The Truth About the Dog Game: Judges Shouldn’t Be Lemmings

Are we Lemmings?

It is now the end of the first quarter and the dog show year is set. In my household, we have a running discussion about picking who will be top dog in each Group before St. Patrick’s Day. By this time, it seems like the lemmings have lined up and autopilot gets switched on. Actual dog judging, if there is any, ends at Group time when many judges no longer seem to evaluate breeding stock on breed-specific merit. This appears to be the “new normal” for our, for lack of a more appropriate word, sport.

I have never really thought of this activity as a sport, and now more than ever I know it is really a game. The game is to gather the most Group wins and dogs defeated by year’s end. Do not get confused, the focus is on numbers of dogs defeated and numbers of Group wins. It sometimes makes me wonder if the breeding stock evaluation is lost forever!

By now, the race for Group wins and points is well underway, and the smart handlers, who are also playing the game, are off and winning. In many cases, the Group rankings will not change from this point forward. This is a phenomenon I have never understood. How can so many judges with individual opinions end up agreeing about one dog all year? How does one dog get a following? How does one person always select the same exhibit?

Please do not misunderstand. It is fun to win and it can be fun to play the game. However, we cannot confuse winning (or losing) with proper breed evaluation. The sad reality is that the dog show becomes more about SHOW than DOG in the Group ring today. We have all heard the “breed-specific” evaluation of “He was asking for it today” or “That dog had a great day, he was really on.” Seriously? Is this how we make choices as judges?

Let us put our truths on the table here. All dog judges struggle with outside influences. It is normal. We bring baggage from the whelping box, from friendships, or from previous experiences with dogs and handlers into the ring with us. We often know the handlers from years of showing with—or against—them. We get the dog magazines (free) and we watch dog shows. So, we come with a set of life experiences that can color our decisions. Additionally, there is peer pressure from other judges, and intimidation from handlers at ringside, but we have to stay in the zone and judge independently of these nuisances. As a judge, it’s important to take an extra moment to clear your mind and get focused on your job of breed evaluation. Remind yourself of your obligation today and remember that an entry is a privilege. Doing your best job adjudicating is mandatory.

Today, the trouble is that better examples of dogs are not being recognized for their qualities because of the game mentality this sport has taken on. Judges are following rather than leading. They are not judging independently; rather, they appear to go with the flow. Folks: This is why our dog show entries are down. Breeders are not bothering to show to judges who are playing the game and NOT evaluating breeding stock. If you do not hear that at dog shows today… you are not listening.

Our current system is creating judges who can fake it through a day of sorting dogs with no real damage done. However, can these judges recognize quality dogs that are owner-handled; not presented professionally but clearly superior to the current top winner in the ring? There are great dogs out there, not advertised, not professionally handled, not bankrolled, and some of them even win! We must keep an open mind to be able to see and treat each exhibit equally in order to find the best example of the breed being presented, regardless of who is showing it. Sadly, today, if you don’t advertise you cannot have a top winner. There is a serious lack of independent thinking that results in the unadvertised exhibit frequently being overlooked.

I love dogs. I get great joy out of breeding purebred dogs and creating a vision from my interpretation of the Breed Standard. I like to evaluate dogs and look at dogs, and discuss their virtues and nuances. I get a high from the uniqueness of different breeds. I thrive on the evaluation process. I know I am not alone in this.

I wrote this to try to help remind each us all to have the courage and knowledge to do our jobs well, to be independent and free of outside influences, and to stay true to ourselves. Let us try to celebrate our individuality and unique perspective as a judge.

Let me share an exercise with you. As a breeder or a judge, please think about this challenge: Pick your favorite blue paint color. Your job is to select the best blue paint you can find today. Go to Lowes, Home Depot, or Menard’s and check out the wide range of blue paints. Pick one from the hundreds of choices. Chances are few people would come back with the same exact color. Additionally, after a week or two, you might choose a different blue sample. That initial choice may grow tired and fade. Perhaps you will seek a bolder, brighter, or lighter shade. It might look different outside in the sun as opposed to interior lighting. Your vantage point changes and so would your choice.

In the end, all of us would pick our favorite blue, but those blues would definitely not be the same blue. Should not judging be the same way, about individual interpretation and choice, and not about joining the lemmings as they tumble over the cliff into the sea?