# Questions for/on the BH



## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

There have been several nice videos posted of BH routines. Thanks to those people who have been willing to share!

I have some technical questions.....

When do you look to the judge before preceeding? 
Example, you do your sit on the fieldwork side (the short leg) of the heeling routine. Do you look to the judge before going on?
Sit in motion... do you look to the judge before returning to your dog?
Down in motion.... do you look to the judge before recalling?

Praise
When can you praise?
One example at the set-up for heeling; can I walk up, praise/pet dog, then take postion, then look to judge. 

In motions
Does it matter if you go back to the start point for the down in motion, or just proceed from the sit position and continue out?
If your dog does not halt, should you re-command?
If your dog halts, but not in the correct position (ie down when you said sit) should you just leave that, as you will be able to get the recall.

Long Down
What should you do if your dog breaks? I assume if he breaks but stays in position, nothing. But if he breaks and leaves I can't imaging it would be a good idea to wait on the judge to signal you.

Anything else? I know I likely have more questions. It has been a long time since I have done a BH, and I don't think I knew all of this then.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Usually I ask the judge what they prefer (if they don't just tell you). Some judges don't care or won't really acknowledge you, in those cases I wait 3 seconds before proceeding. Other judges want you to acknowledge them and will give a cue (nod of the head or wave of the hand).

You can praise between exercises, so after you have done an exercise but before you've got back into the basic position for the next exercise.

I believe for WDA you have to go back to the start. I did not on my BH because I was taught that if there is room, you don't have to go back. The judge halted me and had me come back (no points lost, we just started over). From then on I just see what other people are doing, plus gauge if there is room to do the recall beyond the sit.

If I said sit and the dog kept heeling, I'd say it again and take the hit for two commands but then if the dog sits, at least we've done the exercise. If I say sit and the dog downs or vice versa, I just leave it be, because you've already taken a hit for not going the exercise correctly. If you look at the dog and give a different command, now you're getting more points off for the handler help.

For the long down I think the judge will tell you what to do. I guess if my dog broke the position I'd give another command. If the dog leaves the spot or keeps breaking the position I think the judge usually instructs you go to back and stand with the dog.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

When do you look to the judge before preceeding? 
As a general rule, you can't look to the judge too often for the most part. Always look to the judge before you begin each exercise. The judge will signal you to begin. Also while not required it is customary to look to the judge at every halt in the heeling pattern, both on the short leg and the sit in the group, before proceeding and most people do that. Also look to the judge within exercises for the signal to return, down the dog from basic for the long down, recall, etc...


Example, you do your sit on the fieldwork side (the short leg) of the heeling routine. Do you look to the judge before going on?
You don't have to, but most people do and it is definitely a good idea to do so.

Sit in motion... do you look to the judge before returning to your dog?
Yes, you always wait for the judge to signal you to return.

Down in motion.... do you look to the judge before recalling?
Yes, again always wait for the judge's signal.

Praise
When can you praise?
One example at the set-up for heeling; can I walk up, praise/pet dog, then take postion, then look to judge. 
Per the rules, you can praise "in the basic position" in between exercises. Most people will take basic after an exercise to conclude that exercise (all ob exercises begin and end with basic position), then praise the dog, then take basic again for the start of the next exercise. Provided the dog remains in control and approximately in position you can in most cases also get in some praise during the off the clock heeling from one exercise to the next. Especially in a BH.


In motions
Does it matter if you go back to the start point for the down in motion, or just proceed from the sit position and continue out?
Doesn't matter. You can do either. Though some fields are too short to allow for that and you'd have to go back to the original starting position in order to have enough room to go out the required distance for the recall. I once saw a judge require everyone to go back to the original start position in a trial, even though the field was long enough that they didn't have to, and suppose others might do it too. But most of the time if the field is long enough you can do either, at least at club trials. At higher level events though they always go back to the original start from what I've seen. 


If your dog does not halt, should you re-command?
Yes, give another command. You'll lose points, but a lot fewer points with a second command that if the entire exercise is blown by the dog failing to halt. Also if the exercise has another component, like down with recall, you'd lose even more points for being unable to perform the rest of the exercise, recall and finish, because the dog didn't halt. Give the second command and if the dog halts you can salvage some points from the exercise. Don't give it and you lose them all.

If your dog halts, but not in the correct position (ie down when you said sit) should you just leave that, as you will be able to get the recall.
Yes. If the dog halts, even if in the wrong position, leave it as is and finish the rest of the exercise. If the dog doesn't halt, give a second command to get the dog to halt so you can finish the exercise.

Long Down
What should you do if your dog breaks? I assume if he breaks but stays in position, nothing. But if he breaks and leaves I can't imaging it would be a good idea to wait on the judge to signal you.
If the dog just moves slightly or sits or stands up, but stays in the location, don't do anything. Just keep an eye out. If the dog really breaks and heads for the field or the crowd, don't wait for the judge just bellow your down command to get the dog to stop, or call the dog to you and grab the collar. This is way too much of a safety concern to wait for the judge to notice and give instructions. Do what you must do right away to prevent any possible incidents or your dog seriously interferring with the dog on the field working.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Thanks for this thread! One other question that I didn't see addressed in the rule book
When you finish the off-leash heeling exercise and then go to the long down, you are supposed to put the dog on leash to go to the long down position, right?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Jane, I'm pretty sure after the dog does the finish following the recall, you attach the leash, heel to the long down position, stop so dog sits in basic, and then wait for the judge to signal for you to remove the leash. Then you remove it, tell the dog to platz, and walk over to the blind.


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## schh3fh2 (Oct 12, 2011)

Chris Wild said:


> Praise
> When can you praise?
> One example at the set-up for heeling; can I walk up, praise/pet dog, then take postion, then look to judge.
> Per the rules, you can praise "in the basic position" in between exercises. Most people will take basic after an exercise to conclude that exercise (all ob exercises begin and end with basic position), then praise the dog, then take basic again for the start of the next exercise. Provided the dog remains in control and approximately in position you can in most cases also get in some praise during the off the clock heeling from one exercise to the next. Especially in a BH.




Yes you can probably get away with it in the BH, however it is against the rules. 
Light praise in the basic postion is allowable.
No motivation between exercises. (which praise may be seen as)


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## schh3fh2 (Oct 12, 2011)

Liesje said:


> Jane, I'm pretty sure after the dog does the finish following the recall, you attach the leash, heel to the long down position, stop so dog sits in basic, and then wait for the judge to signal for you to remove the leash. Then you remove it, tell the dog to platz, and walk over to the blind.


Correct...but no blind unless the field has permanent blinds.


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

You all are great! Thank you!


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