werecompact,perhapsnotFrenchcompact,butweno
longerhavethepreponderanceoflong-and-lowoveralldogs
inoutline.“Somewhatlongerthantallwhenmeasuredfrom
pointofshouldertobuttocks.”APBGVwithalittlelegunder
itiscorrect.

Headswerelovelyduetopropereyeshape,colorandsize;

fineears,suppleandfoldinginward,notquitereachingto
theendofmuzzle.Toplinesweresolidandlevel;tailswere
wagging,demonstratingpropercharacter,happyand
exuberant.Coatsweregreat,farmorecorrectthaninthe
past.Theywerelongwithoutexaggeration,andharsh.
Breedersaredoingagoodjobwithcoattexture.

Afewexhibitswereabitmoredoneupthannecessary,

especiallyconsideringthefactthatoutercoatswerecrisp
ofpropertexture.Whyfluffandoverdoit?Thechangein
standardrecentlyemphasizesthatthecoatmaybeneatened
yetshouldalwaysremainincasualdisarray.

Weusedthespecialtytofurthereducatethejudgeswho

attendedbydemonstratingproperoveralloutlineand
shape.Withtheexamtablenearthejudges,aftermy
examinationofeachdog,thehandlermovedtofrontofdog
toholdtheheadinproperpositionasIheldthetailfor
judgestoseetheoveralldog.Judgeswereclosebythetable

andcouldseeeventhefinestdetails.Thisextraeffortto
showthedogsseemedwell-receivedbyringsidejudges.

Thespecialswereawesome.Oneofthebitches,who

wentBOS,caughtmyeyeimmediatelyasshewasso
Frenchinstyle.IknewIwoulddosomethingwithher,
thoughtheotherbitcheswereofextremelyhighquality
too.BOSsaid“PBGV”tome,reminiscentofmyvisitsto
theFrenchNational.

OverandoveragainImovedthosemalespecials.

Lookingfortheshapewhilestackedtransitioningtothe
shapewhilemovingwasmyjob.Thoughthemovement
wasexcellentonmostofthedogs,myBOBdogdidnotmiss
astep.Myeyekeptgoingbacktothisdog.ThenIreallyhad
tonitpickfortheadditionalawardsduetothehighquality
present.Insuchsituationsofveryclosecompetition,Itryto
rewardtheanimalswiththemostdifficultfeaturetobreed
correctlyandretain:thefrontassembly.

Thankyoutoallwhoshowedtomeandgavemethe

opportunitytojudgeyourlovelydogs.Itsurelywasa
highlightofmyjudgingcareer!

I

KittySteidelcanbereachedatksteidel@aol.com.Contacther
withquestionsorifyouwanttobeaPBGVCAbreedmentor.

SaberTails

ISpring2015

www.pbgv.org

21

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