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Copyrighted by Susan Dunivant of Elfloch Kennels
There appears to be a varied number of opinions concerning the practice of "sparring"
in the Kerry Blue Terrier ring. Most KBT folks feel that sparring is a valuable
[conformation] judging tool used to determine alertness, courage and confidence
in a good dog. A true test of KBT mettle is how one reacts among one's peers or
rather how a "noble" might act among his "peerage".The act
of sparring KBTs allows a judge to determine which KBT possesses the greatest
amount of poise and fire, tempered with dignity and control. In other words, sparring
shows the judge "who's who"!
At almost every all-terrier show, KBTs are routinely sparred at the judge's direction
and at the exhibitor's choice. Rarely is there an incidence of uncontrollable
aggression ever witnessed. One might observe an abundance of excitement but few
incidents of "real" fighting.This naturally begs the question: Is sparring
fighting? My answer is "no". KBTs are intelligent dogs, and it's important
to remember that a good measure of their mental quality may be judged on how they
react when sparred.
When the few fights that do break out, it is almost always due to handler error
or inexperience, or broken or slipped leads. Additionally, one must not discount
deliberate attempts to rattle a novice handler, which may be employed by a less
than sporting seasoned exhibitor. These "tricks" might include allowing
the dogs to draw too near each other, or maintain eye contact too long. With experience,
most learn to diffuse or defend against such maneuvers.
From a judge's perspective, questions to ask might include: Does the KBT pull
itself up on its toes, arching its neck and show interest while exuding a definite
attitude of warning to the other dog? Does it drop its tail and refuse to make
eye contact? If a dog loses control, will [the judge] reconsider the specimen
if the handler pulls out of the spar, only to return and spar successfully?
Experienced and knowledgeable bystanders of KBT sparring have questioned the wisdom
of this practice in view of the attitudes towards dogs held by the public today.
Spectators might consider our breed in a bad light when witnessing, and not understanding,
sparring at shows today. Maintaining order in the ring while providing a forum
to showcase proper temperament has become more important as dog shows grow bigger,
and become more visible to the public eye. To this end, exhibitors and judges
must make every effort to learn how to spar KBTs properly; resulting in a picture
that is thrilling to behold by all spectators alike.
In the end, perhaps we can all agree that there is nothing so glorious as a ring
full of beautifully conditioned KBTs, pulled up on their toes, displaying control
"resting on a hair" thereby exemplifying true KBT character. If done
properly with skill and respect, sparring presents an opportunity to display fine
KBT temperament at it's best!
Last Updated: 12/19/2002, 4:05 pm
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