Page 24 - ShowSight Presents The Chinese Crested

moving Crested almost takes your breath away. It is that beautiful. A square dog is more likely to be hackneyed or have a stilted gait. Look for that nice length of body and easy flowing movement.
HEAD & BODY
The topline should be level. Sounds easy, but we are seeing an increasing number of dogs with roachy toplines or dogs that are low in the shoulder. These are not correct.
One issue with Cresteds that is different from other breeds is teeth. A Powderpuff should have full dentition, a Hairless is not to be faulted for missing teeth. Please note—missing teeth in a Puff is a fault, not a DQ. An absolutely beautiful Puff with a couple of missing premolars is, in my book, preferable to one with all his teeth, but has a hitch in the rear end. The bite, in either type, may be scissors or level.
Be aware of the tail carriage in both types. When is motion, the tail is to be carried gaily and may be carried slightly forward over the back. “Slightly” does not mean curled over touching the back, or, worse, laying flat on the back like a Peke. This is a fault that carries over from one generation to another. Once in a blood- line, it’s difficult to correct. It ruins the outline of the dog when it is moving and it usually means that the tail set itself is incorrect. I would rather have a dog whose tail is out behind at the level of the body than one with a teacup kind of tail
Another concern for breeders is eye color. “Dark-colored dogs have dark eyes and lighter colored dogs may have lighter colored eyes.” While our standard does not specifically disqualify blue eyes, it would be hard to fit them into the description from the standard. Dark eyes that get lighter to match the color of the dog are not blue—milk chocolate brown or hazel, even greenish—but not blue.
Delight in the rainbow of colors that you will see in the Crested ring. You’ll nev- er be presented with classes of dogs that are all the same colors and markings. We love our colors and, like people, no color is bet- ter than another. Never be the judge who puts up only dogs of a certain color. They are all beautiful.
You will see a lot of variation in Crest- eds that you judge—size, beautiful colors, coat (or not) and grooming. Learn to see past a full faced dog to the head shape. A full-faced dog can be very attractive. Just because you don’t see them very often doesn’t make them incorrect. Ears may or may not be shaved—either is fine.
114 • SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MARCH 2015
Some judges prefer a part down the back of a Puff, but that, too, is a grooming option. Part of the fun of judging our breed is the variety—but it does take, I think, a little more time to recognize the beauty in the variation. Please take the time. Sit ringside and watch. Talk to breeders, but remem- ber, that while everyone has something to teach you, no one knows everything. Listen to everything and then go back and read the standard carefully again and make your own decisions. And never quit learning—even though you have been approved to judge the breed.
“I TEND TO STATE
IT THIS WAY—’WE DON’T GIVE CREDIT FOR MORE HAIR AND DEDUCT FOR LESS; WE DON’T GIVE CREDIT FOR LESS HAIR AND DEDUCT FOR MORE’.”
by PENELOPE C. INAN
have often been asked what are the main points when judging Chinese Cresteds—what should you look for. For me, the most important
initial description in the standard. Of course, it doesn’t mean that Cresteds should be delicate and dainty, just that they should resemble more the elegance seen in Arabian horse, than the solid stur- diness of a draft horse.
Another common request is about grooming... yes, a great many Chinese Cresteds require some hair removal to have the placement be that described in the standard. However, judges should not be required to (indeed actually can- not) determine what and where hair removal has occurred. As with any breed, you are to judge the dog as it has been brought into the ring. I usually explain it this way... “You wouldn’t put up a badly- groomed Poodle, please don’t put up a badly-groomed Crested.” Grooming inju- ries are specifically something that would give ringside visitors a bad impression not just of Chinese Cresteds, but of the dog show sport itself—and should not be tol- erated, or encouraged.
Another area of possible confusion when judging is the standard’s descrip- tion of the tail: “When dog is in motion, the tail is carried gaily and may be carried slightly forward over the back. At rest the tail is down with a slight curve upward at the end resembling a sickle.” Please note: “MAY be carried SLIGHTLY forward over the back”. I have been told occasion- ally “no tail—no Crested”... not true. The Chinese Crested tail is a thing of beauty, helping to create an attractive picture, whether standing or moving. The sickle shape (a slight curve) when moving is part of the elegance—adding to the impression of flowing easy movement. When the dog is standing, the tail should be down— again creating a graceful balanced outline.
The last issue upon which I am often questioned is that of coat—the standard clarifies it fairly simply in a couple of sen- tences. “The texture of all hair is soft and silky, flowing to any length,” and “Place- ment of hair is not as important as overall type”. My interpretation of that is empha- sis should be placed on having the correct kind of hair, over having either quantity or exact placement. I tend to state it this way—“We don’t give credit for more hair and deduct for less; we don’t give credit for less hair and deduct for more”. My last word is almost always “Please judge the entire dog” and use the standard in an inclusive, rather than exclusive way. Look- ing for the virtues, rather than itemizing the faults, in my opinion, is the most effec- tive way to find the best Chinese Crested!
Judges’ Education Coordinator for the American Chinese Crested Club
I
phrase is right at the beginning of the standard: “A Toy dog, fine boned, elegant and graceful”...
Although the Chinese Crested is one of the larger Toys, with sizes ranging from 11" to 13", they are supposed to be on the more elegant side. There was a suggestion a few years ago to have this breed placed in what was a proposed “Companion Group”, rather than the Toy group. There are some- times quite lovely dogs that seem as if they don’t quite belong in the Toy group— but that is diametrically opposed to that