Let’s play a game. Here is an easy quiz we would love for you to take. It should be super easy for most of you, and for at least ONE person, should sound very familiar.
1. When ringside mentoring, conducting a breed seminar, showing your own dog or spending time ringside which of the following activities are to be considered acceptable, constructive and conducive to improving the judge education, spectator and exhibitor experience:
(A) Loudly pointing out your opinions of faults of dogs in the ring while ignoring virtues
(B) Sharing photos of your own dog with judges saying “This is the nicest ____ you will ever see
(C) Trashing dogs and exhibitors in the ring verbally while pointing at them
(D) Badmouthing the names, dogs and kennels of other exhibitors to anyone who will listen including fellow judges
(E) Verbally accosting a judge and disparaging their decisions
(F) Loudly protesting the judging procedures and decisions while ringside and expressing these opinions to the judge
(G) Entering a ring during judging to disparage procedures or results
(H) Storming away from a ring saying unkind opinions loudly enough for those around you to hear
(I) Inserting photos of your own dogs, and those of your friends into an illustrated breed standard while inferring that this is the official version approved by the parent club members
(J) Calling fellow judges and/or exhibitors ‘idiots’ within earshot of said fellow judges and/or exhibitors
(K) Storming out of the ring while wildly yanking your dogs collar when you lose
(L) Accusing another exhibitor of ‘screwing you out of a win’ if they are in the group
(M) Literally counting entries out loud ringside to see how many points your dog will accumulate before judging, therefore assuming all other entries only showed up to add points to your own dogs assumed win
(N) Adding and removing their name from his dogs entries depending upon what was being offered that show – OH or BBE for instance.
(N) Telling the judge who awarded a dog a big win that they have ‘made a grave error’ while the owner is standing there proudly waiting for a prestigious win photo
(O) After losing yanking the heck out of their dog and wagging a finger at the judge telling them something to the effect of ‘I’m re-writing the breed standard and you had better learn it’
(P) All of the above
(Q) None of the above
If you answered (Q) None of the above – you are correct! Unfortunately, however, ALL of the above has occurred and is documented as actual continuous behavior by an AKC parent club BOD member.
It’s high time this is stopped. Too many times over the years a blind eye has been turned, or a slap on the hand is given to their un-sportsmanlike behavior. Not only is their behavior rude, unethical, distasteful and off-putting, but also against the AKC Code of Sportsmanship, parent club Code of Ethics and is a recurring topic of conversation after shows. Some people are laughing at them behind their back, others are very hurt by their words and actions. I do not feel they really realize what they sounds like. If they did I wonder if that would change this behavior or if they feels it is acceptable. My feelings are that this person feels beyond reproach. They feel strongly that they are somehow righteous.
Club members, people in other breeds, aspiring judges, accosted judges and non participating visitors have all witnessed and/or been the focus of this behavior for far too long. Its time to put an end to this now. I highly doubt most people who know this person have been made aware of how long this has been continuing, how many years they have acted in this manner and how many times they have been asked to please refrain from this behavior or how many judges and members have complained.
It used to be a little sad, but now its beyond that and bordering on requiring an AKC formal complaint to be filed. It is an embarrassment to our breed and to those who work hard for the success of the shows.
Speak out when you see things such as this happen. Dont say somebody else will – hearsay is not what will work but if you witness this please speak out and tell the truth or nothing will ever change.
Enough is enough.