Animals play a very important role in the yuletide celebrations and a number have developed strong associations with it, for example, the Robin, the Donkey and of course, the Reindeer but what breed of dog does one automatically think of when one thinks of Christmas?
The “Curvature of the Spine” illustrates a dynamic representation of the vertebral spine. The vertebral spine is composed of the Cervical spine, the Thoracic spine and the Lumbar spine, extending from the head to the tail, known as the Topline.
Buggs first tested his mettle mid-summer when his owners took the daring step of shipping him by air via Western Union’s newly launched messenger service. Cargo holds wouldn’t be temperature-controlled or pressurized for decades, but Buggs survived the two-hour flight from New York to Boston. From there, he traveled by hired car to Rhode Island for the Newport show and promptly confirmed his potential by taking Breed from the classes.
Technology seems to slowly, steadily pervade every corner of life. For instance, how often did algorithms come up in conversation ten years ago? Now there’s an algorithm capable of calculating and forecasting every quirk and fancy of human nature. Clearly, I am skeptical but I think I can make a pretty good case with the Boston Terrier. All that data concerning past performance, risk assessment, and mathematical probabilities goes right out the window.
The lives lost there have been compounded by the many workers and first responders that sacrificed their health and, ultimately their lives, after the fact. Especially in the early days, Ground Zero was a treacherous place to be. The initial forays through the wreckage were primarily K9 Search and Rescue teams. Hundreds of them descended on NYC from all over the world. And like their human teammates, many of them suffered as a result of that hazardous job. My point is that Man’s Best Friend regularly proves his mettle. Like I said, I’m all for dog monuments.
As if we don’t have enough problems…now we can also dwell on the unsavory practice of puppy laundering. Just like traditional money laundering, it’s everywhere if you look for it. And being in the dog biz…we are attuned to that inexplicable recent phenomenon of these new (politically correct) “rescue centers” that bear an uncanny resemblance to the pet shop retailers that decamped in recent years. And business is brisk.
Remember watching the Charlie Brown cartoon TV shows? The kids in the show could all converse normally, but when an adult was talking it sounded like, “Wah wah waaah wah wah.” Whaaaa? Somehow it managed to make some sort of sense and, in good sitcom fashion, everything worked out well in the end.
This month I’m looking back, not at persons who made up the interesting fiber of our dog show world, but at the way they arrived at the point in their dog lives that made them a household name in the sport.
The Dalmatian is one of those breeds that is instantly recognizable to almost everyone, due in no small part to a certain Walt Disney.
There is a current drive, here in the UK, that is very much against all pedigree breeding. Such practices, the experts tell us, always lead to health problems, disease, reduced fertility and shortened lifespan. Vets are calling for outcrossing as a solution to address these problems.
