Parent Club Judge’s Notes

Breed notes – Meghen Riese-Bassel

Thank you to the membership for the honor of judging your specialty. It was a lovely day, and I thoroughly enjoyed my assignment. During my evaluations, I was particularly looking for dogs that exemplified correct breed type. For me, this includes a square outline, unique topline and croup, plenty of bone, thick skin, width across the body when viewed from the top, sufficient depth of body with very little (if any) tuckup, a long head with divergent planes and a very slight stop, with an effortless, ground-covering trot.

Overall, the entry was both interesting and rewarding to evaluate. There were several strengths consistently seen throughout the classes. Most notably, I found quality expression and the large, distinctive “mushroom” nose to be present in nearly every exhibit. Bites were good in general. Bone, in general, was also of good quality. I believe substantial bone is essential in the breed, as it contributes not only to the correct outline, but also to the functionality required for the demanding terrain and work for which the breed was developed. I also felt that coming and going was correct overall. There were several truly quality animals with type and soundness. Temperaments were quite good. Any backing up simply came from lack of ring experience and not a shy temperament. I would encourage those of you with youngsters to ask the judge to examine the body first and then the head. I find that puts unexperienced dogs at ease and will help the dogs relax.

A judge has the benefit of examining all entries and seeing patterns. There were some areas of concern to me, and I feel that a good breeder would welcome this information. One of the most concerning patterns I saw was rangy dogs who lacked depth of body. Remember that your standard states the chest should reach “at least to the elbow”, which means that reaching the elbow is the minimal amount of depth desired. When selecting your puppies make sure you keep this in mind in determining which puppies to keep for your programs. If you get the depth at the elbow, typically it will result in the needed front fill – which was also lacking at times. The body depth should continue through the underline. I did see some entries with an undesirable tuck-up. We want substance and depth, not refinement. Another concern was a lack of width across the body (when viewed from above). This also created dogs that had the rangy, leggy look I discussed. The ribs should be well sprung and your breed should be “solidly built”. Do not settle for dogs who lack this, as it is so important.

I had additional concerns through tthe head. While the expression and eye shape was consistently good, I saw a number of eyes that were red. It is something that I have never seen before, but I was taken aback by the number of entries that had bright pink eyes in areas that should be white. My gut tells me this is inflammation/irritation of an environmental cause rather than a genetic issue. Another area of concern in the head were

Best of Breed

Best of Breed: GCHS CH Collina D’Oro On A Lark

My best of breed bitch was chock full of quality from nose to tail – the words quiet excellence come to mind. She is every inch a Spinone. I loved her square outline and substance. From all angles she was solidly build and oozed type. Her topline and croup were so correct. She had a lovely balance to her head, with divergent planes, an excellent length of muzzle, and beautiful shape to the backskull. Her nose was big and fleshy, and it added to a true Spinone expression. This bitch was truly in full bloom, with a lovely depth of body, tight elbows, and plenty of fill of chest. I want to point out what a correct length of hock she had. She was in beautiful condition, with a correct coat texture and thick skin. In true Spinone style, she easily flowed around the ring with an effortless trot. This bitch is a true credit to her breeder. I was pleased to have such a quality animal to recognize for BOB.

Best of Breed NOHS/AOM

Best Owner-Handled and Award of Merit: GCHB CH Dry Grass Condurre Con Il Mio Cuore

I liked this dog the moment he came into the ring. He is a veteran who is still very much in his prime. I loved his outline and head. His depth of body comes to his elbow, which is tight to the body. His bone is of a lovely shape and amount. His coat quality was exceptional. His topline and croup had the characteristic flow for the breed. I appreciated his width across the thigh and second thigh and his correct length of hock. His length of head was so correct, and he had a slight Roman nose which was the cherry on top. He certainly gave the younger dogs a run for their money. I was very happy to recognize this boy with BOB NOHS and an AOM.

Best of Opposite

Best of Opposite: GCHB CH Collina D’Oro Big Sky’s Yellowstone at PI Gun Dogs

What an impressive dog. This dog had ring presence because of his type. From across the ring, he was so clearly a typical example of the breed. He had plenty of substance and the square outline I was seeking. His front was put together very well with excellent shoulder placement, good length of upper arm, and tight elbows. I feel his hock could be a shade shorter. Where this dog truly shines is his depth and substance. He was deep in body and his underline was spot on. He had a nice flow from head to tail and kept his outline on the move when he powered around the ring. His bone quality was outstanding. Adding to his other qualities, his head had good length and planes. The muzzle showed no signs of weakness and his expression was gentle and intelligent. He was brought in fantastic condition. Well done to his breeder for producing this quality male that will hopefully add to the gene pool!

Select Dog

Select Dog: GCHS CH Collina D’Oro Fine Sight to See

This was a quality male with many attributes to offer the breed. He possessed excellent breed type, substantial bone, and the overall substance I wanted. His head was particularly pleasing, with correct length, good planes, and a strong muzzle that contributed to an intelligent and typical expression. He was well-balanced throughout and presented a pleasing outline. While his topline and croup were a bit flatter than ideal, he offered many virtues that kept him in strong consideration. His front assembly was well constructed, providing the foundation for efficient movement, and he carried himself effortlessly around the ring. The breed is very lucky to have quality males like this to include in breeding programs!

Select Bitch

Select Bitch: GCH CH Keepsake’s How D’Ya Like Them Apples

Coming from my field trial bitch class, this girl was very impressive. While not in full coat, she had a nice thick skin and a curvy outline. Her topline and croup were so correct and was accentuated by her lovely lay of shoulder. I just adored her expression and headpiece, with a lovely shape to her eye. It is the kind of head that I could stare at all day, and I am sure her family agrees. She drips in breed type – with substance, bone, and sound construction. She is perhaps a bit longer in the body than ideal, but no matter. I felt she was a shining example of a Spinone that has type and soundness. It is even more rewarding to know that she has working ability.

Best of Winners/Winners Bitch

Best of Winners and Winners Bitch: High Pines My Turn to Take a Selfish

My Winners bitch and bitch class competition was tough. Emerging as my Winners Bitch and going on to Best of Winners was a lovely and mature bitch. She stood above the group with her beautiful fleshy covering over ribbing, excellent depth of body, front fill, square proportion, and fantastic movement. I appreciated that her front assembly allowed her to stand well over herself. While her backskull was of a good length, I feel she could use a bit more length through the muzzle. She was at the top of her game at the specialty as she freely strode out in the ring. Her movement was hard to fault and is something I hope even the competition appreciated. I liked so much about this girl and wanted to reward her for her qualities – proportion, front, substance, and MOVEMENT.

Reserve Winners Bitch

Reserve Winners Bitch: Madame Tussaud PI Gun Dogs Z Arislandu (FSI)

This young girl was of a different style than many others in top honors on the day. She was a bit more feminine than some and it was a hard fought class win. What pushed this girl to the top was her front. It was one of the best of the day, with an excellent placement and lay to her shoulder. Her front was well filled for her age and her elbow was tight to the body with no play. I feel time will be this girl’s friend and think in another couple years she could really be something. This bitch showed her heart out in the class and moved so well around the ring with a purposeful trot that could go all day. She wasn’t quite as focused on the move in Winners. Her head was nicely balanced with an intelligent expression and good planes. She is a bit longer cast in body than ideal, but I am more apt to accept it in bitches in hopes they have more storage space when producing.

Winners Dog

Winners Dog: Collina D’Oro Keep it Chill

This young male will be quite something in a few years. He is at the age where all the pieces are where they should be….he just needs time to fill out to reach his peak form. He is of a lovely proportion and has excellent balance in all parts. His topline is oh so correct and will only get better as he matures. I felt he has good substance for his age and excellent feet. I loved how his head to neck had a smooth flow. His head is balanced with a good size to the nose and fill in the muzzle. He came from a competitive puppy class, which is a promising thing for the future of the breed.

Reserve Winners Dog

Reserve Winners Dog: Dry Grass’s Golden Armour O Da Highlands

This was a very nice dog who had good proportions. He was squarely built and stood well over himself. He had a nice balance throughout. Though a bit more reserved than some in the ring, he displayed many characteristics that made him deserving of recognition. I could see the athleticism with every stride around the ring.

Non-Regular class comments

I wanted to take a moment to express how impressed I was with the non-regular classes. This is something that breeders should be proud of. After going through my results, I noticed that a number of my top winners (SB, 1 AOM, and 2 AOM) came from these classes. Whether it was the field trial class or the veteran class, I was very impressed with these entries. It is a wonderful thing to have a dog that can stand the test of time or prove to be a quality worker in the field.

A note about the junior handlers

I am envious of the quality of junior handlers you had at your show. Both young ladies had a gentle hand and smooth movements. They are the future of your breed. Please do all you can to guide them so that they will consider becoming breeders and stay involved in the sport.