UK Kennel Club statement - Page 1

Pedigree Database

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

Premium classified

This is a placeholder text
Group text

by Mackenzie on 30 July 2016 - 14:07

A statement from the UK Kennel Club was sent to me by a friend setting out changes to the GSD with effect from 1/8/2016. It makes interesting reading.

GERMAN Shepherds must no longer be stacked in the ring and instead shown free standing on a loose lead only.

This is one of the new set of rules imposed by the Kennel Club for the showing and judging of the breed.

Yesterday it announced that it was taking strong moves to tackle the issues it believes are affecting the GSD and is to change the Standard on Monday.

Judges are to be scrutinised and all 2018 contracts suspended until the judges involved have attended an education seminar; KC representatives are to be sent to shows to put a stop to double handling.

It is going to establish a programme of training seminars for championship show judges of GSDs at breed, group and BIS level which will cover:

Ring procedure:

1. Dogs must be exhibited on a loose lead only and free standing. No stacking of dogs allowed;

2. Judges must not tolerate double handling and must enforce the escalation procedure if warnings are ignored;

3. Dogs exhibiting clear signs of stress are to be dismissed from the ring by the judge if the handler is not prepared to withdraw their dog.

And:

1. Dogs must be exhibited in as natural a manner as possible without any exaggeration or manipulation to deceive;

2. Judges must examine dogs in accordance with KC custom and practice;

3. Judges must ask handlers to move dogs ‘out and back’ in order that front and rear assemblies can be assessed properly. Dogs are to be moved individually in this fashion, never in pairs or groups;

4. Judges must ask exhibitors to move their dog around the ring in accordance with KC custom and practice. There is to be no fast running or use of extended leads. Movement must be on a loose lead and at a walk or trot;

5. Judges must select placed dogs in accordance with how all other large pastoral breeds are judged. There are to be no ‘run offs’ between dogs with handlers running fast.

The KC’s ‘double handing escalation procedure is to be enforced rigorously. Regulation F(1)17h prohibits the attracting of the attention of exhibits by any method from outside the ring, and the KC says it is the duty of the judge, steward or show management to ask that it ceases.

The regulation allows a dog to be disqualified from any award whether an objection has been lodged or not if it is proved to have been attracted from outside the ring while being judged.

To help societies police these regulations the KC says an ‘escalation procedure’ should be used. It is in three stages:

Request: If attraction is observed, firstly the judge and/or then a senior officer of the society will make a polite request for the activity to desist;

Warn: If the conduct is extreme, or continuing, and/or is causing disruption a senior officer of the society can enter the ring and suspend the class until it stops;

Suspend: If the attraction restarts exhibitors may be warned that if it continues, and a further request has to be made, then the class will be abandoned.

If a person attracting the attention of dogs from outside the ring is an exhibitor/competitor or joint owner and is readily identified, he/she should be reported to the KC for a breach of Regulation F(1)17h.

The KC is also going to review the GSD’s category three veterinary check.

The KC said it had been working closely with the GSD clubs over 'a significant number of years' in an attempt to address issues surrounding the breed.

"However, it appears that the various initiatives designed to improve matters have had very little effect and this in turn is serving to damage the reputation of dog breeders, not just in this breed but across all breeds,” a spokesman said.

"Matters came to a head at Crufts this year where the exhibition of GSDs once again came under intense scrutiny, which merely served to reinforce the KC’s concerns for the breed’s future. As a result of this, a review group was established to examine the issues surrounding the GSD."

The KC believes the culture of double handling, 'widely practised and condoned at breed club shows’, has a particularly detrimental effect on the temperament of dogs, who often show symptoms of enormous stress while being exhibited and at other times, the KC said. Erratic movement and apparently exaggerated conformation were other concerns which the review group looked at.

"In attempting to address the worsening in the breed’s reputation the General Committee, guided by the review group, initially considered deregistering the breed and/or removing its CC status,” a KC spokesman said. "Both these measures would have had the effect of driving breeders outside the influence of the KC, doubtless causing a further decline in the breed, and eventually implementation was decided against.

"Another measure, making it compulsory for breed club championship shows to be held in conjunction with group and general championship shows, was also discussed but has not been implemented at this stage due to the huge changes in infrastructure which would be necessary.”

In June, the General Committee expressed concern about the situation which, it said, it would not allow to deteriorate further. Included in this announcement was a list of stringent measures it was considering in relation to the breed. Today the General Committee made the following directives:
•The GSD Breed Standard is to be changed from August 1 to include additional wording to emphasise the importance of the dogs being capable of standing comfortably and calmly, freely and unsupported in any way. The Standard will read, 'Characteristics: Versatile working dog, balanced and free from exaggeration. Must be capable of standing comfortably and calmly, freely and unsupported in any way, in structural balance, whilst both rear pasterns are vertical. Attentive, alert, resilient and tireless with keen scenting ability’.
•Each judge of GSDs 'must understand their role, which includes proper control of the ring and adherence to KC regulations at all times'. Judges who ignore the breed Standard and/or allow double-handling will risk having future CC appointments rejected.
•All championship show judging contracts for 2018 and beyond are suspended with immediate effect until such time as each judge has attended a KC judges’ education seminar. The KC is to establish a programme of these seminars throughout the UK for championship show judges and expects all judges of the breed to adhere to the points made, which will emphasise that the breed is to be exhibited in the same manner as all other large pastoral breeds.
•KC representatives will be appointed as soon as possible to attend all championship shows where CCs are on offer for the breed. They will work with the show societies and judges to curtail double-handling and will have executive authority to put into effect the previously agreed escalation procedure for double handling if the show societies and/or judges do not do so. Shows which allow double handling will risk having their future CC status rejected.
•There is to be a review of the category three breed veterinary check guidelines for the GSD breed to ensure that health and welfare concerns continue to be addressed.

KC secretary Caroline Kisko said the KC had been given no option but to address the issues.

“The breed itself seemed to be taking far too long to address them, and this came to a head at Crufts this year,” she said. “The health and welfare of dogs is the primary objective of the KC and, where a breed experiences any issues in this respect, we have an obligation to take action where it can. The time for that action is now.

“This situation simply cannot continue as not only is the health and welfare of the breed at risk but this is having a detrimental effect on the reputation of all breeders, pedigree dogs, dog showing and the KC. The implementation of these measures involves a considerable financial commitment on behalf of the KC, which demonstrates the level of investment that has been made to protect the future of this breed

Mackenzie

Hundmutter

by Hundmutter on 05 August 2016 - 19:08

Parts of this bear little resemblance to what the KC has actually put out. I have no idea why Mac's friend has put their own spin on it. Readers, please go to the KC website to see how it is actually put. It is, for example, a bit of a long stretch from "...the breed is to be exhibited in the same manner as all other large pastoral breeds" to a ban on stacking. Myself, I think this means "without double handling", not "without stack". Certainly it was double handling rather than stacking that appeared to be exercising minds in the discussions held between the KC and the breed in the run-up to this announcement. And which forms the bulk of the concern of this month's Announcement. It is true there is an amendment to the actual Breed Standard, which the KC does say is: "to be changed as of 1 August to include additional wording to emphasise the importance of the dogs being able to stand comfortably and calmly, freely and unsupported in any way." Since it is not actually necessary to 'support' a GSD when standing it for the judge, I don't see that this will make much difference except to poor Handlers who can't keep their hands and feet away from the dog. Anyone who watched this year's Crufts will know what this is really about. The changed paragraph of the Standard, as Mac's post shows, reads:

"Characteristics: Versatile working dog, balanced and free from exaggeration. Must be capable of standing comfortably and calmly, freely and unsupported in any way, in structural balance, whilst both rear pasterns are vertical. Attentive, alert, resilient and tireless with keen scenting ability."  [Please note:

"in structural balance".]

Yes there is a moratorium on Championship judging until all

CC judges have attended a KC judges education seminar - but many will have already done that.  As far as I can tell, the KC is not attempting to set up some NEW sort of educational seminars JUST on judging the GSD at Champ. Shows.  If it is, it is being coy about it; and as it always pleads tight budgets, I am unsure how the additional cost would be met despite Ms Kisko's reference to how much the KC is investing. Again, I do not recall seeing a whole new tier of seminars being mooted at the prior meetings they've held with the Breed.  If, as the KC said in its June 2016 Announcements, it was (considering) "Providing education and training for all judges approved to award GSD Challenge Certificates.  This education to include  a conformation and movement seminar specifically for GSDs." (my emphasis), it is hard to see how that is going to be achieved differently from the Breed Council organised seminars already in existence, the content of which had already been worked through and agreed with the KC,  to the best of my knowledge.

 

The General Committee of the Kennel Club's "GSD Review Group" had not communicated to the Breed Council or to the individual Breed Clubs, prior to its June Announcement.  The KC apparently wants all overseas (including SV ?) judges to be required to attend its Championship Show judging seminars on conformation and movement (&/or KC Rules for presentation and handling ?)  Heh heh, good luck with that ! Might be problematic for some of those All-Rounders (multi-breed) judges they so love getting over for the big all-breed Champ. Shows.

 

Nor has the Kennel Club waited until the current study of conformation, movement and health, being undertaken at the University of Surrey, has had time to complete its work and report.

Joe Summerhill was asked by the Breed Council on 2 July to contact the KC to discuss the Review Group's ideas, including the pointing out of the KC's several years involvement in Breed

Council judging seminars;  and the KCs persistent refusal to  withhold their title of Champion until the dogs had completed all KC defined health tests for GSDs.

 


susie

by susie on 05 August 2016 - 23:08

Weltunion der Schäferhund-Vereine (WUSV)    

Prof. Dr. Heinrich Meßler           

Mönchengladbach, 29.07.2016   


Dear Friends of the German Shepherd Dog:   


In the course of the past couple of decades, mechanisms and procedures in terms of both shows and examinations have become common practice that are to be considered detrimental to our cause and public image – and this point of view does not only apply to external parties but also to our very own members and representatives. 
 
Therefore, corrective action is more than required.   

The Area of Breed Shows  


For decades the problem of the German Shepherd Dogs height has been discussed without ever seeking a practical and serious solution to the issue pending. The very first real approach was made on the occasion of the BSZ conformation show in 2015 where participants had a chance to have their dogs’ measurements taken – however on a voluntary basis. During the general annual assembly of the SV in May 2016 the so-called Breed Plan for Height was approved of by the delegates and will from now on be strictly implemented. The breed value is legally binding and will from now on be firmly implemented, too. Sanctions will be imposed on those dogs who considerably and clearly exceed the limits that have been determined. The Breed Plan for Height will be uncompromisingly put into practice and will have a direct effect on the placement that a dog can obtain at the BSZ conformation show.   

The requirements according to the Breed Plan for Height do – and that goes without saying – apply for all events and competitions as scheduled and organized within the SV and the WUSV and thus the practical application is mandatory.   

A second big problem is the sloping back line of the German Shepherd Dog which is abused to present our breed in a false light by lay people and the media lacking professional respectively cynological background knowledge. Many of us do surely still remember the events that took place at the CRUFTS Show in Birmingham in spring earlier this year. Due to an exceptional set of unfortunate circumstances but in part also intentionally with disregard to a scientific and journalistic code of conduct our breed was publicly discredited. Scientific works as published for instance by the university clinic of Gießen were quoted wrongly and out of context obviously with the intention to stagily bring our breed into disrepute. In a completely unjustified fashion our breed was associated with so-called torture- and aggression breeding.

The criticism that is reiterated time and time again is the so-called sloping back line which is associated with all kinds of disease patterns and diagnosis such as hip dysplasia. I am an orthopedic surgeon myself and well familiar with the common specialized literature. And thus I dare say that those associations are fundamentally wrong and scientifically completely unfounded. Unfortunately, the term “downhill dog” has become that engrammed into the minds of lay people in terms of cynological terminology that corrective action is more than mandatory in order to once again establish a more objective public view with the aim to improve our breed’s image again.   

A very simple way to cope with that imminent problem would be that dogs may no longer be touched and have to be allowed to stand unsupported and not being forced into the “downhill position” during the judgement in show stance. The same applies for the exercise of free gait while the dogs pause. 
If we allow our dogs to stand in a natural position and refrain from manipulatively pulling their hind legs into an unnatural position, we could already prove those arguments raised against our breed wrong. 
Another aspect that needs to be considered in this respect is the so-called “instable hind leg” or more precisely worded the excessive angulation of the rear extremity (limb) which is basically caused by a disproportionate growth between the upper and lower thigh on the one hand and in relation to the forehand on the other hand. We need to fight those excesses and to strictly apply sanctions on this disfiguring and performance reducing behavior.   

In the future to come only pictures and photos may be approved of and published – particularly regarding the BSZ conformation show – if the requirements as pointed out above will be met accordingly. In consideration of the habits and customs that developed among our “clientele” in terms of that appearance they became so familiar with I am sure we will have to face considerable challenges and also problems which need to be addressed and tackled accordingly.  

Another distortion of competition is based on the fact that people have become familiar with a rather untypical kind of gait of our dogs – namely the fast or better said racing trod- during the decisive phase of the judgement of a particular class of our dogs. Apart from the sensational effect that this kind of gait has on our spectators it is of no cynologic relevance at all and is even counterproductive. The attention required and the presentation of the dog can be much better judged while exercising the other kinds of gaits. The German Shepherd Dog was made for medium trod. Everybody who ever seriously studied the field of kinematics is familiar with those facts. The procedure as described above has become very common by now and supports a distortion of competition to the benefit of those participants of shows and competitions who focus on the training of dogs in “irrational fields and ways” with the help of accordingly professionalized handlers. This entails a totally unacceptable and dissuasive discrimination and thus discouragement of “regular competitors”.  

Therefore, it is mandatory that the exercise of gait with a slack leash and off the leash has to be carried out at a speed that can be coped with by every respectively normal handler.   

Area of Trials and Exams   

The implementation of the Protection of Animals Act and the examination regulations as issued by the VDH umbrella organization in Germany (2014 preamble of the SV for trials and competition) still seem to be subject to discussion. This discussion once again was sparked to life when a trade journal showed the incumbent winner of the WUSV championship in 2015 posing on its cover holding a device used for training purposes in her hand that is forbidden under German law. 
Apart from the aspects of animal rights and ethics which of course enjoy highest priority we also need to consider a harmonization of regulations at an international level in order to  avoid a distortion of competition given that the individual member countries within the WUSV all have a different kind of legislation.   

The common aim has to be that the SV and WUSV implement and comply with the German regulations, laws and statutes since those rules and standards are also part of the WUSV statutes and thus apply for all member organizations. Evidence of training methods that are not species-appropriate or violate the animal protection act have to be strictly sanctioned. However, I am aware of the problems in terms of a justiciable realization of the above mentioned.   

It will be a future challenge and work order of the respective task forces and committees to provide possible solutions and approaches in order to objectify these issues still pending.  

Responsibility of the Judges ( within the SV and the WUSV)  

The work of the SV-judges is one of the main pillars of the work of our association because that is the only way to ensure the further development of the breed in terms of anatomic, performance, and temperament related fields. Therefore, a judge has to exclusively adhere to the stipulations and statutes of the association.   

For that reason, the board of directors expects the judges appointed for main competitions and events to sign a letter of commitment to ensure that the above mentioned is complied with. The content of the letter of commitment is self-explanatory, and based on the breed standard, the breed- and examination regulations as well as on the requirements of the ethic regulations (as announced on the occasion of the conference of show judges on December 06, 2015 in Lahnstein/ Germany), and last not but not least it is based on the general responsibilities of the judges towards our breed.
 
The letter of commitment will be attached to this release and applies to all office bearers and judges, regardless whether within the SV or the WUSV. 
And we do take it for granted that every member of the judge corps within the SV and within the member countries of the WUSV will consider this letter of commitment binding and mandatory without being personally addressed.  

We will dedicate all our efforts towards the consequent implementation and further development of this aim and appreciate your support.   


With kind wishes,      
Professor Dr. med. Heinrich Meßler
President to the WUSV  


by Mackenzie on 06 August 2016 - 04:08

I first saw Susie's post a few day ago and it seems that, at last, changes are coming.

Mackenzie

Hundmutter

by Hundmutter on 06 August 2016 - 06:08

Thanks Susie, it is useful to have that. (UK KC is unlikely to make sure everyone gets to see it !)  I hope one or both of our WUSV Member Clubs (i.e. NOT the Kennel Club) will circulate it to their members, but I'm not holding my breath.
I am sure the Breed Council will circulate it in the National Magazine, but there are an awful lot of exhibitors who do not read the mag.

Now, turning to 'the Stack' - the balanced stance has been used to present GSDs in the ring and for photos for a very long time ...it represents a tendency of the dogs themselves to place one hind leg forward and one slightly back, when standing still. The proportional length of the GSD over other, squarer, breeds (pastoral or not), suggests that it is natural because it is comfortable.

Nowhere in RingTraining manuals or anywhere else does pushing down on the dog's arse with the side or flat of the handler's fingers feature in instruction on how to stack the dog. I have read countless works on the breed where the very opposite is true - all the "late, greats" on all 'sides' seem to have been proponents of "showing on a loose lead" which includes letting the dog stand out alone from the handler. The most they should be doing is preventing back-sliding on slippery grass rings by placing one foot behind the rearmost paw of the dog.
It is good Showing practice to keep one's body clear of ANY dog so that the judge can see its outline clearly.
There may have been a tendency as time goes by for Handlers to interfere more, but to the best of my knowledge this has not become so 'normal' that it threatens the very use of 'the stance' - and anyway the KC will have to rewrite their Rule Book if they do not want the stack position used by anybody, anywhere. A sledgehammer to crack a nut ?

Interesting that the KC website in regard to that Statement had crashed yesterday...


by Mackenzie on 06 August 2016 - 08:08

It seems the KC has moved closer to the SV and WUSV at last.

Mackenzie

Hundmutter

by Hundmutter on 06 August 2016 - 10:08

(Or vice-versa ? Tongue Smile)  Which can only be a good thing.

 

Just why does the KC have to act as though everything is its own idea,though; and complicate matters by ambiguity ? Why does it continue to be so resistant to incorporating what others find out / think (e.g. the Surrey Uni research)?  And why is it also so resistant to 'common sense' measures like not conferring the Champion title on a winning dog without that dog having UNDERTAKEN (Note: NOT 'passed with flying colours' !) the health tests the KC itself recommends, indeed insists on for ABs ? Why is there ALWAYS the nagging thought that there is some hidden agenda, probably connected with registration income, behind just about every pronouncement ?


by foreversolucky on 07 August 2016 - 02:08

Mackenzie, I'd argue that the KC was already in line with the SV - the Crufts bitch has multiple 1sts under recognizable SV judges per her webpage. Ick.


http://www.cruaghaire.co.uk/catoria.html


by Mackenzie on 07 August 2016 - 06:08

foreversolucky - The SV Judges themselves are quite often at odds with the SV and this is evidenced by not adhering properly to the breed standard. So many dogs now are oversized, over angulated, weaker in character etc. For some time many UK Judges have just blindly followed the German Judges.

I am not going to be drawn into commenting on the Cruft's winner because enough has been said about her including my own comment on her on another thread.

Mackenzie





 


Contact information  Disclaimer  Privacy Statement  Copyright Information  Terms of Service  Cookie policy  ↑ Back to top