So, yet another Crufts has come and gone and, unusually, this one wasn’t pre-empted by copious amounts of disparaging articles in the mainstream press all deriding the pedigree dog, the show world and its breeders.
When I planned this article on the GSD, little did I know how timely it would be? As you all know, an amazing example of the breed achieved the ultimate in the dog show world….
A Resource for Dog Owners, Breeders, and Veterinary Professionals. Sponsored by the AKC Canine Health Foundation and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.
This month I’m starting a new project for my readers! I looked around and this is what I found! So much breed knowledge is available to all if we look for it.
I want to share this true story that happens every day. This is from “The Dog Merchants” Facebook Feed, as reported by CBS news, Chicago. This happens because people can’t find us. Unfortunately, when this happens, people think they’ve been scammed by…breeders (see below).
The peak of fall colors was a tad late this year in many of the northern tier states and was often accompanied by clouds and drizzling rain with the kind of subdued light that shows off the hardwoods brilliance in autumn to its best advantage. The burst of color is nature’s last gift before the stark winter reality of a world of barren trees black against the white snow, an Ansel Adams winter landscape pho- tograph writ large. The sugar maples are bright yellow with just a hint of lime green in the center of most leaves and here and there some have reached the bright red stage with the red ones usually scattered among the leafy carpet as the dog and I amble toward the duck blind. Well, I amble, the dog bounces and bounds.
When I first started writing for (the now sadly defunct) Dog World UK I made a promise to the readers that I would do everything I could to defend the pedigree dog and the show scene. This was something that I felt just wasn’t being done effectively enough.
One would have to be far out of the loop if they weren’t catching some of the controversy that has been escalating of late when it comes to the topic of the Owner vs. the Professional Handler. I think my recent articles may have precipitated others to pen their thoughts on this hot button. Oh well…I might have been one of the first…but I won’t be the last to try and figure out what the disconnect on this might be.
Let’s do a reality check. If we can be really honest with ourselves, we have been on an emotional rollercoaster for more than six months now. Just like the rollercoaster ride at a favorite amusement park, our daily lives share those same ups and downs. Excitement or anticipation best describes how we feel at the beginning of the ride. That first surge as the cars climb the metal structure heading for the peak brings a burst of pleasure or concern. Heading straight down into the depths of the steel valley below either feels screamingly fun or scary beyond words. By the end of the fifteen minutes of terror or delight, off we go. Some of us are eager to go on the same ride again. Others swear, never again. Our reactions are personal–reflections of who we are.
AKC exhibitors have become accustomed to new breeds popping up in the group lineups. In many respects, their presence represents a refreshing turnaround from AKC’s traditional begrudging reluctance to admit new breeds. They didn’t do it very often, and when they did, the process was generally a chaotic affair. Over the years, breeds have been admitted to the studbook sans viable gene pools, written standards, or organized clubs.
