Keeping Our Breeds Unique

Keeping Our Breeds Unique

Currently, 201 breeds are recognized by the American Kennel Club to participate in Conformation competition. That gives exhibitors every opportunity to find a compatible breed in appearance and temperament. Whether your personal tastes run to long and low or square and up on leg; drop-coated, wire-haired or hairless, you’ll hit on an aesthetic match. So why do so many exhibitors and professional handlers feel they must resort to generic grooming and presentation instead of honoring the qualities that make each breed unique? Why choose a breed with a known look and then feel you’re entitled to a do-over? And why do some judges not only accept generic presentation but perpetuate the problem by imposing a one-size-fits-all approach to the dogs in their rings?

Is it ignorance or arrogance that makes some exhibitors feel they can “carve out” a dog when its Breed Standard forbids trimming in the strictest possible terms? Should anyone consider themselves “bigger” than the Standard? The Standard isn’t an a la carte restaurant menu; we don’t get to choose Column A items while conveniently ignoring those from Column B. I have even had exhibitors and handlers roll their eyes when I quote from a Standard. What happened? Did some Facebook group declare Breed Standards old-fashioned, even obsolete, while I was sitting at home in my smoking jacket, reading Shakespeare and Chaucer? Breed Standards are still the guide we use to evaluate dogs in the ring, controversial social media posts notwithstanding.

No exhibitor should expect to show a setter, spaniel or terrier without extensive trimming and scissoring. It’s part and parcel of breed tradition. By the same token, don’t expect to carve out an Afghan Hound, Tibetan Spaniel or Cavalier in defiance of the Standard, which in all cases prohibits the practice. It disrespects the breed and flies in the face of tradition. Yes, we know “hair grows back.” That’s not the point.

Equally offensive is exaggerated presentation that gives a dog visual faults it doesn’t have. If a breed is meant to be square and up on leg, with a level topline, why would you think overstretching the rear to achieve a sloping topline is appropriate? It absolutely is not. It’s a bad look for both the dog and you. And when the judge goes over the dog and silently fixes the rear, don’t change it back!

If your breed is meant to move at a specific speed to accentuate a hallmark trait—the stilted gait of a Chow, the roll of a Pekingese or Bulldog—don’t run to keep up with the Poodle and turn your exhibit, that may actually move correctly when allowed to, into a generic show dog.

Judges must be cognizant of what makes each breed unique, and not succumb to the one-size-fits-all philosophy. Recently, I saw a Toy Group judge look frustrated as a young but very lovely Cavalier Best of Breed winner did a little twirling rather than assume a rigid free-baiting position. The judge actually instructed the owner-handler to kneel down in the lineup, which is never done in this breed, and put the exhibitor in a very awkward position. She did not want to disobey the judge nor show the dog in a manner that is frowned upon by the parent club and all established Cavalier breeders. After a moment or two of hesitation by the owner-handler, the judge simply walked past her.

A Group judge is expected to be familiar with the nuances of all the breeds in the ring, and thus not succumb to the “generic show dog” approach. A Bloodhound or a Greyhound should not be expected to show like an Afghan Hound. A Mastiff should not be expected to show like a Doberman. Not all breeds are expected to free-bait. To expect fast speed and flying hair from every dog in the Group ring is disrespectful to the breeds, and speaks volumes for a judge’s priorities. There’s a reason many longtime breeder-exhibitors believe the most important judging happens at the Best of Breed level.

While dog shows have traditionally been the place where our breeding stock is evaluated, they must also serve as a venue where our breeds are showcased to the public for their varied histories and unique characteristics. Let’s continue to honor their differences, and guard against any tendency to exhibit them in a generic manner.