Sacramento Valley

Most classes were composed of finishable animals from beginning to end. Often the difference between first and last was based on minor preferences of taste or performance. I have no doubt that I could judge many of these same animals on another day, ending up with different placements and still be satisfied with the results. I am grateful to the owners and handlers of these lovely animals and humbled to have been honored with the quality exhibited under me at this show. I wish I could thank each and everyone of you personally. You are to be commended on the outstanding animals you are producing.an overall impressions were of lovely, elegant type, and ease of motion. I had some shaky temperament, resulting in animals being placed further back than they might have been. 

I do a loose lead examination, and while rarely make a display of an animal's shakiness, I make sure the handler knows why that animal wasn't competitive. Substance & secondary sex characteristics continue to improve. Coming & going was typical to what's being shown today. Anyone wanting to experience breathtaking motion on a loose leash have only to watch my films from this show....it makes the heart sing. 

6-9 Month Puppy Dogs Schokrest Persuasion (Kansten's Ducati x Schokrest Clayfield Vision) 

What a youngster! He has it all at an age when they are usually going through the gangly uglies. He's all showman with flawless proportions and wonderful attitude. This class of two was the tone-setter for the rest of my day. Both puppies were outstanding. This guy was first only because he was a little more "finished", but I would have taken either home right then and there & been a happy camper. 

This dark youngster presented himself with a rock hard back & gently sloping topline in motion. He was elegant, with a lovely length of neck. He was effortless in motion and a attractive standing.

A very dark black & tan who initially resisted showing his teeth, but eventually decided my fingers weren't all THAT nasty. I approached him again on a loose leash to satisfy myself that his temperament was not the problem. He was presented out of coat, but lack of hair did not detract from his beautiful shoulder opening. One ear could be slightly stronger, but his overall appearance was pleasing. He moved at all times with a iron back and fluid follow through. Another extremely promising youngster. 

What an eye catcher this boy is. Dark, elegant, masculine black & tan (am I beginning to sound redundant here, or do we think this would be type to which I'm particularly drawn??). He is stunning set up, and has moments of brilliance in motion, but did not always seem to have his mind on the task today. It could have been his age or the presence of the female lovelies, that distracted him, especially in winners. So many girls...so little time. 

An extremely attractive, substantial black and tan who was flawless coming and going and shown in impeccable condition, with the exception of being slightly overweight. It was this weight that I feel caused him to roll over the topline in motion and detract from an otherwise appealing picture. 

WOW! That was my first reaction to this class. What quality. In my mind, I really didn't know what order in which these guys were going to finish until the very end. Throughout the class, I mentally, if not physically, shuffled the 1st three placements, making my final decision on consistency of performance. First place is a male so eye appealing standing and in motion as to command your attention. He gives the same outline in motion at all times and all speeds. My 2nd place dog was a knockout, masculine black & tan , who struck my eye immediately, but who exhibited a tendency to lift in front when presented on a tight lead, as he was on this day. 

This may have been only a result of exuberance, since he didn't show it the few times I saw him on a loose lead, but is also something that bugs me. In this kind of competition, personal preferences start to become deciding factors. My 3rd place was a dropdead gorgeous sable, dripping in type, who floated in motion, but tended to be lacking motivation as the class progressed. On another day, he would give anyone a run for the money. I found out after the show he was a litter brother to my 12-18 winner. I again predict a bright future for this one. 

A large, substantial black & and male, shown flawlessly in perfect condition. In motion, he again maintains consistency in outline. Standing he is beautifully balanced, with a perfect earset, black eyes & masculine, yet elegant headpiece & neck. 

Both the WD & RWD are very similar in type. I, like most of my ringside, expected my winner's dog to come from that outstanding American bred class, but this guy just never quit. He finally won me over on superior forereach and a more correct croup. 

And did she ever!!! Want to that is. Another knockout sable with a ton of type and attitude. She takes over a ring. It's no wonder her owner has dubbed her "Guido, the killer dog!" She has good body proportion, moves with a high wither, an iron back, and showmanship out the pizzazz. She has stardom stamped all over her lovely feminine features. 

A lovely black and tan, balanced in motion, attractive standing, and all together a nice finishable package. Referred to in WB as my "token" black & tan, she doesn't take a back seat to anyone for type, movement or quality. 

A very typey sable bitch with an outstanding shoulder & back. Shown out of coat (gosh, you'd think it had been summer out here or something). She is dry with good body depth. Sound in temperament, she is wonderful to watch in motion on a loose leash. 

Litter sister to the novice bitch, this bitch shares the same lovely type, femininity and hard back as her sister. She also has a lovely fluid shoulder opening, but could be a little better in feet and pasterns, and is not quite as willing a mover. I would also like to mention my 2nd place bitch who was a beautiful balanced mover & extremely appealing bitch. This again was one of the closest decisions of the day. I would be proud to own either. 

This bitch is the reason it took me 2 weeks to write my critique. Everytime I would start reviewing my films, I would quit writing & just watch her,...again.....and ....again...and.... again. The biggest fault I could finds with this bitch is that she's not in my backyard where I could sit and look at her ALL the time. This sable beauty never put a foot down wrong. Set up, moving, she has it all. She appeals to the breeder in me as well as the judge. She is poetry on a loose leash. Presented to perfection, she was all I could ask for. I understand she just came off a litter, explaining her tendency to be a little wet in underline. 

If there's such a thing as consistency in type, looks like I was on target this day. All 5 of my class winners appeared to come from same cookie cutter, just in different sizes. This included the "token" black and tan from my 12-18 month class. Any one of these bitches could have been winners bitch on a given day, but today, First Love became my first love. She was hard pressed by the 9-12 puppy, but when I put Guido the Killer Dog in front, Guido was more interested in living up to her name than getting a purple ribbon. Her day will come. 

On this particular day I found myself mesmerized by CH Caraland's Unlimited, an eyeful of masculine, bi-color perfection, he has a head & substance that leaves no question about his sex. He moved effortlessly on a loose leash. He was very, very similar to one of my other specials, whom I had put up as a young dog and always admired, but on this day, Unlimited was just the tiny millimeter better overall. Bitch specials were equally as breathtaking. My BOS looks like she could go all day and never draw a long breath. After the show I was informed that she became a champion the day before, finishing in 5 shows. She is a little light in pigment & could be tighter going away, but is very similar in type & motion to my winners bitch. She was strongly pushed by the other bitch specials, and again it was simple personal preference that made the decision 

In closing, I again want to thank the GSDC of Sacramento Valley for their kind hospitality, especially Charlotte Riegelhuth & Nadine Grady, who tried hard to be good hostesses, in spite of a judge that traveled under a pseudonym, Sharon Allbright, who was a wonderful contact, even from her hospital bed, and Bob Grady, who was as good a ring steward as any judge could hope for. 

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