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Notes for trainee Judges: (July 1997):
Copyright
All rights reserved. This document may not
be reproduced in part or whole, or
transferred without the permission of the
author and illustrator. For and on behalf
of the New South Wales Southern District
Country Border Collie Club inc.
Prepared by Mrs Joan Bray and Mrs Lisa
Brack.
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Select a topic:
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Hallmarks: are those aspects of a dog's
appearance or character which sets it apart
from other breeds; Those features that
epitomises that particular breed. The
hallmarks of the Border Collie are:
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Movement;
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Intelligent and inquiring mind,
attentiveness;
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Potential working ability.
Admittedly these three characteristics
are not as easy to determine at first glance
as may be the hallmarks of other breeds, such
as the rolling gait of the Old English
sheepdog, the commanding size of the Irish
Wolf hound or the ring in the tail and the
topknot of the Afghan hound.
Nevertheless Border Collie aficionados
consider it extremely important for judges to
do their utmost to select dogs with Hallmarks
as close to the ideal as possible for the
Border Collie to survive in its uniqueness and
to ensure that it does not become solely
another glamorous show dog.
To determine that at least to some degree,
the hallmarks have been met, requires that
this breed be judged on the move rather than
on the stack. First and foremost, the Border
Collie must be considered as a movement
breed!!!
Exhibitors are very adept at making their
dogs 'look good' on the stack:
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* Coats can be enhanced, dyed, trimmed or
moussed and combed to hide faults and give
the desired outline;
* Ears can be given a little 'assistance'
to come down (if near pricked) or stay up
(with heavy ears);
* Tails can be trained to 'stay'
down;
* Baiting can make a dog look 'alert' or
'turned on".
(For further
details see the section 'One step
ahead".)
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A line up of Border Collies can look very
eye-catching and very uniform with their glossy,
well groomed coats, sparkling white collars, feet
and tail-tips, well trained to stand still in the
stacked position and with a little assistance from
check-chains to keep ears and heads as high as
possible!
But, correct movement only comes from correct
conformation; alertness, attentativeness,
intelligence and working ability must be bred into
the dog and carefully maintained.
JUDGES CAN HELP TO ENSURE THAT THESE QUALITIES
ARE KEPT UPPERMOST IN THE MINDS OF BREEDERS BY
THEIR SELECTION OF WINNING DOGS!.
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General Procedure: Watch the dogs as they enter
the ring, if you get a chance, watch them free
stand before moving the dogs to the point of
examination; Approach the dogs at an angle; Speak
to the handler on approach; Move the dogs both out
and back and at least twice around the ring. Many
dogs will warm up to the task and settle into a
good gait, those with problems will become
obvious.
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Characteristics: When looking for working
ability, confirmation and alertness, judge the
Border Collie on the move and confirm your
opinion/s when going over the dog with your
hands.
Over emphasis has been placed on two words
'alert expression', Why?? Probably because it
has been 'too difficult' even impossible to
determine the true temperament and working
ability of a Border Collie in those few
moments in the show ring. The word 'alert' has
been taken to mean a dog which can be made to
lift its ears; sometimes achieved by the judge
using a buzzer, rattling keys, clickers etc;
but more often by the dog being trained to
'bait' to lift its ears and move its head in
response to food.
Remember that Border Collies are very easy to
train; this seems fair enough from the
exhibitors point of view; their purpose is to
present their dog in the best possible way and
try and catch the attention of the
judge!
Judges MUST be more discerning. There are
'SEVEN' characteristics listed in the breed
standard; WHY ONLY SETTLE FOR 'ALERTNESS'. The
characteristics in the order in which they
appear in the standard:
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Highly intelligent;
* Instinctive tendency to
work;
* Readily responsive to
training;
* Keen, alert and eager
expression;
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* Loyal
and faithful nature;
* At all times kindly disposed
towards stock;
* At all times a working
dog.
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Check for expression in the eyes; are they soft,
kind and gentle as well as alert; or hard, mean,
shifty, shuttered, vacant or showing the
whites.
Watch the dog's body language: is it confidant at
your approach or does it shy away; Does the dog
look at you or turn its head away; Is the tail
held in a gentle curve ready to signal acceptance
or is it between its legs or alternately upright
in a display of aggressiveness.
Watch the dogs as they are brought into the ring;
Ask for the dogs to be moved on a loose lead,
watch the positioning of the head and tail; Check
for 'alertness' on the move. Is the dog interested
in its surroundings or being dragged unwillingly
around the ring; Does the dog move with ease and
confidence or required the constant attention of
its owner; Does the dog appear comfortable in the
company of other dogs in the ring or show signs of
nervousness and/or aggression?
Head:Ask for a loose check-chain and lead; Assess
expression from the dogs eyes, head carriage and
the dogs reaction on judges approach. Place your
hand under the dogs chin, check its bite, strength
of muzzle, tightness of flews and pigment. Check
the proportion and planes of the exhibits
head.
Conformation: Run your hands down the neck,
locating the withers, check/confirm front
angulation (remember what you saw during
movement?); proportion, shape and strength of
bone; shape of the feet and quality of the
pasterns. Lift the foot backwards and check the
quality and depth of the pads. Lifting up the leg
can allow you to check/compare shoulder/upper arm
proportions.
Run your hands along the body checking
depth of chest, locate the end of the rib cage and
assess its length, check/confirm the topline and
assess the quality of the coat. Feel for the slope
of the croup, the actual tail set and the length
and regularity of the tail.
Feel the width and musculation of the thigh,
check the hindquarter angulation with your hands
rather than with the eye. Step behind the dog and
assess the hocks. If you have a problem with this,
ask the handler to step the dog forward and free
stand it, any problems with the
hindquarter will show up.
Movement:Have the dog move on a loose lead both
at a walk and a moderate (not fast) trot; fast
movement can hide faults, you should be looking
for movement that is free, smooth and tireless,
with a minimum lift of the feet, this wont come
with a dog that races around the ring.
Move the dog twice around the ring and watch for
the endurance of the gait; check that both the
head and tail are lowered and that balance is
maintained; The front feet should reach to the
nose, a dog carrying its head high will therefore
have a short and possibly choppy gait. Check the
dogs back and side movement.
Watch the footfall, front extension, hind drive
and the operation of the pasterns and hocks; watch
for a level topline on the move; as the dog
returns to you, ask that it be allowed to stand
naturally (not baited into position); the dog
should stand four square, check its front, walk
behind and recheck the natural position of the
hocks; and the topline from the side.
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As with any breed in the showring exhibitors
will try a variety of means to present their
dog in such a way as to accent its good
points, conceal its problem and catch the
judge's attention. Some dogs are naturally
charismatic, others may be very sound but lack
presence in the ring; some have markings which
may create an artificial illusion either to
the dogs advantage or disadvantage. To judge
this breed fairly and well, judges should be
aware of the following points that could
affect your decision:
The affects of markings:
Note: all of the following marking
effects are acceptable and do not disqualify
the dog therefore judges must learn to assess
how well the dog conforms to the standards
underneath the markings.
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* A wide blaze may make the head appear
broader or coarse;
* A dark face, little or no blaze may make
the head appear narrow, the muzzle weak or
eyes small;
* An uneven white on the front legs can make
the dog appear to toe in;
* White on the outside of the stifle can
suggest narrow thighs, crouching or over
angulated movement;
* A white collar can form a right-angle on
the side of the body which could give the
appearance of good shoulder angulation;
* Broad collars can suggest a long neck, a
short body. A narrow, half or no collared dog
can appear to be short in neck or long in
body;
* Coloured dog may give the impression of
having light eyes and/or
pigmentation.
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Presentation in the ring:
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* A check chain held tight under the chin and
ears with the help of the handlers thumbs can
lift heavy ears and make them appear
semi-erect;
* Moving a dog with the lead held over its
head which keeps the head high may suggest
alertness but at the same time will interfere
with correct movement;
* Moving the dog too fast or allowing it to
leap up while moving will cover the lack of
reach or over angulation;
* Black clothing ie, skirts or long pants
behind the dog may mask a fault in the dogs
topline ie, a dippy back or rise over the
loin.
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Pre-ring presentation:
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* Gay tails which have been surgically
altered or ring trained to stay down;
* Trimming to alter the appearance of the
shape of feet or hocks;
* Pricked ears artificially tipped;
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Dye coats;
* The use of Texta to cover grey muzzle
hair, white hairs or poor
pigmentation;
* The use of mousse or sprays to enhance
a thin coat; flatten a wavy coat; create
illusions such as wider thighs, stronger
bone, stronger necks; give the appearance
of a level topline or alter the coats
texture.
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The past and its effect on present day Border
Collies:
There is a mountain of records, information,
old paintings etc attesting to the development
of stock-dogs over hundreds of years
throughout Europe and the United Kingdom.
Whilst much of this history is fascinating to
historians of the breed the salient points
'only' are needed by potential judges. These
are the foundation points which effect how
this breed should be assessed for its future
survival.
1. One of the
earliest recorded references to dogs which
have the characteristics seemingly unique to
the Border Collie is found in English Law
records, the Laws of the Forest, published
1598:
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What dogges a man keep in the forest.
These little dogges called velteres (small
greyhound) and such as are called ramhund
(a sheep-dogge or ramhundt, a dogge
necessary to those who pasture sheep or
cattle in the forest) or ( al which dogges
are to sit in ones lap) ....... because in
them there is no danger ...... (I Combe
Herding Dogs 1987).
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These ancient forest dog, Ramhundt, as the
records show, were selectively bred from dogs
which had the natural instincts to: Work
silently; Flank and cast wide; and Gather and
mesmerise with the 'eye'. These are exactly
the instincts required by Border Collies
today, If these are lost then we lose our
breed.
2. Sheepdogs,
descendants of the forest dogs were brought
from the UK to Australia to work stock from
the very beginning's of Australia's white
settlement. One of the earliest written
references to this is an article found in the
Sydney Mail of 1907 detailing 5 outstanding
sheepdogs trial winners being exhibited at a
Kennel Club show in NSW: These exhibits were
listed as Border Collies.
The development of the modern Border Collie
as a fixed breed had begun!! Meanwhile, back
in the UK this same useful flock dog, with an
infusion of the Boizoi, was being developed as
the glamorous Collie Rough.
3. Although shown
occasionally in conformation classes the breed
was primarily developed to work in Australian
climate and conditions, obviously quite
different from those in the UK.
It is most important that both the Australian
Kelpie and the (Australian) Border Collie were
developed from the same working sheepdog
stock.
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Relevance to Judging:
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(i) Note how
selective breeding can change appearances.
Compare the appearances of the Collie Rough
and Smooth, the Australian Kelpie and the
Border Collie. Judges can profoundly influence
the appearance of a breed and in a
surprisingly short time! By putting up
incorrect dogs the undesirable becomes
desirable, breeders respond accordingly and
the breed starts to change; eventually the
standard changes as well.
(ii) There is a range of
colours which is genetically a part of both
the Kelpie and Border Collie breeds; namely
Black, Blue, Chocolate, Red and the typical
tan markings (tri-colour). The first Border
Collie standard allowed for a black and tan;
this was omitted from the second standard but
retained in the Kelpie standard.
The main problem arises from the nomenclature
ie, what the colours are called does not mean
the same thing for all breeds and this can be
misleading for judges unfamiliar with the
breed. Example; what is called 'red' in a
Border Collie is not the same colour 'red' in
a Kelpie.
(iii) Most importantly, if the
Border Collie is to retain its uniqueness as a
breed, judges must look for those qualities
(Characteristics and Appearance) which set
this breed apart from other working dogs:
Border Collies must have stealth of movement,
work low to the ground, have a keenness to
work and power of the eye to control
stock.
Don't let this breed become just another cute
'china statue'. !!
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Questions
for Consolidation:
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1. What are the 'Hallmarks' of the Border
Collie?
2. Why is it important to the breed for
judges to ensure that winning dogs have the
required 'Hallmarks'?
3. What happens to a breed if the 'Hallmarks'
are lost?
4. Name two other breeds which share a common
ancestry with the Border Collie?
5. And what makes this knowledge significant
for Border Collie judging?
6. What three attributes of its 'work method'
make this breed different from other working
breeds?
7. How would you assess the head of a dog
which had a black face?
8. What visual affects might give the
appearance of:- Over angulated shoulders/good
shoulders/toeing in and light eyes?
9. What are the seven characteristics of the
breed and which of these is the most
important?
10. Briefly outline which parts of the dog
you would look at to assess correct
expression?
11. Why is it important to have the Border
Collie judged on a loose lead?
12. How can a show judge determine if a dog
is capable of 'moving with great stealth'?
13. What is meant by 'perfect balance'?
14. How would you assess a red dog with a
liver nose?
15. At what pace/s is movement assessed?
16. Why is a 'gay' tail undesirable?
17. What is indicated by a 'dippy' back? How
is this fault able to be masked in the
ring?
18. Where should the head of a Border Collie
be positioned when the dog is moving in a
correct endurance gait?
19. Describe correct Border Collie feet. Why
are good feet important to a working dog?
20. As a result of this presentation, do you
have a clear picture in your mind of a 'good'
Border Collie?
What other information would you have wanted
included? Suggest ways by which this
presentation could be improved in the
future.
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Extended
Breed Standard:
Australian
Breed Standard:
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