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JUDGE’S CRITIQUE FOR THE 62^ND MKA OBEDIENCE TRIALS HELD AT THE SUMMIT SUBANG JAYA ON SUNDAY, 9 DECEMBER 2007

I would like to thank the Malaysian Kennel Association for inviting me to judge at the MKA 62^nd Obedience Trials. The venue was great. It was airconditioned and comfortable, and the good spectator turnout would have done the sport a world of good.

My thanks go to the Caller Stewards, Elvin Tan, Yap Hon Choong and Surenthiran, who helped to make my job all that much easier. The MKA support staff did a good job in posting up the results as soon as I had totalled them. We owe it to the participants to announce the detailed results in a timely manner.

I was most impressed by the standard of the Pre-Novice Class. It has definitely gone up since the last time I judged in Malaysia two years ago. Obviously this has come about due to more competition. Hopefully, this will translate to more entries in the higher classes in time to come. However, I have noticed that the execution of the figure-of-eight is particularly weak in this class. When training, emphasis must be placed on this as weaknesses in heeling, viz. lagging and crowding, become very obvious when negotiating the figure-of-eight.

To the winners of the day, I say syabas; to those who did not do so well, I say try again. The important thing, though, is not to be arrogant winners or disheartened losers. As the saying goes, every dog has its day.

The following is a transcript of the notes I made on that day: