Judges Breed Observations (JBO)

 
As an NZDJA Judge, you will be involved at the front line of this rollout, therefore it is imperative that you understand the full implications of the Scheme for judges, breeders and exhibitors.  You need to understand that breeders and exhibitors are justifiably nervous around the intent of this scheme. So please expect to be questioned - and accept being questioned graciously - and understand that until it is embedded in our show scene, you will experience a degree of push-back from exhibitors.  Remain calm and confident in your application of the scheme and you are with the Breed Standards and remember – the scheme is NOT the reason you may refuse a CC, it is the way the dog deviates from the breed standard that has resulted in that decision.  Below are some points for you to remember.   

I will start by describing what the scheme IS NOT!

1. It is not a Health Check, it is an expansion of the Breed Standards.
   
   
2. It is NOT Breed Watch as in the UK scheme (which does require Vet Certification in parts).
   
   
3. Because it is NOT a Health Check - you do NOT need to be a Veterinarian to apply the scheme to the dogs presented to you for judging.
   
   
4. The information collected does not identify individual dogs and there is no intention of that being changed.
   
   
5. The information collected will not be disclosed to parties outside the JBO Sub-committee. 
   
   
6. Which in turn means there is no means by which the information could be used to approve/disapprove any breeding activities.

What the scheme is!

1. A tool used to measure the health and wellbeing of pedigree dogs in New Zealand.  In specific, the breeds that internationally may have the health and welfare affected by exaggerations.
   
   
2. Highlights the various points of the breed standard that are prone to misinterpretation and therefore the potential for exaggerations that in excess, may impact the health and wellbeing of the breed.
   
   
3. Currently there is no such measure in New Zealand and our external stakeholders rely on information from the United Kingdom (where our breeders claim the numbers are distorted and not truly representative of our more healthy breeds here in New Zealand.) 
   
   
4. Which is why;
   
   It is imperative we collect our own unique information to rebuff the claims that health of our pedigree breeds in New   Zealand are the same as those in the UK.
   
   It is used as an indicator to external stakeholders, that judges understand and acknowledge the part they play in the health and wellbeing of New Zealand’s Pedigree Dogs.
   
   This knowledge and training, then and the subsequent testing of your application of this knowledge against the breed and its standard qualifies you a NZDJA Judge.
   
   As a qualified judge, you are a competent person with the proven ability to correctly apply the scheme.