German Spitz Club of Great Britain

An honour to judge my breed at our Club Ch show. My overall impression of the breed is much the same as when I last judged them with quality being very mixed and many being rather longer in proportions than the required compact almost square outline. Movement is generally not good with too many either lacking in forward reach or high-stepping in front, or unable to move cleanly away and back. Also still too many mouth issues and a lot of wide set or too tall ears. Presentation was mainly good with dogs presented in clean condition but quite a few soft coats.

VETERAN DOG (1)

1st Saich’s Hocombewood Hot Toddy for Lindcoly. Typy, outgoing 8y/o brown sable of medium size and strength who presents a good outline with his correct proportions and high tailset. Balanced masculine head with correctly set ears though his eyes are a little round and light and his mouth isn’t aging as well as the rest of him. Good legs with correct short rear pasterns and neat feet. On the move showed a good side gait but rather untidy away and back.

MINOR PUPPY DOG (2)

1st Birtle’s Kelham I Dreamed a Dream to Rokeland. 8.5 months black & tan, very much the raw baby at this stage with chest and ribs still developing and looking slightly long in outline. Head coming along nicely with well-shaped dark eyes, correct bite though ears currently a bit widely set. His immaturity in chest and development means movement is still a bit close but was OK in side gait. Well off for bone, straight legs and neat feet.

2nd Barnes & King’s Izlou Shiver Me Timbers. 8 months black shown in slightly heavy condition today. Masculine head with correctly shaped dark eyes, currently quite strong in skull, and ears of OK size but set a bit wide. Body developing nicely, but like 1 just slightly longer in proportions than required. Correct tail set, good bone with strong legs and neat feet. Unfortunately quite uncooperative on the move as he insisted on crabbing but looked a bit better in side gait once he got going.

PUPPY DOG (2)

1st Pearce, Francis & Roberts’ Longsdale's Rebel Rouser at Cwrtafon. 10 months black of good bone and substance who doesn’t need to grow any more. Balanced masculine head with dark oval eyes and correctly set ears give a very typical expression and his bite is also correct. Presented in excellent condition and full coat of correct harsh texture. Correct neck, level topline and high tailset, strong legs, firm hocks, and neat feet. Currently looking a bit longer in outline than ideal and doesn’t help himself by being prone to standing a bit stretched but gets it all together on the move where he demonstrates excellent movement from all directions. RDCC, BPIB, BPIS

2nd Birtle’s Kelham I Dreamed a Dream to Rokeland

JUNIOR DOG (0)

POST GRAD DOG (4,1)

1st Saich’s Lindcoly Blue Moon. Almost 2y/o blue with very good depth of colour and pigment for his colouring. Masculine head with correct skull, ears are OK for shape but a touch tall and his light eyes detract slightly from the overall expression. Good neck, level topline, correct tailset, he’s still a little narrow in chest just now but good depth of brisket and enough angulation, strong legs, correct pasterns and neat feet. Swings the measure but has good bone and substance without being coarse. His exuberant temperament made him a bit of a handful on the move so rather erratic but saw enough steps of decent side gait towards the end of the class.

2nd Henry’s Musique Zirkon. 3y/o brown with a masculine head and neat ears, slightly darker eyes would enhance expression but they’re in keeping with his brown colouring. Slightly short in neck, level topline and OK tailset. Fairly compact proportions but needs a bit more angulation at both ends. Good bone and neat feet. Rather uncoordinated in rear today so movement suffered for it.

3rd Durham’s Spellcast Hear Your Talk (AI)

LIMIT DOG (3,1)

1st King’s Gronw October Moon Over Grizwold. 3y/o wolf sable of medium size and substance. Strong masculine head but a shade heavy in skull, ears of good shape and size though slightly wide set, eyes that are just a little round but of good dark colour. Presents the correct compact outline with a good topline and tailset but a touch short in neck and short and steep in upper arm which restricts his forward reach but his movement is otherwise OK.

2nd Mountain’s Hocombewood Jailhouse Roc. Slightly reserved 2.5y/o richly coloured brown with good bone. Good head with correct shaped dark eyes, ears of good size and set but slightly tall. A bit narrow in body and quite lacking in rear angulation, which combined with his long rear pasterns gives ineffective rear movement lacking drive and quite close coming towards.

OPEN DOG (2)

1st Saich’s Lindcoly The One and Only. 2y 9 month eye-catching sable & white parti of excellent type shown in full coat and good condition. Attractive masculine head with dark eyes of correct shape and well set neat ears but his pigment could be stronger. Slightly stretched proportions, correct topline and tailset and very good size and substance. Another that could do with a better length and lay of upper arm to place his forelegs further underneath his body. An overabundance of the spitz-buoyancy as he took quite a bit of time to get his act together on the move but was intermittently OK in side gait and towards but flicking his right hock going away.

2nd Clayton’s Galvizach Moon Spectre. 5y/o cream of good type, size and substance who wasn’t particularly happy on the table but was OK on the floor. Balanced head, correct eyes, ears slightly big but correct set and shape, winter nose but otherwise good pigment. Enough neck, correct topline and tailset and his balanced outline mean he looks the part in stance but unfortunately rather erratic on the move and lacks reach and drive.

CH DOG (5)

1st Hewett’s Ch Spellcast Talk Tidee. 4y/o brown top sized male in good coat of correct harsh texture, and demonstrating good bone, substance and overall balance. Attractive masculine head with well set slightly tall ears, correct eyes and good nose pigment, though his eye rims and lips could be a shade darker to advantage. Good neck, topline, tailset, body proportions and angulation topped off with strong legs and catlike feet, correct front pasterns though could be just a fraction shorter in rear pasterns. Doesn’t always give his best and at times appears to lack enthusiasm both in stance and movement but intermittently put in just enough effort to make him an easy CC winner and went on to RBOB & RBIS.

2nd Roberts’ Ch Longsdale's Turning Tables at Cwrtafon. 3.5y/o cream with plenty of coat of correct texture. Masculine head with typical expression, correct dark eyes, good pigment, ears of correct shape and set but slightly tall. Well off for bone and substance, upper size and slightly stretched proportions, good neck, level topline and high tailset. Good angulation and well sprung ribs, though a touch wide in chest which makes him slightly out in elbow on the move towards, but correct in side gait and away. Strong legs, correct pasterns and neat feet.

3rd Saich’s IR Ch Lindoly Mischief Maker

Res Rogerson & Mullholland’s Ch Fisherbloom Black Shaman with Nosregor

VHC King’s Ch Grizwold Loki

VETERAN BITCH (4)

1st Moir’s Ch Jansanleis Mayhem JW. 8.5y/o cream of excellent proportions and balanced square outline, and her lack of coat today just emphasizes this. Strong feminine head, correct dark eyes, ears are well set and correctly shaped but slightly tall. Pigment fading a little but still very good for her age. Correct neck, firm level topline, high tailset, correct angulation and strong straight legs, firm hocks and neat feet. Well sprung ribs and correct chest depth though a little bit light in body condition today. She still demonstrates an excellent side gait and OK coming towards but just a touch narrow going away. BVIB & BVIS

2nd Andrews’ Dagsljus Against All Odds at Claran (IMP SWE). 7.5y/o orange sable presented in good coat and condition. Bottom end of the size scale but enough bone to match her size. Feminine head but would like a little more strength of muzzle to balance her strong skull. Correct dark eyes, ears of good shape and size but slightly wide set. Just about enough neck, level topline and correct tailset, she’s a little longer cast and steeper in front than ideal so not quite the compact outline required. Moved well and quite happily all ways which helped gain her place here.

3rd Pooley’s Ch Spellcast Talking Secrets with Azkaban

Res King’s Zephon Akane

MINOR PUPPY BITCH (3)

3 very raw babies who all played up on the move and all were rather untidy moving away so did themselves no favours.

1st Purves’ Bulabs QE Beauty. 7.5 months richly coloured cream with contrasting excellent black pigment. A bit of a mischievous expression going on with this one! Ears well set but a little tall at this stage, dark eyes, skull fairly flat but still to broaden. Good length of neck, body developing nicely but understandably still very much the baby with a fair bit of maturing to do. Correct tailset, good strong legs with enough bone for her size but feet could be just a touch neater. On the move she was OK in side gait and coming back towards me.

2nd Rolleston’s Kelham One Love. 8.5 months slightly reserved medium sized black in fuller coat. Feminine head with correct dark eyes but like 1, still needs a bit more skull development for balance as she currently looks just a touch long in muzzle and ears wider set. Enough neck, OK for topline and tailset but currently looking a little long in outline. Good bone and neat feet. OK in side gait but away and back were both quite untidy and unsettled.

3rd Saich’s Lindcoly Hope and Glory

PUPPY BITCH (2)

1st Saich’s Lindcoly Panda Panda. 7 months black and white of excellent temperament. Very pretty feminine head with correct dark eyes and neat ears. Good neck, well made body, correct tailset, enough bone and neat feet. Just needs to come up a little more on foreleg for balance but she has plenty of time on her side. Moved well with a brisk action. BPB

2nd Mountain’s Hocombewood Wonder of You. 10 months brown pigmented orange sable. Feminine head, eyes a little light but they blend with her colour, ears of good shape and set but a touch big for her frame and her bite isn’t correct. Slightly stretched proportions so her current lack of undercoat doesn’t help to enhance the picture of balance. OK for neck, topline, tailset and neat feet but would like a bit more forehand angulation. I found her a little on the small and finely made side and movement wasn’t good.

JUNIOR BITCH (2,1)

1st Chapman’s Clarmer's Treacle Toffee at Kitsune. 13 months brown with just a hint of tan points creeping through. Strong feminine head but her light eyes and slightly big ears detract from her expression. OK for neck, topline, tailset, proportions and outline but was shown in rather heavy condition today. Needs a bit more angulation at both ends and this shows on the move as she’s a bit restricted in reach and drive.

POST GRAD BITCH (3)

1st Rogerson’s Nosregor Unforgettable. 21 months cream. Very typy upper sized bitch of good substance who presents the correct proportions and square outline. Balanced feminine head, correct dark eyes, ears could be just a fraction smaller and would like stronger pigment. Correct neck, topline and high tailset, and strong legs, firm hocks and neat feet. Not in full coat today but what she has is of correct texture. Shows very good straight movement away and back, side gait could do with just a little more forward reach but was otherwise good.

2nd Saich’s Lindcoly Love Affair. 20 months black of medium size and build but a bit stretched in proportions so not quite the balanced outline of 1. Typical feminine head with good ears, eyes of correct shape but just a shade light. Correct neck, level topline and high set tail, good legs and correct pasterns but her feet could just be a little tighter. Showed good movement from all directions.

3rd Drew’s Izlou Peanut Passion

LIMIT BITCH (6,1)

1st Chapman’s Clarmer's Little Banshee at Kitsune. 2.5y/o black of very good type. Feminine wedge-shaped head with very well set correctly shaped ears and dark eyes that are just about on the verge of being a little full but maintaining that typical spitz expression. Correct neck, firm level topline, very well set tail, good width of chest, good angulation, correct body proportions and leg length giving the required square outline. Not in full coat today but that just enhances her outline and correct underline. She has enough bone for her size, strong legs, firm hocks, correct pasterns and neat catlike feet. Very good movement and well shown by her young handler who got the best out of her in the challenge to take RBCC.

2nd Barnes & King’s Izlou Walnut Forget Me JW. Almost 2y/o black of medium size and substance. Feminine head with correctly shaped dark eyes, ears of correct set and shape but a little tall, enough neck, level topline and high tailset but another that’s just a little longer in proportions than desired and would benefit from a longer and better laid upper arm to place her forelegs a little more underneath her. Strong legs, correct feet, good temperament and presented in good condition. Crabbing a bit on the move and throwing her front out when coming towards, but showed a good side gait and OK away when she wasn’t messing about.

3rd Purves’ Bulabs Blonde Lady

Res Saich’s Lindcoly Wishing on a Dream

VHC Clayton’s Galvizach Moon Chimes

OPEN BITCH (2)

1st Pearce & Francis’ Kelham Love and Romance with Longsdale. 3y/o cream in full coat of harsh texture who presents the required square outline and correct balance. Strong feminine head, eyes of correct shape but I’d like them a shade darker, ears of correct set and shape but could be a touch smaller, but her excellent pigment enhances her expression. Upper medium size with good substance, enough neck, level topline, well set tail, good chest development with correct ribbing, good underline and body condition. Her correct angulation allows her to show an excellent side gait and I thought she’d be in serious contention for top honours today but she was a little loose in elbows and right hock on the away and back.

2nd Roberts’ Bullbo Star Attraction At Cwrtafon. 2.5y/o cream. Feminine head with correctly shaped dark eyes, ears a bit big but set OK, slight winter nose but otherwise excellent pigment. Upper medium size with strong bone without being coarse, good neck, correct topline, heavily plumed high set tail that obscures her outline slightly. Strong legs and correct feet though I’d like her a little shorter in rear pasterns. She’s a bit short stepping in side gait so would benefit from a better laid front assembly, a little untidy going away but OK coming towards.

CH BITCH (3,1)

1st Moir’s Ch Jansanleis Envy JW. Almost 3.5y/o cream of excellent type presented in super coat and condition. Attractive feminine head with correct dark eyes, ears just a fraction tall but otherwise correct, slight winter nose but otherwise excellent pigment. Good neck, firm level topline, correct high tailset and carriage, excellent proportions with good forechest, correct ribbing and short strong loin. Strong straight legs with correct pasterns, firm hocks and correct catlike feet. Excellent movement from all angles due to her correct construction and firm fit condition and never put a foot wrong. CC, BOB & BIS.

2nd Pooley’s Ch Spellcast Talking Secrets with Azkaban. 8y/o black of very good type. Balanced feminine head, correctly shaped dark eyes, ears of good shape and set but a little tall. Upper medium size with good bone and substance and slightly stretched proportions but good leg length to chest depth. Seemed a bit bored with the whole experience today but put a little more effort in here than in the Veteran class so movement was OK in this class.