THE NUMERIC STANDARD: SHETLAND SHEEPDOGS
by CADIE PRUSS Acadia Shelties
J udges often remark that the Shetland sheepdog (Sheltie) can be a difficult breed to judge and breeders report it is difficult to breed good quality. Attend an American Shetland Sheepdog Association (ASSA) national and one will find various breed type, various grooming styles, various pre- sentation styles and as many opinions are there are participants. While such a large event can be enough to make one’s head spin, the Sheltie is really fortunate to have a well written standard. The written standard concludes with the scale of points (see Table 1) which sums up the Sheltie numerically and guides judges and breeders alike as to which vir- tues should carry the most weight. Early additions of Sheltie Talk , by Betty Jo McK- inney provided Sheltie enthusiast with a form based on the scale of points from which to evaluate individuals. The idea to use this scale of points has gained a renewed interest and has been used for the first two years of the new ASSA Top Twen- ty competition. There is no substitute for reading a breed standard in its entirety and learning all one can about why it came to be written as it was, but finding creative ways to dissect and learn can only help to broaden one’s understanding of the whole, or at least, lead to additional discussions. In my attempt to understand and follow the scale of points (the scale) more closely, I have rearranged the written standard to pair together the parts that are paired in the scale. No words have been changed from the text of the standard, but parts of the standard may be missing from this exercise because they were not mentioned in the scale of points. Again, there is no substitute for reading the standard in its entirety. This is simply an additional way to focus and think about the Sheltie. It’s interesting to note where the high- est points are given and how the total dog
was evaluated. The larger categories of General Appearance (25 pts), Head (20 pts), Body (20 pts), Forequarters (15 pts), Hindquarters (15 pts) and Gait (5 pts) have been further broken down. In some areas, such as under General Appearance, noth- ing has been “lumped together”. Tempera- ment for example, has been weighted with a full 10 points, while under Hindquarters, a structural component such as hocks and feet both have been “lumped” as one and combined are weighted with 5 points. Continuing to use the Hindquarters as the example, one may not be accustomed to the hindquarters evaluation as only the Hip, thigh and stifle and not the croup or tail (included in Body). While fully diving into this evaluation, one may be surprised by what is important, what is listed as a “fault”, what is NOT listed as a “fault” and what, over time, we have placed an empha- size on in this breed. Hopefully judges and breeders have the same goal: the evaluation of breeding stock. For judges, this exercise may help
organize the picture the Sheltie standard is painting. For breeders who feel they have a mind’s eye picture of the perfect Sheltie, this exercise can help get past the super- ficial faults and virtues and help really understand what a dog has to offer to the breeding program. As judges and breeders work together to further improve the prog- ress of a breed, it is helpful to know which areas a breed, as a whole, truly excels in and which areas they need improvement. All methods of evaluation that use the words of the written standard can only serve to deepen one’s understanding. GENERAL APPEARANCE SYMMETRY The outline should be so symmetrical that no part appears out of proportion to the whole. TEMPERAMENT The Shetland Sheepdog is intensely loyal, affectionate and responsive to his owner. He may be reserved towards strang- ers but not to the point of showing fear or
Table 1: Scale of points as found in the written standard for the Shetland Sheepdog SCALE OF POINTS
General Appearance
25 Forequarters
15
Symmetry
10 10
Shoulder
10
Temperament
Forelegs and feet
5
Coat
5
Head
20 Hindquarters
15
Skull and stop
5 5
Hip, thigh and stifle
10
Muzzle
Hocks and feet
5
Eyes, ears and expression
10
Body
20 Gait
5
Neck and back
5
Smoothness and lack of waste motion when trotting
Chest, ribs and brisket
10
Lion, croup and tail
5 DISQUALIFICATIONS Heights below or above the desired range, i.e. 13-16 inches. Brindle color
296 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J ULY 2015
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