Breeders and fanciers know if theirs is a “head breed,” an element of the dog that in some breeds is a defining element of type. It never ends well when there is so much emphasis on the head that other aspects of the dog suffers, but this needn’t be the case if breeders are mindful of overall soundness and type, and judges reward it when they see it.

The position of the head, ear carriage, cheeks that are well filled (or not) –  there is a lot that goes into a “good head,” and one aspect of it is facial expression. It matters not only because the head is the first thing we tend to notice about a dog, but also because it conveys the breed’s “mood,” for lack of a better way of putting it. A Coton de Tulear, for example, should have an expression that is “lively, intelligent, inquisitive, alert and happy.”  “Happy” is less important in a Dogo Argentino whose expression includes a “marked hardness.”

Sometimes, there are words and terms not included in a breed standard, but they are commonly known among breed fanciers, and the Doberman Pinscher is one such breed. Encapsulated into one word, Doberman expression could be referred to a “regal,” but among fanciers, the  typical breed expression is more commonly referred to as the “look of eagles.”

We haven’t yet sought permission to use this gorgeous photo by Gay Glazbook, but when we saw it, we thought, “This is the look of eagles.”

The photo we have used is from DepositPhoto