FIVE MINUTES OF VICARIOUS FAME?

Just seen a bit of the Cruft`s Dog Show on tv and I think it must be one of the most curious events I`ve witnessed. Now, I`m a dog lover - I`ve mentioned Henry, our Golden Retriever, enough times in these pages. He`s nearly nine years old now and for all those years he`s been an important member of the family. Not just as a companion, a friend, but also because it means we get regular daily exercise taking him for his walks, we`ve met many friends in our travels.....and we would not dream of going on holiday anywhere we couldn`t take Henry with us. He`s part of our lives and we`re part of his.

But I`ve looked at Cruft`s over the years and come to the conclusion that it`s little more than a canine spectacle by which dog owners can show the rest of the world just how wonderful their dogs are. To want to show dogs off and - even more sad - to compete with other owners is simply to reduce their canine charges to little more than possessions, which is not what dog lovers are supposed to do.

(Who`s showing who?)

There`s something of a `covenant` which says that you take on a dog - for life, not just for Christmas - you give it a good, loving home, feed it, look after it properly and, in return, you get years of devoted loyalty, fun and friendship. I just know that Henry would not be interested in or even begin to enjoy anything to do with dog shows - he much prefers a stress-free life exploring the world and sticking to his comfortable routine, in which regard he is a mirror image of his owner.

I look at the dogs at Crufts and wonder whether they would not prefer to be somewhere else, doing what they`re supposed to be doing. But that, I fear, would deny their owners their few minutes of fame, as they try to achieve recognition through the vicarious means of competing with others of a like mind, all of whose canine possessions don`t know what day at is, don`t know where they are or what it`s all about. And probably don`t care too much either.

"Come on, Henry - time for walkies."