Should you be allowed to be a judge and run a dog?

[jac]

My question is... And I look forward to input on this...

Is it okay to be a judge for one test and run your dog in the next test? I think if this is the case...you are given better scores in hopes that when you are judging the next test you will return the favor. Doesn't seem rigth to me!

[AnnabellaKennels]

The question is on ethics. I think the rules state that you can do that. But, I agree that it is not right. If I was a judge I think I would not run in that trial or hunt test that I was judging. That way, there is no questions.

I would like to hear how judges will respond to this.

[Rooster]

I think if you are judging a hunt test. You should not be testing a dog though that entire test.

[BlueRiverKennel]

OK, it is 2 seperate hunt tests, so there is no issues. A judge cannot run a dog at the same hunt test he is judging. Offten they will judge one day and run a dog the next day, but it is a whole new hunt test. You could say that the judge could just return the favor next weekend down the road. So it realy does not matter. Besides it is a passing grade or score, not a competition . You will see this offten. They travel a long ways offten. and it is something to do with there dogs just like the next guy. I don't think in hunt tests you realy have to worry about that kind of thing going on. The dog has to be judged by 2 judges. Most of them would rather be running a dog. It is a thankless job, more people should do it. Then the same judges would not have to judge so offten.
PS you cannot run a dog in a trial you judge either. Un less I''m missing something. But thats the rules at our trials, AKC.

[fuzznut]

A judge may not run a dog in a TEST LEVEL or STAKE they are judging, but they may run a dog in a different level or stake at that event.

For instance, I am judging Juniors at a Saturday Hunt Test. I may run my own dog in Senior or Master, but not Junior.
I am judging an Open Gun Dog stake at a weekend trial, I can run my dog in any other stake at that event that weekend.

If you suspect any judge is handing out favors, save your money and don't enter under that judge.
Fuzz

[BlueRiverKennel]

Fuzz I guess I did not know that, I still think I would not wory about that. It is still a different level. Trials you can not, there would just be no way to do it for one thing, but with different levels, it is like a totaly different event anyway. If people want change then the only option is to get involved and join clubs, then vote on issues like this. I personaly would not worry about it, and just have fun and run what you brung. And again You are not having to beat anyone, just your self.

[chessy1]

Yes it is legal but can cause many problems. We had a fellow judge junior so had to delay it so he could run master as the first dog. As you no, master has 3 series. the Judges had to wait in the second and third for him to come run his dog. I think they should have put him on the clock the minute they were ready for him to run. He passed but think of the disruption it made in both Jr and Master tests.
NO it should not be legal !

[fuzznut]

There is probably a logistics difference between pointing dog tests and trials and retriever. Committees and judges alike must know how a judges entry in another stake will affect the one they are judging. If they are going to hold things up... then I would ask them to not enter their dogs.

Sometimes it's a sticky wicket for sure!
Fuzz

[RangeViewKennels]

This was a thread I wasn’t sure I was going to stick my nose into at first, but here I go.

I can’t say much along the lines of hunt test because I have never done one. I primarily am a hunter and I sell and train dogs for hunters.

Once upon a time someone talked me into the trial game and I decided that I would try it. In the format that we were competing a lot of the judging is subject to someone’s opinion. In several of these events it seemed to me that there were people not being scored as fairly as they should have been and some of their buddies were getting some favors in the point department. Then they would switch up and the same things would go on again.

For the sake of argument let’s assume that I was wrong and that was not what was happening and what I thought I saw didn’t.

I left that program and I know of some others that did too. Even if everything is on the up and up it didn’t look good and they lost some people from their program because of it. So I would say don’t even make yourself look questionable.

[Brittguy]

I have been field trialing a long time and have only been involved in a few hunt test.
Don't know the rule for hunt test concerning a judge running at one level while he is judging another concurrently, but in a field trial if a judge has started judging a stake he cannot run his dog in another stake until the stake he is judging is finished.
As someone else mentioned if you do not think a judge is honest or does not know as much as he should then do not run under him If you think he gives favors expecting some in return he does not have to have a dog in that weekend trialing and hunt test is a small world and he will be at another event to get his due. For the most part judges are honest,they drive hundreds of miles to judge a event and very often not charge full expenses there is no pay and they don't scratch stakes because of cold weather or rain.It may help him accept the assignment if he can at least run a dog in one of the other stakes.Anyone that has been a chairman and had to find 4 to 6 good judges know what a job it is.