"This entry proved to be a bit of a headache in parts. I had to make some compromises that could be reversed on a different day. As always, temperaments were lovely. However, while presentation and trimming has reached an all-time high, construction (and sometimes, conditioning) sadly has not kept apace. I feel it may be time to re-assess whether we are falling into the ‘ornament dogs' syndrome. A beautiful dog/bitch standing in the ring is the most wonderful sight but it has to be able to move (up, back, in profile and at an appropriate pace) and we really must not lose sight of what it should be capable of doing. Eyes still need careful consideration and too much heavy, loose skin doesn't help. Surprisingly, I found several with kinks in tails (some quite marked and others not as obvious). There were a few with recovering hot-spots but this was understandably due to the weather and moulting. Bone was generally good with a few really excellent ones which were not too heavy to affect the 'great activity' asked for in the Standard. Angulation was improved and many had pretty much the same angles in the shoulder/upper arm as they had in the femur/stifle. Despite the negative points mentioned, I was delighted with my winners and those who came close behind them. Shape of croup was very good in most, resulting in excellent tail carriage."