Here's the scenario: the breed judge starts to go over your dog (this is a medium gundog breed with moderate coat), remarks to the dog "what a good girl" (you figure the judge will note his error by the time he gets to the back end of the dog). You move the dog, stack him in the line up and the judges awards places (your dog is unplaced)...he comes over to you at the end to shake hands and remarks again "a lovely bitch!"

Now he's had several opportunities to work out what gender the dog is--he was crouched down to watch the dog on the move, made a point of looking in his ears, thorough examination of the bite, feet, etc. How on earth does an experienced judge miss fairly basic bits of a dog's anatomy?

So do you say something or not? I just walked away and we won't be showing under him again, but I wonder if it would have been better to tell him politely he'd made a very fundamental error.

I think I'd have been tempted to suggest he went to 'SpecSavers'!!!   Whatever, you shouldn't enter into any conversation when in the ring, during judging.   But not to suggest you couldn't have gone to him afterwards - but far better really would be to add his name to those in your little black book eh.

I assuming you didn't have 'him' in a bitch class - lol?

I've had that happen. Trick is to speak to the DOG when gone over, saying "Good boy!" :)

LOL Goldmali...if you can believe it, I did say "good boy"...a number of times...but obviously not quite loudly enough

Oh priceless!!!

MamaBas, this was an open (gundog) show  so mixed classes for our breed. He was judging three breeds so clearly an experienced judge.

Unless he was expecting to see testicles down the dog's ear canal I can't imagine how he could miss them.

And yes, he is quite definitely in the black book but with extra points for gross incompetence. As a final footnote he also put up the worst mover in the class :-)

Surely if he couldn't tell the difference between a dog and a bitch it questions his ability to judge anything ?

Shouldn't these sort of things be reported as you would want judges to be competent ?

LJS, if it had been a companon show or someone on their first appointment, I would have put it down to a very embarrassing oversight, but you've got a point. This is a very well attended, well respected gundog society show and I would imagine judgng appointments are not easy to come by, which makes it all the more aggravating. If he had said it in front of other witnesses it would be very different, but the others only saw him talking to me after breed judging was over, they didn't hear what he said. Even if I reported it I doubt much could come of it other than a potential "yes you did, no I didn't" situation which wouldn't do anything for either of us. Given that his BOB had very poor movement, was not typical of the breed and only had a lovely shiny coat to offer I think this judge will not have impressed the majority of exhibitors.

Who was the judge?

peppe, is it fair to name him on a public forum, do you think? I'm just trying to put myself in his place (god forbid)--I would be mortified if an exhibitor told me I'd made this mistake with their dog, but how much worse it would be if they said nothng to me and put my details on here, or FB, or whatever, discussing it with all and sundry...

I think I would have said, when he done the shake hands bit..by the way 'she' is a male then walked away. This way he has finished judging your exhibit & will realise what you mean.

I probably wouldn't have said anything, doesn't pay to cause any embarrassment, people have a knack of remembering that, :-D it happens...... as has been said I think he must have forgotten his glasses, obviously your boy is a very pretty example for him to keep thinking he was a girl. :-D

He was wearing his glasses...must have picked up someone else's :-D!

I would have tried the 'good boy' line while being judged, but once he'd said it again after judging and not placing my dog, I don't think I could have stopped myself from saying 'erm.... he's a boy actually' :-D

He was wearing his glasses...must have picked up someone else's

:-D :-D What can you say...........  :-D

>Unless he was expecting to see testicles down the dog's ear canal I can't imagine how he could miss them.

I've just sprayed the screen with diet pepsi!  Wetting myself here.  :-)

Oh dear, that reminds me of the first time I took my rescue Malinois girl to her first companion show, a fun show for charity, but judged by Valerie Singleton.

I almost missed her calling me out for 2nd place as she announced: "The Alsatian!" somewhat theatrically.... I really thought she meant the chap with the elderly GSD nearby.

I don't think dear Val appreciated me saying, "Ummm.... well actually she's a Belgian Shepherd Malinois...." as I wasn't placed in any of the other classes after that.

LOL at least Valerie Singleton has the excuse of the general public -even though so many more these days knows what a Mali is, the great majority do not. I bet she will never forget now though!

Humph..... I was even wearing a breed specific T-shirt....LOL!!!

Judges at Open shows are still 'in training' and it is possible to register an objection although I'd not bother with the mixing a dog for a bitch to be honest.  More to the point is him putting up a dog who was moving badly (lame? - much as judging is always subjective and without going over the dogs concerned......).   If this was an Open show, and Group specific, that is slightly different and one might expect to have a more qualified judge.   But they would still be working towards becoming a Champ.Show judge.

Again, I'd vote with my feet - life's too short!!

Reminds me of a show where my boy won his Av dog class.   We had  a really nice critique which kicked off with what a lovely bitch....  The clue was in the class name and only dogs in the class, the bitches were in their own class after!