R-E-S-P-E-C-T: That's what you need when judging a Molosser

Houston, we have a problem.

Actually, it’s a dilemma we see around the world, wherever and whenever dog shows are being held.

And that problem is judges who are unfamiliar with how to approach serious working dogs — in particular, Molossers.

Now, it seems unfathomable to me that this article even needs to be written. And even more unbelievable that some people have a problem with the message it’s attempting to convey. But that appears to be a sign of the times.

Working It

All dogs have teeth, and aggression is always a possibility, no matter what the breed. But some breeds are genetically programmed to be more tolerant than others.

It’s the same old story: Type reflects the conditions in which a breed was developed and in which it worked. Guardian breeds were bred to have an elevated sense of what they consider to be “other.” (Mona Lindau has done a fascinating deconstruction of Molosser guarding instinct; you can read it here.) As a result, Molossers are less willing to have their boundaries invaded.

To that end, let me access my inner Aretha Franklin to talk about the most important component of judging Molosser breeds …

R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Find out what it means to me …

I can tell you what it doesn’t mean: It doesn’t mean fear. Instead, respect means understanding the purpose of the breed, and the corresponding temperament required to execute it, and treating the breed accordingly.

At least a third of the AKC Working Group is made up of breeds that had a protective function regarding humans and/or livestock and which more or less retain a greater degree of reactivity than, say, your average Golden Retriever. (There are other Working breeds that originally had a similar edge, but it has by and large been bred out of them. Whether that is good or bad is another — off topic but nonetheless interesting — discussion.)

This does not mean these breeds are out of control. But it does mean that to a degree these dogs are overriding their genetic programming in permitting themselves to be examined in a relatively intrusive way by a complete stranger.

It is the job of judges to understand and, yes, respect this concession these dogs have given by not abusing it.

Rules of the Road

Here is some common-sense advice for judging Molossers — or any guarding breed, for that matter.

• Do not approach from the rear. Nobody likes to be surprised, least of all Molossers, and popping up out of nowhere will only startle the dog. This is a good rule of thumb for ALL dogs, regardless of breed, but it is imperative with Molossers, as well as Sighthounds and certain primitive breeds, which are not inclined to give the benefit of the doubt.

Arguably, the best way to approach a Molosser is from the front but at an angle, as a head-on approach can be interpreted by some dogs as rude or even threatening.

• Do not stare at the dog nor excessively touch the head without good reason. In dog-speak, a direct stare is a challenge. Diffuse your gaze as you examine the head so that you are not focused in on one area for more than a millisecond.  (This isn’t also a matter of safety, but also good judging: The very best judges are constantly scanning the dogs in front of them, taking in every detail.)

If the dog is looking downward and you want a better view of the head, ask the handler to lift it. Don't do it yourself.

At a dog show in Europe several years ago, I watched a breeder-judge judging a large entry of Dogo Argentinos. The ring was the size of a postage stamp, and the dogs were lunging and snarling as they went around the ring. There was also an apprentice judge in the ring who was there to learn the breed. To my disbelief and then horror, the breeder-judge instructed her to kneel in front of the dog to better observe the head and bite.

The dog, thankfully, did not react. But I can think of many breeds — and not only Molossers — with which this scenario would end in newspaper headlines.

Do not try this at home — or anywhere, for that matter!

• Do not over-examine. Most Molossers are WYSIWYG … what you see is truly what you get. So exactly what information are you obtaining with a full-body massage? Everything you need to see is right in front of you. It takes literally seconds to understand if a judge knows what he or she is doing by simply watching their hands. More is definitely not more. It says to the knowledgeable eyes at ringside: I’m unsure, I’m nervous, I’m faking it. You’re not fooling anyone, least of all the dog.

• Examine ONCE. Molosser breeds have been carefully trained to accept an exam at a certain place and time in the ring. If you go off script, they might decide to, too. Now, there are many competent Working dog handlers who know how to deal with such a situation, but why create an unforced error? If you wish to examine a dog for a second time — for what reason I can’t imagine, as, again, everything is visible to you, unless it is coated, like a Tibetan Mastiff — verbally inform the handler. Don’t just reach out without warning or permission.

Because their coat can somewhat obscure their outline, Tibetan Mastiffs and other coated Molossers may require more hands-on examination. 

• Don't examine the bite yourself. After all, it can be rather intrusive, and your hands may block the dog's line of sight. Instead, ask the handler to show it to you. There is some debate among judges and exhibitors alike over whether the bite should be shown at the beginning or the end of the exam. There are advantages to both: Examining the bite first means that the judge doesn't have to return back to the front of the dog to examine dentition. Examining last usually eliminates fidgeting on the part of the dog, who many not like the intrusion and will break its stack. Regardless, because the mouth exam is hands off, it shouldn't create much stress on a dog that is accustomed to it, no matter when it is done.

Judges are better off having handlers show the bite themselves.

• Train yourself to face the rear of the dog on the exam. In other words, do not turn around, bend over and put your face next to the dog’s when you examine the prosternum, withers and depth of ribbing. Instead, stand next to the dog, and reach back with your left hand to feel the prosternum, progressing forward with your backside next to the dog and your face pointed toward the tail of the dog. In this way, should the dog react suddenly, the vulnerable zone will be your buttocks — not your face. Again, this is a safe way to examine ANY breed, not just a Molosser.

• Create a rapport with the handler. Walking the line and greeting each handler tells the dog you are a known entity. Continuing that conversation briefly at the start of the exam reinforces this reassurance that you are to be trusted.

• Appreciate the implications of physical traits. I remember a Neapolitan Mastiff handler telling me about a judge who lined up his entry under the tent on a hot, sunny summer day and then began to walk the line from OUTSIDE the tent — back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. What the judge didn’t appreciate was that Neos have limited peripheral vision, and what he was creating was the presence of a moving shadow that periodically kept popping up and then disappearing in the glare. The dogs grew increasingly agitated, and the handler reminded that all it takes is for one dog to go off to create a chain reaction.

• Exude an air of confidence. This can’t be faked, and confidence doesn’t mean dominance. You need to be comfortable with the breed and comfortable with yourself. These dogs can read you, and they better be picking up Norman Vincent Peale and not Friedrich Nietzsche.

A handler shows the bite on her Central Asian Shepherd Dog at the 2016 World Dog Show in Russia. Note that the judge has placed a chair between herself and the dog. At AKC events, dogs much permit themselves to be touched, but this does not mean that the exam need to be excessive. The Central Asian is currently in the AKC Miscellaneous class.

Sock It To Me

Dogdom is experiencing a demographic challenge: The world’s most experienced, most respected judges are getting on in years, and they are either retiring or dying. As a result, judges are in short supply, in particular in the United States, and so new ones are being approved at relatively a brisk pace. Where once it might have taken a judge a full decade to be approved to judge a whole group, today a judge could easily acquire three groups in that same time span.

One of the drawbacks of learning breeds at such a rapid pace is the risk of generic judging. And that doesn’t just apply to physical traits: Character is an important element of type, too.

I have heard from two recent seminar presenters whose student judges were taken aback when they were told they should approach guarding breeds with the appropriate restraint, part of which involves keeping their exams to a minimum. Some even took offense, complaining to organizers that the presenters were portraying the breeds in a negative light.

The truth is that we have too many new judges who have no understanding of guarding temperaments. They are draping themselves over these dogs, examining excessively, ignoring body language, approaching incorrectly — whether too tentatively or too abruptly.

We ask a great deal of our dogs in the show ring. We ask them to stand still, to allow a perfect stranger to touch them all over, including some of their most vulnerable parts. We ask them to stand beside intact animals of both sexes, and not do what comes naturally. Is it too much to ask the judges to have enough respect for these breeds to learn how to properly approach them? Because in the end, it is the dogs who pay the price.

And speaking of respect, that goes for judges’ overall impression of Molosser breeds. Far too many think of Molossers as slobbery, lumbering, dirty dogs that they need to suffer through to get in order to judge the real prize — Dobermans and Boxers. And if that’s how they feel, they need not judge them. In fact, Molossers are some of the most difficult breeds to breed, for a variety of reasons, and when they are good, they are breathtaking. Overseas, many are considered breeds of connoisseurship — complex, operatic breeds that deserve far more respect than they get on these shores.

All it takes is a little intellectual curiosity, a willingness to learn and that essential quality Aretha sang about:

I got to have (just a little bit)

A little respect (just a little bit)

Sock it to me, indeed.