WHOSE FAULT IS IT? THE BLAME GAME
BREEDER-HANDLER-JUDGE
BY TERENCE FARLEY, JUDGES EDUCATION CHAIR, THE HAVANESE CLUB OF AMERICA
“D og People” come in three main categories; breeders, exhibitors, and judges. All three seem to have opinions about the ailments of the Havanese. Each blames the other for the prob- lems that the breed is experiencing in the ring: It is the breeder’s fault for breeding this style; it is the exhibitor’s fault (exhibitor being professional hander, breeder/handler or owner-handler) for showing this style or for grooming the dog in this fashion; or it is the judge’s fault for rewarding these particular styles. I am using the term “style” verses “type” because I was told, a long time ago, there is only one type that is the Havanese, but styles may vary. So, whose fault is this controversy? Do we blame the breeder? This is the person who bred the dog for the ring in the first place. Obviously, the breeder has in her/his mind’s eye the ideal picture of what a Havanese should look like, move like and, in general, be like. This person must have a love for the breed to have devoted the time and energy to have studied pedigrees, completed the neces- sary health testing, bred, socialized, and trained this puppy. Breed- ing is not an easy process if it is done right, and I am assuming that a person who is devoting the time, energy, and money to have a dog shown is attempting to be an ethical breeder and to have the correct breed type in mind. But is this enough? Will this particular style win? The bottom line is that if the other dogs in the ring are of a different style and winning, the breeder will eventually alter the style they produce in order to exit the ring with ribbons, rosettes, and points. Now we start to hear some blaming; blame the other exhibitors (handlers) or the judge.
Should we blame the professional handler? According to Wiki- pedia, “A professional handler, sometimes called a professional dog handler, is a person that trains, conditions, and shows dogs in confor- mation shows for a fee. Handlers are hired by dog owners or breeders to finish their dog’s championship, or if finished, to be shown in the Best of Breed class as a ‘special.’” This person is a paid professional. His/her job is to complete a dog’s conformation title or, better yet, receive breed placements and national rankings. A handler has a winning reputation to maintain as well as keeping his/her clients contented and satisfied. A handler’s duty (professional or owner) is to present the dog to its fullest potential. It must be well-trained, well-fed, bathed/dried and groomed to the specifications of the standard, and be ready to dazzle the judge in the ring. If Winners Dog, Winners Bitch or Best of Breed are a different style than the one that the handler is showing, then the handler might change the grooming or style of the dogs they are showing. Once again, we start to hear blaming; blame the breeder or the judge. Or should we blame the judge? According to Wikipedia, “ A dog show judge, sometimes dog judge, is a person that is qualified to evalu- ate dogs at a conformation show. ” Becoming a judge is not an easy task. A judge must have bred and exhibited dogs for several years, gained experience with show ring procedures (including steward- ing) and completed training (including, but not limited to, judges’ education seminars, ringside mentoring, attending national spe- cialties, and being mentored as well as having to go through an interview process that includes written/oral evaluations as well as ringside observations by AKC field reps). Prospective judges are
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2022 | 249
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