Page 92 - ShowSight - July 2019

Honing Our Skills: Spotting a Good Judge; Practice makes...
BY MICHELLE SCOTT continued them, but there is a time and place for it
and when I’m with my dog, that is where 100% of my focus is as we prepare, as a team, to enter the ring, when we’re exiting, when we’re toileting, etc. etc. etc.—if I have a dog with me, that time is about me and the dog. Even walking the narrow and often crowded isles to or from a ring, I’m feeling my dog while watching every dog around to the degree I rarely even notice people.
I showed my male SFT to his Cham- pionship, a breed that was often spared in the ring, and I never once had a negative encounter because I was prepared for both my dogs possible reaction to another male as well as the way too many around me that weren’t paying the least bit of attention to the dog at the end of their lead.
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I thank my readers for these (and many more!) helpful suggestions. We all need to keep this information in our heads. Unfor- tunately this isn’t a situation you can prac- tice for—but you can know how to respond.
If you have a reactive breed please learn body language and don’t put your dog in an unfavourable situation.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD JUDGE?
I received this the other day and thought I’d share it with you:
“Michelle you always ask such great questions!!! I have one for you: What makes a judge a good judge?”
Thanks for the compliment! I’m assum- ing you just mean in the ring? But I’m going to take it a step further because I help hire judges for a couple of shows and I can tell you what I look for. I, obviously, want to hire good judges—so, I’m looking for judg- es that are knowledgeable about the breeds they are going to evaluate and actually try to apply that knowledge in the ring. I want judges that are conscientious of the needs of the dogs, exhibitors and the kennel clubs. I want them to enjoy the sport and the people in it. That’s it! It’s a short list but it covers a lot of ground!
Again, many of us spent years working to perfect our trims and handling skills before we started to see any big wins with our own dogs—then we wanted to achieve those wins with our own home bred dog and that opens a whole new world for us.
The sport of dogs encourages long term involvement, where young and old can par- ticipate, so we can provide fun for every- body! I hope to see you at the shows.
—Michelle Scott
Step 1—REMAIN CALM! I know it’s traumatic but you must remain calm— screaming and becoming hysterical just ramps up the situation and will make mat- ters worse. Breathe and calm yourself before you attempt to break them apart.
Step 2—I’m assuming there is a person for each dog so each person should lift their dog’s hind legs (as high up as you can—ide- ally in the hip area, where the leg and body meet) and pull each dog away from the oth- er. Throw water on them or throw a blan- ket or coat over their heads—either may startle or disorient them and all you need is a brief moment for them to release and you can separate them. DO NOT GO NEAR THEIR HEADS! DO NOT TRY TO PRY THEIR MOUTHS OPEN! THEY WILL BITE YOU—I GUARANTEE IT!
Fanciers responded:
Diane P: Of course prevention is key, be conscious while walking around other dogs, your dog may be fine going up to lick another one in the face, but that dog may not like it. [Use} Short leads and pay atten- tion to what your dog is doing.
Celeste B: It’s amazing how many dog people don’t know how to break up a dog fight properly. I see so many people reach for mouths right away, horrifies me.
Carol P: It can and will happen if you are around long enough. It is lucky, if same Incident, things did not go worse. Some breeds can be worse than others.
Susan Q: If all else falls, stick your fin- ger up their rectum. Will give them some- thing else to think about.
Nancy L: I saw two Boston Terriers go after each other and lock up in a ring next to me. People were panicking and doing all kind of stuff to try and break them up. An experienced handler ran in the ring and somehow grabbed one by their butt and bit its foot and it released! It was the craziest thing I ever saw.
Marilyn B: And...just like in public, just because your dog is friendly doesn’t mean others are? Just because you know a dog of that breed that is friendly does not mean they all are.
Sue I: First of all if there is a fight, ensure that all all other dogs are removed from the area.
Let the owners/handlers deal with their own dogs—too many people just get in the way.
Do not lift the rear legs up and never pull dogs apart—you can rip veins/muscles . Instead grab the rear legs and twist the dog to the right ( both dogs will be therefore twisted in opposite directions ) the dogs will be disoriented as will not expect the side- wise twist and will be over on their backs into a submissive position. Only when they
have released their hold, stop twisting/roll- ing them over and pull quickly away and remove immediately from the site.
Do not fuss.
Do not baby.
Do not pick up but leave dog on ground. Do not speak .
Walk swiftly away from the scene with
the dog (obviously only if able to walk—if not, cover completely with a blanket to calm whilst seeking vet advice). Remove yourself and dog. Avoid all other dogs/people, ensur- ing that you are in control and keep calm.
Never scold or hit or scream/shout at the offending dogs after the fight but walk it off, striding out with control and purpose.
Take your time and only return to crate when both you and the dog have calmed down.
Do not try to examine the dog until you are both calmed down—Administer Rescue Remedy if necessary or seek vet advice.
Do not then go and pick a fight with the owner/handler of the dog! You will just make matters worse! We all make mistakes and no one is perfect—dogs are dogs—if your dog started it, wait until both owners/ handlers are calmed down, take responsibil- ity, apologize and offer to pay expenses.
Abbe H: On the rare occasions mine have gotten into it crashing stainless steel food bowls over their heads usually gets their attention so you can pull them apart.
Lesa C: With animals, pressure cre- ates resistance, so pulling dogs apart in any fashion will result in a more determined lock and more determination to engage the other dog—not to bring up a horrid prac- tice, but dog fighting is a perfect example of what pressure does to a dogs brain—eyes are locked, the intent is there, those han- dlers intentionally hold the dogs back from one another to build the intensity between them before letting go. Pulling dogs apart rarely works as prescribed, a more effective method is to throw the dogs brain and body off balance by twisting them in opposite directions then getting a firm hold and once they’ve disengaged, moving them apart quickly while ideally covering both of their heads with a towel, coat, whatever is handy, to block the eye, nose and brain and then removing them from the area immediately.
If you consider the simple task of walk- ing a dog who pulls on a leash this will make sense to you—the more resistance to pull away the stronger the pull.
With that said, it would be super cool if people at dog shows paid more attention to the dogs on the end of their lead rather than chatting it up with the people near them. I know some think I’m unfriendly at dog shows, nothing could be further from the truth and I love the socialization aspect of
86 • ShowSight Magazine, July 2019