WORKING GROUP Q&A
All breeds have evolved with purpose, and everything about a good specimen should suggest that purpose.
PETER GAETA
it still contained the Herding Group). His owners did not want to make a life out of our sport, and would not let him go anywhere without them. Another was an exquisitely beautiful and proper bitch that I accidentally started to handle. Her usual handler was stuck at another specialty across town, and I did not have a special at the time. She came to me cold, as a ringside pick up, and she won the specialty. She did win a number of Groups with me. However, the ride was short. How important is the handler to the Working dog’s perfor- mance? The handler is extremely important, as in any breed. A great handler with a mediocre dog can beat a great dog poorly han- dled nine out of ten times. However, a good judge cannot be duped into beating that great dog. (There is a message in there). A good judge will find a good dog regardless of the handler. However, not all judges are willing to use a dog that is mishandled (or naughty). I do not care. Can I speak a bit about breed-specific presentation? All breeds have evolved with purpose, and everything about a good specimen should suggest that purpose. Everything the handler does in the ring should complement the exhibit, consistent with its standard and unique function—standing and moving. I have a laundry list of “no-no’s.” Dogs should not be crowded while they are baited. Dogs should be moved according to their unique structure regardless of how fast the handler wants to run or how fast the other dogs in the ring are moving. Working breeds certainly should be moved on a loose lead (and will if they are trained properly), and they will track well if balanced front to rear. What about breed character? How do you assess this in the Working breeds? I assume “character” means willingness to per- form the function the breed is bred to perform. That is tough to assess in a conformation ring. If, however, a judge is sensitive and observant, it is easy to note an exhibit that does not have proper breed character. If a dog is reluctant or apprehensive, in contrast to aloof, it is not a good sign. It is not out of character for some live- stock guardian breeds to be somewhat aloof, but they should never be fearful. A Working dog that is fearful or timid, in my opinion, does not have proper character and should not be used. Does size really matter? Unless the standard says “bigger is bet- ter,” an exhibit that meets the standard is competitive. Enough said. Do I have any advice to offer newer judges of the Working Group? While judging, do not stand and stare into a dog’s eyes. Approach them deliberately, and touch them with confidence start- ing from below the muzzle. Do not cover their eyes. Once you have your hands on a dog, maintain contact until you finish the exami- nation. Do not slap them on the side or flank when you are finished. Which Working dogs from the past have had the greatest influ- ence on the sport? We should not forget that our sport is not show- ing or judging dogs. It is breeding dogs. In the nearly sixty years that I have been around this sport, I have come to believe that the dogs and bitches that have had the greatest influence on the sport are the ones that some dedicated, knowledgeable, longtime breeder
Terri and I live in a brand new, small community in Iron Station, North Carolina, on a street aptly named Grand Champion Court. (The street was not even named when we picked out the lot.) I got my first purebred dog, a Pug, about 60 years ago and left him with my family when I left home. I bought my first Great Dane in the mid-six- ties, and he was the first dog I ever
showed. In 1971, I was licensed by the American Kennel Club to handle dogs professionally and did so until I went to work for AKC in 1999. I have been judging since I retired in 2009. However, I have long contended that every time I agreed to handle a dog I had critically judged him/her before I ever said yes. Do I have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs? We collect vintage umbrellas, canes, and (necessarily) umbrella stands. We also collect all manner of dog memorabilia and old dog licenses. The joy is in the hunt. Can I talk about my introduction to the Working breeds? I was first married when I was in graduate school; my then wife had been raised with dogs and always wanted a black Great Dane. There was not a lot of color around back then, and I was fascinated by the brindle color. We found a litter of ten fawns and brindles and went to see the puppies. As I was in school and teaching part time, money was an issue. They had a puppy that we could buy for $85, but its tail was docked due to a rocking chair incident when the litter was first turned loose in the family room. I was not interested. In my terms at the time, I wanted a “whole” puppy. So, we left with a “whole” brindle puppy dog. Have I bred any influential Working dogs or shown any notable dogs? By the time we had bred two litters, I was showing dogs pro- fessionally. AKC licensed handlers breed by breed, and I was only licensed for Great Danes. I chose not to compete against clients who were paying me to show their dogs, so I had no breeding program to speak of. Just before I went to work for AKC, Terri and I bred a few exceptional Bedlington Terriers. I showed a few Great Danes that I thought were outstanding representatives of the breed, but none that achieved significant notoriety. One was a dog sired by a stud owned by a longtime client. I put the breeding together because I finished the dam and thought the breeding would really “click.” I encouraged the stud owner to take a puppy out of the litter rather than a stud fee. She did not. When the litter was just over a year old, the stud dog owner bought the rights to show and finish one of them. He finished in eight or nine shows when entries were consistently around 150. His first and only time out as a special, he won the Breed over a top-winning Working Dog in the country—and won the Working Group (when
188 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2021
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