Box Loader tips

• Stand upright, with your hands behind your back. Only voice encouragement is allowed.

• Use a positive, high-pitched voice to encourage the dog.  A deep or gruff voice can sound like a reprimand without you realising it. If you can, call in the same way as each handler calls their own dog.

• Wait until the dog is properly on its way back (at the first jump) before moving or bending to get the next ball, or some dogs will return to the box for another ball.

• Get to know the dogs on your team (talk to the handlers). Some dogs need you to really encourage them down, others need you to be silent after they have the ball etc. Get to know which side each dog has the ball in the 2-holed box. Just as the race is about to start, call out the name of the start dog to get their attention on the box.

• After the four dogs have run, be ready with another ball in case a dog has to rerun. It is sometimes difficult from the box to know if a dog needs to rerun, so stay alert.

• You don't have to lift the box into place on your own - organise someone to help you put the box in before a race, and to move it out at the end if you need help. We only have a short amount of time before and after each race to do this. 

• Do not move from your position until the judge has awarded the race.

• If the box malfunctions, DO NOT TOUCH IT. Signal to the team and the judge, perhaps by standing in front of the box. The judge will come and check the box to decide whether a 'malfunction' call is to be made and the race rerun.

• If a ball is dropped in front of the box, and you are SURE you have time to get it and get back behind the box before the next dog reaches the box, you are allowed to pick it up. If your are in any doubt, leave it until the race is finished. The team can be penalised if you interfere with their run, and dogs should have been trained to ignore balls dropped in the lane.

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