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Originally Posted by Maximo  If I recall correctly reading older threads here, 9 inches (at the shoulder) would be the high end of desirable height. |
There is nothing in the standard that designates height. What you want is a well balanced dog. Height at the shoulders should be equal to the length from base of the neck to base of the tail. You will see a bitch that is slighty longer than taller....most breeders prefer that in the females for whelping purposes.
You can get away with showing a smaller dog than bitch. However, the dogs shown in NYC at the National are on the larger size. I've shown in various parts of the country, Central US dogs are pretty much in the middle of the road......On the West Coast they are a bit smaller. But, that changes all the time.