I have judged Mastiffs many times. I have had the honor of doing the Nation- al—one of my favorites. One young dog I rewarded is currently the #1 dog now, so I have been told. I would also add that the breeders and exhibitors are a wonderful mix of really dedicated and kind people. This is not—definitely not—true in many other breeds. I judge all breeds and I have judged many Nationals. In that time, I have witnessed some really bad sportsmanship and situations at Nationals. The Mas- tiff National was one of my favorites. Good dogs, good people! I witnessed how everyone pulled together when one of the exhibitors, Pam, rolled her motor home. How she and the dogs got out was, and still is, a miracle. She was hurt badly, but everyone was there for her. You are good people, keep up the good work. You have a devoted, smart, train- able, loving breed. They have improved 110% over the 20 years. I especially love to see them outside the ring; they are sometimes lying on their sides or on their back, quietly waiting their turn to have fun. LAURA & DAVID HAGEY 1. Where do you live? What do you do outside of dogs? We live in Junction City, Oregon, near Eugene. We own Rest Assured Pet Crema- tion, LLC. As far as life “outside of dog”, is there such a thing? We do raise and show miniature horses, and have many types of farm animals which keep us busy all of the time on our 91-acre ranch. Our son, Adam, 18, is in the US Army. We not only show in conformation, we also train and show in rally, obedience, lure coursing, tracking and agility. We earned more than 25 titles on our dogs in 2014 alone! 2. Number of years in the sport? We have had purebred dogs and have shown since 1984. Laura started judging in the mid-90s and David in the later 90s. We have both had the honor of being selected to judge the MCOA National. We also have several other breeds, and have been active in English setters, PBGVs, Brussels Griffons, Whippets, Scottish Deerhounds, Miniature American Shepherds, Leonbergers and French Bulldogs. 3. Describe the Mastiff in three words: Noble, massive, rectangular. 4. What are your “must have” traits in this breed? Must haves in the Mastiff would be a stable temperament first and foremost. This is a huge dog that must be safe and sane in all situations. They also must have breed type and soundness in the same package—a typey Mastiff that is not built soundly is not functional, and a flashy Mastiff with great movement must also look like a Mastiff to be correct. There should be no question as to what breed you are looking at when you see a Mastiff in the ring. This is a breed that has been around for millennia— born and bred to protect its family by the hearth, gentle and thoughtful; but also a
working dog capable of bursts of speed and athleticism. 5. What traits, if any, are becoming exaggerated?
Traits that are becoming exaggerated in the Mastiff—too much focus on showy, over- moving exhibits—this is not a flashy dog, it’s a functional workhorse. They should be sound coming and going but it’s not a race—and this is not a racehorse. Mastiffs, as most dogs, are best judged at a moderate speed. 6. While judging, do you see any trends you’d like to see continued or stopped? Trends that we would like to see continued: the great direction we are going in over- all soundness, bone, topline, bites and balance front to rear. Trends that are unset- tling: narrow eye sets, narrow under jaw, lack of true breadth, spring of rib, weak muscularity, the straight shoulders and short upper arms that is occurring in far too many breeds. 7. What, if any, are the traits breeders should focus on preserving? Traits that we are in fear of being lost—true second thigh and rear angulation, true front angulation with great sternum (not just skin and fat), spring of rib, wide head from the front as well as depth from the side. 8. Has the breed improved from when you started judging? We do not feel that the breed is going in the best direction—we are seeing more of a generic dog in the ring instead of a Mastiff, with the resulting lack of
204 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J ULY 2015
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