Having lived in Corbridge from the age of 8, gone to school in Hexham, learned my trade as a criminal defence lawyer at Newcastle Magistrates & went to show a Griffon for the first time at Prudhoe Sanction show, I was thrilled to be invited to judge at the inaugural North East of England Toy Dog Ch Show at Newcastle racecourse, High Gosforth Park, where the dream of some great Geordie toydog breeders finally became a reality and where even the weather Gods couldn’t dampen spirits as all were somehow fitted indoors & a party like atmosphere prevailed throughout. My brief was the Japanese Chins who had supported well with just 4 of the original 40 exhibits absent. Having 2 breeds following on, I was so fortunate to have such organised stewards, in Carol & Linda, to keep me on my toes! For my homework I had re-studied the brilliant Chris Reeves-Sargant/ Sam Diment illustrated & extended breed standard as produced for a Southern Japanese Chin Club breed seminar. Overall I found the breed in good heart but there was the one particular issue that “bugged” me, namely small noses with pinched nostrils, given the breed standard unequivocally states: “Nose large with open nostrils.” Health SO matters.   SBD (1) 1  HarbroN Jaschin Stop And Paws; 4yrs (today!) b/w who I now see is a son of the Bitch CC that explains his immediate appeal & quality; breadth to his rounded skull matched by width to well cushioned muzzle; well set eyes showing characteristic white in inner corners; open nostrils; squarely built & profusely, silky, coated; maybe not fully outgoing, with his handler being limited on the day, but such a welcome dog to start me off & “get my eye in” as he just kept ticking those breed specific boxes. Best Spec Beginner VD (2) 1 Burden’s  Sangria War Lord 8.5yrs b/w & so beautifully square & super silky coated inc neck frill that was so immaculate; broad, rounded, skull; correct in eye with nose in line that would have preferred a little larger; gd in rib with tuck up & a short loin so as to be “cobby”; firm in bone, yet still slender, with hare feet; notably sound in a well angulated rear; quality as befits his breeding. 2  Westwick  Sharlarna Tyson; 7yrs b/w; a little longer cast; eyes gave characteristic look of astonishment; skull was relatively flat; ex neckline with slight arch to give a proud head carriage; soundly straight & light in action. MPD (1,0) 1  Rooney,   Green,  & Green,   Jaschin Paw Star; 8m b/w; cracking baby with glorious, forward facing, eyes of a gd size with inner white duly showing to give that unique Chin expression; well cushioned muzzle with width; ex neck; short, & level; well furnished silky coat; made me smile with his gait that was so light, balanced, floating & truly parallel; expect to see him titled on this showing.  PD (2,0) 1 Cayton’s  Aleemai Mr Brightside; 11m b/w; undeniably classy & of a relatively dainty size & appearance so just needing to fill out in body as befits his age; scored particularly in skull with matching width to muzzle; crest to neck; level; hare feet; quality coat; nice & sound on the “out & back”;  expect him to mature on to advantage so as to hold his own against his peers.  2 Flynn’s Sharlarna It’s All About Me At Linjato; 9m b/w determined that his handler should earn their keep; currently that tad shorter on the leg & came on a little narrow but these are merely maturity issues; once persuaded, he went superbly behind with a highset tail; loved his relative squareness & he scored both in skull & in that look of astonishment; coat silky & already profusely feathered from the back of his thighs; plenty of promise.  JD (1,0) 1 Rooney,   Green  & Green  Jaschin Working Man I Am; 13m b/w half- brother to the MPD; more typically teenage so that bit tall, long & light framed but that’s what the maturing process is all about; lovely series of circles to define his head, hence a rounded skull; rounded eye with inner white corners; prefer a touch more tilt to the jaw but acknowledge the nuances caused by the breed’s twofold bite; ex neck with a crest; ex, balanced, angles; above all, he demonstrated stylishly light movement with some reach & unexaggerated lift; positive work in progress I reckon. ND (2,0) 1 Bailey Bentwood Wagamappa Suni At Aldoricka; 12.5m b/w at that awkward age, & being relatively raw, so needing to carry more condition; fabulous, textbook, eyes; gd overall structure; level with tail set high & nicely feathered  & plumed; simply awaiting maturity  & shows plenty of promise.  2 McFarlane’s  Corrinwood Peter Piper; 3.5yrs b/w & also had a fabulous, proportionate, eye  plus a rounded skull of breadth & whose maturity showed in his relatively square & well ribbed body; nice & level to an ex tailset & carriage; silky coated; stood a little weak at pastern & could have been more secure & collected on the “out & back.” GD (1,0) 1 Hubble & Summerbell Sharlarna Hit Man For Dabrives; 2.5yrs b/w with a truly outstanding head that was one of the best, ticking all those uniquely breed  specific boxes; classically coated in both texture & frill; truly feathered,  hare feet; “hands on” he was relatively heavy in both body & bone that also detracted from his neckline but will be up there well capable of holding his own after some weight reduction (says I!!) PGD (1,0) 1 Kannagara  Sangria Ps I Love You; 19m b/w of such ex breed type & quality who is simply emerging from his teenage stage & hence that wee bit longercast as yet; outstanding in head that has breadth & rounded both in front as well as between the ears; short, wide & well cushioned muzzle; perfect eye & ears all add to the breed’s unique look of astonishment; loved his slender, hare feet; feathered & highset tail well carried; silky coated; shows every likelihood of maturing on to distinct advantage.  LD (5,1) A v competitive quartet. 1  Farmer’s  Salvador Dali By Sangria; 4yrs b/w of absolute quality; so square,  with some width, scoring in rib, loin & tuck up; so sound, being light & balanced, with just enough elevation; profusely coated with frill standing out; textbook head being a series of circles plus white inside corner of eye, small V-shaped ears, cushioned muzzle and a large nose with open nostrils; surely worth a title as marked with the Reserve Dog CC  2 Quinn’s Sharlarna Swindler Jw;  20m b/w so less of the finished article, being barely out of his teens; oozing quality; lovely facial features from skull to muzzle that gave him his characteristic look of astonishment; crest to neck; correctly angulated; level back; fine, but secure, bone plus hare feet; ex tail carriage;  profuse & silky coat; one to watch as he progresses over the next 6m.  3 Burns and Hampton’s Sleepyhollow Vincent  OD (3,0) 1 Blair’s  Sharlarna’s Chaos At Bellflows; 3yrs b/w who filled my eye from the moment he entered the ring as here came not only everything I was looking for but all in the same exhibit! Classic breed specific type & there are so many of those specific boxes to be ticked in Chins; am not about to reiterate the breed standard; just go look this boy out; the most glorious relatively large & rounded of heads with width in his short muzzle & proudly carried on a crested neck; so square & cobby thanks to being well ribbed-up; feathered hare feet; but he really made me smile when he moved like a wee aristocrat with such a light, flowing quality with both reach & elevation, plus off well turned & muscled quarters; beautifully coated with well plumed & placed tail; turns out has a couple of Res CCs but been lightly shown due to declining health of this exhibitor’s mother who passed, she having just entered him here; guess you all knew rather more than me, and admired him as much, as the ringside positively erupted, twice, as I happily awarded him Dog CC & BOB  2 Farmer   Sangria De Ja Vous; 6.5yrs b/w with all the class & quality you would expect from this “never shows a bad one” breeder; inevitably outstanding in head features & roundness so as to look suitably both distinguished & astonished; was that tad longer & stood a little careless at pastern but the feet themselves were enviably hare, slender & feathered; super coat quality with a profusely feathered highset tail carried so as to add to his style; elegant & true on the move. 3 Flynn’s Ch Sharlarna Evolution At Linjato  VB (3,0) 1  Rooney,   Green  & Green   Ch Swifthocks Paws For Thought JW; 7.5yrs b/w; my judging book reads “all you want” that, frankly, is all that should be needed for this critique; such breed details in her lovely face with her eyes quite simply drawing you in; compact & square being so well bodied with width in chest & firm in loin with a muscled rear, profusely feathered, that was well angulated; loved how she handled on the table to illustrate that fine bone can nonetheless be strong; great coat & carriage with movement that was an education in its lightness & so straight; couldn’t deny her, following her repeat performance in the challenge, & given that “class will out”. Bitch CC  2 Blair  Bellflows Honey Bee; 8yrs b/w; so feminine & of an ex breed type all through; lovely headpiece scoring in skull, eye & muzzle; nicely structured, angulated  & balanced that came together so well on the move where she was both light & true; all credit is due for maintaining her in this condition & hopefully with plenty more years to come. 3 Scott’s Rakuchin Maid For Samaranda  MPB (3,0) 1 Kerr’s  Sharlarna Symply Nigella NAF,TAF; 8.5m half-sister to the BOB; instantly appealed; so classy; so square; so “together “ with just that bit of devilment that reminded us we were all here on her terms, not ours; gorgeous eyes with desired look of astonishment; skull rounded in front & between the ears; quality coat plus quality in her carriage, once persuaded; absolutely sound w/o any weakness in rear & with some reach & unexaggerated lift in front; became ever more assured & consistent, not least in the final challenge so as to justifiably annex BPIB.  2 Crane’s  Cranvarl Eliza Doolittle; at last we had a change of colour as this beautifully made 7.5m r/w made an immediate impression; she may well have been that bit heavier built & boned, plus that bit longer bodied,  but I would see her as a real asset to any kennel for her potential as a dam & hope she proves me right; outstanding in skull, eye & ear plus a nicely open nosepad with rounded upper lips; can still firm at pastern; ideally coated; had a v secure carriage with lift & style; quite the “business” to my mind. 3 Newbery’s Sharlarna Lady Danger For Hermosoangel; half-sister of MPB.  PB (3,1) 1 Streek’s  Sharlarna Harmony At Sherazade; 9m b/w; a little cracker being so pretty & so square with such an engaging eye with that small amount of white in the inner corner & with her rounded skull plus well cushioned muzzle with a distinct uptilt; nicely angulated & level; ex coat qualities; such a light, balanced, mover; must surely have an assured future.  2  C E Doolittle  JB (3,1) 1 Westwick,  Sharlarna Shakira; 14m r/w; well put together, level & well ribbed if a touch long, entirely consistent with her teenage phase; so strikingly correct in head features & their placement as to give such a typically astonished look; feathered, hare feet & truly parallel & light on the move with a perfect tailset & carriage; plenty of promise.  2 Leach  Ashaka Puss In Boots In Ouzlewell ; just rising 13m b/w so v much the baby yet who instantly appealed for both her headtype & features as well as for her cobby shape; however she was feeling  uncomfortable being gone over on the table  & tending to roach her back; this was all explained when off the table as she then relieved herself twice, being both stood & on the move; just a day to write off as I fully expect her, moving on, to readily hold her own against her peers.  NB (2,0) 1 McFarlane’s Churchis Precious Jewel; b/w I had recorded in my judging book as “3yrs” but now see the catalogue has double that at 6yrs, born April ‘18; maybe I misheard; certainly smart & compact in build with an enviable eye; crest to neck; level; quality coat; body just a tad long; went so well being straight, light & with style. 2 S Lady Danger For H; 7m b/w who was 3rd in MPB so obviously  at the  opposite end of the age spectrum; half-sister to the BOB; so utterly feminine with firm, fine bone; attractive, expressive face; pretty square  & certainly sound & sure footed; understandably still needs to grow on & fill out; all credit to her replacement handler, stepping in to help a friend & making her dog showing debut, who did a great job. GB (3,1) 1 Lindley  Sharlarna Conchita For Meglind; just turned 2yrs r/w choc full of breed qualities; such a typical face in a proportionately sized head with not only the characteristic look of astonishment but also a, notably, textbook open nosepad; had some width & scored in rib & loin; so level; so sound, balanced & active with an ex tail carriage; straight silky coat of ex colouring; should rapidly be moving up the ranks.  2 C P Jewel  PGB (1,0) 1 Pott’s J Adreeam Highland Chincess 19m r/w so giving some “finish” away, as she emerges from teenager to adult, but of real quality & femininity w/o any weakness; scored in skull & in her characteristic eyes; gd in neck & angles; level & well ribbed with a quality coat, colouring & ex tail carriage; such a light, stylish & true mover; should surely be moving onwards & upwards. LB (3,1) 1 Hubble & Summerbell,  Dabrives Silver Dynasty; 5yrs b/w; beautifully square  & so gd to go over, albeit needing to carry no more body condition & was lacking a bit in coat; nicely rounded in skull & cushioned in muzzle with correct inner white of eye; gd in rib with short loin; said to “hate indoors” she gave not the slightest indication today, being both happy & lively as she entered into the spirit. 2 Westwick’s  Sharlarna Hiflying Handbag; just turned 3yrs b/w; half-sister to JB; another of this breeding with outstanding head features & circles, right through her skull, eye, ear & muzzle; level; compact; gd in rib & loin; carried herself well on the move & was in a quality coat. OB (6,0) Tremendous class all through, even if headed by the 3 Chs entered.  1 : Rooney,  Green & Green  Ch Jaschin First Edition; rising 5yrs b/w of classic breed type both in head & in her structure; a compact square through rib & loin, albeit carrying max condition; glorious characteristic look of astonishment & those series of circles; proud carriage aided by her neck & her angulation; beautifully coated; absolutely sound & parallel with a firm rear & forward, elevated, reach  2 Quinn  Ch Sharlarna Eye Candy JW; 2.5yrs b/w & so eye-catchingly classy & ultra feminine, albeit can still mature on  to advantage & is always going to  be making her presence felt, as today; eyes to die for; equally gd in skull as in muzzle; neck with crest; well feathered hare feet; level & square; high, plumed tail; light, true & balanced on the move; she is special as she ticks so many of those specific Chin boxes. 3 Rooney,  Green & Green Ch Jaschin Paws For Applause