hound group Q&A WITH KARIN ASHE, ZOE BOLIN, JUDITH BROWN, JULIE BUSS, NANCY FAVILLE, JAY HYMAN, THERESE LYONS, KATHI MOLLOY, JULIE MUELLER, ERIN OLSEN, ERIKA WYATT, MICHAEL CANALIZO AND GRETCHEN BERNARDI
puppy dog went Winners Dog and a good friend took him back in for the breed. As I looked down the line, I saw that he was starting to crouch as she was stacking him. At the same time, I could see the looks on the spec- tators faces as she reached underneath him to stand him back up and then the judge burst out laughing! My poor puppy was trying to pee! Good thing that it was the last day of the show or I would have had to find a new friend to take him back in again! JBr: Recently judging Best of Breed, I was examining a male special. Reaching underneath, I could only count to one. After some “hunting”, I told the handler my findings. She said, “Oh, you won’t find the other one. We had it removed. We didn’t think you would notice.” I did notice. JH: Three humorous incidents come to mind. In a Pennsylvania show some five years ago, a woman had to use the rest room, yet could not find it or wait so, she relieved herself in one of the dog exercise pens. It is not important that she was disciplined, but the next day a handler had hung a roll of toilet paper on a wire hanger and affixed it to the exercise pen. On the way to a show in Philadelphia, there was a red Ferrari, extended to limousine length, broken down on the Parkway, waiting for a tow truck. Any time Best in Show is shown at a show, or otherwise, the amateur laughs and wonders if it is true and us expe- rienced dog person spend the time figuring out who the dog person, is in real life, that is portrayed. MC: I have two; both involved me directly. In 1970, Wally Pede judging 100 Afghan Hounds at Westchester Kennel Club, the grounds were notorious for the sloped rings and I was running full tilt with a special when I met up with the ring gaiting. It was either crash or turn sud- denly, I wound up straddling the ring gating for about 50 feet before I could cross over back into the ring. Both me and the dog never missing a step, I get to Wally and he says, “I thought that was going to make you a Soprano!” The other was at our local Westbury KA show, where I was setting things up on a cold fall day, I had to use the port-a-potty and it required opening up a few layers of garments, well with all the adjusting when I got to the layer that had my cell phone hooked to my belt—I felt something slip and heard a distinct swish as the phone went into the deep, blue water. I went got a poop scooper from the expens and fished it out! Before one gets too grossed out, I rationalized since it was first thing in the morning and they weren’t used too much; the Foley Boys got pictures of the entire incident! GB: Am I alone in thinking we used to have a lot more fun at dogs shows, when we weren’t all so deadly serious? I remember some of Bob Moore’s antics in the ring, which never detracted from his finding the best dog. I also remember a woman whose pants slipped lower and lower with each time around a toy ring, until in the end, they were around her ankles. I remember that she some- how blamed her husband! But, honestly, the funniest thing I witness these days is ring stewards arguing with themselves, the judges and the exhibitors on which dogs get to compete in NOHS!
responsibility to support and encourage new people. Yes, we are all focused on showing our dogs when we are at a show, but those people sitting ringside who want to pet your dog, take the time to talk with them. A positive experience may spark an interest to join our “dog show family”. MC: To our entry-level breeders and owners: respect the standard, follow its words that have served the breed(s) for eons. Don’t try to change it—maintain it! GB: There is ample evidence that we are losing quality in many of our breeds and only good, fair and knowledge- able judging can reverse this. The future of our breeds is in the hands of today’s judges and when we reward undeserving dogs, those dogs are bred and contribute to the problem. My first dog was a very bad representa- tive of the breed, although well-bred. I showed her three or four times and quickly learned that I needed to get a better dog if I wanted to succeed in the sport. Where is the incentive today to do that? Also, many of the Hounds I judge are in horrible physical condition. Their coats may be groomed and shiny, but muscle tone is com- pletely lacking. Of course, it is hard to keep our dogs in hard, physical condition, but it is essential to type and to health. I really enjoy judging Dachshunds and I can immediately tell which dogs run at liberty and which ones live in crates and I try to compliment the handlers on good conditioning, regardless of how I place them. 20. And for a bit of humor, what’s the funniest thing you’ve ever seen at a dog show? KA: I was judging one of the smaller breeds and they came back from the down and back and all the dog wanted to do was ride my leg. I really had to laugh, I guess I must’ve smelled good that day. ZB: This just happened this past summer. There was a nice entry of Black and Tans at an outdoor show. My class “TO OUR ENTRY-LEVEL BREEDERS AND OWNERS: RESPECT THE STANDARD, FOLLOW ITS WORDS THAT HAVE SERVED THE BREED(S) FOR EONS. DON’T TRY TO CHANGE IT— MAINTAIN IT!”
316 • S how S ight M agazine , D ecember 2018
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