Page 46 - Aussie Magazine no1, 2023

Judge

Coat: When it comes to coat, the issue of
moderation is more complex. The amount and
length of our double coat is not only based on
genetics, but greatlics, but greatly influenced by
climate. You would not expect to see local, heavily
coated dogs when judging in the deserts of
Arizona in the summer, but you could easily see
dense coats on dogs from the northern climates
at the same time. The length of the coat should be
moderate to the size of the dog. The texture of the
coat is most important as it is meant to protect the
animal, repel stickers and burrs and be weather
resistant.

Show dogs by definition are going to be
presented to you with a fluffier, more maintained,
and groomed coat than their solely working
counterparts or companion animals. Judging this
breed out of coat can sometimes be easier and far
more illuminating for judges. We would hope that
you would not penalise an animal based solely on
the amount or lack of coat.

Grooming: While an animal should be presented
to you clean and neat, over-sculpting or over-
grooming this breed is not to be rewarded. We ANY eye color, eye color combination with flecks
expect that ears, feet, hocks, and tail area, be and marbling allowed. Photo by Valerie Yates.
neatened. We do not wish to encourage the
excessive scissoring of the coat to give a stylistic,
unnatural look to the dog. If you can see scissor keys in the pocket, or loose change jangled to get
marks or straight cut lines on the hair coat it is the dog to show you expression are not called
too much. You can see evidence of undesirable for. You can just as easily walk down the line and
grooming in the current trend of severely trimming see the gaze and expression of the dog without
the hair of the underline, or hand-plucking coats to distracting the animal from its handler.
remove the longer top coat and give an impression
of all hairs being the same length. Excessive use The dogs can and will react to sunglasses, loose,
of grooming products or substances in the coat is flowing clothing, open jackets brushing their
not appropriate for this natural breed. We would backs during the exam, hats, or heavy hands
expect you not to assume that an animal presented during examination. This is not to offer an excuse
to you well-groomed, or overly groomed and for lack of training, improper socialisation, or a
sculpted is necessarily the best specimen. poor temperament.

Expression: As a herding breed, the Australian You can observe examples of spatial and sound
Shepherd is incredibly aware of its surroundings. sensitivity in the ring evidenced by the dog moving
They can be spatially and sound sensitive. While its ears. When these dogs are nervous, unsettled, or
we call for a keen, alert, and eager expression we experiencing loud or strange noises their ears can
do not expect the dog to give it to “you” as a judge. easily be pinned back to their head. Or a dog might
Be particularly aware of how you approach an flip their ears from front to rear. Some can even
animal for examination. Coming up from behind have one ear in the rose position while the other is a
or looming over them is not desired. Squeaky toys, triangle...and they can change these at will.

46 | A Worldwide Magazine for the Aussie • Issue 1/2023