had fun at crufts yesterday but also annoyed about GSD

[_Sam_]

Off we went to Crufts yesterday and on the whole had a great day

slight travel issues getting there as they closed the blinking M1 so we diverted cross country and due to my superb map reading we found the M40

We watching a fantastic gun dog demo. Firstly a chap called Adrian did a demo with his spaniels... inc one very cute 5 month old spaniel who did very well considering all the noise and crowds.

Then we had a really good demo by Philippa Williams. She has some gorgeous dogs. She had golden retrievers, a cocker and 3 labs... Monkey, Brave and a gorgeous youngster called Mango. Loved her training style and she certainly had the crowd laughing along. took me a while to click as to who she was and why Monkeys kennel name rang a bell!

The annoying part of the day was the GSD. I saw lots of nice GSD that didn't look crippled but there were still many more with very slopped back ends, weak hocks and out turned splayed feet. looked all wrong considering it was one of the breeds featured in the programme a while back, i'd have thought that it would have been one of the breeds to have shown an improvement!

I also have to say that i was aghast at some of the labs we saw. so short along with other things... sigh.

have fun everyone thats going over the next few days and def catch the gundog demo in the dog activites ring if you have the chance!

[_Sam_]

And just watching the tv coverage tonight... they were talking about the health of breeds and they named the GSD who won best of breed as being of concern. I'm so glad it wasn't just me that thought OMG!

The judges of these breeds must surely be at fault too... of all the GSD's that were there, to pick a dog that clearly isn't 'right'

[_Mary_]

Good to hear you had a great day, I saw the thing about the GSD too, have to say he looked very wrong as Clare Balding said, I imagine though that the breed club and breeders have really had little chance to get things corrected, its not been that long since that program.

Also its the KC that set the breed standards, have they actually changed it yet.

[_Sam_]

thats the thing tho... the breed standard doesn't say that the dog should be crippled. there were plenty of good looking GSD at crufts so they are out there.

[AmyCS]

I just saw that GSD on the TV coverage.... it looked like it could barely walk

[Diana]

" I also have to say that i was aghast at some of the labs we saw. so short along with other things... sigh. "

Just as a comment. Any Labrador there today was to do some demo or other or assistance programme exhibition etc. None were show dogs. So if you were aghast, this was not at show dogs..... but pet and assistance and agility and working dogs. Thats a worry.

Di

[_Sam_]

they were on the labrador stand in the discover dogs section.

I was loving the working labs in the demo's

[katieb]

I've sky plussed, what day was that from, have just watched that absolutely stunning pharoah hound, never evn heard of one before, an amazingly regal dog

[Jazz]

I also thought it was very distressing to see the way that GSD was moving. I really think judges are going to have to change their way of judging without any further delay.
I would imagine the picture of that GSD will feature in a number of the Sunday papers tomorrow and re-ignite the public outcry regarding the health of pedigree dogs. It is obviously going to take time to change breeding practices - but the judges have got to take responsibility and play their part. They cannot be allowed to continue to award rosettes to dogs that have obvious health problems - by doing so they are actually rewarding breeders who chose to disregard the best interest of their dogs.

[katieb]

I've just seen it and was literally horrified. It looked like it was there as an example of a damaged dog not a breed winner. so so sad