Attending Westminster is often feels like entering a battle zone. No amount of preparation can offset the inevitable mental and physical challenges prepackaged with the experience. Therefore, an uplifting, encouraging anecdote might provide a timely perk for everyone entering the fray on this frigid Monday.
I bought my first show dog in 1971. He became a Champion and attained his CD. He sired two litters. Ttttthat’s all folks! Many years later, I remember when my breeding partner and I started to x-ray our breeding stock for Hip Dysplasia. Our finished bitch was x-rayed by the local vet. “It’s fine”, he told us. “No need to send it in. It’s just a waste of money.“ About two years later, I was devastated when our promising young male pick of the litter was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. My partner, however, was in denial. She was sure that this was not genetic. Both his parents had been x-rayed. After all, he did fall off the grooming table that time when he was a pup. The fall must have caused this problem. I was not so easily dissuaded and insisted that we x-ray his littermates. More than one pup turned out to be dysplastic. I bought a copy of Fred Lanting’s first book on Canine Hip Dysplasia and insisted on a second opinion on the dam’s x-rays. Yup, she was dysplastic, too. I had learned a lesson in the value of testing AND the importance of good information. What I did not know and could never have foreseen was how dramatically the world of responsible dog breeding was to change.
The Hound Group can be confusing. The FCI, for example, classifies sighthounds and scenthounds separately – sight hounds in Group 10 and scent hounds in Group 6. In North America and Great Britain, the Italian Greyhound is classified in the Toy Group; the FCI classifies this breed as a sighthound (Group 10). When discussing hounds in Europe, I refer to the FCI standards and groups.
When Boston Terrier Bruno, more formally known as GCh Danicrest Bullet’s Brunello’s Rare Essence took an AOM on Monday, he was cheered on by his best buddy, 5-year old Boxer “Chickenman.” “He’s here to support his Boston,” breeder/owner/handler Dr. Jacqueline Royce of Sarasota, Fla. laughs. Chickenman, so named for his great love of rotisserie chicken, has a couple of titles of his own—he’s GCh Bullet Vancroft’s You Must Remember This CA. She’s thrilled with Bruno’s award, pointing out that there were 31 Bostons entered. “It’s pretty competitive, but it’s still possible for an owner/handler to be successful.”
Over the last few weeks there have been several articles I’ve read that speak to the need for change in the administration of dogs (AKC) the legislation of dogs (PETA & HSUS) and the law enforcement with respect to dogs (welfare & rescue). In each article, the writer had a very clear point of view. That opinion either resonated with you or it did not. They did not resonate with the groups the articles were meant to criticize. Animal rights and wrongs fall on both sides of any argument. The mere fact that we take sides and champion our beliefs sometimes makes resolving difficult issues illusive.
Attending Westminster can seem like going into a combat zone.
The Canine Chronicle has a few tips to help you adjust that attitude.
Dorothy Franc’s multifaceted contributions to America’s dog world are largely forgotten. Matronly widows are generally not famed for initiative, originality and groundbreaking accomplishments. In many respects, she was ahead of her time. Unconventional, misunderstood, and impossible to pigeonhole, most breed historians have therefore overlooked her role in Pekingese history. That wasn’t difficult. Unlike most successful fanciers, she never indulged in self-promotion.
The dog world lost one of its great supporters and passionate breeders with the passing of Dorothy Hageman of Napa, CA last week at the age of 100. Dorothy was a renowned breeder of Papillons under the Wildways prefix. Those familiar with the dog show scene have many memories of Barbara Gossett piloting Wildways dogs [...]
By Amy Fernandez Every weekend Junior Showmanship classes are packed with kids from all age groups presenting every breed, all focused on the big prize – qualifying for Westminster. The Junior Showmanship finals long ago came to rival the intensity of that gut-wrenching showdown for BIS. That’s surprising considering its modest start. Len Brumby is [...]
