EWO, excellent post and I completely see eye to eye with you.
Especially the part about what you would bet on verses what you would breed to. That statement is one to live by in my book
S_B
(Voted No)
YES: Gameness is the essence of the breed, and dogs who show it to the extreme are deserving.
NO: The DOY title should only be about performance.
EWO, excellent post and I completely see eye to eye with you.
Especially the part about what you would bet on verses what you would breed to. That statement is one to live by in my book
S_B
(Voted No
Last edited by S_B; 01-25-2015 at 08:53 AM.
That was well said.
However, I am not sure I can agree that Homer wouldn't get votes for Dog of the Year ... I absolutely think he would (if not even Decade/Lifetime) by the people who saw him go (as well as a general consensus in the fraternity)
In fact, what if we changed the title to BULLDOG of the Year ... does the word Bulldog not carry the implication of tenacity/deep gameness with it??
Jack
Jack,Originally Posted by CA Jack
No denying Homer and his gameness. But on that day the better dog won, circumstances, excuses, conditioners, weight aside. Jeep was the dog that beat one of the best during that calendar year. For that accomplishment Jeep would be considered the best.
I think it is a matter of what DOY has meant throughout the years as we all who were subscribers of the SDJ were conditioned to believe. Which was who was the most accomplished dog to be recognized in that calendar year. Or which dog Jack Kelly fancied most. And at that time the gamest dog during each show was awarded GIS.
According to this poll it is a matter of feelings or interpretation. One may feel the dog who displays what the epitome of this breed means, gameness is the best. While another may feel one who can out perform the best at the current time is the best.
I feel the addition of a "Gamest Dog of the Year" award is a good thing. But I think the performance record of the opponent would need to be a consideration which may or may not be fair. As two first time out dogs realistically could display deeper gameness.
Giving this more thought, what would be a determining factor to achieve this award? If you go on time at nearly 4 hours of action who's to say Homer was actually more game than Jeep? Because he was behind, and not brought in correctly? Or could Jeep have been determined more game because of his dominating and winning? It gets down to splitting hairs and what one interprets vs. another.
Something to think about...
S_B
What does it mean if, when we go out onto our yard of 20-30 dags, we say .... This one here is a BULLDOG!
Are we saying, This dog is a super-high-ability dog ... only?
Or are we saying, This one here WILL NOT STOP ... or is a WARHORSE ... with an outstanding combination of ability + proven resolve/gameness?
I disagree completely that "the better dog won" between Jeep and Homer ...
I can think of a lot of great dogs who lost only because their weight wasn't right, they were brought in underweight/bad condition, etc.
That said, I very much do agree with the general idea of DOY being a title of Most Accomplished dog of the year ...
However, isn't showing extreme, 100% dead gameness an "accomplishment" ... arguably even the most important accomplishment?
Is winning/losing the only relevant criteria?
Jack
PS: You didn't answer my question about the title BULLDOG of the Year ... if that has an added implication of "proven gameness" to it?
yes
Homer should have never met Jeep, but he did and he lost.
That is another argument in of itself, managers of fighters making poor decisions.
As far as extreme gameness being an accomplishment, I don't know if I'd say that necessarily as an accomplishment is defined as a performance. Does one perform gameness or display it?
To answer the question of "Bulldog" of the year...I'll say it's splitting hairs or playing into ones interpretation vs. anothers.
I believe we are both right in our own minds, I don't think there is an absolute answer therfore it is all subjective.
S_B
But that is what is important to an individual Jack.
When you had a magazine devoted to the sport of dog fighting. One which reported shows and awarded certificates to the accomplishments of its winners. And created the DOY award it was those principles and accomplishments which were taken into consideration. Not which dog was #2 on that list.
How can we even begin to change what this award means? These dogs are bred to do #2, many of them do this. It is the elite few who accomplish what GR CH TITERE 7XW did who truly go above and beyond. There is no denying he won 7 and beat 7 other highly accomplished challengers.
Explain to me how one can determine who displayed the utter most gameness in a single show during a single year when so many other bulldogs were likely to take their death as well?
S_B
Let me put it another way:
Which is the most difficult/important thing for any dog to prove it can do:
1) Win a match where the animal is more physically gifted than its foe?
or
2) Fight a toe-to-toe, back-and-forth fight, with 100% determination, until the last breath of life escapes it?
To which scenario should our highest honors be given to a bulldog?
Jack
Put this way #2 all day everyday!
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