Page 14 - JRT Magazine - 2023 Issue 2

Perspectives

Breed
SETTING

Type

The late Richard G. Beauchamp (USA) [Reprinted]

It is not unusual to hear today's judges complain that they
cannot be consistent in their placements, saying that all too

often, one is lucky to find more than one or two dogs in an
entire entry of even vaguely similar style.

Many attribute this problem in our show rings The hobby breeder of today is, by and large,
to the loss of the past's highly influential, large limited by space and economics to a relatively
breeding kennels. small breeding nucleus. This limits the number of
litters produced annually and often necessitates
Today, everyone considers themselves a breeder, retaining reasonably good, but not necessarily
even though they may have bred only a litter or similar-in-type, offspring to show. Today we find
two. And even more problematic is that whatever some breeds, as our judges complain, with as
the results of a breeding may be, the pups many different styles at a given show as there are
inevitably end up in the show ring, regardless as entries.
to whether they deserve to be.The rationalization
is: "well, this is just as good as much of what is The situation is compounded by the rise of what
being shown". I refer to as our "internet authorities". It once was
that we read and learned from those who were
The kennels of old housed enough dogs and accomplished authorities. Now we read whatever
bitches to establish and maintain a "look", a "style", comes across the computer screen. Many believe
if you will. This look often set a standard that every word of what they read. Directly, with a
influenced large geographical areas, sometimes minimal investment in a computer and an even
the entire country. It made judging easier and smaller Internet investment, anyone who cares
gave the novice, even the experienced breeder, a can send their opinions (valid or otherwise) out to
model to aim for. the entire dog world.

14 | A Worldwide Magazine for the Jack Russell Terrier / Russell Terrier • Issue 2/2023