Going for the Blue (8 page)

When the seven groups have been judged, there are seven dogs left. They are then judged for the ultimate accolade, Best in
Show, and that is as good as it gets. Those seven finalists may have started out as part of a crew of thousands of dogs on
the opening morning, so getting down to one of seven is no small thing. It is awesome. The peak of the pyramid is in sight.

A legitimate question: If an established champion doesn’t need any more points than he has already won, and thereby has his
title for all time, why is he entered with class dogs for Winners and Best of Breed ribbons? Simple. There is always the chance
he can go all the way, take his Group 1, and then go on to win Best in Show. He is, after all, a proven dog with his championship.
The title Best in Show is truly coveted, and when a dog can be described as a Best in Show winner, the finest breeding partners
and the best handlers get in line. So do checkbooks. It is a matter of building a reputation win by win, and that is one thing
no show dog or dog owner can ever have too much of: winning. Those wins are added up, and few things sound sweeter to a dog
exhibitor than “top winning sporting dog of the year” or even “top winning American Water Spaniel of the year.” It is like
Wall Street in a sense; greed is the operative word. But it is a nice, warm, fuzzy greed in which man and dog can rejoice.
At its best,
ecstasy
is the operative word.

THE MECHANICS OF SHOWING

The mechanics and sociology of the dog ring are not really all that difficult to master. The psychology can be a bit tricky
and trying, but the nuts and bolts are not nearly as tough as a bridge game and are easier than following a Martha Stewart
recipe.

You must enter your dog at least two and a half weeks prior to the show date as indicated in the premium—a printed list mailed
in advance to entrants. You can variously fax, mail, or even e-mail some superintendent’s office to enter your dog for conformation
judging. Once you have entered your dog, you will receive a program of the judging schedule by mail. You should have it in
your hands about a week before the show. This includes travel directions, your ring number and time, and the number of dogs
entered in each breed. You can easily determine whether there are enough dogs or bitches to constitute a major.

The judging breaks down the entry of the dogs in each breed as in the following example:

30 Akita 10-15 (3-2)

That is not from a World War II Nazi encoding machine like Enigma. It very simply states that thirty Akitas are entered for
the show that you will be attending. Of those, twenty-five are class dogs (not yet finished), ten males and fifteen females.
In addition, there will be five champions competing for Best of Breed, three males and two females.

Dogs are not identified by names, as that could have an impact on your decision about attending. Allow two to three minutes
per dog to estimate the time you need to arrive if your breed is not the first in the ring as listed in the schedule. Remember,
dogs always precede bitches. If some dogs are pulled, you may be expected in the ring earlier, so be there with time to spare.
Personally, I hate cutting it close. Think about traffic, getting lost, getting a flat, and going into the ring with your
stomach already in a knot. Be merciful to yourself and your dog. Get there an hour or two early, visit with friends, drink
coffee, bring along a bag of bagels and doughnuts and share them.

If your dog is going to require any grooming, get there really ahead of time. You have to check in and get your armband, and
it isn’t a bad idea to watch the judge you will be facing at work—see what he or she does. (Just as likely, it will be
she
.) It will usually be the same for all dogs showing under him. The more you know about him the better you are likely to do.

The ring steward is responsible for running an efficient ring. He or she manages the ring activities for the judge. The steward
begins each breed by calling out each of the seven regular classes, beginning with puppy dogs. The handlers are expected to
be ringside for their class judging. Stewards can often be heard ringside calling out “Puppy dog six to nine months, number
twenty-one” as a last call prior to the start of judging for absent entries, but only as a courtesy, so be ready when it’s
your turn to enter the ring. If you are not present when your class is called, you will probably forfeit your entry fee and
the chance to show your dog that day, however much traveling you have had to do.

Typically, the judge will ask that dogs line up in catalog order. If you watch your judge evaluate the breed prior to your
appearance, you can gain a pretty good sense of his style and ring procedure. Once he judges the first dog in your breed,
he will judge every dog using the same moving pattern. As the dogs stand in the initial lineup, the judge will generally walk
down the line and look at the overall structure of the entries. Many judges will use this opportunity to look for any obvious
visible breed disqualifications, such as coat appearance, eye color, height, and so forth. He may also note appealing features
such as expression or attitude.

Once the judge completes the initial assessment of the class entries, he will ask the handlers to move the dogs around the
entire ring together once or twice. This is his first opportunity to evaluate your dog’s gait and soundness as compared with
the standards for the breed. When the circuit is completed, the judge will expect the first dog to be stacked—set up in the
show stance—on the ground or on a table, depending on the size of the breed or the judge’s personal preference, for a hands-on
examination. Judges typically step back and look at the dog’s general structure again during this individual exam. He may
approach from the side or front, allowing the dog to see him before he touches it. Typically, the judge looks at the head
and the eyes before he examines the bite—the way the teeth come together. It is always a pleasure to see a dog lick the judge
as if to say, “Pick me, me, not the others, me!”

The judge completes the hands-on evaluation, going over the dog’s head, neck, shoulders, front assembly, chest, top line,
croup (rump), hindquarters, tail, and coat, comparing every aspect of the dog to the specific breed standards.

Testicles are the last things examined—males only, of course. The judge often steps back for a final look, comparing the dog
to his or her interpretation of the standards. The handler must be alert and follow the judge’s moves. The dog must look its
best at all times from every angle.

The handler is asked to move the dog by itself in a pattern, most often either a triangle, down and back, or both. The judge
is looking at the dog’s front movement for correctness, as well as watching the dog move away and observing its top line and
overall carriage.

The triangle allows the judge to evaluate all aspects of the dog’s gait, including the side gait. Each handler has to experiment
to determine the best pace to move the dog to show it off to its greatest advantage. You will hear judges remind handlers
to slow down or move at a more moderate pace, leaving plenty of room for other exhibitors if the lineup is moving together.
There are few things worse than showing a dog and having another handler run up on you. Your dog hates it, too. Very bad manners!

The dog will finish the individual gaiting by free or self-stacking in front of the judge. This is where you see handlers
baiting and throwing liver treats to improve their dogs’ expressions and show their very best attributes. Watch experienced
handlers. They are artists working with animated sculpture. They know how to accentuate the most positive features of their
dogs in the free stack. The individual exam ends with the handler moving the dog around the ring in a circle, with an emphasis
on showing off the side gait—the gait as viewed from the side. The judge goes into the next dog’s individual exam. If your
dog is the only entry in the class, and that does happen, the judge directs you to a place marker and hands you the blue ribbon,
if you deserve first place. It is a real downer when he doesn’t. When you can’t win even with no competition, rethink what
you are doing. You can also show cats, cows, mules, horses, and rabbits—even canaries, koi, and goldfish.

Once the judge examines every dog in the class, all the dogs line up for a final time in picture-perfect stacked position.
Handlers are working here to keep their dogs attentive and maintain a standing position that shows off their overall appearance.
Often judges will have all entries or selected dogs move again to crystallize their choices. They may ask the entire class
to move again individually or all together before designating their final picks. Remember to leave plenty of room for other
exhibitors. This is no time for you to exhibit your bad manners. The judge makes his selections, pointing to exhibitors and
calling out class placements. Pay careful attention and look at the judge as placements are called. Many a fidgety handler
has missed the judge’s final choices while fussing over the dog’s final stack.

The judge selects his winner for each of the six dog classes. All six class winners are then called back into the ring by
the steward to compete for Winners Dog (WD). Typically, the judge will briefly examine each winner again and often move each
winner individually. Finally, the judge points to a Winners Dog. This is the dog that receives the coveted points toward its
championship. The number of points is based on the actual number of dogs defeated that day. Excused or absent dogs do not
count in the point calculations. Points are awarded differently on a regional basis and change from year to year based on
the AKC schedule and the dogs competing the year prior to your show date. You can always ask the steward following judging
how many points you received for winning the blue.

The steward calls out the second-place dog (if any) from the class the Winners Dog just left. This dog now competes with the
other class winners for Reserve Winner. The Reserve Winner is considered the next-best dog competing that day in the classes
but does not get points.

The bitch classes now follow the dog entries until the judge points to the Winners Bitch (WB), which is the only other entry
to receive points at the show. Now the steward calls out the Specials (champion dogs and bitches) to compete along with the
Winners Dog and Winners Bitch for Best of Breed. Each champion of record is examined in the same manner as the class dogs
and bitches. All of this is carried out for each breed individually.

All Best of Winners will compete later in the day (or perhaps the next day if the show is a large, multiday event) with the
other Best of Breed winners within their group for one of four placements in the group ring. Here the competition is very
stiff, as the Breed winner is often up against top contenders. The entries can come from all over the United States, Puerto
Rico, and Canada.