To Critique or Not To Critique
You Be The Judge!

By Sandy Herzon, Miami FL. October 2003

How many times have you walked out of the show ring without a placement or maybe even with just a second place ribbon and wondered why the judge didn’t like your dog enough to give it a ribbon or to not give him the first place blue ribbon? If you are like many, this has happened over and over again, there you are standing outside the ring and trying to figure out why your dog was not placing with some judges. After decades in the conformation ring, I now recognize the look of bewilderment in people’s faces and see it as an instant replay at every weekend of dog shows that I travel to. Week in and week out, they go through the same procedure, with the same results and have no clue why Fido is not liked by the judge, when they themselves see their beloved pet as the greatest show dog on Earth.

With the AKC’s format for judging, there is hardly any room or time for a judge to go over your dog’s merits or lack of them with you and actually tell you what they think of your dog. Each judge is given a lineup of dogs to judge and they are expected to finish judging in x-amount of time. The only time in between breeds of dogs into the ring is when the photographer is scheduled for pictures and he is at another ring taking pictures there. There are some folk that take advantage of those few moments of idleness to approach the judge and ask about their dog’s placements or non-placements, however it is really not feasible for all exhibitors to address the judge in this time frame. Besides, there are some judges that will not fully explain their decisions for exactly this constraint of time, while other judges might take it as an affront about their placements. Although from time to time, I have taken the liberty myself to address the issue with some judges, I have to mention that this has been a very selective process and only done if I felt that the judge knew me from my 34-plus years with the breed.

So, enter the UCI International Dog Shows. The judging format is very different with this organization, as they follow the “European style” of judging. Here, each dog receives a verbal and written critique by the judge. You actually get to hear and read what that particular judge liked or disliked about your dog. You, as the exhibitor are asked to pose the dog before the anointed one as they dictate to the steward about the qualities or lack of, as you stand before them with your dog.

Alas, finally a venue where you pay to show your dog and find out why your dog is not placing, what a great idea. Just what the doctor ordered or better yet since we are dealing with dogs, what the vet ordered! Why hadn’t the AKC come up with a format like this, so that each exhibitor would actually know why a particular judge placed another dog ahead of yours?  What a crowd pleaser this format will be, just think of all the happy campers!

Sounds like a dream come true. Right?

Not really! Because in reality, very few owners like to hear any negatives about their dog. Case in point the October 2003 UCI International Dog Shows in Orlando, Florida.

There were 6 male Labradors in the Open Male Class and 7 Open Bitches. Only 2 males received the required 3 certificates to be awarded the UCI International Champion title and out of the 7 bitches, only 3 received the required 3 certificates to be awarded the UCI Int Ch title.

Talk about un-happy campers! Let’s burn the place down.

Some of those folks, whose dogs did not receive their titles because of the unfavorable evaluations, were in an uproar. To actually be able to read what the judge did not like about your dog seemed like a good idea until it happens to you and your dog, especially if you do not agree with the evaluation. The judge’s credentials are immediately questioned, as here are some of the ditties that I heard.

“Who is this guy?”

“Where do they get these judges from?”

“This guy doesn’t know a Labrador from a Poodle!”

“Boy, she was rude and unfriendly.”

“This judge is blind as a bat!”

“This judge liked some of the handlers and gave their dogs the best reviews.”

“She is in so and so’s pocket!”

“Well, I am gong to take this further, you better believe that it won’t stop here!”

Do any of these complaints sound familiar? Do we hear the same laments at the AKC shows? As Yogi would say, “It’s deja vous all over again!”

Of course they do, it is the same thing heard over and over at the AKC shows where you don’t get a written critique, where you don’t know why your dog does not win or place

So is it a better format for judging?

It all depends on your personal perspectives and why you are engaged in dog shows.

If egos are at stake, then winning is all there is. If beating so and so is the flavor of the day, then it doesn’t matter if it is an AKC, UCI, SKS, UKC, CKC or any other 3-letter abbreviation competition, if Fido doesn’t win then the campers pull up stakes and will find another venue where their beloved pet will receive its due recognition.

Go venture forth and you be the judge!