Done Deal

All you need is love (Part II)

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 an…

Labour saving devices & our dogs

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…

One man’s meat is another man’s poison

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 w…

When is a Judges decision final ?

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 majori…

Mini Circuit & Dog Showing in Ireland

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 chan…