When I decided to apply for a judge’s license, advice was plentiful. One thing I heard frequently was “Apply for a Junior’s license with your first set. It will help you pay for your provisional assignments.” Many people have done that successfully. When I say “successfully”, I mean that they have applied for and received a license to judge Juniors. Leaving the motivation issue aside, let me simply say that like judging any particular breed, Juniors judging should be done because we are knowledgeable and we enjoy it. But judging Juniors is a whole ‘nother ball of wax. In judging any particular breed, we have specific ways that we go about becoming educated. The breed standards are fairly specific (really!). The history and function of a breed can be used to interpret and better understand the requirements of the standard. Finally, parent clubs offer lists of mentors to answer questions and offer perspective and insight. No such luck with Junior Showmanship. Judging Junior Showmanship makes judging breeds look downright objective. Wow! And they are all better handlers than we ever thought of being. Here are some thoughts on making our Junior Showmanship judging more fair and consistent.
Over and over again we are admonished not to fault judge dogs. Every good dog has faults. Look for virtues and award them in spite of the animal’s shortcomings. Well, that should also apply to juniors. How many of us have never made a mistake showing a dog? Laughable when you think about it that way. The crazy stuff that has happened to us in the ring make up some of the best stories we tell over years after the event. Drilling youngsters in the ring or sneaking around behind them to see if you catch them making a mistake is a sad and really destructive way to judge young people. If you have any doubt about the negativity of this approach, think back to your last observation by a field representative. Even if it went well, many of us spend way too much unpleasant time worrying about not making a mistake. No one is perfect and we all appreciate evaluators who are positive in their approach as opposed to trying to catch us with our pants down.
Junior Showmanship classes are often divided by age, and importantly, by skill level. Novice classes are for beginning children. Open classes are for children with somewhat more experience. The Masters class might be considered equivalent to Best of Breed, as a good amount of winning has already been accomplished to move into this class. Children learn their technical skills from their parents and coaches. Many of the more mature youngsters work for professional handlers and hone their skills to an exceptional level. Many years ago, a friend and fellow judge offered me this advice about judging, “Think of each dog as a piece of art presented by the artist. Each person brings you the best dog that they can based on their level of experience. Some of them are in kindergarten. Others are in college. On rare occasion, Picasso shows up in your ring. Regardless of the quality of the dog, appreciate each exhibit shown to you as an expression of the best work that exhibitor is capable of today.” This was profound advice for me, and nowhere is it more important than when judging juniors! The youngsters in our ring are a product of the level of accomplishment and teaching ability of their parents and coaches, but they are all doing their best based on what they have been taught. Be gracious and encouraging to all the children.
Another area where discretion is the better part of valor is with regard to attire. I remember one year we bought my oldest niece an outfit for Junior Showmanship in April. By August, she refused to wear it saying it was “hoochy”, which was ten year old speak for too short! Keeping the kids in show shoes and clothes, particularly while they are growing can be spectacularly difficult. Add to that travel expense, entry fees and other show-related costs, sometimes for multiple children and know that many families are pinching pennies to give their children the opportunity to experience the benefits of showing. Clothing should be clean and in good repair. Hair should be clean and appropriately short or fastened out of the juniors face. For the girls, make up will vary with the age and personal preferences of the child. Brand new clothing and shoes and a perfect fit should not be required. It would be misguided and inappropriate to penalize youngsters for being from a family where resources are more limited than others.
There can never be too many reminders that the quality of the dog should never be considered in Junior Showmanship judging. Consciously focus on the fact that it is much easier to look good with an excellent, well-trained dog. Sometimes children come into our ring showing dogs that have disqualifying faults under the breed standard or are challenging dogs to show well. Look beyond the “picture” to the relationship that underlies the child and the dog. My breed can be very difficult to show as puppies. I often think in my mind, “Which of these children exhibits both enough technical skill and enough patience and kindness that I would let them show one of my puppies?” This helps to clarify the balance of skill and attitude toward the dogs that I base my judging on.
Junior showmanship judging has been said to be the most important judging that occurs at any given show. The youngsters deserve our thoughtful consideration and gracious encouragement. The future of our sport depends on it.
© 2014 Peri Norman