Demystifying (and Detoxifying) Mentoring

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250 – The Annual, 2022-23

By Sandy Weaver

Seriously, have you ever wondered how judges learn about your breed? One of the main ways is by being mentored. According to the Oxford Online Dictionary, a mentor is an experienced and trusted adviser, and to mentor is to advise or train someone. Seems pretty straightforward, and yet it’s a process that is different in each mentoring session and can be anything from extremely helpful to a complete waste of time.

Sometimes mentors are truly knowledgeable and helpful and are eager to help prospective judges understand the nuances of their breed. Sometimes mentors think if they do a favor for a judge, they’ll win more in that judge’s ring. And sadly, human nature being what it is, sometimes mentors just want to pimp their own dogs, erroneously believing that the judge will then only put up their style of dogs.

Judges want to do a good job in the show ring. They want exhibitors to feel that they (the judge) are knowledgeable about the fine points of the breed and understand what the breed should look, behave, and move like. One great mentor can be the difference between a judge knowing a breed and a judge just reading the standard and hoping for the best. It’s the passion of the mentors and the knowledge and experience they have that can spark a true understanding of the breed.

For this article, judges shared their experiences of being mentored–the good, the bad and the ugly, and that’s coming up. First, though, it’s good to know the process of becoming a mentor.

Click here to read the complete article
250 – The Annual, 2022-23

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Posted by AnthonyA on Jan 5 2023. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.