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Champion - I.B. - Best in Show - Best of Breed - Exhibition - Ring - Classification - Presentation - Judgement - Victory - Reward - Brushing - Spray - Stress - Emotion - Tension and so on ...Such is the both infernal and cherished exhibitor’s round.
All is in position, anguish for the owner, the dog, docile victim, and over there, in the distance, the outline of the Judge’s silhouette. The enchanted merry-go-round has started ! |
| The dogs turn, turn, turn around, the heads turn, the Judge’s eyes turn, the dog’s eyes turn, the exhibitor’s eyes turn around, hearts beat faster, one hold ones breath, STOP ! The Judge is about to officiate. Emotion overcomes the exhibitors. Invested with every power the Judge is, on the ring, the sole master after God. Great is his responsibility, on him depend the maintenance and the future of the breed. He is the keystone of the whole system. As passionate of dogs as the breeder, he forms together with the latter and the standard a three-time valse in which standard must beat time. |
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Which one of you, exhibition lovers has failed to find there the picture of the so particular atmosphere of canine life which when all is said and done would be a careless and joyful feast were it not that behind the fun of the fair, the main reason of the event is in fact a very serious matter :
the presentation and maintenance of canine breeds as compared with their standard, that is to say, according to professor Dechambre’s words, their typical portrait, (portrait type) whereas nowadays the “SHOW” has taken its place with “SPECIAL DOGS” . Dogs living with no exercise except on moving carpets, in cage so as not to spoil their hair, protected by curl-papers, drinking only through dropping-tube, never eating a proper meal so as not to spoil beard and moustache and so many other things … |
Do you really believe that a dog of such type can allow a breed to progress ? To accept such system is an aberration not only for the Judges but for the clubs and the breeders as well. It means aiding and a letting an unnatural process. Do you consider that such a behavior is compatible with the respect due to animals ? The Judge’s role is to appreciate a dog’s conformity with the norms defined in the standard. |
| These norms are of two kinds : • 1) Qualitative - which may of course be subject to some subjectivity but precisely if Judges are required, it is in order to avoid any drift. • 2) Quantitative - this appreciation cannot but be objective. To help breeders to progress, the Judge must ground his decision so that candidates are able to understand it. |
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He must therefore set his choice not on the most spectacular dog, but on the dog who best meets he standard, otherwise what would happen to the breed Therefore it is because the Judges have failed to respect the elementary rule that such a situation has probably ,been reached. |
| Why not post up the standard in the ring ? It would allow everyone to better understand the judgement. Also, why not apply a scale of marks. This is a good method. As early as 1894, Pr Dechambre exposed his principle. To each region, a detailed note is given, the addition of its figures for the ideal animal would come to 100 marks. In collaboration with Pr. Hérout, Dr. Luquet has elaborated a standard scale of marks for most breeds: |
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| For the Lhasa Apso, the Club could distribute printed forms to be filled with their chosen scale to the Judges. Dr Luquet pointed out that, formerly, every French and foreign cynologists and every Club as well, used to publish scale marks in their breed studies or following their breed standard. He deplored the fact that nowadays, we seemed to be regressing in the matter. Mademoiselle Dupont, who has devoted over thirty years of her life to breeding Lhasas was very much in favour of the scale of marks. This would result, for the breed Clubs, in the live stock analysis being far more accurate for the information entered into computers would immediately give the position of the breed so that one could proceed at once to trying to remedy any possible defect to be corrected. |
| At any rate, this would not be worse than appreciations such as “gorgeous”, “beautiful” , “correct” “good”, “very good” etc.... which are extremely subjective and difficult to handle when the matter concerns 40, 50 or more subjects to be judged. The good dog will naturally be beautiful, whereas the beautiful dog is not necessarily good. It seems to me that this is the only way for breed to progress in the right direction. |
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