The Mighty Mite

Here in the UK, as I write this, we are (COVID allowing) gearing up for Crufts and, with perfect timing, Norway has recently announced that it is banning two British breeds–the Bulldog and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Here in the UK, as I write this, we are (COVID allowing) gearing up for Crufts and, with perfect timing, Norway has recently announced that it is banning two British breeds–the Bulldog and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Will Alexander Drops Some Knowledge About What’s Happening in the Sport of Dogs. It’s Deep… It’s Humorous… It’s Provocative… It’s Will Unfiltered! This week Will gives us 10 Questions in 60 Seconds. Ep. #11. Click here to watch on Canine Chronicle TV!

Yes, we’re back. George Alston has been guiding us through the murky history of trimming. In contrast to most aspects of our sport, expert trimming seemed detached from conventional routes of progression. Its eye-popping impact contrasted starkly with the mysteries of its methodology.

This St. Bernard survey and article are unique in this series; it was a collaborative effort between the St. Bernard Club of America and me. The SBCA Education Committee developed the survey using my designs and forms. They created the lists of virtues and faults, selecting more than the sixteen that I have used in past surveys, which were based on the pattern in the Irish Wolfhound standard. The Education Committee also created the outlines from selected dogs and bitches. They invited forty-six AKC St. Bernard breeder-judges to participate and collected the input data. I did the data analysis in the same way that was done with the other surveys and wrote the article.

It’s a great time to be a canine science geek, and this month’s sampling of recent articles shows a few reasons why…

It seems you humans just do not appreciate the vulnerabilities of being a dog. You abuse and malign our reputation each and every time you sarcastically suggest that the world has ‘gone to the dogs’ or that this is a ‘dog-eat-dog world’. Truth be told, if we eat it, we are pretty satisfied with our diet, and it would never include one of our own. This idiom is generally used to describe a situation in which people will do anything to be successful, even if what they do harms other people. We are all quite happy for the success another dog achieves.

Virtually anyone who has ever trained a dog has, at some time, thrown up their hands in exasperation and said, “I can’t figure out what’s with this stupid/lazy/obstinate (take your pick) dog” except in a lot of cases, that statement is probably way more profane. If you don’t recall ever experiencing at least one of those frustrating moments with at least one of your dogs, you’ve been blessed with “superdogs,” incredible luck or a very short, selective memory.

The rib cage is formed by thoracic vertebrae and the shaft of the rib is roughly oval with a distal end, somewhat enlarged, which is joined by cartilage. This is attached to nine small flat bones joined together by cartilaginous joints called “sternebrae.”

Join Michael Hill in his exciting series “INFLUENCERS.” Michael will be hosting dog show enthusiasts, handlers, breeders, and judges as they reveal who has impacted them the most. This series will touch upon how influential mentors are and how they shape not only individuals but the future of the dog show world. Next, in the series is […]

The expression “judging on the day” is an essential phrase that judges should recite to themselves each time they step into the ring. Like many phrases, however, we hear it so often that we rarely stop to think about what it means; it’s interpretations and consequences.