Page 35 - ShowSight Presents - The French Bulldog
P. 35
“VIVE LA FRENCHIE!”
be focused on type. You can train a dog to move and show well, but you cannot train a dog to have type if it is not genetically engineered to have it! Lastly, remember generic judging and generic dogs are the kiss of death to breed type, so don’t be a culprit to this hideous crime! Vive la Frenchie!
JD: Please, if you are not interested enough to devote the time and energy to learn about the French Bulldog and develop a strong honest opinion based on the breed standard which you are able to justify if required to do so then do us all a favor and do not judge (or attempt) to judge the breed. We have enough mediocrity already and don’t need any more! If you are an aspiring or new judge or have been judging for any length of time please do not be afraid to ask questions from qualified mentors at any time in order to improve your ability and knowledge of the breed. In my opinion this is relevant for many breeds.
AK: French Bulldogs are one of my favorite Non-Sporting breeds to judge. I enjoy their attitude—“I will stoically be the clown, but I will make you smile.” I love judging, I love the dogs, the exhibitors and I completely enjoy helping a newbie! I was mostly a breeder/owner/handler and if I do not share what I learned over the years—shame on me!
MMartin: This is the second breed I was approved to judge and one of my favorites.
DM: I would say worldwide the breed is in good shape and is improving all the time. Just in the last few years I have watched the breed at the World Shows in Amsterdam, Paris, Stockholm, Budapest, Helsinki and Milan. In 2015, I watched them at Crufts. I have attended our Nationals several times recently and the Specialties in New York and Santa Barbara. I have judged the breed in some of the major shows of Europe. The breed is very strong in many Asian and South American countries. At the last two World Shows an American exhibitor won big with two bitches at both shows. This year at Crufts the BOB win- ner was bred in Venezuela and is of American and Euro- pean breeding. Here in the States in the couple of years
I have awarded five different Frenchies Best in Show. In several countries of the world, I have awarded Frenchies BIS. There are many top breeders in so many parts of the world producing top quality Frenchies.
VR: Temperament is very important, Frenchies are compan- ions—shyness or people aggression are things I do not like to see. The Frenchies we are asked to judge at a show are being evaluated as breeding stock so any hint of breathing problems—stenotic nares and elongated soft palette really concerns me and I do not reward them. I wish the show
superintendents had better scales. Many of them have scales that are basically bathroom scales and too small to weigh a dog that could be over 28 pounds.
L&PS: Just remember that the Frenchie is the most important breed at the dog show (as is every breed to its exhibitors). Remember to judge on the positives and on the overall dog, not the parts. You are judging breeding stock and you know what can and what can’t be easily fixed. Be kind, fair and treat all exhibits and exhibitors equally, and most importantly, don’t leave your common sense at home!
12. And for a bit of humor, what’s the funniest thing you’ve ever experienced at a dog show?
JD: Where do you want me to start? Okay, this is a true story. Many years ago as a teenager in Ireland I was at a show and a very glamorous lady friend was showing her famous BIS winning International Champion Pekingese in rather long grass. Another local dog of mediocre qual- ity with a rather pronounced roll (which we assumed was due to the long grass) was, much to our amazement awarded Best of Breed. When said winner picked up his dog, it was discovered that under long furnishings he only had three legs! We laughed so hard! Apparently, as the novice owner explained, the puppy had lost a leg when he was run over with a wheelbarrow. He really did have that Pekingese roll!
AK: While judging a specialty, I was having the Best of Breed Class (note I did not say Specials Class?) go around the ring one at a time. A lady exhibitor took off with her dog and about halfway around the ring, her skirt fell to the ground! She did not miss a beat, she turned around, stepped back into her skirt, pulled it up, turned her dog again to head toward the end of the line! I was not sure
I saw that, but it is on tape! We all had a good laugh, but most of us were jealous she had lost so much weight that she had to pin her skirt in hopes of keeping it on!
MMartin: The funniest things are probably some of the things that exhibitors say. I ought to start keeping
a notebook.
MMiller: Nothing that all of us haven’t witnessed before! VR: I was show chair of a Frenchie national a few years ago.
Ten minutes before the start of judging we discovered that the batteries on the club scale had gone dead. For- tunately a nearby gas station sold batteries, I rushed out bought and installed the batteries. Five minutes later the judge called for the scale.
L&PS: One experience I can share in print happened when Mrs. Clark judged our centennial national. An exhibitor called weight on a number of exhibits in the breed ring (as was her right). When one of the dogs weighted in, its exhibitor proclaimed, “Thank God!” to which Mrs. Clark, without missing a beat, responded, “You’re welcome.”
RS: Various wardrobe failures, including my own. I never exhibit without a spare pair of pants with me!
wiTh diane Burvee, James dalTon, anne KaTona, molly marTin, mary miller, desi murphy, virginia rowland, luis and paTTy sosa & roBin sTansell
french bulldog q&a
