Page 16 - ShowSight Presents - The Toy Fox Terrier

Toy Fox Terriers:
BREED Q&A
JOHN DAVIDSON
I have been breeding Toy Fox Terriers since 1972 and started judging them in 1975. I came to AKC judging when TFTs were recognized and currently am a Toy Group Judge. I am the author of The Toy Fox Terrier: Wired for Action. I am cur- rently a college professor. My wife, Sal- ly, and I live just outside Peoria, IL on a small, hobby farm.
GLORIA GERINGER
I have judged TFTs since 2007 and had no prior experi- ence with them. I live near Baton Rouge, Louisiana where I love to upgrade my home and plan landscaping of our four acres.
KEKE KAHN
My background is in Lhasa Apsos and it is there where I bred 58 AKC champions including six all breed BIS dogs and became an all-breed Judge—which took me exactly twenty- five years of study and judging. I have judged all over the world and have loved every minute of it plus breeding was my pleasure. However, breeding is heartbreaking business and takes true dedication all along the way—not for sissies! I live in Sarasota, Florida and was a stay-at-home mom. I became a good golfer and played tournaments at the state level and then turned to tennis which I also love but after breaking my back ten years ago I had to give it up. I now do a lot of reading and community work and garden a bit to keep busy. My kids are all grown up and live all over, but not in Florida.
DARRYL VICE
I have been judging the breed since it was in the AKC Misc. Class, and continue after they were approved to the regular classes. I was so very fortunate to judge their national specialty two years ago in Las Vegas. I had such a great entry and the quality was excellent. It was a pleasure to have so many nice TFTs together in one place. I live in Palm Springs, CA and I am on the board of the Kennel Club of Palm Springs.
The main thing I do outside of dogs is spend time with my family. My wife and I have one daughter and one granddaugh- ter who just turned 13—the love of my life. I still work full- time with the JCPenney company as the manager of the Styl- ing Salon for the past 33 years. In case no one has noticed I also like to shop for clothes.
1. What five traits do you look for, in order, when judging TFTs? What do you consider the ultimate hallmark of the breed?
JD: The five most important traits are in order: Head, Bal- ance, Size, Topline, Tail/ Temperament. 1) Head: Above all, this is a head breed. The skull should be slightly rounded and look almost level between the ears. The apple head is to be avoided at all cost. A skull that appears as a blunt wedge being drawn in an unbroken line from the base of the ears to the nose is crucial. The stop is moderate (slightly sloping) and not pronounced. The eyes are large and dark and should never bulge. The V-shaped ears are held strongly erect and as high on
the head as possible without touching. The nose is coal black and the bite is scissors. Under and over shot bites are disqualified. 2) Balance is important to TFT type.
The distance from the occiput to stop equals the dis- tance from the stop to the nose. The length of the skull approximates the length of the neck. The distance from the feet to the withers is equal to the distance from the point of the shoulder to the point of the rump. Balance also applies to angulation with angles at the shoulder and hip being equal. Additionally, the scapula and humerous are of approximately same length as the pelvis and femur. 3) Size: The height range from 81⁄2" to 111⁄2" allows for some dramatic size differences in the same class. Despite the size, each TFT should be given equal attention and held to the standard. It is my observation that oversized entries taking the ribbons is more prevalent than the undersized winning. 4) Topline: A TFT’s topline should extend in one continuous line from the neck to the tail. The clean, slightly arched neck widens gradually to
the shoulders. There should be no dips where the neck meets the body and no dips behind the shoulders. The latter would indicate insufficient lay back. The underline involves a moderate tuck up. A more pronounced tuck up is often indicative of a roach at the loin and a low set tail. 5) Tail: The ramrod straight tail is very characteristic of this cocky, alert breed. The tail of a particularly excited TFT may lean just a bit toward the head. Less desirable tails may take on the appearance of a squirrel or even worse touch the back. The tail is set on high, directly on