Judging Procedures

Helen Gleason Chairperson Education Committee GSDCA

 

  1. The class enters the ring in catalog order-numbers, confirmed both by you and the steward.  Ask the steward to give you the book to mark prior to handing you the ribbons to distribute to the class winners.
  2. All exhibitors are asked to please keep control of the dogs, do not run up or try to cover other animals and ask that NO DOUBLE HANDLING TAKE PLACE WHILE THE ANIMAL IS INDIVIDUALLY EXAMINED.  Specifically tell the handler that if double handling is observed while the loose lead exam is taking place that the animal will be penalized appropriately.
  3. The class should be gaited as a group and then divided if there are more than 10 dogs in the class.  Split the class in groups of 10 dogs or as you deem necessary depending on the entry size.
  4. Examine each dog individually and grade them against the Standard for the GSD.  Rank them mentally as a 1, 2 or 3.  After you have checked temperament, dentition, soundness coming and going, standing 4 square without being hand stacked, gait the dog a minimum of 2 times.  Ask that the handler give you a totally loose lead the second time around the ring so that you can evaluate the dog on its merits not as the handler would like you to view the animal.  Return the dog to the lineup.
  5. Examine the next dog and after EVALUATING THIS ANIMAL AGAINST THE STANDARD-AND FOLLOWING ALL OF THE PROCEDURES LISTED IN “4” (ABOVE), return this animal to the line behind or in front of the previous animal.  Continue this same procedure until all animals have been examined and gaited.
  6. By following the above procedure you will not forget the dog with the poor temperament (who will either be excused immediately from the ring, or kept at the end of the line as all animals examined after him will be placed in front of him).  Hopefully this will enable you not to forget the animal with multiple missing teeth or other anatomical defects which would occasionally be overlooked in large classes.
  7. After each animal has been thoroughly examined the entire group should then be brought out together in the order that you have selected for them.  The animals should be asked to gait at a slow trot.  It is very easy to disguise faults by racing dogs around the ring.  The slower they are moved the easier it is to evaluate them.  Once you are fairly sure that you have placed them correctly ask that the handlers to move them easily, at a controlled trot and envision them as you would any animal performing a function for which it is Bred.
  8. Continue to the next group of 10.  After the entire class has been judged and your groups are organized, take each group around 1 time to reevaluate each group and then select the top animal according from the groups.  You may have all of the best animals in group two in which case these will be taken to the front of the line and so on.  If possible attempt to place the entire class according to their individual merits again judging each AGAINST THE STANDARD AND NOT TO EACH OTHER.
  9. After all classes have been evaluated bring the dogs into the ring according to age with the Open class winner coming in first and the 6-9 puppy in last place.  It is not necessary to again take the dogs coming and going if you remember all of them.  If you have any doubts you may ask any or all of the animal to again do an individual procedure of coming and going and individually gaiting around the ring.  As you evaluate these animals it is wise to again place them in the appropriate order judging each against the Standard.  Surprisingly enough if you do this you may not wind up with the animal with the most spectacular side gait in front.  There are many more qualities to consider when judging our breed than the spectacular side gait for which they are noted.

 

 

Anyone can sit outside the ring and pick dogs on their side movement.  Judging dogs is an honor and a privilege which should not be taken lightly.  As you evaluate the animals ask yourself how this dog would do if he were asked to herd sheep for countless hours -- is he structurally sound enough to take the strenuous workout required.  Would the animal you are evaluating be confident enough to protect its owner or defend him from a predator (human or otherwise), or would he be the first one out the door etc.

The German Shepherd Fancy is very well versed in the rules and regulations as they apply to judging.  You can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time (Abe Lincoln).  As a judge, potential judge, exhibitor, or handler, if you do not feel confident that you can truly evaluate the dogs accordingly please attend the judge Education seminar which is held annually at the GSDCA National.  We welcome your participation in this excellent program.

When you see obvious problems arise, we ask that you contact the bench show committees or the AKC representative and ask for a hearing.  The AKC has very strict rules which all judges must follow.

Obtaining a judges license should require years of study and mentoring.  To simply have a handler give you advice on breeding your animals, then finishing them for you and then encouraging you to apply for a judge’s license is a farce.  To co-breed animals in order to get you name on the litter registrations and then use this to apply is also a farce and what have you accomplished.  I firmly believe that a minimum of two letters of reference from reputable breeders should be a requirement for the first breed application.