How the Judge Sees You Showing Your Dog

                           Richard   Beauchamp

 

 There have been hundreds of books, articles and videos directed at learning to show dogs well, but as far as my research has revealed none of these instructive and informative tools have been presented from the perspective of the judge. The judge? Well, surprise - ask yourself, who is it that exhibitors are tirelessly learning to hone their handling skills for? You got it, the judge.

 

 Your mom may think you are without a doubt one of the brightest handling stars in the firmament, and you having won three of the last four shows you’ve entered, you are more than ready to agree with her estimation.

 

But, and that’s one of the biggest buts in the free world you’ll come across in your life (pun not really intended), neither you nor your doting mom count here. It’s how good your dog looks to the individual standing in the center of the ring that counts.

 

Learning what it takes to create the winning picture as seen from the other side of your dog is what is important. Granted, an important part of a judge’s responsibility is to be able to look beyond the handling to what is actually there. Do understand, a judge only has a couple of minutes to devote to each dog that is in the ring. The judge can’t examine, move, give handling lessons, and offer advice to every exhibitor of every dog that walks through those ring ropes. If he did, the smallest of our shows would run to at least midnight and that would be on the good days!

 

Before we go on, however, please understand I am not going to attempt to tell you where to put your dog’s feet or how to position his tail in the following. There is a proper way to present each and every breed, and understanding what is correct for the breed and knowing how to make that happen can only gain that knowledge.

 

Showing, watching and asking questions of the successful individuals in your breed will reveal the technique and “mechanics” of the breed you have selected, and if you pay attention you will soon learn where to put your hands and your dog’s feet.

 

But back to what I/we as judges see. When I observe a dog go around with a restricted gait, even when it’s obvious that the handler of the dog is unable to really step out himself or herself, do I make the arbitrary decisions that the dog is actually able to reach and drive correctly for its breed, or would the dog move the same way even if shown by the most fit athlete in the world? These are decisions no judge likes to have to make and actually become unnecessary especially when the good dog right behind the one in question is moving like a charm.

 

 

Where To Begin

 

I’m assuming that many of you reading this article are reading it so that you will be able to become more able to do your dog greater justice as time progresses. What follows is advice from those of us who will have enormous appreciation for your being able to do so.

 

Keep this in mind at all times as you work on improving your handling skills - you are doing everything you can to make the person standing in the middle of the ring see everything that is good about your dog, and hopefully not be reminded that your dog, like all dogs, has flaws.

 

 

Choosing The Right Dog

 

This is a sticky wicket. Most of us start off wanting to show the dog we already have - the one we chose because we like the breed. That only stands to reason. What you have you have, but hopefully you have not only chosen to show a quality dog of the breed you are physically and temperamentally capable of showing the breed you do have.

 

It is not only bothersome, it could be downright dangerous for a judge to have to put up with uncontrollable 150-pound Mastiff lunging all over the place and being shown by a five-foot, 90-pound exhibitor. If this is your breed of choice to handle, not only your ability to handle will have to be dealt with, you will definitely have to plan on some very productive hours at the gym for yourself. No one wants to, or should have to, fear for their lives while they’re in the ring. That stands for the judge as well - or perhaps I should say, above all!

 

Along these same lines, I am constantly amazed at the number of exhibitors who come into my rings totally unable to gait their dog that is of a breed that by every merit of the job it was bred to do, must move protractedly. This is very much a part of the breed’s type.

 

It doesn’t take 40 laps around the ring to figure out if a Chow Chow or a Pekingese is moving properly. On the other hand, when we talk about Siberian Huskies, Dalmatians or German Shepherd Dogs - once around is never going to work. There is an old saying among judges that when judging German Shepherds, a judge tells the class to go around and keep going until told to stop. The judge then goes off to lunch and when he or she returns, the dog still going around is the winner. (Joking of course!)

 

The temperament of the handler is extremely important as well. There are some breeds of dogs that require a handler who is calm, cool, and collected at all times. The flighty dog is not going to do well with a handler who freaks the first time his or her dog flies off the handle.

 

There are other breeds that need a handler who is not embarrassed to get down on the ground and do a lot of what I call “kitchy-cooing” to keep the dog interested and happy. Back when I was breeding and showing, I was particularly blessed with a line of Bichon Frises of unusually fine type. However, among them (particularly the bitches), there were those that when forced to stand too long in the ring, became totally bored.

 

If the handler wasn’t of the nature to get down and make all but a fool of his or herself convincing the little vixen she was the cutest, most wonderful thing in the universe - well, forget any kind of an enthusiastic performance.

 

Just these few examples should prove not only how important it is to be totally aware of what you have at the end of the lead, but also to be aware of what kind of a person should be holding that lead. Let’s face it, just about anyone with time and a lot of effort can learn to take a dog into the show ring and keep it under proper control, but not everyone is able to take it into the ring and show it to advantage.

 

In addition to showing a suitable dog, the handler has to adjust his expectations to the quality of the individual dog. Wanting to win the National Specialty, PREMIER, or Crufts with a dog that is barely of championship quality, and nothing more, is going to result in a lot of heartache and frustration.

 

There are some exhibitors I know who simply enjoy showing their dog. Win, lose or draw they love the competition. Granted, the event is extra enjoyable when they win, but, first or last, they just love doing it, so the dog they have suits their goals well.

 

The showing bug can bite very early on. I find many Juniors are of this variety - just give them a dog and they will learn to do a bang-up job of showing it. The Junior competitions have developed some truly outstanding exhibitors.

 

The only thing that I find to criticize of the Junior Handling competitions is that it seems to develop a lot of what I call “affectations” - gestures and styles that are all show and no substance. In other words, placing hands here and there, pointing out what are believed to be the dog’s qualities, grinning at the judge like a Cheshire cat. Personally speaking, I find this both distracting and demeaning to the judge.

 

Please, please, please don’t expect great success from a dog that is only average in quality. There are times, of course, that dogs of this level may have an outstanding win. A judge can only put up the best of what is there on the day. Occasions arise when the dog that is usually lucky to be fourth in its class can, on another day, be the best that is there. But remember, this is the same dog it always was.

 

Remember, not all judges know your breed as well as others, but by and large it takes the outstanding dog to garner an outstanding record. Really knowing their breed is where I feel that far too many owner-handlers fall short.

 

They lack the objectivity and knowledge of their breed to be able to really access their own dog. Loving your dog is one thing, wanting it to be of superior quality when it’s not is quite another.

 

How does an exhibitor get to the point where they really know their breed well? This is a whole book in itself (I’ve written several on just that subject). Suffice to say, it takes years of study and experience. The more of both you have, the more you are apt to see what you really have at the end of your lead.

 

Even when you get to the point where you can truly evaluate a dog of the breed you are interested in, do understand you are not the sole talented breeder exhibitor and handler in the world (perhaps not even in your breed).

 

It seemed that when I was showing and my breeding program blessed me with a top-notch bitch, everyone else in the country came out with a bitch of exceptional quality. When I came up with an outstanding male, so did everyone else. There seemed to be no justice, and the sledding was never easy. It did keep us all on our toes though and made us all aware that “just as good as” was seldom the winning ticket, especially when it came to those big shows where everyone showed up for the laurels.

 

 

 

 

                      Formula for Success 

 

There is no point in my recommending which breed might be wise for you to start your adventures into the world of show dogs with. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and once you’ve become involved with purebred dogs you may be amazed at how your tastes may change.

 

I can clearly remember attending my first shows and wondering who could possibly want to own a Bull Terrier (they look like pigs!), or a Whippet (are they starving to death?). Since then I’ve bred and shown Bull Terriers and find Whippets one of the breeds I enjoy judging best of all.

 

But if you haven’t yet chosen, make sure your choice is not based solely on what the breed looks like or its dazzling performance at a dog show. Bringing a dog into your life is commitment enough but when you stop to think of all the additional hours a show dog shares with you, compatibility and upkeep become a major considerations.

 

You may imagine yourself winning Best In Show at your local event with the Apollo of dogdom, the Great Dane. However, if you live in a fifth floor walk-up studio apartment, you’re being naive as to how long that relationship is going to last. You’ll either be forced to move to the country (at the strong suggestion of your landlord if not by your own decision), or the two of you will develop a good case of claustrophobia.

 

Conditioning

 

Consider the fact that Great Danes need exercise and conditioning. Most breeds do, of course, but a Toy breed can do fairly well by making his frequent rounds around his home and a daily walk around the block. This does not work for the larger breeds and, from where I stand as a judge, there is nothing more disappointing than finding a lovely dog that, upon examination, and moving turns out to be pure “mush,”; that is, the dog has no muscle tone what so ever.

 

Too many exhibitors mistake fat for condition. Fat is fat, muscle tone is muscle tone and tells me the dog I am judging has been conditioned to be as sound as his physical conformation allows. Not all breeds are “athletes”; that is, they were never created to be as fast as a speeding bullet or able to leap the tallest buildings at a single bound. That doesn’t mean, however, that they should not be fit. It takes muscle tone and a good hard body to keep those bones, ligaments, and tendons in working order.

 

As a side note here I have to commend the United Kennel Club for stressing the importance of the “Total Dog” - it shows! At the recent PREMIER show, I was highly impressed with the overall condition of the dogs shown under me. Keeping a dog active can do nothing but assist the dog in achieving its potential. No, it is not going to change the dog of average or less quality into a high-octane winner, but it is going to bring that dog to the highest level he is genetically able to achieve.

 

From where I stand, there is nothing more impressive than a dog that enters the ring clean, robust and alert and in peak weight and musculature for its breed. This will not be achieved by allowing dog (or owner for that matter) to spend its day lounging on the sofa!

 

One word of caution here, never begin a rigorous exercise program with a puppy or very young dog. You can destroy good conformation by forcing the young dog’s body beyond what it is ready for. Even young dogs should not be expected to go from zero to sixty in the first few weeks of any exercise regimen. Speaking to experienced breeders in your breed regarding exercise and conditioning is a must.

 

The “Great One”

 

Just like anything else in life, there is always a fast, faster and fastest - good, better and best. Purebred dogs are no different. Unlike what we believe to be true of humans - that all men (and women!) are created equal - outside of the fact that they are all created dogs, the canine world has some very clear cut distinctions.

 

As we know each and every purebred breed has a written standard of perfection developed by experts in the breed and used as the guideline by which breeders select their breeding stock, and that judges use in determining which are the best dogs in a given line up. It stands to reason that within the confines of registered stock of any kind, be that cattle, the various breeds of horses - what have you - there are going to be gradations of quality - poor, good, excellent.

 

Even a novice should understand that stock consistently being graded as poor is highly unlikely to be the ideal candidate to produce stock of a caliber that would be graded excellent. This is nonetheless true in purebred dogs. Chances of obtaining superior quality out of mediocrity are less than remote. In breeding animals of any kind, achieving excellence is illusive and to imagine doing so with inferior stock is out of the question.

There is an old breeder’s axiom that goes, “Breed the best, to the best and hope for the best.”

 

Therefore, if you want to purchase foundation stock to breed show quality dogs, or simply purchase a dog to show, the answer to where you might go to do so becomes self-evident. You seek out those breeders who have earned a reputation for producing superior dogs over a long period of time. When you do so you will find that even using the best stock available, they too are being challenged because they are trying to breed what, in dog parlance, is referred to as a “great” one.

 

What are the things that add up to a great show dog? To paraphrase our famous Mr. Shakespeare, I would be inclined to concur, “that indeed is the question!”

 

Obviously no one breed of dog has a lock on that unique category in which we place the very best. The great dogs all share a special something. It is something unique yet typifying each and every dog I’ve known that has earned distinction. It’s that indefinable something that perhaps finds its equal in a great stage performance or perhaps in coming upon some panoramic vista that makes your heart skip a beat. It is that something that everyone who breeds and shows dogs hopes someday to have at the end of their show lead. It is that brass ring that all of us play the purebred dog game for.

 

Although a charismatic demeanor highlights that extra something great show dogs have, there are some very real characteristics that they embody which have them stand out from the masses. Each and every breed of dog has its standard of excellence that describes the ideal. The dogs who have earned the right to be classified among the greats of their respective breeds not only possess the characteristics outlined in their standard, they do so in such a high degree that some dog authorities are inclined to think of them as a fortunate accident.

 

This doesn’t mean accidental in the sense that the unique combination of qualities comes about in an entirely haphazard fashion - the result of ancestors of no particular note. What is being said is that even the very best breeding formulas, employing superior bloodlines, are unable to produce or even reproduce with any accuracy what nature itself will occasionally allow to occur.

 

Great dogs are those one-in-a-million long shots that everyone who breeds and shows dogs hopes and strives for. The good breeder would love to have that icon of perfection appear in his or her next litter. Every person who buys that next “show prospect” puppy at least secretly fantasizes that this one will grow up to be the dream dog.

 

How often does that living embodiment of the standard come about? Rarely. The dog lives in our hopes and dreams far more often than it ever will in reality, but I do believe that trying to get there is really what keeps those of us in purebred dogs involved on such a long-term basis. Perhaps in that next litter we breed, or that litter that we’re going to take a look at next week…just perhaps.

 

It’s no different than breeders of Thoroughbred racing horses. They bring together the finest bloodlines the world has to offer - those backed up by individual stallions and mares known to be producers of winners. Does this guarantee they will have that Derby winner they strive for? This is no guarantee of greatness even from putting together the world’s best, but you can rest assured Thoroughbred breeders have no illusions that the winner they hope for will come from breeding two nondescript plow horses together.

 

Finding a Show Dog

 

The exhibitor, especially the beginner, must be realistic. Don’t expect to knock on the door of the best breeder in the country and expect to have him sell you his one-in-a-million great. He is highly unlikely to part with it if he or she is ever that lucky, and should parting with it come about, you can rest assured it will go to the person the breeder feels can do more for the dog than he or she is able to afford.

 

Getting yourself a dog of winning quality (let’s forget about Best In Show at Crufts for right now), is within the realm of possibility, but that dog is most apt to come from one of two sources - an established and successful breeder of winning dogs or from your own breeding program. The latter is achieved following years of study, trial and probably a whole lot of error.

 

The thing that you, as an exhibitor, must do in the interim is be able to present that dog in the ring to the utmost of your ability. You must be willing to take a lot of losses along with those few wins. Rarely does it happen otherwise but remember, every time you step into the ring, you are adding to your ability to do a better job.

 

Placing last in the class or not placing is not all a loss. Check yourself - what did you do incorrectly, what made you most nervous, what are you not doing about your dog that needs doing? Having answers to all these questions is really what you are there for in the beginning. Don’t worry about the wins; they most definitely will come if you pay attention to what is really going on.
 

 

 

                      That Thing You Do 

 

 

 

You went to the top (or as close as you could get), and the dog you got has the bluest blood known to the free world. You’re now the proud owner of that wonder pup you dreamed about owning. All the work is done and the two of you are ready to burn up the rings - right?

 

I assure you there’s a whole lot more to winning than simply owning a top quality dog. In athletics an individual’s genetic make-up provides the potential. What an athlete does with that potential determines how successful he or she will be in their pursuit of the gold. Show dogs are no different.

 

Even Michael Phelps, the Olympiad’s greatest medal winner, would have been forced out of competition if it weren’t for the fact that he did his utmost to remain in the peak of physical and mental condition. When he faltered in doing so, it showed! The combination of physical and mental health, regular conditioning and an effective training regimen is what it takes to get to the top.

 

“Athlete?”, you’re probably asking yourself? Peppe, my Chihuahua, is an athlete?

Norton the Newfie, that big lug stretched out on the sofa, is an athlete? Plain and simple - yes! That is, if Peppe and Norton are show dogs.

 

Soundness, coat condition, muscle tone - the whole works; they count and in more ways that even some long time exhibitors understand. If you don t think those factors count in having even the best rise to the top, think again. While it’s our responsibility as dog owners to keep any dog we own healthy and fit, doing so becomes particularly important in the case of dogs we might want to breed or show.

 

The judge’s decisions are based upon both the written and unwritten standard. The written standards state, or at least imply, and the UKC awards the fact that our show dogs should be mentally sound - good canine citizens. The written standard is also the primary source for the physical characteristics of a given breed. It’s a description of a dog’s anatomical parts and how the parts should fit together.

 

The unwritten standard is the one that demands that a show dog be sound, healthy and well-conditioned. The latter is very often a determining factor in close call decisions.

 

Good breeding determines whether or not your Pit Bull, Greyhound, Poodle or Boxer is a quality representative of the breed. However, if your dog spends its life lounging on a chaise lounge, muscle tone, stamina, coordination and foot timing suffer severely and the dog becomes incapable of performing in the manner for which the breed was created.

 

This doesn’t t exempt the toy or purely decorative breeds either. Keep in mind that the judge is looking for excellence. When it gets down to keen competition - even if two outstanding dogs were identical in every other respect - the more physically fit of the two would prevail.

 

Folks who are campaigning dogs for those top awards know it is absolutely impossible to achieve the condition and muscle tone required of their top level dogs with a few quick turns around the show ring on weekends.

 

Common sense applies here naturally. The kind of exercise a German Shepherd requires to remain in top notch shape is not what is suitable for a Pug. The complex breathing system of a Bulldog prohibits any kind of exercise in hot and humid weather, and good judgment tells us a little Chihuahua will not survive a forced march through snow drifts in subzero temperatures.

 

That said, it is up to the owner to determine how and when their dog can be properly exercised. Some of the dogs in the Companion and Terrier groups are so active that their constant household patrols and hair-trigger responses keep them in fine fettle. However, in dogs of just about any breed there are the born couch potatoes.

 

Don’t assume that because Peppe the Chihuahua has a ten-bedroom house to patrol or because Big Red has a whole yard to chase imaginary rabbits in, that they will do so.

Without another dog around that is very pro-active about exercise, you’ll find most dogs become less and less inclined to be self-starters in the exercise department. It is always best to supervise your show dog’s exercise, and that way you’ll be sure the dog is getting enough of the right kind.

 

Fortunately, you do not have to become a marathon runner to give your dog the exercise he or she needs. Walking at a pace that keeps your dog moving at a steady trot (not a gallop!) over a sensibly extended period of time is the best possible kind of exercise you can give your dog.

 

Veterinarians caution against feeding immediately before or after strenuous exercise as they believe it definitely can lead to Bloat, a condition that affects many breeds, particularly the medium large through giant breeds. Bloat can cause extreme pain and, in most cases, the death of the dog.

 

Age Appropriate Exercise

Exercise must also be geared to the age of the dog you are conditioning for the show ring. What’s appropriate for the young adult, at the prime of its life can be harmful to the young puppy or fatal to the older dog.

 

If you watch puppies at play with their littermates, you will note there are frequent but brief bouts of high level activity. This is nearly always followed by a good long nap. Puppies need exercise but only as much as they themselves want to take, and then they should be given ample time to rest.

 

Some breeds are very deceiving in that they reach full height and develop luxurious coats by the age of six to seven months. Trust me when I caution you not to judge this maturity. It is only skin deep! Inside that adult size frame, and perhaps lavish coat, is the developing body of a baby. Forced exercise - even short periods of jogging on pavement - can permanently damage the growing bones and muscles of the young dog, and I seriously advise you to proceed with caution and restraint until your developing youngster is at least 12 to 18 months of age.

 

This doesn’t mean the two of you have to sit on the sofa waiting for your dog s first birthday in order to get moving. Easy, sensibly timed periods of exercise will keep your young dog in fine fettle until he or she is in need of an adult workout program.

Exercise For Young And Mature Adults

 

Once out of puppyhood, your dog will probably be able to out walk you any day of the week and still be have energy left over for aerobics. Afterward as well. Just like what is appropriate for yourself, starting a new exercise program requires that you do so gradually and increase the duration very slowly. If you live near a lake, most breeds of dogs love to swim and there couldn’t be any better exercise. Any place that is safe for you to swim will be safe for your dog as well; however, don t throw your dog out into the middle of the lake for the first test swim. Some breeds (most of the bull breeds for sure!) have the aquatic ability of millstones, so be on hand and in shallow water for those first few tryouts.

 

On the one hand, a swimming pool offers you more control, but all swimming pools are chlorine treated and chlorine can be anathema to a dog s coat. It can bleach out the blacks and dark colors and make other colors turn peculiar shades of green and auburn. Proceed with caution.

 

Not all dogs musculature is obvious to the eye because of their construction or wealth of coat. Don t mistake fat for muscle. It is up to you to keep your show dog in real show condition.

 

Your Dog’s Veterinarian

 

Athletes have their professional Sports Medicine practitioners. Your dog has his veterinarian. Your vet will help you determine if your dog is healthy enough to get into proper condition. Good breeding and good health are what allows a dog are what allows a dog to get in top physical shape. The rest is up to you, and regular veterinary check-ups will keep your dog in the state of health that will in turn allow you to pursue the steps that add up to top conditioning.

 

There is no one who knows more about the best veterinarian for your breed of dog than the breeder from whom your dog was purchased. If you are fortunate enough to live in the same area, your problems are solved. You can continue right on with the vet that has known your puppy since birth.

 

Unfortunately, that may not be possible because of distance, and I do recommend that you have a veterinarian you can get to in a hurry. As good as any veterinarian might be, if he or she lives hours away and you have an emergency situation, it may cost your dog’s life.

 

I am not a veterinarian and avoid advising treatment of any kind outside of regular care and maintenance. Beyond that, your veterinarian, accustomed to dealing with your breed of dog, knows best. I cannot caution you strongly enough regarding the importance of using a veterinarian who has had experience with your breed.

 

It may be perfectly all right to shave the hair off old retired Rover’s leg for a shot, but not so great to do the same to the dog you plan on taking to a show the next day or next week. The show dog savvy vet will ask about such things or automatically administer treatment in an as unnoticeable as possible area of the dog s anatomy.

 

The Olympic athlete prepares to compete in the peak of physical condition. You cannot rely on your dog to accomplish this all by his or her self. Arriving at a show in Olympic condition remains wholly and entirely on - That Thing You Do! 

 

 

 

                      Who Sees What?

 

 

 

It usually doesn’t take more than a minute or two to realize who in your ring is a veteran at showing dogs and who the beginner is, but often we who judge are dumbfounded to realize someone you were sure was just a beginner has been showing dogs for years!

 

The rank novice is terrified, of course, and while trying to pose his dog continually replaces the dog’s feet (even when they don’t need it). When it comes to moving the dog, the beginner looks straight ahead (never to where the judge is standing or down to see what the dog is doing).

 

This is all fully understandable in the first-timer, but we can only wonder how this could have been going on for years and years without a handler realizing that something was wrong - that the dog was losing more often than not, and not because the dog lacked quality. In a good many cases, it is because we who are on the other side of the dog never once get to see what the dog really looks like.

 

If an aspiring handler never ever learns anything else about handling, he must understand that the picture the handler sees looking down at his dog and the picture the judge sees standing across the ring have absolutely nothing to do with each other!

 

The handler sees the top of the dog; the judge sees the entire picture, the all-important silhouette - one of the five critical aspects of breed type. In case you’ve forgotten, the five critical elements of breed type are: Breed Character, Silhouette, Head, Movement and Coat.

 

What the handler of the dog must learn to do is pose the dog so that it comes as close to the ideal picture as possible for the person standing in the middle of the ring. This is what the judge is initially looking for - the dog that comes closest in outline to what the standard asks for.

 

The handler cannot learn to do this by looking down at the dog (if it’s a small one), or in front or behind the dog (if it’s a big one). The exhibitor must learn what to do in order to get your dog to look like what he wants the judge to see.

 

 

Creating The Perfect Silhouette

 

 

What is it that creates the perfect silhouette for a given breed? Every breed we recognize today has its own distinctive silhouette. It is created by the sum of all the correct proportions. Any number of well-written standards gives many of these proportions. Unfortunately there are a good many standards that give few. Examples of proportions defined are things like: “the neck is one third as long as the body from forechest to buttocks,” “length of leg from elbow to ground is approximately the same as the distance from withers to bottom of chest.”

 

Understanding everything that is required to create the perfect silhouette takes a good deal of time and study. The student is in effect learning anatomy.

 

In his studies, the student learns there are also numerous terms that must be learned and understood. Every breed that exists is governed by certain general dog terms, such as height, length of body, length of leg and so forth. There are also common expressions such as “low on leg,” “long in body,” “racy,” “cobby’, and hundreds of others that are required additions to the student’s vernacular. In pursuit of correctness, it is imperative that one understands how these terms apply to any specific breed of dog.

 

Each breed has its one set of defining proportions. A dog cannot be set up properly unless the handler has a clear mental picture of what he is trying to create.

 

 

Perfecting The Picture

 

 

Seeing someone else set up a dog, or looking at a photograph of himself setting up the dog, helps, but the handler has to learn how to make that happen. I have a suggestion that has worked for hundreds, if not thousands, of aspiring handlers everywhere.

 

Purchase a full-length mirror, the kind that many people place on the back of the door to their dressing room. Take that mirror and tack it up horizontally on a wall on which you have room to stand back from. Depending upon whether you normally pose your dog on a table or on the ground, position the height of the mirror so that you are able to get a complete reflection of your dog in the mirror.

 

Larger dogs naturally will require a larger mirror, or just as good is using a nearby storefront window in which you can see your dog’s image reflected. Regardless of where this is being done, observe what your dog looks like standing on his own, and compare it mentally to that image in your mind of the ideal dog of your breed.

 

Exhibitors of dogs with lots of hair believe that they can correct all their dog’s faults with a scissors, comb and brush. Remember one thing, those tools can help, but the dog’s structure remains unchanged. Hair can come and go, blow in the breeze, or be victim to a bad hair day, so learn to set your dog up correctly, to its best advantage first, then resort to the touch-ups.

 

Handlers of coated breeds can be especially susceptible to deluding themselves. It is the groomer’s job to present a dog in the best fashion possible; however, an exhibitor who reinvents the dog in his mind on the basis of what he wants to see is only kidding himself.

 

A good handler must know what is really there. He doesn’t have to tell the world about those shortcomings or point them out by constantly fiddling and drawing attention to them, but he must know where his dog might be lacking.

 

Observe what happens to your dog’s silhouette when it leans back (referred to as “posting”), or when he pulls his hindquarters up under himself. Where, then, do the legs have to go in order to get that picture back that you are looking for? Memorize where the legs, the neck, the topline - where everything must be in order to maintain the correct silhouette - and also remember what it is you have to do while looking down at the dog to make that happen.

 

 

Comfort Counts

 

Not all dogs, regardless of how good an example they are of their breed, are constructed exactly the same way. A position for one dog may not be that comfortable for another. If your dog is unable to keep its feet in a certain stance, you may have to do some compromising. All the training in the world is not going to make a dog want to hold a position that is totally uncomfortable for very long. Note that I have emphasized the word unable. There is a difference in a dog being unable to stand in a certain way and not wanting to. You are going to have to determine which is true and proceed accordingly.

 

This may all sound like incredibly time-consuming detail, but that is exactly what it takes to master the expertise of good handling. There are some dogs that can be trained to pose on their own on a loose lead and look the perfect picture (we should all be so lucky), but that is the exception and not the rule. It takes hard work and patience to help your dog assume that picture of perfection.

 

Once the handler understands what his dog should look like to the viewing lady or gentleman in the ring, he must learn to put the dog as close to that picture as is possible.

 

The next step is to train the dog to remain properly set up for an indefinite length of time while the judge makes his or her final decisions (that’s where the dog’s comfort comes in). As difficult as this may sound, a show dog must learn to maintain the correct position often for minutes at a time. The dog must not become bored and sluggish. Remember that all four legs may well be in the correct place, but the dog may be hanging like a wet curtain between them. The handler must learn the trick of keeping the dog’s attention while staying in his control.

 

Does all this seem terribly difficult? It’s actually more time-consuming and patience-demanding than difficult. Do note, however, that there are some people who obviously have mastered all these techniques. Nor should you neglect to notice that more often than not they are the same individuals standing in the Winner’s Circle with their well-trained dogs.

     

 

 

 

                    A Moving Picture

 

 

 

It seems just about everyone watches at least one of the TV dance shows nowadays - ”Dancing With the Stars,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” or “All the Right Moves.” I watch in awe as to what the professionals are capable of doing with their bodies and what they are able to teach the beginner.

 

I’ve watched so many of the dance shows that I’m getting to the point where I’m noticing the mistakes and even the more nuanced aspects, like how much coordination there is between the partners, and how each really takes command of his part. There is a leader and a follower, and if one or the other is not living up to their part of the team effort, it just doesn’t work.

 

I want you to think of you and your dog as a dance team, and never lose sight of the fact that it is teamwork that wins the prize. Like the dancers rehearsing leads to success, you may have the waltz down to a tee but if your partner, your dog, is doing a rumba you aren’t going to wind up on top of the scoreboard.

 

All of us who judge know it our responsibility to find the best dog, but it is also our responsibility to get all the dogs judged fairly and accurately and still get done according to schedule or as close to it as possible (hopefully before midnight!). There is no way on God’s green earth that we are going to be able to do so spending twenty minutes trying to figure out if your dog is simply hopeless in the movement department, or if it is your complete ineptness that makes him come off like a Whirling Dervish.

 

 

This Is Not A Race

 

 

Every dog that is shown is going to have to move at a trot for the judge. I don’t care if yours is a racing breed, a jumping breed, or breed that has a worldwide reputation as a couch potato; he is going to have to trot properly for the judge.

 

Your dog, your breed, may be the fastest in the line-up, or he may be the slowest. The important thing to remember is that every dog has one rate of speed at which he will look his best. If you are going to try and get your French Bulldog to fly around the ring like an Afghan Hound, the result is going to be anything but pretty I assure you.

 

On the cover of your “How to Show My Dog” notebook, I want you to print “THIS IS NOT A RACE” in big black capital letters! Whoever it was that came up with the idea that faster is better should be hung from the nearest yardarm! (It was probably some clever exhibitor who hoped his competition would take the advice!)

 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told an exhibitor to take his dog down and back or around, and the person takes off like the prize will be awarded to the team that gets all the way there and back in the shortest length of time. Wrong!

 

The exhibitor doesn’t even look down to notice that his dog is galloping around the ring rather that trotting. This tells absolutely nothing about the very thing that is supposed to be evaluated at the moment. In other words, the point score for movement is a big fat goose egg.

 

You have to learn the speed that best suits your dog at a trot. Like in posing your dog, it will take time and practice before you are able to look down at him and know that he is doing the right thing. There are ways to help you do that.

 

The best way to do this is to have a friend who knows how to properly move a dog of your breed do so with your dog. Watch him move the dog quickly, slowly, and at a moderate pace. He will be able to see the difference and advise you on which rate of speed suits your dog best.

 

The friend must then observe you moving your dog at those different speeds so that you can begin to feel the difference up through your lead and looking down at what you see is going on. You then must learn to match your own stride to the speed at which your dog looks best. Have your observer tell you when you are exceeding or falling behind the speed that you must learn to maintain.

 

 

 

To complicate matters a bit for you, there may be different speeds within “correct” that will assist your dog in looking his best.

 

 

• Profile. This is what the judge will see as your dog goes around the ring. He will be looking to see how much reach your dog has in front, and how much drive, and how the dog carries his head and tail. A tad faster or slower can sometimes make a difference in the moving picture you are trying to maintain.

 

• Going Away. The judge will be observing what your dog does with his hindquarters as he moves away. Is the dog moving away cowhocked (hind legs in which the hocks incline inwards toward each other instead of being parallel), too close, or too wide? Watching someone else take your dog away will reveal just what is going on, but if you aren’t able to spot the fault, ask for help and the person who sees what the dog is doing can also advise you if going a little (a little that is) faster, or slower might help the problem.

 

• Coming Back To The Judge. What does your dog do with his front? Is he moving too close, too wide, elbows out, or crossing over? These are just a few of the problems that can be helped somewhat by adjusting the gait or by tightening up letting down on the lead.

 

• Sidewinding. This is forward movement in which the spinal column is not pointed in the direction of travel, but deviates at an angle. In many cases this can be corrected by moving the dog to the other side on which the handler normally gaits the dog. Here again, practice and careful observation is what is needed.

 

 

 

There is a whole host of problems that can occur in a dog’s gait, and a beginning handler is hardly able to recognize or know what to do about every one of them. It takes time and good input from mentors to know the best way to move a dog and to correct or at least help disguise problems.

Getting a good book or, better yet, a CD or video on correct movement can help identify some of the things that may be holding a dog back from the winner’s circle. Looking under “canine movement” online will usually take you to the books and audiovisual material that can help most.

 

 

Cardinal Sins Of Movement

 

You notice I haven’t said a word about showmanship. The reason is that I see far too many exhibitors confuse movement with showmanship. They are thrilled that their dog has gone around the ring happy as a clam, wagging its tail and having a high old time. That’s great; we all want our dogs to exude good temperament and enthusiasm. This has nothing to do with correct movement. Showmanship tells us the dog is happy (or unhappy), correct movement is the proof of proper construction.

 

I can’t tell you how many times a disappointed exhibitor will come to me after placing lower than expected and say, “But my dog out-moved the dog that won.”

I have to explain that the dog in question may well have had a bit more showmanship than the winning dog, but when it came to movement it was faulty in general and, in some cases, entirely wrong for the breed.

 

Read all you can about canine movement, but understand that while the principles of canine locomotion remain the same, they produce different kinds of movement depending upon the construction of the breed. Your dog must move correctly for its breed.

 

Why is correct and breed specific movement so important? Because changing movement changes type. The only way that you are ever going to get a Bulldog to move like a German Shepherd is to change the Bulldog’s construction. Trying to get Shepherd movement on your properly constructed Bulldog will only lead to disaster.

 

If you want a German Shepherd, get one. Don’t expect a Spaniel, a Terrier, or a myriad of other breeds to do what the Shepherd does. It will only ruin your dog’s chances of coming out on top.

 

 

 

 

Richard G. (Rick) Beauchamp has been successfully involved in practically every facet of purebred dogs: breeding, exhibiting, publishing, writing. He is the author of numerous breed and all breed books including the best-selling Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type and Breeding Dogs for Dummies. He has judged all breeds throughout the world and was one of the United Kennel Club’s first all breed judges.

 

 

 

 

This article originally appeared in the December 2012 issue of BLOODLINES Dog Event News.

 

 

 

 

http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/News/HowtheJudgeSeesYouShowing09062012082037AM

 

http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/News/HowtheJudgeSeesYouShowing10112012123338PM

 

http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/News/ThatThingYouDo11092012083845AM

 

http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/News/HowtheJudgeSeesYouShowing12032012032351PM

 

http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/News/HowtheJudgeSeesYouShowing01032013080555AM