Having been looking through old dog books, and reading about past Champions in various breeds, I started wondering how many of the old 'greats' would still be considered 'great'? Or has type changed too much?

I reckon the two here and here would hold their own in the ring today. How about other people's breeds?
:)

The second one is lovely :D In my breed, presentation has changed a lot over the last few years, so to see some of the "oldies" would come as a bit of a shock

Hmmm - dallies, I loved Ch Tommy Brock - 34CC's ...his showmanship was just awesome and Washakie Dancing Brave - 22CC's. I'd have to say I like the nearly recents the best :)

Tommy Brock was always my favourite, as you say such a showman.

I am not sure the dogs of yesterday would do well today, they seem to be breeding such heavy dogs now, IMO they are losing their elegance which is part of the beauty of a Dalmatian, it doesn't seem to have affected the bitches in the same way, they look better with a bit of substance.

JMHO
Sandra

At the Club show yesterday there were some really hefty-looking animals. :( As you say, the old elegance seems to be disappearing.

I can't stand the look of a fat dalmatian - which, I fear, is what heavier looking ones could be perceived as...

Gwen of Wells must have been gorgeous in the flesh! My own favourites in Labradors are Whatstandwell Coronet and Diant Juliet but unfortunately neither would find favour today I fear. These were show dogs who looked as if they could work all day.

Best wishes, John

How about Ch British Justice, John? In the photo I have he looks stunning.
:)

I don’t think I've actually seen a photo of him Jan. There were so beautiful Labradors in the old days but then again, there were some real terrible specimens! Even as late at the 1960's they were still very variable, far more so than today. Had a beautiful Drakeshead puppy in my class this morning, very young but brains and looks were there to see! I'll be watching for that one in future Field Trials!

Best wishes, John

It is a interesting question, in my own breed some of the dogs that were first imported would not get a look in today’s rings but others may be would. It is difficult to judge as you are only looking at the conformation that the photographer and handler wish to present to you. The two Dallies are well marked, particularly the second but they seem lacking in muscle, but may be if I could get my hands on them, and then again they are not my breed.

In my own breed today there is much more conformity and, in the ring at least, there are no very poor dogs just dogs that conform more to the standard than others, well at least in the eyes of the person looking at them. Must say I think there is more emphasis put on the 'look' and perhaps less on such things as movement but in a breed of small numbers it is inevitable that the exhibits should all start to look very much alike as they are mostly related to the same bitch or more likely sire about 5 or 6 generations back.

i think my breed has come on no end-you now can see straight fronts----good coats . and temperaments have come on too, i saw very few straight fronts in the older pei, and many lacked head , as theyre meant to have a hippo muzzle, .---i think most breeds have changed for the better, same as most things in life :D

Sadly this cannot be said of Pembroke Corgis :(. The Photos I have in some old books are of dogs which could run all day on a mountain (as ours used to) but the ones I see today have their bellies and 'bits' brushing the floor and sway backs seem to be normal. And the heads.... apple domes and ears on the sides of the head. The general look is of a cuddly soft toy not the working dog of 40 years ago.

Bedlingtons seem to have fared better, apart from clipping styles which seemed to get very ott in the 70's and 80's (and occasionally today) and it is possible to find some of the older type of dog still.

I have a old dog book for 1903 and most of the dogs in it are indistinguistable from the dog's of today,they have no resemberlance to the dogs in the showring

You know Dill until you mentioned it I hadn't thought about it. My Granddad had a Pembroke corgi and looking at the photo of him he's nothing like what you see today. Mom says he used to go for miles with Grandad. I would think this would be the 40's or 50's.

Karen

I am pleased to say that judging from photos, the best dogs of 50 years ago were certainly recognisable as Elkhounds and many would have been right at home in the ring now, amd some of the pre-war ones even.

Agree about 50 years ago but some of the 1st imports were to my mind different. Being less square and much longer on the leg and much longer in the muzzel, they could never have been described as cobby. Having said that there were 2 different types being imported from the contenent, and we seem to have settled on the more cobby type. You would know better than I what the present day hounds are like in Norwegian kennels, are they all Anton type or are there still the more leggy ones with what we would consider non-typical heads.

I was tending to think of the Jarlsberg imports of Gerd Berbom, like Bamse av Jarlsberg (bred out of a British bitch), and of course they were just post war.

Looking round the web and at some of the sites of recent show winners, there seem to be some rather squat ones, as well as cobby ones, and some rather lean looking animals with low set tails and poor colour which I hazard were only shown to get a 1st grading to qualify them for their working titles.

I think the untypical headed ones are probably like the Jamthunds, as the breed wasn't split until about that time.

Anyway have you picked your baby up yet???? Piccies I want piccies!!!

You're so right, I would have loved to have had a Pembroke again but coldn't find one that didn't waddle and have toyish looks. Our Pembroke (b.1959) was totally different and was an excellent example of the breed, his father and grandfather were in the books of the breed (Crawleycrow and Sabreflash) and were very handsome dogs, the head and build was totally different. He could run on the mountain for miles and miles without getting tired and definately didn't look soft. I blame the Queens dogs for the change as they all seem to be of a similar type today. And those ears on the side of the head! Whats with that?? It just shows how much the head has changed as the ears should be in line with the eyes from the nose (according to the old standard)