Letter to AKC Judges Regarding Conducting Oral Exams

The following letter has been sent to AKC conformation judges regarding conducting oral exams.

Dear AKC Judge,

Please be reminded, as included in its April 2015 communication to all judges, the Judging Operations Department strongly advises that all judges should ask the exhibitor to show the bite/open the mouth when conducting oral exams.

This is being sent to you for the safety and welfare of our dogs in consideration of the fact that reports of cases of Canine Influenza have resurfaced in recent weeks. This recommendation is consistent with information included in The Rules, Policies and Guidelines for Conformation Dog Show Judges under Evaluating a Dog’s Mouth (page 14), “Many exhibitors prefer to open their dog’s mouth themselves for examination. It is recommended that all judges ask the exhibitor to display the bite/teeth/open the mouth as appropriate for that breed. However, you have the authority to personally open the dog’s mouth.”

We do encourage judges as a general practice to ask exhibitors to display the oral exam. In addition to sanitary reasons; the exhibitor is familiar with the dog resulting in a more efficient and pleasant experience. If necessary, as the judge you do have the authority to personally open the dog’s mouth.

If it does become necessary or you elect to conduct the oral exam yourself, we do advise that you sanitize your hands after examining each dog. This applies to breeds where the “thumb exam” is the proper procedure, as there is no option other than the judge personally conducting the thumb exam.

Please do not hesitate to contact Judging Operations or speak with the Executive Field Representative in attendance with any questions you may have. If you have not done so already, we encourage you to read the recent article posted on the AKC Conformation Judges Blog titled “Preventing the Spread of Disease at AKC Events” by Dr. Jerry Klein, AKC Chief Veterinary Officer.

Thank you in advance for you cooperation on this matter.

Sincerely,

Tim Thomas
Director, Dog Show Judges
919-816-3639

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=125782

Posted by chesliepickett on May 25 2017. Filed under Breaking News, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.