Letters
To the Editor; I felt the need to comment on some important issues happening in our breed, I hope you will print this in the next issue of the Wire News. First let me just commend those in our breed who are expanding the areas of competition for our very versatile dogs. In these times it would be in the best interest of all, to show the world that these dogs are more than just "hunting dogs." Agility, Fly Ball and Therapy work are just a few areas wires are exploring and doing quite well, I might add. We as a breed are very fortunate. Several breeds have had to find new niches, to exist in a modem society that had outgrown their original use. You would be hard pressed to find a trial for Rhodesian Ridgebacks, where a lion had to be cornered and held at bay. How about a competition for English Mastiffs, in which they brought down a would be thief. Yes, we are lucky, but for how long? With animal activists pounding on every door, and land becoming scarce, it may be sooner than everyone thinks. Now on to the reason for this letter. This is written in response to a letter in the last Wire News. The word, "Any comments?" were attached to the bottom of the letter, so here are mine. First the grooming issue. Out of all the subjects in our standard that call for a severe penalty, this is the only one that is subject to interpretation. What is excessive grooming? To some, it could be more than bathing the dogs the night before the show. What is called excessive to some is merely called "Ring Presentation" to others. When you are seriously competing with a "special", the grooming becomes more involved that whenjust finishing a dog in the classes. There are many wire exhibitors, seriously campaigning a dog and I can't think of one, that isn't what some could deem excessively groomed. Grooming is not genetic. It will never harm the breed. 10 years from now this same argument will be going on, the way it has for years. Why not spend our energy focusing on some of the issues that are posing a serious threat to the welfare of the breed? There was mention that the grooming will hide flaws. Grooming cannot hide genetic problems, such as bites, eyes, movement, or the biggie, temperament. Its just hair folks, lets not give it supernatural power. I am not lobbying for us to change the standard regarding grooming. Just, let's put it into perspective. The grooming issue seems to be cropping up alot, Why? Because some are lumping it together with the issue of allowing Black wires in the show ring. The reason being, if both are severely penalized in our standard, why favor one over the other. This is taking things out of context.
The allowance of Black wires in the show ring, will have a large impact on the breed and it's gene pool for years to come. How someone grooms their dog today, will be forgotten tomorrow. Our standard calls for severe penalization on several items, if you are going to use one for your favor, use them all. No one is throwing up the issue of soft woolly coats, or coats lacking in length, and both of these genetic faults are seen often in the ring. More so in fact, than I have seen excessively groomed dogs. The issue of size was also brought up, the concern about undersized dogs and the thought of disqualifying for size. Well, in my many years of showing, I have seem many more that would disqualify for being over, rather then under. Everyone tries to maintain proper size, but variations do occur, it can't be helped. Would you penalize an absolutely perfect example of the breed, due to being a half inch under standard? I have seen top competitors in the ring and the field, on both ends of the scale. If the dog is balanced, and built correctly, the size was not a hindrance. My first wire was a solid liver so I feel competent to answer on the subject about length of coat. I have seen several solid livers with the correct length of coat. They do exist. Look at some of the foundation dogs in our breed, there were a lot of dogs with either mostly liver, or solid liver coats, all with correct length. Our standard states that in a ticked dog, the liver patches, the hair is shorter, it doesn't say smooth. Several breeders are maintaining correct liver coats, so the gene is still with us. It may be harder to find, but it's there. We don't need to change the standard, regarding coat length on livers. We just need to be more selective in our breeding, so as to maintain the coat length the standard calls for. And last, on the issue of needing a hunting title for a bench championship. Lets go one better. Lets do like they do in the old country. Germany. If your dog doesn't pass all the required tests, it never gets bred. That would sure cut down on breeding! Seriously, are we ready to withhold field titles on a dog that can't finish in the ring? Well the door would have to swing both ways. There are many more dogs with field titles, not finished in the ring, than vice versa. I personally don't want to take away the glory of a dog that has earned his place as a field champion, just because he can't finish in the ring due to a field injury. A great dog is a great dog, regardless of the titles aftertheir name. You don't (or I hope you don't) breed to a dog due to the titles after their name. I think maybe we need to focus on the important issues. Lets worry about genetics, and where the breed is going, and what shape it will be in when it gets there. With our breeds limited gene pool, this is in my mind, a little more concerning, than how someone trims their dogs eyebrows. I have voiced my concerns and opinions, and will now step down from my soapbox. Respectfully Lisa Jaffe Fairoak Wires
To the Editor, My eyes rolled back in my head when I read the letter from Ann Duffin. One cannot equate grooming with conformation and color. Grooming is simply presentation. Conformation, color and (to a large extent) temperament are genetic. Judging as it relates to the term "excessive grooming" is subjective. It does not and cannot hide or alter size, bad fronts, bad rears, light eyes, straight shoulders, improper balance, gait, bite and or temperament. Judging of structure, color, temperament and movement is objective. There simply is no comparison. Wire people should be much more concerned with the above -mentioned genetic factors than spinning your wheels over how a Wire is presented. It would appear that the real issue is not grooming, but rather disgruntlement from exhibitors of Wires being properly "severely penalized" for exhibiting dogs with black n the coat. Fingers then childishly pointed saying that if "we" get penalized for having black in the coat, then so should "they." "They" are winning because "they" are proper representatives of the breed, are groomed for presentation in stiff allbreed competition which requires that "they" be a showman and "stand out" from the crowd ..1 know for a fact that judges will and have "penalized dogs because the dogs, in their subjective opinion, crossed the line of that judge's interpretation of "excessive" grooming. Let's not lose sight of the forest because of the trees! I also do not understand the problem in comprehending the standard as it pertains to coat length. The coat length for a solid liver is the same as for any other color. The standard makes a clarification only insofar as the liver patches in a liver and white dog may be shorter than the white hairs. This is quite sensical. The notion of multiple titles being required for an American championship is not only unrealistic, AKC would not approve it. This also smacks of the archaic theory that Wires should only be owned by those who will hunt them. (Attended any lion or poacher trials lately?) We are blessed with the keeping of a breed that is versatile and this versatility enables a number of different types of people with different ambitions, principals and ideals to won and enjoy this breed. Not everyone is interested in killing wildlife for sport. I certainly am not; and I and other non-hunters can enjoy the other equally wonderful aspects of this unique breed in conformation, obedience, tracking, agility, and just personal interaction as part of a family. . Any good breeder will tell you that titles don't make the dog, especially in the show ring, and in the field as well. Almost anyone can obtain almost any title on any dog if they invest enough money, travel to the right parts of the country, know the right judges, etc. (Yes, even in the field!) Good breeders don't breed titles-they breed genetics looking at the overall picture and history. A little too big, a little too small-these animals will disqualify themselves in the long run. Just because they exhibited (in any event)