It's probibly a moot point but I guess I don't understand the reason for the specific requirements if you were to allow BIS at trials. I mean, if a male can smell a BIS from a mile down the road, what will keeping panties on her while running do besides make the humans feel better and also adding risk of injury? And I get the point of the matt but what if dogs scoot off the mat? Ya, I'm sure having a mat would make a start line stay easier, but most dogs get excited and readjust, so now they are sitting on the ground. Do they get an E now just because they didn't hold their stay on a mat? All these regulations seem to be about the human conceptions of BIS not for the dogs. It seems like either allow it or don't allow it. I can just see puppies in panties becoming just another thing for people to freak about too. "Well my dog has never seen a border collie in yellow flowered underwear before, he is just freaked out! Panties should only be neutral collars from now on! Panties must match the color pattern and flow of the dog!"
And this is how the great underwear revolution starts.
Best response yet!
And to be 100% honest you’re correct.
All the rules that would be put in place are purely for the sake of the handlers and what they believe will help, regardless of the fact that you could wrap the entire dog in Saran Wrap and duct tape and it wouldn’t make a bit of difference in regards to a dogs sense of smell and sensitivity to those odors.
While we’re on the honesty train I’ll also throw in that I do believe a dog can be worked through the distraction. Do I believe that the majority of handlers will be able to do that with their dogs? Absolutely not.
It’s the same as saying that anyone can solve a rubix cube in under 5 minutes, it’s absolutely possible and just a matter of time and practice.
Does that mean anyone here is going to spend the time and effort to learn how to do it?
Some will, most won’t.
And for better or worse the majority rules.
If the stigma around the issue changes I could see our stance changing on it as well, but at this point I don’t feel comfortable causing a upset over an issue that the majority of competitors don’t support, as evidenced by the voting.
So for the Pro-BIS people I understand your issues and I agree to a certain extent.
But as a business I can’t change something that the majority does not want.
And the changes that do happen even when the majority doesn’t agree are usually on bigger issues that pose a larger problem with the sport.
If we start allowing BIS we’re going to lose much more then we’ll gain.
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