Crufts. I'm fed up of seeing dog's featuures becoming more exaggerated each year.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Just watching this on playback watching the Terrier group. Half of them can't see because of the long hair over their eyes. eg wheaten terrier. 40 years ago I'm sure this wasn't the case with those breeds. I mean they were hunters of vermin - they wouldn't have got very far with hair in their eyes not being able to see where the rats were running!.

We got a dog when I was about 8 and I remember looking at that time at a dog breed book that my dad had had when he was young. It must have been from about 1950. Even then, in the 80s, many of the dogs in the book looked very different to the supposed "breed standard" of the 1980s. It just seems to have got worse over the years.

I know this is commented about every year, eg the brachycephalic dogs, the ones with folded skin, or the sloping back of the German Shepherd. But I thought that the Kennel Club and breeders were more enlightened these days. I'm not so sure....

Our JRT is going nuts at the telly when it comes on.

Ours rushes round to the room on the far side of the wall. I think she must think the TV is a sort of window.

Why does the Kennel Club encourage sloping backs in German Shepherds?

Isn't it something to do with the sloped back look being part of their behaviour/posture when they're herding? But they shouldn't breed to make them look like that all the time.

Also (and I might be completely wrong here) but aren't they the only ones that stand the way they do to be judged, so it looks even more exaggerated?

I assume that the ones with long fringes just pin them up day to day, or grow them for shows, but My problem is the flat-faced breeds. I thought work was being done to take that out of the breed standard? Seems so unfair on the dogs.

The British bulldog and Shar pei that won best of breed never made it to the group judging as allegedly they failed the vet check.
Surely that raises questions about those judges decisions.

Surely if KC breeders (and KC itself) are as bothered about the health of breeds as they claim to be, they should be having frank and honest discussions with vets about how to help these dogs.

You can't sneer and be nasty about anyone who doesn't buy a KC pedigree because of 'health issues' when Crufts is showing how bad these pedigree animals are.

Watching last night I noted the Frenchie looked nothing like the ones I encounter on a daily basis when out walking my dogs ! Also the breed standard for the Pug did not represent a lot of the Pugs I see also !
The standard Poodle was my choice. Either that or the Wolfhound for first place with the spaniel as a second. I did not see the winner coming or the reserve !

If the kennel club looked more closely at itself and saw what was going on, surely the cost of a pedigree should be reduced to stop indiscriminate breeding from back street breeders

Yes love that!!

Yes to dogs proving their working abilities!

I just had a quick look at the gundog group judging as they all came into the ring. While some of the dogs looked fine, some were very overweight - the lab was the one that caught my eye because I have a working type lab, and the contrast in their two body types was huge. But that wasn’t the only one by any means. And there was the commentator going on about them being fit for function! Half a day on a shoot and you’d be carrying the poor things home. It makes you wonder if the judges have much or any interest in the job these dogs were originally bred for. It’s noticeable that the breeds where there is less or no divide between ‘show’ and ‘working’ looked a lot more functional and fit than those where there is. I know someone who has shown Vizlas and did very well - those dogs are fit (I know them through a canine sport group we both go to). You don’t see too many show type labs doing that job though. It’s so sad to see unhealthy body weights being rewarded - just like in the horse showing world too. I think a body condition score should be included in the vet checks for all the winners, and those that are overweight should not be allowed to go through. That might slim some of them down a bit.

I have to say though as much as I hate the breed "standards" the King Charles Spaniel looked ok, not as flat faced as I have seen before?

My terrier loves lean labs, usually black ones, but can't stand the chunky yellow ones, so is it more usual to have working labs being black or is it also yellow ones? sorry don't know much about Labradors but there seem to be so many chunky yellow ones around where I walk

"sorry don't know much about Labradors but there seem to be so many chunky yellow ones around where I walk"

Generally being walked by chunky 'Sunday afternoon' owners!

Ah to be fair most of them are really nice dogs, mostly mine being sizist ;-) I just avoid them as my one had a scrap with one at one point but, and not sunday walkers as I meet them most days, but just big and as said chunky! He loves slim black labs though!

I have a working bred GR - I have found her easier than my non working bred retrievers tbh. A dream to train because she was so eager and willing. We have done obedience and agility - she preferred the obedience and LOVES scent work. So long as she gets one good walk in the field (and plenty of running around the garden with the other dogs) she will basically sleep all day!

She is slim, small and fit - and yes a gorgeous shade of gold.

Some of the GRs we see in our walks are SO stocky and solid - more like a maremma 😢

I feel sorry for the poodles ridiculous coiffure

I loved the poodle (there are some standard poodles that we regularly see on our walks and they are so elegant although i much prefer the way they are trimmed compared to the typical poodle trussed up look). I also loved the winner. Not seen that breed before. It had a similar look to a poodle cross so may see a surge in popularity.

I’d agree, I feel so sorry for some of the dogs. My dog does come from a long line of cruft champions in field trials. This is something I’d recommend people look for as it demonstrates that people have put time and effort into the dog. Much more likely to be working dogs on farms than breeders in puppy farms.

Sorry didn’t mean to quote you.

Prices are whatever an individual breeder wants to charge for a litter. It's not something the KC has any control over.

I showed & bred Cairns for over thirty years, along with the Skyes. They used to be far more popular than today. Every class at most shows used to be invariably 15+.
Only began to move over more to the Skyes & stopped breeding & keeping a puppy from the Cairns as they were so popular with lots of other exhibitor/ breeders ( who now seem to have disappeared) Whereas the Skyes were in real danger, most years less than 40 puppies registered & even one year when a friend’s only litter of two puppies was the only litter registered that year.