‍The Importance of Silhouette 

‍in Showing Dogs

‍By Richard Beauchamp

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‍What Does Silhouette Say About Breed Type and Function?

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‍Students who have asked me to mentor them in a breed I have been involved with often begin the request by saying, “I just can’t get a handle on this breed. They come in so many different sizes and shapes I just don’t know which way to turn.”

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‍The confusion is not the least bit unusual nor is the problem that creates it. Many— in fact, far too many— dogs shown today have been produced by individuals who are themselves unclear about what they are shooting for. This explains why in the same ring, in the same breed, you will findshort-legged long dogs andlong-legged tall dogs.

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‍To the untrained eye this looks like one thing and one thing only— mass confusion…

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‍I devote an entire chapter of my book,Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type, to silhouette as one of the five elements of breed type, along with breed character, head, movement and coat, but in truth the importance of silhouette runs throughout the book. There is little this element does not affect.

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‍So, you might ask what is actually included in the silhouette that makes it so important— in a word, everything. From the tip of the nose to the very end of the tail the silhouette tells you what should be there and how it should be shaped.

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‍The correct shape gives you the dog whose parts put him in balance and when a dog is in perfect balance, this forward movement occurs flawlessly with little up-and-down action at the shoulder. The smooth transitions of power flow back and forth harmoniously, almost giving the impression of thewheels of a bicycle. Not all dogs, even the best of them, are blessed with this concordant movement and when present should be highly prized…