by Kerry Webster » Tue 01 Jun 2004 5:14 pm
I have found it interesting reading individual interpretations of "when is a dog judged to be swimming", as posed by Lynne.
I have personally been in the situation twice, where my young Lab. who is extra long in the leg, was really not swimming but barely touching the bottom, whereas many other shorter dogs had been swimming through necessity.
In one instance, The site had been tested with a dog, by the judge, and found to be swimming depth for that dog. Through no fault of the judge or my dog, or any other larger competing dog, the depth of the water was not of sufficient depth to allow all dogs to comply with the swimming requirement, but, they faced the water, crossed it (on tippy toes), retrieved the game and then returned through the water. The second instance, the water level dropped overnight and again tall dogs were almost forging their way through the water and only had a short length of swimming depth water. Again, as long as the dogs willingly faced the water without hesitation, there was really no difference between them and the shorter dogs who swam.
Just getting away from that, but still on swimming legs:
I actually find it very annoying when a judge instructs competitors that a retrieve through a body of water will achieve higher points than that of a dog that skirts the water; then, the dog that takes the shortcut via the bank gets awarded higher scores, by that judge. That makes me fume.
Kerry
My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am.