Q. What I don’t like is judges re-stacking my dog on the table!! I’ve been showing dogs for 40 yrs and I think I know how to properly stack an individual dog, and I stack them a certain way for a reason — I resent a judge trying to re-stack my dog! especially a young tentative puppy!!!

A. Many judges are re-stacking dogs and moving dogs feet now precisely for that reason. Handlers have found ways to stack their dogs a particular way dog so that they hide faults. By picking up a foot and seeing where the dog puts it naturally the judge can see what the handler was trying to hide.

General Thoughts from a Judge:

People who take dog shows too seriously. We’re given one lifetime and if we choose to devote that lifetime to dogs and dog shows, we should try harder to enjoy ourselves.  (I tell myself this every time I go into the ring).  Lighten up on your dog and your kid.

Also, people who don’t listen when I asked for a loose lead and slower gait. I actually do know what I’m talking about and what I’m looking for.  I’m not a red carpet glitz and glamor judge. I want to see the dog calm and carrying itself.I learned this lesson in a show conformation class with Chuck M. years ago.  He stopped the class to remind us to have fun and to trust our dogs. I was working a three year old that had never been out of my yard til age 3 – MISTAKE I WONT MAKE AGAIN!  I had taken him to his first show to have another TM jump him from behind. He spent the whole trip in a crate terrified of the whole scene. He would cling to me like a Velcro dog – but when Chuck said this, my dog literally looked up at me as if he had heard the words – relaxed…… and we did our best ever down and back ever, and from there went to shows very nicely.

I learned the lesson again from a handler I used for a year. He would leave the ring with loss after loss after loss and simply say – OH WELL next time. He never took his wins or losses too seriously and said you had to be able to loose with grace all the time as that was mostly what you did and in between you took your wins.

Its nice to be reminded of this – taking it all to seriously is just a worry that wears you down. Today I don’t even know the number of points my dogs have. I know I have a champion when AKC sends me the statement to that affect. After-all its just a dog show!

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