Heads I Win, Tails You Lose

By

Dr. Al Grossman

In the first third of the 20th century the fledging dog show game included a Best American-bred Best in Show award. The rationale for this award was that the rich exhibiters and their large kennels were dominating the Best in Show awards with their foreign imports. These gentlemen were engaged in an expensive and furious battle to buy and import top winning dogs to try to dominate the American show scene. In this they were largely successful. So much so that AKC was forced to create the category Best American Bred in Show as a sop to the multitudes that decried the practice of foreign dogs being considered superior. Many poked fun at the award calling it "first loser."

In recent years as quarantine restrictions were eased in many countries allowing American dogs to compete in foreign shows, especially at Crufts in England, American dogs have proven the worth of American breeding programs. Just recently an American dog went BIS at the World Show in Sweden. Many top winners in foreign countries date back to American imported stock.

The nations of Europe from the Caucasus to the nations of continental Europe have for hundreds of years been engaged in continuous warfare, economic competition and were xenophobic about diluting their populations and dog stock. Finally, in the last part of the 20th century they set about creating a European Union trying to bring peace and prosperity to the continent and trying to rival the U.S. economy. This attempt to bring peace and harmony often meant that pressure groups with their own agendas were able to force concessions and decisions were made to try to keep peace in the family of newly endowed nations. Thus, the Animal Rights fanatics, always powerful in Europe and England, were able to bulldoze their agendas through the newly created European parliament. We now see laws, which forbid tail docking, and ear cropping and do not allow any dogs with these "faults" to be shown in any part of the European Union. Interestingly enough, AKC has invited dogs from the EU to compete in their Classic show even though many of the breeds invited have faults or disqualifications under their American standards. Bo Bengston writing in the September 2008 issue of Dogs in Review stated, "we need to be aware of the winds that blow beyond our own shores. If experience has taught us anything it's that what happens overseas will affect us in the U.S. sooner or later."

I have judged these specimens and in my minds eye they disparage the standards of the breeds that were bred to produce a dog that would do the work or function that was desired of the breed. We are hearing from a variety of pundits that if Europe is doing it, therefore we in America must follow suit. WHY? We have proven the worth of our breeding programs. We have demonstrated concerns over the health of our dogs by fostering and financing research into their health and longevity. Why should we want to change our standards and the look of the American dog to look like the politically driven standards of European dogs? I am not a reactionary that resists all change but why change something that works well for us. It doesn't make sense. I strongly believe we should stick with what has proven to work for us. What's your feeling?

Dr. Grossman, an International judge, was the publisher of Doral Publications one of the leading dog book publishing houses. Upon selling the business to Bowtie Press in 2004, he began work on a new concept, "The Professional Dog Mentor." His website chuck-full of killer tips on breeding and showing Pure Bred Dogs is found at www.winningsolutions.info.

Return to Top