Pure Dog Talk

Standards: Reading, Interpreting and Understanding the Blueprint Nannette Newbury, judges education coordinator for United States Australian Shepherd Association, breaks down breed standards. Newbury’s presentation will help you understand: What are the parts of the standard, what’s a good and bad breed standard, what’s open to interpretation and what isn’t. Breeders use the standard one way, judges have to use it another way, Newbury noted. “That judge had to weigh a lot more than soundness,” Newbury said. “What good is it if a dog looks like a coyote and it’s sound. Judges can only go by what’s in the breed standard.” How to apply the breed standard Understanding the essence of the breed has to be a priority for judge or breeder, Newbury observed. When dog shows began, folks had to come up with a way to compare and contrast dogs. The breed standard has to distinguish one breed from another. “Our breeds came first and then we wrote standards,” Newbury said. “In order to read, interpret and apply a breed