RSPCA pulls out of Crufts

[Giselle]

Hats off to the RSPCA!!!!

http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/...out-of-crufts/

Many of you know, Crufts is the Westminster of Great Britain. In the past, the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has had a booth there, to promote general animal welfare.

They are opposed to the pedigrees overbreeding leading to deformities, disabilities (physical and healthwise) and such. So they are NOT attendng Crufts this year.

What is a "disability" or "deformity" defined as, considering they are targeting the breed standards themselves?

Lucky, my heavy-coated, bracycephalic, low built dog, must be an abhorrent monster.

[Karen]

I hope they will still be monitoring the welfare of the dogs attending the show ...

[Suki Wingy]

I don't think that was the smartest idea.

[Freedom]

What is a "disability" or "deformity" defined as, considering they are targeting the breed standards themselves?

Lucky, my heavy-coated, bracycephalic, low built dog, must be an abhorrent monster.

For sure, the short noses being bred to standard for Boston Terriers and other bracycephalic breeds would be at issue. From discussions with the vets I see regularly, I've learned the veterinary community is quite displeased with that development, they see more and more of those breeds coming in with issues as time goes on and the snout gets shorter. It is not Nature's way.

[Spiritwind]

It is not Nature's way.

It is not Nature's way?? No dog is! They aren't wild animals. tiny small breeds, extra large breed, heavy coated breeds, hairless breeds..... none of it is natures way, you don't see these things naturally in the wild. wild dogs, wolves whatever.. aren't 10lbs... they don't have long fluffy coats that drag the ground...

I know a while back I read an article about banning breeding of certain dogs in Europe, it might have been from the RSPCA, I don't recall, I'll have to try to look it up... but along with bracycephalic breeds, or long, low built dogs, extra large mastiff type breeds....they also wanted to ban breeding of dogs based on their color! I know blue merles were on that list, because they THINK they are sickly and unhealthy, which is absolutely untrue!..

[lizbud]

I say congratulations RSPCA for having the guts & the BEST interest of
all pedigree breeds in mind when making this decision. The overbreeding of
dogs in general & pedigree breeds especially.,are disgraceful & damaging to
each breed. I respect them for their stance.

[Giselle]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see how you can condone this when you are an avid lover of Bichon Frise. Bichons are nowhere near "nature's way", either. Stout stature, high set tail, curly coat, abnormally small size, etc. (speaking purely in anatomical terms). Do you support the ending of the Bichon breed as we know it? Like Spiritwind already mentioned, NO dog or dog breed is natural.

I just fail to see how we, as natural lovers of certain breeds, can condone the essential destruction of their standards.

Yes, we do need to revamp certain breeding practices, but, if you actually read the standard of many popular breeds, many breeds today are not distorted BECAUSE of their standard. They are distorted due to unethical breeding practices. Standards rarely change for the same reasons that the good ol' Constitution rarely changes. What changes is our interpretation of the standard.

The RSPCA should not be deriding the standards themselves, but the actual breeding practices and ethics.

I've said this before on another forum, but I do think there is something very wrong with dog breeding in general today. However, calling certain breeds "unnatural" and advocating for the demolition of their standard is just a bit asinine. It's not the standard. It's the actual interpretation. Calling for the destruction/boycott of standards is targeting the wrong vice.

[Spiritwind]

As Giselle said.... the breed standards don't need to change, the way people interpert the breed standards that needs to change!

While some breed standards do change or get modified at times -- its really the way people interpert the standards that changes the breeds over time. Thats why you have "families" or "lines" of dogs with different looks. As far as Collies are concerned there are a few lines I really love, or see often at shows, so when I see a dog, without knowing who the dog is I can pretty much tell what bloodline its from...

Now the things that changes a breed are fads... you get a stud dog that does a lot of winning and people think "that dog is winning alot, I should breed my bitch to him" and so you get the "popular stud dog syndrome".... everyone breeds to a big winning stud dog even if he doesnt' correctly meet the breed standard... but because of that the breed changes, since everyone and their brother are breeding their dogs them.

The biggest reason this is allowed to happen are the JUDGES at dog shows!!

IF the judges didn't award these dogs who don't correctly meet the standard, these big wins, they wouldn't become popular (because their winning record) and so people wouldn't be sending their dogs all across the country to breed to him..... or if the case of bitches, wouldn't be in demand for puppies out of that bitch.... most of the time these "fad" dogs who do a lot of winning, win not because of their merrits but because of who is on the other end of the leash...... a long with that, a good handler/groomer can make a bad dog look fantastic in the ring!!!

So yes.. the way breeders interpret the standards is a large part of it... but a lot of it is also because Judges are awarding incorrect dogs with big wins..... so if you want to correct it, judges need to judge to the STANDARD not to the fad of that time..... if judges didn't reward the "fads" of the time, people wouldn't breed them...

[ChrisH]

The RSPCA hasn't 'pulled out' of Crufts, just suspended plans.

The RSPCA has suspended plans for stands at Crufts next March and Discover Dogs this November.

I honestly don't understand the objections to any of the following recommendations being implemented. .

Possible ways forward
The RSPCA has commissioned an independent review of the science in this field, and will be discussing its findings with relevant experts and stakeholders later this year.

Amongst a raft of specific recommendations, the following themes have been identified as possible ways forward.

# 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 pro-active steps to increase the genetic diversity of dog breeds.


# More data collection and scientific analysis on causes of disease and death in dogs.


# Education, especially of would-be owners, to encourage demand for dogs which have the best possible chance of leading healthy, happy lives as pets.

It might be as well to go and read what it is all about 'from the horses mouth' so to speak. Note the word 'save', no-one is out to destroy any breeds, in fact, having seen the BBC documentary, I would suggest the recommendations are the best way forward to avoid the awful suffering of some.

News - Urgent change needed to save pedigree dog