FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
JASON
HOKE
Patience, Grasshopper
J
udges are experts and well studied in any breed they
choose to evaluate. From the moment they walk in the
ring for the first time, they have a full and complete
grasp of all minutia related to the breed. The standards are
so ingrained in their minds that they could recall them wordfor-word just as children do when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. If you were to talk to them after their assignment, they
would remember every minute detail of every dog shown to
them, down to the color of the leash. They miss nothing in the
ring, catching every virtue and flaw, balancing them perfectly
in their minds to come to a final decision that makes every
exhibitor and spectator happy beyond words.
If any judge believes this describes them perfectly, then
please introduce yourself to the world because you are truly
one of a kind!
Mentors. Additional help can be sought though mentorship by experts in the breed. They are people whose blood,
sweat and many tears have produced the dogs that will be entering our rings. These breeders are perhaps the single most
under-utilized tool for judges. They have seen the changes in
the breed, the trends, fads, pitfalls and strengths. To not take
advantage of this is a missed opportunity, whether the judge
is just beginning or well into a long-term judging career.
Practice Makes Better but Not Perfect
There are many other venues in which judges can begin to understand a breed, but I believe the ultimate teaching tool is the
judging itself. Judges can have all the book knowledge in the
world, but if they do not develop an eye and hone their skills,
they will fail. Every experience teaches something. I am not
referring to the ribbon distribution we are sometimes forced
into but to the entries that contain real substance. Large classHow Judges Continue to Learn
es help refine instincts for what is correct. Through repetition
It takes a lifetime to further one’s knowledge in a single breed,
and strengthening the mind, judges learn the priorities of type
let alone multiple breeds that a Group or all-breed judge may
in a breed.
not even keep at home. Let us take a
Judges will get many decisions right
judge’s original breed out of the equaand will also get many decisions wrong.
tion, as that is a breed to which they
Judging is a game
Mistakes on ring procedure and actual
probably have dedicated their life’s pasplacements can and will be made. But it
sion. When a judge chooses to advance
of patience. It is
is what judges take from their mistakes
beyond that initial breed, this is where
a task no one will
that makes them better each time they
the struggle begins.
ever truly master.
walk in the ring. Our best judges always
Seminars. Where do judges start to
strive to improve and learn more.
learn about new breeds for which they
Exhibitors place too much emphasis
seek to be approved? The first and seemon the ribbons awarded and not on the overall job the judge
ingly obvious answer is seminars. After all, they are worth the
did. Think about the total day in question. Did one class or
most points on judges approval applications. Judges flock to
placement go awry, or was the entire assignment a debacle?
these seminars, as they are certainly a means to an end.
Judges can simply have an off day, just like everyone else.
So what does a seminar offer? Generally, it gives a brief
This does not excuse poor judging, but we all have bad days
history of the breed and a walk-through of salient breed
when our work is done poorly simply because we’re human.
characteristics with emphasis given to certain points by the
This should be kept in mind by everyone, exhibitors and judgpresenter. These seminars last approximately an hour and
es alike. Condemnation of one’s ability should never come
30 minutes. They are often followed by a hands-on session
quickly or without considering the scope of a career.
with anywhere from four to six dogs, but not always. The
Judging is a game of patience. It is a task no one will ever
seminar attendees place the dogs with a brief critique, and
truly master. Every experience leads to another question, and
maybe some minimal discussion of the dogs is allowed. And
every answer poses another question. It takes years of hard
then it’s off to the next seminar…
work before serious judges will come close to the ultimate
Published information. Another possibility is researching
goal of perfection in the craft. If you are an aspiring judge,
a breed on the internet and finding all relevant articles about
remember that some days you will achieve near perfection
the breed. Many of these contain valuable information, as they
and other days you will end up back at the beginning. But
were written by paragons of the breed. Parent clubs also in
have patience and perseverance in all things, and you will
some cases publish information on their websites where a
eventually have a quality judge standing before you in the mirprospective judge can glean further details. Also contained
ror, one who improves with each day in the ring and always
on these webpages are the titles of breed books, which are
strives to do better on the next. DIR
some of the greatest treasures to be found.
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