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Location: Nottingham
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 38
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For me my choice is always preferably dual purpose, a dog that is bred to standard but not to the extremity of the standard.
for the breeds that have a working and show faction my choices are as below.
Labrador show version (middle of the road) = I like a chunky lab, I have seen dogs in the ring that ooze breeze type, I can imagine such dogs with their thick rudder like tail and strong quarters ploughing through the waters of Labrador. I have seen many a working type lab with a lack of bone and a lean head which I do not prefer, too much length of leg for my taste also and thin tails. That being said I don't like some of the show type labs heavy heads.
Springer Spaniel show version = I like a flashy springer with a good length of coat and length of ear, It is a beautiful sight to see a glossy coated SS trotting around the ring with feathers trailing. Working springer's I have seen often do not have a good length of coat which I can understand as it would be caught on undergrowth and shorter ears that don't suit me.
Cocker Spaniel Working version = I like working cocker spaniels more that the show cockers as I prefer less coat on a cocker, they also tend to be longer in the back and have a different expression and head, more tight lips which I prefer.
German Shepherd Working (Czech line specific) = I love the look of the east european line GSDs (not to be confused with the heavier larger East European Shepherd), I like the look of strength these dogs have, they are often sable in colour which I feel adds to their rustic rough and ready look. They have a slight slope, only so that you can just notice it existance, this is the GSD version out of the many factions I prefer.
Border Collie Show version = Border collies from working lines are so varied and not many of the variations appeal to me, they can have a lot of leg, some have lack of coat for my taste, ear set a bit skew wiff. A Show border collie IMO is quite a sight to behold, beautiful glossy coat with strong white markings, average length of leg with slight feathering ... gorgeous
Overall I prefer show versions to working