Page 20 - The Labrador Retriever

labrador retriever Q&A
WITH SUE WILLUMSEN, GREGORY A. ANDERSON,
JANIS GRANNEMANN & DR. MICHAEL J. WOODS
‘moderate’ dog is the ideal and tend to avoid extremes; however, my interpretation of ‘moderate’ might differ from others. The term is certainly subject to interpreta- tion, but most certainly does not mean ‘generic.’
9. What are the most controversial judging topics for this breed? How do you address them?
GA: The points I looks for are the proper make and shape, not to tall but not low legged, good depth of body, with front legs well underneath of chest a great thick muscled loin area, hard level back (no dips) great tail! with that otter-like look hair wrapped well around the tail! a dark eye with the beautiful Lab expression, sound walking
a must!
JG: The tendency to award dogs with length of loin/body
because they move “better.” I judge first on type and then movement. If the dog is not typey, then I do not care how it moves.
The second big problem is that more is better. If the coat should be “short and dense,” then longer and fluffy is better. Or if “the legs should have good bone,” then tree trunks for legs are even better. Again I judge to type. If the Lab reminds me of any other breed, it is not a Lab and does not have breed type.
MW: Probably the most controversial area of judging Lab- radors today in the question of excessive weight. My opinion is that too many dogs are shown in poor condi- tion and carrying too much weight. However, too many all-round judges think that the Labrador’s powerful build is fat, where a close examination of the dog reveals the dog is substantial and well muscled. The Labrador is not built like the Flat-Coat or Golden. He is a more substan- tial, compact dog, but that doesn’t mean he should have too much substance. More is not better! One of the major challenges in judging Labradors is understanding the bal- ance between substance and athleticism.
10. In order, name the five most important traits you look for in the ring. Are there any unforgivable faults in the Labrador breed?
JG: Breed type—It should not remind me of any other breed Balance—Everything in proportion, a one piece dog Expression—Soft, welcoming and happy
Coat and tail—Hard, short and wrapping Movement—Clean and effortless
I find that lack of balance is the hardest fault for me to forgive. Not only front to rear balance, but also body
to bone balance. Too many Labs are very front heavy
and this does not make for a very good swimmer. A Lab should be a row boat, not a barge. The bone should also match the body. A heavy bodied Lab should not have fine or weak bones.
MW: The first thing I look for in the ring is outline. I want to see the correct compact outline with good balance front and rear, nice reach of neck and head carriage, strong topline and correct tail set, and some leg under the dog. Getting to know the correct outline for each breed is the greatest challenge for judges, since the outline encapsu- lates the essential characteristics for the breed.
304 • SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2018
The Labrador is an approximately 1:1 breed: muzzle approximately equals skull; withers to elbow approxi- mately equals elbow to ground; height approximately equals length. Although the standard doesn’t use the phrase, I like to see a dog with a ‘touch of class’, an aura of quality that sets the great dog apart from the mediocre one.
Next for me is can the dog keep this outline on the move. Sometimes when I view a class standing, I think, “This is going to be really difficult, sorting them out.” But, once they move, they often seem to do the sorting for me. Good handling can hide numerous faults that become readily apparent when the dog moves. Weak toplines, poor tail sets, lack of reach and drive are impossible to camouflage on the move.
Our breed culture is very explicit when stressing the breed characteristics judges should look for: head, coat, tail and temperament. I love a Labrador with the sweet, gentle expression that is so much a part of the breed, the broad head with the strong muzzle, neat ears, tight dark eyes that reflect intelligence and kindness.
As much as one can in the ring, I want to see good tem- perament, not a crazy idiot nor a cowering wimp. The breed should be a ‘solid’ dog both in structure and
in temperament.
One of the faults that I’m getting pretty obsessed about is short legs, for the reasons I’ve indicated above. How- ever, a caveat, having leg doesn’t mean we want miniature giraffes!
11. Why does it seem Labs don’t place more often in groups?
GA: I feel Labs are misrepresented in the group due to lack of flash these days, plus some all round judges really don’t understand the breed type. Labs are beautiful standing on their own, the shape is great naturally; some judges want them to run fast, Labs don’t do that.
JG: Labs do not have and should not have an extended side gait or a flying trot. A Lab is a swimming dog and as such he is almost square in structure. He should move with “good” reach and drive, but not the ground covering movement of an upland hunting dog. The Lab’s move- ment should not be flashy and this type of movement does not catch the eye of the group judge when the ring is full of flying dogs. He is a quarter horse in a ring full of thoroughbreds.
MW: Labs don’t place nearly enough in the Group! This is not to say that Labradors never place in the Group. The breed has had some dogs that have done extremely well at both the Group and BIS levels. Generally, however, we have the one of the largest, if not the largest, entries in the show and don’t get nearly enough rewards in the Group. The problem is two-fold: judges are not familiar with what the breed is and want it to be something it’s not; breeders are not producing and/or showing dogs that can compete at the Group level. Some breeders are so disgruntled with the poor judging at all-breed shows, they now only show at specialties. Unfortunately, this severely limits the exposure of non-breeder judges to really good dogs.