Another Blue Stafford Topic....

[mr.mister]

Doesn't the judge signing the challenge certificate testify that the dog named on the certificate is, in their opinion of a good enough quality to carry the title of champion? That has GOT to mean something, they don't have to award challenges if the dogs aren't good enough. And there are heaps of Staffies being shown........they are a huge class even at quite small shows, so how would a poor quality dog get enough points for a title?

I have seen a few judges in my short time in the show world place a dog that shouldn't have really got a look-in. I have never seen a dog be non-awarded either; I know it happens but obviously not that often. Who knows?

[NuggyWuggy]

Doesn't the judge signing the challenge certificate testify that the dog named on the certificate is, in their opinion of a good enough quality to carry the title of champion? That has GOT to mean something, they don't have to award challenges if the dogs aren't good enough. And there are heaps of Staffies being shown........they are a huge class even at quite small shows, so how would a poor quality dog get enough points for a title?

I thought so too GayleK.

realised this topic has nothing to do with titles

Your post is about changing the standard by which dogs are bred and judged and gain titles.

If you have no interest in showing why do you care what the breed standard says?

There have been many thousands of blues bred in Australia and the UK in the last few years yet you can count the number who have won anything in the show ring, let alone gained their title, on the fingers of one hand. Do you honestly believe this is ONLY because the standard requires a black nose?

Blues have won in the UK. Blues have won in Australia. Blues have won under specialists in both the UK and Australia. The standard says nose black yet these dogs still won...... so where do you really think the problem lies - with the standard's odd requirement for a black nose regardless of colour which is obviously not strictly adhered to (otherwise no blue would ever have won anywhere) or perhaps there is some other explanation for this almost total lack of success?

When the majority of people who breed blues get their act together and show they actually want to breed good quality healthy Staffords, then perhaps they will get support to have the standard changed.

I don't recall ever having said that I have no interest in showing, where did you pull that one from??

I certainly don't believe that the reason why there are only a few blue SBT's that have had success in the show ring is because of the Standard requiring a black nose - but I do think that the fact that they have had success despite this shortcoming should indicate that they can't be completely woeful.

I think that the reason why there are SO many blue SBT's being bred and so few having success in the show ring, is because the majority of blue's being bred are purely for making money - these dogs don't go to shows. But I refuse to heap all those that own, breed, or show blue SBT's in the same basket - I think the fact that some are exhibited and have success indicates that their owners/breeders are in some way different from the money hungry ones who simply do not care about the quality of their dogs. Why would they bother exhibiting their dogs otherwise - they know they could make $2000+ on a pup without the mum or dad being a champion or even having stepped foot in a show ring.

I definitely acknowledge the general lack of quality in the blue SBT's, and I never denied that. What I refuse to believe is that even those ones that have been exhibited and had success, are also poor quality - their title means nothing simply because they are blue.

Edited June 12, 2011 by Nuggywuggywazabear