Farm dog with chic

Press, 28 August 1979, Page 1

Farm dog with chic

John-boy, from central Canterbury, won top honours in the Tux National Dog Show, in Wellington. A veteran performer, John-boy is an apricot miniature poodle, better known in show circles as Sundancer of Taff. At eight, an age when most show dogs are retired, John-boy has bowed out in glory, taking the supreme award, best in show. Bred at Mr and Mrs W. J. Morris’s Taff Kennels at Kirwee, John-boy is from a line of champions. His father and grandfather founded the winning line and he has carried on their reputations. Since he was first shown at three, John-boy has won IS best-in-show awards and his owners have now won the coveted title for breeders of the best dog in the show.’ Only two poodles have previously won the top dog title at the national show, both being bred at the Taff Kennels. To win the title, Johnboy had to beat those of his breed, his group (nonsporting dogs), and become one of the six unbeaten group contenders. The final six are the best of their type.

To win a group title a dog must conform to all the standards for his breed and have ring presence, elegance, and showmanship. To become top dog a dog must have that something extra. His breeder, Mr Morris, also a national dog judge, describes it as “charisma.” At the end, when the dog stands up to every comparison of type and quality, it comes down to which dog the judge prefers, he said. This year, the judge, Mr M. Maljanen, of Sweden, chose between John-boy and another veteran, a curly-coated retriever which became reserve best in show. Preparing for that moment took more than four hours of bathing, shaving, drying and brushing to perfection. John-boy enjoys the showring, but back home on the farm he runs through the mud puddles and long grass, chases the hens and enjoys the open spaces like any other dog. The Morris family have bred poodles for 14 years. They now have more than 40 dogs ranging from the petite poodles to a team of racing greyhounds.