Irish Wolfhound Breed Magazine - Showsight

Judging Irish Wolfhounds A GUIDE BY JOEL SAMAHA ILLUSTRATIONS BY BEVERLY STOBART AND ROBERT BERNARDI

The information provided here is the property of the Irish Wolfhound Club of America and is printed with permission from the parent club.

INTRODUCTION “A National Specialty brings together many dogs from all over the country and even from other countries. It affords a rare oppor- tunity to see dogs across a wide spectrum who in their owners’ judgment represent the best they have. Viewed from a broad per- spective, these dogs enable us to assess our breed’s past, present, and future. Dogs in their prime—concentrated in the Bred-By Exhibitor, American Bred, Open, and Specials Classes—represent the breed’s present state. Also in evidence is our deep debt to the past. We glimpse that past in the Veterans Classes first-hand, and it speaks to us indirectly through the heritage displayed in pedigrees from all classes. We must never forget this heritage in our preoc- cupation with the present. Not only do we see the present and the past, in the puppies, yearlings, and novices is revealed our hope for the breed’s future. They are a gauge to the direction we are going. From them, we can assess to what extent we are fulfilling our custodial responsibility to leave the breed in at least as good a condition as we found it. Attending a Specialty, then, is obviously a valuable opportunity to learn about our breed. But it can be over- whelming, especially to novices who wonder how best to reap the benefits from this experience. In order to help you follow the judg- ing, I have outlined my procedure for deciding where to place the dogs in each class. I have also included some comments about each step. I hope they will give you a little idea of what I am doing and why. Use this guide and commentary not only to follow what I am doing but also to clarify your own ideas. I believe firmly, and urge you strongly, to make your own decisions about the dogs. Every- one has an opinion. We all like some dogs more than others and have a “favorite” dog at the show. Don’t be afraid to take a stand. Compare your decision with mine and consider why you prefer some to others and why one is your choice for Best In Show.” —Joel Samaha, remarks before judging the 1985 IWCA National Specialty PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS 1. Absolute rights and wrongs do not exist. The Irish Wolf- hound Standard defines a range, not a point, on a spectrum of correct type. Reasonable people can and do disagree about the meaning of the Irish Wolfhound Standard. Even if they agree on the general provisions in the Standard, they argue about how to apply the Standard to particular dogs. Don’t let this confuse and

discourage you. Honest disagreement renders the whole experience interesting, exciting, challenging, and immensely pleasurable. Except for direct experience with the hounds themselves, some of my best Irish Wolfhound memories include those of heated discus- sions about the meaning of the rough-coated Greyhound-like dog of great size and commanding appearance that typifies our breed. These arguments immeasurably enhanced my understanding of true breed type. Inform your judgment, but in the end, remember, it is your day to pick the dogs that fall within the range the Stan- dard defines. 2. Simple answers to questions about Irish Wolfhounds do not exist. Some people believe a simple, straightforward, single formula exists for judging, showing, breeding, feeding, rearing, and living with Irish Wolfhounds. Anyone who believes this is simple-minded. Unfortunately, we do not yet know many things; others, we will probably never know. To complicate matters fur- ther, our knowledge may greatly benefit one dog while wreaking havoc on another. To most questions about Irish Wolfhounds we can only answer unsatisfyingly, “We don’t know.” “It might be A, but it could be B or C or even A, B, C and X!” No one likes such vague answers to questions we want answered so desperately. But that does not make the answers wrong. 3. Keep an open mind. Recognize that other judges have reasonable points of view. A different point of view is not always wrong. On the one hand, judges who place dogs in a somewhat different order within an acceptable range are not necessarily either stupid or ignorant. On the other hand, placing the dogs in exactly the order you would have placed them does not automatically ren- der these judges brilliant and knowledgeable. Try to understand why others might honestly disagree with you and look for the merit in their decisions and opinions. 4. Judging requires finding dogs who approximate an ideal. No dog is perfect; no living creature is. Judging, therefore, must always compromise reality and an ideal. In the end, you must choose the best dogs in real life, not the non-existent per- fect one in your mind’s eye. The dogs in living flesh which come closest to your mind’s eye picture of the perfect dog deserve the prizes.

SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2022 | 211

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