From The CC Vault: What Do You Want From Me?

by Dr. Bob G. Smith

Originally published October 2010

I heard a song sung recently by a contestant who had been on the very popular reality show, American Idol. The artist, Adam Lambert, did not win the competition, but was the first runner-up; the song title: “What do you want from me?” is a very popular song with the video receiving lots of air time and music playing time on all media. I must confess that I do not watch American Idol. I did for a while when it first debuted, but I am “old” and cannot deal with the screaming and shouting of the audience members and the innocuous comments of the host and judges. It detracts from the purpose of the show in my opinion. However, from my research, I believe this young man brought new life into that year’s competition on “Idol”.

Maybe an invigoration of that level might energize the dog show game. Imagine having a ring full of “Hollys” or “Unos”, or “Dodgers”, or “Sadies” and being a judge of that breed on that day. What if every dog in the ring was “spot on” on the standard? What great excitement would be generated around ringside with spectators scurrying from ring to ring, trying to see all the quality; handlers not having to “groom away” any faults. Quality as far as the eye could see! I am sure the print media would be there interviewing everyone; news cameras from local and national networks recording the movements of all and videoing everyone within reach including the Boy Scout Bucket Brigade; onlookers gawking at the high level of quality in the ring….great excitement—a rock star-level of excitement.

If that ever happens, I certainly would be more keenly focused on my task as a judge—mentally, visually, and critically reviewing the breed’s standard before and during the examination of the entries; hoping that the excitement around the ring did not detract from my task to find the best dog on the day. I started analyzing what great excitement there would be and what my role might be in generating and maintaining that excitement. Do I play any role? I pondered: What do you want from me? (apologies to Adam) As I outlined this article, I added with no deference to Lambert: What do I want from you?

I have thought extensively about what is expected from judges by the many groups associated with a dog show: Show Chairman/Committee, Hospitality and Transportation chairs, handlers, dogs, public, Juniors, and other judges. What about the others who are also integral to a successful dog show? What do they want from me? Me from them?

Show Chairman: What do you want from me? What responsibilities do you expect me to meet? When you contact me to check my availability to judge at your show, you expect a simple yes/no or I’ll get back to you. When you send me a contract, you expect a quick response because sometimes your timely submission of the panels for your shows is contingent on how promptly I reply. What other expectations do I need to meet? We should be clear on what my fee, if any, will be; what expenses are covered; and what special needs I might have related to my stay in your town. You expect me to be knowledgeable about the breeds I am to judge and able to manage my ring judiciously to avoid holding up group and Best In Show judging. You expect me to find the best dog on the day regardless of who is the breeder, owner, or handler. What do I want from you? I want you to assign breeds that I am provisional/approved to judge. I expect you to give me as many entries as you can to make my trip across the country worthwhile for your club and for me. I want you to use me at your show to your club’s benefit by utilizing my time for what is best for your club.

Show Committee: What do you want from me? The Show Committee (SC) should expect me to provide legible documents/receipts/invoice to receive reimbursement for my expenses and agreed-to judging fee. The SC should expect me to be cordial, appreciative, and cooperative while judging for its club. I know that those three expectations are sometimes difficult to meet when my flight was delayed or my luggage was lost; the restaurant at the hotel was closed when I arrived; or the hotel shuttle didn’t pick me up as scheduled from the airport. Difficult to be cordial at 11 p.m. when the only clothes I have for the next day are on my back and I don’t look good in wrinkled shorts, T-shirt, and shower shoes. But it is MY problem; the SC didn’t create the problem. So “cordial” I will be while silently cursing the airlines and lying on the ironing board steaming the wrinkles out of the shorts I am wearing for next day’s show. I will be appreciative on the day of the show at lunch when the meal, as tasty as it looks and nutritious as it probably is, is too heavy a meal for me to eat, especially when judging outdoors for the remainder of the day. (Some club member went to a lot of effort to prepare for “x” number of judges and did his/her best to reach a compromise on the menu with the diverse palates of the judges.) I will make it work as I am appreciative for the efforts and grateful for the assignment.

Cooperative I will be when I discover that my hotel room (the last one available I’m told) has an a/c unit that was the prototype for the original a/c unit that was built probably about the time of the War Between the States. (I am not afraid of Guinea pigs on treadmills.) I will be cooperative when I do not get a wake-up call as promised after having been kept awake all night by adolescent soccer players practicing in the hallways while parents are snuggled in their beds with an adequate supply of ear plugs and/or six packs. I will cooperate with the hotel when I discover that I will be in the back of the hotel, upstairs and where there is neither ice nor vending machines closer than 5 miles. I will smile through it all because that is what I think the SC expects of me. I am a contracted employee of the kennel club for that weekend.

What do I want from you? I want a clean hotel room—free of mold and noise with a comfortable bed. (Some clubs make it a point of arranging with the host hotel for a club member to spend the night previous to the show in one of the rooms reserved for a judge. A dry-run, so to speak.) I want a restaurant that is open for breakfast with time to eat before the transportation arrives to take me to the show. If not provided ahead of time, I would like a letter at the desk with contact and transportation information for travel to and from the show grounds. I want the club to save itself some money by not having a judges’ dinner after a show. (Judges are tired; show committee is exhausted; and the treasury is often strapped. A nice “thank-you” from the club is a lot less expensive and trouble-free than having a judges’ dinner. My feelings will not be hurt.)

Hospitality Chair/Committee: What do you want from me?  I accept that you expect me to be prompt in returning the hospitality form that lists my preferences for lodging arrangements, dietary needs, arrival and departure times. I will be more respectful for your efforts when I return your form closer than 6 weeks from the show date. As a judge, I look for the best bargains for airfare and sometimes your timeframe does not mesh with mine. But I will be more prompt in the future. What do I want from you? I would like some idea of the types of foods to be available for lunch on the days I am judging. I could check a form to indicate that I prefer salad over spaghetti, fruit over dessert, water over soda or whatever comprises the diet I am on at the time. Having a luncheon menu from which to pre-order might save the club some money if Hospitality knew that only three people would be eating meat loaf, etc. Also, if you give me a form to indicate the choice of soda or water at my ring, I will be pleased to find that my request has been matched with whatever appears in the cooler under my judges’ table. Thanks for your coordinating skills.

Transportation Chair: What do you want from me? You expect to have my arrival time at the airport and my departure time after the conclusion of the show. (I understand the logistics of arranging for airport pick ups for judges who arrive at different times from all over the U.S. and foreign countries. I equate it to “herding cats.”) If there is an additional form that is required on which I could indicate my arrival and departure times, I will gladly fill it out. Otherwise, I will hope the Hospitality Chair/Committee will provide you with that information from the form I previously filled out six weeks prior to the show.

You want me to be prompt in my appearance in the hotel lobby each morning of the show. (Even if the appointed time is one hour prior to beginning of the judging schedule and the show grounds are only 10 minutes away. I will abide by the Chair’s decision to get me to the show site with that much time to spare for me to have ample time to improve my “camaraderie” skills with other members of the judging panel. (We can wake up together in the lobby after no wake-up call at the hotel and the restaurant not being open for breakfast.) Thanks to the Hospitality Committee for having a supply of pastries at the show! What do I want from you? I want a comfortable ride from all points: airport, hotel, show grounds. I want transportation that is easily accessible in case I have a bad knee, bad back, or bad hair day. I want a vehicle with a roomy trunk/cargo area in which I can easily load and unload my luggage without incurring a rotator cuff injury or pulled back/neck muscle—or I want a muscular young man who can easily bench press 400 lbs. who can load and unload my luggage for me. Finally, I want some way to identify the greeter/driver/transporter at the airport. (Check the picture of the canine greeter in the July issue of The Canine Chronicle, in the article, “Amateur/Owner/Handler Competition $$$” – Can your club top that?)

Handlers: What do you want from me? Remember, before you answer, this is an activity at which only 1 participant eventually will walk away solely victorious no matter how many hundreds/thousands participate? So, your request that you win each time you enter my ring just “ain’t gonna happen” because of the law of averages. You won’t handle all the top dogs in a breed all the time. Again, what do you want from me? I expect you want me to be the following: friendly, competent, judicious, fair, quick, thorough, knowledgeable, understanding, consoling, and excited when your entry wins. Do not hold your breath! Some of the above comes easy to me as a judge; some I have to work laboriously to achieve. I think I am friendly and usually welcome you into my ring with a smile. (Please tell me when I don’t greet you pleasantly. The problem might be that I could be in shorts, T-shirt and shower shoes lacking sleep with no breakfast.) I usually speak to everyone asking about their “health” and “thanking them for their entry.” The “thank you” often renders some handlers speechless. I do not expect the handler to respond—it is not intended to elicit a response, only said because I am thankful for the entry.

I hope that I meet the handlers’ expectations by being prepared to knowledgeably judge their breed, run my ring judiciously and fairly, and thoroughly examine the entry as appropriate to the standard. I have been warned by AKC Field Reps for taking too much time examining each entry. My “excuse” is that if the standard states it, I’m going to put my hands on it, look for it or its absence, and give the entry all the time it needs to move around the ring. Some shorthaired/smooth coated breeds are quicker to judge than long-coated entries. But each entry is going to get its money’s worth in my ring.

Here is where I often do not meet your expectations: I am not going to console you when you do not win. I usually am excited when I find a “great dog” in my ring, but not really excited just because you are in my ring. I rarely look up to see that Mr. or Ms. Top Handler is on the end of the lead. If your dog does not meet the standard as closely as another entry, in my analysis, it will not win. I will not take the time to console you as that is not my job. What do I want from you? I want you to be courteous, professional, on time, and grateful when your dog wins a ribbon—regardless of the color. If someone gives you something, your “mama” taught you to say “thank you.” Practice what “your mama taught you” in my ring when I hand you a ribbon, please. Be gracious in your dog’s defeat. It will become you so much more than a “hummmph” or deadly silence as you leave the ring.

Also, be ready to enter my ring when your class is called. Being ready is a show of respect for your fellow participants who are at ringside waiting to enter. The fact that you are still brushing out your dog, can’t find your armband, want me or the steward to make you a new one are all disconcerting to me, the steward, and your fellow competitors. Remember that golden AKC rule: “A judge is not required to wait for an exhibitor.” (AKC’s Rules and Regulations Applying to Dog Shows) Your lack of preparedness, organization, and handling skills, etc., outside of the ring are of no concern to me—unless it impedes your preparedness to enter the ring when your class is called. Finally, clean up after yourself. (Another lesson from your mama) Pick up bait that you have strewn around the ring. Sometimes, the remnants of bait left behind in a ring could feed a small country for a day. Dogs that are handled by those who do not use bait are distracted at the bits of bait around the ring, causing dogs to lose their concentration and to interrupt their gait and some hungry handlers have slowed to get a glimpse of a big piece of steak in the corner of a ring. The steward and the judge are not there to clean up after you nor your dog.

Dogs: What do you want from me? I expect you want a steady and soft hand as I go over your body. I am certain you want me to be able to determine correct breed type, balanced movement, and your skeletal and muscular structure as described in your standard. I will do my best to be calm, confident, and reassuring when I approach you on the table or on the ground. I do want to be your friend, albeit for a couple of minutes. I promise you that I will be thorough in my examination. I usually leave to your handler the opening of the mouth to examine your bite and teeth placement. You’re usually more calm and adjusted to the handler’s touch and procedure. If you have a small mouth, I might slide your lips open to check your bite, but I promise to be as gentle as you let me be. And dog guys, I will do my best to neither grab nor jerk your “family jewels” during the REQUIRED examination. What do I want from you? I want you to be trained. I don’t want you to use my ring for your initial dog show experience. I want you to be clean—coat shampooed and dried—free of mats and tangles. Finally, I want you to use the exercise pen/bush/rock/hydrant/pants leg of another handler a long, long time before you enter my ring. (For those breeds that cannot read, I hope your handler/ owner/breeder will read the above to you.)

Public: What do you want from me? I expect the first thing you want from me is to be able to make sense of what I am doing in the ring as a judge. You expect me to be consistent in my placements; give each entry a fair and thorough examination. I suspect that you want me to show enthusiasm and interest in what I am doing. You probably want me to be engaged at all times—maybe “engaging” might be too much to ask! You probably want me to focus on what is happening in my ring—not the surrounding rings—to avoid looking at my watch or checking my phone for messages. What do I want from you? I want you to come back and bring others. I want you to encourage your children to get involved in Junior Showmanship. I want you to love your dog or your neighbor’s dog or dogs in general. I want you to get involved in your local kennel club. I want you to help us protect and ensure the future of this sport we love so much. I want you to fight Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) when the Animal Rightists try to browbeat your governing fathers into restricting yet one more freedom of ours. I want you to become a participating citizen in our Dog Show Community. Make it an outing for your family. Study the breeds in which you are interested. Make a scavenger hunt game for your children on a breed or breeds. Find a favorite breed/entry and cheer for it wildly. Both dog and handler will be appreciative of your enthusiasm and support. Have a purpose and get involved as a spectator at a dog show. Finally, next year, come back and bring your neighbors with you.

Provisional Judges: What do you want from me? I hope you want me to share: share my knowledge about the breed(s) that I love so dearly; share any tips on ring management; share any insight I might have about maneuvering through the maze of paperwork for additional breeds; share where the restrooms are; share where the stumps are as you try to walk on water. I hope you want me to be encouraging if you’re provisional in my breed or any breed for that matter. I expect you want me to welcome you into the “fold” and invite you to share a lunch table or include you in dinner plans so you are not alone all weekend. I hope you would like for me to make room for you in the judges’ “box” for group judging. (As a non-group judge, I learned to “walk right in and sit right down.” It also helps to have a friend who has been there often as a Group/BIS judge.) Finally, I expect you want me to include you in the weekend’s activities outside of the show responsibilities. It’s lonely being alone! What do I want from you? I want you to ask about judging tips or standard interpretation; to talk about breeds in which we share an interest. (Discussing breeds at ringside is an exciting learning experience for all parties regardless of how long one has been judging.) I want you to share your experiences with me: judging, breeding, and/or handling experiences so I may learn more about you and your breed as well.

Juniors: What do you want from me? I hope you want me to care about your experience in my ring. I expect you want me to provide a learning experience while you are there. As in the breed ring, I suspect you want me to be fair in my evaluation of your handing abilities. I know that you want me to be able to discuss with you what improvements you can make. Be sure to ask when it is convenient for you to do that. And, bring your dog back with you when I respond to your inquiries. Overall, I expect you want to have a positive experience in my ring. What do I want from you? I want you to be prepared when you come to my ring—practice, train, and more practice. I want you to enter my ring expecting to learn from me and from other Juniors. I expect you to listen to my directions and follow them explicitly. I expect you to show enthusiasm and interest by focusing on what is happening at all times. I expect you to show good sportsmanship, be enthusiastic, and be encouraging to less-experienced Juniors. I want you to ask questions after the judging is over. I want you to thank your family for supporting you in your endeavors. I want you to want to be the future of our sport—studying hard, making good grades, and learning all the ins and outs of showing dogs.  I want you to be the best mentor you can be in and out of the ring—the best ambassador for our sport!

Lots of expectations on both sides of the equation. Lambert asks in his song, “What do you want from me?” His fans obviously want more hit songs, want to see him more, and want to buy more of his music. I hope this article has helped the reader form some new “wants” and expectations for the sport we all love. What would really be exciting is if we became the “American Idol” for our sport and share that energy with all around us. I believe our sport will be stronger if we all work to live up to each other’s expectations, satisfy our dog show-related wants, and support with all our energies this community many of us call “family”.

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