by Mary C. Lamphier From the archives of The Canine Chronicle, November, 1993 Many people believe that reality is a black and white thing, and that it never changes. Reality, however, is as much a matter of perception as anything and reality changes in relation to the perceptions through which it is filtered. The Belmont […]
by Dr. Quentin N. La Ham From the archives of The Canine Chronicle, June, 1992 PART 3 More often than not, judging involves trade-offs. This is the basis upon which respected judges interchange the same group of dogs because they rate factors differently in reaching a decision. That is as it should be and one […]
In the not-too-distant past I had occasion to discuss a certain pedigreed-dog breeding program with a very good friend of mine who has been involved with her breed for more years than she probably cares to remember. In this endeavor she has been highly successful and, over time, has managed to establish a lineage of some distinction and prominence.
Why, regardless of the breed in question, do so many judges adopt the position of ‘first pick the type you like and then pick the best mover from among them?’ I do not hesitate to suggest that in many cases the reverse would be preferable if the best interest of the breed is at stake and it should so be. Why not pick your best movers first, if indeed the final test of conformation is in the movement of the dog, and then find the best types among them? The outcome can be very rewarding.
Articles espousing the merits of type occur intermittently but of late there seems to me to be more than the usual number. Whenever I have found these testimonials in my 40-plus years of active involvement in our sport, they are usually lopsidedly promulgated by persons who have great-headed and -coated dogs with little else to brag about. These persons can be very vociferous tending to think of a dog as ever so pretty but seemingly willing to ignore the fact that to be a good dog, pretty is not good enough. The dog should be beautiful and there is a vast difference between the two adjectives.
We need to start using judges that never or rarely get the opportunity to judge so that our judging base has merit. There need to be more judges/breed education seminars and maybe even parent breed clubs need to review and revise their standards to fit what is in the ring today.
It’s been a long time since Louisville was abruptly shut down, mid-cluster. It’s been a long time since those who rely on dog shows for their income have been able to do their work, and it’s been a long time since those who just love dog shows, dog sports, dog people and dog events have had a dog show fix. With the list of cancelled events stretching into September, some people despair that they’ll never see a dog show again.
Closet Confidential with Elaine Lessig : 3 Easy Pieces – Episode 3
Your clothing questions answered. It’s all about putting the power back in your hands by letting you ask questions. Should you wear this or that? What should you donate? How do you mix and match? Should you wear sparkles/glitter? How do you ensure your clothing isn’t wearing you? Elaine answers all these style questions and so much more…
Not even the prefix on the top breeding kennel in any breed in the registered name of your dog is a guarantee of show quality.
By Amy Fernandez So life is wonderful here in NYC at the moment… NOT! Our mayor recently announced big plans for a tickertape parade and Fourth of July fireworks…give me reason to live…NOT! Actually, he walked that back pretty quickly. Oddly, he didn’t mention the latest ER stats. Yes, the numbers appear to be going […]
