Going for the Blue Read Online Free Page B

Greyhound
   
13-15
   
13-15
Affenpinscher
   
10¼
   
10¼
Miniature Pinscher
   
10
   
12½
Papillon
   
8-11
   
8-11
Shih Tzu
   
8-11
   
8-11
    A standard today is worth one hundred points in the ring if perfectly met (these points have nothing to do with standard points).
     Every dog and handler who enters the ring does so with the intention of convincing a judge that he or she has cast eyes on
     a rare one hundred-point dog. The judge frequently disagrees but is, I am sure, grateful for the opportunity.
    Color can be an important aspect of standards. There are many breeds that we generally think of as pure black—at least, most
     people seem to see them that way. They are certain that a solid black coat has been mandated by the standards. In many breeds,
     black is just one of several solid colors allowed. The Newfoundland (usually but not inevitably black) and the extremely popular
     Labrador Retriever are examples. Others are the Pointer (albeit rare as solid black), Curly-Coated Retriever, Flat-Coated
     Retriever, Cocker Spaniel (one of the legitimate varieties of the Cocker Spaniel for show purposes is ASCOB, “any solid color
     other than black”). Included as well are the Field Spaniel, Afghan Hound, Basenji, Irish Wolfhound, Bearded Collie, Belgian
     Sheepdog, Bouvier des Flandres, Briard, Schnauzer (Giant, Standard, and Miniature), Great Dane, Puli, Scottish Terrier, Affenpinscher,
     Brussels Griffon, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Poodles (Toy, Miniature, and Standard), Pug, Chow Chow, and Schipperke. In the black
     version of some breeds, solid black (known as a self-color: all one color but with some lighter shadings allowed—indeed, expected)
     is mandated, but allowances are made for slight deviations. Only one breed standard is rigid when it states that solid black
     is an essential point on the way to perfection. Under the heading Disqualification, the first of three devilments listed for
     this breed is “any color other than solid black.” And that breed, the AKC’s only truly, unwaveringly black dog, is the little
     Dutch and Belgian barge watchdog, the Schipperke. A black Labrador may have a small white spot or mark on the chest and, like
     other breeds, may have a few white or gray hairs between the toes, the fewer the better. But not the Little Skipper, the diminutive
     version of a black Sheepdog from the Flemish provinces of Belgium. (Terrific dog, by the way, very long-lived.)
    The whole matter of color can be confusing to newcomers, and it is a good plan to keep a book of standards close at hand.
     Even in breeds where color is not defined and supposedly carries no influence on how highly the dog is judged, it can matter.
     A dog show is a show, and in show business flash and glitz count—up to a point, and unofficially; glitz is not mentioned in
     the standards. A flashy dog—all other things being equal, the dog being well put together with good movement—attracts and
     holds the attention of the judge and the ringside observers. Surely no judge worthy of the title will overlook cardinal sins
     like narrow chest, snippy muzzle (pointed when it should be squarish), an overshot or undershot bite, or a dog that paddles
     or weaves when it moves, just because it has a flashy symmetrical pattern of sharp, bright colors. Glitz also does nothing
     to excuse bad manners, and a judge with blood dripping from a punctured hand will not likely be intolerant of
pretty
for its own sake.
    When the standard for the Beagle says “any true hound color” and for the Borzoi states, “Any color, or combination of colors,
     is acceptable,” a limitation has surely been put on the efficacy of flash. It is nice when it is there, but there are many
     other things that are far more important. Novices too frequently avail themselves of pet-quality purebred dogs just because
     they happen to be flashy, and they go into the ring with a dog that is actually loaded with faults that no