LCRC Club Test Rules ~ Adopted April 4th, 2008 Page 1 of 2
GENERAL RULES
1. All LCRC Members entering and attending an LCRC Club Test are expected to stay and help work at the Test until the conclusion of the Test.
2. All LCRC Club Tests shall include the four levels; Puppy, Junior, Senior and Master, provided there are entries for a given level.
3. There will be no training or use of training implements on the test grounds.
4. Each dog is only allowed to enter one stake per test.
5. Bitches in season are not allowed on the test grounds
6. Scoring will be done on a pass-fail basis. Qualifications and ribbons will be awarded to those dogs that pass. Notes and diagrams must be taken by each judge to support their decisions.
7. In order for dogs to pass, they must mark, handle, obey and generally perform at the same level or a higher level than a dog who would receive a qualifying score in a licensed event.
8. Using game birds or bumpers will be at the chair’s discretion but should be announced prior to the event. If a game bird test is held, then only birds shall be used. If a bumper test is held, then only bumpers shall be used. In the case of using upland birds, bumpers may be used on water.
9. Dogs below six months of age shall run in the Puppy stake, dogs above six months of age may run in any other stake.
10. Dogs which have failed any portion of the Puppy, Junior, Senior or Master test may be allowed to run the remainder of the test “out of contention”. Out of contention dogs will be run last, after the dogs that are still in contention.
11. All judges invited by the chair must be approved in advance by the LCRC Board of Directors. At least one of the judges must be experienced in running and have qualified a dog in AKC Master, NAHRA Senior or HRC Finished or in any field trial stake.
12. No person may judge a dog they own or a dog they are running in a Club Test, regardless of who owns the dog.
13. Handlers may quietly talk to their dogs on line. If in the judges’ opinion, the handler uses an intimidating or threatening voice or gesture on line, then the judges shall determine that the hunt has been disturbed and that dog may be disqualified.
14. All shooting from line shall be done by an official gun, not by handlers or judges.
15. With the exception of Puppy, decoys, boats and any other paraphernalia which would normally be used in hunting should and may be used in the test.
16. Gun safety is of paramount importance and handlers may be disqualified and expelled from the test for unsafe gun handling. Dogs that are being run by a handler who is disqualified may continue to run under a different handler.
PUPPY
1. This stake is intended to encourage and familiarize novice handlers and puppies with the excitement of a retriever test. The judges will consider the experience and age of both handlers and dogs when setting up the test. Only bumpers will be retrieved in this stake.
2. The test will be at least two series and involve both land and water. The land retrieves are not to exceed 50 yards in light cover. The water retrieves are not to exceed 30 yards in unobstructed swimming water. Water retrieves will originate at the water’s edge. Dogs shall be given the opportunity to run all the marks.
3. Two single marked land retrieves and two single marked water retrieves will be run.
4. No simulated shots will be used and no diversions are allowed, but game calls are required.
5. Delivery past a predetermined line on three out of four retrieves will be required for qualification. Delivery to hand is not required.
6. Dogs may be brought to line and run on lead. Dogs are expected to come to line and leave line relatively tractably at heel.
7. Dogs may be run with flat buckle collars only.
JUNIOR
1. In Junior, dogs are not required to deliver birds/bumpers to hand, but shall deliver to a designated area close to the line.
2. Retrieves shall not exceed 100 yards
3. Dogs must exhibit willingness towards steadiness. Controlled breaks are allowed in Junior but will be considered a serious fault. A blatant, out of control break is reason for disqualification.
4. Dogs may be brought to line and run on lead and may be run with flat buckle collars only.
5. All dogs are expected to come to line and leave line tractably at heel. A Junior dog may be lightly restrained going to the line and on line. A dog which is constantly pulling on lead or jumping and needs heavy restraint shall score appreciably lower than a dog which is steady.
6. Handlers shall not send their dog to retrieve until released by a judge, unless otherwise instructed by the judges.
7. A Junior test shall consist of at least 2 single retrieves on land and 2 single retrieves on water.
8. All marks should be simple and straightforward with limited cover and terrain factors. No diversions are allowed.
9. Handlers will not be required to shoulder a gun and will not be allowed to fire guns.
10. Game calls and shots shall be used for each bird thrown. (more next page: to next page ) |