About Michele Gauthier Expertise I have been showing dogs since 1957. I can answer most questions on dog shows. I have shown AKC & UKC. I can answer questions on both registries. I have also trained, taught and shown in obedience trials. I can answer questions on basic obedience training. I have owned and operated a boarding, grooming and training kennel (obedience training). And I can answer many questions on boarding and grooming. At present I breed and show and train Toy Fox Terriers. I show my toy fox terriers in UKC. I can answer questions on toy fox terriers and many questions on toy breeds, working breeds, sighthounds, and hounds in general. Working as a therapist I have also used dogs in the therapy process to improve the quality of life for patients and increase their daily living skills.
Experience I listed my eperience in the above question.
Organizations Lone Star/Louisiana Toy Fox Terrier Club, American Toy Fox Terrier Club, National Toy Fox Terrier Association. I am a former member of many all breed kennel clubs, obedience clubs, speciality clubs and American Boarding Kennel Ass.
Publications I have written in many dog club newsletters. At present I am the editor for the club paper of the Lone Star/Louisiana Toy Fox Terrier Ass. I also answer all types of questions on canines and issues that relate to them in a column.
Education/Credentials I have a degree in occupational therapy.
Awards and Honors I have been selected to serve on many all breed and speciality clubs board. I have been asked to judge several all breed and breed specific dog shows in the past. I have received recognition in the past for using dogs as a therapy media. I have won some high in trial obedience awards in the past. I have several toy fox terrier show champions and others with championship points that are now being exhibited.
Question I have a lot of questions. I watch Animal Planet all the time and am ambushed by dog shows. Are some of the dog shows just window dressing to get the lay person to watch? I am speaking in particular of the Eukanuba shows and Krups. What is "the" dog show that everyone wants to watch and that everyone respects?
Also, what on earth am I looking for when I see a dog on the stand, getting rubbed down by the judge? How on earth can a judge know about every dog in the hound/working/terrier group?
And the biggest question I have is: when they are doing the "catwalk" to strut their stuff, what is the optimal way to have the dog walk? What is considered a dock in points? What's more important? The handler or the dog?
I have been wondering about this forever. I decided to write today because this morning there was a Chinese Crested who to me walked like a champ and even had his little head thrown back, but a pekinese who looked like a matted ball of fur (but was known as the prior world champ) won. You couldn't even see his body because there was so much fur, so you couldn't even tell what manner in which he was walking. Does the fact that the other dog was a world champ effect the judges decision?
Sorry about all the questions, but I just want to watch with more education so I know what on earth what's going on.
Answer Hi Doreen, I don't think some of the dog shows are window dressing to get people to watch. Many people enjoy watching dog shows. There are many shows that people respect and want to watch. I think you are looking at this in the wrong way. The premier of dog shows is not Eukanuba it is Westminster and Westminster has been the number 1 show for years and years. To know what you are looking for when a judge goes over a dog would take many years to learn. Just as an ocasional observer you might just want to pick which dog you like best. That doesn't mean the dog will win. When the judge is judging a dog he is looking for condition, in other words is the dog in perfect weight is his hair in good condition, is the dog groomed perfectly just like that breed standard calls for. Next the judge looks for soundness in structure in other words does this dog fit the breed standard. Each breed has a standard and each dog is judged against that standard and the dog that most closely fits the breed standard wins. NExt the judge looks at the dog's gait and judges the dogs gait against how the breed standard requires the dog must gait, and every breed has different requirements for gaiting. Last the dog is judged for showmanship, and this would consist of how does the dog present itself you described it as how the Chinese crested carried it's head. That is showmanship. So the Chinese Crested you saw had lots of showmanship but maybe it didn't gait according to the standard or it's structure was not according to the breed standard. And a Peke is never going to move or show like a Chinese Crested. A Peke has a completely different movement than the Crested does and a different body type. That doesn't mean the Crested is the best not at all both breeds are judged against their breed standard. So if you want to judge dog shows from your couch in front of the TV set you will need to purchase the Complete AKC breed book. This book has the standards of all breeds. You will need to learn all the standards by heart and you will still be at a disadvantage because you can not touch the dogs. So I would say just sit back and enjoy the dog show and pick the one you like and see how it does under the judge.
THe dog is more important than the handler. But the way the handlers present the dog has a lot to do with the way the judge views the dog. And how a dog is presented to a judge could cause a dog to win or loose. Judges work for years and years to be able to judge all the groups such as hound group and working group. The catwalk you mention is referred to as "gaiting the dog". There is no such thing as a dock in points because the judge is not keeping score as such. I hope I have helped you. Michele
