They don’t work.

My dog, the paradox.

And the American Miniature Schnauzer Club National Specialty
Best of Breed – Am.Can.Ch.Minuteman Goldikova

In addition, a son of Am.Can.Ch.Minuteman Underworld took the dog points, while Venus’ little sister Minuteman Spanish Fly won the girl points and Am.Can.Ch.Minuteman Safety Last was first Award of Merit.
While I was busy conquering Schnauzers, my Scottish Terrier Can.Ch.Gyver Lead Me Not was winning the bitch points at the Scottish Terrier Club of America National with her primary owner and fellow road warrior, Karen.

We fully expect that someone down here is calling Homeland Security right now in an attempt to have us added to the “No Cross Border List”. Heh. Better get moving…
Update: FYI, Prior to the shows since Kate’s been away winning stuff, here were the AKC standings (select Miniature Schnauzer as Breed and hit ‘Get Rankings’).
I don’t know how the two dogs over Goldi did the last couple of weeks, but I think it’s fair to say she’s tightened the race. It’s rare for a bitch to win, or for that matter any dog that isn’t campaigned all year. -lance

Am.Can.Ch.Minuteman Goldikova in the group in Scottsdale, AZ yesterday. She’s following in the footsteps of Venus, and is already top ranked female Mini Schnauzer in the US this year. Thanks to the guest bloggers for helping keep the place humming while Golda’s been ripping up the rings from Portland to Denver to San Diego. Normal blogging will resume in a couple of days.

Under the category of “Wrong, Just Wrong”, here’s a pair of photos I took of a Chihuahua in San Jose, California last Friday evening.

h/t

A video that reduces a 12,225 mile road trip around the USA to 5 minutes.

Reminds me of this past year’s dog show campaign – or at least, a quarter of it.
h/t Dave

And we’re home from the annual Michigan – Montgomery County suicide run. We have some major successes to report, but I’ll just narrow it down to the “big ones”.
We began at the Michigan Terrier Ass’n, in Mornoe, where Am.Can.Ch.Minuteman Goldikova won the schnauzer specialty and went on to place in a huge terrier group, defeating 251 dogs in the cold and driving wind.

Minuteman Metropolis scored both of the major wins required for his American title with a Best of Breed win in Michigan and Best of Winners at the American Miniature Schnauzer Club national specialty at Montgomery County. (pictured here with my friend, Karen).

Over the four days that make up the most important weekend for terriers on the planet – “Montgomery County” – Venus took home “select” and “Award of Merit” wins, as did Golda, who was also “best female” at Hatboro, while our young male, Am.Can.Ch.Minuteman Underworld was Best of Breed at Devon – the most prestigious win of the trip.

(Underworld congratulates his cousin new Am.Ch. Mystique Runway to a Legacy on finishing her title at Hatboro.)
In all, dogs with Minuteman breeding in their immediate pedigrees (represented by a variety of US kennels) made up about 25% of the entry, and took home 75% of the major awards over the weekend.

(After “the cut”. Part of the final lineup at the National. Golda and I are at the front where we would go on to win “Select”.)
We have one more short jaunt to South Dakota in a week, and after that (I think) we’ll be drawing the campaign to a close. According to my records, Am.GCh.Can.Ch. Minuteman Venus Flytrap is currently the number one female in the breed in the US, all systems. Thanks to everyone for making this “once in a lifetime” year possible!

(Click on the photos to view in larger format.)

I don’t generally bore you all with our exploits as Venus and I travel the dog show trail this summer, but today she scored a big one, defeating the #1 and #2 #5 terriers in the US to win the Terrier Club of Salt Lake Specialty show. Thanks all of you for your patience and thanks to the guest bloggers who have so generously picked up the slack around here while we play.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
*Corrected

Actually, it does kinda look like Saskatchewan.
We’re at the halfway point on a show cluster in Topeka, Kansas and it’s “so far, so good”. Venus is extending her points lead for “top bitch” nicely, and a client’s dog will go home with a new championship title.
And for those who keep pestering me for photos – here is the ungrateful creature who has hijacked your blog mistress, in the group ring in Calgary (taken earlier this month).

Thanks once again to the guest bloggers who have so ably filled in the gaps for us. Another 8 weeks or so and we should be able to call it a year.

Me and Racket (new Am.Ch.Minuteman Underworld) at the MSC of Southern California yesterday, finishing his championship. Followed an hour later by new Am.Ch.Minuteman Goldikova finishing hers!
Thanks again to the guest bloggers for making this very excellent year possible.

Quincy Whig Standard;

MISSOURI lawmakers will have at least one bill to consider next year that would repeal the Proposition B vote on dog breeding regulations.
Sen. Bill Stouffer, R-Napton, said the proposition that passed by a narrow margin statewide — it failed in rural areas, but won overwhelmingly in St. Louis and Kansas City — misled voters.
[…]
Shortly after the Nov. 2 election, dog breeders started receiving letters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Breeders were told that the HSUS filed a Freedom of Information act request on Oct. 4, to get access to information on USDA licenses for use in a civil lawsuit.
“These are the people who said ‘trust us’ we’re only worried about the puppies,” said one Northeast Missouri breeder who requested anonymity. “Now they want private information on all of us.”
License forms include information such as the number of dogs purchased, the number sold, the gross revenue and income after expenses. […]
In the meantime, some pet shelters are concerned about being deluged with dogs as breeders either go out of business or have to reduced the number of dogs they own.
David Martosko, director of the Center for Consumer Freedom, has suggested that the HSUS provide money to Missouri shelters to be used for animal care.
“Last year the HSUS took in $100 million but made only six grants to Missouri pet shelters, totaling less than $43,000, according to its filings with the IRS,” Martasko said.

您的小狗是否讲中文？

Thirteen dogs have boarded a flight to the United States to find new homes there, in the latest attempt to save some of Taiwan’s many stray dogs, animal rescue workers said Sunday.
The dogs were rescued from southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City, where they were found to have been abused or suffering from illnesses, rescue workers said. The dogs were first taken by train from Kaohsiung to Taipei before boarding the flight.
It is hoped that by taking the dogs to shelters in the U.S., their chances of being adopted will increase.
Since 2004, the rescue team has carried out more than 200 such cases, flying a total of 1,470 animals rescued in Taiwan to North America, by cooperating with similar organizations in the U.S and Canada.

Think that’s a one off?

I wanted to write a post about the organization that I volunteer with, and where we rescued our corgi, Rocky from. The group is called Ocean Dog Rescue and works to rescue dogs from Taiwan and find forever homes for them in Vancouver, BC.

And now you know the best kept secret of the animal rights racket. Shelters have been long importing strays to supply demand for puppies, while lobbying the public for financial donations, and governments for anti-breeding legislation, all in the name of ending “pet overpopulation”.
Related – Regina Humane Society imports Ontario pit bulls. Because they don’t have enough of their own, I guess!

(If you don’t get this, that’s ok. You probably still have liquid assets.)

And I’m home. We had a very successful trip, with nearly every dog in the van scoring at least one major win over the two weekends we showed, starting with my own “Venus” at the Miniature Schnauzer Club of Michigan specialty, and culminating with handling the 8 1/2 month puppy “Mystique’s Finding Neverland” (Thriller) to Best of Winners at the American Miniature Schnauzer Club national at Montgomery County. He’s bred and owned by a good friend, but like everyone else on the string, a member of the extended Minuteman “family”.

Thanks to all the guest bloggers who filled in so ably, yet again. Blogging will be a bit slow while I gather my wits and catch up on both current events and sleep…

Me and Venus at Devon, where she placed second.

h/t Dave S.

A photo gallery.

h/t Harry K.