all about type as its only purpose is to be the pampered royal dogs of the Chinese Palace! JRJ: In the old days, we had people who understood our breed and rewarded the exhibits; people like Bob Waters, Helen Lee James, Betty Krause, Cynthia Sommers, Jack Watts, Elaine Rigden, Nigel Aubrey Jones, Bill Taylor and Bill Burgum. Today we have only a few judges left who really understand the breed, like Luc Boileau, Frank Sabella, Steve Keating, Don Sutton, Malcolm Moore and a few others. RL: I would like to emphasize that the Pekingese should be all of one piece and well balanced with no exaggeration. The head should be rectangular with open features, the body pear-shaped with heavy substance, the front assem- bly close to the ribcage and front legs bowed to produce the rolling gait with no bouncing or jarring and topped by a coat of correct texture. These to me are breed essen- tials that are non-negotiable. CKN: When you are judging, please do not: s "EN OVER THE DOGS ON THE mOOR OR EXAMINE THE HEAD or body on the floor. Return the dog to the table for further examination. s ,IFT THE 0EKINGESE ABOVE YOUR HEAD DURING THE examination. This frightens the dog and distorts their features and expression. s !SK THE EXHIBITORS TO LIFT THEIR DOGS SO YOU CAN compare heads, examine heads or see expression. Return the dogs to the table if further examination is required—remember to examine on the table and judge on the ground. You will not see accurate expression or features from a dog that is being held. Remember also that you may have two dogs on the table if a comparison is required. s 4EETER TOTTER THE DOG BACK TO FRONT ON THE TABLE 4HE Pekingese is not used to being treated this way and I can’t imagine what information could be gained from this type of exam. s 3TAND IN FRONT OF THE DOG AND LIFT BOTH FRONT LEGS putting all the weight on the rear. What could this possibly tell you? s 0RY OPEN A 0EKINGESE MOUTH $ENTITION IS NOT PART of the standard. If you suspect a wry mouth, ask the exhibitor to show the bite. s )MPROPERLY LIFT THE DOG 4HE 0EKINGESE WHEN LIFTED should be surprisingly heavy for its size, so it is nec- essary to determine this by properly lifting the dog. If you suspect the dog is over 14 pounds, call for the scales. Lifting the dog is only to determine if it is heavy and compact for its size. One of my favorite quotes by Rose Marie Katz is, “The Pekingese dog should be judged as a whole. It must pres- ent a picture of balance and type. It must be evaluated for its good points rather than torn apart for its faults. In evaluating a Pekingese, one must keep in mind that it is
a Toy dog of great substance and character for its small size.” MR: Although the breed is not for everyone and often dismissed for its health or maintenance reasons, those of us who have been fortunate to be loved by a Peke, will carry a lifelong fondness for its independent nature and aristocratic attitude. 11. And, for a bit of humor: What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever experienced at a dog show? JRJ: A few years ago I was showing a beautiful bitch in Coos Bay, Oregon; Bill Bergum was the judge. We were in the group and Mr. Bergum made his cut. I was not in the cut, so I left the ring. A few minutes later Mr. Bergum said, “Where’s my Pekingese?” I quickly returned to the ring and won the group! RL: I had proudly entered a young puppy in the Pekingese Club of America Nationals many years ago, confident that he would do well. Instead, when I tried to get him to go around the ring, he dug in his heels and refused to budge. No amount of coaxing, cajoling or threats could budge him. I gave up and shrugged at the judge. In short, my puppy went second in a class of two. There is nothing like an experience like that to keep you humble. It had a happy ending though. He went on to win a specialty still as a puppy and sired many winners for us. CKN: This story isn’t particularly funny, but could have been embarrassingly funny. Several years ago through my English friend, Joyce Shipley I was invited to judge the Pekingese Sleeve Dog Club show. A sleeve dog in England is one that is 6 pounds or less. There was a fine entry of these adorable little Pekingese and it was a challenge to reward the right one in each class, because they were so special and cute. I breathed a sigh of relief when the Best of Breed was awarded. Then I noticed people continued to groom and ready their dogs for the ring and formed a large circle with their dogs. The steward then escorted me to the center of the ring and told me I had one more class to judge. I had to choose the exhibit that I would most like to take home! What a chore, as I turned around the circle and looked at all these beautiful little dogs— then I stopped when I came to the winners of the Brace Class. I said, “I’ll choose the Brace because I get two dogs instead of one.” Everyone laughed and I was relieved! MR: Over 46 years of being in the sport, you’ve seen and done it all—some you can talk about and others are best saved for a rainy day. My favorite experience was the fabulous Lina Basquette judging the Junior Showmanship classes on the New England circuit and having the top professional handlers dressed as children, showing their dogs. Her reaction, when she finally realized what was happening was priceless! She never missed a beat and played to the crowd in only the theatrical manner that she could. I miss the true characters of years gone by.
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