This article first appeared in the July 1968 AKC Gazette and is reprinted with permission.
Recent issues of the English weekly Dog World have contained considerable comment on the proposed revision of the American Cairn Terrier Standard. Walter Bradshaw of the well-known Redletter Kennels, Lt. Col. Whitehead, noted authority on the breed in Scotland and Miss Ferelith Hamilton, editor of English Dog World, judge and daughter of one of the partners of the well known Oudenarde Kennels, have all burst into print with comments.
Mssrs. Whitehead and Bradshaw seem to be of the opinion that any change is for the worse and that the movement stems from some wicked conspiracy to change the breed and make the standard fit the dogs of certain exhibitors. Whatever else may be said about the proposed standard and the reasons behind the move to change our present standard, the foregoing most definitely is not true and constitutes in my mind a most unfair slur on the motives of all those who have worked so hard on this project and upon the entire Board of Governors of the Cairn Terrier Club of America which has authorized and approved both the project and the present draft. Miss Hamilton on the other hand, does not question the motives behind the proposed revision, but raises some very good points and offers constructive criticism. The material in parenthesis in the following quotes is this columnist's). Miss Hamilton writes:
"I was very interested in the proposed American Standard for our breed and hope our leading breeders and judges will comment on the individual points.
"To comment on a broader view I dislike intensely the long list of faults at the end of the Standard, because I fear that it will encourage fault judging. My basic training as a judge of any breed lay round the maxim that at all costs one must avoid fault judging. If you do succumb you will always end up with mediocrity. I will go further and say that this is also one of the most important points to remember when breeding. To understand this I suggest you read Mr. Horner's Bull Terrier notes this week. Mr. Oppenheimer (well known English breeder of top Bull Terriers) too has often written on the same subject in general terms which can easily be applied to our breed. (Mr. Horner's article is excellent and fits beautifully with my proposed column for next month, with which it will be included.) We have much more stock but the principles are the same.
"I think it is because too many of our specialists fault judge, that we see so much bad judging today. It isn't that they do not `know' a Cairn, but instead of valuing its virtues they seem to be mesmerized by its faults. Any judge should first evaluate a dog in its entirety. Then look at the individual points. Try to be dispassionate about faults, even if they are ones you particularly dislike. `Bees in the bonnet' should definitely be out!
"I think those who have studied other breeds will agree with my remarks and I hope a few of our specialists who are also all-round judges will enlarge on the points I have made."
The week after the foregoing article appeared in English Dog World, Mr. Bradshaw seems to have taken Miss Hamilton's advice and directed his comments to the substance of the proposed changes rather than to the motives of those responsible for them, which he impugned, in what seemed to this writer an inordinately sarcastic manner, in both his earlier and later comments on this subject. Mr. Bradshaw wrote the week following the publication of Miss Hamilton's comments. "I agree with Miss Hamilton's remarks last week on the new guidance for Cairn judges, as well as breeders, which I believe has been set up by the Cairn Terrier Club of America. Frankly, this hand out leaves me stone cold. It seems to me there are far more faults to guard against than there are virtues to look for. Should we look for faults first and then the virtues? If so, and this new idea catches on, then we will be very busy with so many faults to look for. I believe that one sentence in the Standard of the three (English Cairn Terrier) clubs gives the best guide to faults : `In order to keep this breed to the best old working type any resemblance to a Scottish Terrier will be considered objectionable.' That covers short back, big low slung middle piece, ears on top, short stumpy tail, heavy bone, short legs, beady eyes and short neck."
Mr. Bradshaw then goes on to quote a 1936 article written by Col. Whitehead which I previously quoted in connection with this subject, but the last few paragraphs of which tie in quite well with Miss Hamilton's remarks. Col. Whitehead wrote in 1936: "It is most important that we keep the Cairn as an individual. We must have a Standard but, on no account, must his individuality be lost. In general conformation we want the Cairn to be as the Standard states, but in general appearance each Cairn should be himself. The Standard may be the guide, but the ruling factor is the judge who does a great deal in keeping the Standard of the breed. But let them find the virtues first and the faults later when assessing the values."
Gerard A. Jacobi, 175 West 79th St. New York, N.Y. 10024
