Judging the Dandie

In America we judge by comparison so if you are already approved for other short-legged long-bodied breeds you will find judging the Dandie easier than those who are not. There are three essential elements of breed type that must be present. 1) A very long silhouette 2) Silhouette must be a series of gentle curves in the right places 3) Crowned with an impressive, distinctive head. The Dandie is rectangular. Like the Sussex Spaniel, Basset Hound, Dachshund, Skye Terrier, and both the Pembroke and Cardigan Welsh Corgi, lowness to ground and great length of body is desired. The Dandie is twice as long as he is tall, less one to two inches, measured from the withers so this is a very long dog indeed.

When is the last time you saw a Dandie in the ring who was as long as the Skye Terrier? Unlike the Skye, unfortunately the Dandie as a breed has difficulty keeping the virtue of great body length. Off type would be upright and square, anything bordering on cobby, all are very wrong in the Dandie. The outline is a series of gentle curves; in the breed we call it ‘weasely,’ a breed hallmark. The arch in the neck, the slight downward curve over the withers, the slight arch over the loin, and the very slight drop over the croup to the upright curve of the scimitar-shaped and carried tail, describes the correct topline.

The Standard describes it well when it says; ‘the outline is a continuous flow from the crest of the neck to the tip of the tail.’ Balance and symmetry are paramount. “Slight” and “very slight” are the adjectives that describe the curves. Exaggeration of these curves results in a caricature and will affect the dog’s flexibility and gait. If the body is too short the curves even if in the right places will be accentuated, highly undesirable. The longer the body the more gentle the curves.

The curves are seldom observed when stacked, sometimes present when the dog self-stacks on the ground, and are best observed when the dog is on the move. In the breed we say “no outline, no Dandie.” Those who judge the curvy sighthound breeds such as Borzoi, Greyhound, and Whippets will easily understand this topline, the symmetry of it, the only real difference is how the Dandie finishes over the croup, that drop is not as pronounced. Of course the Dandie’s distant cousin, the Bedlington Terrier, is a curvy breed as well but not of the short-legged class. The tail set is important; it is set on a very slightly sloping croup. The tail is scimitar-shaped and carried in an upward curve, never over the back.

The tail provides the proper finish to the correct silhouette and for me a highly carried tail is like a waving flag, it disturbs my eye. I like to see the tail carried at 2 o’clock. The head appears large for the size of the dog. The skull is basically the same distance from stop to occiput as it is from ear to ear. In the breed we say it should “fill your hand.” Which brings up another point, you must put your hand on the skull, without regard to crushing the topknot. One good shake by the dog and the correct topknot is back up and standing. The muzzle is strongly made, good fill at the cheek, and is in a proportion of 3 parts muzzle to 5 parts skull. For those who judge the Cardigan and Pembroke these are the same proportions.

The eyes are large, round, dark hazel, face directly forward and set wide apart. The ears are set off the side of the skull and hang framing the face. A scissors bite with large even teeth is desired. The expression is wise, not cute. The Dandie front assembly is exactly as written in the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Standard. A well laid back shoulder with an upper arm to match, placing the forelegs directly under the withers. The forelegs wrap around the chest and are almost straight, the pasterns slope slightly and a very slight turnout is permissible. Feet are tight with thick pads, meant for relentless digging.

I can tell a lot about a judge’s understanding of this breed by where the judge puts his hands. You must put your hands between the forelegs of the Dandie and there must be a significant prosternum filling your hand. If there is nothing in your hand the dog is straight in front, a very serious fault in the breed. You must put your hands on the withers, the point of shoulder, and the elbow; the length and angle of the shoulder blade and the upper arm must be almost the same. The rear quarters are in balance with the forequarters, of course. The first and second thighs are well developed and meaty with good muscle, with a short well-defined hock.

The Standard states that the “hind legs are a little longer than the forelegs…” a statement I feel would be more correctly described as “the hind legs appear to be a little longer than the forelegs…” The Dandie should never appear stern high. The Dandie is 8 to 11 inches at the shoulder and 18 to 24 pounds. The same heights and weights apply to both dogs and bitches. Dogs should be masculine; bitches feminine. The upper weight limits are most often seen on a Dandie of proper length and substance. The Dandie comes in two colors; mustard and pepper. Mustard is simply a clear red, varying from a light cream to a dark red, and the furnishings are creamy colored. The pepper puppy is born black and tan but begins to silver as the coat grows; the tan points usually fade out to silver, and the black becomes the same “salt and pepper” as seen on the Schnauzers.

Peppers can vary from a light gray to a blue-black. Visual tan points are occasionally seen on the peppers and perfectly permissible. The coat is a mixture of 1/3 soft undercoat to 2/3 crisp outer coat. The so-called “penciling” of the coat is the result of some undercoat showing through the outer coat, and hanging in what looks like penciling. Crisp coat is exactly that; it should feel sort of crisp to the hand. The furnishings are softer, silky to the touch, not cottony. The coat must be of sufficient length to feel texture. The color is in the tips of the hair shafts so a dog in very short coat will appear very dark with no penciling. A coat approaching 2 inches in length will look blousy and ready to be worked. The body coat is continuously pulled so new coat is always coming in. Grooming the Dandie to the level needed to be truly competitive in the ring is an art. It takes a great deal of practice and dedication and I think one of the reasons so few Dandies are shown today.

The Dandie should move out freely and easily on a loose lead. A properly constructed Dandie when viewed from the side should reach out well in front, hold his topline on the move with a noticeable slight arch over the loin and drive with evident force from behind. As speed increases there is a very slight inclination toward the centerline of travel. Coming and going you will notice the tail acts as a rudder for balance. Old-timers will refer to the ‘Dandie roll,’ which in more than 37 years in this breed I have never seen on a Dandie who was properly constructed. Certainly dogs that are not in good muscle tone, overweight or built too widely in front will roll to compensate for poor structure.

The Dandie today is usually shown like the Pembroke with the handler standing up and the dog out the end of a loose lead, self-stacked. The Dandie is an extremely difficult breed to breed, achondroplastic, and with so much detail making up the whole. It is also an extremely difficult breed to judge as you must have the big picture, the correct breed silhouette, firmly placed in your mind’s eye and know where the priorities lie. There are many tradeoffs to be made, but do not lose sight of the big picture and get mired in the detail. Tips for Judges: Do not spar Dandies with each other, or in the Group ring. If you wish another look then bring the Dandie out into the center of the ring to stand on his own. Never go down to a Dandie stacked on the floor or the ground. If you wish to re-examine the Dandie, put him back up on the exam table. This practice holds true for all breeds examined on a table.