Page 26 - The Labrador Retriever

One of the major challenges in judging Labs is under- standing the balance between substance and athleticism.
3. In order, name the five most important traits you look for in the ring. Are there any unforgivable faults in the Labrador breed?
One of the most frequent questions I’m asked in my semi- nars on Judging the Labrador is, “What do you do about overweight exhibits?” My position is that I would like
to see a well conditioned dog. However, weight can be taken off a dog. You can’t fix a poor shoulder, a straight rear or lack of breed type. Judges can and should with- hold ribbons if there is no worthy choice!
For me, other areas that are problems in the breed are short legs, weak toplines, low tail sets and poorly con- structed fronts. Short legs not only destroy balance, but make it difficult for the dog to perform its job efficiently. The first thing I look for in the ring is outline. I want to see the correct compact outline with good balance front and rear, nice reach of neck and head carriage, strong topline and correct tail set and some leg under the dog. Getting to know the correct outline for each breed is the greatest challenge for judges, since the outline encapsu- lates the essential characteristics for the breed. Next for me is can the dog keep this outline on the move. Good handling can hide numerous faults that become readily apparent when the dog moves. Weak toplines, poor tail sets, lack of reach and drive are impossible to camou- flage. Our breed culture is very explicit when stressing the breed characteristics judges should look for: head, coat, tail and temperament. I love a Labrador with the sweet, gentle expression that is so much a part of the breed, the broad head with the strong muzzle, neat ears, tight dark eyes that reflect intelligence and kindness. One of the faults that I’m getting pretty obsessed about is short legs. However, a caveat, having leg doesn’t mean we want miniature giraffes!
4. Why does it seem Labs don’t place more often in groups?
Labs don’t place nearly enough in the Group! The prob- lem is two fold: judges are not familiar with what the breed is and want it to be something it’s not; breeders are not producing and/or showing dogs that can compete at the Group level. Some breeders are so disgruntled with the poor judging at all-breed shows, they now only show at specialties. Unfortunately, this severely limits the expo- sure of non-breeder judges to really good dogs.
5. Many people feel show Labs are overweight. Can you address this?
The correct movement for the breed is powerful, smooth, effortless. Judges want the Lab to be what it isn’t and what is incorrect for the breed. Judges have to look at the
Labrador as a hard working, water-retriever that is made to do a job and do it well.
Breeders might be breeding for type, but are not breed- ing for powerful, smooth, effortless movement. Group judges are not going to forgive poor movement, even if the dog has good type. They are also not going to forgive overweight, poorly conditioned dogs. If Lab breeders want to do well at the Group level, they have to show dogs that have both breed type, sound movement, and the ‘quality’ that makes for a really competitive dog. Quantity does not equate with quality. McDonald’s pro- duces a lot of meals, but not much in the line of quality.
6. What, if anything, do you feel non-breeder judges get wrong about the breed?
Many judges tell me that Labradors are a hard breed to judge. The big trap for non-breeder judges is a tendency towards the ‘generic’ dog. This is compounded if the generic dog happens to be a particularly good mover. I’ve always thought that movement is the refuge of those who don’t know type. That isn’t to say that movement isn’t very important, but, in my opinion, type takes pre- cedence. Identify the dogs with the best type and then focus on movement.
7. What do handlers do in presentation that you wish they would not?
The main problem with exhibitors of Labradors is we like to show our dogs on loose leads. That’s a good thing, since Labs look really good on loose leads.
The problem is, it takes a great deal of practice and good teamwork between the handler and dog to present the dog at his best. Showing a dog at his best on a loose lead is a lot more challenging than simply stacking the dog.
Which brings us to the problem of bait! Baiting is not feeding. Learn how to effectively bait your dog; don’t give the dog bait just as the judge goes to examine the mouth; don’t throw bait all over the ring. Entries are not cheap. You have about 2+ minutes to show your dog; make the most of it!
8. How does the breed in North America compare to other parts of the world?
I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve been able to judge the breed all over the world: North America, South Amer- ica, Mexico, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. What I’ve found is conformation Labradors are much the same throughout the world, since most come from much the same background and there has been a great deal
of importation and shipping of semen. North American Labradors are, in my opinion, competitive anywhere in the world. We have some wonderful Labradors that could win big anywhere, and have.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2017 • 237