334 – Golden Retriever Breed Education with Michael Faulkner
Golden Retriever Breed Education with Michael Faulkner
In honor of the Golden Retriever National Specialty, currently under way in Southern California, Host Laura Reeves visits with legendary judge and breeder Michael Faulkner. Actively involved with Goldens since 1969, Faulkner is deeply passionate about his breed.
Primarily a hunting dog
“This is the GOLDEN Retriever,” Faulkner said. “They have a coat of lustrous gold, they are a water dog, their form and function is to retrieve.
“The standard says ‘primarily a hunting dog,’ moderate, to be shown in good, hard working condition,” Faulkner said
“Yellow Wavy Coated Retrievers”
The double coat protects and wraps the body, Faulkner said. Early historians talk about the development in Scotland of “yellow, wavy coated retrievers.”
“Quite often when you’re judging my breed you’re going to see a coat that wraps the body and it may have a slight wave. That’s perfect. We love it when you can see the natural wrap and frame. The coat should never be curly, but wave is perfectly acceptable,” Faulkner said.
Moderation in all things
Faulkner compares the correct Golden Retriever to a cow: “Moderate, legs underneath them, big rib cage, short loin, level back, thick thigh, tail straight off the back. It’s not a complicated breed.”
A well-known stickler and “old guard” in the breed, Faulkner insists that Goldens were never meant to be “fluffy” and that they “should not look like a baby Newfy.”
Proportions are the biggest thing next to grooming, Faulkner said. The breed standard calls for the body to be [12:11], just off square. They should never be long and low.
Gentleman’s gun dog
“The dogs are not supposed to roll, or lumber (when they move),” Faulkner said. “They are supposed to converge to the center line of travel. People forget that they are supposed to be primarily a hunting dog.
“They were kept by the nobility. Bred to go out with the hunter, work close to their side, bring the bird back, shake dry and lie next to fire.”
The cold water and rocky terrain of the breed’s native Scotland made endurance essential, Faulkner noted. Any exaggeration would hinder the working dog’s efficiency.
333 – Pyrenean Shepherd: Small, Smart, Rare
Pyrenean Shepherd: Small, Smart, Rare
Pyrenean Shepherd fancier Joni McKeown shares details of this endangered herding breed from the Pyrenees mountains of France.
The small herding breed accompanied the Great Pyrenees guarding the flocks that moved between the isolated and remote regions of the mountains and valleys.
“When people come to shows, everyone thinks they are cute. They have a mischievous, funny sense of humor, and a really cute little head, but this is a working dog. It should not just be a pretty face,” McKeown said.
A brindle PyrShep showing cording on the back half of the dog as is correct.
From the AKC website: These tough, lean, and lively herders, famous for their vigorous and free-flowing movement, come in two coat varieties: rough-faced and smooth-faced. Roughs have profuse, “windswept” hair above the muzzle and a generally harsh coat; smooths have short facial hair, a finer-textured coat, and a slightly longer, pointier muzzle. Both varieties of this sinewy, rectangular breed come in many colors and patterns. Pyr Sheps see the world through dark almond-shaped eyes conveying an alert and cunning expression.
PyrSheps are a prime example of why pet owners should learn the history of a breed in order to better understand its temperament and behavior.
“Because of their job, the breed is just hardwired to see the world as friend or foe. There’s not a lot of grey area for them. Preserving that heritage is so important. French judges fuss at us for how friendly our dogs are. We kind of live in a world where we need the dogs to be friendlier. But we’re losing genetics if we start turning a Pyrenean Shepherd into a Golden Retriever (temperament). You can’t expect to have that across the board,” McKeown said.
Faces rough or smooth
Differences between the two “types” are notable. Head and body structure are different and both types are born in the same litter. Traits definitely pass together, McKeown observed.
The rough face develops a characteristic “windblown look” of hair on its face, she added.
“This is the only breed that only cords on the back half of the body. In France all the adult dogs are corded. Different dogs have different types of cords. In the US you don’t see that many people cording the dogs. It’s a very rustic look. But you can keep them brushed out,” McKeown said.
The standard offers no preference for corded or not in the show ring.
The coat is described as half way between sheep and goat hair. It has a very coarse texture. Exhibitors are encouraged to not do a lot of bathing or blow drying as it changes the coat texture. The standard also includes strong penalties for trimming anything but the pads of the feet.
Best owners
PyrSheps can live 17 to 20 years. They need a dedicated owner who will give them lots of activity, McKeown noted.
“These dogs really, really need a job. The breed is brilliant. Almost frightening sometimes the things they figure out. They’re not always the best breed for a novice dog owner. More intense even than other herding breeds because they’re closer to the roots,” McKeown said.
332 — Secret to Success with Owner-Handler Matt Palmer
The secret to Success with Owner-Handler Matt Palmer
The 2019 Secret to Success award goes to owner-handler Matt Palmer winning Best of Breed at Westminster Kennel Club with his first show dog. Host Laura Reeves gets up close and personal with everyone’s newest hero.
A Missouri State Public Defender, Palmer discovered Golden Retrievers at the Kennel Club of Philadelphia dog show he visited on a whim. He took AKC’s advice on how to find a reputable breeder, winding up with “great mentors, breeders who took a chance on selling a nice puppy to someone they didn’t know.”
“It’s remarkable the number of people who have “scaffolded me” in this sport,” Palmer said. “People have been amazing. Everyone I’ve come across has helped me in one way or another.”
Palmer said his secret to success came when he was working his dog at a handling class. An instructor noticed the dog tensing up when he was hand-stacked. After working through the problem, Palmer said he realized he “was worried about my jacket riding up and basically mooning everyone.” He bought a pair of suspenders on Amazon and his confidence skyrocketed. The team’s success took off from that point.
“I now own 10 pairs of suspenders and have a couple pair of extras in my tack box,” Palmer said.
“I wanted the purple and gold”
Palmer said his high school sports experiences left him “competitive to a fault,” and gave him the drive to achieve more. While he competed in the National Owner Handled Series his first year or so, glad to have extra time in the ring to practice, “I wanted purple and gold, not the maroon ribbon,” he opined.
Missouri to Manhattan
Deciding to attend Westminster Kennel Club was sort of a lark for Palmer. “I thought it would be cool to go see it. I had absolutely no expectation of significant success,” he said.
As his case load was starting to build up at work, Palmer had planned not to go. After visiting with professional handler friends at the dog show, he finally decided to go ahead and make the trip with them.
Professionals, not adversaries
“I think there is a divide between owner-handler and professional handler when there doesn’t need to be one,” Palmer noted. “I tell people I’m happy to help, hold dogs, etc if they could give me a few minutes of feedback.
“Any chance to learn from professionals is invaluable. I try to absorb things that are second nature, reflexive to them.
“My (professional handler) friend came early to meet me at the Piers so he could be ringside for the breed. He could have been in bed, but instead he grabs a bucket and a towel and stands ringside and cheers me on.”
Poop strike
The most terrifying moment of the Garden experience, Palmer said, is his dog wouldn’t potty. “He grew up in Kansas and Missouri, he’d never seen all that concrete. He wouldn’t poop! I was mortified he was going to touch that green carpet and decide it was a perfect place to poop,” Palmer said wryly.
“Dog shows have been a great social outlet,” Palmer said. “We’ll keep going. It’s so cool, everywhere you go, you see somebody you met somewhere else…
“Sometimes we win, most the time we don’t. But when we do, it’s pretty fun.”
For more inspiring stories of owner-handlers check out some of these past episodes:
57 – Best in Show: How an Owner-Handler Competes with the Pros – Tricia Stanczyk
318 – Owner Handler Secrets: Make a Plan and Be Consistent | Pure Dog Talk
25 – Patricia Trotter: Legendary Breeder, Author, and AKC Judge – Vin-Melca’s Norwegian Elkhounds
238 — The friendships and journeys of a successful owner-handler | Pure Dog Talk
331 – John Buddie part 2: Respect, Reverence and Romance
John Buddie part 2: Respect, Reverence and Romance
Master Breeder, John Buddie, Tartanside Collies, talks about the three “Rs”: Respect of the individuals who went before, reverence of finding and holding these people in high regard, and the romance of the history and studying the lore of the breed.
“If it’s all statistics and numbers and cut and dried, I think you burn out,” Buddie said.
In the second half of our interview, Buddie talks about maintaining virtues, the importance of selection and having heroes.
“You can lose the existing quality in a line by not maintaining emphasis on virtues, especially when you are trying to achieve improvement in an outcross,” Buddie said. “Don’t put so much emphasis on that new added characteristic that you lose sight of what you’ve worked so hard on to date”
Outcrosses
“You don’t always get the results you were aiming for until the generation after what you’ve done. The key is what you do with the outcrossed generation that makes or breaks you.”
Selection, selection, selection
- Take time to really observe and evaluate puppies at various ages.
- Don’t get rid of a puppy too early or too late.
- Good, but not good enough. Is it the best of the best or the best of what you have?
- Make a list of virtues of sire/dam… Identify what you most want to keep a puppy for from the litter.
- Watch puppies in a pen. Too many folks want to just pick up and look at profile.
- I take my time when evaluating puppies. People rush to judgement.
- Photos give you a static picture and can be inaccurate based on how legs are placed.
- More important to see in a natural position.
Back in the day, the optimum time to finish a dog was three years old, Buddie noted.
“I’m afraid too many people are just getting the points, not really appreciating the dog show itself, the evaluation process, who you showed to and what a difference it made.
“Be stimulated by being inspired. Just make sure you’re inspired by the right person who really believes in the sanctity of the breed and the sport,” Buddie said.
Listen to Part 1 of our conversation here.
330 – Breeding Rules from John Buddie, Tartanside Collies
Breeding Rules from John Buddie, Tartanside Collies
John Buddie has spent a lifetime with Collies. His Tartanside family of dogs is world-famous and widely respected. His Breeding Rules are a distillation of more than 50 years of experience and success. This is part one of a two-part series.
Buddie’s original breed mentor gave him much of the knowledge he continues to share today.
“This was mentorship in the days of letter writing, plus weekends spent doing kennel chores, brushing dogs, really hands on work,” Buddie said. “When I asked a question, she would ask me a question to make me think.”
Spoon-feeding someone an answer doesn’t have the same impact as helping someone come to their own conclusion, Buddie observed.
Buddie’s “rules” are guidelines that are applicable across breeds and generations.
*Leave the sport/breed no worse than you found it
Show respect for the lines and breeders who came before by preserving that quality.
*The number of champions finished/ribbons earned is not the measure of a breeder
“There have been many important contributing breeders who changed the face of a breed who bred on a small scale,” Buddie said. “For every record achieved there will always be someone who can break that record.”
*Learn to read a pedigree
Research, look to breeders of the past, learn what they accomplished and how.
*Look to the grandparents
Most top producing dogs are just carrying the pedigree forward. Top sires, often the strength comes from dam side.
“I’ve had great success using the Maternal grandsire effect, in other words breed a quality bitch to her maternal grandsire,” Buddie said.
*You can never outrun a problem
“It’s a lot easier to rid yourself of problems with testing now. But you have to admit the problem and deal with it. It can mean scrapping a couple generations of breedings to clear it out. But you have to protect your breeding program as a whole.”
*Learn to see quality in other people’s dogs
“We make evaluations of dogs when we’re competitors… when you’re judging you realize you weren’t as open-minded as you thought you were.”
*Attend national to see dogs that you wouldn’t see any other time
Join us next week for the continuation of this fabulous conversation.
329 – Dogs Saving Cats: Livestock Guardians and Cheetahs
Dogs Saving Cats: Livestock Guardians and Cheetahs
Dr. Laurie Marker with one of the Livestock Guarding Dogs bred and raised by the Cheetah Conservation Fund to give farmers in Namibia safety for their flocks.
My very special guest today is Dr. Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. We discuss her work with Cheetahs and “dogs saving cats”… dogs as “emotional support” animals for Cheetahs raised in captivity, as livestock guardians for flocks in Namibia so the farmers don’t kill the Cheetahs who might otherwise prey on their stock, even dogs tracking down “scat” for research.
I first met Marker some 40 years ago when she was working in my hometown at the Wildlife Safari. What an incredible opportunity this conversation was!
LGD Program began in 1994
“We decided to celebrate the program anniversary by naming 2019 the Year of the Livestock Guarding Dog. The program holds a special place in my heart. It has been incredibly successful at mitigating human/wildlife conflict not only in Namibia but across the cheetah’s current range,” Marker said.
“Anatolian shepherds were chosen for many reasons,” Marker notes on the organization’s website. “The breed has a 6,000-year pedigree and history of guarding sheep in Turkey. Their short coats protect them from thorns and bushes being caught in their coats, and make it easier for them to adapt to fluctuating temperatures – both hot and cold. Their independent nature and ability to think for themselves means they don’t need to have people with them to successfully guard their livestock. They were the best choice for the conditions faced on Namibian farmlands. They have the will and drive to travel vast distances with their herd due to their natural loyalty and endurance.
In February, 1994, four Anatolian shepherds, the breed of dogs used in the research that took place in Oregon, were established with herds of sheep and goats here in Namibia. The dogs were donated by the Birinci Kennels in the USA.”
Endangered species and endangered breeds
The LGD program has since placed close to 700 dogs with farmers in and around Namibia. Marker said she has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of big cats killed to protect livestock and a stabilization of the numbers in this critically endangered species. Fewer than 7500 Cheetahs are believed to exist in the wild.
Listen to the podcast for more of this outstanding discussion.
Amazingly, genetic diversity concerns of the same kind we face with purebred dogs are also an issue for these unique big cats. Learn more about Marker’s Cheetah Studbook!
328 – Poopy Happens: Puppy Diarrhea Causes and Treatments
Poopy Happens: Puppy Diarrhea Causes and Treatments
Puppy diarrhea can be serious and dangerous due to dehydration risks, says Dr. Marty Greer, DVM. While “poopy happens” is a pretty common issue in a litter of puppies, some causes are more serious than others.
Causes of “bad potty” can range from the benign to the deadly and knowing which is which and how to treat them can be a matter of life and death.
“I can’t believe I ate the WHOLE thing….”
Overeating is pretty common, particularly when puppies transition to solid food during weaning.
“While nursing, the diarrhea is white in color, and the puppy is very hefty,” Greer said. She strongly recommends dog specific probiotics during weaning, particularly Proviable or Fortiflora.
“What do you have in your mouth?!”
Eating inappropriate stuff like rocks, sticks, leaves is another common problem in puppies that can cause stomach upset and loose stools. Since puppies are curious and often investigate their new and expanding world with their mouths, it can also be dangerous! Watch what they pick up and police their areas for hazards.
All kinds of bad bugs
Viral infections such as parvovirus and distemper are life threatening emergencies. Certain breeds don’t titer well to parvo vaccines and these diseases can even be transmitted by raccoons in “latrines.”
Parasites, Greer noted, affect as much as 95 percent of puppies. Worm puppies at 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks if the bitch is not on dewormer *during* pregnancy. Greer recommends a specific protocol of treating the pregnant bitch with fenbendazole daily from the 5th week of pregnancy to the 2nd week of lactation.
“You can worm bitch forever, but parasites will encyst in her muscles,” Greer said. “The stress of pregnancy and lactation reactivates these into her bloodstream. The parasites are then passed through placenta AND milk to the puppies. Puppies that are still nursing, are still receiving the larval form of the parasite through milk.”
Giardia and coccidia are common in puppies. Giardia responds to Panacur. Coccidia responds to Albon.
Cleanliness is next godliness
Bleach is my favorite disinfectant. Visit this site to learn about proper dilution in different scenarios: https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/bleach-dilution-calculator
Treatment
Kaopectate, the human-grade over-the-counter item, has changed the formula and metabolizes as aspirin in the dog, Greer said. She strongly recommends a low-cost and effect solution, the original kaolin-pectin.
And don’t forget to send your puppies home with insurance!!
327 – MORE on Preserving Our Breeds. What can WE do?
MORE on Preserving Our Breeds. What can WE do?
Today we have more lively conversation. Pure Dog Talk’s host Laura Reeves moderates part 2 of a Saturday Symposium panel discussion at the Rogue Valley Kennel Club show on the topic of “Preserving Our Breeds. What can WE do?”
Panelists are Ed Thomason, professional handler and noted breeder of American Staffordshire Terriers; Michelle Santana, AKC Breeder of the Year of Doberman Pinschers; and, Fran Stephens, Saint Bernard breeder-judge and AKC delegate for Puyallup Valley Dog Fanciers.
The panelists discuss a recent presentation to the delegate body by Bill Shelton and Doug Johnson among other areas of interest in which purebred dog fanciers can promote their breeds and purebred dogs in general.
Reach out to the community
“Quit blaming other people,” Reeves said. “WE need to step up and not just on Facebook, all social media is important. All breeders are on the same side. We don’t have to like how other people breed. We can help them do better. Help them improve.”
Thomason agreed. “Some of the greatest breeders in this country that ever bred dogs kept and housed over 100 dogs. Why wouldn’t we help these commercial breeders breed better dogs.
“We don’t breed enough dogs. It’s as simple as that,” Thomason said.
Go out in public with your dogs
Stephens related her all breed club’s struggle to get club members to come share their dogs at the Washington state fair on Labor Day weekend.
“We have a barn and booth space from PVDF,” Stephens said. “We see *hundreds of thousands* of people, families with children. come to see the dogs… It’s like pulling teeth to get club members to come. Go, take your dogs to public events. Put your dogs out in public so people can see you. Then breed more dogs.”
Audience member Ray Brinlee, who started showing dogs in 1959, noted that the ’73 oil embargo is what brought on dog show clusters in order to save gas. “It was a terrible mistake,” Brinlee said. “Dog shows need to serve the community.”
Just Be NICE!
An audience member, Rebecca, recounted her own efforts to educate clients who hire her for behavioral training of their dogs.
“When I recommend they come to a show and talk to people, the breeders start with why they shouldn’t own this breed,” Rebecca said. “It took *15* years to talk someone into selling me a show dog. It frustrates me that my clients go to people with no health testing on their dogs because those people are nice to them. It’s sad that we have to tell people to make friends in other breeds and get a thick skin. Hardest thing to be a new person, and you don’t know who you can go to…”
“The main thing we need to keep in mind,” Stephens said, “is we have to keep breeding our dogs. Our breeds. If we don’t, they’ll go away. It’s as simple as that. Deciding to spay/neuter everything not in your control is detrimental to the breed. The dog may have a fault you don’t want, but may have good qualities from your line that can complement someone else’s lines. We have shot ourselves in the foot by spay/neuter more than 50% of our litters.”
Borzoi breeder Kristina Terra ended the discussion with a positive idea. When members of the public as if one of her dogs is a rescue, she replies “No! In fact she hasn’t had a bad second in her life. And neither has her mother or grandmother…”
326 – Preserving Our Breeds. What can WE do? Discussion pt. 1
Preserving Our Breeds. What can WE do?
Pure Dog Talk’s host Laura Reeves moderates a Saturday Symposium panel discussion at the Rogue Valley Kennel Club show on the topic of “Preserving Our Breeds. What can WE do?” This is part one of the discussion. Part two will post next week.
Panelists are Ed Thomason, professional handler and noted breeder of American Staffordshire Terriers; Michelle Santana, AKC Breeder of the Year of Doberman Pinschers; and, Fran Stephens, Saint Bernard breeder-judge and AKC delegate for Puyallup Valley Dog Fanciers.
The panelists discuss a recent presentation (watch the entire presentation here) to the delegate body by Bill Shelton and Doug Johnson among other areas of interest in which purebred dog fanciers can promote their breeds and purebred dogs in general.
“Tell our story”
“We have fallen into hiding the fact that we’re breeders,” Thomason said.
“Don’t be afraid to say I breed purebred dogs because I’m want to know what I’m going to get,” Stephens said.
“We have allowed doodle breeders to become a fad,” Thomason said. “You go underground because you have more dogs than you’re supposed to. But on social media, you can promote your breed, your breeding program without telling where you live.
The pet puppy market is a billion dollar industry. Not saying leave here and be puppy mills. Market being manipulated by doodle breeders and rescues. We don’t share our stories. We have to or this ain’t going to be here.”
Education is critical
Santana discussed her goal of educating John Q Public.
“I picked a random pet Doberman social page,” Santana said. “Thousands of people who own a companion Doberman. They need education. Any time I come across an educational article I share to that page. Spay/neuter as an example. Just pick one site that doesn’t get a broad spectrum of education and share to that page. We need to spread this information to people not in our circle. We’re myopic. We can talk to ourselves all we want. But we need to reach out to these people outside our circle.”
Stephens noted that there is a vast market for dogs in this country that is largely being filled by doodle breeders and rescue imports.
“There are plenty of people wanting dogs,” Stephens said. “It’s how we reach them. How we talk to them.”
Join us next week for Part 2 of the discussion!!
325 – Dog Judging, Rumors and Reality Checks
Dog Judging, Rumors and Reality Checks
AKC judge Lee Whittier, founder of Dog Show Mentor and a former AKC Field Rep, and host Laura Reeves talk turkey about judging, judges, the process and the results.
Some of the key take-aways from the conversation:
- Judges are not all created equal. Some ARE better than others.
- Judges WANT and TRY to do a good job.
- Judges spend a LOT of time, money and grief to earn the honor of presiding from the center of the ring. Check out the YouTube video of the PureDogTalk Friday Night Forum panel discussion. Current AKC Executive Field Representative Bryan Martin, and AKC judges Brian Meyer and Sylvie McGee share a TON of information about the process of becoming an AKC approved judge.
- What a judge sees in the center of the ring is often WAY different than what you see outside the ring. When you see a dog week in and week out, the accumulated knowledge may, in some cases, create a different picture than what the judge has during his/her 2 minutes in the ring.
- Judges are NOT hatched from an egg! I say this all the time at the panel discussions. I think exhibitors forget this part. All judges started at basically the same place you are today. They showed dogs, they bred dogs, they schlepped the gear and scooped the poop, they drove the miles and slept in the sketchy hotel rooms. Every single judge in the ring has been there, done that and most likely a whole lot more.
- Lee and I agree that we risk accusations of being a bit Pollyanna and acknowledge that bad apples exist, but that we, the exhibitors, should not allow them to spoil the whole basket.
- Exhibitors will get the most enjoyment from their dog show experiences if they choose a positive social group, do a little research about their judges and try not to get wrapped up in the rumor-mongering when it happens.