Judging Baby Puppies

[bethany]

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Iam just trying to expand my knowledge a little, if anyone has any opinions on this i would be very interested to hear them.

WHen looking at a baby puppy class are they judged on how they are on the day or what the judge thinks they will look like when they are mature?

Hope thats a s clear as mud!!

cheers

 

[GotWhippet?]

imo baby puppy classes are just cuteness contests.

You could only judge on what the puppy "could be" rather than "what is" because the standard is based on an adult dog.

 

[Wayward_Angel]

They should be judging to the standard, or as close as possible to it. I don't think they should judge on a cute factor. But with a age range between 3-6 months I guess sometimes its hard to do,.. But then again aint all baby puppies cute!!!

Some dogs do well as a baby then nothing afterwards I think thats referred to as a "flatcatcher" where some dogs do nothing as babys or puppy's but do there big winning when older once they have matured and grown into those lanky or body ..whatever..

 

[bethany]

As a newbie i still have a lot to learn about choosing a good puppy i dont believe i have a good eye for a puppy yet as iam a sucker for a puppy no matter what it looks like!!

But surely it is very difficult to tell the movement of a baby when they are so clumsy? is showing baby puppies a waste of time or does it truly indicate who the up and coming stars mighht be?

so much for me to learn!!!

 

[Sachiko]

my puppies have always been judged on how they look on the day I enter them. Of course you have to forgive quite alot since the pup clearly cannot be something like a champion class dog. Of course puppy classes aren't that serious (at least in here because it's not even an official class), but I've always tought I got my puppy judged.

 

[shenace]

Babies are judged on how they look on the day, you can't predict what they will end up like as an adult.

I use the baby puppy class as a fun experience for babies. It also gets them used to what is expected of them in the future (but keeping it fun is REALLY important) & also brilliant for newbies to learn the ropes & get comfortable with being in the ring & being judged.

You eye will come in with experience, all babies are cute as & they should all win 1st place :wub:

 

[GotWhippet?]

yes, shows are good for socialising babies so don't leave her at home.

All else being equal, no one can guarantee a champion from the baby class. I've seen alot of whippies (and my previous breed Newfs) do alot of winning as babies and when they grow up and do nothing. I've also seen ugly ducklings grow into beautiful dogs as well. That's the dog game for you.

and as far as telling judges off, I remember in the 80's (yes back in the days when they combined group 6 and 7 together) A prominant poodle exhibitor told a judge to get (insert F bomb here) in his efemminate voice because his top winning dog came last in the class. The people in the ring (and outside) didn't know whether to be shocked or roll on the floor laughing. That day has been burned into my memory forever :huh:

 

[bethany]

Yes all the puppies are so lovely! i would not want to judge them. Thanks to everyone for their input, i can only learn by asking and getting feedback from people, thanks again!

 

[seaspot_run]

You judge them on the day (IOW, you don't make excuses for terrible movement because it might get better, or flying ears because they are teething), but if you are a breeder-judge, then you are expected to bring some depth of experience to your judging, so if you see a head or body style that in your experience has not developed well, you are within your rights to penalize it. You can make some allowance for the fact that they are babies and you shouldn't expect adult dog ring deportment, but if you see puppies that in your litters you would think would be too coarse or too fine, you can take that into account. Conversely, if you see something that always improves with age, you can minimize it in your judging process. This is for the match show classes under 6 months.

In the US, we have size DQ's and even at 6 months, a puppy must be in size or it should be excused from one of our official point shows. A judge should not assume it would grow more anymore than a judge should assume that a puppy in size but up to size might eventually grow to be oversized and discount it. Some lines get their height young and then fill out from there, and other lines are slow-growing and may be well within size at 6 months and oversize by 11.

 

[GotWhippet?]

well that is the point I was making. Allowances are made for babies. They are not judged to the standard, they are judged by their stage of development of what is usually (judges opinion) seen at that age. How many 4 month old baby puppies have the muscular structure of the standard? none.

 

[seaspot_run]

well that is the point I was making. Allowances are made for babies. They are not judged to the standard, they are judged by their stage of development of what is usually (judges opinion) seen at that age. How many 4 month old baby puppies have the muscular structure of the standard? none.

Well, you can turn that on the head and ask about judging veterans.

If the dog has faded pigment and somewhat stiffer gait, or is a bit soft in muscle tone, you aren't going to penalize that as much if you know the dog is over 10 as you would if you thought the dog was only 2. You don't throw everything you know about dogs and how they mature and age into the chumbucket when you enter the ring as a judge.

Judging is an art and aesthetic judgements and past experience apply. That being said, a truly egregious fault should be be excused on the suspicion that it is simply age-related, or might be.