WORKING GROUP JUDGES Q&A
in all Working breeds. We all tend to immortalize dogs of the past as being “Great Ones.” Some may have been. I think that in many cases, if they were to be transported into today’s rings, we would find that they would be competitive with current dogs. I do think that in many of the coated breeds we are breeding for too much coat, and thus, we are seeing an abundance of sculpting. In many of the “newer” breeds, there has been an improvement in structure. Today, I feel we have more “professional” show dogs. Many of the dogs from the past had “day jobs” where showing was just a week- end sport. I will qualify this statement, however, by stating that I have been judging for 14 years and have more experience with my personal breeds. Why do I think the Working breeds are so admired as fam- ily companions? It is because of their diversity, beauty, strength, and charisma. Do I have a funny story I can share about my experience judging the Working Group? I cannot think of one at this time… I am sure the moment I send this off, I will wake up in the middle of the night thinking, “Oh, yeah…” GAY KUEHNEL-HISATAKE My involvement with purebred dogs dates back to the 1960s when I acquired my first Alaskan Malamute. I began actively showing in the 1970s and fin- ished my first AKC champion at the Mideast Area Specialty in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Since that time, I have bred and/or finished championships on over 50 dogs, many obtaining wins at specialties as well as being awarded ROMs, Grand Championships, and Top 20 contenders. Several of my dogs have also been titled in Obedience and Agility. I am a lifetime member of the Alaskan Malamute Club of Amer- ica. I was the Chair of Public Education for many years, and had booths at the Javits Center and at the Piers during Westminster weekend. I also did a presentation at the AKC Museum of the Dog. I am currently Assistant to the Chair for Judges Education for the Alaskan Malamute club. My judging career began in 2000, starting, of course, with the Alaskan Malamute and followed by the Siberian Husky. I was approved to judge the Working Group, after much preparation and study, in 2015. In 2019, I became eligible for the Non-Sporting Group. I am also approved to judge Best in Show and Juniors. I have judged numerous Specialties in the US as well as abroad. These include the Alaskan Malamute Mideast Area Specialty, a Malamute Club Specialty in Michigan in 2015, two for the Siberian Husky (the Connecticut Valley and Seneca clubs), a Cane Corso Regional Specialty, the Black Russian Club of Northern NJ, and two Boston Terrier Specialties (the Lenape and Minute Men clubs). I judged specialties for the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Alaska, the Great Dane Club of Mat-Su Alaska, and Rottweilers for the American Rottweiler club in Alaska in August of 2020. In Novem- ber 2021, I judged Chinese Sharpeis for the Berkshire Spur Chinese Sharpei Club. Several years ago, I flew to Australia to judge Alaskan Mala- mutes, and had my hands on many wonderful dogs. In 2016, I had the honor of traveling to Europe three times to judge Malamutes. First, I went to the Czech Republic to judge the Czech Northern Cup 2016. Next, I went to France to judge the French Alaskan Mal- amute National. And finally, I flew to Southern Spain for another Club Malamute and Northern Breed Specialty. These were very exciting and rewarding shows for me to officiate, and the people I
People’s Choice both years. Most of our dogs are breeder/owner- handled. When I am not judging, I am training dogs and teaching puppy kindergarten, conformation, and junior obedience. Where do I live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a judge? I live in Conifer, Colorado, with my husband, Joseph. I have owned purebred dogs for 50 years. As a child, we had Austra- lian shepherds (yes, prior to AKC recognition). As an adult, I have owned and shown Akitas, Borzoi, PBGV, and Alaskan Malamutes, and I have been judging for 14 years. What is my original breed? What is/was my kennel name? The Akita was the original breed that I showed; however, Alaskan Mala- mutes have been my breed for over 30 years. Adair’n’Hug Alaskan Malamutes is our kennel name. Can I list a few of the notable dogs I’ve bred? Any performance or Parent Club titles? I will not name any of our current dogs for obvious reasons (and there were so many that have fond memories of ), but a favorite dog from the past, a real heart dog for me, was GRCH CH Adair’n’Hug S Wonderful Life ROM (a two-time Top 20 Winner). Joe and I have bred BIS, BISS, multiple Top 20 Con- tenders and Winners, and multiple ROM Sires and Dams. I have put a few weight pull titles, and CD and RN titles, on our dogs. Many of our puppies have gone to homes where they have excelled at performance work. Currently, Fast CAT is the sport of choice. What are the qualities I most admire in the Working breeds? The diversity, beauty, strength, and charisma of the dogs in the Working Group is, in my opinion, unparalleled. Have I judged any Working Group Specialties? Yes, it is always an honor to be asked to judge Specialties. I have judged the Alaskan Malamute French National, Alaskan Malamute Regionals, Akita, Boxer, Doberman Pinscher, Great Pyrenees, Rottweiler, Samoyed, and Siberian Huskey Specialties. Do I find that size, proportion and substance are correct in most Working breeds? I find that this varies from breed to breed and region to region. That said, too much length of body tends to be an issue in many breeds. Oversize is more of an issue than undersize in some breeds. Lack of substance may be an issue of age, with some not allowing dogs to mature before showing them. However, I have discovered inconsistencies in substance within breeds. Is breed-specific presentation important to me as a judge? Yes, and it starts with the oral exam. As a judge, I am supposed to know what the oral exam is for each breed. Part of breed-specific presenta- tion is to know what is pertinent to show the judge. Movement is also breed-specific. Many breeds are to be gaited on a loose lead, not strung up, and I do not know of any standard that says to race the dogs around the ring. It is wonderful to judge dogs that are gaiting at the speed that is appropriate for their breed. What are my thoughts on cropping/docking the Working breeds? Well, that is a controversial question for sure. I try to judge these breeds according to parent club directives. However, we are seeing more and more imports from countries that do not crop/ dock, and fewer US veterinarians are doing these procedures. The bottom line is; if the best overall dog in the ring is uncropped/ undocked, that dog should be my winner unless the standard does describe it as a serious fault or DQ. We are judging breeding stock and genetic makeup, not man-made alterations; even though these alterations have importance to the original function of the breed. Are the Working breeds in good shape overall? Do I have any concerns? The Working Group overall seems to be in good shape at the Group level, and I have no problem finding dogs to award place- ments. Regionally, there are strengths and weaknesses in breeds, and at times, when I have been judging at the class levels, I have had concerns. In my opinion, how do today’s exhibits compare with the Work- ing Dogs of the past? This is difficult to answer and not consistent
156 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2022
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