Canaries in the Coal Mine
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By Wayne Cavanaugh
Imagine walking into an AKC All-Breed dog show knowing your dog was going to win the group. There are a few small catches: your dog can’t bite anyone, can’t be lame, and has to defeat four class dogs to win the breed, but you have the only special. In fact, your dog is the only champion terrier of any breed entered and, therefore, is the only dog in the Terrier Group ring.
Impossible? Well, it happened at a show last month. And it almost happened again the next day except two class dogs from another terrier breed came to challenge, so two dogs were in the terrier group ring the next day. Luck was in the air, so in 48 hours the lone terrier special for both days became a “multiple group winner” by defeating four of its breed and two of another breed.
I want to be clear – I am not suggesting the dog wasn’t worthy of becoming a multiple group winner. I’ve never seen the dog; he might be extremely deserving. This is absolutely not about the dog. And it is not about the club or the show. It is about wondering what on earth has become of our sport.
I’m tired of saying it and hearing about it from just about everyone in the sport but it’s true–there are too many dogs shows and too few entries per show and it seems to be getting worse instead of better. This is not a COVID thing–by 2018, before any pandemic, entries per show had already shrunk and the number of shows had already soared. The number of shows is out of control, and nothing seems to be getting done about it. If the goal is to create a system where every dog gets to eventually be a Best In Show winner, we’re heading in the right direction. Group wins would be like a “participation trophy” that every kid gets in Little League. If we’re supposed to be evaluating breeding stock at the breed level, we’re undoubtedly heading in the wrong direction.
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Posted by AnthonyA
on Nov 9 2021. Filed under Current Articles, Featured.
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