A few weeks ago we sent Dell off to a five day cluster of dog shows. His breeder was unable to show him so we ended up hiring a professional handler. Dell needs major (wins that result in 3 or more points) and historically this cluster pulls in large enough entries for majors. All I had to do was send in the entries and arrange for the hand off.
Everything started off well, there were majors all five days and Dell was able to get to his handler.
The first day he got second place, which I felt was completely understandable. Mr. Dell was with a new person and odds are this was their shake down outing. I had confidence that he was in good hands and the judging panels were pretty good for the rest of the cluster.
Unfortunately things did not improve.
I don't blame Dell or the handler, she really did put in an honest effort. We were hoping to finish Dell (that is earn his championship) but, competition was stiff and it just wasn't Dell's time in the spotlight. However, it's going to be a long time until I considering sending him off like that. We all missed Dell terribly. He is such a sweet silly goofball and the house seemed to be less than what it should be.
Showing posts with label dog show. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog show. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
And Snow It Did
Well the snow hit right on schedule Friday night. I was able to stock up the house and squeeze in Friday night services before the sky started falling.
Saturday morning started out with early morning phone calls. The first one was from a friend checking to see if I was still going to the dog show. I had entered Dell and she had entered her dog. Since only three boys were entered and we were pretty sure dog number three was going to be a no show she wanted to know the scoop. If I didn't go there was no point (literally, there has to be competition for dogs to win points). I told her that I had arranged for Meryl (has Jeep and will drive) to take me to the show. As far as I could tell we were going.
Not fifteen minutes later it was Meryl telling me when she would be arriving to pick Dell and I up. I told her I would be ready with dog in hand. I had plenty of time and got up, dressed and fed the kids. Dell was quickly packed and we were ready to go when Meryl pulled into our drive.
She said the roads were not to bad so we loaded up the Jeep and were soon on her way. In the 15-20 minute turn around the roads went decidedly south. The main road my subdivision was off of had become very treacherous. Even with four wheel drive we slid and fishtailed down the road.
This was not a good sign.
We pressed on with the thought that if 95 was bad we would just head back home.
We didn't even get that far.
After 6 miles of horrendous driving that took nearly 45 minutes we bagged the whole idea. The roads were getting worse, not better and it was not worth going into a ditch just for a dog show. So we headed back to my house with a little side trip for a few more supplies at the supermarket that was on the way home.
The snow kept coming down and Meryl, wisely, decided to stay over.
Today the weather was glorious. Nate insisted on going outside this morning in just boots and pajama bottoms to check out the snow. We gave him the yardstick and he measured out 8 1/2 inches of snow.
The rest of the day was spent shoveling for the adults and goofing off in the snow for the kids. Thankfully Nate decided to get properly dressed for his snow adventures later in the day which included things like biking on the road and being buried in the snow.
There will be no school tomorrow and I'm pretty sure they'll cancel Tuesday as well.
Saturday morning started out with early morning phone calls. The first one was from a friend checking to see if I was still going to the dog show. I had entered Dell and she had entered her dog. Since only three boys were entered and we were pretty sure dog number three was going to be a no show she wanted to know the scoop. If I didn't go there was no point (literally, there has to be competition for dogs to win points). I told her that I had arranged for Meryl (has Jeep and will drive) to take me to the show. As far as I could tell we were going.
Not fifteen minutes later it was Meryl telling me when she would be arriving to pick Dell and I up. I told her I would be ready with dog in hand. I had plenty of time and got up, dressed and fed the kids. Dell was quickly packed and we were ready to go when Meryl pulled into our drive.
She said the roads were not to bad so we loaded up the Jeep and were soon on her way. In the 15-20 minute turn around the roads went decidedly south. The main road my subdivision was off of had become very treacherous. Even with four wheel drive we slid and fishtailed down the road.
This was not a good sign.
We pressed on with the thought that if 95 was bad we would just head back home.
We didn't even get that far.
After 6 miles of horrendous driving that took nearly 45 minutes we bagged the whole idea. The roads were getting worse, not better and it was not worth going into a ditch just for a dog show. So we headed back to my house with a little side trip for a few more supplies at the supermarket that was on the way home.
The snow kept coming down and Meryl, wisely, decided to stay over.
Today the weather was glorious. Nate insisted on going outside this morning in just boots and pajama bottoms to check out the snow. We gave him the yardstick and he measured out 8 1/2 inches of snow.
The rest of the day was spent shoveling for the adults and goofing off in the snow for the kids. Thankfully Nate decided to get properly dressed for his snow adventures later in the day which included things like biking on the road and being buried in the snow.
There will be no school tomorrow and I'm pretty sure they'll cancel Tuesday as well.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Snow?
It looks like Snowy will be paying a visit in Virginia. We're all stocked up with food and wine, the only tricky bit is that Dell is entered in a dog show north of Richmond on both Saturday and Sunday. Luckily I have a friend with a Jeep and we will get there, I just hope it isn't canceled.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day
Normally on this day I celebrate my husband and what a wonderful father he is to our children, but this year I'm doing something a bit different.
Larry is not the only father in our household, Mr. Delly Belly is one too. Admittedly he has no contact with any of his get from the two litters he sired, in fact he probably isn't aware of the fact that he is a father. All he knows is that he likes girls. And food. Oh, and tummy rubs. Dell is a very simple dog.
Anyway, after the kids presented their father numerous hand made cards and drawings, they felt that Dell deserved some recognition as well.
They tried the more traditional route of a hand made picture and/or card (I wasn't privy to the actual item, I just heard about it after the fact). However, much to nobody's surprise, Dell ignored it (Crunch, on the other hand, would have happily shredded any piece of paper you gave him). It was vaguely amusing, but a bit disappointing.
Then we came up with the idea of an edible card. I gave Nate a slice of bread and he wrote on it with ketchup "To Dell." Ketchup is not the easiest medium to write with, but it worked. Dell loved his new card and promptly devoured it. All the kids loved watching Dell wolf down the card.
Later Dell then got to go to a dog show and see his public. He had a great time and as an added bonus he went winners dog and best of winners for one point. Thus bringing his grand total to five points. Just ten more points and two majors to go!
Larry is not the only father in our household, Mr. Delly Belly is one too. Admittedly he has no contact with any of his get from the two litters he sired, in fact he probably isn't aware of the fact that he is a father. All he knows is that he likes girls. And food. Oh, and tummy rubs. Dell is a very simple dog.
Anyway, after the kids presented their father numerous hand made cards and drawings, they felt that Dell deserved some recognition as well.
They tried the more traditional route of a hand made picture and/or card (I wasn't privy to the actual item, I just heard about it after the fact). However, much to nobody's surprise, Dell ignored it (Crunch, on the other hand, would have happily shredded any piece of paper you gave him). It was vaguely amusing, but a bit disappointing.
Then we came up with the idea of an edible card. I gave Nate a slice of bread and he wrote on it with ketchup "To Dell." Ketchup is not the easiest medium to write with, but it worked. Dell loved his new card and promptly devoured it. All the kids loved watching Dell wolf down the card.
Later Dell then got to go to a dog show and see his public. He had a great time and as an added bonus he went winners dog and best of winners for one point. Thus bringing his grand total to five points. Just ten more points and two majors to go!
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Kathy Klimkiewicz
Today I just found out that one of my dachshund friends had passed away.
Kathy and I were not the closest of friends, but I did enjoy her company and I was always happy to take her calls. We were brought together by Dell. She had used him at stud and had kept one of the puppies, a little female called Indigo.
Kathy was very proud of Indigo and rightly so. At a young age Indigo got a Group 1 (AKC has dog breeds categorized into seven groups: hound, herding, sporting, non-sporting, toys, terriers and working. At a dog show after the best of each breed is determined, the winners go back into the ring in their respective groups. The top four dogs are selected with the winner, ie Group 1, going back in for best in show. Hence, a Group 1 is a very big deal.) Indigo had just completed her show championship and had just started in field trials, tracking rabbits, with a first placement. In order for a dog to become a field champion a dachshund must accumulate at least 35 points, with a minimum of three placements including one 1st place. Kathy had high hopes that Indigo would be her first dual champion.
I called my dear friend Dianne when I got the news. I knew she would have the full story and could tell me how I could help. We chatted for a bit and she told me that Indigo needed a home. Indigo's co-ower wasn't interested (she had enough standard smooth females already) and Dianne felt strongly that the dog be field trialed, and I agreed, we both want Kathy's dream to be realized. So a normal pet home was out of the question.
I was tempted, but I can not take on another dog. My hands are too full as is and I wouldn't be able to do the things neccessary for Indigo to earn her dual championship. She is a sweet and happy dog, just like her daddy Dell and her grandsire Crunch. She deserves better than what I can do and Dianne and I will do whatever it takes to make it happen for Indigo and for Kathy.
Kathy and I were not the closest of friends, but I did enjoy her company and I was always happy to take her calls. We were brought together by Dell. She had used him at stud and had kept one of the puppies, a little female called Indigo.
Kathy was very proud of Indigo and rightly so. At a young age Indigo got a Group 1 (AKC has dog breeds categorized into seven groups: hound, herding, sporting, non-sporting, toys, terriers and working. At a dog show after the best of each breed is determined, the winners go back into the ring in their respective groups. The top four dogs are selected with the winner, ie Group 1, going back in for best in show. Hence, a Group 1 is a very big deal.) Indigo had just completed her show championship and had just started in field trials, tracking rabbits, with a first placement. In order for a dog to become a field champion a dachshund must accumulate at least 35 points, with a minimum of three placements including one 1st place. Kathy had high hopes that Indigo would be her first dual champion.
I called my dear friend Dianne when I got the news. I knew she would have the full story and could tell me how I could help. We chatted for a bit and she told me that Indigo needed a home. Indigo's co-ower wasn't interested (she had enough standard smooth females already) and Dianne felt strongly that the dog be field trialed, and I agreed, we both want Kathy's dream to be realized. So a normal pet home was out of the question.
I was tempted, but I can not take on another dog. My hands are too full as is and I wouldn't be able to do the things neccessary for Indigo to earn her dual championship. She is a sweet and happy dog, just like her daddy Dell and her grandsire Crunch. She deserves better than what I can do and Dianne and I will do whatever it takes to make it happen for Indigo and for Kathy.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Fresh Flowers for a Crazy Weekend
I'm still pooped after this weekend's shenanigans. My club did it's big dog show up in Northern Virginia and all I can say is the Best in Show was not that far off the mark.
We had drama queens and divas, mostly just the human kind. I only screwed up one thing, but it is fixable. The rest was just a whole lot of noise.
Mind you I did have a good time, I got to stay at my friend's house and ride up with another good friend and fellow club member K. K and mesh very well. We are both "standard smooth" people (ie we have standard smooth hair aka the big short haired dachshunds), our dogs get along and we have complimentary schedules. We chatted the whole way and had a great trip.
The biggest drama we had was over the luncheon my club hosted yesterday, Monday. The person in charge of it almost completely blew it. Last weekend he called me in a panic, he hadn't done anything and nobody had called him about what they were going to bring. I calmed he down, told him to make the calls and we'll figure it out.
Meanwhile the second drama of the week was the club's insurance. It was due to expire and nothing had been done. With a few phone calls, a bit of faxing I got that mess straightened out with a day to spare.
In the end it all worked out, dogs were shown and people were fed. But it'll be a long time until I tackle anything like that again.
As for the flowers, they are crepe myrtles dotted with raindrops on the edge of our lawn. I thought they looked gorgeous with the rain drops on the petals. I'm very pleased with how well my photos came out.
We had drama queens and divas, mostly just the human kind. I only screwed up one thing, but it is fixable. The rest was just a whole lot of noise.
Mind you I did have a good time, I got to stay at my friend's house and ride up with another good friend and fellow club member K. K and mesh very well. We are both "standard smooth" people (ie we have standard smooth hair aka the big short haired dachshunds), our dogs get along and we have complimentary schedules. We chatted the whole way and had a great trip.
The biggest drama we had was over the luncheon my club hosted yesterday, Monday. The person in charge of it almost completely blew it. Last weekend he called me in a panic, he hadn't done anything and nobody had called him about what they were going to bring. I calmed he down, told him to make the calls and we'll figure it out.
Meanwhile the second drama of the week was the club's insurance. It was due to expire and nothing had been done. With a few phone calls, a bit of faxing I got that mess straightened out with a day to spare.
In the end it all worked out, dogs were shown and people were fed. But it'll be a long time until I tackle anything like that again.
As for the flowers, they are crepe myrtles dotted with raindrops on the edge of our lawn. I thought they looked gorgeous with the rain drops on the petals. I'm very pleased with how well my photos came out.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Loooong Day
Today I got up at 4:30 (or as I called it, o dark thirty) in the morning to schlep up to northern Virginia for a dog show. I could of stayed at a friend's house, but in the end it was easier to just get up early.
Now why 4:30? Well the red boys had a ring time of 9:00 am.
When I entered the boys in the show I was hoping for a far more civilized time such as 11:00, but that was not the case. (You don't know what your ring time is until a week after you enter.)
So I loaded up the car as much as I could last night and parked it in the driveway so I could just load up the dogs and go. John was fascinated by my preparations and shadowed me in the garage. When I picked up the dog show tack box he started whining in anticipation. By the time I got to bath time he was twirling about in excitement. Dell was a little less enthused.
I planned for a three hour drive and decided I should leave at 5:00. In reality it was more like quarter past, but I really needed to sit down and eat my breakfast. It was a long drive with rain and fog, but it was far less than my 3 hour guesstimate. I'm so glad I didn't skip my breakfast.
I was able to meet up with my friends and the boys showed well. So well that Dell won winners dog and best of winners. John was hampered by my handling, next time I'll wear shoes that aren't so slippery.
It was a heck of a drive, but it certainly wasn't pointless ;)
As it stands Dell now has three points and John has one.
Now why 4:30? Well the red boys had a ring time of 9:00 am.
When I entered the boys in the show I was hoping for a far more civilized time such as 11:00, but that was not the case. (You don't know what your ring time is until a week after you enter.)
So I loaded up the car as much as I could last night and parked it in the driveway so I could just load up the dogs and go. John was fascinated by my preparations and shadowed me in the garage. When I picked up the dog show tack box he started whining in anticipation. By the time I got to bath time he was twirling about in excitement. Dell was a little less enthused.
I planned for a three hour drive and decided I should leave at 5:00. In reality it was more like quarter past, but I really needed to sit down and eat my breakfast. It was a long drive with rain and fog, but it was far less than my 3 hour guesstimate. I'm so glad I didn't skip my breakfast.
I was able to meet up with my friends and the boys showed well. So well that Dell won winners dog and best of winners. John was hampered by my handling, next time I'll wear shoes that aren't so slippery.
It was a heck of a drive, but it certainly wasn't pointless ;)
As it stands Dell now has three points and John has one.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Yet Another Busy Weekend
To say we had a busy weekend would be an understatement. This weekend we had two dog shows and four birthday parties.
Luckily the timing worked out. The dog shows were in the morning and, after a bit of fortuitous last minute rescheduling, the parties were all neatly spaced. Originally the two parties Nate was invited to were on at the same time and, ironically, at the same location. But due to baseball games, one of the parties got bumped back several hours and Nate got to go to both.
As for the dog shows, Saturday was my club's specialty show. Since I'm the president of the club I elected not to show. In reality I'm a nobody and in this particular case AKC rules don't forbid me, but I felt that ethically it would be best that I sit this one out. instead I got to watch the show and see Dell's sister Trudy finish her championship. Today, however, I was free to drag my boys out to the show. I drafted Jake to be my dog holder and possibly show Dell if needed.
Meryl was ring side and snapped few pictures of me in action. In this picture I'm with John, going down and back for the judge. At first John was a bit wild, but after a bit he did settle down. I have a big smile on my face because I was happy with John and pleased that he defeated his competition in his class. However, this meant Jake had to show Dell in winner's class.
Jake was a bit overwhelmed at first. He was standing just outside the ring, unsure about what to do. I had to call him in the ring and then he snapped out of his fog.
Both dogs were a bit on the exuberant side. We got them to stand nicely for the judge, but it wasn't enough. The miniature won the points and not us. I got the impression that this particular judge favored push button dogs. He liked little robots going around in well behaved circles. Happy goof balls need not apply. I wasn't too surprised, as I had been warned before hand that this particular judge could be interesting. I won't waste my time or my money with him again.
Luckily the timing worked out. The dog shows were in the morning and, after a bit of fortuitous last minute rescheduling, the parties were all neatly spaced. Originally the two parties Nate was invited to were on at the same time and, ironically, at the same location. But due to baseball games, one of the parties got bumped back several hours and Nate got to go to both.
As for the dog shows, Saturday was my club's specialty show. Since I'm the president of the club I elected not to show. In reality I'm a nobody and in this particular case AKC rules don't forbid me, but I felt that ethically it would be best that I sit this one out. instead I got to watch the show and see Dell's sister Trudy finish her championship. Today, however, I was free to drag my boys out to the show. I drafted Jake to be my dog holder and possibly show Dell if needed.
Meryl was ring side and snapped few pictures of me in action. In this picture I'm with John, going down and back for the judge. At first John was a bit wild, but after a bit he did settle down. I have a big smile on my face because I was happy with John and pleased that he defeated his competition in his class. However, this meant Jake had to show Dell in winner's class.
Jake was a bit overwhelmed at first. He was standing just outside the ring, unsure about what to do. I had to call him in the ring and then he snapped out of his fog.
Both dogs were a bit on the exuberant side. We got them to stand nicely for the judge, but it wasn't enough. The miniature won the points and not us. I got the impression that this particular judge favored push button dogs. He liked little robots going around in well behaved circles. Happy goof balls need not apply. I wasn't too surprised, as I had been warned before hand that this particular judge could be interesting. I won't waste my time or my money with him again.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Rain, Rain, Go Away
We've been getting a lot of rain the past few days and we're getting pretty sick of it.
Thursday Nate's scrimmage was canceled when about half of the other team bailed out on the coach. This resulted in a great deal of whining and pouting from Nate.
Friday was just gloomy and overcast, but the ground was soaked which made the dog show I was at that much more exciting. It was an outdoor show and it meant that I got to run around and kneel in the mud. John was a trooper, but Dell was another story. He was a little fool, rolling around on his back and keeping his nose glued to the ground. Too bad, because the judge did like him, but he wouldn't let me show him off.
Saturday was supposed to be opening day for Little League, but the whole thing got postponed. They wanted to avoid last year's debacle with the photographers (the pictures were so awful the coach demanded a re-shoot). Rebecca, surprisingly, was the most upset and literally burst into tears when I told her that she wasn't playing that day.
Today I schlepped off to another dog show up in Maryland. It was absolutely wretched out, a cold biting rain with an occasional blast of wind to liven things up and again it was an outdoor show. The rings were set up as normal, six rings in two parallel rows with a large central aisle dividing the rows. A large tent was erected over the central aisle with only a small portion of the individual rings covered. Just enough to cover the stewards table. Outdoor dog shows are almost never canceled due to rain, it takes extreme conditions are force a cancellation. So show dogs may have a fru-fru and pampered reputation, but they are shown outside in the rain and the mud.
Both of the dogs were rock solid in the rain, only flapping their ears when the rain lashed harder. They weren't what the judge was looking for, but I was happy with how they performed. Neither of the red boys are the natural that their sire (Crunch) was, but they are coming along.
Nate's team had practice today, but only a few kids showed up. I guess some of the parents got scared off by the drizzle, but that doesn't stop my crew. The ones that did show had a great time playing in the mud. But I'm tired of all this rain.
Thursday Nate's scrimmage was canceled when about half of the other team bailed out on the coach. This resulted in a great deal of whining and pouting from Nate.
Friday was just gloomy and overcast, but the ground was soaked which made the dog show I was at that much more exciting. It was an outdoor show and it meant that I got to run around and kneel in the mud. John was a trooper, but Dell was another story. He was a little fool, rolling around on his back and keeping his nose glued to the ground. Too bad, because the judge did like him, but he wouldn't let me show him off.
Saturday was supposed to be opening day for Little League, but the whole thing got postponed. They wanted to avoid last year's debacle with the photographers (the pictures were so awful the coach demanded a re-shoot). Rebecca, surprisingly, was the most upset and literally burst into tears when I told her that she wasn't playing that day.
Today I schlepped off to another dog show up in Maryland. It was absolutely wretched out, a cold biting rain with an occasional blast of wind to liven things up and again it was an outdoor show. The rings were set up as normal, six rings in two parallel rows with a large central aisle dividing the rows. A large tent was erected over the central aisle with only a small portion of the individual rings covered. Just enough to cover the stewards table. Outdoor dog shows are almost never canceled due to rain, it takes extreme conditions are force a cancellation. So show dogs may have a fru-fru and pampered reputation, but they are shown outside in the rain and the mud.
Both of the dogs were rock solid in the rain, only flapping their ears when the rain lashed harder. They weren't what the judge was looking for, but I was happy with how they performed. Neither of the red boys are the natural that their sire (Crunch) was, but they are coming along.
Nate's team had practice today, but only a few kids showed up. I guess some of the parents got scared off by the drizzle, but that doesn't stop my crew. The ones that did show had a great time playing in the mud. But I'm tired of all this rain.
Friday, October 12, 2007
More Cakey Goodness
So of course I made some cakes for the dog show last weekend, heck I was the unofficial dessert chair. I ended up making one sheet cake (pictured), two pumpkin pies and two flourless chocolate torts.
The pies were a snap to make and transport as were the torts. The sheet cake was a bit trickier and needed its own seat in the car. I wisely decided to save all detailed decorating at the show site's kitchen. The torts got wrapped in plastic and the sheet cake got just the base of chocolate icing.
The night before the sheet cake was served I freehanded the design on the cake. It was a three specialty show weekend and they were being called the Hunt Country Specialties, hence the fox. I was a bit bored of making Dachshunds and decided to go for the show logo instead. The first tort got its whipped cream piped on just before being served, the second one was held in reserve.
The pies were a bit hit and were mostly gone, all I brought back home was two slices. The first tort was also mostly consumed, I decided not to bring out the second "back-up tort," instead I brought it back home where it is now safely tucked inside my freezer. (It can be safely frozen for up to three months, after that it starts to lose its flavor.) Only a third of the sheet cake was consumed, people liked it, but there was just too much food. Which is fine with my family since they now get to enjoy it.
Oh and about the sheet cake. If you look closely at the upper left hand corner you will see that it is missing. My dog John nailed it while it was up on the dining room table. I trimmed up the nibbled parts and refrosted the cut area. I wasn't too concerned about what people would say, since they were all dog people. In fact it was one of the very few audiences that would appreciate the humor and would not be horrified about the idea of eating cake that a dog had nibbled. However I don't plan on letting John sample any more of my cakes, next time I'll push the cake closer to the middle of the table where he can't reach.
The pies were a snap to make and transport as were the torts. The sheet cake was a bit trickier and needed its own seat in the car. I wisely decided to save all detailed decorating at the show site's kitchen. The torts got wrapped in plastic and the sheet cake got just the base of chocolate icing.
The night before the sheet cake was served I freehanded the design on the cake. It was a three specialty show weekend and they were being called the Hunt Country Specialties, hence the fox. I was a bit bored of making Dachshunds and decided to go for the show logo instead. The first tort got its whipped cream piped on just before being served, the second one was held in reserve.
The pies were a bit hit and were mostly gone, all I brought back home was two slices. The first tort was also mostly consumed, I decided not to bring out the second "back-up tort," instead I brought it back home where it is now safely tucked inside my freezer. (It can be safely frozen for up to three months, after that it starts to lose its flavor.) Only a third of the sheet cake was consumed, people liked it, but there was just too much food. Which is fine with my family since they now get to enjoy it.
Oh and about the sheet cake. If you look closely at the upper left hand corner you will see that it is missing. My dog John nailed it while it was up on the dining room table. I trimmed up the nibbled parts and refrosted the cut area. I wasn't too concerned about what people would say, since they were all dog people. In fact it was one of the very few audiences that would appreciate the humor and would not be horrified about the idea of eating cake that a dog had nibbled. However I don't plan on letting John sample any more of my cakes, next time I'll push the cake closer to the middle of the table where he can't reach.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
While I Was Gone
Last weekend I ran away from home and joined the circus.
Well, not really.
Instead it was a dog show, but certainly felt like a circus. I had dueling divas, people with freaky hair and 100 plus dachshunds all in one building. And to top it all off I was coming down with a cold.
The divas are two very volatile people that repeatedly clashed throughout the weekend and unfortunately my job was to blunt them. I would steer them away from each other and listen to them vent. The funniest moment was when one them came to me hysterical over one aspect of the show. A vital element was missing for that day's show and the diva didn't know what to do. I politely listened and pointed out that we had the corresponding element for the next day's show on site and we could just switch them. If the missing item did not appear by day's end we could easily replace it in time for the next day. This calm reasoning completely deflated the diva. I hard a hard time not smiling as the wind left the diva's sails, there was no more drama. And as Meryl will tell you, I have no patience for drama. At that precise instant the missing item appeared. The diva then fluttered off to the next "crisis."
Then there was the hair. Most people in the dog show world are reasonably coiffed with the occasional bad toupee. The only oddity may be the tendency to use the same combs and brushes on both the owners/handlers and the dogs. But that isn't as bad as it sounds since the dogs are all squeaky clean. This weekend, however, I got to see a wig that really challenged me. Part of me wanted to take picture so I could share with Meryl, but another part realized that taking a picture would be very bad. I decided to be an agent of good, so instead I'll describe it to y'all. Imagine an average middle aged white guy, with glasses and is a bit stout around the middle sporting the locks of Michael Jackson from "Thriller."
It was just so wrong, but the guy looked so happy. All I can say is that I wish him well.
I'm telling you the movie "Best in Show" is not that far off.
Well, not really.
Instead it was a dog show, but certainly felt like a circus. I had dueling divas, people with freaky hair and 100 plus dachshunds all in one building. And to top it all off I was coming down with a cold.
The divas are two very volatile people that repeatedly clashed throughout the weekend and unfortunately my job was to blunt them. I would steer them away from each other and listen to them vent. The funniest moment was when one them came to me hysterical over one aspect of the show. A vital element was missing for that day's show and the diva didn't know what to do. I politely listened and pointed out that we had the corresponding element for the next day's show on site and we could just switch them. If the missing item did not appear by day's end we could easily replace it in time for the next day. This calm reasoning completely deflated the diva. I hard a hard time not smiling as the wind left the diva's sails, there was no more drama. And as Meryl will tell you, I have no patience for drama. At that precise instant the missing item appeared. The diva then fluttered off to the next "crisis."
Then there was the hair. Most people in the dog show world are reasonably coiffed with the occasional bad toupee. The only oddity may be the tendency to use the same combs and brushes on both the owners/handlers and the dogs. But that isn't as bad as it sounds since the dogs are all squeaky clean. This weekend, however, I got to see a wig that really challenged me. Part of me wanted to take picture so I could share with Meryl, but another part realized that taking a picture would be very bad. I decided to be an agent of good, so instead I'll describe it to y'all. Imagine an average middle aged white guy, with glasses and is a bit stout around the middle sporting the locks of Michael Jackson from "Thriller."
It was just so wrong, but the guy looked so happy. All I can say is that I wish him well.
I'm telling you the movie "Best in Show" is not that far off.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Legislation
There are currently several bills pending across the United States that severely restrict the rights of dog owners. One in California, AB 1634, has sparked a fair amount of controversy.
I know in the dog show community it would have a devastating impact. To quote the bill:
It would be extremely difficult to maintain any sort of breeding program under those restrictions. One litter and then the dog is neutered, this apply to both the sire and the dam. Crunch would have never sired a second litter, a litter that surpassed the first in quality. I don’t think John (he’s from the first litter and is the only intact one left) will ever be used at stud and thus Crunch’s line would have ended. Quite a pity since he is already a grandfather by the second litter and at least one of them is gorgeous and doing very well in the ring.
Note also the expiration date. Does this mean no more exemptions after January 1, 2012?
Anyone serious about breeding better dogs would have to move out of state.
Then there are the many, many dog shows (500+ by my count for conformation shows held annually in Ca, this does not include performance events such as obedience, field trials, etc) held in California. I know I would think twice before going to California for an event and with no local breeders to host the shows there wouldn’t be anybody to organize or work at them. Dog shows bring a fair amount of money into a community, from the booked out hotels to the full restaurants.
I think the law wouldn’t work to reduce the pet over population. There would still be strays, all of the ethical breeders would be driven out leaving behind those that do not care and work outside of the law. The funding for enforcement and the low cost spay/neuter programs is to come from within the communities via fines and licensure.
I also object to the further erosion to the rights of the average pet owning citizen.
It’s a train wreck in the making.
Then there is my state’s rabies data base. Veterinarians in the state of Virginia are, as of last week, required to do the following:
Ultimately all of the county information will be brought together and placed in a statewide, searchable database.
Courtesy of the Freedom of Information Act, information about my dogs and where I live will be publicly available.
People that don’t want to be caught in the system might just decide not to vaccinate. The kicker is that Virginia is currently experiencing an upsurge in rabies. We could have a serious rabies epidemic.
I’m seriously considering getting my dogs vaccinated out of state.
It’s scary out there for anyone involved with dogs.
I know in the dog show community it would have a devastating impact. To quote the bill:
This bill would, until January 1, 2012, authorize a local jurisdiction
or its authorized local animal control agency to allow for issuance of
an intact permit for one male and one female dog per household in order
to allow the dogs to produce a single litter of offspring, subject to
specified criteria.
It would be extremely difficult to maintain any sort of breeding program under those restrictions. One litter and then the dog is neutered, this apply to both the sire and the dam. Crunch would have never sired a second litter, a litter that surpassed the first in quality. I don’t think John (he’s from the first litter and is the only intact one left) will ever be used at stud and thus Crunch’s line would have ended. Quite a pity since he is already a grandfather by the second litter and at least one of them is gorgeous and doing very well in the ring.
Note also the expiration date. Does this mean no more exemptions after January 1, 2012?
Anyone serious about breeding better dogs would have to move out of state.
Then there are the many, many dog shows (500+ by my count for conformation shows held annually in Ca, this does not include performance events such as obedience, field trials, etc) held in California. I know I would think twice before going to California for an event and with no local breeders to host the shows there wouldn’t be anybody to organize or work at them. Dog shows bring a fair amount of money into a community, from the booked out hotels to the full restaurants.
I think the law wouldn’t work to reduce the pet over population. There would still be strays, all of the ethical breeders would be driven out leaving behind those that do not care and work outside of the law. The funding for enforcement and the low cost spay/neuter programs is to come from within the communities via fines and licensure.
I also object to the further erosion to the rights of the average pet owning citizen.
It’s a train wreck in the making.
Then there is my state’s rabies data base. Veterinarians in the state of Virginia are, as of last week, required to do the following:
Each veterinarian who vaccinates a dog against rabies or directs a veterinary technician in his employ to vaccinate a dog against rabies shall provide the owner a copy of the rabies vaccination certificate. The veterinarian shall forward within 45 days a copy of the rabies vaccination certificate or the information contained in such certificate, to the treasurer of the locality in which the vaccination occurs.
The rabies vaccination certificate shall include at a minimum the signature of the veterinarian, the animal owner’s name and address, the species of the animal, the sex, the age, the color, the primary breed, the secondary breed, whether or not the animal is spayed or neutered, the vaccination number, and expiration date. The rabies vaccination certificate shall indicate the locality in which the animal resides.
Ultimately all of the county information will be brought together and placed in a statewide, searchable database.
Courtesy of the Freedom of Information Act, information about my dogs and where I live will be publicly available.
People that don’t want to be caught in the system might just decide not to vaccinate. The kicker is that Virginia is currently experiencing an upsurge in rabies. We could have a serious rabies epidemic.
I’m seriously considering getting my dogs vaccinated out of state.
It’s scary out there for anyone involved with dogs.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Going to the Dogs
This past weekend I went to Northern New Jersey to attend a dog show and a regional club meeting. The show was the Dachshund Association of Long Island (DALI) specialty that is held right before Westminster and is part of a cluster of specialty shows that are viewed as preliminaries to the Westminster show.
Originally I was not planning on attending any of the shows, but my club was requested to send a representative to the regional meeting that was to be held in conjunction to the shows. As president I could have tapped another club member to go, I knew at least one was going , but I decided it really should be me since I’m not only the president but the regional rep as well (I volunteered since I’m very good friends with the regional president). Also the one of the members that would have volunteered to go in my stead has the reputation of being a bit of a loose canon.
The one problem with this particular trip was that two weeks before hand I’ll be attending a wedding in Manhattan and the weekend after the meeting we are driving up to Long Island for a Bar mitzvah (Hey Skinny Dan!).
That’s a whole lot of travel in a short period of time.
My first thought was to fly, and then a friend wanted to know if I could show her dog at the specialty. In the end I drove up with my friend with her dog Chad and my dog, John.
We had a great time and our dogs did as well. We got to see what our competition would be like this year and we got to be seen. I even got to hold Scraps (a dog in serious contention at the shows) in my lap for a bit. He is a very sweet little dog that gave lots of kisses. Here is what Scraps looked like this past summer.
He is even cuter in the flesh. As an added bonus, if you click here it directs you to the video streaming from the Westminster show. After the ad, Scraps is the first dog you see up on the table.
Tonight I’ll be watching the show on cable and cheering on the dachshunds.
Originally I was not planning on attending any of the shows, but my club was requested to send a representative to the regional meeting that was to be held in conjunction to the shows. As president I could have tapped another club member to go, I knew at least one was going , but I decided it really should be me since I’m not only the president but the regional rep as well (I volunteered since I’m very good friends with the regional president). Also the one of the members that would have volunteered to go in my stead has the reputation of being a bit of a loose canon.
The one problem with this particular trip was that two weeks before hand I’ll be attending a wedding in Manhattan and the weekend after the meeting we are driving up to Long Island for a Bar mitzvah (Hey Skinny Dan!).
That’s a whole lot of travel in a short period of time.
My first thought was to fly, and then a friend wanted to know if I could show her dog at the specialty. In the end I drove up with my friend with her dog Chad and my dog, John.
We had a great time and our dogs did as well. We got to see what our competition would be like this year and we got to be seen. I even got to hold Scraps (a dog in serious contention at the shows) in my lap for a bit. He is a very sweet little dog that gave lots of kisses. Here is what Scraps looked like this past summer.
He is even cuter in the flesh. As an added bonus, if you click here it directs you to the video streaming from the Westminster show. After the ad, Scraps is the first dog you see up on the table.
Tonight I’ll be watching the show on cable and cheering on the dachshunds.
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