Table Talk • June 3, 2026
I had the pleasure of attending the Missouri Rhineland/Mississippi Valley shows at Purina Farms this past weekend. Along with four all-breed shows, there were also three group shows on Thursday, and several specialties held during Saturday’s all-breed events. Needless to say, thePurina Event Center was very busy!
The judging panel included a foreign judge. Unfortunately, on several occasions, it seemed that dogs were being judged according to FCI standards by this individual. For example, exhibitors were asked to show full dentition on dogs who, according to their AKC standard, are not required to have full dentition. When exhibitors tried to correct the judge, they were told that in Australia full dentition is required.
While I am a supporter of withholding wins when an exhibit is not deserving, there were several wins withheld by this judge. Unfortunately, when examinations are not done according to AKC standards, one may wonder if a withheld placement or win was warranted.
AKC encourages clubs that hire foreign judges to ensure they know the AKC procedures and standards prior to adjudicating AKC shows. While exhibitors can go to the AKC Executive Field Representative (which occurred at this show) and tell them that a judge is not following AKC protocols, it can be quite disturbing to them, especially new exhibitors.
I believe that a club that hires foreign judges has a very important responsibility to ensure that those judges are familiar with the AKC breed standards and its judging procedures. Not doing so is doing a disservice to their customers, the exhibitors.
On the East Coast, Ladies Dog Club made the difficult decision to cancel Saturday’s show due to unsafe conditions (wind and rain). While disappointed, exhibitors thanked the club for making a difficult decision in the interest of everyone’s safety.
I have had conversations with exhibitors who have been showing dogs as long as I have. We remember showing in some pretty awful conditions–some more unsafe than others. It does seem that more shows are cancelled due to weather these days. Is this a good or bad thing? Send me your thoughts to deb.cooper@caninechronicle.com
Normally, the Oklahoma Summer Classic starts the march through Texas in late June and July.This year, there were issues with the venue which forced them to move their date. Sadly, their entry was significantly less than it has been in the past. The Dallas and Houston clusters, who are also part of the summer Texas March, have changed their format this year in an effort to increase entries. Instead of one day of specialties at the start of each cluster, both Dallas and Houston have added an all-breed dog show and moved the specialties, so they are held during the all-breed shows.
Stay tuned for a Table Talk segment with Lone Star State Cluster Chair Larry Abbott this week. We will discuss the reasons for this format change. In today’s economic climate, thinking outside the box is necessary, and we hope to help other clubs with the issues they face when trying to make ends meet.
A heads-up to those fanciers who will be joining us for this year’s celebration of Peace, Love,and Dogs, more fondly known as Woofstock. If your RV reservation was post-marked after May 26th, your reservation will NOT be received, and your RV reservation will be handled on a non-reserved cash basis. The RV reservation closing date was May 22nd. For those exhibitors bringing pop-up tents, please be aware that all tents being set up on the Yolo County Fairgrounds property require a fire certification tag. This is a rule set forth by the fire marshal.
I am saddened to pass on the news that a couple of weeks after a fall, Sue-Ellen Rempel passed away. Sue-Ellen was a Canadian judge. She was also an accomplished artist and a great friend to many. She will be sorely missed by the fancy and all who knew her.
Happy anniversary to Luke and Rowan Baggenstos, who are celebrating 16 years of wedded bliss! Best wishes for many more happy years ahead!
Fanciers celebrating birthdays this week include Jody Paquette, Guy Fisher, Kim Booth, Jennifer Hoffmann, Linnea Baker, Shawn Nichols, Judy Ellis, John Miller, and Lois Snyder. May this next trip around the sun be everything that you dreamed of!
Thank you to Rhonda Cassidy for this week’s thought regarding communication:
They were friends
Then they weren’t
One walks away
One is hurt
So many memories, shared a million laughs
Now only a sideways glance
Lack of communication
Avoidance at best
No explanation
Is hard to accept
Don’t talk about feelings anymore
Easier just to close that door
Life goes on, not always fair
Now it is only silence they share
Be safe out there my friends! I look forward to seeing those of you lucky enough to join us at Woofstock! Until next time…
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