Page 172 - ShowSight - September 2020

and dog. In the ring, I love to see a Terrier standing on his own with four legs planted firmly, and keenly aware of his surroundings. The less his handler has to do the better, and a well-made Terrier doing this is a sight to behold. I am very much a believer in sparring when properly executed and will give my entries an opportunity to do so whenever I can. (I don’t think they should be presented as robots, and a naughty Terrier in my ring is absolutely no problem!)
Are there breed characteristics that are difficult for non-Terrier judges to understand? This is where I get on my soapbox. From conversations I have had while mentoring for some Terrier breeds, judges often express the frustration of not understanding the proper “keen” Terrier expression. Their coats seem to be a complete mys- tery to a lot of judges. I think anybody who is going to judge, in particular, the hard-coated Terriers should be required to spend time with breeders or handlers to learn what is involved in creating (and by this I mean plucking, pulling and rolling) the coats, as well as the accepted way of putting them down for presentation in the ring on the day. It is not for the faint at heart. A lot of judges who have had no background in Terriers are astonished at the daily work involved to keep a Special’s dog in coat. Lack of understanding of the Terrier movement leaves me SO frustrated; I absolutely hate when somebody says “moves like a Terrier” in a negative way. Part of the problem is that there are so few exhibits in the ring nowadays to learn from. The issue of short upper arm and straight shoulders creates the movement that is NOT correct but, if that’s all they see in the ring, I guess I can understand them for not recognizing cor- rect movement. My own breed (SFT) states in the standard, “Move- ment, or action, is the crucial test of conformation.” This is true for EVERY breed.
How important is presentation, conditioning, and expression in the Terrier ring? I couldn’t care less how well-trained the Terrier is in my ring, as long as he is not disrupting the rest of the entry and I am able to examine/judge him in the proper manner. I DO care that he be in condition, and correct expression will be given a lot of consideration while making my decisions. Expression truly does define who they are.
What are my thoughts re: bites among the Terrier breeds? The Terriers use their mouth to do their jobs. The breed standards call for a specific bite for this reason and it is your job as a judge to make sure that this is adhered to. If you have ever seen a Terrier work you would totally understand this.
How important is ear carriage in the Terrier breeds? Natural ears in a Terrier are a wonderful asset to a breeding program; some have them, some don’t.
How do I evaluate undocked tails in traditionally docked breeds? Each breed standard describes the correct tail. If there is no provi- sion for a tail presented to you other than described, it becomes your own personal judgment. At least one Terrier breed parent club has made a stand on undocked tails. Personally, I will keep a parent club’s directive in mind when judging breeds that have this in place.
Can I offer advice to novice judges re: sparring in the ring? My best advice to new Terrier judges in reference to sparring in the ring would be that if you do not understand why it is done or how it is properly done, simply don’t do it. You must be keenly aware of the dogs you have in your ring. Sometimes sparring will not go as you would hope and leaves you with having to make difficult decisions on which animals to award after the fact. Also, be aware that an inexperienced exhibitor can easily ruin another exhibitor’s dog with the wrong move in a spar. Bottom line is to be able to “read” your ring and judge accordingly on the day. Terriers doing a proper spar will give you goosebumps!
Are there specific challenges presented when judging the low entry breeds? The challenges in judging low entry Terrier breeds are no different than any other breed. You must remember that there is a smaller gene pool available to the rare breeds. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you do not fault judge them; find the best breed specific traits/hallmarks that you can find in your ring on the
day and reward that. Do your homework on the breed, not just read- ing the standard. Do research and find out all you can in addition to the written standard. Remember that a lot of the exhibitors in a new AKC breed do not have a lot of background in breeding and will heavily rely on your decisions as a judge when making breeding decisions that will affect the future of their respective breeds.
Have I attended Earthdog Tests or Barn Hunts? I have person- ally participated in both Earthdog and Barn Hunt. Even as a long- time Terrier person, I am always amazed at the different styles of hunting the various Terrier breeds have. Any aspiring Terrier judge should attend an Earthdog Test to watch the dogs and talk with the participants. This will help you to understand the absolute need for a proper front assembly and, in some breeds, the need to be spannable. It will also help you to understand why a Border Ter- rier needs to be pelted while doing the table exam. These breed- specific needs can literally be the difference between life and death in the field for a Terrier. I cannot tell you how many judges I have talked to who have no clue why spanning and pelting are done, and am always keen to share information with them.
Can I name one or two of my all-time favorite Terriers? Some Terriers I always admired are: Kerry Blue Terrier, Ch Torums Scarf Michael; Wire Fox Terrier, Ch Galsul Excellence; Colored Bull Ter- rier, Ch Rocky Top’s Sundance Kid.
What can be done to promote Terriers as family companions? The Terriers can be somewhat difficult to promote as family com- panions. The prospective families need to do their homework and really understand the personality and prey drive of the Terriers. They are a lifestyle, and a lot of people without prior exposure/expe- rience will find them to be a challenge that they do not wish to con- tend with. It is very important for the breeders to always be available for guidance and advice long after the puppy goes to his new home.
Is there a funny story I’d like to share about my experiences judging Terriers? Every Terrier assignment is an adventure.
BETTY-ANNE STENMARK
After more than 40 years on King’s Mtn., in Woodside on the San Francisco Peninsula, we moved to the Sierra Foothills three years ago to a little gold rush town called Grass Valley. I have been in dogs all my adult life, beginning with Saint Bernards. I bred one litter of Salukis and, after discovering how difficult it was to place them in a responsible household, I turned to Dandie Din- mont Terriers, breeding under the
King’s Mtn. prefix for the last 44 years.
Do I have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs?
I love classical music, good books, writing and, since COV- ID has curtailed my travel, I am discovering the fun of a large vegetable garden.
Can I talk about my introduction to Terriers? When the late Roy Stenmark and I married, he was already judging Saint Ber- nards—and I was soon to be—so we looked for a breed that neither one of us would be judging for a very long time. My friend, Lorna Rindal, had an adult Dandie bitch available before my friend, June Monaghan, had an adult Border Terrier bitch available. The rest, as they say, is history. Having been in dogs for some time by then, we wanted an adult to begin our breeding program; we were not will- ing to take a chance with a puppy.
What makes a Terrier a Terrier? Terriers have great character and can at once be independent, stubborn, affectionate, funny, and they do make wonderful companion dogs. There are currently 31 Ter- riers recognized by the AKC and each one is unique, and certainly none could be termed “milquetoast.”
TERRIER GROUP Q&A
170 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 2020