WORKING GROUP Q&A
VICTORIAM. JORDAN
request the handlers to slow down. When they do this, most times the dog looks better when the gait is reduced. What about breed character? How do you assess this in the Working breeds? The breed standard will address the character that is expected of that particular Working breed. Some Working breeds accomplish their jobs individually and some accomplish their jobs in a pack situation. Each breed should reflect the character that is noted in the standard. Does size really matter? A Working dog’s size is reflected in its standard, and some standards have size disqualifications for being over or under the required height that the standard requires. So, yes, size does matter under these circumstances, and some breed clubs give guidelines that they would like to see their breeds stay within. Advice for new judges to the Working Group would be to pay attention to the temperament called for in the standard for each breed. Working breeds are just that, working. They have jobs to do and should be structurally and mentally sound to perform them. This advice, however, is for all breeds; not just the Working breeds. Which Working dogs from the past have had the greatest influ- ence on the sport? There are too many to mention. Just remem- ber the purpose of the individual breed that you are judging and strive to award those specimens that most closely adhere to their purpose—and are properly conformed to do their jobs. What can judges of the other Groups learn from the Working breeds? Soundness can be learned from the Working breeds by being able to judge them according to the jobs they were created to accomplish. My funniest experience in judging Working breeds was judging a 6-9 Puppy Bitch Class of Dobermans. When I came to the last puppy in the class, I went to open her mouth and, to my amaze- ment, she opened her mouth all by herself with no assistance from me or her handler. It was like her mouth was on a hinge. It was hilarious! LINDA KRUKAR
I lived in Ohio for most of my life, but chose to retire to Florida after shoveling snow for so many years! I now reside in The Villages, Florida, with my Griff “JR,” where we enjoy traveling around in our golf cart together.
I purchased an Alaskan Malamute puppy to save her from being sold to a pet store and the rest is history. I began showing dogs in 1967 and bred Alaskan Malamutes for over 35 years. Also exhibited Samoyeds, Keeshonds, Collies, and Pomeranians for friends I’m a Lifetime member of Central Ohio Kennel Club, Colum- bus, Ohio. I was Show Chair for over 23 years. I served a term as President and served as a Board Member for many years. I’m also a Recipient of Outstanding Sportsmanship Award and am currently Vice President and Show Chair of the Citrus County Kennel Club. I’m approved for Best in Show, Working Group and Herd- ing Group, permit on the balance of the Non-Sporting Group, approved for Junior Showmanship and Miscellaneous, German Shorthaired Pointers, Labrador Retrievers, Weimaraners, Afghans, and Pomeranians. I am currently studying some Sighthounds and Toy breeds to consider judging. All of these experiences have been quite a journey and I have made many great friends over the years and met many fabulous mentors who have helped me along the way. I have also lost many dogs over the years that I’ve loved very much, as I guess we all have experienced. My daughter gave me a plaque for Christmas that reads, “My idea of heaven is to get there and find every dog I’ve ever loved waiting for me.” I guess that says it all. My introduction to Working breeds was in 1968, after saving a puppy from being sold to a pet store from a backyard breeder. That puppy was an Alaskan Malamute and the rest is history. She was my son’s constant companion, and he even watched his favorite programs while resting on her belly. I began judging in 1997. Do I have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs? I love to garden and travel. I also enjoy helping dog clubs put on their shows and I work with them to form clusters to keep our sport alive in these trying times. I also love working with junior handlers to enhance their showing abilities. The children will humble you with their work ethic, as they are very serious about being a great handler, and they work hard with their dogs to achieve success. This point was made to me, most emphatically, by my daughter through the effort she put forth in Juniors and with handling a most difficult breed for a 10-year-old—my Malamutes. My daughter’s efforts enabled her to compete at Westminster, and we were all so proud of her. Have I bred any influential Working dogs or shown any notable dogs? I mostly handled my own dogs and I showed Samoyeds, Pom- eranians, Keeshonden, and Collies for friends on weekends. My homebred bitch was top in our Division in “my day.” I was unable to “special” a dog during that timeframe as my husband at the time had his own building business, and I had two young chil- dren to care for along with my own kennel to run. How important is the handler to the Working dog’s perfor- mance? A handler’s responsibility, in my humble opinion, is to show the dog to the best of his or her ability. And it is also their responsi- bility to be familiar with the breed standard of that breed in order to accomplish the win. Can I speak a bit about breed-specific presentation? Most han- dlers (professionals and breeders) today exhibit dogs too fast around the ring. This tells me that the handler doesn’t really know the breed standard. Sometimes, during judging, it is necessary for me to
I live in Brooksville, Florida, with my husband, John, and four dogs— after having lived in various parts of the Northeast for 30+ years. I have been in dogs 42 years, judging for 23 years. Do you have any hobbies or inter- ests apart from purebred dogs? I enjoy pretty much all things “dog.” But apart from that, I enjoy most things outside; bike riding, walking, travel, music,
and writing. Can I talk about my introduction to the Working breeds? We wanted a companion for our Lab/GSP mix and so we purchased our first Doberman (that had dysplasia, demodetic mange, and a bad temperament) from a pet store. This led us to seek out a good breeder, and thus began our long journey. We were very lucky to acquire an excellent dog that we promised to show and, as we moved up from the Class level to Breed and Group level, I wanted to learn more about the breeds we were competing with. I started reading and studying their standards, talking to breeders, owners, and handlers of the breeds, and learning a lot about them. There were always matches, and I started getting invited to judge at the matches and really enjoyed it. This led to my interest in judging the Working breeds. Have I bred any influential Working dogs or shown any notable dogs? Our first showdog, Luka (Ch. Amulet’s Luka of Sno-Glenn CD) was the first fawn in the DPCA Top 20, the grandsire of the top Working dog of all time, and the sire of our first BIS and Top 20 winner, Zared (Ch. Brunswig’s Zared of Dabney). In our first
194 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2021
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