TSK has offered these interesting articles with the subject of CONFORMATION
A slipped hock will fold forward with virtually NO pressure, and the dog will be unable to resist it. To determine a slipped hock, place several fingers on the back of the hock lightly pressing forward until the dog either picks up the foot and steps forward or the joint collapses forward . …
When it comes to dog show,s what is sportsmanship? In my opinion, it is a great deal more than saying “Thank you” to the judge or giving the winner of the class a big smile and a “Congratulations.” Sportsmanship at a dog show isn’t any different than “sportsmanship” in life. Dog shows and life…
Due to its great popularity over the last twenty odd years or so, the ‘stafford’ has become one of the most competitive breeds to exhibit. With an im to improving your chances in the ring, consideration should be applied to two requirements. Firstly, your dog must attain a standard of breed acceptability and you …
Thirty years ago my son wanted a dog and when I eventually agreed I remembered that a neighbour once had a Staffordshire bull terrier. It was a friendly, people loving dog, not too big as far as dogs go and it had an easy to manage short coat. The breed was not so common or…
I make this statement at the expense of being tarred and feathered but increasingly, the best dog youll ever breed may be the hardest dog you will ever finish. It will be the odd man out and look different from the majority of dogs represented in the ring. Why? Some judges, insecure in a breed…
… meantime we can use the drawings from Alan Mitchells book (with hispermission) to explain what we are looking for in photography. Dish-faced – A slight concaveness of foreface, the tip of the nose is higher that the stop, when viewed in profile. Down-faced – where the muzzle inclines downward from the skull to nose .
I would bide my time and not rush out and buy the first dog that came along. I would learn from the people who are winning consistently, and go to them for the best bitch you can get from the best stock. Does not have to be the pick of the litter because the breeding…
Your article on bite was very good; however, in spite of the AKC’s breed description as to bite and the acceptability of a “level” bite, you indicate that the “level” bite is undesirable. It may be undesirable in England but in the US, it is acceptable. This leaves judges and others who are not familiar…
Breed Type. You should know it when you see it. Richard Beauchamp put it this way Breed type is such an elusive thing It is something that cant be taught but it can be learned. Even when type is present to the fullest, one person may see it and the person next to him may…
When people refer to the top line they mean the vertebrae of the spinal column from the base of the neck to the beginning of the tail. When judges critiques mention that a particular dog has a level top line, they dont, or at least shouldnt mean a perfectly level one as this would be…
The muzzle should start wide and deep. The depth is achieved by a powerful underjaw which can be compared to a familiar object. Make a fist of your hand and look at the shape produced when you look at the thumbside by the second joint of the first finger down to the back of the…
Imagine a class of fifteen dogs entering the ring. Twelve are similar. Three are different. Those who do not fit in are excused in the cut. The other twelve are again judged. Puzzled, observers question why outstanding individuals walked. Does being different translate as being incorrect to the standard? Why does a judge choose from…