JUDGING THE WEIMARANER By Judy Colan, Colsidex Weimaraners W eimaraners area breed that has been near and dear to my heart for over 45 years. I have been for-
and the depth of chest rising up to the well angulated rear. Th e overall impression should be a dog slightly longer than tall with the length of body coming from the length of rib with a short loin. Balance is of utmost importance, well angulated front showing good shoulder lay back with length and return of upper arm set under the shoulder to match the well angulated rear. A long arched neck which fi ts smoothly into the shoulder. Tail set right o ff the back. All should fl ow together to give a picture of style and balance. Since the Weimaraner is well angulated, the proper front angulation is what give the breed the obvious forechest. Th e other important part of breed type is movement. It should be e ff ortless, no wasted motion, not choppy and should be ground covering smooth and coordinated. Th e down and back should be sound. Ask yourself, if I saw a black and white silhouette of this dog would I know it was a Weimaraner. Do not reward mediocrity or a generic dog. Reward the dog with breed type. Th e problems we see in the breed are; straight shoulders that don’t match angulated rears, forward set on shoulders, low tail sets, lack of rear drive and choppy movement. I have included the Weimaraner Stan- dard with my interpretations. Also includ- ed are some photos of dogs and bitches which show excellent breed type. Th e Standard of any breed is a speci fi ca- tion or blueprint for that breed. Th e writers of the Standards were interested primarily in working ability and they wrote the Stan- dard to describe the ideal temperament and conformation needed to perform the purpose for which the dog was bred. Anyone who is going to own, breed or judge any breed should be familiar with the dogs purpose and what conformation characteristics enable the dog to perform, with ease, the tasks for which he was bred. An excellent reference is K-9 Structure and The Weimaraner Standard Interpretations by Judy Colan
tunate to have bred and owned our breeds All Time Top Producing Bench Register of Merit sire, Ch Colsidex Standing Ovation. Th e Bench Register of Merit is based not only on number of champions but what those champions have accomplished. Ova- tion sired 148 champions and has held the title of #1 BROM sire for close to 25 years. I have also owned the two All Time Top Winning Weimaraners; Ch Colsi- dex Seabreeze Perfect Fit with 33 Best in Shows and Ch Aria’s Allegra of Colsidex with 27 Best In Shows. When I fi rst became involved in the breed I thought the dog I owned was a perfect example of the Standard. One year and six points later and after sitting ring- side and watching the breed I realized that my perfect dog was not perfect. I acquired my foundation bitch from a breeder whose dogs I admired. I spent many nights sitting and talking with experienced breeders and learned some very valuable lessons. To this day I look at my dogs with a critical eye, know what is right with them and know where they need improvement. I believe this is the reason my very limited breeding program has been so successful. I think judges have to realize that the dogs in their ring belong to old timers and newcomers. Lifestyles have changed and I don’t see the newcomers sitting around watching and talking to experienced breeders. So the future of the breed is in the judges hands. Th e most important part of judging is to know breed type. What is correct breed type in a Weimaraner? It is the combination of the silhouette and the e ff ortless, ground covering movement. To get the picture in your mind of breed type train your eye to see the horizontal “wedge” in the dog’s body. Th e straight, gently sloping top line
Terminology by Gilbert and Brown. Th e book is a study in anatomy and locomotion as applying to all breeds and explains the working parts beneath the surface with the mechanical laws governing them. When interpreting the Weimaraner Standard, it is important to know that the Weimaraner is both a pointing dog and a retrieving dog. When we have the back- ground knowledge of anatomy and the Weimaraners purpose, reading the Stan- dard gives a clear picture of what the dog should look like. General Appearance: A medium sized gray dog with fi ne aristocratic features. He should present a picture of grace, speed, stamina, alertness and balance. Above all, the dog’s conformation must indicate the ability to work with great speed and endur- ance in the fi eld. Height at the withers: Dogs, 25-27 inches; bitches 23-25 inches. One inch over or under the speci fi ed height of each sex is allowable but should be penalized.
Continued on pg. 242
S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , F EBRUARY 2014 • 235
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