Should More Breeds Be Judged on the Ramp or The Table–Or Both?

Currently, only 10 breeds are designated to be judged on the ramp. These breeds are Clumber Spaniel, Lagotto Romagnolo, Sussex Spaniel, Basset Hound, Cirneco Dell’Etna, Kerry Blue Terrier, Bulldog, Keeshond, Chinese Shar-Pei, and Chow Chow. Effective February 26, 2025, the Spanish Water Dog will be moved from “ramp optional” to “ramp only.” While there are several breeds that are “ramp optional,” the decision to use a ramp is at the discretion of the judge, not the exhibitor.

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne, the smallest of the French Hound breeds, is judged on the table in its country of origin. However, in the United States, it is judged on the ground or ramp–again at the judge’s discretion. Most breeds similar in size to the Fauve are judged on the table at AKC shows.  Should the AKC establish guidelines for these newer breed clubs, or should the clubs be required to follow the judging practices of the breed’s country of origin?

Most recently, the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America voted to move the Portuguese Water Dog to the list of “ramp-optional” breeds effective 1/29/25. There are many reasons a breed club might vote to use a ramp. Using a ramp can make the process easier for both the judge and the exhibitor. At outdoor shows, elevating the dog off the grass allows the judge to view the dog more clearly from all angles. Exhibiting the dog on the ramp also brings the dog closer to the judge, helping to reduce the strain on the judge’s back from having to examine over 150 dogs per day. Elevating the dog may also make many dogs feel more at ease, as they are less likely to feel intimidated by someone looming directly above them during the examination.

All groups, except for the Toy Group (which is strictly table-only), have breeds that can be judged on the ground, ramp, or table. In recent years, we’ve seen group rings set up to accommodate both the table and the ramp without needing to bring out the ramp for a few select dogs. In January 2025, the Working Group will add a table-breed, the Danish-Swedish Farmdog, in addition to three ramp-optional breeds: Standard Schnauzers, German Pinschers, and Portuguese Water Dogs.

Do you think more breeds should be ramp- or table-optional? If so, which ones?

You can view the AKC list of table and ramp breeds here: https://images.akc.org/pdf/judges/table_breeds.pdf

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Posted by Liz on Dec 12 2024. 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.