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A reflection on change in dog sports, from social media scrutiny to judging standards – and a call to restore civility and mentorship.
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Back in 1964, Bob Dylan released the song, The Times They Are A-Changin’. The song was a look at the changing landscape of America at the time. Here we are over 60 years later, and in many ways, those words are more appropriate than ever.
The twenty-first century has brought us into a world of global and technological changes never before seen in our society. Global trade, politics, war, religious changes, and societal changes are ever-present in the news and in our everyday lives.
It is also true that our beautiful sport of purebred dogs is undergoing constant change. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the behavior of today’s exhibitors. It seems everywhere you look during any show or trial, there is someone with a camera or a video tripod set up to capture what is going on in the ring. Reading some of the comments I see posted on social media, I often find myself questioning the motivation behind them.
Are the exhibitors looking for some type of “gotcha” moment to show what they feel are judges’ mistakes? Are they looking for flaws in their competition which they can use to justify why they should not have lost on that specific day?
On social media pages, people complain about judges, their procedures, and numerous other things. People often commiserate with posters and ask, “Did you tell the Field Rep at the show?”
One area that comes up on occasion is the subject of the scales and the wicket. Some people complain that the procedure was not done correctly, and the results should have been different.
Many Breed Standards state definitive minimums and maximums for height or weight; any exhibit not within those limits must be disqualified.
Judges of breeds that require the use of scales and the wicket must pass a test demonstrating proper procedures to ensure accurate evaluation of exhibits. However, in many cases, judges encounter both experienced and inexperienced exhibitors, which sometimes makes the process more difficult than it should be.
Usually, when a judge calls for the wicket or the scale, the Superintendent immediately notifies the AKC (American Kennel Club) Field Rep in attendance that the apparatus has been requested. Usually, the Field Rep heads straight to the ring to observe the procedure. The measurements are typically done with no issue, but sometimes they are not. Sometimes, the fault lies with the judge not following procedure. Often, the problem lies with the exhibit being measured. After witnessing the measurement, some people use their video (while some use hearsay) to inform the world what was done and blame the judge or the dog for the outcome if they think they were done in error.
There may be a better way.
Since the AKC Field Rep is notified that a judge is requesting the scale or the wicket and always goes over to observe, why not just have the Field Rep do the actual measurement? After all, who would be more capable? They know the rules and the procedures better than most of us. More importantly, they are an objective third party with no preference for a desired outcome and would not be subject to trying to alter the results.
As a third party, they couldn’t care less if the exhibit in question is “in” or “out.” In those few situations where there is no Field Rep on site, maybe the Superintendents could be used for this function. This would absolve so many judges from the criticism of the unhappy exhibitor.
There are many days when I wish I could go back to the simpler life I grew up with. I miss those days when people talked to each other, the neighborhoods where everybody knew your name and looked out for each other, and a country with leaders who would at least get together and use “common sense” to solve problems.
I also yearn to return to a time when our sport was filled with true sportsmen and women who cared more about their beloved breed than just wins and championship recognition.
It is rare today to see people of the same breed getting together, supporting one another, sharing thoughts and ideas and each other’s knowledge to improve their breed.
In general, people have not changed. In our sport, I would say the average of three to five years of participation for most is probably true. But why do these people fade away? What can we do to fix it?
We have more outlets to compete with our dogs than ever before. There are more resources available for exhibitors to learn from, which allows them numerous opportunities for success. Unfortunately, some of these resources also give some people the idea that all they need is a purebred dog, a few handling classes, and some grooming, and they will then know as much or more than fellow exhibitors, breeders, and judges who have dedicated a huge part of their lives to our wonderful sport.
Not long ago, we had fewer shows but larger entries in most breeds. With over one-half of all of our recognized breeds falling into the low-entry category, where it usually takes only four dogs or bitches for those coveted majors, have we made it too easy to earn a championship? Depending upon the breed and the location in which we compete, the quality and the numbers in competition also significantly influence those outcomes. In one division, it may take only four examples for that coveted major, while in another division it may take seven to 10 for that same major. As judges, we often see the quality within certain breeds varying greatly in different parts of the country. Why is that? It is the same breed with the same Breed Standard.
I certainly don’t know the answer to that question. After all, in our world today, with the advent of fresh-chilled and frozen semen to go along with natural breeding and all the health testing available, breeders have more resources than ever before to work together.
The AKC has allowed everyone to compete and succeed in many different venues. You can earn titles in various Performance events and a variety of championship levels in Conformation, and there is the National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS), designed explicitly for recognizing owner handlers who have for many years complained that the professionals have a clear advantage—a complaint I do not believe is true. However, I am happy that these individuals have another source from which to achieve their goals.
Nothing is truer than the fact that we all need each other. We need to respect each other’s opinions, even if we disagree. But it must be done with civility. The American Kennel Club, the breeders, judges, handlers, exhibitors, and most importantly, the clubs that host our events with the help of volunteers have all sacrificed so much for our sport.
The world is indeed changing, and we all need to look into the future by evaluating what we do well, addressing the areas that need work, and making an effort to improve things. Likewise, the AKC needs to try to fix many of the issues that plague our sport in today’s world.
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