Saber Tails
s
June 2012
www.pbgv.org
43
From Mike Williquette, 2012 National Sweeps judge:
I
was very pleased with
the dogs shown to
me in Mesa this year.
I found no problems
with bites in any of the
entries. Coats were a
nice harsh texture with
pleasing coloring.
The Best Puppy and
Best of Opposite were
very uniform in type. I
liked the bitch over the
male as she was a little
more balanced, not being as long in the loin. I
did find what I consider over grooming in a few
entries. What a joy watching the veterans strut
their stuff. Both Best Veteran and Best of Opposite
were lovely dogs. I thought the little lady showed
her heart out that day.
The quality of our breed has improved steadily
over the years I have been attending nationals, and
I am sure will continue to do so with thoughtful
breeding programs.
s
From Susannah Cooper, 2012 Regional Sweeps judge:
I
t truly was an honor to be nominated by the membership to judge sweepstakes at
the Regional Specialty. I thank all of the exhibitors who entered their dogs and
showed to me. I know what it is like being on the other end of the lead and how
much we all love our dogs. We all have a type that we like and certain qualities that
are important to us, and that is how I went about my day of judging. My Best in
Sweepstakes winner I felt was very nicely balanced, had lovely head and expression,
and was a nice moving bitch. My Best of Opposite was a dog that had a great coat,
good balance and was a very nice mover. Overall,
I think the puppies are looking good; the coats are
getting much better along with the general quality of
the dogs. I did see a few things that concerned me.
Balance was one of my concerns, I did see several
puppies that were very long in body and that threw
off the overall balance of the puppy. I know it is hard
in this breed as some mature faster than others, but
that was just my observation on this day — as they
grow this might change. I did also see some light
eyes and some eyes that are a bit small, which makes
their expressions a bit hard-looking. Overall, most of
the puppies had great happy-go-lucky attitudes.
The Veteran Sweepstakes: It was great to see the
veterans strut their stuff in their older years. I really
liked my Best Veteran in Sweepstakes. I felt this dog
had wonderful breed type and was very pleasing to
watch on the go round. My Best Opposite is a very
lovely showy bitch that is always happy to show her
stuff in the ring.
Again, thank you all so much for showing your
wonderful dogs to me.
s
PBGVCA 2012 National/Regional Judge Critiques s
Photos by Bob Cohen