2023 AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: BREED JUDGES
“IN EVERY BREED I EXAMINED THERE WERE VERY PROMISING YOUNGSTERS. I EXPECT THEY WILL DO WELL IN 2024.”
2. Can you share your thoughts on your various Breed as- signments? Please be specific. Boston Terrier - There was an entry of 44 and my award win- ners had lovely headpieces, the essence of the breed. They had clean, short, square muzzles; in other words, no wrinkles. The heads on my winners were in proportion to their bodies. I was looking for balance and I did not want to see the “Bulldog effect” with a laid-back nose and a jaw coming up in the muzzle. Round- headedness, loaded cheeks, and snipey wedge-shaped muzzles lacking underjaw were penalized in this “head breed.” In ad- dition to looking for a square dog, I looked for length in neck and it should be in balance with the dog. My BOB selection, in addition to having a lovely headpiece and expression, had good bone and straight front legs, and most important, a good level topline. There were a few soft toplines in this entry. The BOB’s undershot bite really squared-off his muzzle. The eyes on all my winners were set square in the skull and were large and round and dark, with outside corners squaring-off the cheeks. When gaiting, I did not want to see a rolling topline or paddling. I also did not want to see any crossing in the front and rear movement. Bichon Frise - There was an entry of 51. In the initial lineup I looked for the correct silhouette, which includes the exhibit standing well over his front with an arched neck. As they moved around the ring, I considered those carrying their heads proud- ly, with high tail sets. A few entries were short on leg and too long, in my opinion. In my hands-on examination under the coat, I found low tail sets. I found some were short in the upper arm and it showed when they moved towards me. Also, I would have liked to have felt more forechest. The scissored coat can really trick your eye. The Bichon is a “head breed” and it is an important element of breed type, so I looked for the three black points: eyes and nose on a circle of white. My hands discovered in my undercoat examination some very low ear sets and domed skulls as well as lack of shelf in the rear. All the winners pos- sessed good qualities in the head. The BOB and SD, although different sizes, were balanced both standing and moving and gaited beautifully coming and going. Their movement was ef- fortless and they certainly covered ground. Their breeders are to be commended for such fine examples of the breed. My winners in this large entry possess wonderful qualities that included compactness, long-arched necks, and carrying heads erectly. I was delighted to see the BOB selected get a Group placement in the evening. Coton de Tulear - The entry was 22. One of the most impor- tant factors in this breed, I think, is the topline, which means getting hands under a profuse cotton-like coat. An arch should be over the loin. The withers and the croup should be on the same plane. I actually felt some toplines that were almost flat. The neck is slightly arched and set well into the shoulders. I awarded BOB to a dog that had excellent proportions and had
the correct topline and a nice tail carriage when moving. His head was short and triangular. There were several headpieces I evaluated that were too long and narrow. On my award winners, I could feel a forechest and the loin was short and wide. I would like to have seen more happily carried tails. Chow Chow - This is my original breed and the entry was 19. I was delighted to have smooth- and rough-coated in the entry. It is a “hands-on breed” and I am not deceived by a lot of coat. I assessed the essentials in the breed type: the blue-black tongue, scowling expression, and soundness with a stilted gait where there is no apparent bend in the stifle. The entire leg swings from the hip like a pendulum. There is a lift of the hip muscles. Bicycling movement is unacceptable. My award selections had shortness in loin. A long loin on a Chow Chow results in a roll- ing from side to side. The BOB dog selected is a lovely example of breed type. He is square under a beautifully conditioned coat. He is short-backed and has a short loin that is broad and deep, and the ribcage is compact. His headpiece has a large, broad top- skull and is flat from front to back and side to side. No rounded head exists on this boy. His scowl is ideal, with correctly set ears, visibly deep-set dark eyes, and a prominent brow with a slight amount of loose skin. His temperament is superb; a happy boy. I also thought the BW was a very nice-moving smooth bitch. All winners had lovely pigment and were sound. I was pleased to see the BOB make the cut in the Group. Keeshond - This is another breed I consider to be hands-on because of the abundance of coat. This breed’s expression is distinctive, with the spectacle markings and shadings in the or- bital area. These are the hallmarks of the breed. I did see a few round eyes, which took away from the expected expression. In examination under the coat, I felt some low tail sets and short necks. In overall appearance, I wanted the wedge-shaped head to be in proportion to the body. My selection of BOB has very nice body proportions and head carriage. His back is firm and has a slight slope to the croup from the withers. His loin is short and he has good bone. His shoulder angulation, in my opinion, is correct for the breed and I was delighted with his length of neck. An example of a nice, very pleasing proportioned bitch with good length of neck, good bone substance, and marvelous movement with a shorter, brisk stride was my selection of BW. My winners possessed a profuse mane and correctly marked coats. All exhibits in this breed were outgoing, friendly, and alert, which was a pleasure to see. 3. Now that it’s over, what are your thoughts on the 2023 show year? Any thoughts on the year ahead? In every breed I examined there were very promising young- sters. I expect they will do well in 2024. The temperaments and attitudes were outstanding. The breeders are to be commended for these dogs and bitches.
168 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JANUARY 2024
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