A Judge’s Thoughts

Have you ever sat ringside watching the judging of one or more breeds and wondered, “What in the world is that judge thinking to do that?” Or maybe you are convinced that he is not thinking at all — or is not able to.

I know all judges have different ring procedures, breed understanding and reasons for making decisions. I certainly cannot speak for all judges, but I can try to share some of my thoughts with you.

One of the things exhibitors often wonder about is what are judges talking about when we all sit at ringside watching the group judging. Rarely are we talking about our opinion of the quality of the dogs in the ring. To some degree, we are all conceited enough to believe that our own opinions are at least as important — or usually more important — than those of anyone else. I don’t mean to sound like a jerk, but I really don’t care what another judge thinks about an individual dog. I will make my own decision, and usually I am confident in that decision.

Sitting ringside with some judges I may talk about dogs, judges or handlers of the past. I am amazed at some of our judging icons who can remember dogs from a great many years ago — and even how often they judged that dog. I remember a few of the dogs I have judged over my years, but for the most part, when I walk out of the ring, I am no longer thinking about the classes I just judged. I do, however, remember a few of the greats I have been lucky enough to judge. With other judges, we may talk about family — like how one judge’s wonderful daughter is doing so well raising and riding horses, or the health of friends and other judges (as we all get older, this talk is not always pleasant), and where we are going for dinner. 

So, the next natural question would be: Do I ever question myself about what I have just judged? Many years ago, I was advised by other judges not to question what I had just judged, because there was nothing I could do about it once the book was marked.

Well, yes and no. Most of the time I am very satisfied and confident in what I have just done, but there have been a few — very few — times when I questioned myself. I see some value in that for a few reasons: It shows how much I am still passionate about wanting to do the “right thing.” If I question a decision I made, I will go back and read that breed standard again and think about the breed again. How can that be a bad thing to re-educate myself? And it makes me try even harder the next time I judge.

At every show, my greatest hope is to find that dog that makes me smile. Whenever I have done this, I have placed that dog as high as I possibly could — at times, all the way to Best in Show. I believe I am also known as a judge who will put up a dog from any class — whether puppy, adult or veteran.

However, at a recent show an absolutely beautiful puppy was shown to me, and it has cost me a lot of sleep since then. Normally, with a puppy this good there would be no hesitation to give it Best of Breed, but this time I did not — for a number of reasons. 

The “specials” that were there were also good breed representatives, and deserved to be champions and to represent the breed. So if put this dog over deserving specials, would I just be trying to show that I would put up a puppy? Also, it was apparent that the puppy was very nervous and unsure of himself, as you would expect from many puppies. This caused the puppy to occasionally crouch a little when moving. I have shown a GREAT many of this breed, and I know how sometimes their temperaments can be fragile, and if not well socialized, can be skittish throughout their show career. I could see the nervousness in his eyes, and decided I didn’t want to put the additional pressure on this dog by having the handler take the puppy into the group ring.

Yes, I know — I should only be concerned with the breed judging at this point, but I must admit that this thought entered my mind. I also wanted the pup’s weekend to end on a high note and not be further pressured. And, don’t forget, there were deserving specials in the ring.

So, I did not give this puppy Best of Breed, and I have been running it around in my mind since then. I can see both sides of whether I should have put this puppy up as Best of Breed, but I have thought about it a lot. I did take the time to step out of the ring and tell the owner of the puppy that they had a very special one, and encouraged them to continue to socialize him, and then to have a lot of fun with his show career. I sincerely hope they do so.

Later that day, I walked into the group ring to judge. Truth be told, as I judge in different areas of the country — and at different size shows — there are times that groups are not so strong, and do not have consistent quality throughout the breeds. That was not the case at this show. I thought I was faced with a very good group, and placement decisions would come down to little nuances and things that were important to the various breeds. I also believe that if a breed is known to be weak in an area — such as weak rears or toplines — and if there is a breed representative in front of you that is strong in this area, it should be rewarded — because aren’t we supposed to be telling breeders which breeding program is working?

I have no reason to believe that I am the only one who has these thoughts when judging, so I wonder why so many people on social media question so many judges. Just recently I have seen a DNS (Do Not Show) attributed to a well-known judge, and the very next comment was that this judge “would get an entry from me every time.” Is it the judge, or is it the perception of the judge on that day by different people? Or does it simply depend on whether that person won or not?

What do judges (namely, me) do before judging a show? I check the posted breed entries, so I know which breeds I am scheduled to judge have actual entries. Then I again read the breed standards for those breeds. I have never made an attempt to memorize the standards. I think it is more important to understand the standards. For me it is not always easy to remember exactly — for every breed with a height or weight disqualifications — whether it is 27½ or 28 inches, so I appreciate the superintendents who have height disqualifications listed in the back of their judges’ books. I do remember that the breed has a height DQ, and being able to just do a quick check in the judges’ book simply saves time. 

Finally, when and how does a judge make his decision? Again, speaking just for myself, I get a quick first impression as I walk down the line and greet each dog and handler, and then send them around one at a time. My hands and eyes then confirm or change my original impression as I examine the dog. Most of the time I then have the dog stand “lead-free,” so the handler cannot affect how the dog stands.

Lastly, when the dog moves, final decisions are made as the dog in motion shows the truth for me. In my mind, as I am examining or watching the dog, I am comparing what I see and feel to the standard for that breed. 

I don’t know if all judges do the same exact thing, but in general, this is the thought process that judges go through. Regardless of what some of the “negative Nellies” and naysayers would have you believe, most of us are truly trying to find the best dog — in our opinion, based on our knowledge and experience.

What do you think?