Page 23 - The Norwich Terrier

Continued from pg. 243
From “Illustrated Guide to the Standard of Norwich Terriers” The Norwich Club of America, © 2013. Used with permission.
His small prick ears should be set well apart and not too high on his head. He has a pro- nounced stop, and his muzzle is neither too long nor too short. The proportion of the head is approximately two-fifths muzzle and three-fifths backskull. The standard says, “Tight-lipped with large teeth. A scis- sor bite.” It is silent about missing teeth.
Having first evaluated the side view, I watch him coming and going to evaluate soundness. Going away, he should neither move too close nor too wide. His elbows should not stick out coming towards you, and he should not paddle. Ideally, his hind legs follow in the track of the front legs, converging slightly with speed, but some Norwich move a bit wide in front due to their full rib spring and short legs. I don’t mind this if the movement is true.
At this point, I have a sense of the dog’s virtues and weak points. Now, I will exam- ine him more closely on the table, looking at details. His front legs are suppose to be straight and must be felt. Clever grooming can cover up crooked legs. His toes may turn out just slightly, however, his feet are small and ideally he stands on well-arched toes pointed forward with thick pads. I feel the neck and shoulder placement with my hands. While he should have good lay-back, because he has short legs and is suppose to have good spring of rib, the chest will have some width. Also, I check the topline and tailset with my hands because clever grooming can cover up rolls and topline dips.
246 • SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2014
The official standard describes the traits of the ideal Norwich. Some details are very specific, but I believe that exces- sive focus on details tends to result in fault judging. Fault judging is less pro- ductive when evaluating breeding stock. I first look for correct Norwich type and expression and forgive small faults (such as a slightly gay tail, missing tooth, even a softer coat). The judge who understands the more subtle qualities prized in a Nor- wich will not reward a dog who is simply sound and lacks breed type.
While I believe that the dog show com- petition should focus on conformation, showmanship in the ring is important to the extent that it displays the dog’s tem- perament. Show-ring presence reveals the dog’s attitude. In the ring, the Norwich look best left alone to stack themselves. Some judges will spar Norwich. I don’t mind the judge who brings them to the center to stand on their own, but they are pack dogs and should not be sparred nose to nose. You don’t want a Norwich show- ing aggression. Also, when judging Nor- wich, do not favor one color over another. Coat color is least important. All shades of red, wheaten, black and tan or grizzle are equally acceptable colors. The coat texture is to be hard, wiry and straight. It is a nearly weatherproof, double coat that should blend and appear as one piece on the body. The trim should be neat and not overly shaped. The coat should be healthy and not open or blown.
The Norwich standard has remained relatively unchanged since the first English standard in 1932. It is my hope that the attri- butes that so endeared the founding Nor- wich breeders will continue to be upheld. To this end, members of the Norwich Ter- rier Club of America recently published the first Illustrated Guide to the Standard of Nor- wich Terriers, for Norwich breeders, owners, exhibitors, and judges. Copies are available for $10 plus $2.50 postage. To order, please contact Patty Warrender, Notions Chair, at pwnoridge@gmail.com.
BIO
Jane Schu-
bart is a member
of the Norwich
Terrier Club of
America (cur-
rently 2nd Vice-
President and
Chair of the
Illustrated Stan-
dard Committee). She is a parent club approved AKC Ringside Mentor for Nor- wich Terriers, the AKC Breed Columnist for the Norwich Terrier, and (with Alison Freehling) author of the Norwich Terrier chapter for The AKC Complete Dog Book (21st Edition), to be released in August 2014. She is also a member of the Nor- wich Terrier Club, England (NTC). Jane and her husband have loved, owned and bred Norwich for 15 years under the prefix ASCOT. They live in Pennsylvania.