Flat Footed Working Breeds?

Sherry Shivley: I would like to Thank you all for taking the article as it was intended. Unfortunately one reader thought it was aimed at her and viciously attacked me on social media. She and her friends called me every name but nice, and I was taken aback. I was not pointing at any one dog, handler, van, or owner. The classes on a whole were very nice IMHO. I am not a judge, yes, I am still learning, and consider myself a newbie. I taught my 4-H kids that if you ever stop learning, and think you know it all, you are done. So I will always be a newbie. I hope to be able to watch and learn, to speak with others and discover something new. I am so glad there are still handlers out there taking care of their charges! After reading of dogs dying in UHaul trailers, motorhomes and not getting medical attention it is heartening to read that love of their dogs is alive and well. They aren't just a pay check. To those I say Thank You and Dog Bless!

David: "The dog that wins is not always the best dog, that is clear even to the spectators." Unfortunately, much of the responsibility for the decline of show dog type can be laid 100% in the lap of the judges. The comment that "The dog that wins is not always the best dog, that is clear even to the spectators." says that there are better dogs in the ring, so the judge does have something to choose from...but instead the judge picks the 'flavor of the day" or the well know professional handler... so that judge is not out of the norm for other judges.. they keep getting hired if they put up the "right" dog... Well, I'll say it again.. much of the responsibility for the decline of show dog type can be laid 100% in the lap of the judges. Judges.. step up and put up the BEST dog regardless of who is handling him/her.. regardless of what other judges have done.. do your jobs... THEN breeders.. breed dogs that meet the standards.. not that win in the conformation ring... do your jobs!!

BJ: Ed Finnegan was a pro boxer and he always roadworked his dogs on foot, for miles. He and the dogs stayed in top condition. He always worked his string in the evenings at shows. He and Carlos Rojas used to run the length of the rings, from inside the rings, jumping the ring dividers and aisle way fences. The security guys usually looked the other way.

Peach Matyaszek: I have been watching Rhanda Glenn (PHA) Bike dogs every time she's at the Ohio circuit! The dogs are very well taken care of!

Joan Krumm: Sherry Canciamille, Rockford, IL excercises her boxer clients with a bicycle.

Sam Harper: Some of our foot soldiers had flat feet after 20 miles. Seriously, I don't know how they got by enlistment physicals.

Patricia Dollar: One need only go to the bar area at any national breed specialty and see how many people are in there for hours on end while their dogs sit in crates. Go to the crating areas of show and wait to see which dogs get exercised before the building is locked up. Come morning see how many of those dogs are standing in feces or urine. When schmoozing clients or judges becomes more important than the care and well being of the dogs, then those individuals are in the wrong business. Many "so called" Pro Handlers even lack proper facilities in their homes to exercise dogs. These dogs literally go from crates at the show and in the rig to crates at the home. Frankly there are so many long circuits now that the dogs that go with handlers, who practically live on the road, never get exercised well. The dog owners have some expectation that handlers will give the dogs some rest and free time but frankly no one polices this. Owners need to be very vigilant about how their dogs are kept on the road and at the handlers facility. To maintain proper muscle tone and those ever important feet, dogs need to get out and run on grass surface where they can run at full speed , trot or twist and turn their bodies. Make sure your handler has an appropriate facility for your dog before sending it on the road. There is only so much exercise can do. If the dog is born with long toes and weak pasterns perhaps not enough consideration was given to this trait when the breeding decision was made..

Fred Lanting: There is one more "foot style" that Sherry might have illustrated: the strong, nearly-vertical pastern but with elongated-looking phalanges, often also referred to as "hare foot". Actual photos of live dogs would be helpful. I used to handle all sorts of breeds, and found many such among Borzois and other breeds. The metacarpal area of the front toes is closer to vertical, like a good Dobie or terrier, while the phalanges (last two or three shorter foot bones) are elongated-looking but still not splayed when viewed from the front.

Sylvia: Dan Buchwald takes excellent care of his clients dogs. I have seen him exercising them with a bike.

Denise: I'm not much into dog shows (I go occasionally to local ones) but recently I started having trouble with my own feet and weight. I went to foot doctor re; inserts and to the gym for weight loss. I have to say between the both, my feet are sooo much better.  I can do the things I need to do! So it's just as important for a dog to have correct feet and weight and the handlers running them around the ring should be just as in-shape. People would be a lot less inclined to have to take prescriptions for pain, weight, health problems etc.. and then of course, take more scripts to counter-react the bad effects of the meds they are already taking. You know what I mean...