The Conformation Conversation

A Pro Trainer Discussion on Littermate Syndrome

Show Dog Prep School Founder and Lead Instructor Vicki Ronchette talks with fellow pro trainer and SDPS Instructor Andrea Stone about Littermate Syndrome. Is this an actual thing? What does the term mean and where did it come from?

 

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Don't feed me your sour grapes

Show Dog Prep School Founder and Lead Instructor Vicki Ronchette discusses bad mouthing judging and other dogs at dog shows and online. 

 

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Get the Help You Need from the Right Source

SDPS Founder and Lead Instructor discusses finding the help you need from someone who can help rather than going to the same source for all your questions.

Taking my Time with my Sensitive Puppy

SDPS Founder and Lead Instructor, Vicki Ronchette discusses waiting to show sensitive puppies as we help them grow more confident and outgoing.

On Showing a Dog that Only Needs Majors

SDPS Founder and Lead Instructor, Vicki Ronchette offers another viewpoint on people showing dogs who only need majors to finish.

Naming Show Dogs

SDPS Founder and Lead Instructor Vicki Ronchette explains how people name show dogs and how kennel names and call names might be chosen and used.

Attending Westminster (New York), the AKC National Championship (Orlando) and your National Specialty

SDPS Founder and Lead Instructor Vicki Ronchette discusses the importance and reason for making it a point to attend "the Big Three", Westminster, Orlando and your National Specialty shows.

Ending the Blame Game - Supporting Puppy People

SDPS Founder and Lead Instructor, Vicki Ronchette discusses the importance of supporting our puppy people when an issue arises and avoiding blaming others. 

Reading of the AKC standard for the Samoyed

Official Standard of the Samoyed
General Conformation: (a) General Appearance-The Samoyed, being essentially a working
dog, should present a picture of beauty, alertness and strength, with agility, dignity and grace. As
his work lies in cold climates, his coat should be heavy and weather-resistant, well groomed, and
of good quality rather than quantity. The male carries more of a "ruff" than the female. He should
not be long in the back as a weak back would make him practically useless for his legitimate
work, but at the same time, a close-coupled body would also place him at a great disadvantage as
a draft dog. Breeders should aim for the happy medium, a body not long but muscular, allowing
liberty, with a deep chest and well-sprung ribs, strong neck, straight front and especially strong
loins. Males should be masculine in appearance and deportment without unwarranted
aggressiveness; bitches feminine without weakness of structure or apparent softness of
temperament. Bitches may be slightly longer in back than males. They should both give the
appearance of being capable of great endurance but be free from coarseness. Because of the
depth of chest required, the legs should be moderately long. A very short-legged dog is to be
deprecated. Hindquarters should be particularly well developed, stifles well bent and any
suggestion of unsound stifles or cowhocks severely penalized. General appearance should
include movement and general conformation, indicating balance and good substance.
(b) Substance-Substance is that sufficiency of bone and muscle which rounds out a balance with
the frame. The bone is heavier than would be expected in a dog of this size but not so massive as
to prevent the speed and agility most desirable in a Samoyed. In all builds, bone should be in
proportion to body size. The Samoyed should never be so heavy as to appear clumsy nor so light
as to appear racy. The weight should be in proportion to the height.
(c) Height - Males: 21 to 23½ inches; females: 19 to 21 inches at the withers. An oversized or
undersized Samoyed is to be penalized according to the extent of the deviation.
(d) Coat (Texture and Condition) - The Samoyed is a doublecoated dog. The body should be
well covered with an undercoat of soft, short, thick, close wool with longer and harsh hair
growing through it to form the outer coat, which stands straight out from the body and should be
free from curl. The coat should form a ruff around the neck and shoulders, framing the head
(more on males than on females). Quality of coat should be weather resistant and considered
more than quantity. A droopy coat is undesirable. The coat should glisten with a silver sheen.
The female does not usually carry as long a coat as most males and it is softer in texture.
(e) Color - Samoyeds should be pure white, white and biscuit, cream, or all biscuit. Any other
colors disqualify.
Movement: (a) Gait - The Samoyed should trot, not pace. He should move with a quick agile
stride that is well timed. The gait should be free, balanced and vigorous, with good reach in the
forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters. When trotting, there should be a strong
rear action drive. Moving at a slow walk or trot, they will not single-track, but as speed increases
the legs gradually angle inward until the pads are finally falling on a line directly under the
longitudinal center of the body. As the pad marks converge the forelegs and hind legs are carried
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straight forward in traveling, the stifles not turned in nor out. The back should remain strong,
firm and level. A choppy or stilted gait should be penalized.
(b) Rear End - Upper thighs should be well developed. Stifles well bent-approximately 45
degrees to the ground. Hocks should be well developed, sharply defined and set at approximately
30 percent of hip height. The hind legs should be parallel when viewed from the rear in a natural
stance, strong, well developed, turning neither in nor out. Straight stifles are objectionable.
Double-jointedness or cowhocks are a fault. Cowhocks should only be determined if the dog has
had an opportunity to move properly.
(c) Front End - Legs should be parallel and straight to the pasterns. The pasterns should be
strong, sturdy and straight, but flexible with some spring for proper let-down of feet. Because of
depth of chest, legs should be moderately long. Length of leg from the ground to the elbow
should be approximately 55 percent of the total height at the withers-a very short-legged dog is
to be deprecated. Shoulders should be long and sloping, with a layback of 45 degrees and be
firmly set. Out at the shoulders or out at the elbows should be penalized. The withers separation
should be approximately 1 to 1½ inches.
(d) Feet - Large, long, flattish-a hare-foot, slightly spread but not splayed; toes arched; pads thick
and tough, with protective growth of hair between the toes. Feet should turn neither in nor out in
a natural stance but may turn in slightly in the act of pulling. Turning out, pigeon-toed, round or
cat-footed or splayed are faults. Feathers on feet are not too essential but are more profuse on
females than on males.
Head: (a) Conformation - Skull is wedge-shaped, broad, slightly crowned, not round or apple-
headed, and should form an equilateral triangle on lines between the inner base of the ears and
the central point of the stop. Muzzle - Muzzle of medium length and medium width, neither
coarse nor snipy; should taper toward the nose and be in proportion to the size of the dog and the
width of skull. The muzzle must have depth. Whiskers are not to be removed. Stop - Not too
abrupt, nevertheless well defined. Lips - Should be black for preference and slightly curved up at
the corners of the mouth, giving the "Samoyed smile." Lip lines should not have the appearance
of being coarse nor should the flews drop predominately at corners of the mouth. Ears - Strong
and thick, erect, triangular and slightly rounded at the tips; should not be large or pointed, nor
should they be small and "bear-eared." Ears should conform to head size and the size of the dog;
they should be set well apart but be within the border of the outer edge of the head; they should
be mobile and well covered inside with hair; hair full and stand-off before the ears. Length of ear
should be the same measurement as the distance from inner base of ear to outer corner of eye.
Eyes - Should be dark for preference; should be placed well apart and deep-set; almond shaped
with lower lid slanting toward an imaginary point approximately the base of ears. Dark eye rims
for preference. Round or protruding eyes penalized. Blue eyes disqualifying. Nose - Black for
preference but brown, liver, or Dudley nose not penalized. Color of nose sometimes changes
with age and weather. Jaws and Teeth - Strong, well-set teeth, snugly overlapping with scissors
bite. Undershot or overshot should be penalized.
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(b) Expression - The expression, referred to as "Samoyed expression," is very important and is
indicated by sparkle of the eyes, animation and lighting up of the face when alert or intent on
anything. Expression is made up of a combination of eyes, ears and mouth. The ears should be
erect when alert; the mouth should be slightly curved up at the corners to form the "Samoyed
smile."
Torso: (a) Neck - Strong, well muscled, carried proudly erect, set on sloping shoulders to carry
head with dignity when at attention. Neck should blend into shoulders with a graceful arch.
(b) Chest - Should be deep, with ribs well sprung out from the spine and flattened at the sides to
allow proper movement of the shoulders and freedom for the front legs. Should not be barrel-
chested. Perfect depth of chest approximates the point of elbows, and the deepest part of the
chest should be back of the forelegs-near the ninth rib. Heart and lung room are secured more by
body depth than width.
(c) Loin and Back - The withers forms the highest part of the back. Loins strong and slightly
arched. The back should be straight to the loin, medium in length, very muscular and neither
long nor short-coupled. The dog should be "just off square"-the length being approximately 5
percent more than the height. Females allowed to be slightly longer than males. The belly should
be well shaped and tightly muscled and, with the rear of the thorax, should swing up in a
pleasing curve (tuck-up). Croup must be full, slightly sloping, and must continue imperceptibly
to the tail root.
Tail: The tail should be moderately long with the tail bone terminating approximately at the
hock when down. It should be profusely covered with long hair and carried forward over the
back or side when alert, but sometimes dropped when at rest. It should not be high or low set and
should be mobile and loose-not tight over the back. A double hook is a fault. A judge should see
the tail over the back once when judging.
Disposition: Intelligent, gentle, loyal, adaptable, alert, full of action, eager to serve, friendly but
conservative, not distrustful or shy, not overly aggressive. Unprovoked aggressiveness is to be
severely penalized.
Disqualifications: Any color other than pure white, cream, biscuit, or white and biscuit. Blue
eyes.
Approved August 10, 1993
Effective September 29, 1993

Reading of the AKC Chinese Crested Standard

Official Standard of the Chinese Crested
General Appearance: A toy dog, fine-boned, elegant and graceful. The distinct varieties are born in the same litter. The Hairless with hair only on the head, tail and feet and the Powderpuff, completely covered with hair. The breed serves as a loving companion, playful and entertaining.

Size, Proportion, Substance: Size - Ideally 11 to 13 inches. However, dogs that are slightly larger or smaller may be given full consideration. Proportion - rectangular-proportioned to allow for freedom of movement. Body length from withers to base of tail is slightly longer than the height at the withers. Substance - Fine-boned and slender but not so refined as to appear breakable or alternatively not a robust, heavy structure.

Head: Expression - Alert and intense. Eyes - Almond-shaped, set wide apart. Dark-colored dogshave dark-colored eyes, and lighter-colored dogs may have lighter-colored eyes. Eye rims match the coloring of the dog. Ears - Uncropped large and erect, placed so that the base of the ear is level with the outside corner of the eye. Skull - The skull is arched gently over the occiput from ear to ear. Distance from occiput to stop equal to distance from stop to tip of nose. The head is wedge-shaped viewed from above and the side. Stop - Slight but distinct. Muzzle - Cheeks taper cleanly into the muzzle. Nose - Dark in dark-colored dogs; may be lighter in lighter-colored
dogs. Pigment is solid. Lips - Lips are clean and tight. Bite - Scissors or level in both varieties. Missing teeth in the Powderpuff are to be faulted. The Hairless variety is not to be penalized for absence of full dentition.
Neck, Topline, Body: Neck - Neck is lean and clean, slightly arched from the withers to the base of the skull and carried high. Topline - Level to slightly sloping croup. Body - Brisket extends to the elbow. Breastbone is not prominent. Ribs are well developed. The depth of the chest tapers to a moderate tuck-up at the flanks. Light in loin. Tail - Tail is slender and tapers to a curve. It is long enough to reach the hock. When dog is in motion, the tail is carried gaily and may be carried slightly forward over the back. At rest the tail is down with a slight curve upward at the end resembling a sickle. In the Hairless variety, two-thirds of the end of the tail is covered by long, flowing feathering referred to as a plume. The Powderpuff variety's tail is completely covered with hair.
Forequarters: Angulation - Layback of shoulders is 45 degrees to point of shoulder allowing for good reach. Shoulders - Clean and narrow. Elbows - Close to body. Legs - Long, slender and straight. Pasterns - Upright, fine and strong. Dewclaws may be removed. Feet - Hare foot, narrow with elongated toes. Nails are trimmed to moderate length.
Hindquarters: Angulation - Stifle moderately angulated. From hock joint to ground
perpendicular. Dewclaws may be removed. Feet - Same as forequarters.
Coat: The Hairless variety has hair on certain portions of the body: the head (called a crest), the tail (called a plume) and the feet from the toes to the front pasterns and rear hock joints (called socks). The texture of all hair is soft and silky, flowing to any length. Placement of hair is not as important as overall type. Areas that have hair usually taper off slightly. Wherever the body is hairless, the skin is soft and smooth. Head crest begins at the stop and tapers off between the

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base of the skull and the back of the neck. Hair on the ears and face is permitted on the Hairless and may be trimmed for neatness in both varieties. Tail plume is described under Tail. The Powderpuff variety is completely covered with a double soft and silky coat. Close examination reveals long thin guard hairs over the short silky undercoat. The coat is straight, of moderate density and length. Excessively heavy, kinky or curly coat is to be penalized. Grooming is minimal-consisting of presenting a clean and neat appearance.
Color: Any color or combination of colors.
Gait: Lively, agile and smooth without being stilted or hackneyed. Comes and goes at a trot moving in a straight line.
Temperament: Gay and alert.
Approved June 12, 1990
Effective April 1, 1991