Judges also pay attention to a dog's temperament — Fiona projected a comfortable, tail-wagging confidence — and whether its overall condition indicates proper exercise, nutrition, care and grooming, Sturz said.
Consider, for example, a Pekingese — specifically, Fiona, Sturz' 18-month-old pet, show champion and obliging model when he demonstrated for Associated Press journalists how judges work.
The hands-on examination ended with Sturz gently lifting Fiona — her breed is supposed to “pick up heavy,” or feel quite substantial for its size, he said.
“When you’re judging at Westminster on any level, it’s unlike any other judging experience,” said Donald Sturz, who awarded the top prize in 2022 to a bloodhound named Trumpet.
“As a judge in best in show at Westminster, you really can’t go wrong because you know a case could be made for any one of the seven of them,” he said.
