Breed Priorities – Collies
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By Nikki Riggsbee
Some breeds are recognized as “head” breeds, where the head conformation and components are valued above other characteristics. Other breeds are definitely not, with many other features prioritized over head details. Some breeds have experts saying their breed “is a head breed, but…” Experts in other breeds say theirs is not a head breed, but… heads are important, but so is the rest of the dog.
The “General Character” paragraph of the AKC Collie standard describes the whole dog, focusing on balance and harmony. The first sentence of the “Head” paragraph states, “The head properties are of great importance.” I was interested in what Collie experts would focus on in a survey on their breed.
Often the popularity of breeds, based on registration statistics or large entries at dog shows, will indicate that there are a large number of breeder-judges, and lower rank and entry breeds usually have fewer specialty judges. Collies were quite popular when Lassie was in the movies and on television. More recently, they ranked 38th in AKC’s registration statistics.
Still I was surprised to find 124 Collie breeder-judges with emails to invite to take a survey on their breed’s priorities. Seventy-three initially agreed to participate. Thirty-five completed surveys were received. While they average over forty-four years in the breed, many participants have been involved much longer. They average more than seventeen years judging their breed. Less than forty percent have judged their national, but almost all have judged other Collie specialties.
Collie Virtues
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Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=195133
Posted by AnthonyA
on Jan 5 2021. Filed under Current Articles, Featured.
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