Thursday, July 15, 2021

No Crufts For Us (in 2021)

 JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I was sad to see the announcement, back in March, that Crufts Dog Show, scheduled to begin today, would be cancelled. Evidently, they squeaked in under the wire last March, and then took a shot (no pun intended) at a July show. However, the UK has been building a third wave since the spring, and the organizers decided to err on the side of caution (unlike the government, which is reopening everything, but that's a whole other blog.)

 

Crufts - and I here detour to explain years of research using original 17th and 18th century documents means I always see it as "Crusts" in my mind - was founded 130 years ago by Charles Cruft, a British manufacturer of dog biscuits. The family ran the increasingly popular and well-attended show, first in Islington and later in London, until 1942, when Charles' widow sold it to the The Kennel Club (presumably, this is when the apostrophe dropped off the name.) The show went on hiatus during the two world wars, but, excepting an electricians' strike in 1954, it has been held every year since 1948. Until now.

 

 

The show is one of the three premiere events in what my family calls "the fancy dog world," where highly bred superstars compete against one another for a small cash prize and a large stud or whelping fee in the future. But honestly, seeing the Best In Show is way down on my list of Crufts events (they make it SUPER easy to follow along in the US on their Facebook page or You Tube channel.)


Crufts was one of the first conformation shows to introduce obedience and agility trials, in 1950 and 1978. Even better, to my mind? The Rescue Dog agility competition, which has... some spectacular moments. Crufts also has the Young Kennel Club, where you get to see kids working on handling and showing their pups, Flyball, a kind of canine rugby, and Heelwork to Music, which is hard to describe - sort of a combination of dog dressage and musical theater. 

 

 

Crufts is also the place where the winners of the Kennel Club Friends for Life are highlighted in five categories: Extraordinary Life of a Working Dog, Hero Support Dog, Rescue Dog Hero, Child’s Champion and Best Friends.I dare you to watch one of the videos about these (usually quite ordinary, non-purebred) doggos without completely losing it in a flood of tears.

 


It's always such a pleasure to see dogs and their people enjoying themselves and the challenges of competition. (If they only had a glasses-eating division, we could enter Lucy's Lottie. She would surely be a champ!) I'll miss it this year, but there's lots of great content online to revisit. Here's hoping the UK can bring the coronavirus to heel, and that we can enjoy more furry fun next year.

50 comments:

  1. Even though erring on the side of caution is probably a good thing, these day it seems as if so much ends up put aside again . . . I guess we’ve learned that lesson about taking things for granted.

    The videos are so cute . . . thanks for a smile to start the day . . . .

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    1. I was reading about the infection rate in England, Joan, and they're having a third wave of the Delta variation, despite an aggressive vaccination program. (They have anti-vaxers in the UK as well as here.) It's not expected to peak until August, so I can see why Crufts pulled the plug. Pre-Covid, they would get up to 20,000 participants over three days, and you can imagine the larger number of spectators.

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  2. I'm glad to see they have "ordinary" and rescue dog features. I think in the rescue community, breeding dogs is much looked down on, and these kinds of shows never had any appeal to me. But liftin up mutts? That I can get behind.

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    1. Rescue groups don't scorn breeders entirely. Responsible breeders, like the woman Debs got her dog, Dax from, are fine. What we work to control are puppy-mill type breeders, and backyard breeders who produce a lot of dogs they don't know what to do with. These dogs often have health problems, or are neglected or dumped when the breeders can't sell them. I remember one case up in Oklahoma where the guy had a purebred border collie, bred her to a BC stud and then, when he couldn't find a market for the puppies, just left them to run loose next to a road until all but one had been hit and killed. A rescuer who lived nearby realized what was going on and asked the guy if she could take the mother and surviving pup off his hands. He didn't care, since she wasn't making him any money.

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    2. Gigi, that's horrible! I'll never understand that kind of attitude toward dogs (or cats.)

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  3. We don't watch too many dog shows or events, and I had never heard of Crufts, but we do enjoy watching dogs do their thing! From yesterday's post, I gather that Lottie would have some tough competition in the glasses eating event. Kenai has never been really big into watching other dogs strut their stuff, but in some households, the pets love to watch all these shows. LOL

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    1. Lottie and I said Lola! My bad. I'll edit the front page.

      As for dogs watching dogs, we used to go to Maine's organic farms fair, Common Ground, every September. One of the events I loved most was the sheep dog competitions. It was fascinating to see various Border Collies, all flat on the ground and motionless, following the action on the field like the audience at Wimbledon.

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  4. Here's hoping next year is better. This one has been marginal, but we've doubled COVID cases so far this month.

    I think I could enter Sergeant Pepper in Pup Parkour. He considers most of the floors as lava and can get clear across the living room without burning his feet. And for Penny Lane, I think Bat Herding is her best bet. Just last night she assisted Julie in making sure a huge bat left the building and returned to the wild of the garden. And in under five minutes, a new house record.

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    1. Ann, that is a genuinely useful dog you have there!

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  5. How have I never heard of this before?

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    1. I know, it's not well known in the US. Maybe because American's can't compete (border laws re: bringing dogs in are very strict.) They haven't had one since Brexit happened; I have no idea if it will still be able to draw all the European competitors.

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  6. Oh Julia, I got the best laugh watching the rescue dog in his agility trial! It makes me want to find a class for Lottie:)

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    1. I did, too! Turning around in that tunnel. So funny.

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    2. Honestly, the agility trials for both purebreds and rescue dogs are a hoot. You can enter ANY breed, so imagine the one with a Papillon dog...

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  7. Just what I needed this morning! I watched the Westminster Dog Show in June, set on a grassy estate up the Hudson from NYC with (gasp!) no spectators. The dogs loved it. Yesterday Louie grabbed my flexible plastic editing ruler off the dining room table and chewed off a couple of inches. He's a candidate for snatch and grab and extreme chewing events.

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    1. My Zoe used to be Queen of the Inappropriate Chew Toys when she was a pup. Books, shoes, pillows, and, yes, glasses.

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    2. Someone clearly needs to come up with ordinary pet dog competitions: fastest steal off the counter, weirdest chew toy, worst fart, etc.

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  8. I haven't really ever watched a dog show, maybe bits here and there. Guess it doesn't appeal to me seeing those pampered dogs not acting like regular dogs. I have watched a bit of sheep trials shows. One in particular seemed to fascinate my dog but he was a Shetland sheepdog so I suppose that was his kind of viewing.

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    1. Judi, see my comment above! I've seen other sheep dogs at live trials at an agricultural fair and they are riveted to the action. Not sure if they're judging their compatriot, or watching the sheep in case they break wild.

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    2. Guessing I will have to take my Sunny out to the fair, or wherever. I'm thinking maybe Washington Co.(NY) does it, or maybe it's just up in that area.

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  9. Shalom Reds and friends,

    I, so, wanted a dog when I was a kid. However, we lived in the projects, and I don’t think they even allowed house cats. Neither mom nor dad was a dog person. Neither of my brothers, to this day, has a dog or a cat. So, I guess, maybe I was adopted. (I do have at least one nephew who has a dog; the influence of his girlfriend.)

    So, in my early twenties, I saved my money, and in February of one year, I took a trip to Florida to buy a puppy from a breeder, his second litter of German Shepherds. I named her Bianka because she was from the B litter. I flew home with her, stowed in baggage. Big mistake. I’ll never have to do it again, but if asked, I tell anyone that you must buy a ticket for the dog and keep her crate right next to you on the plane. She was so sick that we almost lost her in the first week. She was a fighter, nonetheless, and grew up to be a remarkable dog.

    I attended Westminster once. I entered Bianka in a puppy category once in a local show. I took her to watch a sheep herding trial in Central Park. (If you really want to watch something marvelous, enter “Dog watching herself on TV” either on Google or on YouTube search box. I love watching this Border Collie root for herself.)

    Towards the end of her life, I could no longer take care of Bianka. My mother graciously took her in and became somewhat of a dog person. When my mother died very young, a cousin took Bianka. I was abroad, when my brother wrote me that Bianka had developed cancer. She was 14 years old.

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    1. Bianka lived a pretty good, long life. Thank you for giving that to her.

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    2. David, she sounds like a wonderful dog who had the chance to give love and happiness to THREE people in her life.

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  10. I have never heard of this! So fun! I love to think about dog brains, they are so complicated. Or not. It is fascinating how they think and react and respond, and try to please. Or not.

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    1. Hank, the unending fascination of dogs is that they're both. They can be taught an incredible array of skills - just watch a video of the training for a life-assistance dog. And at the same time, they will eat five pairs of glasses.

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  11. My sister and I attended the local kennel club dog show for several years when we were middle-school aged. I was fun to learn about the different breeds and see all the beautiful dogs. As an adult I've grown more aware of some of the weird things breeders breed for--longer ears, shorter legs, smaller bodies--that make it harder for dogs to function as dogs. I'm not a huge fan of the short-legged/long-bodied breeds, or the dogs with such short muzzles they have trouble breathing. But I still enjoy watching dog shows, and my border collie, Zoe, will sit in front of the TV for hours to watch them. The National Dog Show is part of our Thanksgiving Day ritual. I turn it on just for her and she'll come in out of the yard to watch, only napping during the commercials.

    The Crufts videos are also a favorite. The agility dogs are so much fun, whether they are champions, or more into "interpretive" agility. And the heeling with music competitions are just amazing to me. Thanks for sharing this morning, Julia.

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    1. Gigi, you might be interested in looking up the Crufts controversy. In 2008, there was a report on the various purebred traits that are worsening the life and health of dogs, mostly in areas that you've mentioned. Crufts and the Kennel Club humphed and pushed back, but when their own report came back saying the same thing, they made changes. The breed standards have been adjusted since 2009, although every dog in existence at that time was grandfathered in, of course.

      I read one article that said the changes would be gradual, but by the mid-2030s we should see a noticeable difference in dwarf and brachiocephalic breeds.

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  12. Julia,

    These dogs are beyond adorable. I just watched a Miss Fisher's Modern Mysteries on Acorn TV and there was a dog show storyline. Miss Fisher is the niece of Phrynne.

    Diana

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    1. Diane, I think there's room for a cozy version of Dick Francis's books, all set in the dog showing world!

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    2. Julia, are you referring to the mysteries by another writer? Sorry I am confused.

      Diana

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  13. Julia, thanks so much for sharing! I love watching Crufts and am sorry they've given it a pass this year--although probably wise. The agility trials are my favorite part, and usually it's border collies for the win!

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    1. BCs are one of the clearest examples of dogs born for the role, ever! Closely followed by "the ultimate service dog," the German Shepherd, of course...

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  14. Oh so wonderful, Julia! Thanks for posting this.

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  15. That agility video with Kratu is adorable. He's just out there having fun. The weave? "Yeah, no." LOL

    Retired racing greyhounds are also technically "rescues." Koda is a purebred greyhound, but I'm almost positive he wouldn't qualify for conformity because he's got this weird flip at the end of his tail I think is non-standard (I call it his "monkey-tail). But the racing industry doesn't care about conformity - they only care about speed.

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    1. Liz, there's an interesting parallel breed competition at Crufts: the gamekeepers class. This is judging various gun dogs - dogs used for tracking, hunting and retrieving game - not by their KC conformation, but by how suitable and work-ready they are. Frankly, it seems ALL dogs out to be judged by those standards; we'd have healthier and happier purebreds.

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  16. I love dogs! All dogs! Thanks for posting this, Julia, it made my day!

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  17. OK, I'm a cat person, but I have a big grin on my face from watching these dogs. Thanks, Julia!

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    1. Amanda, even if you don't want one in your house, it's impossible not to laugh at Kratu on the agility course.

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  18. Louise Penny introduced me (via her newsletter) to the Mabel and Olive videos. And now thanks to you, I'm acquainted with Crufts. Sigh of contentment. The categories alone are enticing!

    I am squarely against 'designer' dogs--which is not the same as being against purebreds. I especially love all the working breeds because they are so intelligent, loyal, and amazing to see in action. My only dog (one I chose), was a GSD and I still miss her. I couldn't keep her because she was a poor traveler--got carsick within 15 minutes--and I would have had to board her every week and only see her on weekends--didn't seem like much of a life for her. She went to a family with kids. Thanks for posting this!

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    1. Flora, my daughter LOVES the Olive and Mabel videos. Their owner's narration is hysterical.

      I agree with you on designer dogs. You might enjoy the Crufts videos of the gamekeepers class - hunting dogs judged not on breed conformation per se, but on how suitable and work-ready they are for tracking, retrieving, etc.

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  19. I never heard of Crufts! I enjoy watching the dog show on Thanksgiving and also Westminster. Love the terrier group! We've had terrier mutts since our last Airedale. I love any dog with mischief in his heart!

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    1. Oh, my goodness, Airedales. I love to watch them in action, but that's a breed best homed well away from me. At this stage, I like dogs that are happy with a mile walk and then will loaf the rest of the day!

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    2. Julia, you need a greyhound. They sleep an average of 20 hours per day and would be completely happy with exactly that lifestyle.

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  20. I can't believe I didn't know about Crufts. I watched a couple of the videos, and they are great. I plan to watch the rest. I hope this 130 year old tradition can get back on track next year and continue.

    One of the things that interest me in the dog shows is how the dogs walk, from the short little strides to the long lopping ones. Lulu, our pure-bred Brittany Spaniel rescue dog has such a beautiful walk/stride. Our last Brittany Coco had a pretty stride, too, but Lulu's is quite exceptional. It reminds me of the old line, "I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you walk away." Here's a link to the Blues song with that name. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u116mt21KSo

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    1. Kathy, I love it! Yes, the great thing about Crufts is, unlike the Westminster or national Dog Show here in the US, Crufts livestreams the show, so you can see all the judging as well as the highlights.

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  21. Crufts is awesome. The freestyle routines are a hoot! Oh, by the way, the Dick Francis type series already exists -- Laurien Berenson's series about standard poodles.

    I started going to dog shows when I was looking for a puppy and kept going back because of all the dogs one can enjoy in one place at one time. It is definitely a world all its own and it is neither all good nor all bad. There are some ideas that need serious re-consideration like "line breeding" and the insistence that the breeders are always only concerned about the "good of the breed." This has allowed for one breed that cannot deliver puppies naturally. On the other hand, some breeds are aware and concerned about the future of their breeds. Ethical poodle breeders, for example are seriously concerned about the genetic bottleneck that exists within the Standards and the prevalence of knee issues in miniatures. The "fancy" works to correct these things and has invested in both genetic testing and breeding databases. Those things are available to the less thoughtful breeder, but they aren't generally used, especially for intentional or unintentional crosses.

    I do have to say this though: Any dog that succeeds in the show ring wants to be there. If they aren't happy, they aren't successful. It is much a game for them as agility and they are doing "dog things" in that they are playing games with their handler.

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    1. Ed, if you're a dog owner, you know dogs want and need to do certain things. A happy dog is one that has a job, whether that's snuggling in your lap or rounding up sheep.

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    2. Oh yeah. That's the wonderful part about dogs. Don't know how people live without them.

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