BC Stock Dog Association

TSDA RULES

These rules are suggestions to the board of directors by the rules committee that met in Brownwood on June 13. They represent a considerable effort on the part of the committee and it is hoped will suit the board's wishes. The committee though that a useful format for the rules would be to print the ISDS Guidelines in the different phases of work above a list of suggested deductions. 1Ms would give handlers and judges a quick reference document that should be quite useful in a Trial situation. The committee felt that close adherence to ISDS Rules would be the best route to go on a set of workable rules. These guidelines (rules) should furnish some clarification to handlers and judges alike and should help to avoid liberal interpretations of an existing system that for the most part works.

ISDS GUIDELINES

The object of a Trial Course is to test the ability of a dog to manage sheep properly under the differing circumstances which may be encountered in everyday work. Hence the various tests such as Gathering, Driving, Shedding, Singling and Penning are all tasks which may be necessary as the shepherd goes his daily round. These. notes are prepared for the guidance of all who act as Judges at local National or International Trials. They are not designed as hard and fast rules which must be strictly obeyed on all occasions, but they are the considered opinion of a number of well-known handlers and Judges. The I.S.D.S. stands firmly for a common standard and this should and must be the constant aim of every Judge and every handler. In producing and issuing these notes the Society hopes that it will be able to guide Judges at Local Trials to adopt similar standards to those applicable to National and International Trials. It is, therefore, essential that we should have some sort of common standard on which to word and the aim of these notes is to achieve such a standard. In suggesting the need for a "Guide on Judging" the Society starts with the problem facing the Committees of the Many Local Trials in appointing suitable Judges. The number of experienced Judges available for these Trials is so restricted that many Trials depend upon accepting Judges with limited experience in this most important part of a Trial. The shortage of Judges is caused by the restricted number of experienced handlers who are prepared to share this work at, in most cases, a sacrifice of financial gain. The Council of the Society is satisfied that the whole future of Sheepdog Trials in this country is dependent upon Judges of experience and integrity who are prepared to study and understand the Society's "Rules for Trials" and then apply them impartially. We cannot emphasize too much this simple fact - All the information to cover almost every possible set of circumstances is in the Rules for Trials. With little guidance available on the principles of judging it is no t surprising that many Judges are influenced by the reputation of the dog and/or the handler, and in consequence the use of the discretion afforded to Judges by the Society's Rules in difficult cases is often impossible to exercise because they have no basic principles to guide them It must be acknowledged that it is not always an easy task to decide the merits of a run AS A WHOLE and Judges should always have a good look at the score sheet after the run has been completed and should then decide whether or not they have been too severe or too lax in any one aspect after marking. The following observations on the various parts of a Trial Course give the considered opinion of the Society and should always be followed by Judges at any Trial organized by or affiliated to the I.S.D.S.

OUTRUN

The dog must be positioned nearby the handler and may be sent out on either side. He should not be too straight or too wide and in going out the dog should not require nor should he receive any commands. The command by whistle is to be regarded as the same as a spoken command. If a dog crosses the Course, a minimum of 50% of the total points for the Outrun is to be deducted and, in addition points must be deducted for commands. The perfect outrun should be completed without any commands and Judges should deduct points for every command given and the loss of points will depend upon the Judge's views of the seriousness of the mistakes. The dog should not stop and should not cut in. It is obviously more serious if a dog stops on his Outrun than if he goes on after being re-directed, and Judges should mark accordingly. A good Outrun should be in the shape of one side of a pear and the blunt end of the pear at the far end of the field near the sheep. The dog should finish far enough away from the sheep so as not to disturb them Where the Outrun ends will vary with the actual position of the sheep. If the sheep have left their appointed place at the post the Outrun should end at the point where the dog is facing them in order to bring the sheep in a direct line to the first obstacle. In effect, this means that if the sheep have left the post, the dog is to finish his Outrun facing the heads of the sheep. This might necessitate the dog stopping on the side of his Outrun if the sheep happened to be coming to meet him, and conversely could mean him going a long way past the post if the sheep were going away from the post in the same direction he is running. If the sheep remain at the post, the Outrun will end when the dog is behind them and in line with his master. He must always finish racing them in order to be in a position to fetch them direct to the first obstacle.

MINIMUM DEDUCTION

1. Sending the dog before arriving at the post	1 pt.
2. Sending a dog that is set up at an inappropriate distance. EX. Very far from the handler.	1 pt.
3. Square corner at the bottom of the course.	1-3 pt.
4. Tight outrun.	1-5 pts.
5. Straight up the middle.	10 pt.
6. Straight up the middle and crashing sheep.	15 pt.
7. Redirect taken by a running dog.	1 pt.
8. Dog stopping on the outrun (on his own).	2 pt.
9. Dog that is stopped by command.	3 pt.
10. Dog that stops short. (plus redirects)	1-3 pt.
11. Dog that overruns. (plus redirects)	1-3 pt.
12. Dog that crosses course. (plus redirects)	10 pt.
13. Dog off course. (Judges discretion	D
14. Dog that goes to exhaust pen.	D
15. Calling the dog back to restart the outrun.	20 pt.

LIFT

At the end of the Outrun, whether the dog has come to a full stop or merely slowed down, his approach should be smooth, cautious and steady and the main feature of the "Lift" is an ability to take control in a firm and quiet manner without disturbing the sheep. He should not rush in and thus startle the sheep and he should not lie back and require numerous commands before getting his sheep on the move. Judges will deduct points for excessive commands, slowness, etc., at this phase of the Trial. Apart from these observations Judges must use their personal knowledge of sheep and sheepdogs to decide whether a lift has disturbed the sheep unduly and must mark accordingly.

MINIMUM DEDUCTIONS

1. Too slow or too fast.	1-5 pt.
2. Excessive commands.	1-3 pt.
3. Necessary grip.	1 pt.
4. Unnecessary grip	D

FETCH

The sheep should be brought at a steady pace and in a straight line from the place of lifting to the first obstacle, and thereafter in a straight line to the handler. The dog should not hurry or over-flank his sheep (this means that he should not go too far on either side thereby turning his sheep across the course and giving zig-zag movement). He should require few, if any, commands, and where the sheep are inclined to stray from the true line the dog's ability is judged by his control to them and his immediate answer to all commands. If the gates are missed or if the sheep are off line, the penalty must reflect all the circumstances, and in particular the amount of fault attributable to the dog and/or the handler. Both can be subject of penalties. If the sheep are docile and mistakes are made then the penalty should be more severe than where the sheep are awkward and thereby contribute to diversions which the dog is unable to avoid. If a gate is missed there should be a minimum deduction of half a point per sheep but Judges must take into consideration all the relevant circumstances contributing to the missing of the gate and adjust accordingly. The sheep should be passed behind the handler as close to the post as practical and the whole work should be done in a steady and smooth manner.
MINIMUM DEDUCTIONS

1. Following sheep (not Fetching)	1-2pts.
2. Dog too far from sheep	1 pt.
3. Too fast	1-5 pt.
4. Weaving	1 pt.
5. Off line	1-5 pt.
6. Missing fetch gate	per sheep 1 pt.
7. Wrong way around the post	2-5 pt.
8. Wide turn	1-3 pt.
9. Zig-Zag	(one half) % pt.
10. Necessary grip	1 pt.
11. Unnecessary grip 1 pt.	D
12. Excessive commanding	1 pt.
13. Too slow	1- 3 pt.
14. Off contact	1-3 pt.
15. Dog circling	3-5 pt.
16. Not going around the post	3-5 pt.

DRIVING

The "Drive" takes place in a triangular direction and can be run either from left to right or right to left according to the course and the decision of the Trials Committee. The first leg of the triangle starts immediately the sheep have passed behind the handler and the sheep are required to go in a straight line for 150 years (or 200 yards at the International) to the first set of gates. Having got the sheep through the gates they should be turned immediately on to a direct line across the course to the second set of gates. When through these gates they should then be turned as neatly as possible on to a straight line to the shedding ring. It is important that the last leg of the triangle should be in a straight line to the shedding ring which is usually situated to make this also the most direct line. The dog should show obvious ability to drive steadily without excessive commands. Reasonable turns at the post and at both gates are expected. Good handling in difficult situations will be taken into consideration by the Judge. As in the "Fetch" the gates are guides to the alignment of the sheep. Throughout the "Drive" the sheep should be kept pt moving gently-excessive bursts of speed and subsequent stopping is not desirable and should be penalized. If a gate is missed there should be a minimum deduction of half a point per sheep but Judges must take into consideration all the relevant circumstances contributing to the missing of a gate and adjust deductions accordingly. The handler must not leave the post until the sheep are actually in the shedding ring.

MINIMUM DEDUCTIONS

1. Sheep fanning out	1-3 pt.
2. Dog looking back (excessively)	(per time) 1 pt.
3. Dog following sheep (not driving)	1-2pt.
4. To slow	1-3 pt.
5. To fast	1-5 pt.
6. Off contact	1-3 pt.
7. Missing panel	(per head) 1 pt.
8. Back through the gate	(per head) 1pt.
9. Off line	(per time) 1 - 5 pt.
10. Excessive commands	1 pt.
11. Wide turn	1-3 pt.
12. No retry at panels if any break the plane
13. Handler leaving the post before all sheep are in the ring, or at the pen	3-5 pt.
14. Dog circling	3-5 pt.

SHEDDING

Shedding necessitates negotiation of the sheep within the ring by the handler and dog to the best position for effecting the deliberate shed by the dog of two specified sheep. Having got the sheep suitably positioned the dog should come in and take off the required sheep and once having taken them off he must have them under control before the "Shed" can be deemed satisfactory. The important aspect here is to test the dog's ability to shed or separate the two unmarked sheep from the rest of the flock. The god must be in full control of the two shed sheep, otherwise the "Shed" will not be deemed satisfactory and should be penalized. The ideal "Shed" occurs when the dog comes towards the handler when commanded by him; e.g., cuts off the sheep which are to be shed and holds them away from the rest. The "Shed" is complete when the dog has come in when commanded by the handler and is in control of his two sheep. It is not necessary for the dog to come right through to the handler. On completion of the "Shed" the handler should bring his sheep together in a practical and workman- like manner.

MINIMUM DEDUCTIONS

1. Missed opportunity	1 pt.
2. Dog not coming through when called (on additional tries one half the remaining points are deducted)	5 pt.
3. Sheep leaving the ring	1-3 pt.
4. Handler splitting the sheep	2-5 pt.
5. Dog taking shed and doesn't turn sheep	5 pt.
6. Man assisting dog on holding sheep	2-5 pt.
7. Handler bumping sheep	1-3 pt.
8. Dog turning the wrong way	1-3 pt.
9. Too much time	1 pt.
10. Dog crossing between sheep and handler	1-3 pt.

PENNING

There is no rule about bringing the two sheep to the remaining three or vice-versa. The "pen" will be 6- ft. x 9-ft. with a gate to which is secured a rope 6-ft. long. On completion of shedding, the handler must proceed to the "pen" leaving his dog to bring the sheep to the "pen". The handler is forbidden to assist the dog to drive the sheep to the pen. The handler will stand at the gate holding the rope and must not let go of the rope whilst the dog works the sheep into the pen. The handler will close the gate. After releasing the sheep the handler will close and fasten the gate and shall be penalized for failure to fasten the gate. All these points must be marked and each failure to pen shall be the subject of a penalty deduction.

MINIMUM DEDUCTIONS

1. Gate shall be closed when handler leaves field	1 pt.
2. Handler herding stock to the pen (or assisting)	1-3 pt.
3. Sheep breaking from pen mouth	1-5 pt.
4. Gate has to be closed to get any pen points
5. Sheep breaking past the pen or circling	1-5 pt.