JUDGING AT SHOWS. 



55 



all the dogs were led out. On the whole, however, this first attempt on the large 

 scale to combine public judging with the aid of a scale of points was eminently 

 successful, but, nevertheless, it has not been followed to the full extent at any 

 other exhibition. The Birmingham council, in spite of the strenuous efforts of Mr. 

 Murchison, have steadily opposed these innovations, and their only concession has 

 been to guarantee that every dog shall be seen by the judges off the bench to which 

 he is chained. In the series of articles now published I have introduced the points 

 adopted by the several special clubs, with short alterations where I think them 

 needed, as in the case of the bulldog, but still they must have the authority of 

 some generally recognised body before they can be made imperative on judges. 



In 1869, a great improvement on the then existing mode of judging by points 

 was suggested by a correspondent in the Field, who was a noted breeder of 

 mastiffs, and as his letter contains the whole of the argument, stated in a clear 

 and convincing manner, I reproduce it at length. 



" g IBj Although I believe it to be most desirable that the judges at our 

 dog shows should be guided in their awards by a settled standard of points and 

 marks, it will, I believe, be found in practice very difficult, if even possible, to 

 give satisfaction by this method, unless some such plan as I venture to suggest 

 be followed. 



" In order to have a claim to be classed as a prize dog, it seems to me that an 

 animal ought to be fairly good in every point, and the plan of judgment I would 

 suggest, which is adopted from the method often followed in scholastic examinations, 

 is this : Presupposing that every point in the animal ought to be fairly good, the 

 positive marks scored in the dog's favour would represent degrees of excellence. 

 Should, however, the animal under judgment be notably deficient in any particular 

 point, I consider that not only should no positive marks be allotted for this 

 particular point, but negative marks should be given to it in proportion as the 

 point in question fell below fairly good. 



" Possibly the system may be already followed, but if not, I think it would 

 be found to work fairly and well. The book put into the hands of the judges 

 would run thus : 



