On paper, one might be surprised Dorothy would be our poster child for all things bright and beautiful. Many would fondly say she was more of a pin-up girl than a poster child; she had that obsequious innocence that cast off a hint of sultriness and sex appeal. She was born in 1910 as one of seven siblings.
As lifestyles have changed so too has the role of dogs in our lives. Man’s best friend, to most of us, is a loyal companion who gives us so much love, devotion, joy, protection and finally heartbreak when an all too short life comes to an end. No longer do many of our Herding dogs herd, our Nordic breeds go in harness, our Terriers go to ground, our Sporting dogs and Hounds give chase, flush, point and retrieve, nor do our Bulldogs bait, our Poodles retrieve, on goes the list.
I may not be out in the trenches every week like I used to be, but I still know everything that is happening in our little world. Sorry, not going to chat about anything gossipy or titillating… that’s not what I care about. What brings a smile to my face is when I look at today’s top dogs vying for their little piece of history.
The Magyars (the original name of the Hungarian people) kept sheepdogs from the end of the ninth century, but pedigree breeding and classification of dogs only started in the second half of the 19th century. Before that time, Hungarian sheepdogs were simply divided into two categories: large and small. When breeding, the small dogs were divided from the big ones (Kuvasz, Komondor), but the small ones were interbred. Therefore, the early history of the Mudi is more or less the same as those of the Pumi and the Puli.
It all began with a 10 year-old boy practicing handling techniques in his family’s yard after school. Most junior handlers probably would have focused on their own skills – taking even strides, mastering the smooth transfer of the lead from hand to hand. For Charles “Corky” Vroom, the practice sessions had a deeper purpose. He wanted to understand the dogs – their structure, how they moved, and how their minds worked.
Before the advent of four-day clusters and the widespread use of air travel as a means of moving from dog show to dog show, a quiet, even shy, manwas setting records in the Midwest. “We used to call him ‘Three-State Cooper,’ for Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin,” former assistantKen Murray recalls. “He didn’t have to chase Best in Show wins – they came to him.”
Elliott Weiss remembers when he first met Julia Gasow. It was 1967, and he was handler Ted Young, Jr.’s apprentice. Gasow, known as “Julie” to her friends, had been breeding her Salilyn English Springer Spaniels for three decades
Malta is a sun-soaked rocky island that sits in the crystal-clear blue waters of the Mediterranean. With over 7,000 years of history, this intriguing island is home to some of the oldest free-standing temples in the world and (over that huge span of time) it has played host to the Phoenicians, Romans, the Knights of St. John, Napoleon and the British Empire. All have left their mark in the form of phenomenal fortifications and breathtakingly beautiful architecture.
Great handlers understand the fine line that separates expert presentation from sharp salesmanship. Careers and reputations hinge on the ability to showcase a dog without crossing that line. Handlers often cultivate a distinctive personal image to reinforce the impact.
AKC may exist in a bubble as many contend, but there have been moments when it has awakened and reacted to life outside the ivory tower.
