By Amy Fernandez Getting a dog has been one of the most popular ways to cope with quarantine and all the related stress that it entails. We’re still far from getting back to normal. Of course, the latest debate on this front is whether or not it will be safe to open schools in the […]
Quite a few breeders have the resources to buy the best and do things on a grand scale. That approach typically ensures instant recognition and transitory success, but rarely translates into a lasting contribution. That requires an element that money can’t buy, an uncompromising focus on quality. Barbara Fallass and her daughter Susan Mason made historic contributions to the development of Smooth Fox Terriers, Greyhounds, and Welsh Pembroke Corgis.
When age caught up with the last of our show dogs, my wife Cheryl and I entered new territory. We knew our lifetime of loading and unloading crates was behind us but we couldn’t imagine life without dogs. It was time to move on, time to enter the world of “just pets.”
Traditional research has always been considered the purview of the university and the research laboratory. This belief has effectively ruled out other kinds of good science and took away the motivation of others to become involved. However, following the events of 9/11, Brussels, Boston, Las Vegas, New York and London, the need to move the psychological machinery of research in a new direction became a compelling issue.
“Pavlov’s Dog” is a catchphrase so deeply embedded in popular culture that it long ago surpassed any direct reference to dogs. And guess what…that’s exactly what good old Ivan Pavlov had in mind when he commenced his oddball experiments back in the 1880s in Russia.
What can I tell you? It was a dog club meeting. Blah, blah, blah… As the old saying goes, everyone has an opinion and most of them… well never mind. So we were discussing the Welcome Reception for the judges ad nauseam; the room, the food, the wine, the signage, the decorations, the size of the tables. Finally, I looked at a couple of the biggest complainers and said what I believe (I always tell the truth because that is the way my Mother raised me). “I don’t mean to be rude, but it is not about you. It’s not about the show chair, the photographer, the super or any of the committee members. It’s about the judges. It is a Welcome Event for them.” The reply left me speechless.
Stay at home, stay at home…um, we’re dog show folk, we don’t do stay at home. Not well, at least. So maybe you’ve taken the opportunity to breed that litter. Or two. Maybe you’ve done the virtual Trick Dog thing–every last level. With every last dog. And maybe you’ve got your dogs’ virtual Rally titles. And while I suppose you could take up dock diving or tracking or some other canine sport, maybe you’re not so thrilled about running around in the heat. If only there were more dog things you could do online…
There has always been a connection between dog show folks and food! Why do I say that you ask? Well, for the last sixty years that I and my family have been involved in our special interest of dogs and dog shows, there has consistently been a discussion of food and eating well amongst the participants. Early on, during the novice days of match shows, there was always a picnic lunch to enjoy during the day, usually in the company of the other exhibitors and their young dogs and families.
When it comes to Christmas, I am the Grinch personified. But one thing that always helps me through the tedium of the holidays is the inevitable re-runs of classic movies. My favorites are those from the British film-making heyday of the ‘50s, ‘60’s and early ‘70s. And one of those festive stalwarts is, of course, the 1968 musical adaptation of Charles Dickens classic tale, Oliver!
When a couple of good friends recently asked if I would like to take a drive up to see a litter of beagle pups, I couldn’t resist. Beagle pups are the cutest things in the world and I was quite interested in this particular breeding. Most important, it seemed like eons ago that I had actually seen other people’s dogs and talked dogs with a group of breeders.
