Bad crufts

As usual it all comes out at the end. Crufts victims this year; one poisoned, one mishandled and one beat the **** out of.

It happens in all walks of life but it really shouldn't.

Shame that the good is outweighed by the bad

It really is a shame. I don't blame Crufts for the poisoning incident, as that honestly could have been anybody - most likely somebody who hates pedigree dogs or just dogs in general. I really wish they'd cracked down on the handling of the Scotty, though. I cringed when mum and I were watching that part.

Apparently they did say but she didn't listen. At that point they should have eliminated her.

Why, though, when many other handlers at the show were doing exactly the same thing? The only difference is that this one was caught on camera.

I'm not excusing it, it shouldn't happen, but it's only been frowned upon in this country for a couple of years and is normal practice in most other countries. It must be easy to fall into old habits at a huge event like that, with a large live audience and tv cameras beaming your performance around the world.

Why take away the win when, after all, it's the dog that won, and she was just the human handler? Surely a better idea would be to insist that she undergo some modern show handling training before she is allowed to handle again in this country?

Unfortunately in showing the handler makes the animal. Many a good horse has been banned from showing here because of the handlers attitude.

Hayley wrote:Unfortunately in showing the handler makes the animal.

That's how I remember showing, too, unfortunately. We "little" people often used to joke that the judge was looking at the wrong end of the lead!

Ref the Scottie handling - I always remember little dogs whose coats mustn't be dishevelled being lifted onto the table by their tails and necks and didn't know it was frowned on now.

Hayley wrote:Unfortunately in showing the handler makes the animal. Many a good horse has been banned from showing here because of the handlers attitude.

In dog showing the handler may well be banned, but the dog won't.

I read an article yesterday about the incident and believe it or not, the RSPCA don't consider what she did as cruelty. It said a lot more, but I can't find the article now.

I don't believe it was cruel either tbh. but i don't think that it was good showmanship and i don't think she should have been allowed to continue showing

What about all the small dogs that are shown on a thin slip lead, strung up to make them look 'smarter'? That, to me, is worse.

I have to say, I've always been uncomfortable about the slip lead handling, but after an excellent workshop with Sarah Fisher over the weekend, I'm even more uncomfortable about it now. The hyoid apparatus is just at the point where all the pressure is from a lead being held up so high, this is the area that holds the larynx in place and supports the pharynx and tongue. It is irreparable once broken, and made of cartilage, holding small bones in place.

Hopefully you can see it on this image:

Lorraine wrote:I have to say, I've always been uncomfortable about the slip lead handling, but after an excellent workshop with Sarah Fisher over the weekend, I'm even more uncomfortable about it now.  The hyoid apparatus is just at the point where all the pressure is from a lead being held up so high, this is the area that holds the larynx in place and supports the pharynx and tongue.  It is irreparable once broken, and made of cartilage, holding small bones in place.

Hopefully you can see it on this image:

Yeah small leads are bad. Lexi would never tolerate one if she feels anything on her neck she gags and splutters lol

The dogs are only picked up and put down that way not to muss up their hair. Totally unnatural. Besides the pressure on the neck, the tail is pulled the wrong way - upwards and to the head - as the weight bears down.
Pulling a dog from a tunnel by it's tail, the tail is still straight and more alined with the back.

I agree that it's wrong, but to me it's no more wrong than stringing them up on the move. Plus, of course, it was accepted practice until very recently - it's going to take a while for people to change their mindset.

Hmmmm, I have no comment, I haven't actually seen the footage. I am not a fan of dog shows nor the owners that treat their charges as a piece of meat.

Caryll wrote:I agree that it's wrong, but to me it's no more wrong than stringing them up on the move. Plus, of course, it was accepted practice until very recently - it's going to take a while for people to change their mindset.

And the unnatural positions they're forced to stand in.

Shisa wrote:

Caryll wrote:I agree that it's wrong, but to me it's no more wrong than stringing them up on the move. Plus, of course, it was accepted practice until very recently - it's going to take a while for people to change their mindset.

And the unnatural positions they're forced to stand in.

Most breeds nowadays are stood in a more natural position. There are exceptions of course - the GSD for one, although the position isn't an uncomfortable one. The toy breeds seem to be the worst.