INCOMPETENT AND POOR JUDGING - Page 3

I agree with Jimh, the cheating has been going on for years, and it will continue to do so as nothing can seem to be done to stop it. How many times have you heard who is going to take the tickets at X show under X judges, and it has happened. I have been in and out of showing for 25 years and its the same now as it was back then. Some dont judge the dog because they dont know how too, they judge on who owns it or who is holding the lead, I cant remember the number of times I have heard that said at shows over the years, and seen it happen. The only difference I see in recent times is the dramatic drop in entries to shows and the distinct lack of shows to enter.
Like David has said about CC awards and connections etc, these are the reasons people have been put off showing, because they know they dont have a cat in hells chance of winning or even getting a decent placing, even with a good dog, Unless the dog they show is truly exceptional or they are well known. 

Hundmutter - Linda Swift: Over the years I have read numerous excellent articles written by you, so I fully appreciate the serious nature of your comments.

The truth is that over many years, certainly going back to when total entries at GSD Breed Championship Shows started falling below 300, I and some others have been warning that connection/arrangement Judging will lead our Show scene into a continuous decline of entries and exhibitors. With the advent of the Internet it became very obvious that Show results would take minutes to reach a very wide audience. Now with iPhones and Facebook and PDB internet site etc, it takes seconds, and everyone can post and make comments. This has led to massive awareness of just what is going on in our pedigree dog shows, more particularly in GSD breed shows, mainly because we are a very vocal grouping and we all have opinions and numerous tools to express them, including photo's and video's.

Is there anything that realistically can be done to change the present system and STOP the decline in entries and exhibitors?  Most certainly NOT.

There is not the will or the ability amongst the GSD fraternity at any level, local, regional, national or indeed through the Kennel Club to make the numerous difficult changes that would be required. Our GSD Show scene is most definitely in terminal decline. Some shows, like the SGSD Group Show are a shining example of what can be done to attract entries, exhibitors and spectators, but so was the Cambridge Spectacular Show for a few years and that ENDED - kaput!  When referring to those two examples of excellence it should be noted that hardly any other Shows have learnt any lessons from them. I don't know of many even attempting to emulate them, and certainly none are trying to surpass them.

We have NO National EFFECTIVE leadership for our GSD Show Scene, and without that we have NO hope for the future.

Selfishness Rules Absolutely.

Our GSD Show scene is in this vast rut of selfishness and sliding inexorably towards oblivion.

Excellent post David.Carole.

What's new, it's one of the reasons I gave it all up and rarely even spectate now. I've seen dogs worthy of their title beaten time after time by dogs anyone could see had no right to be first, other dogs have won tickets under respected foreign judges yet still didn't make their titles. I should  have learnt from the first CH show I entered, my young dog was unknown but other exhibitors came to me and said  I was going to win as the judge was asking "who owns that beautiful sable dog ?" , anyway it comes to my class and the judge removes a very ordinary dog, I lead the class until the end when the judge gives the dog they removed first place......

I know several people in my country who gave up on showing and have now decided to participate in sport/work events instead. It's not perfect either, but I suppose it's less frustrating to them.

Could it also be the case there are judges who have not got a eye for judging a dog only who the owner is