There is no single answer to this question. I have discussed it many times, and my answer remains the same: it depends. It depends on which breed we are talking about and it depends on what you mean by better. It is undeniable that with the advances in nutrition and veterinary medicine, many breeds have better longevity and health. In the show ring, we certainly see more coat. Whether that is a better thing or not is debatable. Excessive coat is being used to cover a lot of structural faults, and I do not think that is to the betterment of the breed. Grooming has become much better, and in many breeds, we are often looking at a grooming competition. Again, that is not breed improvement.

In general, and that is VERY general, I have seen better heads in many breeds. However, this includes a BUT. In breeds that require parallel planes, I think breeders are doing a pretty decent job. And yet, there are breeds that call for divergent planes, and unfortunately, many are moving towards parallel planes (probably because there are breeders that do not understand why the breed requires divergent planes). There are also breeds that require a level top line, and these are being shown – and bred – for a sloping topline. Maybe handlers think this looks fancier. I just think it looks wrong.

A few breeds – actually, maybe it is a few breeders – have significantly improved their breed. However, we still need to work on improving fronts, shoulder layback, and a structure that results in correct movement.

So, the correct answer to this question is -it depends.

About the judge: Mr. Sid Marx is an AKC judge with 50+ years experience judging.  He currently judges the Sporting, Hound, & Terrier Groups, Best in Show and Jr's.  He also writes a wonderful column for Dog News titled, The Judge Marx the Spot.