Rain followed us to the CAC Dog Show in Cuprija, but that wasn’t what made the day stand out.
We brought our young dog Ben Hur to represent the kennel after seeing his potential at a previous show in Jagodina.
What happened inside the ring raised more questions than answers.
Ben Hur wasn’t allowed to make a full circle in the ring. That can partly be explained by the rain, as judges were allowed to shorten the dog’s description in the report.
Still, what the FCI judge said raises serious questions worth discussing.
FCI Judges – CAC Dog Show Cuprija
Below is the list of FCI judges.
Judges | FCI Group |
|---|---|
Ljubiša Nikolić | I, Rottweiler |
Milovan Protić | II |
Ivan Vasiljević | III, VIII |
Dejan Živadinović | IV, X |
Nenad Dević | VI, VII |
Dragana Bujišić Vasiljević | V, IX |
Can Sarplaninac Be “Too Black”?
Sarplaninacs were judged by FCI judge Milovan Protić, and from what was said in the ring, I got the impression that he doesn’t know the breed well enough.
The first comment was that Ben was “too black.” However, the breed standard clearly states:
“The Sharplanina is a solid coloured dog. All colours are acceptable from white to dark brown that looks almost black. The preferred shade is a greenish grey (iron grey) and dark grey.”
Based on that, color alone should not be a problem.
The only thing that could be questioned is the “black tips” on the front legs. The standard requires that the colour gradually becomes lighter from the head toward the legs, without abrupt transitions.
What I can say is that the black tips tend to fade as the dog gets older, but at a dog show the current condition is what matters most, so Mr. Protić had every right to use that as a “minus” in the report.
At the same time, I know that Sarplaninacs are not his main specialty, and that’s fine.
The “Too Black” comment can create a wrong picture of our kennel, because people standing next to the ring who listen to an FCI judge can easily get a misleading impression about our dogs.
Not Typical Head For Breed
This is where the alarm goes off.
I’m not sure if an FCI judge is aware of how much weight it carries to say that the dog “doesn’t have a typical head for the breed,” especially without any explanation. Nose, ears, eyes, muzzle, lips?
Whether someone is a dog lover or a breeder, that kind of comment can’t be taken lightly!
In our case, we were left without any explanation, and at that moment it became clear to me that Mr. Protić doesn’t know the breed well enough.
Even though Ben won CAC, one question remains – does that title really mean anything after what was said in the ring?
How FCI Judge Nikola Angelovski Described Ben
To make things clearer, here is how FCI judge Nikola Angelovski described Ben at CACIB Jagodina:
Eleven months old male, with a nice head, good neck, back loosens in movement, good forechest, front and back angles correct. Tidy teeth and testicles.
The result: excellent (5), CAJC.
This gallery shows Ben Hur in different situations. Images from the dog show place him in the ring during judging, including movement, teeth checks.
Other photos follow him through the town and outside.
At home, Ben Hur as a puppy, showing early development and behavior.
Final Thoughts
On 10/10/2015, the national CAC dog show in Cuprija was held with a good prize pool.
The rain affected the event, and attendance was lower than expected. It also prevented exhibitors from presenting their dogs properly in the large rings.
The same dog can look completely different depending on the judge.
What matters is that the exhibitor is satisfied with the dog’s presentation, and paper can take anything …
