Will Kennel Club be brought to heel over ‘dirty tricks’?
In an attempt to curb foul play by dog owners, the Kennel Club put the blocks on grooming procedures that were deemed as ‘performance enhancing’. However, dog owners who disagree have revolted, and the law seems to be in disarray.
In the most recent Crufts event, a random test found that every dog chosen had its appearance helped by various methods, including chalk and hairspray. Poodles; Sandust Market Master and Glayvar Got Wot It Takes, tested positive for hair lacquer, whilst Alfie Prince of White Gallardo and Karamynd Play The Game, two West Highland terriers, were found to carry traces of a chalk dust.
Owners of breeds such as poodles admitted to using hair products to help keep their dog’s fur in place, whilst chalk dust was put to work in disguising blemishes.
It may seem reasonable to view such tactics as underhand, but 2,500 dog owners disagree. Many of them think that it is possible for dogs owned by the innocent to be cross contaminated. Jennie Griffiths, owner of Karamynd Play The Game, admitted that she used chalk as part of the grooming regime, but not to give her pet an unfair advantage
Sandust Market Master’s owner, Christina Johansson, has stated that she did not use any hairspray, and that her pet’s coat was contaminated by someone else using it backstage.
A Kennel Club spokesperson said:
“We believe it is cheating but we have to take in all views. We agreed to suspend testing but the regulations are still in place.”
The matter is expected to be resolved at another meeting late in October.
