Dog Blog
Musings
AKC strongly advises that all judges should ask the exhibitor to show the bite/open the mouth when conducting oral exams.
It is a shame that our international wolfhound judges having an extreme obsession with dentition are not versed in or with AKC's The Rules, Policies, and Guidelines for Conformation Dog Show Judges. The handbook states, "Study of the approved breed standard will define the proper oral exam for that breed." Note that the current IWCA Breed standard does not denote bite......
A recent conversation in Dogs in Review Point/Counterpoint topic of the month section that I thought was engaging as the guest panelists answered in a thoughtful, meaningful manner. The subject matter is not new:
"In your experience, is the average exhibitor today more knowledgeable or less knowledgeable about breed standards, canine structure, and gait than he/she was 10 years ago?"
I know that this problem has been debated for at least 15 plus years alone in my circles, despite the ten years the point/counterpoint mentions......
Some years past, I read an interview with a well-known dog breeder in which, and I am mostly paraphrasing here, she was asked what she had learned over her many decades. She responded that unfortunately, there is a downside to the sport, referring to the "dark side" of people's personalities. She was refreshingly candid, as, in fact, there are dark sides to individuals as well as bad-natured characters in this sport, and at one time or another, you will encounter them both.....
A long time ago, in what seemed to be a different world from that of today's purebred dog conformation sport, conversations used to take place regarding type and soundness. Back then, we read magazine interviews of well-known judges and one paraphrased question often put to them was "Which would you choose, type or soundness?" As was often the case, many all-breed judges replied, "You cannot have one without the other."
Lately, having returned from a specialty breed show, as well as an all-breed dog show, I am now, more than ever, flummoxed with the quality of purebred dogs. I will add more conversations and thoughts on several other topics, but this post is concerning the forequarter assembly. I am speechless about the condition of front ends on dogs.
The central and important principle to understand is that a canine’s front end is responsible for supporting more than half of the dog’s weight. These bones are not useless or trivial components of the canine anatomy.
While researching material on my computer for a friend of mine I rediscovered this intriguing and somewhat humorous article I wrote in 2005, at the request of the Irish Wolfhound Club of England for their annual magazine. Wow, it brought me back in time. It is entertaining (in a dark way) in several parts as it describes trials & tribulations of dog show travel, but it also provides insights into our breed. Take a look back in time....
Fanciers and Judges make a great to-do over the dog’s hindquarters but can they really recognize a sound, strong pelvic girdle and pelvic limb construction? Although breed blueprints revolve around specialization demanding differing angles to include descriptive terms, such as sweep of stifle or great length from hip to hock, unimpaired hindquarters construction is the same, no matter the breed. First,...
Yes, pun intended, I mean filling station. My play on words is tailor-made for this discussion about dogs, particularly on their fill and station. Many hobbyists who are unfamiliar with the phrase ‘station’ are shaking their heads but then so is the notion about filling this station — filling what with what?
Virtually all of the Dog Group breeds were propagated for and should be functional. Although today many argue that nearly every one of the breeds no longer fulfill their purpose, the truth is that for basic soundness of even our companions and family dogs, their feet factor into sustaining quality of life. Similar to a person whose feet have fallen arches, plantar fasciitis or muscle strains that cause constant discomfort and pain...
Depending on the breed, one of the most interesting features is a dog's headpiece. Headpieces glorify the breed by way of expression and shape. The expression is achieved by appearance, rather the dog’s look, set, shape and color of their eyes, set-on of the ear, the planes of the backskull and muzzle or foreface. What makes a great head case is the handiwork of several important elements. First,...
Save for cropped breeds, most fanciers don’t pay too much attention to their dog’s ears, regarding them as obvious features to have but inessential in the overall genesis of a very good dog. Though this may reflect a modicum of reality for a number of breeds, for instance a few sighthounds, where some repeat the phrase parrot-fashion “he does not run on his ears,” indeed there are breeds who contradict this accepted tenet.
"His neck is on the line." This idiom is appropriate when conversing about show dogs but also specialized breeds. Yes, the neck is more than just another part of the canine skeletal structure that connects the trunk and the head. In truth, it seems to have fluctuating levels of importance depending on the breed.
