“IT TAKES GENERATIONS OF BREEDING FOR SHOUL- DER SOUNDNESS AND, IF YOU ARE STARTING OUT AS A BREEDER, FINDING SUPERIOR STRUCTURE IN A FEMALE POMERANIAN IS PRICELESS AT THIS POINT IN TIME. KEEPING THAT STRUCTURE IN FUTURE GENERATIONS REQUIRES GOING BACK TO THE STRONG-STRUCTURED INDIVIDUAL, GENERATION AFTER GENERATION. If we make structure our focus, we will have structure in this breed and we do not have to sacrifice type and coat to have it.”
young dogs can and will have patella problems as they get older, if they have a bad shoulder. The ewe-necked Pomeranian with the extreme profile is pushing its weight to the rear legs. Dogs with steep angulation, and the sickle-hocked champion, are not im- proving our breed. Frankly, the dog without structure, no matter how beautiful the dog is and no matter how well the dog shows, is defective in structure. Type and beauty is ev- erywhere in this breed, but a beauti- ful dog with sound structure is hard to come by. Everyone has beautiful Pomeranians and winning Pomera- nians. It takes generations of breed- ing for shoulder soundness and, if you are starting out as a breeder, finding superior structure in a female Po- meranian is priceless at this point in time. Keeping that structure in fu- ture generations requires going back to the strong-structured individual, generation after generation. If we make structure our focus, we will have structure in this breed and we do
not have to sacrifice type and coat to have it. One thing we can look for in the show ring is how the dog moves. I look for the Pomeranian that makes the wide upside down “V”s. The wide “V” -moving dog that is as close to making a 90 degree angle [as possible] has the laid back shoulder and has the drive off the rear; matching angula- tion. The narrow upside down “V” -moving dog is restricted in motion, resulting in a steep shoulder and a steep turn of stifle. The Pomeranian whose stride makes a wide “V” in the front (reach) and a narrow “V” in the rear (drive) is out of balance, and is showing its weakness of structure in its hindquarters. Defective struc- ture is actually a health issue in the Pomeranian breed. Over the years of showing, we have had the pleasure to show to some very talented and knowledgeable judges who diligently judge structure and take pride in their ability to know it when they see it. At one show, a judge
took the time to talk to us about the special my husband was showing and the class dog I was showing. I think his comments describe what many judges, especially if they were breed- ers themselves, are thinking. He said about the special, “This is the dog, this is the dog.” Then he pointed tomy class dog and said, “And that dog is a nice dog too. Have you seen what is out there?” His comment, “Have you seen what is out there?” resounded with me because here we have a state- ment coming from a person who judg- es a lot and in a lot of different areas of the country. To see a judge light up like fireworks when he found a cor- rectly structured Pomeranian (and is equally excited to acknowledge that dog) should be the norm, not the exception. I think it is sad that many judges have said to me that they have to “point to something” in the Pomer- anian ring. I think it is equally sad to see poorly structured Pomeranians with top honors when it affects the well-being of the breed.
30 • T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2021
Powered by FlippingBook