Judge's Gifts - Necessary or Nice?

I was recently at a table where an AKC Agility Judge announced that they would never return to judge for a club if they didn't receive a judge's gift to thank them for their services. Another judge at the table had the opposite opinion and felt their fee was more than sufficient.

It has been my experience that judges, exhibitors and clubs each have a pretty clear opinion on the topic.

I've noticed that those who come from Conformation generally believe a judges gift is tradition and a must. On the flip side some clubs such as the Board of the Puget Sound Labrador Retriever Club firmly believe that agility judges make enough in payment and they won't authorize a judge's gift (except for club merchandise).

While I don't agree with PSLRA's reasoning, my personal belief is that a gift for judging isn't a requirement. But I will admit that it is a NICE surprise and has never failed to put a smile on my face! Ironic since the last sentence in Wikipedia's definition of Gift is "By extension the term gift can refer to anything that makes the other happier...especially as a favor, including...kindness."

I have to admit, I have all of the gifts I've received over the years. For my very first assignment, they gave me a beautiful handmade wood clock with a hand painted picture of a Dalmatian - I love that gift and it has sat prominently in the living room of every house I've lived in.

There are many treasured gifts throughout my house and the cost of the item isn't what makes a gift great.

For example, a club that Dan was judging for contacted me to get pictures of his dogs. Their timing was great because we had just received professional photos back of Burton. The club used the picture to create a personalized coffee mug which Dan uses every day (and I'm not allowed to touch ). The thoughtfulness of a gift is what makes it so special.

So, I'm curious...what do most people think?

Lisa