20
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.