TOY GROUP JUDGES Q&A
“They have no idea that they’re a fraction of the size of most of their competitors in the BIS ring!”
Can I offer any advice to exhibitors regarding the presentation of these “table” breeds? Making sure that your dogs are trained to stand on the table while a stranger examines them is obviously key. They don’t have to stand perfectly still, but they should be able to be examined. Closer attention to dental health, by keeping teeth free of tartar, would benefit many Toy exhibits, especially as they get older. Beyond it being unpleasant to look at a bite and see diseased teeth, it is a significant health issue. Making sure that they are in healthy weight and muscle is also something that can sometimes be overlooked. Some longtime exhibitors have “downsized” to Toys. In my opinion, has this had an impact on quality? Most times when long- time exhibitors get involved in another breed, their experience ben- efits that “new” breed tremendously. There may be a thought that breeders of “big dogs” may put a bit more emphasis on soundness than most Toy breeders, though I would argue most Toy Breeds are every bit as sound as the average large breed. Toy Breeds can require special care. Do I have any advice to offer breeders, exhibitors, and judges? I would advise judges who don’t come from table breeds to approach the dogs on the table con- fidently and focus their exam on being light-handed and efficient. Use fingertips rather than the palm of your hand when examining the dogs. On the other end of the spectrum, they are still dogs, so getting down in their faces and baby talking them is equally as frustrating from an exhibitor’s perspective. Also, please don’t expect them to be little statues! In my opinion, how do today’s exhibits compare with the Toy Dogs of the past? I think the highest quality dogs of today would be competitive with the best dogs of the past (and vice versa), but I think the quality of the average entry is lower today than it was even ten or fifteen years ago. This goes for all breeds though, not Toys exclusively. Why do I think Toy Dogs can become outstanding Show Dogs? Toy Dogs are full of personality and often demand attention. They have no idea that they’re a fraction of the size of most of their com- petitors in the BIS ring! If I could share your life with only one Toy Breed, which would it be and why? Without question, it would be the Havanese! As the standard states, it is “a small sturdy dog of immense charm.” They have a joyful personality that is a pleasure to live with, are small without being fragile, and are low-shedding without a natural odor. They’re really the perfect companion! CAROL KNIEBUSCH
Where do I live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a judge? I live near Harrisonburg, Virginia, where I taught in the School of Music at James Madison University. I live in the Shenan- doah Valley near the Blue Ridge Mountains. What is my original breed? What is/was my kennel name? I’ve bred, raised, and shown Pekingese on a small scale since the early 1970s under the Shenblu prefix. Since I didn’t, and couldn’t, sell my dogs, I usually only bred a litter when I wanted something to show. Needless to say, I loved them all so much that I couldn’t part with them. Can I list a few of the notable dogs I’ve bred? Any performance or parent club titles? A dog from one of my early litters, Ch. Tully Ho, was ranked in the Top 10 Pekingese when he was shown. In my early days in the breed, I had more weekends available to attend shows. But as my music career became more active, I was involved in concerts on weekends when dog shows were held. Have I judged any Toy Breed Specialties? One of my first judg- ing assignments was judging Sweepstakes for The Pekingese Club of America in New York, and then I judged the National Specialty in Orlando in 1998. I now judge the Toy Breeds and Group, along with Non-Sporting Breeds and Group, and I have judged in several states along with China, Korea, France, England, and Scotland. Can I offer any advice to exhibitors regarding the presentation of these “table” breeds? A few years ago, I helped write and edit “The Pekingese Study Guide” for The Pekingese Club of America, where the standard was explained along with pictures demonstrating various points. Under “General Appearance,” this statement sum- marizes the breed well: “The Pekingese is a well-balanced compact dog of Chinese origin with heavy front and lighter hindquarters. Its temperament is one of directness, independence and individual- ity. Its image is lionlike, implying courage, dignity and self-esteem rather than daintiness or delicacy.” Toy Breeds can require special care. Do I have any advice to offer breeders, exhibitors, and judges? It’s always important to evaluate the Pekingese in a positive way, conforming to the standard, rather than in a negative way, searching for particular faults. The dog should be returned to the table if further structural examination is required—you should never bend over a Pekingese on the ground or ask the exhibitor to lift their Pekingese high so that their head is level with yours—this distorts the dog’s features and expression. Nigel Aubrey Jones often said, “The Pekingese head is the stamp of the breed.” Rose Marie Katz stated, “The Pekingese dog should be judged as a whole—it must present 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.” Just for laughs, do I have a funny story that I can share about my experiences judging the Toy Group? I was asked to share a story about a special experience in the ring… Several years ago, I was invited to judge a “sleeve dog” specialty in England. A sleeve dog is a Pekingese under six pounds—the term came from the custom of carrying them in the large sleeves of Chinese robes. Needless to say, this was an honor along with being so interesting to see so many “sleeves” in the ring. When the judging was finished and I was packing up, I noticed the exhibitors continued to gather and groom their dogs. Then the steward came to me and told me I had one more class to judge… I had to pick the exhibit that I would most like to take home! Needless to say, this was difficult as they were all so special and adorable. As I went around the ring, I stopped by the Brace Class and said, “I’ll choose the brace because I would have two instead of one!!” Everyone clapped and liked my decision.
Thank you for inviting me to talk about judging Toy Dogs… one of my favorite things to talk about. I’m a flute performer and grew up in Woodstock, Illinois. I received a Bachelor of Music degree from Illinois Wesleyan Uni- versity and a Masters in Music from Indiana University, along with addi- tional graduate work. My first position
was teaching at the University of British Columbia and perform- ing in the Vancouver Symphony. I then moved to Maryland and performed in the Baltimore Symphony, and I eventually came to James Madison University where I taught for several years. I began judging dog shows in 1998 and I’m approved for the Toy and Non-Sporting Groups.
156 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2022
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