Post by Die Fledermaus on Feb 12, 2009 16:20:32 GMT -4
I posted some of this information in another thread. This adds to it and includes information learned at the AKC Westminster Kennel Club Show.
I was Westminster Kennel Show this week, both days, and had some interesting talks with many breeders about this matter, and with the AKC president. It is an important issue.
Some of you may know that in January the British Kennel Club instituted new breed standards, this following a BBC documentary over the Summer called "Pedigree Dogs Exposed". Apparently, the existing standards are the themselves too permissive in allowing "extreme" characteristics in many breeds of dogs. According to the BKC. Of course there are also disreputable breeders who violate the standards going to even greater extremes, but in this case the BBC complaint was over the extant breed standard in the U.K.
According to a London Times article, "The shar pei will lose the familiar folds of skin on the neck, skull and legs while the Clumber spaniel and the labrador retriever must stay slim to qualify as top show dogs. Flat faces without a muzzle on Pekingese are also no longer acceptable because they cause breathing difficulties. Other breeds to change are the bloodhound, German shepherd hound, basset hound, Saint Bernard, chow chow, the Dogue de Bordeaux and mastiff."
LINK
Another link
We can assume the Neapolitan mastiff, with recurrent eye problems, is another among many.
How BKC breed standards compare with those of American groups such as the AKC I do not know; if anyone does, please inform us.
So, Monday morning at Madison Square Garden, on the arena floor, I met and spoke to the AKC president. He basically gave me the party line: "We are confident in the ability of our individual clubs to maintain appropriate standards". The AKC would do nothing except rely on those clubs. He said there were NO health issues current with the breeds, and that "they die of old age".
I then spoke to some bulldog and shar pei people in the benching area. Some knew of the BKC action and the BBC program - both of which has gotten Peta in the U.S. to call for similar standards here, such as those new ones from the BKC. The bull dog and shar pei owners/breeders said they had no health problems and the clubs maintained standards. They all seemed honest and candid.
But I then spoke with a Neapolitan mastiff owner who told me the reverse! According to her, also a very nice candid lady, there were health problems with many breeds and I got the PC line from the AKC president. "What else was he going to say?".
She added, "judges have to be better educated": she cited her own NM apparently being penalized that day in the ring for moving too gracefully and lightly, and not lumbering along. Is lumbering to be encouraged by judges??
Later, a trainer I know and trust told me that within the standards here health problems are not an issue.
So, the questions remains:
Are current U.S., and especially AKC, breed standards similar to those of the BKC previous to the BKC's changes?
Are the current standards of the AKC healthful for the dogs, those breeds that have "extreme" characteristics?
Are the clubs doing a good enough job to maintain and improve standards?
Are judges qualified to evaluate while encouraging healthful characteristics, such as with the Neapolitan mentioned above?
Should the BKC's new standards be instituted here?
Opinions are welcome. I find it a bit of an enigma.
P.S. This has nothing to do with Peta other than that they want the BKC's actions instituted here.
I was Westminster Kennel Show this week, both days, and had some interesting talks with many breeders about this matter, and with the AKC president. It is an important issue.
Some of you may know that in January the British Kennel Club instituted new breed standards, this following a BBC documentary over the Summer called "Pedigree Dogs Exposed". Apparently, the existing standards are the themselves too permissive in allowing "extreme" characteristics in many breeds of dogs. According to the BKC. Of course there are also disreputable breeders who violate the standards going to even greater extremes, but in this case the BBC complaint was over the extant breed standard in the U.K.
According to a London Times article, "The shar pei will lose the familiar folds of skin on the neck, skull and legs while the Clumber spaniel and the labrador retriever must stay slim to qualify as top show dogs. Flat faces without a muzzle on Pekingese are also no longer acceptable because they cause breathing difficulties. Other breeds to change are the bloodhound, German shepherd hound, basset hound, Saint Bernard, chow chow, the Dogue de Bordeaux and mastiff."
LINK
Another link
We can assume the Neapolitan mastiff, with recurrent eye problems, is another among many.
How BKC breed standards compare with those of American groups such as the AKC I do not know; if anyone does, please inform us.
So, Monday morning at Madison Square Garden, on the arena floor, I met and spoke to the AKC president. He basically gave me the party line: "We are confident in the ability of our individual clubs to maintain appropriate standards". The AKC would do nothing except rely on those clubs. He said there were NO health issues current with the breeds, and that "they die of old age".
I then spoke to some bulldog and shar pei people in the benching area. Some knew of the BKC action and the BBC program - both of which has gotten Peta in the U.S. to call for similar standards here, such as those new ones from the BKC. The bull dog and shar pei owners/breeders said they had no health problems and the clubs maintained standards. They all seemed honest and candid.
But I then spoke with a Neapolitan mastiff owner who told me the reverse! According to her, also a very nice candid lady, there were health problems with many breeds and I got the PC line from the AKC president. "What else was he going to say?".
She added, "judges have to be better educated": she cited her own NM apparently being penalized that day in the ring for moving too gracefully and lightly, and not lumbering along. Is lumbering to be encouraged by judges??
Later, a trainer I know and trust told me that within the standards here health problems are not an issue.
So, the questions remains:
Are current U.S., and especially AKC, breed standards similar to those of the BKC previous to the BKC's changes?
Are the current standards of the AKC healthful for the dogs, those breeds that have "extreme" characteristics?
Are the clubs doing a good enough job to maintain and improve standards?
Are judges qualified to evaluate while encouraging healthful characteristics, such as with the Neapolitan mentioned above?
Should the BKC's new standards be instituted here?
Opinions are welcome. I find it a bit of an enigma.
P.S. This has nothing to do with Peta other than that they want the BKC's actions instituted here.
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