For Lovettsville resident Claire Wisch Abraham, last year’s National Dog Show, held November 16 and 17, was one to remember. After years attending the show as a competitor and spectator, the 63-year-old was selected as the sporting group judge at The Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s 91st annual show — her first time judging the prestigious competition.
An Expert Eye
Event organizers are looking for people who can handle the pressure of being on TV and also have experience and a good reputation within the groups and breeds they are judging.
Abraham and fellow judges aren’t comparing dogs to each other, but rather each dog to its breed’s standards. When it came to choosing the winner of the sporting group — Houston the clumber spaniel — Abraham said he fit the description almost to a T.
“The clumber spaniel, they talk about balance, and being smooth, and the massive head. You read that standard, and you look at that dog, and he’s so close to that.”
To Show or No
Abraham explains that not every dog can be a show dog. “When they’re 8 weeks old, we evaluate the litter. I look at their structure, temperament, coat, and how they move,” says Abraham. “At that point, I decide: This one will be the one that will have the best chance to grow up to be the show dog. And this one will be the best one to be a pet.”
The main difference between a show dog and a family pet is how a dog is trained. Manners and show commands are prioritized over commands like “sit.”
They don’t stay show dogs forever. “Many of our show dogs finish and become champions in a couple of months,” Abraham says. “I have maybe one or two that I keep as show dogs, and then my priority as a breeder is to make wonderful pets.”
The Path to Perfection
Abraham’s love for competitive showing started at a young age, but it wasn’t with dogs — it was with horses. “It’s a very, very common path,” she says. “I participated in livestock judging and horse judging through 4-H, and during my years in breeding and showing dogs, then it became a natural progression into judging dogs.”
Over the past 30 years, the now-retiree has bred and shown breeds including German wirehaired pointers, Spinone Italiano, Maltese, and the Chinese crested. And a number of Abraham’s dogs have taken home top awards.
But stepping into the arena as a judge was a whole new experience.
“Walking out there was just exhilarating,” says Abraham. Before heading out to the floor, she was able to get a glimpse of the historic trophies that are nearly as old as the club itself. “To me, it was a real full-circle moment, because I’ve won those. We’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve won a lot of big groups. But to walk out to judge, that was really, really cool.”
Feature image courtesy Claire Wisch Abraham
This story originally ran in our March Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
