Showsight January 2021

THE SPORTING GROUP: CHANGES IN GROOMING & PRESENTATION OVER THE YEARS

Ch. Bit O Gold Titan Treasure, the Garden Group winner in 1997, ‘98 and ‘99. While his overall presentation is quite similar to the ‘75 winner, this dog is trimmed with a cleaner, more stylized trim. There is much more similarity in the presentation of these Gordon Setters when compared to the changes in some of the other dogs in the photos presented here.

Ch. Afternod Yank of Rockaplenty, Westminster Group winner in 1975. In terms of trimming, this dog is presented in a bit more natural state than the 1997, ‘98, and ‘99 winner.

Spaniels, with their long coat, come in for some serious groom- ing preparation for the show ring, and there certainly have been striking changes over time. As shown today, nearly all the Span- iels require a good deal of grooming and trimming to accomplish the accepted ring presentation. If we can grow more hair on the dog, we do it! There are very specific breed standards that describe trimming requirements that vary from breed to breed. Even breeds whose standards read like the Sussex’s statement that “no trimming is acceptable except to shape foot feather, or to remove feather between the pads or between the hock and feet. Feather between the toes must be left in sufficient length to cover the nails” are routinely and fairly heavily trimmed. The Sussex is supposed to be a wash-and-wear dog, according to the standard. Yes, adher- ing to this requirement is probably less practiced today than in years past. The English Springer Spaniel Standard gives specifics on trim- ming the breed, noting that it is “legitimate to trim” specified areas of the dog. However, it adds, “Overtrimming, especially the body coat, or any chopped, barbered or artificial effect is to be penalized in the show ring, as is excessive feathering that destroys the clean outline desirable in a Sporting dog. Correct quality and condition of coat is to take precedence over quality of coat.” Compare the photos of the 1971 and ‘72 Best in Show winner at Westminster, Ch. Chinoe’s Adamant James, to the 2007 winner, Ch. Felicity’s Diamond Jim. The changes on the overall look and presentation of the two dogs is apparent. Without commenting on its correctness, there seems little question that the more modern dog is presented in a stylized manner. Finally, it seems to me that when I started judging nearly 30 years ago, many of the dogs were in much harder physical condi- tion. Today, far too many suffer from the soft backlines and soft thighs that come from a lack of conditioning. Yes, most show dogs are not hunted and so they don’t get the same exercise as those that are, but they still can receive enough exercise to maintain rea- sonable condition. Coats are regularly conditioned. Why not the dogs themselves? So, have these changes been a benefit to their respective breeds or are they harming those breeds? You decide.

The Golden is certainly not the only Retriever or Sporting dog to receive this treatment. Not only are nearly all the coated breeds in the Group carefully sculpted, even the short-coated Labrador Retriever’s tails are routinely fluffed to create the cor- rect “otter tail” that is desired, whether it is actually there or not. Changes in grooming presentation are true in nearly every hairy gundog, the Brittany being, in general, one exception. The Ger- man Wired Pointer and the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon have seen some changes as well. I recall one breed comparison judges’ semi- nar where a professional handler took an untrimmed Griffon and groomed it so that it became an acceptable German Wirehaired Pointer. No, the two breeds are not that similar, but grooming can make them appear to be. Setters have seen their share of changes too. Over time, groom- ing presentation has changed from a more natural look to one that is more stylized, with perfectly trimmed underlines creating an outline that may—or may not—reflect what is beneath the coat. As with every breed, these changes did not occur overnight, but are a gradual evolution of grooming styles over time, often start- ed by a clever handler wanting to emphasize or de-emphasize a particular aspect of a dog. If the animal wins, others will copy and a trend begins, eventually becoming the accepted method of presentation. Stacking Setters has changed over time as well. What might appear as an exaggerated slope of topline is often seen in the Irish Setter. The Standard says, “Topline of body from withers to tail should be firm and incline slightly downward without a sharp drop of the croup.” The sweeping rears most often seen today have changed also. The Standard asks for a “well angulated stifle,” though stacking as it is often done now takes much away from the angulation, making the rear look straight. Is this the picture that is desired? Even the less stylized Gordon Setter has changed. Look at the photos; much straighter lines on the underline of the more recent dog. Like the other Sporting dogs, Spaniels have seen changes in the way they are presented. Why take a dog that moves with ease and proper breed-typical reach and drive at a slightly slower speed and move him faster so that the feet fly in the air? A hunting dog moved at that speed would surely tire quickly and become useless. So, why do we do it so frequently in the show ring?

A version of this article first appeared in the July 2013 Dogs in Review magazine.

176 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JANUARY 2021

Powered by