# honor question



## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

There is no rule specifically prohibiting it so long as the dog can see the marks from that position.
Unconventional but not expressly illegal.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

and hopefully it will not be necessary....but I could see that if the dog were really pumped up, it might be just the thing.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Well the problem with assuming it's legal and relying on it is, you may show up at a test where if the dog lays down he would not see the marks well and thus have an unfair advantage (i.e. higher cover) or a judge may specifically not allow it.
I have seen people do it, too, usually a last ditch effort!


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

The dog can't lay down in the WCX (if you were wondering...). They must sit or stand.

With Ruby, I only ever send her from my left side, so for the honor I have her sit on my right.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

This is an area where it's best to ask the judges before putting the dog in the down position. The honor dog must be positioned by its' handler so it can see all the marks go down. Handlers should never assume that every single mark thrown will be identical for every dog because they won't be. 

Where test mechanics are concerned, Hunt Tests differ from Field Trials in that each dog doesn't have to see exactly the same mark, a similar mark is often close enough. One dog may see a high arcing throw, the next dog may see a flat throw. 

If the dog is positioned in such a way that the judges aren't sure the honor dog in fact had the opportunity to see the marks, a whole messy can of worms is opened.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

I wanted to say thanks for the question and the 'honor on the right side' response. Both of these are great for assisting in making very clear cue discriminations! I'll be implementing one/both for sure.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Yes, I really like the "honor on the right side". What a great idea!


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

Since I sometimes run my dog off my right to deal with a terrain factor, or switch sides as a signal to leave it on a poison bird, another way to send the "you are honouring" signal is a different body position. I stand with my knees facing the dog's shoulder, and my arms crossed. So for them the message from that stance is "these birds are not yours."

As for lying down, a friend has a dog who would just lie down on his own once the marks went down. He just had an attitude that it was time to relax since they weren't his birds!


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## PaulKartes (Jul 7, 2009)

A thing I do to help with honors is I take the last bird informally from the dog. Meaning not requiring them to come into heel and deliver the bird. This is the cue to the dog that their work is done. When I get to the honor they know their work is done and know they are just watching the other dog.


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