Scottish Pug Dog Club

SCOTTISH PUG DOG CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW 14.6.26

An interesting entry to judge and I was pleased with the overall quality, especially in the major winners. Evidently the BIS winner is a son of my CC winner when I judged the Northern club show four years ago and he himself sired the Bitch CC and Reserve CC winner.

The current drag of the breed seems to be hindquarters, with many lacking turn of stifle and development of second thigh. Whilst I realise that breeders have been addressing Kennel Club directives as regards health and exaggeration I wondered if the elimination of the bolting, protruding eyes that clearly were a risk has now seen a smaller eye appear in some Pugs, so losing the classic expression. There is a happy medium and I was pleased to find lots of them.

All critiqued dogs were fawn unless specified otherwise.

MINOR PUPPY DOG (2) 1. McCahill’s Nicobri That’s Not My Name at Davarlin, 7 months and full of quality with excellent head details, full eye, sufficient wrinkle with no exaggeration, well finished foreface, excellent pigment throughout, good nostrils and sufficient strength of underjaw. Well finished bone of quality, dark nails, well ribbed and short coupled, excellent twist and moderate angulation front and back, holds his outline well on the move with excellent profile, going away with drive but comes on a little wide. 2. Turnbull’s Nicobri’s Suits You Sir, litter brother to 1 and has the same look of quality and lots of spirit. The head is not as forward as his brother’s but should finish up well. Also he does not have his density of bone at the moment. Excellent pigment all through, clear coat, moderate angulation but still needs to develop in second thigh. Moved soundly and with style.

PUPPY DOG (1) Lee’s Tsuselena Hells Bells, 10 months of excellent overall type with a look of great quality. Well balanced head with no exaggeration, typical expression and excellent pigment with black nails. The overall balance is excellent with moderate angles, the twist is well curled and his skin is taut. Movement is very collected and true and he shows great promise. Best Puppy In Show. He seems quite a character!

NOVICE DOG (2) 1. T. Hells Bells. 2. N. Suits You Sir.

GRADUATE DOG (1) 1. Reid’s Rhodenash Kandoo Krunchie Hugieboogie, excellent overall type with a look of quality, very expressive eye with neat ears but the over-nose wrinkle is a little obtrusive. Just enough bone, well filled forechest, excellent spring of rib and carrying plenty of body. Well held twist and his movement is very sound and true out and back holding a firm topline on the go-around.

POST GRADUATE DOG (2) 1. Deans’ Jobeile Ant Sruithain at Uisdean, high-quality and of excellent overall breed type, very pleasing in head details with sufficient wrinkle, full but not bolting eyes, neat well pigmented ears and no breathing problems whatsoever but he could have a stronger underjaw. Enough bone, good spring of rib if a little stuffy in neck, excellent topline, moderate angulation front and back, well held twist and a quality coat. He moves steadily with style but a little close behind. 2. Dawson-Payne & Mousley’s Judamie Birthday Bash, something of a frustration as his presentation and handling was far superior to anything so far. Quality head with excellent detail and dense pigment if not the most masculine. He could have a little more strength of bone and more substance all through at this age but the balance is ideal. He holds a firm topline, a tight twist and has a very clear coat. His movement is very stylish with proud courage in profile, but he could be a little more parallel going away. Perfectly schooled to show off “great charm, dignity and intelligence”.

LIMIT DOG (7,2 abs) 1. Walker’s Afterglow Wild West Hero, not a sudden impact kind of dog as there is nothing dramatic about him but the more you look into him the more his correctness becomes apparent. He has a beautifully balanced head with excellent facial details, just enough strength of underjaw, dark expressive eyes, sufficient wrinkle, neat, well placed and carried ears and excellent pigment. Sufficient bone for his size, well-proportioned outline, correctly angulated front and back with just about enough curl to the twist. His movement is sound, steady and determined and he carries himself extremely well. Good coat texture. 

2. Birch & Cannon’s Flashnik Alcopop, paler fawn of excellent basic type with beautiful head details with no breathing problems whatsoever and good finish of mouth. Dark expressive eyes, neat ears and sufficient wrinkle without being overdone. Beautifully conditioned with enough bone but not as true in front as 1 or as settled in topline. 3. Makepeace’s Hugapug Guy Fawkes at Sandigara. OPEN DOG (3) 1. Dawson-Payne & Mousley’s Ch Judamie Eltons Sun, handsome male combining breed type and masculine quality, presenting a very impressive overall package. Very pleasing head with dark expressive eyes, enough width of nostril and neat densely pigmented ears. He has ample bone, and excellent overall proportions with moderate angles fore and aft and a well set and carried twist. Goes around with style and purpose, holding a firm topline and the overall carriage is very impressive. In this quality entry he was a comfortable winner of the CC & BIS. 2. Truelove’s Ch Nijacpugs Hot As Hell, another male with that stallion look who pushed hard. He’s a very composed performer with no suggestion of unnecessary panting. Well-proportioned head, not quite as dark in eye or as neat in ear as 1 but he still conveys an excellent typical expression. Ample bone, well ribbed and bodied with moderate angulation front and back. Well held twist whilst his movement is composed and he goes around with style but not quite the accuracy out and back of the winner. Still his many breed virtues and the impressive overall package took him through to the Reserve CC. 3. Lee’s Tsuselena Pixel Perfect.

SPECIAL OPEN FAWN DOG (4) 1. Truelove’s Nijacpugs Hot An Bothered, no questioning his sex being very masculine all through with lots of substance but in no way coarse. Well balanced head with sufficient wrinkle, excellent pigment but the eye could be a shade darker. Good finish of mouth, well filled forechest, strong bone of quality, good spring of rib, well coupled and excellent development of hindquarters with strong second thigh, well set and carried twist on a firm topline which he holds on the move. In many ways a twin of his brother who won the Reserve CC. 2. Cannon & Burroughs’ Rewbiehills Pop Master at Flashnik, another full of quality and excellent basic type. Maybe not quite as overtly masculine as 1 and the over-nose wrinkle is a little heavier but otherwise it is a very typical quality head. Not quite the width in front or the strength of bone of 1 but the profile is well balanced and clean cut. His angulation is moderate front and back and he uses this on the move, holding a firm topline and he has a clear quality coat. 3. Turnbull’s Ch Nicobri’s Lord Of The Rings.

SPECIAL OPEN BLACK DOG (1) 1. Black’s Megipugis Greatest Showman, 7 years and holding his age well; no shortage of substance here and an excellent dense colour. Well balanced head with plenty of work, sufficient wrinkle and just about enough underjaw. The eye could be maybe a shade darker but he has ample bone, great spring of rib and he holds his topline well. Moderately angulated with a tight twist and he goes around with an element of style.

VETERAN DOG (1) 1. M. Greatest Showman.

PUPPY BITCH (2) 1. Mitchell’s Pigalle Cherryade, 10 months of high quality and excellent overall type. Feminine head with expressive healthy eyes, just enough wrinkle when aroused, excellent pigment and sufficient strength of underjaw. Just enough bone, well filled in front, good angulation especially behind having great turn of stifle which was apparent when she wasn’t overstretching. Firm topline, well set twist and a clear quality coat. Movement is very true out and back which is where she mainly scored over her litter sister. 2. Mitchell & Crump’s Pigalle Absolute Cherry, litter sister to 1 and similar in so many ways, particularly in head type and expression, general size and shape. Her movement out and back is not as settled as her sister at the moment which accounted for the placing.

JUNIOR BITCH (3,1) 1. Makepeace’s Sandigara Hope And Dreams, high-quality 15 months bitch, cobby with lots of breed type. Very feminine head full of expression with ample wrinkle but no excessive over-nose and reasonable nostrils. Good width of foreface, enough bone for her size, firm topline and optimum angles front and back. Very well balanced all through, she is a steady and stylish mover with a clear quality coat. 2. Rutherford’s Mopszawawa’s Wild Love With Potbelli, again lots of quality and breed type with some interesting facial features but she is a little longer coupled than 1 and not quite as firm in topline. Holds herself well on the go-around but just needs to strengthen behind.

YEARLING BITCH (2,1) 1. Eddery & Dawson-Payne’s Judamie, 20 months old, intense quality all through with such a clean-cut outline and so perfectly schooled and handled. Feminine head with large dark eyes, neat ears, enough foreface and strong pigment. Although intrinsically feminine she has ample substance for her age and sex, the straightest of forelegs with black nails and already well developed forechest. She has a proudly crested neck that flows seamlessly into a solid backline and is well ribbed back. The twist is well set and tightly held and her hindquarters are perfectly let down with ample bend of stifle and firm low hocks. She fits her tight jacket well and the overall silhouette is a delight to study. On the move she is sound, stylish and controlled. In the challenge she continued to make a huge impression and consequently won the CC, BOS and Reserve BIS behind her sire. This was apparently her first CC but I suspect she will quickly gain a well-deserved crown.

NOVICE BITCH (3,2) 1. P. Cherryade.

 POST GRADUATE BITCH (1) 1. Dawson-Payne & Mousley’s Judamie Edith’s Sunshine, just 12 months old but top quality all through which is understandable as I see she is another sired by my Dog CC winner who certainly seems to stamp his progeny with a definite “look”. Gorgeous head and expression with dark intelligent eye, neat ears, noticeable thumbprint and enough nostril. Well filled in front with sufficient bone and strong pigment all through. Very solid body with particularly good hindquarters and she sets herself up easily with forelegs well under her due to perfectly balanced angulation. Firm topline, good spring of rib and well coupled with a neatly held twist and she moves steadily with style. She pushed hard for the CC despite her youth but eventually lost out to her half-sister who I felt was a little firmer in pastern. That said, she well deserved the Reserve CC and should be an easy Champion.

LIMIT BITCH (4,1) 1. McAleny’s Macmoore Bobbies Girl, lovely quality all through, cobby and well-constructed with a feminine head free from exaggeration; sufficient wrinkle, dark expressive eye, excellent pigment and good finish of underjaw. Well filled in front with good width of chest and enough bone. Well ribbed back, nicely angulated and let down behind but a fraction more neck would complete the overall picture. Moves soundly and steadily. 2. Cannon & Burroughs’ Flashnik Fenella Fellorick, another high-quality bitch of excellent type with a look of real class when on the floor – having been a little fidgety on the table - but she settled on terra firma! Perfectly balanced head with a look of wisdom in her dark expressive eyes. Frustratingly she has a tendency to stand a little narrow in front, which is strange because she does actually have good width of chest. Well bodied if a little longer coupled than 1 but the overall picture is one of substance yet class and she moves with a proud bearing. 3. Mitchell’s Cedilla Flowering Cherry.

OPEN BITCH (4) 1. Reynolds’ Croftren Chasing Highs, mature fawn who presents a very impressive overall package, helped by being perfectly schooled and handled. She is clean-cut in outline, has ample bone and substance but gives nothing away in quality. 

Whilst her head is of good basic breed type I feel a slightly fuller eye and neater ears would make it more intensely appealing. Her body is very well balanced, she holds a firm topline and is moderately angulated with quality bone but a little more neck would enhance the overall picture. Where she scores is in profile movement as she carries herself beautifully on the go-around but goes a little wide behind. 2. Dawson-Payne & Mousley’s Ch Judamie Thelma Jean, she appealed to me in head more than 1 as I loved her facial layout and captivating expression but she is a little longer cast than 1 and not quite as firm in topline but she has equal bone and substance and again carries herself well with soundness and style. 3. Birch’s Flashnik’s Glass Slipper.

SPECIAL OPEN FAWN BITCH (6,2) 1. Cannon & Burroughs’ Pugistie Queen Bee at Flashnik, high-quality and very composed, not in any way bothered by the heat. Beautiful headpiece with dark expressive eye, sufficient wrinkle with definite thumbprint, good width pf fore face and strength of underjaw. Just enough bone, well put together construction with excellent length of neck that flows smoothly into a firm topline. She is well coupled with excellent body weight and one of the few dogs here who actually had serious muscle tone on the hindquarters. This is reflected in her movement which is typical, sound and stylish. Annoyingly she has a tendency to overstretch behind which just threw the outline out of balance when it mattered. 2. Rutherford’s Afterglow Dreamsicle With Potbelli, cobby and classy bitch who has lots of type about her and a look of quality though the outline isn’t quite as taut and settled as 1 as she tends to tense a little in topline. Pleasing headpiece, feminine but with sufficient strength, dark expressive eyes and excellent width of foreface. Good straight forelegs, excellent pigment with moderate angulation but didn’t quite have the deportment or drive of 1. 3. Lee’s Ch Pulchra Mary Poppins.

VETERAN BITCH (1) McCahill’s ZobearBumblebee at Davarlin, chunky 7 year old of good basic type and ideal size. Very cobby with essentially typical head and expressive eyes, good overall proportions with enough bone and excellent spring of rib with well held twist. 

ANDREW H. BRACE