The Staffordshire Bull Terrier – Just The Facts

I have been involved in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed for many decades and judging them for 15 years. There are a few discrepancies that I have found, one being… SIDE GAIT.

I have been involved in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed for many decades and judging them for 15 years. There are a few discrepancies that I have found, one being… SIDE GAIT.

Did you guess the identity of this handler, now judge? What about the judge and the dog in our last #ThrowbackThursday photo? It’s time to check your answer. Were you right? The correct answers are Lhasa, CH Potala Keke’s Yum Yum, Bred and Owned Keke Blumberg (now Kahn), handled by now judge Carolyn Herbel. The [...]

The Sealyham Terrier was developed in the middle of the nineteenth century by Captain John Edwards to work with his Otterhound pack. The breed derived its name from the Captain’s Sealy Ham estate in southern Wales. While no records were kept, it is assumed that he used an extinct white terrier, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, and the West Highland White Terrier, among others to build his breed. Noted for his white color, fall of hair over his face, and low slung strong body, the Sealyham is one of the more biddable terriers.

Maybe an invigoration of that level might energize the dog show game. Imagine having a ring full of “Hollys” or “Unos”, or “Dodgers”, or “Sadies” and being a judge of that breed on that day. What if every dog in the ring was “spot on” on the standard? What great excitement would be generated around ringside with spectators scurrying from ring to ring, trying to see all the quality; handlers not having to “groom away” any faults. Quality as far as the eye could see! I am sure the print media would be there interviewing everyone; news cameras from local and national networks recording the movements of all and videoing everyone within reach including the Boy Scout Bucket Brigade; onlookers gawking at the high level of quality in the ring….great excitement—a rock star-level of excitement.

Click here to read the complete article 258 – September, 2022 Click here to read the complete article 258 – September, 2022

I do not belong to any breed specific chat room and, therefore, I am not privy to some of the vitriolic exchanges recently between fanciers who proclaim to have the best interest of their breed at the center of their existence. However, on the social media sites I often visit, I am shocked at the lack of civility displayed by some of the contributors. Many times while reading and pondering the impetus for such, in my opinion, nasty, uncivilized speech, I am amazed at the lack of respect, compassion, understanding, and concern for the feelings of others. Where has all the civility gone? I recently removed myself from a Judges group online because of the volume of negative comments about specific judges.

Imagine for a few moments – it’s June 1920 and you’re invited to Lyndhurst Mansion for the day to visit with Helen Gould, a beloved philanthropist, and her railroad executive husband, Finley J. Shepard. The Shepards open up the house each summer and it’s just filled with all the best people, and their children, dogs and so much fun.

Question of the week: In what year did Snoopy make his debut? Answer: 1950. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recognizable and iconic characters in the comic strip and is considered more famous than Charlie Brown Do you have a fun dog show trivia question that you [...]

Join Amy Rodrigues in this exciting series, “TIME WILL TELL.” Amy goes back in time with some of the greatest historians in the sport of dogs. They will tell us some of their favorite stories of how they first got started and explain some of the differences between dog shows then and now. Please sit back and enjoy as Linda Hurlebaus tells [...]

This article (my last one on WKC, I promise) will likely only be interesting to those who show, judge, handle, and/or breed Goldens; or to those who are curious about what is happening in a dog judge’s mind (or at least this judge’s mind) as final decisions are made.