Attended my first AKC show yesterday.
Yesterday I went to my first show and was just floored by the EBT's! They were huge! I'm so used to Cookie and JB that when I saw these ones I was, to say the least, very intimidated. Cookie and JB both are a little above 40lbs and 20 inches, these dogs had to have been at least 60-70 and 30 inches. They made my dogs look like minis. One was a huge EBT named Handsome and he had to be at least 90-100lbs. He was the biggest dog I have ever seen as far as muscle and girth go, not to mention his head was like a tank! I didn't get any pictures cause it was my first time attending and I didn't want to come across as a weirdo. I had hopes of showing Cookie, but I don't think she would have a chance when compared to these dogs, even though I think she's perfect, she would look very small in the ring. Is it common in the show world for the dogs to be this big?
Comments
(I don't believe size has anything to do with ring acceptance or winning).
Don't let those other dogs intimidate you! Bull Terriers are judged on size- their is NO weight/height requirments in the standard, its all about shape!!
my tiny Chimera toping out at 37 pounds is as thin as a twig, but I have MANY compliment her on her near perfect structure-only reason shes not being shown is due to her breeder also fearing her size is too small.
if I had full rights on her, we would be showing like crazy!
give a go and take Cookie out and have some fun! even if you don't win, its still fin to attend!
@Boyda - Most often the BT's at the shows have nice big heads and thick necks so sometimes their height and even weight can throw you off. I can assure you there was no 30" BT's there. I've never even seen a 25" Bull Terrier or a 100 lbs one. They can be so buff and thick they look it though.
One of our males is 22" and weighs 84 pounds. I have seen photos of slightly bigger BT's but never personally seen one. Most that have met Rocky in person have commented as to him being the biggest they've seen.
Here's a few photos of him.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
Your girl has a nice head!
But remember-its the over-all body shape that is most important-not just the head! a dog with a stunning head but poor topline is going to loose a lot of points for sure-most likely loosing placement in the show.
and, to be honest, i do not care for extremely heavy or large Bullies-they were never meant to be Mastiffs!
they are Terriers, meant to be agile as well as athletic.
i perfere the smaller Bullies, and i wouldn't want a male much larger then 70-75 pounds. Cesar is nice and compact at 63 pounds.
Those people who are purposely pushing for 90-100 pound bullies are only bringing in health problems for the breed by shortening lifespans, creating more heart problems as well as joint issues.
that is why it is not uncommon for Matiffs, Danes and Wolfhounds to not live past the age of 8 years old.
Also, bloat was unheard of in our breed, however, i have recently been encountering quite a few people whos very large Bullies have been suffering from it-which i find coincidental.
Even those top name kennels started out somewhere-exactly where you are now Boyda, unsure of themselves and their dogs. try not to stress about it or feel intimidated!
oh I know how that is!!!
not hard to stack a dog by yourself-its stack while taking a photo that's hard!!!
what I would so with Chimera was to grab a long stick and hold it above her head while I crouched down to take a photo, wasn't always the best-but they did well enough to have a good long look over.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
@Boyda
She's 16 months old now- that photo she was 9 months.
here is a more recent one of her when me and my BF took them out fishing.
@ Steve-Lucian is a VERY handsome boy!
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
Cookie is a very nice girl! her angulation in her knees is a bit exhuagerated (which IMO looks much better then over angulated) and her shoulder is a bit short. but otherwise very well put together, a nice top line and good jaw. from her side she seems like a well put together female!
going purely by her side profile as well as his, your girl could easily compete with that solid brindle, he has weak pasterns and a short shoulder as well.
The show Bullies of today that are winning the awards normally are big boned with large heads and wide short muzzles. One thing is for sure, any Bull Terrier with a nice head will draw quick attention at any show. Slender, long legged, narrow headed Bull Terriers that are light in weight don't pan out too well. Your Bullie may not have the biggest head in the world but she does have very nice structure. The photo of her looks excellent.
Another big thing to keep in mind is the training involved in the ring. You could the absolute best looking BT in the world but he or she may not present themselves well in the ring. The judge looks at more than just the structure and conformation of each dog. Ask Craig about the 2 dogs at the last show that never even got to walk the ring before they were disqualified. Any display of aggression to people or other dogs will get them tossed.
A show dog needs to maintain a reputable temperament and character at all times. They are judged off their presentation in the ring. A crazy untrained Bullie jumping up in excitement or pulling on lead or ignoring their handler isn't going to win a show. Here in America the shows aren't as critical as they are in other countries where they pay very close attention to the whether or not the lead is being used as it tightens around the dogs neck or whether it remains loose as the dog reacts naturally to the handler as they move around the ring. Practicing this at home is great but the test will be how well that dog reacts in the ring with hundreds of other dogs around.
Here's a video of one of our studs (Nitro) who has already earned his champion title in Poland. I've posted this photo before in the past but if you pay attention to the slack on the lead you'll understand what I mean about proper control and handling. (It's not all about looks)
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
Steve is right about a well-mannerd bullie gets more attention then an ill mannerd one-however, the Terrier group in general gets a lot more "wiggle" room when it comes to good manners on the lead, Terriers are SUPPOSED to have personality in the shower ring,
A happy-go-lucky nature that is allowed to shine thru is also something the judge likes to see in Bull Terriers.
a strictly handled bullie who is kept in perfect line like a robot is not a welcomed sight to a judge.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com