Tredegar & District Canine Society

Puppy (1,0)

1. Cherry Blossom V D Egmato at Celtvala Eight-month-old red bitch, nicely coloured with bright, well-defined urajiro markings. Her coat is currently rather soft in texture, lacking the harsh outer coat I would expect to see, although she is still very young and this may develop with maturity. Well-set tail, although a little shorter than I would prefer.

A lovely feminine head with dark, obliquely set eyes and correctly set ears. However, for a young bitch she is already rather large and substantial, with heavier bone and a more masculine body than I would ideally like to see.

Unfortunately, her movement was difficult to assess as she was very unsettled and fearful on the day, frequently dropping her tail and attempting to move away from the handler. I gave her several opportunities to settle and move at different speeds, but she remained uncomfortable. On the table she was much sweeter in nature, allowing examination and showing a correct scissor bite.

A puppy with some attractive qualities and plenty of time to mature, but I would like to see greater confidence and a more balanced, feminine overall picture as she develops. RBOB and BP. 

Post Graduate (2,0)

1. Taco No Cho at Akaname Eight-year-old red bitch, retaining her rich colour and beautifully defined urajiro markings despite her veteran status. Dark, obliquely set eyes contribute to an appealing, fox-like expression in an exceptionally feminine head, with correct scissor bite and pleasing head proportions, all contributing to a beautiful example of breed type.

Finer in bone than the other exhibits, which further enhances her overall femininity. Her feet could be tighter, but she is a lovely size with a well-balanced outline. This outline was maintained throughout her performance on the move where her maturity really shone through. She moved with the lightness, grace and poise I would expect, presenting an elegant and assured performance from a bitch who clearly knew her own worth. A thoroughly deserving BOB, going on to achieve further success in both the Veteran and Group competitions.

2. Seika Incipta Vita at Celtvala 11-month-old red bitch, with a coat of reasonable texture, although rather pale in colour and with less clearly defined urajiro markings than the other exhibit.

For her age and sex, she is already a very large and substantial bitch, presenting a decidedly masculine picture. Sexual dimorphism is an important feature of this breed, and I would prefer a much more feminine overall appearance. She is also rather long in body, further detracting from the moderate proportions I would wish to see.

She has a pleasing head and expression, with dark brown, obliquely set eyes, and neat, tight cat feet. Despite her size and proportions, she moved lightly and energetically. However, she is lacking the moderate rear angulation I would expect, with insufficient definition through the hock and rear assembly.

An exhibit with some pleasing individual features, but overall size, substance, proportions and rear construction detract from the desired breed type.