WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE SPORT THAT ATTRACTS YOU THE MOST ?
Obviously , the shared love of dogs is a draw . Establishing a special connection with a dog is a feeling that has been essential to my existence since childhood . I enjoy the process of raising a puppy . I love the process of training , conditioning , grooming , and choreographing the presentation in the ring . Competing in the ring with your dog as your partner is exhilarating and gratifying no matter what the outcome is .
Another factor is that the sport of dogs affords one the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life from all parts of the world . This factor has impacted me significantly both personally and professionally .
WHAT WAS THE REASON YOU DECIDED TO FOCUS ON JUDGING AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE ?
The process of evaluation and sorting dogs has been an interest from childhood . When Kennel Review , a glossy monthly dog show magazine , arrived I would actually go page by page looking at the photos and create lists of dogs who would compete by group , then judge the group and place the groups and then choose between the group winners for best in show . This entertained me for hours !
In my teens , a group of us who competed in Juniors together and camped on the showgrounds , would assemble with our dogs in the rings in the evening after the shows . One of us would be the judge and the rest of us would trade dogs and compete . We repealed the process , switching up roles and dogs multiple times each night . Although we focused on handling skills , it created an opportunity to get experience with running a ring , examining dogs of different breeds , and evaluating and sorting a group of entries . I loved getting to handle different breeds but I also loved the task of judging .
As a young adult , I continued to pursue my love of learning about and appreciating the details and nuances of different breeds . Enjoying the evaluation and sorting process naturally led to becoming a judge . Hopefully , I have made a positive contribution to the sport in the process .
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO OFFER PEOPLE JUST STARTING THEIR JUDGING CAREER ?
Knowing your “ Why ” for doing anything in life is essential . Be honest and clear on why you want to become a judge . Never lose sight of the responsibility you are taking on and the impact you can have on dogs , breeds , and people through your actions . Don ’ t forget your roots . Leave your ego outside the ring .
Dr . Don Sturz of Brooklyn , New York began participating in the sport of dogs as a child . As a highly successful Junior Handler , he exhibited in the famed Westminster Junior Showmanship competition . He was selected as a Junior Showmanship Finalist three years at Westminster , beginning with his first time entered at the age of ten . During his Junior Showmanship career , he was ranked as the number one Junior Handler in the U . S . for three consecutive years .
While growing up in the sport , Dr . Sturz trained and exhibited dogs in a variety of American
Kennel Club events , including conformation , obedience , and field trials , earning numerous awards and titles . A long-time preservation breeder and handler , he has bred , owned , and handled All-Breed and Specialty Best in Show winners and nationally ranked dogs in Golden Retrievers , Miniature Poodles , and Pembroke Welsh Corgis .
He currently serves as the delegate to the American Kennel Club for the Poodle Club of America , is a member of the Bull Terrier Club of America , and recently assisted in the revival of the Knickerbocker Bull Terrier Club . Additionally , Dr . Sturz has been an analyst for the Fox Sports telecast of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show for the past three years and a co-host for the Westminster Kennel Club Highlights Show presented by Purina Pro Plan ® for the past two years .
Since 1990 Dr . Sturz has adjudicated at major dog shows worldwide and judged the Sporting and Hound groups at Westminster in 2010 and 2006 . In 2020 he was voted Judge of the Year at the Purina Pro Plan ® Show Dogs of the Year award ceremony . Dr . Sturz is approved to judge the Sporting and Hound groups , several Terrier , Non- Sporting and Herding breeds , Best in Show , and Junior Showmanship . This is his tenth judging assignment at Westminster .
DON STURZ
A graduate of Hofstra University with a Ph . D . in clinical psychology , he is currently the superintendent of the Valley Stream 24 School District in Long Island , New York . Dr . Sturz resides with his husband Sean and their two dogs , Emmitt the Frenchie and Lola the Bull Terrier .
WESTMINSTER There ’ s only one ® 25