Free Going for the Blue by Roger A. Caras Page A

the judge will expect the first dog to be stacked—set up in the
     show stance—on the ground or on a table, depending on the size of the breed or the judge’s personal preference, for a hands-on
     examination. Judges typically step back and look at the dog’s general structure again during this individual exam. He may
     approach from the side or front, allowing the dog to see him before he touches it. Typically, the judge looks at the head
     and the eyes before he examines the bite—the way the teeth come together. It is always a pleasure to see a dog lick the judge
     as if to say, “Pick me, me, not the others, me!”
    The judge completes the hands-on evaluation, going over the dog’s head, neck, shoulders, front assembly, chest, top line,
     croup (rump), hindquarters, tail, and coat, comparing every aspect of the dog to the specific breed standards.
    Testicles are the last things examined—males only, of course. The judge often steps back for a final look, comparing the dog
     to his or her interpretation of the standards. The handler must be alert and follow the judge’s moves. The dog must look its
     best at all times from every angle.
    The handler is asked to move the dog by itself in a pattern, most often either a triangle, down and back, or both. The judge
     is looking at the dog’s front movement for correctness, as well as watching the dog move away and observing its top line and
     overall carriage.
    The triangle allows the judge to evaluate all aspects of the dog’s gait, including the side gait. Each handler has to experiment
     to determine the best pace to move the dog to show it off to its greatest advantage. You will hear judges remind handlers
     to slow down or move at a more moderate pace, leaving plenty of room for other exhibitors if the lineup is moving together.
     There are few things worse than showing a dog and having another handler run up on you. Your dog hates it, too. Very bad manners!
    The dog will finish the individual gaiting by free or self-stacking in front of the judge. This is where you see handlers
     baiting and throwing liver treats to improve their dogs’ expressions and show their very best attributes. Watch experienced
     handlers. They are artists working with animated sculpture. They know how to accentuate the most positive features of their
     dogs in the free stack. The individual exam ends with the handler moving the dog around the ring in a circle, with an emphasis
     on showing off the side gait—the gait as viewed from the side. The judge goes into the next dog’s individual exam. If your
     dog is the only entry in the class, and that does happen, the judge directs you to a place marker and hands you the blue ribbon,
     if you deserve first place. It is a real downer when he doesn’t. When you can’t win even with no competition, rethink what
     you are doing. You can also show cats, cows, mules, horses, and rabbits—even canaries, koi, and goldfish.
    Once the judge examines every dog in the class, all the dogs line up for a final time in picture-perfect stacked position.
     Handlers are working here to keep their dogs attentive and maintain a standing position that shows off their overall appearance.
     Often judges will have all entries or selected dogs move again to crystallize their choices. They may ask the entire class
     to move again individually or all together before designating their final picks. Remember to leave plenty of room for other
     exhibitors. This is no time for you to exhibit your bad manners. The judge makes his selections, pointing to exhibitors and
     calling out class placements. Pay careful attention and look at the judge as placements are called. Many a fidgety handler
     has missed the judge’s final choices while fussing over the dog’s final stack.
    The judge selects his winner for each of the six dog classes. All six class winners are then called back into the ring by
     the steward to compete for Winners Dog (WD). Typically, the judge will