I received a free ticket to Crufts this year and as I'd never visited any kind of dog show before and I am admittedly not the best with dog breeds I thought I'd pop along to see what it was all about and hopefully learn something. Having watched "Pedigree Dogs Exposed" many years ago I was dubious of whether I could actually enjoy Crufts and was surprised to find that yes I could in fact enjoy parts of it - unfortunately there is still so much to be done health and welfare wise for the pedigree dogs and reflecting on it now I don't think I could advocate the breeding of these dogs.
As there's currently so much debate surrounding the issue of Crufts I thought I'd share my perspective on what is termed the "greatest dog show in the world"
The Good:
Of all events taking place at the show, the agility and flyball were definitely the highlights of the day. It seemed to be an excellent way for both dog and handler to keep fit and build a bond, with the majority of dogs super keen to give the course a go. It's also a part that isn't focused around looks with many crossbreeds taking part and dogs both big and small. Demonstrations by police and RAF dogs were also one of the best moments - it was great to see how they trained these canines to work alongside humans in some quite frankly terrifying situations and like the dogs in the agility they really seemed to love their work. Another highlight was an obedience display with a group of golden retrievers set to music, I was so impressed by how responsive and well behaved they were. Furthermore it was a great platform for some brilliant animal charities to raise awareness of their cause and highlight the importance of their work which often benefited both canine and human!
The Bad:
Breed standards are what all the breeders exhibiting their dogs at Crufts are hoping to meet. The best of the best in the eyes of the Kennel Club. However I couldn't help but feel looking at certain "ideals"of their breed that beauty was only thing that seemed to be valued. Breeds like the Daschund with its long back and short legs - as a vet student alarm bells of the risk of slipped spinal disks started to flash in my head. And what about the Shar-Pei with its endless folds of skin - prone to bacterial infections and the German Shepherd bred for a "slanted back" but prone to hip dysplasia? Although the Kennel Club appear to have improved slightly since the release of "Pedigree Dogs Exposed" by incorporating more health screening and not registering puppies from a mother who has had more than 2 cesareans, I can't help but feel that more can be done to ensure "healthy, happy dogs" as the slogan of Crufts proudly boasts. Personally I'd like to see more independent reviews of "breed standards" based on science - how the way these dogs are bred influences their risk of certain diseases and based on those reviews a change in the way breeding is managed by the KC.
The Ugly:
It's not just physical health I worry about with events such as these, but I could imagine there is a psychological factor to consider for some of the show dogs. Crufts is a busy venue with thousands of visitors able to walk up and down the aisles as the dogs are prepped for their classes. There's also a section where you can meet dogs of every breed and whilst I found this a great tool for learning what each breed looks like I felt that some of the dogs were not enjoying the experience as much - after all crowds could gather around the tent all wanting to stroke the dog and this is undoubtedly stressful to certain canines.
Then there was the attitude of certain breeders. The majority were friendly and obviously passionate about their dogs and openly honest about whether a breed would suit a certain lifestyle but others were simply rude. When my friend asked a question about what they recommended she fed her dog, she was told that she obviously knew nothing about them, despite the fact she has years of experience. She told the same breeder her last purebred dog had lived until 13. The reply was simply "Are you sure it was a pedigree?" It is this sort of attitude that I simply cannot stand!
So do we owe man's best friend a favour?
Reminiscing on the event, its much clearer that Crufts has it flaws than in the moment you're there. It's hard to say if I was given another ticket to the show if I would go again - I certainly don't think I'd feel comfortable actually paying and supporting the breeding of some of these animals. But I would love to sit and watch the more sporting dog activities again and support the emergency services which utilise the fantastic characteristics of these canines. If there was a radical change to the breed standards enforced at Crufts I think it would certainly be a wonderful celebration of dogs - unfortunately as it stands there is a whole host of genetic and social factors to be improved upon and its high time we stopped considering "beauty" an ideal and start looking at "health" - its time to repay man's best friend.
*All views are my own and do not represent any particular party.
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