Approaching the judge should be done during downtime, not between classes, not while taking photos, but when the judge clearly has a break in their assignment. Introduce yourself, explain you are a long-time breeder, exhibitor, or parent club-approved mentor (if applicable).
Did you watch Westminster? Did you love eavesdropping on the judges as they talked to the exhibitors? Did you notice a recurring theme? Most of them, including Best In Show Judge Pat Trotter, asked the handlers to gait their dogs at a reasonable speed. Did you catch that? And do you know why nearly all the judges referenced speed at some point in their conversations?
Words of Wisdom from Jane – Grooming with Excessive Products Click here to watch on Canine Chronicle TV!
More and more, I have come to respect the need to find the perfect word in both my conversation and writing. It is no longer productive to use vague language in our human discourse. Choosing a word which exemplifies precisely what we need to communicate cuts through the debris and gets right to the point. Think of it as choosing the fastest route on MapQuest rather than taking the slower back roads. Yes, you get where you are going, but it takes longer and you may get lost. We tend to prefer the mile markers and exit numbers to the town and street names which need to be found.
Many breeds have an epigram that defines them. That short, distinctive line or quote that instantly gives you a mental picture of the breed’s essence.
BlueRose Kennels – Learn How to Find and Enter Your Ring The BlueRose Kennels, Phil and Amy Booth video series provides useful tips, tricks, tutorials and product reviews for the dog show community as well as all dog lovers who want to learn something new. We hope you enjoy this video! Click here to watch […]
First names are so vital because they identify you, and surnames are doubly important because they provide a link back to the homeland and origins of people throughout the centuries.
Will Alexander Drops Some Knowledge About What’s Happening in the Sport of Dogs. It’s Deep… It’s Humorous… It’s Provocative… It’s Will Unfiltered! This week Will gives us Top 10 Dog Show Road Games. Click here to watch on Canine Chronicle TV!
Mentoring has been the soup de jour of this game for quite a while now. It’s touted as the all-purpose magic wand to impart knowledge at every level of the sport. Likewise, there’s no shortage of horror stories revealing its pitfalls on both sides of the deal. Since I’ve been on both sides, I think I can say that some of the AKC-sanctioned results have led to a degree of justified skepticism among the ranks. That said, perhaps it would be useful to explore a case of mentoring that succeeded beyond all expectations.
Let’s face it, we have all been there at one time or another–be it your first point, a major to finish, or your first group placement. There you are in the final cut. The judge says, “one at a time please,” and motions to the first exhibitor to take their dog around the ring. You’re fourth in line; you are ready! The judge indicates it’s your turn and Bam! you launch off the line like Secretariat leaving the gate of the Kentucky Derby. Your dog lunges and bucks. You pull him back, let out more lead and as you glance up the judge has moved on to the next exhibit. You may have smoothed out in the last quarter of the ring, but it’s too late.
