LESSON IN LEARNING

No matter how long we’ve been in dogs we continue to learn from each other.  Old-timers learn from novices and the sincere able-minded novice learns from everyone!   

Judges learn from show magazine articles and ads.  Sure they do.  They gain valuable insight on breed type and current problems within a breed.  Pictures are worth a thousand words but with today’s digital enhancement must be taken with a grain of salt.  Even so, a great photo can speak volumes to the careful observer.  Articles and columns are accepted as opinion but the wise reader will pay attention to new thoughts and information.

The November ShowSight Magazine revealed the how and why of breeds that stray from the AKC Standard.  Peggy Mickelson’s emphasis on spanning a Border, her comments on eyes, full muzzles, and expression in Shelties, and general discussion of hallmark dogs should be absorbed by every judge and breeder.  Likewise, Diane Klumb's dissertation on Phantom Standards clarifies the mystery of changes in breeds, and her examples are a study in themselves on Cockers, Springers, Gordons, and of course, Havanese. 

 I’m sure neither writer knew the other’s subject and each column stood on its own but taken together, they were powerful examples of why judging is a subjective art.  For some breed developers, phantom standards are an excuse to hear a different drummer and indeed there have been improvements in style, grooming, and presentation in every breed.  One has only to look at Pam Guevera’s Blasts FromThe Past photos to acknowledge the changes time has brought (or wrought) in many breeds.

I think back to the changes that have occurred in breeds with which we’ve been associated over the last forty years.  Dobermans began to change from the true working dog German type into the more elegant, upstanding and overangulated Dobe of today.  That is why we moved on to Rottweilers, seeking the powerful body and guarding ability we saw diminishing in show Dobes of the sixties.  We fell in love with the Akita for its character and oriental mystique and saw it evolve into the sounder, better balanced, showier specimens of today, but with those changes, the character became softer, more malleable and accepting of the discipline needed for a top winner.

 We couldn’t resist the Bull Terrier due to the inherent clownish personality under which lies a determined, gritty terrier temperament.  We saw the breed shift from a solid forty pounds of muscle with typical “bull” movement (wide, somewhat rolling due to bulging inner thigh development) to the taller, more streamlined “better moving” terrier side of its name.  Heads may have improved (in some opinions) but with that came what many consider loss of power coupled with skull and jaw deformity. The unique devil-may-care personality also changed steady performance at Group level demanded a more polished performer and of course, bigger specimens seemed more impressive.

 We subsequently discovered the Miniature Bull Terrier which even in England had lost popularity due to its smaller size and less dramatic head.  With the help of a judge friend, we sought and bought the best specimens including the first English Champion import, formed a club, gained AKC recognition, and the interest of many Standard breeders who appreciated less exaggeration.  Thankfully the clownish displays of true bully personality have remained intact and are still accepted and appreciated by the knowledgeable as evidenced by the laughter always evoked by the Mini-Bull’s “shaking with all four feet in the air.”  Unfortunately, such characteristic displays of important breed personality don’t usually win at Group level.

 We saw the Chihuahua as a jewel of history but at that time, not always well presented and not always sound.  Judges had a problem with the correct back length, shorter leg, all-over-the-place movement and inconsistency of overall type.  Breeders rose to the challenge and today the world’s smallest dog is a strong Group contender and I would be the first to agree, improved overall but the tiny muzzle in an exaggerated skull presents problems for breeders.

 Last in my personal breed repertoire, the Toy Fox Terrier.  A foundation breed in UKC, it was a terrier through and through.  As a Toy in AKC, changes have occurred which many consider as advancement.  They are sounder, more consistent in appearance, but are they still a functional, tough little terrier in a toy-sized body?  The Chihuahua still thinks he’s the biggest dog in the ring and a good one is unmistakable for its “terrierlike qualities” so we must hope the TFT will retain those same qualities.  There is evidence however that toy breeders prefer toy dogs and are willing to forsake the well developed jaw and a full compliment of strong terrier teeth for a more typical toy mouth.  Old time breeders see the strong chin evolving into a snipey weak profile with larger and softer eyes more befitting a toy breed.  The increased angulation of front and hind quarters and loss of muscle development would prove problematic for a little dog meant to go-to-ground.  Likewise, the softer temperament will rob him of the grit and determination to perform as he was bred to do.  So will this century-old breed retain the inherent qualities of the “fiest” as he evolves in the AKC ring?  Probably not.

 Thanks Pam, Peggy, and Diane for providing me with the answers and rationale behind changes in the breeds we have loved and lived with!  It is up to each reader to decide if changes are improvement or simple evolution into a generic show dog and whether or not it is in the best interest of their breed.

Barbara J. Andrews