Why do some judges cut you short?

I have just returned from a show in Scotland, involving 32 hours with no sleep, hundreds of miles of driving on my own and a ferry crossing to show a dog that, at the last UK show before Crufts, won four classes.
We were 5th or 6th to go in the class and the judge had the previous exhibitors doing a triangle then up and down (away and back) as usual. My boy stood like a statue to be gone over, trotted his triangle in perfect harmony with me on a loose lead, and as we got back to the judge waiting to be told to go up and down, she dismissed us! We were unplaced, and in another class - of 6 - were also thrown out.
Why do some judges choose to humiliate you and your dog by not having the courtesy to allow you to "have your money's worth?" This has happened before with different dog, different judge. Clearly, had we been the only entry we would have been given a 2nd or worse! It's bad enough being chucked out unexpectedly without the judge making her distaste of your dog so public. If he had shown bad temperament or nervousness I could have understood it, but that certainly wasn't the case.
After 10 years of showing I really feel like giving it all up.

Oh Deccy, that was horrible for you both. I hope it doesn't make you give up showing. I can see it's a horrendous amount of work, but you seem to enjoy it so much, as do your dogs, it would be a real shame to allow this unfeeling judge to make you quit. Chin up honey.

How's Polo, BTW? Stitches out yet? Len's were out yesterday, and he's just fine

not nice ...but ya win some ya loose some
thats showing hun x

Think this is wrong, but have seen it and experienced it. IMO even if you see something you don't like I believe that each and every exhibit should be gone over and moved in as near as possible the same manner and each exhibit should get the same amount of your judging time. Not saying I achieve that but I do try, you all pay the same and it should not matter if the exhibit is near perfect or total rubbish they deserve and have paid for the same amount of my attention. Don’t blame you for being upset.

It wasn't the fact we were unplaced.... but we were treated as if we shouldn't have been in the ring. I know of others who have been in similar situations over the years with different judges. And boy, didn't my enemies have a field day, one of them grinning into my face as I came out of the ring


He's fine thanks Vicki, took the stitches out himself (second lot!) Glad Len's good.

We went to a show a few years ago where the judge after going over each dog, then moving them, asked some to line up along one side of the ring and some to line up on the other. It turned out that the dogs she liked were on one side and the dogs she didn,t were on the other side. So by the time i went in with our dog we realised that we were in the line of dogs that were going to be chucked! but still had to wait ages while she went over the remaining dogs before she told our line up to leave the ring. Another show we went to, the judge pulled out all the dogs he was going to chuck out first, leaving the dogs he was placing still standing. It was embarrassing for those pulled out, as they were starting to stand their dogs and the judge told them to leave the ring

Excuse my ignorance but is there not a procedure that should be followed when judging?? or is it up to the discretion of each individual judge. Have never been involved in showing.........

Regretably that is dog showing for you - some you win and some you lose. Some judges are good and some are just plain ill-mannered and inco nsiderate. Every dog deserves a good examination, every dog has a fault and it is up to the judge to weigh one fault against another but to virtually ignore your dog IMHO is just plain ignorant. I did a bit of judging years ago, and I could usually tell when the dogs came into the ring which ones I was most likely to be placing - but I hope that I gave all of them a fair examination, even if I knew they weren't my 'type'. And I , too, travelled many miles from East Anglia to Scotland to show under a judge that I was sure would do my lad well, only to come away with nothing. Never showed any of my dogs under her again. Keep at it, and hopefully your dog will do much better i n future. Kath

There is no set procedure for judging, each judge has to assess each animal against the breed standard and place them in order of merit, how you do that is up to you, some breeds can be judged by the way they look and move others have to be handled in detail because the coat hides the conformation. Most judges will know from what they find when they check the conformation how well the dog will move, yet most prefer to check what they found under the hand by watching the movement.

It is true that the moment the dogs enter the ring you will know those who may be winners and those you will not place but you still take each dog and assess it against the standard and move it to check what you found when you 'went over' the dog. Sadly there are those who do not resemble the breed you are judging and those whose movement is so bad you know that you are wasting your time going over them and moving them again but curtesy to the exhibitors who have done you the honour of entering under you requires that you give all exhibits the same amount of your time, attention and consideration.

Yes I understand that and have judged myself, I hope that I always give each dog the same attention despite what I am thinking inside! It's just a little extreme to be treated like that (no others were) when he has been very successful so far, and I have been told many times by people who are not necessarily my friends, fantastic movement and he went at his best on the day. Ok he won't be everyone's taste and I am well used to disappointing results as I have been showing regularly for ten years but 3rd or 4th after being given the same time and attention as others though disappointing, would be easier to be philosophical about.
The lack of attention actually worked the other way for me once. I had Polo entered in PGD, he played me up, acted the fool, and when we stood while the judge had a final look at the line up, she walked past and ignored him which I felt he deserved!. He was then pulled out first and got the RCC! But at least she had gone over him properly and watched while he towed me all over the ring