From The CC Vault: One Man’s Opinion

1947 - Wire Men of England Top Row (L to R): Albert Frances, owner of the Takard Kennel, Ernie Sharpe, Joe Cartledge, Albert Langley, and Braugh Taylor. Middle Row: Raddy Trieman, Leonard Marsley, Wire man from Lanes, Greorge Barley, Ernie May, Douglas Williams of Wyreholm, and George Stevensen of Stoney Craig Kennel. Front Row: Billy Mitchell, Charlie Higginsen and Jimmy Butler

By Ric Chashoudian

I was retired from judging by the American Kennel Club months ago. I was retired because of a bad back. I wasn’t able to stand up for the seven or eight hours it takes to judge without sitting down for awhile while judging.

I started going to dog shows when I was twelve years old in 1943. These were war years. After December 7, 1941 many shows had been canceled but some shows in big cities were still active. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California so this was a big city that still had a few active shows.

I have attended hundreds and hundreds of dog shows. At every one of these shows I stayed through the judging of Best In Show. I watched all breeds of dogs and studied their conformation and characteristics. I was a student of purebred dogs and still am. I sculpt different breeds of dogs in wax and then have them cast in bronze through the lost wax method. My models have been very well-accepted by breeders and lovers of pure bred dogs.

In the rules of the American Kennel Club it says that you can judge in a wheelchair so why not a  regular chair? I judge with my eyes, my brain, and my hands in that order. I can do all of these things while seated. I think my knowledge of dogs is being wasted. I believe that I am in the top ten percent of people in this country who are experts in purebred dogs. But that is enough about me.

Many of the old guard have left us. They will be impossible to replace because of their vast knowledge.

It is important to teach younger people, if they are truly interested. I do my best to do this and so do many others. Young people cannot or should not be forced to learn about our sport. There are a few young people who truly want to learn. They will be the backbone of our sport in the coming decades. It is important for young people to have the talent to look at a dog and evaluate them in their mind with the picture of what this breed should look like, and not be afraid to discuss this with experts in this breed.

In my case, I am thought of as a Terrier person. I learned the trimming of Terriers by watching the best of the best.

A pet peeve of mine is all of these people wanting to change breed standards that have stood the test of time. These standards were written by founders of these breeds. They reflect the purpose that their breed was bred to do whether it be a Toy dog, Working dog or Herding dog, a Sporting dog, a Hound or Terrier or Non-Sporting dog. Most people who want to change these standards are newer people who may have that dogs lack in a few places, or breeders whose offspring do not quite look or act as the standard says they should. Changing the standards is the easy way to eliminate their problems. The people who wrote these standards, who have mostly passed on, would turn over in their graves if they would see what is being thought of by some of these people. To me this is disrespect to the originators of these breeds.

Another pet peeve of mine is these young people that get into junior handling and have not even read the standards of the dogs they are showing. They are trying to start at the top and work down instead of starting at the bottom and working up. This should not be and the people who send these young people into junior handling should make sure that these younger people read the standards and understand them before they show in juniors. I am a great believer in junior handling but let them start at the bottom and work up.

I have a good friend in New Orleans by the name of Charles Cunningham of Cunningfox Kennels. Charles is a Wire Fox Terrier breeder. Charles turned ninety years old in December of 2009. He is the proud breeder of a Wire dog named Ch. Cunningfox Santeric Patriot. This dog won the breed at the Westminster dog show and second in the Terrier Group. “Patriot” also won the breed at the World Show and sired over fifty-three champions of record, second only to Ch. Sylair Special Edition as a Wire sire. Charles is a wonderful breeder and what this sport is about. He is the little guy with the wherewithall to stick with it and comes up with dogs that can win the big prizes.

Charles apprenticed under a man named Forrest Hall who was an all breed dog judge. Forrest was also a good breeder from Dallas, Texas but I think that Charles is right there with him. Charles is not that well-known in the dog world but, as I say again, he is the kind who is the backbone of this sport. This country is full of breeders like Charlie. In World War II Charles Cunningham was General Patton’s Communications Officer and still gives lectures on General Patton.

The Westminster show is coming up as I write this. The Garden is a great show where the little guy meets the big guy and holds his own. This is what makes this game so great; everyone has a chance. If you are talented enough to breed a good one, the sky is the limit. I was Best In Show at this show in 1976, the 100th Anniversary show, with a dog bred by one of the little guys, which proves it can be done.

I believe that this level playing field is what makes dog showing so much fun.

I remember that when I was young, about sixteen years old, I won the breed at a specialty show at the old Los Angeles Kennel Club and what a thrill it was. I had trimmed, groomed and showed this Airedale bitch by the name of Ch. Roy-El Tiger Lily. I was second in a tough Terrier Group at this show. The feeling I had in accomplishing this was responsible for me wanting to become a professional dog handler. My parents were against this decision but gradually came around to going along with it. When someone asked my parents, “what does your son do?” they would have to say he is a professional dog handler and the questioner would say, “a professional what?”

I have never wanted any other way to make a living and I am happy with the choice I made. I want to wish all of you good luck at the Garden – the little guy and the big guy, too.

That’s it for now, Ric Chashoudian.

Originally published: February 2010

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