Oh, I'm so disappointed that you can only access the breed notes and show reports now if you are a subscriber :-(

sorry what do you mean? if you pay for a subscription you can only get breed notes and show reports - I read the paper online this week?

Yes just tried to read our latest breed notes and its now subscribers only.

oh I see - sorry you have to be a subscriber? that's new isn't it :( shame !

That's annoying!  I do get their paper but have been thinking of stopping.

I know! Its so disappointing. They put on a notice saying there would be improvements to the website but all that is happened is that they have removed content from general view. I guess it is an attempt to make more people subscribe but I certainly won't be doing so :-) I believe critiques should be made available free of charge as that is part of why we pay to exhibit under a judge. So I'll be finding my critiques at the KC library in future!

So I'll be finding my critiques at the KC library in future!

Some judges post their critiques at dog.biz. Be a great idea if more did.

Yep, it was fine on Wednesday then nada from Thursday.

Frankly I don't see the point of having access only if you take the hard copy.  I would prefer to have the on-lien only option, even if I have to pay for it like with Our dogs.

> So I'll be finding my critiques at the KC library in future!

Please say more, know nothing about this????

You can just havea online only sub, before you just selected the overseas option but now you can just selct online only.

Can you do me a link as I couldn't find an on-line only option???

bit hard to find (on right on it's own) http://www.dogworldshop.com/products.php?cat=19

http://www.dogworld.co.uk/Subscribe-now

To the right of the page is a black box saying online only sub for £60 :)

The Kennel Club have a library at their London office with an archive of the dog press. I can walk there from my office. Next time I go I will put up a post and take requests for critique checking ;-)

I didn't know that some judges put their critiques on dog.biz, I'll check this facility out. Some Breed clubs put up their show critiques on their websites and I think that in general the show organisers should be expected to publish all the critiques free of charge. I'd be happy to pay an extra pound as part of my entry fee to cover the cost!

Next time I go I will put up a post and take requests for critique checking

OOOOOHHH....yes please, shivj, let me know when you go, I would love to see critiques of my dogs--I have been buying OD and a fair few DW this year and have not seen one of the critiques to date, which is really frustrating. If you wouldn't mind having a look for two dogs for me that would be fantastic! I imagine you will get stampeded in the rush now :-)

Yes, I saw that on Friday--there was no advance warning that I say anywhere either and the weird thing was I could still see every other breed notes except mine...not any more though.

I subscribe to Dog World as I like to read the paper rather than just online, but sometimes have a look on line on a Wednesday if waiting for a crit. I think the new look is awful, the photo of each breed above the breed notes is just a waste of space.  AB's column this week is only two thirds print, there's a huge space at the top with photo and title, another waste of space.  Take all these bits together and there'd be loads of space for more critiques!

> I subscribe to Dog World as I like to read the paper rather than just online, but sometimes have a look on line on a Wednesday if waiting for a crit. I think the new look is awful

Ditto - and when I looked for a crit online it took so much longer because the index has been removed from the front page.  They said they haven't finished making the changes yet so I'm hoping all that white space is going to be filled next week...

I missed the index on the front page too, spent ages looking!  Want the old Dog World back, I'm such an old saddo!!

I didn't even find where the index was online!!!  luckily I do the same each week - breed notes and critiques - usually around 30 and 32!

I don't mind the new changes but agree - more critiques is what we want at the end of the day!

Surely more critiques is down to the judges? If they don't send them in, the two papers can't print them :(

Is it the judges or the papers? 

Do they print everything they received in a timely manor - some weeks there are zero critiques for some champ show - which I would find hard to believe? Maybe it is the judges :(

I've been told (by some judges) that it's the paper not the judge--not all critiques are printed. Having said that I'm annoyed that coincidence has struck on every occasion either of my shown dogs got a critique...grrr :)

> I've been told (by some judges) that it's the paper not the judge--not all critiques are printed

I assume those judges have been able to promptly provide you with a copy from their own records ... ? ;-)

In my experience, anything submitted within a reasonable timescale is printed. It really would be a coincidence for both papers to make an error on the same critique too, so should appear in at least one paper.

M.

I assume those judges have been able to promptly provide you with a copy from their own records ... ?

TBH I haven't asked them, I just assumed I would find them in the papers sooner or later

JAY15 I will take the first batch of requests and look, no problem. I will go in the next month or so.

Re whose fault it is when critiques don't appear, we can't really be sure, but I have contacted both Dogs World and Our Dogs in the past, and both have assured me that if they receive a critique within a reasonable time (Our Dogs allows a little longer) they will print it. On the 2 occasions that I have chased missing critiques up, it has been the judges fault that they have not appeared in the press.

I really think that this is something that needs to be improved upon on the UK judging scene. Critiques should not belong to the dog press to 'sell' - and I don't believe they belong to the judge either - rather, they are owed to the exhibitor who has paid for the judge's opinion on the day.

I don't know how this change can be 'forced' other than by voting with our feet and paws so I don't enter open shows anymore (with the exception of breed club ones) as in my experience that is when my fee has been taken and the judges haven't taken things seriously and failed to provide a critique. And that was with 2 Puppy Group wins and 2 Reserve Best in Breeds, in decent size Breed classes!

> I don't know how this change can be 'forced' other than by voting with our feet

It's part of the declaration that the Judge signs.

Then maybe the critiques shoudlb e sent to the club secreatry to then pass to press and nay exhibitor who sends in an SAE or email.

> Then maybe the critiques shoudlb e sent to the club secreatry to then pass to press and nay exhibitor who sends in an SAE or email.

Husband is judging in Nov, couple of months ago he completed the paperwork, in the declaration it states:  I shall comply as my contract requests, to write a critique, which I shall send to Dog World, Our Dogs and the Secretary.

Years ago after his very first appointment he submitted the crits to both papers and Secretary. Nobody since has asked for it (till now).

Without wanting to come across as an unfortunate creep, I am increasingly in awe of the work that organisers put into open and limit shows and I like to support them with our entries wherever we can--we always have a great day out no matter what happens in the ring. But like you when your dog goes BOB or gets a group win, it would be nice to read it somewhere. Can't the KC find the resources to keep an online directory of critiques for all the shows in its calendar (e.g. judges could send critiques there and we could access them either by subscription or on a pay per download basis), or is this seen as treading too hard on the toes of the dog papers?

Jay15 if you haven't seen crits for your boy/s within a reasonable time frame you can contact the KC and ask if they've received them from the judge.  They will either send you a copy immediately or chase the judge and forward them to you.

It's the awards dept you want, if I recall

Thanks dogs a babe, I never knew that!

> Then maybe the critiques shoudlb e sent to the club secreatry to then pass to press and nay exhibitor who sends in an SAE or email

Something along the lines of a section on the KC's website for judges to load thier crits on to would be a good idea and those that don't have the internet, send them to the KC for loading.
Those that can't access a PC to view crits could send a letter to the KC requesting copeis of them
This way the KC can see when crits haven't been done & it's there for everyone to view.

> Can't the KC find the resources to keep an online directory of critiques for all the shows in its calendar (e.g. judges could send critiques there and we could access them either by subscription or on a pay per download basis

This would be a great idea - I only get one dog paper so it is really annoying if a critique appears in one but not the other - or worse neither! If the Kennel club had an online search then they would know very quickly which judges were not fulfilling their contracts by writing a critique too ( as would future show secretaries).
If you have accepted an appointment to judge then you should be prepared to critique the dogs and if you don't then you shouldn't be invited to judge again IMHO.

dogs a babe, I saw this on the KC website:

"At the moment we only computerise the Stud Book qualifying awards so therefore we can only send you a list of awards providing your dog has a Stud Book number.  If you would like a list of your dog's awards then please send a cheque for £5.00 (as of January 2010) to the Awards Department giving your dog's registered name and number"

So it sounds like we might be back to asking the individual judge concerned...

As far as I understand it the KC will chase up judges who have failed to submit a critique for the first 2 placed dogs in each class at Champ shows only. This doesn't apply to Open shows. Judges may sign an agreement to produce a critique for open show placements but who enforces this? I believe that the duty should be on the organisers of the show who handle the entry fee. I would be happy to pay a bit more entry fee to help open show organisers get this together. I think it is a great idea for the KC to make Champ show critiques available on their own website.

The one I chased was a missing Champ Show critique.  The KC confirmed that no crits had been received and that I wasn't the only person to ask for them!  They chased them up for me and sent a photocopy of the judges hand written notes.  As far as I know those crits never appeared in either paper and I'm not sure if the judge was censured.

I haven't ever chased open show crits but I had assumed they would do the same as above - it's interesting to hear the KC are only prepared to pursue Champ Show crits.  Do we know that for certain - has anyone tried emailing them?

It's only in recent years the KC have made submitting a critique compulsory for champ shows,a nd even then they are sometimes not appearing.  It took over a year for us to get the critique for a champ show where the judge was giving CCs for the first time last year, and he was giving them again this year, just 18 months later, fortunately this time the critique was in PDQ..

I was told by the KC by phone that they do mot pursue open show critiques. I'll have a look on their website to see if there is any more info...

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2984

The link above (sorry if I haven't posted it correctly!) indicates that the rules apply to champ and open shows so the KC should chase up open shows too... Hmmmm.

Thanks for the link, it was very interesting ....... I'd need a few books of stamps!

It says: ......judges must submit critiques for the first two placings in each class at Championship shows and Open Breed Shows (my emphasis).  That means breed club open shows, not general open shows.

Of course... so it isn't open shows as they told me originally. Oh well

Thanks Barbara, I didn't read enough!

> it is really annoying if a critique appears in one but not the other

OH is so fed up with Dog World meddling with his critiques that he now only sends them to Our Dogs!

I too am bitterley dissapointed that you can no longer read the critiques and breed notes in Dog World on the internet. In the weekly paper the print size is so small for elderly people with poor sight short of scanning each page its unreadable. On the web by pressing ctrl and+ you can enlarge the text and get it to a readable size. This is no longer an option. I write breed notes and can no longer check what I have sent in.

cabs shouldn't you be entitled to a free online sub for being a breed note writer? I certainly get that from OD for doing breed notes for them -like you say I want to check it after I've sent it in. Might be worth asking DW?

thanks, I'll give it a try

> shouldn't you be entitled to a free online sub for being a breed note writer?

I wrote breed notes for Dog World for 5 years and never got a free paper. :(  Had to buy it to check how they had edited it as often it was chopped about.