Crufts On Alert For Dogs In Make-up

[Steve]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/738...in-make-up.html

Organisers of Crufts have warned dog owners not to break competition rules amid concerns some are resorting to using make-up and beauty treatments such as coat dye and hair removal creams on their animals.

The Kennel Club has warned that it will be introducing extra checks at this week's event in addition to its usual random tests. It has also written to some breed clubs for dogs where there is particular concern about the use of beauty products.

Although competition rules do not specifically ban the use of cosmetics and other beauty treatments on dogs, they do forbid anything that alters an animal's appearance during dog shows, to gain extra marks from judges, who award prizes for entries that best match the "ideal" characteristics of each breed

The Kennel Club said it was aware some owners were exploiting this grey area to circumvent the rules and said it would not hesitate to disqualify anyone caught cheating.

The warning comes days before Britain's biggest dog show gets under way at the NEC in Birmingham, and is the latest controversy to hit the event, after rows about the health dangers of pedigree breeding.

The use of cosmetics is becoming increasingly common among non-competition dogs.

One British company, HUB International, based near Reading, now offers nose paint, black and white dyes to change the colour of the dog's coat, as well as hairspray and make-up.

The firm warns customers that these products should not be used in competitions.

A recent article in the magazine Dog World even gave advice about using the acne cream Clearasil, to treat spots on animals.

Lipstick and eyeliner is also used on some dogs. Some owners are even using female depilatory cream to neaten the appearance of hairless breeds such as the Chinese Crested dogs.

The growing use of such treatments has led to the new crackdown on all breeds by the Kennel Club.

It has written to the two clubs responsible for Chinese Crested dogs in Britain to stress their opposition to the use of hair removal products. Both organisations insisted their members would not be breaking the rules.

Caroline Kisko, a spokeswoman for the Kennel Club, said: "Anything that gives a dog an unfair advantage in its appearance is not allowed. We certainly would not allow the use of hair removal creams.

"We do carry out spot checks, including hair samples, but while it is easy to find colour dye it can be very hard to prove that removal cream has been used on a hairless dog.

"However, we will be particularly vigilant this year and we have written to the Chinese Crested clubs to remind their members about the rules."

Cathy Urquhart, co-owner of the HUB Internation, denied that their cosmetics were being used in competitions.

However, Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today magazine, said: "Ordinary pet owners simply do not put make-up on their pets or chemicals on their dog's nose.

"This sort of trade is becoming more commercial and the demand must surely be coming from people entering shows.

"Dog shows shouldn't be about winning at all costs. The whole world of dog shows needs a deep clean and until now the Kennel Club has just been looking the other way."

Stuart Payne, secretary of the Chinese Crested Club of Great Britain, said: "I do not believe that any exhibitor of the breed would do anything to cause any discomfort to their pets.

"Anyone coming to see the breed at a dog show can see they are healthy, happy and in excellent condition.

"It is very easy to abide by the rules, as there is absolutely no need to break them in order to prepare a dog for the show ring."

The cosmetics controversy is the latest to overshadow Crufts. Last year, the BBC decided not to cover the event in the wake of a 2008 television documentary that exposed breeding techniques it was claimed led to genetic illnesses affecting pedigree dogs.

The RSPCA also pulled out of the show. Last year, The Sunday Telegraph also revealed some 'size zero' dogs were being starved in order to meet strict weight limits at shows.

Animal campaign group PETA, which believes pedigree inbreeding is "morally unjustifiable", will target this year's Crufts with a poster featuring a white Maltese with a black comb on his upper lip to look like Adolf Hitler.

The caption reads: "Master Race? Wrong for People. Wrong for Dogs. Boycott Breeders".

In response to welfare concerns, the Kennel Club has promised a 'doggy dating' website to help breeders find a healthier match between pedigrees using the organisation's unrivalled database of genetics.

It hopes the Mate Select site, which seeks to reduce instances of pedigrees mating with close relatives, will be running by the end of the year.

However critics have said the project is unlikely to work because it is not compulsory.

[WreckitWhippet]

They never miss an opportunity to sink the boot

[Steve]

Yeah why dont the UKCK just say - LESS - out loud ?

[Kissindra]

given there are even videos on youtube about using hair removal creams to "groom" a chinese crested for shows(and yes it does specificly state for shows) I have to wonder if it isn't considered completely normal practise by at least a fair proportion of people?

One such video suggests it is a better method because you don't get the skin irritation of using a razor and the poster is quite happy to link to her kennel website.

I don't know much about the breed - does the breed stardard state certain areas should be hairless by dint of grooming or genetics? Are small amounts of hair in certain areas considered a fault?

Edited March 8, 2010 by Kissindra

[-Megz-]

given there are even videos on youtube about using hair removal creams to "groom" a chinese crested for shows(and yes it does specificly state for shows) I have to wonder if it isn't considered completely normal practise by at least a fair proportion of people?

One such video suggests it is a better method because you don't get the skin irritation of using a razor and the poster is quite happy to link to her kennel website.

I don't know much about the breed - does the breed stardard state certain areas should be hairless by dint of grooming or genetics? Are small amounts of hair in certain areas considered a fault?

My bet would she will very quickly remove it or may find herself in the thick of this. Imagine if a reporter got hold of the info.

[Nancyk]

Unfortunately it is commonly known that hair removal creams are used on chinese cresteds.

It is also not unusual to see black texta being applied to coats & toenails. Have seen this done publically at Royals many times.

Have seen an exhibitor regularly bring a bag of theatrical makeup and use publically to cover up callouses on elbows.

Have seen people use electric shavers to trim fringing on bottomlines of dogs who should not be trimmed and to remove whiskers.

It goes on and on and on and the sheer stupidity of doing this in sight on hundreds of people never fails to amaze me.

The AR rights people are certainly a huge problem - but until the show world gets some common sense we are an amazingy easy target.

[sandgrubber]

I agree with Nancyk. When I go to a dog show I want to see the raw dog; not some cooked up creation built out of the dog. Ideally, I'd like an untrained handler to have a fair chance of winning. In my breed (Labradors) we don't do much consmetics . . . but I wonder how many white stars on the chest are removed with texta.

If I'm making decisions relating to what to breed for, or what to breed toward, I only want to consider things that can be inherited. . . not what can be added on.

If we are lenient about cosmetics, who knows, maybe we'll be getting bitches with tummy tucks showing up in veterans and contact lenses to improve eye colour. Or is that already happening?

Edited March 9, 2010 by sandgrubber

[whippets]

Whiskers Begone

[becks]

The notice about using products on the dogs at Crufts was sent out with our passes for the show. There are a lot of international exhibitors who are more likely to use dyes and other products in the coat, the notice gives them fair warning of the rules (nothing new about these rules!).

There is always negative publicity about Crufts, but hey - it's makes for great advertising and ticket sales for the show and reminds the public the show is on soon!

[Longcoat]

My Golden Retriever needs some nose paint

[sandgrubber]

My Golden Retriever needs some nose paint

Go for it . . . or zinc, which will make him/her look worse. But don't try for Crufts

[spottychick]

I must be in a stupid mood today - I read the title of this thread and imagined a bunch of rampaging cross-dressing tranny dogs disrupting Crufts by miming to Diana Ross numbers hee hee

[sandgrubber]

I must be in a stupid mood today - I read the title of this thread and imagined a bunch of rampaging cross-dressing tranny dogs disrupting Crufts by miming to Diana Ross numbers hee hee

Stupid moods are contagious, but reflect deeper feelings. I was thinking more along a Cher model. Dog shows should be about dogs, not about touch up.

Edited March 10, 2010 by sandgrubber

[Longcoat]

My Golden Retriever needs some nose paint

Go for it . . . or zinc, which will make him/her look worse. But don't try for Crufts

Zinc on the nose should be ok for an Aussie entry on the slip,slop,slap concept :D