Are We Judging the Dog or the Performance?

By Tom Grabe

The qualifications and ability of dog show judges has been debated for decades, more than likely since the first contest was held. You hear people criticize and praise judges with equal vigor and, most times, this discourse has more to do with the day’s results than the actual ability of the judge being discussed.

I always try to take a few moments at any show I attend to watch various judges do their thing. Frankly, I think most try hard to do the right thing and they have varying amounts of success in that endeavor. I think much of what is blamed on politics, especially in the classes, is really a simple lack of understanding of the breed – by both the judge and some of the exhibitors.

That being said, I do see a common occurrence that distresses me. I see many judges who, in my opinion, are placing more emphasis on presentation and showmanship than breed type and movement. This is happening more and more at shows I attend across the country.

First, let me be clear, I understand that the practice of rewarding the best groomed, showiest (my word) dog has happened for eons. When I was a handler, we would all say, “I’ll take a great showdog over a great dog any day of the week.” We all value dogs with great attitude and that special look-at-me quality that most do not have. But, as a great former handler and now-deceased judge once said, “a ‘show dog’ is not a breed.”

It is up to the judges to make sure that dogs with those special qualities of showmanship are also the best ones in the ring, or at least damn close. It’s the judges who are supposed to be able to see through the great trim or the never-quit attitudes that at least one dog in every ring exhibits.

I have heard judges say, “I was going to put that dog up but he started moving his feet at the last minute.” A moved foot or a flicked ear is no reason to beat the best dog in the ring unless there is another one so close in quality that you need a tie breaker. These are live animals that are being judged and they sometimes, much to the frustration of their handler, move! They move, they yawn, they stretch, they get bored, just like a human would if put in similar circumstances. And last I knew, there was not one breed standard that mentions showmanship as a prerequisite.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s called a dog show for a reason and the dogs need to put on a show. That doesn’t mean that the standards should be thrown out the window in the process. There must be some balance. There has to be a minimum performance standard for a dog to win any ribbon just as there must be a minimum number of traits a dog must have to be one of its breed. Unfortunately, I think, in some cases, showmanship and presentation is winning out over good breed characteristics.

Our shows are not dog training contests nor are they dog grooming events. They are evaluations of breeding stock with the goal being to find the best dogs that will perpetuate the breed and, hopefully, improve future generations. This should always be kept in mind no matter the stage or the effort to make it a show.

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Posted by Liz on Nov 15 2023. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.