Showing
Show Time
Your puppy looks beautiful; you think he is outstanding (in your opinion). You are next in the ring and nervous. You try to look cool, calm and collected. Your puppy boy behaves beautifully, stacks perfectly on the table, and does the perfect triangle, stops in an absolutely beautiful pose looking up at the judge with those endearing dark, almond shaped eyes with tail curved high over the back with a slight wag.
The judge smiles as she asks you to take your dog around to the end. Both you and your dog are working well today. You have your nerves under control; your puppy feels your confidence and responds to it. You relax your boy with affectionate pats and playful tune in your voice as the judges goes over the other dogs.
You keep an eye on the judge making sure your boy always looks good even in relaxed mode. You ensure your boy is stacked as she finishes looking at the final dog.
She walks up and down the line and you are pulled out again to go up and back for a last comparison. Your heart leaps out of your chest as she points to YOUR DOG and says 'an awesome boy' and hands you the 'Puppy in Show' ribbon!
You are not quite there anymore, the feelings are amazing, you pick up your small boy and cuddle him with reckless abandon whilst at the same time receiving genuine and not so genuine congratulations! We all want that ribbon!
The Lesson
I learnt a lesson not too long ago,
When I took my dog to an All Breeds Show.
As I watched him standing in the ring,
I overheard a comment which hurt with a sting.
'Twas then I realised there in a trice,
Don't say anything if it isn't nice.
Each dog may have his faults in your eyes,
You may not like his colour, movement or size.
But to the person who loves him he’s the most perfect thing.
That’s why he’s showing him there in the ring!
We'd’ all like to win, but there aren't many blues,
The judge may not give one to your dog and you.
So remember, each dog is a winner in his own master’s heart.
So please don’t stand there and pick him apart.
Anon.
Breed Standard
General Appearance:
The Havanese is a sturdy little dog, low on his legs, with long, abundant hair, soft and preferably wavy. His movement is lively and elastic.
Characteristics:
[Not specified. Classified by the F.C.I. under Companion and Toy Dogs.
Important Proportions:
The length of the muzzle (tip of nose to stop) is equal to the distance between the stop and the occipital protuberance. The relation between the length of the body (measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock) and the height at the withers is as 4:3
Temperament:
Exceptionally bright, he is easy to train as an alarm dog. Affectionate, of a happy nature, he is amiable, a charmer, playful and even a bit of a clown. He loves children and plays endlessly with them.
Head and Skull:
Of medium length, the relation between the length of the head and that of the trunk (measured from the withers to the base of the tail) is as 3:7.
Cranial Region:
Skull - Flat to very slightly rounded, broad; forehead hardly rising. Seen from above, it is rounded at the back and almost straight and square on the other three sides......
