| Date | Name | About the Writer | | Oct 27, 2008 | Linda / Keno Malamutes | |
| To pick dogs that are up to the standard of each breed. Don\'t pick dogs because you think they are cute or look like a dog you had. Each breed has a standard and that standard should be used for judges at all times. We have faults, do not pick dogs that have these faults. |
| Dec 1, 2008 | Kristi / Bellagio | Bellagio Italian Greyhounds |
| Showing dogs is supposed to be a barometer of our breeding programs. It would be nice for many judges to keep that in mind. Judges them more as contributers to the gene pool rather than show dogs. |
| Apr 4, 2010 | Raisin Ann | |
| Pick judges that know the breed. I had the judge who was judging my breed ask me if tails were aloud and what did it mean about 1\" to 5 \" of hair. Why should I have to educate the judge and pay to enter a show too. My goodness get a grip AKC. |
| Apr 16, 2010 | MD | |
| The perception of the quality of judging may be worse that the actual judging. To me one problem is that the process of judging is opaque to novices. But, I recently discovered online UK judges\' critiques of the dogs they liked in a particular show, listed by the show. Articulating their rationale for picking the dogs they did helps exhibitors understand each judge\'s decision-making process, and dispels the notion that picks were made on the basis of \"politics.\"
This may be an onerous task for those who judge frequently, so some way of selecting when the judge must put his thoughts to paper must be developed. I would suggest at least one write-up per breed per year. |
| Sep 22, 2010 | Anon | |
| POLITICS! Stop picking people who you are friendly with! Or who you think is a big handler you see all the time in Group! This sport is being destroyed by this garbage of picking friends and picking handlers when there may be a more deserving dog that is not owned by a friend or handler. And no longer let dogs to enter under judges when the judge owns the sire of the dog! This is done all the time and it is disgraceful! Judges are not allowed to judge dogs they have bred why should they be allowed to judge dogs their dogs sired?! Ridiculous! |
| Nov 15, 2010 | Terry Crowe-White / Crowe\'s Nest Kennel | long-timer |
| The quality of judging cannot be improved by calling \"POLITICS!\" when a certain judge doesn\'t put up your dog, or blaming your loss on handlers or a doggie \"good-ol\'boy\" system.
Rather than criticize a judge for it, I see reason to rejoice when a judge asks an exhibitor about the \"fine points\" of their breed - who else is going to know the breed better than someone who owns/breeds it? I\'d rather have judges really know a breed, than just pretend they do. When they ask me questions about my breed, I answer politely, and thank them for asking. The number of recognized breeds is continuing to grow, and we must accept that no one can be an expert on ALL of them.
What might be a step toward improvement in the quality of judging would be to require new judges to \"apprentice\" under two or three other judges of the breed they\'re applying for, as well as being mentored by a breeder or \"fellow breeder\" in the breed they\'re applying for, for a reasonable period of time. It might also be followed by a \"proficiency exam\" on the 4-H model, placing a class and giving \"reasons\" to support their placements. |
| Oct 18, 2011 | Susan Nikkel / Clear Sky Papillons | Terry Crowe\'s Comments |
| If you think you can offer suggestions to improve the judging please do contact AKC judging department with your ideas. How many of you write a letter when your breed has been judged fairly and good dogs (that you do not necessarily own) have been selected? Often the fair judges that judge to the written standard are overlooked in favor of the judge that put up \"my dog, or my mentor\'s dogs\". What I love is the judge that picks the breed type out of the line-up and rewards that dog regardless of class or handler. That is the judge that I return to. We used to have a mentoring program for judges. I was priviledged to know some of the more famous breeder judges of certain breeds and \"learned at their knee\". However, new judging approval requirements discount this learning, but some conscientious judges still proceed to gain this education on their own. A problem for judges is that in many breeds there are no long-term \"experts\" available to mentor us. I do not consider someone with less than x yrs in the breed an expert. They are still learning too! I am presently watching a newly recognized breed being changed by the newly recognized AKC parent club so that it no longer looks like the original breed that has long been exhibited in FCI. Club politics may be a bigger problem than judges education. |
| Dec 22, 2011 | Elizabeth Heckert / Silhouette | pomeranian breeder |
| it would be nice if AKC required written critiques at least when a judge is provisional. or perhaps if they receive many complaints in a period of time they could be asked to write critiques up for the next 2-3 shows they do... that sort of thing. |
| Sep 2, 2015 | Bob Isaacks / Satan Creek | Learning the Game the hard way! |
| I think it would be helpful for the AKC to publish the judges own breed/s. It would help me decide if I want to risk showing my Lab to a judge who breeds/raises Rat Terriers. I prefer to show to judges that \"Have a Clue\" what to look for in my breed; not someone who has simply added breeds to get more opportunities to judge. |
| Jul 4, 2016 | Rating for Judges | Exhibitor/Breeder |
| It would be nice to get feedback from every exhibitor in every breed at every show on each judge.
An AKC rating system could tabulate a judge\'s expertise, 1 star to 5 stars. Judges will want better ratings from the exhibitors and will want to improve their skills or make the decision they need to get more training in that breed. Kennel clubs can then select from the best judges, rewarding the best judges with judging assignments. The more Star judges the greater then entries. Every kennel club needs more entries and great judges bring more exhibitors to their shows. |
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