It was a beautiful litter of three healthy, lively puppies — one girl and two boys. While I had shown several breeds and whelped numerous litters for nearly 50 years, this was only my second litter in a new, small breed. The litter was whelped in March, 2010.
But these distinctive dogs aren’t (relatively) modern day creations. There is considerable evidence to suggest that small ‘rough-haired’ white
terriers have been very much a part of life in the Western Highlands of Scotland for a considerable time.
I hope that by the time you read this, things will be slowly getting back to normal for all of you. These past few months have been very strange and unsettling for millions of us all around the world.
In 2020, the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) celebrates its 25th anniversary. Founded by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1995 as an independent, 501c3 non-profit organization to focus on research specifically for canine health, CHF has invested more than $56 million in research and educational grants and canine health projects. Bolstered by outstanding donor support, CHF continues to make great strides in advancing the health of all dogs.
The Vizsla evolved in Hungary, the favorite hunting dog of Magyar tribes and a valued and protected hunting and companion dog of early nobility. It is one of the smallest pointing retrieving breeds. Its golden rust short coat, moderate size, and robust but light build are among its trademarks. The Vizsla community is justifiably proud of the many “dual dogs” in their breed.
While stewarding for a friend and breed colleague, she said to me, “I believe I am going to breed Martha (not the bitch’s real name) when she comes into season.” I am well acquainted with her bitch’s pedigree and accomplishments in conformation, so, all I had to ask was “To what dog?” and “What is his pedigree?” There was some beating around the bush and then she responded, “My only real requirement for using any stud dog on one of my bitches is that he must have won at least two Bests in Show.” I have to admit, I could not believe what I had just heard. It was breeding practice blasphemy. It was diametrically opposed to everything I had ever read or had been told by my mentors and highly successful breeders, whom I most respect.
While the dog show world went eerily quiet, judges were busy learning more about breeds they judge and introducing themselves to others which they wanted to explore. How did they manage while we have been at home? Fortunately, judges were able to access a wide variety of educational opportunities on a variety of virtual platforms, and they did. In force, judges used the time well. Read about their experiences as they share their thoughts for IMHO this month.
When this year began, what were your plans for it? Did you plan to lose weight? Get in shape? Finish your promising youngsters? Get your special into the Top 20?
Those are things you were for–ideas for improvement, plans for progress in life and in dog sports.
When this year began, no one could have predicted what actually happened, and how it would impact your plans. How have you handled the series of monkey wrenches hurled into your life?
A few weeks ago, a group of friends of mine were sitting in my living room ragging on me about the amount of time (and money) I devote to training, hunting, showing, trialing and just plain caring for and loving my dog. One of them, clearly a non-dog person, pointed to Bo’s toy box and said, “How much do you think you’ve spent just on toys for him? Multiply that by all the dogs in this country and you have an idea of how much people spend on just one aspect of dog ownership. You could arm a fair-sized nation on American dog toy expenditures alone. How many dog owners do you think there are worldwide? For that matter, how many kinds of dogs are there in the world?”
Especially in 2020, when COVID-19 has many people exceptionally worried about what their future might hold, a puppy is the ultimate vote for optimism. Is it one you made this spring? How are you doing with socialization during social distancing and limited gatherings? Most people have extra time for training and socialization, just at a time when both are proving to be difficult.
