Excerpted from (Akita,
Chihuahua, Mini-Bull, Toy Fox Terrier) Judges’ Seminar
Handbook
You must know it when you see
it. Type. Richard Beauchamp put it this way “Breed type is
such an elusive thing… It is something that can’t be taught but
can be learned. Even when type is present to the fullest, one
person may see it and the person next to him may see nothing at
all. It is clearly visible – yet defies description.”
You’ve had it happen as you
sit ringside with a friend. You see a dog one way, they see it
another because no two dogs are identical and no two standards
put equal emphasis on the same features of type. Working breeds
may emphasize soundness whereas Toys stress aesthetic beauty and
Terriers want temperament that never quits. All are critical to
Type and it is by your knowledge of Type that you will be
judged.
It is Type that you are
duty-bound to protect and it is Type that you must preserve.
Have you ever thumbed through photos of dogs from say, fifty
years ago? Did Peggy Adamson’s Dictator look like today’s
Dobermans? How closely did Saddler resemble the Fox Terrier of
today? We have to look pretty hard at the Akita of the
Seventies to find one that could win in the ring today. But
then I look at what is winning in the ring today and
shudder because too many judges have taken the easy way out –
picking winners on soundness, faces, advertisements, or
opportunity to advance. They may get by, indeed, they may get a
lot of assignments by making popular or expected decisions - but
they will never be known as great judges.
If anyone takes this
personally, they should not be here but sit tight. I'm nobody,
just a messenger who will try to deliver method and wisdom
learned from some of the greatest judges. I will give you Five
Rules which properly used, will gain the respect of all
breeders, and hopefully advance your career. Prioritizing these
rules will protect your integrity. You will have done your
job. You will judge every dog according to the breed standard
and nothing else ..... Above all, you will have clearly
demonstrated your commitment to the Standard and
preservation of Breed Type. You will be a Leader.
First Things First. As
a judge, you have to quickly weigh many factors, the most
important of which is the overall health, condition, and
temperament of the dog. If it is sick, malnourished, unkempt,
lame, can't be examined, or threatens to attack, you will
disqualify, excuse, or mentally eliminate it from consideration,
depending on the situation.
The Standard. That out
of the way, you will then compare each dog to the written
Standard. To do so you must constantly refresh your memory on
every breed you judge because our minds play tricks on us, some
of which can be embarrassing. One judge admitted that a good
friend cautioned him about awarding dogs with a very obvious
breed fault. His friend said people had begun to talk.
Re-reading the standard, he realized that something said by a
handler-friend had seated itself into his subconscious in direct
contradiction to the standard. The judge recalled many times,
when weighing a hard decision, he had unwittingly selected
for something instead of against it.
The best judges read the
standards on a regular basis and when in doubt, they refer to it
in the ring.
Seminars. Given the
plethora of seminars and the haphazard way in which people are
selected to present, you should read the standards on a
regular basis! You should bear in mind that presenters who,
having a problem in their own breeding program, tend to
over-emphasize a fault beyond that which is conveyed by the
standard, or they settled for ignoring it and consequently, tend
to minimize that fault in seminar discussion. If you have any
doubts about something said in a seminar, ask the presenter for
clarification. If still not sure, go ask two top breeders
working in two different bloodlines.
There are judging techniques
not covered by Breed Standards but which are very important to
ring craft, particularly for judges crossing over into another
Group. We will go over how to approach and "go over" this breed
in the hands-on portion today. No matter how many pages you
take home today, they cannot take the place of examining and
observing real dogs.
Applying The Rule Of Fives
Okay, here comes the
difficult part of judging. Many standards emphasize one feature
over another and that helps but what can you do in every breed, every time, that will earn the
respect of both exhibitors and your peers? If you recognize and
select Breed Type with unerring skill, you will become known as
someone who “has an eye for a dog” rather than a “popular
judge.”
How many remember Winnie
Heckman? Phil Marsh? Peter Knoop, Ed Bracey? Michele Billings
once admitted she was having a hard time “getting a handle” on
Akitas. I suggested she talk to Roy Ayers, Virginia Hampton,
Eleanor Evers, etc. A few years later she did the National
Specialty, drawing rave reviews, even from those who won
nothing. What higher compliment can a judge receive?
The best judges agree the
following Priorities define Type in each and every
breed.
Breed Character. When
the dog enters the ring or is undistracted by the handler, note
whether it carries itself with the correct attitude. A Bully
will bounce; an Akita is dignified, purposeful; a Chihuahua may
twirl or play; a Toy Fox will strut to the end of the lead and
guard his ring. If you don’t know how the breed should act, go
visit with breeders.
If the dog acts tired, it
could be the end of a long day but if the handler can't bring
the dog around by sparring, baiting, or gaiting, you must
disregard it because you are unable to assess breed character,
i.e. Type. It matters not what the reason (and handlers
are full of excuses), it is a dog show and you are to judge them
on the day. It may be a dog you adore but if it is
showing badly, you will be seen as a fool if you put it up. You
judge dogs, ringside judges you.
It is a puppy? First show?
In season? Okay then be forgiving but don’t award it. You will
be doing no favor to the breed, the handler, or your own
reputation. Even a structurally correct dog is a bad example if
it fails to display proper breed character and personality.
There’s always another day and another chance for the dog to
convince another judge that it has temperament and personality
correct for its breed.
It has been said before but
must be repeated here. An Akita performing like a Minpin has a
serious lack of Breed Character. A dog that droops or is bored
is something other than a toy breed. And while a Chihuahua may
cringe back from a stranger, a terrier that does so should be
mentally eliminated. Sure there will be in-betweens but if you
apply for the breed, you should know it well enough to judge
the degree of un-typical behavior and its significance in that
particular breed.
A beautiful dog that lacks
character misrepresents the breed. Therefore Character is the
first Priority.
Silhouette is next on
your checklist. Sure there are some breeds with very similar
outlines but you are supposed to know the difference.
Proportion, topline, angulation, tailset, ear carriage - all are
distinguishing features. If you use the ink-blot test and the
dog fails, forget it. You know why....
A Havanese is not a Lhasa
even on an inkblot. An unclipped Poodle will still have that
up-on-leg “poodley” profile that separates it from the Lowchen.
If a dog in the ring makes you wonder if you would know
its breed if you saw it on Park Avenue, for goodness sake,
reject it. That is after all, why the public chooses a
purebred. Silhouette is Priority #2.
Head and Expression. Doesn’t matter if it is a head breed or not, the head is what
owners look at every day. An Akita with a GSD head cannot
possibly have the intimidating expression of a courageous hunter
of bear, boar, and burglars but please, any suggestion of a chow
scowl is a serious no-no. Size notwithstanding, a Chihuahua
with Papillion skull couldn’t possibly have those huge luminous
eyes so typical of little desert dwellers. So even if the
standard fails to emphasize the head, it is an indispensable
feature of type. It may take a keen eye to distinguish fine
differences between the Toy Fox, Toy Manchester, and Minpin head
but that is the mark of a great Toy Judge.
You have a duty to know and
award the dog who acts like it’s breed, presents an easily
recognizable profile, and whose head and expression define it as
such. If you are down to the ribbon but find yourself confused
by a Bullie head with a significant stop, remember priority #3.
Movement - Soundness
versus Type is a worn out debate. Everyone knows you “can
get a sound dog at the pound” so we will not repeat that
discussion other than to stress that movement is indicative of a
lot more than soundness. It clearly demonstrates Type.
In many breeds, it is the
critical test of correct conformation. Should a Peke move like a
Pom? A Bullie like a Boston? Of course not, so beyond
soundness, movement exemplifies breed Type.
Please, on this one thing, do
not get lazy. If the Collie moves like a Shepherd, it may be
exciting and dramatic but it is all wrong! Do not fall into the
trap of generic judging, especially as regards movement. Sure
ringside is cheering for the big moving dog. Does that make the
Clumber moving like a Cocker an outstanding dog? Do you want to
be known as a “movement judge” or as someone who “really knows
the breed.” Which is the greater compliment? More to the
point, which is more important to preserving that breed? This
is Priority #4.
Coat constitutes an
important element of type. Go beyond the Maltese or the Old
English. Sure, they are uniquely coated, but if you really know
your stuff, you know even breeds with similar coat types have
subtle but important differences. An Akita does not have
the longer flatter coat of a Malamute but does have a
stiffer, fuller coat than a Siberian.
The differences can often
only be determined by touch. (That does not mean a massage.)
Reading about coat does not allow your tactile senses to
learn type. A Mini-Bull does not have the coat of a Staffie-Bull.
Both will be short, flat, and glossy but the Bullie’s coat feels
harder because the hair shaft is slightly thicker. While the
Toy Fox Terrier’s coat looks like a Minpin’s, it is ever
so much smoother, as though the dog was wrapped in tight-fitting
satin. Each hair has a smaller diameter and tighter cuticle,
and not to put too fine a point on it, that is the finer point
of type.
In some breeds, coat can be
the difference between survival and death or fitness for the job
the dog was bred to do. In others, it is window dressing but if
you know Type, you must give it a top five
Priority rating.
The Sum of These Five
Priorities? Summarily exclude any dog that fails any two of
these priorities. I say that because there are varying degrees
of departure from the utterly correct, even in these five
areas. If the dog acts like a duck and waddles a bit, it is
wrong no matter how beautiful its head, how perfect the
structure, and how faultless its coat.
Judge each dog against the
standard, not the competition. You know that but in the real
world, if a dog catches your eye and excels in all but one
of these priorities while the competition is of average
quality with no glaring fault, which will you choose?
It is disappointing when you
have to pick the “best of a bad lot” and astute judges complain
that as shows and entries increase, it happens too often. Is
there a solution? Of course!! WITHHOLD ribbons. Be
understanding, offer to discuss your decisions but be firm when
there is no above-average quality. In the long run, it is a
kindness not to mislead the novice into wasting more entry fees,
or worse yet, taking the dog home to breed.
If you are certain in your
knowledge, if you have applied the “Rule of Fives” and
found no dog you are comfortable with, then your duty is clear.
The reason you have before you dogs that lack Type is because
too many judges before you did not know or select for type.
Their lack of study and/or backbone has allowed breeders and
handlers to think you will just routinely give something
in the ring the points.
Please. Disappoint
them. |
