YES! Kennel Club obedience regulations call for heeling in a “… natural manner whilst maintaining its natural topline. Its head position shall in no way compromise its topline or impair the natural movement of the dog. At no time should the dog impede the handler’s movement.” So, why is crowding and unnatural movement rewarded? Both dogs are very exceptionally well trained to do as they are asked and both handlers are clearly superb at giving performances that win. But the performances are contrary to the regulations and, with that unnatural head carriage, causing unnecessary repetitive stress injuries to the dogs’ spines. It’s easy to fault the judges for rewarding incorrect performances but it’s the handlers who present the extreme, improper performance to the judge. So who is responsible for breaking the cycle? It’s also not lost on me that the dog with the more natural head carriage is still working at age ten. What these owners have accomplished is admirable but should the Kennel Club have an obedience class or obedience exercise called “Extreme Heeling”? Because what’s in the Winners Circle is not heeling as defined by the regulations. (Not at all to insinuate that the Kennel Club is the only entity to be dealing with this issue!)

An idea about scent discrimination… is covering the dog’s nose with the cloth not unnecessarily flooding him with scent such that it’s the only thing he can smell? I wonder if the dog who had his nose enveloped by the cloth took more time to be certain of the correct cloth only because he needed a little time to clear his nose. He obviously knew exactly what he was doing.