Well, we finished off 2012 with LKA where there was a huge entry of 42 for Mr Lee Cox. Best Bitch and Res. Best Import was Anharbn Clementine. Jackie Brown showed Colistos Nando at his first show and qualified for Crufts. Also qualified and out for the first time was Anna Bailey with Anharbn's Colour Purple. Well done folks.

The start of a new year should bring thoughts of the future and tasks for the new year but that’s been a little difficult when I have some type of K9 version of the Nora virus running through the dogs at the moment giving them 3 days of tummy upset then having to slowly building them up with boiled rice and chicken. It has passed on to each dog in turn so this has kept me busy at the start of 2013.

Your entries should be registered for Crufts by now and you should also remember to pay your membership for the Cirneco dell’Etna Club. Details can be found on the Club web site at www.Cirnecodelletnaclub.co.uk.

Following on from previous breed notes I would like to discuss the description that caught my eye when looking at the different standards. “Gait/Movement, gallop, with intermittent trotting phases this appears in the FCI and ENCI standards. The Kennel Club and AKC state "Springy trot without excessive extension. Viewed from behind, hind legs track the forelegs. Tendency to throw feet sideways or hackney action undesirable.” When reading the two above it would be difficult to be able to visualise what to expect when judging the breed. With a breed that is of square build, the front legs which must move in time with the rear legs, have to cover the ground or keep in step. When the front leg meets it’s opposite rear leg they should not cross or this would be seen in throwing the feet sideways. The structure of the breed only allows the front leg to move so far forward before it has to return to meet the rear leg. The square structure and short upper arm thus restricts the dog reaching forward like some other hound breeds. So you achieve a short reach. The same for the rear movement, the rear legs do not fully extend back thus you have a springy trot. The alternative for a square breed to enable a gait to be achieved, would be to raise it's front legs “hackney” as opposed to reaching forward. This does not give the required pace that would enable the flash response to move from a trot to full out race when hunting so thus is undesirable. The function of the breed is to hunt so it should be viewed as being ready to pounce on any game at any time when moving. May be that’s what the FCI & ENCI are trying to make reference too but combining a trot which is a symmetrical gait (two sides that are identical) and a gallop is asymmetrical (two sides that are the opposite “out of whack”) this makes it difficult to assess the required intention of the movement to be seen. For me the Cirneco should move at a pace that gives it grace and fluid movement but with a slight sense of expectancy ready to pounce or accelerate to a run. All this must be packed into a ring no bigger than a postage stamp on grass that is water logged with lumps and bumps or if we are blessed with being inside having to explain to the dogs that the markings on the floor are not obstacles that they should jump over and it's not funny to slide on the floor at the turns all this to compact in to 45 seconds while you have the judges attention.

Have fun out there

Jill Morris

jill@anharbn.com

6th January 2013