The British Dog Show
3 Years ago I travelled around the Midlands and the North of England following various dog shows to gain an insight into this tradition. It is estimated that humans have domesticated dogs for the last 15,000 years; in the UK alone, it is estimated that 23% of all pet owners own a dog. More recently, whilst dogs have been traditionally used for guarding and fighting, the show dog has taken the centre stage as a means of displaying discipline and skill. Many people take it upon themselves to produce a high standard of canine in a competitive atmosphere. Behind all the rosettes and wax jackets, there has been controversy over several debilitating traits appearing in many breeds of dog through the breeding standards set by the Kennel Club. The Kennel Club oversees the requisites that qualify a dog to be a pedigree, but breeds such as the King Charles Cavalier can suffer from painful diseases such as Syringomyelia, which affects the brain and spinal cord of the dog. This leaves many spaniels in severe pain towards the end of their life. Criticisms have emerged from both outside and inside the canine communities, with concerns about the future for many breeds of dog. The RSPCA itself has pulled out of Crufts, the world's biggest dog show, in order to protest the direction of pedigree dog breeding. It’s perfectly clear that these owners love their pets, but is the cost that they are willing to pay for the limelight worth the negative outcomes of selective breeding?
