Then and now, how we improved them

[Diva]

2 hours ago, mingaling said:

That looks like an Azawakh sight hound breed, and they should appear very lean, but that dog does seem disturbingly lean. Maybe it's a cranky camera angle. Maybe it's taking things to the extreme.  I think I'd like a bit more cover on the dog, even for this breed. Hmmmm

It is a Sloughi, not Azawakh.

Several of the major Sloughi clubs have spoken publicly against the condition of this dog. It won best of breed at the largest Russian sighthound show, but it may have had no competition at breed level as the breed is new there and rare almost everywhere. 

The view from most discussing this online - and it has had huge publicity amongst sighthound groups- is that it should not look like that, it should not be allowed to be be shown like that, and it should not be awarded anything looking like that. Several of the dogs at the show, Saluki and Taigan, look emaciated in the photos. There is some common ownership and that has been raised as the issue.

Young sighthounds can be naturally very hard to get weight on. It is how they are, but usually they are muscled and thin, not emaciated. Some extreme cases were present at that show according to photographs and first hand accounts. 

Edited July 3, 2017 by Diva

[The Spotted Devil]

I have not seen one comment on social media - showing circles - thinking that's ok. As Diva said it's been widely condemned. Just because it happened doesn't mean the entire dog world is complicit. 

[melzawelza]

2 hours ago, ~Anne~ said:

There were a couple of images and the dog didn't look any better in either image. 

 

Its not just disturbing, it's a living and current example of the issue that has enabled the sometimes dangerous distortion of breeds over time.

 

In my view, this is "extreme" leanness. I would go as far as to say it's not a lean dog, but an emaciated one.

I'm obsessed with dogs being lean and fit and am often trying to get people to drop some weight off their dogs and I agree, this dog is emaciated. 

[Maddy]

2 hours ago, mingaling said:

That looks like an Azawakh sight hound breed, and they should appear very lean, but that dog does seem disturbingly lean. Maybe it's a cranky camera angle. Maybe it's taking things to the extreme.  I think I'd like a bit more cover on the dog, even for this breed. Hmmmm

There is a huge difference between dry muscling and skin stretched over bare bones.

Lean implies muscle without fat, not bones without muscle.

I really liked azawakhs but already, it seems changes are afoot, and none for the better of the breed.

 

Edit- If that is a sloughi, that's probably even worse. I can see how some might misinterpret the azawakh standard to read it as "dog should look like it just crawled out of a POW camp" but the sloughi standard says nothing about the dog being "particularly slim" or that its bones should show through its skin.

Edited July 3, 2017 by Maddy

[moosmum]

13 hours ago, The Spotted Devil said:

I was out with my crazy dogs working them in the field on the weekend. Not trialling, not showing. But doing what they were bred to do. That's my ultimate judgement of whether they are worth breeding. But I can't even share photos or videos here because it's too politically incorrect! So perhaps I'm just making it up lol

Some thing  missed ?

 

I am saying that working dogs, or the purpose for any dog  should  have far  more prominence in the pedigree system and how we talk about and define them.

Recognition that their purpose isn't only to fit a standard mold as decided by others.

 

I woulds love to see more of your dogs.

Edited July 4, 2017 by moosmum

[disintegratus]

On 7/4/2017 at 6:39 AM, ~Anne~ said:

I'm not sure if this has been posted. Along the lines of your comments above. Exhibit A - this dog, in an overseas competition, won (hence the ribbons and proud look on the handler/owner). 

Sheesh, I hope the poor thing won a bloody meal!! That is not "lean", or "slim", that's horrific.

[Scrappi&Monty]

Why would someone even want their dog to be like that?! 

Poor thing is a bag of bones! As melzawelza said, it is great to have lean and fit dogs, there is an epidemic of overweight dogs, but that dog is absolutely emaciated!