The Welsh Dobermann Club
Open Show 15th April 2023
Firstly I would like to thank the club for the invitation to judge the club open show, an absolute honour and privilege, my gift for judging is absolutely lovely and I will cherish this. Also a big thank you to my two wonderful stewards who kept the ring moving on well, and finally a thank you to all who entered and allowed me the pleasure of judging your fabulous dogs, I was thrilled with the entry and also the quality of the dogs on the day.
I have to say how impressed I was that every single dog I went over was squeaky clean, it wasn’t until I finished judging that I realised my hands were as clean as when I had started judging. I was also very impressed with the handling of the dogs and how well they were all trained, it was amazing to watch the focus many had and how each handler and dog presented themselves so well, I don’t think I have ever judged a breed where the standard of training of the dogs and the handling skills is so high, you really do have to applaud yourselves for this.
Another thing I noticed and that I feel is worthy of a mention is how nice the tails are looking, I think I am right in saying that as a breed once docking stopped you didn’t rush in to set a tail standard too soon and sat back and waited to see what came and I think that has turned out to be the absolute best thing you did, not setting a hard standard and elimination those dogs that didn’t meet it in the early stages has really paid off and apart from one very tiny kink I found tails that looked very much the same and really suited the dogs so again a big pat on the back for those involved with this.
Minor Puppy Dog (3 ent 0a)
1st Reid’s – Dobshangrila Xavi (imp IKC) NAF – a 7 month old black and rust puppy who presents a lovely shape in profile, he stands on strong straight limbs and nice feet, he scores well in head with a dark eye and correct dentition, his back is straight although he is currently a tad bum high which is acceptable as a growth stage in a puppy of his age, he has balanced angles both front and rear and has a pleasing tail for both set and carriage, he moved well for one so young.
2nd Brown’s – Jojavik Shaken not Stirred – Another pleasing black and rust puppy who is well boned, currently standing a little 10 to 2 on the front but this should correct as he matures and his ribs spring more, he has a lovely head developing, his ears are set well and he has good skull and muzzle balance, his neck flows into a well laid shoulder and he has a good return of upper arm, he has a level top line, moved out well but not quite as good as 1.
3rd Schneiders – Kodam Burning Man at Shantock
Puppy Dog (2 ent 0a)
1st - Hart’s – Supeta’s Scorchio – 9 month old brown and rust male of lovely breed type, he stands on strong straight bone and super feet, his head scores well for parallel head planes and he has a pleasing eye for both shape and colour, his neck is of fair length and flows into lovely clean withers, his top line is strong and has the desired slope towards the tail, he is well balanced in angulation both fore and aft and this shows on the move, he moves with a strong gait and he is straight coming and going, he is a very exciting young male who I’m sure has a bright future ahead of him. Best Puppy Dog.
2nd – Merchant’s – Cockneyyoka Get Over It at Mandareus – Another brown and rust puppy who although older than 1 he is not quite as mature at this time, he scores well in head with a nice eye for both shape and colour, his ears are well set and of correct size and they sit neat and close to his head, he has good strength in back and although his movement is good he messed around and didn’t settle into his stride as well as 1 did.
Junior Dog (4 ent 0a)
1st – Massey & McGeoch’s – Manzart Zebedee JW – This young brown and rust male is a very exciting youngster, I absolutely loved him, he is so well balanced from nose to tail and he puts in a super performance and is at one with his handler, he has a lovely head piece which is balanced on skull and muzzle proportions, he has spot on head planes and has plenty of fill under the eyes, his neck is long and lean and flows into well placed shoulders, his return of upper arm compliments his shoulder placement so well and this gives him a super fore-chest, his back is strong, his top-line has the desired slop to the tail and is perfectly matched by his underline, he has long well bent stifles which are bursting with muscle tone and this all comes together to drive him round the ring in a ground covering gait that is straight from every angle, I could maybe have a slightly better foot but that’s the only thing I found that I couldn’t say was near perfect, he was presented in a gleaming jacket and was handled to perfection, I was pleased to award him Reserve Best Male and Reserve Best in Show, he was unlucky to meet the open dog winner today, I am sure this young male is going on to great things.
2nd – Fletcher’s – Sacaria Whisper of Hope – Another lovely young male, he does score over 1 for feet, however his neck is slightly shorter and he does not have quite as much fore-chest or depth of chest yet but of course he has time on his side, he stands on well boned limbs and holds a firm top line both static and on the move, moved with a balanced side gait showing good reach in front and a driving action at the rear, he is straight coming and going and was presented and handled well.
3rd Seward’s – Teuschons The Fierch Knight with Elleonia
Yearling Dog (2 ent 0a)
1st – Plowman’s – Supeta’s Pocketful of Glory JW –Black and rust male who scores well in head, he has a pleasing eye for shape and colour, his skull and muzzle ratio’s are well matched and he has well set ears of correct size sitting close to his cheeks, I would like a little more length to his neck, his shoulders are well laid but I found his return of upper arm a tad upright which gives him a little wrinkle over his withers, his chest has super depth and his elbows sit close, he has lovely balanced rear angulation and he stands on well boned straight limbs, he moved round well and was straight coming and going.
2nd - Tyler’s – Jojavik Bombs Away at Asteri – This male is slightly longer in body proportions than 1 and is a little lighter of bone, he has good strength in his top line and has a super tail for both set and carriage, I felt he may be a slower maturing dog who has time on his side to mature into a lovely male, presented in a gleaming jacket, moved well.
Post Graduate Dog (2 ent 0a)
1st - Seward’s – Teuschons The Fierch Knight with Elleonia- This male was third in what was a very strong junior class and I liked him a lot, he presents a good shape in profile, he stands on well boned limbs and super feet, he has a nice head developing, I would like a tad more width between his ears, he has a lovely neck and it flows into good shoulder placement, his withers are clean and his back firm and he holds it well when moving, his tail is set and carried well, he presents and good side gait on the move, I would like him to be a bit tidier at the rear when going away but I am mindful he is a young dog and still has time to strengthen his hocks which will give him a stronger rear action
2nd – Hunt & Flitcroft’s – Tuwos Mr Majestik Vonsallate – This brown male scored over 1 on the stack but he did not move as well which lost him the first place, he has a lovely head piece, his skull and muzzle are well matched and strong, he also has a lovely chest for depth and a super strong top line, on the move he looked to over reach at the rear on side gait and he also crabbed to the side a bit when going away.
Limit Dog (4 ent 2a)
1st – Samway’s – Swnydwr Wassap – This black and rust male is very nicely made throughout, he has a lovely head piece with well matched head planes, a dark expressive eye of almond shape, his neck is of correct length and is well muscled, free from any loose skin and flows nicely into well laid shoulders and a well matched return of upper arm giving for a good fore-chest, his top line is strong and slopes just enough towards his tail, to be critical he could have a slightly shorter loin, his underlines compliment his top line, he stands on straight limbs and good angles, his hocks are strong and push him around the ring with a strong well balanced gait, I later found out he is litter brother to my best bitch, a lovely litter it seems.
2nd – Evans & Lewis’s – Amazon Alcumlow Love is Life – This male did score over 1 for bone and had better feet but I preferred the head on 1 and I thought this male could have a tad more length of neck and cleaner withers, his top line from shoulders to tail is strong and straight and he has a pleasing tail for both set and carriage, his movement was balanced but he did not quite match the drive of 1.
Open Dog (3 ent 2a)
1st - Robinson’s – CH Korifey Ivan ShCEx – Wow wow wow, what a stunning male this is. I kept well away from the Dobe ring whilst the champ show judging was on, but I had walked through the hall before judging had started and I saw this male in the ring doing a bit of practice and as I walked through and glanced him I thought “ I do like him “ so I was absolutely delighted when he walked into the ring and I had the privilege to go over him, he is as stunning hands on as he was from afar and the focus he has and the foot perfect performance is a credit to his handler, they are certainly at one with each other and I was not surprised to see he is a champion and a well deserved one too, his head is well balanced, his eyes are alert and expressive, he has good fill under those eyes and his head planes are true, his muzzle is strong and his ears are set and used well and complete the picture, his neck is long elegant and well muscled, his shoulders are laid back well and are perfectly matched with his length and return of upper arm giving him a super fore-chest, his back is solid when both static and on the move and his underline rises and produces that perfectly matched top and underline the breed desires, on the move he is foot perfect, he has super reach in front and drives from the rear and he is completely balanced, he was presented in a gleaming black jacket with lovely rust markings, I was delighted to award him Best Male and then the ultimate spot of Best In Show, thank you so much for entering him.
Minor Puppy Bitch (4 ent 0a)
1st Tant’s – Rafthouse Bundlebrent at Granadeya - 8 month old brown and rust puppy of lovely type, she has a beautiful head on side profile with super head planes, her head is also at just the right stage for her age when looking head on, she stands with a good straight front and rear when viewed from these angles, she has strong round bone and stands on lovely feet, her neck is developing well and of pleasing length and flows into well placed shoulders and a nice depth of chest, her back is strong, her tail set and used well and she is well angulated both fore and aft, she moved round the ring with a balanced gait for one so young, unlucky to meet the bitch puppy today as she is also one of such quality I would happily put her through to the top puppy spots today.
2nd – Mycroft, Kelly & Kelly’s – Supeta’s Smokin Hot – Black and rust puppy of almost 10 months old, she presents a compact shape in profile, slightly shorter in body than 1 but with not quite as much bone, her chest is developing well and she holds a firm top line both static and on the move, her neck flows into beautiful shoulders and that strong top line which is matched to perfection with her under line, her head is currently a tad narrower than 1 and her ears are not sitting as close to her cheeks as I would like but she is still developing and these are all stages that should improve with age, she moved out well and was straight coming and going.
3rd – Wetherall’s – Kodem Hotspot
Puppy Bitch (2 ent 0a)
1st – Evan’s – Amazon She is Adored – My absolute star of the day, so aptly named because yes I did adore her, she is the one I wanted to put in the car and bring home with me, she is the image of perfection in puppy form, she has got to go on to the best of things as she matures into adulthood, her head is to die for and is perfectly balanced to her body, she has fill under the eye and depth in muzzle, her eyes are beautiful and expressive, she stands on strong straight bone from every angle and has good feet, her neck is the perfect length for her proportions and her back is short and strong and complimented by her short and deep loin, her tail is set and carried so well, she has super angles fore and aft and this shows on the move with her perfect foot fall, I kept her in my final cut for best bitch and yes she gives a bit too much away in age at the moment but I felt she really deserved her place to be in this cut, I was delighted to award her Best Puppy Bitch and then the ultimate spot of Best Puppy In Show, she is definitely one to watch for the future and I may still try and steal her. Congratulations.
2nd – Evan’s – Amazon Just Let Me Adore You – Litter sister to 1, a black and rust this time and another beautiful puppy presenting a well balanced shape in profile, I felt her a little less mature in both head and body than her sister at this time and she did not yet have the depth in chest that her sister has, she too has super strong straight bone and her hocks are so strong and pushed her around the ring with ease, these two will undoubtedly change places on many occasions, congratulations on what must have been a super litter.
Junior Bitch (5 ent 3a)
1st – Reid’s – ZZ Dreamgirl V Nobel Line (imp Nor) – Black and rust bitch who presents a lovely shape in profile, she scores well in front assembly and has a super-fore chest and deep well sprung ribs, her head is well balanced with good strength in skull and muzzle but retaining all feminine features with a pleasing eye which has nice fill under, her ears are of correct size and sit neatly to her cheeks, her top line is strong and her loin of balanced length to her back, it could be a bit deeper to allow her underline to match her top line but she has time for this to drop as she matures, I would like a tad more turn of stifle to be picky, she moved out well from all angles.
2nd - Macintosh-White’s – Teuschons Shadow Spell – This bitch scored over 1 for rear angulation, she has good length of upper thigh and well bent stifles but I preferred the head and overall balance of 1, for me this bitch could have more parallel head planes, her neck is of good length, she did not always hold her top line level and she did not excel herself on the move due to often pacing and a little erratic however on the occasions she did settle and not pace she moved nicely.
Yearling Bitch (3 ent 1a)
1st - Goodall’s – Maighread’s Bonnie Rosheen to Mianna – This young black and rust bitch is not the biggest but is nicely proportioned and presents a lovely shape in profile, I would like a tad more bone and size but the bone she has fits her proportions, she has a lovely dark eye and neat well set ears, her head planes could be a tad more level, she has a lovely length of neck which is well muscles and flows into nice shoulders and a clean wither, her top line is held strong both static and on the move, she is well angulated fore and aft and produced a pleasing picture on the move on side gait, she didn’t go as straight as she could when going away.
2nd – Wall’s – Jarjarjinx Mistletoe Kiss – This young lady was a little unsettled today and although she did let me go over her she wasn’t too comfortable with this and this also showed on the move with her being a little tentative to move freely and also not holding her tail in a confident manner, she does have a pleasing head and scores well in neck length and for a good fore chest and depth of chest, I would like to see her again when she is feeling a bit more herself.
Post Graduate Bitch (4 ent 2a)
1st – Godfrey, Ingram, Ingram & Lack – Jojavik Photobomb – This black and tan bitch is a beautiful example of the breed, she presents a super shape in profile and she holds this on the move, she stands on strong straight bones and had the best feet of the day, her neck is of correct length and clean cut, she has well laid shoulders and a good return of upper arm of equal length thus producing a super fore-chest, she has good depth in both chest and loin and has a nice rump and well set on tail, her angles are well balanced and she has the strongest of hocks, she moved out well with reach and drive on side profile, she did move a little off from straight the first time going away but corrected this the next time, presented in a gleaming black jacket and handled beautifully.
2nd Nicol’s – Sharhyste Lady Winterfell at Evnjay’s – A smaller bitch than 1 overall, she has medium bone and could do with a bit more covering which made her look a little narrow throughout, her head although not as pleasing as 1 was nicely balanced in skull and muzzle, her ears could sit closer to her cheeks, she did however move around the ring beautifully with a balanced fluent gait and she was straight coming and going.
Limit Bitch (3 ent 2 a)
1st – Merrett’s Grafmax Titania – This bitch really caught my eye on the stand but sadly did not deliver when on the move today, She scores well in head a good eye for shape, colour and set, her head planes are spot on and she has a balanced skull to muzzle, her muzzle has depth and her lips are tight, her neck is long and elegant and flows into a lovely top line, her chest has depth and her balanced angulaton in front give her a good fore chest, she is well ribbed and she has a strong loin and a nice rump with well set on tail, her balanced rear angles and gleaming well marked black jacket complete the picture when she is static, she is made to move well but sadly didn’t today, she didn’t put in much effort to drive herself around on side gait and she was very close in the rear when going away, must have been an off day because she is made to move well.
Open Bitch (4 ent 2 a)
1st – Stansbury’s – Swnydwr Snapchat at Woodbriar JW ShCEx – This was a very close class with two super bitches so it was no surprise that my best bitch and reserve best bitch came from this class. I previously judged this black and rust bitch when she was about 12 months old and I’m delighted to see she has fulfilled the promise she showed back then, she is a super example of the breed, presenting a lovely silhouette in profile, she is balanced in head with super head planes, her dentition is correct and she has lovely dark eyes, neck is of correct length and is well muscled, she holds a rock solid strong top line at all times, a strong rear end gives good power on the move which was energetic and foot perfect, it was her little extra effort on the move and her stronger held top line when moving that won her the top spot today, the decision was so close. Best Bitch & Best Opposite Sex In Show.
2nd – Mycroft’s – Supeta’s Diamond in The Sky – Another quality black and rust bitch who is a super example, she has balance throughout and her bone and substance is well matched, I liked her head, her eyes are set well and she has a lovely expression, her front assembly is from the top drawer, she has super front angles with good ribbing and a lovely fore-chest, her back is strong and level, her loin is a tad longer than that of 1, she has a lovely underline to compliment her top line and her rear angles are balanced to the front, she is strong in hock and has a powerful rear action on the move, she moved out well, presented in a gleaming black jacket which is well marked, Reserve Best Bitch.
Veteran Dog or Bitch (6 ent 4a)
1st – Stanbury’s – Woodbriar Fix Up Look Sharp JW ShCM ShCEx – Having had the pleasure of judging this male before he is a firm favourite of mine and now in veteran is still presented in excellent order, his gleaming black jacket and excellent muscle tone I remember are still present, he presents a lovely shape in profile and does not disappoint on close inspection, his head is near copy book with super planes, correct dentition and a lovely eye, his neck is long lean with tight fitting skin, lovely angles both front and rear and super thigh muscle, his underlines compliment his top line, he moved with balance and drive from all angles, as always he was handled to perfection. Best Veteran In Show.
2nd – Hunt & Flintcroft’s – Teuschon Sir Hermes – This brown and rust male is in excellent order and a real powerful male, he was unlucky to meet 1 today, both are an absolute credit to their owners, his head is well proportioned to his body, he has a good width to his skull even at his age of 10 years, he has a strong neck, well placed shoulders and good angles throughout, he did not put in the effort on the move that 1 did but why should he at this age, he is entitled to do things just his way, I would say he was a hard one to beat when in his prime.
Kirstie Forster (Megalmar) (Judge)
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