Page 177 - Showsight February 2013

Judging the West highland
White terrier
By Dr. Gerry G. Meisels C onformation judges
hold the long-term
future of the breeds
they judge in their
hands. Half a century
ago a few knowledge-
able judges such as Alva Rosenberg
and Billy Kendrick could inf luence the
development of a breed because there
were fewer shows and judges. Today
there are thousands of shows; nearly
three hundred judges are approved for
Westies. These judges now share col-
lectively the responsibility to help guide
our breed’s development. To meet this
responsibility they must evaluate not
only characteristics that are common to
many breeds, such as movement, they
must also understand type and use it in
their decision-making.
The following discussion assumes that
you, the reader, have thorough knowledge
of the standard and of canine anatomy
and movement. Judging requires the abil-
ity to see and evaluate type, structure and
movement, and especially a clear under-
standing of what is important in the breed.
This understanding underlies the ability to
judge the whole dog rather than a single
feature, such as shoulder layback or front
movement. Seeing and judging the whole
dog is essential to good judging.
Examining the Westie follows a process
that parallels the approach most judges
use for all breeds. However, at each step
the evaluation must pay special attention
to those aspects of conformation that help
define Westie type. Not all judges do this
in exactly the same way, so the following
description is that of a typical approach.
The evaluation begins at the moment
when the class first enters the ring and the
handlers set up their dogs. The outline or
silhouette alone should immediately say,
‘This is a Westie.’ You should see a level
topline, and proper balance or proportions
of the parts. The standard is clear about
some aspects that can be translated into
the adjacent drawing based on an 11" male.
For a 12" dog, these measurements would
of course be proportionally longer, for a
10" dog or bitch proportionally shorter.
See Figure 1. The proportions of Skull
S, Muzzle M, Neck N and Tail T cannot
be derived quantitatively in the same way.
The standard calls for the head and neck
to be in proportion to the body or to the
remainder of the dog. Judgment of the
proper proportion is informed by know-
ing the working function of the Westie.
Fig. 1. Westie Proportions (Balance) in the Standard. Illustration by Sylvia Meisels.
ShowSight Magazine, February 2013 • 173