Developing an Eye for a Dog

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DEVELOPING AN EYE FOR A DOG

‍Understanding the Mystery of Breed Type

‍-Begins with having an “Eye”

‍By Richard Beauchamp

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‍The innate ability to assess breed type has become known as “having an eye.” It’s a sense of stockman-ship, the ability to recognize a fine animal. But yet, even beyond that, it’s a highly developed sense of proportion, symmetry, and balance. Even with this gift, this eye, it still takes time to unfathomed all the subtleties of breed type. Good teachers can provide the proper clues that…

‍Having An “Eye” For A Dog

‍By Claudia Orlandi, PhD

‍The wide range of quality in the dogs produced in any breed tells us that not everyone is born to be a breeder. Experts feel that one of the most accurate predictors of a breeder’s potential to produce animals of high quality is whether he possesses an "eye for a dog. “ The importance of having an “eye for a dog’” cannot be overstated. There are some extremely knowledgeable breeders who can “talk a great dog,’” but are not able to produce an outstanding specimen. The consistent breeding of show quality dogs should be…

Judges Rules of Fives

Breed Type - You Should Know It When You See It

By Barbara J. Andrews

As judge or breeder, observe any Group ring and note that no two dogs are identical and no two standards put equal emphasis on the same features of type. Working breeds may emphasize soundness whereas Toys stress esthetic beauty and Terriers want temperament that never quits. All are critical to Breed Type and it is by your knowledge of Type that you will be judged.

‍It seems the question, “Which is more important, soundness or type?” is one answered periodically and pretty conclusively, only to be raised time and time again. We can understand the why of the question – getting one or the other is far easier to come by than finding both to an acceptable degree in the same animal.

‍A typical example of lack of understanding can be seen in a letter I received from someone who had judged a very large entry at a breed specialty match. The writer spoke of “a bitch in one of the classes that was plain, not very typey, and she never put a foot wrong.” It appears the writer was … READ MORE…

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QUOTES

“KENNEL BLINDNESS is not just your incapability to acknowledge your own dogs’ faults, but also your inability/refusal to recognize your competitors dogs’ virtues.”

-Diane Burvee

French Bulldog breeder and AKC Judge

‍“Did you see that Bulldog move? He flew around the ring like a German Shepherd! Wow, why don’t we get a Bulldog to show!”

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This is the kind of comment one might hear standing at ringside during Group competition. Actually it has far less to do with Bulldogs than it does with a threat to the typical movement of all breeds. Though it might come as a complete surprise to some, the purpose of checking movement in the show ring is not to determine how much showmanship and charisma the dog has. Movement is a test of conformation. It tells us whether or not a dog is constructed properly to perform in the capacity for which the breed was created… READ MORE…

When we look at dog shows in general and competition at group level in particular, we are often struck by an all too frequent trend towards a convergence of breed characteristics especially when it comes to movement.

The question is: are we looking for an all-round show dog, flashy and sound enough, but not exactly epitomizing its breed type? Are we, as breeders and judges, tempted to ask for the same attributes on all show dogs, regardless of the breed?

Movement is a measure of a dog's conformation.

‍An Eye For A Dog - The Art & Science of Judging

‍By Gretchen Bernardi

‍Knowledgeable, competent and honest judges are essential to the showing and breeding of quality purebred dogs. Judges are an integral part of the very foundation of our sport upon which almost everything we do depends, that is, if we are still interested in quality. … If we want excellence in our dogs, we need excellence in our judges.

‍Did you ever wonder why people disagree about the winners at a dog show? We all have at one time or another, but we know from our experiences that what we think we observed usually depends on many things. At most shows it’s a matter of where you sit or stand during the judging and what you know about the breed standard, structure and movement...

‍Ear Crops & Tail Docks - Faults in Context

‍By Richard Beauchamp

‍Many judges consider one of the more enjoyable and interesting parts of any dog show is the Sunday night “postmortem”. It is the time when those judges who weren’t able to catch a late night flight out gather for dinner or a few drinks and discuss the weekend’s judging experiences. Recently one of them was in regard to the ever-increasing number of dogs appearing in American show rings with uncropped ears and natural tails. More and more kennel clubs throughout the world are taking the matter out of the hands of exhibitors and making any dog that is cropped or docked ineligible to be shown. Just about everyone at the table had their own thoughts in regard to the situation, but… READ MORE…

A Turn of Phrase

Every culture has its language. Let's use ours correctly!

By Sid Marx

Language is very important to me, and I want words to be used correctly. Actually, I NEED them to be used properly… Every business, social organization or culture has its own language – readily understood by those who are “in,” but not so apparent to “outsiders… We, in our dog community, also have our own language. Sometimes what we say is very descriptive, but it can also be confusing. Don’t think so? Take a look around you in a restaurant when “dog people” are overheard to be discussing “that beautiful bitch” by those in the “outside world.” So, I decided to review some of the terms we just seem to accept in our “family.”What is a “good judge”? If you ever want to start an argument in our dog-show community, just start talking about judges. READ MORE…

‍The Cocker Spaniel

‍Seeing Movement Beyond the Coat

‍Movement is more than “flash and dash,” or how fast your dog moves around the show ring. Outstanding movement is based on proper structure. How your dog is built determines his stride. Proper structure allows a dog to go the distance with less effort and gives him improved shock absorbency in athletic activities such as Agility and hunting. Good structure enables him to remain sound throughout his lifetime. While the Breed Standard gives lists of traits and attributes of the breed, we will highlight some of these with visual examples.

Outstanding parti-color cocker of the late 1970's - early 1980's

QUOTES

“Excellence in our breeds is more important than show entries, majors or win records, and if we are not pursuing that, then just what are we doing?

If we want excellence in our dogs, we need excellence in our judges.”

-Gretchen Bernardi

From her article - An Eye For A Dog - The Art & Science of Judging

‍“Show Quality” vs “Finishable”

‍At a recent dog show, several littermates of both sexes, handled by assorted novice owners, were entered in the 9-12 Month Puppy class. While none of the puppies exhibited disqualifying faults, they were generic in type and not what I would consider “show quality.” The judge that day agreed. The puppies were not up to the competition, and the owners were disappointed that a younger, better-made puppy from the 6-9 Month class beat them for Reserve. At the completion of breed judging, one of the novice owners, who had seen me at earlier shows, approached me and asked, “What happened?”

READ MORE…

THE GREAT DEBATE

‍To Withhold or Not To Withhold Ribbons

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‍There has been much talk over the years as to whether judges should withhold ribbons. When a ribbon is withheld, exhibitors get upset. Judges fear future financial loss because angry exhibitors vow to never show to them again. AKC does not want to discourage new exhibitors from showing their dogs. But by not withholding ribbons, are we benefitting the cause of purebred dogs and helping new exhibitors improve their breeding programs?

‍Starting Over: When You Must

‍ Back Up to Get Ahead

‍By Allan Reznik

‍One of the hardest lessons to learn and to accept in our sport is that it will sometimes be necessary to rethink our decisions. However costly those decisions might have been, it usually proves even more costly to ignore the warning signs and forge ahead. When we are working with genes, Mother Nature often gets the last laugh. Also, because there is much subjectivity in the sport… The need to start over affects us all, novices and experienced breeder-exhibitors alike. Let’s look at six scenarios, and see how we can benefit from a do-over.

‍The Beginning: An Eye For A Dog

‍ by Kristi Tukua

‍An eye for quality in a chosen breed can be refined and improved through education by mentors, attending seminars, watching dogs in the ring, and practice evaluating puppies. Most Cocker fanciers probably got their first Cocker as a child, perhaps during the breed’s high-popularity years. Cockers were a frequent feature on calendars and other print ads. Many eyes are drawn to the long ears and soft look of the Cocker face!

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Judging Conformation from Photos

by Eilene White

With the popularity of Facebook, Instagram and other social media venues, we have access to hundreds of dog photos online. We have many chances to purchase a promising puppy or adult from the other side of the USA or even another country via advertising on Facebook. This can be a scary and sadly disappointing when the actual puppy arrives ..

‍SUGGESTED READING LIST

‍Explore a list of exceptional books and authors that will provide you with detailed insights to enhance your breeding program and achieve success in the show ring.

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‍GO TO THE READING LIST…

‍Developing an Eye

‍for a Dog

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