The sport runs on people who know the work.
Working officials are part of the federation, not customers of it. K9 Elements membership is free for active decoys, judges, and trial secretaries in good standing.
Three roles. One directory.
Decoys
Protection-event decoys present the bite work and evaluate dog confidence, grip quality, and control under pressure. K9 Elements decoys are certified per class level and listed in the officials directory so handlers can find decoy partners for development sessions outside of trials.
Judges
Judges score each exercise against published criteria using the official scoresheet template. Certification is per-discipline — an Obedience judge is not automatically eligible to judge Protection. Credentials require a written examination and a supervised trial before the first assignment.
Trial secretaries
Trial secretaries manage entry administration, cross-check scoresheets alongside the judge, and post provisional results at trial close. K9 Elements provides a secretary operations checklist and access to the trial management platform for every sanctioned event.
Free membership, plus the working-official toolkit.
- Free annual K9 Elements membership for active officials in good standing.
- Listing in the public officials directory — handlers can find you for clinics and seminars.
- Access to judge and decoy scoring tools, including the offline-capable scoring tablet.
- Recertification webinars and the working-officials replay archive.
- Travel reimbursement at sanctioned trials per the officials handbook.
Join the officials directory.
Email the officials coordinator with your role, prior experience, and current certifications. We'll respond within five business days.
