SPANNING THE BORDER TERRIER
Step 1. Placing Hands on Dog for Spanning
Step 2. Hands in Position for Spanning.
Step 3. Spanning the dog
feel that lovely ribcage, and the size needed to maneuver in small apertures, dens, and between rocks and tree roots. If your hands do not meet and you feel too much spring and roundness to the chest, or the ribcage is rigid or unfor- giving, you will know that the dog will have a much harder time navigating in small spaces. If your hands clearly can- not span the dog, it will be much more difficult or even impossible for the dog to do the job for which it is bred. Please remember, the “average man’s hands” is an average and, in general, women have smaller hands. This is understood and it is at your discretion as to where your hands fall on the scale in terms of being average in size. You will develop a feel for spanning. Although, initially, it can be an awk- ward exam to fully master, once you do (and you will with enough exposure and practice) you will appreciate this prac- tical, common sense way to evaluate whether the Border Terrier can go-to- ground. If you would like more practice, reach out to a BTCA member breeder or, better yet, attend a specialty. You will be met with great enthusiasm, as Border Terrier breeders keenly appreciate the importance of spanning and want all judges to be familiar and comfortable with it. Spanning is not a hard and fast, “black letter” measurement, but it is one borne of generations of Terrier breeders and huntsmen as they evaluated their stock. The Border Terrier does not have a height or weight requirement and this, in part, is due to the fact that spanning can better determine the capacity of a dog to comfortably pursue underground quarry. Thus, the ability to span the dog must be part of your consideration.
Be gentle and don’t belabor the pro- cess, but be thorough enough to get the information you need for your evaluation. Most Border Terriers are well-accustomed to being spanned but, again, your dog sense will do wonders as you convey and signal to the dog that you are going to do the exam. It is customary to span the dog at the end of your exam, though you may do it as you go over the dog. By doing it at the end, you have gone over the dog and the handler won’t need to reset the dog, which can help to keep your ring efficient. Try to incorporate spanning into your exam so that it naturally flows and becomes almost automatic to you and doesn’t surprise the dog. This will make your exam more consistent and thorough. IN CONCLUSION Spanning, performed correctly, yields a wealth of information. The elastic- ity and “give” of the ribcage of a prop- erly structured and sized Border Terrier is evident upon spanning. The “average man’s hands” should meet, and you will
Placing hands on the dog in preparation for spanning. Photo courtesy of Star Ott.
Standing on the side of the dog or from behind the dog and to the side, you would reach your hands around the dog from the side and place your hands around the chest. Placing your thumbs over the withers, slide your hands around the chest so that your fingers meet under the chest. You should not lean over the head of the dog or approach the dog from the front. Gently lift the front legs of the dog off the table as you are holding his chest, again, with thumbs over the withers and fingers supporting his chest under the elbows.
Spanning the dog as viewed from the side; fingertips in proper position under the chest of the dog while spanning, thumbs in proper position while spanning. Photo courtesy of Dawn Bladen.
226 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, SPRING EDITION
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