Today was supposed to be the second day of MyDog. Or rather, it still is, but not for us. Yesterday didn’t go all that well, resulting in a Linda with a bad back and lots of added stress. And given that I’ve got a paper on Roman curse tablets due soon, I felt I didn’t need another day like that. Of course, it usually goes better the second day, since Ringo tends to be a little more mellow, but I decided against it anyway. Still kicking myself, of course, and thinking about “what ifs”.
Yesterday actually started off okay, since I had had the smart idea of using the less busy entrance and giving Ringo a little walk outside the arena first. So, he was pretty manageable once inside, not really pulling towards dogs much at all. But once we got settled in around the ring, it was really, really crowded (today would have been better in that regard too, since we would have been in a bigger ring with more space around it), and he got really riled up and just wouldn’t calm down. If he wasn’t barking at us for attention, he barked at other dogs, either to get them to play or out of his usual leash fear/aggression. In some cases, he did settle down about particular dogs so that he could be praised for it (and I rather regret not walking him around more down in the exhibit area, to get more of a chance to reward him), but he never really landed fully. We did have his cage along, and he’d occasionally go in, but after a few minutes he’d bark and want to be let out.
And then we got into the ring, and he and a few other dogs took a dislike to each other. I don’t know who started, I know he growled at one that passed nearby, but then the dog in front of us kept turning around to snarl in his face, so I think they were all to blame. But it got kind of stressful (though no one actually touched anyone else), and for a while I even thought the judge had sent us out because he was really a) disorganized and b) quiet when he tried to split the group into two for running the dogs. By then I had a complete dry mouth and arms and legs that felt so weak I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do the individual evaluation at all. As a result, the individual running was not good. Ringo was a bit tried and I was too exhausted to do a good job. The teeth showing went well since I got to do it myself (the judge said he was tried of wrestling boxers), and then Ringo posed ... okayish while I tried to catch my breath and calm down.
Of course, after all that work, we got a 2. Not a huge surprise at a Kennel Club show, he’s just not that kind of boxer, but I am a bit annoyed anyway. The written critique was actually quite good, save for a note about him being a bit hotheaded in the ring. This means that the judge either wrote a critique that doesn’t really seem to reflect a 2 in terms of his conformation, or the judge gave him the 2 because of his temper. But for temper, if the judge feels it is an issue, it should be a 0 and then a code “A” for fearful or aggressive behaviour. If its not judged to be that much of an issue, then my understanding is that it shouldn’t be reflected in the score at all, unless its highly atypical for the breed. But, I’ve had other 2’s that I am pretty sure came because he was too unruly/bouncy/etc, when he really should have had a KEP (Kan ej prisbelönas = Cannot be judged) instead. So, because judges are reluctant to give what they see as the more serious 0 + A or KEP, you get 2’s that aren’t really 2’s instead. In this case, I guess the judge didn’t feel like handing out a bunch of 0 + A, so he handed out a few 2’s instead.
Of course, the reason for the 2 could also be that the judge isn’t very good at writing a critique that sounds well matched to the score he gives out. I know he’s judged a lot of boxer, but he spent a lot of time measuring the younger boxers and consulting a sheet which appeared to have the boxer standard on it. So it may be that we got a bit of a cookie cutter review with some typical catch-phrases thrown in. But, that’s how it is. Its all subjective, and that has to be accepted. Still, doesn’t mean one can’t sigh a bit about it. ;) Anyway, here’s the critique:
Masculine, excellent nose, a bit too much cheek, good eyes and ears. Short neck, strong back, straight croup, good forechest, good length of chest. Good legs and feet. Moves okay, somewhat hotheaded in the ring towards his competitors.
Don’t know when we will be showing again (possibly not until the local boxer show in May, but that may be too long a wait again), but this spring we really need to make an attempt at getting him ready for a working dog competition, probably tracking. We also want to do the physical & mental evaluation that should be done before age 4. And we’ll probably be booking some private lessons with a trainer to see if we can do anything about his leash aggression.