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Can we go back to this age of illustration please! Modern informational materials will show you a picture of a dog that is either completely unremarkable or has 20 different unique traits and say “this is an example of a dog with the egregious fault of octopus legs” and then do nothing to demonstrate how thats different. Illustrations like these make it obvious what the difference is and show a good and bad example so it’s almost impossible to miss.

#also i think so many more people would actually understand why their dogs conformation was shitty #and it would be easier to explain why that was an issue for them physically #because for most people their dogs just look like any other dog of that breed #people struggle with the difference between breeds #why would they understand what makes a gait wrong #dog conformation

Life of a showgirl(boy)

💛🐾

#dogblr #dogblog #silken windhound #dogs #dog sports #dog conformation #show dog #dog show

Honestly a really great example of how a mediocre stack can affect your dog’s appearance

In the top picture, Thistle is sleepy, a little hunched, and holding her head low. Her front and rear legs are not perpendicular to the table, but at an angle, which makes her look like she’s tipping forward and straight in her rear angles. It also makes her topline look higher at the rear.

In the second picture, her head and neck are more upright, she’s engaged and no longer slouching. Her front legs and rear hocks are much closer to perpendicular with the table. This creates a dog who not only looks more confident and balanced, but it also levels out her topline. She even appears more filled out through the chest and much more proportional overall.

The second picture is the type that you would want to represent your dog if you were looking for an accurate critic based off a photo, and the first shows exactly why a hands on evaluation is always best when judging a dog.

#ibizan hound #podenco ibicenco #thistle bee #she’s not quite yet 5 months and about 30 lbs and 20 inches at the shoulder #dog conformation #show dog

do young borzoi not do well being inside? are they more like livestock guardian dogs? i’ve only met a few borzoi in person so I’m unfamiliar

Borzoi puppies must have a playmate of similar size and energy levels as well as access to large play areas (half an acre minimum depending on the exact landscape) for 12+ hrs a day for at least the first eight to nine months to grow correctly on a structural level.

Borzoi that don’t get enough exercise are often narrow, in the chest especially, can develop slack pasterns and over exaggerated rear angles, and an overall lack of body or “substance.” All that being said, unless you’re steeped in the dog world the above probably doesn’t mean much. Which means it’s picture time!!!

Pictures cropped and color removed to protect identities lol but here are two sets of littermate that perfectly show what I mean about chest narrowness and slack pasterns:

Proper exercise with appropriate playmates for appropriate lengths of time on the left, puppies raised without on the right.

Improper growth doesn’t mean health issues, and both bottom dogs are amazing coursing dogs (the one on the right actually being MORE successful) but it can ruin a dog’s chances in the show ring, and makes it harder for a breeder to really know their lines and what they may be producing or even breeding to.

All that being said, exercise and playmates can’t change genetics. A dog with a narrow chest will have a narrow chest regardless(you can usually spot the difference once you know what to look for). But that’s why I’m showing littermates and not just four random dogs.

Just like anything, there is some nuance to this. Even puppies with an appropriate playmate, a large yard, living outside 24/7, can fail to develop to their full potential if they’re especially lazy puppies.

There are very real legitimate reasons most borzoi breeders will want to grow out any potential show puppies. It can be difficult if you’re the puppy buyer, but it is worth it to have a dog develop to their full potential.

#dogblr #petblr #dog conformation #dog structure #dog #sighthound #borzoi #asks

Danny and Mac, Shetland Sheepdogs

Both Mac and Danny get a bath and a good de-shedding brush out. These guys shed a ton! As for trimming, they only get neat feet and a bit of light trimming on their feathering.

More information and history of the Shetland Sheepdog below!

#dog #dogs #dog grooming #dog content #dog conformation #shetland sheepdog #sheltie #sheepdog #shetland #herding group #akc #american kennel club

phew

#puppy growth #sheltie growth #Troja #dog conformation #long post

I'd like you all to meet Hamilton.

Hamilton is a semi-frequent flyer at the boarding kennel I work at. He is an Old English Bulldog. He is a very good sweet boy! My coworkers and I all love him.

I'd like to talk about Ham today because he is a stellar example of the breed (imho). He is perhaps the best bulldog I have ever seen.

He's short and stout, with a wide, boxy build, as bulldogs should be! But his shoulders aren't twice the size of his pelvis. He's got that signature short, wrinkly bulldog snout! But it isn't completely squashed back into his face, and his wrinkles aren't so intense that he's got constant moist dermatitis. His nostrils are nice and wide and open. His tongue and teeth fit comfortably in his mouth. His eyes fit comfortably in their sockets.

He likely does still have some Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome--he wheezes and has trouble walking long distances, though that's also attributable to age. And he does have a little ectropion going on. He's not perfect. But he's damn close. He's an anatomically-sound, well-built bulldog.

And he hasn't sacrificed a single bit of his bulldog-ness for it! He's still 110% bulldog. I dare you to look at him and tell me he's any other breed. He's got the personality to match, too; steady and easygoing, but with that quiet stubborn streak we all know and love.

Oh, how old is he, you ask?

Hamilton is 14 years old.

The average lifespan of an Old English Bulldog is about 8 years.

Now, one anecdote does not evidence make, and 14 is honestly old for any dog his size, regardless of breed. But I have very little doubt in my mind that there's a connection between his wonderful conformation and his age.

I just. It doesn't have to be like it has been, you know? We can breed bulldogs to be healthy! We don't have to breed them so unhealthy that they only live as long as a Great Dane (if even that)! We can breed these dogs to live long, happy, healthy lives, without giving up anything that makes them the breed they are! This is not an impossibility!

Dogs like Hamilton are an unfortunate rarity these days. But maybe eventually they won't be. I hope his breeder is still in the business. I hope they're out there setting a good example.

#brachycephalic dogs #bulldogs #brachycephalic airway syndrome #dog conformation #I just wanted to show off this wonderful man tbh

Things I’d be happy to never hear in a conformation critique again:

“Lacks type”

“There’s one standard”

“Would make a cute pet”

#dogblr #dog conformation #just pet peeves dot tumblr dot com #is there only one standard? maybe. but there is def more than one interpretation lmao #cute pet has nothing to do with the dog’s confirmation and is a silly way #for people to ‘be positive’. when they have nothing else nice to say