says WHAT’S THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT YOUR BREED?
Basenjis seem to bother some people that have inhalant aller- gies less than other breeds, they don’t have a hypoallergenic coat like Poodles, Bichons, Portuguese Water Dogs, etc. If a person’s allergy is actually to dog saliva (rather than dander) they’ll be bothered as much by a Basenji as any other breed. —Anonymous Afghan Hounds have been really dumped on because of “all the grooming!” Not true! Even with hair thats 2" or a foot long, it’s basically keeping them away from cockle burrs and twigs, bathing once a week, removing all tangles by brush when wet and either letting them air dry or blowing them dry. An AH can be kept clipped down or in various creative cuts, like Poodles, making it as difficult or as easy as you want! Of course, for the show ring, long and unclipped is required but that’s no big deal either! —Anonymous
Aggression is from fear, but protection is from a confident dog who knows the boundaries. —Richard W Eichhorn
Brittany is my breed. One of the biggest misconceptions is gait. The Brittany will overstep his front foot with his rear foot when in the correct gait for the show ring. The Brittany and German Shepards are the only dogs that do this. The judges are putting up dogs that pitter patter like a toy dog and it makes me crazy! They just don’t know enough about the breed and proper movement. This dog has to have effortless movement to be able to work in the fields for long periods of time. A Terrier gait will wear a Brittany out very quickly. They are putting up dogs with no reach and drive! These dogs cannot perform in the field and that is what they were bred to do—not to look like little Hackney ponys! —Anonymous Anatolian Shepherd Dog. The biggest misconception I believe judges have is that the dog should appear happy, ani- mated, interested in being shown. A good majority of the Ana- tolians being shown are true working dogs, as they should be. Their personalities are correct for the breed. Most don’t enjoy being off territory but comply with what is asked. —Jan Fox
Tibetan Spaniel. That it is a head breed. Also the standard says “aloof with strangers”. —Anonymous
Briards. The biggest misconception is that a Briard is long in body. The Briard is a square breed. “In males the length of the body, measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock, is equal to or slightly more than his height at the withers. The female may be a little longer.” —Terry Miller Afghan Hounds. That they are stupid! In reality, they are highly intelligent and are bred to work independently. They may be pretty but they can be extremely good guard dogs and are notorious thieves! —Anonymous Bullmastiff. That they are gentle giants. This is a good, stable breed but they were bred to hunt down poachers and protect family. Don’t ever forget that this is a guardian breed, not just a big marshmallow of a dog. —Anonymous
Every Westie ever born or will be has or will have skin disease. —Anonymous
Anatolian Shepherd Dog. Biggest misconception is that the breed should be happy to be shown, outgoing and wag- ging its tail. —Anonymous Italian Greyhounds. That they are just like the big Grey- hounds only smaller. No, they aren’t. The Italian Greyhound has a distinct personality of its own. They can alternate very quickly between being a loving and clingy little pet to want- ing to run and chase something. —Anonymous Beagles. That they’re “loud” and bark/howl all the time. The real truth is they are usually fairly quiet unless on a scent, hunting, or if it’s feeding time! A lot depends on the indi- vidual dog. —Anonymous
Borzoi and Greyhounds. That people think they’re stupid. —Anonymous
Border Terrier. That they should be shown in a very short coat. A slightly longer coat allows one to determine how the coat lays, if it truly is weatherproof and it’s hardness. In blue and tan coated dogs it allows one to see the correct and required silver or gold ticking which gives the coat its blue cast. The BT standard says they should be simply “tidied up”. —Tim Carey Pug. It takes a lot of grooming. This breed should be shown naturally. A little clean-up on the rear and britches, that is it! —Anonymous Anatolian Shepherd Dog. The breed is a good dog park dog. Disaster waiting to happen! The breed’s sole purpose is to protect livestock from predators so dog aggression is a given, yet people take them to dog parks and are surprised when the dogs get into fights. —Anonymous
Norwich Terrier. Easy Keeper with minimal grooming. —Anonymous
That an Anatolian Shepherd should show with animation and a wagging tail. —Anonymous
People don’t believe that Poodles are hunting dogs. —Anonymous
Tibetan Spaniels are not to be low and long. All too often an exhibit that is of correct proportions is getting ignored to the lower and longer specimen. —Anonymous
Bouvier. That you shouldn’t breed fawn to fawn. Absolute nonsense. —Anonymous
That Tibetan Mastiffs are or should be aggressive. Just the opposite. They are or should be protective. A huge difference.
192 • S how S ight M agazine , J une 2018
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