by Shelley Hennessy THE TOY STORE
W alking into a ring full of Toy breeds can be compared to a child walking into a Toys “R” Us store! If it is the Group ring, you are confronted with a variety of breeds; different colors, different shapes, different heads, different tails! Just like a child in a toy store search- ing for the perfect toy, you, as a judge, are also searching for the perfect Toy! The only thing the breeds have in common is their size. They are all small. The Toy Group is the only Group of the AKC’s seven Groups where every breed is basically the same size. Every breed in the Toy Group is judged on the table. Some Toy breeds only come in one color or color pattern. Others may come in a variety of colors, and sever- al have more than one coat variety. In breeds that come in a variety of colors, for example, Pomeranians, Havanese, and Chinese Crested Powderpuffs, try to keep your color preferences (if you have them) to yourself, and judge all colors equally! In breeds where the varieties are judged together, for example, Brus- sels Griffons and Chinese Cresteds, judge both varieties equally! Lucky Chihuahuas; their two varieties are judged separately. There are a variety of head shapes in the Toy Group. Some stan- dards are very specific as to how the head should look. Other stan- dards give a little more leeway… or judges’ interpretation!
“JUST LIKE A CHILD IN A TOY STORE SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT TOY, YOU, AS A JUDGE, ARE ALSO SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT TOY! The only thing the breeds have in common is their size. They are all small.”
Havanese standard is unique in that it requires full incisors. The Cava- lier King Charles Spaniel standard states that a complete scissors bite is preferred. While most judges do not seem to have a problem checking the full bite on the Manchester Terrier and the Toy Fox Terrier, this is unfor- tunately not true in Chinese Crest- eds! We see judge after judge in the ring only checking the front bite of the
The Toy Group has more breeds that only require a “thumb exam” than any other Group. They are the Pekingese, the Pug, the Japanese Chin, the Eng- lish Toy Spaniel, and the Brussels Griffon. I always wonder why the Shih Tzu isn’t included in this grouping? Only three breeds require full denti- tion. They are the Manchester Ter- rier, the Toy Fox Terrier, and the Chinese Crested Powderpuff. The
36 • T op N otch T oys , D ecember 2021
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