Bernese Club of Ontario Specialty 2003
by Jude Simonds

I should like to thank the Club Committee for inviting me to judge at your show.  I was delighted to be given the opportunity to see and judge your dogs.   Having arrived in Ottawa on the Thursday evening and been ferried to the hotel by Robin Camken, I was then left to my own devices and so with time to kill on the Friday I took the opportunity to go and have a look around “downtown.”  Whilst walking around the flower market I spied a Bernese and, already missing my own dogs, would have loved to have gone and had a “touch and cuddle fix” but remembered that it may not be appropriate in case the dog was entered at the show next day!

I was up and about very, VERY early on the Saturday as I had been given no itinerary and did not know what time I would be required until a voicemail message arrived at 5.30am on the morning of the show with the plans for my day ahead.  At 10.am I was driven to the show in heavy rain, and as I waited during the next two hours there was not one glimmer of hope that the weather would improve.  By the time the Sweepstakes classes had finished and I could begin judging it was midday and the rain was coming down in stair-rods – non-stop pelting rain with black rain clouds as far as the eye could see. 

I felt very humbled by the huge number of entries that this show attracted for me to go over – the most dogs for one single judge to assess over the three days event.  I felt very sorry for the exhibitors who clearly had an incredibly difficult job ahead in trying to keep their dogs clean and comfortable – and as the afternoon progressed I was nothing short of amazed at how well you all managed to turn out your dogs so splendidly in such atrocious conditions.  There was no undercover accommodation at all – yet you all managed to turn out your dogs looking so clean and dry when brought into their classes.

One or two of the youngsters in the first class were rather unsettled, and just in case my rain hat had been even remotely responsible for that, I decided it was best to part company with it thereafter – and once my hair was soaked the rest of me was too!  I apologise for looking such a completely drowned “wreck” as the day progressed, but I assure you that even with water streaming down my face and into my eyes I COULD see what the dogs looked and moved like!  Happily, I was so engrossed in concentrating on my task that even though the rain persisted relentlessly for the whole six hours of judging, I did not feel cold at all until the judging ended – and then only slightly so.  Thank you all for your concern for my welfare – and the offers of towels etc between classes but I was fine and having a really good time.  We Brits are made of stern stuff – we have to be with the amount of rain we get at home!

I am not a “fault judge.”  I look at the whole dog as a complete picture – I am not swayed by  ‘fads and fancies’ nor will I disregard an otherwise overall good Bernese possessing positive attributes for the sake of what I consider to be minor deviations from the breed standard.  The ONLY thing I do not make ANY allowances for is unstable temperament – only a very few of your dogs were unwilling at being examined and they paid the highest penalty for that.  However, I was happy to spend a little time with those few entries who were unhappy or unsettled in the ring – those dogs need positive experiences in the ring if they are to overcome their fears but even allowing for the most awful conditions they were heavily penalised when I made my award decisions.  I was very touched by the handlers of those dogs who were genuinely appreciative of my extra few moments attention given to their unwilling exhibits and voiced their thanks.  You were very welcome to my time.

It was not possible to make individual critiques of the entries as would be my usual practice – the ‘official’ show paperwork was all but washed away during the non-stop ‘monsoon’ so I hope you understand why my comments about your dogs are a little more generalised than would normally be the case.

Overall I was most impressed by the quality of the entry.  Most impressed.  I found a very high percentage of the dogs on show to be very-good-to-excellent examples of the breed.  There was a good uniformity in size and type.  I thought that many of the dogs were well balanced and in proportion.  There was a variation in type as one would expect throughout the number of Bernese on display, but in general terms I thought your breeders had been most successful in creating a good level of uniformity within the breed.

From the very first class of youngsters I was struck by the soundness of movement which many of your dogs displayed.  Good angulation coming from overall good construction was evident to a greater degree than I have usually seen elsewhere.  Most of the dogs moved freely with drive and precision.  Yes – there were some who threw out a foreleg, were tied at the elbow or were close behind but they were very much in the minority.  Only a couple of dogs were lame.  I found most of your exhibits – from the puppies right through to the veteran dogs – to be well muscled and fit and that certainly helped, and enhanced, their movement.  Only a few dogs were shown carrying too much weight, with the inevitable body roll and lumbering gait but I didn’t penalise that unduly if they were well constructed.  Most dogs had a good natural stance when I asked handlers to let their dogs stand on a loose lead; too many dogs had each foot carefully placed by handlers when they need not have done so.  Precision handling can indeed go some way to camouflage an exhibit’s faults, but over-fussy handling can obstruct a judge from assessing a dog correctly and may also attract the judges attention to those faults you are trying to minimise!

Size was good with almost all entries falling into the desired height range, and although I found a few who I thought lacked bone and substance, most were good in that respect.  I thought that some dogs were a little long in loin, but toplines were quite good (when I delved under the coat – but I’ll mention that later!) and most dogs had a nice rounded rump giving a shapely outline.  There were some high set and highly carried tails as seen elsewhere across the globe.  A good width of chest was very evident throughout the entry, and a good width behind too.

Heads were mostly very attractive – and quite a lot were especially good showing a balanced skull with good definition, strength, stop and cheek-fill.  An essential part of Bernese type is the strong yet kind and benign expression – a sweet almost melting look that epitomises the character of the breed.   A few bitches had rather narrow heads with slightly long muzzles, and I thought that some eyes were too large and over round. There were some light eyes scattered throughout the entry but not to any worrying degree.  One or two males carried heads which I considered to be a little heavy and rather course.  Mouths were mostly correct, just one or two dogs with minor deviations which I felt unimportant when balanced against those dogs positive qualities.  Markings were well within acceptable levels.  I did find some Bernese with a rather lighter tan colouring that ideal, but there was also a good percentage of dogs with a lovely rich dark tan.

In almost every class there was a high percentage of quality dogs to choose from, and in some classes some very good dogs went unplaced.  But, I have to emphasise that my major winners stood out immediately.  I was delighted to find such outstanding exhibits for my top awards and those dogs were, without exception, of an exceptionally high standard and they caught my eye and demanded my interest from the moment they entered the ring. Closer, individual examination only confirmed their wonderful quality and style.  The weather being as dreadful as it was throughout the entire judging meant that I was not aware of handlers faces at all as the procession of wet dogs and rain-gear-clad people came and went as the classes progressed.  Even the handing out of the class prizes was done quickly as there was only a small gazebo covering the awards table, with little room for the winning exhibitors to gain a tiny bit of shelter for the formalities before the next class was underway.  Therefore, I was astonished and I admit very pleased to find out afterwards that so many of my top winners and class placings were very closely related.  Their similarity of type was unmistakable and I congratulate those owners and breeders in the consistency of quality in their dogs and I am very pleased to have had the chance to go over, and reward, such outstanding dogs.

There are a few points which I found quite noticeable and so also deserve to be mentioned.  I found quite a lot of very short tails – tails which were far short of reaching the hock joint.  I have seen this fault in European Bernese and increasingly in the UK too – but maybe not in such a high percentage of dogs as I saw entered your show.  Also, I feel that favoured method of coat preparation does nothing to enhance the shape of your dogs, and in fact compromises the identification of true body shape and balance.  Over–processed, over-blown, open coats which have been fluff-dried upwards and outwards is not an efficient weatherproof coat essential to a working dog even if those “working” dogs only ever get to spend their time in a home environment and a showring!  Curly and wavy coats do appear commonly in Bernese – as do dipping toplines and other body shape variations - and fluffing out the coat may go some way to disguising those faults in a superficial way but any knowledgeable judge will not be fooled.  On some exhibits bearing fluffed out coats, and that type of coat preparation was indeed very widespread through the entry, it was obvious that the coat had subsequently been trimmed and sculpted in an effort to camouflage the actual less-than-ideal construction of the dog.  Whilst it is clear that a little restrained tidying up of feet overgrowth and unruly featherings is quite appropriate and beneficial to the final preparation and presentation of a Bernese for the showring, I should hate to see this beautiful breed continue to be barbered because of a hairdressers whim.   Bernese are a NATURAL breed with no exaggerations required – not least exaggerations of preparation.

I was also rather dismayed to see the way in which some dogs were strung-up on cheese-wire thin check chains and show leads – pulled tight and taut right up under the throat at jaw-line where the dog is most sensitive.  In fact – some of those dogs were strung so high that their front feet hardly touched the ground and the expression in their eyes as they were gaited was nothing less than a haunted expression.  I know that this type of showring handling is commonplace in some countries – we see it in the UK too but mostly in smaller breeds (although one or two Bernese folk do it here too) but I have to say it does NOTHING to enhance the natural beauty – nor quality – of your large and biddable dogs.  If anything this over manipulation of your exhibits obstructs the judge whilst examining your dogs, and impedes the dogs natural movement and gait.  Whilst I fully understand that you have just a few moments in the showring to show off your dog to best advantage, it is very sad to see so many dignified dogs strung up in a most undignified way with their obvious discomfort apparent.  I am quite sure that well schooled Bernese, shown on a loose lead and moved on a loose lead at a steady trot will be just as successful in showing off their attributes and attracting a judge’s attention.   

I should like to convey my very sincere thanks to my hardworking ring stewards who kept things moving along in the awful weather conditions and ensured the timekeeping was within expected and stipulated boundaries.  I must also thank the exhibitors for their good humour and determination to make the very best of an awful situation – there was an especially friendly and jolly atmosphere around the ringside and that almost (ALMOST!) made the weather insignificant to me.  Handlers were, without exception, courteous and efficient and friendly and accepted my class placings with goodwill.  Sadly, it was too wet for photographs of the awards presentations to be taken on the day, but these were organised to take place next day.

I was driven back to my hotel after the judging (has that car seat I sat on dried out yet?) and had just 45 minutes before I was to be collected again and driven to the Banquet.  I managed to shower and change and when I arrived at the banquet I was delighted to see that you all recognised me when I was DRY!  I have to say I was given the most fantastic welcome by everyone present, I was truly stunned at your friendliness and hospitality and as the evening progressed I was delighted to be able to speak to the assembled audience giving my views of your dogs, and afterwards talk to so many of you who came to speak to me privately.