Re: [PyrNet-L] Work, Show or Pet?

[Magic Moment <magicm@ameritech.net>]

JGentzel wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 98-03-25 17:49:15 EST, you write:
> 
> <<   Suppose that the most
>  popular dogs that are winning are the ALL white ones.  Picture this, an all
>  white pyr with a "slight" fault wins over a marked pyr with no discernable
>  faults. (for whatever reason, the judge ignored the fault, the handler
> covered
>  it up, or the judge likes white dogs...etc) >>
> 
> Is this some fictional matter based on fact or what?  Are you offering as fact
> something based on fictional scenario's?
> 
Excuse me - but the above happens more often than one would think. It
happens up here all the time.  If you look at last years final standings
- the top 10 - #4 and #10 are the only ones that aren't all white? The
percentages just aren't there for winning with marked vs. all white.
Yes, marked dogs do win but, I have SEEN the above happen, and so this
can't be construed as sour grapes - I've seen it even when I was just a
specator. I can almost aquait it with trying to win with a Tri colored
Pembroke(sometimes impossible). There are also the judges that will do
exactlly the opposite and prefer the marked over the all white. 

> <<This is the reason that so many people are questioning the validity of the
> conformation ring.>>
> 
> IMHO the reason they are questioning this, if at all, is inexperience and a
> lack of knowledge about the medium they speak.
> 
After showing for a while sometimes we all question it, there are some
judges that just don't belong there - one shows under them once, finds
that out and never shows to them again. It's an imperfect system in an
imperfect world - you pay your entries for an OPINION - if you read the
part the judges sign - it starts out ,I believe - in my OPINION.
Sometimes new show people don't understand and take it personal, I did
in the beginning, I knew the standard, knew my dog's faults and wondered
why one with much more faults or at least more glaring ones beat me.
Each person(judge) one meets along the way does things different.


> The future of the breed in essentially in the hands of its experienced
> breeders.  We are not going to let some ill informed judge change the breed.
> We breed the best we can and defend the breed against all ignorance from what
> ever source.  We care little about fashion.  We know or believe we know what
> is correct for the breed and do our very best to keep the breed true to its
> origins.  There may be breeders who feel otherwise, but they generally fall by
> the wayside. Those that do not, are left behind by those who are
> knowledgeable.

Thanks for this last paragraph - Can I save it for those people that ask
me why my Pyrs are so much bigger than the competition?


Lisa
> 
> BTW, the color scenario you describe happened in this county over 25 years
> ago.  Many of us have worked hard to bring it back to where we think it must
> have been historically.
> 
> Joe