Ashley Reid (centre) judging the Best in Show, UK, 2024 (source: Show Dog Media)
Are Champion Show Dogs Born or Made?
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a champion show dog?
Some dogs definitely take to the show ring more readily than others.
You might even have a potential champion dog at home, masquerading as a family pet.
I asked International Dog Show judge, Ashley Reid, if some dogs are born for the show ring.
“Absolutely. There are those that we call ‘show dogs’ because they just love to present themselves. They have this carriage about them, they have this air about them,” he explained. “A good show animal has this presence about them. So that’s where some are born for the show ring.
“If you’ve got a dog that is not loving the show ring, it might be an amazing example of the breed, but it’s not actually going to present itself in the best light. So that can sometimes have a negative impact on the result.”
As I watched some of the dogs, they seemed to strut around as if they’re on the catwalk, as if they’re doing the audience a favour just being out there and showing off. I asked Ashley if this was actually the case.
“That’s exactly right,” he explained. “I was going to use the catwalk as the analogy. It’s like some people are born for the catwalk, then you’ve got others like myself that would just want to run and hide and not be out there. So in any show environment, you do have that. That presence does carry them a long way.”
I asked Ashley how much the handler affects how a dog shows.
“A good handler can bring out the virtues of the dog and highlight the virtues and minimize the weaknesses,” he explained. “Now that doesn’t mean that the judge is not going to pick up on those weaknesses. We are trying to assess the dog with the most virtues. So that’s where a good handler can actually make a difference in what they’re trying to present to the judge.”
According to Ashley, all Australian dog shows are open, meaning novice dogs and handlers can enter, so if you think you have an undiscovered champion of your own, why not explore opportunities to enter your dog in a local show.
You never know – you might find you have a dog that is destined for the Sydney Royal Easter Show ‘dogwalk’!
