Breed Like A Judge/Judge Like A Breeder
By Helene Nietsch
(found in The Working Dog Digest, April-May 2008 Edition, pages 24-25)
The practical guide to judging dogs both in and out of the ring is to appreciate the true quality of each dog against its standard - which sometimes seems overlooked in the obvious and inevitable search for faults. A perfect dog has not yet been produced nor ever will. Over emphasis on faults rather than virtues is a road to a risky destination which may prevent one from seeing the various good qualities and attributes a dog possesses only to condemn a dog for a minor imperfection with one's favorite intolerable fault. If one based decisions on faults alone, many animals might have been overlooked as a worthy champion, credible stud dog or an admirable show dog. We must not forget that it is the whole dog that counts and that the absence of a fault does not suggest in any way the presence of its corresponding virtue.
Are judges sometimes of a mind to over emphasize faults rather than virtues in judging a class of dogs? Do breeders, choosing a puppy or selecting a stud dog, concentrate on a fault and overlook the obvious qualities...qualities which the breed, their breeding program or a brood bitch might need for improvement? In the long run, if you are choosing for overall quality and your focus is on virtue, your choices as a breeder will be rewarded with success. If one has a more impartial viewpoint as a judge should, a breeder might indeed overlook these negative qualities which seem to unfairly outbalance the positive qualities. If the emphasis was on type, rather than showmanship, a judge might appreciate the qualities which are of real value to the breed.
Judge like a breeder. Breed like a judge. There are many factors essential to a praiseworthy show dog. Of foremost importance is the close adherance to breed type. Following that, soundness, structure, balance, style, plus health and temperament complete the whole package in the eyes of a judge as well as a breeder. A truly great show dog should not excel in the statistics without impeccable breed type and balance, soundness, style and ring presence. However, showmanship should not override breed correctness. This also does not mean that an extreme specimen with minor faults may not be valuable in a breeding program to correct a deficit in an area, but the final goal should always be soundness, quality and type within the standard. Emphasis should be on substance over superficiality. Formulating a mental picture of the breed with particular emphasis on quality and balance takes many years of experience and study. Hold a picture in mind of what the breed was intended to do, and translate that into the ideal dog to do that job. Know the standard. Learn from experts in the breed.
Are not the goals of the judge the same as the breeder? Both have the responsibility to this sport to select the best dogs to make the next generation better than the previous. Both have the opportunity to improve the breed. Dogs that win in the show ring inevitably have more opportunity to reproduce, so it is equally important that breeders' standards are high and judges understand true breed type. While dismissing a dog from a breeding program or a ribbon in a class because of a particular minor fault, the obvious overall quality which is of real value to the breed may be overlooked...this would be fault judging to an extreme.
Some faults are, of course, more serious than others depending on the breed, lack of breed type being the most serious of all faults. Should a light eye be more heavily faulted than a lack of balance or an unsound rear assembly? Is a poor tail set a more significant flaw than a weak front or topline? Are show results the true measure of a dog's quality? The dog with the most quality and the least faults is the one that should be recognized and rewarded.
It is the judge or breeder with a true eye for quality, one who can sort through the minor imperfections, [that can] find that special and rare thing we call true quality. Dog breeding is about protecting a breed, not about one great win or winner. Seasoned ethical breeders don't settle for just good enough, but strive for the very best for future generations. Let's hope that someday we can produce consistency in litters that are bred for correct breed type and that they are evaluated and judged with a keen, educated eye...the eye of an esteemed judge, the wisdom of a master breeder.