HERDING GROUP Q&A
and Shetland Sheepdogs. These new breeder-exhibitors breed for type and soundness, and they spend the necessary time and effort to hone their presentation. The Herding Group has added more than a dozen breeds since 2000. How competitive are they? Many of the newly recognized Herding Breeds are very rustic. As “farm” dogs and workers, they are not fancy. As a judge, you have to understand what they were bred to do and the history behind each of these new breeds in order to know the best of them. Reward the ones that are standard-com- pliant as well as those presenting the personality and character of the breed. These breeds will become more popular with judges— and more competitive—as the exhibitors learn to bring out the conformation qualities and personalities of these breeds in their presentation. Can I speak to the value of a performance title in a Herding dog? While I have never trained a performance dog, some of my dogs have gone on to achieve these titles with their owners. This is tremendously important to Herding dogs. As I said earlier, Herd- ing dogs need a job. Training a Herding dog in these disciplines gives the dog and owner an opportunity to bond, and the dog has a chance to use its instincts and talent in the various exercises. The other area in which Herding dogs excel is as Therapy Dogs. Their kind spirit and desire to please come across with each visit to hos- pitals, assisted-living facilities, and schools. Do I have any advice to offer newer judges of the Herding Group? For new Herding judges, I’d suggest that you look at the Group as a whole. Is the Swedish Vallhund a better example of the breed than the Australian Shepherd is of its breed? Keep in mind what each of these dogs was bred to do and which ones are most compliant to their breed standard. Be true to these judging proto- cols and you will enjoy the Herding breeds—and you will find the best Herding dogs in your Group. Which Herding dogs from the past have had the greatest influ- ence on the sport? As I noted earlier, “Iron Eyes” the Bouvier and “Manhattan” the German Shepherd, along with “Grace” the Australian Shepherd, “Sobe” the Australian Cattle Dog, “Sammy Sosa” the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, “Rascal” the Old English Sheep- dog, and “Peter Pumpkin” the Sheltie were wonderful examples of their respective breeds. (I could go on for days with this list.) I watched all of these dogs while I was showing and breeding OES, and I had the opportunity to judge some of them as well. They were outstanding examples of their breeds and had the “it” factor whenever you watched them. They generated attitude and person- ality just standing there! Is there a funny story I can share about my experiences judg- ing the Herding breeds? This is not a direct judging story, but it is a story about the small world of dog judging: I was at dinner at a show and was seated at the far end of the table. When we began talking, the late Bob Moore was asked by another judge (the lovely Doris Cozart) how his genealogical research was going. He quickly indicated that he had made a recent discovery that his mother was not a Masterson from Decatur, Georgia, but a Masterson from Decatur, Alabama. This caught my ear. I raised my hand, and said, “Mr. Moore, my Grandmother is a Masterson from Decatur, Alabama.” He flashed me a look, quickly brought his chair to my end of the table, and began to quiz me on my family’s background. I told him what I knew and he asked if he could call me after the shows. He did call on Sunday evening before I got home. I talked with him on Monday and gave him family specifics and telephone numbers. He did the research and got back to me to say that he had found that we were third cousins! He was very happy to find a liv- ing relative! The next time I saw him was at the Cleveland Winter Classic Dog Shows and he greeted me with: “I checked you out and you are a good one. Would you like to sit with me?” This started a friendship via e-mail and telephone to talk about dogs and family. Being his “new” cousin, I learned so much about dogs in a short
time. He asked if I was going to the AKC shows in Florida where he was to judge Best in Show. I told him I was coming to watch and he invited me to meet his family that was coming with him. I met his wife and son at the post-show party, and sat for a while talking about our connection. He died a few months later. Earlier in my story, I talked about my early fascination with dogs. After meeting Bob and finding a “blood” relative, giving me some background, I found out where it came from; Bob had the same fascination with dogs early in his life too! LEE BROWN I live in Slidell, Louisiana, which
is a suburb about 30 miles from New Orleans. I have been in dogs for 50 years, starting in Obedience then moving to exhibiting in Conforma- tion. I recently received my 25-year judging certificate from the Ameri- can Kennel Club. Do I have any hobbies or interests
apart from purebred dogs? I do not have other hobbies. Any free time that I have, I spend with my family. I do enjoy the dogs and, com- bined with family, that is about all the time I have to spare. Can I talk about my introduction to the Herding breeds? My wife and I had built a new home and, in a very short period of time, it was broken into three times. My wife, who had been raised with GSDs, insisted we get one. Truth be told, at that time I was actu- ally scared of the breed. I gave in and we purchased one. Then, she insisted I train the dog, so I joined an obedience club and did just that. I decided I liked it and started competing in Obedience. At that time, most AB clubs also had Obedience at their Conforma- tion shows. We would always end up at the Conformation ring. From there, I decided I wanted to show in Conformation. That is where my interest started in Conformation exhibiting. Have I bred any influential Herding dogs or shown any notable winners? I would not consider it an influential dog, but I leased a bitch and bred her to Maturity Victor. She was all German lines and he was all Americans lines. I was told that this was not the way to breed; starting with an outcross breeding. Outcrossing was not good breeding practices. There were five puppies in the litter. One male finished his Championship at 17 months and went on to pro- duce 17 Champions. He was shown mostly locally, not nationally, so he did not have much exposure. So much for all the breeders who told me that an outcross would not give me a show prospect and would not give me a producer. Can I speak a bit about breed-specific presentation? First thing you want is breed type; it must look like a GSD. When they first come in the ring, the first impression is important. In keeping with breed type, if a class walks in and I have a very poor specimen, I know that dog will not win. I still give them the same amount of time and attention as all other animals. These are the exhibitors who could very well be good breeders and exhibitors in the future, if treated well. Handlers should get their dogs to look their best as they enter the ring, with the first gait around the ring. Handlers should show their dogs at all times. The judge’s eyes are all over that ring, so you want your dog to look its best at all times. What about breed character? How do I assess this in the Herd- ing breeds? As I’ve said, it must have breed type. You should not have to question whether it is a GSD or not. Temperament is extremely important in the GSD. You want a dog with a good rear drive and a good back to transmit to an outreaching front. This is a movement breed with a ground-covering gait. The breed should move with ease and close to the ground. This is important if you have a dog that lifts a bit, and the front feet touch the ground past
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2021 | 219
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