Page 29 - ShowSight Presents The Miniature Schnauzer
P. 29
“IT IS A SQUARELY BUILT, ROBUST DOG WITH A CONFIDENT TEMPERAMENT—
NOT A CUTE TOY.”
MF: I’ve always felt that we allowed the furnishings to become too plush. These dogs were bred to chase and catch vermin and those furnishings would never have been allowed. Pretty? Yes. Correct? No. I also think we need to watch the strength of the muzzle.
MK: I would like to keep all those who have helped others get started and then turn around and praised their suc- cess! I got to see that in California at Great Western, 2015 with the local breeders old and new helping each other and then cheering them on! Kudos!
EW: There is a trend to put showmanship first. Breeding for the group level first and the Breed level second. I can use as an example; an answer I was given when I questioned an exhibitor about the head and expression on their dog, “I don’t worry about heads, I concentrate on movement.” There are wonderful details being lost due to that type of thinking.
7. What do you think new judges misunderstand about the breed?
JC: I think more hands on and actual tests using dogs is the best way to learn a new breed.
LM: It is a squarely built, robust dog with a confident tem- perament—not a cute Toy.
WITH JOHN CONSTANTINE,
BETSY DALE, MARCIA FELD, MARGO KLINGLER, LINDA MORE, FRED STEPHENS & ELLIOTT B. WEISS
FS: Recently I have seen judges have a difficult time with the measuring wicket. There have also been a few that need to study structure a little more. A long time ago it was once said that structure dictates type. That would help with the type thing for some of them.
EW: I believe that less attention should be placed on the mechanics of movement and more on breed type. The details that create the correct Schnauzer picture should be stressed. Also Conformation education should be given to the juniors in the breed and the newcomers. The most important people at a specialty are the newcomers. The AKC has on its staff education people. They should provide parent clubs with a lesson plan format to teach the newcomers.
8. Do you have anything else to share?
JC: We need to remember that this is a docked breed in the US. A dog must be severely penalized if not docked. We do not consider an undocked tail to be a fault, but it is an incorrect presentation of a Miniature Schnauzer. It is analogous to an adult Poodle shown in a puppy clip.
BD: The standard was revised in 2012. It calls for severe pen- alty for an undocked tail. I don’t think this is not a realis- tic expectation in today’s global situation. It is a cosmetic fault and I would think genetic faults should call for more penalty than the undocked tail.
EW: Well, being that this question appears to be an invita- tion to say anything. In my opinion the quality of breed judging has reached an all-time low. Now when a new breed enters the scene a judge takes an open book test of 25 questions and sends in a fee. This makes him or her qualified to judge the breed. If you want to see what the breed looks like, one goes to the internet. In the last few years we seem to have the judge’s approval system change with each season. There was a committee assem- bled but someone’s ego was bruised and this was quickly disbanded. Now we have a new system that resembles
a math problem. You get two points here, three points there and when you reach the prized number you win. You are now a judge of that breed. We are the only sport I know of that professionals, those with the most experi- ence, have no say in its running.
9. And, for a bit of humor: What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever experienced at a dog show?
FS: After 38 years you would be surprised at some of the funny things that have happened at a show—like the lady who got so flustered that she kicked over all the place- ment signs trying to go where she was supposed to be. We finally had to take her by the hand, lead her to her placement and tell her to stand there and don’t move.
a sa Q&A
