Club Open Show (No CCs) With NW & PBs (CCs)

I felt really honoured to be invited to judge the Norwegian Buhund Club of The UK club open show. It was an incredibly hot day, and we didn’t get in the ring until close to 3PM. It was a long day! That said, I suspect the owners and handlers tolerated the heat less well than the dogs. The true joy and advantage of the spitz double coat. The temperament of the dogs was excellent. A few were naturally sporting their summer coats, but coat texture was generally good. Pigmentation was good and most were of a good size, although I noticed that the black dogs tended to be a little finer in build. Sexual dimorphism was evident throughout. In a few cases, movement was a little difficult to assess as there was a tendency for dogs to pull away from their owners on the move. Front action and angulation were not as good as the rear. Elbows could be a little more tightly placed. Overall, I thought the quality of the dogs was good. There are many breeds that are numerically stronger where the soundness and type of Buhs would be envied. It must be remembered that these dogs have been bred to be sturdy; herding sheep is not an easy task, as those of us who have owned sheep know.

My smile of the day was when a gentleman told me that I should have given his dog the CC. As I was not awarding CCs (it was an Open show), I could not help but think that perhaps, some 40 years ago, I too would have made a similar error.

Grateful thanks to my lovely steward, who kept the ring running so smoothly.

Junior dog (2)

1. Denham-Horton’s Tapui Haraldson At Jjavacobe – 14-month-old wheaten boy developing well. He has a square outline and is compactly built and is not exaggerated in any way. His skull has not quite broadened between his ears yet, but that will come with maturity. His bite is correct. Side-on his back is short and his topline is level. He has strong, correctly shaped feet. His coat is of a good texture; his angulation fore and aft could be a little better but he moved well in all directions.

2. Cobb’s, Cobb’s & Kent’s Knytshall Beau Bramble – As with my class winner this young male is compactly built. His head is perhaps a little too broad between his ears for his age and this affects his ear placement a tiny bit. That said he holds his ears erect, and as required by the breed’s standard, the height is greater than the base. His bite is good. He is a little wide in front at the moment and elbows could be a little more tightly placed. He is wearing his summer jacket today, but his outer coat texture is good and there is sufficient undercoat near his elbows to confirm that it is soft and woolly. Movement could be a little better.

Yearling dog (1)

1. Lambert’s Sturtmoor’s Gon’n Dun It – 15-month-old lightly built, with no exaggerations. He has a masculine head and head proportions are good. His eye shape is breed typical as is his expression; ear set and carriage are good. He could do with a little bit more front angulation and this is affecting his reach and his back legs tend to have a little too much drive, causing his hind feet to overtake the position previously occupied by his front paws. His feet are excellent, being small and toes are well knit. He has a good tail, correctly carried and tightly curled. I would like to see him again when he is fully mature. Best Yearling. Best Postgraduate

Postgraduate dog (1)

1. Lambert’s Sturtmoor’s Gon’n Dun It

Open dog (2)

2 super males in this class, with so much to like about them.

1. Langford’s Frostisen Zeffer – lovely breed type, with so many breed typical positive points. He is compact and squarely built and of good size. He is energetic and unphased by the heat. His head is excellent, being sufficiently broad between the ears and wedge shaped with enough stop. His pigmentation is excellent. Ear set and carriage are very good; his neck is of a correct length and has enough arch for the requirement of the breed. He is strongly built with good depth of chest and good ribs and his tuck-up is good and not overdone, all this presenting a delightful picture of the breed. Perhaps his movement could be a tiny bit better, but he is sufficiently well constructed that I can easily imagine him doing the job the breed is supposed to do. RBIS

2. Deuchar’s Ch Rikarlo Gable JW – As my class winner, this male has so many breed positive points. He is square, compact, has good ear set and carriage and his tail is well curled, although I would prefer a slightly higher set. His head is typical of the breed being broad between the ears, wedge shaped and very masculine. His pigmentation is very good. His bite is correct, and his neck is of medium length with sufficient arch. His forequarters are straight and although a slight spring of pasterns is desired, I feel he is perhaps a little down. His topline is level and his loins are firm to the touch. Coat texture is good. Coming towards me, his movement is good, but his rear action today is not quite as strong as I would like, perhaps he is a little long in hocks. However, a lovely dog and a super example of the breed. Best Special Working

Special working dog (1)

1. Deuchar’s, Ch Rikarlo Gable JW

Junior Bitch (2)

Quite a difficult class to judge, although there were only two entered and present. Each had some lovely points and at the same time, some “not” so lovely ones. Time and maturity will be a great friend to these young bitches.

1. Butters’s Knytshall Tansy’s Tully – 15-month-old, lightly built and nothing overdone, which is what I expect at this stage of development. Her head is quite feminine and starting to broaden between the ears; the back of her head is flat and when viewed from above, she has the typical spitz breed wedge. Her ear set is good, and ears are erect. She has the correct scissor bite. Her forequarters have enough bone and are straight. Her topline is level; her chest is not quite deep enough yet. Her hindquarters are sufficiently angulated to provide a fair amount of drive on the move.

2. Irvine’s Tapui Herja At Blackcombe – This wheaten bitch, only very slightly younger than my class winner, but appearing quite a bit more immature. She is quite compact in build and is quite well balanced. Her head is fairly lean at this stage, but it does exhibit the typical spitz wedge. Her ears are a good shape and well placed. She has a scissor bite, and her neck is sufficiently arched to be breed typical. Her front legs are straight, but she is little over angulated at the rear, which affects her movement. Her hind feet are a little flat and thus her toes are not as tightly closed as I would like. Her tail is fairly high set and short. Her outer coat is harsh as required by the breed standard. I would like the chance to go over her again when she is a little older and more mature.

Postgraduate Bitch (2)

Fronts movement was a little difficult to assess in this class.

1. Crocker’s Leggatts Superstition – Very pretty 20-months-old wheaten with the most feminine of expressions. Her skull is of a good shape, and the back of her head is quite flat. Her ears are

well set and carried, and she has a “clean” neck with sufficient arch. She stands a little wide in front and this affects her front action when coming towards me. For me her hindquarters are a little over angulated side on but are straight when viewed from behind. Her rear action could be a little more positive. Her toes could be a little more tightly closed. Her body proportions are good. I think she still has some maturing to do.

2. Frost’s, Frost’s, Frost’s-Treadwell & Walmsley’s Frostisen Blakk Zeta – I really like this girl, but she is difficult to assess. Her head is lean and sufficiently wedge shaped for the breed. Her eyes are a good shape; her ear proportions are good; she has a delightful expression; her ears are breed typical and she has a correct scissor bite. Her angulation front and rear are good, and her chest is deep enough with good ribs. She has beautiful feet. She is lovely breed type, well-constructed with so much to like. It is a pity that she let herself down today.

Open Bitch (5,2)

1. Taylor’s, Taylor’s, Taylor’s & Frost-Treadwell’s Frostisen Blakk Zitter – Lovely 3-and-a-half-year-old black bitch. Super breed type and nothing overdone about her. Side-on she is compact and quite square. Her head is of the correct shape, being sufficiently lean and wedged shape; she is quite broad between her ears, but still very feminine. Her neck is of good length, but I think she is a tiny bit straight in shoulder. Her hindquarters are well angulated and very straight when viewed from behind. Her feet are the correct shape, being small, oval and well knitted. I would prefer her tail to be slightly higher set. Her movement around the ring coming and going is very good. A nice bitch! I really like her. RBB. Best Black Bitch

2. Crocker’s Leggatts Jive Talkin – Lots to like about this wheaten girl, although a bit small for me. She is however very square and well balanced. Her head is of good shape, with a muzzle of medium length and proportions are good. Her bite is correct. Her forequarters are strong as is her body; her topline is level. Her hindquarters are sufficiently angulated to provide sufficient drive and balance her front action. Tail set and carriage are good and held when moving. She is wearing her summer jacket so nothing to hide. She is not as strong on the move as my class winner and there appears to be a slight weakness of her left hind leg today.

3. Cobb’s, Cobb’s & Kent’s Knytshall Eloise

Veteran Bitch (3,2)

1. Butters’ Ch Koromandel Gild The Lily – This 8-year-old girl is such a beauty and is everything I expect this breed to be. She is compact and sturdily built with the most amazing outline. She is feminine throughout, and it would be impossible to mistake her for a male. She has the typical double coat of different textures. Her head proportions are very good and typical of the breed. Her neck is of medium length; her front angulation and assembly are, for me, textbook. She has a level top line, which she held on the move and her tail set and carriage are excellent. Her tuck-up is only slightly drawn up, providing her with the strength in body she requires for the job. Her movement is difficult to fault; straight when viewed from the front and back and, side-on, her reach and drive make for smooth effortless movement. She is a joy to go over; so well constructed with beautiful flowing lines. Gorgeous! BIS. BVIS

Special working Bitch (2,1)

1. Guillod’s, Rees’ & Guillod-Rees’ Draccus Obsidian At Bucamereru – Quality 4-year-old bitch, beautifully presented and handled. She is quite well constructed and fairly compact. Her head is lean and the muzzle is of good length; she is broad enough between her ears; her ears are high set. Her bite is correct: her neck is of good length. The forequarters are straight, and the elbows are well placed. Her angulation fore and aft is not exaggerated in any way. Her front feet are a little flat for me and I would like her toes a little more tightly closed. Her outer coat

is of a harsh texture. There is much to like about her and well done to the handler for doing such a good job.

Brace (4,1)

1 Cobb’s & Kents’ Brace

2. Crockerr’s Brace

3. Frost’s, Taylor’s and Walmsley’s Brace

Special Bred By Exhibitor

1.Sturtmoor’s Gon’n Dun It

Special Not Bred By Exhibitor

1 Langford’s Frostisen Zeffer

2 Denham-Horton’s Tapui Haraldson At Jjavacobe

3 Guillod’s, Rees & Guillod-Rees’ Draccus Obsidian At Bucamereru