These are Clumbers, right? http://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-26482427 (you may have to scroll through the photos till you get to the dogs). The one on the right looks ok, but the poor chap on the left looks as though he can barely walk.
Re: Crufts Yes, show Clumbers. I'm not sure how it can see anything with those eyes! Don't get me started, Karen.
Re: Crufts That's really awful. I know you said that the show Clumbers are sometimes in a bad state, but I was really shocked to see that photo.
Re: Crufts Well, Karen you have seen photos of working Clumbers on my Facebook page and will know how different they look. The show dogs in the picture will no doubt be on their way to the Discover Dog stand because Gundog day is not until Sunday, so most people will only ever see this type of Clumber and not a working Clumber. I went to Crufts last year and I was truly appalled at what I saw with regards to Clumber spaniels.
Re: Crufts Your Ziggy and the other working Clumbers on your Facebook page look like what they are - tough, handsome, strong, intelligent working dogs. That poor animal in the blue fleece looks as though he can barely walk from the car to the show ring. Very sad.
Re: Crufts That is a very sad looking Clumber and not at all like the lovely Ziggy What a shame. I think the Kennel Club should be ashamed knowing what is happening with some breeds of dogs and the awful breeders responsible
Re: Crufts The only Clumber I've seen in real life was a show one. A world apart from the dashing and athletic Ziggy.
Re: Crufts [quote author=heidrun link=topic=4775.msg59162#msg59162 date=1394197573] Yes, show Clumbers. I'm not sure how it can see anything with those eyes! [/quote] and [quote author=charlie link=topic=4775.msg59214#msg59214 date=1394213196] I think the Kennel Club should be ashamed knowing what is happening with some breeds of dogs and the awful breeders responsible [/quote]
Re: Crufts Can't remember if I said on here but I saw two fat waddly clumbers at the woods a couple of months back. So sad for them.
Re: Crufts The dog on the left is actually a bitch who won her class at Crufts a couple of years ago. As long as show judges like and reward that type of dog things are not likely to change. Please, bear in my mind that it is supposed to be a Gundog breed, a hunting spaniel, is it fit for purpose? I don't know. ???
Re: Crufts Poor girl doesn't look like she could drag herself out of bed, it's just so very, very sad to see such a magnificent breed end up this way :'(
Re: Crufts I wish it would be possible to have young working Clumbers at Discover Dogs to give people a more balanced view of the breed. But because of the docking law that is sadly not possible.
Re: Crufts What difference does the docking make to showing the dog, I don't get that? :-\ The Clumbers I saw at Discover Dogs looked way better than the Crufts bitch in Karen's article.
Re: Crufts Helen, all working bred Clumbers that I know are docked just like working bred springers and cockers. According to DEFRA rule it is not allowed to exhibit dogs which were docked after April '07 anywhere where the public pay an entry fee. The show dogs are not docked. I'm a member of the Working Clumber Spaniel Society and we have stands at game fairs like the CLA and Midland Game Fair. We are allowed to show our dogs to the public at those events because we demonstrate their working ability in the arenas which is permitted under DEFRA rule. Just sitting at the stand at Discover Dogs is not showing their working ability hence not allowed for docked dogs. Not all show Clumbers look like the one in the picture. There are some more moderate ones being shown.
Re: Crufts Look at the state of this poor Basset .... http://pedigreedogsexposed.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/crufts-2014-best-of-breed-basset-hound.html
Re: Crufts Did anyone see the vet talking to Clare Balding on the Crufts higHlights program last night? I couldn't believe my ears - not only did he recommend Cavalier King Charles as a family pet (which are nice little dogs, but which have terrible congenital health problems) - he also suggested that for families with children, where the parents don't have much time to spend with a dog, that a Labrador would be a good dog. Or (wait for it) - a springer spaniel!! Or else he suggested a German long-haired pointer. For a family who don't have much time to spend on the dog! He only partially redeemed himself by saying that families where everyone works full time probably shouldn't take on a dog.
Re: Crufts That's bordering on criminal, those poor Bassetts :'( :'( Thanks Heidrun, I understand that, but unfortunately you are showing your breed to the minority of owners that work their dogs and understand this, it's the general public that need educating that these show Clumbers and other breeds are not the 'norm', my point is what is the problem with showing a docked working dog at a show like Discover Dogs and why do DEFRA rule this way? Sorry for all the questions but I really would like to understand their reasoning, what difference does it make to the paying public whether see an undocked dog or not? I appreciate entirely that their are lots of beautiful examples of Clumbers and we have two in our village that are just so very handsome and of course the lovely Ziggy
Re: Crufts No I didn'tsee it Karen, that's some vet why is Clare Balding commentating on Crufts, she is a horse woman? Did she challenge him on his comments? :-\
Re: Crufts [quote author=charlie link=topic=4775.msg59395#msg59395 date=1394278611] No I didn'tsee it Karen, that's some vet why is Clare Balding commentating on Crufts, she is a horse woman? Did she challenge him on his comments? :-\ [/quote] If you thought Clare Balding was bad read what people think of Lisa Tarbuck! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/10683200/Crufts-2014-Worst-in-show-Viewers-unhappy-with-Channel-4-host-Tarbuck.html I am also amazed how one judge can select a winner from a group of 30 different breed of dogs ranging from a Irish wolfhound to a miniature Griffon Bassett. The fact is they do so every year and no one complains! Roger
Re: Crufts Some of you may know I used to show my German Wirehaired Pointers as well as working them. It was and still is a breed where there is no visible difference in show 'type' or worker. My pet peeve with the Gundog group as a whole is that it allows a dog to become a Show Champion and only a Full Champion once a certain level of workmanship has been proven. Show champ indeed ...... scrap that and the show world may well see more of a merging with the proper working type examples of the breeds. I guess that's as likely as seeing one of these (rant over and breathe) ...
