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One of the most oft-quoted descriptions of the varieties of Belgian Shepherd Dog is that of Mme. Jacqueline Aubry in her book Le Berger Belge. It reads as translated “Casual outfit, plain and sober, but full of class for the Malinois with his short, smooth coat of warm red with black mask and overlay so characteristic and so expressive of the variety. Classic afternoon attire for the Groenendael, enveloped in his splendid mane, so long and dense. Splendor of evening clothes for the Tervuren, who, in addition to the beauty of his long coat, has magnificent warm color with shades of fire, or the delicacy of grey with its clever shadows.” Whether Mme. Aubry actually omitted a description of the Laekenois or those who translated her work felt it unimportant, I cannot say. Perhaps the omission of the Laeken from Mme. Aubry’s description of Belgian Shepherd Dogs did not reflect the lack of numbers, but simply that the “description” did not fit with the elegant verbiage used to describe the other varieties. The standards of Belgians all over the world, whether in countries where they remain varieties of one breed (the vast majority) or they are separated into individual breeds, bear remarkable similarities except, of course, in the descriptions of coat and color. The American Belgian Laekenois Association standard says, “The coat must have a texture which is rough and coarse giving a disorderly, tousled look” while the FCI standard says, “What especially characterises the rough hair variety is the roughness and dryness of the hair, which, moreover, is rasping and tousled.”
March 19th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
Over the past several years, the AKC has added a number of programs to encourage participation in dog shows. Many of these involve providing more incentives and awards for exhibitors. Since more than 80% of show dogs are owner-handled, it is not surprising that some of these changes are designed to encourage and support owner-handlers. The addition of the Amateur-Owner-Handler class was a great idea! The rules for exhibiting in this class are pretty restrictive; no professional handlers (or their household members or assistants), no judges and the handler must be a registered owner of the dog. This gives true amateurs an opportunity to enter the ring and compete against each other without the pressure of going head-to-head with professionals from the very beginning. One could also hope that it reminds judges that exhibitors in this class may be very novice, so a little patience and attention to giving clear, precise instructions are appreciated.
March 18th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
Speculation and theories abound about the future of purebred dog sports and breeding. Our dog-related world is being turned upside down by events that seem mostly beyond our control. Criticism by animal activists has been leveled at purebred dogs and their breeders since the 1960s. The loss of stature that excellent breeders have experienced in the court of public opinion has been exponential. Just a little over twenty years ago in 1992, annual AKC registration figures hit their peak number of 1,528,392 dogs. By 2010, the number of annual registrations had plummeted to roughly a third that level at 563,611 dogs. We have weathered “the Great Recession” and the boomers are aging out of dog sports at an ever-increasing rate.
March 18th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
The Rottweiler is often one of the bigger entries at dog shows and frequently a contender in the working group. It is the second most popular working breed according to AKC registration statistics, after the Boxer, and ranks tenth among all breeds.
March 17th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
Despite anything you may have heard to the contrary, highly successful breeding programs do not simply just happen. They are developed, sometimes painstakingly so, often reflecting many years of dedication and effort. To be successful, one of the first things that a breeder must ask and answer honestly is, “What am I trying to accomplish?” This question is just as important to the breeder that owns one dog as it is to the breeder who owns 50 dogs. But how does one effectively answer this question? First, you need to create a mental picture of what you think would be the perfect dog. Once you have this image fixed in your mind, write down the list of traits that make your perfect dog “perfect.” This should answer the question as to what you are trying to accomplish. The next step would be to establish a set of well-defined goals for the breeding program.
March 16th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
There have been numerous times in my long history as an owner/handler in field or performance events when the dogs and I have hit all the high notes and been awarded, at least in my mind, a Bravo Zulu for our efforts. (Editor’s Note: For those readers who are not or were not sailors, marines or coasties, a Bravo Zulu from your commanding officer means “well done.) There have been other times, just as numerous, when I have wondered why any reasonably sane person would not only willingly subject themself to such humiliation but would fork over big bucks for the privilege. No matter from which angle you choose to view this, if you are even a tiny bit objective, it would have to fall under the heading of “not too bright.”
March 15th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
The Berger Picard is a fascinating breed. He is intelligent, loving and even-tempered. He is devoted to his people and would give his life for them. As are most continental herders, he is suspicious of strangers and protective. His main problem is that his scruffy, down-to-earth looks attract attention. Many times this attention is accompanied by an unwelcome invasion of his space. One must understand that this four-legged clown does not appreciate impolite behavior. He is nothing if not a gentleman who gives and demands respect. In a country where we expect all our dogs to behave like Golden Retrievers, this presents a challenge.
March 15th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
I recently held a survey of 50 of my best clients. I asked them eight questions that started with “when it comes to dogs”:
March 14th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
I spent almost two full days and nights doing what any God Fearing Good Dog Show Enthusiast would have done this past week. Watching Westminster! While I didn’t download the WKC App or choose to watch from my IPhone…I did go from my IPad to the IMac and then on to the big screen TV, in that order, from 8:30 am Monday until 11:00 pm Tuesday with just enough breaks to eat and visit the closest bathroom so as not to miss much of the action. By the way, I am soooo glad I own stock in Apple! Just in case you’re not up on all this high tech stuff like I am (NOT!)…Apple brings all those “I” things to the marketplace…and it seems the entire world buys them!
March 13th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
During my time as an exhibitor, then a professional handler, I had the good fortune of showing under some judges that I consider to be the finest dog experts of their time. Many of you remember Lang Skarda, Anne Rogers Clark, Mel Downing, Don Jones and Maxine Beam. There was Derek Rayne, Carlos deBango and Richard Guevera. I’ll never forget Herman Felton and Dorothy MacDonald. These people along with many others defined the term ‘dog man’ or ‘dog woman’. They were breeders, handlers and everything else that involved dogs. Dogs were their life and it was reflected in their mannerisms and the way they approached the sport as judges.
March 12th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial | Read More »
