Tails are another thing that is evidently not understood. The Stan - dard clearly calls for “well arched over the back.” We have many dogs being shown with “snap” tails. (Laying flat on the back with no daylight under them.)We have judges rewarding dogs with snap tails whowouldn’t think of putting up a dog with his tail down. One is just as bad as the other. Neither is correct. They both spoil the outline of the dog. There should be daylight between the back and the arch of the tail. The Papillon is single-coated. Double coats appear to be dense and round. When gaiting away, there will be nomovement of the pants. Double coats seldom get any length to the pants. The whole dog just gives you an impression of “round.” One of our most famous students of dogs, the well-known judge Richard Beauchamp, said, “If it is round, it is wrong.” Outline to me is extremely important. The Papillon is slightly longer in body than the height at the wither. “Slightly” is an inter - esting word. What is slightly? “Small in amount, not great,” says Webster’s Dictionary. I have a friend, Terry Miller, Déjà vu Bri - ards, who says, “Put your toes on the edge of Grand Canyon, now step up slightly.” A Papillon does not stand over a lot of ground. The Standard also calls for a neck “of medium length.” It is not a “necky” breed. Temperament almost goes without saying. They are a happy breed and very smart. They should never be shy or aggressive. Looking at the Papillon in profile, you should see the beautiful, small head and large ears on one end, and the high “archy” tail on the other. I have been fortunate enough to judge the PapillonNational in four countries; US, UK, Sweden, and Canada. My impressions were that the dogs in theUS andCanadawere very similar in breed type. The entry in Sweden, for the most part, was larger dogs and not as fine-boned as ours. I thought overall quality was best in the UK. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mrs. SharonNewcombhasmore thanfiftyyearsof experience indogs. She is a successful breeder, owner-handler, professional handler, and trainer (obedience and one field trial Lab), and anAKC conformation judgeofmore than thirty-fiveyears.Mrs.Newcombhasbredorowned Weimaraners, Miniature Poodles, Shetland Sheepdogs, Pomera- nians, Pekingese, GermanShepherdDogs, DobermanPincers, Papil- lions,AnatolianShepherds,Pointers,CavalierKingCharlesSpaniels, and Chihuahuas. Mrs. Newcomb is approved to judge the Toy, Non-Sporting, and HerdingGroups, and several breeds in all the other AKCGroups. She has earned AKC Best in Show awards with Pomeranians, Papillons, Chihuahuas, Pointers, Shetland Sheepdogs, and German Shepherds. Mrs. Newcomb is a noted teacher and lecturer. She has instructed both conformation and obedience classes, and has presented semi- nars on German Shepherds, Papillons, Anatolian Shepherds, and Chihuahuas. Additionally, she has presented canine health lectures concerning diet and vaccinations. Mrs. Newcomb is well-known across the US and around the world. She has judged in England, Ireland, Canada, Mexico, China, Swe- den, and Korea. She showed her first Pap in the mid-1970s. She has been breeding with her daughter, Elyse Vandermolen, Clearlake Pa- pillons, for the last 20 years. T op N otch T oys , M ay 2022 • 55
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