The Lighter Side of Judging By Michael H. Faulkner
New Breeds N ew Provisional Breeds afford me the excitement and the intensity that I experienced the first time I applied to judge, nineteen years ago. The process forces me to study the various breed standards in detail. It forces communication between respected breeders/handlers and me, and it is a sure reminder that before we--I mean judges---enter the ring to evaluate breeding stock, we know and have acquired a complete understanding of the breed standard. We can then apply a deeper level of competence in our judging experience that transcends merely reciting the standard. “Just remember, if you don’t know what in the hell you’re doing, make it look like you do,” I was often reminded during the early days of dog show judging. “Well, that will not be an issue, as I plan on knowing what I need to know in order to do a good job,” I would often reply. As a child, I quickly learned that if you do not prepare, if you think you know more than you do, and if you rely on fate rather than knowledge to succeed, you will fall flat on your face. Worse yet! You will be publicly humiliated. The turning point for me was in the 7th grade. I was called upon in English class by Mrs. Burdick... Now to truly understand this story, you have to have an accurate picture of Mrs. Burdick. Those of you who went to school in the early 1970’s will remember this kind of lady. Totally devoted to her craft. A family woman. Never a wrinkle in her freshly ironed dress. Always a pleasant expression. A nononsense lady, who, nonetheless, wanted you to succeed by the virtue of hard work and diligence. ...to offer my personal
18 Dog News
understanding of an assigned short story that I had chosen not to read. I stood completely terrified of the unknown, ashamed and embarrassed. “Uhhhh….ummmm….well….I actually was not able to read the short story because one of our dogs was having puppies and I had to help my mother whelp them,” I trippingly offered as a cheap excuse and escape. “I see, well take your seat and let’s hope tomorrow night your dog is finished having babies,” Mrs. Burdick graciously shared with a smile and twinkle in her eyes. The lesson was further reinforced when Mrs. Burdick congratulated my Mother, in my presence, on our newborn puppies the following Sunday at church. Mother replied, “Well thank you, but the puppies are not due for another two weeks.” Mrs. Burdick smiled--and not missing a beat---replied, “Oh, I misunderstood Michael. And, by the way, I have been enjoying Michael so much in class, I would like your permission to have him help me after school for the next two weeks. It will be for no more than an hour. I am looking forward to his help…with your permission of course.” “I am honored and it will not be a problem,” my Mother replied like an all-knowing lightning bolt. “You know, Michael, it will require you to give up your hour of television per evening, as by the time you finish the kennel chores, dinner, and your homework there will be no extra time,” Mother painfully reminded me. Mrs. Burdick, with eyes brighter than ever before and a smile
gleaming from ear to ear, won the battle. The lesson was delivered with surgical swiftness. I thought of not being able to see my favorite after school program for a whole two weeks. I physically sagged a bit. I vowed on the spot to always be prepared, to study and to not make excuses for my bad judgment. However, sometimes situations arise that you do not plan for and over which you have no control. Many moons ago, I was offered the privilege of judging for the first time, along with my friend, mentor and colleague MR.EB in Guatemala. One of the regularly scheduled judges from the United States cancelled at the last minute, and MR.EB provided my name as a quick replacement. Thrilled at the thought of traveling to the country that hosted my second oldest sister as an exchange student in 1971, during the period when military rule dominated Guatemalan politics, I was excited to pay witness to the political transformation first hand, as well as judge dogs. The travel arrangements were quickly made. Within three days of the phone call, I was in Guatemala City enjoying the beautiful metropolis, the hospitality, and the dogs. All was going well until the second day, when I was informed that I was to judge the afternoon specialty show for the only native breed and the Official National Breed of Guatemala – The Dogo Guatemalteco – entry 68. “What the hell, I can’t judge this specialty! I thought. I have never heard of the breed, I have never seen one, and I have never seen the standard... let alone READ and
“As a child, I quickly learned that if you do not prepare, if you think you know more than you do, and if you rely on fate rather than knowledge to succeed, you will fall flat on your face.”
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