Showing A Dog With An Injury

[Gundog2015]

HI, was after thoughts on showing a dog with an injury. Dog has had stitches, which are now out, but still has scabbing. Can it still be shown?

[Pjrt]

Of course yes! If the dog is a great example of its breed no judge should penalise a superficial wound from accident injury surgery etc

The only instance is say that I would not is if the wound was from surgery that changed or corrected the dogs conformation.

[RuralPug]

If the wound is not completely healed, I personally would think twice before I took the dog out anywhere much, entered at a show or not. Once it is completely closed, with no scabbing I would show, whether or not the coat had grown back.

Ethically, if surgery was to correct a fault in conformation, patella luxation or dysplasia etc. then one would desex the dog and no longer show. If however, the surgery was due to an accident, e.g. swallowed a foreign object or injury, then there is no problem.

[Rebanne]

A bitch I bred was shown with stitches at the Sydney Royal some years ago. All was good. I say go for it if you want. I have shown a dog with shaved bits off him.