“Author Archive”
This Thanksgiving I was sitting contentedly with my family after a sumptuous Turkey dinner with all the fixings. The bird had been done just right, the stuffing was out of this world, and there was plenty of one of my favorites, grapefruit Jello salad. Our two granddaughters and their parents had done the dishes, and we started to relax in front of the TV. Flipping through channels, with all of us real dog people, we stopped when a three-legged dog hopped across the screen. A rescue dog, we heard. What a nice thing that someone cared enough to give this dog a good life. Fascinatedly we stopped on that channel and watched a parade of various other similarly afflicted dogs with the pitch for rescue dog and especially shelter dog adoption increasing in intensity. Well-known performers made cameo appearances with that pitch. This was in prime time but not on a regular network channel. They were heart-wrenching stories, with tremendous emotional appeal for any compassionate person and animal lover. The message, beyond the obvious, was that breed did not matter.
January 4th, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
This article’s main focus is how to evaluate the Coton de Tulear, aka the Coton, as a whole package. As with all breeds, there are some features that hold precedence. These priorities should be used when judging the Coton. One key fact to keep in mind while reading this article, as well as when judging these lovely dogs, is that they should be a balanced breed.
January 3rd, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
In 1970, Nike had a new athletic shoe they planned to bring to market. At the last minute the product release was delayed. This meant their whole ad campaign for that month around this shoe was also delayed. What could they do to fill the pre-bought ad space at the last minute? According to Terri Langhans, a Certified Speaking Professional who wrote a blog post about this, Nike asked their ad company to come up with something that would “just pat runners on the back.” What the agency came up with completely shifted the company’s focus in advertising into the new millennium.
January 1st, 2015 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
Whether you have made the decision to breed your first litter or your next litter, your decision provides you with a wonderful opportunity to become more knowledgeable about the history of your breed and the make-up of some of your favorite stud dogs. For those on tight budgets, the mixing and matching of pedigrees on paper is safer and a much more cost-effective method than experimenting with your cherished grand champion. Your pedigree research may even be the key that cracks the code and unlocks the secrets that could prove crucial to future breedings that just might create a new dynasty of canine superiority.
December 31st, 2014 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
Arnold Burges, the father of the American studbook, often cited 1876 as the pivotal year when breeders switched their allegiance from undocumented Gundogs to registered purebreds. It’s traditionally considered the point when the concept of one ideal type became generally accepted. But it also signaled another profound change in dog breeding philosophy, the irrevocable rift that forever stranded Gundogs on opposite shores of bench or field type.
December 30th, 2014 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
“Honey, did you see Abby’s special lead when you unpacked the camera bag?” Often when we are preparing for an upcoming show or trial, the things we worry about remembering are the special lead that got dropped into the wrong bag, because the tack box was already packed up. Or an extra memory chip for the camera so we can take lots of pictures of that up-and-coming young dog we are thinking of breeding to in the future. Those things are important, but there are other things that we may be inclined to forget or ignore that are even more important.
December 29th, 2014 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
As a rule, dog people aren’t crazy about dog books. Most of them are justifiably considered rehashed content written by people who know less than we do. Therefore, I’m going out on a limb with this recommendation, but in this case, you gotta have it.
December 28th, 2014 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
The pack has expanded! The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announced today that the Spanish Water Dog, Cirneco dell’Etna, Bergamasco, and Boerboel gained full AKC recognition. This brings AKC’s roster of recognized breeds to 184.
“The AKC is thrilled to recognize these four very unique breeds,” said AKC Spokesperson Gina DiNardo. “While each of these loveable dogs differs in temperament, exercise, and grooming needs, they make wonderful companions to a variety of people. We’re glad to give dog lovers more breed options to fit their lifestyle.”
December 26th, 2014 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
The Bearded Collie is a member of the growing and diverse herding group that includes dogs of many sizes, shapes, coats, and colors depending on where they were developed and the type of herding job they were bred for. The Beardie hales from Scotland and was known earlier by other names, such as the Highland Collie. Its background includes other European working breeds such as Polish Sheepdogs and Komondor.
November 26th, 2014 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
Recent additions to the AKC studbook are collectively regarded as “new” breeds. From the perspective of American fanciers, that’s true. Among the latest arrivals, the Finnish Lapphund debuted in 2011. The Icelandic Sheepdog entered the ranks in 2010 and the Norwegian Buhund in 2009. Although they qualify as newcomers to the Herding Group, it’s been a long strange trip for all three of these ancient Nordic breeds.
November 25th, 2014 | Posted in Current Articles,Editorial,Featured | Read More »
