Responsibilities and opportunities for Committee members.

 

THE OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG

TODAY AND TOMORROW

 

By :Birgitte Schjoeth, Denmark

Concerning the O.E.S.

· Over 90% is against extreem scissering and clipping and want the Judges to do something about it !  (Questionaire)

· Most exhibitors are very good at presentation and can give their OES a super outline but the judge must get in there and feel for the correct construction and confirm that excellent rise to the loins is on the dog and not in the coat manipulation.  (Ray Owen)

· Lack of muscles is not uncommon nowadays. Why is that? Is it because the owners are lazy or maybe because they are frightened to lose the huge Show coat if their dogs are running free? (Birgitte Schjoeth)

· We need an open worldwide data bank for HD, eye diseases etc. Every breeder must have the opportunity to see all result of examinations everywhere in the world. (Eef ter Mors)

Why is it that we are all gathered here at the Euro Show?

Many of us like the competition, only a few because they love to win, quit a lot of us come because we love to party, fewer and fewer because they love to gossip, most of us come because we love to meet each other, some (but there could be more) because they love to see what’s going on in the breed, but we all come because we do love this wonderful breed – The Old English Sheepdog!

 

Changes within the Breed – are they the responsibility of the breeders? – the judges?

Tails are changing the outlook and partly the typical movement, also we see more and more judges (and handlers) preferring the fastest possible trot. Is that really typical for this breed? Read the standard – ask yourself.

 

Conformation is changing. Lack of muscles is not uncommon nowadays. Why is that? Is it because the owners are lazy or maybe because they are frightened to lose the huge Show coat if their dogs are running free?

 

Coats are not what they were – think for yourself. Don’t we care about a proper coat quality and color anymore, or are we unable to take that into account because there are so many other things we have to look out for like health and conformation

 

Proper top lines and shoulder are disappearing. Were we not clever enough to teach the youngsters just how important that is for the breed? Today one even hear comment from breeders or judges alike that “this dog has excellent shoulders” – even though it has not. Same happens in most other breeds.

 

It should be an extremely good idea for all of us to read the breed standard now and then, just as the judges are supposed to do before every single show!

Responsibility of the breeders

Breeders must be better to work together to preserve this wonderful breed.

Gossiping is old fashioned and leads to nowhere

Being open minded about any problems one might run into is the only way forward and leads to betterment for the breed.

We must back up on any health investigations going on – for a brighter future for the breed.

We have a sound breed with very few problems, but it might not be so in the future if we are not careful, working together and helping each other – and the breed.

Education

Breeders must be educated.

The community around us demand it.

None of us would use an animal that is severely affected with HD or ED or one that is deaf or blind – but what about things that you cannot measure?

Gene tests are beginning to be developed and along with that carriers can be used safely.

Too close breeding or inbreeding will not be accepted.

Matador breeding will not be accepted.

These methods have been used widely for many years to develop the breeds, and more and more problems are now seen because of that.

Maybe not so much yet in our breed, but we must be careful.

Gene diversity is the most important item in any breed in the future. 

· The last 100 years the world is changed faster than ever before. Transport, communication, science etc. There are unprecedented communication possibilities. The committee members can do much more with that than they do today. Today breeders use each other dogs over the whole world. We are sending and receiving sperm from the other side of the world.

· An English and a American Type are no longer exist. They are all mixed up. That means other responsibility’s for committee members.

Committee members have always look two steps forwards. In this “small world” they cannot look only at there own club. Responsibility for the breed goes further than the own club and country. We, lovers of the breed determine the future of our breed. World is small. We have radio, television, telephone, internet. We all know most every part of the world. With our handy we have the world in our hand. If you can count to 10 you can ring the whole world.

 

BREEDSTANDARD

Isn’t time that we have one breed standard for the whole world? Don’t think about problems but believe in it. We all love the same breed and we are the oes-world. It will take perhaps a view years but if we will we can !! One day we will have it. Why not our generation ?? If we are waiting 50 years most of us are death and then that generation will come to the same conclusion that it is better for the breed. Also members of country’s with out a dog ban have to think about a description of the tail. That is a collegial duty. Let’s help each other

 

SHARE KNOWLEDGE

It’s high time that committee members of oes-clubs have more contact with each other. We can learn a lot from each other. Problems in one club are already solved in other clubs. Interview each other with the question : How do you do that ?  How do you manage that? It will help. In most of the time it is just a press on a button.

 

QUESTIONAIRE EVERY 5 YEARS

Let’s have a worldwide questionnaire every 5 years, send to all breed specialist  in the world, collecting all the actual problems in the breed. It is maybe a good idea for the breed council of the  homeland our breed to take initiative for that ? 2010 is a beautiful year to start with that. Every lover of the breed will look forward to that !!!

 

JUDGEMENT OF HD STILL DIFFERENT !.

It’s high time that we have the same judgement for HD over the world. Don’t say it is impossible. If we will we can. Let’s write letters to the responsible people of our club. We oes-lovers want that !! And believe me, there are good changes because we are not the only breed who wants that.

 

OBLIGED EXAMEN FOR BREED ANIMALS ON ENDANGERMENT DISEASES.

Most of the clubs have different rules for breeding. Let’s work on it. There is still not everywhere an obliged examine for endangerment diseases. Why not? These days diseases don’t stop at the borders. We have at this time the opportunities so why we don’t use it.

 

OPEN INFORMATION SOURCES.

There are absolute enough possibility’s. We need an open worldwide data bank for HD, eye diseases etc. Every breeder must have the opportunity to see all result of examinations everywhere in the world. Let’s not wait an other 50 years for an other generation to do that. Come on.

 

What I have said about responsibility and chances for committees all over the world

 

· The world is much smaller. The other side is next door!

· Communication around the world is no longer a problem

· We need one breed standard. Start negotiation!.

· A worldwide questionnaire every 5 years.

· Medical examination with same kind of judgement.

· Obliged examine for endangerment diseases.

· Open sources of medical investigations for every breeder.

 

Be confirmed

Perhaps not now, not yet, but then tomorrow, Let us accustom to that thought  that we oes-lovers have to cooperate worldwide much more that we do now!

I am not Obama, but believe me,  IF WE WILL WE…………??.

 

Thank you.  Eef ter Mors