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Judges Critique - Debbie Gschwender
Bouvier National
I have been in Bouviers for 44 years, and have been judging for 25 years. I was fortunate to have mentors that founded the American Bouvier des Flandres Club and wrote the American Bouvier standard. Yes, I am that old. I know a lot of you personally and, some of you, I know your faces and your dogs but not your names. As I get older, remembering names is not getting any easier.
I have been fortunate to have had a partner to breed Bouviers with for the past 30 years in Joyce Vaughn. We’ve had some low moments, some very low, with set backs, and we have had some wonderful highs. I love this breed! I am still passionate about this breed. This breed still manages to blow me away with their loyalty, brains, and work ethic.
I have been showing dogs for over 50 years. I have judged all over this country and all over the world. I have always tried to follow the standard in judging with any breed I judge. I can honestly say that I judge the dog, not the person on the end of the lead. Sometimes that is hard, and nothing pisses me off more than when someone questions my judging integrity.
The breed has changed a great deal in the past 40 years.
Coat. The standard calls for a harsh coat of 2 1/2”. This breed was never supposed to be a “pretty breed”. It was an all purpose FARM DOG.
I encourage all of you to personally work, or at least try your dogs on stock with the herding instinct test. That folks, is the function of this breed. Please, seriously think about that. This breed has a brain, and will get into trouble if you don’t give them a job. Much to our consternation, this is a breed that is independent. A Bouvier MUST be agile to do the job it was bred for. For good reason the standard mandates for a well laid back shoulder, a short back, and short loin. It also calls for a harsh coat. It calls for STRONG bone, not heavy bone.
I say this, so you know where I’m coming from when I judge.
Now, to what I saw in the ring. There are three severely penalized faults in this breed. The founding members and writers of the standard of the breed were dealing with very low numbers in the 1960’s, so they deliberately didn’t make any DQ’s in the 1 breed. But, they did emphasize the problems the breed had by making the issues facing the breed, a severely penalized fault. If you don’t know what they are - size, bite and color. The majority of dogs and bitches in the classes had undershot mouths, let that sink in, undershot mouths. Then there were the level bites, and very few with the correct scissor bite.
Next, long loins. Remember the function of this breed? Long loins make for weak backs and weak backs make for a dog that cannot function .
Straight shoulders. - Standard calls for a well laid back shoulder, for a reason. Function.
My Breed dog, GCHB CH. Mon Amie Guardian of the Galaxy at Terra, had most of the qualities I was looking for in my Champions. He had very nice layback of shoulder, a short loin, good coat texture (although I think he could have less hair), good scissor bite, clean coming and going, with good side gait. Overall, an easy choice for Best of Breed.
My BOS, was CH Boyero You Bloom Me Away. She had nice movement, both coming and going and side gait. She had very nice layback of shoulder, but was bit longer in loin than I like. Our standard does not allow for bitches to be longer.
My BOW, was Boyero Zig Before You Zag, from the Open Bitch class. Very lovely bitch with nice harsh coat, well laid back shoulder, good bite, loin, was again longer than I like. Her head was not as mature as I would like, but I understand she is not quite two years of age. - My WD, was Bon Idee’s Zoot Suit, from the 6 - 9 month puppy class. A very lovely promising puppy. He had very nice layback of shoulder, short loin and a good mouth. He also moved clean with reach and drive, when not on the matting, which he didn’t like.
Keep in mind what the standard says, and I hope that as a breeder your breeding program follows.
Thank you again for asking me to judge the National. It was an honor.
