Posted on 02/18/2010 6:17:41 AM PST by JoeProBono
Meaning no disrespect to Sadie the Scottie, who won Best in Show at this year's Westminster competition, and, really, really, really, really, we mean no disrespect to Sadie, who is as terminally adorable as any lapworthy mutt could be.
But, still - another Scottie?
Clearly, the judges are not New Yorkers. This is a sin for which they can be forgiven, but their anti-New York-dog prejudices are unpardonable.
The city is a working town, but the judges have it in for big, brawny, lunchpail-type canines.
There are 26 working breeds, including boxers, Dobermans, Rottweilers and great Danes. In the Best in Show competition's 103-human-year, 721-dog-year history, members of these 26 breeds have taken top prize a grand total of nine times. Meanwhile, darling, darling Scotties have copped eight blue ribbons.
Worse injustices are playing out in plain sight.
According to the American Kennel Club, the most popular breeds among New York City dog owners are, in descending order, Yorkshire terriers, Labradors, dachshunds, Shih Tzus and German shepherds.
But for more than a century, the judges have skunked Labs, dachshunds and Shih Tzus, while deigning to give the nod to a single Yorkie in 1978 and a single German shepherd in 1987.
The insult is palpable. These are among the finest dogs the world has to offer, yet they are treated like curs. Why? Because where these judges are concerned, there's a very big problem at the other end of the leash.
Are the dreadlocks on the Komador natural or do they spend hours at the beauty salon getting them that way.
It’s my favorite group, the herding dogs, who really get screwed.
I’ve had two Afghans, I love them. And you’re right - if you don’t like cats, DO NOT get an Afghan. Very independent, but they love “their” people. But they hate coyotes - big time.
I love Bernese Mountain Dogs. But the sad thing about that breed is that they’ve got an average lifespan of only 7 years due to various cancers that they seem more susceptible to than other breeds. I know there are studies underway to see why this is...
I have had two that died before 8 years old form various cancers. The cause is probably poor breeding practices. The breed was virtually extinct less than 100 years ago and with the high price of the dogs the incentive has been to try to mass produce them. My neighbor has two that are now over 11 years old and still pretty healthy so my next one will be from his breeder.
Yes, my other breed is unlikely to do well in the groups and BIS rings as they are also not showy. The thing that always worries me is that people will breed for that rather than to the standard.
Yes, it’s why I never look at what a dog has won when making breeding decisions. The top winning dogs generally have a lot of money behind them. They are not terrible dogs, but equally nice dogs, who did not have connected owners/handlers and $$$ are out there AND are not being heavily used.
I had a lovely bitch I co-owned and bred who finished her CH in 10 days and won one Best in Specialty (all goldens) and had had a group placement as a move up. My co-owner and I briefly discussed the idea of specialing her, but decided we didn’t want to spend the money, or waste prime breeding years. She has produced a champion and pointed dogs now, so I’m glad we made the decision we did. She’s still a lovely girl with a championship, but I’m happier with what she does in the whelping box than in campaigning her (and paying a handler money I could use elsewhere).
I love Wire Fox Terriers but a Chesepeake Bay Retriever I had was absolutely the best dog...ever. I miss Bulldozer.
I don’t know! That dog looks cool, but I don’t think I’d have the time to keep it knot free.
Working dogs are exactly that, a worker. Their breed standards should be based upon performance first, looks second. The AKC “beauty pageant” can absolutely RUIN a good working breed of dogs.
Witness what they are trying to do to the Bull-mastiff. The entire point of having a “Bull”Mastiff was that it was smaller, and more active, than a Mastiff. But people want a “big” dog to look BIG, so the standards have crept upwards. Now instead of an active guard dog, you have a gorgeous big and lazy dog that doesn't want to go on patrol with you if it means abandoning its comfy bed.
The more the AKC ignores a working breed, the better for the breed.
Field trial champion hunting dogs over AKC beauty pageant dogs any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.
Awww... that looks just like my Dozer.
What does their coat feel like? I've always wondered.
The beauty pageant aspect is what people see when they don't know what's going on. There is no doubt that the best dogs are beautiful. That's because humans interpret symmetrical form, seamless conformation and apparent health and vigor as beauty. People who are at the top of their game in working dogs, competitive field trials, competitive herding understand the relationship of form (conformation) to function.
amen.
Having seen AKC Bullmastiffs, and having owned a Bullmastiff from English bloodlines; the difference is profound. The American breed of Bullmastiffs is inferior in performance, but better looking overall.
Many working breeds are not as ‘standard’ in their appearance as “show” dogs, but their conformation to form has little correlation to actual performance.
It is all a matter of what traits you are going to selectively breed for; are you going to emphasize looks, or are you going to emphasize performance.
That is why, for my money, I would take a field trial champion bloodline over a ‘beauty pageant’ bloodline any day of the week.
Love the whippet and greyhound, the working and herd dogs seem to be the best dogs ever. But the mutt is not in the running, a good pet also. Scotty’s are cute but never could figure out why so many get a big nod and others don’t..
I remember as a kid, putting a big gob of peanut butter on the roof of our dogs mouth and spend the next 10 minutes laughing at them trying to eat it....It was as funny as watching my lab chew on a gummy bear....
Big dog little tub, wonder how doggie did it....LOL
Komodors are beautiful looking when running, but I have heard on Animal Planet that they take a lot of time to groom when adults..
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