Top Notch Toys - June 2016

The dog show magazine celebrating the Toy Group of dog breeds - featuring articles, tips, and information provided with help from breeders, owners, handlers, club members, and judges.

G C H T a m a r i n T a i l b a C k

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

flash! Spirit winS the AMeriCAn MALteSe ASSOCiAtiOn nAtiOnAL SpeCiALtY

*TNT all breed stats as of 4/30/16

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

S I L V E R A K C G R A N D C H A M P I O N & C H A M P I O N PICCADIL’S DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME BN, CD, RN, RA, RE, CGC

M U L T I P L E S P E C I A LT Y & G RO u P 1 S T winner I N A K C M U L T I P L E B E S T I N S hOw & R E S E Rv E B E S T I N S hOw winner I N O H A A K C J A N E T WO U L D L I K E T O thank R I C k k R I E G E R F O R TA K I NG O V E R

T H E R E I N S W I T H C AT C H E R D U R I NG H E R S H O R T A B S E N C E . B R E D , OWN E D & OWN E R / H A N D L E D B Y Janet York

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

h A N D I N G Ov E R T H E reins

C AT C H E R P I C T U R E D W I T H R I C K K R I E G E R , P H A

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

noT monkeyinG around

o w n E D B y D o y l E & C A R o l G i R o u A R D

B R E D B y J A C K i E & T E R R y S T A C y T A M A R i n K E n n E l S P R E S E n T E D B y A l f o n S o E S C o B E D o & A S h l i E w h i T M o R E

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

G C H T a m a r i n T a i l b a C k

Emmitt received 3 Group 1s & a Reserve Best in Show at the Abilene Kennel Club Show, May 20th-22nd, 2016.

Thank you To The followinG JudGes:

#GroundGameison

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

Group WinninG

“Valentino” exCeptionAl younG Silver GCH Fleur de Passy ™ Dauphin & Dr. Anita Lopker

top 5 all systems *

Exclusively Breeder-Owner-Handled

* aLL-SYStEMS aS Of 4/30/16

Mille Mercis to all the Judges for this Great Honor

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Group WinninG

“Valentino” Silver GCH Fleur de Passy ™ Dauphin & Dr. Anita Lopker #2 Breed ** #3 All-Breed *** **TNT breed stats as of 4/30/16 ***TNT all breed stats as of 4/30/16

Mille Mercis to Judge Jason Hoke for the BOB and to Judge Wyoma Clouss & Diego Garcia for the toy Group One Win

Photo © Tom Weigand

• Group Winning • Multi-Group Placing (2014, ’15 & ’16) Exceptional Young Silver Grand Champion • Eukanuba 2014 BOB • Begins 2016 with Dr. Lopker earning 19 Big BOB Wins and 2 Professional Group 3 Placements • Is a natural showman with Diego Garcia earning 14/14 BOBs, 8 Group Placements and a Group One Win “VALENTINO” IS NOW LOVINGLY HANDLED BY: DR. ANITA LOPKER & DIEGO & EVE GARCIA

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

G C H T a m a r i n T a i l b a C k

On the cover: GCH TAMARIN TAILBACK Affenpinscher, Owned by Doyle & Carol Girouard

20 fROM THe edITOR-IN-CHIef 34 TOY TALK by BONNIE GUGGENHEIM 49 TOY BOX 50 jusT judY’s THOuGHTs: fOR MY feLLOw OwNeR-HANdLeRs by jUDy tHOMpsON 52 A fORuM ON TOY BReeds with ElAINE j. lEssIG, DENNy MOUNCE & jErE OlsON 56 AMeRICAN sHIH Tzu CLuB 2016 NATIONAL speCIALTY sHOw by rICHArD pAqUEttE 62 AffeNpINsCHeR BReedeR: AN INTeRvIew wITH jACqueLINe sTACY 64 TRANsfORMATION fROM CONfORMATION TO quALIfICATION wITH OuR AffeNpINsCHeRs by KEN stOwEll 66 judGING THe AffeNpINsCHeR by pAM pEAt 67 HIsTORY & HeALTH: AffeNpINsCHeRs by sHEIlA wyMOrE

G C H T a m a r i n T a i l b a C k 70 BReedeR’s fORuM: sILKY TeRRIeR by jANEt AslEtt 72 judGING THe sILKY TeRRIeR by DIANE NACHMAN 74 A vIsIT wITH ALfONsO esCOBedO 76 TNT TOp TweNTY 76 NT ALL BReed sYsTeM 77 TNT BReed sYsTeM 78 TNT OwNeR-HANdLeR sYsTeM 79 AdveRTIsING & suBsCRIpTION RATes 80 INdeX TO AdveRTIseRs

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

*TNT all breed stats as of 3/31/16 **TNT breed stats as of 3/31/16

T h e r i n g i s h i s s t a g e Rudy G r a n d c h a m p i o n S a n c h i V a l e n t i n o B r e d & Own e d B y b o n n i e M i l l e r , d v M

p r e s e n t e d b y H e a t h e r R e i d

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

Not moNkeyiNg arouNd

Mrs. Ann HeArn RBIS | 5-21-16 | Abi lene KC

Mrs. Doris cozArt Group 1 | 5-21-16 | Abi lene KC

Mrs. PAulA HArtinger Group 1 | 5-22-16 | Abi lene KC

Mrs. Ann HeArn Group 1 | 5-20-16 | Abi lene KC

Mr. roger HArtinger Group 1 | 5-1-16 | Baytown KC

Dr. WAnDA sPeDiAcci BIS | 5-1-16 | Baytown KC

Dr. WAnDA sPeDiAcci Group 1 | 4-30-16 | Baytown KC

Mr. ricHArD Miller Group 1 | 4-24-16 | D’Arbonne KC

thaNk you to all the judges who have recogNized emmitt

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

G C H T a m a r i n T a i l b a C k O n T H e C O v e r

Mrs. PAulA HArtinger BeSt In Show 4-30-16 Baytown KC

O w n e d b y d O y l e & C a r O l G i r O u a r d

b r e d b y J a C k i e & T e r r y S T a C y | T a m a r i n k e n n e l S

P r e S e n T e d b y a l f O n S O e S C O b e d O & a S H l i e w H i T m O r e #grouNdgameisoN

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Bugsy Malone BRONZE GRAND CHAMP ION CARANEAL’ S ALWAYS HANDLED BY BREEDER - OWNER GEORGE T T E FRANZON I

The #1 BREEDER OWNER HANDLED YORKSHIRE TERRIER! * 5 SPECIALTY WINS! Including the National and back-to-back wins in New York *per owner records

15 GROUP PLACEMENTS!

GEORGETTE FRANZONI WARRENTON, VA

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

AMER I CA’ S S I LKY I S NORWEG I AN !

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Breeder Owner: Anita Baksetersven

of Kennel Enga, Moelv, Norway Handler: Barbara Beissel, AKC Registered Handler Email: barbarabeissel@aol.com Sponsored by: Mark Benson & James Dillman

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

The Next Generation Temperament... Training... Technique Ditto

(ABOVE) Thank you Judge Ms. Victoria B. Brown (LEFT) Thank you Judge Mr. William R. Russell December 2015 (RIGHT) Thank you Judge Mrs. Helen Winski Stein April 2016 B R E D B Y : J A C K I E & T E R R Y S T A C Y , T A M A R I N K E N N E L S , R E G . OFA Health Certifications completed (CH Tamarin Technique CD BN RE THDN CGCA CGCU x CH Tamarin Tatum)

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Trials... Times... Titles

Thank you Judge Kenneth Kincaid April 2016 H A N D L E D B Y : K E N S T OW E L L OW N E D B Y : A L I S O N FA C K E L M A N & K E N S T OW E L L Tech (GCH CH Hanuman V Tani Kazari x CH Tamarin Triscuit) OFA Health Certifications completed 5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

*TNT breed stats as of 4/30/16 THE HEART, THE BRA IN , AND THE NERVE OF AMER I CA’ S No. 1 HAVANESE *

Grand Champion Brylee’ s Heavenly Walkin’ On Cloud Nine

Walker is friends with the sparrows, and the boy who shoots the arrows!

TOY GROUP ONE JUDGE MRS. HELEN STEIN

Walker thinks of things that he has never thunk before, And then he walks and thinks some more!

TOY GROUP TWO JUDGE MR. ROBERT STEIN

Owned By: DR. DUNCAN SIMMONS & BONNIE SIMMONS Bred & Owned By: MICHELLE ABELS Presented By: HARRY BENNETT & S. D. ROWAN, JR.

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Walker shows his prowess, is a lion not a mowess!

RESERVE BEST IN SHOW

JUDGE MRS. CINDY MEYER

ding-a-derry! DANCE & BE MERRY, OUR WALKER CONTINUES TO HIS LIFE IS A

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

* T N T a l l b r e e d s t a t s a s o f 4 / 3 0 / 1 6

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

Hello Dolly CH PPC HELLO DOLLY

Limitedly shown Dolly finished her champion title in January & is continuing towards her grand champion title.

Expertly Handled, Owned & Loved by Linda cunnien | Bred & Co-Owned by racheaL miLLer

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Zombie PPC THRILLER

Hello Dolly’s sister...

Z is well on her way in a short time of showing to finishing her champion title.

She received a 4 point major and Best Bred By smooth coat at the San Antonio, TX shows judged by Ms. Kathleen Sawyer.

www.ppchihuahua.com

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

Lucy

Champion Falling Star’S Lucy Lu you Got Some SpLainin to Do

Photo by Krisma Images

ownED By: mike & cathy Holmes Shown By: mike Holmes Email: imtecgroup@aol.com

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

BronZE granD Champion Falling Star’S i’m in tHe JaiL HouSe noW

Photo by Krisma Images

ownED By: mike & cathy Holmes & troy clifford Dargin Shown By: mike Holmes & troy clifford Dargin Email: imtecgroup@aol.com

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

ThoughTs on Breed Type

by BONNIE GUGGENHEIM TNT Advertising Director & Associate Editor

W hile this is not an in depth article on breed type, I find it interest- ing when talking with other exhibitors, breeders and handlers that nearly all feel their winning dogs, specifically Toy dogs, exude breed type. Many feel the show dogs of today are generic Toy dogs that look great on the “go around” and for those not thoroughly familiar with the standard consider this animal to be an excellent example of the breed. Breeders, exhibitors and obviously judges read and re-read their respective standards which range from a single page to many more; it seems for some, breed type is difficult to understand. The exact definition of “Breed Type” can be elusive and subjective with the majority of AKC standards offering definitions on the most important parts of the dog that make it different from every other. The majority of judges read the stan- dards for breeds they are judging on that day, standards do allow for inter- pretation and nearly all have thoughts on what is most important in a particu- lar breed. The majority of standards dis- cuss the head piece which is the first thing you see and the one I personally find very important. You cannot have a Pekingese with a head like a Toy Fox Terrier! While there are many other pieces/parts to a dog with- out the correct head as written in the Breed Standard you don’t have type. Type can also include tempera- ment, movement, character, behavior and appearance. As a breeder, exhibitor, judge or handler looking for quality, breed type should come first but keeping in mind there are different styles

Every dog is not a show dog and certainly every dog is not a Special, but every dog can be a loving pet for the right person or family. There have been many National Spe- cialties in the last couple months that offer opportunities to develop your eye for what is correct. Continued success and I hope you win lots more. Let me knowwhat is happening with you and promote your success in TNT — the only National magazine devoted to Toy Dogs. Keep in mind our slogan: Don’t get lost in the other magazines, be found in Top Notch Toys, because inquiring minds want to know! Bonnie bonnie@dmcg.com | 863.738.8848

find the dog with the most breed type, then look for soundness and on to style. Breeder-judges and those looking in the whelping box will always search for breed type while those coming from another Group will have a completely different perspective and find sound- ness most important. Read and understand the stan- dard for your Toy dog, re-read it until you commit it to memory. You should attend shows and watch with the intention of learning from seasoned people in your breed, absolutely go to your National Specialty and attend Breeder and or Judges Education semi- nars. Attend them wherever and when- ever you can until you develop a strong sense of what breed type is in your breed. Look at your puppies with an eye to type but access them based on the breed standard and soundness. Health test for those things in your breed that are an issue and in Toy breeds Patellas are often a problem. Know what you should test for! Never ever stop learning about your breed

and others as you can never know too much.

within breeds. Famous judges of the past have said you first

34 • T op N otch T oys , J une 2016

G C H D A R T A N D I A M O N D S A R E F O R E V E R A T V I V A

M U L T I P L E B E S T I N S P E C I A L T Y W I N N I N G & G R O U P W I N N I N G

# 6 CHIHUAHUA * # 1 *AKC OWNER HANDLED STATS AS OF 5/3/16

NOHS SMOOTH COAT

**TNT BREED & ALL BREED STATS AS OF 4/30/16 BREED & ALL BREED SMOOTH COAT CHIHUAHUA **

BRED BY: DARWIN DELANEY & KATHY SAWYER | OWNED & EXCLUSIVELY HANDLED BY: CECILIA BOZZO

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

TO SEE IS TO BELIEVE

BIS CANADIAN CH AM GCH STARS AT SEA PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER AT ZHEN

Lydia Frey and Puzzle worked their magic and brought home 2 Specialty Best Jrs. and National Specialty Reserve Best Jr. last month. Puzzle is also sire of a T op 10 Cre st e d WB, BOW, Best Bred By at Chinese Crested Club of The Potomac 1st litter only 11 months old, 2nd litter hitting the rings this summer… m ore sta r s t o c o m e !

BRED BY: Carol Clouse, Dr. Dennis Eschbach, Debbie Eschbach and Polona Blatnik OWNED BY: Carol Clouse and Dr. Dennis Eschbach

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

C H I N E S E C R E S T E D S

A C C O M P L I S H E D & E X Q U I S I T E

I N T R OD U C I N G OU R 2 5 7 T H A KC C H I N E S E C R E S T E D C H AM P I ON

C H G I N G E RY ’ S

SHOWN WI TH BREEDER/OWNER ARLENE BUTTERKLEE WINNING HER 2ND MAJOR

BREEDERS/OWNERS : ARLENE BUTTERKLEE , VICTOR HELU & CINDY KUMPFBECK

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Richie GCH. CH. Hylan Acres Step by Step

Br e e d e r : Ann e wy l i e | Own e r s : Ann e wy l i e & Mary k e e l i ng | Hand l e r : Dar on N ewc omb , S e nat o r twh@yaho o . c om #6 All Breed * * T N T a l l br e e d s tat s a s o f 4 / 3 0 / 1 6 5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

and tHe Beat

gOes On...

B r o n z e G C H K a n d i l a n d ’ s l i l ’ d r u m m e r B o y

Photo by Steve Ross

Loved & Handled by: Gary Stiles, AKC Registered Handler

Loved & Bred by: Helene Benson Loved & Owned by: Helene Benson & Teresa Fisher

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

C h B l u e B a y ’ s Quand Vient le Matin

M a t t i h a s b e e n i n t h e U s s i n c e M i d J a n U a r y . Owner: Lew OLsOn Breeders: JarMO hiLpinen & MarkO saLMeLa | FinLand

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

C h M o o n s h a d o w ’ s Tail of Superbowl 49 Brad y

Thanks To judge TRoY CLIFFoRd daRgIn FoR ouR 1sT gRoup pLaCeMenT on ouR 1sT weekend as a speCIaL!

Watc h for Brad y thi s summer a s h e begin s hi s special s career.

owneR: donna BLedsoe Co-owneR: ken LaMBeRT BReedeR: MaRgaReT keuseR

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

M u l t i p l e G r o u p W i n n e r | M u l t i p l e B i S S

GCHS CH Flo-Davi St ar Spangled Gl or y

ROM

St ar

Photo © Kathy Garcia

Like a fine wine, St ar keeps ge tt ing be tter and be tter . Her reCent WinS FroM tHe Veteran ClaSS inCluDe: Best of Breed | Houston Chihuahua Club Specialty | Thank you Judge Rodney Merry Back-to-Back Best of Variety wins | Texas Chihuahua Club Specialties Thank you Judges Kathy Sawyer and James Fehring Back-to-Back Best of Breed wins | Dallas Chihuahua Club Specialties Thank You Judges Mary Napper and Alane Gomez

Breeders/Owners: FloReNCe & DAViD DAViS & KiRSTeN PoTTS

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

M U L T I P L E B E S T I N S P E C I A L T Y S H O W & G R O U P W I N N I N G GCH STEPAMGAR SKYFALL

S ix Bes t I n Specialt y Sh ow w in s t hi s yea r ! J A M E S H A S W O N A T O T A L O F S E V E N B I S S W I N S ! THANK YOU BREEDER JUDGE RAY PATERSON FOR THIS FABULOUS SPECIALTY WIN THE DAY AFTER THE NATIONAL AT THE CKCSC OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. Than k y ou to t h e f o ll ow in g B r eede r Judge s f or Jame s ’ o the r Bes t in Specialt y Sh ow w in s : DAVID KIRKLAND, JAN GALLAGHER, BARBARA PEPPER, ERICA VENIER, RICHARD ALDOUS AND ALL-BREED JUDGE LORAINE BOUTWELL.

Proudly Owned & Bred By: Jim & Linda Shre ff ler | Stepamgar CKCS Professionally Handled By: Michelle M. Jones Assisted By: Mackenzie S. Jones

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

Chiquita SOUTH ! FORK’S ! STYLISH ! FASHION

A special thank you to Rita Holloway "! PT ! MAJOR ! KANADASAGA ! KC

“Chiquita” & “Carla” are always Breeder/Owner/Handled by : MJ ! HELD 1442 Orchard Park Road West Seneca, New York 14224 716-675-4497

C ar la WHAT’S ! NEW? SOUTH ! FORK’S ! FIRE ! & ! ICE

# ST ! TIME ! IN ! BEGINNER ! PUPPY BACK - TO - BACK ! GROUP !# ’S ! All at the age of 4 months old

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Submit your cute photos to our TOYBOX department. Any clear photo will do—black & white or color, regular photo or digital. (If sending digital images, send high resolution 300 DPI for best quality.) Please submit your name and the name of the dog.

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

Just Judy’s thoughts

by Judy Thompson, ohA

W hen I was younger and competing at horse shows, I didn’t hop off the saddle and give the reins to my riding instructor and ask her to jump my horse around the course, even though she was a far superior rider. When I skied, I didn’t step out of my bindings and let a better skier use my skis to ski down the mountain, even though she could handle the double black diamonds and I was still on the intermediate slopes. Now that I golf, I don’t give my ball and putter to a golf pro on the green and ask him to putt out for me, even though that would surely save me some strokes. Why then, do we give our dogs to professional handlers and ask them to present the dog to the judges at con- formation shows? How much more sat- isfying would it be to show your dog yourself? What can match the joy of winning with your beloved companion, who then comes home with you and snuggles with you on the sofa? As an owner-handler, you and your dog have a special bond, one that might not be pos- sible if he were “on the truck”. You’ve become a team and your dog wants very much to please you, and I think

“How mucH more satisfying would it be to sHow your dog yourself?”

that shows in the ring. Exhibitors often mention that connection, and the pride that goes along with training and bring- ing along a winning dog, especially one that they’ve bred themselves. When those sportsmen gathered for the first dog show in New York City to show off their Pointers and Set- ters, I’m guessing they showed their dogs themselves. Somehow we’ve evolved to the point where it takes a team of breeders, mul- tiple owners (including one who is will- ing to pick up the tab for a multitude of expenses) and a well-known handler with a couple of live-in assistants to campaign a top show dog. What will happen when we turn over our dog to a professional handler? Will the structure, type and move- ment of the dog magically improve? Will toplines become more level? Will eye color and shape better fit the stan- dard? Will tail and ear sets suddenly be perfected? Granted, professionals may better train the dog to self-stack with every paw in place. They excel in grooming and in artful trimming.

They have learned every nuance of showmanship in the ring. But if we are judging breeding stock, and judges are looking for inherited traits that could be passed along to the next generation, then a great show dog is one that has type, structure and move- ment based on the standard. Groom- ing, trimming and presentation are not inherited traits. If you have a dog with excellent breed type characteristics, shouldn’t it be put up over a mediocre dog that is presented to perfection? Still, competition is tough and it is incumbent upon us to show our dogs in the best possible light. Are we dressed for success? Have we taken some han- dling seminars? Is our dog immaculate- ly clean and properly trimmed? Have we asked a friend to take videos of us in the ring so that we can be sure we are gaiting and stacking properly? We need to do our best to show like a pro. On my piano, in a silver frame, is a photo of my first show dog, a Papillon bitch I showed to Bronze Grand Cham- pion. She is stacked on a table covered with a purple cloth trimmed in gold bullion fringe. A Pointer is emblazoned on the front. Yes, she was at Westmin- ster, and in the photo I am behind her stacking her on the table. No, she didn’t win anything that day, but we were there together and she showed beauti- fully. I was very proud of her, and it is a memory I will always cherish. Make your own memories, and remember, as someone once said, “An amateur built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic.”

For My Fellow owner-Handlers

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

C H

Thank you judge Kerry Lee for recognizing this young dog at the prestigious Bucks County Kennel Club the day after the Delaware Valley Havanese Specialty. Owner - Handler € Kat Smith / Breeder € Karen Duprat

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

a forum on TOY BREEDS

with ElainE J. lEssig, DEnny mouncE & JErE olson

ELAINE J. LESSIG

married 48 years. They have the pleasure of sharing their lives with the “Roi L” Cavaliers. She is honored to be a judge and looks forward to enjoying the dogs and greeting the exhibitors when she is in the ring.

1. What is your original breed? The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Elaine J. Lessig, of Clin- ton, New Jersey, did not real- ize how much her life would change when she acquired her first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in 1987. She has since produced cham- pions in all four colors and both sexes. She has also put obedience, Canine Good Citizen and CKCSC/USA titles on her dogs. Among her proudest achievements are two group winners, two Best in Show specialty

2. What three conformation characteristics do you consider critical in judging decisions? Head, coat and outline are critical. 3. What ring pattern do you prefer for Toy dogs? I prefer go around, table, down and back, around to the end of the line. 4. Is it your preference to have the handler show you the bite? I have no preference. 5. Can you name a dog from the past that is your ideal Silky Terrier or Affenpinscher? For Silky Terriers, Ch. Lamplighters Bingo—what a lovely bitch! For Affenpinschers, Ch. Tamarin Taser—an outstand- ing example of the breed and a showman. 6. What is your pet peeve when judging? My pet peeve is exhibitors who are too hard on their Toy dogs. DENNY MOUNCE Denny Mounce, of Round

(Photo by norcal BullDoggEr)

winners, Best of Opposite Sex at the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club National Specialty, at the Westminster Kennel Club and a Best of Opposite Sex and Best Bred-by- Exhibitor at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on bitches she bred and owns. In 1999, Mrs. Lessig was the first Cavalier breeder to attain judging status strictly from her breed. She has judged at AKC, CKCSC, English, Irish, Swed- ish, Korean, Thai, Australian Chinese and Canadian shows and is approved to judge Best in Show, the Sporting Group the Toy Group, the Non-Sporting Group and Standard Man- chester Terriers. Mrs. Lessig has judged the American Cava- lier King Charles Spaniel Club National Specialty and those of other breeds as well. She is president of the Meadowlands Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club and serves as president and show chairman for the Delaware Water Gap Kennel Club. Mrs. Lessig and her husband, Dr. Marvin Lessig, have been

Top, Texas, began obedi- ence work in 1954 with a Westie her parents bought for her. In 1970, she showed a German Shepherd Dog in obedience, and by 1972 she was showing German Shorthaired and Wirehaired Pointers in the breed ring. As a professional handler, Ms. Mounce finished more than 1,000 dogs for herself

“HEAD, COAT AND OUTLINE arE critical.”

(Photo and bio courtesy of akc.org)

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

SILVER GRAND CHAMPION · CHAMPION AZEFER DUCHESS OF YORK

Thank you Judge Troy Dargin

B R E E D E R / O W N E R / H A N D L E R : L I L A F A S T

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

with ElainE J. lEssig, DEnny mouncE & JErE olson toy breeds forum

and clients, and won Bests in Show in all seven groups. She has had the distinction of being a three-time Iams Top Female Handler of the Year and is the only female handler in the Ken- nel Review Hall of Fame. Ms. Mounce judges all Terriers, Toys and Non-Sporting dogs, most Hounds, Samoyeds, the three Pointers and Pembroke Welsh Corgis. 1. What is your original breed? My original breed was German Wirehaired Pointers, fol- lowed by Miniature Wired Dachshunds. 2. What three conformation characteristics do you consider critical in judging decisions? Type, movement and overall condition. 3. What ring pattern do you prefer for Toy dogs? I bring them in send them around, then on to the table and down and back. 4. Is it your preference to have the handler show you the bite? I prefer to look at the bite for myself usually. There are some breeds where it is impossible to see the teeth, so those we have to feel for. Also, a very talented handler can mask a bad bite. 5. Can you name a dog from the past that is your ideal Silky Terrier? As far as Silkys go, it is very hard to say which I think was best. The standard has changed and the dogs from the past looked different than what we see today. I preferred the old look. The rise over the loin was a hallmark of the Silky breed. I am not sure why the parent club wanted that changed but I would like to see it come back. 6. What is your pet peeve when judging? Without a doubt, my pet peeve is people who sit outside the ring brushing and brushing their dogs instead of getting in the ring. My other pet peeve is dirty teeth. I just go crazy looking at Toys with dirty teeth. Teeth reflect the overall care a person is giving to the dog. As dental health has progressed, human’s life span has increased—the same is true of dogs. A dog’s life can be extended by paying attention to mouths. “thE risE ovEr thE loin was A HALLMARK OF THE SILKY BREED.”

“...for thE cockEr sPaniEl BrEED, I LOOK FOR THE PERFECT BITE.”

JERE OLSON

I have lived in Minnesota until late 2009, when I moved to Texas. I now own a success- ful boarding and grooming kennel outside of Houston. I am currently licensed to judge some Toy, Non-Sporting and Sporting dogs.

1. What is your original breed?

My original breed was

the Cocker Spaniel.

(Photo by Jeffrey hanlin)

2. What three conformation characteristics do you consider critical in your judging decision? Type and soundness are critical. To be more breed spe- cific, in the Maltese breed, I look for coat texture; in the Shih Tzu, a big, beautiful head is critical; for the Cocker Spaniel breed, I look for the perfect bite. 3. What ring pattern do you prefer for Toy dogs? Table first or go around? Go around first, then on the table then down and back. 4. Is it your preference to have the handler show you the bite? Yes, I prefer the handler to show the bite. 5. What is your pet peeve when judging? My pet peeve is bad sportsmanship. I’ve been in the sport of dogs for 40 plus years. Thankfully, I have had the pleasure to work with many of our sport’s finest people and dogs.

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Sawyer CH Carneys Amblers Take Me To The River

(CH Wynmark’s General Bradley of LP x CH Amblers At Carneys Garden Party)

Thank you to Judges Jacqueline Stacy and Terry Stacy for back-to-back Best of Breed wins in Bucyrus, Ohio.

SAWYER’S SPECIALS CAREER HAS BEGUN!

Special thanks to Judge Doug Windsor for awarding Sawyer Winners Dog and Best Of Winners and for his written critique at the Havanese Fanciers of Canada Specialty Show. “Coming and going, flawless. Good side gait. Excellent coat, layback and upper arm. Well balanced dog with great temperament.”

Owned & Shown by: ,"5):".#-&3t Bred/Co-Owned by: JACQUELINE CARNEY

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

AmericAn Shih Tzu club 2016 NATIONAL SPECIALTY SHOW by richArd pAqueTTe

T he American Shih Tzu Club held their annual National Specialty Show at the Holi- day Inn Perimeter in Atlan- ta, Georgia from April 19-23, 2016. My annual pilgrimage to the National was filled with some great competition in not only Conformation but also many Performance events including Agility and Obedience. The National event is a difficult week to stage and requires a tremendous amount of work by a

dedicated group of volunteers. The ASTC Parent Club has taken on the duties in the last few years as it has become an onerous task for local clubs to host on their own. I arrived on the set-up day to some great hospitality at the traditional Meet- N-Greet in the evening with a wide variety of finger foods so plentiful and delicious that many participants indulged enough that dinner was eas- ily skipped. The setting in the hotel

Atrium was bright, spacious and condu- cive to great camaraderie. Not only was it adjacent to the ballroom where the rings and exhibitor grooming were, but it was also part of the bar and lounge area where it always seems a bit of liba- tion makes for lively conversations and revives old friendships with fellow long- time breeders. It also gives many new- comers the opportunity to kibutz with the many annual stalwarts in a very welcoming atmosphere.

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

photos by Richard Paquette

The following day was the first American Shih Tzu Club Regional Spe- cialty judged by Mrs. Doris Cozart. The Best In Specialty Winner was GCh Wen- rick’s Don’t Stop Believing Owned by Sharon Bilicich and Jody Paquette-Gar- cini handled by Kathy Bilicich-Garcia. In addition to the Conformation Spe- cialties, the ASTC staged some exciting Agility, Rally and Obedience each day which proved that our Shih Tzu breed is “not only beautiful but intelligent.”

Many had so many titles and achieve- ments listed after their names in what seemed like an endless array of letters (UD RAE2 MX MXJ MXB3 MXPB MJP2 MJPB OF T2BP) that the title of BIS GCh on our show dogs seemed trivial in comparison. Each day the hard-working club volunteers had expansive tables of all- things-Shih Tzu and many products and items to easily tempt the participants with Silent Auctions and Raffles to raise

much needed funds to support the Charitable Trust and the staging of the National. A huge thank you goes out to the generous donors! In spite of the phenomenal amount of time required brushing, bathing, blow drying and pampering required by Shih Tzu exhibitors to get them ready for the ring (Whippet groomers have it easy), many National participants attended an awesome seminar by Dr. Shauntelle Gallagher titled “Canine Reproduction

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

Myths and Misconceptions” in the eve- ning. It was definitely a valuable expe- rience of ‘information overload’ for novice breeders and proved very appre- ciated by even breeders like myself with 45 years experience, as I too learned many new things. The next day was the second Regional Specialty judged by Ms. Caro- lyn A. Herbel. The Best In Specialty Winner was GCh Lun Lynn’s I’m All Shook Up, breeder/owner handled by Sherrie McGee. Our hotel was surrounded by a wide variety of restaurants to appease any palate and of course Atlanta has many attractions such as the Georgia Aquar- ium, World of Coca Cola, CNN Studio Tour, Zoo Atlanta as well as many world class Museums for those not spending the bulk of their time as a servant to the Shih Tzu coat. The excitement continued as it was the Puppy Sweepstakes day to be judged by long time Shih Tzu breeder and

handler Greg Larson. Greg had a large entry of aspiring winners and young hopefuls. The eventual winner of the Best in Sweepstakes was a lovely female from the 8-10 month class Tu Chu-Marja Poetic Justice At Su Chen, owned by Susan Chaney and Pena Blanca. Best Opposite in Sweeps was a handsome male from the 6-8 class Wenrick’s N Pala- quins They Call Me Mr Bates, owned by Wendy Paquette. The Sweeps was fol- lowed by the Annual General Meeting of the ASTC. That evening had Judges Education Chairperson Kristi Mann put on an informative power point presen- tation followed by hands-on ring ses- sion. The students and aspiring judges followed up their National experience with ring side mentoring the following day at the National. The last day had finally arrived and breeder judge Dr. John V. Ioia had the honors. He chose a striking one year old gold and white male Tian Mi’s Something To Talk About, owned by

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Leslie LeFave and David Barber as Win- ners male from the Bred By Exhibitor class. This dog also went on to win Best Bred By In Specialty. Reserve Winner Dog was Tu Chu Marja Shinin’ Example, owned by Kathy Kwait and Linda Davi from the Open Dog class. In bitches, a flashy 12-18 class female Su Chen N Xlntoy Dont Let The Stars Get In Ur Eyes, owned by Susan Chaney and Pena Blanca, was Winners Female. Reserve Winners went to the stylistic Open female Wenrick’s Crystals By Opal, owned by Wendy Paquette, Jody Paquette-Garcini and Jackie Power. The Best In Specialty winner was the impressive male GCh Hallmark Jolei Rocket Power, owned by Patricia Shaw and Luke and Diane Ehricht. Best Oppo- site Sex went to the adorable Ch Lohona Zephyr Reason To Believe, owned by Anna Maybin and Dan Haley. Select dog was the striking GCh Wenrick’s Don’t Stop Believing, owned by Sha- ron Bilicich and Jody Paquette-Garcini.

Select Bitch was the fashionable Ch Foxfire Pocket Full Of Sunshine, owned by Trisha Fox. The strong lineup resulted in Dr. Ioia handing out five Awards Of Merit to the following dogs: the Veteran Dog, GCh Krissy’s Tybee Dream Machine, owned by Jo Ann White; GCh Xer- alane’s Just Face It, owned by Bobbie Prado, Liz Takamoto and Xeralane Ken- nel; GCh Lun Lynn’s I’m All Shook Up, owned by Sherrie McGee; GCh Wens- hu In The Midnight Hour, owned by Sarah Lawrence and Donna Gerl; Ch Tu Chu’s Perfect Example, owned by Kathy Kwait. Best Puppy In Specialty went to the exuberant and solid gold male Chat- terbox Blame It On The Sun, owned by Sarah Lawrence. Best Stud Dog was GCh Wenrick’s Don’t Stop Believing, owned by Sharon Bilicich and Jody Paquette-Garcini, and Best Brood Bitch was Ch Macy’s From Audreys Paradis, owned by Melody

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

About the Author

Campbell, Dr. Ed Campbell, Pat Keen Fernandes and Teresa Gaczol. The finale for the week was the evening Annual Awards Banquet and Auction. The ASTC honored last year’s winners in Conformation and Perfor- mance as well as all of the Register of Merit Awards for top-producing dogs and bitches. Pat Keen Fernandez took home the honor of being voted by her peers as the Wenrick Sportsmanship Award winner at the National, an annu-

al award offered by Richard, Wendy and Jody Paquette. This was followed by a live Auction with myself as auc- tioneer helping to raise thousands of dollars for a worthy cause, The ASTC Charitable Trust. Another year has come and gone and those who attended were treated to a well run, first class event. Mark your calendars for next year’s Nation- al to be held in St. Louis, Missouri on April 24-30, 2017.

Richard Paquette has had Shih Tzu since 1971 and is now a Canadian Kennel Club All Breed Judge. Rich- ard will be judging the American Shih Tzu Club National Specialty in 2017.

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Don’t get lost in the other magazines, get founD in tnt!

features July

the havanese annual the yorkie yearbook

u¸u

features

italian greyhound roundup

advertising: bonnie guggenheim phone: 863-738-8848 • email: bonnie@dmcg.com

in print • on facebook • on twitter • online 24/7 • topnotchtoysonline.com

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

AFFENPINSCHER BREEDER: An IntervIew wIth JAcquelIne StAcy

What is your most special memory about one of your homebreds? GCh Tamarin Tug (Taser) is the top-winning American bred Affenpinscher in the history of the breed. Phil and Pat- ty Smith of Scotsdale, AZ owned and campaigned this dog throughout the country, thus allowing an Affenpinscher of this quality to be showcased for the fancy. This spurred great interest in the breed because of his type, temperament and presence. What made you and your husband decide to breed affenpinschers? When Terry and I moved to California in 1996, I wanted to be involved in breeding and showing dogs again. It had to be a dog that was portable and able to be kept as a pet and a show dog without compromising either of those aspects. The Affenpinscher was a perfect fit! What Was the best decision you made that contributed to the success of your tamarind dogs? We purchased Periwinkle En-La Ms. Munster, from Wade Koisten (bred by Elizabeth Chamberlain) and bred her to Yar- row’s Super Nova (owned by Beth Weigart). That litter pro- duced five champions. Her daughter, Ch Tamarind Tulip, was then bred to Ch Ceterra’s Little Black Sambo (bred by Lor- na Spratt and Sherry Galagan from Winnipeg, Canada) and shown by Delores Burkholder and C.L. Eudy. We discovered Sam in his senior years, and he had been utilized lightly as a stud. This mating really clicked and resulted in two national specialty and two Best in Show winners. Another decision we’ve adhered to from the start is never be kennel blind. What is most different about breeding and shoWing affenpinschers as opposed to other toy breeds you’ve bred and shoWn? Affens cannot be forced. Temperament is inherited; per- sonality is developed and developed it must be to allow them to be comical, yet serious. Where do you think today’s group of affenpinscher breeders are losing their Way, and Where are they most succeeding? Overall they are doing great—just look back to Affens 25 years ago. They are now a breed to be rightfully considered in many Toy groups.

“WATCH, LISTEN, LEARN.”

if you could give one piece of advice to an amateur handler What Would it be? Watch, listen, learn. What do you see professional handlers do that someone neW to the sport could learn from? I see professional handlers spend an incredible amount of time socializing, training and conditioning their dogs. This is a discipline that should always be remembered by anyone in

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

“OVERALL THEY ARE DOING GREAT— JuSt look bAck to AffenS 25 yeArS Ago. they Are now A breed to be rIghtfully conSIdered In mAny toy groupS.”

bio Jacqueline L. Stacy, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, began exhibiting dogs in 1958. Her father, a German Shepherd Dog fancier, allowed her to choose her own breed. Mrs. Stacy chose Pomeranians and eventually bred and showed over 50 champions. Under the Tamarin Affenpinscher pre- fix, Mrs. Stacy and her husband and fellow judge, Terry Sta- cy, have produced over 100 champions, owning or breed- ing eleven national specialty winners, ten all-breed Best in Show winners, the top-winning American-bred Affenpin- scher in breed history, 2008’s number-one toy dog, and the breeder of the first beige Affenpinscher to win the national specialty and multiple best in shows. As a licensed professional handler, Mrs. Stacy showed the Maltese Ch. Keoli’s Small Kraft Warning to first in the Toy Group at the 1984 AKC Centennial Show. Mrs. Stacy has been a member of the American Pomerani- an Club for better than 25 years, serving on their board as director, treasurer, standard-revision committee member, and judges’ mentor. She judged their national specialties in 1996 and 2013. A longtime member of the American Maltese Association, Mrs. Stacy judged the club’s 2008 national. She served as the newsletter editor, vice president, and president of the Affenpinscher Club of America, and spearheaded the cre- ation of the club’s first Illustrated Standard. Mrs. Stacy serves as a breed mentor.

the breed, new or old. The most talented professional han- dlers possess the skill to present the Affen in the desired “shaggy, but neat” appearance. This is an oxymoron for sure, but a goal to always strive for. What Would you say to an oWner handler Who says only the “faces” Win? Watch, listen, learn. What makes for a reWarding day of judging? Happy dogs, happy exhibitors and happy show chairs. vieWing the entire toy group What is the biggest area of improvement in the last 25 years and What area needs Work? Grooming and showmanship. Type seems to evade many. Type is what matters most. you’ve had so much success as a handler, breeder and judge. What’s next for jackie stacy? Hopefully many more years of breeding and continu- ing to improve the Affenpinscher breed; and enjoy judging throughout the world.

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

TransformaTion from ConformaTion To QualifiCaTion WITH OUR AFFENPINSCHERS by Ken sTowell

W e are new to the Affen- pinscher breed. Our first Affenpinscher, Tamarin Technique, aka “Tech” was our introduction to Affenpinschers. A few months later, his daughter, Tamarin Tease, aka “Ditto” arrived. After finishing both of them, we felt there must be something more we could do beyond the Conformation ring. Our good friend, Teresa Solomon of Georgia (whom I met by chance in California 2006), her Chihuahua was a top 5 invitee for the Eukanuba Invita- tional Agility Trial, suggested we look into Obedience, Rally and possibly Agil- ity. I took her advice. I contacted the AKC and they were very helpful and informative, so, of course, I ordered the Rules and Regulations handbooks. It was decided Tech would attend an 8-week Basic Obedience Class offered at the Upper Suncoast Dog Train- ing Center. First day of school was

September 29, 2014. I quickly realized our 2 years of bonding during Confor- mation put us ahead of the curve, as far as a working team was concerned. We began to compete, and yes, we did have our moments. The Conforma- tion dog now had to “sit in the heel” when we stopped and continue “in the heel” while walking. “In the heel” sim- ply means the dog’s head or shoulder is parallel to the handler’s left leg. Tech was a natural and learned quickly what was expected of him. Soon we were training off lead. I had to learn quickly, too. Not just the rules and regulations, but the pro- cedures and policies of the course and terminology of the sport. Our debut November 29, 2014, entered in Rally Novice A, I learned a very important lesson: do not stare at your dog while competing in Rally to see where he is or you will miss a sign. I did. We were disqualified. I thought to myself, ‘Nice start in a new sport.’ It was a humbling experience.

In Performance, handlers have the opportunity to walk the course with- out their dogs to get the layout of the signs, the course and to ask the judge for an explanation of a particular sign. I do this every time. In Obedience, the first rule of thumb is you cannot talk to your dog with the exception of a few commands. After ten years of showing Chihuahuas, which I still do, that rule was, and still is, very difficult. I con- stantly have to remind myself to keep my mouth shut. And if I don’t remem- ber, the judge will remind me. During Tech’s training and course runs, we decided to give Ditto a try. We enrolled her in the Basic Obedience class on July 13, 2015. She continued to work in Conformation towards her Grand Champion title and her place- ment in the Owner Handled series for the AKC Eukanuba Finals. Our initial concern was will she be able to distinguish between the two competitions. Each sport is different in that Conformation is a show lead

Tech

Tech (illustration by elizabeth Dolezal at Dolezalart.com)

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

in the backyard. He will continue his role as Therapy Dog visiting patients in nursing homes and private doctor offices. His loving demeanor is beautiful to watch. Ditto, she will continue Rally, Obe- dience and Conformation, but plan to start Barn Hunt classes in a few months. We want to put her high drive and natu- ral born curiosity to work. It should be interesting. I want to thank the instructors at the Upper Suncoast Training Center in Clearwater, Florida; Teresa Solomon who has answered a million questions with honest answers; the spectators who love to see the “monkey dogs” in the ring; and all the comments and questions that range from “What kind of dog is that?” to “Is that a Griffon?” to “I’ve only seen them in pictures or on TV.” A sincere and heartfelt thank you to Jackie Stacy and Terry Stacy of Tama- rin Kennels, Reg. who have entrusted us with their line of Affenpinschers and who continue to guide us, teach us and support us. Thank you to my wife Alison, who is a self prescribed behind-the-scenes participant. In truth, she holds us all together. Absolutely none of this would have been possible without her. Last but not least, thank you to CH Tamarin Technique CD BN RE THDN CGCA CGCU and his daughter GCH CH Tamarin Tease BN RN CGCA CGCU— they make me look good. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ken Stowell retired from the US Navy. As a corpsman he has served with the Marines and various Avia- tion Squadrons. His specialties included Aerospace Medicine and Aerospace Physiology. He retired off the USS Daniel Boone (SSBN-629). He holds degrees in Cultural Anthropol- ogy and Archaeology.

Ditto

Ditto (illustration by elizabeth Dolezal at Dolezalart.com)

and Performance is a traditional buckle collar and leash. She does distinguish between the two by the collar or lead she has on. Once again, our bonding in Con- formation paid off as well as my own experience in the training ring. To our amazement, she too, quickly picked up on the training regimen. To title in Obedience and Rally you need to qualify in 3 “legs” by 2 different judges. Obedience, earn more than 50 percent of points for each exercise with a total score of at least 170 out of 200 points. Rally, 70 out of 100 points. Ditto’s debut in Rally Novice B was September 12, 2015 at the Toy Dog Club of Central Florida. She qualified with a score of 84.0 and placed third. Tech and Ditto are different in train- ing, and course runs, as night and day. Tech is very good at heeling on and off lead. Ditto will drift a little too much. Their long sit (1 minute) and long downs (3 minutes) are carbon copies. They have never popped up during these exercises. During recall exer- cises, Tech will come to me in regal style with his Affenpinscher jaunt, whereas Ditto will run towards me like she stole something—flat out and low to the ground. Sometimes I think that she’s going to run right past me and I have to keep my mouth shut! She always gets a round of applause and a round of sporting laughter. We have learned much about our Affenpinschers. First and foremost, they are smart, smart, smart. Keenly aware and eager to please. We do our very best to nurture these

wonderful traits. It does not matter if the dog is pure-bred or mixed, the bonds I’ve witnessed between humans and their canine friends are very appar- ent during training and in the ring. Not only do the dogs want to please their owners, the owners want to please their dogs. Rally and Obedience is truly a team sport. In Conformation, the steward will call, “Long Coat Chihuahua so and so”. In Performance, the judge will call out, “Team Affenpinscher so and so.” In Conformation it’s you, your dog and everybody else’s dog that is being judged by a written standard as interpreted by a ring judge, and that’s all good. In Performance, it’s you, your dog and a stopwatch being observed by a judge that personally laid out the course. The stopwatch only comes into play to break a point tie as it applies to Rally and Obedience. In oth- er words, you were good, but how fast were you good? I try to video most of their training to see what’s broken, so I can correct the problems during the week between classes. Personally I have so much fun doing this and it amazes me that I can learn an exercise and pass that on to my dogs, but again, they are smart. You can actually see their individual progress with learning and their ability to retain more and more. I truly believe they have fun too. Our future plan for Tech is continue his training and competition in Rally, Obedience and Conformation. We are slowly adding jumps and weave poles. He has his own mini Agility course

5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/& t

Judging the AFFENPINSCHER by Pam Peat

“ T his is a small, sturdy, harsh coated, shaggy looking little dog who is comical, inquisitive and alert.” Taken from the Affenpin- scher Club of America Illustrated Stan- dard introduction, this describes what you need to see as they enter the ring. We do not want heavy, coarse or big dogs; they are square and up on leg, not long in body or low on leg which are “drags on the breed”. Shape, propor- tions and angles are different from oth- er Toy dogs. They have a “short verti- cal neck and moderate angulation front and rear”. This creates movement that is jaunty and light without excessive reach and drive. They need to be able to pounce, jump and twist to capture a rodent—not chase it down. When in the ring they should not be raced, but moved at a speed to show off agility and lightness. They are very determined and alert, but also comical. They will walk and dance on their hind legs to attract attention. They may remind you of Charlie Chaplin as the “little tramp”, comic in appearance but serious in pur- pose. Their gait should be sound on all four legs with no hackney or crossing over even as they tend to converge at increasing speed. Tail carriage must be UP when moving displaying their confident attitude. It may drop when standing but down when moving is VERY incorrect. Our standard specifies the “overall appearance… is more important than any individual characteristic”. Today we see confident, sturdy little dogs moving with a sound gate, but they still show an impish playful attitude. We must keep this in mind because only if the attitude and general demeanor is present will you have an Affenpinscher. Having seen a square, sturdy little dog moving you must now put your hands on him to examine the head, body and coat. Put your fingers into the coat and feel the head shape, round

but not domed. The muzzle is horizon- tal and square with a definite but not indented stop. The length of the muz- zle is equal to the distance between the inside corner of the eyes forming an equilateral triangle with the round dark lustrous eyes. A definite breed characteristic is the prominent broad lower lip forming a pouty expression. This is created by the lower jaw being long, broad and level. There is no lay- back of nose or upsweep of jaw on an Affen. Feel for it! The bite is therefore reverse scissor, undershot or even lev- el if the correct monkey-like expres- sion is preserved. The eyes and pouty lower lip and hair standing away from the face create the impish, intelligent, comical and determined expression of the Affenpinscher. The Affenpinscher standard allows much variation in coat colors, tails, ear shape and carriage. This variety is what contributes to the uniqueness of this breed. Prior to the 1990s it was rare to see natural tail or ears. Now almost all are shown “au naturel”. Our stan- dard is and always was, very specific in allowing tails to be docked or left natural with no bias. Ears are to be sym- metrical and all types are acceptable; cropped, erect, semi-prick or drop. To put it another way—we don’t care about it and neither should you. Shape, coat, head, expression, attitude—look at and judge the whole dog! This is a breed that needs very little work if the coat is correct as stated in our standard. “Harsh and shaggy but neat”, however, can be interpreted by many people in different ways. It is important to remember that Affens have two dis- tinct types of coat. The body (jacket) is harsh and lays flat. The head is softer and stands off to frame the face. On mature dogs you may find hair that is longer from the occiput along the neck to the withers and over the shoulders. This forms a “cape” not to be confused with a “mane” or “ruff”. This does not

mean breeding for profuse softer coat that can be ratted, sprayed, sculpted and teased to create an artificial outline. This causes the presentation to become more important than the overall breed characteristics. A compromise between the English “au naturel” look and the “Terrier type” presentation currently seen should be our goal as breeders and judges. The judges’ challenge is to find the correct dog as opposed to one artificially created. This can only be accomplished by putting your hands on the dog and into the coat and feel for structure, breed specific characteristics and coat texture. The biggest challenge in judging a new breed may be setting priorities. No dog is perfect and all have faults of vary- ing degrees. Each breed and breeder has certain attributes that are essential. Please remember, if we fault judge we will end up with a generic show dog. If you find a dog with faults but also specific breed type and characteristics which are essential to the breed, please reward that exhibit over one with no (or fewer) faults but nothing extraordi- nary towards breed type. The Affenpinscher Club of America Illustrated Standard is an invaluable tool in stating 8 things which are “Priorities of Type”. These are not in any specific order of importance. 1. Monkey-like expression 2. Preferred height 9 ½ " - 11 ½ " 3. Square appearance, bitches may be slightly longer 4. Hind legs set under body 5. Substance must be sturdy 6. Temperament is comical, inquisitive 7. Gait is sound, tracking 4 square converging with speed 8. Coat is harsh, neat but shaggy. Using this 8 step guide, judging the whole dog and not just parts and stay- ing positive you should do justice to our delightful breed. Remember—Affens of quality should make you smile or laugh in the ring.

C ONTINUED ON PAGE 68

t5 01 / 05$) 5 0:4 + 6/&

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16-17 Page 18-19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85

topnotchtoys.com