Westminster

[Sabireley]

Why don't they judge the labs by the akc standards and not by what is fashionable.

Why don't they reward dogs that are in good physical shape? Sporting dogs should be lean and muscular and appear as though they can handle the rigors of hard day in the field and love it. To win in that group they should look like they can work even if they don't actually do any work.

Maybe, to achieve a certain level in the sporting dog show ring they should pass some test of competency in a corresponding field test. JH, WC or equivalent is a reasonable and easily attained for a minimally trained dog.

[MSDOGS1976]

Because they are so stinking cute--little dog with big attitude and happy happy personality~~

by the time you get to that level--everyone has great structure and type--so the ATTITUDE makes the dog a winner.

Did I mention how cute they are??!!

Unfortunately the judges must agree with you. But by those standards, the little puffed up dogs will win a majority of the time because most have big attitudes. They should rename the competition for what it is then........The Puffy Dog Show with Big Attitudes.

As for as being so stinky cute........that's open for debate.

[Sabireley]

It turns out the judge for the Sporting Group goes to my church and lives 5 miles from me in VA. I did not know she and her husband were into dogs. I'll have to talk with her about conformation next time I see her.

[Jacob Hawkes]

[Tom Watson]

The AKC breed standard says a dog should be 22 1/2 to 24 1/2 inches at the withers (21 1/2 to 23 1/2 for bitches). One half inch either way is a disqualification. The animal should be short-coupled with the brisket extending to the elbows. There you have it...the freaks in the show ring.

[hotel4dogs]

Let's just pretend for a moment there is more than one breed in the world. Which one do you refer to?
The golden retriever standard says the dog should be 23-24 inches for dogs, one inch either way is allowed but a serious fault, more than 1 inch is a DQ. Weight should be 65-75 pounds. The length to height ratio should be 12:11.
A 23-1/2 inch dog weighing in at a lean 70 pounds? Nothing freaky about it at all.
I love the judge who judged the sporting group. (because she gave my dog a win, lol). She actually is a very good judge who likes dogs with good movement.

The AKC breed standard says a dog should be 22 1/2 to 24 1/2 inches at the withers (21 1/2 to 23 1/2 for bitches). One half inch either way is a disqualification. The animal should be short-coupled with the brisket extending to the elbows. There you have it...the freaks in the show ring.

[kona's mom]

My dog is 23 inches and 73 pounds.Would never be accused as a dwarf.I would love to get the stats on one of the more conformationally correct dual CH in labs.

[Bridget Bodine]

OH YES !!! Do that !!

It turns out the judge for the Sporting Group goes to my church and lives 5 miles from me in VA. I did not know she and her husband were into dogs. I'll have to talk with her about conformation next time I see her.

[Bridget Bodine]

Let's just pretend for a moment there is more than one breed in the world.

Why would we want to do that????

[Hunt'EmUp]

Unfortunately what the general public sees on tv forms their ideas of what labs look like. .

Surprised they would call your lighter style labs mixes. I would argue that most people perception of a Lab is the Hollywood Marley/Old Yellar/Sit BoBo, Cottonail/Advantix Puppy type, your basic long nosed backyard American Lab. I'd say that when most people are first shown a Show-type Lab, they would be more likely to call that a lab/rottweiler mix of some sort, this is what I thought the first time I saw them at a Lab Club Conformation/OB event, I couldn't believe how big they were, the 8wk old pups were twice the size (shear bulk) of my skinny 12w old pup.