Just read the write up on an import register class in one of todays papers.  I don't usually complain and I'm not really as the write up was brilliant except for one thing.  Eye Colour!

Up until a few years ago dark pigmentation and dark eyes on a pale coloured SWD would have been frowned upon.  It is only in the last 10 years or so that this has been more accepted, so to read a critique where the judge says would have preferred a darker eye on a gold dog is rather upsetting.  A gold, cream dog should have preferrably light eyes, darker eyes are allowed now but the lighter eye in my opinion should be more preferable.  Please note any judges that also their pigmentation can be light (pigmentation should match the main colour of the coat) and is preferable on a paler colour than black pigmentation would be.

The dog in question I feel, is one of the best in this country at the moment (no I didn't breed him) and the rest of the write up was wonderful.  I just don't want dogs with correct pigmentation and eye colour to lose out because of the eye colour and pigmentation that is preferred in other breeds, we are SWD's and not another breed.

Its me again, havent read that write up, which paper and show are you talking about and which dog if you feel able to say incase Ive binned the paper or used it for the puppy in the after Christmas clear up.

Jenny

It was Dog World this weeks, Horsham I think?  It is Bibi's litter brother that Lynn bred, the really nice gold dog that was at Wanda's.  I actually think that he's one of the best Spanish in the country at the moment ! He has the correct build, with not too much angulation as the breed should be. I think that he's adorable :d  This if I'm right was his first show and he won Best Import.  As I say, everything else that the judge put was correct and it's a wonderful write-up, but a darker eye on a gold really shouldn't be, yes they can have it, but from the days when we brought the breed in this was the preferred eye colour and the darker eye wasn't wanted at that time, neither was dark pigmentation although both are allowed and accepted these days.