and ready to be worked. Th e body coat is continuously pulled so new coat is always coming in. Grooming the Dandie to the level needed to be truly competitive in the ring is an art. It takes a great deal of prac- tice and dedication and I think one of the reasons so few Dandies are shown today. Th e Dandie should move out freely and easily on a loose lead. A properly con- structed Dandie when viewed from the side should reach out well in front, hold his topline on the move with a notice- able slight arch over the loin and drive with evident force from behind. As speed increases there is a very slight inclination toward the centerline of travel. Coming and going you will notice the tail acts as a rudder for balance. Old-timers will refer to the “Dandie roll,” which in more than 37 years in this breed I have never seen on a Dandie who was properly constructed. Certainly dogs that are not in good mus- cle tone, overweight or built too widely in front will roll to compensate for poor structure. Th e Dandie today is usually shown like the Pembroke with the han- dler standing up and the dog out the end of a loose lead, self stacked. Th e Dandie is an extremely di ffi cult breed to breed, anchondroplastic, and with so much detail making up the whole. It is also an extremely di ffi cult breed to judge as you must have the big picture, the cor- rect breed silhouette, firmly placed in your mind’s eye and know where the priorities lie. Th ere are many tradeo ff s to be made, but do not lose sight of the big picture and get mired in the detail. Tips for Judges: Do not spar Dandies with each other, or in the Group ring. If you wish another look then bring the Dandie out into the center of the ring to stand on his own. Never go down to a Dandie stacked on the floor or the ground. If you wish to re-examine the Dandie, put him back up on the exam table. Th is practice holds true for all breeds examined on a table. BIO Betty-Anne is the author of the “Dandie Dinmont Terrier”, a comprehensive breed book published by BowTie Publishing and available online from AmazonBooks.com
Ch. King’s Mtn. Elsbeth Elfwish at six months of age coming at you, showing the natural incline of the forelegs
Ch. King’s Mtn. Elsbeth Elfwish at six months of age, going away, showing the natural incline as the speed increases and the tail acting as a rudder for balance
“IT TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF PRACTICE AND DEDICATION and I think one of the reasons so few Dandies are shown today.”
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