Due to the ongoing pandemic, numerous events and competitions have been cancelled – meaning that many dogs will never win the awards they were destined for. Those dog’s who hit their prime in the midst of lockdown may never get their Champion title and in decades to come people may not realise the quality that went unrewarded through the cancellation of shows. Crufts has been delayed to July, but as very few events have taken place there will be much fewer dogs that have qualified if it were to go ahead.
A statement reads, “The qualification is open to those who qualified for Crufts 2020 apart from the 3rd placing in class. It should be also noted no puppy classes will be scheduled at the 2021 show due to lack of opportunity to qualify.
“It is with great disappointment that The Kennel Club must also announce that, due to the lack of opportunity to qualify, the following competitions will not be taking place at Crufts 2021:
“Further information on other competitions and canine disciplines will be announced as soon as possible.”
However, some think it would be unfair to deny so many dogs their chance to shine. As the Government has allowed teachers to estimate their pupils’ exam results, they argue, can’t the Kennel Club find a virtual way for dogs to have their quality noted? As the dog show system is meant to ensure the best dogs are bred from, it may become a way to reward and promote good breeding?
At dog shows in some countries dog shows are judged in two ways. Dogs are first graded into excellent or good and only the excellent are meant to be bred from. Maybe judges could judge remotely on movement and type and maybe a vet could check dentition and other physical and temperament points when administering vaccines etc and there could be a special Pandemic certificate of quality a little like a Good Citizen award that would help identity dogs from the era in which obtaining a Champion title was impossible. Even when shows start up again there will be hundred of CCs never awarded to that generation. In decades to come please will look back and see the Pandemic Certificate of quality and know that dog was robbed of a chance to get a title by chance, not a lack of quality.
Others are not keen on the solution, saying that fair judgment can only happen with the judges seeing the dog in person, and that someone’s lack of skill taking photographs or videos could skew the results. Overall, they say, it is best to leave things as they are for now – and hopefully all will return to normal after the pandemic.
What do you think – should there be a special award given remotely to perhaps qualify for Crufts 2021? Tell us what you think here, in the Facebook thread below, or write to [email protected] with ‘Great Debate’ in the subject line.