on the way home in car so can't write much. did anyone see what the streaker had written on his back? think security was lacking this year what with two incidents!

Do tell! A streaker?????? what fun!

We just heard there was a disturbance and the cameras (online & TV) ignored, but some shadowy tops of heads ran across screen & there was shouting. Credit to the judges both Group & BIS, they kept their cool and the BIS judge just asked for another circuit... handled it well. (Are they briefed on what to do in that case?)
Was it PETA? they disrupted Westminster as well.

I found this:- http://www.thestreaker.org.uk/streaks/crufts/crufts.htm

> did anyone see what the streaker had written on his back?

Pedigree Bum

> Pedigree Bum

This year? Today?
well they have missed something if so - Pedigree don't sponsor it any more (I take that it was a pun on Pedigree Chum).
This year he should have had something like "My Bum is a Sofa!" or "Sofas, My Ar*e!!!"

Nobody can top Erica Roe, really.... but you'd have to be ol enough to remember her ;)

> I found this:- http://www.thestreaker.org.uk/streaks/crufts/crufts.htm

That was from 1999!

Here we go:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1257891/He-barking-Streaker-stuns-Crufts-judges-running-arena.html

The real deal ;)

Ummm he was wearing a tail!!?? (and possibly an accessory from Ann Summers??)

Thanks for that!  Now I know why I prefer dogs!  :-)

OMG that is not a pretty sight - might have been better had he worn a bag over his head :-D :-D Why is there never a good police dog around when you need one? I'd have paid money to see that 'tail' getting grabbed by a large GSD :-D  Plonker!!

Shame he had nothing better to do.  As you say not a pretty sight!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1257891/He-barking-Streaker-stuns-Crufts-judges-running-arena.html

Quote

"Later, Yogi, a Hungarian Vizsla, scooped the prestigious Best in Show after triumphing in the gundog group.The chocolate brown dog (!!) praised for his 'powerful' movement by the judges, had beaten off competition from 22,000 other pooches to win what is regarded as the most coveted crown in dogdom"

A caption to a photo in today's Daily Telegraph describes "a Maltese parades for the judges at Crufts yesterday as the votes came in to find best in Show". The plethora of reality shows has got a lot to answer for!

"as the votes came in to find best in Show".

LOL.

I was there and althoug i see the funny side now it sort of spoilt the show,  Still havent found out what the protestors in the top corners where shouting at and what there banners said

The protester on top was holding a banner saying "Adopt, don't buy" and shouted "Breeders kill dogs". I think it took far too long for security to get her out, but the applause when they eventually did was more than for anything else.

It bothered me they were more lax on security this year -they didn't even check the bags of people going to watch BIS. And then they missed both the streaker (I mean, it must have taken him a few seconds at least to get undressed!) and the protester.

oh thank god i came on here - having only been able to watch it on tv i was desperate to know what the disturbances had been about - now i know! - silly fools! - congrats to the super set of dogs in the BIS judging - as a gundog person i was thrilled to see the vizla win!

I thought it was shocking really, my partners ticket was scanned but mine wasnt i was I could have been anyone i went back and got it scanned though.

"Adopt, don't buy"

That infuriates me. Why shouldn't people buy pedigree puppies... seriously, not everyone is in a position to taken on a rescue dog that may have health and/ or behavioural issues. Also, a lot of people want a certain breed for a variety of reasons and from a breeder they trust.
I LOVE pedigree dogs and I am not ashamed to say it, we don't all want a heinz57. Perhaps these worthy people who are clearly concerned about the number of dogs in rescue, most of which are mongrels, should be trying to educate the public to ensure they do not allow accidental matings etc etc and have their dogs neutered !

That infuriates me. Why shouldn't people buy pedigree puppies...

And where do they think dogs in rescue comes from? Found under a gooseberry bush? They were all bred by somebody, pedigrees and mongrels alike -the difference is the great majority in rescue came from bad breeders, not good!

On a lighter note..... I wouldnt say the streaker was "fit for purpose" pmsl x

On a serious note though it made me wonder how easy it would be for some evil person to get into the ring and potentially hurt a dog or owner, I thought the security would have been a lot tighter, and I was shocked at how long it took security to catch him and also the protestors.

What people don't think about when they say "rescue don't buy, is that even if you take in a rescue dog in,another one will fill its place. The only way to help is to stop dogs ending up in rescue in the first place. Most dogs are there because they have behaver problems or health problems. this is because they were bought from puppy farms, paper adds on line adds or off someone up the road who wanted a litter of pups without health testing.  If people do there research  on there chosen breed, find a breeder who has health tested there dogs and who can offer help and after sale advice to the owners and make shore they get a healthy happy well bred puppy, then it is very unlikely that it will end up in a rescue So  buying a pedigree puppy from good breeders can help rescue dogs, by not adding to them. People need to stop buying the cheep puppy for £50 out of the paper and go and see a breeder  who will help you get the best puppy with out any hidden health problems . It may cost you a lot more in money but it will save you a fortune in heartache  and vets bills.

personally, next year Id get rid of that awful wearisome boring "walking around the ring in formation with bored looking goldies" act, and replace it with a streaker....much more entertaining!! :)

LOL I agree Sam -I think the Golden display whatsit was just RUBBISH! A bunch of people walking dogs around on leads, dogs that weren't trained to do a thing properly. Can't see the hype about them, nothing clever at all. Any breed that got 16 dogs together could do as well or in most cases probably far better.

I agree with you both on that, they are particularly poor :(  They are a running joke with myself and my OH ever since I did canix at Crufts a couple of years ago,  the main ring were running late so whilst we all waited out back my OH had to sit through the golden retriever display team

And, just as irritating the woman presenter kept calling them the Golden display retriever team.

Nice bum!!

Well done and raised money for comic relief!!

oh yes what a load of rubish. lots of people walking around and forcing some dogs to walk with them, i cant see why thats even on crufts ? get rid of it its embarrassing to watch

>And where do they think dogs in rescue comes from? Found under a gooseberry bush? They were all bred by somebody, pedigrees and mongrels alike -the difference is the great majority in rescue came from bad breeders, not good!

Dogs can end up needing re-homing for many reasons, I have a family going through all kind of angst realising it would be best to re-home their 3 year old dog as the families circumstances have changed dramatically, the Credit Crunch has resulted in them having to sell their home and move to rented accommodation, and everyone is out at work.

The difference is a good breeder will support them.  I have found them a lovely potential adoptive family 'vetted' from my puppy waiting list, and hopefully they will do the best for him and let him go to someone who can give him a lot more time.

The difference is a good breeder will support them.

Exactly -which is why I said the great majority of dogs in rescues come from bad breeders. :) Anyone's circumstances can change, but those breeders that ask no questions before selling and don't spell out that they will take a dog back at any time have a much greater chance of their dogs ending up in rescue.

I have to disagree with you on the golden retriever display was good.  I went for 4 days this year and to be honest got sick of it buy the end off it seeing it every day and twice on the last day.  I know for people in the "doggie" world it will be boring and nothing special but i personally think it shows joe public that they can have fun with there dogs and hopefully encourage them to train there dogs into becoming good citizens.  However I do feel it would have been nice to see other breed clubs may be doing a display similar, or displays showing what the breeds actually do ie working sheepdogs, working newfoundlands etc (carting obviously not water rescue as that would be a bit messy in the main ring lol)

> It bothered me they were more lax on security this year -they didn't even check the bags of people going to watch BIS.

Even more worryingly after I came out from the group a doorman opened a fire door and let me out. I asked if he wanted to check inside the dog trolley and needed my exit pass. As I fumbled in my pocket he told me not to worry as he didn't need it. I could have had five dogs in there- I was not happy

> Most dogs are there because they have behaver problems or health problems. this is because they were bought from puppy farms, paper adds on line adds or off someone up the road who wanted a litter of pups without health testing.

Sorry but that is simply not true, Vinya. I've taken in and rehomed over a thousand dogs, purebred and crossbred alike. Very few actually have problems, behavioural or otherwise. The reason for the dogs being in rescue are PEOPLE, not the dogs themselves.

I thought the security was pretty slow too - specially with the one that was shouting during BIS, they should have had a hand over her mouth and been dragging her out asap. When we went to Lords last year and a bloke ran onto the field, the security men tackled him to the ground and dragged him out before he'd taken more than 3 steps!

When we went to Lords last year and a bloke ran onto the field, the security men tackled him to the ground and dragged him out before he'd taken more than 3 steps!

It used to be like that at Crufts, when somebody ran into the ring a few years ago (not sure when, perhaps 2005? 2006?) several security people carried the person off within seconds.

Hi,
I hope you don't mind me contributing to this thread. I just wanted to give you some background to the protest.

The number of dogs in the UK has increased by 18% over the last 5 years. The number of stray dogs picked up by council pounds increased last year by 11% to the highest number since records began (over 107,000). Last year 173 dogs were put to sleep every week in council pounds because they could not be found a home; and that figure does not include the number of dogs who are euthanised in shelters.

Of course, there are many factors that contribute to this problem. One issue is that people buy dogs without thinking about whether they can actually offer them the right home or whether they have the time and resources for them which results in the dogs living miserable lives shut in the house all day when the owners are at work for example, or them being abandoned - and the worrying fact is that many breeders will sell puppies without the assessment and home checks that shelters insist on. So education and a change of practices is needed here.

But the main problem is that we have 8 million dogs in the UK and there are just not enough good homes for them. Breeders cannot in all good conscience keep producing more and more puppies when our shelters are already full to the brim struggling to rescue, care for and rehome dogs. But the simple fact is that the more dogs that are brought in to this world, the more dogs there will be without homes, and the more dogs will have to be euthanised or live their lives in a kennel.

If you don't believe that we have a dog over population crisis, please visit your local animal shelters. I challenge you to walk up and down the kennel and look those dogs in the eye while they bark and jump up for your attention, and then say there is not a problem.

That is why you should adopt and not buy.

1. Given the chance, reputable breeders take back their own 'produce' (for want of a better term) and so don't contribute to the welfare problem.

2. Are people forced to buy clothes from charity shops? What's wrong in buying new, ethically sourced clothing?

> That is why you should adopt and not buy

I take issue with the instruction to adopt - I resent being told I should.  However I have no issue or concern with the question 'Could you adopt?'

I have adopted (although one still has to pay for these dogs) a dog from a rescue centre.  He's delightful, was just what we wanted, and he's adored by all who know him.  When it came time for us to get another dog my needs were more specific this time around.  My chosen breed is not to be found in rescue homes, and the particular traits I was looking for (to fit in our home, our lifestyle, and with our rescue dog) could not be sourced from a rehoming centre.

If you want to ensure that people make considered decisions when getting a dog, then you must allow them to 'choose' the best fit dog for their lifestyle.  Good breeders will help potential puppy owners do this.  Puppy farmers, and indiscriminate 'pet breeding' do not.  There have been many posts on Champdogs where people have been urged to 'think again' about getting a dog or puppy.  Not everyone has a lifestyle that can comfortably accommodate a dog and those that cannot have been pointed toward their local rescue centre to help out with weekend walking.

I am in support of quiet protest, everyone has a right to their own opinion.  The shouting isn't helpful, neither is targetting Crufts.  Please do as much as you can to stop Puppy Farming.

I think the solution actually is to stop puppies from being sold. Making money is the main motivation for puppy farmers and other breeders, if they can't profit out of it, they won't do it. This wouldn't mean that we suddenly have no dogs in the UK, since those people who genuinely love dogs would continue to breed them and thus we could go to them knowing they have the dogs best interests at heart, not their back pockets. If there was also a law introduced to ensure mandatory home assessments that would help to ensure that people who do not have the right circumstances are not able to have dogs in the first place.

We target Crufts because of the suffering they cause by promoting the breeding of pure breed dogs and giving out a strong message to the world that mixed and cross breed dogs are valueless. Their ethos is a major cause of suffering of dogs.

Just to add to this...adoption is all good and I am all for it....however most rescue centres now have such strict conditions that for some people it makes it near on impossible to adopt a dog as I am sure most of us know.  I deal with customers day to day coming in asking about adoption to be turned away so they then set out to look for a puppy for they've been told oh you have a child no can do ir something similar.  So people do wish to adopt often being turned away.

As said, more effort on stopping puppy farms would be much more beneficial :)


We target Crufts because of the suffering they cause by promoting the breeding of pure breed dogs and giving out a strong message to the world that mixed and cross breed dogs are valueless. Their ethos is a major cause of suffering of dogs.

so....what about the cross breeds and mixed breeds that do compete in competitions at Crufts such as agility, flyball heelwotk to music etc etc??

> We target Crufts because of the suffering they cause by promoting the breeding of pure breed dogs and giving out a strong message to the world that mixed and cross breed dogs are valueless. Their ethos is a major cause of suffering of dogs. <IMG class=qButton title="Quote selected text" alt="Quote selected text" src="/images/mi_quote.gif" width=20 height=10>

wouldn't you be better targeting  known puppy farmers? 

>> That is why you should adopt and not buy.
>

Nopounds - I have rarely read such utter and absolute claptrap!   Do you honestly suppose that if if reputable breeders stop breeding, the never-ending supply of puppies destined for the pound will dry up?   No it bl***y wont!

All that will happen is that the unscrupulous puppy farmers, here and in Ireland, will make a killing.

May I suggest that you redirect your obvious energies into campaigning against puppy farms?

It's a shame these forums always get so aggressive. Anyway, to answer your questions.

Most rescue centres now have such strict conditions that for some people it makes it near on impossible to adopt a dog
- yes, this is true in many cases and is exactly as it should be. Only those people who can offer the right home for a dog should be allowed to have one.

so....what about the cross breeds and mixed breeds that do compete in competitions at Crufts such as agility, flyball heelwotk to music etc etc??
- it's great they include non-pure bred dogs in some sessions, but the real celebration at Crufts, and what it is all about, is rewarding those breeders that produce dogs who mostly closely fit their breed standards, no matter the consequences on health and welfare.

Do you honestly suppose that if if reputable breeders stop breeding, the never-ending supply of puppies destined for the pound will dry up?
- Sorry, obviously wasn't clear on what I meant. What I mean is we should stop ALL breeders from being able to sell puppies, that is from being able to make a profit out of breeding dogs. Reputable breeders who do it for the love of dogs with their welfare and best interests at heart, would continue to breed since they don't do it for the money. However, the puppy farmers who are all about the money would have no incentive to continue. Hope that clears that up.

And where, when all the luvverly ickle puppies havebeen taken from the Pounds, do you think that their replacements will come from?

And what about those poor dogs that have been reared from aggressive dogs?   Do you propose that they too are rehomed in families?

And do you really think that puppy farmers will stop?

Tell me - where do you get your rose-tinted specs?   Do you go to specsavers?

I know that my responses must appear rude and I make no apology for this.

I don't think it is so though...I know many people who could offer a great home to a dog that have been turned away sometimes for things ridiculous such as age..now that's not on really imo.  Also whose to say that because of age determines whether or not you can take on a dog.  Just because someone has a child does not mean that they wouldn't be able to offer a dog a loving home.

Also..may I ask if you were one of the protesters..how did you get in?  Did you pay for a ticket?  If so isn't that defeating the object giving money to what you are campaigning against??  (this has been bugging me since I saw the 2 at Crufts and tbh there would have been much better ways to get your opinions across)

I'm not being aggressive, I'm just curious to how narrow minded some people can be :) There is always more than meets the eye in ANY argument.  Not all breeders compromise on health, god knows the breeds i'm involved with health is of number one priority.  Its those who don't care about their dogs that compromise which then brings as down to puppy farmers wanting to earn a quick buck and the BYB.  Most reputable breeders who care for and love their breed generally make sweet F.all money on puppy sales as the costs are generally towards the upbringing of the pups

And where, when all the luvverly ickle puppies havebeen taken from the Pounds, do you think that their replacements will come from?
- I'm aiming for a world where there are no dogs in pounds! A world where people adopt dogs from those who breed them not to make profit but for the love of those dogs. But that will only happen if the level of breeding drastically reduces - and that means removing the incentives (ie money) and demand (by asking people instead to adopt from shelters and not letting people take dogs who cannot offer them what they need).

And what about those poor dogs that have been reared from aggressive dogs? Do you propose that they too are rehomed in families?
- absolutely not. Sadly there is little hope of rehoming for them.

And do you really think that puppy farmers will stop?
- I think that if they cannot profit out of breeding puppies, then yes, there is hope they will stop. Some will continue to breed and sell on the black market of course, but many will stop. Their only incentive for doing it is money, so surely that's the way to go. Unless you have other suggestions.

Tell me - where do you get your rose-tinted specs? Do you go to specsavers?
- I acquired them after many years of feeling hopeless, angry and depressed about it all. If we want to acheive change, the first step is to believe it will happen. Or you can continue to be rude and angry, but that won't get you anywhere.

I know that my responses must appear rude and I make no apology for this.
- Instead of being rude, please could you tell me what you think needs to be done to stop this?

were one of the protesters..how did you get in?
I'm afraid I did pay for a ticket, yes. It's a matter of weighing things up. Yes, paying £20 for Best in Show defeats the object, but what's the other option? Doing it outside where no-one sees you?

Not all breeders compromise on health, god knows the breeds i'm involved with health is of number one priority.  Its those who don't care about their dogs that compromise which then brings as down to puppy farmers wanting to earn a quick buck and the BYB
- Exactly! So stopping breeders from profiting out of selling puppies will stop puppy farmers but not the good breeders, right?

I'm not being aggressive
Agreed! And I appreciate your input.

I whole heartedly believe that years of education, micro-chipping and neutering programmes have not made an impact. You might believe that these are the way forward, but considering dog numbers are still increasing, as are stray dogs and euthanised dogs, it's clear it's not working. Which is why we are calling for legislative change.

Whatever the cause, there's no justification for causing disruption to an event which actively promotes good standards in animal husbandry and welfare, nor for distressing real live dogs in the process.

Crufts new tagline might be all about "happy, healthy dogs" but don't be fooled. The Kennel Club is the route of the suffering, the Pedigree Dogs Exposed BBC programme and the two subsequent studies in to breeding of dogs have made this very clear. And I'm pretty sure none of the dogs even noticed us, not with the bright lights, clapping and voice over from the commentator.

Hear Hear JeanGenie, I have always wondered how people who profess to love animals can do things that might distress them. Thankfully the majority of dogs shown are "bomb proof".

I would like to see a world where the disgusting individuals who produce litter after litter with no regard for the animal welfare are targetted and stopped and people who put a lot of thought, research, money on health testing etc etc to provide people with well bred, well raised, healthy puppies that are loved by their new owners celebrated rather than treated like the scum of the earth!!

I am so sorry but what a load of B**S*** of course we all want legislation but protesting in the the way you do is not going to help , pedigree dog breeders have been cast as the bad guys and yes there are alot of dubious breeders out there , but most of us are trying to do something about it by breeding good healthy dogs , i work in breed rescue and belive me 99.9% of dogs that come through us are bred by puppy farmers , no health checks done on sire or dams , devote your resources on the puppy farmers and not at those that care about our dogs , campaign for legislation along with good breeders and breed clubs and maybe we might make a difference in years to come!!!