From my St. Thomas Dog Blog, January 23, 2011. The 2018 Elgin County Kennel Club dog show will be in October. Lots of other dog, and cat, shows too. To get in the mood, watch Cat Walk, a cat show documentary, Sunday, April 1st on CBC 9 pm ET.
The Elgin County Kennel Club dog show this weekend at the Western Fairgrounds was great. So many beautiful dogs. I took a gazillion pictures and petted a gazillion dogs. So did everybody else there, at least the audience.
The handlers had other things on their minds, and so did the dogs. However some of them, like the poodle pups, still found time to act silly outside the show ring.
Rescues and merch too
For the second year now, the London rescue group ARF was there. They said they’d been warmly received. That’s good. There’s too long been a disconnect between the dog show world and the dog rescue world. That’s unfortunate because as any rescue group can attest, especially maybe breed specific rescues, any dog can end up in bad straits – even dogs with the best pedigree. Many breeders are active in rescue work through their breed associations or breed-specific rescue groups. ARF works mainly with mongrels and it was nice to see the two ends of the dog fancy world under the same roof.
There were lots of vendors there, selling grooming supplies and other dog products. One man I talked to had beautiful handmade leather leashes and collars (The Wag, Inc. London ON). His magnificent young German-bred German Shepherd was with him, not taking part in the show just modeling the leatherwear.
Inclusive Breed Surveys
While we talked about German Shepherds, Tibor told me about German show and breeding standards for working dogs. There’s a breed survey that all dogs must undergo. In addition to the basic conformation standards that apply to physical appearance and health, it is an assessment of a dog’s character and temperament. The dog’s actions and reactions when in “protection” situations, for example, are measured.
A dog passes or fails and, in Germany, the tests determine what grade for showing and breeding that dog and its offspring will be given. Pups from a parent that passed the tests will be given the highest classification. They, therefore, can be sold for higher prices for breeding and showing. Dogs who fail the tests cannot be used for breeding.
Testing like this seems to me to be a good way to help ensure continuation of good bloodlines. This is important not only for looks but also for physical health and temperament.
Responsible breeders test for genetic problems such as hip dysplasia in order to get rid of the problem. Breeding without such concern caused many of the breed-specific ailments in the first place. Temperament problems – too excitable, too nervous, too aggressive – can be caused by too much emphasis on looks in breeding choices. Good breeders pay attention to all aspects of dogs’ health. And a dog show gives the chance to strut their stuff.
Also see my Cat Show for ‘strutting their stuff’, cat style.
