From the Inside
By: Allison Johnston

Check the watch, review the book, clear your head, and review the upcoming procedure…………..steps for a doctor going into surgery? No, the process before a judge walks into the juniors’ ring. As a former junior handler I decided three years ago that I wanted to judge the area of the sport that I enjoyed the most. I don’t judge to make money or gain influence. I judge because I miss juniors and enjoy being a part of the sport. I also believe as a prior junior, I have an obligation to the sport and to the current juniors.

During my years in juniors, I handled many breeds and traveled hundreds of thousands of miles. While on the road the biggest disappointment to me was showing in juniors to a judge who could not judge junior handling without constantly checking a watch. I wanted to always handle to a judge that truly enjoyed judging Junior Handling. Through my experience in Junior Handling I learned that complaining will get you no where; so I decided to become a judge and correct some of the mistakes I saw as a junior. While I can promise that I will make mistakes, I know that I am in the ring solely because I loved juniors and hope that other juniors enjoy this aspect of the sport as much as I did. I believe in the importance of a judge’s sincerity so I decided to do what I could and become a judge. Since becoming a Junior Showmanship Judge I have learned many things about myself and the responsibility that a judge faces everyday.

As a junior handler one must check the catalog and put the final touches on their grooming. Walking up to the ring you watch the juniors judge with the Novice Junior Class and try to see what they are looking for. You ask you fellow juniors what they have heard about the judge and whom they have put up. You are sizing up the situation. Your class is called into the ring, and you follow their every direction.(This is the only time a group of teenagers move by the simple point of a finger.) You finish your pattern, take your dog around the ring, and it appears the judge does not look to you again. You leave without a ribbon. The day before you may have received Best Junior and today nothing. Before one dismisses the event as purely the judge’s fault remember they can make mistakes, but handlers have off days as well.

As a junior I faced this scenario and was left with the choice of how to view the outcome. In some cases the judge has a great class and your fellow juniors did a lovely job. You will admit they should have won. Other times one wonders what the judge was looking for in the ring. You might be happy for your friend because they won, but the funny thing about shows is in the ring all relationships are at the mercy of the competition.

From the end of the leash the job of a judge looks easy. The judge should be able to see everything that happens in that ring at all times. The responsibility of the judge is vast and includes many steps prior to the judging. Once an assignment is accepted the responsibility begins. When the superintendent sends a list of the breeds entered that are to be exhibited in Juniors I review the breed standards of those breeds to familiarize myself with the bites, ear set, tail carriage, etc. This provides a basis from which I can determine if the junior is accentuating their dog’s best qualities and minimizing the faults.

When the day of the show arrives a Junior Showmanship judge must report to the Superintendent prior to judging. When the judge ahead of you is finished their assignments, it is time to enter your ring. As the judge leaves the ring it is now your responsibility which means that you are in charge. At first this is overwhelming, but after the first assignment is completed all of the processes from marking your catalog to speaking with juniors becomes habit.

When you meet your steward it is important to let them know how you would expect the junior handlers to come into the ring and where you would like them to line up. An experienced steward is a huge asset in judging. You check your watch and ask the steward to bring the first class into the ring. You check their numbers and proceed to the real reason you are here…..judging juniors.
As the judge, you must assess your class and keep each junior and each dog’s safety in mind at all times. The patterns and procedures must always keep everyone as safe as possible. I expect the juniors’ ring to run as any other ring should run. The juniors ring is not a place for games, but instead an area where the juniors should be treated with respect.

Prior to walking into the ring I think through how I expect everything to work and what type of pattern and procedure I will follow. While watching each handler present their dog every aspect of the presentation contributes to the placing of the class. From the time you walk into the ring, as a handler, it is your job to present your dog to the best of your ability with the least effort. A judge should look to your dog not because of extreme movements or noise but because the image draws attention through simple presentation. This image should be situated in a manner that requires as little effort from the judge to catch a glance and thus a stare. A great example is stacking your dog. If you stack your dog to be examined on the ground behind a table you are blocking the view of your dog from the judge. Bringing attention to your dog without distracting movements can be accomplished with positioning. Every time you bring your dog back to the judge it is another opportunity to present your dog individually to the judge. Take advantage, and position the dog in a way that the judge does not need to move a step to view the best angle on your dog.

Overall in judging juniors I watch each handler individually and create a mental list on how one stacks, gaits, and interacts with their dog. Every judge has their own expectations of a Junior Handler’s skills. As a junior it is up to you to determine the style of handling that works best for your dog and hope that the judge acknowledges your effort. I would say that as a judge I am less likely to notice if you do or do not do a courtesy turn than I am to see if what you do choose works with your dog. The adaptability of a junior is integral in exhibiting. One must be ready for anything and thus the judging is based on this adaptability and not a programmed performance.
While judging juniors I cannot help but recall my own experiences and to base some of my judging on them. Every judge has a basis from which they determine a great junior handler and dog team. I look for a junior who is poised and confident, one who exudes knowledge without being cocky, and one who most importantly is focused on their dog. Questions that a junior can ask themselves include; Am I showing my dog to the judge and not myself? Is my dog looking the best that it can from where the judge is? Am I relaxed so that my dog can perform the best they can? Am I having fun?

I miss my days in Junior Showmanship. I learned so much about myself and my handling that I am proud to have “aged out”. I now can find my place in the dog show world as an adult. I also now know that nothing compares to the extreme joy that one feels by winning that first Best Junior or the bittersweet moment where you take your dog around for the last time in the Juniors’ ring.
I admire every child in juniors. Junior Handling demands maturity and gumption. To put your handling ability under the microscope is something most handlers at a show would be too self-conscience to do, but juniors do it everyday and learn from the experience. Winning in Juniors does not necessarily mean that one must receive Best Junior every day. You only truly win in juniors if you take something with you from the ring that day. And remember tomorrow is another day at a dog show, which means another judge as well.