Page 142 - ShowSight - October 2020
P. 142

                THE
TOY GROUP
1. Where do you live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a judge?
2. Do you have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs?
3. Can you talk about your introduction to the Toy breeds?
4. Apart from size, how would you define this Group?
5. Do you personally categorize the Toy breeds into any “subgroups?”
6. How important is presentation in the Toy ring? Conditioning? Expression?
7. Is it acceptable to reward a Toy dog with a bad bite?
8. Can you speak to the current overall quality of the Group?
9. Why do you think so many Toy breeds are popular today? Why have others become a rarity?
10. Are there specific challenges presented when judging the low entry breeds?
11. Do you have any advice to impart to new Toy judges re: the table exam?
12. Any comments regarding judging Toys outdoors versus indoors?
13. What have you found to be the greatest challenges as a judge of this Group? The greatest rewards?
14. Can you name one or two of your all-time favorite Toys? What makes these dogs so memorable?
15. Would you encourage exhibitors to enter their Toy dogs in Companion events?
16. Is there a funny story you’d like to share about your experi- ences judging Toys?
VICKI ABBOTT
Vicki Abbott has been involved in the sport of purebred dogs as a breeder, handler, and judge for more than 40 years. She has bred Maltese, Pekingese, and Shiba Inu, and has bred and/or handled some of the most top-winning dogs in the Unit- ed States, including the top Maltese Dog of all-time and the Westminster Group winner for 1992—Ch. Sand Island Small Kraft Lite, “Henry.”
Vicki is an American Kennel
Club judge of the Toy, Non-Sporting, Sporting, and Terrier Groups as well as many Hound Breeds and Best in Show. She judges in the United States and internationally. She has authored several books on the Maltese breed, is a speaker at many events, and continues to
write articles for canine publications.
I live in Fairview, Texas, which is just north of Dallas. I have
been in dogs for over 45 years, first as a breeder/owner-handler, and then as a professional handler for many years concentrating on the Toy breeds. I am most well-known for the many Maltese that I handled in the past, especially the #1 Maltese Dog of all-time and Westminster Group Winner, Ch. Sand Island Small Kraft Lite. I have been a judge since 2001.
Do I have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs? We have two lovely daughters and two wonderful grandchildren who live in the Dallas area. My husband, Larry, and I enjoy spending
time with all of them, and their families. We are very big Disney fans and enjoy our frequent trips to Walt Disney World. I am very involved in philanthropic activities in my local area, and I am an active member of my alumnae chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma for which I have served as President many times. Larry is the Cluster Chair for the Lone Star State Classic in Dallas and I serve as Cluster Secretary, so a lot of our extra time is involved in activities sur- rounding our four-day event twice a year, in July and December.
Can I talk about my introduction to the Toy breeds? After hav- ing several different breeds as pets as a young person, I chose the beautiful Maltese to start my Scylla Maltese breeding program in the 1970’s.
Apart from size, how would I define this Group? They are just big dogs in little bodies. They have no clue that they are small! That is what makes them endearing. They will try anything (and usually achieve it) and they are excellent companions.
Do I personally categorize the Toy breeds into any “subgroups?” These diminutive dogs have made for loving companions since they were first bred centuries ago. There is much variety in this Group from breed to breed. Some are of ancient lap dog types, and some are small versions of hunting dogs, Spitz, or Terrier types, bred down in size for a particular kind of work or to create a pet of conve- nient size. Because of this variety, the most important consideration when judging this Group is type.
How important are presentation, conditioning, and expres- sion in the Toy ring? Presentation, of course, can make a mediocre exhibit look great or a great exhibit look less desirable; until you actually have the dog on the table to go over it and weigh all the fac- tors involved. I expect the dogs that come into my ring to be clean and groomed—but I do not expect them to be perfect. They should be bathed, brushed, and de-matted; eyes should be clear, and the dog should have clean teeth. There are a lot of exhibitors that show and groom their own dogs who are not professionals, and some- times the best dog in the ring is not the most perfectly groomed. But there is more to the choice than just the grooming. Conditioning means many things, including being in the right weight and muscle tone, even in a Toy dog. So often you hear that Toy dogs don’t have to really do anything other than be companion animals, so con- sideration of how they move and are put together—or their condi- tion—is secondary and does not really matter. Oh, but it does. You can have the typiest, showiest Toy dog, but if that dog has definite structure problems you can bet it is not going to serve the purpose for which it was bred—to be a good companion. A dog with bad hips, unbalanced angulation in the front and rear, knees that need operations later or even a mouth with horrible teeth will eventually be a dog in pain and on medication. This does not make a happy Toy companion! The temperament on a dog that is in pain all of the time will obviously deteriorate the more pain that he is in. Eventu- ally, the life span of dogs with structure problems can be much less than those put together correctly. Toy breeds are the “long livers” of the dog world; these little guys can act like puppies for years and live to the ripe old ages of 15-17 years.
Expression is very important and a very big part of breed type in a Toy. All aspects of the head and skull shape and size; eye color, placement, and size; and nose color, placement, and length contrib- ute to the unique expression of each breed.
Is it acceptable to reward a Toy dog with a bad bite? The answer to this varies depending on the extent of the deviation of the bite from what is described in the breed standard. It also depends on how much emphasis the standard puts on the consideration of the
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