Hi, ive been wondering what all of the rules are around using a toy in the ring. Can someone give a recap, or point me in the right direction?
Heidi in NH
A quick recap:
1)Toys can only be brought onto the course for Intro and Novice.
2) It is considered training, so you'll get an E and your 60 seconds of training time.
3) You need to declare it at the beginning of the run. So you can't have a toy in your pocket, and then when things go haywire in the middle of the run decide to pull out your toy.
4) Common sense and respect for other dogs is paramount. Toys should be kept within a reasonable distance of the handler and dog. Best example is that if you bring in a frisbee, you shouldn't be throwing it the entire length of the ring. Same if you have a ball, you shouldn't be throwing it towards the start line where another dog could be lining up to run.
5) All normal safety rules apply, and the judge has final say. So if you're throwing a toy while your dog is still on the contact, and they jump off the middle of the dog walk because of it, the judge isn't going to feel comfortable letting that happen again and will ask you to leave the ring for that run.