WHY DOGS DO THAT IN THE SHOW
RING
by Pat Trotter
With permission from and thanks
to the Houston Dachshund Club
( http://www.houstondachshundclub.org/index_files/page0005.htm
)
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WHAT YOU SEE |
REASON &/OR PROBLEM |
| *Dog can't put their head down | *Shoulder blades are too close together. (Seen in Borzois a lot) |
| *Dogs move with head down |
*Shoulders are too straight so front reach will be lacking and the dog can only move with head down. *Neck is usually too short |
| *Dog has short neck | *Has steep shoulders. |
| *Dog has nice long neck | *Could have well laid-back shoulders. |
| *Doesn't have an arch to its neck |
*Has a "Ewe Neck" - can't swim or carry anything heavy in his mouth - common in Bernies, poodles & goldens. |
| *Wrinkles over shoulders | *Too straight or too wide in front |
| *Dog moves wide in front |
*Shoulder blade tips are set too far apart. *Has barrel front – not oval. (dachshunds |
| *Moves easty/westy in front | *Pinched at elbows |
| *Dog comes to you wide in front and out at elbows | *Short upper arm |
|
*On side gait, dog doesn’t move with enough reach. It’s reach in front looks restricted – can’t open up to move |
*The straighter the shoulders, the shorter the reach or *Loaded shoulders or *Steep & short humerous (upper arm) or *Steep & forward scapula (shoulder blade) |
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*Crabs – trots with his rear to the side – moves slightly off angle to allow front feet and rear feet to avoid interference |
*Has more angulation in rear than in front or *Could have a short body
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| *Have up and down action in front assembly | *Shoulder blades are set too high |
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*Dips in top line when it starts to move and has choppy forward reach |
*Straight shoulders |
| *Up and down motion in top line | *Shoulders set too high |
| *Dog pads – flips feet in front |
*Excessive angulation in reat and less in front or*Straight shoulders |
| *Pounds in front | *Could be high in rear |
| *Legs are hollow in front | *Is slab sided – nothing to separate – lack or rib spring |
| *Dog rolls from side to side – “pacing” – seen on side gait |
*Is closer in his front than in his rear OR he is closer in his rear than in his front – but at any rate, he is not balanced. |
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*Straight angles in withers *On the “up of up and back” dog’s forelegs will be carried across in front of forechest --why many handlers string up dogs. |
*Shoulder blades are set too high |
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*In Dachshunds – dog’s neck goes into shoulders at sharp angle and not smoothly
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*Dog has upright shoulders (a dachshund should have hard angles EXCEPT at the withers where the neck should flow smoothly into the topline) |
| *Bad top line | *Weak rear- bad top line has nothing to do with spine. |
| *Dog that rolls |
*Is closer in his front than in his rear OR he is closer in his rear than in his front. |
| *Dog takes first step with rear leg |
*Could have sickle hocks - hock bends in shape of a sickle. Dog is unable to fully extend the hind leg.
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*Dog’s hind leg touches belly on profile and cannot fully extend hock joint (tarsus) on back reach of hind legs |
*Dog has sickle hocks – cannot extend hind leg. |
| *Dog kicks up in rear – can’t fully extend back legs | *Has a flat croup – straight pelvic tilt |
| *Dog has less rearward extension | *Has steep croup – pelvic angle |
| *Dog moves wide in rear |
*Has spread hocks – probably has stifle disease – Boxersare prone to crucial ligament tissue disease |
Judging Notes from Diane Young McCormack – compiled from seminars and articles on movement from top judges.