- Messages
- 3,712
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
I have copied the following article from one of the yahoogroups I am on (without asking permission I'm afraid :b )
One of the hardest things to define in any breed is correct breed type and judging from the wide diversity of type seen winning in the Whippet ring today, it is one of the most misunderstood. Until there is more uniformity of opinion amongst Whippet breeders as to what constitutes correct breed type, and why, the shows will continue to see a veritable hodge podge of Whippet types being presented to some very confused judges, most of whom are doing the best they can to sort out the muddle.
The fact that the breed standard allows for such a latitude in size does not and should not have any bearing on type. "Type"--whichever is arrived at as one's ideal--should be the same in a male irrespective of size.
To me "breed type" begins with the outline of the dog as seen in profile and it is in this feature that there seems to be the most confusion. It is a case of "balance" which of course is only another way of describing proportion of one part as related to another. Is the length of rib balanced with the length of loin? Are the fore and hind quarters blanced with each other and the body? Are the legs of sufficient length to appear in proper proportion to the body they support, and must propel with minimum lost motion? How about the arch over the loin--too much? too little? and what IS "too" much or "too" little? This is a matter of personal evaluation but I will tell you what I consider a balanced Whippet.
My first statement will surely raise some eyebrows if not voices in loud denial. It is this: For all its curvaceous lines the Whippet is basically a "square" dog. What I mean is that my ideal of a "balanced" Whippet would fit into an approximate Square formed by the measurements taken from the point of the shoulder to the end of the croup (the buttocks) and from the top of the withers to the ground. The long arched neck set well atop the shoulders and arching gracefully well forward of the square plus the long sweeping curve of thighs placing the hocks well back of the square, give him the "long dog" look; but for all of this my ideal Whippet's body would still fit into a square that would deviate more than infinitesimally towards the rectangular.
To completely fill my eye as to "balance" this hypothetical ideal of mine would have the hip bones only slightly lower than the top of the shoulders. We have many Whippets today whose hip bones are inches lower than the withers, thus giving what I call a "ski-slope" look from the last rib back. This is an arch down of the loin, not a curve over the loin. The operative word here is loin. The back, that is, the part of the spine from which the ribs spring, should be level and the slightly (but definitely) arched loin should curve upwards, not downwards, from the last rib.
The Whippet is a galloping, not a trotting, breed and must have enough leg under him for reach and extension. I have taken a number of approximate measurements and invariably my ideal of a balanced Whippet measures slightly but definitely longer from elbow to ground than from elbow to top of withers.
If a Whippet has the desired long shoulder bones (scapula and humerus) of equal length his brisket should reach nearly down to his elbows. However, I prefer to see the brisket miss the elbow by about 1/2 to as much as 1 inch, this gives more freedom of reach and play to the forequarter and still allows plenty of depth of brisket to accommodate heart and lungs. If, on the other hand, the shoulder blade and upper arm are short and/or overangulated, the brisket will have to reach all the way down to the elbow or else be too shallow. There is nothing to me more unsightly and non-functional than an overdone brisket.
How did I arrive at my idea of what is the ideal Whippet outline? First, because the above description completely fills my eye and is to me aesthetically beautiful. The reason for this is that I have found, after 28 years of watching and carefully studying all makes and shapes of Whippets running free, this outline, encompassing these proportions of make and shape, to be the most efficient and functional, therefore to me the most beautiful.
I do not mean to be dictatorial, inflicting my ideas on others, but I feel so strongly about the diversity in Whippet type being seen today that I wonder just where the breed is going.
How much are Whippet breeders and exhibitors really thinking nowadays?
Seems to me that any thinking is largely directed to figure out how to achieve the "instant win".
Seems to me there's too much criticism of any Whippet that wins that isn't one's own.
Seems to me that there's too much emphasis being placed on finishing champions, and too little on what the word "Champion" really means.
Seems to me that we presently have a situation of the blind following the blind. The breeders/exhibitors show what they think the judges want. The judges are desperately trying to find out what the breeders want. Ergo, chaos!
I suggest that each breeder and each prospective Whippet exhibitor sit down and THINK about what he or she truly considers correct Whippet type. What is the ideal outline you aim for when you breed a litter? What type of Whippet do you new exhibitors want when you go out to purchase your first one? You should know before you ever start to purchase or breed. Go to the shows, study the widely divergent types being shown, pick the one that is pleasing to you and conforms most closely to your interpretation of the standard, even if that particular individual goes 4th in a class of four. Could be that he's not moving well, or has some unseen-from-ringside fault such as a bad mouth or light eyes. Then go out and try to get a better one of that type, YOUR type, YOUR ideal. Think for yourself. Don't depend on the judges to tell you what is right. They don't always know. They are trying to find out. I know this to be true because I have many judges come and ask me, "What do you Whippet people want in a Whippet?"
All a judge, who has never been a Whippet breeder or exhibitor, can do is to read the standard and from that arrive at what he/she thinks is wanted. Then the poor soul gets in the ring, only to be confronted with a lineup of Whippets all so different in size and shape one from the other, it makes it most difficult to relate to the written words of the standard.
Pity the poor judge!
How can this situation be remedied? I think by all serious Whippet breeders and owners taking the trouble to do some earnest thinking on this subject of type.
I think the standard for the breed should include a more comprehensive "word picture" of the correct, basic outline of the WHOLE DOG, not to worry and fuss about trying to define the exact angulation of the shoulder or the exact depth or fill-in of the chest, etc. To me, the most revealing standards are those that give much emphasis to their leading paragraph, usually entitled "General appearance". This gives the would-be breeder, exhibitor, and judge the truest picture of the ideal of that breed in type, outline, and "breed character".
Correct Whippet type--What is it?
I understand this was written THRTY years ago - so what is different now?
[SIZE=14pt] Not A Lot ! [/SIZE]
One of the hardest things to define in any breed is correct breed type and judging from the wide diversity of type seen winning in the Whippet ring today, it is one of the most misunderstood. Until there is more uniformity of opinion amongst Whippet breeders as to what constitutes correct breed type, and why, the shows will continue to see a veritable hodge podge of Whippet types being presented to some very confused judges, most of whom are doing the best they can to sort out the muddle.
The fact that the breed standard allows for such a latitude in size does not and should not have any bearing on type. "Type"--whichever is arrived at as one's ideal--should be the same in a male irrespective of size.
To me "breed type" begins with the outline of the dog as seen in profile and it is in this feature that there seems to be the most confusion. It is a case of "balance" which of course is only another way of describing proportion of one part as related to another. Is the length of rib balanced with the length of loin? Are the fore and hind quarters blanced with each other and the body? Are the legs of sufficient length to appear in proper proportion to the body they support, and must propel with minimum lost motion? How about the arch over the loin--too much? too little? and what IS "too" much or "too" little? This is a matter of personal evaluation but I will tell you what I consider a balanced Whippet.
My first statement will surely raise some eyebrows if not voices in loud denial. It is this: For all its curvaceous lines the Whippet is basically a "square" dog. What I mean is that my ideal of a "balanced" Whippet would fit into an approximate Square formed by the measurements taken from the point of the shoulder to the end of the croup (the buttocks) and from the top of the withers to the ground. The long arched neck set well atop the shoulders and arching gracefully well forward of the square plus the long sweeping curve of thighs placing the hocks well back of the square, give him the "long dog" look; but for all of this my ideal Whippet's body would still fit into a square that would deviate more than infinitesimally towards the rectangular.
To completely fill my eye as to "balance" this hypothetical ideal of mine would have the hip bones only slightly lower than the top of the shoulders. We have many Whippets today whose hip bones are inches lower than the withers, thus giving what I call a "ski-slope" look from the last rib back. This is an arch down of the loin, not a curve over the loin. The operative word here is loin. The back, that is, the part of the spine from which the ribs spring, should be level and the slightly (but definitely) arched loin should curve upwards, not downwards, from the last rib.
The Whippet is a galloping, not a trotting, breed and must have enough leg under him for reach and extension. I have taken a number of approximate measurements and invariably my ideal of a balanced Whippet measures slightly but definitely longer from elbow to ground than from elbow to top of withers.
If a Whippet has the desired long shoulder bones (scapula and humerus) of equal length his brisket should reach nearly down to his elbows. However, I prefer to see the brisket miss the elbow by about 1/2 to as much as 1 inch, this gives more freedom of reach and play to the forequarter and still allows plenty of depth of brisket to accommodate heart and lungs. If, on the other hand, the shoulder blade and upper arm are short and/or overangulated, the brisket will have to reach all the way down to the elbow or else be too shallow. There is nothing to me more unsightly and non-functional than an overdone brisket.
How did I arrive at my idea of what is the ideal Whippet outline? First, because the above description completely fills my eye and is to me aesthetically beautiful. The reason for this is that I have found, after 28 years of watching and carefully studying all makes and shapes of Whippets running free, this outline, encompassing these proportions of make and shape, to be the most efficient and functional, therefore to me the most beautiful.
I do not mean to be dictatorial, inflicting my ideas on others, but I feel so strongly about the diversity in Whippet type being seen today that I wonder just where the breed is going.
How much are Whippet breeders and exhibitors really thinking nowadays?
Seems to me that any thinking is largely directed to figure out how to achieve the "instant win".
Seems to me there's too much criticism of any Whippet that wins that isn't one's own.
Seems to me that there's too much emphasis being placed on finishing champions, and too little on what the word "Champion" really means.
Seems to me that we presently have a situation of the blind following the blind. The breeders/exhibitors show what they think the judges want. The judges are desperately trying to find out what the breeders want. Ergo, chaos!
I suggest that each breeder and each prospective Whippet exhibitor sit down and THINK about what he or she truly considers correct Whippet type. What is the ideal outline you aim for when you breed a litter? What type of Whippet do you new exhibitors want when you go out to purchase your first one? You should know before you ever start to purchase or breed. Go to the shows, study the widely divergent types being shown, pick the one that is pleasing to you and conforms most closely to your interpretation of the standard, even if that particular individual goes 4th in a class of four. Could be that he's not moving well, or has some unseen-from-ringside fault such as a bad mouth or light eyes. Then go out and try to get a better one of that type, YOUR type, YOUR ideal. Think for yourself. Don't depend on the judges to tell you what is right. They don't always know. They are trying to find out. I know this to be true because I have many judges come and ask me, "What do you Whippet people want in a Whippet?"
All a judge, who has never been a Whippet breeder or exhibitor, can do is to read the standard and from that arrive at what he/she thinks is wanted. Then the poor soul gets in the ring, only to be confronted with a lineup of Whippets all so different in size and shape one from the other, it makes it most difficult to relate to the written words of the standard.
Pity the poor judge!
How can this situation be remedied? I think by all serious Whippet breeders and owners taking the trouble to do some earnest thinking on this subject of type.
I think the standard for the breed should include a more comprehensive "word picture" of the correct, basic outline of the WHOLE DOG, not to worry and fuss about trying to define the exact angulation of the shoulder or the exact depth or fill-in of the chest, etc. To me, the most revealing standards are those that give much emphasis to their leading paragraph, usually entitled "General appearance". This gives the would-be breeder, exhibitor, and judge the truest picture of the ideal of that breed in type, outline, and "breed character".
Correct Whippet type--What is it?
I understand this was written THRTY years ago - so what is different now?
[SIZE=14pt] Not A Lot ! [/SIZE]
Last edited by a moderator:
