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GZ BREED COLUMNStoyscuss these with experienced breeders tosee what they feel about those qualities.Never stop with one opinion or discussion;talk to a few more exhibitorsto broaden your view of what is or isnot correct and pleasing to you andothers.The standard says that all colors andmarkings should be given equal merit.Back in the 1950s the standard said thata black mask was preferable. More than50 years later, we are still fighting thatstigma: Judges can’t seem to see arounda self or partial mask most of the time.And particolors struggle for their rightsto win.You can’t help it, however. Think ofyour own preferences. Personally, I likea black dog but don’t have any desire toown a white one. Why? I don’t know. Ijust feel that way. But if I saw a superiorwhite dog in the ring and were judging,I would reward it rather than alesser dog of a color I prefer.Coat texture is important, and againyou need to feel a correct coat to everknow what is being described. Poortexture is obvious on those whose coatsare huge and soft and cottony all over,resembling cotton candy. That soft coatwill forever tangle and mat and ends upbeing controlled only by shaving it off.A properly textured Pekingese coatrequires less grooming effort than acoat that is too soft. Strangely enough,when I groomed professionally, I sawsoft, cottonlike coats on other breedssuch as Schnauzers, Bichons, Poodles,and so on, and these coats were nearlyimpossible to groom into the look thatthe breed called for. After struggling tokeep their dogs’ coats unmatted (andusually losing the battle), most petowners opted for a simple “puppy cut”that brought the body hair down toabout ½ inch or less all over. My takeon this eventually was that this soft andundesirable coat seems to be somethingthe breeds all want to revert to and hasto be guarded against when breedingdogs. Beware of poor coat texture inthe Pekingese breed, and help keep thebreed true toward the standard.Much has been written and discussedon the proper Pekingese gait. Quitefrankly, over the years, I have come tobelieve that not even most Pekingesebreeders know what a correct“Pekingese roll” really looks like. I certainlycan’t describe it so that you willunderstand what I think I believe is thecorrect roll. If you actually see it, however,you will probably know it is whathas been described in the standard. Thesimplest approach for a novice wantingto discern if the Pekingese is gaitingcorrectly is to watch its topline assomeone walks the dog in a “show”pattern. Bouncing of the back is notcorrect. The topline should move prettymuch smoothly along (much like allbreeds who are gaiting well), withoutup-and-down movement that is visiblydetectible. —P.W.Thank you, Pamela. This study of thebreed will conclude in the Decemberissue. —Jacqueline Ragland,jaling60@hotmail.com; Pekingese Clubof America website:thepekingeseclubofamerica.comPomeraniansWe are happy to share once againthe information below that firstappeared in the breed column in 2009.The Thrill of Saving BabyPuppiesAs dedicated dog breeders, we sometimesexperience birth incidents thatfrighten us, drain us, or break our heartsbecause of rotten circumstances—butthey can also delight us with sweet circumstances!It may sound a little dramatic,but I want to share some of mywhelping experiences with readers.Much of this may be familiar to you,but perhaps some of it may help you insome way or teach you a bit of what usolder folks have learned.Tiny baby Poms are often born happilyand uneventfully! Others comeinto the world not so easily, however,and require human assistance quickly.Sometimes this goes successfully, sometimesnot, if it’s one of those heartbreakingones. Such a happy experienceit is to hear the sweetest sound inthe world, that sweet, squeaky little crywe love to hear. It means a tiny babyhas come into the world—not toohappy about it, but a survivor! With itwe recognize that we alone are responsible,having bred, planned for, and nowwelcoming and caring for this newarrival.The mom will normally lick thenewborn, use her teeth to tear away thesac membrane from him, cut theumbilical cord with her teeth, andsnuggle him close to hopefully helphim attach to her nipples (I call those“faucets”) and begin life in the outsideworld.Unfortunately, all this doesn’t alwayshappen so easily. Here comes the toughpart, a situation needing you to helpimmediately. A newborn Pom baby istiny—maybe two to five ounces—andusually arrives head-first, but at timeswith his little butt first, which makesdelivery harder but not impossible.If mom pushes hard, with strongcontractions but no results, don’t befearful of giving her assistance, graspingthe little body and very gently pullingit into the world.Then comes a frightening butrewarding part. Take baby into a warm,soft cloth and briskly rub, sometimesvigorously, until the little guy wigglesand cries out ... the loveliest sound inthe world.Another possibility is that once in awhile a baby puppy may be born withseemingly no sign of life. This is themain reason for this column, in that Ihope this information may be helpfulto you someday. That lifeless little guymust have your instant focus! Rub himhard with a washcloth over your fingers,from head to back end. Don’t beafraid, as little babies are much moredurable than you might think.Incredibly, and so happily, the unresponsivebaby may suddenly gasp, wigglea little, cry out, and you havebecome a miracle-maker. It feels sowonderful.Here is the other side of the story; inmy own experience, this situation hassometimes been successful, and otherA K C G A Z E T T E • 16 • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2