markings and points, many optical illusions can be created. t $VSSFOU HSPPNJOH QSBDUJDFT GBWPS B completely level topline which hides the angle of the croup. Get your hands on the croup to feel the angle. t ɨF BOHMF PG B XIJUF DPMMBS NBZ HJWF the perception of a straight shoulder. Conversely the edge of a white collar may give a straight-shouldered dog the appearance of great shoulder layback. One white foreleg and one solidly col- ored foreleg may give an impression of incorrect movement coming towards you. From the rear, dogs with di ff erent colored hocks can be deceiving when judging rear movement. t &BDITJEFPGFWFSZEPHDBOCFNBSLFE di ff erently. Be sure to look at both sides of each animal. t 8IJMF ZPVS JOJUJBM WJFX PG UIF EPH should focus on our silhouette, we would encourage you to make your final selections based on our movement; correct, balanced, free and easy, lithe and agile, and able to work all day long. Th e Australian Shepherd is a wonderful- ly engaging, unique, individualistic breed that o ff ers variety within the standard. Th is makes judging the breed more complex and will truly test your skills as a judge. Th eir fun, dedicated and charming demeanor make this breed a favorite all over the world. Our goal is to preserve these traits and this breed for future generations.
position while the other is a triangle... and they can change these at will. If you cannot examine a dog, excuse it. Oftentimes pushing a sensitive or unset- tled animal will result in permanent dam- age to the dog. EARS: Another unique aspect to the breed is the variety of ear sets we allow. We accept a rose ear, a triangle ear and one dog can have both. I personally showed a dog that could freely change her ear set while in the ring. At any one time the left ear could be rose and the right ear could be a triangle. She easily would switch the triangle and rose ears during judging and could even end up with two rose ears or two triangle ears. Th is variety of ear set is not to be faulted. STYLES: We do have style di ff erences within the breed. I often compare our breed styles to the di ff erences between a Quarter horse and the Th oroughbred horse breeds. Some dogs are elegant, others stockier with ranges in between. Our standard does not address these variations (often these are personal preferences within breeding pro- grams). As such we allow for the variation. EYES: ANY color is acceptable. ANY marbling or flecks are fine. Th ere are no faults associated with eye color. Th ere are optical illusions that can be created by the flecks and marbling of color in the eyes. Do not be distracted by a look that is created by marbling of flecks. What is important about the eye is the almond shape and that the eyes do not protrude or are not sunken. COLOR: We have four acceptable col- ors: blue merle, black, red merle and red, all with or without white markings and/or tan (copper) points. Th is gives us potentially six- teen (16) color combinations. As a breed we celebrate the unique individuality and vari- ety that our color and markings allow us. We do not prefer or reward one color over another. We do not recognize or prefer A1< eye color, eye color combination with Áecks and marbling allowed. Photo by Valerie Yates.
a bi-colored dog over a tri-colored dog. A solid black dog (no white or copper trim) is to be judged equally against a red merle dog with white markings and copper points. A red dog with white markings and no copper points is equally acceptable (red bi). A dog with split-face markings is to be judged no di ff erently than a dog with no white on its face or a dog with symmetrical white mark- ings on the face. Some breeding programs favor symmetrical markings (white muzzle and blaze and color and/or white front legs); other breeding programs prefer minimal white trim; still others prefer asymmetrical, unique color patterns. We do not prefer, nor do we wish you to favor one color or style of markings over another. We celebrate this unique quality in our breed MERLING: We do not distinguish between the amount of merling and/or color spots on the red and blue merles. A merle with large-sized or a large number of solid color spots and little merling is equally acceptable as a heavily merled dog with little or no spots of color. WHITE: Here you will find one of our few disqualifications: white body splashes located between the withers and tail, on the sides between the elbows and back of the hindquarters. Color faults would encom- pass a white collar exceeding the point of the withers (at the base of the hair). In addi- tion white should not predominate on the head and the eye should be fully surrounded by color and pigment. White may extend up from the belly into the body. As long as it does not go past four inches above the elbow it is acceptable. You may have to lift the hair to see this fault. You may see dogs with white on their stifles. Th is is acceptable. JUDGING TIPS: t (FUZPVSIBOETPOFBDIEPH#FUXFFO the double coat and unique color patterns of the merles and variety of )our colors, si[teen color combinations no preference for white and/or copper trim or lack thereof. Photo by Valerie Yates.
BIO Nannette L. Newbury has competed and titled dogs in conformation, agility, obe- dience and stock/herding, including winning the coveted
Most Versatile Australian Shepherd title at the National Specialty (1997) having owned the breed since 1973. She is an approved AKC judge, and has served as the Judge’s Educa- tion Coordinator for the United States Aus- tralian Shepherd Association (USASA). She judges the breed (AKC and ASCA) and con- ducts seminars worldwide. In addition she was the longtime editor of the national breed club magazine, “ Th e Australian Shepherd Journal,” and breed column editor for the “American Kennel Club Gazette.”
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