Page 15 - ShowSight Presents The Golden Retriever

golden retriever Q&A
WITH CONNIE GERSTNER-MILLER & NANCY TALBOTT
rough terrain and icy conditions, requiring agility, mod- eration, strong jaws and skull and proper dense coat, in a biddable and powerful package. Our standard allows for great variety, both in size and color; the wrapping on the package is far less important than the gift inside. A 221⁄4" pale cream male Golden is as correct (or, you could say conversely, as extreme) as a 243⁄4" dark copper male Golden. That 21⁄2" difference and color range, can cause a new judge to sort by a simple trait rather than focus
on balance, movement, muscling, correct coat texture, front assembly and so on. I also have talked with new judges who are not comfortable with dogs that move at a moderate speed, or are handled by novices. Goldens are a breed that is shown at high percentage by professional handlers, or expert owner/handlers. Poor presentation
is hard to see through and I encourage new judges to
ask that dogs stand on their own for final decisions to allow the dog to shine through what might be unskilled handling techniques. Goldens that have correctly made fronts will drop their heads to just above the level of the topline as they move, rather than hold their heads up as they go. In addition, movement that is ground covering and effortless, with feet barely rising above the ground, is to be cherished far more than speed for the sake of speed or high stepping motion. The former is not as flashy as the latter, but it is indicative of a properly made retriever. Finally, it is important for new judges to understand that a Golden should be a moderately coated dog. Long, silky furnishings or soft, puppy-like coats, are not in keeping with Golden breed character. I encourage those starting with the breed to make decisions with their hands when they are judging coats, not with what looks “pretty”. A short, but dense coat, with a slight wave perhaps (abso- lutely as proper as a straight coat), wrapping the body, with moderate feathering and ruff, is the coat that a working hunter wants in her or his boat and in a stubble field while walking down pheasant.
6. Do you agree that today’s Goldens are losing breed type? What can be improved upon?
CGM: Yes, I agree. Breeders need to improve on correct length of leg and length of body. Proper coat has gone by the wayside and grooming techniques are atrocious. Cor- rect temperament has also been lost.
NT: The great dogs of the breed are still here and have lovely breed type. I think that it is dangerous to see good in only what was in the ring “back in the day”. When you look back at photos from the 60s and 70s, in truth there were many dogs being shown that were not at all in keep- ing with the breed standard. Dogs far oversized and with atypical heads, single coats, poor angulation and weak toplines with low tailsets, were finishing championships decades ago. Were there excellent dogs also in the ring? Absolutely. However, to say that in general the dogs were better than today is stretching things, in my opinion. That being said: I do see trends that need attention to keep Goldens looking and acting as they should to meet the requirements of the standard. Heads and expres- sion: the soft, kindly eye with a shape that is just off-oval,
“OUR STANDARD ALLOWS FOR GREAT VARIETY, BOTH
IN SIZE AND COLOR;
THE WRAPPING ON THE PACKAGE IS FAR LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE GIFT INSIDE.”
is often missing in the ring, with a narrow, small or triangular eye taking its place. This leads to harsh and atypical expression. Heads have improved in most parts of the country in the past 10 years and we see far fewer that lean toward Kuvasz in shape. We need to be careful that the opposite extreme does not take its place, with overdone heads such as those having too much stop, domed skull or heavy flews. Front assembly: as in so many breeds, the properly made front is an area of cau- tion. There are some breeders who have made a con- certed effort to work on fronts and it shows—those dogs are being recognized, but not as often as they should.
A Golden must have balanced angles front and rear, not
a sweeping bend of stifle with an upright shoulder. It is sadly rare to find a well laid-in scapula, the wonderful experience of running your hand down the neck of a dog and barely feeling the top of the shoulder blades because they so smoothly fit into the withers. I suggest that judges pay particular attention to the return of elbow as well, finding fault with space between the elbow and rib and
a forward set to the front leg. A short underline is key; proper return of elbow makes that possible. Coat: more is not necessarily better. Proportion: I left this for last, but it is a crucial piece of the Golden puzzle and one that has been controversial for several years. The standard explicitly indicates an 11:12 ratio of height from ground to withers: length measured from breastbone to point
of buttocks. Visualize this as a 22" bitch (middle of the standard) being 24" long. The Golden is not a square
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 2018 • 369