# critique Male 30 months for first show



## KittyKat (Nov 19, 2009)

Hey all,

looking for some pointers for my boy for our first show next month. His nails are needing to be shorter so his toes are a bit sloppy. Which in these photos you won't be able to see them from the grass.... But I know they are to long. SO here goes.....


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## KittyKat (Nov 19, 2009)

OH ty in advance also


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## BlackthornGSD (Feb 25, 2010)

He is very out of coat--or very short coated? This makes him look a little fine boned and doesn't hide anything. A dog with a thick coat or longer coat can hide lots of flaws more easily.

Nice pigmentation with a lovely dark mask, masculine head and attractive and correct profile, good earset.

Very "dry" dog--tight ligamentation, well muscled, and firm condition. He has nice high withers and a strong, short back, but a short, quite steep croup. 

His upper arm is a bit short and a bit steep and I think his scapula looks a bit upright too. Good/correct rear angulation without being extreme.

His neck looks really long, which I've heard means that there is a lot of room for freedom of movement in the shoulder--so he may move better than his shoulder might imply in this picture.

If he moves well, he might go SG--but that will take both good ring training and nice, balanced movement on his part.


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

JMHO
No front angulation. Rear angulation OK but probably less than enough for show. Lacks bone and masculinity. Nice withers and topline, slightly steep croup.


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## KittyKat (Nov 19, 2009)

he has a very short coat...... he has just blown his winter hair already also :$


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

did you use a furminator to strip out undercoat?


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## KittyKat (Nov 19, 2009)

yeah I did :$ he sheds like a mad man....... I won't use it for the next month hopefully he'll have some hair regrowth. if you use a slicker type brush he hates it. He will whines and cries..... is there another brush that works well and won't scratch his skin as much? And won't pull out his undercoat any further? ThAT Is a lesson learned for sure now! He is also West German working lines... not show lines....


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

A rake is much better, and cheaper than furminator. Furminator damages coats.
Once carms mentioned it I can see that's what's going on.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

A Zoom Groom (long, soft rubber teeth) or rubber curry brush (short firm rubber teeth) will take out a lot of dead hair without damaging the coat. The Furminator won't damage the coat if used correctly, but it is easy to overdo. You just want to sort of pet the dog with it so that it takes out the loose hair but leaves the live hair. 5 minutes or less. Even with my clients who want their dogs' hair thinned out drastically, I use the Furminator with care--you can really make a dog bald with it if you want to.

Since he is already out of coat, I'd recommend putting the Furminator away for now and just using a soft rubber brush. You'll be amazed at how much hair comes out.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Personally I don't like the Zoom or the Furminator. I tried the Zoom for a while and it just sort of grabbed everything. With a normal coated dog I think a rake is really all you need, that is all I use and I show my dogs. I've seen two really nice GSDs have their coats over-Furminated and both took about a year to come back to normal, could not show the dogs during that time (they looked bald and to those who know a GSD coat it was obviously broken). They were tighter coated dogs so that made it worse and more obvious. The only time I use a Furminator is when I use a cat Furminator to help tease out little mats behind the ears of my long coated mix.

You did a really good job with the stacks and the photos.


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## KittyKat (Nov 19, 2009)

*reply*

thanks everyone!! when I use the furminator I don't use it all year long just in the spring and the fall. (I live in Canada and the weather hasn't been under 0C for any length of time so none of them have really grown any coat to speak of) I've just been using a soft bore bristle hair brush for today, he does shed a lot. Is it alright for a few hairs to fall out when the judge goes over him? Or does all his loose hair have to be out?


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## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

I would imagine the judges are used to getting furry. They ARE critiquing dogs, after all.  Plus a large majority of the dogs are brushed, primped, and groomed right before going into the ring. 
But to answer your question, I'm not positive. But I bet a few hairs are permissible, as long as it's not coming out in clumps.


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## trudy (Aug 25, 2008)

they won't worry, as long as dog is clean, and I don't know if this is true BUT I have heard of people who get the dog wet with icy cold water to help bring back some coat...I don't know if it works but it was suggested to me with Gemma, who has a very short, thick coat...I didn't try it though


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

so my eye isn't so bad -- 
The GSD standard calls for an undercoat . When you are so vigorous in removing it the judge has no idea whether the dog did or can have one. Shedding is part of the breed , better to go in with fluffs - .








Click this bar to view the full image.










there you go -- here is the old fashioned dog . 1921 / 1925 Klodo Boxberg !! and yours to compare 

what do you think ?

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

That's a striking resemblance, and I bet they didn't use a Furminator on Klodo.


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## KittyKat (Nov 19, 2009)

wow he does look close to that dog..... That is an old style GSD not a "show" dog? 

Is it better or worse that he looks like Klodo?

AND for sure no more shedding tools!! I'm using a really nice bore bristle brush I have for my own hair so I know it won't rip anything that isn't already loose out and it will keep his hair all nice and moist. Yes I said a bore bristle brush..... and I will keep using the comb/rake type thing also. He did GREAT on shortening up his nails again today. We are doing it every week till the show. His nails were a little long but he ALWAYS throws a fit when I cut them. Today I carefully dremmeled them off and he was fantastic!! I did it nice and slow so not to heat the nail to much. So he did good!

TY again everyone!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

see - that is the thing with genetics , you never loose what you had , DNA gets put away into a back room "junk dna" but it will surface . That is why you have GSD that are "yellow" , curly or wavy coat , tall on the leg , short on the leg , drop eared , curl tail, short tail . Theoretically a dinosaur can be created through manipulation of a chicken's dna . 

He does look like Klodo -- so much for those that say they breed old tyme , "extra big" slobber gsd . There was nothing mild about them. 
I see you are in southern Ontario. Where is the show you are attending . Who is the judge . I take it you are going all-breed? Are you handling the dog yourself?
that coat is going to be a big problem -- 


Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

is someone , (like Wildo) clever enough to flip the picture of Klodo , or the OP's dog around so that they can be placed on top of each other ?


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## Whiteshepherds (Aug 21, 2010)

Here ya go.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

That branch obscures the top dog's nose/profile


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## KittyKat (Nov 19, 2009)

there were other photos he was in, is his nose blocked in all the ones i posted?

Yes showing him myself... Its the Windsor All Breed Training & Tracking Club @ St.Clair Collage, in Windsor Ontario.

Judges are: Donna Conod, Maida Putermen, Chen Weng Woh 

I was unsure how to find out who judges our group..... It just closed last night.


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## trudy (Aug 25, 2008)

Sat judge is Chen Weng Woh, from Malasia, Sun's jude is Donna Conod, from Ont, don't knwo if that helps..


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

I think he is a very nice dog structurally and the key to his success would be how balanced is he when he moves. We have moved so far left or right when we view conformation, that sometimes we judge dogs by current show standards. This is basically a correct dog, excepting personal preferences. 
Don't know if he will do well, but he has good basic structure, imo.


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## KittyKat (Nov 19, 2009)

*any idea?*

One other quick question.... i will post in another post just incase someone reads this one again. Someone just told me that I have to be able to open his mouth so the judge can count his teeth.... he does not like me doing this, i can examine his mouth with his jaw shut if I try and force his mouth open with my fingers in the small spaces in his jaw he'll pinch my fingers!


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

you have to be able to show his dentition , and the judge has to be able to feel if both testicles are descended . Get him used to this . Borrow a friend .. see how many friends you have. Find out what kind of friends you have - lol.
Too bad you can't get to a sanction match. I highly recommend them so that the handler and the dog are experienced. They let you learn ring protocol . Be at ringside , be ready . If you win your class , (or are the only one) do not go away , be ready to enter again for Winners Dog , Reserve Dog . 
Also one benefit of a sanction match is that it gives you an idea of the dogs potentially competing and the chance that you stand for points.


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## KittyKat (Nov 19, 2009)

Hey there, I found a handling class! We are going tomorrow its almost an hour and a half away but were making the trip!! 

ALSO I can pull his lips up to show his teeth and his bite its just prying his mouth OPEN OPEN that is hard to do.


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## KittyKat (Nov 19, 2009)

TY EVERYONE for your help and assistance!
It is VERY appreciated!


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## BUBBAGSD (Jul 16, 2010)

*windsor show*

Hi KittyKat

There is a sanction match on the saturday for conformation rally and obedience after best in show


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