ShowSight April 2021

PRETTY POISON

top: A trio of English Springers Spaniels sit backstage— not quite ready for their closeup. bottom: Is the Xoloitzquintli at a disadvantage in the show ring, or does this hairless breed have the advantage?

furnishings be bathed and rinsed before Breed, Group, and Best in Show judging—at every show? Have dog shows become precisely the thing at which so many detractors have launched criticism: A beau- ty pageant that rewards the “prettiest” contestant? If “pretty” is the standard by which all purebreds are to be judged, the dog sport will continue to set ever-higher standards of presentation. By disre- garding the tried and true limitations set forth by the breed standards, the exodus of exhibitors from conformation shows to performance events is likely to continue. But if the standards are to retain their rightful role as blueprints for the breeding, exhibi- tion, and adjudication of purebred dogs, the merit of being “pretty” will be considered only as it relates (or doesn’t) to an individual breed’s written stan- dard. In this manner, the relevance of dog shows might well be assured. The only lasting solution to the current prob- lems that face the sport of dogs is a return to the fundamentals of breeding required by the breed standards. Although today’s fanciers—exhibitors and judges alike—may be quick to admire the “pretty” head, the “pretty” coat, the “pretty” move- ment or the “pretty” showmanship, it bears repeat- ing that being the “prettiest” dog in the ring is not the intended purpose of conformation dog shows. Rewarding correct breed type is. Even the “prettiest” purebred in the world is not defined by a breed standard that uses a word as base- less and banal as “pretty.” To do so would be poison- ous to the welfare of every breed. A version of this article first appeared in the Febru- ary 2015 Dogs in Review magazine.

106 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2021

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