NASS rule change. Thoughts? - Page 1

Thoughts/opinions?

Ok then. 65 views and nobody has any thoughts. I would hope then there's no bitching afterward. Best of luck everybody!

Maybe everyone looked to see your thoughts on the topic since you started it

So what are your thoughts on the topic 

I don't have a comment because i don't know what they're trying to tell me :)  I won't be there anyway.

Seems odd to change something right now that couldn't have been handled last year or the year before, or next year whenever the comittee meets

What they've done is simply adopt the same rule as UScA in relation to hips/elbows. Personally I believe a dog with "a3" hips or elbows should not qualify for VA.

I thought they explained it in the notice, ie confusing and doesn't reflect the intent of the committee.  What more do you need/want to know?

As far as extending the entry deadline, everyone does that now.  The first deadline seems to be there so that it can be ignored. 

The thoughts will be a mixed bag. So many angles to approach it with. First reaction is going to be; Figures, another last minute rule change. I wonder which board member it will benefit this year. Seen as a continuation of a very unpopular rule change last year as entries were closing.

I'll have to give the WDA some credit. This is the first evidence they may be listening to their membership or the Community. The changes this year were absolutely a problem. Poorly written resulting in moving some of the working class from V even VA to the SG rating overnight.

Fortunately the rule was changed while the entries are still open. Nobody should have a complaint,,well, except for the fact that the WDA claims to be WUSV affiliated yet they still regard their position in the community as if they only have a responsibility to respond to members. Their breed show rules still require WDA membership. That went away and the 'members only' attitude went away when they signed on using the WUSV affiliation agreement. It's a double edged sword. You get to play in the other's sandbox and the others play in your sandbox too. This announcement should not have gone out in the restricted access Hundegram, it should have been distributed to both WUSV clubs and the GSD Community through every available communication. PDB and facebook are great communication tools. Why did Panzer's dad have to post it? Where's the responsible WDA?

The rule had problems to begin with. It required dogs have 'a' or 'a'2 certified hips and elbows to get a V or VA rating. (Sorry folks, there's no such thing as an 'a' rating) According to the rules as published, any dog that had 'a'1 or 'a'3 hips or elbows were automatically competing for an SG rating if,,,they passed the bitework. Your V and VA group would have consisted of the one or two dogs fortunate enough to be according to some, mildly dysplastic. How's the rule looking now and who wrote this stuff?

So the WDA corrected it without the membership vote or ratification BS they seem to hide behind when it's convenient. They had a problem and fixed it before it became a real big problem. Kudos and it's refreshing to see some common sense applied. 

I'm sure some are out there of the opinion the rule simply excluded 'a'3 dogs from going VA. Even though that's not what was published in black and white, fuzzy math gets you there. That's what they meant. If that was the case, there are probably a few entries that would have liked to have known that before a rule change rendered their quest for the IPO2 or IPO3 unnecessary. Sucks to be at the end of a 3 year 15,000 plan only to find out they changed the rules and you wasted a lot of time and effort.

Many may differ on their thoughts, some may/may not agree. If an organization wants people to come back. Here's a tip. Don't screw with the rules last minute and make good rules you implement with enough advance notice to the community where adjustments can be made before resources are expended. Enough participants have been literally screwed over the years at this event when the rules were correct that the WDA should be very careful to ensure their rules are correct and interpreted consistently.

Randy, I believe it was a typo and was meant to be a1 and a2

 "It required dogs have 'a' or 'a'2 certified hips and elbows to get a V or VA rating."

The rule change was decided and it took 2 days for the official word, IMO the organization is very slow to get the word out, so getting to "proper channels" would have taken a few more days, most likely past the closing of entries. Who knows, maybe they have already started this process...