Aggression By The Book: 20 Questions

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242 – July, 2023

By Caroline Coile

Few situations at an AKC event are more unfortunate and frightening than dog aggression. It’s actually impressive that so few incidents occur. When they do, even judges, but especially event committees and owners, can be unprepared about what the rules say must happen. How prepared are you?

1. Your dog starts acting aggressively toward other dogs while you’re standing ringside. The judge is looking. Can the judge excuse your dog based on that? What if your dog was lunging at people, not dogs?

The judge can only excuse or DQ based upon what happens inside the ring. However, the event committee can and should be notified as ringside behavior is their responsibility. Especially if your dog attacks a person, the situation should not go unreported and you will be held accountable.

2. Your dog is attacked by another dog while in the ring. Your dog is even bleeding. The judge saw it happen, but is doing nothing. Should the judge excuse it or DQ the offender?

It’s at the judge’s discretion whether or not to excuse the attacking dog. The judge cannot DQ a dog for attacking another dog. But the Event Committee can. You or the judge can and should call for the Event Committee and advise them of what has happened. It is then their responsibility to act. “Any dog, that in the opinion of the Event Committee attacks a person or dog at an AKC event resulting in an injury and is believed by that Event Committee to present a hazard to persons or other dogs, shall be disqualified by the Event Committee pursuant to this section…”

3. A small child is showing an unruly giant dog and is barely controlling it. Several people are concerned that should a ruckus break out in the ring, the child coudn’t hold on to the dog. Should the judge excuse it?

Click here to read the complete article
242 – July, 2023

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