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www.pbgv.org

Winter2015

ISaberTails

I

canjustheartheanswertothetitleofthisarticle,andit
isdeafening,“Dotheyever!Everyweekend,everyshow,
everybreed,everyclass.Anddoyouknowwhomentored

him?Thatmustbewhy!”Inasportwheremostparticipants
donotwinonanygivenday,therearealwayscomplaints
fromthelosingandsometimeseventhosewinning
individuals.Butlet’sbeseriousforamoment:Judgesare
humanandhavetheirstrengthsandweaknesses,justlike
youandjustlikeyourdogs.Youaredisappointedtoloseas
youhavetakensixmonthstodecideonyourshow
prospect.Thenitisdiscouragingifthejudgedoesnot
validateyourselection.Butthinkaboutit:Ajudgehastwo
totwo-and-a-halfminutestoevaluatethegoodpointsof
youranimal,andthattimeincludesthepaperwork,the
handlingtipsandanyotherinterruptionsthatoccur.

Judgesareaskedtomakemanydecisionsinthosetwo

minutes,andeveninafewsecondsinmanyinstances.You
claimyourdogdidcometogetherinthelastgoroundand
youcouldfeelthisonthelead,butthejudgewaslookingat
hisdog,notyours,inthosepreciousseconds.Hetotally
missedyourexhibit’smomentofbrilliance!

Solet’saskamoreappropriatequestion,“Dojudgeshave

regretsorsecondthoughts?”Theanswerhastobeyes,of
course.Again,judgesarehuman.

Iposedtheregret/misgivingquestiontoseveraljudges.

Someoftheirresponsesfollow;theyrepresentmanysituations
inwhichtheyandtheircolleaguesfindthemselves.From
oneofourprominentjudges:“Someexhibitorsthinkthat
AKCjudgesareperfect.SomeAKCjudgesthinktheyare
perfect.Iamquicktosaythat‘Iamnotperfect.’First,Iam
human.ItrytodomybestineverythingIdo,butbeing
humanIhavemademistakesand/ordecisionsthatlaterI
wouldchange—inmygenerallifeaswellasjudgingdog
shows.Onecanalwaysrationalizewhy(twominutesadog
plustheyaddedallthoseadditionaleventsORIhavetogo
tothebathroomORIdidn’tsleepwellinthehotel,etc.)but
rationalornot,alljudgesthinkbackatonetimeoranother
andthink,‘Iprobablyshouldhaveputthisdogoverthat
dog.’AnotherreasonisthatsometimesIjust‘thinktoo
much.’WhatImeanbythatisthatitcanbehumannature
totalkyourselfintooroutofawardingadogbecauseIput
thatspecificcanineunderspecial

Continuedonpage30

I

PBGVEducation

byPBGVCAJudgesEducationChairClaire“Kitty”Steidel,ksteidel@aol.com

Do
Judges
Make
Mistakes?

PhotobyBobCohen

Reprintedwithpermissionofthe
authorfromSight&Scentmagazine,
August2015.