You may be right but they did not get medical treatment and most if unable to work would have been shot, they were not fed as now and the sick or older dogs would have gone hungry, they were free to procreate at will and hundreds of puppies would be drowned or left to stave, poisoning was common. But the dogs would not have known this and probably lived for the day as they do now. Some days in heaven and some in hell, I suspect there was far more cruelty, there was even within my memory, in fact, when I think about it I am describing what I know from 60 years ago rather than a hundred.

Yes Crufts was there but only the rich and those who worked their dogs would show them and it was more like a livestock market, you displayed your dogs for sale or as studs or breeding bitches, I have seen a catalogue from the 1930s that has if the dog was for sale or not and it's price. In the front of the Illustrated Breed Standards book there is a painting of an early canine meeting dated 1855 and it was held at Jemmy Shaws tavern, it shows mostly terriers except a dog that looks like a CKCS, one that may be a Boxer and a couple who may be Bulldogs. Charles Crufts started dog shows in 1886 but Crufts its self did not start till 1928.

On the plus side, I think they get better training and food these days. I would say that in the past neglect and cruelty were more common and I'm sure alot of dogs in the past died earlier from injury and disease.

However, they certainly had a lot more freedom then, than they do now and I should imagine that 100 years ago, more breeds were doing the job they were bred to do than they do now.

am i right in thinking it was started as a way to sell dog food?

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/256

This may interest you

Just read it myself and realise I gave the wrong date the first crufts was in.....hang on I will look again...........found it 1891

lovely thanks for that - i thought id heard something like that before - good to see that the great bastion and focal point of dog showing was done as a money spinner an interesting thought indeed.

they are given every consideration and I think there are those who totally forget that they are animals.

I think they would have had much more freedom years ago, which they would be happyer with, but poss they were less well fed,