Judging and Scoring
Who are the Judges?
Your submission will be judged either by Deb Jones herself or by a trainer she has personally trained. If there are any questions about exercises Deb will review your submission as necessary.
How Submissions are Judged
In order to earn a passing score overall and earn a certificate, the team must successfully complete 7 of the 10 exercises. Individual exercises are evaluated on a pass/not yet basis only.
We strongly encourage you to submit as many exercises as possible, but you must submit at least 7 to earn a passing score. We will give you feedback on how to improve any “not yet” exercises.
In addition to meeting the criteria described and demonstrated, the dog must appear comfortable throughout the entire process. Dogs who exhibit clear and obvious signs of resistance or stress will not pass. Handlers may use very light forms of restraint only and must allow dogs to move away if they show resistance or stress.
Skipping Exercises
Because a demonstration of only 7 of the exercises is necessary to earn the certificate, it is fine to skip those exercises you do not feel your dog is ready to perform. Please note on your submission form any exercises you have chosen to skip.
Non-Passing Submissions
If your submission does not pass you must submit a new complete application and video along with another judging fee. You cannot simply submit the missed exercises. If an exercise is judged as “not yet” you will be given feedback on the reason for that decision. Please take this feedback seriously and make changes in future submissions. We really want you to pass!
Reasons for Earning a “Not Yet”:
If your dog seems highly uncomfortable with the exercise you will not pass at this time. Please continue to work with your dog to increase his comfort level and then submit again!
We cannot see the entire exercise from setup to finish. If you edit out parts, or if you cut too much off the beginning or end, then we cannot pass that exercise.
We cannot see enough of you and your dog to fairly judge the exercise. Be sure you are taping in landscape mode. Also be sure there is enough light in the room. If we can’t see it, we can’t pass it!
You did not hold the exercise for the required amount of time. It’s always safer to add an extra second or so to the timed exercises.
You did not complete the exercise as written and demonstrated in the videos. Now is NOT the time to be creative! Follow our instructions exactly.
The dog does not have the ability to move away or leave at any time. Your dog must be freely choosing to cooperate and engage in the exercises with you.
How Long Will it Take My Submission to be Judged?
Most submissions should be judged within a week, but please allow up to two. We expect a fairly quick turnaround time.