25 Words or Less…Can You Do It?
by Andrea Erickson
I
read an article years back that proposed that a breed could be described
succinctly in 25 words or less. If
you had to describe the Polish Lowland Sheepdog to an intelligent but
non-dog oriented individual what words would you use?
Let’s say that this person is a judge of horses, but not a judge
of dogs. Or, let’s say that you are approached at a dog show by a
prospective judge and asked to describe the breed, would you be able to
convey the essence of the Polish Lowland in 25 words or less?
This
is an exercise that you can do on your own.
First, print off a copy of the standard for the breed.
Click on this link and select print on your toolbar http://www.pawtown.com/PONstandard.htm
Now,
section by section, select key phrases or words that you feel are most
important in describing the Polish Lowland.
For this exercise we will grant as “freebies” any articles
(“a”, “the”, “an”, etc) and any conjunctions (“and”,
“but”, “or”, etc.). Most
likely you will have more than 25 words!
Now, go through each of those sections again and look at those
words and choose only those that you feel are the absolute essentials.
Is
it possible to describe the breed in only 25 words?
It may be difficult for some, but it is possible and VERY
educational!
The
words or phrases most used in the various sections of the standard are
“strong”, “heavy”, “muscular” all three words being keywords
in the description of the breed.
Here is my list of 25…..feel free to e-mail us with your list!
Results will be posted in next month’s issue.
General
Appearance
Medium-sized Strong Long
thick coat Lively Size,
Proportion, Substance
Well-balanced Heavy-boned Rectangular Head
and Skull
Medium
sized head Profuse
hair Neck,
Topline, Body
Muscular
and strong Deep
and broad (chest) Forequarters
Heavily
muscled (shoulders) Heavy
bone (legs) Short,
set low (tail) |
Hindquarters
Heavily
boned Well
muscled Coat
Double
coated Soft
and dense (NOTE!
This refers to the undercoat – there is no mention in the
current standard in regard to proper coat texture of the guard
hair!) Gait
Fluid
motion Great
reach of stride Parallel
(front leg movement) Good
rear angulation Parallel
(back legs) Temperament Stable Nervous,
cowardly, vicious (NOTE!
FAULTS)
|
