in length and appropriately muscled on both the inside and out. Th e hock should be well let down, neither turning in or out while the dog is standing or moving. As the dog comes up to speed it is desired to single track. Th e tail is an extension of the spine and used as rudder for balance on both land and in the water while the dog works. Tails set too high or low because of a dropped o ff croup will not move e ffi ciently and tire sooner. Th e length of the tail is man made and should not factor into the overall eval- uation of the dog’s conformation. “Viewed From the Front one Should be able to See DEPTH OF CHEST WITH SLIGHT RIB SPRING.”
below indicate the short back standing over a lot of ground. Dogs with balanced front and rear angles will have a smooth ground-cover- ing stride with little e ff ort expended, thus allowing it to work longer while holding a firm top line. One should see extension from the shoulder, not lifting at the elbow or hackney at the pastern. Th e rear leg should extend behind, but rear feet kicking up and the hock lifting in a piston motion creating a bicycle or paddlewheel motion out behind the body provide very little for- ward propulsion. Upright blades and short
upper arms restrict forward reach and if set to far forward on the ribcage limit the dogs’ ability to balance and transfer weight e ffi ciently while moving. Viewed from the front, one should be able to see depth of chest with slight rib spring. Th e legs should be parallel with the elbows back under the dog, they should not appear to originate from the same place nor should the elbows “wing” out away from the body. As the dog moves, one should see clean forward movement. Viewed from behind, the upper thigh and second thigh should be approximate
208 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , O CTOBER 2014
Powered by FlippingBook