From The Publisher
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It is my opinion that some of today’s exhibitors are confused about what it takes to win at dog shows. A good number of those involved in the sport of purebred dogs, some more seasoned than you think, believe the secret to success at dog shows is more about who you know than what you have. Frankly, I think that premise is flawed.
The old dog show axiom “You’re only as good as the dog at the end of your lead” still rings true today. I don’t care who you know or what you do, you can’t win consistently in this sport without a good, actually a great dog. There is no doubt that handling ability as well as superior grooming helps your cause, but the fact is you can’t fool everyone all the time. A great dog will trump those external forces most of the time.
What about money, you say? Money trumps everything in the modern sport of purebred dogs, right? Without a big budget, you can’t be top dog, right? I believe without a great dog you can’t have the top dog. Don’t get me wrong; today’s show schedule and travel costs require money, but you still can’t succeed at the highest levels of the sport without a great dog. The race for top dog in 2014 proves that premise. Matisse and Swagger slugged it out for 12 months in the race for number one. They are both outstanding examples of their breed, and no matter how much money was behind them, they couldn’t have posted those amazing single year records without being incredible dogs.
There are some people who are convinced that much of the winning they see inside the ring is done outside the ring. They believe people are calling judges, sending photos, hiring judges, etc. and somehow that is the only way to win. They believe that the sport is so crooked that the only way to win is to try to influence judges. I won’t deny that a small percentage of our judging population can possibly be influenced. The majority, however, endeavor to do the best job possible whenever they stand in the center of the ring. Most judges do their best to find the finest example of the breed whenever they judge.?They may miss and choose the wrong dog, but usually it’s not because they were influenced by a phone call, a picture or a promise. There are myriad reasons why they missed the best dog; too many to list in this short editorial.
A good friend of mine who was a very successful handler told me that he believed when a judge he knew beat him with a good dog, they felt worse about beating him than he did about losing. I believe that statement. Everyone enters the ring with one goal: to win. Most judges enter the ring with one goal: to find the best dog. Sometimes those goals conflict. The judge finds what he or she considers a better dog than you have on the end of your lead. Sometimes the judge simply fails to find the best dog. That doesn’t mean the judge is a crook or the person showing the dog has influence over the judge. It could mean the dog that beat you is better, or the judge was not an expert in your breed. The bottom line is your success in the ring is tied to the quality of the dog you show.
“You are only as good as the dog at the end of your lead” is an axiom that is as true today as it was a century ago.
Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=74447
Posted by ralbee
on Apr 11 2015. Filed under Current Articles, Editorial, Featured.
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