labrador retriever Q&A WITH SUE WILLUMSEN, GREGORY A. ANDERSON, JANIS GRANNEMANN & DR. MICHAEL J. WOODS
don’t throw bait all over the ring. Entries are not cheap. You have about 2+ minutes to show your dog; make the most of it! 15. What should breeders currently be concerned about? GA: The breeders should be concerned about eye color and soundness. JG: Length of loin and body. This is not a long and low breed. Nor is he a super heavy breed. He is “strongly- built,” but not heavily built. He is “short-coupled and athletic.” MW: Main problems with the breed: short legs; weak toplines; low tail sets; common heads; incorrect shoul- der assembly; very poor, ineffective, labored movement. Interestingly, the Kennel Club (England) identified the Labrador as a breed whose health is of concern. The con- cern was not simply overweight, but that the breed had too much substance. Something to think about! 16. What previously campaigned Labs come close to your ideal? Please explain. GA: I really can’t mention a certain dog I have admired so many black, yellow and chocolates. There is a breeder that I enjoy their type—that’s the TABATHA LINE, based, I think, in the Midwest. JG: Eng Ch Farbracken Comedy Star. I saw him the very first time I went to Crufts. He was a young dog and he just took my breath away. He was so balanced, moved beauti- fully, wonderful soft expression with just a hint of mischievousness and the nicest feet you could want. When he was in the ring, it was hard to look at anyone else. He was out of two English show champions and his pedigree was filled with quality Labs. He finished his championship rather quickly. At one time Murphy was the record CC tile holder for Labradors in England. He produced many champion get all over the world and is still seen in pedigrees of some of the top Labs. MW: Two dogs I had the privilege to judge and liked very much are: Beechcrof Study’s Top Secret and Clear Creek BonaVenture Windjammer. Both were very similar: great type; pleasing heads; wonderful fronts, necks and
shoulders; very good toplines and excellent tails, tail sets and carriage. Both had that ‘touch of class’ which char- acterizes the great ones that have the quality to win the Potomac, BOB at Westminster, and numerous specialties, as these two have. [There are photos on the Beechcroft and Clear Creek websites] 17. How does the breed in North America compare to other parts of the world? GA: There is no comparison of the Lab in the USA and other countries. England has some beauties! American breeders are doing quite well! JG: Our Labs tend to have heavier bodies and more bone. They also have shorter muzzles and broader back skulls with necks that are not as clean as other countries. But our dogs also seem to have better angulation front and rear. I do not see as many “Terrier fronts” in the US. Movement is about equal. MW: I’ve been very fortunate in that I’ve been able to judge the breed all over the world: North America, South Amer- ica, Mexico, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. What I’ve found is conformation Labradors are much the same throughout the world, since most come from much the same background and there has been a great deal of importation and shipping of semen. North American Labradors are, in my opinion, competitive anywhere in the world. We have some wonderful Labradors that could win big anywhere, and have. 18. Do you have anything else to share? SW: Enjoy the breed for their personalities. If you do not like the breed, please do not do a disservice to the exhibitors by taking judging assignments. JG: It is an advantage to the swimmer for the center of gravi- ty in the body to be moved back toward its center, taking weight off the forequarters. One way that the center of gravity is moved backward is by a relatively smaller head, a shorter neck and a rear quarter that is slightly heavier than the forehand. This is a swimming breed. Add a bird in the mouth to a heavy front and that dog will have to worker harder just to stay afloat. MW: The Labrador is a marvelous breed: a great family companion, a hunting partner, easy to live with (except for a ‘little’ hair now and then), a versatile do anything dog. Breeders have done a wonderful job keeping the temperament of the breed from deteriorating despite its popularity and are making tremendous strides eliminat- ing the breed’s major health problems. No breed is more beloved in more countries throughout the world. Confor- mation judges, however, although often aware of these positive aspects of the breed, need focus only on one fact as they judge the breed: the Labrador is a water retriever par excellence and every aspect of the dog should be geared to performing this function! Can this dog I’m judging do his job or not?
Eng Ch Farbracken Comedy Star
310 • S how S ight M agazine , O ctober 2018
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