How many people get annoyed/dissapointed when they dont get a write up. I am relatively new to showing ( 3 years) and a judges opinion and views help me learn about my dogs and the breed in general. I feel that when I am willing to pay £20 a class and spend the day travelling and waiting to show etc that it is not out of order to expect a critique.
Archer

Sometimes we shouldn't always blame the Judge....I myself have only sent a couple of critiques into the papers due to only just starting my judgeing! BUt parents have sent theirs off and never had it published, now it could be due to post (we all know how many go missing each day!) or the papers loseing the crtiques under everything or Once I know the PC's all went down, losing critiques which came though e-mail!

Oh and yes....Sometimes judges just don't bother!!!

Yes, it is annoying when critiques dont appear, and I hate it. But yes, it is also not always down to the judge - the dog papers do get it wrong sometimes.
The trouble with critiques, however is that you must remember that most (not all) judges only record what they like about your dog, and do not always record the faults. Often when they do, they are accused of fault judging.
In my breed, all the critiques for champ shows are duplicated in the yearbook, and the editor asks the judges for a copy, so any that the paper does not print, are at least seen at the end of the year. 

This is another pet hate of mine - the critique that just repeats the same points for each dog e.g. good head, good shoulders etc. without giving any reason for the placings.  Sometimes they praise the second placed dog rather more than the first.  The judge might as well not send in any critique at all if they're just going to say the same for each dog.  Sometimes I guess critiques turn out like that because people are trying to keep to 30 words.  I think you should give your reasons, without being unkind or giving too much away and whilst emphasising the dog's good points as much as possible.  For example, you might say "preferred the hind movement on 1" rather than "crikey, no 2 was seriously cowhocked" :-).  I don't think a critique should be a forum for hurting anyone, after all it's just one judge's opinion and others may disagree, but if it's going to be useful to breeders it has to make some mention of reasons for placings.  If an exhibitor is interested enough, they might seek you out later and ask you exactly what you meant.  Some of the best critiques I have read were actually quite precise about faults, written by experienced veterans in my breed, and although they might in some cases be a little too precise for some, they certainly make good educational tools.  Not everyone is aware of their dog's shortcomings, and sometimes they even praise faults as if they were desirable traits e.g. a bear-shaped head (i.e. short-muzzled and domed), which in my breed is quite wrong, but which was recently offered up to me by a newcomer to my breed as an alternative type of head to the standard one (i.e. wedge-shaped, with muzzle roughly the same length as the skull), which some judges might prefer.  Not if they've read the standard!
I have just sent a critique in, and have agonised over several rewrites.  I like to write it soon after judging, wait a day or two, then look at it again and rewrite or rephrase before I send it.  Probably takes a week or so.  Even then, I find it hard to keep to 30 words per dog.  After all that, the paper invariably changes the punctuation to save space and changes the sense of it in the process.  On one occasion, a paper did not print it until I re-sent it, several weeks later - perhaps they never received it the first time.  Our Dogs normally publish about two/three weeks after the show if I send by email - Dog World seems to take a little longer, as I think they like to publish a number of reports together, particularly if there are photos to go with the reports.
At the shows I've been to on the Continent, everyone gets a verbal report on their dog for all too hear, and they do not pull any punches.  Even the best dogs generally have one or two things that the judge might want to alter slightly.  Exhibitors accept their critique with good grace and shake hands with the judge quite politely.  Wonder what would happen if we did that here.

Goodness me I agree so much I am not sure I did not write it ;) Only hope I can live up to the way I feel.

Jackie and Ness
Having had both of you judge and then write critiques on my 2 boys I can only say they were both very well phrased and informative. I too hate critiques which are repetative and 'unpersonal'.I would much rather have an honest critique with an insite into the judges thoughts...warts and all...than a 'feelingless' 1st/ nice A,B,AND C.if you know what I'm getting at.
I am aware of my dogs faults but it is nice when you get the judges reasoning behind your dogs placing.
I have approached open show judges after judging and they have explained their placings which was great but never a champ show judge!
Nikki

There are some judges who write a critique and even without the name of the dog you would know which dog they were talking about, and there are those who seem to have judged a different set of dogs from those you were looking at from the ringside. Do think that open show judges are restricted by the 30 word limit but championship judges have far more scope.

I think it must be a lot harder to write a critique in 30 words.As you say there are some write ups where you would think it was a different dog to the one you were looking at. I have never had a  problem with my boys placings but am always interested to know why...wether we win or not.
NIKKI

Have to say that I am usually so excited by my winners that I sit and write my critique whilst I have my post judging coffee, then prune about 200 words out when I get home. The most difficult is if you don't like any of the class very much, you are aware that the owner of the dog has a red rosette, even if they were alone in the class you don't want to take too much of the gloss off the win.

Can you imagine if you wrote what you thought, something like, "this dog was so far from the standard I thought it must have wandered into the wrong ring."  Well you can't can you, and you can't list the poor things faults either so you have to do a list of the dogs few good points and then perhaps point out the worse problem to excuse not giving it BOB. The worse thing like that was back when I first started judging and I had a less than show quality dog in front of me and not a clue how to sum up my feeling without causing hurt, anyway I must have made a good job of the flannelling because when I next met the owner of said exhibit they thanked me for what I had written. I know I should have been more honest with them and may be I would now, but I doubt it.

Undoubtedly many judges don't bother - height of rudeness, if they can't be bothered to write critiques, they shouldn't accept the appointments (family crises apart).

But yes, would agree that papers are not always on top of things - I've sent critiques in the day after the show and they have only appeared months later, after various chases from me.

M.

I feel disappointed about this too - I'm sure I haven't missed it - but still looking for critique of Aussies at Crufts - Beau got a 2nd, and have been looking for it for his scrapbook!!!

Margot

Oh no, what a shame!!  Can you still do the 15 day (or whatever) free trial of the Our Dogs online service?  You could check it that way - or if anyone else is an online subscriber they could check it for you perhaps?

M.

Done it - I'm sure it hasn't been printed yet - there is a Crufts critique printed in this week's paper!!!

No Margot it hasn't been in as I've been watching for it too as Sheila my SIL got a first with her puppy bitch and her scrap book is empty on that page :( Gillian

I think its so sad...I don't expect a critique from an open show although its always nice to get one.But to not bother about a champ show is just not on.Lets face it ...showing dogs is expensive AND time consuming and the judges must know that people look forward to the critiques...I think its just rudeness and shows lack of interest to not submit one.
Archer

Hi Margot and Gillian,
                       The critique for the aussies at Crufts, is currently being chased up.......... No, the judge hasn't bothered to write one.......... which is no surprise to me personally.....
It will be VERY interesting to see what he has to say, when he finally bothers to send it in...........
Hope you are both ok, and dogs also....
Hugs Gabrielle x

Thanks for that info, Gabrielle - looks like the only way we can voice disapproval is by not going under the Judges who don't write critiques!

We're fine - glad to say that I'm now back to 90% fitness - dogs are fine, only just finished blowing coats, so hopefully they'll have coats for Windsor - bet you anything that the girls come into season for Windsor/Paignton/East of England .......

Loki & Thor send love to Mum!!!

Margot

Hey Margot,
               Glad you are ok......... Yes, the breed club is currently chasing it up, and I agree, don't enter under people who can't be bothered writing critiques............
Well Scarlett is naked and due in season, so she will not be at any shows now till probably LKA.......just in case we hear the patter of tiny paws !!!!!!!!!
Good Luck at the shows......... let me know how you do........
xxxxxxxx from Jade,
Hugs Gabrielle x

                   The critique for the aussies at Crufts, is currently being chased up.......... No, the judge hasn't bothered to write one..........

Hope he's doing his Finnish Lapphund critique at the same time :-)

Julie V............
            I wouldn't bank on it :D
Although, I am really waiting for the Crufts one.......... as some of his judging was very ''interesting''..........
Our breed club is currently chasing it up.......... needless to say, he won't be getting another entry from me, although I did ok under him........ Why take the appointment, if you cannot be bothered to write a critique.......??
Gabrielle x

I get really cross...still waiting for Manchester Champ Show...Bullmastiffs..my Macy won both puppy bitch classes and i'm dying to know what he had to say about her...saying that i'm also waiting for 5 other shows from March, April and May, two of which where Breed Club shows.
One day things will get better or so i wish.
Karen.

And THAT's the premier show, the one that we all want to win, the one that costs us the most, and here we are, over 3 months later, still waiting..........

Could we complain to anyone?????

Margot

When I judge I always write a critique, but have found as have other judges they don't always get printed. I have for some years now not only posted a critique but have also sent a copy of it by fax or email. And even doing this some of my critiques have not been printed in one or the other paper! 
Another thought is that if the papers say if the critique is not received before so many weeks are up then it won't be printed. So knowing this my friend Stephanie waited for weeks to see the critique she had sent in appear, having sent it the day after the show she was sure it would be printed. It didn't appear in one of the papers, so she rang them and was told that as it was after the set period and they would not be printing it. When she pointed out that she had sent it the day after the show recorded delivery, they said they would look for it. They didn't ring her back as promised, so she rang them. To be told yes they had found the critique, and they were sorry but but they couldn't print it as it was too long since the actual show and it was now peak time for the championship shows, so there wouldn't be room to print it. She knew they had the critique because they read the start of it out to her over the phone to verify it was the right one.

I personally hate the "OK" critiques - you know "Head OK." Movement OK" This doesnt tell any one anything.

I know what you mean about the head ok type critique. My friend Bill Garrod told me when judging the standard is like your "road map" to the way to go over the dog. Then when writing the critique it is your guide lines for telling people what you see. He said you should give the people who weren't there a picture of what you saw, and he said comment on the good points, let others when judging make their own minds up about the bad points, in other words it is right to record the dogs good points, but don't say things about the bad points, you should try to say why you preferred the wining dog.