“The Elements of Breed Type”
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One of the most often mentioned and least often understood terms in breeding and judging dogs is Breed Type. I have found the best explanation of this is in the book, “Solving The Mysteries Of Breed Type”, by Rick Beauchamp, and this book goes into great detail about the whole subject. Mr. Beauchamp was the past Editor of “Kennel Review” magazine and this book explains why and how his interest in dogs became centered on Breed Type and not showmanship. As he says, ‘any dog can be showy, but what we are looking for is a great dog with all the features of the Breed and who you notice because of those other things that fill your eye.’ This book should be in everyone’s Dog Library as it has some very amazing information in it and explains what you look for in determining Breed Type.
Type consists of elements that are specific to the Breed and make it easy to distinguish one breed from another, while also insuring the fine points of these five categories differentiate the outstanding specimen from the merely average. With permission from Mr. Beauchamp, I will list the five categories which he considers the cornerstones of Breed Type:
1. Breed Character
2. Silhouette
3. Head
4. Coat and Color
5. Correct Movement for the Breed
After reading the book several times, I will attempt to give you what I picked up about breeding better Dachshunds and why these aspects should always be important to us. I hate to say how often I read this book and how serious I was in meeting Mr. Beauchamp and talking dogs with him whenever I could when he judged in the area.
Breed Character is the essence of the Breed, the temperament and carriage that makes a Dachshund distinctive and Dachshund-y. With the phrase, ‘courageous to the point of rashness’ featured so prominently, we certainly expect the Dachshund to stand its ground on the floor, on the table or moving. It should meet any challenges in the Show Ring with little pause and be aware of what is happening to him. There is a certain look I like that sort of screams Dachshund to me and it is where the dog stands there, looking over the land like he owns it and we are there to help him stake that claim. This applies to the Miniature as well as the Standard-they both have that look of ownership and we, as owners, are there to serve them. I want that Breed Character to be present and never to be denied. THAT, to me is Breed Character and why it is so important and different in every Breed. In other words, this character defines how the Breed represents itself.
Silhouette is the outline that gives you what a dog looks like with its proportions and size on display. When you look at the Dachshund, you want to see a long, low and level dog with an arched neck and a big front. You want, again, to see a Dachshund displaying power in a small size and with the look that we all like to see. We want the dog to be ‘in charge’ and full of himself and nothing about this dog should be shy or scared. His front and rear should be well placed and his topline should be straight from the withers to the tailset. The body itself should be oval and would be deepest under the withers. The whole body should demand the attention that the dog claims. This dog again should be the master that is in charge of his surroundings and that, exactly, is what the silhouette does. Fill in that silhouette and that outline says what we like about The Dachshund Breed and the way it looks in size, proportion and stature.
Head is the next element for us to consider and, with that head, the ears must be included as well. Many people say that the head is the hallmark of the Breed while others say that the Dachshund does not move on its head. However. personally, when I walk into a Kennel full of dogs, that head is there for me to see and, as one who always had a Kennel full of great headed dogs, that beautiful head is what I want to fill my eye. I always want the best head I can find and so, when I say that the dog did not have the best head, its head would still be beautiful in any other setting. This head should be long with a pleasing expression and with the ears framing the face. We want it to taper to the end of the nose which should have a Roman appearance and should give that head the good natured look that we all want. This head should be there to be appreciated and fill your eye whenever you show the dog. I could fill this space with things I look for in a strong head, but, remember, we want one with no extra skin, narrow back skull and even narrower muzzle with the ability to be attractive, yet still lethal to its prey. Again, this dog does take care of himself and, while having a chance to please you or please himself, you are unfortunately going to be the loser.
Coat and Color is next on the list and, since we have three coats shown all the time, that takes a little while to go through. In Wires, we want a harsh coat with a strong undercoat that should look like a Smooth from far away. The head is trimmed by hand and the furnishings are longer on the legs. The Dachshund look should always be there again. In Longhairs, we want a long coat which can be slightly wavy and can be any length you like. I personally always let the coat be full on the body and I also was forgiving about some of the bitches not having enough coat, since I was a breeder and saw that those under-coated bitches could produce all the coat that I wanted in the next generation. The main thing is to have a coat that is not too full or bushy and could work all day in the Field which is our goal in this project. The Smooth should just be Smooth. I wanted a tight coat that needed no trimming and would be there for you in the Show Ring. I never trimmed whiskers at all and showed them all with the whiskers being attached . I wanted the dogs to have the coat to show off their other attributes and wanted them again to be the little Show stoppers that I wanted to portray.
As for Color, now that all colors basically are accepted and should be judged with no note to their color with the best Dog winning that day. Remember, the dog has to be better and that is what we, as Judges and Breeders, are looking at. As a Breeder, I appreciate the way the colors are improving and hope that some day they all get to the same level and are competitive with each other all the time.
Movement is where everything should come together and the dog with the best type just moves better than all the others with a quick and easy pace, covering ground effortlessly. Each Breed has its own way of moving and the different motion is there specifically for a purpose. Our Dachshund again should move with a reaching gait that covers a lot of ground with little wasted motion. The Dachshund should have a great well-placed front with an oval shaped forechest which makes it very easy to have that long stride which covers a lot of ground very quickly. With that oval chest, the front legs should move closely together in front and should lead to the rear where the legs are wide enough so that the legs go away from the body squarely and parallel to each other. This ease of motion comes because the deepest part of the forechest should be directly below the withers/point of shoulder/start of topline and is where the ease of motion comes from. In other words, when digging the point of forechest is where the Dachshund can rest on it and move his legs anywhere he wants and then come out of the ground and move freely and quickly around. That is what we are looking for in the Dachshund Breed in my mind. Again, I do like a Dachshund to move quickly and easily and this method produces that motion and gives the dog an advantage when it is shown. To me, nothing says more about the Dachshund’s type than the way it covers ground in the Show Ring and how much its movement and style determines the area it crosses when gaiting. That look is what we are looking for and the reason the dog is built the way he is.
Anyway, these are what Mr Rick Beauchamp thinks are the essence of Breed Type and I have to agree with him. They cover everything I look for in finding a better Dachshund and, if we consider the differences, I am sure that is what most people look at in finding the Best of the Best. These things please me when I see them and I hope they are things that all of us are looking for.
Besides his Kennel Review experience, Mr. Beauchamp was also one of the first breeders and exhibitors to import the Bichon Frise to the USA, get it recognized by the AKC and set the type that it has had all its time in America since it was recognized back in 1973. Look back and see how the dog started back then and how Mr. Beauchamp changed it into the Breed it is today. That look should teach you how Breed Type changes the look and scope of the Breed.
Anyway, if you have the chance, please pick up “Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type”, written by Rick Beauchamp and published by Doral Press, and see how he compares different breeds to these aspects of Type and where the changes come from. It is a truly fascinating read.