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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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The Story of Adam & Eve’s Pets

Adam and Eve said, 'Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us every day. Now, we do not see you anymore. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much you love us.' And God said, "I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will love me even when you cannot see me." "Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves." And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve. And it was a good animal and God was pleased.And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail. And Adam said, 'Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom and I cannot think of a name for this new animal.' And God said, 'I have created this new animal to be a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name, an…
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Yaris v Ferrari ?

People often ask me why certain breeds of dogs advertised on pedigreedogs.ie are offered at €250 and the same breed bred by somebody else ,then offered for sale at €500 I always say you have to compare apples with apples. A lot of time,effort and expense goes into producing a strong and healthy litter. One of the most popular breeds in Ireland is the Labrador, and you will see them offered price wise at both ends of the scale. Whilst promoting our site at last years Pet Expo in the RDS I was asked this on quite a few occasions. Some of it has to do with what you require the dog for in the first place. Now if you want it for it's original function then the amount of field trial winners in it's pedigree will be of concern to you, and as the saying goes you get what you pay for. It's like comparing a Toyota Yaris (Fine car in my opinion) to a Ferrari. Both will get you from A to B, but a bit more engineering has gone into the high end model. Having said that, hea…
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Dogs – Don’t you just love em’

Seeing that my last few blogs, may have been on the heavy side, here is something to lighten the mood...Another one of my infamous  dog jokes... Two Irish nuns have just arrived in the USA by boat and one says to the other, "I hear that the people of this country actually eat dogs." "Odd," her companion replies, "but if we shall live in America , we might as well do as the Americans do." Nodding emphatically, the mother superior points to a hot dog vendor and they both walk towards the cart. "Two dogs, please," says one. The vendor is too pleased to oblige, wraps both hot dogs in foil, and hands them over the counter. Excited, the nuns hurry to a bench and begin to un-wrap their 'dogs'. The mother superior begins to blush and, then, staring at it for a moment, leans to the other nun and whispers cautiously, "What part... did you get...?"
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Pedigree Dogs Vet – Arthritis – An Age-Old Disease

Arthritis is one of the oldest diseases in history, dating back to the dinosaurs. It strikes animals and humans alike. The joint pain and stiffness it causes can affect your pet as well as yourself,  especially if your pet is a dog. When arthritis strikes, joints become inflamed and mobility becomes impaired. The signs range from slight stiffness to severe lameness.  Arthritis can be caused by infection in a joint, accidents, immune disorders, age, and physical abnormalities.  It can affect animals of all ages and sizes.  The inflammation is painful to the animal, so it is less likely to move around.  Most owners will notice a dog getting slower as it gets older and attribute this slowdown to “old age.” The pet, though, may really be suffering from arthritis. Your veterinarian can assess your pet and suggest treatments to reduce the pain and inflammation. In the meanwhile, be alert to the following symptoms. Your pet may take a long time to lie down or to get up.  After g…
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Some Classic Dog Classifieds !!!!!

Trawling through some of the General Classified sites this week I came across the following adverts. (Spelling mistakes and all) These three alone are enough to make any GENUINE Dog lover sick, but appear on an all to frequent basis on these sites. Breed: Kerry Blue KERRY BLUE BITCH FOR SALE.FAMILY PET NOTLONGER WANTED.VERY FRIENDLY WITH CHRILDREN.GOOD TEMPERMENT,IKC REGISTERED,PURE BREED WITH PAPERS.5 YEARS OLD.GENIUNE REASON FOR SELLING.KIDS WANTS POOL TABLE. Breed: Dachshund miniature smooth haired dachshund. pure bred dog.red in colour. 6 and a half years old and she has had 5 litters of pups. IK registered. she will make an ideal family pet very timid nature and good with children. fully house trained. Breed: Boxer 2 year old female boxer in pup about half a month abit more. They carry for 3months and on average have 5-7 pups easy money as boxer pups are worth alot of money and sell easily you can check prices on DD yourself father of pups has pape…
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Labrador Retriever

Labrador Retriever Labrador If you are looking for a Labrador pup or Labrador Dog & after looking at the Labrador video, check out our classified section by clicking the button on the right. If you still can't find a Labrador dog or Labrador puppy, send us an email to [email protected] and we will put you in touch with a reputable breeder of Labradors. The above video and Labrador breed standard below will give you a very brief indication as to what the Labrador breed of dog is like as a dog companion. Also to find out a bit more about the Labrador breed in relation to breed specific health tests etc, check out the following link Labrador Breed Health Labradors ORIGIN : Great Britain. DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 24.06.1987. UTILIZATION :    Retriever. CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. :Group 8 Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs. Section    1    Retrievers. With working trial. GENERAL APPEARANCE : Strongly built, short-coupled…
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Mystery illness has struck the Queen’s Sandringham estate.

Six dogs died and more than 30 were left fighting for life with a mystery illness that has struck the Queen’s Sandringham estate. The Queen asked the Animal Health Trust (AHT) to carry out an investigation into the vomiting bug after the Royal estate received complaints of pets being struck down after walking there. Results reveal that 37 dogs were taken ill after walks on the estate. Three died and another three were put down as they were in such pain. The pets suffered symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy during the late summer and early autumn. Since then notices have been put up advising people not to walk their dogs. The Queen takes her corgis to the estate when she stays there for Christmas – although Buckingham Palace refused to discuss whether she has been walking them or taking any additional precautions. (more…)
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Pedigree Dogs Vet – Bad Behaviours – Barking Mad

Dogs bark for a variety of reasons, such as loneliness, boredom, attention seeking, and defending territory to name a few.  Whatever the reason, barking can turn into a noisy, undesirable habit.  Yelling at a barking dog to stop may make things worse, so here are a few tips on ways to make your household quieter. Training, companionship, and affection are ways to prevent your dog from developing the bad habit of barking.  Dogs are pack animals, so they may get distressed when you leave them alone.  In order to get your dog used to your absence, try leaving at different times of the day for varying amounts of time.  Don’t make a fuss over the dog when you leave or return.  Leaving the radio or TV on may help relax your dog.  You can also give your dog a special toy before you leave to keep it occupied. Dogs left outside may bark because they hear strange noises, they are bored, or they are protecting their territory.  If this is happening, try to walk your dog more often, …
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The All Terrier Association Breed Seminar

The All Terrier Association Breed Seminar Sunday 31st October 2010  10.30 AM  to 4.00 PM The last in our current series if seminars Speaker Dan Ericsson (Raglan) about Scottish Terriers and West Highland White Terriers Venue: Green Isle Hotel, Newlands Cross, Exit 2, N7, Dublin Registration 10 am Contact: Fionnuala Tel # 00353 86 8750614 Email: [email protected]
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Portadown Canine Club All Breed Championship Show.

Portadown Canine Club established in 1943,is one of Ireland longest established Canine Clubs and yesterday it hosted its 6th All Breed Championship Show at Kings Hall Complex, Balmoral, Belfast. Although the judging was done indoors in the Nugent and Alexander halls, unfortunately though not adjacent so for people with different breeds it could have involved the running to and from each hall so as not to miss classes. Car-parking is excellent at Balmoral and with so much out door space available and with yesterday's near summer weather a lot of exhibitors were able to enjoy walking their dogs outside, so giving everyone a nice relaxed day. By mid-after noon all the groups were completed so very well known secretary of Kilkenny Canine Club and owner with her daughter Anita of the Lorient Shit Tzus and Siberian Huskies. Mrs Josie Foley took center stage in the beautifully decorated Best in Show ring. BIS was awarded to the top winning and already a multi Group and BIS…
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Pedigree Dogs Vet – Heart Trouble in Dogs

Did you know that heart disease is one of the most common health problems affecting dogs today?  But if caught early enough, heart disease can be managed with medication, diet, exercise, and possibly surgery.  New puppy exams and yearly adult exams by a veterinary surgeon can detect heart problems early, before symptoms start. One of the hardest-working muscles in the body, the heart is essentially a four-chambered pump for circulating blood.  The right side of the heart pumps blood to the lungs, while the left side pumps blood to the rest of the body. (more…)
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Pedigree Dogs Vet – The Importance of Lab Tests

Sometimes when you bring your dog to the vet, it might be recommended that a blood, urine, or tissue sample is taken.  This will give your vet a better indication to your dogs’ health status than a physical exam.  The various tests will help your vet diagnose disease, determine prognosis, and monitor therapy.  Blood tests are also useful for monitoring health status in apparently healthy animals.  You should have pets over the age of 8 years tested yearly.  This will not only give a baseline of your pets’ health status, but it will help to identify problems early. (more…)
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Pedigree Dogs Vet – Tail Dragging

Quite often dog owners think their dog has worms because it is dragging its tail on the ground.  This activity is instead a sign that the dog is having trouble with its anal glands (sacs). What are anal glands?  They are primarily used for territorial marking and communication, not only in dogs, but all predators.  They are small pouches located on each side and slightly below the anal opening, at the 4 o’ clock and 8 o’ clock positions.  A small duct leads from the gland to an opening directly beside the anus. The sacs contain a thick, strong-smelling liquid that is pressed out when a dog relieves itself.  This allows other dogs to recognise each other because each dog produces its own unique scent. (more…)
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Pedigreedogs.ie Sunday Times 12-09-2010

Yesterday our site Pedigreedogs.ie featured on page 8 of the business section of The Sunday Times. We are delighted with this exposure, and hope that it brings our web site to the attention of a lot more reputable breeders / owners so they are aware that there is a web site in Ireland, where the welfare of the dogs is paramount. Thanks to everyone that has supported us from the start. Onwards and upwards Best regards Paul Barry (Pictured with Daisy the Dachshund, one of his homebred Irish Champions & Kyla a friends Ir Ch Leonberger)
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Dogs in Ireland and Commercial Vehicles

I just had the DOE on my Toyota Crew Cab , and when I got the Log book back and the Vehicle Testing Form, I was also given the RF111A (Goods Only Declaration) If your commercial vehicle is under 3500 kilos unladen weight,(Not 1524 kilos as per this copy) you must complete this form stating that the vehicle will not be used at any time for social,domestic or pleasure purposes, and provide details of your VAT registration. I know that a lot of people use their vans to bring their dogs to vets, beach / forest walks, and shows, but how many of us have the vans taxed as private vehicles ? If you are not in a position to complete this form, the word is that you will have to pay road tax as per the engine size / emission levels..which for most vans is far greater than the commercial rate available. Now, the garage where I got my DOE advised that they had 3 Gardai in the garage the other day, and they asked them if they would be enforcing this on the road, and they answered…
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Newtownards & District Canine Club

Ards Club Entertain Chernobyl Children. Last year when the Irish Kennel club hosted the European show in Dublin, we had about 4 bus-loads of exhibitors from former Soviet Union countries and many many dogs, made the journey overland and sea to Ireland. The long journey was well worth it for many of the these visitors, as they took home Europe and Irish Championship titles on their dog as well as other major awards from the Euro show and the breed specialty shows held as well that week-end. Dog showing has become very big in these former Soviet Union countries and many their breeders are totally devoted and strive all the time to improve their breeding stock. Traveling long distances to obtain new dogs and just to exhibit seems not to be a big barrier for Russian exhibitors and at all the major European shows you can see their big buses loaded with dogs and owners. Within a short number of years these Eastern bloc breeders have proved themselves very clever at producing…
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