The Conformation Evaluation
The Conformation Evaluation assesses American Staffordshire Terriers
not only for their physical beauty but also for their athleticism, soundness,
and temperament. The latter is emphasized in the evaluation because it
is FAST's belief that poor temperament renders a dog worthless to serve
man as intended.
Each AmStaff must pass the Social Compatibility Test (SCT) before entering
the conformation evaluation. All dogs must be registered, intact, and one
year old by test day. Two evaluators examine each dog in a process that
takes about 20 minutes per evaluator, assessing dogs against the standard,
not against each other. Because we are evaluating the dog as a working
animal, handlers can expect to be asked for a lot of movement.
Evaluators critique each dog on a written form, assigning points according
to how well the dog conforms to the standard. The total scores (out of
a possible 100 points) from both evaluators are averaged and this average
becomes the dog's overall rating. Upon completion, handlers receive copies
of both evaluations, plus a certificate and a participation award.
Points are awarded as follows:
General Impression, Balance and Size
10 points
Head
10 points
Body
20 points
Running Gear
20 points
Symmetry, Style and Movement
10 points
Tail
5 points
Coat and Color
5 points
Temperament
20 points
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