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Editorial examines the impact of cluster shows,
backers, handlers, higher show fees, legislation, and the new
AKC. Breeders quitting, judges retiring, rules changing, costs
soaring, entries down; is this the end of dog shows as we know
them?
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TheDogPress
01|13|09
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Our non-doggy friends talk about the end of
the world in 2012. Breeders talk about
the present and the future of dog shows. The big show
and breeding kennels are gone and the small hobby
breeder-exhibitor is fading fast. Without a backer, their
best dogs can't succeed in the show ring; and threatened by legislation and
no puppy sales, they can't
afford to breed another litter!
Cluster shows
make it more affordable but harder for the owner-handler to win
because all
the “biggies"
come in clusters. Long-time exhibitors hold onto pre-millennium memories and friends in the
sport. They try not to bore novices with the good old days as
they attempt to mentor the entitled generation because they want
enthusiastic show homes for the "one more litter" they plan to
breed. And so it goes.
With wrinkles comes wisdom, clearer vision, and the courage to
speculate on the future. In this age, dogs must be
“ranked” to prove their worth. How many remember when a dog
could become a champion, win a notable share of Breeds in his
area and be well appreciated by bitch owners? How about when we
went to dog shows to win but also to compare and share breeding
plans? If we drove over 500 miles it was for a two-day show or really special
event, not for the judging panel.
When did it begin to feel like “been there, done that…”?
When we questioned such an expensive, time-consuming,
all-encompassing hobby? Was it when competitors who used to be
our friends morphed into the enemy? Was it when national ratings
became the social standard of acceptability as compared to
(gasp) being
seen as a back yard breeder? Was it when judges began to
readjust their concept of integrity in order to practice their
craft?
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It is the artists among us who drive the sport; conceiving, nurturing, and putting the finishing touches
on a masterpiece. |
Dog shows were invented to provide bragging rights and an
opportunity to see other dogs and compare bloodlines. That was
nearly two centuries ago. Will new age dog shows still be about our creativity and the
compulsion to express it in a living masterpiece? Like any artist, what we do is more
than just a hobby. Breeding dogs is an expression of our talent
and public appreciation is an affirmation of that ability. It
could be ticket or book sales but in our field, talent is now
defined by who wins the most points for the year.
Most owners are just as happy to go for walks in the woods or
sit quietly reading so long as they have a dog at their side.
Many are fulfilled by doing rescue work, training service dogs,
or enjoying Obedience. It is the artists among us who drive the
sport, spending years conceiving, nurturing, and putting the
finishing touches on a masterpiece.
Then
we take it to a “juried” show. If our creative work doesn’t
capture the judges’ attention, if it doesn’t sell; we’re
finished. Some may struggle along, change agents, try a new
style, but ultimately, when the kennel or studio is filled
with worthless projects, we give it up. The difference is that
our success is not defined by ardent collectors or ticket sales;
we depend on dog show judges to affirm our creative talent. Some
are themselves extraordinary talents; some are former wannabes
and has-beens but either way, if they are not reasonably
competent, honest, and unfettered in judging our work, the sport
suffers.
Judging: There are deficiencies in any judging system but every
struggling artist depends on the discerning judge, producer, or
promoter who can recognize the extraordinary. These are
professional people dedicated to being known as the best in the
business. When they read a great manuscript or spot a future
star at audition, they don’t have to ask themselves or anyone
else whether it’s worth awarding. They make a living at
recognizing greatness and are themselves judged by their
reputation for so doing.
In our tiny world, there’s nothing so tangible as record sales
or theater tickets to prove that a judge selected greatness. We have
only to look at many “top winning” dogs to know that a system
which worked in a smaller world when everyone knew everyone, no
longer serves the sport and consequently, the great talents it
contains.
Two examples of good judging stick in my mind. In the mid-60’s,
I finished my very first show dog undefeated. Having shown
performance horses for years, I wasn’t a total klutz but the
wins weren’t due to handling skill. Anna was an outstanding
bitch that went on to become the top Rottweiler dam in 1968,
validating the opinion of six judges who recognized
canine excellence and were free to award it.
In the 80’s Robert Finnie made a revealing comment as we waited
for a BW photo. I apologized for my puppy’s silly behavior and
thanked him for looking past that to her breed quality. He said
something like “She was easy to find. I only judge working dogs
and I try to do that well.” The puppy bitch he had just awarded was one of a litter of five puppies
that became the first
All-Champion litter of Akitas, and she became a "double" ROM
dam. Mr. Finnie had no crystal ball, knew
nothing of the pedigree and we were total strangers; so he must
have just been a great working dog judge who judged the dogs.
 If
those were “the good old days”, what happened? Are today’s
judges more beholden to a host of influences that have nothing
to do with their knowledge of or dedication to dogs? One judge
told me it is harder to learn from her peers because most judges
think they have no peers! I had to laugh as we agreed that too
many become judges to gratify ego, social standing, or just
because it’s the next rung on the dog game ladder.
Some say there are
too many shows. Is that because match shows have been replaced
by point shows? I'd say so, and that makes it grievously
expensive for novice exhibitors and judges to learn.
Ratings: It's not just dog ads and ratings, clubs struggle
to get bigger and bigger entries (read that as ratings) in order
to afford bigger, better show sites. We used to be happy to
tromp through cow patties and sandspurs, then pack up and move
every day on the Florida Circuit. We got to see dogs from all
over the country, we had good judging. At some point the January
Circuit became more about judges
choosing the right dogs in order to get another sunny winter
vacation.
Show Fees? Today RV parking fees exceed those of a 5 Star Resort and entry
fees have gone through the roof, discouraging all but the
well-to-do and the pro handler. Speaking of which, handler fees
have become status symbols, signifying who can afford whom. I
have many handler friends who being objective, would agree that
an owner-exhibitor can no longer win in some breeds and the
average family can’t afford to hire a top handler. Then there’s
stratospheric Veterinary fees caused by "pet insurance" which is a whole ’nother issue but
one which has had a
devastating impact on breeder costs.
All of these factors have changed a family sport, once open and
affordable to all, into a playpen and pastime for the idle rich.
Great ratings for televised dog shows do not mean viewers expect
to participate any more than they dally with the notion of owing
the Dallas Cowboys. The concept of showing a purebred dog is
clearly unrealistic for most families. Mentioning the
unmentionable, I’ll point out that as an income supplement for
an animal loving family, having a litter of show puppies has
less appeal, more strings attached, and is likely to bring in
fewer dollars than will a Designer Dog litter. And confounding
salability of purebreds, the Animal Rights groups have made adopting a shelter dog a
nobler choice for most young people who seek to make a statement
by eschewing an expensive purebred.
The inarguable truth is that today only the wealthy can really
succeed in the AKC show ring and as the world becomes a smaller
place, even winning a Group no longer has the same meaning as
winning at the World Show, Westminster, or Eukanuba. It is
indeed a new age for dog shows and for purebred dogs.
Is the future unchangeable? Where is the logic in
breeding show quality dogs? Could (or should) a New Age AKC seek
to recapture the essence of the sport? Would a two-tier system
work to provide affordable, winnable shows for the
owner-exhibitor? What can judges do to protect their ethics and
regain the freedom to “just judge the dogs”? Could a smaller,
less stressful venue in which to compare our efforts be the
answer for hobbyists? Is a masterpiece of canine perfection
as easy to recognize when it isn’t highly advertised and
staged in glitz and glamour?
These are serious questions to which only you hold the answers.
If you are more concerned with the future of our sport than
whether we’ll be around on December 22, 2012, email your
thoughts to
Editor@TheDogPress.com and we’ll do a follow-up.
Barbara J. Andrews, Editor
http://www.thedogpress.com/Editorials/09011-New-Age-Dog-Shows_Andrews.asp
You may also enjoy Dog Show History, by Louis Fallon
Handy links:______________________
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