Distemper Raises Its Ugly Head Again…
While everyone has been busy worrying about dog flu, guess what? Something brand new and even worse has crept in to jumpstart your anxiety levels.
“Author Archive”
The Big Ones
There are so many choices of shows today. People are complaining, with good reason, that there are too many shows. Alternatives include: letting clubs fail thereby creating a de facto reduction in numbers, reducing the number of shows each club can be approved for, withholding approval for new clubs (so as not to add more shows) or even complex ranking systems that mirror those used in horse shows (for years I have used the expression “training shows” for some of our smaller rural shows and I adore them as an exhibitor and a judge).
The Big E – Easier Said Than Done
Is it just me? Do you find it getting harder and harder to get almost anything done and get it done well? I wonder. Am I imagining it, setting my expectations too high, or simply being unrealistic? I keep trying to convince myself that it is all okay. “Okay?” “Okay,” I say until that voice in my head, which is never quiet, jolts me to attention. “Surely,” it says, “NO. It is not!”
Understanding Standards
By the time most exhibitors of purebred dogs make their first trip into the show ring, they have narrowed their interest to one breed. About the time they make their second ring appearance, they will have learned that there exists differences in the quality of dogs within their breed.
A Westminster Victory Puts The Whippet on the Map!
So what makes a “serious” breed? You hear that a lot these days… well, ever since AKC has apparently decided to forego the velvet rope process. Breeds of every shape, size and …heritage are suddenly right there eyeballing the “serious” contenders.
Breed Priorities: West Highland White Terriers
The West Highland White Terrier is one of several short-legged terriers developed in Scotland. Those several breeds came in a variety of coat colors. Supposedly, Colonel Edward Donald Malcolm determined to breed only white dogs after one of his red-colored dogs was mistaken for a fox and shot, and these became the West Highland White Terrier.
Pre-Show Ring Preparation – What to Do to Win
The special comb – the lucky lead – the pre-show ritual. Nearly everyone who shows dogs has something they believe gives them an extra edge in the ring. Some of the ideas are superstitious, some mystical and some downright kooky.
Ch. Brentwald Joshua – Setting the Standard for the Wirehaired Dachshund
Conventional wisdom tells us that purebred design is a labor of love…an extremely long, arduous one. And, mainly, that’s correct. Technology has certainly streamlined the process, but it hasn’t devised any surefire shortcuts. For the record, wishful thinking, although enduringly popular, remains a no-go.
The Service Dog Quandry and Solutions
It took a little trip into NYC recently, Lincoln Center to be precise. For all the inconvenience, the city’s holiday rep is well deserved. An instamatic moment wherever you turn. So, here’s the newsworthy thing I noticed-dogs everywhere.
Gos d’Atura Català – The Catalan Sheepdog
Although dogs have been our companions for millennia, we have to guess at what prehistoric dogs looked like exactly. One thing we do know for sure, though, is the work they did. They followed the prey, drove the flocks and herds, guarded livestock and defended their owners’ property.
