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1. Q. How long have you bred Great Danes? 2. Q. Who were your Dane Mentors? 3. Q. What do you think your greatest accomplishment has been in Great Danes? Have you had any top winning Great Danes? I do not campaign a dog beyond the Breed level 4. Q. How long have you been Judging and what breeds are you licensed to Judge? A. I received my first approval in 1997 and am approved for Great Danes, Doberman Pinschers and Jr. Showmanship. I’m in the process of applying for Whippets & Rhodesian Ridgebacks. 5. Q. Have you seen a trend good or bad in the Dane Ring? A. I think trends go in cycles. When I started showing Danes in the 1970’s, bad cowhocks were seen constantly. These days that fault isn’t common, but there are other things. So, I can’t categorize Danes of today as “better or worse” than in my early days. There are simply different issues 6. Q. What are your feelings about “baiting” in your ring? A. I teach a handling class and in it, I teach proper use of bait. Bait isn’t a meal to be fed in the ring, and it isn’t to be thrown at the judge or the spectators, however, when used properly, IMO, it’s an excellent tool to elicit proper Great Dane expression. 7. Q. Many people say there are a lot of “politics” in the ring. How do you feel about “Professionals” vs. “the Owner Handlers”? A. “Politics” is a big category and I don’t think it necessarily equates to ‘professional handlers vs. owner handlers’. From talking to judges at shows, dinners and other places, I think the great majority of judges really are trying to find the best dog to reward. In cases where these people don’t seem to manage to accomplish this goal, I think that lack of understanding of breed type and resulting lack of confidence is often to blame. With a lack of confidence may come the propensity to abdicate responsibility and hope a known entity will have a good dog. As an owner handler myself, I try to give everyone a fair shake when I’m on the opposite side of the badge. 8. Q. What is your greatest pet peeve in evaluating a dog... ie- movement, feet, teeth, topline, type,croup.... ect? A. I think "peeve" isn't really the right word for me. In thinking about this question, "disappointment" came to mind. My greatest disappointment is when a dog looks beautiful standing still, but falls apart when it moves. I'm looking for a total package and that just means it has to live up to its promise. 9. Q. What is the first thing that catches your eye when a dog is in the ring? A. After checking handlers into the ring by armband number, I ask them to move the dogs around. I don't want to even look at them stacked first. I want my first impression to be how the whole dog is put together. I'm looking for the dog to be "comfortable" within its own body, which is probably another way to say a dog should be balanced. Now, a balanced dog can still be wrong, i.e., a dog can have straight angulation at both ends and be balanced. Correct angulation can easily be determined on the hands-on exam, however. Top |
A. When a novice handler is presenting a dog poorly, it can be a challenge to actually see what the dog looks like. Every situation is different. Sometimes, just letting the dog stand naturally and “show herself” will work, sometimes it doesn’t. I give every possible chance and even give quick handling suggestions when I know the person is really new to the show game. I hope that being treated fairly and with respect will bring the novice back to a future show when they have better skills. 1. Q. How much do you penalize things like “blowing” coat, long toenails, dirty dogs ECT..? Would you still give a dog Winners in spite of these types of grooming problems? A. I try to think I *reward* attributes rather than penalizing faults. My pet peeve is people who show a dog with tartar on the teeth. I still will put up the best dog even if I can see that there has been this basic health neglect. It doesn’t reflect poorly on the dog, but on the owner. 12. Q. How do you feel about being approached after judging to discuss your placements? A. Some judges seem to have photographic minds regarding the dogs they have judged. I’m afraid I’m not one of those people. If I *loved* a dog, I remember it, otherwise, I’m not likely to. I’m happy to evaluate an individual’s dog if they bring it back to me after the judging, but I’m not able to “re-judge” the class in my mind. I won’t be telling them why they took a certain placing as I don’t remember that. I *can* tell them what I see in the dog before me. 13. Q. PICTURES..Do you like to receive them? Are you disappointed if you don’t receive them? Is it OK to send a “thank you” card for wins? Should you always send one? I think a lot of people aren’t sure what is proper. A. I try to remember to ask my Breed winner for a picture. I do love to have that memory, although I don’t always remember to ask. I don’t expect a picture and am not disappointed in not getting one unless I *did* remember to ask and then I never get the picture. :} As to thank you notes, I don’t think it’s necessary or probably even appropriate. First, I don’t “give” a win, a dog *earns* a win! A simple verbal thank you at the time of the photo, or even when the ribbon is awarded, is all politeness dictates. 14. Q. Do you believe advertising “Wins” influences judges, especially at the breed and group level? A. I guess it must or why would people spend so much money doing it? It doesn’t help with me much…see my answer to question 11. :} 15. Q. Would you like to see “Reserves” awarded some kinds of lesser points? A. In a breed like Great Danes, where it takes so many dogs to make majors, I think it would be appropriate. The problem comes, though, in breeds where it only takes a small number of dogs. I can understand the argument that dogs get “cheap” championships this way when there is little to no competition. The rule can’t change from breed to breed, so I guess we’re stuck with the present system. 16. Q. What other hobbies do you enjoy? A. Most of the hobbies I pursued in my younger days, such as crafts and even sports, seem to have disappeared as I’ve gotten more immersed in dogs. Even though I have varied interests such as showing in different venues, health, reading, etc, most of what I read *about* relates to dogs, dog health, dog training, dog structure, etc. My profession as a Wholistic Animal Consultant also revolves around animals. 17. Q. Would you like to be able to give a written evaluation to the handlers, like they do in Europe?
A. Theoretically, yes. However, I think it takes great skill to be able to do this properly. If we were going to incorporate this practice into the American show scene, I'd want to be adequately educated on the technique first. It's not just verbalizing one's thought process during the judging.
Great Dane Review would like to thank Ms. Betty Lewis for taking the time to answer our questions.
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