TYPES OF DOG SHOWS
There are various levels of dog shows in all countries with Championship shows always the highest. At a lower level there are Match shows in the United States and Open shows, Limited shows, Sanction shows, Primary shows and Exemption shows in the United Kingdom. These shows tend to be structured in such a way that entry is restricted to dogs which have not won a given amount of prizes at previous shows, and so the level of competition will vary.
Regardless of level, there are primarily two types of competition in the conformation ring - breed and variety. Breed competition involves dogs of the same breed competing through the various classes until a Best Dog, Best Bitch and eventually Best of Breed is determined. In Variety competition, dogs of different breeds compete together, either in a class or a group situation. For example, a class could be scheduled at a show for "Any Variety Terrier," that class being open to all terriers. In the Terrier Group competition, however, only those terriers which have won Best of Breed in their respective breed classes are eligible to compete. One of the most difficult aspects of dog shows for the inexperienced observer to understand is the principle behind variety competition, and a frequently posed question is "How can you judge a Chihuahua against a Great Dane?"
This question is addressed below, but first it is useful to consider the principles of breed competition, i.e., competition confined to a single breed. Each breed of pedigree dog, when it was first recognized by the canine governing body of the country, had a breed Standard or written description of perfection drawn up. Every breed Standard describes the various points in detail. The descriptions of the requirements for each aspect of the overall animal invariably had the breed's function, rather than what was the fashion, as its foundation. Copies of breed Standards are readily available from parent breed clubs and national kennel clubs, and are usually included in books on specific breeds.
THE BREED STANDARDS
Essentially all breed Standards consist of specific descriptions under the following headings: General Appearance, Characteristics, Temperament, Head and Skull, Eyes, Ears, Mouth, Neck, Forequarters, Body, Hindquarters, Feet, Tail, Gait/Movement, Coat, Color, Size and Faults. In recent years specific faults have been deleted from the British breed Standards whereas their European and American counterparts continue to list what are considered disqualifying faults.
Over the years, breed Standards have been honed, streamlined or simply changed because governing bodies have tried to establish international similarity. Breed clubs, often run by breeders who wish to change fashions, have pressured for change. Streamlining the often verbose originals into more standardized formats has also brought change.
The breed Standard is the most valuable tool of dog judges. Coupled with their natural eye for quality and balance, their assumed integrity and strength of character, it is all they should require if they are to assess an entry of dogs and make justified and logical placings. Happily for the dog exhibitor, breed Standards allow great freedom on the part of the judge for personal interpretation. Furthermore, while many of the original Standards were set out in such a way that a percentage of points were allocated to particular aspects of the overall animal, the whole adding up to 100, the current formats are much less rigid and encourage appreciation of the whole dog, rather than "dissecting" it.
While the breed Standards aim to paint a word picture of perfection for each breed, they tend to be rather clinical - especially the more modern, streamlined versions. Some original Standards may have been considered florid in language, but many of the expressions used conveyed subtle nuances very succinctly. As an example, changing the requirement of the Pekingese head to be "large" rather than "massive" loses the sense of great size. As newly worded Standards are handed down from generation to generation, there is the danger that essential breed characteristics may be lost along the way.
PICKING A WINNER
A further disadvantage of the written breed Standards is that they make no reference to the one intangible that every judge hopes to find in his or her top winners - charisma, star quality or presence. When it is present it will be recognized, and it is a virtue possessed by all the great dogs. They sem to have an aura about them. For the dedicated judge, finding - or even seeing - such a dog, is one of the most fulfilling pleasures.
Andrew Brace recalls, "The memory of seeing truly outstanding dogs never fades, and those blessed with this air of supremacy happen only once every so often. The first dog to make such an impression on me was the Bull Terrier, Ch. Abraxas Audacity, who won Best in Show at Cruft's in 1972. 1 remember him making his entrance into the "big ring" as if it were yesterday, a gleaming white beast, rippling with perfectly honed muscle, and yet so clean in outline. He stepped on to the red carpet, just shook himself once or twice, looked down his nose and strode the length of the huge arena, tail wagging and with just a hint of mischief in his eye. He was the very essence of this magnificent breed, he shone with condition and his every move reflected personality. It was no surprise when he walked off with the Big One! "of the great dogs I have judged, none has impressed me more than the magnificent Lhasa Apso, Ch. Saxonsprings Fresno, who really did justify the hackneyed phrase of becoming a legend in her own lifetime. I had the pleasure of judging her at a small limited show in Sheffield when she was very much an uncooperative teenager, but from the start she had "the look," a definite statement that she was something special, and when I got her on the table she was an absolute joy to handle, with perfect conformation, and everything fitting and flowing. Despite her waywardness on the day I made her Best in Show, and after she had broken all records it was with pleasure I awarded her the Challenge Certificate and Best of Breed at her retirement show."
Anne Rogers Clark has vivid memories of the thrill that working with and judging dogs can generate. She comments: 'Judging dogs is like... finding pearls in oysters, or a gold nugget ... the excitement is palpable, real and remembered when you find the next great one. My first experience was before I became a judge and was a professional handler. A client, the great financier and poodle enthusiast Clarence Dillon, had gone to England and purchased a promising black Miniature Poodle bitch from a well-known kennel. He brought her back to the States and, as he did not have a regular handler at the time, she just sat in his lovely kennel for several months while he surveyed the available handlers who might be interested. I was quite young at the time, but was well on the way in my profession, and was delighted to be asked to review his stock. The bitch was overgrown with hair but looked promising, and I took her home for further study. After several days of bathing, brushing, clipping and shaping, the most beautiful young Miniature bitch appeared that anyone - including myself - had ever seen. She went on to great heights. In 1959 we won the Westminster Show together and her blood lives on today through her descendents, including the Non-Sporting Group winner at the 1995 Westminster. Her name was Dunwalke's Ch. Fontclair Festoon.
"There have been many others, joys to find, thrilling to watch fulfill their destiny both in the show ring and as producers. This is what gets you out of bed on a dark, rainy morning to judge outdoors all day in less than perfect conditions. The next one in the ring may be the one we have been looking for."
No matter how much one reads breed Standards, or studies the written word, the ability to appreciate greatness is an instinctive thing, a gift if you like, and not given to all.