TinysMom wrote:
Definitely NOT a teddy as you can see a nice saddle on him that has shed out.
This is from the Lionhead working standard:
[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"]COAT- Points 15: The fur should be soft, dense, of medium length, and prime. It should show lots of life and glossiness. Ideally the saddle, flanks, and rump of the animal should be clean of wool. Transition wool is allowed on the lower rear sides and rump of juniors and seniors.
Transition wool is defined as a significantly shorter wool on the face, flanks, and rump. Transition wool is not to exceed 2 inches.
[/font][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"]Faults - Fur that is long, thin, or poor in texture; excessive wool on the flanks of a junior animal.[/font]
To me, the fur doesn't show "lots of life and glossiness", it appears as a shorter or maybe intermediate (as in, in the process of molting out) wool, rather than fur. Like I said, that may molt out in time because I've seen that happen too. Or it may just be the picture making it look more fuzzy than it really is. But either way, my point was just that the coat didn't look ideal from the pictures.
You are right - the coat doesn't look ideal from the photos. To be very blunt - this rabbit is a pet quality rabbit and not show or brood quality. It is just too long in body - the ears are too long - and for a buck - most breeders that have been breeding lionheads would not have this rabbit as part of their show or breeding stock.
By the way - with experience - you can learn to tell at a fairly young age which of the lionheads will be closer in type (when you get a litter and can compare them).
However - in the second and third picture(s) if I remember right - you can see where the saddle is breaking - where it is starting to lose all that mane. That is how I know it isn't a teddy - as a teddy (from my experience of being "blessed" with far too many of them) - won't show a saddle at all. As soon as I start to see that saddle start to break - I know the rabbit isn't a teddy.
Teddy may have been the incorrect term to use- I was under the impression it just meant an excessively fuzzy Lionhead.
Well - you're right - it is excessively fuzzy - but if a rabbit starts to have the saddle show - then it isn't a teddy and odds are good the rest of the mane will get better (less fluffy) after some time.