Key to Profiles

 
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.

 

 

 

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!

 

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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