Bulldogsworld.com presents
We welcome Judge Chris Neilson to the site for some "ask a judge questions". Chris is a licensed all breed judge and a Bulldog Breeder.. 

Among his accomplishments and under the kennel prefix Comepatabull Bulldogs, he has shown, bred and handled bulldogs to #1 in Canada,
1991,1992,1997,1998,1999,2000,2006.


He is also the President of The Confederation Bulldog Club in Ontario as well as President of The Ontario Breeders Association. He has agreed to generously offer to this site views for you all and can offer two opinions to bulldoggers,  one as an all breed judge, and one as a Bulldog breeder judge. Chris has judged The New Jersey Bulldog Specialty,  The Forth Worth Bulldog Club Specialty,  all breed shows in Dallas, Bloomsburg, PA,  Lansing, Michigan, Wisconsin, every province in Canada except Newfoundland,  Australia including a Bulldog Specialty,  and China. So please feel free to ask any serious question you may have. So ask your question as it relates to showing and a judges point of view.
Please feel free to click here and ask your question for the Judge to answer.  You will remain fully Anonymous. Check back at a later date to see if your question is posted.
Volume 12 -  May/June 2008
Back to Bulldogsworld.com  -  Visit our Show Forum  "The Winning Edge"  -  Visit our General Message forum
Past (archive) issues link at bottom of this page
Q-  I see more bitches winning today vs. 10 years back. Do you feel this trend is true and if so why?

A-    Not sure if I would agree on that.  I would love to see the stats for this though.  I have no problem putting up a bitch myself, but for what I've experienced the males win the great majority of specialties. 

I realize a bitch won the national 2 years ago, and this had only happened I believe 3 times in history.  That certainly is not right. 

Any large specialty I have attended, spectators seem to be in agreement that the bitches are stronger than the males. 

I have to disagree with your statement.  I believe males win the most by far.
Q- Do you ever see any type of online dog show possibilities
   
A- One of the magazines in Canada is getting ready to have their first 'virtual dog show'. They still don't have everything worked out but it is going to happen. 

I think in today's world it could be a lot of fun.  But of course judging a dog by photographs is just not the same. 


Q-  I want to know how to get a dog to use a ramp, when they won't.
    
A- In Canada, I have yet to see a ramp at any show, although it is written into our rule book that 'if' the judge requests one, it must be supplied.  Still, never seen one here. 

Now in the U.S. Of course it is common to see them, even at all breed shows, but always at Bulldog Specialties. 

The first time we travelled with our bully down south and encountered a ramp, of course we were not familiar with it either.  Unlike in Canada, normally at the shows in the U.S. (all breed) they do not allow you to practice in empty rings before the show.  In Canada this is done all the time. 

I found that the all breed clubs have made an exception for the ramp rings and had no trouble getting to practice before the show began on the ramp. 

Practice makes perfect.  You have to first try it when you're the only one in the ring with your dog.  Approach it slowly and very gently prod your dog up it, being very careful that he doesn't jump off.  This is very important, as if he does jump off he will always remember this as a bad experience.  Not a good thing. 

If he refuses to walk up the ramp, then lift him and place him on it.  Again, be very careful that he does not jump off.  I think you will find if you continue to do this, the dog will get used to it.  You do not have to walk him up the ramp, you can lift him on and off, that's your choice. 

As a last resort, if your dog simply will not go on the ramp, you can ask the judge if they mind examining him on the ground and explain why.  Depending on the judge he may very well accept this and have no problem with it.  If the judge has specifically asked for the ramp due to back problems etc, then there could be a problem.  It is the right of the judge to have your dog on this ramp and he could excuse your dog for 'unable to examine' being the excuse.


Q- In the last couple of years, I have noticed in the ring, young, new handlers, picking the bulldogs up by the chain/nylon leads under their throats, with the other hand under there rears and moving them back and forth into position.  Do you see this and do you say anything?  Isn't there a constant worry with this breed about their windpipes/tracheas?  Does it give the illusion of the head being held to high?


A- I have watched the same thing, and it really upsets me too.  I thought everyone knew that the larnyx of a bulldog was very small and can be damaged easily.  Why would someone even take the chance of doing this is beyond me.  The same thing with these steel chokers some use,  again way to rough on the throat. 

As far as them picking up the dog with the collar, this is a result of ignorance.  There is just no need for that and it just shows how ignorant the handler is of the breed.  Any bulldogger who has shown for a few years would NEVER do this. 

As far as holding the head higher, that might be the result and I'm sure the handler believes this to be a positive thing,  but even if it were,  is winning a ribbon really worth risking the health of an animal you love? 



Q- Should the standard be re-wrote, considering dogs have changed since declared standard was made?
   
A- First re writing any breed standard is a very difficult process regardless of the country.  It can take years and there has to be a huge majority in the breed that favour this.  This is a very hot subject in the bulldog world.  I think everyone agrees that it is hard to find a 40 pd bitch or a 50 pd male no matter where you go.  So what to do?  The breed has changed in so many ways since the standard was written.  The original bulldog looked more like a sporting dog,  was much more fit and more powerful and I'm sure had a lot more stamina.  It had to for the barbaric purposes people used them for. 

Now of course, the main purpose of a bulldog is to sit on your couch and watch TV.  I'm sure there are still a few that could actually jump up high enough and grab the nose of a bull, but not many. 

In one way I would like to change the standard, but then I ask if we did, where would it end?  Would we end up with 100 pd bulldogs?