Читать книгу Airedale Terrier - Bardi McLennan - Страница 19

At dog shows, the dogs are measured against the breed standard. The Airedale Terrier who most closely conforms to the breed standard is selected as the winner.

A breed standard is a written blueprint of the perfect specimen of a breed. Breeders and judges use the standard to evaluate the essential aspects of the breed described. The standard’s primary function is to describe conformation in enough detail to include type and soundness, allowing one to visualize the dog with some degree of accuracy. Conversely, bland modifiers such as “fairly,” “slightly” or “moderately” also are used where a specific definition is not key to overall judgment. In addition to physical traits, the standard also describes desirable temperament and also indicates what characteristics are considered to be faults in the breed.

The Airedale standard originated in England, where it was usual for the writers to be horsemen or stockmen, men who could determine top quality in almost every animal from rabbit to sheep to horses to dogs. For that very reason, the first breed standards for dogs did not declare the obvious: “four legs and a bark” being left unsaid. The present American Airedale standard includes a description of the gait as does the English standard.

In the 1960s, poor front movement in the Airedale had become quite common and judges were forced simply to go with the best of a bad lot, pointing out in their critiques how critical proper movement was in a large working terrier. Breeders got the message and fronts soon improved. The author cites this as a specific example of how concerned people can use a breed standard properly. The standard specifies desired height, but not weight, since the description under “General Appearance” offers a picture of the desired overall balance and the breed no longer varies in these aspects as it did at the start of its development.

Despite this pattern for perfection, evaluating the Airedale Terrier is subjective. Designated breed faults are faults, but what one person forgives in the whelping box or show ring as a minor imperfection, another person sees as a major defect. One judge is smitten by a fabulous coat, another overlooks a less-than-great coat in favor of a perfect ear set, but in the end the determination of which dog gets the prize is based on an appraisal of the whole dog.

THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB STANDARD FOR THE AIREDALE TERRIER

Head: Should be well balanced with little apparent difference between the length of skull and foreface.

FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS

Breeding involves a major financial investment, but just as important is the investment of time. The breeder will spend countless hours in caring for, cleaning (and cleaning up after), feeding and training the litter. Furthermore, we haven’t yet mentioned the strain and health risks that delivering a litter pose to the dam. Many bitches die in puppybirth, and that is a very high price to pay. Experienced breeders, with established lines and reputations in the field, are not in the hobby for financial gain. Those “breeders” who are in it for profit are not true breeders at all, and are not reputable sources from which to buy puppies. Remember, there is nothing more to breeding dogs than the love of the dogs.

A pet Airedale of course must be groomed, but a pet trim is much easier to maintain than the coat of a show dog.

Skull: Should be long and flat, not too broad between the ears and narrowing very slightly to the eyes. Scalp should be free from wrinkles, stop hardly visible and cheeks level and free from fullness.

Ears: Should be V-shaped with carriage rather to the side of the head, not pointing to the eyes, small but not out of proportion to the size of the dog. The topline of the folded ear should be above the level of the skull.

Foreface: Should be deep, powerful, strong and muscular. Should be well filled up before the eyes.

Eyes: Should be dark, small, not prominent, full of terrier expression, keenness and intelligence.

Lips: Should be tight.

Nose: Should be black and not too small.

Teeth: Should be strong and white, free from discoloration or defect. Bite either level or viselike. A slightly overlapping or scissors bite is permissible without preference.

Neck: Should be of moderate length and thickness, gradually widening towards the shoulders. Skin tight, not loose.

Shoulders and Chest: Shoulders long and sloping well into the back. Shoulder blades flat. From the front, chest deep but not broad. The depth of the chest should be approximately on a level with the elbows.

Body: Back should be short, strong and level. Ribs well sprung. Loins muscular and of good width. There should be but little space between the last rib and the hip joint.

The correct head.

An undesirable head, showing too much stop and cheeks too full.

Hindquarters: Should be strong and muscular with no droop.

Tail: The root of the tail should be set well up on the back. It should be carried gaily but not curled over the back. It should be of good strength and substance and of fair length.

MEETING THE IDEAL

The American Kennel Club defines a standard as: “A description of the ideal dog of each recognized breed, to serve as an ideal against which dogs are judged at shows.” This “blueprint” is drawn up by the breed’s recognized parent club, approved by a majority of its membership, and then submitted to the AKC for approval. This is a complete departure from the way standards are handled in England, where all standards and changes are controlled by The Kennel Club.

The AKC states that “An understanding of any breed must begin with its standard. This applies to all dogs, not just those intended for showing.” The picture that the standard draws of the dog’s type, gait, temperament and structure is the guiding image used by breeders as they plan their programs.

Correct ears.

Incorrect ears; too small and too high set.

Legs: Forelegs should be perfectly straight, with plenty of muscle and bone. Elbows should be perpendicular to the body, working free of sides. Thighs should be long and powerful with muscular second thigh, stifles well bent, not turned either in or out, hocks well let down parallel with each other when viewed from behind. Feet should be small, round and compact with a good depth of pad, well cushioned; the toes moderately arched, not turned either in or out.

Coat: Should be hard, dense and wiry, lying straight and close, covering the dog well over the body and legs. Some of the hardest are crinkling or just slightly waved. At the base of the hard very stiff hair should be a shorter growth of softer hair termed the undercoat.

Correct front.

Undesirable front with toes turning out.

Correct body.

Incorrect body, too long.

Color: The head and ears should be tan, the ears being of a darker shade than the rest. Dark markings on either side of the skull are permissible. The legs up to the thighs and elbows and the under-part of the body and chest are also tan and the tan frequently runs into the shoulder. The sides and upper parts of the body should be black or dark grizzle. A red mixture is often found in the black and is not to be considered objectionable. A small white blaze on the chest is a characteristic of certain strains of the breed.

SCALE OF POINTS:

Head	10
Neck, shoulders and chest	10
Body	10
Hindquarters and tail	10
Legs and feet	10
Coat	10
Color	5
Size	10
Movement	10
General characteristics and expression	15
Total	100

Size: Dogs should measure approximately 23 inches in height at the shoulder; bitches, slightly less. Both sexes should be sturdy, well muscled and boned.

Correct tail.

Incorrect tail; too long.

Incorrect tail; curled over.

Movement: Movement or action is the crucial test of conformation. Movement should be free. As seen from the front the forelegs should swing perpendicular from the body free from the sides, the feet the same distance apart as the elbows. As seen from the rear the hind legs should be parallel with each other, neither too close nor too far apart, but so placed as to give a strong well-balanced stance and movement. The toes should not be turned either in or out.

Male and female Airedale Terriers, showing off their distinctly masculine and feminine heads. The female, slightly smaller and more delicate, is in the foreground.

Faults: Yellow eyes, hound ears, white feet, soft coat, being much over or under the size limit, being undershot or overshot, having poor movement are faults which should be severely penalized.

Approved July 14, 1959

The Airedale Terrier should move freely, with legs placed to give strength and balance. In the show ring, the handler must gait the dog to demonstrate correct movement as described in the standard.