CORNELL VETERINARY STUDENTS TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO FINGER LAKES DOG SHOW WORLD
Shum’s biggest takeaway was hearing about responsible breeding, especially for breeds with a limited gene pool in the United States. “Their voices are largely over- shadowed by less responsible puppy mill operations that dominate the news,” Shum says. “I became more knowledgeable about the steps responsible breeders take, such as genetic testing their dogs and breeding to animals worldwide, in an attempt to maximize diversity.” Greenfield says that, after experiencing the show, she recognizes the love and care these owners have for their dogs. “I also can appreciate that the dogs have to fit certain standards, and many of these standards are developed for form and function,” Green- field says. “For example, we saw brachycephalic dogs—breeds with shorter skulls and snouts, like Pugs and Boston Terriers—breathing easily while competing in the show, which as the show mentors explained is critical since, if you’re going to breed them, your goal is to provide them the healthiest and highest welfare situation.” Horton is ready to take what she learned about the breeders she interacted with into her career. “At times we may see very irresponsible breeding practices in veterinary medicine and assume all breeders are like that, but I think it is important to take a step back when we have breeder clients and try to avoid pre-determined judgements,” Horton says. “At the end of the day, responsible breeders and veterinarians all want healthy dogs.” GEARING UP FOR NEXT YEAR Even as the students drive home to Ithaca that Saturday evening, plans for next year are in the works. A few of the students even hope to dip a toe into the dog show world with their own dogs. “My crew was planning to register their own animals, investigate their next breed, set goals to trial their own dogs,” says mentor and judge Amanda Pough. “They were hoping and planning to attend other dog shows, and learning where to go for resources for healthy purebred dogs, now and in the future.” “I would love to stay involved in veterinary care at dog shows as a veterinarian even- tually. It’s a great way to get involved in the community,” Horton says. And while she would enjoy training her (future) dog in agility after seeing them have so much fun on the course, meeting the people at the show was still the best part. “The best experience was to not only go to watch the dogs in the show, but also talk to a lot of people who have very interesting life experiences and perspectives.” With this first successful kickoff, this new partnership between Cornell veterinary students and the Wine Country Circuit dog shows promises to be an enriching oppor- tunity for students to deepen their knowledge and professional skills. “Their education is already so varied,” Hamlin says. “They learn about dogs, cats, cows, horses, swine, birds, sheep, wildlife—our show is a deep dive into one species with 197-some breeds.” The unique learning opportunity wasn’t lost on any of the students. Says Shum, “My time at the Wine Country Circuit dog show was absolutely fantastic and I couldn't have asked for a better experience.”
left to right: Mitchell Gage; Michelle Greenfield above: Vivian Shum
216 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, NOVEMBER 2021
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