News From Dogs Australia

We are pleased to advise the approval of the 2026 National Show application received from the Dachshund Club of Victoria Inc via Dogs Victoria to be held on 5 to 7 November 2026 at the Bulla Exhibition Centre, 5 Uniting Lane, Bulla, Victoria.

Dogs Australia have updated the official Dogs Australia judges contract form with the inclusion of a section for the judge to confirm if they require the use of a ramp.

The official judges contract form is available from the Dogs Victoria website HERE

We remind all affiliates when sending your judges contract form to the Dogs Victoria office, you will need to use the current form ONLY and we require all three pages.

Dogs Australia have updated the overseas judges application form with the following inclusions: 

Additional fields relating to the name of the judge.

Additional fields where the judge confirms their Kennel club membership ID # and FCI Judge ID #

Additional field to confirm the event affiliate name the judge has been invited to judge at.

Additional field to confirm if the judge requires an interpreter.

Additional fields under ‘Office Use’ for Sub-contract, Transfer and Replacement

The updated overseas judges contract form is available from the Dogs Victoria website https://dogsvictoria.org.au/forms/judges-forms-contracts/

Dogs Victoria reminds all affiliates that when sending your overseas judges application to the Dogs Victoria office, you will need to use the current form ONLY and we require all seven pages.

Please note the following further amendment to the Rules for the Conduct of Retrieving Trials for Gundogs is required in accordance with the National Retrieving & Field Trial Committee August 2023 meeting minutes dealt with at the October 2023 Board meeting.

 Current Rule 7 reads:

7. The Shooting, Game Laws and Firearms Legislation of each State or Territory must be observed and will govern the conduct of all Trials in conjunction with the Rules and Regulations of each State or Territory Member Body as approved by the ANKC Ltd.

 Amend to read:

7. Retrieving Trials will be conducted and facilitated in accordance with:

(a) The Rules and Regulations of each State or Territory Body as approved by the ANKC Ltd, and

(b) The relevant Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Welfare, Firearms, Game and any other applicable legislation, of each State or Territory.

This amendment is effective from 1 January 2024.

The updated rules are available from our website at: https://dogsaustralia.org.au/members/rule-regulations/rules/

Please find the Summary of the October 2023 Annual General meeting and Board meeting here.

In accordance with Items 5.14 and 5.15 of the confirmed October 2023 Board meeting minutes the Rules for the Conduct of Obedience Trials have been amended as follows:

Page 3 Fouling

Present Rule:

A dog which fouls at any time while it is under the control of the Judge must be disqualified

Change to:

A dog which fouls at any time while it is under the control of the Judge must be disqualified and removed from the ring immediately. 

AND

Page 4 Disqualification

Present rule:

No points awarded. The dog is disqualified from all Trial Competition on the day and the Judge must provide a written report to the Member Body within 14 days – the only exception being in the instances where the disqualification was incurred for continual barking, a correction penalty, fouling the ring or for handlers bringing training aids into the ring.

Change to:

No points awarded. The dog is disqualified from all Trial Competition on the day and the Judge must provide a written report to the Member Body within 14 days. The only exception being In instances where the disqualification was incurred for continual barking, a correction penalty, fouling the ring or for handlers bringing training aids into the ring, handlers will only be disqualified from that class and no report is required.

These amendments are effective from 1 January 2024.

The updated rules can be viewed from our website at:  https://dogsaustralia.org.au/members/rule-regulations/rules/ and marked ‘(October 2023 amendments effective 1 January 2024)’

In accordance with Item 5.21 of the confirmed October 2023 Board meeting minutes the Rules for the Conduct of Retrieving Trials for Gundogs have been amended as follows:

8 (k) Game – Definition of - Quail, Duck, Pigeon, Partridge, Grouse, Ptarmigan, Pheasant, Rabbit and Hare, inclusive of domesticated or replica variants of the above species.

This amendment is effective 1 January 2024.

Please note the updated rules are available from our website at: https://dogsaustralia.org.au/members/rule-regulations/rules/

As a result of the July 2023 National Retrieving & Field Trial Committee meeting minutes being endorsed at the October 2023 Board meeting the following rules and regulations have been updated in accordance with these minutes and are now available from our website at:  https://dogsaustralia.org.au/members/rule-regulations/rules/

Rules for the Conduct of Retrieving Ability Tests for Gundogs

Rules for the Conduct of Field Trials for Utility Gundogs

Rules for the Conduct of Field Trials for All Pointing Breeds of Gundogs

Rules for the Conduct of Field Trials for Pointer & Setters

 Regulations Part 3I – Retrieving Ability Test for Gundogs Judges Training Scheme: https://dogsaustralia.org.au/members/rule-regulations/regulations/

The above documents have been marked as effective 1 January 2024 with the existing rules to be removed in the New Year.

In accordance with the endorsed March 2023 National Obedience & Tracking Committee meeting minutes (refer Electronic Motion #208) the following rules which are effective from 1 January 2024 are now available from our website at: https://dogsaustralia.org.au/members/rule-regulations/rules/

• Rules for the conduct of Tracking Trials
• Rules and Guidelines for the conduct of Track and Search Dog Trials

At the February 2023 Special Board meeting the President confirmed he would arrange for another survey to be conducted for the Labrador.  This survey was released last month by Vero Voting and closed for voting on 13 October 2023.  As a result of this vote, Regulations Part 6 – The Register & Registration Clause 8.12.2 will remain unchanged.

Please click here to see the Dogs Australia Press Release for the results of the Minimum Breeding Age for Labrador Retriever bitches.