Water Dog & Water Rescue Dog Regulation Updates - 2008
Starting with the 2009 water test season the WRDX level of water work will again be considered a separate test. It will have a separate application form, separate fee and separate judging panel. It may be held on the same day as a WD/WRD test but will be handled as a separate test. This is to allow clubs to have someone judge their WRDX test but also enter the WD/WRD test. Some clubs have had trouble finding judges for their WRDX test because local people want to enter the WD/WRD test and it is costly to fly in two judging panels. We hope this alleviates some of these problems for clubs wanting to hold WRDX tests.
Partner level water test judges who have put a WRDX title on a dog will now be allowed to judge WRDX. By training for WRDX and putting the title on a dog these judges have acquired sufficient knowledge of the rules to judge the WRDX level.
Requalifications of NCA titles will now be designated by a number following the title. Hopefully this will encourage people to continue entering their dogs in tests and not stop working them just because they have earned their title. This will also help to keep track of requalifications toward the Working Achievement Award. For example, a dog that has earned their DD title and has requalified twice will be designated as DD2.
At the 7/19/08 board teleconference the board voted to allow people applying to become observer judges to have either two WRD titles or one WRD title and one WRDX title as long as the title were put on two different dogs.
Addendum to the NCA Working Test Rules: Handling of Entries, Alternates and Refunds Effective: October 1, 2008
Accepting Entries: Test premiums will list an opening and closing date for entries. The opening date is the earliest date an entry can be sent as indicated by the postmark of the entry; the closing date is the last day an entry can be received by the test secretary and is unrelated to the postmark. The test will not close officially until the published closing date, even if the entries exceed the limit before the closing date. This overrides section 12 of the current water and draft test rules.
No dog will be allowed to enter more than one division in a test or on the same day, with the exception of post entries.
Do not assign final entries until the closing date. This will accommodate entries that arrive on different dates but that have identical postmarks. Open all envelopes before assigning entries, because some envelopes may contain more than one entry and some may be entering only one day of a two-day test weekend.
When the test closes, if the entries exceed the maximum limit, follow the procedure listed below. If a lottery is required as specified below, a separate lottery MUST be held for each of the two days of a two-day test weekend. (Note: An efficient and unbiased way to do a lottery is to number each entry and put the corresponding numbers on small, individual pieces of paper. Randomly select the papers to determine the status of each entry.) There must always be at least two people present to witness the lottery, at least one of which is not entered in the test.
Assigning Entries: 1. Assign a spot in the test to each entry postmarked with the first allowed entry date; assign a spot in the test to each entry postmarked with the second allowed entry date; continue as above until all spots in the test are full.
2. If at any time there are more entries with identical postmarks than spots available in the test, conduct a lottery to determine which entries are accepted into the test. Those not assigned spots become alternates.
Example 1: If the entries received with the first allowed postmark exceed the test limit on the closing date, conduct a lottery with all of the entries with that postmark. Those not chosen become alternates. Continue to do a lottery for each postmarked date to determine the order of the alternate list.
Example 2: There are openings in the test for entries postmarked with the first and second allowed date. Five entries are postmarked with the third allowed date and there are two openings left. Conduct a lottery with those five entries—two will be entered in the test and three will become alternates as will any entries with later postmarks.
Example 3: If the limit is 25, and there are 30 entries with the first postmark, the first 25 randomly selected in the lottery will be assigned spots in the test and the remaining entries will be pulled as first alternate, second alternate, third alternate, etc. Assign other entries with later postmarks as alternates in the same way doing a lottery for each postmarked date.
3. Add requalification entries to the alternate list after all untitled dogs on the list. Requalification entries should be added by postmark and by lottery, as necessary.
Withdrawing Entries and Refunds: To withdraw an entry, the entrant must notify the test secretary by telephone, email, or U.S. mail. The secretary must confirm receipt of such notifications. The entrant will receive a full refund of the entry fee if the notification is received prior to the closing date for entries. After the closing date has passed, no refunds will be given, even if an alternate was tested in their place, with the exception of alternates that did not get into the test. In addition, an entrant with one dog in the test and another on the alternate list may not substitute one dog for the other. If the entrant must pull the entered dog, then the first dog on the alternate list will fill the opening.
Alternates and Refunds: If an entrant submits an entry to a draft or water test but is not assigned a place in the test, the test secretary must notify the entrant immediately after the closing date and give the entrant the option to be placed on the alternate list. If the entrant prefers not to be on the alternate list, he or she will receive a full refund. If the entrant choses to stay on the alternate list and pulls their entry at a later date they will not receive a refund.
Once the closing date listed in the premium has passed, if an entrant notifies the secretary that they are withdrawing their entry or have passed at a previous test, all entrants on the alternate list must be notified that their ranks have changed. If a space does not become available for an alternate on or before the day of the test, the alternate will receive a full refund.
Example: If a test limit is 25 dogs and 25 dogs are tested, but none of the five dogs that were on an alternate list were tested, the five alternates would receive refunds after the test. If 20 original dogs and three alternates were tested, but two alternates did not attend the test, the handlers of those two alternates would not receive refunds because had they attended, they would have been tested.
If an entrant has been assigned a spot in the test but their dog passes at a previous test, the handler must notify the test secretary by 6 pm the night before the test as to whether they will move their entry to another division (i.e., WD to WRD or WRD to WRDX), withdraw from the test, or requalify in the same division if the test is not full. If the test is full they have the option of being moved to the end of the alternate list to requalify. This overrides Section 4,4.B, of the current water test rules.
