AT July-Aug 2005

laid-back shoulder" is understood to be
between 28 and 30 degrees off the vertical,
(please consult Dog Locomotion and Gait
Analysis by Curtis Brown or Rachel Page
Elliott's The NEWDog Steps). Ourcurrent
standard reflects the outdated knowledge of
its time, stating the shoulder is laid back at a
45-degree angle. This must be corrected.
The standard also calls for two fingers
width betNveen the shoulderbladesThis has
never been proven to be advantageous and is
actually a "dog show whim," with no basis
in fact. The size ofthe dog would certainly
come into play with a measurement like
this. Surely two different animals, each on
opposite ends of the height scale, are not
expected to have the same amount of space
between the tops ofthe shoulderblades—it
just doesn't make sense.
There is always room for personal
interpretation, but allowable white
markings is an area that needs to have its
limits better defined.
Concerning color on the head,
our standard states, "On all colors the
area's surrounding the ears and eyes are
dominated by color other than white."
Since white trim is allowed and
is commonly understood to be face
and head markings, collars, chests,
This drawing represents the author's interpretation of the
maximum allowable white trim proposed by the new color
revision:
"HEAD IS DOMINATED BYCOLOR" after allowable blazes
"Ears and area around the eyes must be completely surrounded
and covered..." The hairline ofa full or partial collar must
not extend into the body beyond a line drawn from the of the
withers to the elbow." ... " White trim may appear on the
undersideforelegs and hind legs, but must not extend into the
side orflank."
Thispicture represents what thefancy has always considered
the maximumallowable white trim, give or take a little here and
there. There are always individual variations.
In Other Words
tummies, legs, and feet, then
the "dominant" part must be
what's left after considering
these allowable areas, correct?
Dominant simply means mostly
colored—or maybe 51 percent
if one wants to be technical. So,
white has always been allowed
on the ears and is actually about
impossible to avoid in many
light-colored merles from solid
to merle breedings. But what
about around the eyes? It just
says surrounding, it does not
say "covered." It does say,
"pigment on the nose, lips and eye rims"
is liver on reds and black on blacks/blue
merles. Is that simply saying which color
goes with which color when present, or that
the nose, lips and eyes must be covered??
What about a dog with just pigment around
the eye like eyeliner, but no body color?
These are hypothetical questions, but are
areas that need clarity. An added word here
and there, will make a world of difference
in clarifying and putting all these variables
into perspective.
I've heard the interpretation that the
white collar is not allowed past the ridge
ofthe shoulder blade (point of shoulder to
withers) yet the standard
says nothing like that.
Another interpretation is if
you draw a line vertically
from the point of the
withers to the ground, the
white can not go past that
point, yet the standard does
not say anything like that,
either. What it says is that
white does not go past
the point of the withers,
at the hairline, and white
body "splashes" are a DQ.
(How about one "splash"?)
It does state that we have
allowable white trim in
the form of collars, etc.
It says nothing about the
torso being colored—it
is assumed. For the sake
of argument, let's take a
white dog, color it around
both eyes and around
both ears but with the
ears 50% white, making
it "dominated by color
other than white" and then
Our current standard actually allows this
much white. The eyes are covered, and the
head is 'dominated by color" after allowing
for a wide blaze and collar. Thecollar does
not go past the point ofthe withers at the
hairline. Nothing is said about how high
the white can come upfrom the underline or
about the body being covered.
make a big white front end (i.e., collar) that
runs from the point of the withers in a line
slanting back toward the body to about
mid-ribcage. Now take a round "saddle"
of color and place it so that the point of the
withers is covered. Now bring belly white
about half way up the side and extend it
straight back in a horizontal line to the
stifle. Then, start at the hipbones and draw
a vertical line straight down to the belly
line. As long as this saddle doesn't have
whitesplasher (plural)it is legal, according
to our current standard. Is this too much
white trim??? It's not what was intended
in 1977, but someone could legitimately
interpret it this way and they would not be
wrong. It is what is allowed. It is implied
that the torso from the mid-shoulder area
back, is colored, but how much ofthe body
is colored is up to personal opinion, since
our standard is fairly open. Read what it
actually says. Read it as if you were a
hotshot dog judge from Mars that had
never seen an Aussie before and had no
priorknowledge of whatwas traditionally
considered within acceptable limits. Is this
what the fancy wants the standard to imply?
Are these limits clear enough?
Here again, just a few strategically
placed words would make this much more
defined without taking away the room for
personal interpretation and preferences,
within the fancy's accepted limits.
112 AUSSIE TIMES I July-August 2005