Is crufts evil?

[msrisotto]

Just noticed it is on tv, always enjoyed it as a kid but feel like I shouldn't be watching it now? Something about in breeding? Feel free to educate me as I am quite clueless!

I don't think its evil!! I love crufts.

Think they are struct about breeding and ensuring the dogs are healthy etc now plus Clare Balding hosts so it must be o.kay

My fil's dog just won best of breed! It can't be evil, shurely.

Actually I think the kennel club and their arbitrary Victorian breed standardsdo lead to weird inbreeding and are therefore in fact evil. Fil's dog is from a breed that tend to have various life shortening problems - sad really. Can't say that in front of fil, clearly...

Yes I'm sure I've heard of the evils of the kennel club, my auntie used to have King Charles spaniels and I heard all about how selective breeding meant that their skulls were too small for their brains

Crufts is so much more than about the show dogs.

There is agility, obedience, rescue dogs, training displays, behaviourists dog advice etc. A place to be educated about dogs.

Loads of doggy shops. You can watch all of the events in the large arena (it was live) but now on you tube crufts channel and will only see a weeny bit of dogs being shown.

I am rescue dogs through and through but still go to crufts and mainly see rescue dogs and displays.

The kennel club however...............

Theres nowt wrong with it. fill your boots

So many, people object to crufts but have never been and don't know what it is all about. Come back with evil comments when you have been for the day in 2014.

I have been going since it was at earls court.

Just watched all the best of breeds. Although some I have not heard of before.

I miss the 4 day coverage that used to be shown.
I don't think Crufts is evil but some breeds do have their particular health problems i.e the flat faced ones and the heavy large dogs.
A responsible breeder would never inbreed just to get the shape of the head, body etc.

You miss 4 day coverage? it has been on since last wednesday!

crufts live from 8.30 till 9.00 Thursday - Sunday

My house is a tip, DC's barely fed dogs have bee walked of course but otherwise I have done nothing but watch crufts for the last 4 days

Bloody online newspapers! Just had a quick look before settling to watch recorded Crufts and saw who won....aargh!

Far from evil!!
Lots of happy, healthy dogs.
The biggest problems in the dog breeding world are being worked on and addressed by crufts/ kennel club - as seen by introducing veterinary checks, banning breeds not meeting standards (such as the clumber spaniels last year) and of course the changing of breeds back to healthier dogs - like bull dogs with longer noses.
However the GSD that was selected tonight was a very poor example and I was surprised to see it. The reserve Labrador was overweight, even for a show dog!
Over all crufts does a lot of good - a lot more than just showing - dpgs for disabled and support dogs get a lot of attention and those of us into agilty and sports and the dogs love it also! Over all the kennel club are trying to improve breed standards (about time) and those of us that love out mongrel rescue pets have a great day out shopping and meeting lots of lovely, friendly dogs.

I thought that the Lab was fat but my friend is a Lab breeder and judge who had hands on that Lab and she states that he is not massively overweight.

I'm not a fan - so many over bred dogs causing them health problems.

Bull dogs and pugs that can't breath
Loads of dogs with hip problems
Deaf Dalmatians...

It's not right.

I felt sorry for the Old English Sheepdog that came from Greece - poor thing must get so hot over there! Hope it has its own air conditioned room... Does make me worry that people will see unusual breeds and want them, creating even more breeders and more unwanted dogs in the end, bit like the huskies that the Dogs Trust lady said a few days ago were being left in rescues in increasing numbers, when people realise they are pretty difficult to handle etc

like all things crufts has its good side and its dark side, a friend of mine who took on a totally scared border collie rescue last year was in the finals of the obedience at crufts, anyone who saw it she was the last contestant, though they didnt win she came away with a finalist rosette and im very proud of my friend for the sheer hard work that she put into this scared girl to get her to the confident girl she is now

LadyTurmoil, breeds like the OES have a double coat which is designed to insulate against extremes of temperature - hot and cold. As long as they have access to shade to allow then to escape from direct sunlight, they'll be perfectly fine.

Disney films (and the like) do more damage in terms of making breeds desirable than Crufts ever will. Who had ever heard of the Dogue de Bordeaux until turner and Hooch? Now there are more registered with the KC annually than there are of my breed (of a similar size) which has been in UK for hundreds of years.

Very interesting reading, thanks for contributing everyone!

I meant live on TV. I couldn't find any programme doing it. Only the crufts website.
I had a Lhasa Apso which looked very much like last year's BOB. She was an amazing dog in temperament , looks and health. < german bred>

I now have a UK Lhasa, but here they have changed the mouth/bite standard and am concerned as this one has an extremely short nose and sometimes makes strange noises when breathing. I love her so much, but didn't have any worries about my other Lhasa who never had difficulty eating as had an even bite and double the length of her nose - 3cms - my new one only 1.5 with an undershort bite.

It was live through channel 4 and you tube. The you tube channel all day and live from 6.30 until yesterday when it was live from 5.30 on channel 4 and more 4. It was on for 2.5 hours each evening and there was a warm up road to crufts show on Wednesday night.

Oh thats sad digerd, i like lhasas, it would be horrendous if they get deformed like shih tzus with their squashed up faces

saintmerry that's rather expected that a lay person, with an obvious bias, thinks the dog is great!! As a professional with years of training on dog anatomy and experience of problems with GSDS I still strongly stand by my view that the dog is a very poor example and I would certainly not be advising a show line shepherd with a sloping back like that to be doing 20k.
And I won't even get started on your terminology 'some kind of cripple' ah charming

I dont have an obvious bias i dont even like gsds, i just get tired of people slaggi.g that dog off when hes a working animal.

Really sorry for saying that ill report my post

Ive had my post deleted i copied bits of it from elsewhere and obviously didnt read it.properly. sorry.for any offence