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In the first photo, take a good long look at the top portion
of the profile, which we will call the muzzle line. Can you see
the slight rise midway between the nose and stop? Move further
along. Can you see another rise ever so slight right behind the
eyebrow? Now go back to the end of the muzzle and follow the
lip line. Do you notice how it is not running parallel to the
top muzzle line, but is beginning to droop ever so slightly.
While this dog does not have head depth, this drooping lip line
gives a hint that it does. The "underline" or throat
line, could also go back in a straighter line, so this also adds
to the "illusion" and it is an illusion, of head depth. |
In photo 2, again follow the muzzle line and you will see
that in this photo it is much improved, HOWEVER, the stop has
disappeared, and the lack of stop ruins the total picture of
head balance. While the throat line has not been changed at all,
the lack of stop definition makes the lack of underjaw more noticeable
than it was in photo 1.
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Photo 3 has the same basic muzzle line as photo 2 but the LIP
LINE has been much improved, but the THROAT LINE is worse. This
dog is definitely throatier' than the other two, and we
begin to see more depth of head as a result of the throatiness. |
Photo 4 is more like it. The throat line here is better, the
depth and throatiness are not present, but the muzzle line and
upper profile need some help!
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Photo 5 shows the closest to the ideal. Here we have arched the
brow a bit more and improved the stop area. The other detail
of improvement, which if you look closely, you will see has definitely
enhanced the look is that the underjaw has been strengthened,
and with the strengthening, has helped the rounded muzzle to
look more blunt than square. This to me, is the one area of the
standard which I feel for many is the most difficult to understand. |
And, finally, in photo 6 we continued on with the better lip
line, better underjaw and throatline, but went back to the wavy
upper profile, and you will see once again the importance of
BALANCE." Perfection in one area never perfects the
entire picture..
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Return to Collie profile exercise. |