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Saint Bernard’s – Featured Kennel – Santomard

Name of Kennel / Prefix / Affix: Kennel Santomard What age were you and how did you become involved in the world of Dogs? I was just 2 years old when my parents brought home our first Boxer called Sheba. A very beautiful Red and white female from Markav Boxer kennels. When I was 9 years old my parents bought me my own Boxer puppy, her sire also from Markav. I had the pleasure to grow up with Snowy who lived to be over 14 and half years old. What Breeds of Dogs have you had over the years? We have had Boxers, Our Bulldogs Savannah and Porsche who is our rescue girl and Saint Bernard’s both long and short haired. What Breeds of Dogs have you got now? We have Saint Bernard’s both Long and Short haired, our two Bulldogs girls Savannah and Porsche and our two Veteran Boxers Bud who is 10 years old and Miller who is turning 9 years old. What would you consider to be your main Breed of Dog and the one people associate you with? Our main breed is our Saint Bernard’s What attr…

Greyhounds – Featured Kennel – Kelsis Greyhounds

Name of Kennel / Prefix / Affix: Kelsis Greyhounds/Suzanne Ryan What age were you and how did you become involved in the world of Dogs? I was born into dogs, coming from a family who have reared greyhounds for generations. My mother said that I used to try get out of my pram to pat passing dogs from the time I was a few months old and I have yet to be without a dog in life, thank god! I grew up with cocker spaniels and Labradors and did agility with them and my dad brought me to Harold's Cross track most weeks where my interest in greyhounds grew and grew. What Breeds of Dogs have you had over the years ? As soon as I could choose my own dog, I left the Labradors and spaniels, lovely as they are, for greyhounds and haven't looked back. I can't imagine not having some form of sighthound in my home. What Breeds of Dogs have you got now ? I currently have three greyhounds - the eldest is Kelsis who is now ten. He had over 138 races, with many successes and never an injury…

Japanese Spitz & Phalenes – Featured Kennel – Saoirian

Japanese Spitz & Phalenes Name of Kennel / Prefix / Affix: Saoirian Japanese Spitz & Phalenes What age were you and how did you become involved in the world of Dogs? We got our first Japanese Spitz approx 12 years ago, a beautiful little bitch called Reya. Shortly after that we got our first "Showdog" Shelby & Saoirian Japanese Spitz started from there. What Breeds of Dogs have you had over the years? Japanese Spitz were our first breed & then 4 years ago we got our first Phalene Seren. What Breeds of Dogs have you got now ? Japanese Spitz & Phalenes & 1 papillon. What would you consider to be your main Breed and the one people associate you with? Japanese Spitz What attracted you to this breed ? When we decided to get a house dog a friend of ours suggested a Japanese Spitz & so Reya came to live with us. She had such a fantastic nature & was such a sweet dog we just got hooked. All of our dogs …

Alaskan Malamutes – Featured Kennel – Libertia

Alaskan Malamutes Name of Kennel / Prefix / Affix: Libertia Alaskan Malamutes What age were you and how did you become involved in the world of Dogs ? Dogs have always been a huge part of my family. I grew up with working GSDs & Gundogs & continued on with my own GSDs. What Breeds of Dogs have you had over the years? I have had several breeds over the last 50 years GSDs for over 30yrs, Akitas ,Rottweilers ,Neapolitan Mastiffs, Dogue de Bordeaux & Alaskan Malamutes What Breeds of Dogs have you got now? Currently I have 3 old Dogue de Bordeaux's,a Rottweiller & Alaskan Malamutes. What would you consider to be your main Breed and the one people associate you with? My Main Breed is Alaskan Malamutes although many people would associate me with the Bordeaux's as I have been involved with them for 17 years. What attracted you to this breed? Malamutes are dog that captured my heart from my first contact .A strong highly intelligent breed that is still fit t…

Saluki – Featured Kennel – Ulmarra

Saluki's Name of Kennel / Prefix / Affix: Ulmarra - I have had this prefix since arriving in Ireland but bred under Beklyn when in Australia What age were you and how did you become involved in the world of Dogs? We have always had dogs as pets then as a youngster my Mother showed a Corgi for a year or so. I first became interested in showing when I worked for a vet at age 17. The following year I bought my first showdog. As I am not a very 'sporty' person I loved the way I could actually show my own dog and participate in a sport. I have been showing since 1974 but did have about 3 years break in the mid 80's when the two-legged family grew! I did not judge in Australia but was involved in Breed and local clubs as secretary and newsletter editor. I have started judging in Ireland as I have noticed many people who have not been in dogs many years doing so and thought that it is not right to complain if i am not willing to join them! What Breeds of Dogs have you had o…

Australian Shepherd – Featured Kennel – Talard

Australian Shepherds Name of Kennel / Prefix / Affix: Talard What age were you and how did you become involved in the world of Dogs? I have been involved in the world of dogs all my life. Our kennel started out in the obedience world & progressed into the show ring. What Breeds of Dogs have you had over the years? Labradors, border collies and Australian shepherds (Aussies) What Breeds of Dogs have you got now? Labradors, border collies and Aussies What would you consider to be your main Breed and the one people associate you with? I have to say all three breeds. As I actively show all three breeds. But I started out with Labradors. What attracted you to this breed? I was attracted to the Aussie when I was asked to handle and campaign a blue mere female (Swizzle) for a friend whom lived in Scotland. Swizzle had done well during visits to Ireland and then came to stay with me until she finished her Irish show title. Aussies are the most affectionate dog with br…

Bearded Collie – Featured Breed by Síle Healy Hunt

What age were you and how did you become involved in the world of Dogs ? I became involved with dogs as a young child when my aunt owned a German Short-Haired Pointer who qualified for Crufts in the 1980’s. What Breeds of Dogs have you had over the years ? The breeds my family have owned in the past are, Dalmatians and Border Collies. What Breeds of Dogs have you got now ? Bearded Collie and a Blue Roan Cocker Spaniel What would you consider to be your main Breed and the one people associate you with ? Bearded Collies What attracted you to this breed ? Their intelligence, unique and stunning ‘shaggy dog’ appearance, their gentle and kind nature, their eagerness for sport and fun. What advice would you offer to anybody that is interested in becoming an owner of this Breed ? Bearded Collies are human orientated and cannot be left alone for long periods as they can become destructive resulting in nuisance barking and digging. A person must have time and dedication as …

Golden Retrievers

Name of Kennel / Prefix / Affix: Balibeau Golden Retrievers What age were you and how did you become involved in the world of Dogs ? I have been involved with dogs all my life with my grandfather and father breeding English Springer Spaniels What Breeds of Dogs have you had over the years ? The breeds my family have owned over the years are English Springer Spaniels, German Short Haired Pointers, Border Collies and Golden Retrievers What Breeds of Dogs have you got now ? Golden Retrievers and one Border Collie What would you consider to be your main Breed and the one people associate you with ? Golden Retrievers What attracted you to this breed ? Their intelligence and eagerness to learn and work What advice would you offer to anybody that is interested in becoming an owner of this Breed ? This breed should be worked in some way may it be gundog work or obedience. They make a great family pet and love lying in front of the fire but also love to work Does the Breed…

Dogs – Can you really teach a dog a new trick ?

As we have blogged about more times than you could shake a stick at, there are lots of things you have to take into consideration before becoming the life long owner of a dog. Where you live (climate / town or country), what kind of building (garden / stairs),activity level / exercise (yours and the dogs) type of coat (grooming), size of dog, male or female etc etc Researching the breeds and then speaking to as many responsible owners as you can will give you a real insight into the numerous breeds of dog, as no single breed of dog is suitable for everyone. One thing though that all dogs have in common is instinct or as Wikipedia put it, the inherent inclination of a living organism toward a particular complex behavior. My advice, stick with this blog, it's not half as taxing on the brain Some breeds have more instincts than others, depending on what the original function the dog was bred for, whether it was to guard, hunt, herd etc, dogs like border collies or g…

Boxer Dog breed Seminar

The Munster Boxer Club who represented the Boxer breed of dog at last years Pet Expo are holding a seminar on all aspects of the Boxer dog. The seminar will be held at the Rhu Glen Hotel and Country Club Slieve Rhu Waterford on Saturday 20th April 2013. Mr. Tim Hutchings (Winuwuk Boxers UK) will give a presentation on all aspects of the Boxer and Ms Ann Ingram (Tirkane Boxers NI) will also give a hands presentation on the Boxers present. This is an ideal opportunity for anyone wishing to judge in the future as it is now a requirement of the IKC that you have attended seminars before you can be considered for a judging appointment. Mr. Tim Hutchings is excellent at giving a Seminar, he goes through all points of the Boxer in an easy to follow way and this is a must for anyone wishing to know more on the Boxer breed. The cost of the Seminar will be €15.00 which will include Tea/Coffee and Biscuits on arrival with Tea/Coffee and sandwiches at the Break. The Semin…

Dogs online – It’s not as bad as you fear

Selling dogs online When it comes to selling dogs online a lot of people get hot under the collar to say the least. Well here's something to think about. On the 05th March I optomised the following blog in relation to the Shih Tzu breed of dog. Back then that article on the Shih Tzu had been looked at 1669 times. Four weeks on from this, and the same blog has been looked at 1883 times. The Shih Tzu video and breed standard have been looked at 214 times in 4 weeks, that's over 7 times a day... As a favour, can I ask you to search for Shih Tzu pups for sale in Google Ireland, and advise where Pedigreedogs.ie returns in the results ? I know we won't figure ahead of the general classifieds as with the amount of traffic they get each day, Google will always place them higher then a specialist dog web site like ours, but if we figure on the first page of search returns, we have some hope of scooping some of the people that are looking for a Shih Tzu out of the net, …

Coveney has something to bark about – Exclusive Pedigreedogs.ie

Following on from last weeks announcement from the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney that he plans to introduce mandatory micro-chipping for all dogs, in an EXCLUSIVE online interview with Pedigreedogs.ie "the registered web site for dogs in Ireland" his next step will be to introduce a test that will have to be passed by all prospective dog owners. However unlike the date provisionally given for mandatory microchipping of 2016/2017 in line with the UK, the new test that anybody considering getting a dog will have to pass, will be introduced on the first of January 2014. "It makes complete sense" said the Minster, comparing dog ownership to being responsible for a motorised vehicle, and that "in both cases you should have a complete knowledge of what is required" Dog welfare groups Pressure to introduce such a test was placed on the minster by concerned dog welfare groups, as a result of the well publicised cases of dog abuse, and dog abandonment that has reached a…

Pet Expo – Dog Breed Village – RDS Dublin 16th & 17th November 2013

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it, I'm about to lose control and I think I like it...... Why you might ask...? Well, following on from the announcement from Ireland's premier promoter of responsible pet ownership, that Pet Expo will return to the RDS Dublin on 16th & 17th November 2013, I'm delighted to announce that the Breed Village is officially open and is now taking bookings. Steady now, I'd like to ask you all to form an orderly queue..... Pet Expo, is seen by many as Ireland's recognised event for promoting responsible dog ownership, and in conjunction with the best loved pet show now in it's 8th year, is a pet lover's paradise dedicated to promoting responsible pet ownership. Over the next week or so I will be sending out invitations to all the Breed Village Representatives from last years show, and together hope that we can build on the previous years success, and once again use this opportunity to get our message across promoting responsible …

Showing Dogs – Where did it all go wrong ?

There are hundreds of thousands of dogs in Ireland, yet only approx 1500 of these attend at any individual dog show affiliated by the IKC. In the year 2010/11 there were over 29,000 dogs registered with The Irish Kennel Club which included over 5,000 litters. Let's guestimate that 1000 of these litters were from show kennels, that's 4000 litters registered by people not involved in the show dog scene. So the question might be what are show dog people and the governing bodies doing in relation to assisting and educating all the other dog owning / loving people out there ? Now some show dogs have it and others just don't - It's true that some dogs really come alive when in the show ring, and it looks like this is their true vocation, but time spent in the actual show ring for most dogs accounts for approx 5 minutes out of the whole dog show day. The rest can be spent crated in the back of a van, car or trailer for periods from 10 minutes to 10 hours, not to mention th…

Happy Birthday Pedigree Dogs !

Congratulations and jubilations I want the world to know I'm happy as can be. But that's enough Cliff Richard for one day. The reason I'm so happy ? Well it's 3 years to the day that we launched the web site Pedigreedogs.ie I'd like to thank each and every last visitor to the site over the last 3 years, who have visited the site 284 thousand,865 times. A special thanks to the regular visitors (you know who you are) that share and comment on the blog posts posted to Facebook etc, as somebody recently remarked, "you're moral compass faces in the same direction as ours"

PBNR

Pure Bred Non Registered (Or in some cases Pure BREAD Non Registered) It's a term or abbreviation we are all well aware of and see more than ever on most of the dog adverts on the general and most dog classified sites. It is then normally followed by "hence the price" Some of the adverts will advertise a pup for say Euro 200 non registered or Euro 350 registered Let's break down the cost of registering a pup My Vet charges Euro 25.00 to microchip a pup The Irish Kennel Club charges Euro 13.00 to register a single pup Euro 38.00 so far... You have to be an associate member of The Irish Kennel Club (IKC) to register, and the annual fee for this is a whopping Euro 10.00 or Euro 100.00 for life membership I think you could be safe to say that Euro 50.00 would cover you handsomely to register a pup with the IKC, which is after all the recognised body for the registration of Dogs in Ireland, as well as Internationally recognised. Some people will say tha…

Your Dog and the pursuit of happiness

Ok we're back......I hope some of you noticed that we hadn't been what you'd call very active on the run up to and through the Christmas Holiday. TBH it was a most welcome break, and a time where we could reflect on the year just passed, and plan for the year ahead. I've decided on a personal theme for myself this year, which can be summed up in one word - Happiness - My thinking is that if you try and make yourself happy then everything else in life must be good, or should eventually fall into place. Happiness comes in all shapes and forms but mid last year we posted a blog stating that happiness is Canis Lupus or Dog to you and me I'm sure everybody reading this blog right now or maybe years in the future, will have experienced the happiness that a dog can bring into your life. But let's flip that card, and look at it from a dogs perspective. What really makes your dog happy ? Is your dog happy sitting with you on the sofa after a good long walk and balan…

Newfoundland Dog Breed – Snugines Newfoundlands

Newfoundland Dogs in Ireland Name of Kennel / Prefix / Affix: Kennel name SNUGINES... anagram of GUINNESS - the black stuff of Ireland. What age were you and how did you become involved in the world of dogs ? I was 19, at home mum and dad both worked and so did my future husband Trevor's so no time for dogs. That changed as soon as we got married as the week after we got our first 4 legged companion,a lovely black Labrador. What breeds of dogs have you had over the years ? Over the years we have had a black Labrador and several long haired German shepherds, and of course now Newfoundland's What breeds of dogs have you got now ? For the past 17 years we have had Newfoundland's, the only breed I think for us now. What would you consider to be your main breed of dog and the one people associate you with ? Newfies, I don't think people would associate us with any other breed now. With myself as secretary of Emerald Isle Newfoundland Club here in Ireland and Trevor the T…

Hokamix BARF KombiMix – Product Review

I recently attended a Digital Media Course and found myself asking a lot of questions about this web site and it's blog. The course covered all sorts of topics, including Search Engine Optimisation right through to developing a marketing plan. In relation to this plan I had to take a step back and re define what the objectives of the site are. Hmmn !!! Without trying to sound too muck like wee Daniel O'Donnell and sugar coating the death out of it, our main objective is to try and educate Joe Public through our blog in relation to responsible dog ownership, and how to go about sourcing a reputable owner / breeder of the breed of dog you may be interested in..... Easy !! All That Is Good & Bad For Your Dog Nearly three years in and we have over 600 blog posts, covering all aspects of what is good in relation for dogs, and unfortunately a lot more on what is bad in relation to the general well being of your dog. So today we'd like to post about something th…

Budget 2013 – Michael Noonan, Pure Bred Dog or Cross Breed ?

Weather forecast not good for Dogs in Ireland It well and truly looks like the country is preparing to brace itself on two counts. Firstly it looks like the weather has taken a turn with temperatures heading due south,and secondly December 5th is rapidly approaching, the day we all find out just how much poorer we will all be next year when details of the Budget are released. Something tells me that Michael Noonan, won't be getting as many Christmas cards this year as he is used to. Noonan being the countries Minister for finance (for the meantime anyhow) is given the task of looking after the countries finances. The rest of us get to look after whatever little we have left after Mr Noonan decides on what we should pay in relation to keeping the government jet and ministerial cars fueled, as well as funding the health service etc, etc. You could say that we are all Ministers of Finance. Isn't it a pity then that some people in Irish society when getting a p…

A Dog Is For Life Not Just For Christmas

This is the message that ALL reputable breeders send out at this time of the year. I got thinking recently about another phrase we hear from time to time, "Do as I say not as I do" Can some Show Kennels be accused of this...What do we do if the promising pup we kept back from a litter gets a fright in the Show Ring, and decides it doesn't like this showing lark or just isn't making the grade ? What happens when we discover the breed that we start out in is just too competitive, or "Sewn up" so we look around for a rare breed, or one with less numbers in...what happens to the dogs we have from our first breed ? OK we can always say there are always people out there looking for a mature dog, no puppy training to do, with all the hard work done, but these are the minority. I'm sure we all know of people in our respective breeds that move on an older dog / champion - the only reason being to make way for the new kid on the block. Maybe after 30 years the messa…

Leopard for sale on Gumtree !

We posted a blog not so long ago titled Is your local Puppy Farmer playing by the rules ? Now I'm not in anyway trying to trivialise the whole practice of puppy farming, but they only exist because there are van loads (excuse the pun) of un educated people out there only to willing to shell out hard earned money to buy one of these poorly bred & raised pups. Some of these pups end up in the Pet Shops that continue to be involved in this cruel and unjust practice. Puppy Farmers Can Advertise for Free Others end up on the general online classified web sites, some of which offer the puppy farmer a free opportunity to reach their potential customers. Recently one of the largest Free online classified web sites announced a drastic overhaul of it's policies in relation to the advertising of dogs. All of a sudden they will no longer allow ads from puppy farmers or commercial breeders. No stud dogs will be allowed No animals under the age of eight weeks Only …

Christmas present for your dog loving Friend

Look no further. Send us on a cheque or Postal order for € 9.00 and we'll post you back a book that will change your friends and their dogs life forever. Seriously, after they have read The Natural Feeding Handbook for dogs, written by Honeys Real Dog Food, they'll be kicking themselves as to why you they hadn't read up on this way of feeding their dog before.The handbook explains why their dog will be better off on a natural diet and provides simple instructions on how to prepare their dogs food. But it doesn't stop there. Not only will you be giving your dog loving friend something they will thank you for the rest of their and their dogs lives, but € 7.50 of the € 9.00 will be donated to an Irish Dog related charity ! It's a win win situation, you have given your friend something they will be forever grateful to you for, their dogs will benefit from it 100% and the cost of the book excluding postage is being donated to an Irish Dog Charity. I'm sure even Santa'…

Buying a dog for Christmas ?

Is Christmas a good time to Introduce a Puppy to your House ? 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" A Puppy to the right home 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 d…

Chihuahua pups for sale: Can you help me ?

Let us help you find a responsible Breeder On the About Us page of our web site Pedigree Dogs, we sign off by saying " Finally, if you haven’t found what you are looking for, head on over to the contact us tab and fire us off an email, we’d only be to happy to try and put you in touch with somebody in your interested breed that like us, believes in doing things the right way." This is an honest to goodness offer, and we are delighted when people take us up on it and we can take them out of the loop, and help them find a responsible breeder for the dog breed they are interested in. Having said this, at the end of the blog we posted last Wednesday we stated "However, as you can see, the odds certainly looked stacked against us, so maybe it’s about time we forget about our differences, and all started singing from the same hymn sheet, as there’s plenty of work to be done if we are to win this war", and that's exactly how I felt this morning. Where I could get a Chihuahua ?…

You want a piece of this ?

To say that us dog owners are a varied group of people is, to say the least a bit of an understatement. Take the emotive subject of greyhound racing for instance. I am sure there are plenty of owner trainers out there that care for their dogs every need, and there are dogs out there that are better fed and taken care of than the owners themselves. Then there are those that think that the whole industry is rotten to the core and there isn't a decent dog person within the greyhound game. But whatever side of the fence, or whatever area of involvement you are involved in with dogs, be it a rescue or occasional breeder, the one thing I think we can all agree on is that education is the key. I blogged about it recently in relation to events such as Pet Expo where we get an opportunity to try and educate members of the public in relation to responsible dog ownership, and that "Adults have become prejudiced towards certain breeds or just dogs and pedigree dogs in general, and…

Pedigree Dogs Featured Kennel – Dar Og Dogue de Bordeaux

I will never forget the first time I saw Hooch. He was just 8 weeks old and he oozed confidence. We had seen an advertisement in our local paper for Dogue de Bordeaux and with curiosity getting the better of us we just had to go and see this litter. We were fascinated by them and once I had met Hooch and his siblings that was it, I was hooked and it would start a passion which has spanned nearly a decade for me with this wonderful breed. Now I am the proud owner of six Dogue de Bordeaux, 4 of which are my own breeding. I was granted the prefix “Dar Og” about 7 years ago and was also a breeder of Bullmastiff and Japanese Spitz although now my main focus is the Dogue de Bordeaux. I am a huge lover of Isabella and it is a colour which will always be in my lines but sadly this colour is being lost in preference for darker dogs on this side of the world. All our Dogue de Bordeaux are hip and elbow scored with the B.V.A. I have bred 4 litters of Dogue de Bordeaux in the last 7…

Dog Vaccinations in Ireland are you Confused.com ?

Dogs and Annual Vaccinations I'm sure you will agree that there are certain ad's that run on TV that make you want to pull your hair out. Funnily enough some of them are probably for hair products that are meant to strengthen your hair as well as many other miraculous feats. Now apart for the guy with the frazzled moustache singing as badly as I do in the shower, about a price comparison website, another one that makes my split ends split even more is the confused.com one. Confused is being in a state where a person is unable to think clearly (bewildered) That brings me nicely onto today's topic for the blog. Annual Vaccinations Now there are quite a few things that confuse me, like why is there an expiry date on sour cream, or why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is. Veterinarian's advising customers to Vaccinate every year But one thing that really confuses me is why d…

Former Page 3 Model using her puppies in clinical trials

I came across an article the other day that really got my attention. (Not nearly as much as the above one might have!!!) The article carried the headline Woman banned from keeping pets after dogs went bald because she treated them with homeopathic remedy rather than take them to the vets Now in typical tabloid fashion the reporting is very poor and sketchy to say the least, as the 36 comments at the end of the article will confirm. It's a wonder they didn't say she was a former page 3 model and ex Girlfriend of some C list celebrity, whose only claim to fame is that they auditioned for the X Factor. The comments come from a wide a varied readership, some that are pro the holistic approach to treating our dogs and others that are totally against. Now just so you know which side of that debate we here at Pedigree Dogs sit on, check out our blog on the matter that we posted in March last year titled Homeopathy does it work for dogs As I stated above the piece is ver…

The Irish Japanese Spitz Association

On the 15th of Oct in UCD Dublin the 1st trial for the DNA test for MD (Muscular Dystrophy) in Japanese Spitz took place involving 7 volunteer Bitches & 6 volunteer Dogs & their Owners/Breeders. Drs Carmel Mooney & Sabela Atencia Fernandez & their Team were supported on the day by Paul Wiltshire & Margaret Corr, Pat & Ann Clarke & James & Imelda Wade & the 13 Beautiful Japanese Spitz pictured here. Muscular Dystrophy- Japanese Spitz Introduction: Muscular dystrophy is a collective term for a group of muscular diseases that cause weakness and progressive degeneration and wasting of muscle. Muscular dystrophy has been described in numerous dog breeds including the Golden Retriever, Rottweiler, German Shorthaired Pointer and Japanese Spitz. It is also recognized in humans. The muscular dystrophy described in Japanese Spitz is a hereditary “X-linked disease”, which means that the affected gene is located on the X chromosome. Conseque…

Munster Agricultural Society – Now that’s a plan !

On the 18th of June this year, our blog was about the cancellation of The Cork Summer Show due to the unprecedented rainfall of previous weeks. This of course meant the cancellation of the IKC All Breeds Open Dog Show due to be held on the final day of the 3 day event. The only light at the end of that very dark tunnel were the plans for the newly acquired venue going forward. Back then I did mention that the plans were extremely impressive, but that was before I got to see exactly what those plans were. After attending a meeting earlier this month, I can now say without doubt, that the plans outlined by The Munster Agricultural Society for this site at Curraheen, Co. Cork, are not only extremely impressive, but when completed, will mean that this venue in my opinion will be second to none in relation to hosting any event that concerns the promotion of canine / bovine or equine activities on the island of Ireland. Now as we all know Rome wasn't built in a day, an…

Is your local Puppy Farmer playing by the rules ?

Factory Farming of Dogs If you look up Wikipedia and search for Farm, under a sub section you will find the tab Factory Farming. They go on to describe the practice of Factory Farming as the process of raising livestock in confinement at high stocking density, where a farm operates as a business. The main products of this industry are meat, milk and eggs for human consumption. Now most right minded people amongst us find the whole concept as being completely wrong, where livestock are born, reared and kept confined, then killed on concrete or some other man made substance, and never get to roam on the earth as nature intended. But if the person or persons that put together this page on Wikipedia were to focus this topic on Ireland, they might well have had to include two other "products" to the list, the first being fur, and the second being puppies. Much as we here at Pedigree Dogs are against Fur Farming in this country, I'll leave that topic to somebody else m…

It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take

You wouldn't believe the strange times people choose to give us a quick call with a question or request after landing on our web site Pedigree Dogs. I suppose that when you put yourself out there on the world wide web, what do you expect. Now I know it's not the same as a death row pardon two minutes too late, or rain on your wedding day ( Don't lie, I bet you still listen to the album), but IMO there's nothing nearly as bad as coming across a web site and firing off a quick email , or if looking to speak to a customer representative and after leaving a voice message you have to wait a week for a response. But in our effort to facilitate any person wishing to make contact day or night with the good folk behind this site, that's exactly what is happening with us at the moment when trying to bundle our land line, fixed line broadband and mobile together with Eircom. Eight days later and still no joy. Yeah, Eircom, the same company that felt the need through a radio ad…

This Dog is laughing all the way to the bank !

Regular readers of this blog will know that we are quite passionate about our dogs, and more importantly so about what we feed them, and we try in our own small way to offer the best advice when it comes to all things dog. I came across this poster in my local Aldi store yesterday, when I was in there buying some cabbage, broccoli, carrots and courgettes, some of which will end up in our dog's bowls, along with some fresh meat. The statement on the bottom of the poster reads - "Paws for thought - We've been feeding Irish Cats and Dogs for 20 years" I guess that makes them pretty good at it then ? Maybe the company that is based in Naas, Co. Kildare should have expanded on this statement a little, and advised the customers, exactly WHAT they have been feeding Irish Cats and Dog over the last 20 years, as according to the fancy packaging this food claims to help support the IMMUNE system, helps aid COAT condition and offer 100% COMPLETE balance. However on closer i…

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – Here’s what to know

The following piece was very kindly written by Rena Kirkham of the Nearseas Cavaliers, who represented the breed fantastically at The Breed Village at the recent Pet Expo in Punchestown. It was great to have this breed represented as they are a very poplar breed in Ireland, but unfortunately not all breeders are going about things the right way. "My love affair with Cavaliers began about 25 years ago in Canada. I was involved with a pet visitation program and the star was a tri-colour named Alex….he was the sweetest dog I had ever met. To that point I had Afghan hounds which I showed and did obedience with and a Scottish Deerhound, a total couch potato. When I was moving to Ireland, Alex’s owner Danny (a Vet) told me that I needed a Cavalier in my life….I agreed and purchased my beloved Emily upon my arrival here…..the rest is history…..to say I fell in love with the breed is an understatement…..I soon registered the Nearseas prefix with the Irish Kennel Club, of which…