The World Dog Show 2002 will take place in Amsterdam, Netherlands. A good opportunity to have a look at the canine situation in the “flat country”, which devotes its love to the utility dogs before any aesthetic consideration.
When you think about the Netherlands, you probably think about mills, tulips, bicycles and canals. But this summer, you’ll think about dogs too. Indeed, In July, the FCI World Dog Show 2002 will take place in Amsterdam. With more than 13,000 entries, this mega show will happen in a small country “whose fame in the field of animal selection has nothing left to prove.” The show will take place at the RAI, in huge halls at the doors of Amsterdam, and no, not in its port…
The organisers knew how important this particular event was for the Dutch dog fancy: not only all the spotlights will be directed towards the Dutch capital, but it will also offer a unique opportunity to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Raad van Beheer op Kynologisch (the Dutch Kennel Club). The former chairman of the Dutch Kennel Club says that: “The renowned Dutch friendliness, the ability to speak foreign languages and the liberal nature of our society are the guarantee for the fitting reception and pleasant stay of our guests. The Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, has much to offer in the fields of art, culture, architecture and, last but not least, dog breeding.” So if you participate in the show, or are simply intending to visit it, nothing prevents you from extending your stay in the city and enjoy its many activities and attractions.If you want to know the details of the program, consult the World Winner Dog Show 2002 website.
In a world environment – according to the statistics provided by the leading countries – where the number of births of pure bred dogs are generally decreasing, Holland follows an opposite trend with a slight increase of its numbers. Indeed, 49,558 puppies had been registered in 1999, 50,375 in 2000 and 53,039 in 2001. This despite an constraining legislation on breeding, plus the forbidding of ears and tails cropping and docking. The Labradors are at the top of the list, representing almost one puppy out of 10. There are several clubs dedicated to the breed in the Netherlands, but the Nederlandse Labrador Vereniging remains one of the most important breed associations in the country. For instance, 820 dogs were entered for the 2001 National Breed Championship Show, and they wer judged by a British Jury. The winner was a Swedish import, the black male Guideline's With a Will (Fieldvalley's Fabianco x Winnie's Copy It Right). Another local favourite breed is the German Shepherd Dog, with breeders and dogs famous on the five continents, and who can win in front of the best German tenors. Ask any breed fancier which stud dog was the most influent in the past 10 years, and he/she may very likely answer Odin Von Tannenmeise, a dog born in Holland and present in the pedigree of hundreds of thousands of dogs across the whole world.
Behind the GSD, we can find the Golden Retriever, which took the place of another local star, the Bouvier des Flandres in the top 3 of the most popular breeds. The Rottweiler has slightly declined in front of the Boxer and two cattle dogs, the Bernese Mountain dog and the above mentioned Bouvier des Flandres. Some Boxer breeders are also internationally famous, and one of their stars has won almost every important international breed shows: Numado Anastasia V.D. Meerpaal, NHSB 2234858, born on 02/19/99 (Vasko v d Hazenberg x Tina Annabel v. Numado), owned by Mr Nuland (Netherlands).
In the small company dogs category, the Cavalier King Charles comes first. In the Terrier group, the Jack Russel is now the leading breed, in front of the West Highland White Terrier and the Cairn. Some of the breeds missing in the top 20: the Dobermann, although Dutch selection had been leading the breed in the last 20 years, while the Boxer – under the same ear and tail legislation – is still in the top 5! The Yorkshire Terrier, the Setters and the Colley are also absent from the top 20. On the other hand, some breeds are getting more and more popular, like the Border Collie, the Beagle and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Do you know the Schappendoes, a small shepherd dog which is today the most popular Dutch breed abroad? The Kooikerhondje (here in picture), a small utility dog whose size at the withers doesn’t exceed 40 cm? The Hollandse Herdershond langhaar, which a neophyte could mistake for a longhaired Belgian Shpeherd? Well, when in the Netherlands, don’t miss the opportunity to discover these local breeds, the majority of which you may never have heard about. The last particularity of the Dutch dog fancy is its enticement for very rare breeds (such as the Tosa Inu, for instance), the recognition of breeds not yet recognised by the FCI (the White Shepherd), or the selection of breeds which are in the sight of many countries’ legislation (like the Boerboel, for instance…)A surprising small country, with a long breeding tradition, which you will be able to see in Amsterdam.
The World Winner Dog Show’s website. All there is to know about the organisation, program, list of judges. http://www.worldwinnerdogshow2002.nl/
An exhaustive book on the Dutch world of dog fancy. Click here to order this book.
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