Showing German at an Ameraican Show - Page 1

I guess I just need to vent. I showed my 20 month old black and red Ghandi granddaughter in the American ring on Sat. She looked great and people would stop to touch her and ask where I got her.  I put her in the bred by class as I bred her and own her. The judge couldn't make up her mind. She spent a long time time touching, looking and came over to me and said: "you have a very beautiful bitch" and handed me a 2nd place ribbon!  She said nothing to the first place owner who had a female that was a washed out sable that was quite far down on her hocks. I guess the judge didn't have the ba--s to put a German line bitch in lst place in an AKC show.

Several of us took our German dogs to the show. One to support the club, two to get better number entries and three to have fun. I think we accomplished all three, but it would be nice if the judge would judge to  the standard and not what they feel they have to put up. Of course Jimmy Moses was there and he took Breed and got a Group Placing......what a surprise.

Sorry, but I needed to get that off my chest.

Pat

If Moses had been handling your Ghandi daughter, she would have won!

That is a given if Moses was handling her she would have won. It is all about the politics and the money behind the dogs.

I think the biggest problem you are going to face in the American Show ring is the interpretation of the standard.  You'll find many that feel that the highlines have a roach, and the AKC standard states that the withers are higher than and sloping into a level back.  The back is straight, strongly developed, without sag or roach, and relativley short.

While many may not follow the standard by following one extreme...you will see many that are highly against the showline topline.

You'll find some that feel highlines are to standard, such as yourself...some who feel american lines are closer to standard...such as many showing....and then others who feel neither showlines is a good representative of the breed.

As far as the judge - for one you cant second guess what they are thinking - I had one judge spend a couple of minutes after breed praising my dog only to pick a dog for group that he said nothing to...I didnt know the standard of that breed of dog, but that dog was more mature than my own....saying something doesnt automatically mean she thought your dog was any better or worse...it may have just meant that she liked your dog and was encvouraging you to show your type.

just my 2 cents.

~Cate

It's ok, Pat. People like you will continue to educate not only the general public but judges as well on what a healthy dog looks like. That's why I will continue to bring my dogs to AKC events, especially that one. I was there too, must've missed you, but we were over by obedience. 3 people asked me and 1 person asked Lydia if our dogs were belgian shepherds and I lost track of how many times I was asked why my dogs walked differently than the conformation shepherds. Go figure.

Don't forget if you're Jimmy Moses your dog can slink around the ring, snap at the judge and still win.

Will we see you in May? I finally have a homebred girl to show. Sorry we didn't see you to say hello.

Kelly

Thanks for the input. I have been around for a long time and have shown in AKC shows before. Finished a 1/2 Am 1/2 German bitch I bred years ago. My young female has no roach and wonderful pigment and is clean coming and going. I know the judge liked her....but..... I hold no grudges. I sure would like to see more proportionally correct dogs being shown in the AKC ring. In the 80's the angulation was awful. It truly has gotten a bit better, but these dogs could never herd sheep all day. I would like to see more German dogs in the AKC ring maybe just maybe some of the judges would look at them and say " now that dog is closer to the standard".  As in Germany too many times it is the handler being judged and not the dog. And you are correct, if Mr. Moses had my female she would have won.

Pat

Pat,

Politics as usual!!  The AKC Judges would NOT KNOW a good dog when it is right in front of them. Are you really that surprised being in the world of German Shepherds for how many years? I think that people who own the Geman bred  dogs will not put their German Shepherds any of the AKC Shows because of this reason. Why should they waste their money and time?

You got second place? I'm pleasantly surprised! Many American judges would automatically put a German bred dog at the back of the line!

Keep it up...the American public NEEDS to see the German dogs! They MAY to realize how incorrect most of their dogs have become.

Does anyone who shows AKC know if Dan Smith is liable to pick a German-bred over an American? I've heard conflicting stories.

This is all too true on both sides of the isle and I have never been that impressed by titles or ribbons because of it.

Politics, money, alliances, the whos who.  They can keep it. 

Show'em anyway, right in they're faces.

JMO

Hi Beaugsd,

I have decided to let a young girl that wants to be a professional dog handler, handle
my dog Theo, he is east German bloodlines, she has handled sporting dogs and got
CH. on them, and she wants to get used to handling all the breeds, the judges are
used to seeing her, she goes to many shows, I'm curious to see what will happen,
with her & Theo, he's her at a show in CT with Theo, of course we got a blue ribbon
in open, the other dog was absent, anyway, another nice photo of Theo the wonderdog!!!

My curiosity will get the better of me............