http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/07/ncrufts07.xml

Its that time of year again for newspapers -happens every year without fail just like April Fools Day and Christmas. :)

Yep, as MarianneB says, as regular and predictable as Christmas :)

That would be last years article - i am sure there will be another along in about a month berating the world of pedigree dogs and dog showing.

2007 article

Quote: The dogs should come first and they don't," Mr Hancock says. "Dogs that are not sound are capable of winning Crufts. Breeders shouldn't be looking for superficial perfection, they should be looking for soundness in structure, movement and temperament."

Don't they realise that health and temperament and soundness are part and parcel of the perfection aimed for.  Yet to see a breed standards that asked for aggressive lame, blind exhibits who can't move properly.

Is that the same D. Hancock who breeds lurchers... lurchers who are not from working stock and most of whom couldnt work if they tried... who end up in rescues everywhere ....

Or are there two David Hancocks....

ditto

it seems to me that every year they do this, and that the reporters who write them have no idea what its all about so they just put together a list of quotes from other papers and such without asking for the breeders side of the story.

its a deeply biased article. that really annoys me. so the so called expert isn;'t then?

I tried to see if there are two david hancocks and really cannot fathom it out. THere might be though.... even so, knickers to them both, lol!

Re the chief vets concerns, just how many properly bred, health tested quality dogs does the average PDSA vet see?  My guess is very few, but I bet they see plenty of backyard-bred dogs and this is likely where their opinion is formed  :rolling eyes: 

Re Hancock, just been on his website, no mention of hip scoring/eye tests etc don't lurchers need these then?