Q&A
5. What are your “must have” traits in this breed? What shortcomings are you willing to forgive? I must have a balanced dog that has the proper quicksil- ver movement. They also must have a correct coat tex- ture and a good topline. Things I have to forgive recently are the correct head size. The head should be 40% of the height of the dog at the withers; however, many heads are getting smaller. Something I look for, but am seeing less and less, is the lack of the “J” crook tail. 6. While judging, do you see any trends you’d like to see continued or stopped? I enjoy the shows that have a theme—Woofstock, for instance. I think they bring the fun back to the shows. The exhibitors really seem to enjoy it. Also some of the clubs are doing a dinner at night for all the exhibitors, I like that also. Anything that can bring people together to have fun. There are a few things I’d like to see stopped; like too much complaining about everything; judging, grooming, etc. I see it on Facebook and other social media venues. While I enjoy some of the social media sites, I think people think it’s okay to trash others online. It is a hobby, we all should be enjoying it. I like to think of us as a family and while we don’t have to agree on everything, we should support each other. When I was showing, it was a great time to see my friends. Win or lose, you take the dogs you love home. 7. What, if any, are the traits breeders should focus on preserving? Thankfully, I think most breeders are pretty dedicated to their breeds. The main thing I would say is please read your breed standard frequently. I think we can get car- ried away with winning and breeding to the big winner of the day. That leads us to generic show dogs. It also leads to dogs that all move the same. Not all dogs do, or should, move alike. Think of the breed standard and try to stay true to it. 8. Has the breed improved from when you started judging? I think Briards are about the same. I saw outstanding Bri- ards when I started judging and I see them now. I think
fashion. The breed does not grip stock, like a Cattle Dog for example, but a good strong foreface should contain a good bite. 8. Has the breed improved from when you started judging? I think temperaments are generally better, whether that is due to good breeding or better socialization of youngsters. 9. Are there aspects of the breed not in the standard
that you nonetheless take into consideration because breeders consider them important?
Breeders I have spoken with tend to stick to the standard. 10. Can Judges Education on this breed be improved? No, Judges Education seminar should ever consist of reading the breed standard to a group of adults who presumably can read. A good seminar should more in the nature of annotations and amplifications of the standard, including the reasons why the breed is supposed to look as it does. LINDA ROBEY 1. Where do you live? What do you do outside of dogs? We live in High Ridge, Missouri. It is about 25 miles west of St. Louis, MO. My husband and I are very active in a couple of RV clubs and we travel quite a bit. I did golf a lot before a shoulder injury, hope to get back to it. I also shoot skeet and trap when I get a chance. 2. Number of years owning, showing and/or judging dogs? I’ve been into dogs all my life. I’ve been showing about
38 years and judging for almost 20 years. 3. Describe your breed in three words: Belgian Sheepdogs & Belgian Tervuren: elegant, athletic, alert.
4. What traits, if any, are becoming exaggerated? No traits; the breeders are doing a good job of keeping their dogs pretty consistent.
“I THINK WE CAN GET CARRIED AWAY WITH WINNING AND BREEDING TO THE BIG WINNER OF THE DAY. THAT LEADS US TO GENERIC SHOW DOGS.”
S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A UGUST 2015 • 231
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