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GZ BREED COLUMNStoyswithin a few short years, folks fromaway will be knocking our doors downfor something a bit smaller, somethingthat gaits with that famous jaunty littlestrut, something that looks more like anAffenpinscher than an Affen Pony.In order to help out the poor judgeswho are caught in the middle, I amseriously looking for a tailor who willalter my show pants just a bit. I want towalk into the ring with my wonderfullysquare, 10½-inch bitch andproudly stand next to her while wearinga pair of custom-made pants thathave an applique of a ruler, with theinches clearly marked in red in easy-toread,large print. When the huge AffenPony prances in, I’ll stand next to it sothat judges will clearly see I’m standingnext to a 13-inch (or more) Pony. I canonly hope that no one will laugh as Igait my dog appropriately around thering—with my measurement-markedpants not even billowing, because I’mnot zooming.My point: Read the standard.Understand the standard. Breed to thestandard. Buy potential show qualityaccording to the standard. Judge accordingto the standard. —J.D.Thank you, Jude. —Nancy Baybutt,siennagoldaffens@comcast.com;Affenpinscher Club of America website:affenpinscher.orgBrussels GriffonsAttitude and Ring PresenceWhen I first became involved withBrussels Griffons, lack ofattitude was more common than not.To find a Griffon who would gait inthe ring with his tail up was rare, evenat our national specialty. I once heard ajudge proclaim, as she gaited a WinnersBitch class, “I’m giving it to the firstone who gets her tail up.” And that’swhat she did.Over the years, breeders and ownershave learned the importance of breedingfor temperament, and they’ve alsolearned how to socialize a puppy so asto instill confidence without creating abad citizen. Nowadays, Griffs with poorattitude are in the minority rather thanthe majority, but there are exceptions. Itis so frustrating to have an otherwiselovely dog show poorly because hehates to show and lacks confidence.Good ring attitude starts in thewhelping box, or even before. The damhas a major influence on the behaviorof her pups, so choosing a brood bitchwith the proper temperament is the firststep. Socialization begins almost immediatelyafter birth with daily handling.Even early nail-clipping contributes todogs having happy attitude later. Griffsare unforgiving and hold a grudge;wrestling with one the day before ashow to do nails will create a sullencreature whose sole purpose now is tomake you look bad in the ring—somethingthey’re very good at. Weekly nailclippingfrom early on gets them usedto the process. (It also keeps them frominjuring the eyes of their playmates.)We all know the basics of socializing—wetake them to the mall, thepark, the dog show, and the kids’ soccergames. We introduce them to manyfoods, many beds, many surfaces, andmany people. But what happens if,despite your efforts, or because youacquired a poorly socialized puppy, youstill have issues with attitude? And ifyou purchased a soft Griff, you didn’tdo your homework. But that’s anothercolumn.Following are two processes thathave worked in the past for me and forothers. First, take your Griff to watchgroup judging or another noisyevent—but don’t put him on your lap.Put him on a chair next to you. Thisteaches him that he can be safe instrange surroundings with you, withouthaving to be glued to your hip. Reachover and pet or scratch him with a“Good dog!” on occasion, but onlywhen he is relaxed and quiet. (It maytake a few groups for him to relax, butyou’ve got a total of seven to accomplishyour goal!)Another process that works as aquick fix on the day with well-traineddog who just isn’t quite sure of himselfis to have a friend hold him away fromthe ring, and away from you, until it’sjust time to show. Then the “holder”can bring him to the ring and handhim over just as your class is called.Often the dog is so happy to bereunited with his person that he forgetsto be worried about where you’re takinghim. A little “kootchy-coo” aroundthe ring also helps.What does not help is encouragingyour Griff to bark at passing dogsand/or people. This only produces anuisance dog—who often continuesundesirable behavior in the ring. It alsoputs the dog at risk from a bigger,crankier dog who doesn’t like his attitude.—Anne K. Catterson,annecatt@gmail.com; American BrusselsGriffon Association website: brussels-griffon.infoCavalier King CharlesSpanielsThe Hair of the Dog!The official standard for Cavaliers isquite clear in describing thebreed’s correct coat quality and characteristics:Of moderate length, silky, free from curl.Slight wave permissible. Feathering on ears,chest, legs and tail should be long, and thefeathering on the feet is a feature of thebreed. No trimming of the dog is permitted.However, questions constantly ariseamong breeders and exhibitors concerningsome of these essential features.“Moderate length” is a stickingpoint. What may be “moderate” to memay be profuse or sparse to the otherperson. In the ring we see dogs withcoat like a bush, so heavy that it distortsthe outline of the animal. And in thesame ring we might see a dog withvery little coat, so as to almost renderthe two looking as if they are hardlythe same breed.Complicate this by the fact thatsome dogs are, at any given season ofthe year, “in” or “out” of coat, and yousee why there is confusion amongmany.The ideal Cavalier coat is justenough to make him somewhat glamorous,but not so much as to distort hisproportions and structure. His coatA K C G A Z E T T E • 10 • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2