TODAY'S QUESTION: 

 "As an AKC judge with over 50 years of experience and a former AKC delegate, is there a department for breeders and exhibitors to express their concerns to the AKC and betaken seriously? Many experienced breeders and exhibitors are increasingly concerned about the steady decline in participation at conformation shows, as well as in all-breed and specialty clubs. AKC has never truly taken a strong stance on the issues related to poor judging and politics within some judging circles.

"Instead of addressing the concerns of breeders on these and many other issues, the AKC seems to be more interested in profiting from the popularity of  phenomenon by inviting these mixed-breed and rescue dogs to compete in a variety of new events and earn titles.

"Add this to the politics and infighting that occur in local and national breed clubs, many of which offer little or no educational and better breeding information to their members."

There are a number of questions here – all basically relating to the relationship between the dog show community and the AKC. I will try to answer them in the order they were asked. Before I get into that, let’s understand that just complaining about something in general – without specifics or a suggestion as to how to improve it, doesn’t do anyone any good, and simply adds to the negativity. I can assure you that everyone at the AKC is equally concerned about the perceived decline of participation at conformation events. I have spoken to members of the Board, who are also judges, and they see the same things you do.

As with anyone, I don’t always agree with everything the AKC does, but I do sincerely believe that the people at the AKC want to continually improve things. As with any large organization, sometimes making changes is like turning an iceberg. If anyone has something that they would like to see addressed by AKC, I would suggest that the first line of contact for them would be their club’s delegate. That is the role of the delegate – to represent the club and its members. Discuss it at club meetings, and then direct your delegate how to handle this at the delegate meetings. If your delegate is not active, and does not represent you with a passion, then it is time to change delegates. And yes, I do know that not all clubs have a delegate. The next contact point would be the AKC Board of Directors, and their email addresses are available. Many of the people on the Board have been – or still are – exhibitors and judges, so I believe – for the most part - they are in tune with what is happening at shows.

As for addressing the issue of “poor judging,” let’s agree that there are certainly too many instances of poor judging, but there are also as many instances of judging complaints by those who simply have not won and perceive an injustice. Unfortunately, a lot of judging is a matter of perception and opinion. There is not always an obvious This or That for every decision. To say that the AKC has not taken a strong stance against poor judging is unfair. AKC has had many iterations of educational opportunities and requirements for judges throughout the years. They are continuing to do so with the certification requirements. There are also regular webinars on various issues run by Tim Thomas that are available to all judges. The primary difficulty and source of much of the “poor judging” is a matter of ethics. It is extremely difficult – if not impossible – to legislate ethics. If you see what you consider to be blatant favoritism or poor judging, discuss it with the AKC Rep at the show. That Rep will probably make a point of observing that judge at some point that weekend. You can also write a letter to the Judges Department at the AKC. Letters about judges are often placed in their file, and if there are enough of them, I would imagine AKC Reps would observe them at more shows, and enough negative letters may stop that judge from being approved for more breeds. But to just sit around and “bitch” about it, doesn’t do anyone any good. By the way, educating judges on specific breeds is the job of the Parent Club, and the AKC staff, delegates and Board offers these opportunities at seminars – such as those at the AKC shows in Florida at the end of the year. If a knowledgeable member of a Parent Club (not just someone who has lost) sees a judge doing a poor job on her breed, she should ask to speak with the judge or report back to the Parent Club.

As for allowing mixed-breeds to participate at AKC events, I don’t happen to agree with that because I think it is against the By-Laws, but this was a business decision, and to some extent, we all should want to acknowledge and protect ALL dogs. If enough clubs were against this, and if they had good delegate representation, maybe this would not have been approved. The Board of Directors are elected from the delegate body, and again, if your delegate is not fighting for what your club believes, replace that delegate. Your delegate is your voice at the AKC.

As for infighting at all-breed and parent clubs, the AKC really has no authority in this area. If the membership of these clubs has allowed this to happen, it is not the fault of the AKC. As with life, sitting quietly on the sidelines, and just allowing things to happen are as bad as participating in those things. Clubs – like our community – are rapidly graying. If you care, join a club so you can be part of the solution. Members are always needed.

I hope this answers your questions, and I sincerely believe that with all our faults – and we have many – this is still a very special community. We need active, passionate members.

Enjoy your dogs.

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Many thanks to judge Sid Marx for sharing his wisdom, experience, and insight that helps and encourages exhibitors to gain greater understanding and success in the show ring.

For those of you who would like to hear more from Sid Marx, read his column The Judge Marx the Spot in Dog News magazine and online at: https://www.dognews.com/sid-marx-0. His great articles help answer many questions that exhibitors have about judging and showing their dogs. 

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