By Amy Fernandez Anyone acquainted with our sport knows that the first dog show happened in 1859. However, like most conventionally accepted historical facts, the truth is kinda, sorta different. “The Sporting Dog Show” staged at the Town Hall, Newcastle-on-Tyne on June 28 and 29, 1859 was actually an afterthought tacked on to a wildly […]
Pack a room full of Chinese Crested and you can expect a giant heap of sleeping dogs. Pack a room full of Crested fanciers and wait for the fireworks. It’s ironic that a breed famed for its sociable, placid nature inevitably sparks such contentious battles. Quite possibly, their single point of agreement is the fact that Crested type is all over the map. Of course, this situation is not unique to the Crested world. But the drastic nature of this case provides a sterling example of the extreme polarities that evolve under the heading of purebred continuity.
Conformation shows and clubs are struggling with declining entries. Exhibitors and club members seem to be older now than they used to be, purebred registrations are a third of what they were 20 years ago, and there are few newcomers to the scene. These are all clear indicators that our culture has changed. Prevailing cultures and societal values generally drift slowly, but sometimes single events or factors at the right time lead to a more sudden paradigm shift. Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book on this phenomenon, The Tipping Point. Was there some single event that turned the tide of change in the public’s attitudes towards purebred dogs?
Breed standards are written with the purpose of describing, in as much detail as possible, the mature dog. I believe we would all be hard pressed to find any fault with that assumption. But let me ask, have parent clubs been remiss in not addressing the need for breed standards for puppies? Most dogs are purchased at ages far younger than where they could reasonably be expected to have achieved the maturity described in the breed standard.
The Ulster County Legislature has made numerous changes to the proposal that would regulate dog breeders and sellers in the county, and a public hearing will be held in October. The Ulster County Legislature is demonstrating a willingness to listen to constituents on this proposal, and residents are encouraged to continue contacting the legislators to […]
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.
The Premium List for the 2016 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is now available online here. The 140th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held on Monday and Tuesday, February 15th and 16th, 2015. Breed judging, the special attraction Masters Obedience Championship competition, and Junior Showmanship preliminaries will be at Piers 92 and 94. […]
This intriguing oil-on-canvas painting depicts a seated, smartly dressed man – a “Sacramento Indian” – two Dalmatians, a cock and a hen, in a charming landscape with a river and mountain in the background.
BEIJING - A Chinese district government is giving dog owners a stark choice: Get rid of your pets or we’ll come to your home and kill them on the spot. Even in a country where dog ownership is tightly regulated, the order issued this week by the Dayang New District in the eastern city of Jinan […]
