Crufts – The Canine Academy Awards

Paul | blog | February 2, 2012

February is the month for the Academy Awards.

It is also the month for the first Golden Collar awards for Best Dog in a Theatrical Film, which follows on of course from the Palm Dog which happens at the Cannes Film Festival each year, and this week Film4 are showcasing films directed by people they see as the top in their industry.

In film making it seems that you can have a fantastic cast, great screen play & huge budget, but if you don’t get the right director on board, you can kiss goodbye to box office success and any chance of walking away with a golden statue.

It’s much the same in the world of dogs, and dog training, because if we relate the above to a more familiar topic to most of us, responsible dog ownership, then without the right owner, you can kiss goodbye to a well socialised, dog and human friendly canine companion, and any chance of coming away with red ribbons or a good citizen dog award.

As Caroline Kisko from The Kennel Club states – “Any dog can behave aggressively if not trained or socialised correctly or responsibly, just as any dog can be a wonderfully calm and loving pet if trained and socialised in the proper way”

Next month the Canine world has it’s Academy Awards in the form of Crufts which takes place from the 8th  – 11th March 2012 at the NEC, Birmingham

If you feel like brushing up on your directional skills why not swing by, and see dogs compete in areas such as confirmation shows, agility, obedience, flyball, heelwork to music, and The Kennel Clubs good citizen dog award.

Then call on over to the Discover Dogs section, where you can come face to face with over 200 breeds, and find out all the breed specific information you could possibly want to know from some of the top people in their breeds in the UK and further afield.

Feel free to don the tuxedo or evening gown, but my advice, wear comfortable shoes, purchase your tickets in advance , and then with your Free Crufts showguide Digital Edition, plan your day well in advance

Who knows, maybe after this years visit, next year it might even be you stepping out on the green carpet !

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Dog owners being hounded out of rental market.

Paul | blog | January 31, 2012

We have blogged many times here at Pedigree dogs, that when you commit to owning a dog, you are making a life long commitment to the dog, which could last up to 20 years.

A regular question used by job interviewers is,”Where do you see yourself in 10 years time” and maybe this is a question that people who breed dogs should add to the List of questions they ask potential puppy owners, and one that the potential puppy owner should have asked and answered themselves before contacting you.

As the recession that is biting hard right across Europe, tightens it’s grip, more dogs or “household pets” are being offered for sale or surrendered to the pounds due to a change in the families income / circumstances.

People are having to walk away from family homes and move into rented accommodation, a lot of which do not take dogs or animals, or don’t have a suitable garden etc.

It seems that if you are looking for a rented property and the owner of a dog you are looked upon as a social pariah, and landlords that are willing to accept dogs or pets are rarer than hens teeth.

For us humans a character reference from a previous landlord or employer will normally suffice in alleviating any doubts the prospective landlord may have about you, but it’s not that easy for our dogs. Some people suggest that producing evidence that you and your dog have attended dog training classes or your dog has passed the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme or The Puppy Foundation Award may stand in your favour, and that owners of unfurnished houses are more open to letting to a dog owner than others.

Small dogs are also looked upon more favourably than large dogs, don’t ask me why, as both are as capable of staining an expensive carpet or tearing up a comfortable sofa,  which can also be achieved by renting to careless teenagers or drunken adults.

Some insurance polices can cover / protect you against any damage that may be caused by your dog whilst renting, and this may or may not be a good thing to point out to a landlord when searching for a property for you and your dog.

So the message is, the house where you are planning to bring your little fur bundle home to may not always be the place where you both reside, and based on the above, you both could end up living in the dog house if you haven’t planned ahead for both your futures.

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Pedigree dogs – 2 years old today

Paul | blog | January 29, 2012

Can you believe it ? Pedigreedogs.ie is 2 years old today !

We launched the site on the 29-01-10 and are still here to tell the tale (Tail)

I’d like to thank every single one of you for dropping by, but it would be our third birthday before I’d get that finished

Special thanks to the regular visitors (you know who you are)

Stay tuned for some site improvements in the next month or two, and remember if you have any interesting articles relating to your dog / breed or details regarding the breed club you may be a member of, we would be delighted to receive same.

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Smells of Pups – an aerosol enhancer

Paul | blog | January 26, 2012

Is there anything as nice as the smell of a puppy or puppy breath ?

The reason I mention this is that yesterday I came across a product called “Smell of Books” which is an aerosol e-book enhancer.

Technology is advancing everyday, and more an more people are switching over to reading their books on electronic devices, such as the Kindle / iPad or smartphone. As you know when we come across a good dog book here at pedigreedogs.ie we feel compelled to share our experience with our dog loving community. All of these have been devoured in the old fashioned way

One of the gripes that people have with this new medium is, that although these devices save on paper, are lighter to carry, and you can carry your library around on your person, there is nothing like the smell of a book. Whether it is a new book smell or musty smell, these new devices at present just can’t cut it. Hence the development of “Smell of Books” an aerosol e-book enhancer. (It’s not a joke..Go on..Google it.)

Now I am quite happy with the way our four dogs smell at the moment, but along with all the real reasons for breeding a litter of pups ,there is nothing that compares to the smell of young puppies, and dare I say it puppy breath.

Maybe there is a market out there for “Smells of Pups” an aerosol enhancer that can be sprayed in your house or as a deodorant for your dog, that helps you transport yourself back to when you first laid eyes on your four legged friend for life.

“Smells of Pups” ® A sub division of Pedigreedogs.ie is currently taking bookings for Crufts and Celtic Winners 2013 !

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Paris Hilton to decide fate of Otterhound

Paul | blog | January 25, 2012

I came across the following statement on a dog blog today -

“we, dog owners, decide on the dogs that are popular and we do it for a whole range of different reasons”

It was in response to the Kennel Club (London) trying to highlight the plight of certain British pedigree dogs in regards to dwindling registrations in these breeds, to the point where if nothing is done about it, soon these breeds will be no longer.

The author of the above statement thinks that it should be up to Joe Public to decide on what breeds survive and which ones don’t. S/he thinks that these endangered breeds are in this predicament due to their own fault – basically they are not appealing enough to today’s potential dog owner.

If Joe Public is to decide on what breeds of dogs survive and which ones don’t then I hope that they have been in receipt of a standard education, and can write by hand, in plain English / their first language, and maybe even spell the breeds of dogs they are interested in.

You see, if we left it to the people that go for so called designer breeds to decide on the fate of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier or Otterhound, these breeds wouldn’t have a chance. These same people would have no problem shelling out over 1000 euro or sterling for a dog of mixed parentage, not having a clue as to the real requirements of both breeds, or where the pup came from, temperament of both parents or the conditions it was raised in. All this just because a Hollywood star or A list celebrity was spotted with one peeking it’s head out of a designer handbag, and is now splashed across some glossy magazine cover.

People that make a breed choice based on the above surely should have no input into the future of the breeds the Kennel Club are trying to highlight, or any breed for that matter, as the lack of proper education that they clearly show by making these designer breeds popular should send alarm bells to anybody with half a brain, and that maybe the Kennel Club are worth listening to. They were after all founded in 1873, so you’d think they would have a bit more to go on when it comes to dogs than the majority of Joe Public !

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Chinese Dragon means rough year for the dog.

Paul | blog | January 23, 2012

Happy Chinese New Year, and welcome to the auspicious year of the Dragon! or in other words 恭禧發財

There are 12 Chinese year-based horoscopes, starting with the Rat and continuing through the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and finally the Pig

Now I was born in the year of the Dog, and according to one Chinese astrologer, the Dragon always means a rough year for the Dog.

However with his nose to the ground, the Dog can get a lot out of 2012. This same astrologer also predicts the Dog will discover who his real friends are, and he recommends that the Dog stand up to challenges in his career. Although the Dog may suffer anxiety this year, he will make it through with meditation and thrift,

I wonder what this astrologer would predict for the thousands of dogs in Ireland, that through no fault of their own are going to be dumped, surrendered, or just generally mistreated, as the recession that has taken a grip of this country gets worse, with the family dog usually the first to suffer.

Let’s hope that if they too keep their noses to the ground they can get a lot out of this year, and discover who their real friends are, and even if the year started out with anxiety in their lives that they not only make it through this year, but have plenty more happy years in the future, Dragon or no Dragon !

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Dogs love Postmen’s legs

Paul | blog | January 19, 2012

My Brother is a postman, and has had his fair run in with a lot of unruly dogs, but more so with the dogs owners over the years.

Like me, my brother was brought up around dogs all his life, and can tell the difference between a dog that just wants to interact, and one that wants to cause harm. In the case of the latter, he refuses to deliver the post, and leaves it at a designated collection point.

Based on the lack or reminder letters that he has to deliver to the residents regarding dogs license renewal, the majority of houses he calls to with dogs, don’t actually have licences.

Wouldn’t you think that An Post who issue dog licences in Ireland, would ask their staff that are delivering post to all the private residents in Ireland, to conduct a census on their route as to the households that have dogs, and then cross reference this against their database ?

Anyway in the UK the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are currently looking into a loophole in the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act

They are planning to amend dangerous dog legislation to make it an offence for pet owners who fail to control their animals within their house or garden.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) estimates that over 5500 of it’s members are attacked each year, and current laws leave their members vulnerable when visiting houses where so called dangerous dogs are kept.

Under the amendment Local councils will be able to issue a kind of ‘DOGBO’ on a Dog – an animal version of an ASBO. This could result in the offending owner having to muzzle the dog when it is not in the house, including the garden.

Tackling the problem of irresponsible dog ownership is high on DEFRA’s list.

Just as well, as we all know that it’s very seldom the dogs fault when it comes to biting / attacking us humans, but the irresponsible dog owner that has either trained the dog to react in this way, or through lack of socialisation and training turned the dog into a dangerous menace that can impede on the vital services that ambulance / police personnel provide, and stop then from gaining entry to a premises.

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Dogs – A Healthy Future

Paul | blog | January 17, 2012

This film, narrated by Clare Balding, looks at the issues affecting dog health and wellbeing in this country and what is being done in 2012 to help ensure that dog welfare stays at the top of the agenda.

‘Dogs — A Healthy Future’, focuses on the main issues that affect dog health and welfare, including hereditary diseases, issues created by breeding dogs for the way that they look and the problem of cruel puppy farms that breed dogs for profit without regard for their health and welfare.

The film explores the steps that have already been taken to address these issues and the need for united action in order to ensure that the progress continues in 2012.

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Keep your dogs safe on Friday 13th….

Paul | blog | January 13, 2012

Well Friday the 13th is nearly over for most of us, and touch wood, all seems to be going fine and dandy -

There are 3 Friday the 13s in 2012… The next two fall on April and July 13—exactly 13 weeks apart…oooohhhhh!!!!

It’s amazing the amount of us that are superstitious, that wont walk under a ladder for instance or cracks in the pavement, and hate it when we see a lone magpie

Some dog show people rank well up there when it comes to believing in superstitions. Some people wear the same “lucky” clothes all the time when showing their dogs in the show ring, or still use old leads that were once used when they had a super dog in the ring, but still apportion some of the success to the said “lucky” lead.

You’d think that as we evolve as a race people’s belief in these old superstitions would lessen, but there is something about the dark / mysterious side of life, that just manages to hold a slight grip on our imagination, and keep us on our toes on days such as this.

Anyway, here’s a few dog related superstitions to be adding to the list, which I was going to keep going until we reached 13, but didn’t want to tempt fate….

1 – If you have your new-born baby licked by a dog, your baby will be a quick healer

2 – Howling dogs mean the wind god has summoned death, and the spirits of the dead will be taken

3 – In Scotland, a strange dog coming to the house means a new friendship

4 – In England, to meet a spotted or black and white dog on your way to a business appointment is lucky.

5 – Three white dogs seen together are considered lucky in some areas

6 – Fishermen traditionally regard dogs as unlucky and will not take one out in a boat, or mention the word ‘dog’ whilst at sea.  (But yet an experienced mariner / sailor is called a Sea Dog !)

7 – Greeks thought dogs could foresee evil.

8 – A dog eating grass – rain

9 – When a dog is staring intently, at nothing, for no apparent reason, look between the dog’s ears and you’ll see a ghost.

10 – Some black dogs are said to be unquiet ghosts of wicked souls

11 – In native american Indian folklore people if sick would lay with a dog and the sickness would transfer from them into the dog.

12 -Take a large black dog and paint an extra set of eyes on his forehead with white paint- this alienates vampires.

Keep safe,

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Dogs & Cats dressed up like a Dogs dinner !

Paul | blog | January 12, 2012

Over the Christmas I heard somebody say that such and such a person was dressed up like a dog’s dinner (that such and such a person obviously wasn’t me)

That same day when I went to feed our dogs their second meal of they day I thought how the hell could anybody look like what I was putting down for our dogs to feast on.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) it means; used of someone or something dressed or arranged in an ostentatiously smart or flashy manner,

Other people, apart from the bright people at the OED, see it meaning that things were a mess or muddle, and some that a dog’s dinner originally may have referred to a cooking mishap with results fit only for a dog’s consumption. If you take this to be the meaning behind this saying, and not surprisingly for the time when it was coined, dogs were not looked upon as pets, but having a function / purpose, and nutrition as well as many other things weren’t taken into consideration.

Can we say for a lot of dogs kept in Ireland and the UK that much has changed ?

Must dash, as dogs need walking, and it looks like it’s going to rain cats and dogs any minute soon….(rain cats and dogs – What the hell does that mean ?)

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Is it a bird, is it a plane – No it’s a dog !

Paul | blog | January 11, 2012

Dogs can be glutens, I should know as having 4 Standard Smooth Dachshunds I could safely say they would eat until they burst !

Of course certain breeds of dog are known for their incessant appetites, others are picky eaters, just another small thing to take into consideration when choosing a breed of dog that is right for you and your family.

Now not having kept Beagles before, I’m not sure what they are known for in regards appetite, but being a hunting breed I’m sure they have a trick or two up their sleeves when it comes to satisfying same.

The use of these cameras in this dog owners house caught this determined dog right in the act, and I’m sure all of us would love to know what our dogs get up to when we are not at home or even if we have to leave them into boarding kennels.

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QR Dog Tags – The appliance of science

Paul | blog | January 10, 2012

One of the tabs on the homepage of pedigreedogs.ie is the information regarding Microchipping

This was suggested to me by Veterinary Ireland, due to the amount of dogs that turn up at veterinary practices around Ireland, with no sign of a chip, or if there is, the owners details are incorrect (New ownership details not updated)

Now the majority of my internet browsing has to do with funnily enough, dogs, and whilst trawling through some dog related web sites last night (before I went to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Great film by the way) I came across Petqrtag

This company produces QR codes that are imbedded on a tag to be worn on your dogs collar – a QR code is basically a two-dimensional barcode, and in this particular usage, allows you to input as much information in relation to your dog / pet as you wish. If then your dog / pet goes missing and is found wearing one of these pet id tags with the QR code on it, somebody with a smart phone / iPhone with a QR scanner app can scan the tag and find out instantly who owns the dog with full contact details and whether s/he is on medication etc, as per the following

Great idea in my opinion and just another example of the technologically advanced world we are living in being adapted for our dogs and other pets.

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Dog Kills Bill (Buffalo that is )

Paul | blog | January 6, 2012

According to the San Francisco Chronicle (You see there are no limits as to where we @ pedigreedogs.ie will search to bring you relevant dog related stories) -  a bison calf in San Francisco’s bison paddock in Golden Gate Park died hours after being chased by a toy-breed dog that apparently burrowed under the fencing.

The owner of the offending dog was cited for animal disturbance and failure to use a leash in a designated on-leash area.

Back in June last year we posted the following blog dogs unleashed heaven forbid

Now Liz the main person behind the site and organisation has done sterling work in trying to abolish the draconian bye-laws that exist in her area re exercising your dog off lead. Check out the newly designed dogs unleashed Web site

I am sure Liz would agree with me in stating that she is fighting the fight for the dogs and their responsible owners, and the instance in San Francisco shows us that there are indeed many times when our dogs should be under total control.

Bear this in mind when heading out for your walk, especially as we head out of the winter and into spring when a lot of farm animals are re introduced to the land, and the lambing season kicks in.

Keep you and your dogs safe at all times, pick up your dog poop, and join with Liz and co in fighting on behalf of the responsible dog owners in Ireland

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Pedigree Dogs – Featured Kennel – Slighedhala Neapolitan Mastiffs

Paul | blog | January 4, 2012

IR CH Vinastino Valour For Slighedhala Jun. Ch.

Slighedhala Neapolitan Mastiffs are the featured kennel for January on Pedigreedogs.ie and I would like to thank Paraic & Agbons Sheridan for the following piece

We are Paraic & Agbons Sheridan of Slighedhala Neapolitan Mastiffs. Our aim is to show the finest examples of the breed in Ireland and strive to make improvements through the generations with our breeding programme.

I consider myself very fortunate to have inherited a true love of dogs from my dad. His were not show dogs, but Rough and Border Collies, who earned their crust, working with cattle and guarding in the farmyard. My earliest fond memories are of days spent with the dogs, and indeed in the loft of the barn amongst the hay and straw when we were lucky to have a litter of puppies. I would sit for hours on end with them. No surprise so that my first mission when I moved out to my own home was to acquire a dog. I researched a lot of breeds that I admired and finally settled on a boxer and set about finding a reputable show kennel. I felt that even if I was not successful in the show ring, I would have a pet of excellent pedigree, from a well-planned mating and where every effort had been made to ensure happy, healthy puppies. Also I would have the full support of the breeder for the lifetime of my pet. After many wonderful years, my first dog passed. She had been with me through my bachelor days, marriage, the arrival of our first child and a void many of you are familiar with was left behind.

That year we attended our first Crufts. As Agbons is as crazy about dogs as I am, we were looking forward to it for weeks. As we roamed around the show rings, we happened upon the area where the Neapolitan mastiffs were being exhibited. Neither of us had met the breed before and we were instantly smitten. The noble head, the adoring eyes, the sheer size and magnificence and when we went over to say hello we were struck by the total gentleness behind such a massive stature. Upon our return home we set about researching reputable breeders and in a relatively short period of time we had acquired 2, a brother and sister. We showed them both and they became our first two champions. We later acquired some other blood lines in the UK and also imported a male from Italy and currently have 6 in our extended family including some home bred. It is safe to say we were totally bitten by the bug and could not imagine life without this rewarding breed.

As a show kennel, we are constantly researching and educating ourselves about this magnificent breed. They fulfil every conceivable requirement we could have from a family pet. We have 3 small children and they are the gentlest giants imaginable. Their loyalty is unparalleled and no one will bother wandering uninvited into your property if a Neapolitan mastiff pops his head across the garden fence. !!! However they are not without their health concerns and we are actively involved in a health screening programme involving BVA eye testing and hip scoring. The main health issues are skin conditions resulting from a low immune system, Eye conditions which are easily rectified and hip dysplasia. We are also aiming with our breeding programme to help extend their longevity which could be much better. Unfortunately large breeds do not tend to live as long as small ones. We have loads of information on the breed available on our Web site

We strongly recommend Neapolitans as a breed but they are not for everyone. They need a firm hand and experience with dogs is recommended. As with any dog they require training and socialisation.

Above all I would recommend anyone interested to do as much research as possible.

We are very proud of our dogs and occasionally have puppies available to vetted homes. The Neapolitan Mastiff has become a passion for us that will last our lifetime and our dogs reward us daily with their love and unwavering loyalty and adulation. We breed for Health, Temperament and type and we place our puppies primarily as pets who if required are suitable as show dogs. We hope you find our website informative and all details about our dogs, breed standard and health issues are available there. Above all I would ask anyone considering buying a puppy of any breed to ensure their puppy comes from healthy, happy parents. Insist on seeing where the dog is kept.

We would like to thank Pedigreedogs.ie for this wonderful opportunity to talk about our breed, it has been a wonderful honour to have been asked.
Paraic & Agbons Sheridan

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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 !

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Bernese Mountain Dog for sale Ireland

Paul | blog | December 14, 2011

On a recent blog I mentioned that we have been on a real roller coaster ride since launching the Pedigree dogs web site nearly 2 years ago.

The Dog side of the site, to me, is quite simple. Stick to what is right, and not much can go wrong.

The other side of the site is the techie side, the actual working of it, dealing with things such as search engine optimisation, google pay per click ad’s etc, etc. Before launching the site I had never heard of Google Analytics, but now I visit the site every day, as it lets you in on information like, how many visitors landed on your site on a certain day, was it their first time to visit your site, how long did they stay on the site, and what words did they search under or Google in order to land on the site.

Well yesterday, one of the high ranking search terms on Pedigree dogs was, “bernese mountain dog for sale ireland”

On a Blog back in July of this year, we mentioned how certain media attention, in this case a TV advert could increase a certain breed of dogs popularity with the public.

I wonder if the fact that our recently appointed president Mr Michael D Higgins, taking on 2 Bernese Mountain Dogs and the media attention it received, has anything to do with yesterday’s increase on our site for this search term.

Let’s hope that if people are truly interested in this breed of dog, that they have done sufficient research in to the breed, by way of it’s requirements regarding exercise,training,grooming,feeding and housing requirements of the breed.

Let’s also hope that if they do decide that this breed is the perfect choice for their family that they go down the right channels like Michael D, and get in contact with the Bernese Mountain Dog Club Of Ireland who are one of the clubs that are linked under Breed Clubs on our blog. By doing this they can be pretty certain that they will be put in touch with an owner / breeder that carries out all the breed specific health checks for the breed, and that a pup from one of these people, will have had the best possible start in life, with the add on of a lifetime’s worth of assistance at the other end of a phone.

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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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Dog Club Website – KC issues directive

Paul | blog | September 23, 2011

I read in one of the UK Dog papers that The Lancashire Heeler Club UK has recently received directives from The Kennel Club London.

One being concerns expressed about the club’s website, that club information is being made available on other internet sites, and now the club committee is required to ensure that its website is kept up to date as far as possible, and that official club information is only made available via the club’s website.

This follows on from a post on one of the Irish Dog papers Facebook page yesterday where the following was posted. “the Irish Kennel Club have suspended all licensed events in the north for the next 21 days. They have also asked that members and/or competitors resident in the south do not travel north for training or competition purposes for the next 21 days and vice versa”

I believe the above statement relates to Field trial events

To the best of my knowledge Facebook is the only place that this message appeared on the world wide web

Maybe we should all look at this directive and see that it’s time that all breed clubs stand up to the mark, and put ourselves out there so that anybody looking for correct and reliable information on our Pedigree Dogs can do so from the comfort of their computer.

I heard recently that some Vets right across the country are advising people NOT to get a Pedigree Dog based on the cases of bad breeding that they are being presented with day in day out.

As I mentioned on this Blog before that if we hide behind a rock, nobody will ever find us

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