LETTERS Opinions stated in the Letters to the Editor are not necassirily those of the GWPCA. Dear Editor, The following article was submitted to the AKC Gazette for the April 1998 Breed Column. What appeared in the AKC Gazette was an edited version of the article as written. As the author of the article, I feel that the alterations changed the tone and content of the original piece. I have asked that the article, in its entirely, be printed in The Wire-News. Karen Nelsen. TO PENALIZE OR NOT....THAT IS THE QUESTION With sincere apologies to the Bard of Avon, Mr. Shakespease, the question arises as to what is a penalty and what is not according to the Breed Standard of the GWPCA. Let's make an analogy or two: The quarterback throws a perfect spiral to the receiver down field. The defender and the receiver go up for the ball simutaneously. The ball falls to the ground. Was it an incomplete pass or pass interference? Here's another one ...the running back has the ball and is breaking through the line and is brought down with an emphatic thud. Was it a clean tackle or did the tackle grab the runner's face mask? Were the "penalties" obvious or did they need review. The referees in both instances make their calls quickly---one saw the face mask being grabbed; another thought the defender was going for the ball and did not touch the receiver. Oh, that "penalties" in a breed standard could be so quickly dispatched! Some are obvious and can be seen as soon as the dog walks in the ring. And others, well, maybe a closer look is needed. The Breed Standard of the German Wirehaired Pointer has only five (5) penalties. Of the five, three are obvious - two of these obvious ones are severe penalties (the "Ioss-of-down-plus-fifteen-yards" kind), the other is not (only a "five yard loss"). Of the remaining two, one can be "called" by a mere touch or two; the remaining one is a "judgment" call - . So, with this background, which of the following are severe, which are obvious and which is left to interpretation -you make the call! The dogs/bitches enter the ring. (Movement is not in question here.) There's a smashing looking specimen, 27 inches, liver/roan in color with medium furnishings. Another is a well-put-together bitch, about 25 inches, deep chested, great shoulder layback, and is black-roan. A third is another male - 26 inches, great shoulders, deep chest, white in color, and when he moves the coat blows in the breeze, exposing his skin. Here is another bitch - 22 inches, liver/roan with ticking, a spotted nose, and well put together. The last dog is 24 inches - elegant in every way, not a hair out of place, the furnishings under the briskit give the impression of a deep chest, and on the legs the long furnishings are symmetrical in every way, giving the impression of good bone and substance. Anyone familiar with the standard knows that males should be 24-26 inches. Anything over or under is to be severely penalized. So dog #1 has a severe penalty ...this is a "Ioss-of-down-and fifteen-yarder"! Our #2 dog (the bitch) is perfect in every way - except her color ...any black in the coat is to be
severely penalized. Another "Ioss-of-down-plus-fifteen-yards". These are the obvious severe penalties. They can be seen the minute the dog walks into the ring. The #3 dog is of correct size and substance - his penalty - a soft coat, another severe penalty. But the only way to tell its soft (or wooly) is to put your hands on it...no wirey-ness, no harshness, no density - just soft fluff. So which of these three should be penalized to any greater degree than the other? The answer is, none - they shouldn't be! The black is obvious, so is the oversize, but the only way to tell the texture of the coat is to feel it. The coat is the most distinctive feature of our Breed. A great disservice is done to what we strive to achieve in perfecting the coat by not giving it a proper examination! Our little bitch #4 is correct in size and conformation, except for her spotted nose (or flesh colored). It is her only fault...and is simply to be penalized ...a mere "five-yarder". But our last dog - the elegant one with the perfectly coiffed coat and the symetrically sculptured outline, what about him? He is truly beautiful to behold. But is his coat excessively groomed? Does the grooming present the dog artificially? Does his "fanciness" make him an acceptable example of the breed? Does the symmetry enhanced by the grooming present him as an English Setter or a GWP? What will his furnishings look like after hunting all day in the field? Will someone judging this dog have what it takes to assess a "Ioss-of-down-plus-fifteen-yard" penalty? Or will the "obvious" penalties of our otherwise correct dogs outweigh the severity of their penalty as opposed to the penalty of our "fancy" dog? According to our example, Dog #4 had the least should have been given the Winner's ribbon.
penalty assessed and
Judges judge what is presented to them. If what they see is mostly coiffed, sculptured and "fancied-up" they are given the impression that this is what the breed is supposed to look like. Is this what a "hunting dog" really looks like? At a recent show, the only "touching" a judge did was to check the dogs' bites ...not one finger was placed on the coat. There is no penalty in our breed for a bad bite, but there is for a bad coat. Was more emphasis placed on bite than coat? One would think so. Were dogs with severe penalties put up over those without? One would think so. Because the coat of our Breed is so distinctive, it makes the Wirehair what it is. Those who sit in judgment of our breed are asked to never overlook it...feel it, touch it, run your fingers through it...is it harsh, is it dense, does it lay flat, is it at least one inch in length, but not longer than two inches? If so, it is correct. If the coat flies like an Afghan's; if there is evidence of chalk, powder, scissoring or clippering, then the coat is incorrect! Penalize accordingly. Please .....Please ....PLEASE! We ask that ALL severe penalties be given the same weight - the obvious as well as the not-so-obvious. We seek the opinion of the experts as a means of helping us achieve what everyone wants - the PERFECT DOG that truly represents the standard ...coat included!
Pop Quiz Question #2 According to the German Wirehaired Pointer Breed Standard the bones of a GWP should be: A. Flat and spindly B. Coarse and heavy C: Round and strong