Breed Notes So good to read news, regarding future shows and dates, I just hope you have all been saving your money during lockdown as I feel you may be needing it! However, for some of these shows I have yet to see a show schedule but no doubt they will arrive shortly, after all, societies will be looking to gain big entries and many will be looking to see what classes will be available to their un-shown charges and then there will be the “out of coat syndrome”. You can bet your bottom dollar, having looked absolutely wonderful all during lockdown, now will be the time coat blows or seasons start – there is no pleasing all! With the SKC planning to hold both shows over the same weekend and followed quickly by Border Union, hopefully, with all the “borders” open many will be off and entering. It will be interesting and maybe costly for some but there is bound to be a new record gained as there is the possibility of a new Champion entering the records by winning all CC’s on offer within a few days – let us hope so BUT my concerns are not only cost to many and there will be those who have been “putting away” enough to cover the entry fees and others, so desperate to get to shows regardless who may be worrying about the safety aspect re Covid. On a positive note, there has been an interesting discussion on social media regarding my breed notes from last week where I asked your thoughts on founding a line or kennel based on the first foundation bitch acquired. It would appear that nowadays, with the changing lifestyles of owners, there are very few “Breeders” left. Many prefer to buy in, be it from abroad or the UK and many feel that this is the way forward. On a concerning note, I am informed that the main reason for importing stock is that it is based on UK lines. Yes, look back and you will find UK stock but the majority of those were exported back from the late 1980’s and have subsequently been used in overseas breeding programmes. My interpretation is, maybe, today’s buyers think that, the dogs back in that period were of better quality than at present! Often purchases are made solely on the interpretation of a photograph let alone its pedigree. When said puppy arrives in the UK, often it bears no resemblance to the original photo, so does the camera ever lie? Another reason given was the time and cost of raising a litter and finding suitable homes. However, I was somewhat worried to read that in some European countries, the accolade of Top Breeder is awarded, not to the number of winners produced but to the number of puppies produced! Surely this is just “puppy farming” and many are exploiting this on the unsuspecting new/novice owner, regardless of breed. Are we in a position of losing all the work done by so many previous breeders, to mention Ladypark, Beulah, Brettonpark, Dunsinane, Rokeby to mention just a very few. These dedicated breeders did not have access to computers for pedigree knowledge and studied their stock before mating took place. If there was an issue with a litter, it was noted and sensibly these lines were avoided for the future. We live in different times and maybe we will have to adjust, as many are now, in my opinion, hobby show goers against dedicated breeders wanting to promote not just the breed but to protect the history of the breed for the future. However, there is hope, established judges still have a duty to the breed and that is to place the most deserving specimen to the high awards, regardless of its parentage or origin! Carole Smedley |
