Showsight January 2017

“GSMD BREEDERS AND OWNERS ARE VERY ACTIVE IN PRESERVING THE WORKING HERITAGE

OF THE BREED.”

of approximately equal length to the back skull, but should be blunt and not pointed. Unfortunately most muz- zles that approach the correct length tend to be pointed or snipey. Retain- ing proper length and width of muzzle seems to be challenging. The lips and flews should be tight. Most of the dogs with correct width and depth of muz- zle tend to be a little lippy, but a Great Dane look is not desirable. The expres- sion should be animated and gentle with dark brown, almond shaped eyes preferred. Incorrect eyes are very dis- tracting from the correct headpiece. Blue eyes are a DQ. In adult dog the nose leather should be black. All GSMD puppies are born with pink noses and the pigment fills in as they age. It is not unusual to

see puppies that still have pink spots on their noses. This should not be faulted. A good GSMD head should flow together. There should be no sharp angles such as prominent brows and no domey skulls. The head should never appear too big or too little for the body. A common mistake when judging the breed is to award a “big head” with no regard as to wheth- er or not it fits the standard. The stan- dard calls for a scissors bite but with no mouth DQs. The GSMD is a slightly longer than tall breed. Length of leg equals depth of body. They move with a level topline and the tail should not tilt or curl over the back. The ideal markings of black with a white blaze, chest, feet and tail tip offset by the rich rust are described

in the standard, but are of lesser impor- tance than structure and temperament which directly affect the working ability of the breed. The only trait to be severely penalized is shyness or aggres- siveness. Lack of undercoat is to be penalized and all other faults are to be penalized to the extent of the deviation from the ideal described in the AKC Standard. GSMD breeders and owners are very active in preserving the working heritage of the breed. GSMD compete at draft trials, herding tests, weight pulls, pack dog hikes as well as at rally, obedience, agility and track- ing trials. They have been used as search and rescue dogs and as therapy dogs. As you can see, this is a breed of many talents.

180 • S how S ight M agazine , J anuary 2017

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