# Becoming a judge - hunt tests or field trials



## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

All our clubs are lacking help in the judging area. Most of us are willing to throw a bird at a gunner station or marshal. But not all of us know how to become a judge. I know that we have judges in this forum. Would any like to post about becoming a field trial or hunt test judge?


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Hunt test judge: qualify a dog at the level you are judging, attend a Judges and Handlers Seminar, and apprentice with two judges at a hunt test. Then an approval or disapproval from the mentor judges. Then the AKC lists the judge.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

George, how do you find apprenticeship opportunities?


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Alaska7133 said:


> George, how do you find apprenticeship opportunities?


You need to approach another club and ask if the judges of their future hunt test would let you apprentice. You work together with the judges from beginning to end.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

The thread you started regarding the seminar is that the seminar you need to attend for judges and handlers?


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Yes it is. Many seminars are not close by. Or conflict with other activities.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Being in Alaska, we did have one last winter. The trainer went to Fairbanks also. They had a really big turnout. It was very interesting to hear how they score hunt tests and what to think about when setting up a test.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Handlers should know. The seminar is very informative.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

I've been waiting patiently for a seminar somewhere close to me for several years. So far the closest has been Tennessee. Nope.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

K9-Design said:


> I've been waiting patiently for a seminar somewhere close to me for several years. So far the closest has been Tennessee. Nope.


When I was initially looking I couldn't find one. Closest was like 300 miles.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Our club had an AKC seminar almost 6 years ago -- I remember this because I had just gotten Slater, he was a little baby then and he will be 6 in April. I've had clubs ask me to be a judge but for some reason nobody will pay to fly me out to Timbuktu for a seminar!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Maybe GRCA can offer one at national?


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

I should add that becoming a HT judge and becoming a qualified HT judge are two different things.

Ch. 1, Section 6 "Note* It is strongly recommended that only those judges with an extensive background in the hunting of waterfowl and/or upland game be invited to judge an AKC Retriever Hunting Test".


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Sometimes it doesn't always work out that way. Finding judges at all can be difficult. Try being up here. We use a lot of local judges. It's the same people year after year. They are tired. Then the judges are often running their own dogs I another test, so we sometimes have to wait while one judge is off at another test running a dog. But I can't remember ever seeing apprentice judges at a test. George, how does one apply to be an apprentice?


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

Everything gdg said.

I went to a seminar over 2 hours away then apprenticed many years ago. 
But the AKC never got my paperwork and I didn't follow up so my # expired. 

So, I just re-took the seminar on a hunting Saturday 1.5 hours away last fall. 
After the seminar, they hand you a piece of paper for apprentice judging. They're supposed to send you a judges number, then it's your responsibility to get an apprentice assignment like George described, by contacting clubs having tests and ask if you can apprentice at their next test at whatever stake / level. Maybe you can find judges you like or respect and would like to learn from and ask if you can apprentice with them, then ask the club if you can.
Then you get the judges to fill out your paper and sign their approval on you. 
Then you have to send it to the AKC - and I suppose I would also recommend making sure you follow up on them completing it and activating your number.


After a few more years of experience everything made so much more sense. Now I have to apprentice again if I want to get approved to judge. I never got any paperwork or number from the seminar I went to in the fall, so I guess I have to follow up on that if I don't want it to expire. Ugh. 

I agree strongly with what gdg said above about becoming a judge and becoming a qualified judge, however on the other hand, everyone has to start somewhere and you do learn a lot apprenticing and judging. I judged fun trials for our golden club twice and learned a lot. I also learned later things we did that there were different perspectives on .. oh well live and learn. If only perfect people judged there would be no judges. 

Sometimes when I hear people complaining and read all the internet "how would you judge this" that becomes a public debacle, I wonder why anyone wants to judge. There's so much complaining, self included, although if I'm going to complain about a judge, it's done verbally only to one or 2 people close to me, not to everyone sitting around a gallery (because I'm never sitting around in a gallery) or on the internet. Then I make a mental note not to run under them again and move on.

I'm also a CGC evaluator - every time I get my renewal I ask myself - why do I have to PAY to do volunteer work? Of course I do it for the dogs to keep them good family members working well in their settings to keep them out of shelters.

For anyone interested in becoming a judge, you can try to get a seminar in your area instead of waiting for one - try to organize it yourself or propose it to your club board 
AKC Seminars
There's a contact person for performance events - someone from one of our clubs did it last year to benefit the club and expand the local judge pool - I helped her advertise - I think you just need to come up with enough committed participants for the AKC to justify having someone come out and give it.


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Boomers dawn

Very well said. Organizing a seminar is good. However, I think there is a 25 person minimum for registration.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Dang I didn't know I was supposed to get a number last year when I attended a seminar! Ouch. So I guess I'll have to track down the information and hope I can still get my number.

Yes everyone does complain about judges if they aren't doing well. I do see some tests that seem a little difficult for junior dogs. One FT judge I ran into said they try to get every dog to pass junior easily so they will go on to higher levels. If they make it too hard at junior, then nobody does senior.

So if you want to apprentice, do you wait for the premium to come out and contact the club secretary and ask to apprentice?


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## gdgli (Aug 24, 2011)

Alaska7133 said:


> Dang I didn't know I was supposed to get a number last year when I attended a seminar! Ouch. So I guess I'll have to track down the information and hope I can still get my number.
> 
> Yes everyone does complain about judges if they aren't doing well. I do see some tests that seem a little difficult for junior dogs. One FT judge I ran into said they try to get every dog to pass junior easily so they will go on to higher levels. If they make it too hard at junior, then nobody does senior.
> 
> So if you want to apprentice, do you wait for the premium to come out and contact the club secretary and ask to apprentice?


Get in touch ahead of time. Don't wait.


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

Alaska7133 said:


> Dang I didn't know I was supposed to get a number last year when I attended a seminar! Ouch. So I guess I'll have to track down the information and hope I can still get my number.


THIS. 
I was thinking about this after I posted. 
The AKC doesn't make it easy at all. 

Why don't we get our numbers mailed to us after we take the seminar? Why do we have to remember to follow up and go after them? 

It's so opposite of easy to become a judge, you have to really want to do it so badly that your motivation and reasons are strong enough to make you follow up on everything that needs to be done from start to finish. 

No wonder the same people do it over and over and get tired.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

If you have already taken the Judges and Handlers Seminar once, You may want to consider taking the Advanced Seminar. It is only offered a couple of times each year. 

The first half day is in the classroom, the remaining day and a half are out in the field judging dogs and comparing notes. The AKC Reps design the tests and the host club provides the dogs and handlers. This seminar is well worth your time.


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## John G (Dec 27, 2008)

gdgli said:


> Boomers dawn
> 
> Very well said. Organizing a seminar is good. However, I think there is a 25 person minimum for registration.


 That number is what the AKC would like to see. I know this is hard to believe but, the AKC just really wants their money to cover most of the costs of sending the AKC rep. out for the seminar. 

We have had seminars with about a dozen attending.

John


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Alaska7133 said:


> Dang I didn't know I was supposed to get a number last year when I attended a seminar! Ouch. So I guess I'll have to track down the information and hope I can still get my number.
> 
> I did one several years ago and also did not get a number. Not that I really WANT a number, I took the seminar for my own edification. But it was a great two days and I would do another if one came up near enough.
> 
> They spent a lot of time on the apprentice process as I recall.


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## goldlover68 (Jun 17, 2013)

Seems like they could offer some of this initial seminars on line. that would make it much more viable for handlers and JIT (Judges in Training) to get started....

More trained handlers would help the overall process in many ways...


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## goodog (May 6, 2013)

We are attending an AKC hunt test judges day. They invited handlers to get the skinny on what judges want to see. Sounds worth it. 

Its being held by Del Bay Retriever Club-sponsors are Labs of NA. '
Rebel Ridge-Elkton MD on Feb 21. Registration closes Feb 9


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