Two weeks after the Crufts furore, Cruaghaire Catoria has won Best of Breed again, this time at the Scottish Progressive GSD Group's Show last Sunday (27th March) at Glebe Park, Lesmahagow. "Tori' was awarded V1 - the top title in shows run under WUSV rules.
The judge was SV judge Herr Peter Arth, and the win gives Tori enough points to be called a BRG (British Regional Group) Champion. Owner Susan Cuthbert (who is also the SPGSD Group's Secretary) had duly amended her website to reflect this achievement.
Although there is mention of the win on the Cruaghaire website, the results do not seem to have been made publicly available yet, and no pictures have been released, perhaps in anticipation of the reaction.
So what should we make of the win?
Well, one would hope that "Tori" performed with more confident aplomb than she did at Crufts. But even if she wasn't hunched-and-crunched in anxiety as she was at Crufts, this is still the same dog we saw there - a dog whose rear knuckles scraped the ground and who landed on her metatarsals when she moves. Have another look (I've slowed it down some more here). This is the best of her movement that day.
So is this just showline Shepherd breeders sticking two fingers up at the rest of us?
Well yes. Although it's important to know that these are not comedy villains cackling behind their hands while knowingly breeding crippled dogs. They honestly, truly, deeply believe what they're doing is right; that dogs that look and move like this are "correct". Read this again from the statement released by the GSD League of Great Britain following Crufts.
"The GSD League condemns most strongly the manner in which the Kennel Club and the Crufts presenters have created public hysteria regarding the German Shepherd Bitch who gained Best of Breed at Crufts 2016 under breed specialist judge, Davy Hall.
"With complete disregard for all of the many breed specialist judges, including highly regarded judges from the breed’s country of origin, that have awarded this bitch top honours at both Kennel Club and WUSV shows, the Channel 4 coverage acted as judge, jury and hangman without any balance of reporting.
"Cruaghaire Catoria is a correct type to the German Shepherd Dog standard, she has a KC/BVA hip score of 13 and elbow score of 0 – these scores are well below the maximum for showing at WUSV shows, the Kennel Club have no minimum standard for showing or breeding purposes. She is a fit, healthy, family dog.
"The judge, Davy Hall, of the Gayville’s GSDs kennels has been an exhibitor and breeder of GSDs for many years having bred, owned, trained and handled many top winning animals and Champions including the current breed CC record holder."
They believe this so strongly that they will see Tori's new win last Sunday as confirmation that they were right all along and the rest of us know jack-shit about German Shepherds. Judge PeterArth, who gave Tori her V1 win is a German SV judge (i.e. supposedly the best) and it is hard to imagine that he is not aware of the fuss over this dog or hat he has not seen the footage of her - although of course he would not have had the benefit of slo-mo last Sunday.
A comment on one GSD forum from someone who knows him says:
Peter Arth is an excellent SV Judge, Körmeister and Trial judge as well. He prefers dogs who meet the standard and he will accept no politicing from people wanting their dogs to be placed high if the dog does not deserve it.So there it is, just in case anyone had any lingering doubts.
This is what they are looking for in the show-ring. This is what they want to see.
And, frankly, it won't change until the SV in Germany sees the light.
Meanwhile, we are awaiting an announcement from the Kennel Club re how it intends to address "the GSD problem".
I hear quite radical moves are being considered...
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PS: this post is not an April Fool - unlike this post yesterday. And, no I didn't publish all those comments from those frantic to tell everyone that is was an April Fool - because, hey, isn't it much more fun to let people be taken in? (What spoilsports you all were!)
Sometimes I wonder if they wouldn't let this dog win simply to spite those who complain about it. "...accept no politicing..." sounds great but it's all about cliques/politics and solidarity in the face of us who "dont have a clue".
ReplyDeleteHmm Jemima, you're admonishment to me about the use of the word "idiot" in respect of these people maybe needs a review. How, why these people are continuing to get away with such a destructive effect on another species is beyond me. It really is time the welfare bodies are called in to seriously look at the situation and the Kennel Club should be leading that research NOW. It is wicked, disgustingly wicked, that dogs are being bred by such inhuman, careless people and being rewarded for it. Disgusting.
ReplyDeleteVideo has been blocked by Channel 4, at least in Ireland where I am.
ReplyDeleteTry this..
Deletehttps://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/anonymox/
I can't see the video and I'm in England.
ReplyDeleteTry this, Fran.
Deletehttps://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/anonymox/
"breed specialist judges" it sounds fancy, but really these people are not experts on dog health, they are members of a completely artificial and arbitrary world. Walter Lippmann's book Public Opinion is clear on this sort of group delusionary thinking https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Opinion_(book) . They aren't going to see the problems themselves, it's going to take outside intervention from government bodies saying this constitutes cruel breeding practices and you cannot continue. KC kicking them out could be a start but it won't end until this generation of breeders die out.
ReplyDeleteNot being familiar with The Scottish Progressive GSD Group I looked it up and see it was set up as an alternative to the KC with regard to showing. So the KC have no jurisdiction over this event and the dog is not a champion in the UK sense of the word. It simply proves that whatever the KC do or don't do there is already an alternative out there and the breeders and exhibitors of this type of dog will no doubt just organise themselves and their shows on this model.
ReplyDeleteThey set up their own events outside of the KC banner after the furore with the KC last time. They are held in the German style, and not everyone wants to show this way. Effectively they just pat themselves on the back in their own little pond. Clearly though, some still want KC accolades despite protestations to the contrary.
DeleteI love GS's, are they breeding them like that in the US? I have not noticed this kind of gate or crouch in the rear of the GS I see here. I'll take more notice when I see one.
ReplyDeleteThe German shepherds being bred for show in the states are compromised physically as well, just in different ways. The German show lines have "roach backs (convex curvature of the spine) while those in the U.S. usually do not. Typically those in the states still exhibit what can be considered "over-angulation" of the hind legs, their pelvises are lower than their withers, and they do often walk on their metatarsals. There have been multiple past posts about such dogs here. There are many German shepherds bred for pet homes in the U.S. as well as working line dogs that still look like the German shepherds of the '50's and '60's - so-called "straight back" German shepherds.
DeleteIf you want to see a nice GSD at crufts, look at the police dog display. Those shepherds are all functional and beautiful
ReplyDeleteI wonder where GSDs will end up in another 10 years or so... Will they be literally dragging their immobile back ends around the show ring, or will they be wheeling around in doggy wheelchairs. No doubt either type could still be show winners.
ReplyDeleteThey're SUPPOSED to move like sea lions! That's the CORRECT form!
DeleteThe GSD is the worst case of breeders insisting their breed is so unique and so special the basic rules of canine biology don't apply. Imagine the mentality of hard core sports fan who throws his moral compass away when looking at the behaviour of his favourite player crossed with an extremely superstitious person who believes any number of crazy things. Take the dogs out of the equation and you have something that looks a lot like a cult.
ReplyDeleteYou have nailed it. It is endemic and it is what they are seeking to achieve. So any of these smiling assassins who tell you that they have a few problems with overangulation and wobbly hocks but are trying to sort them out......are in fact liars pure and simple. On a note about the SV...allegedly there are some major changes afoot according to Jan DeMeyer...I can only hope he is right, though whether it will change anything remains to be seen. The SV is a corrupt money making machine and the Sieger Show a marketplace where the 'top' dogs are usually sold to China for vast sums of money. Unfortunately that doesn't give them much incentive to change. Anyone who thinks of the SV as guardians of the breed are utterly deluded. They have literally been selling it out for years.
ReplyDeleteSo....they cry shame when all the 'good' dogs are sold off to China....and yet they still blindly follow the template. If China likes extreme dogs (and let's be honest they really, really do) Germany will produce more and more of them and our UK 'wannabes' will tag along with the delusion that they are 'correct'. It is breathtakingly stupid is it not?
ReplyDeleteHow much of "China likes extreme dogs" is due to the attitude and status that we in the western world give dogs? We need to lead by example, especially when you consider we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers. Doesn't seem to be in practical terms unfortunately.
DeleteRead this again from the statement released by the GSD League of Great Britain following Crufts.
Delete"La la la la we can't hear you
La la la la la la la..."
How about this:
The rest of the world condemns most strongly the manner in which the GSD League, and GSD breed clubs all over the world, have reduced the German Shepherd Dog to a slope-backed, shambling caricature of its proud origin.
With complete disregard for common sense and veterinary opinion, including orthopedic veterinarians and animal locomotion specialists, they award top honours to dogs who by any other breed standard would be considered horrifyingly unsound and in need of veterinary attention.
Cruaghaire Catoria is a correct type to the German Shepherd Dog standard, which departs from the basic fundamentals of sound, correct canine structure and movement and predisposed such dogs to orthopedic issues leading to pain, lameness and suffering.
I have just been told that this bitch has today taken the bitch Challenge Certificate at Bolton GSD Breed Show under Andrew Windfrow. I am certain that this is a Kennel Club registered club so I would say that those in favor of this style of dog are closing ranks in an effort to put pressure on the Kennel Club to take no action over the Crufts issue. What it does for me is show that there is a lack of foresight regarding the breeds future standing and a gross lack of integrity among some judges.
ReplyDeleteJust heard this bitch won the cc at Bolton GSD ch.show today..???
ReplyDeleteAh well, at least the SV showed their true colours. This bitch is bred from German SV top winning bloodlines. U seriously can't think an SV judge is going to go against that? But the seal of approval from an SV judge means she'll be winning all over now. So much for the MOU between the KC and the SV for the wellbeing of the breed. Big radical moves needed to sort this one but I very much doubt the KC has the bottle....
ReplyDeleteHow does a dog like that go for a walk without ripping the skin on its metatarsals to shreds? Tarmac is an unforgiving surface. Surely the dogs can only be walked on soft ground and even then it must cause sores.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/beckyboo20009 - video of the open bitch judging at Bolton GSD Club show
ReplyDeleteThanks for that... Have blogged it separately.
Delete