Breeds change constantly; good or bad, no gene pool remains static. The problem is that we tend to gauge this in terms of stats and ads. What’s winning. What’s not. That looks pretty nice. OMG check this out! We never realize just how those handy resources threaten to sabotage our sensibilities or, more crucially, derail our evaluation skills.
Anyone who is connected to the world of dogs and loves to learn new facts on the topic is pretty likely to know the term ‘domestication’. The word itself originates from the Latin word ‘domesticus’, which means ‘belonging to the house’.
At least once a year, all exhibitors should go to a dog show unencumbered with a dog, grooming table and equipment. They should go for the sole purpose of observing the handling of their breed in particular, and a variety of breeds in general.
This past summer, my husband and I took our first vacation with no work and no dogs in five years. Much needed, we met up with my family in Breckenridge, Colorado.
Although the modern media does its best to distort the fact, purebred dogs stem from a long tradition of the form follows function concept.
About Responsible Dog Ownership…
When we aim to help dogs to have a better, happier life, we have to explore what causes most of the problems that can crop up. And also where most of the problems stem from originally.
Each year, breeds newly recognized by the AKC bring a special energy to Westminster. There are television appearances with David Frei, press interviews, and the chance to make breed history as the first to take Best of Breed honors at the Garden.
This year, the Non-Sporting and Sporting Groups each added a new breed to its roster. Though the Coton de Tulear and Wirehaired Vizsla couldn’t be more dissimilar, each generated excitement and interest in the benching area. It’s hard to resist the snowy white coat and onyx eyes of the Coton, or the Wirehaired Vizsla’s tousled coat and whiskers.
So, your beautiful sporting dog has completed its conformation championship, perhaps two or three different championships from breed registries in the U.S. and Canada, maybe even owns a grand championship or two and a bunch of blue, red, yellow and white ribbons for group placements, possibly even a few Best In Show trophies. But, now the dog’s show career is coming to an end. It has either won every possible award you ever wanted or it has indicated that it simply has had enough of being a “foo-foo.”
By Peter Baynes In a recent article, I came up with a name for a breed in a comic portrayal of that breed’s followers. Compared to the naming of other strange new breeds, Bulgarian Stitch Hound seemed quite normal. I hope some naïve readers didn’t search the Internet for puppies. A regular reader of my [...]
196 – August, 2013 By Chris Robinson According to most psychiatric journals, a problem exists when there is a discrepancy between what you are doing and what you would like to be doing. So, when there is a discrepancy between what my dogs are doing and what I would like them to be doing, it [...]
