Share Your Covid Stories!

This season has been one for the history books. As Covid restrictions gradually ease (and we prepare for a possible second wave), the next issue of Shepherd Sports will focus on how GSSCC members — and dogs — have coped with the pandemic. What have you been doing to keep yourself and your dog(s) sharp and ready to go when things return to normal?

• How has the cancellation of events affected you and your dog(s)?
• Has joining online seminars and watching training videos helped?
• Are you a healthcare professional, a first responder or someone else who has been working on the frontlines while trying to continue training?
• Are you a parent who has been coping with schooling your kids and training your dog(s)?
• Are you a club member who has pitched in to help clubmates weather the storm?
• What did your club do to stay active and connected?
• Did your club host a trial? Do you have tips to help others ensure that trials run smoothly in the time of Covid?

Tell us about your experiences. The highs and lows. The funny and not-so-funny. What worked. What went wrong.

Share your stories, both personal and club-related, with your Schutzhund friends. And of course, photos are welcome. This issue will be online only, so images don’t need to be super high-res — but higher-res is always better.

Deadline is October 26*. Email your stories and photos to shepsports.editor@rogers.com.

* For clubs planning trials after Oct. 26, this deadline is flexible. Just email shepsports.editor@rogers.com to let me know whether to expect a report from you.

Great success for the non-FCI affiliated WUSV clubs: The Düsseldorf Court of Appeals confirmed in its final judgment of 7 September 2020 that VDH is in breach of competition law. VDH must not order SV to exclude non-FCI affiliated WUSV members from obtaining SV judges for national and international events. Such order restricts competition and is void. Also, the underlying provisions of the FCI and VDH regulations are null and void. VDH revoked the unlawful order immediately and in total after the judgement was issued.  For more details click here 

The GSSCC will update you on the next steps that will be taken. 

Darin M. Clarke

President, GSSCC

Welcome to our latest member club: Inferno Canine. Located in Calgary, Alberta, a great addition to our Prairies Region, now counting 9 GSSCC local clubs!

Following SV standards and organization, the GSSCC has just appointed its first ever Breed Warden and Breed Committee to assist in the development of the German Shepherd Breed within the GSSCC. The breed Committee consists of:

Breed Warden – Hank Bowden
Show Coordinator- Jurgen Fischer
Head Judge- Andrea Duggan
Breed Survey Advisor- Sandy McAllister
GSSCC Director – Peter Haslett

Congratulations and thank you for volunteering your time to the German Shepherd Dog.

Great news from the IT committee!  The new GSSCC website is now live! This website has a mobile-friendly user interface for better display on smartphones and tablets. Pages navigation and content have been revised to provide quick access to the most visited sections. It also provides enhanced security and storage back ups.

Thanks to Brian Asmussen / Asmussen Photography for providing us with outstanding photos for our website.

The committee is making excellent progress on GSSCC 360 and it will be live soon as well.

Date: Effective August 3, 2020

Purpose: Create healthy and safe trial environment during COVID restrictions.

Object: Provide a detailed plan with responsibilities for all GSSCC members to follow.

Restrictions: Government in the Province/Region where the trial will be held must allow outside gatherings of at least 50 people and allow low/minimum contact sports. If restrictions oppose this, then no trial will be allowed.

Overview:
People must follow the social distance (2 metres) or wear a mask/face shield
When reporting in and out maintain the 2 metre distance
Articles are not handed over to the judge or track layer
Handlers can use their own dumbbell(s)
Handler will not turn over the stick to the judge
Handler can wear a glove when they receive the stick from the helper and either give it back to the helper or lay it on the ground after they report out
Handler MUST wash their hands after every critique and before trialing in each phase

Committee/Club Responsibilities:
Ensure no more than the maximum number of people allowed by the province are in attendance including all officials, handlers etc..
The club must ensure everyone follows the social distance rule and/or wear a proper mask and/or face shield
They will not sell food or drinks
They must have washroom facilities where social distancing can be adhered to
They must have hand cleaning stations and ample hand sanitizer at the tracking field and field for obedience and protection
They must have a supply of proper masks and/or face shields for all volunteers working the trial.
Ensure the trial manager receives dumbbells from the handler and that the handler has their name on them.

Judge Responsibilities:
It is up to the judge if they want to attend the trial (i.e. flying, staying at a hotel etc..)
Must follow local government restrictions if in place (i.e. 14-day quarantine)
Must follow the social distance rule or wear a mask/or face shield
Will not require the handler to report in or out within 2 metres
Will not take the stick from the handler to give to the helper, the handler will either give it back to the helper or lay it on the ground after reporting out
Will not take the found articles from the handler, will just observe them
When completing the trial summary sheet wear a mask and/or face shield

Trial Manager Responsibilities:
Must follow the social distance rule or wear a mask and/or face shield
Ensure the committee responsibilities as previously detailed are met
When giving the trial paperwork to the judge and when completing the trial summary sheet, wear a mask and/or face shield
Will receive the handler's dumbbells and ensure they are properly marked with the handler's name OR
If a handler does NOT have their own dumbbell the club must ensure the dumbbells are properly cleaned/ disinfected after each use.

Handler Responsibilities:
Must follow the social distance rule or wear a mask and/or face shield
Must wear a mask and/or face shield when within 2 metres of the helper, such as picking up the dog at the helper, disarming the helper, side transport, etc..
A mask or face shield would NOT be required for exercises where no one is within 2 metres of the handler, example such as the blind search
Must wash hands before reporting in and after the critique.
Before the trial begins if the handler has their own dumbbells (all levels) they can use them. Ensure they are marked with the handler's name and given to the trial manager. If they do not have their own dumbbells the club must provide disinfected dumbbells.

Helper Responsibilities:
Will bring their own water or if its provided by the club the outside of the bottles will be disinfected
Can wear a mask and/or face shield if they wish but not mandatory
No spitting anywhere
Can wear a glove as per trial rules

Special restrictions for each phase
Tracking:
Everyone must maintain a distance of 2 metres from each other or wear a mask and/or face shield (when measuring tracking lines, when temperament tests are being done etc..
Tracklayer will scent articles as per rules but wash their hands and sanitize after laying the tracks
The handler will keep the articles after the track and just show them to the judge
The handler will place the found articles in a bag separate from other equipment and then wash/sterilize their hands

Obedience:
The handler can use their own dumbbells
Everyone must maintain a distance of 2 metres from each other or wear a mask and/or face shield (when temperament tests are being done etc...)
The handler will report in and out no closer than 2 metres from the judge
The group must maintain a distance of 2 metres from each other or all wear a mask and/or face shield

Protection:
The handler will report in and out no closer than 2 metres from the judge
When the handler picks up the dog from the helper and completes the exercise disarming the helper and side transport they will wear a mask and/or face shield
A mask or face shield would not be required for exercises where no one is within 2 metres of the handler, such as the blind search
The handler can wear a glove when they receive the stick from the helper and either give it back to the helper or lay it on the ground after they report out
The helper can wear a glove as per trial rules

Closing Ceremonies:
All awards must be disinfected and placed on an awards table prior to ceremony and handler will approach individually to receive any award. Everyone must maintain a distance of 2 metres from each other or wear a mask and/or face shield.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!

Affected clubs of the WUSV have secured an important legal success in litigation against the VDH (the representative for Germany in the FCI).  The Dortmund District Court has granted a preliminary injunction to prohibit the VDH from sanctioning or threatening to sanction the SV, directly or indirectly for releasing their judges. The court ordered that the VDH may not exclude or threaten to exclude WUSV members not affiliated with FCI from obtaining SV judges for national and international events.

 VDH - FCI are accused of abusing their dominant position in the relevant market by threatening sanctions against organizations and judges to prevent them from participating in events organized by non - FCI affiliated WUSV clubs. The injunctive proceedings serve the purpose of enabling us to hold our events with SV judges immediately.

 This matter will also be referred for action to the European Commission for a review of FCI - VDH abuse of its regulatory powers.  It is another essential step to set a permanent lawful foundation for the operation of the cynological market.  

All clubs that wish to engage SV judges should now submit their requests through standard procedures.

Darin M. Clarke

President, GSSCC.

Minutes of the meeting of the 2019 WUSV General Annual Assembly

The GSSCC Board of Directors has unanimously approved the following reciprocal helper agreement between the GSSCC and the UScA.

Helper reciprocal agreement between USCA and GSSCC.

(1)  All helper's must comply with the hosting club's( USCA or GSSCC) organizational Helper regulations and policies.

(2) Helpers wishing to do helper work in a Reciprocating organization's trial must have:

CLUB TRIALS

1. Letter or email from the their Helper Committee Chairman stating the current classification of the helper and that the helper is in good standing. This must be turned into the hosting organization's Helper Committee Chairman a minimum 14 days before the event they want to work.
2. For club level events: the helper must be classified to work front and back half of club level trials in their member organization.

CHAMPIONSHIPS

1. Letter from the their Helper Committee Chairman stating the current classification of the helper and that the helper is in good standing. This must be turned into the hosting organization's Helper Committee Chairman a minimum 60 days before the  event (for Regional Championships) or deadline of selection submission (National Championships).
2. Helper must submit copies of their entire helper book to hosting club's organization's Helper Committee Chairman a minimum 60 days before the  event (Regional Championships) or deadline of selection submission (National Championships).
3. For helpers wishing to work a Championship event, the helper must submit a video of a trial that they have worked within one year of the submission . This must be done a minimum of 60 days before the event (Regional Championships) or deadline of selection submission (National Championships). The video must be submitted to the hosting organization's Helper Committee Chairman. All helpers must meet the minimum practical requirements and ability of the hosting club's Helper Program in order to be approved to work a Championship event.

To the GSSCC membership:

A lot has been going around about recognized titles.
Please note - The GSSCC recognizes titles from all WUSV countries/organizations and also FCI judges from WUSV/SV affiliate countries. DVG titles earned in Germany under a DVG German judge are the only DVG titles and judges recognized by the WUSV/SV. Therefore, that is what the GSSCC recognizes. No DVG judge or title outside of Germany has or will be recognized by the GSSCC.

If you have an FCI title from a non-recognized WUSV country then you must get a new title under a recognized judge for a breed survey.
If anyone has any questions please contact me directly.

Yours in the sport

Andrea Duggan
GSSCC Head Judge.

Attention GSSCC members- Important information from the SV regarding SV Breed Surveys and dogs being sent to Germany for training and titling.

New requirements  to obtain an SV Breed Survey:

1)  The Character Judgement (Wesensbeurteilung -- also referred to as ZAP Part 1) is for dogs 8 to 13 months of age.  This is now a MUST for dogs born as of July 1, 2017.

2)  The ZAP (Zuchtanlagenprüfung -- also referred to as ZAP Part 2), i.e. Breed Characteristics Examination will be for dogs (born after July 1, 2017) over 18 months of age.  The trial regulations for this are still being worked on, and this will be finalized and presented at the SV official meeting in May 2018.

Certifications for evaluators for the Character Judgement and the ZAP are done by the SV Executive.

The SV indicates that they are still at the very beginning of this project, there are still details to be worked out, especially with regards to the effect of these requirements on foreign countries.  They are requesting our patience as they work things out.  They currently can't provide us with all the regulations yet and details are not yet available in English.  As far as having evaluators tested and certified in other countries, this is something that is being worked out together with WUSV member clubs. The GSSCC Board of Directors will be discussing what if anything the GSSCC will put in place for this. As more details become available, the SV indicate that information will be posted on the WUSV website.

SUMMARY - to obtain an SV Breed Survey:  (as of May 2018, when the ZAP trial rules become official)

1. a)  the dog must have proof of a Character Judgement (for dogs born after July 1, 2017)
2. b)  the dog must have proof of a ZAP (for dogs born after July 1, 2017)   OR proof of IP01 under an SV judge with a minimum 80 in protection  OR proof of an HGH (herding) title under an SV Herding Judge  OR  proof of an RH2 (rescue dog) title.
3. c)  the dog must have proof of an AD title under an SV judge (not required for HGH titled dogs)
4. d)  "a" stamp or appropriate hip certification
5. e)  ED elbow certification (for dogs born after January 1, 2004)
6. f)  the dog must have proof of a minimum "Good" show rating under an SV judge

To GSSCC members. The GSSCC Board of Directors asked our insurance provider  BLF Canada four questions in writing (in black). The four questions were answered from BLF Canada exactly as typed below (in red):

 (1) GSSCC members that do not belong to local club (which they are not required to be) are they covered under our insurance while they are training at various locations? If not, what needs to be done for them to be covered?  

~ Yes they are covered since GSSCC do not required that members be part of a club

 (2) Are GSSCC club members covered under our insurance when they are training outside of their club grounds? (i.e. at indoor facilities or a soccer field).   If not, what needs to be done for them to be covered?  

~Yes they are covered

 (3) Are minors of GSSCC members in a GSSCC club covered under our insurance if something happens at the club? 

~There is no age limit under the policy as long as it follow GSSCC regulation.

 (4) Are our GSSCC judges covered by our insurance when they are judging out of the country? (i.e United States).

~ If they are doing the activities on behalf of GSSCC they are covered