As summer winds down and kids head back to school, many families experience a dramatic shift in their daily routines. For some pets, this sudden change in routine can impact their overall wellbeing. A recent survey1 by the IAMS™ brand unveiled that 73% of pet parents see at least one form of unfavorable behavior in their […]
“Why didn’t the club assign more breeds to me?” It’s a common lament I often hear from judges who may have fewer than 100 dogs assigned for the day. Often it’s with a small club that doesn’t have money to burn, yet half their panel is way under-assigned. At the same time, the same club may have one or two judges who are overdrawn. It looks like the Show Chair, or whoever was in charge of making breed assignments, fell down on the job. But as a Show Chair who has grappled year after year with the AKC’s Event Management page, I’m pretty sure I know exactly what happened: They didn’t so much fall down on the job as they simply gave up. And I can’t blame them.
If you’ve ever planned a dinner party for 12 people, you know that event planning involves a lot of moving parts and many, many things that need to be thought out in advance. First, you’ll need a detailed budget that will guide you in the rest of your choices. You need to nail down the menu early so that shopping and cooking schedules can be calendared, and that special dietary needs can be met for the guests you plan to invite. You need to plan your space well for optimum party flow, taking into account where the drink station/bar will be, where guests will dine, what you will use for dinner service and serving pieces, and how to keep them from clogging up the flow in and out of your kitchen. You’ll need to organize getting your home cleaned and polished up, planning the playlist, DJ, or band, getting the invitations out, reminding people to please RSVP, reminding them again; and of course you’ll have to deal with those people you love who miss the deadline, don’t seem to care about the inconvenience to you, and still expect to partake of your food, beverage, and hospitality.
Did you correctly guess this week’s #ThrowbackThursday Canine Chronicle Cover edition? Answer: GCH Sandstorm Blue Nile Bubbles Of Jatara, handled by Erin Roberts, owned by Sandra Middlebrooks & J Harrington & S Winsted Don’t forget! Do you have a fun photo that you would like to share for #ThrowbackThursday? Email Liz Powell at showresults@caninechronicle.com with your photos!
So, your fine conformation champion gun dog has finished his or her show career and has had some field training. (The term “gun dog” is used because not all bird hunting dogs–Airedales and Standard and Miniature Poodles would be prominent exceptions–are included the sporting group; and not all dogs in the sporting group hunt birds as the Lagotto Romagnolo is a truffle hunter.) Maybe your gun dog even owns a hunt test title. Now, you’ve decided, it’s time to find out if your dog can actually do the job the breed was developed to do.
On July 1, 2022, the American Kennel Club launched a pilot program permitting junior handlers to show dogs they do not own in junior showmanship. Originally, it was effective for one year but it recently became a rule and is now a permanent addition to junior showmanship. Its benefits seem to be unending. No more worries when a juniors dog comes in season. No need to fly your dog to a national when you could just show one already there; ring conflicts, dog illnessess–the benefits go on and on. While this pilot program has opened unending doors for some juniors, it also may invite more junior jockeys into the ring. These “jockeys” may be chasing points, ribbons, or wins rather than the experience gained by showing a variety of breeds. I have a concern. Could this new junior showmanship rule create generic juniors?
As devastating wildfires continue to burn on Hawaii’s Maui and the Big Island, Purina is donating $25,000 to Greater Good Charities to support the global nonprofit’s crisis response efforts and provide both immediate and long-term recovery to people and animals in Hawaii. Dozens of lives have been lost, hundreds of buildings have been destroyed and thousands of people and animals have been displaced […]
It’s no secret that “purebred” has lost its cachet among the dog-buying public. At this point, the downward trend seems unstoppable and that is truly troubling. Possibly, the most ironic aspect of it is the fact that purebred ID remains the gold standard of buyer expectations. That hard-won brand image should be a source of pride. Instead it’s fast becoming fuel for that media bonfire. Let’s unravel this paradoxical mess.
The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the health of all dogs and their owners, announces Dr. Gary Johnson as recipient of the 2023 Asa Mays, DVM Excellence in Canine Health Research Award. Named for Dr. Asa Mays, a member of CHF’s first Board of Directors in 1995, the award […]
Every time we pull out of the driveway, it’s imperative that we are driving a safe, reliable vehicle. This doesn’t mean it has to be a brand-new, shiny rig with every bell, button or whistle. It simply means it should be clean, reliable, well-maintained, and serviced. This also means having the appropriate type of vehicle to accommodate the number of dogs you intend to carry, your passengers and, of course, all of the necessary supplies and equipment. This is PRIORITY #1.
