At a recent dog show I sat next to some people who were having way too much fun. They were (supposedly) drinking, commenting on the groups, and filming themselves doing it. The idea, they said, was to make dog shows seem fun, not stodgy, and to that end they were starting a YouTube series called Drunken Dog Show, modeled after the television series Drunken History.
Over the course of my thirty-plus years in the sport of purebred dogs, I have heard more than just a handful of young people express their desire to become a professional handler when they grow up. And, when the remark is directed at me, I find it easy to be encouraging because it simply requires time, dedication and hard work to master the skills necessary to make their dream a reality.
At this holiday season, IMHO celebrates the timeless nov-el by Charles Dickens, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, by asking judges to share their favorite things from dog shows past and present, and their wishes for the future. Who will be Mr. Scrooge or Tiny Tim? Read and find out! Wishing all of Dogdom the joys of the holiday season and the very best of New Years. ~ Elaine Lessig
Yes, it’s 2020, and as we start a brand new year, all bright and shiny and so full of optimism, it is always traditional to plan a new year’s resolution.
What’s going wrong with judges’ approval these days? Since AKC isn’t talking, speculation is mandatory.
Granted, the entire subject has always been kind of messed up. I mean the mere idea of objectively evaluating a subjective process seems predestined to fail. In that sense, the fact that it EVER works seems rather marvelous.
Shows are dying left and right, and some say the whole game’s on a deathwatch. Tell me something I don’t know. That might be how Sacramento Kennel Club seems to be beating the odds.
“So, just what is the big deal,” he says to a friend after getting fourth place in a class of four, “if my dog’s tail resides an inch further down the croup than that of the other dogs in the ring? It is a handsome tail, it looks to me to be the right sort of tail, and it seems to suit him quite nicely.” And, believe it or not, he may very well be more accurate than he realizes.
One of the astounding things about AKC has always been its militant dedication to the most contradictory concepts. The examples are admittedly endless, but if you had to pick one, the Miniature Schnauzer is a good place to start.
John Marvin was possibly the finest historian ever to chronicle AKC doings, but he definitely tended to understate things. “Today the Miniature Schnauzer is the most popular member of the Terrier group. It was not always so for in the ‘30s and early ‘40s the breed had a difficult time to become recognized as a contender.” His brief 1964 profile in The Book of All Terriers omitted most aspects of the breed’s long, strange trip to success.
How well do you know your veterinarian and their staff? When you arrive, do you use their names and ask how they’ve been, or are you on a mission to check “visit the vet” off your to-do list? Do you treat staff like servants and the vet like an expensive necessity?
If you knew that your attitude and the way you treat the staff could save a life, would that make a difference to you?
We asked experienced AKC judges two questions about current issues affecting our sport. Here’s what they had to say…
The Questions: 1. What specifically do you like about the current judges’ application procedure? 2. What specifically would you like to see improved in the current application procedure?
