"I would like to thank all the exhibitors who entrusted me with the privilege of going over their dogs in such an excellent entry - I had a great day! I was proud and pleased to have this opportunity to assess so many quality dogs, many of which I was unfamiliar with. Of course, in many ways not knowing the breeding or ownership of a dog makes it much easier to be strictly impartial and I thoroughly enjoyed examining my catalogue at the end, wondering which dogs I had placed well. Some decisions were very close and placings could change on another day. But I was really delighted with my winners, and indeed within classes I was spoilt for choice - there was real depth of quality. Some good dogs went unplaced in really strong Post Grad. Limit and Open classes. I was impressed with some of the young dogs and bitches, which augurs well for the future. Dogs were turned out superbly and temperament was excellent. The gentle nature, dignity and sweetness is the hallmark of the breed and we must preserve it at all costs.

The double ring was spacious and ideal for moving the dogs to best advantage. It is always difficult to assess movement properly in a small ring since giant breeds require room to get into their stride. The weather was hotter than expected and some dogs obviously found moving for a prolonged period taxing. But overall, the dogs coped extremely well though their coats were very hot and there was some puffing!

My overall impressions were very favourable. I do not believe in fault judging and regard faults as part of the overall picture of a dog. Good features should outweigh bad. Obviously serious construction faults like weak fine bone, straight upright shoulders, flat pasterns, dippy backlines and weak loins will prevent a dog being placed high in the lineup and of course would prevent the dog being fit for function. Poor construction will also affect movement adversely, and I had at the forefront of my mind what an ideal Newfoundland should look like and how it should move. I looked for balanced, sound, typy dogs with good size, substance, strong bone; dogs which could move with power, stamina and drive. It was interesting that some of the strongest best movers in the entry were working dogs who swim and cart regularly. The hind thigh muscles on Bearhugs Skylark were textbook! She could work all day and not get tired!

We still need to watch fronts - a number of quality dogs and bitches were narrow in chest, with lack of hand room between the front legs. The fore legs should be parallel, not looking like an A frame in shape. Good width and depth of chest is essential to ensure adequate heart and lung room, which is vitally important to a swimming and draught breed. I think we would do well to remember that a Newfoundland is an active working water breed which should impress with the sense of the strength and power necessary to function as a multipurpose dog at home on land and in the water. Its working heritage must be protected and treasured. If we lose sight of the purpose and role of the original Newfoundland we will lose the essence and soul of the breed. I have no time for judges or exhibitors who believe that super trimming and flashiness is the be all and end all when presenting a dog in the ring, and are even terrified of letting their dog swim, in case the coat is damaged. Please read the Standard!! And celebrate the reason for the breed!!

So overall I looked for large, heavily coated, well balanced dogs with the strong correctly made skeletal frame and overlying well developed musculature to enable them to work with stamina and endurance in heavy seas or as draught animals. Unfortunately over trimming and scissoring of coats is still a feature of the presentation of many dogs - not always done to the best advantage, particularly on the chest or under belly. Over shaping a dog's coat can actually accentuate poor construction. Some good dogs had left their coats at home but I did not penalise lack of coat at this time of year, except where overall balance was affected.

Size was generally good - we seem to have moved away from undersized males. Some bitches I felt went to the other extreme and were too doggified for me - I look for femininity especially in the head and expression of a bitch. Bitches should be pretty and have that quality of real sweetness in the eyes. Some bitches could have been dogs, which is unappealing. We still have a problem with overdone heads, too massive, too abrupt in stop, too wrinkled or jowly, too deep, what I call a St. Bernard/mastiff type head. I also noticed this time a number of dogs with really long narrow muzzles which swept back into narrow skulls with minimal stop. I think we need to be very careful that head type complies with the standard. Head type in some dogs tends towards brachycephaly (think Mastiff) which is totally incorrect in the Newfoundland and is a health risk, leading to respiratory problems, snoring, panting, drooling and excessive wrinkling of the skin. Eyes are a problem - I agree with Jean Lanning’s recent comments that entropion seems to be on the increase. But this of course can be caused by excessive skin wrinkling on the head. Deep set eyes can lead to ingrowing eyelashes and this is a debilitating painful problem which we need to be aware of. In general I looked for dark well set almond shaped eyes with close fitting eyelids and minimal haw. There were a few light eyes which spoil expression, but in an overall good dog I made allowances as long as the eye and brow ridges were correctly shaped and the balance between muzzle, stop and crown of head was correct . I think it is important for exhibitors to recognise that judging is a balancing act, one feature against another, positive and negative, and the final result is very personal to the judge concerned. But I honestly believe that good health is a fundamental right of every dog and over exaggeration leading to defects should be penalised by a judge.

Movement was varied - from excellent, smooth, rhythmic, ground covering action in the best dogs which excelled in driving from a strong, muscular, well angulated hind assembly with good forward reach and extension, to weaving, plaiting and crabbing with incorrect pastern and hock action in less well constructed dogs. I accepted slight toeing in at the front.

Special mention must be made of my Best of Breed Ch. Scotiabear Talk of the Town at Rathmil. He is simply one of the most outstanding Newfoundlands I have ever judged. He has fulfilled the early promise he exhibited as a Puppy under me at Boston in 2009, when he won the Res C.C.. I said then I would eat my hat if he failed to become a Champion. Fortunately my hat is safe!! So thank you Benny!

Finally, the question of colour raised its head once again at Leeds in the shape of an unpleasant anonymous letter which I received prior to judging. What colours are acceptable within the Breed Standard? Let me say unequivocally for the record that I believe that colour is purely cosmetic and that no colour is a disqualification in the show ring (see the Breed Standard). Some of us well remember the day Wanitopa Pure Joy, a gorgeously stunning brown and white bitch won a CC at a Club Show! I would have no problem whatsoever placing a dog or bitch of superior breed type, soundness, and substance whatever its colour over a solid colour dog of inferior quality. Quality is what counts! Colour does not make a dog fit for function - it is actually immaterial, although of course ideal colours are outlined in the Standard. Obviously it would be naive to say that a good mismark should beat a good solid colour dog all other things being equal, but a good dog should not be placed at the end of the line purely because it has more white marking than usual! I would prefer white paws on a bitch with excellent bone, strong construction and a lovely head than a solid colour dog with fine bone, dippy backline and narrow head. The odd thing is that one of the two lovely bitches involved in this latest controversy is well within the breed standard, as can be seen from her string of wins under so many well respected breed judges. A white chest has always been acceptable in the U.K. , America, Canada and Europe! Please read the American, FCI and Canadian standards as well as our own for clarification. Anyone who doubts that needs to check breed history and take a look at the many top winning dogs, including Champions, throughout the world, who displayed large white chests! It is a typical feature of the dog which should not be penalised. So please let us accept the right of all exhibitors to enjoy their showing without unpleasantness. Newfoundland people rightly have a great reputation for good sportsmanship - we treasure other exhibitors’ dogs as well as our own and we are generous in our praise when they win. Like our breed, we tend to be laid back and good natured, so let us remember why we love the breed and castigate those who purposely set out to victimise other exhibitors or intimidate judges."