It was a beautiful litter of three healthy, lively puppies — one girl and two boys. While I had shown several breeds and whelped numerous litters for nearly 50 years, this was only my second litter in a new, small breed. The litter was whelped in March, 2010.
First, let me dispose of a couple of things. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to win. It’s always fun and it provides a little ego boost to boot. But, there’s a fine line between being competitive and overly competitive, between winning when it counts and when no one’s counting.
But these distinctive dogs aren’t (relatively) modern day creations. There is considerable evidence to suggest that small ‘rough-haired’ white
terriers have been very much a part of life in the Western Highlands of Scotland for a considerable time.
So here we are midsummer and maybe the pandemic is winding down…or maybe it’s just revving up for real business. Very disconcerting. We definitely need to hang onto the stuff we know for sure. And for many of us–me included–it’s an absolute certainty that the past six months have made us fat, crazy and lazy. Even if your local gym is reopening, you’re probably debating the possible risks of returning.
I hope that by the time you read this, things will be slowly getting back to normal for all of you. These past few months have been very strange and unsettling for millions of us all around the world.
Truly gifted judges are few and far between. Decades later, their remarkable ability remains the benchmark of excellence for the sport of purebred dogs. They confidently, efficiently sort through large mediocre classes, discover a diamond-in-the-rough presented by an uncertain novice, and fearlessly reward the potential greatness of a puppy. Most importantly, they act on the courage of their convictions. To many fanciers, Bea Godsol was the greatest of them all. “She was a lovely lady and really knew dogs,”
By Amy Fernandez, The Canine Chronicle Archives 2013 At early dog shows, the exhibition of Toy breeds was considered an insignificant factor in the competition. That misperception was quickly revised as big winners began to emerge from this group. However, less glamorous members of the Toy Group continued to be overlooked. That usually didn’t change […]
In 2020, the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) celebrates its 25th anniversary. Founded by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1995 as an independent, 501c3 non-profit organization to focus on research specifically for canine health, CHF has invested more than $56 million in research and educational grants and canine health projects. Bolstered by outstanding donor support, CHF continues to make great strides in advancing the health of all dogs.
Many seasoned showgoers have seen numerous hilarious “Oopses” in the ring; ladies who drop their underwear and deftly kick them out of the ring; gentlemen judges who are unzipped. I saw one judge at an indoor show on a warm day wearing a raincoat. “I split my pants” was his answer when I asked him why. I noticed another judge was wearing odd colored shoes. I pointed it out to him and he exclaimed, “I know, I have another pair at home just like them!”
