Here’s the first bit.

As well as Munster Agricultural Society putting up the fantastic prize fund (Below) at the show, we are also delighted to announce that Brenken have come on board as a sponsor, and will be offering the following by way of prizes.

Best in Show – Medium PVC Dog Kennel (White) or voucher to be redeemed @ Brenken for another size kennel – Value Euro 150.00

Best Puppy in Show – Small PVC Dog Kennel (White)  or voucher to be redeemed @ Brenken for another size kennel – Value Euro 100.00

For more details on these amazing kennels check out THIS AD

Prize Fund from Munster Agricultural Society

BIS = € 200.00
RBIS = € 30.00

BPIS = € 30.00
RBIS = €20.00

All remaining Group winners = € 20.00
Reserve Group winners = €10.00

Now for the second bit….

On our blog on the 27-03-12 we mentioned that unfortunately, due to the BSD Club of Ireland, running their Championship show on the same day, we can only offer Any Variety Group 1 or Any Variety Group 2

Well, we now have confirmation from The Irish Kennel Club, that we CAN now schedule breed classes in both of these groups.

So what are you waiting for, head on over to Dog Show Entry and make your entry, we can be found under Cork Summer Pedigree Open Show.

We’ll see you there on the day.

If you are interested go ahead and read it, if not this blog wont mean much to you.

Anyhow, the pups that are mentioned in the above blog turned a year old on the 09-05-12, and as the cake in the top left hand corner suggests, there was a reunion, and party held in their honour.

Unfortunately, our Danno couldn’t make it, as we had a communion to attend, but he is already making plans to go and see Ruby, his first and only, and his offspring in July this year.

We think that the friendship and many other spin off’s which has come as a result of two dog mad families getting together to breed a responsible litter of Dachshunds, is fantastic, and wouldn’t be surprised if Hollywood come knocking on our doors to make a feature length film about us…

I can just see it now

“Ruby and I, the tale of two Dachshunds, a Black & Tan and a Shaded Red, defying all that is thrown at them, so that they can be together and raise a perfect family” Narrated By Danno AKA Dessaur Hawaii Five 0

It’s scientifically proven that dog owners are more healthy than, what is it you call those other people….oh yes, non dog owners (strange breed)

We’ve posted these scientific results HERE before for us wise ones who are already in the know, in the hope that the non dog owners may wake up from the zombie like state they have been living in and realise that life without a dog in it, is like having jelly without ice cream, peaches without cream, Tom without Jerry, and so on. Sorry to go on there, but these non dog owners aren’t the most intelligent breed of Homo Sapiens

Now one of the downsides of spending so much enjoyable quality time with your dog in the great outdoors is that household chores kind of start sliding, and trust me, it’s a slippery slope

Isn’t it great then that as we evolved, we have invented and developed man made devices that in theory can complete these household chores, thus saving us time, allowing us to spend more time with our dogs….Labour saving devices I believe they are called…

Having said that, there is always room for improvement, and I’m sure you will agree with me that the device hereunder, could do with some modification, if it’s going to keep us completely satisfied, and on the right side of the dog versus non dog ownership divide.

If you look at general dog ownership in Ireland, everybody has an opinion on what (or maybe what is acceptable in “Some Peoples” eyes) is the best way to rear, train, feed, house, and exercise your dog.

You can even narrow this search down, by applying the above to the small percentage of dog owning people in Ireland that show their dogs, and the vast differences of opinion that the owners of the 1800 or so dog’s at an all breeds Championship Show in Ireland, will have.

Narrow it down again to the other people in your dogs breed.

Some people house their dogs outside, and only get to see them twice a day at meal times.

Some people only care to their dogs teeth and nails the night before or morning of a show.

Some people breed indiscriminately, in order to finance the rising costs of entering every Championship show in the dog show calendar year.

Some people leave the mother with the pups out in a wooden shed, and only bring the pups into the house to show prospective buyers.

Some people breed from dogs that haven’t had the breed specific health tests.

Some people let their stud dogs be used on non IKC bitches, or with a different breed completely.

Some people breed from a bitch on her very first season .

Some people sell a bitch in heat or one that is in pup, for the right money.

Some people feed poor quality dog food and never give the dogs any exercise.

Some people never worm the mother of the pups before mating, nor the pups when they are born.

Some people keep quite a few different breeds, and add and switch between a few of the latest fashionable ones.

Some people advertise them for sale on one of the general classified web sites as well socialised even though the only person they have come into contact with is him or her.

Some people tell the prospective buyer that the will receive a lifetime of support, and that’s where that promise ends.

Some people don’t carry out home checks on prospective buyers

We all know “Some People” in our breeds that tick some of the above boxes. How often have you heard it around the show ring, where one exhibitor labels a fellow competitor a puppy farmer or that they don’t care for their dogs properly.

There is a lot of talk at the moment in the UK regarding the Kennel Club only accepting registrations from people that do things by the book, or if you want to phrase it another way, from reputable breeders.

The 6 Million Dollar question is though, whose job is it to educate, monitor and if it’s not too strong a term, control “Some People”, that it has to be said, are the minority when talking about dog show folk ?

If you are unlucky enough to be caught on the wrong side of the law, and convicted for your crime in a court of law, you could say, that that decision is pretty much final. That’s unless you feel as though you didn’t get a fair hearing in the first place or a new piece of evidence has come to light, and you go down the road of an appeal.

Is it strange then, or maybe funny, that the same type of process and rules exist in the world of showing dogs.

Lack of sportsmanship, and general bad manners, seems to be creeping into our Sport or Hobby on a far to regular basis.

Maybe the increased costs, and added pressure that the exhibitor feels under, is a contributory factor, whereby they feel that they have to win in order to justify the costs of travelling to and entering dogs shows on the island of Ireland.

None of the above though, excuse any person from conduct that the majority see as being un sportsmanship like, and lack of manners shown towards any member of the show society, or fellow exhibitor or spectator.

Our blog here at Pedigree Dogs last Friday was a short reminder, wishing all those travelling to and exhibiting at the Mini Circuit shows at the week end, a safe journey, and enjoyable few days amongst friends. It then went on to remind people of the Dog Show Sportsmanship Checklist

In relation to Judges, dog show ones that is, none of them are infallible, they are only human, and as we all know humans make mistakes, none of us are perfect.

People that find themselves on what they consider the wrong side of a judgement, must always remember that, it’s just one persons interpretation of how well your dog conforms to the breed standard, and that’s it, nothing more, nothing less. Don’t forget after all, by making an entry you are asking for the judge’s opinion

If that’s not enough to pacify you, there is always an appeals process.

Now back in the real world, a solicitor or barrister, would advise their client that was going down the road of an appeal, to say nothing about the case publicly, as this may influence the case, and have the appeal thrown out of court. In other words don’t go shouting things from the roof tops or post anything relating to the instance on the social networks etc.

As in real life, maybe us dog show exhibitors should take the advice that our learned friends above would offer. Take a look at what is considered as being acceptable behaviour beyond the four sides of our show ring, man up, take the Judges decision as being final on the day, and if you still find it hard to sleep at night after being dealt this awful miscarriage of justice, take it down the right channels.

The weather looks a bit mixed, so bring your all weather gear, and tents, but remember only pitch them in the spaces provided (Like our friend above)

AKC Judge Dr. Harry Smith Jr. was once asked, “What things tend to irritate you when judging?” He responded, “It takes a lot to get me irritated in the ring when I am judging. When I do, it’s usually because one of the exhibitors has been a poor sport. None of us are infallible. We do our best to render excellent judgments. When, in the eye of an exhibitor, we do not do what they think is correct, they must be a good sport about it, and go far away from the ring before they explode! Good sportsmanship is the strongest part of our dog show sport.”

And remember the Dog Show Sportsmanship Checklist:

Abide by the rules of the game
Avoid arguments
Give everyone a chance to compete fairly
Always play fair
Follow the directions of the judge
Treat your competitors, officials and judges with respect
Offer encouragement to all
Accept the decision of the judge
Win without gloating
Lose without complaining
Do not participate in Internet bashing
Do not tolerate poor sportsmanship in yourself and others
Exercise self control and lead by example

Here are another few Pedigree Dogs blogs re the same subject

What A Judge Expects Of Exhibitors Click Here

Dog Showing – One persons perspective Click Here

It’s amazing the reach that a quote like the above can have.

So it’s no surprise then that recent headlines in some of the tabloid newspapers in Ireland, have caused major hurt and damage to Husky owners the length and breadth of the country.

As per my blog the other day check out THIS FACEBOOK PAGE set up to counter act the irresponsible reporting of the 2 recent attacks by dogs in Ireland.

It’s great to see a group of dedicated and passionate dog lovers coming together to try and reverse any damage that has been unjustly done to the Husky breed by these Journalists only interested in sensationalising the news in order to sell more copies.

A lot of the group that set up the above page are also involved in the following page, Hiking & Mushing Ireland whereby they try and get people interested in primarily the Husky breed to come and join them on their walks / runs or mushes to show them what the breed was bred for, and the amount of exercise that they require in order to lead a fulfilled life.

We have all seen the affect that programmes like the first Pedigree Dogs exposed programme which aired in 2008 has had on our life in dogs, rightly or wrongly, and the debate and questions that were presented to the public have stuck. Even some vets in Ireland are advising potential dog owners not to buy a pedigree dog, as in their opinion they are full of genetic defects, and prone to disease.

No mention of buying a dog or pup from a responsible breeder of pedigree dogs, that goes to unbelievable measures at considerable cost to health screen any potential breeding stock, check the Inbreeding Coefficient rates of potential matings, to ensure that any pups produced are healthy, fit for function, and once socialised and cared for go on to lead healthy and long lives.

I take my hat off to any group that stands up for what they believe in, and am sure with all the hard work that is being done on behalf of the Husky breed in Ireland, people will get to see the correct side to these stories.

People need to realise that in all the breeds of dogs, there isn’t a “one size fits all” and that you have to research the breed fully, taking into consideration, the exercise, grooming,feeding and veterinary requirements before just falling in love with that ball of fluff, and bringing one home.

Maybe if Oprah was to read some of the newspaper reports over the last few weeks in Ireland, her hopes for us humans may dwindle, and all her hopes would then rest on our canine companions

Putting yourself out there via the World Wide Web ensures that you cross all sorts of peoples paths, and as the saying goes “There’s nought queerer than folk”

Trust me I have come across a few of those over the last few weeks !

Having said that there are certain things that you can control in yours and your dogs life, like the food we eat, the water we drink and the exercise we take as well as the drugs, toxins and chemicals we expose ourselves and our dogs to on a daily basis.

Everything else is out of your control.

There is so much that can go wrong from the day that our pups enter this world if you are a dog breeder, or from the day the puppy is introduced to your house if you have purchased a dog from a responsible breeder or rescued from a welfare group or shelter.

Just because you have researched the breed, and sourced a responsible breeder that only breeds from health tested parents, feeds a nutritionally balanced diet, and socialises the litter of pups in that crucial development stage of their life, doesn’t mean that that dog will go on to live a long and healthy life, but at least you are stacking the odds in your favour.

A couple of months back I penned a blog called There’s No F In Dog which stated that as a dog owner we live in a mild state of fear all the time.

It’s strange then, and I’m not sure about you, but I have to admit, that sometimes I do take my dogs for granted.

When you think about all that has gone wrong with dogs from your past, and maybe of what might or can go wrong with the dogs that fill your lives today, surely we should cherish every second that we spend with them.

Maybe then, the next time you come home from a dog show with a blue ribbon for second instead of the red one for winning, try to remember the love your dog brings into your life, and what life would be without him or her. Without your dog, all you’d have left to deal with are people, and we all know how crazy some of them can be.

Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.

Throughout the 2 years of this blog, it’s a subject we have written about on more than one occasion

Irresponsible dog owners, that don’t pick up after their dog, give all us responsible dog owners a bad name.

It seems to be featured more and more in newspaper articles and on live radio shows, that’s when they are not too busy mounting a hate campaign towards a certain breed of dog, and falsely reporting on recent dog attacks . Check out THIS FACEBOOK PAGE

Now there have been plenty of novel ways in which town or city councils around the world have tried to get to grips with dog fouling, such as exchanging bags of dog poo for lottery tickets etc, but I must say the Golden Poo award must go to the company in Mexico that came up with Poo WiFi

This is a bin system set up in parks or any public place that rewards people for discarding their poo bags into the bin with Free WiFi for everybody in that vicinity. The more Poo the more WiFi…..Simple

Maybe this is something that dog show societies might think of down the road, at championship shows across Ireland, or maybe the IKC will install a permanent one at the National Show Centre in Cloghran !

I could tell from his collar and condition that he had a home and was well taken care of.

He came over to me, and I rubbed his head, and he followed me to the kitchen and after the initial meet and greet, curled up with my other dogs & fell asleep.

An hour later he went to the door and I let him out…and off he trotted

The next day he was back, and the same routine occurred.

This continued for more than a week.

I was baffled as to who may own this dog, so came up with a great idea, and pinned a note to his collar stating ” I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful dog is, and if you are aware that on most afternoons he comes over to my house for a nap”

The next day like clockwork he was back, with the note still pinned to his collar.

Oh well I thought, at least I tried, and maybe today I might get into my car and follow him home.

Then I discovered that when I took the note off his collar, there was some added text…

“He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3.  He’s trying to catch up on his sleep.  Can I come with him tomorrow ???”