I think this is the key point in all this, until we know why the dogs very removed from the report itself or an offical KC statement its all hear say and speculation.

Lets face it how many breeders do you know that would, very publically, admint there dog was removed because of it being bred to extreme resulting in problems?

Also change is slow, a lot of breeders see nothing wrong with the bulldog as it is and will be very stubborn to admit changes need to be made. people are people the world over and very few would have the courage to admint they have been wrong for so many years.

I will first say i have never showed a dog, and dont ever see my self doing it so my knowledge on the subject is limited.

I do think this is a good step forward but i think it was the wrong time and place. From what i understand dog showing is a very expensive hobby to have. and i believe going to crufts is one of the most expensive shows to compete in. So i feel its unfair that this has happened their as people will have invested so much time and money in to getting to crufts. Especially when dogs have been displaced for old injurys that are not even effecting the dog. In my opinion this should have been started at the begining of the show season so unfit dogs never even made it to crufts in the first place. Must have also been very frustrating for people who didnt get placed when they had dogs that were fit and well. It it a good step forward but i feel its happened at extrema expense of competitors and in such a huge and public way. Mayby a huge shock is what was needed, but i do feel crufts was the wrong place

I think it is an extremely positive thing to now have these veterinary inspections prior to being put forward into the Groups.

At the end of the day, if they cannot pass the most basic health check then they simply do not deserve to go any further. What does sadden me is that - as in the case of the Bulldog, it was a Champion that didn't pass. A dog awarded this status should be the creme de la creme of the ring TBH and to fail a simple health check is nothing short of appalling.

I haven't a clue why the dog failed - some are saying on here that it was an old eye injury not visible to the naked eye? If that is true then I agree it does seem a harsh decision. If, however, it was because of breathing difficulties/poor movement etc then totally agree the decision was correct.

I await with interest on hearing what exactly it failed on and why.

I love Bulldogs, think they are gorgeous - and like Frenchies (who obviously I also love!) but I acknowledge they do have their share of health problems. Changes do not happen overnight in breeds and I know many breed clubs are making strenuous efforts to ensure their health of their breeds and are to be applauded for that. Just take a look at the French Bulldog Clubs website and see how seriously they take health issues.

What I did like about the Crufts coverage on More4 was the fact they got the RBCC winner CH HILBULL SHEEZA SUNBEAM MYSTYLE on TV and interviewed her handler (don't know if it was her owner also?). She was a gorgeous bitch IMO and was not over exaggerated. It was good to see some unbiased coverage for a change - as at least they gave the Bulldog breed some positive representation, after doing the article on the fact that the BOB did not pass the vet check. I thought the guy who was with the dog K Davis was really good on the show. Thumbs up More4!

I do hope that this makes not only breeders, but judges smell the coffee. It's all very well breeding a healthy pup, but if judges still put unhealthy, exaggerated type forward as winners this will slow progress of these breeds completely.

Having not read the whole article I did want to add that someone said the Pug didn't get through to the group? This was incorrect, he was gorgeous and most certainly did pass his vet inspection and went on to be placed second in Group 2.

I knew the Peke who won Crufts & believe me he loved his walks,walked about half a mile every day, raced & played with other dogs & came back often so muddy it was hard to recognise what he was. Very good at jumping on & off furniture as well.
His owner was worried about him at the end of Crufts though because of the intense heat caused by the cameras.

The Clumber Spaniel failed as well.

There is plenty of speculation on why the dogs failed. I understand that the owners are being talked too before the reasons are given publicly.

My apologies in that case, he did have so much coat it was hard to see if there was much dog under there!

Nope, as I quoted earlier from the KC site...

Q. What is the level of confidentiality on the results of the Veterinary checks?
A. The matter shall be kept confidential between the relevant parties. If the exhibitor is approached, what they allow to become public knowledge is at their discretion but the Vet and Show Society must keep the reason for failure to pass the examination confidential.

Although I actually think it would be better for all concerned if the results were made public as otherwise the rumour mill will go into overdrive.

J.

Ah, I missed that, sorry.

Interesting. It's not what I am being told - unless we will find out in a professional capacity, and are sworn to secrecy.

How very dare you not study every word I post!!!

Nosey question - what professional capacity is that?

J.

I have to say, and i haven't , and never will show my dogs, that there has to be more than an old eye injury to yesterdays disqualification, because if it was me and my dog had been ruled out of something that in the showing world i'd probably spent my whole showing career working towards for an old injury, i would be screaming about the injustice all over the place this morning, they've already stripped me of BOB, if it was me it wouldn't get any worse than that so what more could the KC do to me. Just doesn't seem normal that its all relatively quiet from the owners, if the rumours are to be believed, again if it was me, my view would be viral by now

JMO of course

I agree if they had done something that was not supposed to happen and used an endoscope and found an old injury I would have screemed blue murder.
I would have been like those PETA people a few years ago and climbed over the barrier with my dog and chained myself to something solid.(only joking)

But I certainly would have made a bit stink about it