I have booked a space on the KC Requirements of a Dog show judge Rules and Regulations seminar and exam, and i would like someone to explain my next moves. Ive had a look online but nothing has helped me as of yet. I know i have to do my 50 points and conformation and movement. I will try and get this booked asap but find most local venues. Waiting for breed clubs to announce breed specific seminars Pug and Frenchies. Then what? I have done my first stewarding session and plan to help out at Newark as much as I can for the shows i dont enter myself. Then what???Thanks in advance

You have to wait to be asked to be a judge, well thats what it was like when I started judging.

Let some of the pug & frenchie folk know your interested in judging & if your lucky they will help you on your way.
They are quite a few other options like contact breed clubs with your cv & see what happens.

I am 'old school' & served my apprenticeship & strongly believe you shouldnt be over pushy & wait but things are very different now(& I dont necessarily think for the better).

I dont mind waiting, but how will they know about me? or know what ive done or to get my dog show CV?

Contact breed clubs with your cv, the judging committee for each breed club will decide wether they put you on their 'c list' or tell you what you need to do to be included.
Most have a minimum time which you are involved with the breed before being considered.

Tell others who have been in the breed much longer that your interested in going onto the first rung. If they think your are the may help you on your way.

I was exhibiting for a fair number of years before someone thought I had enough knowledge to judge.

They tend to know you through your own participation as a successful exhibitor.
Not many judging invites go to those who no one has heard of, but yes it's true, you have to wait to be asked.
Asking to be added to the C list for aspiring judges will help.

Apply to the relevant beed clubs to go on their C list, keep a record of all the classes you've judged (numbers entered as well as those actually seen on the day), join the FB group Dog Show judges and upload your CV (go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/368776833168724/) and there is a paid service I Judge Dogs (go to http://www.ijudgedogs.com/) that you may want to look at.

Is it just me that does'nt 'get' the reticence of judges to put their names forward for appointments ? . It takes a great deal of time, dedication, effort and money to finally move up the judging lists to the point when you can give CC's in your breed ....why then should you not let show secretaries know that you are available. It would certainly help in ending the merry go round of same old names that get offered appointments by societies that find it too much trouble to wade through breed judging lists .

It has taken me almost 25 years to finally get enough classes in my breed to award CC's ( they are as rare as hen's teeth at Open show level which effectively prevents new judges from moving up the judging lists ) I gave my first set this year at Midland Counties  but who know when I'll be asked again ! . We all know of excellent highly experienced judges in our breeds who are quietly forgotten about and NEVER seem to be asked whilst the same few all rounders seem to have no qualms about 'touting for business' .

What's wrong with sending show secretaries your judging CV and opening up the game a little ?

Yvonne

Precisely why I posted asking for judges who were on lists for our show this year!

Our aim is to give C  and B listers a helping hand so there is nothing wrong at all in putting your name forward if asked

Diane

It has taken me almost 25 years to finally get enough classes in my breed to award CC's

That's absolutely nuts with somebody as experienced in the breed as you are, and when we have so many BAD all rounders judging our breed, over and over and OVER, we NEED those IN the breed to judge and I fully agree -it makes no sense if judges cannot make it clear they are available.

We are fast reaching a crisis point in my breed where all the a list judges retiring and none of pur c list breed specialists anywhere close to being able to move up.

I like to encourage younger people coming in to our breed. It is worthwhile sending your CV to the breed club as mentioned already. Also let other people in the breed know (without being pushy) that you are interested. I am often asked by Open Shows for judges and like to help them by giving C listers experience.

I would also contact the breed clubs asking when they are having a seminar and would they keep you in mind. Clubs have to have a certain number of people interested to make it financially viable and more likely to schedule one if they have a list of interested names.

Good luck

I see no reason not to do this, but don't show-giving Clubs approach the Breed Clubs for their lists if they need a judge for a specific breed?  If so, there should be no need to do this yourself?   It might appear pushy, but so often in life (these days!) it's the people who make noise who come to the top of the pile!!

Lexy I'm old school too and waited to be asked.

Yes Louise, you definitely need to write to the breed clubs and ask to be added to the lists.  After that up to you, perhaps volunteer to judge at a match night for a ringcraft club? I am another who hates the whole canvassing for appointments thing - it just means the pushy get invited, rather than the experienced!  Have recently learned that someone in one of my breeds has first judging appointment - they have been "in dogs" (not just in my breed) for 2 years, and as far as I can tell still doesn't know how to tell a sound dog from a lame one!  She has learned most of the terminology now, although until very recently had no idea what a pastern was!  She has a dog who has done some winning, much to my surprise as he is unsound, but he is flashy so has actually gained a stud book number!  So she has become an instant expert.  Much given to posting pics of her dogs and their wins - in most pics they dogs look terrible but she hasn't a clue.  Very chatty and does a lot of networking, hence judging appointment.  However soon exhibitors will be paying their entrance fees for her opinion.  Surely 2 years cannot be long enough to learn enough to give a valued opinion?

2 years in a breed is definitely not enough.   But again, pushy will produce this ..... hopefully she won't attract much of an entry but as there are showing-fools out there, and any new judge usually does attract people, I'm sure she will get a decent entry.   Pity the breed much as it's to be hoped this novice judge will learn, once out there.

However soon exhibitors will be paying their entrance fees for her opinion.  Surely 2 years cannot be long enough to learn enough to give a valued opinion?

This is just as bad as Yvonne taking 25 years to get to award tickets -but in the opposite way. The trouble with new judges that don't really have a clue is that they can end up changing an entire breed as too many people will breed what wins as opposed to what the breed standard asks for.

I'm a NEWCOMER to my main breed, I have had it for just 14 years and as such I will always ask for advice from more established breeders and keep on learning. (I have however been "in dogs" with showing etc since 1982.) Yet some people do seem to think that a couple of years makes them an expert. I think it is the usual these days -everything has to be instant.

I sold one PET dog to someone. Showed him at a lot of open shows, networked and is now judging the breed.

I have owned my main breed since late 1987, bred 3 title holders & 3 RCC winners, I have had one judging appointment.   I am known to be quite critical of the conformation of the breed, I wonder if that is the reason?   Personally I don't think all these seminars & tests have made judging any better, in fact I think its worse.

Personally I don't think all these seminars & tests have made judging any better, in fact I think its worse.

I agree.  We now have 'judges' who can pass exams but don't have an eye for a dog and are not able to feel or see correct anatomy.  :(

So glad it's not just me - and this person is not just 2 years in the breed, but 2 years in dogs!  Starting fro scratch, not idea before that about conformation, movement, type etc etc for dogs as a whole, leaving aside breed features.  I can understand how someone who is knowledgeable and experienced about dogs as a whole, and their own breed in particular could pick up sufficient breed experience in 2 years to have a shot at judging, but starting from scratch?  Not a hope!  I notice that some open show schedule gave a potted history for judges, perhaps this should become the norm?

I notice that some open show schedule gave a potted history for judges, perhaps this should become the norm?

GREAT idea!

Exams and courses don't make judges

Couldn't agree more!  I have often thought the exam/seminar system is the wrong way round.  Woud be much better encouraging newcomers tot he breed to go to a seminar so they have a basic knowledge of the breed, and then, much further down the road, a further seminar and exam.You need the basis to build your knowledge from, ringside critiques can be a little skewed to be a useful learnign tool!

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I agree.  We now have 'judges' who can pass exams but don't have an eye for a dog and are not able to feel or see correct anatomy.  <img alt=":-(" src="/images/default/sml_neg.png" class="sml" />

And we all know how exams are 'dumbed' down nowadays!

When I was sitting my requirements for a dog show judge a lady had come over 100 miles for this she was giving cc s the following year she knew the instructor which was how I found out she had been showing for over twenty years and had made up ten champions most home bred and she failed the exam for the second time this is a test of knowledge and rules of showing dogs she actually ran out of time there where two of us to a table her and me which is how I knew she had not finished I had been for twenty minutes and passed 49 out of 50

>Exams and courses don't make judges

Hear, hear! Anne :-)