The Royal Kennel Club has approved the following changes to the regulations for Working Trials.
The following regulations relate to when an appeal may be permitted, and to provide further clarity when handler information may be required.
Regulation I20
TO:
Penalties
The Board shall have power to impose any of the following penalties upon any person for any breach of Kennel Club Regulations subject to a right of appeal, notice of intention of which must be lodged within 14 days from the date on which the decision is given and subject to the prescribed appeals process as shall be determined by the Board from time to time.
a. Warn
b. Censure/Reprimand
c. Apology directive (Conduct Regulation or the Control of Dog Regulation)
d. Fine
e. Award disqualified
In addition, the Board may make the following directives;
f. A dog’s registration record may be marked ‘incident recorded’
g. A dog’s registration record may be endorsed ‘not eligible for entry in any event held under Kennel Club Rules and Regulations, nor any unlicensed event recognised by the Kennel Club.’
The right of appeal against directives f) and g) listed above extends to an appeal on the finding of fact of a deliberate dog bite only, but does not extend to an appeal against those directives f) and g) in terms of cancellation or modification of such directives if there is a finding of fact of an intentional dog bite.
In the event of any fine not being paid, or non compliance with any apology directive issued within the time stipulated by the Board, then that person may, at the discretion of the Board, be dealt with as if a complaint under Kennel Club Rule A11 had been lodged and proved to the satisfaction of the Board.
For complaints of conduct whether at a licensed event or on social media, in addition to a warning issued - a short term fixed period of refusal of entry/attendance at Kennel Club licensed events may also be imposed in accordance with procedures to be published from time to time to implement this regulation.
(Insertion in bold)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
Regulation I29
TO:
The owner, exhibitor, handler or other person in charge of a dog at Kennel Club licensed events must at all times ensure that the dog is kept under proper control whilst at the licensed venue, including its environs, car and caravan parks and approaches. This Regulation applies before (at any time during the set up period at the venue), during the event and afterwards (at any time during the breakdown of the event). The mating of bitches within the precincts of the competition, as stipulated above, is forbidden
An exhibitor or competitor should ensure that contact details for any handler are available and must be provided upon request in any investigation of a breach of this regulation by such handler.
(Insertion in bold)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
Regulation I30.c
TO:
No person shall carry out punitive correction or harsh handling of a dog at any time within the precincts of the show whilst at the licensed venue, including its environs, car and caravan parks and approaches.
(Deletions struck through. Insertion in bold)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The below amendment reduces the period between championship TD and PD stake judging appointments.
Amendment to regulation I26.c
Regulation I26.c
TO:
A person approved to judge a Championship Working Trial Certificate stake may not judge the same stake within a period of six four calendar months. The relevant date being the last day of each trial.
(Deletion struck through. Insertion in bold.)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The following regulation has been added to give a clear definition of how a Working Trials stake is won.
Definition of How to Win a Class/Stake/Competition
New Regulation I(A)2
TO:
A stake will be won by the dog that has obtained the most points across the exercises, having qualified in each group, unless otherwise stated for special stakes.
(Insertion in bold.)
(Subsequent paragraphs to be renumbered)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The below amendment to the regulation clarifies when a dog and handler should proceed to move forward together during the heel work exercise.
Amendment to regulation I(B)2 Heel work
Regulation I(B)2
TO:
Heel work – The judge should test the ability of the dog to keep its shoulder reasonably close to the left knee of the handler who should walk smartly in a natural manner of normal, fast and slow paces through turns and among and around persons and obstacles. The halt, with the dog sitting to heel and a “figure of eight” may be included at any stage. Extra commands shall be permitted in the introductory and CD stakes.
Any act, signal or command by jerking of the lead which in the opinion of the Judge has given the dog unfair assistance shall be penalised.
Where required the lead must be attached to a close fitting smooth collar. Retractable leads or head collars are not to be used. In TD And PD stakes, at some time during the test, while working at a normal pace, the dog shall be required to be left in the down position when directed by the judge. The handler shall continue forward alone, without hesitation, and proceed as directed by the judge until upon reaching the dog, when the dog is on the handler’s left hand side and both handler and dog are facing in the same direction, both shall continue forward together in accordance with the instruction given.
(Insertion in bold.)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The regulation amendment below has been changed to clarify the handler as the person who chooses the position of the dog rather than the judge. It also brings the wording in line with the TD and PD speak exercises.
Amendment to regulation I(B)8 ‘Speak on command’
Regulation I(B)8
TO:
‘Speak on command’ – In TD and PD, the number of barks is at the judge’s discretion and after the cease “speaking” the handler may be instructed to make the dog speak again. “Speaking” should be sustained by the dog with the minimum of commands and/or signals. Continuous and/or excessive incitements to “speak” must be heavily penalised. This test must not be incorporated with any other test.
The judge will control the position of the handler in relation to the dog. In UD Stake and WD Stake, this position should be near and in sight of the dog. The handler may place the dog The dog may be in the stand, sit or down.
In TD and PD, the handler may be required to work the dog walking at heel. If the dog is not required to walk at heel, the handler may place the dog in the stand, sit or down.
In UD the number of barks should be 5, in WD the number of barks should be 10.
(Insertion in bold. Deletion struck through.)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The regulation amendment below clarifies what would happen in a situation where a dog pursues a protected steward and fails to bite or let go of the protected steward’s arm before sufficiently detaining them.
Amendment to Regulation I(B)16– Pursuit and detention of protected stewards
Regulation I(B)17.
TO:
The dog will be off lead beside the handler. The position of the dog and command given to send the dog must be the same as that for the Recall exercise. The ‘protected steward’ will be challenged and will reply in order to gain the dog’s attention before running away as directed by the judge. The handler will be told when to send his dog. A run-out point may be set by the judge. The dog must detain the ‘protected steward’ by holding him by the protected arm until commanded by the handler to release. The protected steward should continue to try to escape if not detained by the dog. If the dog fails to detain the ‘protected steward’, it shall lose any marks that it may have obtained for the Recall exercise, or it shall not be tested on the Recall.
(Insertion in bold)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The following regulation has been added to give a clear definition of how a Bloodhound Working Trial stake is won.
Definition of How to Win a Class/Stake/Competition
New Regulation I(C)2
TO:
A stake will be won by the hound that completes the line most accurately, in the best time considering all variables - weather/ terrain - to satisfy the standards of the stake entered.
(Insertion in bold.)
(Effective 1 January 2025)
The following regulation addition allows for dogs of 12 weeks and over to enter Working Trial competitions as Not for Competition.
Amendment to dog age regulation
Regulation I1.c
TO:
- Dogs under 18 calendar months of age on the closing date are ineligible for competition at Kennel Club licensed working trials, except that dogs of 6 calendar months of age on the closing date of the trial may be entered for Special Stakes, which do not include the long jump, clear jump and scale. Bloodhounds may be entered for Bloodhound Trials at 12 calendar months on the first day of the trial. However, societies may accept Not for Competition entries at their discretion. Dogs four months and over are eligible to enter Not For Competition. Dogs 12 weeks and over are eligible to enter Not for Competition.
(Effective 1 January 2025)
