From NASS 2011 Working Class Males: #478, Ivan von Huerta Hof, handled by Oliver “Ollie” Ebbers. Gina Nadine Kastrup handling #470 Rocco vom Mittelwest
#478, Ivan, is being out-moved by #470, Rocco. As Rocco out moves Ivan, Ivan’s handler, reaches down grabs Rocco’s lead and chokes him back. He did this without missing a beat and so smoothly I am not sure if the handler of Rocco even realizes it.
Oh my! Are handlers allowed to do that?
Some will do whatever they can get away with.
My sense is that it’s like touching another person’s child in the middle of a beauty pageant. Barring an extreme circumstance, you don’t touch another person’s kid! It might not be banned, but it just isn’t right.
The answer to that is it is very unethical. It is one thing to do whatever you can to make your own dog look good, but to touch another dog is just plain wrong. I would bet that this isn’t the first time he has choked back another dog—it was way too smooth. Look at Rocco’s movement in the first photo. Pretty darn nice! Now look at the second photo. Nothing like breaking a dog’s stride.
@Carole
Very good point. This post should be named “Slight of Handler.”
LOL yes it should
Everything is so fast when your double handling, that I am sure alot of that gets missed. However great shots Carole..pictures don’t lie.
What the h*&* is going on here? Grabbing another persons dog during a competition ?? I haven’t gone to an event yet, but I would be screaming bloody murder & kicked this big boy in his backside if he touched my dog — whose dog ended up placing higher? I can’t believe how mad this is getting me 🙂
I had the same reaction! I called up Carole ranting about this…and I said “I can’t believe how mad this makes me!” *If* I ever see anyone do this to my dog things will get really ugly, really fast. I say *if* because it would be so easy to miss. It would be over in seconds. Plus you are looking at the dogs not watching handlers free hand.
John, I love your response—it is perfect!
The dog that was choked-off placed 5 placements lower then the other dog
I nearly got into an altercation at an AKC show when a woman blocked Pieka’s crate with her dog and wouldn’t move. I cannot imagine what my reaction would be if someone actually laid hands on her…..actually, I can, and the end result is not pretty.
This reminds me of horse shows. It wasn’t uncommon for people to purposefully cut each other off to throw a horse off it’s stride. Or if someone had a horse that was squirrelly with other horses, purposefully crowding to freak the other horse out. It was frowned on and I didn’t do it – but sure saw it done.
If someone did this to one of my dogs it wouldn’t be a good day, not a good day at all! How rude!
I think these 2 pics should be sent to WDA and have that guy investigated. That is just not right.
I have the same reaction as John, my foot would be up that Dude’s butt if he did that to my dog.