This article recently appeared in the UK paper, Dog World, and I for one, think Sheila Smith makes tons of sense here! pam
********************************************* Dog World asked four questions: 1.Choose a photograph which you feel exemplifies breed type in the Cavalier and explain why. 2.Do some judges treat the various colours differently? Are there any differences in quality between the colours? 3.Do you think that Cavalier breeders are tackling the breed's health issues in the best way? What would you like to see happen in the future in this field? 4.How does the general type and soundness of Cavaliers today compare with that of the dogs you remember from years ago? Has the Cavalier scene changed over the years? Sheila Smith wrote: 1.What a question with so many excellent dogs to pick from, but finally I plumped for the universally acknowledged Ch Alberto of Kindrum. He was the embodiment of the classical cardboard cutout silhouette of the Cavalier as we know it. As the classic type, Alberto would have been an excellent champion as a ruby, b/t or a tri, and that is the name of the game! Referring again to the critique I wrote on him after awarding him his third CC I said he was 'a breeder's triumph' as he fitted the Standard in every way. Of medium size, full of type and glamour, Alberto also had the most appealing head and gentle expression framed by well-placed ears, added to which he had perfect balance and conformation. This dog would be quite the opposite to a bad breed type which would be alien in head, coarse, vulgar and discordant in outline. 2.If you mean do the judges ignore the wholecolours on the whole because they prefer the more flashily marked blens and tris or that they breed wholcolours themselves and are politically driven in that they do not wish to promote other wholecolour breeders' dogs, the answer is affirmative. There is no difference in the quality between the colours now. From the mid '70s wholecolours really took off, gathering 'top stud dog' awards and major show wins on the way, so shedding their 'poor relation' reputation. When they are very good, even the die-hard blen and tri judges find them hard to resist. Numerically there are still more particoloour champions made up than wholecolours, and the strength of the wholecolours waxes and wanes, but it is not too long before someone comes up with a really good one again. Designing dogs is the indefatigable appeal for the dedicated breeder. For a top quality wholecolour it is important to design a dog who will catch the eye of those die-hard judges. A dog who casts the same shadow as a top class particolour, as mentioned in the first question. The head type of the wholecolours in particular should be that of the same classical pattern of the best blen and tris. The classic balanced outline, body size, leg bone and the quality coats and long, glamourous ear leathers should be common features to all. Large, dark eyes and black nose pigment are a must on whlecolours as the solid colour only emphasises a failing here. Most of all it is best to breed from Cavaliers who are natural show dogs and have stable and loving temperaments at home. A top class wholecolour has to be a great showman and be able to move! 3.Cavaliers have no more problems than any other breed if they are looked after properly, and they usually are robust, clean and healthy little dogs to own. Many live far beyond the average age of many breeds, some have been recorded living to 17 and 18 years. But, like human beings, if they live on a poor diet and drugs, they are not likely to live very long! Cavaliers have sadly earned themselves a bad reputation in the past through the incidence of early mitral valve disease and some eye problems being highlighted. Like many other breeds, they become very popular at some stage and then suffer from a population explosion as Cavaliers did in the early '70s. Large numbers were bred indiscriminately, besides the puppy farmers. Vets were not allowed to advertise at this time, but since have made up for it by perhaps pushing the commercial side of veterinary medicine too much, such as worm medication, flea sprays, inoculation boosters and unnatural dog food. Some Cavalier bloodlines appear to be more sensitive than others and have suffered as a result, and yet many 100s of Cavaliers still survive, living long, healthy lives and mention is rarely made of them For the future I have every faith in the discerning Cavalier breeders. They are proud of their dogs and love them very much and naturally are only going to do their best for the breed. Many of us learn through trial and error and the general rule of thumb used by many is that if anything untoward is bred, one does not repeat the breeding. While it is helpful to have and consider the advice of the health experts, ultimately the breed will only thrive with the commonsense and moderate views adopted by the breeders themselves. Frequently in the past I fear many typical and quality dogs have been 'thrown out with the bath water' as the proverbial 'baby' was, and yet have lived on to lead long and virtually trouble-free lives. There can be much variation in the experts' opinions on individual dogs, and there appears to be no satisfactory answer as to wehther some problems are inherited through environmental or human factors. The hardest words that experts seem never to bring themselves to say is that 'I don't know.' Perhaps it would be helpful if the breed clubs could be promoting better stockmanship and health in the care of all Cavaliers, especially helping and advising those who keep too many dogs in overcrowded and unsuitable premises. These are the situations where the viruses and problems are more likely to start. 4,Head type, quality, size and soundness are just about as variable as they were years ago and I think that the all-rounders still must find the breed a headache to judge. What is good is still very good and what is bad is horrid. The breed peaked in the '70s and '80s with so many super Cavaliers alive and we had so many great allrounders and breed specialist judges to show under. Even the very best dogs I recall won around 11 to 13 CCs and the competition was very keen. The shows were more leisurely and sociable and one really good judge could hold the crowd's attention to the last minute when BOB was give out. Now this is not always the case and we are into the age of the multi CC winning dog which, in a breed as numerically strong as Cavaliers, has only had a detrimental effect on the morale of the breeder/exhibitor. Perhaps this came about when many more judges were enlisted to judge this breed, to comply with the ration of 200 dogs a day, as their popularity grew. It is generally believed that many judges were ill-equipped for the job in terms of grassroot experience and integrity and this has promoted copycat judging and intimidation. Perhaps some have forgotten that each breeder is only a very small cog in a very big wheel. The show ring is where one is going to spot that super dog who will help your kennel and the breed. If the owners do not receive the recognition and reward for their efforts they are going to stop coming. Now entries are falling sharply this is the time that the Kennel Club, show societies and Cavalier breed clubs may consider overhauling their judges' lists and seeking some sponsorship deals to tempt the exhibitors back. End of article. ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
