Hint: The Canadian border has been closed for months. Have you observed who has been noticeably missing inside of our rings? Yes, it is all those familiar faces from north of the border that are frequently seen judging at shows all over the USA.
I was standing outside the group ring late that sunny Saturday afternoon in March. The noise level in the block cement building was deafening. Around me were friends from near and far, fellow judges, spectators, and handlers–professional and not. All of us were deep in conversation when an announcement over the public address system shattered our world, both inside that building and everywhere else, too. It was March 14, 2020, the end of innocence.
It’s an understatement to call this year different. Among the few cheerful oddities of 2020 has been the rediscovery of long forgotten, quirky hobbies. Normally, before the advent of home lockdown, there was simply no time for stuff like beekeeping and needlepoint. In addition to the rebirth of old-fashioned time killers, we’ve also had the less delightful opportunity to examine every overlooked housekeeping chore. Who hasn’t organized the pantry and cleaned out the closets? Depressing for sure, but you know what’s worse? Realizing how much dog hair is all over the place. (And mind you, I have hairless dogs.) I can commiserate with Saint and Pyr owners. So, getting to the point, possibly the year’s strangest hobby revival has managed to unite both of these issues into one neat solution – knitting with dog hair.
My childhood friend, Robert, always had a wild imagination. As a youngster, he dreamed of having a Pointer, but his family wouldn’t allow it. So he made one up. An imaginary dog named Shadow. Everyone in the village knew Robert and his imaginary Shadow.
The neck is one of the functional components of the dog: the others being the spinal column, the forelimbs and the hindlimbs.
Some breeds are recognized as “head” breeds, where the head conformation and components are valued above other characteristics. Other breeds are definitely not, with many other features prioritized over head details. Some breeds have experts saying their breed “is a head breed, but…” Experts in other breeds say theirs is not a head breed, but… heads are important, but so is the rest of the dog.
The Isle of Skye is a distillation of all that is wonderful about Scotland. It’s often mist-shrouded scenery is dramatic, some would even say moody; it possesses towering stony peaks and an emerald green landscape splashed with lakes and thundering icy waterfalls.
Yea, it’s time to go to the dog show! The dog is bathed, lunch is packed, dog snacks are included, station wagon is gassed up, and the three kids are anxious for an adventure! Oh, yes, grooming supplies are included….one brush, a water bowl and enough dog food for the trip! Maybe, after becoming addicted to the shows, we might include a grooming table, and a wire crate.
As we near the end of arguably the worst year most of us have ever lived through, we have hope that the future will be far kinder, happier, and safer for all of us.
Green is a former handler and current AKC judge based in Pinehurst, North Carolina, which her mother called “God’s country,” and she describes as “a little bit of New England nestled into the sand hills.” Like many I’ve spoken with, dogs are bred in the bone—she’s the daughter of two judges, started with Pointers and Boxers as a junior, but says she pretty much likes all breeds, whether she’s handling or judging. The current canine household is certainly a mixed bag—a German Shepherd, a whippet, and a toy Manchester Terrier.
