Practical J-Regs: Vocal on the Line — When Does Whining or Barking Get You Eliminated?

In this article from our Practical J-Regs series, we examine a behaviour that often causes anxiety for handlers — a dog whining or barking while waiting its turn.

When does vocalising become an eliminating fault under Kennel Club field trial rules? Can a handler recover the situation? Let’s look at a real-world scenario.

🐕 Scenario: A Dog Whines During the Drive

You’re judging an Open Retriever Field Trial. A long drive is underway with multiple dogs sitting off-lead behind the line. Dog 9 begins to whine intermittently — not continuously, but clearly audible.

Later, it barks once during a flush. The handler quietly tries to settle the dog, which remains otherwise steady and later retrieves cleanly.

🧑‍⚖️ Step-by-Step: How the J Regs Apply

📌 1. What Does the Rulebook Say?

J(B)5 – Eliminating Faults: “Whining or barking” is listed clearly among the eliminating faults in field trials.

This includes:

Vocalising on the line
During a drive
While awaiting instruction

J(A)4.g: “Judges must eliminate dogs for eliminating faults at the time of the fault occurring.”

✅ In this scenario, Dog 9 must be eliminated, regardless of the quality of its later retrieve.

📌 2. Does It Matter If the Handler Tries to Quiet the Dog?

The rules do not offer exceptions for handlers trying to settle the dog.

Judges may note the attempt as good handling, but it doesn’t change the fact that the fault occurred. The integrity of the line and impact on game and other dogs takes priority.

📌 3. Is One Bark or Whine Enough?

This is where judge discretion comes in — but only slightly.

If the vocalisation is momentary, barely audible, and does not disturb the line or the game, a judge may choose to mark the dog down rather than eliminate.

However:

Repeated whining
Loud barking
Disruption to other dogs

…are all grounds for immediate elimination.

In our scenario (intermittent whining, audible, followed by a bark), the dog has crossed the line.

📝 Judges’ Book Example

"Vocal during drive — intermittent whining, single bark — eliminated under J(B)5"

🧠 Tip: If more than one judge hears the dog vocalising, the decision is clearer and more defensible.

🧑‍🏫 Handler Takeaway

Whining or barking usually stems from:

Overexcitement
Lack of experience in group settings
Inadequate steadiness training

You can reduce the risk by:

Training your dog to sit calmly with distractions
Including other dogs during training
Using longer “honour” setups to build patience

⚠️ Vocalisation is one of the few faults that can eliminate a dog before it's even run a retrieve.

🧾 Summary Table

Situation	Outcome
Dog whines/barks on line or during drive	❌ Eliminated (J(B)5)
Dog is momentarily vocal but quiets quickly and no disturbance caused	⚠️ Judge may mark down (rarely)
Dog vocalises during retrieve	❌ Eliminated (regardless of result)
Dog fidgets but remains silent	✅ Not a fault (may be marked down for control)