Q. At a recent dog show, a judge of one of the more dominant breeds in the Working Group told an exhibitor flat-out she was afraid of his dog and barely got her hands on him. The dog was solid and appeared completely under control. Was her behavior cause for official sanction?
A. Yes. The American Kennel Club requires that judges manually examine each dog entered in their ring, including teeth (i.e. the bite, which the exhibitor may show at the judge’s request) and two descended testicles in the case of males, who must be intact.
Judges who are not comfortable around certain breeds should not apply to judge them. No judge should risk getting bitten and should excuse any animal that displays undue aggression. By the same token, exhibitors are expected to have full control of their animals while in the ring.