One hundred years ago Des Moines, Iowa went to the dogs. Champion dogs, that is. This coming September 6 and 7, will be our 100th year and 97th Show, which will be held at the Iowa State Fair Varied Industries Building.
For a time, Marc and I lived close to Dartmoor, a wild upland expanse of open moorland and deep river valleys. A truly gorgeous, unspoiled part of Southwest England.
Click here to read the complete article 210 – August, 2025 Curated By Elaine Lessig Click here to read the complete article 210 – August, 2025
You know that old saying about fooling some of the people all of the time? It’s true, and the latest news on the ASPCA unequivocally confirms that bit of social insight.
Good morning and welcome to my seminar titled, “So Much to Learn.” Nice to see all you young sporting breed dogs here along with a few Miniature and Standard Poodles and some Airedales as this seminar is really for you. It’s designed to give you some idea of what’s in store for you if your bosses decide to do field work with you–and they should.
Even though this game is way too addicted to numbers and stats, we have never been able to crack the code of breed popularity.
The American Kennel Club has provided young people with their own unique competition and the AKC has designed the sport of Junior Showmanship such that it promotes the values of sportsmanship, respect for one’s opponents, judges, and the sport. It is hoped that young people find the sport fun and a positive outlet for their competitive spirit and use the sport to foster the development of friendships and build social bonds.
It’s frustrating. You spend the money, drive the miles, wash, groom, prep—and still walk away empty-handed. Meanwhile, professional handlers float out of the ring with ribbons in hand, while your dog—the one you love and believe in—barely gets a glance.
Recently, the animal rights group, PETA filed a lawsuit against the AKC in an attempt to abandon the breed standard of the French Bulldog and other breeds. PETA asserts that the AKC breed standards promote the propagation of unhealthy dogs.
“Babbie Tongren would toss out trimmed dogs routinely. When questioned about how she could award my entries after some said I trimmed my dogs, her terse reply was, “Well, he does it so well, I can’t tell.” And that shows respect to the standard’s intention—don’t go to extremes, and/or be very precise at one’s craft.”
