Although dogs have been our companions for millennia, we have to guess about what prehistoric dogs looked like exactly. One thing we do know for sure, though, is the work they did. They followed the prey, drove the flocks and herds, guarded livestock, and defended their owners’ property.
AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) put on the Conference, which has been sponsored since 1997 by Purina. The approximately 300 attendees included American Kennel Club (AKC) Parent Club representatives, veterinarians, veterinary students from across the U.S., researchers and speakers, animal-health company representatives, AKC staff, CHF and AKC Board members, and Purina staff.
Click here to read the complete article 144 – September 2019 By Kat Smith A breeder I know posed a question on Facebook – the open-ended kind with no right answer, just lots of opinions and suggestions. Many people with many years of experience posted their ideas. That is until this breeder’s mentor commented that [...]
Two prominent judges who represent the best of the best, more than a century in the ring, and the ability to see the dog show scene as it is and how it could be have given all of us a report card. They each have written an assessment of the issues that need to be addressed and a blueprint for the improvement of our sport. Here are dynamic, impressive responses that the fancy needs to read.
Click here to read the complete article 124 – September 2019 By Dr. Carmen L. Battaglia Entries and attendance have always been good measures of the health and popularity of a sport. Unfortunately, the conformation dog show is now in its 15th year of declining entries and it continues in a downward trend that may [...]
As I am reviewing my United Airlines Mileage Plus account, the sound of Johnny Cash singing the Geoff Mack song, “I’ve Been Everywhere Man,” reverberates in my head. There on the page on the computer screen it is clear to see, but hard to believe. I have flown 94,000 miles since January this year. That represents, in airline lingo, 94,000 “BIS” miles. No. It does not mean Best in Show but “Butt In Seat” miles, those miles actually flown. The airline flights are chronicled in reverse order. From my first trip to Virginia in mid-January to my most recent to Vilnius, Lithuania, Johnny Cash has nothing on me. I have been everywhere.
If you add the minutes and hours you will be spending preparing your dog for your next ring appearance to the weeks and months you have already spent conditioning, grooming, practicing stacking, baiting, and gaiting, it is easy to see the enormous commitment you have made to improving your handling skills and fully preparing your dog for a winning performance in the Juniors’ ring. For all the time and effort you have put into getting better, you will very likely receive less than five minutes of the judge’s attention.
“That judge doesn’t know the breed standard!” It’s a common declaration heard around the rings, a slightly angry statement, an editorial comment. When I hear it, I can’t help but think about what “knowing” a breed standard really means.
or far too long the AR people have defined dog fanciers to the general public, and it has not been a pretty picture. They’ve convinced many people that we are cruel users of animal flesh – people who abuse dogs for our own glory and sport. And we’ve been complicit, whether we know it or not, because we tend to be a pretty insular, elite group who carefully monitor the quality of homes/people our puppies are allowed to go.
But these distinctive dogs aren’t (relatively) modern day creations. There is considerable evidence to suggest that small ‘rough-haired’ white
terriers have been very much a part of life in the Western Highlands of Scotland for a considerable time.
