Aethon's The Show Goes On - Level III
Dog’s Name: Aethon's The Show Goes On
Dog’s Sex: Male
Dog’s Breed: German Shepherd Dog
Dog’s Age: 4 Years
Dog's Group: Herding
Dog’s Registration Number: SGSDC 0014
Handler’s Name: Damien Collins
Owner/Kennel’s Name: Aethon Stud
In-Ring Demeanor:
"Ready, boy?" Damien asked as his eyes fell down upon his four legged partner. 'The first K-9 Team in Starlight Shores history' were some big shoes to fill, and yet even that seemed more manageable than being at the top of the Sims Kennel Club. His palms were sweating bullets as he waited in line with the other Best of Group winners, a boast of anxiety coursing through him. Last night, he had been stressing about this very moment, even though he told himself that this was a silly thing to concern over, after all, he had come face to face with armed criminals before. As he looked down at his dog just after midnight in the hotel room, still unable to fall into even a broken sleep, Damien couldn't help but remember and reflect on their road so far. That overgrown dog was so much more than Damien could have ever expected. Even as he slept in his crate, door wide open, nose tucked under the tip of his tale, Hero seemed to exhale a calming affection towards his restless handler. The dog who could switch so easily from a fearless charge, a bone-shattering bite, a puncturing hold on his man to an entirely different animal able to be hugged by the child of the criminal without reservation. Hero was an extraordinary canine, and as his handler drifted off with those images in mind, Damien knew in the back of his mind he had nothing to worry about now... "I never thought we'd make it this far, look what it's doing to my suit." He muttered as he stood in line on their judgement day, knotting the thin black lead over his fist. The sweat under his arms was almost ready to soak straight through his jacket. Damien took a deep breath before leaning down onto one knee before his best friend. "This is the last of it, the biggest show of your career. You've earned your keep, pup. No matter what happens." Hero was watching his partner closely, sensing the excitement in the hall just before the arena. The famous German Shepherd's tail wagged lowly as he came right to Damien and tried to lick his handler's lips. Ears layed back, dark brown eyes more reflective than they had every seemed before, a tiny exited whine given as Damien pulled his head away from the dog's tongue. But it made Damien smile and forget in that moment all of the eyes waiting to scrutinize every inch of them. Hero seemed to know what affect his actions would have on his handler, and as soon as he'd reached up to lick Damien, Hero's attention turned back to the vast blue carpet before them, straining against the thin lead with dancing front paws. The song began to play, and soon afterwards the announcer's voice would command all the handlers and their dogs into the ring. Damien tugged at the leash, turning Hero's attention back to his partner for the last words. "Good boy, Hero. Show them all what you got, then we can get back to saving people. No matter what happens."
_____________________.::._______________________
Hero appeared through the dark hallway and the cheers erupted as all four of the Best of Group winners came into view. The air was electric with high hopes, prayer, and tension. Damien's eye drifted for a moment up to the crowd, seeing what felt like hundreds of ecstatic faces hooting, cheering as loud as they could, screaming at the top of their lungs, appraising the line up of exceptional dogs. They sure seemed pleased with the choices the judges before had made. At the sudden onslaught of cheer and energy, Hero's demeanor immediately changed. In under two seconds since the cheer began, the German Shepherd Dog puffed up his chest, raised his head and stiffened his body to give the most prideful expression possible. He was soaking it up, living in the roar of the crowd and the echo of the music. This was the moment, this was his moment. Once around the ring then it was time to move into position before the judge. Damien didn't know if his heart could take him through this entire show, but he was sure going to try. A smooth transition from a fast trot to a stacked stand was executed beautifully as Hero's partner, owner, and handler, Damien Collins, twisted his body and brought his right hand up. This was all the signal Hero needed to stop dead, head raised, ears and eyes focused entirely upon his partner. As the camera's panned over the dog in slow motion and the announcer began to give the audience a brief history of the breed, Damien watched the judge grow near. Hero was calm and alert, lively but without tension. He held a great focus upon his handler and was stacked beautifully in the iconic picture as unique to Hero as his name. Hero's expression was friendly and approachable, although his size and substance insisted upon the power he housed under that stunning, shampooed coat. Who ever would have guessed that a DDR dog, an east German working bloodlines creation would be seen in a conformation show of this magnitude. Bless his coat for being the correct show color, but he had an edge. Almost all high-caliber show GSD's were derived from show lines. They looked nice, but there were details about them that were lost for the show ring in order to conform better. Hero had no such regulation set upon his ancestors. A dog bred to work sheep, to be in the battlefield alongside soldiers and amidst a cloud of bullets; that is what these dogs were created for. Their jobs were demanding, requiring the highest level of fitness and flexibility. Show lines often have the beauty and ring prowess, but they do not have the stamina or the same ability to do the job created for them as the working lines still posses. This was sure to be an interesting moment in the mind of the judge. The announcer stated that Hero was a police dog just as she lifted up his jowls, exposing the huge white teeth, perfectly aligned in a devastating scissor bite. Surely she could tell he was able to do the job of holding a suspect now. A proud and fearless dog stood before this judge as she ran her trained hands over his freshly bathed coat, checking his conformation through feel. What a solid and muscular dog he was. Such a contrast from the smooth, inviting touch of his fur, just one thorough pet over his neck and shoulders would illustrate the picture for anyone. He was all lean muscle. Extremely strong and sturdy and so physically fit you could almost feel the individual bands of muscle running over his entire body. His spine did not protrude from his back, instead it was held firmly in place by resistant tendons, lending in the representation of a working dog with the strong back to keep exhaustion and pain at bay. He did not waver at the judge's touch, did not loose focus from Damien, and seemed to thrive on the attention, even giving one quick wag of his tail when the judge gave him a pat. "Take him around, please." Said the unreadable judge. Damien nodded as his hand dismissed Hero's attention, walking quickly to the near half wall and circling to face the empty blue carpet in their path. Hero was eager to get on with it. The crowd cheered again as the honorary member of the police force trotted down the imaginary line. Driving forward off well-made, powerful hind legs, Hero pushed on ahead of his partner, as was the norm for the breed. He trotted with an unrestricted, mile-eating gait that was so straight and fast it seemed unreal. His ears were up, eyes focused, and tail perfectly in line with his back; giving the overall impression of a true working dog. A quick tug on the leash and a dropped shoulder from Damien signaled it was the moment to turn. Effortlessly, the dog curved around his handler to lock his attention back down towards the judge. They came back in the same fashion, all the while the crowd refusing to stop lending their opinion on the genetic underdog. When the pair returned back before the judge, Hero again did a beautiful free stack, and the crowd took notice as they exploded into praise. One final look over, handler and canine in complete sync with each other, smiling at one another through a language only known to them. Hero had done it. He had exceeded Damien's expectations for the umpteenth time. Being sent away, Damien couldn't help but run a bit faster and praise his dog for a job very, very well done.
The Entries:
Dog’s Sex: Male
Dog’s Breed: German Shepherd Dog
Dog’s Age: 4 Years
Dog's Group: Herding
Dog’s Registration Number: SGSDC 0014
Handler’s Name: Damien Collins
Owner/Kennel’s Name: Aethon Stud
In-Ring Demeanor:
"Ready, boy?" Damien asked as his eyes fell down upon his four legged partner. 'The first K-9 Team in Starlight Shores history' were some big shoes to fill, and yet even that seemed more manageable than being at the top of the Sims Kennel Club. His palms were sweating bullets as he waited in line with the other Best of Group winners, a boast of anxiety coursing through him. Last night, he had been stressing about this very moment, even though he told himself that this was a silly thing to concern over, after all, he had come face to face with armed criminals before. As he looked down at his dog just after midnight in the hotel room, still unable to fall into even a broken sleep, Damien couldn't help but remember and reflect on their road so far. That overgrown dog was so much more than Damien could have ever expected. Even as he slept in his crate, door wide open, nose tucked under the tip of his tale, Hero seemed to exhale a calming affection towards his restless handler. The dog who could switch so easily from a fearless charge, a bone-shattering bite, a puncturing hold on his man to an entirely different animal able to be hugged by the child of the criminal without reservation. Hero was an extraordinary canine, and as his handler drifted off with those images in mind, Damien knew in the back of his mind he had nothing to worry about now... "I never thought we'd make it this far, look what it's doing to my suit." He muttered as he stood in line on their judgement day, knotting the thin black lead over his fist. The sweat under his arms was almost ready to soak straight through his jacket. Damien took a deep breath before leaning down onto one knee before his best friend. "This is the last of it, the biggest show of your career. You've earned your keep, pup. No matter what happens." Hero was watching his partner closely, sensing the excitement in the hall just before the arena. The famous German Shepherd's tail wagged lowly as he came right to Damien and tried to lick his handler's lips. Ears layed back, dark brown eyes more reflective than they had every seemed before, a tiny exited whine given as Damien pulled his head away from the dog's tongue. But it made Damien smile and forget in that moment all of the eyes waiting to scrutinize every inch of them. Hero seemed to know what affect his actions would have on his handler, and as soon as he'd reached up to lick Damien, Hero's attention turned back to the vast blue carpet before them, straining against the thin lead with dancing front paws. The song began to play, and soon afterwards the announcer's voice would command all the handlers and their dogs into the ring. Damien tugged at the leash, turning Hero's attention back to his partner for the last words. "Good boy, Hero. Show them all what you got, then we can get back to saving people. No matter what happens."
_____________________.::._______________________
Hero appeared through the dark hallway and the cheers erupted as all four of the Best of Group winners came into view. The air was electric with high hopes, prayer, and tension. Damien's eye drifted for a moment up to the crowd, seeing what felt like hundreds of ecstatic faces hooting, cheering as loud as they could, screaming at the top of their lungs, appraising the line up of exceptional dogs. They sure seemed pleased with the choices the judges before had made. At the sudden onslaught of cheer and energy, Hero's demeanor immediately changed. In under two seconds since the cheer began, the German Shepherd Dog puffed up his chest, raised his head and stiffened his body to give the most prideful expression possible. He was soaking it up, living in the roar of the crowd and the echo of the music. This was the moment, this was his moment. Once around the ring then it was time to move into position before the judge. Damien didn't know if his heart could take him through this entire show, but he was sure going to try. A smooth transition from a fast trot to a stacked stand was executed beautifully as Hero's partner, owner, and handler, Damien Collins, twisted his body and brought his right hand up. This was all the signal Hero needed to stop dead, head raised, ears and eyes focused entirely upon his partner. As the camera's panned over the dog in slow motion and the announcer began to give the audience a brief history of the breed, Damien watched the judge grow near. Hero was calm and alert, lively but without tension. He held a great focus upon his handler and was stacked beautifully in the iconic picture as unique to Hero as his name. Hero's expression was friendly and approachable, although his size and substance insisted upon the power he housed under that stunning, shampooed coat. Who ever would have guessed that a DDR dog, an east German working bloodlines creation would be seen in a conformation show of this magnitude. Bless his coat for being the correct show color, but he had an edge. Almost all high-caliber show GSD's were derived from show lines. They looked nice, but there were details about them that were lost for the show ring in order to conform better. Hero had no such regulation set upon his ancestors. A dog bred to work sheep, to be in the battlefield alongside soldiers and amidst a cloud of bullets; that is what these dogs were created for. Their jobs were demanding, requiring the highest level of fitness and flexibility. Show lines often have the beauty and ring prowess, but they do not have the stamina or the same ability to do the job created for them as the working lines still posses. This was sure to be an interesting moment in the mind of the judge. The announcer stated that Hero was a police dog just as she lifted up his jowls, exposing the huge white teeth, perfectly aligned in a devastating scissor bite. Surely she could tell he was able to do the job of holding a suspect now. A proud and fearless dog stood before this judge as she ran her trained hands over his freshly bathed coat, checking his conformation through feel. What a solid and muscular dog he was. Such a contrast from the smooth, inviting touch of his fur, just one thorough pet over his neck and shoulders would illustrate the picture for anyone. He was all lean muscle. Extremely strong and sturdy and so physically fit you could almost feel the individual bands of muscle running over his entire body. His spine did not protrude from his back, instead it was held firmly in place by resistant tendons, lending in the representation of a working dog with the strong back to keep exhaustion and pain at bay. He did not waver at the judge's touch, did not loose focus from Damien, and seemed to thrive on the attention, even giving one quick wag of his tail when the judge gave him a pat. "Take him around, please." Said the unreadable judge. Damien nodded as his hand dismissed Hero's attention, walking quickly to the near half wall and circling to face the empty blue carpet in their path. Hero was eager to get on with it. The crowd cheered again as the honorary member of the police force trotted down the imaginary line. Driving forward off well-made, powerful hind legs, Hero pushed on ahead of his partner, as was the norm for the breed. He trotted with an unrestricted, mile-eating gait that was so straight and fast it seemed unreal. His ears were up, eyes focused, and tail perfectly in line with his back; giving the overall impression of a true working dog. A quick tug on the leash and a dropped shoulder from Damien signaled it was the moment to turn. Effortlessly, the dog curved around his handler to lock his attention back down towards the judge. They came back in the same fashion, all the while the crowd refusing to stop lending their opinion on the genetic underdog. When the pair returned back before the judge, Hero again did a beautiful free stack, and the crowd took notice as they exploded into praise. One final look over, handler and canine in complete sync with each other, smiling at one another through a language only known to them. Hero had done it. He had exceeded Damien's expectations for the umpteenth time. Being sent away, Damien couldn't help but run a bit faster and praise his dog for a job very, very well done.
The Entries:
The Free Stack
Gait Returning to Judge
Feature Highlight - Hip/Hind Leg Correctness
BEST IN SHOW
1. Presentation (1-10): 9
2. Conformation (1-10): 10
3. Visual Appeal (1-10): 9
4. In-Ring Demeanor/Written Portion (1-10): 10
5. Judge Bias (0-2): 1
Total: 39
1. Presentation (1-10): 9
2. Conformation (1-10): 10
3. Visual Appeal (1-10): 9
4. In-Ring Demeanor/Written Portion (1-10): 10
5. Judge Bias (0-2): 1
Total: 39