“Judging Discussed” by Ann Gordon
Download this page in PDF formatThis article was written by Ann Gordon back in 1973 and tells of her starting, showing and then judging her breed, Dachshunds.
When I (Ann Gordon) started, I got a full sister to Aileen DeBrun’s dog, CH Willo-Mar’s Lucky Star ROMX, bred by Bill and Marcia Wheeler, Willo-Mar’s Ruby of Ravenridge, and a CH Falcon of Heying-Teckel ROMO, CH Dresel’s Allegro who I later bred together and produced CH Ravenridge’s Ravenette. I also got a great producing Smooth Special, CH Jolly Dachs George ROMO, and he produced several Champions for me, too. They were my foundation and I (Ann Gordon) said that I was satisfied, because they embodied the great Dachshund bloodlines of von Marienlust, Albion’s Own, Badger Hill, Gera and Heying-Teckel which, after much reading and studying, I decided were producing the best quality.
Several years of extensive exhibiting ensued. I was asked to judge some sanctioned matches and really enjoyed it. CH George had been retired as was Am and Can CH Ravenridge’s Big Red and CH Ravenridge’s Ravenette, so I contemplated taking the plunge and applying for a judging license. It took about a year to be licensed, since the apprentice system was still in effect at that time.
Judging is an awesome responsibilty! I have once before made this statement in an article I wrote about one of my first judging assignments. It is a serious thought. Passing judgment is a serious business. The quality of any breed is directly influenced by the JUDGES of that breed. It takes an individual who is new to the show ring quite a long time to gain enough knowledge about his specific breed to be able to make his own decisions about the quality of the dogs he sees in the ring, as well as to assess the quality of prospective dogs or bitches which he may wish to use in his breeding program. This person reliesheavily on a judge’s decisions.
Judging is a responsibilityto the exhibitor. Every exhibitor has made sacrifices to be there. Monetary sacrifices, to be sure, not to mention the hours of toil, training, grooming, and concernthat have been put into each entry. Thus every exhibitor is entitled to a thorough appraisal of his entry by the judge. Present judging schedules allow about two minutes per dog. This is not a great deal of time. Certainly, when the judge is making his final choice he must devote more time to those dogs he is considering for placement. This is only logical, but every entry should be given a thorough individual examinatio of body conformation and gait.
Much of what I learned in psychology courses as a university student has been forgotten, but one theory has remained with me. This being the theory of “gestalt” which states that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. I find myself applying this concept to the judging of dogs. The major components of the whole to be considered are balance, type, movement and style.
Let’s discuss balance first. Of course, it is most important to examine carefully the separate parts of a dog, but then let’s step back, put these parts together and see what the complete picture looks like. Sometimes the individual parts are all very acceptable, yet when taken all together they presenta less than pleasing or acceptable whole. There have been instances when certain parts have not been particularly pleasing to me, but, as I viewed the complete picture, the parts did fit and the overall appearance was pleasing. How many times have you heard, or thought to yourself,”That rear-end looks like it belongs to a different dog. It doesn’t match the front.” Yet there may be nothing really wrong with the hindquarters-they just don’t seem to fit the front. This is essentially balance
Another part of the whole that the judge must consider is type-is this animal a typical representative of his breed? All of his parts may be acceptable, they may fit together in a balanced picture, but, if he is a Dachshund, doe he LOOK like a Dachshund? Is he too fine-boned and too high-stationed, thus rather Whippet-like, or is he too low, too coarse, and thus rather Basset-lik. A Dachshund is a strong, sturdy animal , yet he must also possesselegance. This blend of sturdiness and elegance typifies a Dachshund. I remember judging a dog who was well-balanced, who moved well, yet had a Weasel-like head and a very short body. He just didn’t look like a Dachshund, thus he lacked type.
This brings me to the next criterion of selection: movement. Movement should be viewed from three perspectives. The dog must gait away from the judge so that irregularities such as toeing-in, hocking-in, too close, too wide, etc. can be discerned. Aberrations in front movement, such as toeing-in. crossing over, too close too wide, etc. can be determined a the dog gaits toward the judge. However, I find that after the aforememntioned evaluations have been made, a more complete evaluationof movement is made from the side. orward reach, rear drive and the overall symmetry of the dog’s motion can best be seen from this angle. Movementmust be a most important consideration. Many dogs can be beautifullly posed, but movementtells its own story. I recall a red open bitch class; my back was turned to them as I checked the book. As I turned, they were all perfectly posed. I quietly gasped , and said to myself, “What a beautiful class of bitches!” There were only six of them, but I had my work cut out for me, for they all looked so good.I did have my work cut out for me, but not in the manner I supposed. “Take them around the ring,” I said, and, as they began to move, my heart sank, for every one of them began to fall apart. Now, instead of the positive evaluation that I had been eagerly anticipating, my task became rather a negative one, that of determining the least faulty. This is NOT the way one likes to judge dogs. A positive approach must always be foremost in a judge’s evaluation. “Which dog, in my judgment,possesses overall the most desirable positives?” A selection is then made, based on balance, type and movement and on how these three combine to make up the whole. This assessment must be made in a time allotment of about two minutes per dog.
When several entries in the ring possess the preceding criteria in varying degrees, that elusive quality called style or showmanship comes into the picture. “He never let down…He is a showing fool…He put out the most… What a showman!”, are all phreases heard about a dog that has style. Other factors being relatively equal, the dog who possesses style will emerge the victor.Dachshunds, on the whole, are not as showy as some other breeds, thus a real showmantends to stand out even more.
A dog is judged on the basis of his competition in a given situation. Therefore, it is conceivable for a dog to place second in a class of two at one show and then go on to Winners at another show under the same judge. This is not an inconsistency on the judges part, but merely an entirely different set of circumstances. The two class entriesat the first show may both have been of very good quality, but a judge can only give one first place.
An obviously lovely specimenin a large class has been left out ofthe ribbons. “How could the judge be so blind or so stupid or both?” is in the minds of many of the ringside viewers. Perhaps the thoughts are vocalized. The Dachshund Standard lists four “serious faults”. Two of these serious faults deal with the bite: undershot or overshot. Before the standard was recently revised, thee words appeared after “serouis faults” in parentheses..{which may prevent a dog from recieving any show rating. if these are considered to be serious , then let’s take them seriously. There are times when a judge’s actions are based on factors not obvious to the onlookers. It is also interesting to note how severely some will criticize a judge for putting up a dog with a rather plain head; maybe the muzzle is a little short or the skull a little broad, yet if this is the only real failing of the dog, the standard considers this a minor fault (which may prevent a dog from recieving highest rating in championship competition). Again, I realize that these have been deleted, but I like to keep them in mind for I feel that they do help to keep the seriousness of faults in their proper perspective.
Many years have passed since that hot evening in Oklahoma when I got my first dachshunds. CH Jolly dachs George ROMO is now almost 10. CH Ravenridge’s Big Red and CH Ravenridge’s Ravenette will soon be 9. During these years, I have experienced much and I have learned much more about the world of dogs. But to me it is still the beginning for I look forward to many, many more years of learning, experiencing and enjoing this facet of my life.
Written by Ann Gordon
From the Feb/Mar 1973
Dachshund Variety Magazine