The Positive-Negative List

Our world is filled with advice on breeding dogs and much of it is very good. Examples include, “pick a stud dog who will improve your bitch’s weak points.”

Our world is filled with advice on breeding dogs and much of it is very good. Examples include, “pick a stud dog who will improve your bitch’s weak points.”

They are frozen in time and sometimes deceptively real. Perpetuated in stone or bronze, looking over water, streets, parks or squares, dog statues can be found all over the world.

Although the modern media does its best to distort the fact, purebred dogs stem from a long tradition of the form follows function concept.

According to the AKC website,”Obedience trials demonstrate the dog’s ability to follow specified routines in the obedience ring and emphasize the usefulness of the dog as a companion to humankind.

Webster defines a sea change as “a marked change or transformation.” While William Shakespeare, who coined the phrase in The Tempest, used it in a song sung by Ariel, a supernatural spirit, to Ferdinand, Prince of Naples following Ferdinand’s father’s apparent death by drowning to literally mean a change brought about by the sea. Subsequent usage has referred to situations where a truly momentous change has taken place.

Understanding a breed’s priorities is essential to understanding type and to successfully evaluating dogs, whether as a breeder or a judge. Some standards assist in this area more than others. The Bull Terrier, shown as two varieties – white and colored – has some very distinct features, some of which experts consider essential.

It seems like just about everyone that has been showing dogs for any number of years has recently had the discussion about the lack of newcomers to our breed and to our sport.

Monday night at Westminster, a stunning Borzoi, Ch. Belisarius JP My Sassy Girl won the breed and went on to win the Hound Group.

The world of AKC dog shows seems to be ruled by contracts. We enter into oral or written contracts to buy, handle, register, breed, show, and co-own our dogs.

In a true demonstration of Teutonic toughness Dachshunds were out in full force for Sunday’s Knickerbocker specialty despite the frigid three degree morning cold.