All you need is love (Part II)

Paul | blog | May 15, 2012

Last year I penned a blog called All you need is Love

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

65 total views, 3 today

Labour saving devices & our dogs

Paul | blog | May 14, 2012

With the good weather nearly upon us (wishful thinking me thinks !) we get the added bonus of being able to spend more and more time outside with our dogs.

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.

68 total views, 1 today

One man’s meat is another man’s poison

Paul | blog | May 11, 2012

That is to say that what I like, might not be to your taste.

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 ?

98 total views, 7 today

When is a Judges decision final ?

Paul | blog | May 9, 2012

Well it depends if you are talking about dog showing or about life in general. Or does it ?

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.

82 total views, 3 today

Mini Circuit & Dog Showing in Ireland

Paul | blog | May 4, 2012

Just a quick line to wish all those travelling to and exhibiting at the Mini Circuit shows this W/E, a safe journey, and enjoyable few days amongst friends.

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

119 total views, 2 today

Pedigree Dogs – Happy Easter

Paul | blog | April 8, 2012

Just a quick line to wish everybody A Very Happy Easter Holiday from All of the Pedigreedogs.ie team.

658 total views, 7 today

Is your Dog Crazy ?

Paul | blog | January 3, 2012

Firstly, let me start by wishing everybody a happy and healthy 2012, and let’s hope that we and our dogs get all we wish for this year.

I am sure we are all sick of over eating and being stuck in front of the TV over the holiday, and it’s time to get right back out there, and shake the cobwebs off.

Having said that there were some good films on TV, and it amazes me the amount of dogs that are used in the making of these films, mostly portrayed as man’s best friend.

One film I watched, and really enjoyed, wasn’t about a Dog but a Beaver, starring Mel Gibson, and titled, no prizes for guessing this one…..The Beaver

In this film the main character is suffering from a breakdown, states that “Crazy is pretending to be happy” and if this is the case, then I suppose we are all a little bit crazy.

That’s one thing then that our dogs can never be called, as they never pretend to be anything but themselves. The human equivalent would be the not too common person that speaks their mind, stands on their own two feet, doesn’t go along with the crowd and stands up for the values they uphold.

You often hear people say that such and such a dog is crazy, but most of us know that in fact it’s the person on the other end of the lead that is responsible for any one dogs actions through lack of socialisation, training, correct diet, and not fulfilling the dogs needs by way of exercise requirements for the breed.

Maybe one of our New Years Resolutions should be to become more like our dogs, as pretending to be anything different from who you really are, surely is Crazy !

297 total views, 2 today

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!!”

662 total views, 1 today

Pugs – A very versatile breed !

Paul | blog | October 14, 2011

Now I’m sure PJ Collins and his daughter Adrienne advised the massive amount of visitors to the Pug breed stand at last week ends Pet Expo, that Pugs are a very versatile breed, but I’m sure they would even be impressed by the current Citroen TV ad shown below (In French, couldn’t find the English version on Youtube)

370 total views, 1 today

Dog registrations down 5% – Kennel Club London

Paul | blog | May 5, 2011

The Kennel Club notes the 5% drop in registration figures for the first quarter of 2011 as compared to 2010, but is not surprised by it.

“As we have always warned that the difficult economic climate and the unpredictability which the economy is causing for many people on both a business and personal level, was bound to make serious breeders think twice about breeding litters.”

The difficult economic climate was bound to make serious breeders think twice about breeding litters.

My blog on the 08th of Feb was also about this topic, where I stated that if “it were a case that less dogs were being bred in Ireland, I’m sure we would all agree that this was a good thing, but I’m not so sure”

Is it a case now where a responsible dog breeder will only breed, if they have a large waiting list and then some, for the resulting pups ?

People will always say, why buy a dog when the rescue centres are full to overflow as a result of the economic crisis?

Found on the Why Advertise section of Pedigree dogs website we advise people that if they are not buying a registered pedigree dog, then rescue a dog from their local shelter.

Pure bred registered dogs, bred from health tested parents from a responsible breeder, will give, IMO the new owner a better chance of succeeding with a dog than any other circumstance

This responsible breeder will carry out home visits with potential new owners, and will also get them to sign a contract, where one of the points would be, that for any reason the new owner is unable to take care of the dog any longer, they should contact the breeder, so that a suitable home can be found.

600 total views, 1 today

Pedigree Dogs in Ulster Banks Business Bite

Paul | blog | May 4, 2011

We are delighted to announce that Pedigreedogs.ie has been featured yet again, this time in Ulster Banks Spring / Summer edition of Business Bite

This publication can be found in all the Ulster Bank branches in Northern Ireland, and is once again great exposure for the pedigree dogs website.

It’s got to the stage that we are now working on a press page for the main site Pedigreedogs.ie, and will add this feature along with the others that we were featured in, The Sunday Business Post & The Sunday Times.

609 total views, 1 today

The Seven Deadly Sins (Of Dog Showing)

Paul | blog | May 3, 2011

Does showing your dog bring out the Angel or Demon in you ?

Wrath also known as “rage”, may be described as inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger

I’m sure we have all felt this at some stage when showing our dogs, most times directed at the appointed judge for down garding our prize exhibit, and then other times at fellow competitors, in instances when the run up behind you etc, or fail to congratualte you when you have a deserved win

Greed also known as avarice or covetousness, is, like lust and gluttony, a sin of excess

This can be directed at the exhibitor who continually shows their champion dog at every Championship Dog Show in the country not giving the upcoming dogs any chance of getting a foot on the green star ladder. It can also apply to some of the exhibitors that choose to camp at the show grounds and party on until the early hours of the night, keeping us and or dogs from a well deserved rest.

Sloth - The sin of laziness

This can apply to the exhibitor that arrives at the dog show with little or no preparation work done, They can be seen grooming their dog at the last minute and desperately trying to de-scale any plaque from the dogs teeth. The same exhibitor has also not spent much time on their own appearance, and when asked to do a couple of circuits of the ring, raise their eyes to the heavens.

Pride – It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self

I’m sure we all know people in our respective dog breeds that are full of bullsh…..I mean pride. Some of these people are on every breed club committee that they can possibly be on, attending every breed seminar, open show or event that is remotely to do with dogs. As per my blog yesterday, and in relation to failing to acknowledge the good work of others,some of these exhibitors storm out of the ring when given a grade that obviously couldn’t be correct, and can be heard muttering things like “The judge should have gone to spec savers”

Lust - lechery is usually thought of as excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature

This of course can be applied to a lot of Dog Show exhibitors, not only in regards to ogling the handlers in the tight fitting and sometimes inappropriate attire, instead of the dogs on show, but also in regards to show titles like Champion, Annual Champion and International Champion. Some exhibitors lust after these titles so much that they loose sight of everything else, and will do anything legal, or sometimes not, to make sure they obtain the same.

Envy – As described in the bible “Neither shall you desire… anything that belongs to your neighbor”.

Now in the world of dog showing this mainly applies to another exhibitors dog, even though when asked about the same dog, this same exhibitor would run it into the ground no end. It doesn’t stop just at the dog in question though. It could be the mode of transport that the other exhibitor arrives in, the equipment that they have to groom and kennel their dogs in, and of course the titles and achievements achieved by this kennel over the years of hard work and commitment to their breed and showing dogs.

Gluttony – Derived from the Latin gluttire, meaning to gulp down or swallow

Making up your dog into an Irish or International Champion is of course a perfectly good reason to celebrate. Where better to hold this celebration than at the next dog show. The main ingredients for this celebration is of course a humungous cake, with the obligatory picture of the dog centre stage, and excessive amounts of fizzy alcohol. Normally an open invitation is sent out on one of the social networks, which possibly is the first and biggest mistake. Some people prey on these celebrations, and manage to put away more cake and fizz than the intended recipients put together. There is no end to these peoples gluttony, as sometimes they will attend two or sometimes three celebrations at the same dog show. Don’t be fooled though, their cards have been marked, and soon they will become outcasts in Irish Dogdom, and maybe move on to miniature pony exhibitions in the future!

694 total views, 2 today

Dog Showing in Ireland

Paul | blog | May 2, 2011

There was no blog yesterday, due to the fact that I was busy at the back to back dog shows in Thurles, South Tipperary, on Saturday and Clonmel yesterday for the Fermoy Canine Club’s show. I must be getting old, as I never entered the Hound Association Of Irelands show today, and looking at the weather outside at the moment, looks like a made the right decision.

People from the four corners of Ireland, and from further afield,travel to these events, in cars,vans,caravans,campers, a lot using these shows over the bank holiday W/E as part of their annual holidays choosing to stay at local hotels, guest houses and B+B’s and some reverting back to the old tents and camping out.

Most people do it for the love of their dogs, and the social occasion that a dog show in Ireland can be.

Some are on the hunt for the most green stars in the year for that breed, and the accolade of annual champion.

Some dogs get to spend their few days in relative comfort, stretched on the sofa of the owners motor home or caravan, whilst others are crated on top of each other in the back of a van or small car.

Some losers congratulate the winner in their class, others storm out of the ring and bin the placement card and grading.

At the end of the day it all boils down to one persons opinion, that person being at the centre of the ring, the judge.

Whether they be breed specialist or an all-rounder it’s their opinion of your dog on the day and that’s all.

People will say that the lack of consistency is very annoying, when say an exhibit goes Best of Breed (BOB) one day and then second in it’s class the next day, even with the same dogs entered.

All judges will interpret the breed standard differently, some giving more importance to certain area’s than others. Mind you it is annoying to see dogs gaining top honours in their class / breed when the dog clearly has a temperament issue or any other eliminating fault as per the breed standard.

We all say that at the end of the day we bring the best dog / dogs home with us, and as long as were are not kennel blind, who cares what the result was at the end of the day.

If we all know our breed standard, and our dog conforms to same in all areas, then that persons judgment of your dog on the day really shouldn’t matter that much.

To all the winners over the W/E, well done, and to all the rest of us, there is always next week

Ah, the joys of showing dogs !!

753 total views, 2 today

Respect

Paul | blog | April 29, 2011

Respect should not be confused with tolerance, since tolerance doesn’t necessarily imply any positive feeling, and is compatible with contempt, which is the opposite of respect.

Introduction to Judges (As per the schedule of the Combined Canine Club)

Mr.Andrew Brace (England)
Andrew Judges all breeds and groups recognised by the English Kennel Club also Best in Show

Now on the 29-05-2010 my blog was as follows – Click Here

“ANDREW BRACE, one of the UK’s top all-round judges, has been warned and fined £300 over the nature of his judging of Border collies at Blackpool last year.
Following the judging, many people watched the video of Mr Brace on YouTube, and many more commented on an apparent lack of interest in the exhibits. Several complaints were lodged with the Kennel Club.

At its meeting in February, the General Committee considered these objections and subsequently upheld them. The Committee said it ‘was particularly disturbed by Mr brace’s cursory nature of examination of exhibits and his disinterested, detached and offhand manner towards exhibitors.’

He was found to be in breach of Regulation F9 – failing to maintain and abide by the highest standards in accordance with KC Rules and regulations and the Code of Best Practice for Judges”

Now at Combined Canine Clubs Easter Classic Mr Brace had 17 breeds to judge, the majority of them in the Terrier Group.

After speaking to a friend of mine whom was showing in a terrier breed, “Judged” by Mr Brace, and whom had no prior knowledge re the above, it seems that the warning and fine may have meant nothing.

In a casual conversation towards the end of the dog show, I asked this exhibitor how they had got on, and was advised they got Reserve Green Star. A fact that they were quite happy with except that the judge paid very little attention to the exhibit on the day . On top of this after the dog had been stacked on the table, and before the dog was ready to move, the judge used a squeaky toy to get the dogs attention. This of course did get the dogs attention, not just then but the whole time that the dog was moved, and all he wanted to do was get back to this toy, and his head and vision was constantly fixed on the holder and not on the job in hand.

I know that there is a complaints process at each show, but in all honesty, the onus should be on the appointed judge to carry out the task that they often say they are privileged to do

We have mentioned here in the past about the rising financial costs in attending a show, and we are delighted that some clubs go to the expense of bringing in these “Top Judges” but the least the exhibitor deserves is the judges full attention for the few minutes that some of us get to be in the ring.

I must say in my nine years of showing it has only happened twice, once at breed level and once at group level, and both judges were out of the top draw. Maybe it’s a fact that these judges can sort the wheat from the chaff, but we all pay the same entry fee, and deserve the same amount of attention and respect as the eventual Best in Show exhibit.

598 total views, 1 today

Dogs and The Internet / WWW

Paul | blog | April 25, 2011

When the Internet was first launched back in 1969 and then the world wide web in 1990, I’m sure Tim Beners Lee (pictured left) whom is credited with the invention of the latter, didn’t have what the www has become in mind.

I think it was around the time that he was being knighted by the Queen that he said he was of course very proud of his achievement, but not of what it was being used for in current times.

I have talked about the above title a few times since we started this blog over a year ago, and after spending a fair bit of time at my laptop over the W/E thought it would make for another good blog post for today.

The reason I was at my machine was that there were 2 big events in the Irish Dog Show Calendar being held over this Easter week end.

The first being the Combined Canine Club International Dog Show held at the IKC National Show Centre in Cloughran Dublin, and as is usual these days the video of the BIS showdown was up on the social networks within 24 hours. The second event the Pup Of The Year final, was held last night, and the results were nearly instantly available, a fact that a lot of enthusiasts were very welcome for, not being able to attend the event in person.

This is the internet / www being used in a positive way in the hobby of showing dogs in Ireland. I’m sure Tim Beners Lee would have no problem with this.

However, the same tools are being used in a far from positive way, with the welfare of dogs being the loser, when it’s used in this way.

I am of course referring to certain advertisements on the general classified web sites, where bitches that have been recently mated are being offered for sale.

This has of course caused an uproar by the dog loving people of this country, some of whom are constantly trawling these sites,and bringing ads like these to the attention of the wider audience.

When enough huff and puff has been caused / created the owners of these sites then decide to take down these ads.

It’s an area that has been in the spotlight over the last few weeks on the social networks, and has even come to the attention of Sean Delmar the President of the Irish Kennel Club.

The question is though, what can be done ?

I must say I am delighted with the response to my invite re the Pet Expo Breed Village being held on the 08th and 09th of October in the RDS. This as I have said before is a perfect opportunity to promote responsible dog ownership, promote the positive attributes of your breed, and educate the captive audience re things such as breed specific health tests / screening.

I think the task of stopping people from carrying out unbelievable acts, like selling a bitch in pup etc, will be extremely difficult, although if they don’t have a platform to advertise, they may think twice before creating this situation, but our most powerful tool is educating potential owners, as to what is considered by any decent human being, as being acceptable or not.

374 total views, 1 today

Standard Poodle Video & FCI Standard

Paul | blog | April 23, 2011

Good video apart from the info re crossing with certain breeds !

ORIGIN: France.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 06.03.07.

UTILIZATION: Companion dog

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I.:Group 9 Companion and Toy dogs
Section 2 Poodle
Without working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
Etymologically, the French word “caniche” (Poodle) comes from “cane”, the French word for a female duck. In other countries, the name of the breed is associated with splashing around in water. Originally, this dog was used for wildfowling. It descends from the Barbet of which it has conserved many characteristics. In 1743, it was called the “caniche”: the female of the barbet in French. Thereafter the Barbet and the Caniche (Poodle) were gradually separated. Breeders worked hard to obtain original subjects of uniform colour. The Poodle became very popular as a companion dog because of its friendly, joyful and loyal character and also because of its four sizes and different colours which everyone can choose according to preference.

GENERAL APPEARANCE:
Dog of medium proportions, with a characteristic frizzy coat which is either curly or corded. The appearance is that of an intelligent dog, constantly alert and active, harmoniously built, giving an impression of elegance and pride.

585 total views, 1 today

Crufts 2012 needs new sponsor

Paul | blog | April 22, 2011

As I blogged about during and after Crufts 2011, the coverage by More4 at this years event was superb

The records show that in total, almost 2.5 million viewers tuned in to watch, and the figures were almost 50 per cent up on 2010

DFS the sponsor for the last two years are bowing out, after a mutual beneficial working relationship with The Kennel Club (London) and the door is now left open for brands and businesses to take up the invitation from the KC to sponsor next years show.

Figures show that a total of 22 per cent of households have a dog, with more with 40 per cent saying that their dog is their best friend, so it is no surprise that Crufts strikes such a chord with the general public.

It’s one of the annual events that families look forward to watching each year on the TV

As I mentioned here on the 14-03-11 I was personally delighted with the amount of times that Pedigree Dogs was mentioned at this years Crufts by Frank Kane (BIS Judge for Crufts 2012) and the other panellists…..if only I could get them to add the .ie at the end !!

Anyway, I’m off now to send in my submission…Crufts 2012 sponsored by Pedigreeedogs.ie…Has a nice ring to it !

747 total views, 2 today

Artificial Insemination

Paul | blog | April 21, 2011

Was reading during the past week about The Kennel Club (London) stance on the above subject

Ronnie Irving, basically has said that the stance of the Kennel Club has been misunderstood, and that there is a general acceptance of artificial insemination in dogs, but it shouldn’t be encouraged or take over from natural conception

Of course the dog gene pool in the UK would be much wider than here in Ireland, where in a lot of cases we have no option but to choose this route.

As most of you know, I have Standard Smooth Dachshunds, which are not a numerically strong breed in Ireland. (Why so, still baffles me)

I receive a lot of phone calls from pet owners with bitches that they may want to have one litter from, asking if they can use my Dog at stud, as he comes from a totally different line to most of the other dogs here.

Danno who will be 3 in August, has only recently been used at stud, and we did advise the owner of the bitch to go down the AI route.

The thing is, like in humans when learning to ride a bike, the earlier you get at it the better you become (Riding a bike that is). Males if going to be used at mating, should have their first experience by two years of age, and this then sets them up for life, should you want to use them again in the future. After this age, it becomes more difficult.

With so few bitches available in my breed in Ireland, the chances of getting a mating before the dog turns two would be slim, as you would not let the dog mate with a bitch just for this reason. All the boxes have to be ticked before you consider using your dog at stud.

In my opinion going down the AI route can be more successful, if you have the bitches progesterone levels checked on a regular basis from the first signs of spotting. It’s more scientific than the old rule of thumb, bring her to the dog around the 12th – 14th day !

You can of course also check the quality of the dogs semen, which will alleviate any blame should there be no pups as a result of mating, as it’s usually the dog that cops the flack !

As I have said earlier, Ireland faces a much different situation to that of the UK, and in certain breeds, AI is the only route open, and we have a few companies that have spun off from the Greyhound industry, where AI is the order of the day, to offer the service to all breeds.

I’m not sure what the Irish Kennel Club’s stance is on the matter, but would welcome your opinion / experience.

941 total views, 2 today

A Dog For Max – Please Share This Blog

Paul | blog | April 18, 2011

By Rachael Gordon – Animals First Veterinary Hospital

I just received an email from my cousin, Pamela, in Florida asking me for help. I am extending this plea to all of you around the globe. Her son, Max, has a rare disease called Ataxia Telangiectasia. I have attached a description of his disease below.

We are looking for someone to donate a large or giant breed puppy to be trained as an assistance dog to help Max. There is an organization that will train the puppy for free as an assistance dog. A few days ago, the puppy that was donated for Max was diagnosed with a leg deformity, so he is not suitable to help Max. As you can imagine, everyone is upset about this setback, and Max is heartbroken because he had already met and fallen in love with the puppy. Assistance dogs give people with disabilities a great sense of security and freedom.

Max is 21 years old, 5’10″ tall and 125 pounds. He is very independent and lives on his own. He gets around on a motorized wheelchair. When Max walks, he is very unstable and has a tendency to fall, so the dog will have to be big enough to support his weight to help him get up.

I would really appreciate it if you could pass this around to as many people as possible, and hopefully someone has a puppy that they would be willing to donate to be trained as an assistance dog for Max. If you are interested in knowing more or have a puppy that you are able to donate, please contact my cousin, Pamela Stitzer at adogformax@gmail.com

Description of Max’s condition:
Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) Boder-Sedgwick syndrome or Louisâ Bar syndrome is a rare, neurodegenerative, inherited disease that affects many parts of the body and causes severe disability. Ataxia refers to poor coordination and telangiectasia to small dilated blood vessels, both of which are hallmarks of the disease.
A-T affects the cerebellum (the body’s motor coordination control center) and also weakens the immune system in about 70% of the cases, leading to respiratory disorders and increased risk of cancer. It first appears in early childhood (the toddler stage) with symptoms such as lack of balance, slurred speech, and increased infections. Because all children at this age take time to develop good walking skills, coherent speech, and an effective immune system, it may be some years before A-T is properly diagnosed.
AT is caused by a defect in the ATM gene, which is responsible for recognizing and correcting errors in duplicating DNA when cells divide, and in destroying the cells when the errors can’t be corrected. The protein normally repairs double-stranded DNA breaks

Ataxia-telangiectasia like disorder (ATLD) is an extremely rare condition that could be considered in the differential diagnosis of A-T. ATLD patients are very similar to A-T patients in showing a progressive cerebellar ataxia, hypersensitivity to ionising radiation and genomic instability.

483 total views, 1 today

Page 1 of 212

Search Classified Ads

Popular Ads Overall

PVC Dog Kennels For Sale (3,706 views)
Bulldog Stud (2,043 views)
Golden Retriever at Stud (875 views)
Alaskan Malamute pups for sale (778 views)
Pug pups for sale (761 views)
Golden Retriever pups for sale (741 views)
Maltese pups for sale (650 views)
Boxer pups for sale (532 views)
SHIH TZU Pups for sale (510 views)
Saint Bernard pups for sale (414 views)