The decline in show entries in the UK - Page 6

 Has anyone considered that people may be starting to think that there is more to GSD breeding and ownership than the beauty contests? Just because the show entries are reduced doesn't mean the breed is reducing in popularity!

and another thing: at many Scutzhund clubs the majority of members do not show their dogs in the beauty ring.

As a breeder I am receiving more and more enquiries from people very keen (in fact some are desperate) to have a dog from a non showing background. Not non-show lines particularly, just not from a 'recent' showing background. "A GSD made like they used to be, a proper GSD" they say.  Mostly this is because these people say they are appalled by the physical appearance of dogs they have seen in the show ring and on T.V.

I am reporting this for information not presenting it as an arguement.

Just something to chew on.

I have been following this thread for the last three days and quite frankly the situation has not changed a great deal since I first came into the breed in 1970. The number of shows at that time were many and big entries were common place even at Open Shows. The entries and the cost of travel appear cheaper but bearing in mind the reduction of value in our money they would probably only be slightly cheaper when compared with today’s costs. A significant factor now is that there appear to be more professional handlers today as opposed to yesteryear which adds to the costs of the entries. In those days many dogs were handled at no cost. Another increase in expense comes from the fact that more dogs are imported now which adds more expense to the overall picture.

The decline of the show societies has been gradual in that the split in our breed has affected the entries and, therefore, the revenue to the clubs putting on the show. The membership of the clubs changed from one breed to, effectively, two breeds and with this change friction within clubs and, the breed itself, increased. Some more than others. It is no wonder, therefore, that few people are willing to come forward and serve. Nobody wants the vitriolic comments and judgements passed on them for trying to do a voluntary job of work, for the many, on a no pay basis. Many committee members have very little idea of what is happening within the Clubs because everything is left to one, or, two people. This in turn leads to apathy and frequent changes in committee, followed by scathing remarks from members and non members alike who all know what is wrong but are not prepared to come forward to help put matters right.

We should also examine how judges are appointed and, just how do they qualify to earn the right to judge and pass an opinion. For many exhibitors to prospect of paying 20 pounds for an opinion has to be attractive because everyone wants to do well. However, as we know the quality of some judges is questionable. There has always been and, always will be, opposing camps within the breed and the appointment of certain judges will be an indication as to whether it is worth making an entry or not.

Another factor in the reduction of entries is the fact that, not just in the UK but worldwide, the show community has forgotten that we have a Working Breed that can be shown. When I first came to the breed there were quite a few dogs shown that were also worked in obedience and to a lesser degree working trials but the important thing is that they added to the number of entries and, therefore, the revenue of the clubs.

There is no doubt that the breed as a whole needs an overhaul to set things right and move forward. Unfortunately, unless some differences between people are set aside very little improvement is going to be made.

The younger people are the future of the breed. I think the older and more experienced of us should do more to guide and help the future protectors of the breed. At the moment it seems that more are walking away.

Mackenzie

As a further observation following my last post and the current show scene’s lack of entries one has to look at the make up of what is on offer. What exactly do breed clubs do and, what do they achieve? Going back a few years to the time when there were not so many breed clubs the shows were great, friendship was better, although there was one or two people that created unrest. The shows were a worthwhile day out. Then came a time when a number of new clubs started to appear. A number of these were set up not for the interest of the breed but for the interest of the founders. How many of these still exist? I do not know. The situation now is, in my opinion, at the point of having too many breed clubs. This means too many hands in the purse and, do they really serve the breed as a whole?

The whole format of the clubs is wrong. The two premier clubs in the UK should be sufficient for the needs and progress of the breed.

Taking the case for League first. What has it really achieved? Why has it been in such a bad shape over the years? It’s achievements are few. It’s format cannot be right. The continual in fighting which, unfortunately, goes on in most of the breed clubs has been ever present.

The case for BAGD’s is better. The structure is better organised and more importantly the aim of the Club is better, firstly for the breed itself and secondly for the members. Much can be learned from BAGSD if only the breed people can remove from their minds the Breed v Working attitude that has set in. I think BAGSD has something like 2000 members and approximately 40 or so branches and, most important, the club constitution keeps them all singing the same song. The betterment and furtherance of the German Shepherd Dog by recognition that it is a working breed that can be shown. For the show side the Club now has KC approval to run the Championship Show as per SV rules. As the Club has been in place since the early thirties with the same format, based on the SV format, it should send a message to all those involved. This is without doubt the type of Club that Joe Public wants and, it is Joe Public that buys most of our products.

Mackenzie

Mackenzie your opinion on bagds is based on ignorance and shows exactly how little knowledge you have of the uk show or the people involved in it. Bagds may have a good club constitution but surely you agree that furtherance of the German Shepherd should first be adhered to by the general committee of a club if it is to mean anything at all, the bagds vice chairman breeds from high hip scored dams, do you agree not much furtherance there then?
AS   

To A Shepherd

Sorry, but my opinion is not based on ignorance as you suggest but, clearly, you have missed the point.  It is the aims and ambitions,  the Constitution of Bagsd's and, the system that I have drawn attention to.   What the members of clubs do with their own dogs is another matter and, if you are in a position to, you should look into the breeders on the show side and you will find that many are are not so innocent when it comes to practising what they preach.   It is of course possible for individual clubs to discipline their members in some way should they want to  go down that route.

Mackenzie

If the BAGSD has infact got permision to run their show via SV rules then if they do so that alone could tell us what is the best way for our show scene here in the UK because if it gets a better than average entry then it proves what the exhibitors want,, as for merging of clubs and what months they get for their show the best way is to pick a number out of a barrel and that number corresponds to your month  ie number 4 = April or write the months down on a bit of paper and draw them out
i dont think the month will matter that much what will matter is how these premier clubs go about setting the standard of our show scene and what they offer the exhibitor
jim h

For the BAGSD 2009 Sieger Show just look at the format and note that they have KC approval.   The Breed Clubs have much to learn from BAGSD and their format which was formed along the lines of the SV.  Also, BAGSD have retained the idealogy that we have a working breed that can be shown.  After all many exhibtors are also members of the SV!!

I quite agree with the second paragraph of Jim's last post and Breed Club committee's need to sit down and think long and hard about this and be open to change for the betterment of the breed as well as themselves.

Mackenzie