Your views on Pedigree show dogs?

I just finished watching a BBC documentary "Pedigree Dogs Exposed" and am quite honestly worried with what has been done to most breeds.They have been bred into weird diseased dogs for cosmetic purposes. Nothing to improve the breed, just cosmetic purposes.Also dogs with genetical defects are allowed to win shows, this would obviously encourage the owner to breed it more which = more diseased dogs!!Should defect dogs be allowed to win? Should they at least be neutered?Do you prefer the old look of the breeds, or the new ones?To watch the documentary on youtube:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_S1aP82pI_k&feature=relatedthanks guys.sorry if this topic has been brought up many times already

It's beauty pageant for dogs...is beauty pageant right? Not in my eyes to put lipstick on a 8 year old but people do it. Do all little girls want to be cheerleader or their mom think it's cute. It's all in the eye of the beholder. Nobody wants their kids to be the ugly one you know what I mean. I really don't like dog shows, I always see some fat white lady in ugly looking suits running around in some loafers. Not very appealing

Sounds like more Animal Rights nonsense to me. Yes there are a few bad breeders, but most are serious, responsible people spending way too much of their money on a breed they love.

I've watched the video before. And quite frankly it's sickening what some of these people do to their dogs. Did you see the poor GSDs? That is why I would only purchase a puppy from a breeder who shows in conformation AND actively participates in the activity that the breed was bred for. Those GSDs could never carry out the function that they were originally bred for.

People are doing all kinds of things to breeds for cosmetic purposes. They are also doing it with cats. No dog with any kind of defect should be bred or shown. That just snowballs into dogs with serious genetic produced problems.I prefer the old look. I don't believe any dog should have it's ears or tails cut or docked. If a dog has genetic problems it should not breed therefore spaying and neutering is best.I have 9 dogs. 3 are Dachshunds. My 14 year old is the real thing.My 6 year old is a true to its ancestors dog. He is a predator. He has hunted and killed wild prey that get into out back yard. That is what Dachshunds were bred for. My 1.5 year old was bred for beauty. Is is gorgeous. And nothing like my other dog. If he saw a rat it would scare the crap out of him.

RUFF !

I think it is necessary to have some way to evaluate the dogs for a standard. Without that, you end up breeding poor quality dogs that trend away from the breed. It may not be perfect and some people may abuse it, but the showing is not the problem here.A good breeder does genetic testing and breeds healthy dogs up to standards that have a good temperament- they consider evrything! The showing is necessary, but only part of it. The pedigree has nothing to do with the health. People just need to look at everything when buying puppies, not just the pedigree or temperament or health.

That show only applies to show dogs in England. England has such a strict law on dogs coming into the country that it's difficult to bring new blood in. Dogs in America are not bred like this, they are healthier as well as conforming to the breed standard. Although it's not a huge problem in America it still does exist. My breed, the Sloughi, is being cross bred with other breeds and being passed off as pure bred. And uneducated judges are picking these mixes as best of breed against pure bred Sloughi. Good judges and good breeders are much more common in America and the body of Europe. England is separated out and is an exception. I do not agree with Englands dog breeding and showing tactics.

Absolutely! No dog with any kind of defect that can be passed on to the next generation should be bred from. The Pug in the programme was a prime example. The Kennel Club has come under a lot of fire from this programme, and rightly so. A lot of the breeds need to be taken back fifty or a hundred years, to what they used to look like, so that the more severe deformities can be screened out.A case in point. Our dog (a Dobermann) plays with two Bulldogs, owned by different people. They are both typical English Bulldogs, and were both about eighteen months old at the time of this story (about a year ago). One Bulldog is being groomed to be a show dog. Very flat face, big head, roly-poly, very typy. The other is 'just' a pet (poor?!) quality dog, a bit leaner, face not quite so flat. Both dogs have nice, sunny personalities. All out on the field, romping around. The typy Bulldog stops playing, starts panting hard, and keels over, dead, from a massive heart attack. The other one is fit and healthy to this day. Almost the whole litter of the typy Bulldog are dead now, and not one of them is three years old yet! All that for a puppy that costs £1000!I know all breeds have some inherited defects (Dobermanns have a handful) but purposely breeding genetic problems has got to stop.

In my opinion, any dog that cannot be given a clean bill of health by a veterinarian should not be bred or shown (because showing promotes breeding), this includes dogs with physical deformities that keep them from leading a normal, healthy life.

There are many breeders who show their dogs, and breed well, with giving many thoughts to the health issues in their breed or or faults in their breed. Unfortunately, not all show people do that. My one female came from a very reputable breeder, problems was, the owners of the male she matched to her female. They did not tell her that he threw missing teeth in a previous litter. They were paired twice. Both breedings resulted in missing teeth and heart issues. Thankfully mine only has to tooth problem. They are still using their male for breeding purposes. Recently imported a male, with a genetic eye issue, which he is now passing on to his offspring. They show him and the other one. First one has championship, second is working towards it. There are professional handlers encouraging new bees like me to continue showing the dog with the disqualifying fault. She could be championed, you just have to know how to do it. I spayed her. I will not even take a chance at passing that fault on to others. I was devastated when that happened to me. I will never pass something like that one. My other female has to pass her health clearances. If she doesn't she will be spayed. It's a matter of ethics, which is something we as a nation seem to lack. Is it right, no, does it line someone's pocket, more than likely. If I had my way those people would all be given the boot out of the breed ring, but I am a nobody in the show world. Just so you all know and understand, there is more good than bad, overall. I think they went way to the extreme with the GSDs, but my breed has not bee altered too much. AKC GSDs can not do what they are supposed to do. They would never survive in the working world. Schutzund dogs they are not.

People who buy the dogs can make changes. Only buy from responsible breeders who do the health tests on their breed and can provide certifications that their breeding pairs have passed. I bought my dog from a reputable breeder. Her dam and sire were tested and passed all tests for hips, elbows, heart and eyes. If buyers would have higher qualifications for buying their puppies and not just buying from back yard breeders or other breeders that do not do health tests then those breeders would not be able to make a buck and would conform to the ethical way of testing before breeding. Good video, thanks for posting. I had not seen it.

I watched it.You're right.It's horrifying.I'm adopting a cat from the animal shelter. He's a mungrel, and he's homeless, but he will live well now and be very loved and appreciated. He will keep me company and be my buddy. Thats the only show that I care about.They are living feeling creatures. And the only thing people should be doing with them is enjoying their friendship, and guarding them from such things as this !

I'm afraid you are rather late on the scene as far as this programme is concerned. And it's been done to death already.Just to say for every one bad (show) breeder, there are hundreds of caring responsible owner/breeders - and for sure, most people these days don't have big show kennels, they have firstly PETS, just like anybody else with a mutt. They just happen to love to show their dogs as a hobby. Of course there are commercial breeders still for whom show wins are essential. But that programme, which has caused far more damage than I hope was intended, was hugely biased. I can tell you that the Chairman of our Club was interviewed for an hour - how long was his segment - probably all of 5 minutes. Does that not suggest a degree of editing to fit the thrust of the programme?I'm well aware that it's not all rosy out there and there are some shocking things going on - as there are in every sphere of dog breeding (there was an equally horrifying bit on Inside Story this week about what can only be described as a puppy farmer).I would just like to say that the finger should not be pointed totally at Crufts (just one Championship show in the show calendar) any more than it should be pointed at Breed Standards. In my breed, the Basset, our UK standard hasn't been altered in years. The breed has, which suggests to me that it's more down to breeder/judges NOT following the Breed Standard, than the Standard needing to be altered!And some breeds in my opinion, actually do look better (in terms of conformation and soundness) today than they did years ago!!Rant over!

There is nothing wrong with pedigree pet shows. What is wrong is the unrealistic breed standards that get twisted in the name of "beauty" and d amn the dogs health.

This is a topic that needs to be raised over and over again to make sure that it is not forgotten about. I get really angry on YA when breeders get on and start blasting anyone who asks a decent question, especially about breeding. The insistence that purebreds have to have been shown and conform rigidly to the Crufts recipe book, this is what causes an awful lot of the problems. The health of pups is paramount and it has now been proved that some, but not all, breeders will go to any length to qualify for Crufts. It is amazing however that none of these so called experts have commented here as yet. We need to pull back from the rigid standard and concern ourselves with producing healthy happy dogs and be able to take them to the show ring free from defect and pain.

show dogs are over bred and not what the actual breed should look like due to over breeding for perfection.we have forgotten why people have dogs they are not fashion Accessories they are there for hunting guarding and ratting anyone can go to the library and look up what each breed is actually bred for!!!!!