UKC’s Commitment To Its Judges
Wayne Cavanaugh
Judging dog events is often quite a thankless job, not unlike that of a baseball umpire or hockey referee, but the good ones, over time, earn the respect of their peers. The really good ones have a positive impact on the breeds we see and the breeders that produce them. Judging is an ongoing process. We see it as a learning experience for everyone involved. Here in Kalamazoo, we truly appreciate the time and effort each individual puts into the judging process.
We also believe that the UKC has a commitment to our judges and their right to learn, judge and enjoy the sport, no matter what venue they choose. Accordingly, Mark Threlfall and I sat down a few weeks back and wrote a statement about how we feel about the rights of Americans as it relates to judging. It’s on the website, but for those who may not have read it, I thought we’d print it right here.
UKC’s Commitment to our Judges
UKC views judges as individuals who have the right to pursue their interests by entering into agreements with local dog clubs. We feel judges should have the personal freedom to judge for clubs in any registry where they meet the judging requirements. We believe that experience in judging dogs is an ongoing, cumulative experience, and that judging in multiple registries affords the individual judge an opportunity to advance the sum total of their knowledge of a variety of breeds and the practical application of that knowledge. To judge solely in a single registry could well limit the scope of a judge’s continuing education. We feel that experience gained through judging for multiple registries benefits the judge, UKC and the sport of dogs. We encourage our judges to gain as much practical experience as possible through judging for clubs requesting their services in any registry that welcomes them.
As for UKC’s ongoing commitment to our judges, we will continue to offer an approval process that places opportunity, education and self-advancement at the fore. We encourage those interested individuals with experience in the sport to contact the Dog Events Department and seek approval. No fees are charged to the applicant at any point in the process.
As I read this statement again, I realize that we all need to remind ourselves that this is supposed to be fun. Most importantly, it is also supposed to be about the dogs. Let’s hope the spirit of judging and the spirit of freedom of choice continues to help us all breed better dogs. At the end of the day, that should always be the goal.
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 Recent News At UKC
02/08/2012: Current and Historical Top Producing American Eskimo Males Current and Historical Top Producing American Eskimo Males Current - The Current Top Producers list was compiled by the United Kennel Club using all data for progeny of these males whelped on or after January 1, 2003, and for that progeny’s UKC titles earned and processed from January 1,... Read more here. 
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This Weekend At UKC
Wisconsin Boston Terrier Association will be hosting events this weekend, February 11 & 12 in Ixonia, Wisconsin. More Information.
Norl-Cal Treedog Assn will be hosting events this weekend, February 10 & 11 in Oroville, California. More Information.
Find an event in your area.
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UKC's third most widely registered breed is the Bluetick Coonhound. It is most likely that the Bluetick is principally descended from the quick foxhounds of England with some introduction of the blood of various French hounds which were used for hunting big game. The French dogs were known as being very cold nosed. George Washington received five such French hounds from General Lafayette. Blueticks were originally registered with UKC as English. In 1946, at the request of the Bluetick fanciers, UKC began registering Blueticks as a separate breed. |
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Read more about UKC's many dog breeds here. |
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