I've entered the National show and since realised that the judge doesn't lilke my 'type' of dog.   Why do judges have to pick out their 'type' when surely they should be looking at the breed standard.  I've been to shows when I've heard people mutter that they don't know what the judge is doing as he's not being consistent with a certain 'type' - maybe then he is judging the dogs individually on how he sees them to the standard?

We will still go tomorrow and have a good day, but unfortunately, will unlikely go under this judge again - we live and learn!

sarah

Cant speak for all breeds Sarah but unfortunately I suppose its human nature -
Have a good day and if you dont get placed just put it down to experience :)

Yes judges should judge to the breed standard, but it is how the standard is interpereted (sp) that makes a wide range of dogs successful.
You can have 2 totally different looking dogs, which are both very close to the breed standard for their breed, but what 1 person thinks is a good specimen, is not neccassarily what someone else will think is a good dog. Also certain things are looked at more importantly with certain judges - 1 judge thinks a good strong head is very important, another will think movement is the most important factor.
enjoy your show.  :)

I agree...its down to interpretation.What one judge sees as 'good bone'  for example another may see as being coarse bone and what one judge sees as a good coat another may see as excessive. Its what makes showing a competition in my opinion...otherwise the same dog would win everytime and the rest of us would soon stop paying our entries!! We don't go to win but we do show with the hope that the judge MAY like our dogs.
I am still 'learning' my judges and have a little page in the back of my book which has a yes and no judges list....When I get a schedule I look to see if I've shown under that judge before and then decide what to do....saying that I am showing under a judge tomorrow who my older elkie has been judged by and placed 6 out of 6!!...so we shall see. 
Archer

There are judges that are a definate no no for some but having said that, sometimes you are pleasantly surprised :)

OK, speaking from the judging side, you judge to standard, but of course, faced with two dogs of equal merit it is difficult not to go for the type that appeals to you. Having said that it is rare to find two quality dog that require you to make that sort of decision, it is more common to have a class of moderate dog all of whom fall short of the standard and leave you with no choice but to go for the dog that appeals to you most.

Whilst we are at it what about colour??? Some judges only pick out black brindles or reds/pieds in the Staffies whilst others seem to pick out what they like whilst others pick one thing one time and something different the next. Guess you just have to find the judge(s) who like your type and put your dog under them especially with the fees some shows are charging now.

I suppose if they choose different colours from the last time they picked doesnt that mean theyre not colour bias and therefore look at the dog as to whether it conforms to standard etc and not purely for its colour? I dunno- some are known as a red judge etc, some as a head judge, some like athletic some prefer bullies.
At the end of the day its all personal choice on the day isnt it - if you arent being picked it doesnt mean your dogs no good- just that that particular judge prefered another dog in the line up . And for every person who isnt too keen on your dogs type theres another who thinks its great - thats the hardest bit to learn about showing.

We got told we'd be in with a shout at WELKS but didn't get looked at once yet alone twice and when we looked at this years CH shows the places were we stand a chance of getting placed are the two shows in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Three Counties, South Wales, SCCA Bournemouth and Southern Counties SBT show. Only two are within 60 miles of us so we are being very selective about where we show as it isn't cheap and as Lel just said a judge can go for one thing one time and then change it around the next. Best thing to do is just bide your time and gently start putting your dog out and testing the water then when you feel more confident in the kind of dog you know the judge is looking for then put them under him/her. Our bitch is not as bully as some of the others we have been up against and the varying sizes and types amazes me from what I have seen but you've also got to remember even the wrong kind of dog can get placed if the right handler or face is at the other end of the lead!

To be fair with you if you only show to win or be placed you are in for a disappointing time. Most of us go to enjoy the company of fellow dog lovers and the see a number of the breed we love looking their best, a place is the cream on the day and a win the cherry. I know some people take it more seriously than most of us do and I guess they must get a lot of disappointing days and also question the ability/honesty of the judges. Suppose it is entirely up to the exhibitor what they get out of their showing but to me it seems a shame if their hobby is spoilt by only going to the shows where they think they may have a chance of winning because if they don't they must feel they have wasted their time.

We only have one show within 60 miles, guess we are unlucky but not as bad as if we lived in Scotland.

As we have 7 and a half month son we can't always get a babysitter and as other families members are sometimes busy we feel a burden for asking so we try to plan in advance of what shows we can and can't do. Apart from the heat at WELKS we had a wonderful time and met some lovely people who were willing to stand for ages to talk to us even though they had never met us before. We have met loads of friends along the way and we are only just starting out on the road so have got loads more friends to meet and stories to tell yet hopefully! I have bored my OH to tears with pictures of dogs & bitches that I admire and it was nice to actually get my hands on some of them. The main reason we go to shows is to see what other dogs are at the show and how they are getting on and whenever our bitch meets a dog we have met several times now you would think they were litter mates or lived together as they play with each other like crazy. I doubt that my bitch is never going to be a champion (strike me down with lighting if I am wrong) but in just six months we've seen that some people can afford to go to every show and others and some people are fearless in their campaigning whilst others are more selective. For SBT there are 35 CC's a year on offer which if you aveargae the price out as £15 the you'd be looking at £525 to enter every show (which I know would be nearly impossible to do) plus the cost of hotels, petrol, servicing, tyres, food, plus all the shampoo and preperation that goes into getting a showdog ready not to mention anything else that I may have forgotten! I read in the Crufts edition of Our Dogs that the bloke who owed the Pekingese that won last year does 120,000 miles a year on average and wondered if he had gone mad but I guess that is the difference between doing it as a hobby and a full time job?

Hi, I dont think Bert would call it a full time job, as he is a hotel owner!  But people chasing the big wins do the whole circuit, which clocks up thousands in entry fees and 10s of thousands of miles.  I think that is why being self employed can be easier than having to ask a boss for time off work, or juggling work hours.  As least with your own business you organise the staffing to cover, and of course, pay the price there too!  In my breed we have the colour thing and also the type thing, and the the little cliques too!  Makes entering real fun.  Generally we try to ignore it apart from one or two big no-nos - eg if a judge is known to rarely, if ever, place a parti colour (we have 2 or 3 like this) we dont bother enter the partis under them.  That is the whole fun of showing, isnt it, otherwise you could just go for 1 "grading" session, and that would be your dogs position for the year!  Judges interrpret the standard differently, see faults and virtures as having different values.
bye
Gwen