# BBC pulls TV coverage of Crufts Dog Show



## TrackingPuppy (Feb 13, 2005)

The BBC pulled coverage of the Crufts Show in 2009 because the BBC refused to air footage of dogs in the ‘at risk’ breeds plus Cavaliers and Rhodesian Ridgebacks which had been featured in their controversial documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed, while the KC (of England) refused to eliminate those breeds from group competitions. The ‘at risk’ breeds are the Bloodhound, Basset, Clumber, St Bernard, Shar-Pei, Chow, Neapolitan Mastiff, Pekingese, Bulldog, Mastiff, GSD and Dogue de Bordeaux. Neither side would budge, and eventually the BBC decided to break its two-year contract and walk away from ‘the world’s greatest dog show’.

Read the full story here:

Link:

http://www.dogworld.co.uk/News/50-Crufts-BBC


----------



## Strongheart (May 2, 2007)

Wow. That's very progressive! Almost like their health care system!

Thanks for posting.


----------



## mkennels (Feb 12, 2008)

I have never liked the crufts anyway, I watched it a couple of times and I think those dogs are in the worse shape I have seen. If I ever get good and win in showing I would never go if invited.


----------



## K9Drover (Oct 2, 2008)

Why do you say that "those dogs are in the worse shape"? I think they are more indicative of what the breed should look like and after all the judges should be judging on how he dog meets the standard. Here in the States, we have changed the standards and now most of the AKC breeds look like supped up formula 1 dogs primped and pruned as if they were about to set foot on a beauty pageant catwalk. They dont look like they used to. GSD's have a slopped backs which seems to by why so many here have bad hips, they are thin and scrawny and wobble when they walk. Even the military and police services dont buy American dogs - I wonder why! You can even see dobies and other breeds going the same way and dont even get me started on ear cropping.


----------



## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

Did you watch the documentary? Cavalier breeders were KNOWINGLY breeding dogs with brain/skull abnormalities that would perpetuate extreme crippling of quality of life just because the dogs won in the ring. Plus, when confronted about it, they all but flipped off the camera. 

This is a great start, I applaud the BBC. I hope the US, Animal Planet, USA Network, and the AKC are paying attention. No one is asking to stop breeding pugs or pekes or cavs or bulldogs, just change it so the dogs can breathe normally, walk normally, and not have half their population affected by crippling disease.


----------



## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

I am totally with you, Diana. Sadly, those deformities are much too often the only conformation awarded top honors in the ring.









So.. are the judges then the ones who need to be addressed?







"Stop awarding ribbons to pugs who... bulldogs who... GSDs who.... etc.?" Change the trends by changing what type of conformation that can be rewarded? On the other hand.... As difficult a job as it is to be an AKC judge, they ARE treated like royalty. What exalted King or Queen Judge will say "Yes! Tell me what to favor and what not to favor! Define for me what I can find breedworthy!" ... and even then, if egos could be quashed enough for them to allow new guidelines... where and how do we draw the line between a blocky, blunt muzzle... and where it begins to look retracted? We know about breathing problems... but at what point do we decide "That is when the shape does the dog harm." Veterinarians would need to weigh in... _and not be payed off by breeders who breed for those extremes._









This is tough all around. Look at the showline Doberman and showline Golden-- even though the Dobie now looks more like a twiggy Greyhound in a black and rust outfit, and the Golden's babyface and nearly floor-length brisket hair really has also gotten extreme... we don't think of Dobies and Goldens as having conformation that hinders them, do we? Welllll...... even though they don't LOOK extreme, the genepools are so tiny, studs so overused, linebreeding so close and tight, that we have show Goldens and show Dobermans being "the cancer breeds." We cannot tell that by appearance. But, at one show, a Dobie breeder confessed to having to put down her TWO year old brood bitch due to toenail cancer. Cancer of the nailbed that did not originate elsewhere in the body. That is extreme. The breeder said "It's in ALL the lines. If I lived on an island, I'd breed my Dobies with Pit Bulls, and have sane, level-headed, HEALTHY dogs that lived long lives... but I don't live on an island." Showline Dobermans even have "longevity awards" on their websites if they make it to 10. The aforementioned breeder bragged that she had a male who lived until 8.

So, maybe change what can be rewarded in the ring. I have no idea HOW to get a judge to only accept certain conformation. Although there are show dog breeders who are sensible, more moderate, and considerate of the health of their dogs-- the show breeders who breed for the recognition, limelight, and even money will not change doing what brings them these things.

I don't know if BBC dropping Crufts is enough-- but I do see where they are coming from. I am not saying all show dogs are bad-- far from it! But, the problem is severe enough that John Q. Public even recognizes it's there. I hope something changes for the positive soon.


----------



## dOg (Jan 23, 2006)

Glad to hear this...
hope it helps the AKC wake up, too!
Hybrid vigor is real.


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Be nice if the AKC were able to be pro-active and also promote some of the proposed changes, specially like the following recommendation included in the article:



> Quote:The RSPCA has commissioned an independent review of the science in this field, which will be published in the new year. Among a raft of recommendations, the following themes have been identified as possible ways forward, the charity said, ‘An overhaul of the rules and requirements for pedigree dog registration and competitive dog showing (including breed Standards). *Health, welfare and temperament should be prioritised over appearance; the development and implementation of health and welfare-focused breeding strategies for individual breeds.* This should include proactive steps to increase the genetic diversity of breeds; more data collection and scientific analysis on causes of disease and death in dogs; education, especially of potential owners, to encourage demand for dogs who have the best possible chance of leading healthy, happy lives’.


----------



## ninhar (Mar 22, 2003)

Applause to the BBC for doing the right thing. Hopefully this sends a message to the dog breeders who have put looks over health and soundness.


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Here's a link to the original BBC documentary posted on google.  It takes about a hour to watch.  Regardless of the position you take on the issues it raises, you should probably watch it because the changes and controversy it has already provoked within Britain and the Kennel Club will almost certainly make their way to North America and its kennel clubs in the next few years.

http://tinyurl.com/58nyyp (hopefully that's still a good link)


----------



## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

I'm glad SOMEONE finally has taken a stand. 

In the world of beagles, health risks have gotten out of control. I was speaking to a reputable breeder who does health clearances and she told me about a nationally rated show breeder who puts her puppies on thyroid medicine almost the day they're born. She knows that hypothyroidism runs in her lines, but she wins with those lines. So she breeds them anyhow. 

I didn't buy from the breeder who gave me this info (there was something really unprofessional about someone badmouthing another breeder like that, and I didn't want to support that). But that just shows what's out there. Beagles in America are definitely in trouble. And Uno just won this year, which was the worst possible thing to happen to the breed. It's going to get even worse.









I'm glad someone is standing up for the dogs. Finally.


----------



## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

When it comes to any competition, the human ego often gets in the way. Sport dogs are bred to be so drivey that they have to be kenneled 24/7 except when it is time to work. Show dogs are bred regardless of all other characteristics except for ability to win in the ring. Sure, not everyone does it (thank goodness), but sadly a lot of them do. And "type" is everything, to the point that "type" gets caricatured and blown out of proportion. The basset hound was supposed to be a good hunting dog for the horseless hunter. Now they can barely find their way to their beds. The hunting American cocker spaniel is a fading memory. The English bulldog is nothing like its original stock. The fox terrier couldn't hope to get down a foxhole. The border collie we see put up at Westminster is an altogether different breed than the border collie still in use on ranches and farms. When we concentrate on winning more than the "total dog," the dogs lose, especially if they end up winning. Winning is not everything, but having the dog with the best temperament and ability that also fits the written standard well and is in good health IS everything, even if the dog never wins in the ring when put up against the "pretty dogs."

The show ring has also led to dogs that must rely on the surgeon's hand to give birth. Sorry, but if you must have a C-section to perpetuate your species or race, you need to exit the gene pool or Mother Nature will shove you out. The complete inability to mate and whelp naturally should be the FIRST indication that a breed of dog either should not exist or should be bred to resolve the issue at hand. Once bulldogs can mate and give birth naturally more times than not, I think a lot of their problems will be fixed.


----------

