How to Succeed as a Trainee Judge – presented by Andrew Burt, Tuesday 7 April

This weeks session was a very entertaining presentation by newly-qualified All Breeds Judge Andrew Burt.
Andrew provided an excellent handout setting out “a few basic starting points and suggestions” for us. A key point in his presentation that was supported and reinforced by Bill Mooney was a warning against complacency – getting your license does not mean that you have learnt all you need to know about group X dogs! Both Bill and Andrew indicated that they still mull over decisions at the end of the day – and never stop learning.
There is a good list of links, texts and preliminaries on pages 4 and 5 of the handout. Several of them (such as the Judges Code of Practice and the Judging competencies) we have already been introduced to, and should have studied by now. A number of the books we are already familiar with from earlier lectures. sThere were some points however, that I hadn’t yet thought about:
• How to organize my diary in such a way that I know where I’m going, and can easily tell where I’ve been, and where and when I may be embargoed due to other judging commitments. I work almost exclusively out of my Google calendar, so I need to think carefully about how to enter and log each contract. Andrew has a book where all judging appointments he has ever done are recorded. I am thinking about using my Google Notebook (which I will soon have to replace, as Google is no longer developing it, and I expect that at some point they will discontinue it altogether...grrr), or perhaps Todoist, to keep these records and still have them linked to my main work calendar…
• What I need in my “judging bag”!! I think it’ll be like my stewarding one (sunscreen, hat, insect repellant, pen, pencil, eraser, sunglasses), but with a few additions – a camera to get pics of selected dogs, copies of the standards, my own summaries of each standard, and contracts.
• Organising electronic information – for me this will be a combination of this blog, and my computer. I plan to create a format for my critiques and notes so that I can sort and find the information via Copernic Desktop.
• Who I will ask to mentor me, both in my breed and, later, for group 1?
Andrew made some excellent points about lectures and getting the most out of them. I recognize many of these from tips I’ve given students over the years… for me, the key points are:
• Never come to a lecture unprepared.
• Engage the process – this means thinking, allowing ideas to change and evolve, listening to peers as well as experts and being an active participant. Learning is much more effective if the whole group is participating.
• Do the time – at home, and at the shows. Write the critiques, take the notes, keep them organized and review them frequently.
Section 7 of the notes covers the actual judging of the dogs. He suggests “… you will judge best if you have reviewed the standards in the last 24 hours, and have an idea of the characteristics you consider to be important for the particular breed..”. I really liked the suggestion to have five hallmarks of each breed in mind – the five main points that I consider most important. For my own breed (Italian Greyhounds) I would say the hallmarks are:
• High-stepping movement that is not hackneyed
• Square proportions
• Refined and elegant, not coarse
• Open balanced angulation
• Correct head (scissor bite, oval eyes, flat skull, equal length of muzzle and skull, underjaw not weak, skull tapers, not pinched, rose ears)
I know that the head could be said to be more than one hallmark, but it is my breed…
He goes on to say that “..as well as knowing … standards and breed characteristics …[you must] know how to generally assess an exhibit according to your physical examination, its quality relating to the breed standard, and its quality relating to other exhibits…”. Ask yourself ‘how typical is THIS exhibit of the standard’, then put it in its place with respect to other in the class lineup. I think this is going to be the most challenging thing. It is always easy to recognize a high quality dog, and a poor example is usually plain, but to discriminate in a reasoned and fair way between similar quality but differently conformed dogs is where the judges work lies.
Section 8 is about critiques. He offers several different approaches and formats, and there is another perspective provided from Gwen Ford. This is excellent reading, and my next task will be to start writing some critiques to try to develop an approach that works for me. Key points to remember:
• Be constructive – it should never be a list of faults
• Describe the dog under consideration – do not include comparators to the other dogs seen on the day
• It is helpful to start with general information – ages, gender, colour, type
• Someone reading the critique should be able to picture the dog
Section 9 covers exam technique for theory and practical judges exams. It’s interesting to reflect that we tell students the same things at all levels:
• Prepare
• Take the time available to you – don’t rush unnecessarily
• Answer the question in front of you, not the one you’d like them to ask
If you don’t know what the examiner means then ask them to rephrase the question – they are not trying to trick you!
There are also some helpful hints on summarizing standards, and different approaches to revising breeds.
The final section asks us to think about how to contribute to the dog world, and judge training in particular. It would be sad indeed if the only contribution we were to make to the dog world was to take our licenses and go away.
Thankyou to Andrew for being so generous with your knowledge and expertise. It was very much appreciated.

Stewarding with Neville Hodgkins

Today is my birthday, and it has been a very busy day ... On the up-side tonights lecture was content I already understand (I've been stewarding for about 6 years, and I'm pretty good at it ... and no, that's not just my opinion...), and it was delivered by an experienced, professional and entertaining steward for whom I have alot of respect - Mr Neville Hodgkins.

We discussed some of the regulations that stewards need to know - for example the agressive dog rules, what happens to challenge points when a dog is withdrawn from the ring and how to manage the results when a dog is entered in more than one class.

• Aggressive dogs - all people at a dog show have a responsibility to report an aggressive dog. Yes, it can be distressing for the dog's owners/handlers to have a report made, but think of the bigger picture - the next person may be a child or one of our older exhibitors. The risk is simply too great to ignore.

• Points and withdrawn dogs - if they were presented to the judge as part of the class, then they are counted in the challenge points.

• Dogs entered in more than one class - points are only counted once.

To quote from Neville: "...select a Steward you think is good and copy them. See what they do and where they stand. Remember all the things you dislike a steward doing when you are in the ring and try to eliminate these practices from your stewarding.
"Be polite yet firm at all times and be prepared to learn.
"Finally enjoy what you are doing, stewarding is fun and will give you back as much as you put in."

What more can I say? I really enjoy stewarding, and if you can be courteous to the exhibitors, an unobtrusive help to the judge and an accurate recorder for your ticket writer, then you have done an excellent day's service to dog showing. As a steward you have the opportunity to make newbies feel good about showing, and that's important 'cos we need new people to want to keep coming.

Thanks Neville, I enjoyed your presentation, and the handout you provided is excellent.

Anatomy with Bill Mooney and Jill Cronchey

We had a test; I got 2 wrong - one 'cos I didn't read the question (you'd think I'd know better by now), and the other I just couldn't answer with any degree of precision... so I feel like there's hope for me.

We watched a video of the Rachel Page Elliott program 'Dog Steps', on which the book of the same name is based. Following are my notes taken from this session. There was no homework this week, but I'm still learning the Canine Glossary of Terms.

Front angulation - the angles between the centre lines of the scapula, humerus and radius/ulna

Rear angulation - the angles between the centre lines of the pelvis, femur and tibia/fibula

Longer rear pasterns usually mean straighter rear angles

In general, feet should be placed in a vertical line just behind the withers

On a coated dog, when looking to determine head size look at the distance between the eyes and the distance between the ears. Make sure you are not looking at the cut and comb of the coat!

The judge is looking for

TYPE
BALANCE
SOUNDNESS

On a 'standard' dog the ideal angle for the scapula from horizontal is 30 degrees. Making the angle more obtuse gives a front more typical of the sighthounds (ie, built for speed), and more acute is typical of achondroplastic breeds (eg, corgi).

On a 'typical' dog the scapular spine lines up with the T2-3 vertebrae.

Front and rear joints should show similar angles.

Loose shoulder blades show alot of vertical motion during movement, and when gaiting the dog will have a 'jarring' action. Note that in the 'drop & creep' working breeds the scapula may extend above the withers.

When observed from the front, a front that is dead straight with feet pointing forward will toe in on movement if this is the dog's natural stance.

Hackney action requires a steep front assembly.

Rear pasterns should NOT move in parallel when gaiting; hock problems often show up as excess rolling of the rear end.

Skipping action is commonly caused by patella luxation.

TYPE - If the dog shows the hallmarks of the breed, then it should be BALANCED with angles in the front and rear being similar, and so will be SOUND, and will move well.

Skeletal Anatomy Homework - due 10 March

List all bones with at least two alternative names:

Zygomatic arch - Malar bone, zygoma

Mandible - lower jaw, jawbone, mandibula, inferior maxilla

Maxilla - upper jaw, upper jawbone, cheekbone

Nasal Bones - muzzle, foreface

Skull - head, cranium

Occiput - occiputal bone, rear of skull

Frontal bone - forehead, front of skull

Parietal bone - top of head, middle of skull (between frontal and occipual bones)

Vertebrae - backbone, spine, spinal column
Cervical (7) - Neck
Thoracic ( 13) - Chest, first 5 are the withers, 11th is the anticlinal (where the incline of the spinous processes change from caudal to cranial)
Lumbar (7) - lower back, loin
Sacrum - 3 vertebrae fused together - rump, croup; articulates with lumbar and caudal vertebrae, and also with pelvis
Caudal - 6-23 vertebrae: coccygeal vertebrae, tail bones

Ribs - 13 pairs, last pair floats: ribcage, chest

Sternum - breastbone, keel, central chest bone

Prosternum - manubrium, forward projection of the breastbone

Scapula - shoulder blade, shoulder

Pelvis - hip bone, Aitch bone

Humerus - Upper arm, brachium

Femur - Thigh bone, first thigh

Radius (anterior) & Ulna (posterior) - foreleg, forearm

Tibia (anterior) and Fibula (posterior) - lower leg, second thigh

Hock - hock joint, os calcis

Carpus - wrist, carpal joint

Tarsus - ankle, tarsal joint

Metacarpal - front pastern,

Metatarsal - rear pastern (NOT 'hocks'),

Phalanges - feet, digits, toes

The diagram from the lecture was very helpful, and the following links:
Dictionary.com
This dog anatomy link
This blog - he's an animator, but needs to know how dogs work!

Anatomy with Jill Cronchey

Note date changes:
7 April is now Anatomy, 21 April Revision
10 + 24 March are also swapped

ANATOMY

336 bones (with full tail)

Heads
3 types of heads Dolicho, meso + brachy-cephalic
These correspond to the length of muzzle compared to the top of the skull dolichocephalic is a longer muzzle than skull (eg, borzoi), meso~ is approximately equal length(eg Kelpie), and brachy is shorter (eg pug).
Stop almost always between eyes.

Dentition
42 teeth - 20 top, 22 bottom
Upper jaw, from midline back - 3 incisors, 1 canine, 4 premolars, 2 molars
Lower jaw, from midline back - 3 incisors, 1 canine, 4 premolars, 3 molars

Vertebral column
7 Cervical Vertebrae
13 Thoracic Vertebrae
7 Lumbar Vertebrae
Sacrum
Caudal vertebrae

Front
Scapula -> humerus -> Radius/Ulna--> Metacarpels ->phalanges->digits

Body
13 Pairs of ribs

Rear
Pelvis-> Femur -> Tibia/fibula -> metatarsals -> phalanges->digits.

Aspirants program introductory session

THis session was to get the overview for all of the aspirant and training program for 2009.

All lectures at the Bulla Complex

Requirements for Practical Exam.
Must attend all lectures
Participation in lectures must be active.
All homework to be completed as requested

Aspirants Program not available by distance education.
Signed originals of documentation must be Submitted with applications.
Review National Judges code of Conduct.

Aspirant Theory Exam 8 July 09.
Practical exam later in the year