Senior Moments, Then & Now
Gotta love those old dogs. They have been around the block a few times and know all the tricks of the trade.
“Author Archive”
Breed Essence with Jane
Many breeds have an epigram that defines them. That short, distinctive line or quote that instantly gives you a mental picture of the breed’s essence.
All Revved Up!
I have always been amazed by the number of Motor Heads in the dog world. What’s in Your Garage? Send me a photo and bio for our weekly segment, All Revved Up!
Breed Essence with Jane
Many breeds have an epigram that defines them. That short, distinctive line or quote that instantly gives you a mental picture of the breed’s essence. This week bring you the Pointer.
Today’s Basenji – The Breeder’s Perspective Part 2
When AKC closes a breed’s studbook upon recognition, the act is both literal and symbolic. It means that from that point forward only purebred, documented individuals can officially claim recognition. Yes, reciprocal registration agreements permit inclusion of stock from other registries as long as those dogs share the same cultural purebred definition. On a higher level, a closed studbook guarantees the genetic integrity of each registered individual. There is no gray area in this designation. Dogs are either in or out. And the system generally works like a charm, so much so that after more than a century we sometimes take that predictability and quality for granted.
However, once in a while there’s a problem. For instance, today it’s commonplace and best practice to identify and document genetic health disorders. That doesn’t imply that fixing the problem is always easy. Minimizing the expression of undesirable genes is predicated on the existence of unaffected stock. Sometimes that ain’t so easy to find.
IMHO – The Greatest Joy of Judging the 2021 Westminster KC
Every judge hopes that one day a white legal-size envelope with the gold embossed insignia of the Westminster Kennel Club arrives in their mailbox. There is something very special about being invited to judge at this prestigious show. Perhaps even more significant than accepting the invitation is actually to stand in the ring and judge the dogs. Five judges who did just that at the June show share the joy they felt as they completed this very coveted assignment. You might be surprised by the depth of the feelings.
All Revved Up!
Yes, Dogs are our life, but we all have some sort of a side passion. A little something, we do to otherwise occupy our minds. I have always been amazed by the number of Motor Heads in the dog world.
Sometimes, It’s the Journey
Sometimes what we thought were our goals are not. Sometimes life intervenes, and the goals we achieve are better than any we ever imagined.
Breed Essence with Jane
Many breeds have an epigram that defines them. That short, distinctive line or quote that instantly gives you a mental picture of the breed’s essence.
Coming of Age at Westminster
Christopher Guest’s mockumentary Best In Show came out in 2000, so it was one of the pegs for the first feature I did for WNYC, the public radio station for which I am now the annual show commentator. There was even a direct connection—I met the breeder who had supplied Guest with the Bloodhound that his character showed in the film. He interviewed her in character (here’s how they are described in a Google summary: “Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest) and his Bloodhound Hubert: The Southern owner of a fishing goods store and an aspiring ventriloquist, he is an affable man who prides himself on being able to name every type of nut”) and she had no idea until the premiere that he wasn’t that aimable guy from the South.
