by Richard G. ("Rick") Beauchamp
Were one to accept as fact the hyperbole typically found in the advertising of today’s show dogs it would appear as though we have arrived at a point in time when most of the dogs being campaigned deserve to be listed among the greats of their respective breeds. It all begs the question, what actually is a “great” dog? Veterans of the sport weigh in on what, in their experienced opinion, the term actually means to them.
All of us involved in purebred dogs began our quest for knowledge with an absolutely clean slate. What is written on that slate through the ensuing years depends significantly on the input we receive from our mentors. The education received from experienced individuals is invaluable and while given freely there is an implied obligation that the knowledge is not squandered — that it is passed on to succeeding generations.
It should come as no surprise that the exaggerated and irresponsibly made claims made for so many dogs are bewildering to the novice, particularly so when used to describe dogs within the same breed that bear scant resemblance to each other and have extreme variations in accomplishment.
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