The Midwest DC and Alabama DC Specialties of 2021
Download this page in PDF formatWhen I got the entries for these two shows and saw the smaller numbers, I soon realized that, as a Judge, I was not going to get everything I wanted with these low numbers, but that the basics I am looking for were the reason that I still came out and looked over the dogs entered. I also hoped to keep the Breed showing what each dog had to have to keep the look we wanted in our Dachshund entry. Remember, we want that type and, we hope, soundness in the winners slot at a Specialty.
First, on October 1, 2021, I judged in Michigan at the Midwest Dachshund Club Show and had a nice entry, although a little small, to pick from and, if anyone is interested, I thought I would give my thoughts on what I was looking for and why these qualities are important to me as a breeder and a judge. The first Variety shown to me were the Smooths and their entry was 2-4 (1-2). The Smooth dogs wound down to making a choice between two Miniature dogs and I went with the typier of the two, Criscross Fair Play MS, who, in my mind, made him the one to fill my eye. He had an excellent temperament and his outline said he was very much a Dachshund. In bitches, there was one who really caught my interest and she looked so beautiful from the side with everything that I liked to see. She had a great head, arch of neck, well set shoulders, great forechest and rear, but she was not as good coming and going as many of the others, but was so much better everywhere else that the Smooth Miniature, Altan’s Let There Be Light, was my Winners Bitch. There were three more Champions who came in for Best Smooth and, again, the class bitch held her own and was a better mover from the side (although not as good coming and going). She had that look that said she was a Dachshund and one with a great temperament and so the Winners Bitch became the Best of Winners and the Best Smooth that day. The Winners dog also went over the Special to become BOS. Their movement going around the ring decided it for me. As most know, that look from the side determines which dog had all it needs to remain a long, low dog with a great temperament and keeps that outline on the move.
Next was Wires and their entry was 0-2 (5-0). In the classes, the Miniature, Hunu She’s a Bad Girl MW, was easily the winner with her pleasing outline and great temperament. For BV, I spent some time looking for what I wanted and soon found it in a Standard Wire male, CH Watermark Whisk It to Get the Biscuit v Legibach, who had the outline and structure that I so wanted all my winners to have. Great front, beautiful well-placed shoulders, nice underline and topline and so full of himself that my wishes were very happy indeed. The WB also was BOS and again gave me that look that I was wanting to see in my winners.
Finally, Longs were ready to show and they had an entry of 7-7 (4-4) to be looked at and adjugated. For Winners Dog, I chose Burdachs Tomkats Last Jedi MLD who was a Miniature dapple from the American Bred class. In looking at the entries, I soon decided that he had the most to pass on to that next generation with a better constructed front that he used easily to go around the Show Ring. The front seemed nice to go over and he looked great going around the Ring as well as coming and going. To be honest, his true movement and overall conformation gave him this win in my opinion. For Winners Bitch, my choice was probably the best-groomed Longhair of the day and that grooming showed off her great conformation and nice movement. She was Stoneriver’s Marlena MLEC, a cream Miniature from the American Bred Class, and the movement here was the key and the gaiting around the Ring showed off what she had and she was also as good as any going back and forth showing her soundness, too. Next was the Best of Variety and there were eight more Champions (four males and four females) coming in to the competition. After going over them all and examining and watching them gait, I had to go back and give Best of Variety and Best of Winners to my Winners Bitch who again never set a foot wrong in the BV competition. I realize that movement is hard to pass over, but it truly gives you an impression on how correctly made the Dachshund is on the end of the lead. Watching the dogs here made me realize that there are many things that can go wrong in structure and make the dog even less proper in motion and sometimes the dog can structurally look like he is moving correctly, but going over the dog you realize that he is all wrong and that he is lucky he looks as good as he does. This Longhair Variety certainly made me use this method and, as a result, the Cream miniature class bitch won because she had the best front and the best assembly, using them both to her advantage. The dappled class dog was BOS and there were two Specials who had nice fronts to feel but lost their outline on the move while the other Specials were not as good in front . Sometimes it is hard to think in these terms, but correcting this problem is what we all should be breeding for.
Next was the Best of Breed competition and the Smooth class bitch, the Standard Wire male Special and the Longhair class bitch came back into the Ring. There were faults there, but as a Judge, I was happy with this group of dogs. After going over them all and moving them again, it was obvious to me that the Standard Wire Male, CH Watermark Whisk It to Get the Biscuit v Legibach, was the obvious choice. He had so much to offer when you went over him with all the parts there and he moved in a grand manner around the Ring as well and so he was my choice as Best of Breed. After adding the Wire bitch to the line up, I felt that the Cream Longhair bitch was the best of them, standing and moving, and so chose her to be my Best of Opposite to Breed.
Thinking about this small entry, and deciding on my choices here, really made me think about what I feel is important to the Dachshund breed. It made me understand on what I feel is special to this long, low Breed and, in looking back, made me realize what I used and its importance to this dog.
Next in line was the Alabama Dachshund Club which was held on November 12, 2021 in Decatur, Al (which always gets me lost driving around in it. I cannot ever keep the directions where they ought to be!!) Anyway, I finally got to the Show Site and found my ring. It was indeed a treat to judge the Longhairs (8-9-10) first and so got started with a Variety that I have had a little success in. My first choice was for Winners Dog and it soon became a pick between three Sleepytime dogs and my WD was for a moderate dog with a lot of coat, nice head and neck, and beautiful front and underline. He filled my eye as soon as he walked into the Ring and was one that I was happy choosing. His name was Sleepytime’s Lord of the Rings ML and Reserve Winners Dog was a young puppy, Sleepytime Another Special Agent At Kerrybrook Ml, who really had the ‘look’ that I was after.
For Winners Bitch, my choice was a very outstanding puppy who captured my imagination as soon as she walked into the Ring. She was Topaz Von Links V Raab, a red Standard Longhair who really never put a foot wrong while she was showing. This bitch had the front I was looking for, a great head, beautiful topline, well set shoulders placed where they should be, a body with a fantastic topline and underline, great rear and movement that filled my eye. I liked her. Reserve Winners Bitch was a chocolate dapple Miniature, FC Jalyse’s Peanut Butter Cup ML, who was pleasing on the go-round with a level topline and so was deserving of the honor.
For BV, I had a large class of Specials which I spent a lot of time going over and watching them gait to determine which dogs looked like I wanted them to. Again, I wanted that great conformation with proper movement that covered ground easily in the Show Ring. For the Best of Variety here, I decided on a Longhair Miniature bitch, CH Greensboro’s Accomplice ML, who looked like a picture from the side and had that neck and front, with a nice topline and underline as well as the great arch of neck and neckset which looked great going around. Her outline looked so great moving around the Ring, showing what I look for in picking out the best from the rest, that she was my choice as Best Longhair that day. For Best of Winners, I went with the WB, Topaz Von Links V Raab, who was a close contender for BV as well. Her look and her movement was not to be denied and so she won this honor as well. For BOS-V, the Standard Longhair, CH Brownwood Rt’s Peace on Earth SL, was my pick. He was the best in motion and nice to put your hands on as well. Again, he had the things I was looking for and it is a nice checklist to keep in mind which brings out the important things that all Dachshunds should have to have. Many times judges want to look for little things that we hopefully all should have on the dogs we are showing, but, in my opinion, these are properties we finally get to look at when the judging is close, but they have to come behind what you think are the bigger things that we all face on a daily basis. I was very glad that these dogs were some of the best and that their correctness made me really happy indeed to have here at this smaller show.
Next was the Smooth Variety where I had a decent entry (6-5-5) and was hoping the quality would be there as well. For Winners Dog, the Standard dog, Passport Solina but It’s Sooo Shiny SS, was shown by her young owner who did a very nice job with him. This dog was one who had a nice outline and really covered ground in motion and seemed to like the showing process. Reserve Winners Dog was B&T Miniature, Duchwood’s Last to Know MS, who gaited easily around the ring and had a nice topline as well.
Winners Bitch was a brindle Miniature puppy, Criscross Second Hand Rose MSB, who seemed a little unsure of the surroundings when she came into the ring, but got better and better the longer she was in and finally showed that smooth motion that we all want to see going around that space. She had the type I liked and had that Dachshund look that I can never pass by in the show ring. By the end, she was pretty spectacular and I was happy to reward her with WB to show off what she brought to the Ring. Reserve Winners Bitch was a dapple Miniature, Stendachs Deco Namaari MSD, who had a nice length, great topline and a pretty head. She looked quite nice in that class.
For Variety, there was a nice choice for me to examine and so I was ready to get started. There were many styles here for me to look at and appreciate. After gaiting them and checking for the places that usually need attention, I picked out a Smooth Standard bitch, CH Passport I Wish You Would SS, who was very moderate in size and a little round, but that roundness brought me back to the day when I visited Thelma and Russ Moffet at home and they had so many that had that shape (like CH Moffet’s Garnet) that you have to go back there and admit that Dachshunds do have all styles covered in their body shape. Personally, I am someone who can appreciate all types and seeing this body shape again in a sound, well-constructed body made me smile. She was an excellent choice for me and I loved her head and neckset, her great front, her well placed shoulder, her topline and underline and gorgeous rear and she was indeed a very nice BV winner. I don’t want to come down too hard on the handler, but he was wanting her to be perfect in stacking and in motion when, to me, she was just being a Dachshund and I never tire of rewarding that Dachshundiness in my Ring. I also have to say that my Select Bitch, CH Turning Pt Simple Acts of Kindness Return, was nearest to the BV winner in quality and would have been there for me usually. I loved her outline and movement, but she was a little bit fine boned for me next to the BV winner. For Best of Winners, my choice was the brindle WB who just kept getting better and better all day and if she would only get that tail down just a little. For Best Opposite my choice was the WD who again kept improving all day. These dogs really filled my day and were handsome choices to have made.
Last, but not least were the Wire entries (0-5-3) and so, again, I was hoping to find dogs to fulfill what had come before them today. For Winners Bitch, the B&T Miniature, Yuletide’s Thistle Be Mine MW, was the winner. She was pretty to look at stacked and she moved like a dream. She was very nice for sure and I could have watched her move around the ring all day. Reserve Winners was a Standard Wire puppy, Livewire’s Just Karma, who had the look I liked and was also a great mover, too. She was very full of herself with that correct coat and her own eagerness to please.
For Best of Variety, I had three Standard Wire bitches and the WB. Whoever said that the quality might not be here at this small show should have taken a look at these bitches as they were all beautiful and very full of themselves. As I have stated previously, I like the Dachshund to be looking around and wanting all the attention on him/her. That is what I call Dachshund behavior and, when I was showing them, I always wanted them to be charging ahead and taking a few steps before the real gaiting started. I wanted that Dachshund to be what everyone was looking at when he/she was showing. Anyway, I loved to go over these bitches and watching them move filled my heart as that motion is not in every dog. They have to want it and demand you watch them go around the Show Ring. Anyway, after going over them and gaiting them together, my choice for Best of Variety was the Standard Wire bitch, CH Watermark the Secrets in the Sauce v Legibach SW, who owned the ring whenever she moved and was beautiful from the tip of her nose to her tail. When she moved, she had that Dachshund wiggle that said ‘watch me’ as she then started gaiting and filled my eye. She was quite spectacular. Select Bitch was another Standard Wire bitch, Daybreak’s Cover Girl v Raydachs W, a little darker and a little higher than the BV, but almost as beautiful. I also have to give credit to that third Wire, CH Jeric’s Pocket Full of Sunshine W, who was quite full of herself as well and made it a very pleasing combo to draw to.
For Best of Breed, the Longhaired Miniature bitch, the Standard Smooth bitch and the Standard Wire bitch all came back to play and I enjoyed going over them all again and loved watching them move separately and together around the Ring. It was an awesome sight to see and appreciate. While I was watching this entry, I thought about how I thought that the entry was not going to be as good this year,but, in looking at these three Best of Varieties, I realized that the entry was quite exceptional and made me glad I was able to really judge this quality. To be honest, the line-up was better than many other shows with bigger entries that I have judged and it also made me expect to only judge what the exhibitors bring to you and not judge just the total entry to be the standard to accept for its quality. Anyway, after the examination of the three BV’s, (and I liked them all) from the truly typy Longhair to the full of herself Smooth Dachshund , the obvious pick to me was the great looking, ground covering Wire, CH Watermark the Secrets in the Sauce v Legibach SW. She was the one who shouted ‘Dachshund’ to me as she started gaiting and she drew your eye to her and her really great conformation and movement. As I said earlier, she was quite spectacular on this day. The BOS-B was between the Standard Longhair and the Standard Smooth and in my opinion, the Longhair, CH Brownwood Rt’s Peace On Earth SL was the winner with his great conformation and his ground covering movement although the Standard Smooth was very close indeed.
This was indeed a couple of great shows and I was most pleased to judge them. It certainly taught me that the entry size does not tell me anything tabout the quality entered. In looking back, I was pleased to give two littermates the Best of Breeds. In all my judging, I have not ever done that and discovered that I liked the feeling of being able to give the best Dachshund, gaiting and stacking, the Best of Breed. I always want to award quality, no matter who owns it.
I also must thank Steve Rice, Show Chairman of the Midwest Dachshund Club and Bobby Sandoval, Show Chairman, of the Alabama Dachshund Club for making all my arrangements and making it a happy place to spend some time. I had a great time.