Comparing your dog to its standard: learning to look methodically

Comparing your dog to the standard means bringing a written description together with what you actually observe. The exercise becomes easier when you go section by section, paying as much attention to qualities as to deviations.

Here are nine tips to build your eye without losing the pleasure of watching your companion.

Beginner — Lay the right foundations

1. Check you are using the right document

Start from the official standard for your breed. Check its number, the version available and any distinctions relating to your dog's sex, size or variety.

The Poodle standard, for example, distinguishes several sizes while also specifying the general proportions expected.

Your exercise: prepare a sheet with the breed name, the standard's number and the details that apply to your dog. That way you won't compare criteria that belong to different varieties.

2. Start with the outline

First read “General appearance” and “Important proportions”. Then look at your dog from the side, on a flat surface, in a natural stance.

Your exercise: describe three things: the relationship between length and height, the placement of the legs under the body and the proportions of the head.

Use observation phrases: “Its body looks slightly long” is more useful, to begin with, than “Its construction is excellent”.

3. Choose just one section per session

Trying to examine the head, feet, teeth and gaits in ten minutes often ends up muddling things.

Your exercise: devote one short session to the ears, then another to proportions. For each section, note:

What seems to match the text.
What you don't yet know how to assess.
The question to ask in order to progress.

You don't need to reach a conclusion on every point from the first observation.

Intermediate — Organise the comparison

1. Turn the standard into an observation sheet

Prepare three columns: “Standard's criterion”, “Observation on my dog” and “Point to check”.

Your exercise: copy out one precise requirement, then describe what you see without adding any personal rule.

If the text says “slightly greater”, keep that nuance. Don't invent a percentage to make your sheet look more precise.

2. Compare using the right reference points

For proportions, identify the dimensions that are really involved.

In the Poodle, body length is specified as shoulder-to-ischium, whereas the German Shepherd standard gives a ratio between trunk length and height at the withers.

Your exercise: locate the anatomical points on a diagram before measuring. If you're unsure, ask a breed instructor for a demonstration.

A measurement taken between the wrong points can give a misleading result, even with a good tape measure!

3. Complete the stack with movement

A comparison isn't limited to a photograph from the side. Also read the “Gait” section.

Your exercise: film a run from the side and an up-and-back at a comfortable speed. Watch the video normally first, then in slow motion to pin down an observation.

Note separately what you see standing and moving. You can then look at how these elements relate to each other.

Advanced — Refine your assessment

1. Distinguish an observed deviation from a confirmed fault

An impression sometimes deserves several observations. The stance, the coat, the viewing angle or the handling can change what you think you see.

Your exercise: repeat under comparable conditions. Write “to check” when you're not certain, then put your question to someone knowledgeable in the breed.

To judge how significant a deviation is, also consult the sections on faults and their seriousness.

2. Appreciate the qualities as a whole

Avoid turning your sheet into a contest of ticked boxes.

At international CACIB shows, the FCI regulations describe the grade “Excellent” on the basis of an overall assessment: closeness to the ideal of the standard, condition, harmony and temperament. A few minor imperfections may be allowed given the superiority of the qualities.

Your exercise: after your detailed comparison, write three sentences about the dog as a whole: its main strengths, the points to clarify and the way it presents itself.

3. Compare your eye with the judges' reports

Your notes become especially useful when you can set them alongside an assessment at a show.

Your exercise: keep the reports with the date, the dog's age and a few pictures taken at that time. Spot the observations that come up repeatedly, then look for the matching passages in the standard.

If a remark differs from your own assessment, prepare a precise question. The aim is to refine your eye, not to make every judgement fit your sheet.

The habit to keep

Official text, observation, checking: go in that order.

You can end each session with three notes: one quality recognised, one question to clear up and one presentation goal.

This method will help you get to know your dog better and gradually understand how its characteristics fit into the portrait of its breed.