Wire Fox Terriers – Off the Record

BY AMY FERNANDEZ

We all have stories we have been told, but cannot reveal the source. Here is one of those stories that has to be told. Unfortunately, we can’t reveal the storyteller.

Much of the fascination with experts relates to their supernatural ability to zero in on greatness. Mainly, it comes down to the usual con- tingent of skills …but needless to say, there’s more to it. The reason being that much quoted and paraphrased fact that even great dogs have faults and, conversely, a lack of faults adds up to a great big package of mediocrity. Any fool can spot a great dog when it’s standing next to a BIS marker. But it takes talent to see that kind of potential in an oversized pet male in the back of a kennel. For instance, when Mrs. George Anderson of Mardormere fame embarked on her annual dog shopping jaunt to England, it’s doubtful that she went looking for anything like that. However, she came home with Laguna Lucky Lad. Okay, he was a bit too tall for a successful show career in Britain, but over here he sailed through a two year winning streak, sired 11 champions, and became an icon of American Whippet history.

That kind of effortless, prescient insight de- mands some very nimble mental logistics. Basically, that means recognizing defining traits, weighing the relative importance of major and minor faults, separating truth from hype, discounting personal taste, and tuning out the background noise. That rare blend of cynicism, exactitude, and open-minded curiosity is difficult to cultivate and impossible to explain.

In that sense, coming into a breed without preconceived notions can be an advantage. So, let’s introduce our Wire Fox Terrier expert who was nothing of the sort when James entered her life. She says, “The Wire Fox Terrier is such a marvelous breed. It has so much glamour and attitude. To me, it is the ultimate show dog.” Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to own a dog like James? So, long story short, thanks to the dog show grapevine our budding expert got the opportunity of a lifetime.

“Some friends of mine in Canada bred very nice Wires and they knew I always wanted one. So one day they called and asked if I would be interested in a young dog sired by the top Wire in Europe at the time. His name was Wiredressed Never Say Die and they called him James Bond. He was supposed to take over when his sire was retired, but the Dutch people told me he could never earn his FCI titles because he couldn’t pass his working test. He would go to ground and rip open the cage and kill whatever was in there without making a sound, and evidently they have to bark when they locate the prey. (Also, they are not supposed to obliterate the target.) “So James could never be shown on the international circuit.” Although that particular issue posed no obstacle over here, she says, “I had never groomed a Wire in my life. I had no idea what to do. I didn’t even own a stripping comb.” That, on the other hand, might present a problem. In terms of dog grooming expertise, mastering the art of putting down a Wire is comparable to becoming a Navy SEAL.

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Posted by Alex on Jun 13 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.