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It was with the greatest pleasure but also respect I accepted the invitation to judge Shih-Tzus in the UK, the country responsible for the standard. This is a breed I have never owned myself but in my younger days I worked as a kennel assistant for a Lhasa Apso breeder and currently I spend my everyday life with a small flock of Tibetan Spaniels, Shih-Tzus are well known to me. The background of the breed is also showcasing a strong cooperation and influence between the UK and the Scandinavian Shih-Tzu scene. When judging the breed on several occasions in Scandinavia and on the continent, I have found very good representatives of the breed but often been left with a feeling that the general quality has been somewhat missing. Nothing wrong, but at the same time nothing extra. And a Shih-Tzu, in my mind, should be anything but ordinary. With this as my background, I was quite excited to find out what this day would bring. And what a day it turned out to be! As with any breed at any show it was a mix of dogs and quality entered, of course, but I must say it was a pleasure to see a high general quality of well-balanced exhibits with the desired model and silhouette with, not to forget, a high carried tail, well carried over the back, as a signature for the breed. This combined with the correct substance and shape of body, - and the very breed characteristic movements, I really enjoyed my time in the ring with the Shih-Tzus to the fullest!
A big thank you to Southern Counties for inviting me and organizing such a well-run show, to my ring stewards for hassle free handling of all the administrative aspects allowing me to concentrate on the dogs, - and last but not least – to the exhibitors for showing their dogs under me and allowing me this very positive experience I will remember for a long time. |
