The canine exhibitions (or shows,
as are known internationally this type of contests) are
born in rural areas, a little, or a lot, around the
cattle commercial activity. In order to sell better their
products, the cattlemen organize exhibitions of equines,
ewes, goats cattle, etc. I say are born, due they had
developed and multiplied, at least as we know them today,
in hands of city people, and as consequence the result
little or nothing has to do with those farmers canine
exhibitions in whom the correct morphology, the racial
characters, and mainly the functionality of
the dogs were valued.
The Hounds had by necessity to be quick and resistant,
since its reason of being (fundamental and unique) was
the hunting; the cattle dogs had to be a model of work in
the safekeeping and conduction of the cattle; the guard
dogs, between which they were included all type of
molossers, had to be patient guardians, defenders of the
houses, equipment, cattles, palaces, castles, etc., of
their owners; to excel in the hunt, specially of the
wild boar, and in the war to not have comparison. And
thus all breeds. The value, by the quality of the dogs
that exposed at sight worldwide, was well-known, and
sometimes it meant the recognition (beyond the imaginable
today) on the part of aristocrats and monarchs.
Thus it was during millenia, in Orient and Occident.
Today, however, the canine exhibitions with too much
frequency have more to do with the pejorative meaning of
the english word SHOW that with any other thing (in some
countries more than in others, of course).
The canine exhibitions today have more to do with the
interests of the breeders that with the improvement of
the breeds that there are exposed. This type of contests,
sights from outside (by people that goes to them to see
compete dogs with pedigree without interests of no type)
the shows are great, and as usually they are celebrated
in the week-ends, even better (people become bored in
their houses, and is necessary to fill the Saturday and
Sunday somehow). In addition, they have (the canine
exhibitions) a very interesting an ecological touch
(except when they are celebrated in enclosures).
Some breeders (they are minority) go to the exhibitions
to show the product of their labor and effort, absolutely
convinced that they have made a good work of selection,
considering the service that their dogs lend to the
society. Without a doubt, these breeders deserve a social
recognition. Other breeders (the majority) go to the
canine exhibitions to win. One C.A.C, and another C.A.C.,
and another one, and the Point of the Monographic of the
Breed, essential to make his dog Champion of Spain (where
I write), or of France, or Italy, or any other country. And the International Championship..., ay! And with
all this material (symbolic) in their power inserts
boasting announcements in the specialized magazines to
sell, at the best possible price, the pups of the
champions (CH, put in front of the name of the father and
the mother). And whatever more CH are in the pedigree of
the fathers of the puppies ("exceptionals" for
being offspring of champions) more quality guarantee
have these (?). That is assumed, and nobody dares to
question it. Some breeders (they are minority, of course)
always ask the same question, champions of what?
As it could not be of another way, to these shows also
concurs the Perro de Presa Canario, (for the same reasons
that I finish exposing).
For those of us worried in with genetic fixation in the
Perro de Presa Canario so that it gets to be a breed
(real, non hypothetical), healthiest possible, most
functional as possible, etc., this type of cinofilia
seems to us ominous. For that reason, for enough time we
have been proposing the Spanish Club of the Presa Canario
that creates a norm by means of which it demands to all
the breeders the certificate of free of hip displasia to
the males and females that are going to be destined to
the reproduction, and to surpass a test of character, and
sociability (carried out by true professionals, broken
ties with this association, to avoid the fraud as far as
possible).
Due the current norm, the Perro de Presa Canario can
participate in official canine exhibitions in which the
C.A.C is in game (once recognize by the FCI can compete,
also, for the CACIB) and any specimen can win in Class
Young, or in Open Class. They does not consider if this
suffer or not hip dysplasia, or if its character,
temperament, or psychical balance, is the desirable one,
or on the contrary they leave a lot to be desired. The
chicanery one of most of the breeders of Perro de Presa
Canario (like the breeders of any other breed) is amply
well-known, and the truely important thing (for them), to
the margin of any other consideration, is to win the
Monographic and the Championship of Spain (that assures,
in certain way, the sale of their puppies).
With too much frequency, the Perro de Presa Canario
exhibitors (as the exhibitors of any other canine breed)
criticize, and question, the work of the judges, to whom
they do not consider enabled sufficiently (because they
do not know the breed, because "they have not
move" the dogs enought throught the Ring, because
they are friends of the owners of the dogs that have left
winning, because..., whatever it is). Sometimes is thus,
it does not fit doubt, and we do not say when the judge
(or judges) is invited and received (and entertained) by
the director of the club of the breed that is going to
judge. Sure good part of those exhibitors, who criticize
the work of the canine judges, dont apply the patch
themselves recognizing they are doing it much worse, to
appear in the exhibitions with Presas full of defects,
some little appreciable at first sight (like hip
dysplasia, unless it is in serious phase) but that they
know very well, and with those dogs they breed, a litter,
and another one, and another one... Respect to the
specialist judges of a breed club (in our case the Presa
Canario) the thing gets considerably worse. Very
frequently a part, or the totality, of the prizes awarded
by specialist Judge previously has been granted (rigged).
With these conditioners, the evolution (global) in the
improvement is practically impossible for the breed. For
that reason it is urgent the creation of the exposed norm
and its application in the breeding programs and
selection of the Presa Canario. Of nothing it is going to
serve to us that the FCI has recognized the breed if this
one is completely ill.
In other articles I have exposed the responsibility that
falls in each one of (we) the breeders (to the margin
that if the club of the breed creates that norm or not)
to x-ray the hips of our Presas Canarios and to not
include in the reproduccion those that dont have
"apt for breed" and the quality of character,
psychical balanced and temperament. The fans to the
useful, functional dogs, frequently condemn the shows,
because in them very frequently C.A.C and C.A.C.I.B.S are
granted to dogs (in our case Presa Canario) whose lineage
is the same negation of the qualities that, at lest in
theory, they are tried to maintain and to increase in the
breed. Sure it is an unquestionable fact that the canine
exhibitions, like social phenomenon are perfectly
inserted in our world, and there is no reason to consider
the idea to fight by its disappearance.
Rather we have to think in the effective norm necessary
to guide this shows, and is to the Real Sociedad Central
Canina to who corresponds to make that decision. If this
organization demand the certificate of free hip dysplasia
and to pass the character test to the Perro de Presa
Canario, for example, to be able to win the Championship
of Spain, it would be a great advance.
To the margin of these last considerations wich are pure
speculation on my part (charged of good intentions,) I
think that our objective, as breeders pawned on the
selection of dogs (the Perro de Presa Canario, in this
case) useful to the society (with the minimum possible of
congenital pathologies), it is to go to the exhibitions
with dogs of quality (x-rayed and having pass the test of
character), and to fight, while, so that as rapidly as
possible those two conditions are demanded to win a
Special one of the breed, the Monographic one of the
breed, or the Championship of Spain.
In order to conclude, it seemsto me that the canine
exhibitions would be revalued considerably if to them
concurred dogs of recognized quality (in the true and
wide sense of the word), and the society all would be
automatically benefited by it. Then the breeders could
really take awarded winning males and females as models
for reproduction, (if the judges take pains, of course,
in awarding to which they considered the best ones, not
to those of the friends).
