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Open Show Critiques Lichfield CS Open 23 Lichfield CS Open 22 Sunderland & District Canine Society Open 21 Lichfield CS Open 20 Isle Of Ely CS Open 19 Northern Counties Sporting Terrier 18 Lichfield CS Open 17 Lichfield CS Open 16 Sporting Terrier Ass Yorkshire Feb 2015
Boston & District Canine Society
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IS A REMOVAL PASS WORTH THE PAPER IT'S PRINTED ON? THEFT OF MY [Charmaine Khatchikian's] DOG AT BIRMINGHAM DOG SHOW 6 MAY 2022A dog alleged to have been stolen from the Birmingham National show is believed to be in the Netherlands. Border Terrier Jrasamuyr Sergei Filin was allegedly taken on Friday 6 May at about 11.30am from Charmaine Khatchikian’s car. Charmaine told OUR DOGS, ‘The man was seen dragging Sergei across the field by this lady, Lucy and throwing him in the car. She was in the car behind which had a Netherlands registration. On Friday, I noticed his collar was undone. I thought “Why’s his collar undone”. I know what they have done. ‘He must have been lurking around in the bushes outside the Margaret Everton building. He must have loosened his collar to vocally entice Sergei but what must have happened he must have run off. Run off ‘He had loosened his collar and used voice control to try and trap him but he must have lost him because a dog trainer she said she saw a Border Terrier on the car park and a little girl she said Sergei had come back to the car and ran off. Where the Margaret Everton building is, is the campsite. There are loads of places you can hide. At 11.30am Lucy and her husband are leaving. They are in the car behind the Netherlands car. She sees him wearing a wax jacket and he had a hat on.’ At the hotel in Birmingham the battery in her car had run down and she was told she had to run the engine at the dog show for one hour without driving it. The dogs were inside the car and the doors were not locked. She had to leave the windows open as she could not drain the battery. Shropshire Police have been informed and there is a crime number. She has also told the Dutch Police because she strongly suspects that she knows the identity of the thieves. She has also contacted Raad Van Beheer (The Dutch Kennel Club) and they have referred the matter to their legal team. Charmaine alleges the thieves are a Dutch couple she sold Jrasamuyr Sergei Filin to but then decided they were not appropriate owners of the dog as they had personal and health problems. She returned their money to them. She had been told that the couple did not breed inside the Netherlands breeding regulations and there is a Kennel Club endorsement on the dog stopping him from being exported. The KC has told her that a transfer of ownership application has been made for him to be transferred to another owner. Charmaine has told them he must not be transferred out of her name and that the application is fraudulent. She is concerned because the dog has been removed from her Kennel Club account. ‘They knew I was at that dog show, they knew I was there. They had a calendar of where the dog was entered. ‘They can’t walk in a show ring with him. They can’t breed from him. They can’t put a Dutch microchip in him or put a Dutch passport on him. They can’t do anything. They’ve just lost their heads!’
A RESOLUTION THAT COST A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND A LOT OF STRESS A Border Terrier breeder has got her dog back after it was allegedly ‘stolen’ from Birmingham National Show in May. Charmaine Khatchikian said she was “so happy” to get her dog Sergei, Jrasamuyr Sergei Filin, back following the incident. The dispute with Dutch couple Tonny and Willy Van Heck over the ownership of the dog was finally resolved when Ms Khatchikian agreed to pay them €4,000. The Van Heck’s do not accept any blame or fault and insist they did not steal the dog. They felt they were taking back their property. They had allowed Charmaine to show the dog in Paris and at the Border Terrier Centenary event. On April 28 they received an e-mail from Ms Khatchikian saying that she would not be returning the dog to them because she felt they had too many animals and not enough money. Claims they deny. Ms Khatchikian said she had returned the money they paid for the dog €3,200. This is also denied by the Van Heck’s. As she would not return the dog Willy Van Heck decided to go to the Staffordshire Show Ground and take the dog to The Netherlands. Charmaine had put a “No Export Pedigree” restriction on the dog. WRANGLE A legal wrangle ensued until the Van Heck’s solicitor sent an e-mail which said, ‘Although my clients do not accept any blame or fault, they are prepared to hand over Sergei after the following conditions are met: ‘€4,000 is paid, we have received (i) a written consent to these conditions and (ii) the € 4.000; after that Sergei is handed over at my office; the person that receives Sergei signs for receipt; Mrs. Khatchikian stops all communications to my clients as from today; she stops all communications about my clients as from today.’ Ms Khatchikian agreed to these terms and an agreement was signed by her and Tonny Van Heck as they handed over the dog to Charmaine. Afterwards Charmaine thanked The Kennel Club, the Dutch Kennel Club (Raad Van Beheer) and the four policemen who were there to help as the dog was handed over. She told OUR DOGS she paid the money because, ‘I have been receiving counselling, I have been put on anti-depressants. I paid it; I would have paid €10,000! I had the counsellor with me. The whole point is, the €4,000, the council have an association. They have actually paid half the money because I was suicidal.’ She was pleased to get him back and after giving him a bath she said, ‘He smells lovely. He looks beautiful now. He looks like a Crufts puppy.’ Despite the fact it has cost her over €10,000 in legal and other fees she said, ‘I just feel better, I can get on with the rest of my life.’ Willy Van Heck told OUR DOGS, ‘Her mental coach suggested that Miss Khatchikian give that amount for the dog. That proposal did not come from me. Of course, it cost me a lot of money, but I take that for granted.’ Because of the legal costs Mr Van Heck was forced to sell a horse and the dispute has affected his health. He said, ‘With pain in my heart I said goodbye to Sergei and hope to get some rest now.’ WHAT A FARCE CRUFTS 20 BIS TURNED OUT TO BE What a complete cock up Best In Show presented to the viewing public. Did the BIS Judge get it wrong? The Best In show Judge Mrs Anne Macdonald was introduced to the audience and escorted into the Big Ring by The Chairman Of the Kennel Mr Tony Allcock MBE. Getting the Judging underway Mrs Macdonald examined the winners of the seven groups and looked fairly competent to me up to this point. Then came the announcement that Best In Show would take place with the Reserve (Second Best) picked first ...I know... this is where - in my opinion - it started to all go wrong. The Judge had no hesitation and chose Miss M Harwood's Miniature Poodle CH MINARETS BEST KEPT SECRET. So far so good. Judging Regulations and Code of Best Practice" Kennel Club press release issued on 24 July 2019. Changes to regulations are noted in bold. Amended Regulation F10 Judging Judges at Kennel Club licensed shows must judge in accordance with Kennel Club Breed Standards and Show Regulations. In assessing dogs, judges must penalise any features or exaggerations which they consider would be detrimental to the soundness, health or well-being of the dog. Judges are also expected to act impartially, with integrity and to only judge on the merits of the dogs in competition and consider no other factors. Judges must maintain and abide by the highest standards in accordance with Kennel Club Rules and Regulations and appropriate Codes of Best Practice as published from time to time. Code of Best Practice for Judges – supporting statements – Chapter 1
Grey areas
New and amended Regulations F(1)20 – Judges and Judging New sub-paragraphs and amendments to existing regulations e. A judge must not alter the ownership of a dog in order to allow that dog to be entered for exhibition at a show where that judge is officiating. f. Judges may not enter, exhibit, prepare a dog for exhibition or handle a dog in the ring at a Show at which they are officiating (vide F(1)29a(9)) p. A judge must request that a dog be withdrawn from competition if the judge has a conflict of interest with the dog and/or its owner. F(1)29 Disqualification and Forfeit of Awards a. A dog may be disqualified by the Board from any award, whether an objection has been lodged or not, if proven amongst other things to have been: (9) Entered or exhibited for competition, or handled in the ring by a Judge of dogs at that Show. (11) Registered or recorded as owned by the scheduled Judge or any member of his/her immediate household or immediate family within a period of twelve months prior to the Show. This shall not apply to dogs owned by a Judge appointed in an emergency. (12)Handled at a show, boarded or prepared for exhibition within the previous twelve months by the scheduled Judge or any member of his/her immediate household or immediate family. This shall not apply to a Judge appointed in an emergency. Code of Best Practice for Judges – supporting statements – Chapter 1
For example:
F(1)8 Entry for Exhibition New sub paragraphs An entry must not be made at any show under a judge of any dog where said judge or any member of his/her immediate household or immediate family has been known to have owned, handled at a show, boarded or prepared such dog for exhibition within 12 months prior to the Show. This regulation shall not apply to judges appointed in an emergency. j. An entry must not be made at any show under a judge of any dog where said judge has bred the dog. This Regulation shall not apply to judges appointed in an emergency. k. An exhibitor must not enter or exhibit a dog under a judge which creates a conflict of interest between the dog, exhibitor and/or judge. Code of Best Practice for Judges – supporting statements Chapter 1
Birmingham National Dog Show entries have been extended until midday on Monday 15th April. The Committee are pleased to introduce the new overseas terrier judges who will be judging some of the terrier breeds for the first time in the UK. The Officer and Committee very carefully consider judges and we do hope that exhibitors will support them. Jan-Erik Ek (Sweden) He will be awarding CC's for the first time to Cairn Terriers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers and Skye Terriers. He is judging Australian Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Norwich and Scottish Terriers. Maite is judging Airedale Terrier, Fox Terrier (Wire), Kerry Blue Terrier and Jack Russell Terrier (non CC). Maite’s first show dog was a Wire Fox Terrier in 1985 and a Lakeland Terrier and Miniature Schnauzer soon followed. She bred successfully under the ‘Del Somni’ kennel name. Maite and her husband Jesus have bred and shown West Highland White Terriers, Scottish Terriers, Fox Terriers, Cairn Terriers, English Cocker Spaniels and Yorkshire Terriers under their joint kennel name ‘Alborada’ since 1990. In more recent years they have specialised on West Highland White and Scottish Terriers and are highly regarded around the world. They have bred twenty-seven World Champions and their breeding has been awarded over 800 other titles in 67 different countries. Jesus Pastor (Spain) He is one of the World’s most renowned Westie specialists as a breeder, handler, groomer and judge. Jesus started breeding and showing Wire Fox Terriers in 1980 under the kennel name ‘de Vallbonica’. In 1983 he bought his first West Highland White Terrier and his first Beagle. Three years later he bought a Scottish and Cairn Terrier. He made up champions in all of these breeds. He is a renowned Westie breeder and his dogs have been awarded 27 World Winner titles and over 800 national and international titles in 67 different countries.
The Requisitioners Statements KC Chairman Mark Cocozza Jeff Horswell BUILTH WELLS BULLY BOY Kennel Club has been plunged into further turmoil as 6ft tall Mark Cocoza a Kennel Club Official official is accused of Cocoza the former head of the Kennel Club’s disciplinary committee has been accused of roughing up the elderly judge [Mr Steve Hall] at the South Wales Championship Show. Mark Cocozza, 50, who recently relinquished his post amid bitter infighting at the 145-year-old organisation, is alleged to have berated and attacked pensioner Steve Hall last Sunday at an event in Builth Wells, Wales. Mr Hall, 70, A Championship Show Judge, has complained to the Kennel Club, whose patron is the Queen, and an investigation has been launched. It is understood that two onlookers have provided written evidence. According to witnesses, 6ft-tall Mr Cocozza allegedly confronted Mr Hall when he saw him walking through the dining room during the South Wales Kennel Association championships. It is claimed Mr Hall, who is 5ft 3in, was left visibly shaken and upset after an 80-second confrontation in which Mr Cocozza allegedly poked him aggressively three times in the shoulder, causing the pensioner to lose his balance. The incident, was reported to Dyfed-Powys police, but Mr Hall is understood to be waiting for the outcome of the Kennel Club inquiry before deciding whether to pursue the complaint. Mr Hall said: ‘The altercation happened but I cannot say any more as I want it to go through the Kennel Club process.’ A spokeswoman for the Kennel Club confirmed that it is investigating the incident. Mr Cocozza, who until recently chaired the club’s body that oversaw investigations and meted out punishments, said he was unable to comment due to ‘legal process’. The inquiry is a new twist in a saga that threatens to tear apart the governing body for dog shows. Amid allegations of bullying and mismanagement, hundreds of members recently demanded a no confidence vote in board Chairman Simon Luxmoore, Mr Cocozza and Jeff Horswell, with Cocoza and Horswell both holding important committee roles in the organisation. That threat appeared to have been lifted when Mr Luxmoore stepped down as chairman and the two others relinquished their roles, although all three retained their seats on the board. We understand the events in Builth Wells could trigger efforts to oust them from the club board. The issue is due to be discussed at a special meeting on November 6. The Kennel Club appears to have become Sly, Vindictive and Totalitarian. If Kennel Club officials are attacking people at Dog Shows It is time for an Alternative Dog Club. Terrier world has been calling for this to happen for years. SLY VINDICTIVE AND TOTALITARIAN Members of the Kennel Club sick to their back teeth with what's happening at the KC, have decided call a Special General Meeting to propose votes of no confidence in three of its senior members. Five per cent of the present membership is needed to call an SGM, this is around 75. (An SGM can be called at any time) It has been so long that no one can remember when KC members last took such a drastic step and it is a great pity that no other way could have been found to resolve the problems that KC members feel so strongly about. TOTALITARIAN Some of the KC Chairman's comments in his speech at the Welsh Kennel Club Dinner undoubtedly made things worse. Many felt that they showed an intransigence to widespread public opinion and the Kennel Club under the present incumbents, is being run as a 'Totalitarian' regime. This may have been the straw that broke the camel's back and precipitated the virtually unprecedented action of so many normally very loyal KC members. VINDICTIVE AND SLY We only have to look at the completely over the top punishment that was meted out to Melanie Raymond. She said this: 'In the past, as far as I understand, when suspensions are given out they tend to be for a period of time measured in exact months - six, nine, 12 months or whatever. What I found puzzling was that mine was for eight months and 13 days. Coincidentally the suspension ends just one day after Crufts Dog Show finishes. This means that I am unable to exhibit at or even attend the world's most famous Championship dog show - that just happens to be on my own doorstep! Who is it that presides over the Kennel Club's Disciplinary Committee? The Priapic Mark Cocozza. What has angered the members about Jeff Horswell I've yet to find out. I would be grateful if anyone could send the information to BANG AT IT AGAIN - THE SHAMELESS AND There Are GOBSHITES Born Every Day - Corish And Coad Are Experts At Finding Them. At Richmond 2018 Geoff Corish Was The Best In Show Judge Which Is A Disgrace In Itself Because He Is Geoff Corish Judged the Hound Group at City Of Birmingham 2018 whilst Michael Coad exhibited their dogs on the same day. When will this pair of strokers stop their unethical shenanigans? I'll tell you when, when you the exhibitors complain to the Kennel club about them instead of complaining to Terrier World to expose them. Does Corish and Coad actually think that nobody will notice, or is it that their knowledge of skeletons in the Kennel Club Closet protecting them and thus allowing them to do as they please? At Darlington 2017 Geoff Corish Judged The Hound Group, Norfolk And Norwich Terriers, Also He Judged Chows. This week in the Dog Press October 7/16 a Mr Geoffrey Davies writes of his concern about these unethical practices. He describes himself as an Exhibitor, Breeder, Championship Show Judge, General Championship Show And Breed Club Official - with 53 years of experience behind him. He is also a member of the Kennel Club. Undeniably he has wealth of experience. Mr Davies writes: The manipulation of rules and regulations allows individuals to exhibit and judge at the same show, Mr Davies went on. I have some news for Mr Davies Terrier World has voiced concern about this for years, whilst the members of the Dog Press dine with them and their free luncheon vouchers at shows and quaff wine with these maggots and say nothing. And it has been going on for years with a former Chairman of The Kennel Club brazenly doing it. Other sharp practices are seen when dogs are not entered in the catalogue and then a handler turns up and gets Best of Breed with one not in the catalogue. Can we hope that the Kennel Club will do anything about this stench that is overpowering the world of 'Show Dogs'? Sadly I think not. They appointed a Professional Handler to Judge Best In Show at their show, Crufts 2013. If this wasn't a conflict of interests please let us know. Click Here To Read What They Did At Crufts
Luxmoore insisted that the live streaming be removed immediately. This was being filmed by the Dog Press, ‘Our Dogs’. What was the Chairman of The Kennel Club so worried about? Does Mr Luxmoore not remember saying this in his speech 2015: Mr Luxmoore said he had a very open approach to communication. “I’ll talk to anybody about anything. However, Pauline will tell you I have a 'red' personality, perhaps even dark red, the prime characteristic of which is that I have an aversion to time wasting.” (There wouldn’t have been any time wasting getting his speech to ‘The Nation’ had it been streamed would there?) What a phoney this clown has turned out to be – even more so than the tooth fairy. He also said this in 2015: “Any remaining residue of an autocratic past must quickly disappear if we are to appeal to both our members and our stakeholder community." “I would only proffer this as a thought,” Mr Luxmoore said. “When a governing body which operates under a historic brand identity, which the majority of stakeholders believe they know and understand, subsequently conveys messages or indeed takes actions that are perceived to be confusing, then quite possibly the organisation has got it wrong. And what about the slimey treatment by Luxmoore and his cohorts against Melanie Raymond? Melanie Raymond, part of the world famous Dialynne kennels, along with Mum Dianna and Grandma Marion, has been "warned, censured and disqualified from exhibiting at, taking part in, attending and/or having any connection with any event licensed by the Kennel Club or judging at any event licensed by the Kennel Club." Terrier World has been banging the drum for years about the need for an alternative Kennel Club. Never has this need been greater. The Freemason Lodge called The Kennel Club is trying to destroy the only canine newspaper left, Our Dogs. We must not let this happen.
Melanie Raymond, part of the world famous Dialynne kennels, along with Mum Dianna and Grandma Marion, has been "warned, censured and disqualified from exhibiting at, taking part in, attending and/or having any connection with any event licensed by the Kennel Club or judging at any event licensed by the Kennel Club." This is Freemasons in action. Manchester Dog Show Society is a Freemason Lodge, With a Grandmaster. Manchester Dog Show Society does not have any members. Therefore, the logical question is; How do you get selected to be a member of the Committee? The answer to this is you have to become a Freemason in that Lodge. The complaint made against Melanie was from the Freemason Lodge AKA Manchester Dog Show Society, to the Freemason Lodge AKA The Kennel Club. The Kennel Club was overwhelmingly going to back the Manchester Lodge because every Freemason's first 'Allegiance' is to other Freemasons. Melanie is also correct in not going ahead with any appeal, all she would be doing is wasting her time and her money. Even if she were to employ the finest Barrister in the land, there is no guarantee that they wouldn't be a Freemason and if so they would be on the side of The Kennel Club. The Legal Profession and The Judiciary is 'Saturated' with them. They meet in secret and are forever 'Chinese' whispering. I have observed them over many years greeting one another with their so called secret handshakes. The dog game is full of them. Is Melanie's crime any worse than this: click here Manchester Dog Show Society has past form with 'Dreadful' conditions at their shows. I remember Judging Lakeland Terriers at Heaton Park some years ago. The wet weather tents were waterlogged and it was hail rain and snow conditions - we were outside in it. The show should have been abandoned it was that bad, I had not long recovered from a heart attack. What was their punishment from the KC? Nothing as I remember. Yet, Leicester not long before this had lost their Championship Show status for far less. Freemasons protecting Freemasons. I met Melanie a few years ago at the NEC in the bar. We had a conversation about Professional Handlers judging, we dissagreed. I found her a feisty character - which I liked - and she was also quite charming. The length of the ban and the timing says a lot about the Kennel Club... Slimy Bastards! The outrage on social media has been swift and virtually 100% of people commenting are staggered at the severity of the sentence and the somewhat strange timing as to the length of the ban.
KC LAUNCHES OWN WEBSITE FOR SHOW CRITIQUES The Kennel Club has announced the launch of a new website for Dog Show Critiques. My first thoughts was this seems to be a great idea, however, on reflection, I have my suspicions that this is the first cut to bring about the death of the Dog Press; "The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control. And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know." Let us hope that now the 'Dog Press' will grow some balls, show a bit more determination and join Terrier World in exposing unethical practices that the Kennel Club allow, eg, the unhealthy influence that Professional Handler Geoff Corish has regarding Judging policy; the circumventing of rules when he [Corish] is officiating whilst his partner exhibits. at the same show with their dogs. "A Free Press Is The sleeping Guardian Of Every Other Right That Free Men Prize. It Is The Most Dangerous Foe Of Tyranny." The Border Terrier Club Committee has requested its Secretary, Kathy Wilkinson, to write a letter to the Kennel Club asking for the Judges' Competency Framework to be suspended and subjected to a survey of all clubs, judges and exhibitors. The request is for the survey to obtain wide opinion on the present system for the development and approval of judges, and, if it turns out that the majority of clubs, exhibitors or judges do not want or need such dramatic changes as the KC JCF represents, then abandon it. 'Dear Mrs Symns 'A) EFFECT ON BREED CLUBS: 'B) EFFECT ON EXHIBITORS AND ENTRIES OVERALL: 'C) EFFECT ON JUDGES: '4) You talk about the numbers required under the current criteria being just a "numbers exercise" and have also done away with the "adequate geographic spread". 'We consider both of these things very important, given that our Championship shows have high entries (apart from a few recent ones where allrounders were judging). Our judges need experience in terms of numbers judged, so that if they are presented with a championship show entry of say 100 or more, which is the norm (and some Gen Ch shows have been nearer 200 for breed specialists), that they have had experience of judging numerically high classes/shows and are not overawed by the experience. Adequate geographic spread is important so that judges have had sufficient experience of judging different types of dogs and not just the same dogs at different local shows. 'D) EFFECT ON GENERAL CANINE SOCIETIES: 'E) REPERCUSSIONS REGARDING JUDGES KNOWING THE IDENTITY OF MENTORS, OBSERVERS AND ASSESSORS:
RSPCA IS IT FIT FOR PURPOSE? Jeremy Cooper, who took the role in April 2016, with a salary of £150,000 a year and had been named as the man to lead the .organisation to more progressive and prosperous times. It has been reported that he has instead left the organisation with a declining membership and has not implemented the recovery plan he was called on to deliver. The Times reported an RSPCA insider who claimed the situation was a ‘disgrace’. The paper was told: “It is high time the Charity Commission took over the day-to-day management of the charity to safeguard animal protection.” In the wake of Mr Cooper’s departure the RSPCA has released the following statement: “After four years with the society and over a year as chief executive of the RSPCA, it is with regret that we announce that Jeremy has decided to move on to pursue other business opportunities. “Jeremy has been an asset to the team and has contributed to the continued success of the RSPCA.” The charity has confirmed that chief operating officer Michael Ward will become interim chief executive. A week after extensive criticism in the media due to the resignation of its chief executive the RSPCA has come in for more harsh words, this time from Countryside Alliance chief executive Tim Bonner. Mr Bonner has written a blog for the organisation’s website and newsletter which has described the fiasco at the RSPCA as becoming so commonplace that they have become ‘unremarkable’. Mr Bonner says: “This week The Times and The Telegraph have reported the loss of another chief executive while The Sun has asked questions about its chairman’s role in the purchase of property and employment of family members. We should not, however, let familiarity cloud the depth of the crisis within this iconic organisation.” Mr Bonner goes on to say that the RSPCA should be entirely a force for good protecting the welfare of individual animals and promoting good practice and husbandry with the support of sensible and proportionate regulation where necessary. However, he believes it has instead increasingly become a battlefield on which the advocates of ‘animal rights’, a philosophy in which he says the interests of humans and the welfare of individual animals are subservient to a campaign to give political rights to non-human species, wrestle for control with those who seek to address the practical issues of animal welfare among pets and other domestic animals. He believes this has been allowed to happen by a governance structure which is ‘utterly dysfunctional’. He continues: “The RSPCA has a large and unwieldy board of trustees largely elected by a small and shrinking membership. Trustees propose each other for re-election and are constantly recycled. Ex-chairman and, by his own description ‘inventor of the modern animal rights movement’ Richard Ryder has, for instance, been on the council permanently since 1972. “A ‘governance review’ ordered by the Charity Commission was published last week and, like so many other ‘independent’ RSPCA reviews, does little but justify the RSPCA’s activities and offer sticking plasters to cover gaping wounds.” Mr Bonner then describes this review as ‘toothless’ and suggests that it may have been this which persuaded the chief executive, Jeremy Cooper, to leave his role at the charity. He writes: “Mr Cooper dared to apologise for the society’s excesses and state that it was not a political organisation in his only interview when he was appointed last year, but was immediately forced to retract by the RSPCA council. He has not talked to the media since and his departure is no surprise at all.” Mr Bonner doesn’t hide the fact that he is one of a number of people who have predicted the continued fall of the RSPCA. He didn’t hold back with the final words in his statement: “The RSPCA is utterly incapable of curing itself. It will be down to the Charity Commission and the Government to force through change, and if history tells us anything it is that things will have to get even worse for the RSPCA and the animals it is supposed to protect before they act.” The Kennel Club Breaks Cover From The Lodge Is Alan Hedges' Crime Any Worse Than Zena Thorn Andrews' Vindictive Response To A UK Judge Who Didn't Give Her The Kennel Club has written to its members amid the outrage from ordinary exhibitors at Mr Hedges treatment and subsequent expulsion. “This case involved issues of propriety,” the statement reads. "The decision (to expel Mr Hedges) has not been taken to curtail free speech nor is it some form of concerted action as a reaction to steps taken by the member concerned over the FCI judges agreement. "Any suggestion that the forum was acceptable because it did not affect or involve UK judges, but largely overseas judges, is not understood or accepted by the Board as a distinguishing or redeeming feature. This case was about the inappropriate actions of a member who the Board did not consider was demonstrating the responsibility and expected standards of a KC member.” The statement was aimed at tackling ‘unhelpful public speculation and misconceptions’ aired since the expulsion, the KC said, adding that it wanted to reassure members that it had their interests at heart ‘and would always act in their best interests'. Mr Hedges’ ‘refusal’ to accept that setting up the forum was inappropriate was a 'source of disappointment’, it stated: “A KC member is an ambassador and a representative of the KC. Inherent within that status is an expectation of a certain standard of conduct and propriety. The Board’s duties included upholding standards, particularly those of members, it went on. If those standards fell short the Board was entitled under article of association 38 to consider whether someone should be allowed to keep their membership. This was not a disciplinary process; the two-stage process involved asking for a member to resign and if this was not forthcoming to hold a meeting to consider the member’s representations. "Questions have been raised over whether there is any precedent for members having their membership terminated,” the statement continues. "Facebook is, of course, a modern phenomenon and so there are no direct precedents to the position here. Indeed, cases of the resignation/expulsion process for a member are very few and far between. "However, there are previous examples including: a member who wrote a disrespectful letter about women; a member who gave discrepancies in information in a nomination form for the General Committee; a member who was disrespectful to a fellow member being intoxicated; a member who was considered to be undermining the General Committee’s authority; and a member who privately abused a fellow member by sending offensive and abusive mail after what he considered had been the lenient outcome of a disciplinary matter." The precedent cases involved issues of propriety, the statement said, and the Board’s concerns over Mr Hedges’ Facebook group included: that it was disrespectful and undermined judges and was effectively a public ‘name and shame’ forum; it was outside the confines of the normal protocols for complaining about a judge’s performance which allow testing of evidence and the right to respond/defend; there was the potential/risk of reputational damage to judges; the forum provoked unmoderated reaction and language and derogatory comments about judges generally. Update For Alan Hedges Re His Refusal To Cede His Kennel Club Membership Mr Hedges’ membership was suspended in January after the KC took exception to Mr Hedges’ Facebook page ‘Bad Judges, Bad Practice’, which called for judges to ‘follow official guidelines and judge breed in the manner expected by exhibitors, and allowed people to air their grievances. Mr Hedges said he appreciated the support he has received from ‘hundreds of people’. “I’ve told the KC I’m not going to resign my membership and they said my case was due to be discussed at a KC Board meeting this Tuesday,” he said. “They’ve also told me that at that meeting the Board will confirm that any final decision on expulsion will be delayed until February 23. Then only some members of the Board will consider my position and only that smaller group, not the whole Board, will vote on it. “The Board has said that the Facebook page I set up was not an activity it would expect from a KC member, that it is not something which can be condoned and it is not considered to be in the interests of the KC. When I became aware that the KC Board felt that way I took the page down. “I still don’t believe that I’ve been validly accused by the KC Board of doing anything which would justify my expulsion so I’m still asking the Board to drop its decision to request my resignation. But if it’s not prepared to do that I’ve suggested that, due to the importance of the case to me and so many others and how seldom KC expulsions take place, I should surely be given the courtesy of being allowed to put my case to the whole Board, not just a sub-committee of it.” The Kennel Club refused to comment. I wouldn't hold my breath if I were Mr Hedges. The verdict will already have taken place within the Freemason Lodge. Kennel Club Member Alan Hedges Says Alan Hedges a Staffordshire Bull Terrier exhibitor says he has been asked to resign as a Kennel Club member but that he has ‘absolutely no intention’ of doing so. He has received a letter by recorded delivery from the KC, and also an email, asking him to cede his membership, saying the reasons why are unclear. Mr Hedges has been a thorn in the KC’s side of late. At the AGM his proposal that the club’s reciprocal judges agreement with the FCI should be abolished was passed, senior members of the General Committee were outraged. More recently he is said to have shaken KC blanket again with his Facebook page ‘Bad Judges, Bad Practice’ which the KC allegedly complained about and which he eventually took down. He said that following the AGM he was asked by many supporters of his views whether he would stand for the General Committee, and he believes that asking him to resign is a means of preventing this happening. If he refuses to go and the KC is determined he should it would need two-thirds of the Board to oust him. “I have absolutely no intention of resigning my membership of the KC because I’ve not done anything wrong,” he said. "In one of the KC letters to me they state, 'It is not being suggested that the content or individual statements made by you attracts specific issue'. Where I live that means you have done nothing wrong. "However, I will defend my position and situation to the fullest extent and in every way possible. I will also draw comparisons about my own situation and that of others. In the aftermath of the last KC AGM I made it known that, after being asked by several people, I was prepared to stand for election to the KC Committee later this year. If the General Committee wants me out they’ll have to kick me out." Mr Hedges said he was prepared to place all the relevant paperwork in the public domain and 'let everybody decide for themselves what is right and wrong in this situation, and take a view on this absurd witch hunt'. "My lawyers advise me to say no more at this time, but I had to part with hard-earned money to convince them that this KC action is not a joke and it is actually for real,” he said. There has been no comment from the KC to date. At the KC’s annual meeting in 2016. Mr Hedges’ proposal that the KC should drop the ‘unwanted, unneeded and patently unfair’ judges’ reciprocal agreement with the FCI found favour with members – much to the KC’s annoyance. His view is that the club should return to asking foreign judges to fill in a questionnaire, just as judges have to here. As a result, the FCI immediately threatened to retaliate by stopping all British judges awarding CACIBs, and in some countries even CACs. It was announced at the November special meeting that a compromise had been negotiated under which FCI judges here – and if requested British judges invited to FCI nations – would have to fill in a ‘contract’ containing some but not all the detail about their previous experience formerly demanded by the questionnaires. It has been drafted and is now awaiting formal agreement by both Boards. It is with great sadness that I report the death of an old friend, Robert Killick. I had known Robert for some years and always enjoyed a chat with him; a fine 'Raconteur'. He had the most wonderful rich voice that I was always envious of; I could have listened to him for hours. A witty man with an observers eye, Robert would spot things that the rest of us miss. 1987 was the year that Terrier World was launched as a hard copy and I had approached Robert to write for me. He didn't disappoint. 'Dog Showing - Beginners To Winners' 'West Highland White Terriers' and 'Yorkshire Terriers' are three books that were written and Published by Robert. He was also the 'Main Contributor to 'The Family Dog'. Our Dogs, Dog World USA, Dogs Today, and Hundsport Sweden are all Journals that Robert contributed to. Robert bred and exhibited Wire Fox and Welsh Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers and Lowchens. Bon Voyage Old Friend. CORISH AND COAD - THEY ARE AT IT AGAIN! At Darlington Geoff Corish Judged The Hound Group, Norfolk And Norwich Terriers, Also He Judged Chows. This week in the Dog Press October 7/16 a Mr Geoffrey Davies writes of his concern about these unethical practices. He describes himself as an Exhibitor, Breeder, Championship Show Judge, General Championship Show And Breed Club Official - with 53 years of experience behind him. He is also a member of the Kennel Club. Undeniably he has wealth of experience. Mr Davies writes: The manipulation of rules and regulations allows individuals to exhibit and judge at the same show, Mr Davies went on. I have some news for Mr Davies Terrier World has voiced concern about this for years, whilst the members of the Dog Press dine with them and their free luncheon vouchers at shows and quaff wine with these maggots and say nothing. And it has been going on for years with a former Chairman of The Kennel Club brazenly doing it. Other sharp practices are seen when dogs are not entered in the catalogue and then a handler turns up and gets Best of Breed with one not in the catalogue. Can we hope that the Kennel Club will do anything about this stench that is overpowering the world of 'Show Dogs'? Sadly I think not. They appointed a Professional Handler to Judge Best In Show at their show, Crufts 2013. If this wasn't a conflict of interests please let us know. Click Here To Read What They Did At Crufts First Place Awards Witheld At Welsh Kennel Club By A Russian Judge Senior exhibitor Mary Swash made a complaint against Russian judge Dr Eugeny Kuplyauskas after showing her Airedale under him. It is understood that she was asked to move her dog more quickly, and that she said this was not usual practice. She was placed second in a junior dog class of one, and first was withheld. Mrs Swash had been unhappy with what had happened, Mr Hill said, adding that after the class Dr Kuplyauskas had asked her if she would like to come back into the ring and he would explain why he had not placed her first. She declined. “I think he also wanted her to move a bit faster,” he said. Dr Kuplyauskas also withheld first in Airedale puppy bitch and junior bitch. In Scottish Terriers he withheld first in junior dog and limit bitch. In German Shepherds he withheld all prizes from the entry in novice dog, second in graduate dog, and first in post graduate dog, puppy bitch, junior bitch and graduate bitch. Mr Hill confirmed that complaints had been made by German Shepherd exhibitors because several placings had been withheld. “Dr Kuplyauskas gave us good reasons, anatomical reasons – and he has a degree in anatomy,” Mr Hill said. “There were no complaints about his judging of the Bulldogs.” The complaints have gone forward to the Kennel Club. Is this a case of ' I came, I Saw And I Plonkered ?' This of course is the ridiculous placings after an award has been withheld. Once an award has been withheld, any subsequent placings have to be withheld too. How can you have a second placing if a first place has been withheld? If you do not have a first place award, there can absolutely be no second placing. It's as simple as that. Anyone who argues for this idiotic practice should be put into a Straight Jacket! What was the point of this Lunatic Russian judging here in the first place? Who is it that put this nut case forward to judge who will most probably be getting a reciprocal appointment in Russia? Exhibitors pay a lot of money and incur considerable expenses to go to a show. They certainly do not need a gobshite Russian presiding over their breeds in an idiotic manner - who clearly is trying to be self important; or should that be impotent? What a fucking gobshite! The Kennel Club is takings steps to stop exhibitors exploiting the proof of posting entries system. This so called ‘unsportsmanlike’ behaviour has led the Kennel Club to remind people of its policy on the subject and tighten the rules. The Kennel Club is aware that entries can get lost in the post, it said so this week, but from now on exhibitors will be contacted and may have awards they won removed to prevent the system being abused. The KC uses a ‘proof of posting’ database which lists everyone who makes an entry on the day of a show, and, in particular, whether proof of posting was provided on the day. Repeat offenders will have to send future entries by recorded deliver or enter online. “We will contact exhibitors who have not provided proof of online entry following the show,” said KC secretary Caroline Kisko. “If an exhibitor is found to have been entered onto the database twice they will be notified that, should they make a further entry on the day of a show the matter may be referred to the Committee and could result in the disqualification of awards. “If subsequent entries on the day are made, the only proof of posting which will be accepted is the show society’s confirmation of receipt or an email receipt from an online entry company or a copy of a bank statement.” Exhibitors who have had their entries lost in the post may want to consider entering online or sending their entries via recorded delivery, Mrs Kisko said. This way, they can be sure the entries have been received and there is an opportunity to resubmit them before the closing date if any future postal problems arise. “No one likes to think of exhibitors circumventing the rules, but sad to say there will always be a small minority of people who do this,” Mrs Kisko said. “It is for this reason that these measures concerning proof of posting are in place to ensure a level playing field for all.” [ Time and again there is a Professional Handler who thinks that he can do as he likes and has been getting away with 'Circumventing' the rules for many years. If the new Chairman is as good as his word, he should stamp out all mal practices and and make Dog showing a fair competition for all - not just just some who clearly have an unhealthy influence at the Kennel Club. ] DOG SHIT STINKS NO MATTER WHAT FORM IT COMES IN What an absolute carry on! They are coming out into the open like wasps from a nest that has been disturbed. What's this all about you may well ask? Two more of Dog World's 'Feature Writers' have penned concern about the possibility of Corruption in the World Of Show Dogs. Another method that Braddon was said to have used was exerting his influence in the Judging Circles to promote a dog/s. There is big money to be had in the sales of constant winners and Braddon it was said would demand his cut from a sale for his 'Promotions'. Even if the owner of the animal had not invited his 'Services' Braddon - they say -would try and pressurise the owner stating that he had 'Promoted' the dog thus enhancing the sale price. Ambitious people were afraid of Braddon who had a lot of influence in a lot of places and could make and break Judging Careers - just as others who have followed in his footsteps have done and are still doing so. The Kennel Club no less , openly embraces Professional Handlers judging at their show Crufts, when it is clearly a conflict of interests. The KCs Crufts Best In Show Judge in 2013 was Professional Handler Geoff Corish. How can the Kennel Club allow a Professional Handler to Judge BIS at their Flagship Show Crufts when at his next show he is competing as a 'Paid By Results' Professional Handler? Does this not put any Judge he exhibits under in this scenario and thereafter, under immense pressure to favour the 'Handler' who has judged BIS at Crufts and clearly has lots of influence? Dog World reprinted an article in their 9th January 2009 edition taken from Dogs In Review. In the article two Professional Handlers were interviewed about various aspects regarding their involvment in dogs. Joe Braddon was the United Kingdom's Top All Round Judge and was passed by the Kennel Club to award CCs in every breed. He Judged Best In Show at Crufts in 1976 and awarded the top honour to a West Highland White Terrier; Ch Dianthus Buttons, which was exhibited by a Professional Handler. Does Corruption exist in the World Of Show Dogs today? In my view yes it does. But, it is much more sophisticated now than it was in the past. Exhibitors are not stupid and can see a fix when it can sometimes be blatantly obvious. Low placed dogs miraculously winning CCs BOB and group placings as soon as a Professional Handler gets hold of the lead, without ever altering the presentation or even grooming the animal. It is palpable what is happening. It could be said that this is buying awards and who could argue against this analogy? Whilst this is going on all we can do is try and expose it and hope that the Kennel Club does something to close loopholes and be seen to be concerned about exhibitors. They could start by looking at their policy on Professional Handlers Judging; a clear conflict of interests. Terrier World has exposed many things since its inauguration in 2008. Judges who fail to write a Critique for example. Remember too our exposé regarding Judges and their partners exhibiting at the same show? Ronnie Irving (Former KC Chairman) judging and his wife exhibiting at the same show; also Geoff Corish judging the Utility Group at Crufts 2012 and in the very next Group the same day in the Toys, his partner Michael Coad walks into the group with their Bichon Frise. They had all been getting away with these practices for years without any challenge until Terrier World exposed them. And what had the Dog Press ever done about it? Nothing. Because they all, as they say, Piss In The Same Pot. Terrier World will always present you with the facts; it is up to the reader how they interpret them.
Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain Statement on the Kennel Club and the Jack Russell Terrier – 08/11/15 The Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain, has, for 40 years stood against Kennel Club recognition for the Jack Russell Terrier and will always do so. The Jack Russell Terrier Club of Great Britain wrote the definitive breed standard for the Jack Russell Terrier 38 years ago and it has been adopted by Jack Russell Clubs worldwide, even copied by the Parson Russell Club! No doubt it will be used once again. Greg Mousley Observation and reaction to KC and the JRT – Greg Mousley Nov 2015 It seems the kennel club here in the UK is once again seeking income from recognising a smaller breed. Mrs Kisko for The KC responded by saying she wanted to assure people that the KC believed in dogs being fit for function and able to perform the tasks for which they were originally bred. “The benefits of becoming a recognised breed includes breeders being given access to a wide range of health resources and including health screening and DNA testing,” she said. “It will also ensure puppy buyers looking to get a Jack Russell Terrier can check that the puppy’s parents have had the relevant health tests, as the KC records health data for all the dogs it registers. “As a not-for-profit organisation the KC invests profits that it makes from registrations into its Charitable Trust which supports research into dog diseases and gives money to dog rehoming charities and similar good causes relating to dogs.” WILL THIS CRUFTS BEST IN SHOW JUDGE BE BANNED LIKE MRS POPE? A Zena Thorn Andrews' advert in a show catalogue has prompted an angry protest by exhibitors. They want the Kennel Club to take action after the judge involved broke down in tears at the Great Joint Dachshund Association championship show. She had seen Zena Thorn Andrews’ ad which said, ‘Sadly we will not be exhibiting at this year’s show due to the choice of judge' She went on to say she was proud of her kennel’s record of wins ‘at this fabulous show’, listing Drakesleat’s wins at the event. She also placed a copy of the advertisement on her Facebook page. Judge Janet McLeod did not see the advertisement until it was pointed out to her after she had completed her appointment; it is understood she was so upset she immediately went home. There is history between the two women. A few years ago Mrs McLeod placed Mrs Thorn Andrews’ dog Ch Drakesleat Win A Lot second in open; shortly afterwards Mrs Thorn Andrews sent Mrs McCleod a letter offering to mentor her and enclosing photographs of the winner of the open class and of Mrs Thorn Andrews’ dog. The letter was reported to the Kennel Club but a third party but no action was taken. On Saturday, the advertisement was the talk of the show, and after seeing Mrs McLeod’s reaction Mini Wire exhibitor Mandy Dance began collecting signatures on a petition, which had had 50 names on it when it was handed to secretary Geraldine Brace. Mrs McLeod said the advertisement had been ‘totally uncalled for’. “I had a really lovely day,” she said. “I hadn’t been to a show for such a long time; everything was very fresh and I so enjoyed it – until I saw the ad. “I was really upset. The last time I judged was several years ago and I received a letter from Zena afterwards – she hadn’t liked my judging. But the matter was dropped. “When I got home I heard about the petition; people haven’t stopped phoning me over the weekend, people have been so nice. My best friends are dog show people.” Petitioner Mandy Dance said she went to make a complaint to the secretary and was told to put it in writing. “As this was going on people kept coming up to me and saying they wanted to sign it,” she said. “I understand that it’s being forwarded to the KC. “People are entitled to an opinion but this ad should not have been published. Janet was in floods of tears and desperately unhappy – and she had pulled in the biggest Mini Wire entry this year, 68, apart from Crufts.” Mrs Dance said that when Mrs Thorn Andrews’ letter to Mrs McLeod was forwarded to the KC no action had been taken. “Janet’s a sensitive soul,” she said. Mrs Thorn Andrews said the furore was being whipped up by ‘a couple of enemies’. “What I put was only a statement of fact, due to the choice of judge. I have had issues with Mrs McLeod before which went as far as the KC but I don’t want to go into that. I didn’t accuse her of anything, I only stated fact. “I love that show but I didn’t want to enter because of the choice of judge. It’s my choice; they’re just trying to make a thing of it. “They’re just jealous of anything I do and are trying to cause trouble for me. Mandy Dance was taking round a petition – for what? I haven’t said anything detrimental about the judge and I haven’t named her.” Asked about the letter, Mrs Thorn Andrews said: “I offered to mentor her". The breed council was mentoring people at the time, that’s all. “I thought she might like photographs of her CC winner and 'Ch Drakesleat Win A Lot'. Sometimes judges need help understanding the Standard.” Asked why her absence from the show could not have been sufficient she said: “Sometimes I don’t go to shows because I’m judging; it gives other people a chance.[to win]" “I let other people use my dogs", but why should I do that if I’m just going to get that abuse? People want to drag you down and I have been very helpful to them. “I’ve sold 30 dogs to other people who had made up their first champion with them. They get jealous and I get treated very badly. Why should I put up with the abuse – makes you want to give up.” Great Dachshund secretary Geraldine Brace said past winners are invited to place an advertisement in the catalogue and Mrs Thorn Andrews, who was included as she won best of breed last year, sent hers straight to the printers. [What a sneaky thing to do] “I didn’t see it when I proof read the catalogue,” she said. “When it was pointed out to me I thought it was someone making a slur about the selection of judge, not the judging of that judge. It went over my head. “People were complaining at the show. I feel awful that I didn’t notice the ad. The matter will be discussed and I will be instructed what to do.” This matter is now in the hands of The Kennel Club. Breathtaking Arrogance [ The response from Thorn Andrews smacks of a person so much up their own arse that they're untouchable and can and do ( like Handler Geoff Corish) just as they please. JUST HOW MUCH INVOLVEMENT SHOULD THE KENNEL CLUB HAVE The Kennel Club took action after Sylvia Pope of the Keisyl Pomeranians was convicted of five charges of breaching the Animal Welfare Act with regard to four ponies and a horse when she appeared before Shropshire magistrates earlier this year. THE MORAL HIGH GROUND The bigger question for me is; what on earth has this case got to do with the Kennel Club, are they now taking the 'Moral High Ground' and now see themselves as The Animal Police Force, The Judges and The Juries for this in the UK? There was no suggestion at all that her dogs were in any way mistreated. DOUBLE STANDARDS We also have the double standards at the Kennel Club when one of their own [Freemasons] is up before them for misconduct. ANIMAL POLICING What about sheep; will anyone caught 'Shagging' sheep in the valleys become the next ones on The Kennel Club's hit list? FOOD FOR THOUGHT; DO YOU EVER WONDER JUST WHO THE REAL WANKERS ARE? What Is The Difference Between Young Lauren Bridges Winning The Pastoral Group At Richmond Lauren Bridges who is eight years old became the youngest handler to win a group at Richmond ch show. She handled Jana Fulierova’s Samoyed Ch/Svk Gr Ch Smiliesam Strike Home (Striker) to success under Mark James, who in his critique said: “Handled to advantage by his young charge. She certainly did a great job.” Striker now has six CCs and a group 3 and 4. “In the US canine press recently a 'big name' commented that the America Kennel Club was undoubtedly the best national canine governing body in the world. Comments to 'Letters' in Terrier World. Anonymity guaranteed. THE KENNEL CLUB CHAIRMAN WELSH KENNEL CLUB SPEECH 15 Mr Luxmoore said; "I have a very open approach to communication. I’ll talk to anybody about anything." Chairman of The Kennel Club Simon Luxmoore gave the traditional ‘state of the nation’ speech at the Welsh Kennel Club dinner on Friday evening 21/08/2015. He thanked joint secretaries Graham and Anne Hill and the show committee for their invitation to him and his wife Pauline to attend this dinner – ‘while recognising I had little choice but accept!’. “’You'll receive a welcome in the hillside' has always been a proud boast of the Welsh – a matter to which I can attest from the October day in 1966 when I ran out on to Stradey Park, the home of Llanelli rugby club now known as the Scarlets, to the day I hung my rugby boots up following a game against the mighty 'Pooler' front row in October ’81,” Mr Luxmoore said. “But if the battering I took during that period wasn't enough, on reflection it was nothing compared to the battering afforded me by a certain joint WKC secretary when I stepped out of line in my role as chairman of the KC Judges Sub-Committee! “But seriously, Wales has always meant a great deal to me, having lived in Monmouthshire for 22 years, and at the WKC made my first appalling attempt at showing a dog at a ch show in ‘81, awarded my first set of CCs in ‘91 - the same year I proposed a toast at this very dinner at the request of a dear friend and mentor of mine, David Samuel. “This last year many of us said goodbye to Esmee Samuel on a fittingly glorious day, a sad day in many respects but an event of which Esmee herself would have been very proud.” It was tradition for the Chairman of the General Committee to deliver a 'state of the nation address' at this annual dinner, he said. “But in some respects I share the view of a BIS judge with whom I was sitting at a previous dinner here, who having been bombarded with a lengthy 'defence of the realm' address commented, ‘This is neither the time nor the place’. “However, I know Graham and Anne would not let me go lightly, such are their natures. So here I have some initial thoughts – personal thoughts.” The KC is a governing body, a members’ club and a multi-million pound business which also operates as a charity, Mr Luxmoore continued. The membership – the shareholders – elects a board of directors who on election accept personal accountability and responsibility for the running of the KC. “Not only that, but in doing so they indirectly or directly, depending on your point of view, accept a collective responsibility for the world of registered pedigree dogs in this UK of ours, a responsibility to the dogs themselves and a responsibility to their owners, and to all who have a stake holding in this activity we all enjoy.” Any organisation led by volunteers but which has the majority of the business undertaken by a full-time staff and executive, faces challenges in itself, he said. The staff need the volunteers and the volunteers need a staff and executive team which performs. “Whoever said or thought at the time of incorporation, 'Oh, it's just a paperwork exercise then it's business as usual’ was or is living in cloud cuckoo land,” He went on; “If ever there was a time and need to interact closely with our stakeholders, at every level, then that time is now. I reflect on the overall views of contributors to the membership research survey we conducted earlier in the year who commented that they recognised the need for the KC as a governing body, and indeed agreed with many of the things the KC did. However, what some found unacceptable is the way in which the KC actually conducts its business. “To me this may refer to the arguably arrogant management style that used to, and in some cases still does, pervade London clubs. Perhaps this style is perceived to exist in the way the KC has conducted its business. If this is the perception – and we all know perception is more important than fact – we should be very mindful of what our stakeholders are telling us.” Mr Luxmoore explained that he works in the aerospace industry and runs the industry's only global-learned body, which has a membership of 22,000 and advises industry, governments and academia. The aerospace industry was made up of 'big beasts', he said – individuals who ran the industry whom he described as visionaries, influencers, achievers and mentors of the next generation. “It is somewhat similar in our dog world,” he went on. “There are some 'big beasts' – people who are really worth listening to and engaging with, some have a personal affiliation to the KC and others do not. “They are breeders, exhibitors, judges, organisations, big personalities, winners, trend setters, successful administrators. Irrespective of personalities and any past differences I believe we should all come together with the aim of creating and promoting an environment for healthy pedigree dogs.” Mr Luxmoore said he had a very open approach to communication. “I’ll talk to anybody about anything. However, Pauline will tell you I have a 'red' personality, perhaps even dark red, the prime characteristic of which is that I have an aversion to time wasting. So I spend no time at all reading columns written under pseudonyms or the columns associated with the somewhat self-obsessed. “But I do spend a great deal of time communicating with people who are at, or very much in touch with, the grass roots of our pastime. Be it in aerospace or the world of dogs, my personal experience of what I call the commentators is that at one extreme if you can't do it you write about it, and at the other extreme there are those who are extremely perceptive in their very occasional missives, almost to a point of fault!” It was not his job to defend the role or performance of the KC, he said; it was for the stakeholders, ‘our customers at large’, to determine the performance of its governing body and for him to try to build the best possible team to lead the KC, proposing and encouraging the board to take the club forward to meet the challenges of the future. “However, we must recognise that the days of being able to organise and manage any governing body, let alone ours, along autocratic lines are gone. There is a very talented group of volunteers who comprise the General Committee of the KC. In addition there are also very many talented individuals who comprise all the various committees, sub-committees, working parties and of course among the staff. But perhaps, as importantly, I also believe there are others who are not engaged, as yet, who will be the future of our hobby. We should start to engage now!” The General Committee will be developing strategy – looking to the future of the world of dogs and the role the KC can play, Mr Luxmoore continued. “Most importantly they will build a new, far closer working relationship with the operational side of the KC which may well require significant investment if it, like modern, high-performing businesses, is going to be able to meet its targets on quality cost and delivery. I believe the executive, staff and the General Committee will welcome that development.” He described the resolutions made at the annual meeting as ‘somewhat heaven sent’. “In the past, the proposers would have been seen as irritants and trouble makers – indeed, some may still view them that way! However I take an entirely different view. “John Symonds’ proposal concerning governance has obligated the General Committee to oversee what is in my opinion a long overdue review. Prior to incorporation, the Finance and General Purposes Committee may well have been all powerful, at least in the view of some, but today the General Committee – the board – is where the decisions are made, and that fact combined with the need for tighter financial control, and a formal audit and compliance function, will almost certainly necessitate proposals to change the current committee structure. “All of this will of course be overseen by the General Committee themselves who will in turn report back to the membership.” Mr Luxmoore then turned to Dr Symonds’ AGM proposal regarding communication. “When taken in the context of the feedback obtained from our research previously referred to this gives us the opportunity to look at improving our style and manner of communication,” he said. “Again it's not what we do necessarily but how we do it! “Any remaining residue of an autocratic past must quickly disappear if we are to appeal to both our members and our stakeholder community. I was completely taken aback by the size of the positive feedback I received from a simple letter of communication I sent out to members in mid-July. This type of letter should be the norm, not something that receives that level of surprise and delight.” This letter updated members on progress made on the AGM proposals and the fact that the KC’s bi-annual meeting might be brought back. Jean Lanning’s AGM proposal concerned crossbreeds. “I would only proffer this as a thought,” Mr Luxmoore said. “When a governing body which operates under a historic brand identity, which the majority of stakeholders believe they know and understand, subsequently conveys messages or indeed takes actions that are perceived to be confusing, then quite possibly the organisation has got it wrong. “Businesses are quite entitled to offer different products and services, but they need to be branded and managed separately if they are to operate successfully under the same umbrella organisation. “So what next? Well, while Steve Croxford undertakes ongoing operational reviews with the aim of understanding where improvements might be beneficial through investment in the broadest sense of the word, I will be chairing the governance review and Mark Cocozza the communication activity,” Mr Luxmoore said. “Meanwhile the General Committee will be meeting on September 8 and 9 to conduct a strategic review of the KC's objective. A whole day spent on strategic debate – just imagine!” The majority of General Committee members were in a ‘somewhat challenged position’, He said. “Few come with absolutely no agenda, be it as a show society secretary, representing a specific activity interest, as a career judge, exhibitor or whatever. The challenge they face as individuals is to put their own agenda to one side in favour of the best interests of the future of dogdom – easy to say, tough to do. “This is one of the reasons I believe the Dog Show Promotion Working Party has made relatively slow progress. Not only do they have to agree as a group but they have to persuade the Show Executive Committee and the General Committee, which of course includes a number of show secretaries, but if that is not enough they also need to agree a practical strategy for implementation with the operational side of the business. “While, with the interruption of the ill-informed commentators, we found establishing the FCI mutual recognition agreement for judges difficult, I believe this working group has an even tougher task. “There are a number of long outstanding issues of general interest which remain to be addressed, be it coat testing, the KC membership model, property investments – which are very much alive but commercially sensitive – and others. “ Nobody would ever be able to neutralise the ‘out-and-out radical’ who opposes the KC's every activity nor the social media bullies' who attack individuals at a distance, in spite of those individual’s good intentions, Mr Luxmoore said. “But I have said elsewhere, I believe good people make good things happen and I believe the ne'er-do-wells have had their day. If we all pull together we can make real progress. “In the US canine press recently a 'big beast' commented that the America Kennel Club was undoubtedly the best national canine governing body in the world. Whether that is true or not, wouldn't that be a good thing for the KC to aspire to be, even when measured by such subjective judgment? The KC should be recognised by everyone in the world of dogs as a strong, independent national body with an influential international footprint.” End. “In the US canine press recently a 'big name' commented that the America Kennel Club was undoubtedly the best national canine governing body in the world. The Kennel Club Is To Extend The Period Between CC Judging Appointments. The minimum period of time between CC appointments to the same sex and breed is to be extended from 12 to 18 months. The regulation ch ange will come into effect on January 1, 2018 and will relate to all nominations received by the Kennel Club on or after January 1, 2018. As a result, all breed clubs, particularly those of numerically small breeds, will need to ensure that their judges’ lists are adequate to support the additional length of time between appointments, the KC has said.. All show societies will need to review the wording of their judges’ contracts and update as appropriate, and should note that any nominations they intend to submit to the KC on or after that date must comply with the 18-month time period. The KC believes the change to the regulation will allow a greater rotation of judges and create increased opportunities for judges to be appointed for their desired breed or breeds. “In order to ensure that there is a sufficient pool of judges to facilitate this change, breed clubs must, as a matter of priority, review their judges lists and consider how best to educate, promote and train judges to progress through their lists,” said KC secretary Caroline Kisko. “We would take this opportunity to remind breed clubs of the importance of updating and circulating their judges’ lists. In particular, it would be helpful if clubs could ensure that up-to-date judges’ lists are available on their websites.” THE END OF ARROGANCE AT THE KENNEL CLUB? Let Us Hope That New Chairman Luxmoore Uses The Occam's Razor Principle To Problems And Also Adopts Sensible Ideas From The Showing Fraternity After Two Previous Tenures Of Unfettered Arrogance. Members are being asked to vote on whether the Kennel Club’s bi-annual meeting should return. A special meeting has been set for November 10 at which a decision will be made. It was scrapped in 2008 during Ronnie Irving’s tenure as chairman but, as new chairman Simon Luxmoore said in a letter to the membership this week, members ‘both deserve and require the opportunity to have their say on the way in which the club is run on a more regular basis than at present’. Although Mr Luxmoore’s letter stated that the bi-annual meeting was to be reintroduced, the KC said this morning that this is not necessarily the case and a vote must be taken first at the SGM. Other matters will be discussed at the meeting, but what they will be has not yet been revealed. Mr Luxmoore wrote: “The meeting will begin at 12.30pm, enabling best possible travel costs for members, and will be followed by a ‘high tea’ at the KC’s new premises, offering members the opportunity to visit the new (offices in Clarges Street) and see the facilities on offer.” He also updated members on matters arising from the AGM. The construction of the KC’s new offices building in Clarges Street is progressing well, he said, and the ‘graduated process of moving’ had started, with artwork and books going off site to storage in anticipation of the final move. It is anticipated that the offices will open towards the end of October ‘following the necessary commissioning process of mechanical services, kitchen etc and the re-hanging of artwork and library restoration. “I trust that Members will find the finished article worth the wait,” he added. The three working parties members asked for at the AGM – which will look at the KC’s communications, crossbreed registrations and governance – had been formed and had met for the first time, elected a chairman and discussed terms of reference and intentions. Mr Luxmoore will chair the Governance Working Group which has its first formal meeting on August 5. Other members are Steve Croxford, Tony Allock, Dr John Symonds, Paul Eardley and adviser from solicitors Farrer & Co Anne-Marie Piper. Mark Cocozza is chairing the communications group, with Frank Kane, Tony Allcock and KC secretary Caroline Kisko. Chairman of the registrations working party is Gerald King, with Mike Townsend, Jan Wood and Mrs Kisko. A further update on matters will be provided to members at the SGM, Mr Luxmoore said, one of them being the KC’s quest for new offices in Aylesbury. Members voted to scrap the bi-annual meeting in 2008 after agreeing that business discussed there had become ‘of a purely routine nature’. “Items which have not been routine have been introduced to fill the time available and could easily be dealt with in the annual meeting,” Mr Townsend said at the 2008 AGM, adding that only half the number of members who attend the yearly meeting turning up for the bi-AGM. “And I understand that (some of them) do so out of a sense of duty, or to have lunch, meet friends, go shopping or take in a show,” he went on. “All these points are independent of the holding of a KC meeting and can be achieved simply by planning an outing on one or more dates to suit you as an individual or your friends.” He also cited the cost of holding the meeting, with the hire of premises, the time staff spend attending and preparing for it, and the cost of inviting every member when ‘few actually attend’. There was also an absence of urgent business, and if something arose of that nature it could be dealt with at an SGM, he said. The venue of this year’s SGM will be announced later. AFRAID TO ROCK THE BOAT Who Is Kidding Whom? If A Professional Handler Has No Input Other Than To Walk Into The Show Ring With A Dog And Then Wins CC & BOB. Then, Schmoozes Into The Group. Is The Owner Kidding Himself, Kidding The Judge, Or, Adding To The Acrid Stench That Exists Already When A Handler Who Does Nothing Other Than Walk Around The Ring To Win? Geoffrey Davies Says Dean Must Go! Geoffrey Davies - a senior member of the Kennel Club - has written an open letter calling on the organisation’s General Committee to appoint a new chairman. The KC had to get its house in order, Geoffrey Davies said, and change was needed ‘urgently’ to address concerns expressed by its members. The grassroots of dogdom ‘think alike’, he said, and were not in tune with what was coming out of the KC’s head office in London. Mr Davies says he already has support for his views from more than 40 other KC members. He said he wanted Steve Dean removed at next week’s meeting of the General Committee. Mr Davies said that over the past year he had become ‘increasingly concerned’ about the way the KC was being led and directed. “First, I must place on record the fact that I am a staunch supporter of the KC, and have supported the KC during its most turbulent times,” he wrote. “Following the KC AGM on Wednesday I feel the time has now come when I must publicly speak out about the unacceptable way in which the club’s membership is being treated, and the manner in which the chairman is leading and directing the club. “Is it unreasonable to expect the chairman of any organisation to listen and accept the views and opinions of others that are at variance with his own views? Is it unreasonable to expect any chairman to be unbiased and courteous to those expressing opinions that differ from his own? “We do not want a dictator as the head of our KC, but someone who is willing to listen and then lead, and to be polite and courteous to all. The turn of events during the past 12 months illustrate and support my concerns.” After receiving a clear mandate from the club’s membership at the 2014 AGM publication of the relaunched Kennel Gazette was still awaited, he went on. “The time taken to effect the mandate of the membership has been unacceptable, and is a direct consequence of delaying tactics,” he said. “The responsibility for this delay must rest ultimately with the chairman of the board. “While I accept the fact that the chairman is entitled to his opinions on proposals, I find it objectionable that he alone is allowed to express those opinions in the KC’s official publication prior to the membership receiving notification of those proposals. This could be interpreted as a chairman attempting to influence decisions before they have been discussed by the members.” “Similarly, the chairman expressing opinions verbally about the unsuitability of certain individuals as potential board directors before a vote… in my opinion disadvantages some of the people standing for election.” It was equally concerning, Mr Davies believes, that in the biographical notes circulated with the AGM agenda, the names of the proposers of the new candidates were omitted from the original documents sent to members. it was reported at the time that the KC had apologised for the mistake and sent out the information to every member. Mr Davies questioned whether the names had been omitted on purpose and asked on whose authority it was done. “The omission resulted in an additional letter being sent to members and incurred the KC in an unnecessary additional cost,” he said. He then moved on to the Assured Breeder Scheme, claiming it had resulted in a ‘serious division’ between breeders and the KC. “A large number of breeders have resigned from the scheme and very little is being done to resolve this. The ultimate responsibility of rectifying this position must rest with the chairman of the KC. The KC really does need to get its house in order, and change is needed urgently to address the concerns expressed by its members. It is very clear that the grassroots of dogdom think alike and are not in tune with much that comes out of Clarges Street. “To be a KC director requires an enormous amount of integrity and the will to stand up for dogs. The directors are the decision makers that can lead to change for the better. “In the short time that I have shared my views I have received messages of support from 42 KC members. This groundswell of support expressing concern over the chairman’s leadership is quite staggering and confirms my belief that there is deep unrest within the membership. While we must guard against the club becoming de-stabilised, a change of leadership has become imperative, and I would ask the board to consider the appointment of a new chairman when the time comes for one to be elected.” IS THE HYPE THAT SURROUNDS JUDGING BEST IN SHOW AT CRUFTS A LOAD OF BOLLOCKS? The lights are dimmed, the trumpeters sound – Tararrrrr , Tararrrrrr, and out walks the Best In Show Judge bathed in a spotlight, alongside the Chairman Steve Dean. (He doesn't bring 'Orville' to Crufts) After four days of judging the finale at Crufts held at the NEC is about to begin. In the commentary box drooling over this is Frank - Kermit - Kane and Clare – Desperate Dan – Balding; the very one who’s crass remarks humiliated Jockey liam Treadwell when she asked him; "Are you going to get your teeth fixed now?" in her interview with him after he had just won the 2009 Grand National. I also recall butch Balding making a comment about the sloping back of the German Shepherd when she said; it doesn’t look right to me and I know nothing about them…what an absolute tosser! [This Article Was Written A Few Years Ago, It was Valid Then As It Is Today 2023] An Honour And A Privilege To Judge At Crufts? What An Oxymoron This Is. It never ceases to amaze me why judges at Crufts say in their Critique preamble; The latest narrowing of the ‘Goal Posts’ for prospective judges has just been announced by the Kennel Club (with ringing endorsements from the Dog Press) it will make it even more difficult for those who want to get on the judging ladder than it is now. All of the usual ‘Merry Go round’ judges will be having mental orgasms. You see they are already on the judging ladder. The more difficult that it is for newcomers, the more appointments they will get. It is in the interests of the ‘Judging Establishment’ for these new criteria to happen. Look at the judges for any Major Champ Show and you will see all of the same names officiating show after show – just changing breeds. And, Crufts is no different - all expenses paid and put up in the best hotels if need be. Then there are the ‘Holiday’ appointments. One judge recently officiated in the Bahamas and then India, with frequent events in Europe too. This is why they would prefer it to be even more difficult for newcomers. They don’t care as long as they are on the ‘Gravy Train’. What we should have is an ‘Exhibitors Union’. This isn’t as unrealistic as it seems. If we had enough people with the courage to join we would have clout. The ‘Canine Alliance’ has turned out to be as effective as a chocolate fireguard. What did they achieve? Not very much – a ‘Damp Squib’. Most of those who run it are on the judging merry go round too. They made a lot of noise initially and the Kennel Club let off a little steam from the KC pressure cooker – to appease them - and then basically, fucked them off. The Canine Alliance achieved very little if anything. The Kennel Club are a multi million pounds private members club with the big decisions that matter taken in secret at The KC Freemason lodge meetings and then sold to the ordinary members. Judges Who Fail To Send A Critique Are Guilty Of Breaking KC Regulations. The Kennel Club is reminding judges who officiate at championship and breed club open shows that they must produce a written critique for the first two placings in each class. These must be sent to at least one of the weekly dog newspapers, as Kennel Club club regulations dictate. Over a 12-month period the Kennel Club has had to write to more than 170 judges who have not produced critiques, and said it was concerned with the increasing amount of communication received from breed clubs, councils and individuals about it. KC regulation F(1)22d states that ‘All judges at ch shows and open breed club shows must produce a written critique for the first two placings in each class, and will dispatch these to at least one of the weekly UK canine journals’. “The vast majority of judges are submitting critiques properly in accordance with the regulations, but unfortunately there are a small number that are not,” said KC secretary Caroline Kisko. “We have had to write to 174 judges over missing critiques last year and 17 of these still failed to produce one, which resulted in a number of fines being issued. “Not submitting critiques properly can also lead to no further nominations to award CCs being considered by the KC General Committee until the matter is resolved, so it is in the best interests of judges to ensure they follow the regulations, which of course most of them do. Different Media “We have been made aware of instances of judges submitting critiques to other outlets, such as Facebook pages, assuming that this complies with KC regulations, so we would encourage all judges to familiarise themselves with the correct procedure as detailed in our show regulations.” Judges are reminded that producing a critique is an important part of the judging process, allowing the judge to outline the relative virtues and weaknesses of the dogs and to explain their placings. The KC recommends that judges retain a copy of their critiques for a period of a year or until they see their report published. To report a missing critique, contact the breed shows team at the KC at 1-5 Clarges Street, London W1J 8AB, Is It Acceptable To Award BIS To A Dog That Refuses To Be Examined?I read an article in the dog press by Simon Parsons, it was about 'Judging on the day'.
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2 The dog is clearly unhappy pulling away 4 The dog is growling mouth partially open he means it |
Incidentally, the Professional Handler of the Best In Show Winning Kerry Blue at Crufts 2000, was Michael Coad.
The dog's usual Handler - Geoff Corish - (Mr Coad's partner), was Judging
West Highland Whites at the show. Do all of the Judges dine together and
socialise in the restaurants and hospitality lounges at the NEC when Crufts
takes place? Yes they do.
I have long campaigned against Professional Handlers being allowed to judge, no secret in this. It is unethical and can lead to accusations of Venality.
Another Occasion where the so called experts can see that a dog is lame
and say nothing.
This time it was at the breed judging for Staffordshire Bulls at Crufts
2013.
Frank Kane ('Expert All rounder and BIS Judge at Crufts 2012') was at
the Staffordshire Bull Terrier ring with aTelevision Crew commenting on
the breed.
Look at the two videos below. You can see clearly that the bitch BOB winner
is lame. The Male dog that is sound on the move loses out to the bitch.
There is very little video footage of the bitch moving in the breed, it
has been edited out.
What did 'Expert' Kane say about a lame BOB winner? Absolutely nothing.
However, there was much more footage of the lame bitch in the Terrier
Group and Frank Kane the BIS Judge at Crufts 2012 finally commented about
it; but, only after his co presenter mentioned it otherwise presumably
he would have said nothing again.
Could it be; " You can fool some of the people all of the time and
it's those who you need to concentrate on. " (George W Bush).
One Irate spectator was so incensed after the breed judging said this:
Click Here ( It will
take a couple of seconds to load.)
Staffordshire Bull BOB Crufts 2013 |
Crufts 2013 Terrier Group Click on the YouTube Logo For time slider - mark and play from 32.22 |
The Kennel Club General Committee has announced a change in policy for judges who are approved to award CCs in one breed and go on to award them in a second and third breed.
In addition to the existing requirement for judges to have a minimum of 5 years' judging experience of any subsequent breed they intend to judge, it will also become mandatory to attend and pass at least one breed specific seminar for each of the second and third breeds for which they are nominated for approval to award Challenge Certificates. This will apply to all questionnaires received on or after 1st January 2016.
The updated policy for awarding CCs to second and third breeds will require a judge to:
The General Committee is aware that, within some breeds, breed club assessments and/or exams are not always readily available. Breed clubs are urged to ensure that these events are open to all interested parties and held on a regular basis.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "The Kennel Club has listened to the views and comments of those breed clubs and breed councils that have, when completing breed club opinion forms, highlighted the importance of breed specific seminars in ensuring that all show judges have a clear understanding and sufficient knowledge of the breed.
"The Kennel Club believes that this change in policy will maintain the highest possible standards of knowledge for all judges, and is in line with one of the KC's key strategic objectives, to encourage the development of all those concerned with dogs through education and training."
Bullshit By The Kennel Club And An Utterly Useless Vulnerable Breeds List
On February 8 2015 the Kennel Club put out this statement:
"One of the Queen's favourite breeds of dog, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, is at risk of disappearing from our streets and parks after being listed as a vulnerable dog breed by the Kennel Club for the first time in the breed's history. The low point means that the breed is now officially on the Kennel Club Vulnerable Native Breeds list, which includes those native dog breeds with 300 or fewer puppy registrations annually, meaning they fall below the minimum number needed to ensure that a breed's population is sustained properly.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is one of the country's most iconic dog breeds and so it is worrying to see the breed dip to a historic low and become one of our vulnerable breeds for the first time ever. "We compile a list of Vulnerable Native Breeds in order to raise awareness of some of our oldest, and historically best loved breeds of dog, that are struggling to compete with newer breeds that are more fashionable.
[ Does the Kennel Club think that they alone are the only Club that registers this breed? The useless Vulnerable Breeds List doesn't do any thing for the breeds that are on it. The Kennel Club regurgitate Bullshit like this whenever Crufts is due or Discover Dogs is coming up. Why do I say that the Vulnerable Breeds List is useless? Simple. How can they class a breed as 'Vulnerable' when they allow breeders in these breeds to endorse their litters; 'Progeny Not Eligible For Registration'.
Surely, someone with even a tiny bit of common sense at the Kennel Club should realise that if they put a breed onto their list of 'Vulnerable Breeds' they should immediately ban 'Endorsements' If not it is a complete contradiction!
I e-mailed the Kennel Club's Chairman [Professor Steve Dean] and all of his press office members about this practice of Endorsing breeds that they class as 'Vulnerable'. What did they say about it? I never had a single reply or acknowledgment about my concerns. "Our Kennel Club; and Your Kennel Club" are words Deano likes to use. What a load of BOLLOCKS!
FACT: PROFESSOR JEFF SAMPSON THE KENNEL CLUB FORMER CANINE GENETICS CO-ORDINATOR STATED THAT ALL PET OWNERS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO BREED AT LEAST ONE LITTER TO INCREASE THE GENE POOL.
Professor Sampson said this in an article about 'Vulnerable Breeds':
"A concerted effort by breeders to breed more dogs is required to reverse the trends of the last few years. This doesn’t mean producing greater numbers of puppies from the same old dams and sires, it means increasing the number of dogs and bitches within the breed who become parents in their own right. Existing experienced breeders should try to persuade and encourage new owners who buy puppies from them to have at least one litter from the puppy. In this way breed numbers will increase and so will the parental base from which future generations are produced. This will go some way to stemming the current loss of genetic variability."
Doesn't the Kennel Club realise that Professor Sampson actually worked for them; moreover, did they [the arrogant Hierarchy] ever listen to him?
Ronnie Irving (former KC Chairman) in reply to Jemima Harrison [Pedigree Dogs Exposed Program] when asked about the implications of 'Inbreeding' said this; " I'm not having a bunch of Scientists tell me how to breed dogs...[sic] " ' says it all really.
CRUFTS TERRIER GROUP ENTRIES 2015
Soviet Finland – the Aftermath of the Helsinki World Dog Show
The Finnish Kennel Club arranged the World Dog Show in Helsinki, Finland a couple of months ago. It was so proud because the operation functioned quite nicely. At the same time it was frustrated because cooperation between breeders and owners got out of control, according to a board member. One might ask, what control, whose control.
Obviously, when dogs had already been brought and costs born, the opportunity was used for mating whenever possible. We all know that travelling with a dog is expensive, shipping sperm is expensive and a bit vulnerable procedure and, thus avoiding that cost should just make common sense. To some of us preferring natural mating over insemination is an issue.
Well, Finnish Kennel Club has now after the World Dog Show chosen to apply
meticulously and selectively its complicated rules which lead into a situation
where a non- Finnish terrier is fantastic breeding material all the way
to the borders of Finland, its frozen sperm would continue to be so, but
in Finland the same terrier is disqualified and thus its pups together
with a Finnish dame will be registered as not suitable for breeding. The
moment the dog is out of Finland, it becomes fantastic again. How does
this logic contribute to the health and well –being of terriers.
Or in other words a boat trip starts from Stockholm to Helsinki towards
east. The Sire and the Dame are introduced in a cabin. They need a bit
time and the boat crosses the national border. The pups are not breeding
quality anymore. Had they been a little bit more into it, we would have
gotten wonderful breeding material. The same dogs, the same genes. Please,
someone, explain to me. I am only an attorney.
Soviet Finland is a nick name given to Finland in the 1970’s and the reference was to a careful ear of the procedures of the Soviet Union and its decision making cultures. They were understood to include nomenclature, complicated rules which require special exceptions which in turn allow favoritism.
Those of you who were in too close contact with Finnish breeders, think carefully. Did IT really happen in Finland or is there same haze.
For more information contact: Tina Taivaloja, Helsinki, Finland
The Kennel Club and Petlog's phone numbers have changed in order to ensure best value for money for customers.
The phone number changes, which are effective from today (20th October), will see the Kennel Club switch to geographical numbers from the existing non-geographical numbers starting with 0844 or 0870.
The change will mean that all customers will only be charged the standard rate for calls, regardless of whether they call from a landline or a mobile. This is different to the current non-geographical numbers, which are charged at a standard rate by the Kennel Club, but which may be subject to additional charges from mobile network providers.
The old numbers will remain temporarily in use but customers calling these will hear a recorded message advising that additional charges, beyond the standard rate, may apply and will be given the option to redial using the new numbers.
The new Kennel Club numbers are:
FUNCTION |
OLD NUMBER |
NEW NUMBER |
Kennel Club Main Number |
0844 463 3980 |
01296 318540 |
Petlog Main Number |
0844 463 3999 |
01296 336579 |
Petlog Lost & Found (Reunification |
0870 606 6751 |
01296 737600? |
Terrier Club of Devon and Cornwall Show
Hi Tony, could you please do me a "big favour" and advertise on your Terrierworld website our forthcoming Terrier Club of Devon and Cornwall Show. We are now one of the very few all terrier clubs that are still managing to hold two quite successful shows a year and our next show which is being held on 19th October 2014 happens to be our "Diamond Jubilee" (60 years) show. We have a lovely lot of specials and prize money donated for that show which is being held at Culm Valley Sports Centre, Cullompton, Devon. The judges are as follows:-
Staffordshire Bull Terriers (6 classes) John Onufryk (Josonu) sponsored.
Border Terriers (6 classes) Mrs Mary Small (Tilomoray) sponsored by the Southern Border Terrier Club
Westies (6 classes) Miss Mich Dale (Lynnsto)
22 Terrier Breed classes, Mrs Jennie Griffiths (Karamynd)
21 Terrier Breed classes, 11 Variety classes and Best in Show etc Mrs Sue Seabridge (Sujoncla)
Schedules can be downloaded from Arena Print. Unfortunately our Website author who was Mrs Jan Shuttleworth has left this part of the world and now lives in Scotland, so our website is not now being updated.
Trusting you can do this for me.
Jean Rundle
Hon Secretary
The Owner of the only Clumber Spaniel at Blackpool Ch show refused to accept the Best Of Breed award because she did not want him to undergo the high-profile breed veterinary check.
The Only Way To Get The Kennel Club To Have A Proper Discussion About This Practice Is If All Best Of Breed Winners In These High Profile Breeds Refuse To Accept The BOB Award At CRUFTS. Only Then When They Have Breeds Missing From The Groups Will The KC Be Dragged To The Table For Intelligent Debate. No Amount Of Wet Talking Will Make The KC Do Anything Unless Their Show Is Targeted. Why Is This? Because The KC Is Not A Club For Exhibitors, That Is A Smokescreen. The Real Kennel Club Is A Freemason Lodge And All Of The Important Decisions Are Taken In Secret.
In 1961 Pesident John F Kennedy Said This:
"The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control. And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know."
Kennel Club Reminder On Judges’ Critiques
[ Terrier World has been naming and shaming Judges who fail to have a written Critique published as is required by
The Kennel Club. We have been naming and shaming them since 2010. Has the Kennel Club finally read the 'No Critiques'
page on Terrier World and extracted their fingers out of their constipated arseholes? ] (Read No Critiques)
The Kennel Club would like to remind judges at Championship and Open breed club shows that a written critique for the first two placings in each class must be submitted to at least one of the weekly United Kingdom canine journals.
The Kennel Club has been made aware of instances of judges submitting critiques to other outlets, including Facebook pages, assuming this complies with Kennel Club Regulations, and would like to remind all judges of the correct procedure as stated in Kennel Club show regulations, which is as follows:
Regulation F(1)22d
'All judges at Championship Shows and Open Breed Club Shows must produce a written critique for the first two placings in each class, and will dispatch these to at least one of the weekly United Kingdom Canine journals.'
The Kennel Club has published a set of FAQs which cover the most common questions addressed to the Kennel Club by both exhibitors and judges in regard to show regulations, which can be viewed at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/activities/dog-showing/already-involved-in-dog-showing/exhibitors and www.thekennelclub.org.uk/activities/dog-showing/already-involved-in-dog-showing/judges respectively.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "Whilst the vast majority of judges are following the correct procedure, there have been instances of critiques being submitted to various places online, including Facebook pages and club websites, rather than to either one of the weekly dog papers which should be the case.
"Judges are welcome to add their critiques to social media and other outlets but must also remember to send them, preferably first, to either Our Dogs and/or Dog World as required by Kennel Club regulations."
The Kennel Club's regulations can be found at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/49543/showregs.pdf
AKC Not Doing Enough To Avoid Exaggeration Says Ronnie Irving
The former Chairman of the Kennel Club Ronnie Irving who was arguably shoved out of his tenure as Chairman after bringing the KC to its knees and costing it hundreds of thousand of pounds in lost Sponsorship and all the rest of it, has criticised the American Kennel Club (AKC), accusing it of complacency. He is also the main protagonist who helped and encouraged the professional handler Geoff Corish with his 'Meteoric' rise up the judging ladder. The American Kennel Kennel Club do not allow Professional Handlers to Judge or anyone living in the same house as them to judge. An award for the thickest 'Brass Neck' in the History Of The Kennel Club must surely go to Ronnie Irving.
Writing in the American magazine Dog News he claimed the AKC had done ‘virtually nothing’ to urge its judges not to reward exaggerations and make health and welfare the most important criteria.
His remarks follow a TV programme on pedigree dogs and breeding ethics which criticised the AKC and the fancy, stating that looks were considered more important than health and welfare, and that shows concentrated on form, not function. Many breed Standards, the HBO film implied, caused health problems.
Afterwards the AKC made known its annoyance that parts of the interview had been omitted, and summoned support from those involved in the hobby, saying it wanted to take a proactive approach, promote good breeders, eliminate bad ones and defend breed Standards.
They also called on people to stand up for its work mission and dogs.
Some months ago Mr Irving used his column in Dog News and claimed that the AKC was not doing enough to persuade the world that dog shows were ‘a definitive force for good’ and that under AKC guidance judges should pay particular attention to canine health. On that occasion he said that judges needed to be instructed that they had a duty to penalise features and exaggerations which could be considered detrimental to the soundness, health or wellbeing of the dog.
He warned that if the AKC did not act it would lead itself vulnerable to criticism. He wrote this month that his prediction had come true.
"I had absolutely no feeling of satisfaction when I saw that my prediction had recently turned out to be only too true with the programme criticising the club for allegedly allowing detrimental breeding practices and for refusing to alter Standards or ‘create an environment where show judges are told to promote health as strongly as other features’,” he wrote.
The AKC’s response and fighting stance after the programme was commendable, he said, but it was preaching to the converted, and he asked whether it would pass muster with the pet-owning public.
The AKC’s response was in ‘sharp contrast’ to that of the Kennel Club’s after Pedigree Dogs Exposed, he wrote: "And I have to admit that a large number of the purebred dog community here in the UK think that the KC went too far in giving concessions to those who criticised the world of dog shows. Just look at the initial reaction to the vet checks when they were introduced at Crufts in 2012. These have now become for most, though not all exhibitors in the UK, just a normal part of what happens at dog shows throughout the year.”
The AKC’s reaction to the programme was ‘completely in keeping’ with its chief executive Dennis Sprung’s reaction to the vet checks, Mr Irving went on. Mr Sprung stated strongly that he would never allow ‘this wrongful practice’ to take place in America.
It was all very well for the AKC to argue that its breed Standards do not belong to it, that they belong to the breeds, Mr Irving went on.
"It is even arguable, though I think it stretching credibility to the limit, to say that if everyone sticks to breeding dogs that fit the breed Standard, then no dogs will suffer and all of them will be in perfect health. But that is no excuse, in my opinion, for the AKC to be complacent. It is no excuse for the fact that the AKC does virtually nothing on any of its websites or publications to exhort judges not to reward exaggerations and instead to give paramount regard to dogs’ health and welfare.”
Surely it is possible for the AKC to include in its guidelines for writing breed Standards’ that clubs should avoid using clauses which might encourage exaggerations which could be detrimental to health or soundness, he said.
"Would it not help – or at least be good for the reputation of the AKC – if it made some reference to preserving and even improving canine health and to avoiding breed exaggeration when it gives instructions to its judges,” he asked.
"If the AKC wants to make it easier for its representatives to counter future criticism in negative TV shows it should surely make a few concessions even if only to do some of the minor things suggested above.
"It surely ought to lead the way in making it clear at every opportunity in its documentation and on its website that it believes that health has to be important to breeders and judges and that detrimental exaggerations of any kind have to be penalised. If it does not do so, how can it really argue with justification that it is leading and is doing everything in its power to make sure that show dogs are indeed ‘happy healthy dogs’?”
The Kennel Club AGM took place at the Curzon Cinema in Mayfair on Wednesday of last week.
A total of 155 KC Members attended in person and approximately a further 300 took part by submitting proxy votes on the issues which were circulated before the AGM. The main decisions reached and announcements made were as follows:
Registration fees are to be increased from £15 to £16 (we understand this is to be effective from 1 January 2015)
Registration fees for Assured Breeders are to be reduced from £15 to £14
The printed version of the Kennel Gazette, which was discontinued on cost grounds from 1 January this year is to be brought back. The KC General Committee is to discuss the future direction of the revived publication at its next meeting. This proposal had been opposed by the KC General Committee
Proposals to streamline the method of approving people for membership of the KC, and to reduce the current joining fee were not agreed. These proposals had been opposed by the KC General Committee
The Kennel Club's new building further along Clarges Street is to be ready for occupation by August next year. Costs of the development are in line with budget
All eight KC General Committee Members up for re-election were returned to office as follows: Ann Bliss, Steve Croxford, Paul Harding, Anne Macdonald, Annette Oliver, Meg Purnell-Carpenter, Pat Sutton and Keith Young
The KC currently has 1,324 paying members of whom 69 are based overseas and it has 69 Honorary or Honorary life members
Two new Honorary Life Members were elected under the rule that such a facility is granted after 40 years of paid membership. These were Julia Iles-Hebbert and Pat Rhodes
Coat testing is to be brought back in a revised format which will ensure that it is carried out fairly and effectively
The Dog Show Promotion Working Party has conducted surveys and is developing ideas aimed at widening and reinvigorating dog shows
Work with the FCI to agree the terms of a proposed mutual recognition of judges continues and the General Committee has agreed to the principle of mutual recognition of systems for training judges. The working group is to agree criteria for a sustainable working agreement with the FCI
The KC is working with Defra and its own IT team to ensure that after compulsory microchipping in 2016 pedigree dog breeders will be able to register their puppies and then register their chip identification by a single registration process on both the breed register and Petlog
Every ABS breeder's premises must be visited and assessed and the additional resources to do this are now in place
The fact that Eukanuba is up for sale will not affect the staging of Crufts 2015 in any way.
Question on the ABS
It was asked whether it might be sensible for ABS Members who were also Licensed by Local Authorities to be automatically approved as ABS Members without further KC Inspection. The Chairman replied that the KC would prefer this to be the other way around. Namely that Local Authorities should use the services of the ABS Scheme to inspect for the purposes of their licensing system and thus, for those ABS Members who wanted it, to be licensed automatically.
Asked what was the current situation on the £1.5 million interest free loan made to the Animal Health Trust two years ago, the response was that its repayment was still due early in 2015 and that it was still in the front of everyone's minds as to how this would be repaid.
T
hose within the KC responsible for organising Discover Dogs were congratulated on the event making a small surplus, it being extremely difficult to organising events of this kind without incurring large losses.
CLONING AND THE KENNEL CLUB
The Kennel Club Is Unequivocal In Its View
In a statement a KC Representative said; ‘We Are Genuinely Shocked’ by a TV programme about a contest offering dog cloning as its prize.
The club said cloning jeopardised dog welfare and that the ethics involved were questionable.
The £60,000 Puppy: Cloning Man’s Best Friend, which was broadcast on Channel 4 this week, revealed that the ‘prize’ had been won by Rebecca Smith whose 12-year-old Dachshund Winnie had been cloned to produce ‘mini-Winnie’.
The competition was staged by South Korean company Sooam Biotech Research Foundation to publicise its cloning techniques – which cost its customers £60,000. The company said the high cost of the cloning procedure is so the money can go towards the multi-millions spent on developing the technology.
These views are shared by the British Veterinary Association (BVA), which said that cloning should not be ‘commercialised’ and Dogs Trust which thought the practice unnecessary.
The KC said the competition trivialised cloning.
"We are genuinely shocked at the concept of the competition and the trivialisation of this issue, as we believe most caring dog owners will be,” said secretary Caroline Kisko. "This is an issue of particular concern to us. We are strongly against the principle of cloning as it jeopardises dog welfare and runs contrary to our objective to promote in every way the general improvement of dogs.
"People may turn to cloning when faced with the loss of a beloved pet and the need to replicate the emotional bond they have with their dog, but unfortunately this comes at a price and the price is the welfare implications involved.”
Cloning involves invasive procedures which include surgically implanting the embryo into the bitch used to carry the clone, Mrs Kisko said.
"Because of the poor success rates this procedure may be repeated multiple times, in many different bitches, in order to produce a successful outcome,” she said. "Furthermore, the dog carrying the embryos will have to suffer the effects of unsuccessful pregnancies such as losing embryos and newborns.
"It’s important to remember that cloning can only replicate genetic material and that cloned animals will most likely develop different personalities and be a very different dog to the one cloned. In addition to this there is a high probability of abnormality in the puppy if things go wrong.
"The idea that the emotional bond with a dog who has died is being put above the welfare of the dog or dogs involved in producing the cloned pet is appalling. The ethics involved in this are undoubtedly questionable and we would urge people to take a stand against the practice.”
Dogs Trust said the cloning of dogs was unnecessary and ‘most certainly should not be offered as a prize in a competition’.
"We accept that owners considering cloning are often committed dog lovers, but we cannot condone such expensive processes to produce just one dog when major animal welfare charities are heavily committed to structured and expensive neutering programmes to prevent many thousands of healthy stray or abandoned dogs being killed each year,” a spokesman said.
"We are also concerned that the owner of a cloned dog may have unrealistic expectations. The cloned dog is unlikely to be an accurate mirror image of the donor in temperament and behaviour which may well lead to disappointment and a risk of abuse to or abandonment of the dog.”
BVA president Robin Hargreaves said it was difficult to see how the benefits of cloning outweighed the risks.
"We believe that cloning should not be commercialised in the UK,” he said. "There may be many motivations for people wishing to clone their pets but it is important that people are aware that cloned animals will not have the same personalities and behaviour as the original animal.
"The process of cloning involves a healthy surrogate animal which is not in a position to give consent, undergoing procedures – for instance implantation and caesarean section – which are not for the animal’s own benefit and which may have health and welfare implications. In that context it is difficult to see how the benefits could outweigh the potential risks.”
Prof Steve Dean [Kennel Club Chairman] likens the practice to linebreeding which, he says, employs ‘a diluted form’.
"Without this relatively coarse attempt to produce clones we would not have the breeds or types of dog we have today,” he writes. "Of course, our attempts are nothing like as precise as what has been achieved in the laboratory…
"Very many people over time have attempted to repeat a mating to effectively produce a clone of a much loved, successful or attractive dog with perceived advantages. OK this is not an exact science but the objective is much the same, albeit that outcome is often unsuccessful.”
Even if you repeat a mating the progeny are rarely identical or highly similar to previous results, Prof Dean went on. And with cloning the donor cell contains maternal ribose nucleic acid (RNA) which differs from that of the dog to be cloned. And some inherited diseases are embedded in the RNA.
"In addition, environmental factors which influenced the growth and development of the original dog will differ with the clone, so learned behaviour, growth and development will be different,” he said. "In short it is likely that, in concert with the legions of people who have sought to reproduce a much loved companion by selective breeding, the owner of this cloned dog is likely to be disappointed in the result. Her dog will look very similar without doubt but there will almost certainly be subtle differences – and perhaps some not so subtle – that will irk or disappoint.”
Will this be another farce? Breeders in the UK are 'Circumventing' the rules all of the time! Working dogs my arse!
Docking and the removal of Dew claws has been outlawed in the Republic of Ireland with an exemption for working dogs.
Will this be another farce? Breeders in the UK are 'Circumventing' the rules all of the time! Working dogs my arse!
Breeders in the UK are still having their litters docked under the pretence of the 'Working Dogs' exemption. And, Vets are aiding and abetting this practice, presumably the more whelps they dock the bigger the fee. Why do I say this? The answer is a simple one. Why is it - even if you do work a dog - do these breeders have to have all of the litter docked? Then of course the one that they have had docked (Because the litter are all docked) just so happens to turn out the best one for showing too.
Crufts too was a sham regarding 'Docked Dogs'. There was dozens of docked dogs in attendance there; surely the 'Knowledgeable' Incumbent Chairman and his predecessor at the Border Terrier ring saw them too? Further, will the KC drop the entrance fee for Crufts and thus allow 'Legally Docked' dogs to enter? And the answer is never...they will in no way give up that revenue. Should it ever happen though, the real big loser will the 'Falkirk Fat Man' and the end of his 'Docked And Denied' Supplement...Loadsa Money...
It has become an offence [Now In the Republic Of Ireland] for ‘any lay person to perform any procedure on a dog for cosmetic reasons, with no exception’. It is also an offence to show any dog who has had ‘a cosmetic procedure, or any other illegal procedure performed upon them since March 6. Docked dogs or those who have had their dew claws removed before that date can be shown.
Vets can no longer perform these procedures ‘except in very limited circumstances’ such as therapeutic reasons – for instance, to treat existing illness or injury when there is no other option. However, vets can dock dogs ‘of certain breeds’ if it is to be used for working and meets ‘other criteria’ such as written proof from a gamekeeper or shoot organiser that the dog will be used for working or pest control, or the owner has a firearms certificate. The dog must be identifiable by its microchip.
This will bring it in line with Northern Ireland, Great Britain and most of Europe.
Breed Judges For Crufts 2015 Have Been Announced By The Kennel Club.
Two Professional Handlers Who Live Together (Partners) Are Judging Three Breeds From Two Different Groups. Study The Names Of The Judges For All Four Days And You Will Recognise Them As Judging There Year After Year; Most Of Them Put Up In Hotels In The NEC Complex At Our Expense.
HOUND:
Afghan Hounds (D) Espen Engh (Norway); Afghan Hound (B) Susan Rhodes; Basenji Dr Ron James; Basset Fauve de Bretagme Rod Price; Basset Griffon Vendeen (Grand) Jan Pain; Basset Griffon Vendeen (Petit) Renaud Buche (France); Basset Hound Malcolm Ellrich; Beagle Christine Lewis; Bloodhound Sue Emrys-Jones; Borzoi Joy Mahoney; L/h Dachshund Marianne Nixon; Min L/h Dachshund Jeff Horswell; S/h Dachshund Jane Naylor; Min S/h Dachshund Andrea Callow; W/h Dachshund Val Foss; Min W/h Dachshund, Helen Caple; Deerhound Per Iversen (Norway); Finnish Spitz Zena Thorn-Andrews; Foxhound Dr Ron James; Greyhound Jenny Dove; Hamiltonstovare Jenny Dove; Ibizan Hound Paul Singleton; Irish Wolfhound Goran Bodegard (Sweden); Norwegian Elkhound Michael Quinney; Otterhound Linda Worthy; Pharaoh Hound Jenny Startup; Portuguese Podengo (Warren Hound) Zena Thorn-Andrews; Rhodesian Ridgeback Gill Lawless; Saluki Keith Thornton; Sloughi Pam Catchpole; Whippet (D) Molly Head; Whippet (B) Bitte Ahrens (Italy).
GUNDOG:
Bracco Italiano (TBA); Brittany Tricia Grime; English Setter Linda Harris; German Shorthaired Pointer Jenny Jennings; German Longhaired Pointer Di Hammond; German Wirehaired Pointer Norma Ellis; Gordon Setters Patsy Hollings; Hungarian Vizsla Stephen Hollings; Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla Doreen Smillie; Irish Red and White Setter Julia Iles-Hebbert; Irish Setter (D) Gillian Barker-Bell; Irish Setter (B) Sandra Chorley-Newton; Italian Spinone Dr Ron James; Large Munsterlander Val Foss; Pointer Mick Howes; Chesapeake Bay Retrievers Margaret Woods; Curly Coated Retriever Daphne Bailey; Flat Coated Retriever (D) Jenny Donnelly; Flat Coated Retriever (B) Sandra Stevenson; Golden Retriever (D) Sandra Birkin-Green; Golden Retriever (B) Paula Edwards; Labrador (D) Linda Sutcliffe; Labrador (B) Marily Prior; Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Babs Harding; American Cocker Spaniel Marta Graham; Clumber Spaniel Gina Bowers; Cocker Spaniel (D) Philip Young; Cocker Spaniel (B) Mike Masters; English Springer Spaniel Frank Kane; Field Spaniel Mike Herwin; Irish Water Spaniel Zena Thorn-Andrews; Sussex Spaniel Sarah Sevastopulo; Spanish Water Dog Zena Thorn-Andrews; Welsh Springer Spaniel Hazel Leary; Weimaraner Pam Blay.
TERRIER:
Airedale Don Munro; Australian Lesley Crawley; Bedlington Yvonne Greenland; Border Elspeth Jackson; Bull Maureen Hughes; Miniature Bull Sherril Goodwin; Cairn Alan Felters; Cesky Bill Browne-Cole; Dandie Dinmont Ann Harpwood; Smooth Fox Lynn Snow; Wire Fox Lynn Snow; Glen of Imaal Jane Withers; Irish Ann Bradley; Kerry Blue Shaun Watson; Lakeland Nicky Patterson; Manchester Mick Oxley; Norfolk Renee Sporre-Willes (Sweden); Norwich Dorothy Dorkins; Parson Russell Alan Small; [Scottish Geoff Corish - Professional Handler] ; Sealyham Ken Bartlett; Skye Kirsi Sainio (Finland); Soft Coated Wheaten Bob Ross; Stafford (D) Audrey Hubery; Stafford (B) Jim Devine; Welsh Norina Evans; West Highland White Dan Ericsson (Sweden).
UTILITY:
Akita Lorraine Webb; Boston Terrier Albert Wight; Bulldog Bill Roberts; Canaan Dog Chris Quantrill; Chow Chow Roy Stafford; Dalmatian Dr John Stevenson; Eurasier (TBA); French Bulldog Graham Godfrey; German Spitz (Mittel) Dr Ron James; German Spitz (Klein) Molly Hunter; Japanese Akita Inu Nicola Duffield; Shiba Inu Helen Burke; Japanese Spitz Margaret Craig-Woodward; Keeshond David Matthews; Kooikerhondje Sheila Rees; Lhasa Apso June Smith; Miniature Schnauzer Carol Daniels; Miniature Poodle Dorothy Dixon;
[ Standard Poodle Michael Coad - Professional Handler]; Toy Poodle Nona Catterall; Schipperke Linda Wilson; Schnauzer Frank Kane; Shar-Pei Mary Deats; Shih Tzu Vicky Grugan;
[Tibetan Spaniel Geoff Corish - Professional Handler]; Tibetan Terrier Gillian Marley.
WORKING:
Alaskan Malamute Chris John; Bernese Mountain Dog Mandy Hearne; Bouvier des Flandres Val Foss; Boxer Sandra Parle; Bullmastiff Mary Jones; Canadian Eskimo Dog David Cavill; Dobermann Lynn Glass; Dogue de Bordeaux Carol Cavanagh; German Pinscher Val Foss; Giant Schnauzer Caroline Wareing; Great Dane Jeff Luscott; Greenland Dog David Cavill; Hovawart John Sharpe; Leonberger Albert Wight; Mastiff Pam Jeans-Brown; Neapolitan Mastiff Pam Jeans-Brown; Newfoundland Gill Barker; Portuguese Water Dog Ben Reynolds-Frost; Rottweiler (D) Norma Window; Rottweiler (B) (TBA); Russian Black Terrier Maureen Smith; St Bernard Frank Kane; Siberian Husky Lisa Tebay; Tibetan Mastiff (TBA).
PASTORAL:
Anatolian Shepherd Dog Derek Smith; Australian Cattle Dog Zena Thorn-Andrews; Australian Shepherd Meg Purnell-Carpenter; Bearded Collie (D) Wendy Hines; Bearded Collie (B) Joy Crowther; Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) Linda Collins; Lakenois Mo Glenton; Malinois Stuart Mallard; Tervueren Stuart Mallard; Border Collie (D) Jo Ratcliffe; Border Collie (B) Juliet Mockford; Briard Anne Webb; Catalan Sheepdog Derek Smith; Rough Collie (D) Gwen Beaden; Rough Collie (b) Mrs B Cooney; Smooth Collie Mr G Duffield; Estrela Mountain Dog Jeff Horswell; Finnish Lapphund Sue Dunger; German Shepherd Dog Wayne Vessey; Hungarian Kuvasz Jef Horswell; Hungarian Puli Barrie Croft; Komondor Jeff Horswell; Lancashire Heeler Barry Allison; Maremma Sheepdog Renee Sporre-Willes (Sweden); Norwegian Buhund Zena Thorn-Andrews; Old English Sheepdog Della Oakes; Polish Lowland Sheepdog Mike Furzland; Pyrenean Mountain Dog Toni Jackson; Pyrenean Sheepdog Renee Sporre-Willes (Sweden); Samoyed Jim Hamilton; Shetland Sheepdog (D) Denise Rowan; Shetland Sheepdog (B) Gill Partridge; Swedish Vallhund Chris Millard; Turkish Kangal Dog Derek Smith; Welsh Corgi (Cardigan) Alison Benson; Pembroke John Burgess (Australia).
TOY:
Affenpinscher Stuart Band; Australian Silky John Burgess (Australia); Bichon Frise Dawn Russell; Bolognese Greta Franklin; Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (D) Ruth Mochrie; Cavalier (B) Pauline Sidgwick; L/c Chihuahua Julie Sparrow; S/c Chihuahua Beverley Sutton; Chinese Crested Julie Hancock; Coton de Tulear Renee Sporre-Willes (Sweden); English Toy Terrier Annette Oliver; Griffon Bruxellois David Guy; Havanese (TBA); Italian Greyhound Per Iversen (Norway); Japanese Chin Ellen Willis; King Charles Spaniel Jenny Stone; Lowchen (Little Lion Dog) Anne Smith; Maltese Sarah Jackson; Miniature Pinscher Peter Jolley; Papillon Roger Chaston; Pekingese Helen Forsythe; Pomeranian Astrid Ogilvie; Pug Nigel Marsh; Yorkshire Terrier Susan Chiswell.
Former KC chairman Ronnie Irving is to judge Best In Show at Crufts 2015
The group judges will be:
Hounds:
Carla Molinari of the Vale Negro kennel in Portugal, known for Afghans, Salukis, Podengos and Portuguese Water Dogs among other breeds;
Gundogs:
Chris Atkinson of the Segantii Irish setters and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers;
Terriers:
Martin Phillips of the Jaeva Norfolk, Norwich, Cairn and Soft-coated Wheaten Terriers and other breeds;
Utility: former Crufts BIS-judge Zena Thorn-Andrews, all-breed judge with the Drakesleat Miniature Wire Dachshunds and Irish Wolfhounds;
Working:
Bob Gregory of the Spotarton Dalmatians;
pastoral:
Vic Salt of the Woodlyn Belgian Shepherd Dogs;
Toy:
Stephen Bardwell of the Stewell Yorkshire Terriers and Griffons.
The Obedience Championships will be judged by Sandra Gordon, the Obedience World Cup by Kathy Russell, Agility Championships by Amanda Rodgers, agility Alan Bray and Lee Gibson, and Breeders Competition by Steve Hall.
Heelwork to music Ms G Pink (first judge), second judge TBA; third judge Ms C Moser (Switzerland); Young Kennel Club stakes Jack Bispham, imported register Espen Engh (Norway); and Pets As Therapy stakes final Mark Cocozza.
The judges for flyball, inter-regional obedience, international junior handling competition, new obedience competition and gamekeepers’ classes are not known yet.
ONE IN FIVE UNCONTROLABLE
One In Five Dogs Out Of Control On Walks And Half Cause Embarrassment To Owners
Puppy Socialisation Plan launches to get Britain's dogs back on track!
Almost one in five dog owners admit that they are never or rarely in control of their dogs when out on a walk and half claim to be embarrassed by their dog's behavior in public, according to research from dog welfare organisations, the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust.
The research shows that puppies that weren't properly socialised and introduced positively to new situations in the earliest months of their life [1] are the most likely to give their owners trouble. With 12% of dogs being given away due to easily avoidable behaviour problems urgent action needs to be taken to give dogs a better start in life.
Common problems that owners face on a frequent basis include their dogs jumping at people (29%), their dogs being anxious of being left alone (26%), their dogs being scared of people with facial hair (18%) and their dogs being fearful of household appliances (13%). A further 55% say that their dogs have been known to show antisocial behaviour (such as barking, growling, snapping or biting) towards other dogs, and 35% show antisocial behaviour towards people.
However, the research also showed that dogs who were well-socialised and had positive experiences of other dogs, children, a range of people and noises in the home and outside of it, are significantly more likely to be well-mannered and confident adult dogs.
It showed that dogs that were not well socialised were 25 percent more likely to show antisocial behavior (barking, growling, snapping or biting) towards other dogs and almost twice as likely to show antisocial behavior towards people, than those dogs that had been well socialised as a puppies. On many occasions these antisocial tendencies are driven by anxiety or fear, with dogs that were poorly socialised as pups being three times more likely to show anxiety around new people, and twice as likely to show anxiety around other dogs and new household noises, compared to those that were well socialised.
To help tackle the problem of poor socialisation, the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust have launched the first ever step-by-step Puppy Socialisation Plan for breeders, rehoming centres and then new owners to follow. The plan lays out steps that will build puppies' confidence around everything from household appliances and traffic noises, to new ground surfaces, and a range of people, from those with hats and beards, to children. The breeder or rescue home will work through the first eight weeks, recording each step through a series of diary entries, photos or videos and this is then passed onto the new owner to continue.
Carolyn Menteith, a Kennel Club Accredited Instructor who developed the plan for the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust, said: "The first four months of a pup's life are when a puppy is developing his soft skills - in other words his social behaviours and how he responds to new and novel things. Failure to expose them to a wide range of different experiences in this early period means that they often struggle to deal with new situations later on.
"A lot of the problems that we see in dogs, from aggression to all the behaviours that arise through fear such as noise phobias and separation issues - as well as poor learning skills and many training problems - can be prevented if they are given lots of positive new experiences from the very beginning."
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "We must remember that most behavioural problems in dogs, including aggression, noise phobia, separation anxiety, over-reactivity and learning problems, are not down to the dog wanting to be bad but are often because they are fearful, anxious or struggling to know how they should deal with a situation. This research overwhelmingly shows that putting in the hard miles at the beginning, when it comes to early socialisation and exposure to new experiences, will reap rewards in terms of a dog's future behaviour and state of mind. We trialled the Puppy Socialisation Plan amongst some of our Kennel Club Assured Breeders and both breeders and dog owners who have used it have said that they've never had such calm or well-adjusted dogs. We urge breeders and puppy owners to use the plan so that dogs are happier and more obedient, which will solve lots of problems in the long run."
Clarissa Baldwin, Dogs Trust Chief Executive, said: "One of the major reasons that dogs are handed in to rehoming charities such as Dogs Trust is behaviour issues - in many cases easily avoided behaviour issues. Our specialist training & behaviour staff work hard to help dogs with such problems and most are successfully rehomed as a result. The Puppy Socialisation Plan is used across our network of 18 rehoming centres and we encourage new owners to continue the plan once their four-legged family member is home to ensure they remain as happy and well-socialised as possible.
"Dogs are expected to fit into many different family units which could include any combination of adults, children, dogs, cats and much more. They will have to accept the often loud and unpredictable sounds of their new homes; they will have to learn to be left alone when we can't take them out; they need to learn not to herd children, chase the cat, knock over granny, steal the Sunday dinner, or threaten the postman, or anyone else! It's up to us, as their carers, to provide them with the early groundwork in order to cope with all the varieties of life."
To find out more about the Puppy Socialisation Plan visit www.thepuppyplan.com.
[1] Dog owners were asked whether their dogs were well socialised and happy in most new situations when they first came into their home or not well socialised, fearful and anxious in most new situations.
The Kennel Club Has Responded To Complaints About The BOB SBT At Crufts 2013
Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by (email:) on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 10:51:14
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breed: Staffordshire Bull
comments: This is not my breed but I would like to say that I was appalled and amazed to see the Stafford bitch that was lame in the group also lame in the class judging. The bitch was put up against a younger but sound dog.
Loads of people have noticed this. This looks like incompetence or corruption and all done under the gaze of Frank Kane.
I have no vested interest as this is not my breed but can anyone explain what was going on in the Stafford ring?
submit: submit
[You should then complain to General Committee For Crufts and also email Frank Kane for his opinion.
frank.kane71@btinternet.com ] Ed.
{The above was submitted to Terrier World March 13/2013}
The Kennel Club has decided that there was insufficient evidence that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier best of breed at Crufts 2013 was lame when she was being shown.
The KC received complaints that Bill and Jo Blacker’s Ch Crossguns Memphis Belle was not sound during the breed judging of bitches by Jan Hunter and when she was made BOB by Mrs Hunter and Archie Bryden.who judged the males.
Ten months later - this week, complainants received this letter from the KC: "The General Committee considered the complaints received following the judging of Staffordshire Bull Terriers at Crufts 2013 which suggested that the winning bitch had been lame when exhibited in the open bitch class, the bitch CC and best of breed.
"The Committee took these complaints very seriously and considered the available evidence over a number of months. "However, it was of the view that there was a lack of sufficient evidence to conclude that the dog had been lame during the breed judging and the case has now been closed with no further action to be taken.
"All complainants and the judges involved have received correspondence stating the committee’s decision.”
Memphis Belle, who was six at the time and is the bitch CC record holder, was brought out of retirement after two and a half years to be shown at Crufts.
The Blackers have still declined to comment.
Resignation - Reinstatement - Eight Committee Members Axed
JILL Broadberry has resumed her position as secretary of East of England ch show.
Mrs Broadberry resigned over a month ago with dog show chairman John Orbell citing as the reason that she wanted to spend more time with her family, but admitting that she had been ‘under a terrific amount of pressure from all sides’.
However, it was announced that Mrs Broadberry had agreed to take up the post once again following a committee reshuffle in which, it is understood, two people stopped being members.
A few weeks ago Mr Orbell said the society was in the process of appointing a successor to Mrs Broadberry – who took over as secretary after her mother, former secretary Pearl Crocker, died in 2007 – and that a name had been put forward, but things moved in a different direction subsequently.
The society said that the 2014 show would have a new format and would be incorporating Just Dogs Live once again over the weekend of July 4, 5 and 6 at the East of England Showground. Just Dogs Live took place for the first time in 2009, and again in ’10 and ’11, but was not staged last year or this.
Keith Dalton, managing director of Showground Services Ltd who now run events for the East of England Agricultural Society, said: "In recent years the championship dog show has been moved around to accommodate the requirements of the East of England Show, but with that show no longer being run in its old format we have much more flexibility and more space available to grow the dog show.
"Reuniting these two events over one weekend will be terrific for all dog lovers. We have a new organising committee, have retained the show secretary Jill Broadberry and chairman John Orbell, and plan to make the whole event more successful.”
Mr Orbell said: "After two difficult years we are so pleased that the Kennel Club and the Agricultural Society have found a long-term solution. Just Dogs Live was always very successful and popular and it was hugely disappointing when it was curtailed in 2012.”
KC secretary Caroline Kisko said: "We are delighted to throw our support behind the reinstatement of Just Dogs Live, which was such a success previously. Anything that provides an opportunity to showcase the joy dogs bring to our lives is to be applauded.
"We wish organisers continued success in 2014.”
Eight members who were axed from the East of England ch show committee have said they feel disappointed at the ‘curt and public method’ of their dismissal.
Only six of the previous 14 members are still on board, it is understood, and new people are to be recruited to take their place.
The committee members who were asked to leave are Sheila Atter, assistant show manager Ben Bennett, Wendy Cross, Ian Ganney, chief steward Carolyn Roe, Vic Salt, Sue Terry and Adair Torbet.
"While wishing the new committee well we are nevertheless very disappointed at the curt and public method of our ‘dismissal’,” a spokesman for the eight said.
"We would like to point out that we are not employed by Showground Services Ltd but have collectively over many years given our time, energy and canine expertise to the society without any form of reimbursement in terms of travelling or accommodation expenses.
"Our intention has always been to do our best for the exhibitors and the dog show world in general.”
Jill Broadberry had agreed to become secretary again following her resignation and that her decision to do so had been swayed by a committee reshuffle in which, chairman John Orbell said initially, two members of the committee had been asked to step down.
A spokesman for the committee said that the first they had known about Mrs Broadberry’s resignation, her decision to return and the reshuffle had been by reading the canine press. On Friday the eight received a letter from East of England Agricultural Society chief executive Jeremy Staples saying they were off the committee and a new committee had been formed.
"It came as a complete surprise to the dog show committee who knew nothing of these events,” said a spokesman for the eight.
"Show Ground Services Ltd has been involved since March 2013 and the championship dog show in July was run by them. One of their members had been attending committee meetings from September 2012. Mr Orbell is a director of Showground Services.
"In August a meeting was requested with Mr Staples by some members of the committee to discuss various points. It was suggested to him that ‘Just Dogs Live’ had been talked about by the committee at an earlier meeting in 2013, as the dog show committee thought it would be beneficial to the society to bring it back to coincide with the championship dog show. Mr Staples agreed saying he also thought it a good idea and that he would take this forward when he met KC representatives a little later on. He was due to allay the rumours circulating in the media of financial difficulties.”
In October it was announced that a new secretary was to be appointed shortly.
"The committee meeting scheduled for October had to be postponed as the new secretary could not make that particular date and we were told we would be informed of a new date for the committee meeting,” the spokesman said.
"As no further correspondence was received and time was going by, various committee members phoned Mr Orbell to enquire when a committee meeting would be called. Everyone was concerned because of the need to make preparations for the July 2014 show. Some judges were asking if approval had yet been received as there had been no communication from the society. The dog show committee is aware of the ‘collective responsibility’ expected by the Kennel Club and felt they needed to be proactive… Despite numerous enquiries no committee meeting was called.”
In his letter to the eight, Mr Staples said that ‘after consultation with the KC’ the board of the Agricultural Society had agreed to move the management of the ch show to the society’s Showground Services Ltd, which would be forming a new ch show committee ‘tailored to their requirements’.
"It falls to me to stand down the current championship dog show committee of which you are a member,” he wrote. "For clarity, the KC is fully supportive of this move and for the licence to remain in the name of the (society).
"On behalf of the society I would like to take this opportunity of thanking you for making the championship dog show the success it is today.”
Mr Orbell has kept his position and Alan Wards is still show manager. Mr Orbell would not disclose the reason why the choices had been made.
"There was a very specific reason but I am not prepared to disclose what that was,” he said.
He said he was not certain of numbers but that about six of the committee had been invited to join the new one.
"It is in the gift of the Showground Services Ltd to appoint the committee,” he said. "I was anxious to ensure that Jill reconsidered her resignation and at the same time the society was concerned about matters.”
He was asked whether he felt that the deposed committee members had been sacrificed to keep Mrs Broadberry as secretary.
"I know what you’re saying – it does look like that,” he said. "But I think I would reserve my comment on that until after the meeting of the council tonight.”
He admitted that the letters would have come as a shock to the committee members being axed.
"The board of the society through their chief executive indicated that it would be done that way, and I am a mere member of the society council and not on the board,” he said.
He does not believe there will be less input to the ch show from ‘dog people’ as a result of the move.
"Any gaps in the committee will be filled with dog people,” he said. "I would like some new blood, but I’m not certain what the society’s contribution will be.”
The KC said: "We would expect the society to operate within its constitution. We would not endorse any action that would contravene the society's rules with regard to the appointment and removal of committee members. However, we will be as supportive as we can be to maintain the East of England show in the calendar and are happy to work closely with the Agricultural Society in its vision to promote the positive aspects of dog ownership generally and pedigree dogs in particular.”
RABIES CONFIRMED IN NETHERLANDS
RABIES CONFIRMED IN NETHERLANDS: BVA COMMENT
Commenting on reports that rabies has been confirmed in the Netherlands in two puppies from Bulgaria, British Veterinary Association President Robin Hargreaves said:
"This is deeply worrying news and far too close for comfort. It must be a wake-up call to UK authorities to ensure that enforcement of pet movements into the UK remains a priority.
"We have been raising concerns with the Government that the changes in legislation last year had significant unintended consequences in boosting the number of puppies and kittens coming to the UK for sale.
"Although the pet travel scheme is not intended to cover commercial movements, the fact that animals can enter the UK at a younger age has meant that people are abusing the legislation for this purpose with potentially grave consequences.
"The Government must review current enforcement of the legislation and be certain that we have the right measures in place to protect the UK's rabies-free status.
"The news from the Netherlands should also be a serious wake-up call to potential pet owners who must always ask about the animal's background and ask to see it with its mother."
Almost half of Britain's dog owners fear they could become marginalised by society and forced into restricted areas, as more and more places are clamping down on dogs and their owners across the UK.
The Kennel Club has found that man's best friends aren't necessarily being treated as such, and has released the results of a survey of over 2,000 dog owners[i] for the launch of its Open for Dogs Week this week. The survey found that 42 per cent of dog owners in the UK fear that they will be forced into a small number of overcrowded dog-friendly parks as local authorities close their public spaces to dogs by issuing draconian dog control orders.
Since the start of 2011, the Kennel Club has formally responded to more than 70 dog control order consultations, indicating a decline in the number of places which welcome dogs. Almost one in three dog owners say that their area performs under par when it comes to its dog friendly credentials and 40 per cent say that the attitude towards dogs has got worse when it comes to places to go, meaning dog owners face frustration when trying to take their dogs out with them for the day. A quarter report that shops that were previously dog friendly are now less so, and almost one in five say the same of pubs.
This is a worrying trend which is likely to have a knock on effect for Britain's businesses, many of which may suffer a loss in business and miss out on the valuable so-called 'hound pound'. Kennel Club research has shown that dog owners are almost twice as likely as those without a dog to regularly visit their local shops and stores, with a quarter saying that they frequent them, and more than half of people with dogs would be more likely to use local shops and services more frequently if their dogs could go with them. In addition, dog owners were found to spend 22 per cent more a month on eating out and drinking in pubs and restaurants than non-dog owners, meaning that dog friendly businesses are reaping the rewards.
Lee de Villier, who runs the Old Sergeant pub in Wandsworth, South West London, said: "Letting dogs into the pub has been nothing but good for the business for us. Both our dog owning and non-dog owning customers love it and it has improved the atmosphere of the place as a whole.
"Being dog friendly helped us to secure the award of Best Community Pub in the Great British Pub Awards in 2012, as we consider dogs to be an integral part of the community, as many people do. We get lots of positive feedback from customers and often get people enquiring about the pub on Twitter because they have heard that we are so dog friendly."
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "It is a worry that, as more places ban dogs, more often than not unnecessarily, owners around the UK will be pushed into restricted areas with their pets which just won't be big enough to cater for the demand.
"We refer to dogs as being man's best friend, but as a country we don't seem to be showing this, as we increasingly turn our backs on dogs and stop them from spending time with their owners when out and about in public.
"An increase in dog bans and places becoming less dog friendly gives way to a whole new set of issues, including putting dogs' welfare at risk as owners are forced to leave their dogs in cars, or tied up outside shops and pubs, putting them at risk of being frightened or stolen.
"The Kennel Club wants to see the UK being as faithful to dogs as they are to us, and we are encouraging businesses and workplaces across the UK to open their doors to dogs for the week to experience the many wonderful benefits that being around dogs can bring."
Open for Dogs Week is dedicated to encouraging businesses and workplaces across the UK to trial a dog friendly policy and to experience the many wonderful benefits dogs bring, which include raising levels of serotonin, the so-called 'happy hormone', increasing workplace productivity, and appealing to a potential new market through the millions of dog owning households in the UK.
To find out more about Open for Dogs Week, or to join in, visit www.openfordogs.org.uk.
Show Secretaries Must Accept Entries That Are Late/Not Received At Shows Whether The Exhibitor Has Proof Of Postage Or Not. Only The Kennel Club Can Decide If A Dog Should Be Disqualified
I wanted to raise the question for discussion about Professional Handler Mr Geoff Corish and his entry at two Championship shows. These being Border Union Show and Blackpool Champ show. He arrived on both occasions for Open Dog in the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Breed classes and gained DCC and BOB both times.
However, the dog was not shown as having entered in either of the show catalogues, guess they show proof of posting each time to the secretary???.
I can also remember this happening at least a couple of times last year. They must have a very unreliable postal system in their area, most of us enter online nowadays.From Fed up with this happening.
[I have been sitting on this for a while and I didn't have the time to respond - my wife has been ill in hospital and I spent most of my time there.]
The ruling is that a Show Secretary must ask an Exhibitor for proof of postage. Even if they do not have this on the day they are still allowed to exhibit. (Regulation F1/9/c) As I understand it, then it is up to the Kennel Club to investigate the proof of postage.
Having said the above, I would be as pissed off as you are when the 2013 Crufts Best In Show Judge, Professional Handler Geoff Corish arrives at the ring with a dog that is not entered in the catalogue at two consecutive shows and wins the CC and Best of Breed on both occasions. Whenever there is a whiff Sulfur in the air the same name always crops up.
The Dog in questions belongs to a Mrs Tinsley. Now you could ask who it is that is having the problem with their entries not being received. If it is Mr Corish that is entering the dog, it doesn't seem very professional to me if post is going astray and you do not change your post box or enter online. And, if it is the owner that is entering the dog the same applies. Because this isn't some frail old dear that may be getting confused; Mrs Tinsley runs a successful Boarding Kennels and surely uses a computer to run the business.
I do hope that the Kennel Club investigates this matter properly and comes to a conclusion that will be informative and truthful for all of the Dandie Dinmont exhibitors.
Increasing the number of CCs allocated will not encourage more people to shows..
The KC says the number will still be linked to the entry figure at shows.
The allocation of CCs is an emotive subject, said KC Chairman Steve Dean in a written reply to a letter from KC member Jean Lanning, in which she is dismayed at the loss of 78 sets of CCs for 2016 saying exhibitors needed to be encouraged to enter shows, not deterred.
"Over the last two years the General Committee has been very careful with its consideration of the CC allocation, in one year adding CCs to the available pot – a KC adaptation of quantitative easing – and the deferral of a reduction of CCs in the following year,” he said.
"Both these options were used to attempt to mitigate the effect of declining entries. It is worth noting that during this period the Committee also allocated additional sets of CCs, but nevertheless overall entries still fell at championship shows.”
The argument of allocating CCs to all breeds at all shows, ‘while superficially attractive’, was not as straightforward or as logical as it would first appear, he said, asking:
Would all show societies be able to cope with a full allocation?
Are there enough judges to support a full allocation in all breeds?
Is it fair to allocate the same number of CCs to a breed which attracts average entries of more than 100 and a breed which attracts average entries of less than 20?
Is it right that exhibitors in numerically-small breeds should have more opportunities to be awarded a CC, qualify for Crufts and gain junior warrant points than breeds where more dogs are exhibited?
"There are many numerically small breeds from which dogs achieve group and best in show awards, but this only demonstrates the fairness of the system and their success is not dependent upon winning a CC. "However, to be fair to all breeds, the allocation of CCs cannot be based on the quality of a small number of exhibits in a particular breed or breeds. The General Committee has recently examined the statistics and concluded that the number of CCs must continue to be linked to the entries at shows.
"Instead we should be asking instead ourselves what we can all do to persuade, entice and encourage new puppy owners to enter shows, and to think through that first or second experience and what can be done to support them and give them reasons to continue exhibiting.”
In her letter Miss Lanning said that taking away CCs caused clubs to lose money.
"Those involved with the organisation of such shows are already feeling disenchanted,” she said. "To take away more CCs will only serve to demoralise them further.
"As president of the Great Dane Breeders and Owners Association I have been sent the information regarding the removal of one set of CCs for the breed. I cannot but ask, ‘What difference will it make to Danes or any of the other breeds affected other than to further reduce exhibitors’ enthusiasm?”
Entries were ‘seriously down’– even in breeds still considered the more popular ones – she said, and the downturn in the economy must have some bearing on it.
"It is not so much about the cost of showing but about the ‘return’ in success and enjoyment people get from the time spent,” Miss Lanning wrote. "People have such a wide choice of leisure activities, and we will only continue to attract people to our ‘sport’ if they enjoy it.
Those living in the South were now travelling to the Continent for the weekend to compete in two or three shows, she said, and could still be back at work by Monday.
"Over the past two years, whenever I am judging in Europe, I see the number of UK exhibitors increase all the time. When one considers the high cost of entry fees compared to ours and the expense of travelling one has to ask, ‘What is the attraction?”
Miss Lanning cited an exhibitor who lives near her who has enjoyed success with her dog in the UK but has not shown here for 18 months.
"As a junior he won a CC and a couple of reserves, but then he could not get past two big-winning dogs,” she said. "Then someone suggested she went to a French show. She and her husband love their new way of showing dogs; they have made new friends, are able to see all the good European dogs and have also gained some overseas titles for their dog.
"More of our exhibitors are discovering how easy it is to show on the Continent – it is a whole new way of life for them.”
So why take away CCs, Miss Lanning asked.
"Quality and quantity have nothing in common; looking at most of the big winners of groups and BIS you can see that they have almost invariably come from numerically small, even vulnerable, breeds. Wire Fox, Lakeland and Welsh and Irish Terriers, Pekingese, Kerry Blues, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen and Bouviers repeatedly come through from very small entries and go to the top – and have done for years. We have a big winner from the popular breeds but they are the exception which proves that quality does not suffer in anyway when a breed has a small pool of dogs being shown and bred from.”
In his reply Chairman Dean said: "Maybe there is something to be learned from the European show scene. It may be worth exploring how shows are promoted to the general dog owner in Europe and what other mechanisms are in place to encourage new owners of pedigree dogs to exhibit at shows.
"We would be interested to hear from those who regularly attend and/or exhibit at European shows regarding what their experience is about how continental shows encourage new exhibitors.”
The KC's Latest Faux Pas
Dear Sirs,
I would like to comment on the KC's latest faux pas in the world of showing. Namely the reduction of CCs at Championship shows. Once again the KC is taking the completely wrong tack on a problem of its own making.
By reducing the allocation of CCs it will cause Societies to put on fewer classes or remove the breed altogether. This will reduce the chances for exhibitors to enter at the show thus causing fewer entries. This will, in turn, cause the KC to further reduce the CC allocation and thus the entries will decline further ending up in a downward spiral until there is no entries at all.
What needs to be done about this? Well first of all the KC needs to acknowledge that since the inception of the JWP it has tinkered too much with the rules governing what can be judged, and by whom, at OPEN show level. It needs to go back to the pre JWP rules wherein a society could schedule whatever classes it felt necessary and select whatever judges it wanted to officiate in those classes.
This means that the KC would have to get rid of the stupid average of 4 per class rule which will allow Open show societies to schedule more classes, especially in the minor breeds. It will also have to remove the restrictions on the number of classes a person can judge allowing them to not only judge more than three classes but also AVNSC and varieties, this will encourage more people to take up judging and give more chances for them to actually judge. This will have a threefold effect on shows insofar as it will give exhibitors more choice of classes to enter, more incentive to enter more dogs and more choice of judges to enter under.
The above changes would encourage a greater participation in the sport and encourage more people to start on a showing career. By encouraging more people to show at Open Show level this will, in turn, encourage more people to enter at Championship Show level thus reversing the current trend. After all you can never encourage more people to buy your product if you reduce the opportunity for them to buy it, i.e. by reducing the opportunity to enter at shows you are actually encouraging fewer people to enter.
Secondly the reduction in CC allocation should be abandoned altogether. In fact the KC should ensure that ALL Championship Shows have CCs on offer for ALL breeds. This will increase the entries at shows because there will be more chance for breeds to challenge for these awards.
In the short term it is true that some CCs will be contested by a small number of entries but, over time, this will increase. As people realise that there is more on offer they will start entering more. Conversely the same is true if the allocation is reduced, fewer people will have the opportunity to win therefore fewer people will enter.
Thirdly there needs to be some way of regulating the judges at both Open and Championship Show level. Too often the same judges are seen doing the same breeds giving little variety in judging options. Also there is the perceived, in my view correct, notion that too many of the top judges do not judge fairly (e.g. face judging, not judging to type, putting up the same dogs as others etc. - the list can go on), this discourages people from entering under them.
What to do about it? Well at Championship shows perhaps there could be some sort of system whereby there is a questionnaire on the back of the benching card. This would take the form of questions such as: Did you think the judge awarded the places fairly?, Did the judge give equal consideration to all exhibits?, Did you think the judge conducted themselves in a fair and even manner?. The completed cards could be placed in a box at the show and assessed later.
If the judge got a lot of negative comments then at their next appointment a neutral, incognito observer would assess their performance and if they found it lacking the judge would have to take further training before being allowed to officiate again. If they still, after all this, were found to be not doing their judging properly they would lose ALL their accreditation and have to start at the bottom again, i.e. attending KC seminars, breed seminars and judging at Open shows to get their numbers of dogs, just as any new judge would.
This would have several benefits insofar as most judges would be aware that not only are the exhibitors assessing their skills but ultimately the KC is also. This would ensure that they would be, as far as possible, judging to their best ability without favour or bias. It would also give the exhibitor more chance to make their opinions on particular judges known and acted upon and, ultimately, give them more confidence in the appointed judge.
Judges officiating at Open show level is a different problem. Many are novices or have little judging experience and show this in the way they judge. Before any person is invited to judge they should, as a minimum, have completed all the KC judging seminars, attended a Breed Specific seminar for the breed they wish to judge, judged at Matches and/or Limit Shows and have stewarded at least three days. This will both give them experience in the breed, the rules and ring expertise as well as giving the exhibitor confidence in knowing that the judge has, at least, the basic skills.
Once such judges have gained experience in their chosen breed, say after judging it at 4 or 5 shows, then they would be permitted to judge other breeds within that group if they wished. Following on from that once they have judged at least five breeds in a group they would be entitled to judge both AVNSC and varieties within that group only. Group judging would remain the prerogative of a judge that has awarded CCs as would Best in Show.
The above is only suggestions but, in my opinion, a viable way forward for the show scene today. There may be alternatives to it and/or amendments and tweaks but it is a template for the way forward in these difficult times. I open this up for discussion and hope that the showing public, the Breed and Show committee members AND the KC take head of the views of the grass roots of the Dog Show Fancy.
Yours sincerely,
Stephen Clayforth.
No Longer A Sceptic
At long last the Data Base for Pedigree Dogs has been made available by the Kennel Club.
I initially had concerns that the only information accessible would be your own Data. This isn't so. Once you have created a MYKC Account, access is easy - by entering a user name and your password.
The interface is bright and easy on the eye. The three
.'Home' 'My Dogs' and 'Tools And Resources' Home has a number of links to different parts of the Site and also replicates the tab 'My Dogs'. Click on 'My Dogs' and all of the Dogs that you have ever registered with the Kennel Club flow in. Pretty impressive I must say.
'Tools And Resources' opens up a lot of links which are most useful, but the main link is 'Look Up a Dog'. Click on this and you are given unfettered access to the Data Base for all registered dogs. A search box enables you to enter the Breed Name or part of it and the Breed is identified. Enter a part name of a dog for your chosen breed and a list appears. Choose one and a three generation pedigree is displayed. To research further you click on any of the names in the pedigree and this take you further into the pedigree.
Congratulations are definitely in order here to the Kennel Club on a job well done. It was worth the wait.
Whilst this is most welcoming there is a lot of data missing when you click on 'My Dogs'. In my own account; there are a lot of missing dogs - even dogs that I have bred are not listed. So there must still be a lot of work to do.
Tony Manning.
Editor Terrier World.
DOG HISTORY WILL COME TO LIFE WITH NEW MYKC SERVICE
[But Will It Be Unfettered Access Like The Finish Data Base?]
The latest free online service from the Kennel Club, MyKC, will give a lifetime of support to puppy seekers, dog owners and breeders, by providing exclusive access to official Kennel Club registration records through their own personalised homepage, as well as unique tools to keep information about their dogs all in one place.
Prior to its official lunch, around 500 demonstrations of MyKC were delivered during Crufts recently. The feedback received was resoundingly positive and the Kennel Club is now working through suggestions put forward by the public at Crufts of what they would like to see included in the future.
MyKC will enable people to find their perfect puppy, keep a personalised online planner for the life of their dog and see its history and heritage come to life. The Kennel Club’s extensive pedigree database is available to view for any registered dog, and owners can look up the registration details throughout their dog’s heritage, such as the parents and siblings. Breeders can see details of their current dogs and their breeding, plus have the ability to add notes to dogs now living with their new owners, helping breeders and owners to stay in touch.
MyKC will also be linked to the Kennel Club’s online Mate Select service, so that health test results and important information about genetic diversity that the Kennel Club records for all registered dogs can be viewed, in order to improve dog health and awareness.
MyKC has a built-in alerts and reminders feature, which will keep busy puppy owners updated on the key stages in their dog’s life, such as when training should start, and enable people to set their own reminders about veterinary appointments and other items in their doggy diaries. There is also a notes and addresses section to keep important contacts, dietary needs and weight information all in one place. It will also be linked to a database of dog friendly venues so that people can find restaurants, hotels, pubs and other public places in their area that will welcome the four legged member of their family.
Breeders, dog owners and puppy seekers were all in full support of the new MyKC system, which aims to help people buy a healthy puppy by putting them in touch with responsible breeders. It will enable puppy seekers to search for members of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme, who are the only breeders who sign up to put the health and welfare of their pups first and foremost and to allow inspections of their premises to ensure they are following scheme rules.
Denise Parker, Secretary of the British Chihuahua Club Rescue who has tested MyKC said: “It is absolutely fantastic - I love the system and spent far too long playing on it!
“I have already added photographs of my dogs and it’s interesting that I'm allowed to see how many of my dogs which I've sold have sired litters and/or had litters, which enables you to make sure they are not being overused too. I've used the notes to track the birth weights of my recent litters of puppies and will compare it to their adult weights. All I can say is that I'm looking forward to using it a lot more.”
MyKC will be formally launched by the Kennel Club shortly, and those who subscribe to the free service will also get special offers on dog products and services. There are further features for breeders, as litters can be registered online quickly and easily and members of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme will receive a ‘digital badge’ for their own website, enabling prospective puppy buyers to verify that they are an official member of the scheme. Assured Breeders using the service can also view their accolades and keep up to date with the latest breed specific requirements and recommendations for their breed.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “MyKC is something we have been planning for years and so it is fantastic to receive such great feedback from everyone.
“The service will help puppy seekers to find puppies from responsible breeders, and allow new puppy owners to enjoy life with their dog to the full. The search engine of dog friendly places and the personalised dog planner will help to ensure that your dog’s social and day-to-day life are organised, and the program makes full use of the Kennel Club’s extensive pedigree records and health data, so that people can see exactly where their dog came from.
“The service will also help breeders to keep a full record about the dogs that they have bred and keep details of any titles that their dogs achieve for any breed, agility or field trial activity.”
Admission Charges To Be Scrapped At Windsor But Does It Really Matter?
At Crufts Beginning March 7 2013 There Will Be Hundreds Of legally and Illegally Docked Dogs In attendance. Shhhhhh!
Windsor Championship Show is dropping its admission charge at this year’s show allowing legally docked dogs to be shown. Secretary Irene Terry said the decision had been made so that these dogs could take part.
The ‘sheer economics’ of the whole thing had prompted the committee to look again and decide ‘to give it a whirl’, she said.
Entry fees will not increase but car parking will rise from £4 to £5 with visitors or the public paying £10. Catalogues will increase by £1 to £5 in advance or £6 on the day. Caravan spaces will cost £65 instead f £60.
Docked and Denied, the group campaigning to allow legally docked dogs to be compete at shows where admission is charged, was delighted to hear the news. Sharon Pinkerton of the Bareve German Wirehaired Pointers said: "We heard a rumour but didn’t dare believe it was true. All we need now is Leeds, East of England, LKA and Crufts to follow suit.”
Mrs Terry said: "Windsor is exceptional as we have a good public gate because of where we are and because it is a well-known tourist spot.
"We’re not saying we will only do it for this year, we will just have to see how things go.”
Docked and Denied has campaigned for several years to convince show societies there are ways around the law which would allow these dogs to compete at every championship show. In 2011, members MaxineMcCullough and Wendy Oxman asked owners of legally-docked dogs to fill out entry forms for these two championship shows to illustrate how much money each society is losing from entry fees.
Out of more than 20 championship shows, only Crufts and a handful of others charge entry fees and exclude legally-docked dogs.
Windsor was shown to lose in entries, hypothetically, £3,156, Leeds, £3,444, and East of England £3,328, Members of the group then sent letters to the three shows detailing the entry loss, hoping that the societies might find an alternative to the charge.
However, at the time Mrs Terry said the income from Windsor’s public gate exceeded what would have been made from giving it up and allowing in legally-docked dogs.
At the time Mrs McCullough, of the Kimmax German Wirehaired Pointers, said: "Interestingly the other general championship shows do not have the same view. Richmond, Paignton, Bournemouth, Blackpool, Darlington, Bath and Three Counties have all dropped their admittance charge so therefore now allow legally-docked dogs to attend.
"Entries are falling across the board because of lots of factors not just costs. If you look at the overall entry this year of every general championship show the entry is lower than last year. Another discussion for another time, but if legally-docked dogs were allowed and revenue was gained from their entry fees, a forward-thinking society could also gain revenue from other sources. Car parking can and is still charged to the visiting public rather than gate admittance, so there are ways around this if societies were willing to help us.”
Veterinary Team For Crufts Will Be Responsible For Carrying Out High-Profile Breed Veterinary Checks.
Unlike last year at Crufts when the controversial checks were launched and conducted by two ‘independent’ vets chosen from those who applied by the KC and the British Veterinary Association (BVA), general responsibility for the show and for the checks has now been bestowed on the team under the leadership of chief vet Dr Andreas Schemel.
The Vets who conducted the examinations at last year’s Crufts – Will Jeffels and Alison Skipper – have joined the team after being invited to do so by the KC. At Crufts 2012 Mr Jeffels, who is the vet for the UK Toydog ch show, failed the Pekingese, Bulldog and Clumber Spaniel, and former exhibitor Alison Skipper, who is a vice-president of the Australian Cattle Dog Association, failed the Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff and Basset Hound.
In addition to those two and Dr Schemel the team comprises Claire Arrowsmith, Richard Best, Karen Bridle, Heather Briggs, Erik D’Arcy-Donnelly, Sue Finnett, Richard M Furber, John Robson and Sally Turner, who were all on the team last year.
The KC said the team would oversee all veterinary requirements at the show, including the veterinary checks on the best of breed winners in each of the 14 high-profile breeds.
Spokesman Caroline Kisko said that this had been decided by the Crufts Sub-Committee, which had decided to bring arrangements for the veterinary checks back in line with those at other championship shows.
"We’re moving away from the special arrangements we had at Crufts last year,” she said.
When asked how the vets conducting the checks would be chosen each day Mrs Kisko said:
"Presumably it will be whoever is available at the time.”
The KC decided in October 2011 to introduce a veterinary check for high-profile bests of breed and for dogs who have been made up into champions.
The breeds involved are the Basset Hound, Bloodhound, Bulldog, Chow Chow, Clumber Spaniel, Dogue de Bordeaux, French Bulldog, German Shepherd Dog, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Pekingese, Pug, Shar-Pei and the St Bernard. The Chinese Crested was removed from the list during last year.
The
Vets appointed at Crufts will be looking for signs of ectropion, entropion, corneal damage, dermatitis, breathing difficulty on moderate exercise, lameness and skin disorders.
At Crufts last year and to launch the scheme the KC asked the BVA to provide the vets involved, to ensure the process was ‘open, transparent and fair’; the BVA asked its members to volunteer on the understanding that they would be acting independently and not representing the veterinary body.
Inviting applications, the KC said on its website that experience of having previously undertaken a veterinary role at dog shows would be an advantage but is not essential. But applicants should not be involved with the KC as a judge, exhibitor or dog breeder, ‘or have expressed strong views against the KC and its activities’, it said.
In the end not many applied; and from the information available there were only about three or four, and from those Mr Jeffels and Mrs Skipper were chosen by representatives of the KC and the BVA.
Kennel Club reaction to draft Anti-Social Behaviour Bill
The Kennel Club has expressed concerns over the proposals relating to dogs in the draft Anti-Social Behaviour Bill recently published by the Home Office.
The Kennel Club has responded to the Home Office Affairs Committee’s call for evidence on the Government’s draft Anti-Social Behaviour Bill which includes an inquiry into the effectiveness of the proposed measures in tackling anti-social behaviour as well as the benefits to individuals, communities and businesses. The draft Bill is based on the policies outlined in the Government’s Anti-Social Behaviour White Paper, ‘Putting Victims First’ which was published last year.
The dog related proposals of the Bill outline measures to tackle irresponsible dog ownership and incidents involving individuals using dogs as weapons to cause fear or intimidate as a form of anti-social behaviour. These include the replacement of Dog Control Orders with Public Spaces Protection Orders, the introduction of Community Protection Orders and the replacement of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) with Injunctions.
The Kennel Club has serious concerns regarding the abolishment of Dog Control Orders, which it feels can be used effectively by councils to promote responsible dog ownership when used correctly. It also does not believe that the new proposals outlined in the Bill would be more effective in tackling dog related anti-social behaviour. The current measures in place, including the Dogs Act 1871, Dog Control Orders in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act and Dog Control Notices currently enforced under the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Dogs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, are believed to be better in dealing with dog related anti-social behaviour.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Whilst we appreciate that steps are being taken to address the issue of irresponsible dog ownership in regard to anti-social behaviour, we would like to see a clear plan for reducing anti-social behaviour incidents related to irresponsible dog ownership and measures that would target individual dogs and owners and not penalise the responsible dog owner. The Kennel Club feels this could be best achieved through Dog Control Notices, currently in place in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and being considered in Wales.
“On two occasions, following the consultation and on publication of the Anti-Social Behaviour White Paper, the Kennel Club contacted Lord Henley, the then Minister of State for Crime Prevention and Anti-Social Behaviour Reduction, to express concern over the proposals and request a meeting to discuss the issue further.
“We were assured by Lord Henley that his department would be hosting a working group for stakeholders to discuss these concerns before any further announcement was made, but this seems to have fallen by the wayside. This is very disappointing when many interested organisations could have provided useful insight and solutions to some of the issues currently causing concern within the Bill.”
The Kennel Club’s response to the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill can be found at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/consultations.
End Of Year Review - KC Declares Health Testing Making Positive Impact
At the end of the first year of vet health examinations for Best Of Breed winners from the 14 high profile breeds, the figures show that of the 345 examinations that took place this year (up to and including LKA), 330 dogs were passed fit to gain the BOB award and appear in their group, with only 15 examinations resulting in the dog being failed on the day. This represents a 96% pass rate and is an indication of the overall standard of health presented from the dogs involved.
Since the introduction of the checks, exhibitors have consistently come forward, with only six potential candidates choosing not to present their dogs for the health check and therefore not claiming their BOB.
Four breeds have a 100% pass rate; a further six recording only 1 failure across the breed during 2012.
The health checks, which have caused some controversy since they were introduced, are intended to ensure that representatives from those breeds with known visible health issues, that are judged fit to receive BOB, are free from the specific identified problems or issues and are fit for function.
Kennel Club Chairman, Steve Dean said: “We are very aware of how difficult the introduction has been for many of the breeds, where breeders and exhibitors have seen it as a spotlight being shone unfairly on a small number of breeds. However, I think that these statistics show without doubt that the results have been overwhelmingly positive. We are all aware of the media scrutiny that pedigree dogs and their breeders are under today and it is incumbent on all of us involved to do whatever we can to ensure good health in the dogs that go on public display in the show ring, and even more importantly, that this reflects the health of those that breeders place in companion homes.
“Over this initial period the co-operation from the high profile breeds, alongside the evolving consistency of the checks and the continuing programme of educational events, has all contributed to a regime in which all parties can have confidence. It is clear to see that we can be very proud of our pedigree dogs and of the breeders who put so much into ensuring the long term health and welfare of their chosen breeds.
“The active involvement of the HPB health co-ordinators and the exhibitors has been vital to the success so far. We know that it has taken great courage for exhibitors to put themselves and their dogs on the line, some of them on many occasions. The results prove again and again that their dogs are fit for function.
“For me another important element has been to see the vets involved becoming aware of how healthy the dogs are that are coming through for the examinations and how this is challenging some views of the general health and wellbeing of ‘show dogs’ as opposed to the ‘pets’ they usually meet.
“The programme will not stand still; it should and will continue to evolve and develop to meet the needs of pedigree dogs. The Dog Health Group is closely monitoring the scheme to see how best to take it forward and there will be changes as time goes on. As part of that monitoring process we have welcomed all feedback from those in the high profile breeds and from other breeds as well, and this is all currently being assessed by the Vet Check Review Group.”
The Kennel Club also underlines that the high profile breeds list is not static. Summer 2012 saw one breed removed from the list and the Dog Health Group will continue to monitor breeds across all the groups to ensure that the list remains a relevant and useful tool in working on long term breed health.
The Kennel Club held two Healthy Eye Conformation Seminars in July and a further one in October, at which Professor Sheila Crispin MA VetMB DVOpthal and Professor Dean presented to veterinary surgeons, high profile breed exhibitors, breed club representatives, breed health coordinators and judges.
Vicky Collins-Natrass, breeder of Kezia Bulldogs, who attended the seminar, said: “The talk was much more relevant to the breeder than previous sessions, with detail given in a way that was easy to understand and to apply to your own breed. Professor Crispin was excellent and Steve Dean's presentation made it all tie in with the high profile breeds examinations.
“It was good to hear Steve Dean himself say that despite the publicity of how unhealthy show dogs were, of the small number of failures, most of these were on eye-related issues, and not as might have been expected in our breed, in breathing and movement – I think this is a definite achievement.“
John Goodyear, who attended the seminar in October and will be conducting the veterinary checks at Manchester in January, said: “The general tone of the seminar was very constructive and helped to clarify some misunderstandings over some issues surrounding the checks for those attending.
“When I carried out the checks at Birmingham last May, the process was still very new and there was definitely a degree of negative feedback from exhibitors who weren’t clear as to what to expect. I look forward to fulfilling this same role at Manchester and feel that this will be a good indicator as to whether the Kennel Club has been successful in getting its message out to exhibitors.”
Judges of the fourteen high profile breeds and veterinary surgeons have been invited to a High Profile Breeds Education Day on Thursday 7th February 2013, which will showcase the health work that has been undertaken by breeders and the progress that has been made.
Representatives for each breed will have a dedicated breed booth, where they will be able to highlight the health initiatives that have been undertaken, and an area will be provided so that breed representatives can provide commentary on the movement in their breeds. Each breed representative will bring along dogs that have good characteristics and that have moved away from exaggerations, and those that show conformation or movement problems that are still faced within the breed.
The Chairman Of The KC’s Disciplinary Sub-Committee Fined And Warned
A member of the Kennel Club who is also the Chairman of the KC’s Disciplinary Sub-Committee has been fined and warned for impugning the decision of a judge.
Wilson Young, who is chairman of the KC’s Disciplinary Sub-Committee and the Field Trial Sub-Committee and a member of the General Committee, was reported for his behaviour at the International Gundog League (IGL) open stake in July.
Jean Brown, a B list judge, was officiating and reported Mr Young – an A list judge – to the KC for his attitude on that day and subsequently.
The dispute arose after Miss Brown told Mr Young his Pointer had missed a bird available on the beat which she had asked him to pick up. He disputed that there had been a bird and spoke to other people about the matter, allegedly on the phone and in person, making remarks that Miss Brown said she was unhappy about.
The KC formed a special ad hoc sub-committee to deal with the matter, comprising General Committee members Mike Townsend, the KC’s vice-chairman, Graham Hill and Tom Mather, which sat on December 19.
Miss Brown’s complaint – which was called an ‘objection’ by the KC – was that Mr Young had breached regulation J9b13, ‘… those taking part in field trials shall not openly impugn the decision of the judge…’, and J14b, under ‘fraudulent or discreditable conduct at trials’, ‘if evidence is placed before the General Committee to its satisfaction that undue influence has been exercised by any person, or that any improper means have been adopted to obtain or interfere with the appointment of a judge or the participation by any dog at any trial under KC regulations, the General Committee may require all correspondence and evidence in connection with the case to be produced in order that it may deal with the offenders under rule A42...’.
The ad hoc sub-committee upheld J9b13 but not J14b, fined Mr Young £50 and warned and censured him.
The allegations before the committee was that Mr Young: had questioned and challenged the decision of Miss Brown that his dog had committed an eliminating fault in missing a bird; gathered opinion from the gallery of spectators and guns as to whether they had seen the bird in question and that he then returned to Miss Brown in an aggressive and threatening way to further query the decision; continued to discuss the decision beyond the incident with many people, and said Miss Brown was dishonest and had lied; and had said to the A panel judge on the day, Carol Brown, that he wondered how she would complete the evaluation form, which, in the view of Miss Brown, was an attempt to prejudice future appointments as well as the possibility of an appointment to the A panel in the future.
Reporting its findings the ad hoc sub-committee said: "We carefully considered Miss Brown’s objection, all statements received and Mr Young’s response to the allegations and found that although there was conflicting evidence as to the way in which Miss Brown’s decision was challenged, it was agreed that Mr Young had impugned her decision and therefore upheld the objection to the breach of regulation J9b13.
"The sub-committee did not consider there was any corroborating evidence to support the allegation that the questioning of Miss Brown’s decision was done in an aggressive manner. Nor did it consider there was any corroborating evidence to support the allegation that Mr Young used or attempted to exercise undue influence to interfere with the appointment of a judge or that he said Miss Brown was dishonest and had lied.
"In reaching this decision the sub-committee directed that Mr Young be warned and censured for challenging Miss Brown’s decision and be reminded that such behaviour was incompatible with his position as an A panel judge.”
He was also fined, and Miss Brown’s £35 objection fee was returned to her.
Miss Brown is Setter and Pointer Field Trial Secretary for the Dukeries (Notts) Gundog Club, and Setter and Pointer Field Trial Secretary for the Irish Setter Association of England and the Setter and Pointer Club. She has also been a member of the IGL committee for many years. Her legal fees accrued in bringing the complaint against Mr Young are understood to be nearly £1,000.
The KC has declined to comment, but in a letter to Miss Brown’s solicitor in October its secretary Caroline Kisko said there were two ways in which a complaint could be handled, depending on its nature and the gravity of the allegations: either by the relevant sub-committee or under regulation A42 to the Disciplinary Sub-Committee.
She said that in this case the Field Trial Sub-Committee carried the remit to determine the breach of such regulations but that due to the timings involved the case would not have been heard until that sub-committee’s February meeting. Mrs Kisko wrote that ‘the prospect of waiting until February 2013 for a determination on this matter is not acceptable’, and that the ad hoc sub-committee was to be formed, which would also consider whether rule A42 penalties were appropriate.
Mrs Kisko said that Mr Young had been elected chairman of the Field Trial Sub-Committee in September – after the incident at the July stake – and that the sub-committee had not been told that there was a complaint pending against him.
Mrs Kisko wrote: "… Mr Young is being treated in the standard manner as a respondent to the complaint. There will be no involvement by Mr Young at any stage in the adjudication of the matter.”