WELKS 2012

Dachshund (Miniature Wire Haired)

Judge(s): MR J V CRAWFORD

DACHSHUND - MINIATURE WIRE HAIRED

I  hadn't judged this variety since Crufts 2007 when I obviously had a lot more  from which to choose. I felt sorry for  dogs and owners as it got colder and colder, noisier and noisier, and it must  have affected their performance to some extent. I still miss the endearing temperaments of the past and collected  very few wags and only one lick which I find most untypical of this formerly so  outgoing variety. Mouths again left a lot to be desired and dentition is almost  as bad as it was 40/50 years ago, perhaps not so many with lower canines  intruding on the upper gums, but back to more with scrambled lower teeth. I'm not a tooth counter, but I wasn't aware  of missing incisors, so that aspect has improved. I had to be a little forgiving of some mouths in order to reward  the 'overall' dog where I didn't have much choice. Heads varied from super  conical ones with length of foreface and boning under the eyes to weak little  forefaces that don't balance the skull and so more likely to have dentition deficiencies  - usually with a lot of fluff left below the eyes to try to imitate 'conical'.  I found fewer shoulders up the neck, more acceptable feet and plenty with  decent bone for their size. Coats  varied a lot from weak and soft to some super, hard strong ones that "felt"  right. Fewer had a toyish appearance  and I was pleased to find a dozen or so under 10 lbs. Type is very mixed and  various attributes are shared around but rarely all appearing in the same dog,  one kennel having the best fronts to go over, another the biggest, strongest  teeth etc. Few exhibit any rear extension on the move even when appearing to be  made right when standing. In some all  the movement seems to come from the hip, like a little pendulum swinging, with  little or no flexing at the stifle or hock - hard to put into words, but I hope  you get my drift. Sorry to be rather gloomy on the whole, but one can only  assess them on what one sees on the day.  Credit where it's due and I was interested to see that both C.C. winners  are by Ch. Drakesleat Otto Bahn.

MPD (4,1) 1 Blackburn's Stargang Crusoe. Delightful lengthy rich dark  brindle just 6 months and a day with good temperament and coat. Lovely all round with good head and neck that  flows smoothly into a good topline.  Pleasing for angulation both ends and naturally very babyish on the  move, but sound and true. Best Puppy Dog. 2 Hooper's Starhill Sir  Lancelot. Nearly 8 months and another  nice puppy that performed well and just needs to settle. Better coat than  third. 3 Buckle & Flowers' Bingobongo Gregory.

PD (3) 1  Billinghurst's Jiljac Tsar Very Much.  11 months long, low, level lad with good head coat and bone. Scored in movement, particularly being free  behind. 2 Hayward's Taree Scoville. Similar age super-coated B/T brindle.  Pleasing in head, bone and feet and moved well to and fro, but needs to relax  and lengthen his stride in the rear. 3 Bingobongo Gregory.

JD (1) 1  Presnail's Taree Selwyn. Litter brother to Scoville and another with a super  hard coat of similar colour. Good feet  and shoulder placement and topline O.K. when he relaxed. Also needs to stride out better behind to  advantage.

LD (5) 1 Phillips' Curtisey Boogy Woogy. Very smart chap rising 2. Another with a good hard coat, good bone and  feet, balanced angulation and moved well keeping his topline better moving than  standing (rather that way around!) Res. C.C. 2 Kugow & Holt's Waldmeister  Johnson. Harder topline, good head and  eye, shoulder placement O.K. and moved smartly. More angular but the dogs from  this kennel impressed with their big, strong teeth. 3 Thorn-Andrews' Pellismer  Deal To Win Drakesleat.

OD (8,1) 1 Black's Bassodon Bilbie. 5 year old of lovely type and shape which he  kept on the move holding a firm topline.  Moved well to and fro and used his rear to advantage. The best overall  package in the dogs and a comfortable winner of the C.C. which I hear is his  third. 2 Horswell's Drakesleat Noddy Doff.  Appealed for coat and type and went over his kennelmate on better rear  drive. A lot to like about him and if  only he would have relaxed he would have been a stronger contender for the Res.  C.C. It's always difficult with two in the same class and often the performance  of at least one of them will be hampered. 3 Thorn-Andrews' Drakesleat Ottoff  The Press.

MPB (6) Three under 9 lbs. 1 Hooper's Starhill Queen  Guinevere. Sister to Sir Lancelot. Nice for type and a big roomy body of good  depth covered with a fair coat. Should  mature well and just needs to learn what it is all about as she tends to drop  in front on the move. 2 Buckle & Flower's Bingobongo Bean A Long Time. 6  months tiny under 9lb. sister to Gregory.  Cute as anything, all of a piece and a lovely prospect once she sorts  out her puppy dentition. 3 Burley's Verrami Saucy Cat over Arbennik.

PB (5,2) Hardest decision of the day and one I keep revisiting in my mind.  1st. Pain's Trixhund Tattianna  Ravensbeech. 7 months compact and  shapely red brindle under 10 lbs and all in proportion with a good forechest,  feet, shoulder placement, topline and hard coat. Scored on her much cleaner action coming at me. Best Puppy. 2 Blackburn-Bennett's Stargang  Czarina. 11 months red of gorgeous type, reminiscent of a young Pimento. A bigger girl with a lovely head, eye and  expression, good topline and better length of ribbing than first. Definitely one for the future, but moved  very close in front coming at me which I hope will correct when she hardens up  and fills out with maturity. 3 Bingobongo Bean A Long Time.

JB (4,1) 1 Howells' Fallowmill On The  Button. Super big roomy body covered with a hard coat. Shoulder and rear angulation balance well  and moves well keeping her shape. 2 Oram's Fallowmill On The Spot at Rosswell.  Smaller litter sister. O.K. for coat,  nice eye and expression but a real fidget both standing and moving and gave her  owner a hard time. 3 Kugow & Holt's Stargang Vera Wang bei Waldmeister.

PGB (12,2) 4 under 10lbs. in this difficult class to sort out. 1 Dance's Emem  Candy Sunshine. Typey big-bodied girl  with well-balanced angulation enabling  her to move the most freely keeping a good outline all the time and projecting  her assets with confidence. 2 Kemp's Vossmead Lola Rose. Smaller girl again of  a pleasing type with a good deep body, firm topline and O.K. for coat. Moved well to earn her place in a teasing  class. 3 Poxon's Kapodach Cup Cake.

LB (11) All there and another class  that took some sorting out. 1 Marston-Teal's Lordscairnie Love Life. I thought  this bitch stood away on the day and never left the issue in any doubt. Super type and outline which was well held  on the move which she did very well and looked "right" at all times. Good body,  bone, topline, underline, angulation and a lovely broad "bum". Comfortably won her first C.C. and Best of  Breed and represented the variety well in the Group. 2 Hooper's Starhill Comedy  Of Errors. By the same sire and better in head but finer all through. Pleasing for shoulders and construction,  keeping her shape well on the move and in harder condition than third. 3  Blackburn's Stargang Moll Flanders.

OB (7) 1 Angear's Ridgegrove Diamond  Doll. This kennel never disappoints and is so consistent for its good type. Big  body and good shoulder placement, forechest and well-filled front. Well  let-down rear and moved well. Reserve C.C. 2 Blackburn-Bennett's Ch. Stargang  Lady Gaga. Another good mover with  angulation, good bone and feet. Good length and lower to ground but I just  preferred the length to height proportions of the winner. 3 Horswell's Ch.  Drakesleat No Stone Unturn'd.

Jeff Crawford