The Aussie - Summer 2020 final

There seemed to be a lot of dogs being stolen, found and lost.
The later never seeming to be found. With the inability for
searching to take place due to lockdown, well if a dog vanished
and group searching out of the ques<on finding a missing dog
was made incredibly difficult. If a missing dog had been
acquired by a new home, with lockdown no one might realise a
new dog had appeared. And if it did, with the sudden desire to
get a dog, neighbours might not be aware that it is a missing
dog.
With the government rules, breeding bitches became very
difficult and so with many people delaying their breeding
plans, it is going to make an interes<ng situa<on with any dog
shows that might start to take place. No puppies and this will
mean that there will be a shortage of dogs going through the
classes at the shows in future years. Talking of dog shows.
None are happening. Well in the UK. On the Con<nent there
are a few taking place. Crea<ng a lot of mixed feelings here.
However, those countries who are running the shows are
following strict guidelines and appear to have virtually no
cases. With Judges not doing hands-on, many feel that it is
impossible to assess the dogs sufficiently well to make a sound
judgement. What value can be aUached to any awards being
aUained.
Training classes stopped. Some trainers did on-line training, but
this is not quite the same as being there with a trainer and
there is the social aspect. And not just for the dogs. Although
121s with social distancing have begun. Many workers in the
dog businesses have struggled through this <me and these
classes are becoming a lifeline. For all the new puppies that
have been acquired, the training is invaluable – not just for the
pups. Many suggest with the lack of schooling and socialisa<on
there could be behaviour problems in the future. Time will tell.
The show training is another area which was stopped dead in
its tracks. Although shows are not running, people with young
dogs needing training were missing out. Plus, even the regular
show dogs, without shows need a refresher every now and
again.
But what will the post Covid-19 dog show scene be like? Will
there be a rush to the first shows, the show enthusiasts
needing to get back to their ‘hobby’. How many shows will
actually happen? There is a sugges<on that many of the
associated businesses that enable a show to exist might not
have survived the financial stresses of the lockdown. Will the
Clubs and organisa<ons running the events have healthy bank
balances. Likewise, will the dog show goers have the spare cash
to afford entering a show. It is not a cheap hobby. Especially if
exhibitors have got out of the habit of the dog shows, will they
be inclined to start up again. Especially in the winter months.
As was suggested, many have got out of the habit of driving
long distances and geMng up at silly o’clock. As have the dogs.
Perhaps those who do show, and wish to con<nue, did not
produce their planned liUer due to the lockdown and need to
use their <me and effort to produce the next star for their
kennel. This becoming the priority rather than aUending the
show.
There is much specula<on as to what will happen with
Crubs. Will there s<ll be a qualifier? Obviously hardly any
dogs in 2020 will have qualified. There are many sugges<ons
as to how Crubs might play it. Limi<ng the numbers by
having the show open to all, but on a first come first served
basis. Once the max total has been reached – that’s it. Will
they accept the 2020 show qualifica<on and perhaps any
pups born in 2020 and are old enough to enter? So many
ques<ons and sugges<ons being thrown out.
Dog shows have been showing signs of decline over the last
10 years for a string of reasons. Will the effect of the
lockdown be another nail in the coffin of dog shows. Crubs
might be an excep<on, especially if open to all. People who
would never dream of dog showing might enter. Would this
impact on the quality at the show considered by many to be
the flagship event in the UK where the best of the best is
seen.
One topic of discussion whilst everyone has <me to think is
how to make the dog shows more invi<ng. A common
theme coming out is that the ‘fun’ has gone from the shows.
It has become all about the winning and the the smiles have
gone from people’s faces. It is interes<ng that the organisers
of 2 European Show have been increasing their entries
annually and they are sure this is because they do
everything to make the day fun and enjoyable for all.
Of course, we must not forget there are other dog sports.
These will face the same dilemmas. Although, some are
more easily adaptable to social distancing. Agility being just
one. Will people use this as their spur to look to other dog
ac<vi<es. Moving away from the show world. Time will tell.
The world of dogs is ever changing. With the issues arising
as a result of the 12 Brachycephalic breeds in the
Netherlands, does this mean the an< dog/pet lobby is
making another aUack on any of us wan<ng to own a dog?
or a pet for that maUer.
You might think, this doesn’t affect our breed. It is true, we
don’t have major health issues in our breed. . But there are
rules through Europe about dogs on tables, types of collar,
only using loose leads when walking the dogs in the ring.
Banning dog shows and other pet related events from a
major European city. These are all part of the lobby that
appears to want pedigree dogs to no longer exist. What will
be the next issue they aUack? This could affect our breed
and prevent us breeding in the future and in essence make
our breed ex<nct.
There is much talk that all the dog enthusiasts worldwide
must use this shock to the system as a catalyst to start
working together to ensure that dogs remain in peoples’
lives in the future and they are not turned into a dodo
species.
There’s a lot to consider in this Talking Point and the hope is
that it will get everyone thinking and talking.