The Kennel Club has announced changes and launched a new Code of Best Practice for the Judges Development Programme (JDP).
The changes and new code come as a result of work carried out by the Kennel Club Training Board, which has been reviewing the way in which the programme has been run with JDP organisers over the past two years.
Previously, the JDP programme has featured a breed seminar in the morning with the assessment on that breed in the afternoon. Individual eligible candidates will now be responsible for taking control of their education in order to gain a deeper understanding of the breed(s) that they are interested in and then present themselves for an assessment at a JDP when they believe they are ready.
Under the new Code of Best Practice, JDP organisers may run a JDP breed assessment in the morning and, if they wish, a breed seminar on a different breed in the afternoon as part of the education of all judges.
These changes and the new Code of Best Practice will become mandatory from 1stJanuary 2018, with a transitional phase in the meantime.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “The Kennel Club recognises that breed societies have an important part to play in the education of judges, and are encouraged to work with JDP organisers to deliver education for all judges interested in the breed.
“By separating the breed seminars and the assessment, it is very much hoped that seminars will become opportunities for relaxed learning without the added pressure of having to take an assessment. We hope that higher standards of education and judging will be created as a result of information being absorbed over a longer period of time.
“Equally, there will now be an onus on the aspiring judge to educate themselves about the breed in the months leading up to the assessment – this could take the form of seminars, mentoring opportunities with breeders and recognised breed specialists, watching breed judging at shows and other kinds of associated learning.
“The Kennel Club Academy is also expected to become a useful educational tool for those looking for a way to educate themselves, following this online resource’s launch at Crufts this year. Breed films on the Beagle, Boxer, Chow Chow, Dachshund and Scottish Terrier are currently featured on the site, with the Pekingese, English Setter and Bull Terrier to be launched in coming weeks. The long term goal is to have all breeds featured on the Kennel Club Academy.”
For more information please visit The Kennel Club Academy.