For The Ages
The Dog Aging Project has One Key Goal: To help your dog and you live longer, healthier lives.
“Author Archive”
In Praise of Show Chairmen
Being a Show Chairman is a big job, and in many ways is reminiscent of trying to herd cats in order to put on a dog show. Heading up a group of volunteers is tough enough–getting them to all work together to produce a large event with contracts, venue, parking, motorhomes, vendors, stewards, judges, superintendents, AKC, and of course exhibitors all needing various levels of attention at various stages of the months-long process is a huge undertaking. Add to that a hard deadline and a mountain of paperwork, plus long days of non-stop work during the actual show weekend… phew!
Should Breed Standards Be Illustrated?
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” is an adage suggesting that a single still image can convey the meaning or essence more effectively than a written narration. I believe that it must certainly depend on the circumstances. If we are giving thought to the breed standards by which the 199 recognized breeds will be judged in the conformation ring, good illustrations could be of considerable benefit if properly utilized.
Adrian Woodfork – “It’s All Joy”
“I hope you are going to ask me why more minorities, and African-Americans especially, aren’t showing dogs,” Adrian Woodfork said early in the interview for this profile. He’s very willing to discuss the subject. “It’s all about visibility,” he says. “Others have said that black people excel in sports that don’t require money, but that’s not right. A lot of blacks are middle class, upper middle class, or even millionaires.” However, if you don’t see other minorities in a sport, it may not occur to you that you could succeed in it yourself. Woodfork points to other sports that had been traditionally dominated by whites—before the Williams sisters, you didn’t see African-American women in tennis, and before Tiger Woods, you seldom saw a black professional golfer.
Influencers With Michael Hill Joined By Adrian Woodfork
Join Michael Hill in his exciting series “INFLUENCERS.” Michael will be hosting dog show enthusiasts, handlers, breeders, and judges as they reveal who has impacted them the most. This series will touch upon how influential mentors are and how they shape not only individuals but the future of the dog show world. Next, in the series is […]
Just Judge the Dogs
The Canine Chronicle Online ran an anonymous article about Ethics and Impropriety (https://caninechronicle.com/current-articles/conflicts-of-interest-and-impropriety/)?that caused a lot of ringside discussion amongst exhibitors, taking both sides of the issue. To review, it centered around an exhibit and exhibitor with strong ties to a judge officiating at the same prominent show. A lot of people assumed I wrote it because it was in my breed and I was there. I didn’t, not because I necessarily approved of it but because it was legal and the fact the judge was on the panel exerted no more “pressure” on the officiating judges than it would have had he sat ringside. In the end it was up to the exhibitors in question to decide how they wanted to be perceived, and to the judges in the ring to just judge the dogs no matter who was on the panel. The individuals in this scenario are not the focus of this essay; rather, the rules and ethics and consequences that surround relationships and judging decisions in general.
The Great Ones – Ch. Nunsoe Duc de la Terrace of Blakeen
Neither Aristotle nor a circus clown have anything on the Poodle. Gay, lively creatures, Poodles will lift your spirits and gladly solve any computer crisis if only given the opportunity and a set of opposing thumbs. But their most endearing gift is the love and admiration they bestow on those lucky enough to share their lives with such marvelous members of the canine race. So adored are they by the people who know them well that everyone who is about to step beyond the line marked “Poodles” is given fair warning, “Give your heart to a Poodle and you’ll never get it back.”
Dog Show Tips 10 Questions in 60 Seconds. Ep. #16
Will Alexander Drops Some Knowledge About What’s Happening in the Sport of Dogs. It’s Deep… It’s Humorous… It’s Provocative… It’s Will Unfiltered! This week Will gives us 10 Questions in 60 Seconds. Ep. #16. Click here to watch on Canine Chronicle TV!
Everyone Loves A Loser
“All the world loves a winner and has no time for a loser.” This quote is attributed to Knute Rockne, the indomitable head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and member of the College Football Hall of Fame. This may very be true, but over the last few years I have developed a theory that, in actuality, “everybody loves a loser.” Someday, I have promised myself to take a poll, but it is my firm belief that a lot of us–including many long time, highly successful breeders–have had a pretty sad specimen of the breed wandering aimlessly somewhere in our early beginning. I freely admit it.
Been There Done That – Whimsy and Wisdom From the Dog Shows
It’s impossible to be at every dog show. Wouldn’t it be great if we could? Here is the opportunity to “Read All About It!” Well…maybe it’s not everything. When you go to your next show, here are lots of subjects worth discussing. Look around, there is a lot to see, hear, remember, or forget. Isn’t that the truth!
