I was wondering about the purpose and justification of breed type grooming and the owners correcting their dogs standing position.
Isn’t it misrepresenting the appearance of the breed and the individual dog?
Ok, so for example, this a westie au natural:
http://wapedia.mobi/thumb/732c14630/en/fixed/470/524/Idefix_westie.JPG?format=jpg
Then a westie after grooming:
http://www.barneythewestie.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/show-westie.jpg
Sure, washing and brushing etc but shouldn’t dogs be judged on how they are in their natural form – including the way their hair grows?
Also, i saw the owners continually pushing the tails over the dogs back and moving their feet – if they don’t stand like that naturally then shouldn’t they be penalised for it?
I’m not involved in showing, dog shows hold very little interest for me aside from seeing the different breeds… as i understand it, it is meant to be a breeding selection competition.
If false aides are used to acheive a look closest to a standard, well, it is pretty much pointless. If the dog can’t stand on its own merits then why is it even being entered in the first place… I’m not talking about the grooming, but, things that are plainly cheating.
Grooming the coat like that i don’t really see an issue with, but that is not the same dog in those pictures so comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges…
Tags: Westie
You know what… I agree with you. I mean, a little puppy cut touch-up isn’t bad every now and then.
But most show dogs are groomed to the point of looking like they have Mariah Carey’s makeup artist, and personally, I don’t think most show dogs even look good. Too much grooming.
But, I suppose that’s why they call it a show.
Edit: I just bothered to click on those links… jesus christ that dog got ugly. Really? Why would someone do that?
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I agree completely, obviously a little grooming, a trim, and a good clean to make look "very presentable", but some of the medium & long haired dogs in shows look like a Milan fashion show catwalk.
Dog shows should be about things like breed standards, posture and good looking dogs, not about freaky haircuts and glam.
(Just my opinion)
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I’m not involved in showing, dog shows hold very little interest for me aside from seeing the different breeds… as i understand it, it is meant to be a breeding selection competition.
If false aides are used to acheive a look closest to a standard, well, it is pretty much pointless. If the dog can’t stand on its own merits then why is it even being entered in the first place… I’m not talking about the grooming, but, things that are plainly cheating.
Grooming the coat like that i don’t really see an issue with, but that is not the same dog in those pictures so comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges…
References :
I do show my dogs, but I have a smooth coated breed, so we don’t trim. However we do make sure our dogs are clean and tidy before taking them to a show. Everyone wants their dog to look its best on the show day My guess is that for the heavily coated breeds the primping etc is just an extension of this desire for the dog to look its best. The style of trimming for each breed will be the current convention. (You can see how conventions change if you look at old pictures of poodles at shows.)
When a judge puts their hands on a dog, they can tell what it’s confirmation is really like. No amount of trimming can change it’s true shape under the coat. That is the main part of judging. The coat plays a part too, but it should be the confirmation first.
As for letting it grow naturally. Do you ever have your hair cut? Why? Because it looks better that way. If you were going to a job interview, I’m sure you’d wash and brush your hair?
As for moving their feet. Most good show dogs will naturally stand more or less in the show stance. The fidgeting you see is mostly minor adjustments. I have one dog who is a real fidget, so I do have to put her feet back into position from time to time. If you were watching the major awards, some of it is probably nerves on the handler’s part. Again, they want their dog to look its best, so they move a foot a fraction if the dog isn’t standing quite right. Nerves can also pass to the dog. The dog I mentioned above fidgets more if I’m nervous, so I have to move her feet back into place more often.
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The Westie you show "au naturel" is anything but – it has been trimmed – have you ever seen an untrimmed Westie? Looks like a explosion in a mattress factory. Apart from being impossible to groom it’s downright unhygienic.
A well presented coat is just the icing on the cake. It won’t influence a good judge who will always do a hands-on examination of a dog to check conformation. Many breeds (including Westies) tend to drop their tails when at rest, while when they are moving the tail is carried high – in the case of a WHWT, it should be carried jauntily. Holding the tail up makes the dog look shorter in back (again it wouldn’t fool a good judge.)
Different breeds have different traditions, many of the smaller terriers are stacked. My own breed is shown naturally – no hands on at all.
All things being equal, a well groomed dog would win over a badly groomed one, but things are rarely that simple and conformation should always win over an immaculate dog who has straight stifles, long back etc.
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Championship show judge.
so why wear your best suit to a job interview? shouldn’t you be judged on your qualifications? the halo eferct of good grooming is real….
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