From The Daily Mash (U.K.)BACK TO BASICS AT CRUFTS AS BEST IN SHOW GOES TO DEFORMED RAT
CRUFTS, the world's biggest dog show, last night shrugged off recent controversies and went back to basic by awarding the top prize to one of those weird little dogs that looks like a deformed rodent.
No-one's entirely sure which end is which This year's supreme champion is a Sealyham terrier, which is a four-way cross between a Philippine Forest Rat, an Australian Swamp Rat, a Jack Russell and a baked Alaska.
Charmin, short for Charmin Ultra-Strong Two-Ply Diamond Weave Toilet Paper, will now spend the next 12 months being relentlessly man-handled and photographed for reasons known only to its owner.
Crufts has had a turbulent year after a hard-hitting documentary about the inbreeding which leads to the sort of people who make their dogs compete in shows.
Tom Logan, managing director of petfood manufacturers YummyGravyDonkeyChunks, said: "I watched these people prancing about the ring and I thought 'have you really got nothing better to do? Because I'll tell you what, the dog does'.
"We commissioned a study last year which showed that dogs were not terribly keen on being driven across the country in a crate for 12 hours before being felt up by a retired magistrate.
"All the available evidence suggests that pretty much the only thing a dog wants to do is run around a field eating a wide variety of faecal matter before throwing it up and eating it again."
An RSPCA spokesman said: "Why do they always give the prize to these weird, scary little mutants? What's wrong with a nice Labrador or a Spaniel with an ordinary name and nauseatingly disgusting character traits. Crufts is rubbish."
Of course, the Sealyham is one of those breeds of dogs which, it turns out, has been a complete failure in the field and in the ring, same as the Sussex Spaniel which won Westminster.
Hmmm .... Isn't that a coincidence that two dogs on the edge of extinction won the two top dog shows in the world.
- Related Links
** The Sealyham Dog in Sport
** The Kennel Club Protects and Preserves Failure
** These Are The Good Old Days
** The Transvestite Terriers of Westminster
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9 comments:
If you want more info on Sealyhams from the past, look here:
http://geocities.com/clairedaletoo/ClairedaleSiteMap.html.
Working Sealyham = Lucas Terrier
Charmin won? The Sealyham from Chester County? Not only that, but the terrier that inspired that great photo in the Philadelphia Inquirer Chester County Neighbors section of his owner tranporting him on top of a silver tray at Westminister so that his coat wouldn't get mussed? The photo that I begged you to replicate with one of your "real" terriers, but you claimed to be too busy with the VA primary voting for our now-President?
Ya know, Pearl hasn't had her photo-op with you on this blog as your other two dogs have. I know what photo of you and her I want to see! :-D
Dorene
Having never heard of a Sealyham until this post, I Googled it. The first site I clicked on cheerfully described the Sealyham as being "not as rowdy as other terriers." Um, could that be because it was bred to be a dog that does nothing? As a terrier aficionado, I can't conceive of a terrier divorced of its spunk, nor would I want to.
I have an 11 month old Sealyham. He is the best dog I have ever had. He is intelligent, fun and has bucketloads of spunk. He retrieves better than my retrievers too! He is incredibly friendly, loves kids and will play for hours. Not the dogs' fault if they are given an 'unfortunate' clip! They are great dogs and if they have become fat and lethargic then blame the owners! I know loads of working dog breeds (fat labs, spaniels, terriers etc.) who have become fat lethargic family pets. Working terriers are in decline so its up to owners to give them a new lease of life before these lovely dogs are lost. Have you ever read old newspaper reports on the working Sealyhams? You might have a change of opinion about them. I am in the UK by the way.
Laughing out loud.
:)
"Old newspaper reports" indeed!
Newspaper reports about Jocelyn Lucas's dogs no doubt. Lucas was just about the last person to work a Sealyham, and even he abandoned the breed.
The Sealyham has long been a show dog for hair dressers. See >> http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2007/08/sealyham-dog-in-sport.html
Has any working dog been made in the show ring? No! But many have been wrecked there.
Patrick
Shame opinion is so biased against the Sealyhams but the article was written by a terrierman hunting badger in Wales during the 30's with Sealyhams (pretty graphic) Well I am certainly not a hairdresser and my dog has to fit in with country life. Believe me I have seen more lap dog jack russells, yorkies etc. but have also seen working terriers who are equally happy plonked on a lap! Hunting with dogs is banned in the UK now so I am delighted these dogs are so versatile they can adapt to any lifestyle ;) The memoirs were very graphic and one Sealyham fought underground for several hours in a badger set, eventually emerging with half her jaw missing, but still got the badger. I'm glad this is banned now. I do agree with you re the show dogs though. Same with horses too. Nothing wrong with the show ring so long they represent the breed. Btw, my dog looks nothing like Charmin - more like a mini Old English Sheepdog he was bred near Wales - (I hate the show clip)!
Badger are still dug in the UK (legal or not) and all over Europe and in the U.S. too. But no one is using a Sealyham, but Jack Russells or Patterdales or Fells or even Dachshunds.
It is not prejudice that marks the Sealyham -- it is too large a body to get down a hole, and the wrong kind of coat as well (to say nothing of no track record of work in the last 70 years). A dog in weather and mudd should not have the coat of a sheepdog or a poodle. No wild animal has such a coat, and neither do working terriers. The Sealyham has become a dog for the living room. Nothing wrong with that, but that's how ALL Kennel Club dogs end up.
P.
Yes, you are right about the show ring. Nothing wrong with showing but they should represent the breed. It's the same with horses too. The article referred to - this was written in the 1030's by a terrierman in Wales, not Lucas. Graphic account of his Sealyhams flushing badger. Hunting badger and foxes is banned in the UK so I am delighted these dogs are so adaptable they are happy as hairdressers' dogs ;) They tend to use ferrets for flushing rabbits here. My little dog lives a country life and looks nothing like Charmin (mine is without the show trim) He will enter some terrier classes this year and put his best paw forward with the other terriers. He puts his all into it, even if hunting isn't 'real'. Please don't write them off! They are terrier through and through but with the added bonus of a wonderful easy temperament. That's why I have one.
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