German Wirehaired Pointers were developed in Germany in the late 1800s. It is a rugged, versatile hunting dog that can work in different terrains. This medium sized breed is known for his distinctive protective wire coat with facial furnishings.
Recently some individuals were asked what they thought of the effect, if any, that the AKC Code of Sportsmanship is having upon how members of the Fancy conduct themselves and interact with each other nowadays. Quite obviously the intent was to find out, or get some idea, as to whether or not it is generally felt that a positive impact has been generated by its adoption. The overall tenor of the responses was, interestingly and perhaps not unsurprisingly, rather negative with opinions expressed that, in all likelihood, this has made very little difference in how people behave.
As many sporting, hound, terrier and even a few Poodle owners decide they owe it to their dogs to give them the opportunity to do what the breeds were intended to do, hunt, the odds increase that someone in their circle of friends and acquaintances will regard the dog owners as rating somewhere below child molesters and axe murders. And, the odds are also good that the dog owners will find themselves in hostile conversations with anti-hunters and quite possibly awkward ones with non-hunters. So, you need to have some idea of how to deal with these folks.
The dog walking routine has cycled through countless fads and stages. And I’ve done it long enough to observe plenty of this unfolding drama. Back in prehistoric times, I was the lone dog walker pounding the pavement.
The English Springer Spaniel evolved from land spaniels developed in England, differentiated initially by behavior (springing) and size (bigger). It is the most popular sporting spaniel according to AKC’s 2014 registration statistics. The breed is very competitive in the sporting group, with multiple English Springers often ranked among the top twenty sporting dogs.
As a rule, dog people confront things head on without recourse to fantasy or rationalization. That overriding, collective personality trait is therefore difficult to reconcile with our secret vice– an enduring fascination with supernatural dog stories.
One would have to be far out of the loop if they weren’t catching some of the controversy that has been escalating of late when it comes to the topic of the Owner vs. the Professional Handler. I think my recent articles may have precipitated others to pen their thoughts on this hot button. Oh well…I might have been one of the first…but I won’t be the last to try and figure out what the disconnect on this might be.
AKC exhibitors have become accustomed to new breeds popping up in the group lineups. In many respects, their presence represents a refreshing turnaround from AKC’s traditional begrudging reluctance to admit new breeds. They didn’t do it very often, and when they did, the process was generally a chaotic affair. Over the years, breeds have been admitted to the studbook sans viable gene pools, written standards, or organized clubs.
Uniformity and predictability are familiar allegations leveled at our sport by purebred detractors. Among the breeds frequently targeted to illustrate the detrimental impact of that objective is, rather ironically, the Bulldog.
Dalmatians debuted there in 1931. This historic assignment was judged by Dr. T.D. Buck and he was consistent, choosing Tally Ho Teetotaler as Reserve Winners Dog, and Tally Ho Sonia and Tally Ho Nitwit respectively Winners Bitch and Reserve. His BOB decision was the day’s surprise, ten-year-old Ch. Tally Ho Last of Sunstar.
