WITH LOURDES CARVAJAL, PAT CIAMPA, KATHLEEN DAVIS, LOWELL DAVIS, JOHN & JESSIE GERSZEWSKI, JOY LOBATO, ERIC RINGLE, SUSAN DAVIS SHAW, WILLIAM “BILL” C. STEBBINS, DALE SUZANNE TARBOX, PAM WINTER & SUSAN YOTIVE
secretary of the GDCA Charitable Trust, affiliate club sec- retary and division secretary. I am also a CGC evaluator for AKC and have taught conformation and obedience classes. I also pet sit in my spare time. I have 40 years in Danes; 39 exhibiting in breed and performance. I have not yet applied for my judging license, but I judged the GDCA Futurity and many sweepstakes. WILLIAM “BILL” C. STEBBINS I am living in Florida. I retired in 2012 from an executive position with a manufacturing/distribution company. I have been involved with Great Danes since the late 60s. My wife and I were very fortunate with the dogs with which we were involved. I began judging in 1986 and am approved for the Working and Herding Groups. DALE SUZANNE TARBOX I live in Canterbury, Connecticut. I work as a clinical labo- ratory scientist in a local hospital. I have been in the sport of purebred dogs for 48 years. I have been showing for 46 of those years and judging for 26 years. PAM WINTER
ER: Elegant, balanced and substantial. SDS: Gentle, huge and trainable. WS: Noble, loyal and loving. DST: Impressive, balanced and sound. PW: Elegant, square and friendly. SY: Elegance, nobility and power.
2. What do you feel are the most controversial points in judging this breed today? LC: Judges without knowledge of the breed and lack of mas- culinity in dogs and too much femininity in bitches. LD: In judging the Great Dane I wish that more judges would remember that this is a SQUARE breed. I see far too many long backed dogs win—often with soft backs that accentuate it. When I judge a Great Dane I want to see a square body with a hard back, well-arched neck and a beautiful head that is clean without thick and drooping fluttering lips accompanied by a lot of loose skin. Many non-breeder judges do not get it that this is a square breed and don’t pay attention to the parallel planes. Unfortunately some breeders like the over-exaggerated head with the thick pendulous lips that I mentioned before. The standard calls for a “deep muzzle” and faults “fluttering lips.” In an effort to cover up the lack of under jaw we are see fluttering lips and this is incorrect. Color is often overlooked in Fawns and Brindles. A Fawn is “yellow gold” not beige, sooty or washed out. A Brindle’s background is yellow gold, too. ER: Judging Danes, like most breeds, is trying to find true breed type on an animal that is sound. You often have to forgive certain faults, bearing in mind that a sound dog that lacks important features of breed type has no value. PW: Timidity is often forgiven by judges and movement is given precedent over breed type. 3. Name the five most important traits, in order, you look for in the ring. LC: Balance, movement, well-developed body, squareness and spirit. LD: Overall appearance (size substance, well muscle elegance), true Great Dane type, head, color, mental and physical soundness. ER: Type, balance, soundness, condition and temperament. PW: Head type, size and bone, proportion, temperament and once again, head type. 4. What do you feel most non-breeder judges get wrong about the breed (if anything)? LC: Too many to mention; however, basically it is a lack of knowledge of the breed standard. Great Danes are not to be judged generically, like no other breed should. LD: Emphasizing size over quality, recognizing breed type and not recognizing correct color. ER: Judges coming from other breeds soon realize that faults on most other breeds are magnified on the Dane due to sheer size. And it is obviously not an “artful grooming” breed where such faults may be somewhat obscured.
I live in Southern California and I love to travel; this year on the agenda are Rome and then Spain. I married into Danes in 1981 and have been judging for 13 years.
SUSAN YOTIVE I reside in Marysville, Ohio. I am semi-retired; I work part- time and spend the evening sitting on my front porch watch- ing UFOs (unidentified farming objects) drive by. It’s been over 40 years that I’ve been in the dog world. I have mostly shown Great Danes but I have owned and shown Pembroke Welsh Corgis. I received my license to judge in 1998.
1. Describe the breed in three words. LC: Strength, balance and regal. PC: Majestic, balanced and loyal. KD: Devoted, gentle and impressive. J&JG: Noble, distinctive and loving. JL: Remarkable, dependable and gentle.
200 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A PRIL 2017
Powered by FlippingBook