Best in Show goes to the Sussex Spaniel, Ch Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee – a ten year old veteran from one of the oldest and rarest of British sporting breeds.

That’s right – an inbred, purebred, show bred, senior canine citizen with the health and condition to beat the best if the best.
Maybe there’s something to this master race stuff after all!
This year, the WKC website offers videos of breed judging. Find your favourites here.

No, really, they are.

The people who were once partners in animal husbandry are rapidly being converted into animal rights activists with stethoscopes;

In the new way of thinking, it is OK to do surgical sterilization of an animal with all the far reaching impact this may have due to the change in hormones this causes, but its not OK to snip off a length of tail before a pup can feel that surgery, or take off excess ear so that the ear can stand as is normal in dogs (a drop ear is a mutation seen only in tame canines). It is considered reasonable to mention only the positive effects of alter surgery but not to mention the negatives. Now how can it be OK to ‘sexually mutilate’ a dog without its agreement, but not be OK to prevent tail injury or fix an ear or remove a dewclaw? Do the vets not realize that if they alter the last animals they will be out of work?

Precisely. The next time you hear someone declare a docked tail to be a “needless mutilation”, ask them if their cat is spayed.
Related: The Humane Society Of The United States – a “humane society” in name only.

Some years ago, I campaigned a quite infamous little schnauzer bitch I called “Frankie”.
In the show ring there are ribbons you want to get, and ribbons you don’t want to get. A “good” ribbon, for a bitch of Frankie’s show record and status, was big and blue (First In Group). A “bad” ribbon was significantly smaller, and striped green and white (Best of Opposite Sex).
These formed the basis of a demonstration. I first gave ribbons of each description to a volunteer and with Frankie sitting in my lap, directed that they offer them to her one at a time.
If the volunteer offered the large, blue “First In Group” rosette, Frankie would sniff it in interest.
If the volunteer chose the green and white ribbon, they were met with teeth, bared in an audible snarl.
I taught her do that.

I needed the day off, anyway.

June 27, 1995 – June 27, 2008

Great name. Great dog.

Ch. K-Run’s Park Me in First, owned by Caroline Dowell of Austin, TX and the first Beagle to win at Westminster.
And via MSNBC, the dog in the lower left is a member of the extended “Minuteman” family, Ch.Beauideal It’s Raining Men, bred by Dr.Lisa Sarvas, who grew up a few miles from here, at BIggar, SK. and now practices veterinary medicine in North Carolina. “Manny” was first Award Of Merit in Miniature Schnauzers.

It’s been a few hectic days, and my best laid plans of fitting in a little blogging didn’t come to pass. 80 hours on the road, 5 am mornings, and 15 hour days can do that. I’m a few hours from home tonight, so things should be (mostly) back to normal blogivity by Wednesday. In the meanwhile, a couple of photos taken at the Montgomery County weekend, where our “crew” did exceptionally well.

Me and Can.Ch.Minuteman Amore, on his way to Best of Winners at Devon.

A typical class.

Portions of the Ontario provincial “pit bull ban” law have been struck down;

An Ontario Superior Court Justice has struck down parts of the province’s controversial pitbull law.
The legislation, which bans the breeds outright in Ontario, has been bitterly opposed by advocates who claim only irresponsible owners are to blame for problems with the dogs.
The court ruled two key parts of the law, including the definition of what a pit bull is, are unconstitutional. And the jurist found using a veterinarian to prove a dog’s breed also violates the law.
Despite the outcome, the Attorney General – who pressed so hard to get the new legislation passed – insists 99 percent of the rules are still in place and that the vast majority of the law stands.
“This means that the law continues, which means no more pit bulls in Ontario,” contends Michael Bryant. “No pit bulls sold, bred or imported into the province of Ontario.
“People should continue to leash and muzzle their pit bulls; pit bulls are banned are in Ontario, and that has been upheld by the Ontario Superior Court.
“Pit bulls remain banned, the purebred definitions of pit bulls are banned, anything substantially similar to those purebreds are banned.”
But it appears the lawyers for the other side are far from satisfied by this judgment.
“We saved ‘pit bull terriers’ but not the other breeds,” a statement from Clayton Ruby’s law firm reads. “We made it impossible for the Crown to prove its case with a piece of paper signed by a veterinarian.”
They vow to continue to appeal until they get the law quashed or changed.

It sounds as though the judge gave at least a partial nod to common sense. In addition to the obvious problem of “banning” a breed that doesn’t have a legal definition, veterinarians are generally not trained or qualified to make precise breed identifications. There are hundreds of recognized breeds of dogs, and many appear identical to the untrained eye.
Unfortunately, the article notes that bans against the named CKC recognized breeds are still in effect. This is both ridiculous and ironic – both breeds are few in number (there were only 5 Am Staff litters born in 2006 in Canada) and to the best of my knowledge, there has never been a recorded bite by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Continue reading →

ABC News;

ABC News has learned that investigators have determined that a rodent-killing chemical is the toxin in the tainted pet food that has killed several animals.
A source close to the investigation tells ABC News that the rodenticide, which the source says is illegal to use in the United States, was on wheat that was imported from China and used by Menu Foods in nearly 100 brands of dog and cat food.
A news conference is scheduled for this afternoon by experts in Albany, N.Y., where scientists at the state’s food laboratory made the discovery a week after a massive recall of 60 million cans and pouches was issued.
The chemical is called aminopterin.

Menu Foods is located in Emporia, Kansas.

I’ve been home just over 24 hours now, and the road fog is finally starting to lift.
To review – the show circuit began on September 21st with shows in Bozeman and Helena, Montana. I finished Sunday just after noon and headed for La Crosse, WI.
Note to hunters – approximately 4 million mule deer gather after dark along the shoulderless edges of Hwy 212 between Lame Deer and Belle Fourche. Perhaps they enjoy the sound of screeching tires, perhaps they’re just trying to catch a glimpse of their splendid racks in the mirrors of passing cars – whatever the case, shooting them should require all the effort of rolling down a window. Please consider doing so.
I arrived in LaCrosse Monday night, where I picked up my friend and co-driver Mary, (along with two more dogs for a total of 8) to continue on to the Monroe, Michigan shows. After showing finished Sunday, we hit the road again for a 10 hour trek to some place in Maryland northwest of Baltimore, where we stayed with friends. After a two day “break” grooming dogs and doing laundry, it was on to Philadelphia, where the four days of shows that are the “high point” of the trip are held in three inconvenient, outdoor locations in the countryside north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
We employ the usual techniques to help the miles go by. The most effective, of course, is trashing your dog show enemies. There’s also Rush and Sean Hannity, swilling Mountain Dew, arguing over what constitutes a good road tune (I became hooked on Dire Straits this trip, much to Mary’s dismay) and when things get really boring – teasing the dog in the top crate.

Montgomery County Kennel Club is the world’s most important show for terriers – winning Best In Show at “Montgomery” is arguably more important for us than winning the more heavily publicized Westminster. It’s also often one of the coldest and wettest – though the showers and wind we endured this year paled in comparison to the nearly 10 inches of rain that fell in 2005 that washed out one of the show sites.
The dogs did well. Everyone in the van placed in the ribbons each day, with dogs of our breeding in the top awards every show save one.
We were packed and on the road by 6 pm, arriving back in LaCrosse Monday evening. A 4:30 am morning ensured I crossed the border into Saskatchewan before the Port of Northgate closed. I overnighted at the family farm, then it was just other 5 hour hop to Delisle with nothing left to do but housecleaning, unpacking the van and getting up to date on three weeks of mail, bills and the work waiting for me.
All of that is to help explain why blogging will be slow for a day or two. My energy levels are pretty low.
I didn’t take a lot of photos along the way this year – the interstates aren’t known for their scenic qualities. But I did stick the camera out of the window near Bowbells, ND. on the way home. Those who live on the northern plains will recognize the indigo blue clouds that blow in with the first cold front – I call them “winter clouds”. They signal the end of autumn, and are particularly beautiful when contrasted against the clear turquoise sky and golden stubble fields.



(Click the images for a larger version)
Here’s another that better illustrates what I mean, though this was taken near Regina a few years ago.

One photo didn’t turn out – it’s the one of the tripmeter on the van that reads 9,397.3 km. That’s 5,828.03 miles for our non-metric friends.
I’m glad I have a week to rest up before I head back.
Someone asked about more dog pics – this one was sent along by a friend. A ring shot of my puppy, “Diesel” – Am.Can.Ch.Minuteman Locomotion, who was First Award of Merit at Hatboro KC.

One of “our”* guys invited a few friends along to celebrate Easter.

Thought I’d share. (Congrats Connie!)

“Are we there yet?”

I’m knee deep in dog showing at the moment – doing very well, I’ll add. But the nature of the beast means I’m up far too early and much to late to even get online, much less blog. With a few minutes to spare this evening, thought I’d check in and let you all know we’re still alive, and as of today,the little guy looking wistfully out the truck window is another 5 points closer to his American Championship title.

I was up at 6:30 this morning because I knew the first thing I had to do was shovel a foot of snow from not only the sidewalks and driveway, but about 600 sq feet of dog run. Then, I loaded a half dozen puppies into the truck to drive over 30 miles of snow-packed iceway, hung around the University while they drew blood (genetic research) on the unsuspecting,but happily co-operative little dears.

Afterwards, I loaded them all up again for the drive home – so I could again shovel a foot of snow from the sidewalks, driveway and about 600 sq feet of dog run. And, as I was already in the swing of things (so to speak) I dug out a “maze” in the deeper snow of their exercise yard. They’re out there right now chasing each other around, looking for all the world like abominable snow schnauzers. I think I need a nap. And a masseuse.

update – Arctic vortex to delay spring??? Argh!!

Trouble on the trail. Several teams are long overdue at their checkpoint on the Yukon Quest 1,600 km sled dog race.

Rookie Whitehorse musher Saul Turner and Alaskan mushers Phil Joy, Jennifer Cochran and Yuka Honda have yet to reach the checkpoint at Central after leaving the Mile 101 dog drop Sunday evening. Some have taken more than 15 hours to complete what should be a five-hour leg.
They’ve been bogged down on the Eagle Summit by a white-out and blizzard-like conditions.
Officials sent out snow machines and planned to send out spotter planes Monday morning to look for the teams. However, the planes were grounded and at least one snowmobile was forced to turn back because of poor weather conditions on the summit.
[…]
“I can’ t remember last time I was that scared or out of control, it was absolutely insane,” said Lance Mackey, who won the Quest last year.
“I would not be surprised if someone wasn’t killed out there today,” said veteran champion Hans Gatt.

Keeping all our fingers, and all our paws, crossed for their safe return.
Update – They’ve been found and at least some have been airlifted out – the report adds that Randy Chappel’s missing team has also been located.
The Yukon Quest website is reporting the same.

(SDA – where dogs and politics intersect.)