Today’s big story was that Crufts took away a BOB from the bulldog and peke breed winners at this year’s Crufts.
Well, it didn’t take very long, but the people campaigning those two dogs went a little ape-poopy.
The bulldog now has her own Facebook “We was robbed” page. It has a nice conspiracy theory mixed in, too.
But it’s the Peke’s defenders who really get crazy. And nothing gets more hysterical than this piece by Billy Wheeler, which uses Malachy’s win at Westminster as evidence that Bianca shouldn’t have had her BOB taken away.
It also ends with some wonderful bullshit about Pekingese being an ancient breed that hasn’t changed in thousands of years.
The Pekingese breed is millennia older than any of your most revered British institutions. What gives you the right to CHANGE the interpretation of what the breed should be from what ancient Emperors and dog fanciers gave us. I promise you, you will not succeed. The Pekingese breed will survive…much longer than your Kennel Club. And that’s today’s Back Story.
And that’s what we call Grade A Bullshit.
The Pekingese has changed dramatically since it was first brought into the West.
Pekes imported from China used to look like this:
These two dogs were imported from China in the 1890’s.
They are very different from the show dogs, which often look like this:
The dogs have clearly changed in the past hundred-plus years, haven’t they?
So my question to Mr. Wheeler is what gave Westerners the right to turn the cute little dogs of the Dowager Empress into ugly little fuzzballs that can’t breathe, walk, or cool themselves properly?
Do you people want some cheese with your whine?
See related posts:
When they claim the dogs always had flat faces, notice how the old dogs do not have part of their eyes obstructed by the wrinkle that’s created from having no muzzle. The close up of Ah Cum’s face shows it plainly: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/Pietoro/Dog%20Breed%20Historical%20Pictures/Pekingese/1899_Pekingese_Head.jpg
The stuffed version of him in that museum that people like to point to as proof that Peke’s always had no face, is a terrible mount. Most dog taxidermy from that era is hideously bad, in general.
They had a SHORT face, yes. But NO face? There are even CH dogs from the 1900s with clearly visible muzzles, so to claim that the way the Peke’s head is now was always considered correct is complete bullpucky. That’s not even touching on the extreme coat that doesn’t even match what the standard calls for.
It’s interesting to me that even Mimosa and Ah Cum, if you draw a line across the top of the nose, it runs through the center of their eyes. The muzzle may not be as short, but it’s just as high up on the face. The envelope shape of the face is very apparent, especially on the dog I am assuming is Mimosa, facing the camera more directly.
While I agree something needed done I also understand why people are not happy
At the end of the day these people to get to Crufts had to have seen plenty of Judges who said their dog looked OK
So they are winning shows all the time to then publicly be pulled up and shamed at such a high prestege show
It really smacks of the KC wanting to be SEEN to be doing something
The dogs should never have got as far as they have and all the judges who placed the dogs should be pulled up
But common sense should have prevailed over breeders many years ago and they should have looked at their poor dogs, had a long time crying over what they had done then stopped breeding their poor dogs so extream as to be disabled compared to a normal dog
Ah Cum has to be the worst dog name in all history.
Ah Cum in english sounds pretty bad, but if it was spoken in cantonese (not sure about mandarin) the name translates to ‘gold’ more or less.
He was a golden colored dog with a black mask.
His taxidermy is on display at the Rothschild Zoological Museum at Tring:
He was a much smaller dog than a modern peke, weighing only 5 pounds.
In those days there were just a handful of them in the West, and he was an important foundational sire in the breed outside of China.
That would make sense for the name.
Also, I don’t the Chinese empress back then would want to fit a 20lb dog inside her sleeve. She could hardly walk (due to bound fee) and carrying such a big dog would be beneath her (and weigh her down).
The breed enthusiast should really know their own breeds a little better and not just the stories about them!
But it certainly cannot be fun to be a breeder of either of these dogs, nor the judges who chose them to the best of breed!
Dog breed origin myths are often unbelievably fantastical.
People like fantasies.
They’d rather not know the truth.
Good for the KC!!!!
People in the Peke world have noted large differences between the original imported Pekes and the modern breed. I’ve posted this link before, but its worth posting again.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cts=1331261205672&ved=0CD0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thepekingeseclubofamerica.com%2FThe%2520Pekingese%2520and%2520The%2520Happa%2520Dog%2C%2520with%2520photos.pdf&ei=Cm9ZT8SENsqZiALS3Z3RCw&usg=AFQjCNEsVdavUny4MFcdVZCz1oYUQrCN_g&sig2=UDkqH7zXY_zb7VE-nu8yxA
Stanley Cohen’s Pawprints in HIstory (2002) has an interesting chapter on the Pekes of the Forbidden City. This supports the notion that flat faces were sought after . . . but also suggests that the Imperial notions about dog conformation were about as enlightened as the notions about women’s feet.
Cohen states: “The most prized feature in these Lion Dogs was a broad and flat face. One trick used to achieve this involved feeding the dogs from the inside of a piece of pigskin. As the dogs tried to eat the tiny bits of meat attached to the skin, their noses would be pressed hard against the hide Since there was not a lot of fleshy material, the dogs had to work at cleaning the hide for hours at a time, so this continuous frontal pressure had the effect of stunting the growth of the nose and muzzle, thus flattening the face. There are some reports of even more drastic procedures, such as crushing the tender noses of the puppies by hitting their faces with a stick . . .An alternative procedure, which had less risk but was more labor intensive, involved the employment of servants to spend hours each day massaging the puppies’ muzzles so that they would remain short.”
The chapter ends with a poem by the Dowager Emperess which could be considered the ‘breed standard’ from Imperial China . . . some extracts:
Let its eyes be large and luminious;
Let its ears be set like the sails of a war-junk;
Let its nose be like that of the monkey god of the Hindus;
Let its forelegs be bent;
So that it shall not desire to wander far nor leave its Imperial home;
. . . .
Let it learn to bite the foreign devils instantly;
. . .
Sharks’ fins and curlews’ livers and the breasts of quails;
On these may it be fed; And for drink give it the tea that is brewed from the spring buds of the shrub that grows in the province of Hankow,
On the milk of the antalopes that pasture in the Imperial parks . . . .
You may see the breed as looking different now from when it was introduced to the west 150 years ago, but to me the only difference is the excessive coat. Cut that away and the dogs would look quite similar to the old photos. Look at pictures from the ’50s and see the evolution of the excessive coat.
You have an obvious dislike for the breed. I have a feeling it wouldn’t matter what sort of conformation the specimens possessed.
The word on the street is that the awards were not pulled due to conformation extremes but to a supposed ulcerated cornea that was detected with an ordinary flashlight. What a skilled vet! And the Bulldog in question has a clear CERF exam from Nov 2011. The entire situation is meant not as a boon for health but to make a political display of how the KC is “getting tough” with breeders. It’s entirely punitive and ridiculous. I hope they get sued.
No. The muzzle and the leg length are entirely different. These Chinese dogs were also much smaller. Ah Cum was known to be quite tiny.
Probably so. Today’s dogs are larger, around 20 lbs as opposed to the 8 lbs or so of long ago. Same is true of the Tibetan Spaniel, 5 lb specimens were said to be prized in their native land while those in the western show rings are two or three times larger than that. Probably the next criticism in dogs will be that the toys are too small and the giants too large. Bad for their health, you know.
20 pounds?
“Disqualification
Weight over 14 pounds.”
More coat?
“Coat: …A long and profuse coat is desirable providing it does not obscure the shape of the body….”
Does not obscure the shape of the body. Could you please point to the show Peke’s elbow?
Both from the AKC Pekingese standard. http://www.akc.org/breeds/pekingese/index.cfm
Yes, the breed is overcoated. No argument there. I wonder if they are ever weighed in the ring. I’ve seen judges lift them to sort of gauge their heft, but I’ve never seen them weighed in the ring. Then again, I don’t spend a lot of time at dog shows lately.
Ah Cum was only 5 pounds. I covered this a very long time ago:
https://retrieverman.wordpress.com/2011/03/05/pekingese-evolution/
So does your emphasis on this detail mean you believe a 5 lb weight is healthier or more desirable than a 10 or 15 lbs weight?
He’s saying the people who are outraged that the KC would demand a breed’s features be altered because ‘the breed has been unchanged since Chinese Royalty bred them centuries ago’ simply look like ignorant fools because if you actually look at the dogs from 100+ years ago it’s plain as day that the fancy has changed them quite a bit all on their own.
I’ve just posted some of my collection of Peke photos on Shutterfly; I have several old books with many many more historic photos. The dogs vary quite a bit in type and style, leg length and bend, amount of coat etc, just as today’s dogs vary considerably. Very few dogs of any breed actually see the inside of a show ring. From what was reported regarding today’s doings at Crifts, the disqualification was unrelated to any extreme of conformation. However, many of the “old style” Pekes were also pretty extreme. It’s all relative. Personally I don’t care for the overly hairy show dogs but pet Pekes with practical haircuts are wonderful dogs. Here’s a link to the photos: http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=bd4777ce2b956e42c9f3edf1ebadc1fb&sid=0AbOXDds5asWjog
I love ALL ASAIN & especially Tibetan Breeds & have therefore done a lot of research & study into them & I can deff tell you they have changed & not for the better. Yes they have not had an extreme a change as say the Bulldog or the Neo but their main breed breed features type wise have been very much made more exttreme. The legs where always some what bowed but they are more bowed now & fair shorter, the noses where short but they are shorter still now, the faces flatter & the coats are extremely heavier than thier ancestors. The coat has a lot to do with how stressed & over heated they become when doing the slightest of exercise, the combo of all that coat a flat face, the nose roll, short bowed legs & short noses makes it impossible for the poor dog to do anything more trhan be couch potatos. They would be countinuely un comfortable at best & in extreme pain at worst. I can tell you how painful bowed lgs & slipping knee caps really are & i get pain meds the poor Peke’s do not.
How can you honestly defend a breeders right to breed a dog so extreme in type that breathing is made hard & they can not walk but have to waddle. A dog that even as a younster can not even play fetch or chase rabbits or any other normal activities that virtually any other breed of dog is able to do. A dog that must be placed on an ice pack because it’s over heating from the shear effort it takes to breath & walk for a few minutes due to the deformity of the dogs stucture in general. The breed was never an athletic dog but I can promise you the Peke’s my elderly nearby farming neighbours had 30 yrs ago could go ratting & although the mini foxies(now known as Tenterfeild Terriers) lasted many hours longer & where much faster & agile their Pekes held their own for at least an hr every sun up & sun down. I very much doubt todays show ring Peke’s could last more than 5 minutes & would have deff over heated on the walk back up the hill to the farm house. They where fully pappered Peke’s too before you try & say they where cross breeds or something.
OPEN YOUR EYES, use your brain in common sence gear & tell me you can still defend breeding such an extreme version of an anicent breed.
BTW, it is said that no photos or any proof of this purported eye problem were obtained in either of these dogs.
Wouldn’t that be a violation of veterinary ethics regarding privacy?
LOL I believe that ship has sailed LONG ago! No privacy was respected here!
Actually it seems to me that everyone involved tried to keep the results as private as possible. The only reason the public knows the particular health problem of one of these dogs was someone else sneaked a phone pic.
Look, these people chose to enter their dogs in a very public show to display them and try to gain notoriety. They’re not trying to keep their dogs “private”. It’s not like the veterinarian snuck into their backyard while they were at work.
Can the AKC dictate to its (partisan) breed clubs? Because if it can’t then it will take public outcry to bring about change and the only way the public can effect change is through legislation – qualzucht laws as in europe.
Since there is no end to what the public can find to be outraged about, we should be careful what we wish for.
“Since there is no end to what the public can find to be outraged about, we should be careful what we wish for.”
There’s the problem in a nutshell…..
Actually, you completely missed her point. Her point is that the dog fancy needs to keep it’s nose clean or the nanny state you so abhor will do it for them, badly.
Actually, no one enforces the qualzucht laws in Europe. There is no lawyer suing anyone. There is no secret police or government agency out to get people.
The kennel clubs and agriculture registries are the enforcers.
If these breeds have always been deformed or more recently have been made more deformed is really besides the point.
The point is the dogs are living with intentionally bred deformities that hinder their enjoyment of life.
If they suffered a 100 years ago that does not make it ok that we still breed them to suffer today. Surely we can all think of examples of things that were done in the past that we now know are not acceptable and we stop doing them.
So arguing that these dogs suffered in the past with deformed bodies does not make it Ok that we keep breeding dogs with deformed bodies today.
Please step back and look at what you are defending.
Just noticed I miss spelt Asian, LOL.
Very good point sue
“If they suffered a 100 years ago that does not make it ok that we still breed them to suffer today.”
I know several people who breed Pekes for the pet market, and they are not suffering in any way, shape or form. Really, the absurd dramatic comments over this topic smacks of AR nannyism. No one who loves their dogs would intentionally breed them to suffer. Education is the only way to effect meaningful change for othe better in breeding programs, not ridicule and kindergarten-style, sit-in-the-corner-with-the-dunce-hat punishment.
With your logic, all dogs should have straight non-chondrodystrophic legs and heads with no trace of brachycephalism. The weight should be as in the wild, an optimum of around 40 lbs or so, and any deviation from the optimum for health is a disgrace. Floppy ears should be bred out and so should bobtails, hairlessness and other freakish anomalies. Better?
Um…
Fanciers are doing fine in continental Europe, despite the so-called “nanny-states”.
I never liked freak shows, nor do I enjoy watching animals with freakish anomalies.
I read recently that someone thought it was very cute to watch a pug try to eat, that is smeared the food all over it’s face as it went round and round the bowl trying to get the food into it’s deformed mouth, they thought this was cute. Well I guess I could say it takes all kinds, but really that is just not an acceptable answer. If the dogs is suffering due to some ‘freakish anomalies’ that some folks enjoy looking at, find entertaining or cute, too bad. A quick trip the psych doc should help those who need the help come to terms with the idea that we should not deliberately breed deformed dogs. Now that really was a ‘sit in the corner’ response (which my first post was not).
I ask again, please look at what you are defending, you are defending the deliberate breeding of deformed dogs.
BTW the so over used response of calling anyone who disagrees with the concept of breeding deformed, diseased or mutant dogs an animal rights extremist is getting a bit old.
You know I might be the only “animal rights activist” who has ever written about why animals don’t have rights and shouldn’t be given them.
And I’m an ARA that breeds dogs. Even purebred, registered ones.
Thats right Peke’s breed for the pet market are no where near as extreme & much closer to the origanal breed thats my whole issue really why breed the dog into a freak show when you can have the same breed in a much healthier less extreme version.
I don’t want a nanny state i would peer pressure 7 open registries to prove how ou CAN breed healthy PETS.
yes that would be better. read into chondroplasia and the effects it has on the rest of the dog. if you like bent legs so much why not stop feeding your children anything with calcium in it , then when they are adults ask them if they like their bow legs and if they are comfortable
“With your logic, all dogs should have straight non-chondrodystrophic legs and heads with no trace of brachycephalism. The weight should be as in the wild, an optimum of around 40 lbs or so, and any deviation from the optimum for health is a disgrace. Floppy ears should be bred out and so should bobtails, hairlessness and other freakish anomalies. Better?”
Er, I couldn’t tell. Were you being sarcastic? I mean, really, what’s actually WRONG with the theoretical situation you present here? Healthy dogs? Gee. What a ridiculous suggestion.
not a single Peke I know is hindered in their enjoyment of life.. in fact most of them get away with murder and are spoiled rotten as many toy dogs are .. and should be.. that is what they are bred for.
Dog News had some pictures of painting sold at Bonhams this past Westminster. There was one in particular that caught my eye of hounds in a kennel. from the 1890’s i believe. three of them had “gasp” ectropian” plain and simple They were fox hounds of some type.. but many would have you believe that things like this are a “modern” happening and only due to uncaring breeders who breed only for”ribbons” ( no one I know) not so.. dogs have evolved.. yes they have but always for the worse.. no.. as for Pekes.. love ’em or hate ’em.. they are not “suffering” in most homes
They are indeed suffering because they cannot fully oxygenate themselves or cool themselves.
It is cruelty to breed a dog that cannot cool itself properly, and if you cannot see it, then you know jack about dogs.
And probably shouldn’t be commenting on this blog.
Actually,
I know who you are and your agenda.
You might not want to be on this blog.
This is not PDE.
And my manners are not nearly as genteel as you might be accustomed to.
I know who “Alice ” is also. Her “agenda” is to protect the rights of animal breeders and owners. She spends a goodly portion of every day working to prevent dogs from entering shelters and dying. We are in frequent contact, and I am proud to call her my friend.
But back to the original theme of this page; it now is apparent that the concern is not preserving the Pekingese breed in a less extreme state as was originally presented, as now the posters here are claiming that the breed as a whole, both now and in years past, cannot properly breathe. The entire breed has been tagged here as “deformed, diseased and mutant”. I think my original hunch was correct in observing that there is a vendetta against the Pekingese breed here…in any form….and that is just as AR as any hysterical ramblings about “puppy mills” or “overpopulation” or any other overblown non-problem that the AR groups can muster up.
OK, back to lurk mode now….In general I enjoy this blog but this was just a bit over the top and I felt the need to comment. Hopefully not too many feathers were ruffled in the process. Thanks for putting up with my opinionated posts.
Her ‘agenda’ is to have breeders do whatever they like without being publicly accountable. Jan and I have crossed swords before. That ‘armchair breeders’ should ‘leave us alone’ is a frequent refrain of hers. Unfortunately, when the public sees these practices and questions them, Jan’s and most of the rest of the fancy’s answers leave a little bit to be desired.
Scottie has never stated that Pekes should be disposed of, unlike another blogger who believes certain breeds would benefit from a brick to the skull or being drowned in a sack.
The only ‘vendetta’ here is against apologists who breed animals with problems and then pass it off as ‘tradition,’ or ‘they were always like that,’ or ‘look, they’re so happy!’
Crufts exhibitors for certain breeds new that there were going to vet checks for the BOB. If they were smart, they would have their own vet checks immediately before the show so that they could refute any negative results. If they were really smart, they’d have done vet checks *and* boycotted the show, turned it into a public relations spin. If they were smart, they’d have been doing studies, even small ones, to prove that brachycephalic dogs are ‘normal’ and don’t have any deficiencies associated with their conformation.
The dog fancy, as a whole, isn’t smart. It’s so used to it’s ‘top of the dog world’ privilege that it has not a single clue how to spin public opinion in it’s favor or how to be proactive.
The pet owning public has been fed the idea that show breeders are the end all, be all of breeding. And they’ve gobbled it up and regurgitated it over and over again like good little acolytes. Now that public feels betrayed, and what does the fancy say to them? ‘Leave us alone, you armchair breeders.’ Nice. I’m sure the pet owning public will remember that the next time some kind of restrictive legislation comes up and it’s time to contact their legislator.
It is incumbent on the apologists to prove their point. Let’s see some studies that prove that extreme brachycephaly does not result in cooling problems or oxygenation issues. Back it up, or suck it up. Or, as the song says, check yo’self before you wreck yo’self.
MY GOODNESS ARE YOU BLIND????
How is a dog that need an ice pack to recover from a simple trott around a show ring not suffering perfectly healthy.
Thier extreme coats alone make it impossible for them to groom themselves properly. Dogs are not meant to be so bow legged & short of leg that they have to waddle instead of walk. Why do you think they hardley play or act like other other healthy less extreme toy breeds? They are so over coated & weighted down on top of not having a clear airway & having to waddle on clearly deformed legs they are constantly uncomfortable & often in actual discomfort & at times pain.
We have no right to change a breed in such a way that it can no longer live the natural fun loving energetic life of a dog & on top of that has a shortened life span & is imprisioned in it’s crippled body & huge coat.
Imprisoned in a crippled body? Seriously? No right to change the breed….the breed has had bowed legs and a rolling gait since it was introduced to the west. So your solution is….just stop breeding them? Just eliminate this horrible, sickly breed.
As I said earlier, I know Peke breeders of non-show dogs and they play, are happy and healthy just as any other breed. My friend’s Peke just recently passed away at age 16.
Someone is definitely blind, but it’s not me.
Actually, you are wrong.
Take a look at these photographs:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v485/Pietoro/Dog%20Breed%20Historical%20Pictures/Pekingese/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16
There are about four pages of them.
Then take a look at this breeder`s wisdom in 1911:
https://retrieverman.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/noseless-atrocity/
Amazing how they really didn’t bother to put that ridiculously heavy coat on either. The non-existent face is cruel and the coat is absurd. Bill Maher made a joke about it and referred to the 2012 Westminster Winner as “Don King’s hairpiece!”
But COMBINING these two items of no face and too much coat?! That’s beyond Qual breeding!
“…So your solution is….just stop breeding them? Just eliminate this horrible, sickly breed.”
You’re deliberately missing the point again. What people want is for ribbon-chasing breeders to stop breeding such extreme specimens. The end.
They have to keep missing the point. They have no rational defense to keeping the status quo.
We’re discussing theology now.
Logic no longer applies.
It’s true because it’s true.
Have we not seen this logic with the double-merle sire?
If the dog is spoiled rotten and is treated like royalty, then the sins of the breeder can be absolved!
Yeah, you are right. Just like homozygous merles, Pekes should not exist.. Let’s atone for our sins immediately and spay and neuter all the Pekes. After all, they are suffering so.
yes you are right again, glad you have seen the light.
I’ll just copy my comment from the other thread for Jan.
I think that it behooves the breed clubs for brachycephalic breeds to start proving that their dogs are not having problems due to their conformation. They need to be doing a studies regarding oxygen uptake and ability to cool themselves as compared to non-brachycephalic dogs of a similar size and conformation. Studies on eye problems, and their prevalence. Until there are good studies on these things with a decent sample size, people are just guessing. Hard scientific proof will be the best defense against government meddling in dog breeding.
It does not matter where health issues or conformation that causes health issues are a ‘modern happening.’ That is not a defense against breeding dogs with conformation that predisposes them to problems or raises their risk of health issues.
I do think the original breeders would have been horrified by todays show pekes , they do not fit the descriptions of early breeders ideal at all.
They are too ” pretty ” for a start with big eyes and plush faces. they where never supposed to be pretty or cute.
raymond mallocks book is very informative , though she suggests the king charles should have a mincing gait ( luxating pattella) which was publicly attacked by another breeder as advocating unsoundess. So perhaps her view on ideal movement in any of her breeds should be ignored
There was a bulldog on the crufts tv coverage last night.
First thing I noticed was, I couldnt hear her attempting to breathe, unlike every other bulldog I’ve come across.
Her breeder was trying to improve things before pde. Not perfect, but definitely going in the right direction.
Also, can’t remember who it was, but one of the interviewees stated health and soundness should come before appearance.
On the subject of failed health exams
The kcs chairman I believe it was, said it is meant to target judges, to help them in their selection of winners.
I’m off down to Birmingham later, will be at crufts tomorrow.
It’ll be working and pastoral groups…wonder what’s going to happen with the gsds?
Targeting judges is a brilliant way to make reform. Judges are people who provide the rewards in this system. They are the ones who provide immediate feedback, so they are the perfect people to target.
There were lots of people trying to fix things before PDE, but it is very tough to go against the stream.
From what I had initially read, there was to be no BOB awarded in pekes or bulldog, but I guess they did put some dogs up.
Putting all the responsibility on the judges (of Pekes and bulldogs) is putting them in an impossible position. Quite likely there would not be a single dog in the entire entry of those breeds (which have to “qualify” by wins at previous shows) which was not extremely brachiocephalic, etc. The judge would have nothing “different” to put up. Excuse the entire entry? He’d be tarred and feathered…
The best solution (if there is any) might be to have all dogs examined by knowledgeable veterinarians before going into the ring, and those not meeting a certain standard of health and soundness, would be denied permission to compete. Obviously, this also has enormous problems in application. But surely a veterinarian is better able to recognize health problems than are most show judges.
These people are actually setting a TERRIBLE example for children.
You know what you’re being? Sore-ass losers.
And children don’t need to see adults acting in this fashion.
Everyone who was showing those breeds knew there would be a health check.
That’s like knowing that at a baseball game there would an umpire or a football or basketball game there would be a referee.
What you’re essentially doing is shouting around that the ref or ump is blind, which lots of sports fans do.
And it’s one reason why I find sports so tedious.
So suck it up!
Walk it off!
That is your dogs can walk without having to be placed on icepacks!
BTW,
No one knows that why either of these dogs failed their health exams.
Only their owners know.
I merely covered this in context of the real problems both of these dogs have, which is brachycephalic airway syndrome. The words in that disease are not stochastically arranged. The airway syndrome is the result breeding for extreme brachycephaly, which is the main reason why these two breeds were among those targeted for health checks.
Any comments or e-mails that suggest an alternative reason for the dogs’ dismissal are unsubstantiated internet rumor.
That’s the one thing that I’m not keen on. Why keep the reason of why the dogs failed their health exams a secret? It doesn’t make sense and it leaves room for people to make stuff up.
Pekingese are supposed to be “little lion dogs”, what part of the modern pekingese looks like a lion anymore? Besides, I don’t see what Geneva Coats and Alice (in lala land) complaining about, it’s not so much needing to spay and neuter all pekes, it’s more just introducing new blood and crossbreeding to make for a long snout and less coat. It’s not the end of the world.
You’ll still get a peke, but it just looks prettier.
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[…] The backlash against even the most basic of health demands on Best of Breed winners at Crufts began almost as soon as the independent Veterinarians found visible impediments to the dogs’ health which prompted the KC to withhold the BOB titles and prevent the affected dogs from advancing to Group and Best in Show. A Pekingese named Palacegarden Bianca, an English Bulldog named Mellowmood One In A Million, and most recently a Clumber Spaniel named Chervood Snowsun have failed these Vet exams and been barred from advancing further in the show. […]
[…] doggy Taliban, rest assured, is either busy putting together another Facebook “We was robbed” page or are busy writing crazy, Rusty Shackleford level nonsense on forums. (It’s certainly […]
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I am curious: why do the early Pekes bear a strong resemblance to the Tibetan Spaniel? I have a purebred Tibbie and have long been curious about this. I know there is some debate over whether the Tibbie or the Peke came first…does anyone have an opinion/research/articles on this?
I’ve written about it, too.
There are dogs very similar to the Happa-type that have been found in Gobi Desert kitchen middens that date to about 10,000 years old.
Perhaps that’s the ancestor of these short-muzzled East Asian dogs.
If you look further into the history of the Tibetan Spaniel you will read that they were a breed with variety in their muzzle length originally, with the shortest muzzles coming from Eastern Tibet, closest to China. This is said to be due to the exchanges of the monestary dogs with the palace dogs kept by the Chinese and back the other way as well.
The dogs behind these breeds were interbred.
Kary
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I own a peke, who looks nothing like that show peke- she doesnt have a roll above or at the sides of her nose, has a proper little snout and bombs about running,climbing and swimming-she only has a very slight bow to her front legs and only when she stands in a defensive way-sort of like an English bull terrier, yet she’s 100% peke. I very deliberately avoided buying from a KC breeder, as the things they’re now keen to be seen as against were standards they set as ideal, pre-scandal. Some pekes I see cant breathe properly (much worse in many pugs I saw) It makes me so sad that pekes were purposely bred to be monsters- Funnily enough mine won best in show at a comp- but other peke owners there wanted to check she was definitely pekingese.