Attended an AKC-sanctioned show in Orlando today. An impressive collection of 63 Golden Retrievers. The judge seemed partial to near-red entries whenever possible. Perhaps just a coincidence. Yours truly had the only cream-coated dog in the show. This, despite the fact that there are a number of breeders in Florida who specialize in European-type Goldens-- usually of that color. The judge barely looked at Luthor, my boy; and it didn't help that he sat every time the young handler tried to set his rear legs (the dog's, not the judge's). I certainly can't fault the judge for that-- or the handler for that matter who was only introduced to Luthor shortly before entering the conformation ring.
What I found interesting and likewise disturbing is that my dog appeared "invisible" to all the fanciers, breeders and owners who gathered at ringside. A breeder in Texas told me that the solution would be to get a sizeable entry of cream and light gold dogs entered at each show. She believed that judges and the general public would get used to seeing them and that eventually the dogs would do well in competition.
But this ignores one very essential fact. The creams (and reds for that matter) are declared "undesirable" in the official breed standard. And don't we want and expect the judges to follow the standard as written?
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