results in movement where the front and rear feet move efficiently close to the ground. (Picture a Whippet at a trot.) If the IG moves like a Whippet, it is not correct. One final comment about high step- ping front movement: Whenever legs are lifted too high, excess energy is used and efficiency is substantially reduced. Due to muscling that runs from the head to the upper arm, the higher a head is held up by a handler, the higher the front paws will be lift- ed. I am not saying that an IG should be shown on a loose lead, as I feel there is a loss of control of the dog on the move (unless you have a superbly trained IG). However, if the dog is structurally correct, there should be no reason to “string the dog up” to at- tain higher lift. So, how does the “and free” play into correct IG front movement? Quite simply, “free” action can best be described as an uninhibited, easy, smooth, and untiring movement. No matter how high stepping the IG front is, it needs to have a free-moving, ef- fortless motion; no hesitation, no bounce, no pounding. It has to be a smooth, free action that looks like they could go on long walks (or hunts) without tiring. In the past few years, I have observed some breeders who are focused on producing IGs with extreme front lift, sometimes higher than the “pre- ferred” range. To be balanced, dogs with extreme high lift have a higher degree of shoulder angulation that is being matched with extreme rear an- gulation. Although the Standard does call for “well-bent stifles” which are needed for strong rear drive on run- ning breeds, the extreme rear angu- lation is resulting in a dog that looks like it is crouching in the rear. This is changing the overall graceful and el- egant silhouette of the breed. In summary, the Standard describes the IG as a dog of ideal elegance and grace. The IG should exude grace and elegance while standing as well as on the move. The standing silhouette of- fers the observer a view of the body’s symmetrical “S” curves, with all
structural parts fitting cleanly and smoothly into each other—everything in moderation and with no extremes. Correct high stepping and free move- ment plays an equal part in the total picture of a graceful and elegant IG. Please take amoment to come observe andmeet the IG at your next show.
shoulder bone, ligaments, and muscle structure, and shoulder blade lay- back/angulation. In addition, the structure of the neck, topline, and rib- cage play a large part in high stepping and free movement. When examining or evaluating an IG, you cannot look at just the shoulder layback and de- termine that the dog will be high step- ping. The front legs should exhibit a high stepping lift with a smooth, for- ward-reaching movement and a slight bend/flex of the wrist joint on the upward lift motion. Correct shoulder blade angulation plays a key role in al- lowing the front legs to reach forward. The front legs should not lift from the elbow, but rather move as an exten- sion of the shoulder blade. Care must be taken when identifying correct high stepping front action of an IG to ensure that you do not reward a dog with hackney-like or goose- stepping movement. The IG does not move with a hackney or hackney-like motion. The Standard does not in- clude the word hackney. Hackney movement is usually accompanied by straight shoulders and involves a high lifting of the front feet accompanied by extreme flexing of the wrist. The front action is matched by high knee action in the rear. The front and rear feet come down nearly where they left the ground, resulting in an inefficient movement that lacks reach and drive and wastes energy; thereby lessening endurance. Can you imagine a Sight- hound with hackney movement on a coursing field or running an agility course? Without a free-moving reach and drive, the dog would likely be un- able to performwell. Goose stepping can be viewed as “high stepping” but it is not a “free” movement. Goose stepping has an accentuated front lift with no bend at the wrist, causing there to be a full extension of the front pasterns and feet before touching down on the ground. This results in a stiff, choppy, bouncy motion. Although not a high-stepping gait, an IG with “daisy clipping” movement is not correct, as the Standard calls for a high-stepping action. Daisy clipping
BIO Kim Brinker obtained her first show dog, a Schipperke, in 1974, which started her dedicated involvement in the sport of purebred dogs. In addi- tion to the Schipperke, Kim has owned, handled, and bred through the years many other AKC breeds, including Sa- lukis, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Australian Shepherds, Whippets, and Italian Greyhounds. This provided a well-rounded view and understanding of the diversity of each breed and an un- derstanding of how the breed’s original purpose played such an important role in developing the dogs we have today. Kim has bred and shown IG’s for 33 years and has been a breeder/ owner-handler of multiple Specialty winners and top-ranked dogs. She ob- tained her first IG in 1988, CH Peach- woods Buttonfly Levi. Kim says how lucky she was with her first IG, as he went on to be ranked the #1 IG in 1990, a top-producing sire of 34 champions, and was the foundation sire of all the champions under the SierraVue Italian Greyhound prefix. Kim has been a member of the Ital- ian Greyhound Club of America since 1993, holding various Board and Of- ficer positions, and is currently the IGCA Judges Education Coordinator. She is also a long-time member and past President of her local dog club, Sun Maid Kennel Club of Fresno. Cur- rently, Kim is licensed to judge eight Toy and Non-Sporting breeds. Over the years, she has judged multiple IG National and Regional Specialties.
54 • T op N otch T oys , N ovember 2021
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