In this week's Dog World we got our very first printed critique from Leeds Champ Show under Bert Easdon! Which reads:-

Hartley & Fahey's Lollys Miracle, cream, fine bone, ideal size, level topline, well placed ears, fine coat. Need to settle on the move.

We are extremely pleased with it, we know we have some work to do with her but what a good critique!

LOL ce1985f...I also saw our first critique last week (there should have been others but I haven't been able to find them yet) and he sounds like the invisible dog. This was my boy's critique after going 2nd in PGD: "Third in Novice, excellent movement, powerful, covers the ground." What happened to the rest of him :-)???

That's a nice one! Jay I remember one of my Ellie's early critiques, her head isn't her fortune even now but back then it was not a pretty sight at all, however her general shape and movement were such as to give her a single Best Puppy award at an open show, the judge's critique started at the neck and described the rest of her in loving detail, so I was left imagining my headless puppy trotting round the ring! :-) Thankfully the head improved with age and we have had nice critiques including it!

I've been looking forward to reading a critique for months, since he went BIS at a limit show in April (nothing). There have a been a few moments since, including a BOB, so he can't be hopeless. The last thing I was expecting was post-critique paranoia.

UK critiques are not the detailed point by point, warts and all ones as written in the ring and given to the owner at FCI shows, but the judges general impressions and hopefully reasoning of why they preferred first over second.  Most often mentioning the dogs strongest points. 

A good critique will have a preamble of the judges overall findings of the entry, pointing out any  prevalent strengths and weaknesses. 

These are most helpful to breeders, as one hopes that the breeder exhibitor will know their own dogs particular strengths and weaknesses, but their importance may vary depending on how prevalent they are in the breed as a whole.

> LOL ce1985f...I also saw our first critique last week (there should have been others but I haven't been able to find them yet) and he sounds like the invisible dog. This was my boy's critique after going 2nd in PGD: "Third in Novice, excellent movement, powerful, covers the ground." What happened to the rest of him :-)???

I know! We are waiting for afew from may onwards!

If you're not getting your critiques then contact the show secretaries to make them aware of this. I contacted both papers for one I really wanted and they both confirmed they hadn't received it, so I contacted the show secretary and they obtained the critique from the judge and emailed it to me.

> If you're not getting your critiques then contact the show secretaries to make them aware of this. I contacted both papers for one I really wanted and they both confirmed they hadn't received it, so I contacted the show secretary and they obtained the critique from the judge and emailed it to me.

Thank you, i may well do that.

Lucky you, I am still annoyed about my Yankee's one and only critique where we went to a small show on the IOW during our hols, he was the only one there bless him, and the judge did all the gundog breeds and the group and did not put in a critique for any, I contacted the secretary and they basically said it wasn't their problem as it was only for champ and breed shows that the judge had to do one.

We got our first critique which wasn't quite what i expected.  I really wanted someone elses opinion on our girls as I know what I like about them but other exhibitors are polite and point out only the good so I was keen to read it and had waited ages very impatiently

What we got was for our 1st place and best puppy in breed (2nd show out 6 1/2 months old) at a champ show- very immature & would not behave, preferred the head on 2nd but nothing else.

It really put a downer on the whole thing and I took down her rosette as i decided that our win wasn't worth anything if they couldn't be bothered to write something nice.  I wouldn't have minded but the critiques for the puppies we beat we lovely and very detailed.

Afterwards someone in our breed said to me - sometimes when you read a critique it tells you more about the judge than your dog.  Just note it down in your head and next time really appreciate those who take their time to write about your dog.

I remember waiting ages for a critique after winning a big AV DOG PUPPY STAKES. When it came out, it started "lovely bitch"  Etc etc.bit of a clue that we were in the dog class.  Shame as the rest was really nice!

Eek Susiebell, that is a bit mean! Hope you've had some better ones since. Honestly, why would a 6.5 month puppy be anything but immature and naughty!

ironically it was the best she'd ever behaved!  Everyone at ring side said we looked like different dog & handlers than 2 weeks previously.  Since then we had a lovely breed specialist judge who actually told me a bit about my girl!