The Great Divide

When I started in dogs nearly 30 years ago a breeder and exhibitor were usually one and the same. Sure you occasionally would come across a person who would just buy or lease a dog to campaign and had a "win at all costs" attitude but most exhibitors were breeders first. The point of dog shows to them was to show off their breeding stock and have them assessed by knowledgeable judges. One would get together at shows and discuss the merits or faults of a dog and how to correct them. Going to specialties were a must, both to compare your dogs to others in your breed and to view possible stud dogs for future use. Breeding future show dogs who embodied your closest vision of breed type and developing your own distinguishable line was the end goal of it all.

Now it seems there is a division between exhibitors and breeders. Yes many exhibitors breed litters but there is no longer such an interest in developing a breeding program or breeding a correct dog within the Standard. They breed to put something in the ring that the JUDGE will like, not what a breeder may consider correct.

You now see dogs in many breeds that deviate from what the Standards dictate as correct breed type. For example coats of the wrong texture, more profuse or longer than is required, appealing “baby doll” heads that are totally incorrect for a breed, sloping toplines when a Standard calls for level, too big or too small dogs, the wrong types of movement for a certain breed, show dog temperaments, and so on. The breeders in the exhibitors know that these things are incorrect but “for the win” they are willing to be faddish and even change the look and character of their breed.

For the good of our breeds we must close the divide between breeders and exhibitors. As breeders we are supposed to be the protector of our breeds and we cannot let Judges dictate the “look” for our breed, even if it means we will not win in the show ring because in the long run our breeds will win.