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- From: CBARNES@tamvm1.tamu.edu (Chris Barnes)
- Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
- Subject: Re: Obedience v. Breed
- Date: Mon, 21 Dec 92 09:54:00 CST
- Organization: Texas A&M University
- Lines: 65
- Message-ID: <168C48B3A.CBARNES@tamvm1.tamu.edu>
- References: <1992Dec10.161303.26523@unislc.uucp> <1992Dec17.143031.9508@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com> <168C18D3B.CBARNES@tamvm1.tamu.edu> <1992Dec18.164521.17561@cas.org> <168C1C219.CBARNES@tamvm1.tamu.edu> <1992Dec21.151041.16648@inel.gov>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: tamvm1.tamu.edu
-
- In article <1992Dec21.151041.16648@inel.gov>
- kte@INEL.GOV (Kathryn L Cook) writes:
-
- >First of all I agree that the dogs you see in the breed ring for some breeds
- >are no longer being bred with consideration for their original purpose. But
- >I don't see how this is *just* the fault of the show breeder.
-
- ......stuff deleted......
-
- >Just a question - Has this always been true, or have the Goldens' hunting
- >abilities decreased since they became such a popular breed?
-
- In a post that I had after you sent yours (but before I read yours),
- I acknowledged just this point.
-
- >|> Lots of questions about conformation background, coat color, eye color,
- >|> size, etc. All that is fine, as those are reasonable questions. Not a
- >|> single question about hunting titles, parent's hunting ability, etc.
- >|> This is *not* fine.
- >|>
- >|> Girl: We would like the lightest color female you have. We'll put a
- >|> check in the mail tomorrow.
- >
- >Doesn't sound like much of a conformation person to me, since she didn't ask
- >anything about health (OFA etc) and color(?????????) was her #1 criteria.
-
- Actually, OFA, CERF, and a health guarantee were included in the "etc."
- portion of her questions.
-
-
- >You have to remember that alot of people who say they are show people aren't
- >really. Oh they may pay their entry fee and they may show their dogs, but
- >this does not necessarily mean that they know anything about their breed,
- >how to show a dog, or what makes a quality dog.
-
- (example deleted). I'll concede your point. Just as there are hunting
- test people that only enter their dogs in Junior (or even the
- puppy stakes which we hold just for fun), I am sure that there are people
- that only "play" at the shows.
-
-
- >|> Do you see the problem she has? It's not that she was a golden person.
- >|> It's that she was a show person. She didn't give a squat about the
- >|> purpose of the breed. And that is typical of show people. And that's
- >|> why I don't like the conformation ring.
- >|>
- >That is not necessarily typical. If I judged hunters, by some of the
- >hunters I know of in my area, my opinion of all hunters might be as
- >unbalanced as your opinion of all show people. Something that happens quite
- >often around here is for people to steal sporting dogs from people's
- >homes/kennels and even the field, use them during the season, then either
- >dump them, kill them, or take them to the pound. Despicable, but true. Chris,
- >should I judge all hunters on the actions of these folks?
-
- Your point is well taken, and I shouldn't have attacked "show people"
- by making a generalization based on a person (or even a group of people).
- I should have stuck with a judgement of the event (the show ring), and
- I still feel that the event, as it is run today, is a detriment to the
- working breeds. And the golden retriever is a good example of that.
-
- -----------------------------------------------------
- Chris Barnes | President - Bryan/College Station
- cbarnes@tamvm1.tamu.edu | Retriever Club.
- (409) 846-3273 (home) | "Dedicated to the betterment of
- (409) 845-4437 (work) | the retrieving breeds"
-