JUDGING THE HAVANESE by CandaCe Mogavero Havanese Club of America Judges Education Committee
W hat is the first thing you do when you walk in the ring to judge the Havanese? In a class of two or more Havanese do you walk to the center of the ring and look at the outline of the dogs in the class? Are you looking for the length of neck, and topline rising to the rear with correct tail set, all of which are necessary for a Havanese to exhibit correct breed type? As you are examining a Havanese on the table, are you looking for a scis- sors bite with the correct number of incisors (6/6), and the correct length of top skull with a slightly shorter muzzle? Th e key word here is slightly; not a muzzle so short it looks like a di ff erent breed. We do have a problem with large round eyes. Th e reason for calling for an almond shaped eye is they are not
as easy to damage as a large round eye. Are the eyes large, dark brown and almond shaped? Is the pigmentation around the eyes black, as it should be in all colors other than chocolate? A chocolate Havanese nose and eye rim have pigmenta- tion which is brown they should not have a pink nose; this is incorrect for a Havanese. Remember, the Havanese you are examining is an athletic little dog, who loves to do obedience, agility and free style dancing, among its many talents. We want a sturdy, healthy, robust little dog. Are you feeling for the topline that rises to the rear? If you are, you can actually feel where the rise begins. Is the tail set high in a fl at croup? Does the dog you are examining have a mod- erately laid back shoulder with a short
upper arm? Is the dog slightly longer than tall when measured from the point of shoulder to the point of rump? Th e key word again is slightly. Our standard calls for a dog slightly longer than tall, not a long backed dog. Th e length should come from the rib cage and not the loin, in order to keep the back strong. Does the tail go up from the root of the tail and over the back or is the tail so tightly curled it lies fl at on the back? Th e Havanese standard states (the tail is high-set and arches forward up over the back. It is plumed with long, silky hair. Th e tail plume may fall straight forward or to either side of the body. When standing the tail may be dropped.) It should be noted that when a Havanese moves, the tail is carried up and over the back and should not be dropped. Does the coat of the Havanese
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