"A huge thank you to Scottish Kennel Club for invitation to judge Newfoundlands at your Championship show at the Royal Highland Showground, Ingliston. I was made to feel very welcome and your hospitality was heart-warming.

To the exhibitors an even bigger thank you for your entries and I know many of you travelled a long way and I want you to know it’s very humbling and so much appreciated.

I have had this breed for in excess of 30 years and have had the honour to judge them around the world many times and each appointment is a privilege. I have to say despite the lovely atmosphere around ringside there were some people that showed poor taste in and out of the ring. This is a competition and you enter for an opinion, nothing more nothing less. As I said I have had this breed more than half my life and I am hugely passionate about them. I judge each and every exhibit to the breed standard without deviation. When I enter a ring I am conscious of the current state of the breed and each exhibit I assess I consider what attributes this dog has that can help or hinder the breed and I place accordingly. I have never, nor will I ever judge anything only the dog in front of me. I am here not to make friends or play political games, regardless of what pressures are bestowed on me I will always be true to this breed … 100%!

It has been six years since I judged in the UK and it was so nice to see so many familiar faces, many I have known decades. I have to mention one person in particular, Mrs Anne Springthorpe (Millthorpe Newfoundlands). I have known Anne over 20 years and a more genuine kind person you will never meet. Her caring attitude every time I see her humbles me and it would do any exhibitor good to emulate her professionalism and sportsmanship. A true Newfoundland person with a lifetimes experience in the breed and its always an honor to be in her company.

Overall I was massively concerned and a little saddened that a huge percentage of the dogs present today have lost breed type. From the entry at least half were slab sided with pinched chests, no spring of rib, upright in shoulder, narrow skulls and poor dentition. Lacking bone and overall poorly constructed and lacking typical breed specific movement. I have heard a lot lately of particular types and it infuriates me. There is one breed standard and one type … the correct one. Because a dog deviates from correct type does not mean we can create a new mold to fit it in to make it correct and call it “The other type”.

Head type in so many resembles a Labrador more than a Newfoundland. The Newfoundland’s head is such an important part of the overall picture of this gentle giant, it should give that unmistakable gentle expression and ooze kindness.

Size again is becoming an issue and I think in part this is due to the original breed standard being adapted by different Kennel Clubs, the removal of the word massive in my opinion was detrimental to the breed. Great size should never be penalized as long as they are symmetrically balanced. That said I judged and placed smaller dogs on breed type over larger less typical specimens as I believe it’s a lot easier breed size into a line that type.

Presentation was disappointing in a lot with many badly matted and generally unkempt. Many had incorrect open coats lacking protection from the elements.

That said I was delighted with my main winners and was proud that they represented true Newfoundland type."