# AKC trial with injured dog



## Britta-S (Dec 11, 2019)

Hello everyone!

We're hoping that one of you can answer a question in regards to AKC obedience and Rally trials we have coming up. 
This would be our first time showing and thus we are pretty nervous (probably more me than her to be honest). Unfortunately, Bri (my dog) got attacked by another dog last week and now has staples in her hind leg and chest. It's healing really well and she is doing okay with other dogs around her etc. So I had decided to go for the trials anyways.
Yesterday one of the people at my dog club I really look up to (let's hope she is not reading this, that would be embarrassing  ) and put a lot of weight on her opinion, told me that the judge will not let us run with my dog still having staples. I searched online and the only thing I found was for conformation. Does anyone know if that's the case for obedience and rally as well?

I could try and get the staples removed a day before the trials, but I don't want to risk it breaking open again either. Vet said 8-10 days and we would miss the minimum by 1 day already (not to talk about the one staple that popped out and needed to get redone 2 days in).
And an FYI, she is an American Staffordshire Terrier, short haired and black, so no chance of hiding anything... (oh, yes, the other dog didn't get a scratch, go figure...)

Thanks everyone!


----------



## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

They are correct. You cannot exhibit a dog in _any _AKC sport if it has stitches, staples, or bandaging. I think that is pretty standard across _every _organization.

From the Obedience regulations updated to 9-4-19:

Chapter 1, section 17, about a third of the way down page 17
No dog will be eligible to compete in an obedience trial if it is taped, stitched or
bandaged in any way or if it has anything attached to it for medical or
corrective purposes. Such a dog must be immediately excused and may
not be judged under any circumstances.

From the Rally regulations updated to 2-1-19:

Chapter 1, section 17, about halfway down page 14
No dog will be eligible to compete in a rally trial if it is taped, stitched or bandaged
in any way or if it has anything attached to it for medical or corrective
purposes. Such a dog must be immediately excused and may not be
judged under any circumstances.

If the entries aren't closed yet, you can contact the trial secretary or superintendent and request to withdraw. If entries are closed, then it's best to just resign yourself to losing your entry fees. Waiting until her staples are out, and there is some really good healing going on before entering another trial would be a good idea.


Do you have copies of the current rule books? If not, you can download them for free from the AKC website.

This is the Obedience rule book http://images.akc.org/pdf/rulebooks/RO2999.pdf
This is the Rally rule book http://images.akc.org/pdf/AKC1193_ROR001_1217_WEB.pdf


----------



## Britta-S (Dec 11, 2019)

Thank you so much!

No, I don't have the rule books but now, thanks to you, I do 
Yes, it's probably better for us in general to wait and let it heal out. I think I'm just so anxious to get our first show done and over with after we worked so hard for it. Oh well, the work is not lost.

The entries were closed 2 weeks ago already before all this happened, but the money is really not my worry. 

Once again, thank you!


----------



## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

You're welcome. I know a lot of very experienced competitors, and they frequently refer back to the rule book before a trial, especially if they are doing a new class.


----------

