Showsight - March 2022

HERDING GROUP JUDGES Q&A

Is breed-specific presentation important to us as judges? Can we offer some examples? Yes. Most Herding breeds should NEVER be shown strung-up, and we dislike excessive setting up or stroking. Posing with the hind legs behind vertical from the croup is becom- ing all too common. What about breed-specific movement? Do we demand this from Herding Dogs? Many handlers are moving dogs too fast, and Shep- herds seem to have only one gait. Judges need to see them slowly too. (This was learned a long ago from Tom Bennett.) Are the Herding breeds in good shape overall? Any concerns? They are good, overall. In our opinion, how do today’s exhibits compare with the Herd- ing Dogs of the past? Many are prettier and better-groomed today, but few “greats” are to be found. Why do we think Herding Dogs can often become outstanding Show Dogs? Collies, and Herding breeds in general, want to please, so they give a lot. Just for laughs, do we have a funny story that we can share about our experiences judging the Herding Group? No, nothing offhand. JANINA LAURIN Where do I live? How many

Have I judged any Herding Group Specialties? Yes. Do I find that size, proportion, and substance are correct in most Herding breeds? It varies over the entry you receive. Where I usually fault a dog is “long and low,” especially in some of the square breeds. So, I caution those who breed square dogs to watch for proportions in those breeds. Is breed-specific presentation important to me as a judge? Can you offer some examples? Yes, it is very important. I recently judged a large entry of Pumis. The standard states, in bold, “The coat must never appear fluffed and blown dry, obscuring the characteristic curls.” Unfortunately, I had to fault several dogs that were blown- out as I could not judge their coat properly. This is something I hope handlers become more aware of and stop blowing-out and fluffing these rustic Herding breeds. That coat is essential to breed type. Breed presentation, I think, is key to understanding the temper- ament of each Herding Breed. I have been honored to judge several Specialty shows in breeds beyond my own breeds. One in particular that I love to judge is the German Shepherd Dog, and many GSD handlers are well aware that they should be prepared to move “a ton” in my ring. Many times, that beautiful, stunning mover takes time to settle down into a proper gait, and I will give them time to do just that. As a judge, you can miss that great mover by not spend- ing time to see them settle into their gait. What about breed-specific movement? Do I demand this from Herding Dogs? Yes, most definitely. Movement is key to function. Are the Herding breeds in good shape overall? Any concerns? I have judged some stunning entries lately. Sometimes the depth of an entry is not present, but overall, I believe we have some top dogs throughout the country that I would be honored to see in my ring. In my opinion, how do today’s exhibits compare with the Herd- ing Dogs of the past? Many “greats” from the past could still com- pete today. A few dogs from the past could walk into my ring today and still be competitive. In Cardigans, I believe we have grown in getting more consistency in our breed. We have made improvement in our overall quality. Why do I think Herding Dogs can often become outstanding Show Dogs? They love to work for their handlers, and that connec- tion can just make a dog shine. BOB & SALLY FUTH Where do we live? How many years in dogs? How many years as judges? We live on a farm in Washington, Connecticut. We both started in Collies as teenagers in the 1950s. Sally was approved to judge Collies and Shelties in 1956, Bob in 1966. Sally now judges the Herding Group and several Working Breeds, and Bob does thir- teen Breeds divided between both Groups What is our original breed? What is/was our kennel name? We use Sally’s “Starberry” as our kennel name; Bob and his sister origi- nally had “Bobbi-Jeen’s.” Can we list a few of the notable dogs we’ve bred? Any perfor- mance or parent club titles? Notable dogs include Ch. Bobbi-Jeen’s Shenanigans, Ch. Starberry Belle of Georgia, Ch. Starberry Mis- tress Mine CD, and Ch. Starberry St. Patrick. What are the qualities we most admire in the Herding breeds? The qualities we admire are temperament, soundness, beauty, and symmetry. Have we judged any Herding Group Specialties? We have judged CCA (Sally twice, Bob once), numerous local Collie Specialties in the US and Canada, and a German Shepherd Specialty in California. Do we find that size, proportion, and substance are correct in most Herding breeds? Generally, yes, but some of large breeds are getting too big, and individuals of some of newer breeds severely lack substance.

years in dogs? How many years as a judge? I live in Connecti- cut and was born into a dog show family, first with German Shepherd Dogs (GSD) and, very quickly thereafter, Belgian Tervuren. My judging endeav- ors began in 1999 with my own breed and has progressed to the

full Herding Group, BIS, Juniors, and about 20 Working breeds as well as a Non-Sporting breed. Hopefully, the Working Group will be finished soon, and I would like a few more Non-Sporting and a couple Toys that I enjoy. What is my original breed? What is/was my kennel name? While we initially owned German Shepherds and did compete at specialties, we are Belgian Tervuren breeders since the early 1960s under the Chateau Blanc kennel name. Can I list a few of the notable dogs I’ve bred? Any performance or parent club titles? The kennel has bred over 200 champions and is very proud of our multi-generational BAR (ROM equivalent) 26 dogs and bitches on a breeding program that is small but carefully thought-out. Among them are Ch./Ch. Tracker, Specialty/Group Placers, BIS/National Specialty Dogs and Bitches, Perfect 200 scor- ing Obedience Champions in the US and Canada, and an Agility Champion in Canada and the US. There are several notable dogs through the years; Ch. Lancer de Chateau Blanc, BIS Ch. Yuma de Chateau Blanc, BIS Ch. Ovation de Chateau Blanc, BIS Ch. Chateau Blanc’s Blue Bayou, Dual Ch. Group-Winning Ch. Cha- teau Blanc’s Gold Reserve, RBIS Ch. Chateau Blanc’s Olivier, and several others which became successful in Breed and Performance at the highest levels with their owners. What are the qualities I most admire in the Herding breeds? Intelligence, unquestionable loyalty, and four good legs. They should look uniquely like their breeds and never be mistaken for each other. Have I judged any Herding Group Specialties? I’ve judged the Nationals of all four Belgian breeds (Tervuren several times, Sheep- dog, Malinois, and Laekenois), Bouvier, GSDs, Shetland Sheep- dogs, and Collies. Do I find that size, proportion, and substance are correct in most Herding breeds? Yes, for the most part. In some cases, they are getting too large and away from their original intent, and in some

168 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MARCH 2022

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