Gems, if may just say one final thing on the subject before I shut up, and this is of course only me opinion and I in no way wish to denigrate the opinions of others. I do feel sometimes people lose site of the very reason we have dogs at all, years ago when you asked someone that question they would no doubt have said 'To catch vermin, to retrieve game, to hunt, to guard or to round up the flock'. For most people these answers no longer apply. So why do we have dogs? To me the main reason to own a dog is to have a friend and companion belonging to the breed I love. I have no desire to chase around the country to obtain a bit of paper that tells me in someones opinion based on a 'standard' my dog is better or worse than the rest. If I choose to breed a litter as I may do in years to come it will be to provide dogs for myself not to show, and in a breed that usually only has four puppies at the most I may sell one or more puppies to well chosen homes and be prepared to take them back and keep them if they have a problem or are no longer wanted. For those who preach about health issues I say 'no thanks' most of these health problems were not around when I started in dogs. Where have they come from? The puppy farms everyone cries! Look at some of the dogs in the showring now, where are the lovely bulldogs my friend used to breed that flew around the paddock with the cockers? Gone Do not let us lose site of the main reasons we should be owning a dog, not for the latest fad or fashion, not for a few awards won in a ring by people who set themselves up as guardians of the breeds, but to enjoy the pleasures owning and being owned by a dog can bring.

I have shown, I do not wish to show now, I have every respect for most of the people who show now