‍Ask A Judge

‍Answers By Sid Marx

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‍Today’s Question:

‍ “What advice can you give breeders who are considering becoming judges? What should my motivation be for wanting to be a judge? Besides the AKC requirements, what real experience do I need to have to make a good judge?"

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‍Some very good questions here, and obviously you need to make sure you understand and follow the AKC requirements. I would also suggest that is might be a good idea to make an appointment to speak with your local AKC Representative for some direction. They can be very helpful. I am glad to see this question come up, because as our judging community becomes even grayer, we will need more judges. Beyond that, we need more GOOD judges.

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‍As for motivations, I imagine there are many different ones, and my naiveté wants to believe that at least one motivation is a desire to give back to our community. For me, after years of this community being an integral part of your life, I would hope you want to see it continue. All of us have unfortunately seen poor judging, and realize how that can have a serious negative impact on our breeds. So, I would hope that at least a part of wanting to become a judge is to be a good judge.

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‍If you want to become a judge for the perceived glory (and it is a misconception) of standing in the middle of the ring and pointing, please do us all a favor and tear up your application. In addition to breed knowledge and passion, the most important quality a judge can have is integrity. Unfortunately, there is no way to study for this – you need to just always look inside yourself and in the mirror.

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‍I would recommend that a “judge wannabe” should try to see as many breeds as possible doing the job for which they were created. Attend seminars that offer “field work.” Attend barn hunts. Attend field trials and hunts. Try to see the breeds for which you will apply in every possible venue. In addition, when at a show, watch as many breeds within the group for which you will apply – and the group judging - to get a feel for similar breeds and observe judging procedures – good and bad. Don’t just show your dog and leave.

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‍Attend as many specialties as physically and fiscally possible. Talk to breeders – good breeders – to get an idea about the nuances that are very important to a breed. Ask what breeders think are the strengths and weaknesses in their breed. Take advantage of the many breed webinars that are offered by AKC.

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‍Talk to judges who have been approved for that breed for many years. Before sitting with a breeder or judge to do a ringside observation, study the breed and have a list of questions for your mentor. Be prepared for every mentoring opportunity – want to learn, not just get a box checked. One of the ways to get a good feel for judging a breed is to take advantage of doing an in-ring observation. One caveat – for every breed learning experience make sure you are working with someone you truly respect in that breed. Try to learn from the best.

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‍I understand that opportunity to judge at match shows is very limited. Try to judge as many sweepstakes as you can. Take advantage to judge non-regular groups – such as Veteran Groups, Bred-By groups, etc. Once you are approved for a single breed, try to judge as many NOHS groups as possible. The more times you are in the ring, the more comfortable you will feel.

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‍Once you are approved, realize that you are not done. Stay in touch with your mentors and discuss your judging after the show is over. As a matter of fact, good judges realize that their education is never over, and often come away from a show having learned something new.

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‍I wish you luck, and I hope you never lose your passion for our dogs.

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‍I would like to thank AKC judge, Mr. Sid Marx for giving breeders and exhibitors, who are considering becoming judges, advice, insight, and important aspects to consider before applying to be an AKC judge. Thank you for reminding all of us the importance of giving back to the dog show community.

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‍You may also enjoy reading other great articles, both current and past, by Sid Marx in his column which appears in Dog News magazine and online, The Judge Marx the Spot at https://www.dognews.com/sid-marx-0

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