Crufts 2013

kylith

The only good Harlem Shake video I've seen so far!

borderlinemeath

Thought the dog that won the 'scrufts' was gorgeous. He was found with his littermates thrown into the River Lagan in Belfast 7 years ago.

hdowney

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Thought the dog that won the 'scrufts' was gorgeous. He was found with his littermates thrown into the River Lagan in Belfast 7 years ago.

Agree, so adorable and docile

SillyMangoX

andreac wrote: »

So whos going or watching?

Im heading over with Cooper on Saturday to show on Sunday. My two friends are over there at the moment and one is showing her Staffie today and the other is showing her Shar Pei's tomorrow so im waiting to hear the results today with baited breath!!

Andrea how did your friends dogs do? I didn't like the staffie that got through to group, it was moving very oddly! (Hope I haven't insulted your friends dog if that was it :P)

ISDW

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Andrea how did your friends dogs do? I didn't like the staffie that got through to group, it was moving very oddly! (Hope I haven't insulted your friends dog if that was it :P)

Nope, that wasn't Andrea's friend, her dog won best male it was the bitch that took the BoB. I'm also biased, but I do think the male should have taken it, he moved brilliantly.

I have my transport sorted, so am definitely going on Sunday, can't believe its the first time I've ever been, but as I'm flying home with Ryanair, I will not be shopping.

andreac

Yeah Sillymango, my friend didn't get best of breed, she was robbed!! The bitch was lame and went terrible in the best of breed. That's politics in dog showing for you.
Ill try and get the link and post it up if I can.
My other friend won the junior bitch class in Shar pei so they had a great two days!!
Pressure is on me now!!
The Irish are actually doing great!!

Here's the video. My friend is in the red trousers.
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=CdwGyw64sdA&desktop_uri=/watch?v=CdwGyw64sdA&gl=GB

SillyMangoX

God how did the bitch win?! Her movement was so bad compared to the dog!

DBB

SillyMangoX wrote: »

God how did the bitch win?! Her movement was so bad compared to the dog!

She was mad lame... The minute the camera landed on her you could see her face was strained. I felt the handler could've handled it better.. I'd like to think I'd have picked her up and waved my resignation to the judge.
The pressure must be shockin, but still, the dog must come first.

Dodd

DBB wrote: »

She was mad lame... The minute the camera landed on her you could see her face was strained. I felt the handler could've handled it better.. I'd like to think I'd have picked her up and waved my resignation to the judge.
The pressure must be shockin, but still, the dog must come first.

Every time I post a reply I fear people could get me wrong.

Do you mean dog must come first in competition or dogs health must come first.?

Stheno

Dodd wrote: »

Every time I post a reply I fear people could get me wrong.

Do you mean dog must come first in competition or dogs health must come first.?

Dogs health knowing DBB

@ Andrea, the very best of luck to you and Cooper, he's a gorgeous looking boy

Can't imagine the time and dedication needed to even get to Crufts, so congratulations on getting there

DBB

Dodd wrote: »

Do you mean dog must come first in competition or dogs health must come first.?

Oh jayney no! The dog's welfare needs to be 100% priority, always.
I didn't think it could be read any other way in light of the bit I'd written before, but it just goes to show how easily the written word can often be interpreted in more than one way!

Irishchick

Well if a lame dog won then obviously health doesn't come first in these shows!

kylith

I only saw the BoG and I noticed the lameness and strain instantly; you could see she didn't want to walk. Was she limping in BoB? and if so the judge needs to be asked some searching questions.

hdowney

Yea I only saw BoG too and I was disgusted they'd even show her in that condition. Poor dog coulda been in mad agony being dragged round like that.

DBB

In fairness to More4 and Clare Balding, they do seem to make some effort to confront some of the big issues, and I'm surprised this didn't come up at some stage. An email or two to the tv station might be all it takes to get questions asked... You can be damn sure the great UK dog-loving public want some answers too.
I'd be curious to know at what stage the lameness appeared. It also begged the question in my head about whether dogs might need to be tested for painkilling drugs... For all we know this little Staffie could've been sore weeks ahead of the show, she could have a chronic or hereditary condition which should render her unsuitable for breeding, and yet here she is winning BoB because the symptoms have been masked!
Of course, it could be something completely innocent. Maybe she took a tumble. But as kylith says, searching questions need to be asked.

boomerang

ISDW wrote: »

as I'm flying home with Ryanair, I will not be shopping.

You say that now...

boomerang

Feel sorry for Clare Balding with the public standing behind her booth all making faces at the camera for the folks at home... She must know it's happening behind her!

Anyone else read her autobiography that was published recently? It's great!

hdowney

boomerang wrote: »

Feel sorry for Clare Balding with the public standing behind her booth all making faces at the camera for the folks at home... She must know it's happening behind her!

Anyone else read her autobiography that was published recently? It's great!

Not yet. Do want to get my hands on it though. Think it'd be a good read.

boomerang

It's a great read, I loved it.

Just looked back at the show footage. The staffy was lame during BOB judging *and* lame during BOG judging - the commentators actually seemed embarrassed. She has been BOB at Crufts before and probably has a host of other credits to her name so I don't understand why the owners didn't retire her, it reflects so badly on them. I can't imagine she picked up that injury on the day. So much for "happy, healthy dogs" eh?

Irishchick

boomerang wrote: »

I don't understand why the owners didn't retire her, it

Because without all these useless titles they can't charge shed loads of money for her pups. If they cared about the health of the dog they wouldn't show her while she's lame.

ISDW

boomerang wrote: »

You say that now...

Well I am going in a car, and then back to my parents, so I suppose I could leave things there until the next time I'm over in the van :rolleyes::p

boomerang

I haven't been in a few years but always checked-in an extra bag for the flight home...

tk123

I don't like the way some of the dogs are dragged/yanked around the ring by their leads... Thou you see the same thing every day so not like it's a Crufts thing!

Tranceypoo

I wouldn't normally watch it but after reading this thread I watched it last night and quite enjoyed it, I was impressed that they covered the lost/stolen dogs issue and the retired greyhounds (although they could have made more of the issue of them being dumped/killed) and loved the friends for life thing, the little boy who had the rescue dog who was tied to some railings and hit by a train, that nearly finished me off altogether.

I loved the flyball thought it was fab and also the agility, why do the dogs bark when they're doing it? Is it because they're having such a great time?

ABajaninCork

Tranceypoo wrote: »

I wouldn't normally watch it but after reading this thread I watched it last night and quite enjoyed it, I was impressed that they covered the lost/stolen dogs issue and the retired greyhounds (although they could have made more of the issue of them being dumped/killed) and loved the friends for life thing, the little boy who had the rescue dog who was tied to some railings and hit by a train, that nearly finished me off altogether.

No, I don't agree. You need to focus on the positive in order to get people onside. I think Clare Balding's one of the best (if not the very best) commentators around, and I think she's done a great job of bringing important animal issues to the fore in the limited time she has without getting too heavy about it. People are now taking more of an interest in animal welfare issues which can only be a good thing.

Tranceypoo wrote: »

I loved the flyball thought it was fab and also the agility, why do the dogs bark when they're doing it? Is it because they're having such a great time?

Yes!!!

Tranceypoo

Yes fair point, I suppose in the short time they had to highlight it, the positive aspect works better

I really want to do agility with my youngest dog now!

tk123

:pac::rolleyes:

borderlinemeath

Coco loves watching them too! She goes mad when the agility is on!

Is that a mothers day card from Bailey on your mantlepiece?:p

tk123

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Is that a mothers day card from Bailey on your mantlepiece?:p

Yeah for my mum lol :P

DBB

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I think Clare Balding's one of the best (if not the very best) commentators around, and I think she's done a great job of bringing important animal issues to the fore in the limited time she has without getting too heavy about it.

+1000!
I think Clare Balding is just fantastic: she can broach topics that would never have been addressed when the BBC screened Crufts, who were far too stiff-upper-lipped to cause a stir! She asks important questions getting straight to the issue without getting grizzley, yet you know she's welling up at times too. And she knows her dogs. Consummate professional and highly likeable, I can't imagine anyone else being able to host this show now!:)