Page 198 - ShowSight - October 2019

WHOSE FAULT IS IT:
BREEDER, HANDLER OR JUDGE
BY TERENCE FARLEY,
JUDGES EDUCATION CHAIR,
THE HAVANESE CLUB OF AMERICA
“Dog People” come in three main categories; breeders, exhibitors, and judges. All three seem to have opinions about the ailments of the breed. Each blames the other for the problems the breed is experiencing in the ring. It is the breeder’s fault for breeding this style; it is the exhibitor’s fault (exhibitor being professional hander, breeder handler, or owner handler) for showing this style, or for grooming the dog in this fashion; or it is the judge’s fault for rewarding these particular styles. I am using the term ‘style’ verses ‘type’ because I was told a long time
ago there is only one type but styles may vary.
So, whose fault is this controversy? Do we blame the breeder? This is the person who
bred the dog for the ring in the first place. Obviously the breeder has in her/his mind’s eye the ideal picture of what a showdog should look like, move like, and in general be like. This person must have a love for the breed to have devoted the time and energy to have studied pedigrees, completed the necessary health testing, bred, socialized, and trained this puppy. Breeding is not an easy process if it is done right, and I am assuming that a person devoting the time, energy, and money to have a dog shown, is attempting to be an ethical breeder and to have the correct breed type in mind. But is this enough? Will this particular style win? The bottom line is that if the other dogs in the ring are of a different style and winning, the breeder will eventually alter the style they produce in order to exit the ring with rib- bons, rosettes, and points. Now we start to hear some blaming; blame the other exhibitors (handlers) or the judge.
Should we blame the Professional Handler? According to Wikipedia “A professional handler, sometimes called a professional dog handler is a person that trains, conditions, and shows dogs in conformation shows for a fee. Handlers are hired by dog owners or breeders to finish their dogs championship, or if finished, to be shown in the Best of Breed class as a ‘special’.” This person is a paid professional. His/her job is to complete a dog’s conformation title or better yet receive breed placements and national rankings. A handler has a winning reputation to maintain as well as keeping their clients contented and satisfied. A handler’s duty (professional or owner) is to present the dog to its fullest potential. It must be well trained, well fed, bathed/dried and groomed to the specifications of the standard, and be ready to dazzle the judge in the ring. If winner’s dog, winner’s bitch, or best of breed are a different style than the one the handler is showing, then the handler might change the grooming or style of the dogs they are showing. Once again we start to hear blaming; blame the breeder or the judge. >
196 • ShowSight Magazine, october 2019