Editorial: January 21, 2021

We come from an era in purebred dogs when judges had real hands-on experience breeding, from breaking the sac to death from old age, and in between raising and grading the litter, bringing the hopefuls to a match show and insisting on the help of friends to help get the puppies in the ring, and then, when they were ready, handling their own dogs. There was no rush to become a judge; that came in time when you had established yourself in your breed, and then after many years you applied. In those heady days, people knew who you were and what you had accomplished in your own breed. There was no democracy: Those who had “an eye” were moved along; whose who didn’t were sent home with their tail between their legs. Come to think of it, very few took that step until they were very sure they were qualified.

Not everything then was as perfect as it sounds. But when it came to judges, everyone knew who the good ones were and whose opinion you wanted. There were some who were not, and their reputations followed them. There was lots of wiggle room where you could have fun, and be made fun of – nearly everyone then had a Billy Kendrick story. But where are the Billy Kendricks, Henry Stoeckers, Ramona Van Courts, Frank Sabellas, Annie Clarks of today? Today, times are different. Now we have judges institutes, canine colleges, seminars, ringside mentoring, and on and on. Thanks in part to board members like the late Steve Gladstone, who thought everyone should judge, we push along these people without much background given the number of breeds they judge so that premium lists are filled with names that aren't familiar, nor are their faces when you attend a show where they are adjudicating. That’s a nice thought in theory, but it’s not practical: The present-day results are proof. With the American Kennel Club’s approval to have dog shows nearly every day of the very week, they need judges. These fast-track alternatives to judging can never duplicate or replace real breeding and hands-on experience. By the time these judges feel they are qualified to stand in the ring and give their opinions, do they really need to take a class on how to run their rings? So prevalent is the problem that we now have a private members-only Facebook page called The Dog Show Judges Report Card with approximately 35,500 members where you can ask questions about certain judges, and give opinions both positive and negative about your own experiences. At least the page has its members put their names to their queries and opinions, whether positive or negative. But it is symptomatic of the number of judges and shows that are available that many in our sport enter under relatively unknown judges either by personal or professional experience. So, which serves us better: the college education or the vocational hands-on alternative? You decide.