBCHA members are apathetic; it's because these issues are pretty much no-brainers.  Everyone I've listened to seems to agree on the following:

1. It should have gone without saying that the Board should let the membership know about issues that are being voted on in time to let them give input to their Directors if they should choose to do so.  Since it apparently didn't go without saying, it's hard to find anyone who could disapprove of the suggestion.
2. It's a NATIONAL FINALS!  Dogs who can't finish the course should not potentially advance to the next level of competition.  If handlers are too focused on their run (or too stupid, or too uncaring, or all three), a judge might need to step in and make the "thank you" call.  If he or she does that, it's a retire--no points should be forthcoming.
3. Water should be available at all times on the field, to help any dogs that might need to cool off during a run.  Dogs who go to water will be penalized by the clock, but not by the act of going to the water itself.  (I presume if the dog's sheep leave the field while the dog is in the tub, that team is just out of luck, but that might be a question for the Board to clarify.)  And the presence of the water should be MANDATORY on the Finals field to prevent any head-scratchers from occurring during the competition--we want as much consistency as possible for all teams at all times.

It all seems pretty self-evident to me.  Anyone think otherwise?

Comments

[robin]

Okay, i'll jump in and disagree with you on #2. I know my dog better than a judge does and i wouldn't want a judge making that decision for me. If i see my dog is getting hot, i can change how i'm running my course to "rest" that dog a bit and recharge to finish the run. I'd be sorely unhappy if a judge called me off as i was making this decision. And putting this decision in a judge's hands could possibly open the door for charges of favoritism or unequal treatment. Perhaps there is a better solution out there.

[Eileen]

Robin, I'd probably agree with you if I hadn't once seen a dog run until she collapsed, gasping, with blood trickling out of her mouth. It was a hot, hot day, and the dog ran and ran and ran. Everybody watching knew she was in trouble, and hoped the handler would retire, but he didn't, and the judge didn't call them off.

The judge does, and absolutely should, have the power to stop the run when he thinks the dog is endangered. The only question is whether the dog should keep its points. I don't think so, because (1) it would encourage handlers to keep going in that situation rather than retire, in hopes the judge would step in and they could keep their points, and (2) fitness for the work is one of the things being tested, and that includes physical fitness.

I think this is a power judges would be very reluctant to exercise, although I hope they'd have the integrity to do it when called for. Sure, a judge could abuse it, but if that happened it would be much more obvious than the various other ways a judge could screw someone if so inclined. And I like to think that a handler who complained about a judge ending the run would not find much sympathy if it was obvious to spectators that there was good cause to end it.