Policy on Standards of Behavior by ABTC Members Attending National (And Other) Specialty Shows

The ABTC has an excellent history of maintaining its Specialty headquarters and show site in good condition. Rings, grooming areas and hotel rooms occupied by its members are expected to be left with no appreciable damage, and as clean as possible, after the Specialty is over. As a measure of insuring that this standard will be met, the Club, as a matter of policy sets forth the following standards of behavior:

1. No dog should be left uncrated in a hotel room in the absence of the room occupants at any time.
2. Dogs that constitute a nuisance to other occupants of the hotel by continual barking or howling, may subject their owners to being removed by the hotel.
3. There will be no extensive grooming of dogs in the hotel rooms. Grooming will be permitted only in the areas set aside for that purpose.
4. No dogs should be washed in hotel bathtubs, and hotel towels should not be used on dogs for drying them or any other purpose.
5. The external and internal premises of the hotel and show site shall be kept free of debris and feces caused by the presence of dogs attending the Specialty.
6. The Club will provide a committee to inspect rooms upon member checkout, either separately from, or in concert with, designated members from the hotel staff. Should any room or its contents exhibit signs of unusual wear or damage because of the presence of a dog or dogs, the occupant of that room may be held up to censure by the Club and shall recompense the hotel for all damages. Offenders may be censured, held in suspension of membership or expelled from membership in the ABTC should the circumstances warrant.
7. While the ABTC cannot assume legal responsibility for the actions of individual persons attending one of its national specialties, it does assume ethical responsibility for their actions. It will make every effort to assure that any offending person make redress to the hotel or show site in the event that he/she is responsible for damage to the premises.
8. The ABTC urges its members to carefully inspect their rooms prior to checkout.

All members of the ABTC are expected to adhere to these Standards.

1. Exhibitors are not to bring litters of puppies to the Show Headquarters.
2. Non-ABTC members attending the 2004 ABTC National Specialty will adhere to these standards.
3. All dogs will be on a leash at all times.
4. Exercise pens are allowed, but must be taken down when not in use. Dogs may not be left unattended. Unattended or barking dogs will result in denial of further use of exercise pens for the remainder of specialty or removal from the host hotel.
5. By exhibiting at the National Specialty, you are agreeing to abide by the rules established by the show committee and the host hotel. Failure to follow these rules will result in removal from the host hotel.