OPINION: Suspiciously fetching dogs

Most of the growling at recent dog shows has been coming from the humans. The judges, handlers and assorted hangers-on at competitive events such as the Westminster Kennel Club show are embroiled in a controversy over canine cosmetic surgery: facelifts, dental procedures, hair extensions, tattoos and dyes - even artificial testicles for dogs that have been neutered.

This is no mere quibble over kibble. The owners of top-of-the-line show dogs can spend more than $100,000 a year on training, grooming and travel. And the payoff for the big winners can be worth millions.

The American Kennel Club, which sets standards and rules for the 159 recognized breeds and varieties that compete on the U.S. dog show circuit, prohibits any surgery that alters a dog's appearance. (Cropping ears and tails is permitted, but shouldn't be.) But the prohibition on surgery has proved to be hard to define and even harder to enforce. In the catty world of dog show handlers, the rumors of cheating have been multiplying.

The biggest controversy so far involved Danny, a world-class Pekingese whose perfectly wrinkled face was rumored to be surgically enhanced. After Danny won England's most prestigious dog show in March, the results were challenged while judges investigated charges of an illicit facelift. They eventually concluded that Danny had had surgery for a throat infection and received no undue advantage.

We've come to expect that a few world-class athletes will be caught using illegal performance-enhancing drugs every Olympic year. And no one is surprised when a bodybuilder or beauty contestant turns out to be chemically or surgically suspect.

But we expect better from our noblest beasts. So remember: The dogs aren't letting us down. They are honest and perfectly happy just the way they are. It's the humans who are threatening to give dog shows a bad name.

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