In Defense of Judges

August 2012

By Gay Dunlap

Whether from the ranks of breeder or handler, as judges, we were either born into the fancy, some perhaps third or fourth generation, or we began the journey by first falling in love with an adorable dog. If it was a purebred dog and registered with the AKC, we might have decided that it was so adorable we should show it. In my case, entering my first dog show, the Westchester Kennel Club show in 1968, afforded a lesson hard learned. I found out that my dog was not so adorable as I thought! But that’s a story unto itself and perhaps worth telling on another day. From that point, if the show bug bit us hard enough, we were hooked. If our first dog was a disappointment (as was the case with me), we bought a better adorable dog, perhaps this time from a top breeder. We spent our weekends at dog shows, interspersed with matches (these, sadly and for the most part, a relic from better days), attended handling classes during the week, sat ringside and studied how the “big boys” handled their dogs. Then, not too long after that we found ourselves on the floor in front of a whelping box because we decided to breed our adorable dog. I believe there have been studies done indicating that a large percentage of dog fanciers drop out within a five-year time frame. For those of us that have stayed for the long haul, the road has been fraught with thrills and excitement, heartbreak and disappointment, much the same as happens in any field of endeavor or walk of life.

Some of us decided along that road to further involve ourselves by becoming AKC judges. And, unless you came from the aforementioned ranks of handler or were born to the sport, this road has been long and arduous. In truth, being born to the sport does not necessarily preclude overcoming hurdles and jumping through hoops either. What I am trying to say here is that, contrary to what some breeders and exhibitors may think, we have spent (and some of us continue to spend) countless hours and heaps of money to reach the goal of AKC-approved judge. In the process, most of us have learned that in order to tolerate the slings and arrows often hurled at us, we must have broad shoulders and thick skins. Those of us who haven’t learned this all too often fall prey to certain pressures or to the simple human need to be loved and subsequently to make, if not everybody, at least certain people happy. Add to this that occasionally these slings and arrows come from our own ranks as well and as a result the sting can be even more painful. This might be as insensitive as the statement made to another judge, within earshot of the judge being discussed, regarding the lack of quality in his choice for the group winner. Recently a respected judge told me that, while watching the group, her choice for Best of Breed was verbally challenged by another judge with the question, “Who did _____?” followed by, “I would have withheld!” It can be a cruel and malicious world out there! All the more reason that, as judges, we must stand tall, always remember to have the courage of our convictions and be prepared to answer intelligently when asked our reasons for doing what we did. Just as important, we must not give way to feelings of resentment when an exhibitor asks us nicely to explain a decision. I remember years ago asking a very prominent judge about her decision, coming honestly from a desire to further my understanding and knowledge. She first of all became tongue-tied, then belligerent and angry; it was dreadful and I resolved never to ask this sort of thing again.

Quite often we judges are held responsible for what is intrinsically the failure of breeders to provide us with quality dogs and, as a result, we are faced with having to honor the “best of the worst.” During my recent conversation with a breeder/judge of one of our terrier breeds, it was mentioned that one of the coat types within this breed is seldom seen in the show ring anymore. The reason provided by those who have this coat type was that, “Judges don’t put them up anymore; they seem to prefer the other type coat.” My judge friend’s immediate response was, “Its not about their coats; judges don’t put up bad ones!” What these breeders have apparently failed to note is that most of the dogs with this particular coat type have fallen prey to structural faults; i.e., extremely poor quarters with overly-angled croups and rear legs that resemble fence posts. In my own breed, a well-known terrier judge was spoken to harshly by an exhibitor for failing to see any redeeming qualities in an entry with its undocked tail carried in a manner considered a deviation from the ideal in the breed standard. Many of these same dogs carry what is termed an “Irish” coat and exhibitors with this coat often lay blame to the judge for “not liking Irish coats,” rather than acknowledging that the dog’s make and shape may be faulty.

Still another issue came to light recently involving what some exhibitors feel should fall on the shoulders of the breeder/judge. Some feel it is the breeder/judges’ responsibility to acknowledge their particular breed when judging the group, especially if the breed in question appears to get short shrift or otherwise fails to receive the attention felt owed it. This is all good and well if the dog indeed deserves a placement or making the cut. But to expect this for a dog simply on the grounds that the breed should be recognized in this manner regardless of its quality or the quality of its respective group is faulty logic to say the least. Our job is to judge dogs as honestly as we can and to honor the dogs we feel to be most deserving. When groups are as strong as they quite often are, especially on the large show circuits, it is totally unrealistic to expect this sort of recognition. If for no other reason, most of us are not willing to prostitute ourselves, nor are we willing to run the risk of looking totally ridiculous by favoring our own breed when there are exceptional representatives of other breeds from which to choose for our cut, if we make a cut, and ultimately from which to choose our 4 group placements.

Bottom line here is that the expectations sometimes held by exhibitors for judges are not always reasonable or even well thought-out. Breeders must look to themselves. If judges aren’t putting up the type dog you breed, perhaps the problem is not with the judge but with the quality of the dog(s). If your dog is not placing in the group, become a student of your breed and determine what needs to be done within your breeding program in order to create a dog that will make this dream of a group placement a reality.

While we are at it, here is another issue that might need to be grasped. Surely those who play the game regularly understand that not all judges are created equal and that we do not always see things the same way. It is often not a matter of right or wrong but rather an issue of individual priorities or interpretation. For example, the dog I measure out on Saturday may win the major and finish on Sunday. To DQ or not to DQ may be viewed by the exhibitor as a “right or wrong” issue when in reality it is a matter of priorities. Face the facts! We all know that judges should ALWAYS measure when it’s called for. But the reality is that we don’t ALWAYS do it!

One more thing, to set the record straight: very few of us wear our personal issues on our sleeves when we enter the ring. Those who do are eventually found out. Exhibitors who assume that we do are cutting off their proverbial noses to spite their faces. The bar must be kept high here, by judges and exhibitors alike, holding on to the assumption instead that we are all doing the very best job we know to do. Trust that the cream will rise to the top. If and when it doesn’t, live with it! Tomorrow is another day.

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