PEKINGESE COLUMN IN AKC GAZETTE |
What is a Breed Standard if not a description of excellence? And yet…that excellence is different for every breed of dog. Some are similar to one another, others widely divergent. Dogs come in all sizes, shapes and colors and serve many different purposes. Even narrowing down these differences to those among only Toy Dogs, one cannot be compared with another. In the show ring, it is the weighty responsibility of our judges to judge each representative of a breed against its Breed Standard. As breeders, we become the guardians of our breed’s excellence. It is incumbent upon us to strive to breed those animals which will most closely match that standard of excellence called the Breed Standard. It is asking a great deal of judges to fully comprehend just how unique a breed is the Pekingese. The physical structure of the Pekingese is unique. To be sure, point by point one may find certain similarities to the structure of some other breeds, i.e., bowed front legs. However, when considering the entire picture, comparisons fail. The structure, gait, proportions and temperament of the Pekingese are unique unto themselves. To those other than Pekingese breed specialists, the Pekingese must certainly present a challenge to understand and/or to judge. For this reason, the following thoughts are expressed here as questions judges might ask themselves when faced with the challenge of judging the Pekingese. ..not a complete evaluation, but hopefully addressing a few of the more confusing aspects of the Pekingese. What is the initial impression of the Pekingese as it comes into the show ring? A beautiful, CORRECT coat is a feast to the eye, but is only the proverbial “frosting on the cake”. Is a heavy coat hiding structural faults, or perhaps been over-trimmed to create an illusion of what is really not there? Is the correct lionlike body shape easily seen? Is the topskull really wide and shallow, or has creative grooming created an illusion of such? It is believed by some – INCORRECTLY – that the Pekingese either cannot move out or should not be required to move. A healthy Pekingese of correct structure is perfectly able to move freely and effortlessly, albeit with a distinct, slightly rolling gait. The front legs should be short, well-bowed, toes turned outward, away from the body, WITH ELBOWS CLOSE TO THE RIBCAGE. The exaggerated movement created by loose elbows is NOT the correct “roll”, but rather, evidence of an unsound dog. The back legs are closer together than the front and correctly move straight ahead, toes pointing neither outward nor inward, with no slipping patellas. Both front and back feet should have moderate “fringing” of the hair on the toes. The tail is carried well over the back, proudly and fearlessly. A properly socialized and trained show Pekingese should present an attitude of self-assured, dignified royalty, able to stand and move without being propped up or constantly hovered over. While all weights of the Pekingese are correct up to 14 pounds, and heavy bone is desired, in proportion to the overall size of the dog, various sizes are equally correct. Obviously, it is not possible to have identical size of bone in a 6 or 8 pound animal and a 12 pound dog. Recently the Pekingese Club of America has published and distributed a new “Pekingese Study Guide” which sets forth in great detail answers to questions which may be asked by judges and breeders alike.
Jacqueline Ragland |