Kennel Club & Pedigree Dogs Exposed

Paul | blog | December 7, 2011

Do you think the Kennel Club in the UK made the right decision re the following

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Dog Owners, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Paul | blog | December 6, 2011

As per the classic spaghetti western staring Clint Eastwood, you could classify all dog owners into the above categories.

Yesterday I met one of the bad & ugly ones.

We were just coming in from one of our daily walks, and were stopped at a pedestrian crossing waiting for the light to go in our favour. Across the road a “Gent” was walking his German Shepherd on an extendable lead. The German Shepherd had stopped at the other side of the road, right at the crossing and had a what can only be described as a projectile shite ! Let’s put it this way, if the dog was in the decorating business he would have been very proud of his achievement as he got great coverage, with minimum effort.

At this stage the light went in our favour and we crossed relatively close to where this disgusting mess lay resting on the pavement. When the dog had finally finished, the “Gent” just tugged the lead, and went to trot off with not a bother on him.

Being a responsible dog owner (Don’t mind saying so myself) I called after him, and asked was he going to clean up the mess his German Shepherd had created, at a pedestrian light, just in front of a four star hotel.

“No” came the response, to which I responded by calling him something along the lines of a filthy human being, to which he advised me to “Go F8ck off” – It’s a good job I’m not Clint Eastwood, as I would have just filled the fecker with bullets.

Only down the road there are signs on every other lamp post from the town council advising that dog litter is an offence, and carries an on the spot fine of Euro 125.00

Well if you were to take this warning literally, this German Shepherd hit quite a few spots, so his excuse of a dog owner would have been in for a hefty bill, if only there had been a dog warden present to catch him in the act, but as regular visitors to the pedigree dogs blog will know we have Blogged, many , many , many times about this before, and with the current economic crisis doubt very much if things will change in this area for a long long time.

Maybe I’ll get me a shot gun, and start smokin cigars !

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Pedigree Dogs & A Happy Healthy Labrador Pup

Paul | blog | December 5, 2011

Would you believe that Pedigree dogs, the site, is 2 years young at the end of next month…

It’s been a real roller coaster of a ride so far, and getting to grips with all it contains has been fun to say the least.

There is a saying, there is nothing as queer as folk, and when you put yourself out there on the world wide web, this is certainly true as you never know what is going to come at you, and from whom.

One thing I know a bit about is dogs, I don’t know everything, and would never admit to the same, but what I don’t know I will always try and find out.

There have been many highlights on the short road so far, and Saturday gone proved to be one of them.

On the 12th November, Pedigree Dogs got a phone call early in the morning from somebody that was looking for a Labrador puppy, and had come across our site pedigree dogs.ie

They had made contact with a person who had advertised this breed on our classified site, but there were no pups available, and were wondering if I knew of anybody else that had a pending litter. I said I would make a few enquiries, and revert, but if they in the meantime sourced a pup, advised them to ask the breeder if the parents of the pups had been hip scored etc.

This was all new to this person, and I went on to explain what hip dysplasia was, and why it made sense to buy a pup from a breeder that carried out the breed specific health checks for this breed, and pointed them in the direction of the following Blog

I also forwarded the details of The Labrador Retriever Club Of Ireland, and also advised the club of this persons details.

Getting back to Saturday, and why it ranks up there as one of the many highlights in our nearly 2 year existence, well, we received a text to say that Michelle, the lady that contacted me on the 12th November, was on her way home with a beautiful yellow Labrador pup from a litter that she was made aware of by the Labrador club.

This pup has had the best possible start in life, and comes from very healthy breed lines, and I am sure that Michelle and the pup will go on to have a mutually rewarding long life together.

We at Pedigree Dogs were able to talk to somebody who was interested in a Labrador pup, and give them information on hip dysplasia etc, and also put them in touch with a contact we made through this years Pet Expo, (The Labrador Retriever Club Of Ireland) with the end result that they sourced a healthy happy puppy that has come from a responsible breeder.

As another saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but if we all can educate just one potential puppy buyer, as to what to look out for when sourcing a pup form a dog breeder, and what to insist on regarding health checks etc, and the pitfalls of not checking into these, then it’s one less unhealthy pup bought, one less distraught family when / if the pup falls ill, and one less pup that is sold by an irresponsible breeder, that only sees dogs as commodities, and a form of income

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Pedigree Dogs – Featured Kennel – Ritetype Akitas

Paul | blog | December 2, 2011

'IR CH Melodor Kaygeebe Jnr Ch 2010'

As per our recent Blog once a month Pedigree Dogs will feature a Show Dog Kennel. The point in doing so is to get the message out there that there are kennels and breeders of pedigree dogs in Ireland that do things the right way

We at Pedigree Dogs would like to thank Bryan & Hazel Aherne of Ritetype Akitas for the following piece, which show cases their kennel and highlights their commitment to their breed.

Breed: American Akita
Origin:                   Japan
Development          USA
Utilisation:             Companion Dog
FCI Classification: Group 5 Spitz & primitive types.

We are Bryan & Hazel Aherne of Ritetype Akitas. Our kennel is dedicated solely to exhibiting the American Akita and we have a long-standing love of the breed. The breed first chose us in 1995 with the arrival of our first pet Akita, Kane. We fell in love with this loyal, dignified and unique breed. In 2006, knowing Kane was nearing his final months; we began our search for another male Akita. We wanted an Akita with characteristics that were true to the breed standard. During our search we were drawn to various show kennels and it became apparent that the quality we desired was not available from pet breeders. We made the decision to purchase from a show kennel with the view to showing our puppy. Although we had never exhibited before we felt if showing wasn’t for us, we would then still have a quality family pet. However we were instantly bitten by the ‘show-bug’ and haven’t stopped since.
Nearly six years on and our show team now consist of four dogs all active in the show ring. We show two males and two females and value quality over quantity. We are very proud of our dogs and to date have had a very successful time in the show ring, with this current year being our most fruitful. Dog showing has given us the unique opportunity to connect with people and build friendships across the globe. When we embarked onto the show scene, we were also very fortunate to have contacted Chris McLean of Melodor Akitas whose on-going support, knowledge & guidance over the years has been invaluable and much appreciated. Please feel free to visit our Web site for more information on the American Akita breed standard and to view our dogs and their show wins.

As a kennel we believe in continuously researching and educating ourselves about this wonderful breed. Our aim is to stay true to the breed standard and we strive for type, temperament and health, thus ensuring the breed characteristics of the American Akita is preserved. All our dogs are fully health screened, eye certified clear and BVA hip scored. We feel health testing is a priority in order to promote the breed in a positive way, and a necessity to move this relatively new breed forward. The breed is not without health problems and eye-problems are present including Microphthalmia (small-eye), Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), entropion and ectropion. As with other large breeds, hip dysphasia can also occur. The Akita can also suffer stomach Bloat (gastric dilatation and volvulus).

We enjoy promoting this loyal breed and are proud to be founding members of the Akita Association of Ireland. The Association incorporates both the American Akita & the Japanese Akita Inu. The American Akitas origins are that of the Japanese Akita Inu and derive from Northern Japan, however they are now two distinctive breeds each recognised separately by the FCI. The Akita Association of Ireland was founded in February 2011 with an open invitation to all show kennels interested in promoting their breed and having advocacy for the breed. The Akita Association is the only affiliated IKC Akita breed club in Ireland and we are pleased to say that the support for the Association has been over-whelming this year. It was very up lifting to see the number of people present at our first Hands-on Breed Seminar in October this year. Visit Akita Association Of Ireland for more information on the history and origins of the American Akita Breed and the work of the Association.

Finally we would like to finish by saying that the American Akita is an extremely rewarding breed that requires love and affection, and owners need to be dedicated to training and socialising this wonderful dog. All our dogs are reared around our children and are a wonderful addition to our family. Well-bred, balanced and healthy Akitas have wonderful temperaments with people and children, however it should be noted that same sex Akita’s will not live together in harmony and many will not accept other dogs as companions. Akita’s are suited to owners who have experience with the breed. As with all breeds, potential owners should research the breed and ensure that they can offer the input it deserves. We hope you have the time to visit the fore-mentioned websites and gain a deeper knowledge of this exceptional breed, as it is impossible to condense and convey the vast amount of information relating to the American Akita. We are deeply honoured to have been approached by pedigree dogs to write this article and we hope our dedication and passion for the breed has shone through.

Bryan & Hazel Aherne

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Breed Specialist…Yeah right !

Paul | blog | December 1, 2011

We have posted on this blog before about what some exhibitors see as very poor judging, and the choice of judge chosen for up coming dog shows, Here ,and Here ,and Here

At this years Irish Dachshund Club Show Mr Axel Komorowski from Germany (Pictured left) was appointed as judge, and as per the glowing reports both during and after the show, he carried out his duties in an efficient, professional, and extremely knowledgeable manner.

For the schedule of the show Axel wrote a small piece about his history in dogs, and about the studies that he had to undertake in order to become a breed specialist in his country.

This caught my attention, so I asked Axel if he would be kind enough to write in detail exactly what he had to do in order to become a breed specialist for Dachshunds in the country of origin, and he didn’t let me down. I’ll let you be the judge of it, but the following sounds a lot more difficult and thorough than what it takes or has taken certain judges / exhibitors to become in their eyes a “Breed Specialist”

The career from a specialist for Dachshunds – Group 4

Germany is the homeland of Dachshunds. Therefore the German Dachshund Club (DTK 1888; see also www.dtk-1888.de ) is one of the biggest breeding clubs in Germany. We have more then 22.000 members and we breed more then 6.000 puppies per year. One of the most important objectives is to save the breeds in healthfulness in association with a body perfect in form – founded in the FCI Standard.

Therefore the club sets value on an excellent training for all judges. Before a breeder can start with his training to become a judge, there are some requirements.

1. An excellent reputation is needed for this person
2. The breeder must have bred minimum 3 litters
3. In the last 5 years the breeders must have shown his own dogs in some shows
4. An age from 21 years is necessary
5. The breeder have to be member in the club since minimum 5 years
6. The breeder must have organised minimum 5 shows or has worked as ring secretary in 5 shows.

If the breeder has fulfilled these requirements, he has to absolve two preliminary tests under two different judges, who have the qualification for training young judges. After the successful preliminary test the board of the club can admit the breeder for training.

The training judge has to absolve trainings in different shows and under different judges. He has to train in

1. 4 little national shows, which are typical for Germany to get only a grade for the dog, no CAC
2. 3 national CAC shows and
3. 3 international CACIB shows.

In these shows the training judge has to discuss his opinion in the ring with his trainer and he has to write for all dogs critiques. After the show he has to send the critiques to the trainer, who has to control and to adjust the critiques.

Also the training judge have to absolve some courses from the German Kennel Club (VDH, see also www.vdh.de ) in anatomy, genetics, kinetics and also a course about regulations of shows. After fulfilling these requirements and after 2 years the training judge is allowed to go in his first test.

This test consists of two parts. One part is theory, the other is practise. In the theory the training judge have to answer 100 questions in anatomy, genetics, kinetics, regulations of shows and the FCI Standard. It’s necessary to get more then 75 % in every specific field!

In the practice test the training judge has to “judge” minimum 10 dogs. Three judges, who are authorized by the club, will decide about both tests.

If the training judge has a successful test, he is allowed to judge the lowest level of shows we have in Germany. He is marked “Formwertrichter”, it means he is “judge for grades”. Now he can judge these national shows, only necessary to get a grade for the dog, for breeding and to get an expertise for the dog. Normally we have round about 25 dogs in these regional shows; they get only a verbal critic.

After two more years, after judging minimum 100 dogs, the “Formwertrichter” has to go in his second test. This test has the same construction as the first test … but other questions and other dogs to judge.

If he / she has a successful test, the breeder is now “specialist for Dachshunds”. After two more successful years as specialist, the judge gets the license to judge in foreign countries. 4 years after his second test its possible that he get the license from the club to judge the Group 4 in International shows.

Oh and by the way as per Dog World Weekly News Mr Brace in conjunction with Dog World is now giving a critique seminar on Sunday February 19, 2012 at Stafford County Showground

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The worlds smartest dog (after yours that is)

Paul | blog | November 30, 2011

Well, I’m sure like our children, we all think ours are the smartest, best behaved and most well mannered, bar none

At lot of us then apply the same thinking to our dogs.

Strange, considering the amount of unruly dogs we all come into contact with on a daily basis, with the person at the end of the lead, stating ” He / She never usually behaves like that ”

Dogs are like most things, you get out of them, exactly what you put into them. On saying that Dogs give back in truck loads, even if it not reciprocal from our end

The more time spent training and socialising your pup at an early stage will pay huge dividends throughout the duration of your dogs life.

Now I’m not saying we should take it to the extreme like John Pilley in the following clip, who spent approx four to five hours per day teaching Chaser his border collie about new objects and their names, but it just goes to show what levels you can take your dog training to, given the time and effort.

Anyhow, I’m signing off now, as I have a LOT of catching up to do !

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Dog walking versus gym membership

Paul | blog | November 29, 2011

We have blogged here before about dog owners being healthy, and to back this up, on the Telegraphs web site today it states that most dog owners are getting more exercise than somebody with a gym membership.

The experts that wrote this piece also state that the major difference in walking your dog versus going to the gym is that the later can feel like a chore whilst the majority of dog walks can be seen as enjoyable.

Another notable difference is that it’s easy to find an excuse not to go to the gym, but when you have a big pair of brown eyes staring up at you with the tail wagging, and the leash in mouth, it’s hard to say no.

And in case you needed more convincing, when out with your dog, you are enjoying the fresh air, and also maybe taking in some breath taking scenery, instead of being cooped up in an air conditioned environment, next to a sweaty old man who is wearing ill fitting shorts !

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Dogs being stolen…For what ?

Paul | blog | November 28, 2011

This morning on Corks 96fm it was announced that there was a blue hiace van going around Cork, trying to pick up dogs.

There are a few reasons why you would think people are cruising around in vans stealing dogs.

Firstly, they have orders already in place for certain breeds of pedigree dogs.

Secondly, they are stealing them so they themselves can breed from the dogs, and sell on the resulting litters.

And finally, they are being stolen to be used as bait dogs in the horrendous world that is organised dog fighting

No matter what the reason, stealing a person or families dog / dogs is a horrendous crime, and having been on the receiving end, I can talk from experience.

All the more reason then, that when interested in buying a pure bred pedigree dog, that you follow the correct channels as per the Advice section found on the home page of Pedigreedogs.ie, especially the first four.

If you don’t follow these guidelines, you can’t be sure that the dog or pup that you go to see in the near future, is the direct result of one of these crimes being committed this very day

Be vigilant, and make sure your dogs are as best protected against these horrible people as possible, and make sure your dogs Microchip is registered with the relevant bodies

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On a lighter note….

Paul | blog | November 25, 2011

Yesterday’s blog seemed to rub some people up the wrong way, so we have decided to play it safe today with a little joke !

A man took his dog to the vets and asked the vet to completely remove the dogs tail.

The vet confused said “Why do you want me to do that? the dogs tail is perfectly healthy.”

The man replied “Well the wifes mother comes this weekend and I want to make sure there are no signs of any welcome!!”

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Bargain basement pups for sale

Paul | blog | November 24, 2011

As they say, there is nothing as queer as folk !

Thankfully, I don’t have that many people to buy for at Christmas, and one that I do is for my godson who lives in Donegal.

The question had been asked, and the response that came back was a couple of games for the Nintendo DS.

Easy peasy…Headed into Smyth’s toys on Monday, and must say, I was taken aback buy the huge amount of people who were handing over large wads of hard earned cash on the latest plastic gadget, that is made in China or Japan. There were trolley loads leaving the store heading to the packed car park…and this is still November.

Anyway, what has all this got to do with Irelands number 1 dog web site I hear you ask.

Well, yesterday I got a text message from a person who advertised a litter on the site wondering if they should display the asking price, as they have had a few phone calls from visitors to pedigree dogs, but when the conversation got down to brass tacks, all interest was lost.

My advice was to have a read of the following Blog and feel free to use the comparison if faced with this situation again.

So….It seems it’s Ok to spend a fortune on plastic junk made in China or Japan just because it’s the latest craze, but when it comes to buying a dog, the majority of people in Ireland want a knock down bargain, even though this purchase should last 15 + years and give huge amounts of unconditional love & loyalty in return, and hopefully not end up on the scrap heap like the majority of the toys being bought for this festive season.

You could say that when it comes to buying a dog,most Irish people wouldn’t spend Christmas !

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Dog food TV ad, that targets your dog !

Paul | blog | November 23, 2011

The following advert, developed by one of the major pet dog food companies, uses high frequency sounds to attract dogs’ attention !

On hearing the sounds that are only audible to our dogs, as dogs hearing is far more sensitive than us bipods, the dog food manufacturer hopes that dogs will sit up and take notice, and thus draw us humans into thinking that if the dog likes it, we’ll buy it

The advert is being aired in Austria at the moment, and based on its success, it may hit TV screens across the UK and Ireland next year,

Haven’t tried it yet with my pack, but will do later when working from my lap top, and keep you posted re the results.

Whatever will they think of next

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Dogs, Drinking, & Diabetes

Paul | blog | November 21, 2011

Following on from my blog the other day are we feeding our dogs to death something came to mind this morning.

We noticed and were slightly worried that Doris our oldest dog , who was diagnosed as Diabetic earlier this year, wasn’t drinking enough water.

This is the total opposite to what first lead us to believe that Doris had a problem, as back then she could empty a water bowl in one sitting, and the frequency and huge size of her piddles, had us in the car and straight to our vet.

We have sinced switched Doris onto a Raw Food Diet, and so far are obtaining the best results in relation to sugar levels in her system.

Then the penny dropped. Doris isn’t drinking as much water now, because she is away from the dry food diet she had always been on.

All commercial dog food companies will advise on their packaging that when feeding their dry food please ensure the dog had access to fresh clean drinking water.

Now I know that most water that dogs have access to isn’t toxic etc, but taking in large amounts just to satisfy the thirst created by the food we ate, can’t be great for the system.

In human terms it would be like us eating salted bacon every day, and even though we might love the taste, end up with a throat as dry as the Sahara desert.

That as well as the other benefits we have seen whilst feeding Doris her Raw Food Diet, is a big enough reason to put the extra effort in, and make sure your diabetic dog is getting the correct food for his or her condition

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Lion used as guard dog !

Paul | blog | November 18, 2011

This is the true story of a garage owner in the east of Northampton who gave his dog a haircut.

He was sick and tired of thieves breaking into his garage shop to steal tools, etc.

So he came up with this idea to give his dog a haircut.

He put the word out that he had a new Mexican Lion that would attack anyone that tried to break in or climb his fence.

Would-be thieves saw the “Lion” from a distance and fled the scene.

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Dogs & the art of walking in the rain

Paul | blog | November 17, 2011

Regular visitors to this blog will know that from time to time we review books that are dog themed, and one such one was The art of racing in the rain

Well, the weather forecast for this week end is not looking the prettiest, and I think that is something we have to look forward to for the foreseeable future.

On days like this when the wind is blowing and the rain coming at you horizontally, it can be quite difficult to don the wet weather gear and bring our dogs for their daily walk.

A walk with your dog has major benefits for both you and your dog.

I tend to have some of my best, (and sometimes not that good) idea’s when out walking with the dogs, as it’s a great way to switch off from the day to day routine, and let the mind wander

Now from your dogs point of view, getting out for a walk everyday, brings new experiences and let’s them explore all the sights,sounds smells that the great outdoors has to offer, and they return having fulfilled this basic need

Not getting your dog out for a walk or some off lead exercise, deprives your dog from this, and it’s totally unfair then to expect them to behave “normally” if they haven’t had a chance to use up the energy that we sometimes pump into them with high protein diets.

Getting our dogs out for regular exercise therefore goes a long way to having a well balanced and well behaved dog, and unless you want your dog to be # 5 on Irelands 5 most dangerous dogs get your wet gear on, and go and enjoy that walk.

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Are we feeding our dogs to death ?

Paul | blog | November 16, 2011

Doing some research recently re diets for dogs with diabetes I came across the following statement

“It has been my observation that the prescription diets for diabetic animals, sold by vets , are generally very low protein, which means they are very high in carbohydrates, or carb based food. Research shows us now that carbohydrates, especially poor quality carbs are the last thing you want in a diabetic diet, due to the glycemic index, or the way the body utilizes carbohydrates. Plus a lower protein diet means loss of muscle mass, and the largest muscle in the body is the heart”

The author also went on to say that in her experience “Vets have little or no training in nutrition ”

This sounds quiet absurd, as the saying goes, “you are what you eat” , so therefore our dogs are what they eat.

You would imagine alongside exercise, grooming & veterinary care that your dogs diet and therefore nutrition should play a major role in your dogs general well-being.

Since discovering that one of our dogs was diabetic earlier this year, we have experimented, as you have to do, with a lot of different diets, and the results have been quite drastic, but a lot of dog owners are of the mindset that if it isn’t broke then don’t fix it, and continue to feed their dog or dogs the same food for the duration of the dogs life, with little or no variation.

That is all fine and dandy, but if your dog develops a condition such as diabetes or renal failure a change of diet is almost a certainty, and most people undoubtedly turn to their veterinarian for professional advice, and in most cases are switched to a prescription diet, which not only cost a lot more, but if you are to believe the statement above, can do more harm than the original diet.

This on top of the theory that some people believe that it is some commercial dog food diets that contribute in a large way to increases in diseases like diabetes, you would have to stop and wonder why nutrition doesn’t play a much larger role in a vets initial and ongoing training.

Comments please…..

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Owning a dog “V” Loving your dog

Paul | blog | November 15, 2011

I came across the following stats the other day from a poll taken by dog lovers in the UK

79.4% of dog owners admit they have not cut down the amount they spend on their dog due to recent financial problems

56% love their dogs as much or even more than their partners

23.5% of dog owners confess they trust their dog more than their partner

56.4% feel closer to their dog than their best friend

Based on the above it seems that dogs are well respected and a loved member of many families across the UK.

Owning a dog brings many responsibilities, which includes how you react and treat other non dog and dog owning members of society, but the main responsibility though, is to the dog itself.

Owning a dog, and loving a dog, are 2 totally different things.

Anybody can own a dog, keep it locked up in a backyard day in day out, feed it low quality food, and neglect it’s basic requirements when it comes to exercise, grooming & veterinary care.

As we have Blogged here before on pedigree dogs, if you really love your dog, you will of course do all that is in your power to provide 100% for his or her needs no matter what.

Really loving your dog includes having the best veterinary care available at all times, with a practice that keeps up to date with all the latest developments in canine care.

One such procedure is the laparoscopic spaying that is very popular in mainland Europe and we ourselves availed of this as per the following

Something that came to mind recently, is that when you know that your dog is not well, and suspect that it is something serious, would it not be better to fast track the course of treatment and say go for an MRI or book an ultrasound with Emma Tobin straight away rather than go down the path of numerous blood works etc., only then to be told that the dog has to go for one of these procedures anyway to determine the real cause of the problem.

We had a situation like the above towards the end of last and beginning of this year with Dempsey where we sent off at least three lots of blood to be worked on, and never really got to the bottom of the problem, and in the end booked him for an ultrasound, but he passed before the appointment date.

Like in human medicine, these earlier consultations can waste valuable time not to mention add to the overall expense at the end of the day, and although an ultrasound or MRI can be very expensive, at least you would have a definitive picture as to what is wrong with your dog, and in most cases are covered by the dogs insurance.

Not being involved in the veterinary profession in Ireland, I am not sure how these things work, but think it should be an option that is given to the owner at the start of treatment, as after all, you don’t just own your dog, you LOVE it !

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Are Dog Breeders in Ireland getting a Raw Deal ?

Paul | blog | November 11, 2011

The debate that is ,whether to advertise your dog or pups on one of the well known online general classifieds raised it’s ugly head again recently.

The two sides to the debate are “not over my dead body ” versus “you have to post on these sites to let the public know that there are responsible breeders out there”

I think regular visitors to pedigreedogs.ie know where I stand on the issue.

There are other ways of letting the public know that there are responsible breeders out there.

Attending Pet Expo which was held last month in the RDS with your breed or club is one way. The organisers of the 2 day event have advised that this was the highlight of the Expo for many of the visitors.

Breed clubs setting up their own web sites is another. We have Blogged about this issue before, and it is quite easy to rank well with Google etc, for specific search terms like “shar pei club of ireland” etc

This as well as individual kennels having their own sites is another fantastic way of attracting Joe Public to kennels that promote responsible dog ownership, and rear healthy well socialised pups.

With that in mind, I am going to showcase an individual kennel each month from the list of show kennels that can be found under this title to the right hand side of this blog.

All that will be required is a little speel about your kennel, breeds owned and maybe how you got into them etc, and maybe some advice to people who are interested in getting into these breeds, health checks etc

The article can be as long or a short as you like, and will carry a direct link back to your website.

Novembers Kennel is already working on the piece, and will be appearing on our blog and Facebook / Twitter pages soon.

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It’s a Dogs life in Europe

Paul | blog | November 10, 2011

During the Celtic Tiger years Ireland went through a major transformation.

People everywhere wanted more from their lives, and would do anything to keep up with the latest trend.

Streetside cafe’s sprung up all over the place, and a law was even tabled where alcohol could be served at these premises late into the evening.

This trend was of course mirrored on the European system, that works so well.

Why is it then that we are prepared to freeze sitting outside a cafe in the middle of November, all in the hope of looking more trendy or European, but we don’t adopt their practices when it comes to keeping dogs.

Dogs would be allowed into these premises in Europe, and there dogs are considered an integral part of the family unit.

That in my opinion is the crux of the problem re dog ownership in this country, as in Europe the dog is considered as part of the family, but here in Ireland, the majority of people just see a dog as a pet or less, and something that can be discarded when times get tough.

I know of people in Holland that keep and breed Standard Smooth Dachshunds, and never have a problem in finding excellent homes for the pups, and develop a friendship with the new owners for the life of the dog and beyond.

Here in Ireland, people that own this breed, or any less popular breed of dog, would only consider a litter of pups if they had a large waiting list, as if you had a litter without the same you couldn’t be sure of where they may end up, and the chances are that after the novelty has worn off, just like sitting outside a cafe in the middle of November, the dog would be dumped or sent to the pound.

When it comes to responsible dog ownership in Ireland, as they say at recent Eurovision Song contests – Ireland – Nil Points !

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Buying a dog for Christmas ?

Paul | blog | November 9, 2011

I was asked recently to give an opinion on whether Christmas is a good or bad time to introduce a dog to the family.

It’s a question that raises it’s head about this time every year.

Rather than just give my own views on the matter, I asked followers of the pedigree dogs Facebook page to give their views on it.

We got a great response, and answers covered the full spectrum, from “never,never,never” to “I got my first dog as a Christmas present & it was the best one I ever received”

After reading all the comment’s I posted the following – “Would it be safe to say that a puppy to the right home at Christmas is far better than a puppy to the wrong home any other time of the year ?” which met with a general acceptance.

As the picture above proves, different dogs are suited to different lifestyles / households, so whatever time of the year you are introducing a new puppy or dog to your household, please make sure that you have carried out in depth research into the breed, and ascertained what the breed of dog requires by way of exercise,feeding,grooming and housing.

Kennel Club events like Discover Dogs being held this week end in Earls court London, are a great opportunity to see over 200 pedigree dog breeds on display, and a chance to see your chosen breed/s in the flesh, with all the coat and slobber that may go with ownership of this breed of dog.

So if you are in the London area this Saturday the 13th and Sunday the 14th November get yourself on down to Earls Court 1, London for Discover Dogs, sure you would be barking mad to miss it.

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