What do you think of Crufts?

[Josie]

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What do you think of Crufts? Have you shown your dog there?

 

[arealhuman]

I dislike it. I think all this breeding of traits can be cruel and to me, this is all about the owners, not the dogs.

 

[JudyN]

It's my guilty pleasure. I love seeing all the different dogs, but hate the way so many breeds have been developed - just compare GSDs, Pekinese and basset hounds of today with those from 50-100 years ago. Things are getting better, but far too slowly.

I also hate seeing dogs being almost dragged round the show ring. Teach loose lead walking and let the dog show its natural conformation, dammit!

 

[Josie]

I like seeing all the different breeds but agree I’m not a fan of them being dragged, poked and prodded!

I took Den to a local dog show for a bit of fun and when I saw the judge start doing all that poor Den looked at me as if to say, please no mum!

 

[JoanneF]

I think it's an important vehicle to raise awareness of breed traits. How many of us have seen short faced brachycephllic breeds with compromised breathing because of narrow nostrils and deformed palates, yet because they are popular unscrupulous breeders churn them out with no regard to their health. If the public was aware through crufts or similar shows that, for example, a French Bulldog shouldn't have stenotic nares maybe they would think twice about buying them. I do agree the handling looks wrong though - Google 'Foul Mouthed Fido' (warning, he is called that for a reason) and check out the 'not a handle' cartoons.

 

[Cash_Dolly]

"In principle" I am not a fan for similar reasons to above. But there again I have dogs for pets and not for showing/breeding. But I do love to see all the different breeds

I probably have a biased view because of one of my dogs. He has a "good pedigree" and his brothers and sisters all show and race and breed ( put it this way if I wanted one of his relations it wouldn't be hard to get one at the rate his half brother is studded out) but no one wanted him because he was "too small" to show and, as it turned out, had various health issues - epilepsy, cataracts etc (and therefore couldn't be bred from)which explains why they were desperate to get rid of him....(more fool them because he was the most fun loving and lovely natured dog ever!) when I tried to contact his "breeders" and others with his family about the epilepsy no one wanted to know......

On the other hand I have friends who show their dogs and it is their main hobby and the dogs are very much loved and looked after

On the other hand again I was given tickets to a crufts qualifier show and my friend and I went (it was hounds and gun dogs day - I have whippets she has spaniels so was great for us) and I hated the way some of the dogs were having their heads yanked up and getting pulled about to look the right way. And the fact that there was a constant drone of whining and barking from the lines and lines of crates and chained up dogs I am not convinced it was a fun day out for the dogs....

 

[Caro Perry]

Not a fan - it's pretty much all been said above. I have had show quality dogs but I've never been tempted and I'd rather the current one enjoyed being a pet (and he doesn't carry his tail correctly, although that might change as he grows up!)

 

[Violet Turner]

i like it sometimes but not always

 

[Biker John]

I like going to view but the first year Folly qualified and I took her I then decided that although Crufts is a good place for humans its not for dogs. The dogs have to be in early, (Whippet judging always starts early due to high numbers), but the dogs are not allowed to leave until after 4 pm.

 

[Sezzy]

I only really like watching the agility on Crufts. Misty is always mesmerised by the flyball, but she is an absolute tennis ball addict!

 

[Whippylove]

I like watching the hounds at crufts, i had thought about showing Oliver but we had an accident last September and we had to have part of his tail amputated.
I also love the agility.

 

[Biker John]

Whippylove, not sure about tails but I have seen Whippets in the show ring with noticeable scars and it does not appear to affect their placings.

 

[Whippylove]

Hi Biker John our vet did say we could still show Oliver but i thought his tail injury would stop him? He lost around 2inches. I would love to take up showing with him do you think theres anyway i could find out? Thank you for the help.

 

[Violet Turner]

I am a fan of crufs

 

[Ruth_F]

I watch Crufts on TV but it feels like a guilty pleasure. Those poor short nosed dogs, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, GSD etc... Also there are hardly any breeds where a (Crufts) winner would also be able to win any field trials.
I also dislike that the winners of the skill type events are very collie dominated... A few years ago a woman did heel work to music with a beagle, imho she should have won just because the beagle didnt go off stealing popcorn from the audience members!

 

[Biker John]

Whippylove, I would suggest you ring an experienced breeder / exhibitor and talk to them. (In my experience most dog people will talk about dogs at the drop of a hat). I do know that Whippets are well known for getting injuries and so the injury can be overlooked by judges.

 

[Whippylove]

Biker John thanks ive spoken to Oliver's breeder who also shows and she said it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Biker John]

Ruth_F, unfortunately in virtually any skill event Collies are just 'better' than others. Though I am glad to say in Flyball Whippets and Lurchers are gradually being seen and are doing well.

 

[haramander]

Hi Biker John our vet did say we could still show Oliver but i thought his tail injury would stop him? He lost around 2inches. I would love to take up showing with him do you think theres anyway i could find out? Thank you for the help.

You can certainly still show your dog with a note from your vet stating why he had the op, but you'll need to forward it to the Kennel Club to get a letter of 'permission to show'. I used to show my Pointer girl with only a third of her tail, as she loved showing off. She went to Crufts like that.

 

[Whippylove]

@haramander thank you. We've been thinking about showing him and it's something i would love to do. Hes missing around 2-3 inches off his tail but it's healed well and he's still as gorgeous too me