Page 80 - ShowSight - October 2019

What is a Dog Show,
HOW DO WE DRESS, HOW DO WE GROW, AND MORE
Michelle Scott
I GREW UP THINKING THAT conforma- tion dog shows were about evaluating breeding stock—dogs bred to their breed standard.
Dictionary.com definition: "Dog Show - noun, a competitive event in which dogs are exhibited and judged by an estab- lished standard or set of ideals prescribed for each breed."
So is that it? Is that all it is?
I guess when I was growing up the emphasis was on breeding and we exhib- ited our dogs to show that they con- formed to the breed standard. A rather simplistic view maybe but it has been my guide since I was a kid. Going to shows wasn't about winning, it was a chance to compare your dogs to the other exhibits and see what other breeders were pro- ducing. Don't get me wrong....we all wanted to win—it just didn't top the list of priorities to attend a show.
Have we strayed so far from the breeder mentality that dog shows today are just for ribbons and points?
What are your thoughts? Why do you think dog shows exist?
If dog shows are really about evaluat- ing breeding stock what is the role of a disqualification? Can a dog with a dis- qualification not produce quality dogs? Is there any fault so severe that a dog should not be bred? Should disqualifica- tions exist? Why are they there?
I've seen dogs with DQs become top producers and produce national specialty winners. Are we limiting our gene pool if we don't allow them to be shown - should we change the DQs to faults?
Personally, I'm completely against merle coloured Poodles - they were never in the gene pool and shouldn't be now— but the Canadian Kennel Club has al- lowed them to be registered, so they're there. The CKC decided that merle is not an acceptable colour for Chihuahuas and has made them ineligible for registration. I would love to see something similar in Poodles. I'm thinking this takes it a step further than just a DQ.
People used to have clothes to work in and dress clothes, and not much in be- tween. Watch an old tv show like Leave It To Beaver, I Love Lucy, etc., and it's easy to understand the dress code of the time— even when relaxing in their homes their
outfits would be considered "dressed up" nowadays. Times have changed and "dress codes" have relaxed. Years ago you would see all passengers on a flight in either suits or dresses and pearls...now almost any- thing goes and being comfortable is more important than being fashionable. GRACE - "The quality of being pleasantly polite, or a willingness to be fair and hon- est."
—the Cambridge English Dictionary
Have we, as a society, lost grace, sportsmanship and manners?
My husband is a sports fan and I was shocked to hear the tennis crowds boo- ing the player they didn't want to win. Fans cheering when a player on the op- posing team was injured in basketball. Crowds booing at Westminster last year when their pick didn't win. When, how, and why did this become an acceptable practice?!?
If your favourite doesn't win and you really want to use your voice? Try con- gratulating the winner instead of letting the world know you're displeased with the outcome. A little positivity goes a long way.
I love this, especially the quote.
“ ‘All great dogs have faults; they just carry them well’, So said Beatrice Godsol the revered American judge. “To me, nothing is more thrilling and exciting than see- ing an outstanding example of any breed, a dog that simply screams its breed, is in the peak of condition, moving without effort, displaying the breed’s character- istic gait and character.
“It is sad that when such a dog appears some ob- servers can only point out what may be a very minor shortcoming and fail to recognise its overall excellence. Fault-judging is the road to nowhere, contributes noth- ing to the sport and deprives the culprit of so much pleasure.”
Borrowed from Andrew Brace
78 • ShowSight Magazine, october 2019
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