Page 14 - ShowSight Presents The Golden Retriever

THE
GOLDEN RETRIEVER
CONNIE
GERSTNER
MILLER
Connie Gerstner-Miller began Mala-
gold Kennels in 1964, with a breed-
ing program that encompassed both
the Golden Retriever and the Alaskan
Malamute—hence the Malagold moni-
ker. Eventually, concentration on the
breeding of quality Golden Retrievers
became the primary drive for Connie
and has continued through her current
tenure at Malagold, which is home to multiple Best in Show and Best in Specialty Show winners, the AKC Centennial Sporting Group Winner, Best of Breed wins at Westminster Kennel Club and three times winning Best of Breed honors at the Golden Retriever club of America National Specialty. In the early 1970s, Connie was approved as a licensed All-Breed Professional Handler, which led to her current interest as an AKC Sporting Group judge. She is also active in presenting breed education seminars.
NANCY TALBOTT
I live in the Mojave Desert, about an hour from Los Angeles. My first Cham- pion Golden was born in 1979; my first Champion Labrador was born in 1989. In the early years, I handled my dogs myself and happily spent over 25 years showing in conformation, obedience and field events. I was approved to judge in 1993.
1. Describe the breed in three words.
CGM: Moderate, powerful and hunter. NT: Balanced hunting retriever.
2. What are your “must have” traits in this breed?
CGM: Balance, proportion, breed character, conditioning, proper coat quality and quantity.
NT: Symmetry, effortless motion, moderation, strong head with correct retriever character, resilient coat of proper length which wraps the body as a jacket, kindly eye and
368 • SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 2018
temperament, level topline, short underline from a cor- rectly made front and nothing in exaggeration.
3. Are there any traits in this breed you fear are becoming exaggerated?
CGM: Size, proportion, proper coat and temperament. NT: Coats that are soft and profuse (unbearable in a burr-
covered field) and grooming that exacerbates the above (blowing a coat open, back brushing legs and heads or using product that is left in a poor coat).
4. Do you think the dogs you see in this breed are better now than they were when you first started judging? Why or why not?
CGM: No. The Golden Retriever (like many other breeds) has become a very exaggerated “show dog”, instead of a versatile, hunting dog.
NT: As was true in 1993, today there are a few outstanding dogs at many shows (though not all), a few very poor dogs and the majority somewhere in the middle. What
I do see is an expansion of the mediocre dogs in the middle by percentage. I have had the fortune to judge dogs in the past couple of years that were of the high- est caliber, equal to or better than those 20 years ago. However, the vast majority in the ring now are dogs that, although not blatantly unsound or completely lacking
in type, are average at best and should not be in show homes. I find it disappointing that breeders are not more judiciously evaluating their litters, keeping one or two for the ring and letting the rest go to loving pet homes. Quality control starts in the whelping box and our novice exhibitors deserve to start with an outstanding puppy, co-owned if necessary.
5. What do you think new judges misunderstand about the breed?
CGM: I think new judges get caught up in what they see advertised and what walks into their ring each weekend. Just recently, a breeder-judge of another breed comment- ed to me that most judges do not actually get to see what a correct Golden looks like. So, when a proper Golden comes into their ring and it doesn’t look like the others, it is most often overlooked.
NT: I think that judges learning about the breed, or just starting their judging of the breed, are perplexed by the wide variety of styles in the Golden ring. It is important to stay focused on the breed’s purpose and origin, which was to be a hunting retriever in northern Scotland, in