PREFERRED BREED
TYPE
Why The Stand-Out Best Dog Can Be A Loser
- E. K. (Katie) Gammill
- TheDogPress / 01|05|09
The Best of the Best or one that looks like the rest? Let’s be honest.
Something called “preferred type” is flooding the rings today and in
many breeds, it has little to do with the Breed Standard. When “current
type” does not equal correctness, the best dog can lose because in many
rings, the fatal flaw is being a stand-out.
“The best dog you’ll ever breed may be the hardest dog you
ever finish!”
A dog show friend, absent from the sport for several years, attended
some local shows with me. Welcoming the opportunity to view dogs in
general after her sabbatical, she became visually distressed. Her
despair increased when a “less than average” class dog received BOB. The
waning quality in her beautiful breed breaks her heart. She stated it
would be wasted effort to show a dog correct to the standard today, as
some judges feel compelled to award dogs conforming to the majority of
the entries.
Observing other breeds, she remarks on the lack of neck, restricted
front movement and the lack of rear follow through; we discuss “gay
tails” and breed type variances. We watch faulty movement and see coats
dragging the ground. Weak pasterns and sickle hocks complete the
picture. She wonders what causes this to happen to functional dogs in
such a short time. It seems the correct dogs have fallen victim to what
one may refer to as the “Perfection of Mediocrity”.
Today, many breeders and owners turn to performance, choosing not to
participate in a “crap shoot” where such variety in type confuses both
judges and ringside. I make this statement at the expense of being
tarred and feathered but increasingly, the best dog you’ll ever breed
may be the hardest dog you will ever finish. It will be the “odd man
out” and look different from the majority of dogs represented in the
ring. Why? Some judges, insecure in a breed and therefore lacking
courage, choose to walk “different” dogs rather than stick their neck
out. Understandable, but should those lacking confidence be passing
judgment on another’s dog?
My old mentor said, “The pendulum of type swings to and fro, but those
remaining true to the standard triumph in the end.” Those dedicated
breeders have the knowledge to restore a breed to its initial form once
it hits bottom.
Should a judge reward a dog to suggest it could possibly assist in
correcting breed faults? NO! It is a breeder’s responsibility to
incorporate such animals into their programs, regardless of success in
the show ring. Judges are to judge to the written standard to the best
of their ability, fairly and efficiently. They avoid awarding “drags of
a breed” when possible but judges have little insight into the Pandora’s
Box of breeding.
A respected dog person of long standing approached me with this
statement while at a seminar. “A judge CAN NOT GO WRONG by putting up
winners conforming to the majority of the type of dogs in the ring on a
given day.” My response was “Surely not!” Well, I believe it now! After
observing an all breed judge from ringside, I watched two outstanding
individuals “walk” because they looked different from the rest of the
short neck, sickle hock, smaller than average dogs lacking side gait
that toddled around the ring like fuzzy little caricatures of the breed.
This strange “look alike” perspective takes over in many breed rings and
not just among judges. Asking a breeder what their standard said about
head planes, the response was: “What are parallel planes?” We discussed
the occipital bone, short and medium muzzles, balanced heads, etc.
Reading a standard and applying it can be two different things.
Judges should have the ability to articulate why one dog wins over
another. So is that why they make terminology common among standards -
to make it easier for judges? If anyone can describe a bulldog and an
afghan using the same language, please step forward. Removing the “point
system” from the old standards has had a negative affect. In a final
decision between two comparable individuals, one has an idea where to
hang their hat regarding prioritizing.
It is a "Judas Kiss" to any breed when a judge puts up a dog simply
because it looks like the majority in the ring. It encourages people to
breed to “winners” rather than to a breed standard. In judge’s
education, they address
Should we just BREED
TO WIN or should we BREED TO THE STANDARD and expect judges
to judge to the Standard?
soundness but type takes priority. Educators
assume that new applicants understand structure and corresponding
movement. Type without soundness is as detrimental to a breed as
soundness without type. A bad front and bad rear working in sequence
produces “balance”. Do two wrongs make a right? The goal is “a balance
between type and soundness”. A breed must be able to walk to the water
bowl without falling over its own feet!
This brings us to the next question. Are not judges “protectors of the
breed standards?” Judges education is NOT at fault. Perhaps the problem
is what some judging applicants do NOT bring to the table! It is a
privilege to pass judgment on a breed but one has the responsibility of
understanding “Basic Dog 101”. The AKC’s required anatomy test neither
assures someone’s knowledge nor is it any guarantee a judge has the
ability to analyze structure and movement.
Some breeder judges today send dogs with a handler giving little thought
as to their quality or future effect on a breed. Shouldn’t breeder
judges be especially careful to send correct dogs for public
observation? Breeders have a responsibility to put out “the best of the
best” rather than a dog that wins simply because it “looks like the
rest.” By so doing, they are sending false signals to both ringside and
new judges.
When judges say, “This must be what the breeders want as the ring is
flooded with this type” it is detrimental to any breed. It IS NOT about
“what breeders want.” Breeders and judges have a responsibility to breed
and judge to standard.
Should handlers show dogs for clients when they KNOW the dog or bitch is
not a good representative of the breed? Breeders and exhibitors have a
responsibility to promote only dogs that DO represent their breed
standard and to sell as pets those who do not! A good handler should
make every effort to finish a dog but they too are responsible and
should be more selective regarding client dogs. Handlers who read the
standard and who have the courage to turn down an inferior dog are to be
admired.
Advertisement does not always mean a dog represents “breed excellence”.
Handlers do not always present “good dogs”. Advertising carries some
influence and if a judge selects winners on advertising alone, they do a
disservice to the breed and it reflects on their ability as a judge.
“Priority judging” can be detrimental to breeds as Judges become caught
up in selecting for individual virtues be it eye, ear set, feet, or coat
color. That is why some specialty judges “put up pieces” rather than the
whole package. Virtues are important, but a dog should “fill the eye”. A
single virtue cannot take precedence over a plethora of faults! Priority
judging explains why many judges take so long to judge a class.
Dismayed exhibitors approach me with serious concerns regarding the
direction of our sport. Time and effort is required to understand what
makes a breed “breed specific”, and what constitutes “breed excellence”.
There is no short cut. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. However,
it should be a knowledgeable opinion. Personal preference only enters in
when two dogs are equal according to the breed standard.
Another issue is “spot entering”. Granted, today people enter under
specific judges where they feel there is a chance of winning. However,
why on a four-day weekend, do we see one point on Thursday, a major on
Friday, one point on Saturday, and a major on Sunday? Should not one
support the person who supports them by entering all four days? If there
is a major, don’t break it by not attending. Don’t bump up a bitch or
dog to BOB without first asking the other exhibitors their preference.
Many people drive miles only to find someone failed to show up ringside
or” bumped up” a new champion and broke the major. This co-operation is
something we used to be able to count on. Today it is “iffy” at best.
This is “sportsmanship”!
Watch dogs go around the ring. Some are structurally inefficient. Some
shoulders do not open up, the dog reaches from the elbow. Ask yourself
why one dog out-moves another. Go analyze short coated dogs. Take this
knowledge to your own breed ring and “look beneath the coat”. Understand
top lines, body shape, breed specific movement and toy/moderate/ giant.
Do some study and then some soul searching. Ringside observers and breed
enthusiasts look on in dismay today, wondering where the functional dogs
of the past have gone. Sadly, some faults are so prevalent today they
are viewed as “virtues”.
"Winning because of an exceptional
breeding program takes the breed and breeders toward
breed excellence. That should be the goal yesterday, and
today."
Requested to address this issue, I decided to take time to sit back and
see the “big picture.” The “big picture” is upon us, folks, and it is
not pretty! My reason to become a judge was the challenge to select the
best of the best according to a written standard. I love dogs! I love
SOUND dogs with BREED TYPE! Both virtues, believe it or not, can be
present in the same animal! Through combined efforts and a willingness
to call “a spade a spade”, our breeds WILL survive. Breeding for the
sake of winning is a downhill slide. This alone assures the future of
our breeds. Turning things around will take dedicated breeders and
judges, critical handler selection, and educated exhibitors. Our sport
deserves nothing less than the best of our intentions.
ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS.
-
Why do
breeder judges “put dogs with handlers when they know the animal
does not represent breed excellence?
-
Why do
handlers accept such dogs knowing once they finish, they will be
“petted out”?
-
Are you
kennel blind and do you breed to standard?
-
Should
breeders and newcomers read the standard prior to stud and bitch
selection?
-
When will
more mentors open up to newcomers?
-
And lastly,
are “gas money” and “filler” dogs destroying our sport?
Putting a breed back on track requires
ETHICAL HANDLERS, DEDICATED BREEDERS, AN UNDERSTANDING OF BREED
STANDARDS and KNOWLEDGEABLE JUDGES WITH THE COURAGE TO MAKE
RESPONSIBLE SELECTIONS. Being a judge is not for the faint of
heart. Sending the best dog to the next level and being a part
of its journey to the pinnacle of success is a thrill of a
lifetime.
There is but ONE standard. “Preferred breed type”
is like a flavor of the month, very fleeting! BREEDERS, JUDGES
AND EXHIBITORS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THEIR BREED
STANDARDS. CURRENT FADS AND PERSONAL OPINIONS ARE FLEETING AND
DESTRUCTIVE.