Kelli Edell
1. I have been breeding and showing Kelwyn Scottish Terriers for more than 20 years in the Houston area, but have been “owned” by this wonderful, engaging breed for 56 years. I am a preservation breeder who strives for perfection, does not take short cuts in breeding, and has bred many beautiful, healthy dogs.
2. While it is in my nature to find the positive in any situation, I am sorry to say that, in my opinion, this wonderful breed is in the worst condition it has been in for the last 20 years. As a preservation breeder, I want to see dogs exhibited that are healthy and correct to the Breed Standard. Unfortunately, it is becoming the exception to see a dog with breed type exhibited, and even more unusual for it to win. There are many reasons why, but the trends that are contributing to the problem are all converging into something that will be very difficult to correct. It is not impossible, but we need to tackle this problem immediately to avoid losing any more breeders and/or exhibitors.
3. First, the number of shows must be reduced. Entries are down and it is very difficult to find majors. This is a barrier for all participants. Unfortunately, for a relatively small-entry breed, Scottish Terriers have always had a large number of Regional Specialties and now the number seems to be expanding exponentially. Clubs that struggle to generate majors at an annual Specialty now want to host two Specialties on the same day and perhaps as many as four over a weekend. They may even want two Specialty weekends per year. This is clearly a move in the wrong direction. Instead of hosting one show and encouraging a large entry, which would mean a “special” win, they may have several shows with “Specialty wins” that are anything but “special.”
Judging is currently in the worst state I have seen. This is a huge issue to tackle and must be the top priority. There are too few judges overall; quality judges seem virtually nonexistent; and integrity in applying the Standards must be improved. Reducing the number of shows and increasing the entries per show will help to qualify new judges, but it is not just the number—the quality must also be improved. I truly believe that a grading system for judges must be developed and implemented, with the resulting grades published. Important assignments should only go to judges generating high marks. As for integrity in applying the Standards, that is a difficult issue to address and as such will require difficult decisions to be made. The key is to first remove conflicts of interest. No matter how you spin it, competing against the very same dogs you are judging is a conflict.
4. What does MCKC represent to me? It has been the ultimate showcase for breeding stock for all terrier breeders. I have always gone with high hopes to see a wonderful new potential stud dog or his get that illustrate what he can produce. With the current state of judging, I believe that people are less willing to spend the money and endure the travel required to exhibit their dogs at MCKC, hence many of the best examples of the breed will not be seen. This only serves to increase the trend of breeding to the “new Standard” which does not exist. The Standard has not changed, but with incorrect tall, narrow, squarish dogs without digging fronts or butt behind the tail regularly winning, the notion of a new Standard is reinforced.
5. Social media has a huge influence on everything—some positive and some negative. It is a wonderful tool used to get information out to exhibitors. However, it is likely the worst thing that has happened with regard to judging. It is inappropriately used every day to influence the outcome of an assignment.
6. As I’ve previously stated, there is no silver bullet to fix the problems plaguing the dog show community. However, improving the quality of judging will result in improving everything, including breeding practices and the quality of the dogs.
7. With the disappointment many people have experienced in Conformation, it is no surprise to watch people move away from Conformation and toward performance events. That is where I have seen the most positive changes over the last decade. People really want to win on merit, not lose to politics.
