I'M NO JUDGE BUT . . . .

I ordered Pet Planet channel on Tuesday for one reason--to watch the four hour coverage of the 134th Westminster Kennel Club dog show. It was an extra three dollars for the month--a small price to pay to watch the best of the best, the 'champions-only' dog show.

Tuesday's coverage included the sporting, terrier and working groups--the working group being the draw for me.

Here's the link:

http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2010/video/breed/index2.html

These breeds were bred for the most part as the muscle of the dog world--the group of dogs who use their brains or brawn to serve man, either for herding, protection or rescue, engaging in some sort of physical activity to serve the hand that feeds and pats them.

There are twenty-six breeds in the AKC working group. From the handsome Akita, who was used for hunting bear and sled work, to the Pyrenean Mountain dog--the Great Pyrenees, used for guarding livestock--to my breed of choice, the Great Dane, who was (and still is in some places) used not only to hunt but also bring down wild boar and bear. As well they were used as estate guards.

Just as an Olympian's body is a well-toned, muscled, finely-tuned machine, the mind and body of a working dog should be the same.

This must be evident in everything from a balanced mental attitude to the structural balance necessary for the physical functions the breed was originally required to perform.

At this show, in the working breeds, there was an abundance of very healthy-appearing dogs, coats glistening (hope so after spending hours with the groomer), eyes bright, and all the dogs strangely thrilled to be in a arena crammed full of people (record attendance of 32,000+), under glaring bright lights, where the temperature would have to have reached 75F degrees plus.

These dogs did what any dog worth its salt does best . . . please its owner or in many cases at shows, please the pro-handler, who it's been handed over to at ring-side,whether or not it's familiar with the handler. Most dogs knows their job in the ring and will perform with whoever is on the other end of the leash.

Perform . . . hmm, well, I guess that depends on what we're talking about. Conformation show performance is a vast ring away from function and ability.

In the ring, the dog gets to run in a straight line forward and return, then run around in a circle so a judge can evaluate/determine the quality of its movement (coming and going) and gait/fluidity of movement, top line, etc. (going around).

I'm no judge although I do enjoy studying movement on any dog, whether it's a mixed breed loping along the waterfront or a dog performing in the show ring.

One structural issue kept catching my attention in almost every breed I watched.

Toeing in.

We would refer to the same problem in humans as being pigeon-toed and steps would be taken to correct this.

Samoyeds, rotties, boxers, danes; no breed seems exempt from this structural flaw.

How have these dogs managed to win BIS's and more than their fair share of group placements around the country?? What the heck is going on???

The AKC Great Dane standard dictates "neither toeing in, toeing out, nor rolling to the inside or outside."

Do judges not notice there are more dogs toeing-in than not? I have mentioned this problem to a few breeders and judges and am met with, "Well, yes but the dog's side movement is wonderful!"

Alright, so if we are averting our eyes from the designated pattern of the coming and going in the show ring and putting more weight on the side gait (some folks believe side gait should make up 70% of the movement evaluation), why do we even put them through the coming and going?

It's surely there for a reason. I understood it's to assess front and rear action. The dog's movement, is it clean? Does the dog move too close behind? Is it hocky? Does it single-track? Is the dog paddling? Crabbing? Is it elbowing out? Winging? Does the dog TOE-IN or out?

Perhaps so many dogs exhibit this fault that judges have decided to turn a blind eye to focus on the dog's positive attributes instead, since no dog is without faults.

I guess it all depends on what faults are more acceptable and which are viewed as lesser in the eye of the beholder.

Maybe somewhere down the road we'll be bringing the dogs into the ring and they can be judged soley on the best stack!

But come on--these are working breeds!

Movement is a measure of a dog's conformation.

Conformation is the reflection of the function of a breed.

Change a dog's movement and you change a dog's conformation.

I just didn't realize how wide-spread the problem of toeing-in has become across the board. It's a pity.