The KC rules state that blind dogs may not be shown.
:)

I'll take your word for it JG ;) BUT, if a dog is KC registered - becomes blind outwith their knowledge - is entered at a show and presented before a judge it CANNOT be disqualified.  It is not part of the judge's remit.  I've seen "special vintage" classes at shows where dogs have completely white lenses - bless them, I'd certainly not take them (for the sake of the dog) but some people do.  Never seen one *dismissed* from the ring though:D

Teri

As far as I know, Teri, they should have been dismissed from the ring, because their entry was invalid ... Unfortunately the KC site is so convoluted I can't find the regulations anywhere (though maybe they're only available if you pay for them! ;) ) You're absolutely right - the hustle and bustle and confusion at a show is no place for a blind animal.
:)

Re.\the whole different question of the *wisdom* of campaigning a dog with a hereditary defect - to me it depends on the seriousness of the defect.  Many exhibitors are made up by pet people, who have no intentions of breeding, and simply enjoy showing their dogs as a sociable family hobby and certainly don't have the facilities or desire to add to their household number.  Why take away their enjoyment because they have been unlucky enough to buy in and fall madly in love with a dog that perhaps turns out to be carrying a defective gene?

The KC puts much regard on honesty of breeders - mainly that pays off but there will always be those who go to great lengths to cover things up.  If rules are in place - even of the *unwritten* type, this would I feel make many known hereditary conditions appear to vanish almost overnight    A balance has to be drawn between how far rules should go v integrity.  Hopefully if honesty prevails and the new DNA scheme is more widely used, most of these problems will become less anyway and those looking to breed will have an accurate data base from which to select their lines. 
Regards, Teri ;)

To me it does not matter what a judge thinks they know about the dog before them in the ring. They MUST only judge what they can see. The judge does not see the catalogue so does not know for sure who the dog is! (Even if they suspect who the dog is!) The handler may only have one dog but that does not mean that they own the dog in the ring, they could be handling for a friend. To me, this is the reason why the KC should be the one making the stand and refusing permission to show on dogs which have had surgical intervention. These dogs are not "As Born"

Regards, John

Hi John,

Can understand your views on KC intervention but neither are docked breeds or dogs who have dew claws removed exhibited "as born" :D

Regards, Teri (taking cover <LOL>)

This is true Teri but the difference is, at least with docking, that it is covered in the breed standard. The point I was trying to make is that dog shows are, or were anyway, the shop window for the breeders so any hiding of hereditory faults, be they such things as ectropion, cryptorchidism or unbilical hernias should not be allowed in the ring.

Regards, John

I meant to add to the above post:-

Or if they are allowed in the ring then the catalogue should be marked accordingly so any person looking for a stud dog or a puppy would be aware of the faults that particular dog carries.

Regards, John

I can see your point John ;) but hind dewclaws for many breeds are undesirable yet it is very common for one or two puppies in a litter to maybe have one hind dewclaw - surely if undesirable in the standard and removed within hours of birth that is medical intervention of an inherited "fault"?

If the KC comes out firmly - with the complete backing of the BVA - and says it is definitely an inherited fault then I think exhibitors have to accept that and either not have the op and continue to show and hope their dog is of sufficient merit to be awarded highly despite the umbilical hernia, or elect for the op and not be permitted to show.

Trouble is, so far there is no rule set in stone and so in the interim I think it's wrong for a judge to penalise an umbilical hernia :)

Regards Teri

Some books say, quote, " the bitch may pull excessively on the cord causing an umbilical hernia" ???
Diane

Wow, what a debating issue.  I have some thoughts of my own on the WHOLE umbilical hernia matter I hope all will read and realize I speak a lot of truth and maybe think about why we are in the whole dog business in the first place.  I love dogs.  I love to breed, show, groom, train, whatever I can.  I also don't necessarily find anything wrong with making a living in the dog world under any of those categories either.  What I do have a problem with is dishonest business.  Which is quite common in the dog world.  Recently I decided to purchase I beautiful shih tzu puppy for show and breeding only to find out right before shipping of the dog that she had a small umbilical hernia.  I was not happy with this and apon research discovered it to be very much a frequent problem in the shih tzu breed.  I was torn on what to do but if I listened really hard to my reasoning and heart, I knew this was not a good fact of life.  The true fact is many breeds of dogs are soley bred for conformational purposes and why?  So they can win a title, be bred and make someone money.  But wait!!!  Doesn't every "responsible breeder" boast they breed to better the breed!!!!  How is this so if breeders are willing to sacrafice what truly is important, a sound dog health wise, for a dog to be conformationally beautiful?  Obviously the weakness to develope a hernia is hereditary if a breed such as the shih tzu is bred regardless of the hernia and then the weakness is SO common.  Then breeders pass it off as a normality for the breed...NO!  It is not normal!  If any human today were to find their baby was born with an umbilical hernia, they would find it abnormal and want it fixed.  Would that child be a defect?  No.  Would that child grow to reproduce?  Yes.  The difference?  The grown child who had the hernia is not selling its offspring for tons of money, advertising its perfection when the offspring have hernias.  How can people knowingly breed a problem over and over again and claim they have perfection?  The whole point to showing originally was to claim a victor of perfection.  How is a dog perfect if he or she was born with a hernia?  It is only becoming excepted because of things such as cosmetic surgery and the AKC feeling pressured to allow it since so many breeders wanting to show have many dogs with them.  The AKC wants to stay in business too you know.  So now breeders and handlers have lowered their standards.  How low will they lower them?  How many more defects will be allowed?  If individuals want to show dogs with these defects, which is exactly what they are, go for it.  But aren't you defeating the purpose of hoping for the perfect dog?  Not that your dog with the hernia is worthless, but you are lowering the standard of perfection.  That is what a dog show USE to be about.  If individuals want to continually breed animals with hernias or that produce offspring with hernias, well, all I can say is thanks for being willing to continually ruin the health of a breed.  If we were all truely trying to always better the breed(s), we wouldn't as dog people be willing to sacrifice the health of the dog for the beauty of it and we wouldn't be willing to promote dogs with such weaknesses to be breeders or showers.  We would continue to spay and neuter animals born with these weaknesses, we would throw out the lines that produce the weakness, always and ever striving to correct problems in the breeds we love so much.

The breed standards in the UK state that faults are assessed according to the their degree, so a small hernia, or late closure defect that causes no health problems and does not need repair is a small blemish, a large Hernia that requires repair is a larger fault and also a health issue.

If the odd late closure defect is produced in otherwise excellent specimins and this occurs only occasionally it would be most foolish to throw the baby out with the bath water and reduceing the gene pool still further and perhaps perpetuating worse faults.

When breeding or showing you have to evaluate the whole animal, and accepting there is no perfect animal breed in such a way as to strive towards this bearing type and soundness in mind.  A sensible breeder will note any particular faults, and how often they cocur, and if the frequewncy is increasing then they need to breed away from the fault.

there are many excellent studs and broods who prodcue soem offspring who say have weak pasterns or too high a tail carriage, but if the vast majority excel in these asn other features you woudl not rule them out of breeding.