JUDGING THE SWEDISH VALLHUND
By Cheryl Rolfe
General Appearance S mall, powerful, fear- less, sturdily built Spitz herding dog • Height to length of body is 2:3 • Wedge-shaped head, prick ears • Close-fitting, hard double coat with characteristic “harness” markings • Tail may be natural (long, stub, or bob) or docked • Balance, outline, temperament and movement are of overriding importance. Size, Proportion & Substance • Height at withers 12 ½ " to 13 ½ " for dogs; 11 ½ " to 12 ½ " for bitches • Proportion height to length, as mea- sured from prosternum to rear of but- tocks, should be 2:3 • Substance strong, well boned, well- developed, muscular Head • Rather long and clean, when viewed from above, an even wedge from skull to nose tip, well filled-in under eyes • Eyes: medium size, oval, dark brown with black rims • Ears: medium size, pointed, prick, firm, smooth-haired, mobile and set at outer edge of skull above a line drawn from the corner of the eye • Skull: broad and almost flat; Stop well defined; top lines of the muzzle and skull parallel
• Muzzle: rather square when viewed from side, slightly shorter than skull • Nose: black, on same line as muzzle and not extending beyond forepart of muzzle • Lips: black, tight with no noticeable flews • Teeth: strong, full dentition in a scissors bite. Any deviation is a serious fault. Neck, Topline & Body • Neck long, strongly muscled with good reach • Topline level when standing or moving • Chest good depth, ribcage long and ribs fairly well sprung. From the front, chest is oval, from side, elliptical. In a mature dog it should reach down two-fifths of the length of the forelegs; lowest point of chest immediately behind back of foreleg. Prosternum visible and not excessively pronounced • Underline slightly tucked up; Back well muscled; Loin short; Croup broad and slightly sloping • Tail long, stub or bob; natural or docked; all equally acceptable Forequarters • Shoulders strongly muscled; Shoulder blades long and well laid back • Upper arms slightly shorter than the shoulder blades, set at an approximately 90 degree angle, close fitting to ribs, but mobile. A line perpendicular to the ground can be drawn from the tip of the shoulder blade through the elbow to the ground.
• Elbows move parallel to the body, turn- ing neither in nor out • Legs well boned; Pasterns slightly slop- ing, elastic; Dewclaws may be removed • Feet medium sized, short, oval, point- ing straight forward; Toes tightly knit and well knuckled; Pads thick and strong Hindquarters • Angulation: to balance the front, well angulated at stifle and hock • Legs: well boned, upper and lower thighs strongly muscled. Lower thigh is slightly longer than the distance from hock to ground. • Stifles: well bent; Hocks (Metatarsal bones): perpendicular to the ground, and viewed from the rear, parallel • Feet: toes and pads same as forefeet. Coat • Medium length, harsh; topcoat close and tight; undercoat soft and dense.
“Small, powerful, fearless, sturdily built SPITZ HERDING DOG”
S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J ULY 2014 • 209
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