That yellow lab at Crufts....

Hehe I wasn't being nasty or anything, I just also know that not enough is made of the fact these are normal dogs just bathed, to the public in general.

We had a fabulous day thank you, with a second, a fourth, a fifth, and a third with mine and the pups from my 2012 litter. Also had a 3rd with the other dog of my breed line that went, so a full house of placings for all of our kennel that were present.

And our judging was a bit bent this year, so considering that I wasn't born when our judge last kept my breed it was even more special. There were quite a few favours for friends and punishments for enemies of old but that's life in a subjective game.
 
Hehe I wasn't being nasty or anything, I just also know that not enough is made of the fact these are normal dogs just bathed, to the public in general.

We had a fabulous day thank you, with a second, a fourth, a fifth, and a third with mine and the pups from my 2012 litter. Also had a 3rd with the other dog of my breed line that went, so a full house of placings for all of our kennel that were present.

And our judging was a bit bent this year, so considering that I wasn't born when our judge last kept my breed it was even more special. There were quite a few favours for friends and punishments for enemies of old but that's life in a subjective game.

What breed do you own/show llanali?
 
I watch the gundog group every year hoping that my favourites the Gordons will get somewhere, they never do though.
Made me cry a bit seeing the best of breed Gordon, Ive had four Gordies and they are the most beautiful dogs. Ill never have another now though, cant do the exercising !
 
I've got one of each type of lab, one working lightweight type, the other show lines. The show one IS big boned. Her limbs are nearly twice the size of the working lab and she has a heck of a rib cage, she would be a cob if she was a horse. That said, she is not fat, well not much, and usually the dogs you see on Crufts lab section are!

I haven't seen any this year, but remember people talking about a fat lab that did well last year. Was it the same dog?

Yes, I believe it was the same dog. Knew the poodle was going to win. They give me the heebie jeebies. On a par with spiders I'm afraid! That being said, It showed beautifully and was a very impressive mover.

I was cheering for the rotti... :(
 
I was very disappointed with some of the 'gundog' entrants - namely the fat lab. That was NOT a good representation of a fit for purpose Lab Retriever. You would never see anything like that in the shooting field. I once decided to enter a showing class at a game fair (I have a working lab) - he won his class and when we went though the the overall championship. A 'show' lab won the class and there were some seriously good looking, athletic, true to type dogs there. That was my first and last time showing.
 
What breed do you own/show llanali?

Salukis :)

A selection, none of this years Crufts yet. Just some at home and some in the ring.
One of which was taken in the hospice garden, just before my mother came home for her last few weeks. In the photo playing in the garden, the older dogs are muzzled- they are sighthounds, my nephew was four and my BIL is nervous of dogs, so it is something we do for peace of mind and protection all round.
image-11.jpg

image-10.jpg


image-9.jpg

image-8.jpg

image-7.jpg


image-6.jpg

image-5.jpg


image-4.jpg
DSC_0104.jpg
DSC_0101.jpg
 
Last edited:
Oh dear, some are a bit big! Sorry.

The red is a champion, the black pup was my pick of the litter female, and the red with white paws my male pick. Mums male pick was the fawn, but she only saw them until 16 weeks.

The cream was best veteran in show under frank Kane, the guy who commentates with Clare balding for the TV once.
 
The breeder might be interested but can't do a lot sadly. One of our pups came to visit yesterday, they are nearly 6 now and she is massively overweight, looks pregnant. I told them that and they laughed and said she had lost weight and the vet says she's ok. I have tried for over 5 years to educate them but it just isn't happening. She also told me our dogs are on the thin side! Well maybe they are but I think that is preferable to obese.
A neighbour of my parents is one her third yellow lab now, sparkles the puppy :rolleyes3:

Already it's fat, her last two dogs could barely walk they were so overweight and 'hippy' I'm talking 50m then they would lie down for a rest. She changed vets because they told her the dog was obese. I'm pleased that my dad, first time he saw the puppy, commented that it was fat already like the others. I could tell she was put out, but responded by saying it was puppy fat, not that much isn't!!

I've told my dad he needs to say that everytime he sees her. The woman is a complete busybody and is always in every one else's business so needs bluntness back. What else can you do though, it falls on deaf ears and I doubt the RSPCA would do anything. Do you reckon if I found out the breeder they would care at all?
 
The breeder might be interested but can't do a lot sadly. One of our pups came to visit yesterday, they are nearly 6 now and she is massively overweight, looks pregnant. I told them that and they laughed and said she had lost weight and the vet says she's ok. I have tried for over 5 years to educate them but it just isn't happening. She also told me our dogs are on the thin side! Well maybe they are but I think that is preferable to obese.

Depends what the contract is like too though, SF.

I could take one of mine back if I could get a vet to agree they were unhealthy. I could take one of mine back if I can have it independent verified that their living standard was not acceptable, ie by a welfare rep.

Likewise, I take pups back for any, all and no reason. Including the week before I give birth to Baby LOL thank god, it's only been once.
 
I get so sad when I see fat labs ( we are a lab loving family ) I know one a chocolate with the most fabulous nature the very very best type of Lab my SIL has tried and tried to influence the owner but the dog is now lame and sick and will die young having never enjoyed life like he could .
He's only five and like a house end the vets up here would read the owner the riot act but he's in the south east in a urban area and SIL says most if the labs are fat so perhaps the vet are used to seeing them like this .
My lot as slim except cob who to night looks suspiciously like she's full of bunny .ugh .
.
I don't know a lot about standard poodles do they have different hairdos are are they standard because that dog had quite an extreme look I thought .
He moved so beautifully .
 
Salukis :)

A selection, none of this years Crufts yet. Just some at home and some in the ring.
One of which was taken in the hospice garden, just before my mother came home for her last few weeks. In the photo playing in the garden, the older dogs are muzzled- they are sighthounds, my nephew was four and my BIL is nervous of dogs, so it is something we do for peace of mind and protection all round.
image-11.jpg

image-10.jpg


image-9.jpg

image-8.jpg

image-7.jpg


image-6.jpg

image-5.jpg


image-4.jpg
DSC_0104.jpg
DSC_0101.jpg

Wow they are beautiful!!

I have a rescue Saluki x whippet who is black and tan like yours and an absolute star :-)
I'm also currently fostering a saluki x Afghan who is like the energiser bunny on acid and has a welly fetish!

Are Saluki's normally quite vocal? My bitch is always chatting away.
 
Oh wow, well done you for rescuing! Who are you fostering for? As fit crossing an afghan and a saluki, I'm surprised it (and you) isn't in the local looney bin!! Hats off.

Yes, not usually barkers but real "talkers", singing and warbling away. One of mine warbles at pretty much any occasion...
 
Our Lab lost weight as the day wore on, she runs up light and doesn't hold weight easily. We entered for a bit of fun, the BASC Gamekeepers classes, OH was very pleased to be placed Reserve in his class but was then told he had the highest placed bitch and was later presented with a huge silver cup which we weren't allowed to keep, such a shame! The second class he entered, also BASC and therefore working dogs went to six much bigger labs...
 
Llanali your hounds are beautiful! My hounds have converted me and I now LOVE all skinny pointy sight hounds!

Thank you! I think so but I'm biased. I am so proud of the (now two year olds nearly!!) recent pups. We had them all placed at crufts last year, and all that showed there this year placed too. Not bad going :) I didn't show mych last year what with being pregnant etc. As our dog car last summer had no air con and I couldn't face the long drives with hot dogs and hot pregnant me. The top photo is one of four outings last year for us, and I'm six months gone then- the sheik thought it quite odd to see a pregnant woman running riund the rings ! He was wonderful, he owns the world saluki centre in the United Arab Emirates, he came to guest judge an invited seiection of the british show salukis, to demonstrate that our show bred salukis are still perfectly fit for function in the desert. On the day, my red bitch pictured with him took a third in her class with a "normal" judge and the Arab Bedouin judge gave her top veteran saluki in show. We pride ourselves on how close to their ancestors our salukis still look. Pictures of them from hundreds of years ago are just the same as now pretty much. Some of ours are heavier feathered, but that's also a geographical thing depending upon the region of the deserts particular lines herald from.

Sorry, I'm off my soapbox now. You are very right- once a long skinny dog person, always a long skinny dog person. They are not for everyone, there are hundreds I'd never ever let near one but if you "get" them, they would love you forever. Probably never learn to fetch, but love you all the same ;)
 
Oh wow, well done you for rescuing! Who are you fostering for? As fit crossing an afghan and a saluki, I'm surprised it (and you) isn't in the local looney bin!! Hats off.

Yes, not usually barkers but real "talkers", singing and warbling away. One of mine warbles at pretty much any occasion...

Both of them came from Evesham greyhound and lurcher rescue. Song is such a chatter box and she makes me laugh constantly. She was sprung from the pound by ELGR and then she was actually 'rehomed' twice before me - both returned her within 24hrs! :-)
I find her very feline in behaviour and she loves to be up high - always sleeping on the back of the sofa or on top of the crates.

As for Alfie my Afghan boy - he may well cause the end of my limited sanity. I've given up wine for Lent - alcohol definitely makes him easier to live with ;-)
 
Dan the man enjoys his downtime from the ring
FC593F59-060E-4DA8-BC27-DF84F9DE5E26.jpg

He is beautiful! So lovely to see show dogs being dogs. I have a lovely whippet who's breeder was furious with me as he skinned his knee once when he rolled over whilst running. She said I'd ruined him by letting him off the lead :-(
 
Llanali your salukis are beautiful. I think a good number of show dogs live normal lives, mine certainly did when I was showing. I have just come back from agility training and one of the dogs there was a flat coat who had been 3rd in a strong class yesterday, so definitely not living a boring life.
 
He is beautiful! So lovely to see show dogs being dogs. I have a lovely whippet who's breeder was furious with me as he skinned his knee once when he rolled over whilst running. She said I'd ruined him by letting him off the lead :-(

That breeder would go down like a lead balloon with me I'm afraid. I do counsel strongly against letting salukis off in public parks etc, because someone's chiuahua running around is pretty much fair game to a strong hunter, and they'll chase it, course and kill it before they realise it was in fact someone else's pride and joy. Likewise, I counsel against letting them off in fields unless you have solid- very solid- boundaries and are confident they will not leap etc. I have seen salukis- mine! Included- go straight over a six foot fence after a rabbit shot under it, because that sheep might be the other side of that wire, but that wire doesn't mean much to that saluki.

But ruin a dog? Don't be ridiculous, silly woman. Most people in salukis would stitch at home or the vets and get on with it. Whippets are a bit different granted, in that they don't chase quite as much, and I would let a well behaved whippet off in a great deal more situations than I would a saluki. Besides, it's a dog, it's supposed to live. My salukis play with boxers/labs etc at the yard all in the arena together after we have ridden. I consider chunks of fur missing and slobbery matted ears par for the proverbial course.

Llanali your salukis are beautiful. I think a good number of show dogs live normal lives, mine certainly did when I was showing. I have just come back from agility training and one of the dogs there was a flat coat who had been 3rd in a strong class yesterday, so definitely not living a boring life.

Thank you :)

Exactly, I only know of one saluki breeder whose dogs live in a kennel lodging type setting- all heated etc and well appointed- and the rest are house dogs and pets. I won't post pics because they are not mine, but I have pics of my pups and other peoples salukis visiting Windsor castle, doing summer picnics, at point to points, at Boxing Day meets, mine are always at showjumping and dressage being lorry dogs...
 
Salukis :)


image-4.jpg


.......

Accepting that Salukis really aren't my dog, your Red Bitch is really quite something. She is nothing short of spectacular. She's probably the closest that one could find, here, and to a dog of the desert. She will be showing her age, but that changes nothing. She's stunning.

Alec.

Ets, and I chose my words carefully.
 
Last edited:
Accepting that Salukis really aren't my dog, your Red Bitch is really quite something. She is nothing short of spectacular. She's probably the closest that one could find, here, and to a dog of the desert. She will be showing her age, but that changes nothing. She's stunning.

Alec.

Ets, and I chose my words carefully.

Thank you very very much, that's kind. She was probably about five there, and to be fair she is whiting out on her face, but she is still one of the most stunning and correct ones I have ever had the pleasure of owning. For comparison, two of her last weekend at crufts rising nine. Considering her lack of fitness as I have had a baby this last year, and a litter of big pups, she looks strong still I think.
image-6.jpg

image-7.jpg
 
Last edited:
Top