GSDL-WDG Rules 2014

Issue 2, 2014, 13th March

Preliminary Notes:

i. The ‘German Shepherd Dog League – Working Dog Group' shall be referred to as the ‘GSDL-WDG'.
ii. The ‘GSDL-WDG National Executive Committee' will be referred to as ‘the GSDL-WDG Committee'.

  1. Mission Statement and Declaration

A1.The GSDL-WDG's principle aim is the training and testing of German Shepherd Dogs to the requirements of the WUSV breed standard. It is a primary goal of the GSDL-WDG to promote healthy German Shepherd Dogs with correct working temperaments. Another aim is the promotion of IPO / schutzhund dog sport in Great Britain; therefore other breeds are also invited to attain qualifications and compete in relevant competitions.

A2.Although the GSDL-WDG is self-governing and free to form its own rules and regulations, no rule or regulation should contradict or compromise the Rules and Regulations of the German Shepherd Dog League of Great Britain.

  1. General
  2. It is the primary objective of the GSDL-WDG to ensure that training, events and competition are conducted with the maximum safety to all persons concerned. Failure to comply with any of the safety rules may result in immediate suspension pending disciplinary action. (See disciplinary code)

B2.GSDL-WDG Branch Clubs are free to form their own constitution and rules, however no item or rule should contradict or compromise the Rules of the German Shepherd Dog League of Great Britain or the Rules of the GSDL-WDG. Failure to comply may result in immediate suspension pending disciplinary action. (See disciplinary code)

B3.The Committee of the GSDL-WDG shall be made up of 9 people to be elected annually on a rotational basis at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the GSDL-WDG (See section D).

B4.The GSDL-WDG AGM will be held during the month of February each year and any agenda items must be received at least 21 days before the AGM date by the General Secretary and the agenda issued to each of the affiliated GSDL-WDG Branch Club secretaries and posted on the GSDL-WDG website at least 14 days before the AGM date. All agenda items must be detailed, proposed and seconded by current GSDL-WDG members.

B5.Only GSDL-WDG members with a full membership (see section C4), who are fully paid up by the 31st of December will be entitled to vote on matters presented at the AGM.

  1. Membership
  2. Application for and renewal of membership to the GSDL-WDG will be in ALL cases through an affiliated GSDL-WDG Branch Club, with the appropriate completed application form and payments forwarded to the GSDL-WDG Membership Secretary.

C2.New members must obtain final approval of membership from two members of the GSDL-WDG Committee.

C3.Memberships may be refused when the GSDL-WDG Committee feel that membership of an individual may not be in the best interests of the GSDL-WDG.

C4.There are four (4) types of membership available.

  • Single membership entitling the member to vote at the annual meeting.
  • Family membership entitling one of the members to vote at the annual meeting (up to four family members with the children's maximum age 18), the person casting the vote must be at least 16.
  • Joint membership entitling two votes at the annual meeting.
  • Single OAP membership entitling the member to vote at the annual meeting

C5.Membership subscription shall be as follows:

  • Single membership - £45
  • Joint membership - £56
  • Family membership - £60
  • OAP membership - £40
  • Associate membership
  1. Associate membership of the GSDL-WDG is only available for fully paid up members of the GSDL.
  2. Associate members may obtain GSDL-WDG performance record books and may enter GSDL-WDG trials to obtain AD and/or BH titles.
  3. Associate members may obtain GSDL-WDG performance record books and may enter GSDL-WDG trials to obtain AD and/or BH
  4. Associate members do not have the right to vote at the annual general meeting
  5. Associate members can upgrade to full GSDL-WDG membership by following the procedure outlined in rule C1 to rule C4
  6. Associate membership subscription shall be - £15
  1. GSDL-WDG Committee

D1.The GSDL-WDG Committee shall manage the day to day affairs of the GSDL-WDG, and shall comprise of nine GSDL-WDG members and be voted for on a rotation basis (three members stepping down each year and offering themselves for re-election if they so wish).

  • A maximum of 2 members from any one club can be on the National Committee at the same time.
  1. Voting for the GSDL-WDG Committee shall take place at the Annual General Meeting of the GSDL-WDG.
  2. On completion of voting the following Officers shall be appointed from within and by the elected GSDL-WDG Committee:
  • Chairman
  • Vice Chairman
  • General Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Membership Secretary

D4.The GSDL-WDG Committee shall have the right to appoint non executive members to fulfil specific roles on an as and when required basis.

D5.The GSDL-WDG Committee will meet at least twice a year at properly convened meetings with a detailed agenda for which items will need to be received by the General Secretary at least 14 days prior to the agreed meeting dates. Extraordinary Committee Meetings will be held when considered necessary by a majority of Committee members.

D6.Anyone seeking election for a vacant position on the GSDL-WDG Committee must have been a GSDL-WDG member for three years consecutively and be proposed and seconded by current GSDL-WDG members.

D7.Voting for the vacant GSDL-WDG Committee positions will be by secret ballot.

  • Members may vote for between one (1) and up to and including the number of vacant committee positions (usually 3).

D8.The duties of the GSDL-WDG Committee shall be to manage the GSDL-WDG's affairs at GSDL-WDG and Club level properly and diligently. Without prejudice to these duties, they should be mindful of the following:

  • The property of the GSDL-WDG shall be vested in the Executive Committee and property at Branch Club level shall be vested in the Club Committee.
  • The GSDL-WDG Committee may appoint such of its members as it from time to time thinks fit to constitute a Sub-Committee(s) or Working Party(s) to exercise such of the powers of the GSDL-WDG Committee may decide.
  • The GSDL-WDG Committee in respect of National events and the Branch Club Committee in respect of Branch Club events shall decide upon the value and nature of prizes to be offered at competitions or club events and may make regulations for their conduct according to any applicable WUSV or GSDL regulation.
  • The GSDL-WDG Committee shall prepare and/or review at regular intervals of not more than twelve months, a list of persons who are official representatives of the GSDL-WDG Committee, Club Committees, Sub-Committees and also approved Judges, Helpers and Tracklayers.
  • The GSDL-WDG Committee will allocate an agreed sum of money to the organising Clubs of the National, International, and WUSV / FCI qualification events. Any shortfall/profit made by the organising Branch Club shall be borne by that Club.
  1. GSDL-WDG Branch Club Affiliation
  2. New Branch Club Affiliation Proposals

E1(a)If four or more individuals wish to form a GSDL-WDG Branch Club, they must seek approval from the GSDL-WDG Committee. Initial application shall be in writing using the appropriate club affiliation form to the GSDL-WDG General Secretary, in order that it may be included on the next GSDL-WDG Committee meeting agenda. The application MUST include:

  • The proposed name of the club.
  • The details of the officers (chairman, secretary, treasurer and club trainer)
    NOTE: The proposed club trainer should be sufficiently experienced in the training of at least two disciplines within IPO / Schutzhund.
  • The location of the training ground, training times and any equipment.
  • Give an undertaking to abide by the Rules of the GSDL-WDG, GSDL, as well as Kennel Club regulations.
  • Provide contact details (i.e. Telephone number, address and e-mail address)

E1(b)Upon approval by the GSDL-WDG Committee, the new Club will be subject to a six month probationary period. The Affiliation Fee must be paid immediately, together with the Affiliation application form. Following a 12 month period the club shall be reviewed to assess its growth and its general performance.

E1(c)Upon approval by the GSDL-WDG Committee, the new Club must complete the required Kennel Club Branch Club registration form. The form shall be supplied by and must be returned to the GSDL-WDG General Secretary who shall forward it to the Kennel Club for approval.

E1(d)During the probationary period the Branch Club will be visited by a GSDL-WDG judge or apprentice judge / committee member, and a report submitted to the GSDL-WDG Committee from which the decision will be made regarding final acceptance of the Branch Club. The visiting judge / apprentice judge / committee member shall

claim reasonable expenses from the club for the visit.

E1(e)New clubs will not be permitted to hold trials during their probationary period.

E1(f)The first trial that the new Branch Club holds MUST be judged by a GSDL-WDG judge.

E2.GSDL-WDG Branch Club Affiliation – General

E2(a)It is strongly recommended that each GSDL-WDG Branch Club should hold at least one event / trial per annum with a GSDL-WDG judge.

E2(b)Renewal of Affiliation is on an annual basis. The Affiliation application and required fees MUST be tendered by 31st December of each year. The amount of the affiliation fee to be decided at the previous AGM.

  1. Training

F1.Each GSDL-WDG Branch Club shall appoint at least one Club Trainer to be responsible for the training activities conducted by that GSDL-WDG Branch Club. Each individual GSDL-WDG Branch Club may determine how to make such appointment. Final approval will be a matter for the GSDL-WDG Committee and they may require any person to satisfy them that he/she is sufficiently responsible to oversee protection training.

F2.Before dogs are allowed to participate or train in any aspect of the Sport, they must be of good physical fitness and free from infectious diseases. Dogs must be approved by the relevant Club Trainer as being suitable for the sport.

F3.Only fully paid-up GSDL-WDG Members are entitled to train their dog(s) at GSDL-WDG Branch Clubs.

F4.It is ultimately the responsibility of the handler to ensure that the dog remains fit, healthy and free from any ailments or infectious diseases.

F5.It is recommended that all dogs have the hips and elbows X-rayed and scored by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) or WUSV Member equivalent.

F6.All members must agree as a condition of membership to comply with the directives of the relevant Club Trainer during the training of protection work. It is the responsibility of the Club Trainers to ensure that all participants' working dogs show a suitable commitment to all three phases of the sport.

F7.Protection training should only be carried out on private property where the general public can reasonably be denied access.

F8.It is the responsibility of the officers of the GSDL-WDG Branch Club and, in particular, the trainers and helpers of the GSDL-WDG Branch Club, to ensure that the correct equipment is used and that protective clothing, where applicable, is worn throughout training. This will specifically include suitable protection for Helpers training the protection phase of IPO / Schutzhund as well as use of the competition type sleeve fitted with a bite-bar

  1. Judges

G1.Applicants to become GSDL-WDG Apprentice Judges must meet the following qualifying criteria :

  • A minimum of three years consecutive membership of the GSDL-WDG.
  • Shall have trained and qualified one dog from BH to schutzhund 3 / IPO3 and another dog from BH to Schutzhund 1/ IPO1

G2.If the Apprentice Judge application is accepted by the GSDL-WDG Committee, the Apprentice Judge will be required to carry out the following:

  • A minimum of five (5) apprenticeships under the supervision of SV recognized GSDL-WDG judges or SV recognized foreign judges
  • A minimum of three (3) apprenticeships under the supervision of foreign judges from any internationally recognised association.
  • No more than two (2) apprenticeships with the same judge shall count towards the total.
  • Apprenticeships must be carried out with at least five (5) different judges.
  • A minimum of fifty (50) IPO dogs shall be judged. BH or single phase entries do not count towards this total.
  • Final apprenticeship must be with an approved WUSV Teaching Judge with that judge confirming to the GSDL-WDG Committee the suitability or otherwise of that Apprentice Judge

G3.Maintenance of Judging practice is paramount and any judge not officiating at a trial for two calendar years shall be required to carry out a further apprenticeship with an approved WUSV teaching judge (with the report submitted to the GSDL-WDG Committee) in order to maintain active status on the Judges list.

G4.Non renewal of membership to the GSDL-WDG will preclude entry on the active Judges list.

G5.Maintenance of the active Judges list will be by the Events Co-ordinator who will inform the Webmaster for inclusion onto the GSDL-WDG website.

G6.It is recommended that the GSDL-WDG Judges and Apprentice Judges set up a Judges Panel to meet annually in order to discuss rule changes etc. to be passed down to the membership. A Chairperson to be appointed annually.

  1. Helpers and Tracklayers

H1.Qualification as a helper is possible at the following events

  • The annual helper licensing event
  • Any major trial (i.e. qualifier / nationals), in this case prior arrangements must be made with the trial secretary and the Events co-ordinator or Helper co-ordinator in good time
  • A license can be given for 'short work only' or for both 'long' and 'short' work (full license)
    In both cases the applicant must:
  • Be at least 16 years of age
  • Work with minimum two dogs (can be provided by the applicants own club), one of which must be capable of a IPO3 round
  • Complete a simple fitness test and answer questions on the helper rules
  • Prove membership of the GSDL-WDG
  • The minimum assessors to be in both cases:
  • Two fully qualified Judges (GSDL-WDG)

H2.Maintenance of the helper licence.

All helpers must attend the helper licensing event at least every 3 years to maintain their licence.
In the interim period the helper license will be maintained as follows:
During a trial the judge will evaluate performance by a pre agreed method and submit the report to the Events Co-ordinator or Helper co-ordinator where subject to satisfactory performance licensing will be upheld. If the evaluation is less than satisfactory the helper will be asked to attend the next licensing event where he will be reassessed, in the meantime the helper will be suspended from the helper list.

H3.'A' grade helpers

Helpers who wish to be considered for selection for the Nationals or the following years WUSV / FCI qualification trials, must attend the annual helper licensing event.

To be considered for the following seasons major trials helpers must:

  • Attend the licensing event and work dogs they do not train on a regular basis
  • Complete a fitness test and answer questions on the helper rules
  • Show proof of working at least 10 dogs at club trials

H4.Inclusion on the 'A' grade helper list will be for one (1) year only, as it is important that these helpers are both fit, capable and wanting to participate in the major trials of the coming season.

H5.'A' grade helpers can be licensed for 'short work only' or for both 'long' and 'short' work (full license).

H6.The helpers for the Nationals and the following seasons WUSV / FCI qualifiers will be picked at the annual licensing by the assessors. At the licensing event the assessors will publicly announce the helpers to be used at the National and the specific events for the forthcoming year bearing in mind fairness by rotation (if more than the required amount are licensed consideration to the number of previous events will be considered and logistically according to the cost/whereabouts of the proceeding years trials.)

H7.Helpers must be at least 18 years of age in order to participate in a major trial.

H8.The GSDL-WDG committee will have the final decision in the case of any necessary changes to the helpers picked for the major events.

H9.All helpers who wish to participate in the training and/or licensing must bring with them at least one dog which can be used.

H10.The National Committee should appoint an individual member who with details on the website and through notification by the General Secretary will be the contact point for clubs requiring helper training assistance on an ad lib basis (Comment that person should have sufficient background in the sport to be able to request help from the more experienced helpers some who may not be licensed grade A) The appointed person will also be responsible for the record keeping of helpers and the organising of the licensing and other training events.