When a recent Supreme Court case struck down academic use of affirmative action, critics were quick to point out what was not impacted: legacy admissions. It’s the idea that because the parent, grandparent, etc., attended the university and was successful–or because they spent enough money–the child will also be successful and is ushered in, held to a different standard than the rest.
Have you had this experience? Your promising youngster turns into a seasoned special who loves to go to shows. Wins come easily, and soon the promising youngster is a Champion, then a Grand, and maybe even climbs the levels of Grand. Meanwhile, you’re bringing on another promising youngster and starting to leave your previous promising youngster home more and more.
Tail docking is not a new phenomenon. The ancient Romans advocated preventing rabies by cutting the tails off of puppies when they were 40 days old and then pulling out the long tendons. The tendons resembled worms, which were thought to cause rabies.
Remember when prenups first hit the news? Instantly, it was a volatile topic–for several reasons.
The dog game is designed to focus our attention on clearly defined milestones and let’s face it, we are all running this marathon toward some particular finish line. Obviously, we’re aware of the incredible stories underlying those brief, history-making achievements. But it’s worthwhile to remind ourselves of that fact. Success in this sport is a long, complicated reality.
One can assume (and you all know what that word can mean) I undoubtedly have the background to make that statement. I attended over 100 shows a year for 25 years as a handler and now seem to be getting close to that number as a judge annually. I might have averaged between 10 to 40 Best In Shows a year as a handler. As a judge I do around 10-15 Best In Shows and hundreds of Group assignments per annum.
1. The judge has withheld all awards from your dog in the BBE class for lack of merit. You’ve also entered the same dog in Open. Can you still show him in Open? Must you still show him in Open? What if the judge had awarded him 2nd out of 1 instead?
A few months ago, I was asked to speak at a conference held jointly by the Canadian Kennel Club and the Canadian Dog Show Judges Association. The topic was “Ethics in Dog Show Judging”. The first thing I did was ask myself if it was ethical to talk about ethics without having an advanced degree in ethics. Was it in my scope of competence? I passed a few entry-level college courses in ethics many years ago, but that clearly does not make me an expert.
While enjoying dinner with some doggie friends recently, the topic of judging found its way into our conversation. (surprise, surprise!) However, this wasn’t the typical discussion about the merits, or lack thereof, of today’s judges. This conversation was about the reasons people choose to judge dogs. We wondered aloud why people want to become judges and why some attempt to gain approval for more breeds as soon as possible.
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