THE CESKY TERRIER
The chest should be cylindrical and well sprung. A judge should place a hand between the dog’s front legs and let the dog’s chest rest there. A judge’s hand should only feel the cen- ter of the rib cage. The rest of the chest rises up and out. With the chest down and flat, the Cesky would be a wide body and unfit for a burrow. For the same reason, the set of the shoulders, and the shape of the legs and feet, are also important. The shoulders are muscular, well laid back and powerful. The elbows fit closely to the sides of the animal presenting a compact, no wasted motion to the gait; again similar to an athlete. Forelegs are short, straight, well boned and parallel. Forefeet are large with well-developed pads. In the hindquarters, the thighs are longer in proportion to the lower leg with the stifle well bent. Hind feet are smaller, with smaller, but equally well developed pads. Everything here is predicated on digging, moving underground, capturing and bringing the prey out of the burrow or simply dragging bigger prey across a field. Judges know how important a standard is. Perhaps what should be stressed in Judges’ Education is how the breed was created and/or refined to facilitate its mission and how the standard is meant to give the judge a guideline in present- ing awards to animals who best present traits that exemplify that mission. Judges wishing further clarification on the Cesky Standard or on Cesky anatomy are invited to contact the American Cesky Terrier Fanciers Association for a Judg- es’ Education Slide Presentation as well as a copy of the new standard. Classroom seminars may also be arranged. Contact ceskyTerrierfanciers.org.
The Standard defines the anatomy important to a dog hunting prey in burrows as well as above ground.
When judging the Cesky it is important to understand that when all the nuances of the Standard are clearly understood, there’s no question concerning the animal’s worth as a proven Terrier.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MARCH 2020 | 291
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