JUDGES' CORNER
(A peek inside the mind of dog show judges)
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From Pat Mann:
Well, this is a new experience for me being interviewed as a judge. Asking me for my view point gives me an opportunity to let you know how very different being on this side of the ring really is. It puts a different outlook on everything and an understanding of the difference in showing and judging.
I feel that when I judge my opinion may have an impact of how people will continue to show and breed their dogs. If I were to reward a poor quality animal it could point people in the wrong direction. It is quite a responsibility and I take it very seriously. I review the standard before each judging assignment. It is important to judge an animal by the standard as it is written, not by our personal likes or dislikes. Look for virtues, not faults and never fault a dog for something that is not stated as a fault in the standard. The national club has worked long and hard along with AKC to establish these standards and we must abide by them. One thing to remember... the judge does the hands-on exam which is an advantage in determining the quality of the animal. All animals have good and bad days. Behavior can affect a judge's opinion; you cannot reward a dog that is misbehaving or not willing to give a good performance. Conditioning may also play a part in the overall picture.

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From Jon Kimes:
Many people develop an interest in judging at some point in their dog breeding careers. I personally believe very good judges are extremely hard to come by and I think there is always room for someone who has the ability to judge well. Here are some pointers about judging that might give you another perspective. The purpose of judging is to select the breeding stock that is most likely to produce the best quality stock. Judging decisions should always be based on this perspective. I am always about the best "show dog". There should rarely be a difference between what makes a great producer and what makes a great show dog. While we all think a judge has about 3 minutes per dog, the truth is the judge has about one to one and a half minutes to actually focus on the dog. Experienced judges (those past their provisional assignments) are expected to judge 25 dogs per hour. That's 60/25 = 2.4 minutes per dog. Now take the time it takes to get a class in the ring, check armbands, move them around the ring and decide on your placements and you have very little time to really study and focus on a particular dog. To be a good judge you must have a quick, alert mind that processes information immediately and can assemble pieces of information into a cogent argument for placing one dog over another. The quality of the dogs in a class is not what makes judging easier or more difficult. What makes judging easier is the discreet differences between the dogs. A class of poor dogs, of mediocre dogs or of high quality dogs can be equally hard to judge if they are made up of dogs of similar quality. A class made up of a very good dog, a good dog, a mediocre dog and a poor dog is a snap. While conditioning, training and showmanship may factor into your decision, remember you are judging breeding dogs. Don't overly reward things which are not genetic. Know your priorities before you go into the ring; don't try to figure them out while you're judging. Don't try to put on a show while judging. Don't spend a lot of time looking at dog A if he's your clear winner; you'd best spend your time on dogs B, C and D to ensure you have them placed correctly. People often are confused when I appear to ignore everything in the ring except two dogs and they go third  and fourth. That's because I already know who my first and second placements are. Spend your time where you need to make good decisions all down the line. Always be polite to your exhibitors. They've worked a lot harder and probably spent more money than you to get to the show, show them the respect they deserve. Be decisive. I always say, "if you can't be right, at least be fast". Ensure you give each dog an equal opportunity. If you are moving dogs individually, stand in the same place and have the dogs brought to you - That way they each are moved over the same ground. Don't fault judge. Almost no one gets any value from someone picking out a dog's faults. You must understand the breed well enough to know strong virtues when you see them. The ability of a judge is ascertained by their ability to select the future strong producers. If you think you can't be "judged" as a judge you are terribly wrong. Don't rush to be a judge. Learn, learn, learn. In the middle of the ring, you are completely exposed and any deficiencies you might possess - decisiveness, knowledge of type, knowledge of movement, ring procedure - is evident to everyone. Don't go into judging because you think it's prestigious. Judge because you believe you have the ability to advise breeders on their breeding programs (which is what you do when you are judging).
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