273 — Herding Dogs: “Eye,” Competition and Genetic Instinct
Herding Dogs: “Eye,” Competition and Genetic Instinct
Tammy Van Deusen works with Shetland Sheepdogs in herding trials.
Herding dog trainer and Shetland Sheepdog breeder Tammy Van Deusen joins host Laura Reeves to share her knowledge.
“Give ’em the Eye”
We talk about “eye” contact, the way Border Collies and Kelpies control stock, versus “loose eye” breeds such as Shelties and the Belgian breeds, that control the stock with their movement. Van Deusen takes us through all of the testing options, what they are and how to train for them. And most importantly, she talks about the loss of genetic instinct in herding breeds.
Van Deusen’s first advice is to find a good instructor. Check out the facility before you sign up, she said. She works with clients who want to see if their dog has herding instinct. She’ll often give them three to four lessons with her “school sheep” to see if the dog will “turn on” to stock.
If the dog doesn’t have a lot of drive on stock, Van Deusen said, it can still be successful in other performance sports like agility and obedience.
A Sheltie working stock to bring them to the handler.
One of the characteristics Van Deusen is looking for in the dogs is whether they are just chasing versus herding the stock to turn and bring it to you. “Too much prey drive won’t make a good herding dog,” she noted.
Start proving natural instinct
Different breeds work stock differently, Van Deusen said. Certain breeds, like Rottweilers and Corgis, are considered “drovers” – driving the stock forward. Border Collies and Kelpies, with their intense “eye” and low bodies were developed for working huge fields of stock to gather and bring *toward* the handler. The basic farm dog breeds, like Shelties, Tervuren and others, were developed to serve a more multi-purpose function.
“Herding judging should be about the sheep,” Van Deusen said. “They’re looking at the path the sheep are taking, are the sheep calm, more so than the dog. How the stock is moving is what the dog is doing. A good herding run is like watching paint dry. Running stock is running meat off the animals and stressing them out. A dog that works too fast, too intense, loses the rancher money.”
Genetic loss of performance skills and inherited instinct
Shelties work are considered “loose eye, upright” herding breeds who work stock with their movement instead of intense eye contact.Border Collies have been bred for one thing for thousands of years, Van Deusen noted. As such, the breed’s basic instinct remains strong.
“A lot of breeds, people don’t care anymore about the herding piece,” Van Deusen said. “In two generations, you can lose instinct. I don’t think people realize that.”
272 – Pam Bruce: Memories and the Essence of Style in Purebred Dogs
Pam Bruce: Memories and the Essence of Style in Purebred Dogs
Pam Bruce and Michael Canalizo get groovy at Woofstock.
Pam Bruce, fourth generation Canadian dog fancier, joins host Laura Reeves in part one of a wide-ranging very personal interview on history, people, judging, breeding and the essence of “style” in purebred dogs.
The quintessential dog person, Bruce shares stories and humor and insight reminiscing about the legends of the sport – Michelle Billings, Jane Forsyth, Anne Rogers Clark, Michael Canalizo, Ginny Lyne, Dick Meen and many more.
Bruce finished her first dog, a Maltese, at four years old. Her family owned Maltese and later Lhasas. Perhaps best known for her association with Canalizo and the Grandeur Afghans, Bruce breeds Airedales today.
Bruce and Canalizo in competition with Ch. Tryst of Grandeur and Ch. Yours Truly of Grandeur.
Allowed to Brush
In a lifetime of “doing hair,” both brushing and hand stripping, she finds that the two coat types develop balance. “You brush away and pull towards, so the actions balance each other out.”
Steeped in the tradition of learning from the ground up, Bruce talks about the tasks that she was “allowed” to do as a young girl. Generational standing gave her no “out” on the grunt work. Being trusted with tasks like cleaning pens and brushing dogs was an “earned” privilege.
Being the first person at the dog show was a badge of honor, Bruce noted. Describing her work day as an assistant with one particular handler, she would have all toy dogs bathed before 8 am, dry them in order of their ring time and then work through the bath and blowout of the poodles, Afghan and Lhasa.
Pam Bruce showing Ch. Yours Truly of Grandeur to Best in Show.
Bruce describes the origin of her understanding of focus, being meticulous, and taking care of the dogs first.
“One thing I learned,” Bruce said. “I don’t remember a bad word being said about anyone or their dogs. Everybody has a talent and something to bring to the table. You should never ever speak of anyone poorly because together we make up what is this passion for all of us, which is this sport.”
Teamwork to keep breeding dogs
As one of the few remaining active connections to the days of big kennels, Bruce continues to emphasize dog shows as an evaluation of breeding stock.
“Those big working kennels had numbers,” Bruce said, “but that afforded us the ability to learn the quality (of the dogs).”
Pam Bruce with her homebred Airedale.
Lacking those facilities in today’s society, Bruce said teamwork picks up the slack. Sharing in a network of other Airedale breeders, “I can go back to the people working with me and get what I need.”
“Breeding is about the artform, the intrinsic qualities of the breeds,” Bruce said. “The best indicator of what you’re going to get is what you’ve had. Quality begets quality. You need to have foresight. I’m always breeding three generations ahead.”
271 — Jeff Pepper on PBGV and the Importance of Performance
Jeff Pepper on PBGV and Understanding Standards Through Performance
Jeff Pepper judging the hound group at Westminster Kennel Club in 2018.
Jeff Pepper, AKC judge, breeder and Take the Lead Treasurer, joined host Laura Reeves at the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin. Listen in for this absolutely fascinating conversation on the history and type differences of PBGV (petit basset griffon vendéen) and GBGV (grand basset griffon vendéen) and much more.
Pepper started his purebred dog journey with a pet Golden Retriever in 1968. After breeding Goldens for many years, he became involved in PBGV in 1984, importing one of the earliest dogs into the country.
“You have to watch them work”
A strong advocate for the functionality of breeds under judgement, Pepper said, “You can’t understand any breed if you haven’t seen them performing their job.” He even went so far as to attend a duck tolling test
Ch Pepperhill East Point Airily, BOB at the 1984 Golden National and a multiple BIS winner. She was owned by Dan Flavin and Helene Geary.
for the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers to understand the nuances of the breed.
Grooming to meet the standard
Following suit with the functionality, Pepper is also a stickler for a more natural look in the ring, particularly on those sporting and hound breeds whose standards call for minimal grooming. He advocates presentation based on performance requirements.
“When you over-neaten these dogs, you take away basic characteristics of the breeds,” Pepper said.
A PBGV Pepper whelped in the late ’90s.
Needless to say, this doesn’t mean to show him a dirty dog, but “if you wash the dog two hours before you show, it makes a soft coat,” Pepper reminded. Specifically, the PBGV and GBGV coats are 2-3 inches long, “like a goat.”
And while he doesn’t recommend not grooming at all, he advised exhibitors to understand they are not supposed to pull all of the coat off the PBGV or the GBGV. “They are not scissored. Don’t pull too much out, it doesn’t come back quickly. The hole will be there a while. Trim in front of a mirror. The dogs should be neat but not overly neat. A little unevenness. A little rustic,” Pepper said.
History of the rough coated French Hounds
Pepper’s in-depth observations on the character, type and history of the breeds is must-listen content. It isn’t just a size difference, Pepper noted. “Everything is longer on the GBGV – legs, ears, tail, body – but the differences in head planes, skull structure and more are critical.”
An avid amateur photographer, Pepper travels to Africa regularly.
270 – David Fitzpatrick on Pekingese, the Palace Dogs of Peking
David Fitzpatrick on Pekingese, the Palace Dogs of Peking
David Fitzpatrick, 2012 Westminster Kennel Club BIS winner with the Pekingese, Malachy, was obsessed with dogs as a child. Although his parents wouldn’t let him own a dog, he found ways to be involved with them by walking and housesitting dogs in the neighborhood.
David Fitzpatrick receiving the Westminster Kennel Club BIS ribbon from judge Cindy Vogels.
His passion took off around 1970 when he wrote a letter to a local handler to see if she needed help. Before he knew it, he was being picked up after school, earning $5/day helping her with Pekingese and other toy breeds.
“It could have been pretty much any breed,” Fitzpatrick said. “I fell into the lap of the Pekingese and loved them from the start. It was fate really.”
“Speak to anyone who is remotely involved with the Pekingese breed and the mention of David Fitzpatrick’s name will result in a degree of awe and reverence, for this American gentleman is acknowledged as being as fine a handler and presenter of a Pekingese as has ever been seen,” says noted British author Andrew Brace.
What is it about Pekingese?
The dogs of royalty in China, the first Pekingese specialty show was held in the US around 1908, Fitzpatrick said. “The breed attracted the pillars of society. They were the status symbol dog of the day and were the most popular toy breed into the ‘60s.”
“It is a detail oriented breed,” Fitzpatrick noted, “with their pear shaped body, rectangular head, features spread out and not crowded, heavy bone, crooked legs, level back and high tail set.”
Pekingese should have an intelligent expression, one that is almost arrogant and disdainful.
“Their true temperament is snooty,” Fitzpatrick said. “They were developed as palace dogs in China. They were royalty and had their own servants. They are generally waiting for you to do for them. It’s not a breed that really wants to please their humans.”
Pekes as pets
Fitzpatrick said the breed is great to live with. “They blend into the household,” he noted. “They get their loves and then go entertain themselves. They’re not constantly clawing at you like some dogs. They’re more independent.”
Pekingese have a great deal of personality, Fitzpatrick added. While they are at a show they are performing, showing their regal and aristocratic nature. At home, they’re like any other dogs, they chase squirrels and his dogs even dug out a nest of baby bunnies.
Breed specific presentation
“It’s up to us to show our dogs in a proper manner, not succumb to this crazy show biz of dogs chasing bait around the ring… an aristocratic breed really should not be begging for food, should they?”
269 – Authors: Clean Paws Are Very Important For a Scottie, You Know
Clean Paws Are Very Important For a Scottie, You Know
DWAA Award Winners Rod Ott, Pilar Kuhn, Larry Linder and Lisa Peterson at the awards banquet.
Pilar Kuhn and Rod Ott, authors of the award-winning children’s book “Clean Paws are Very Important for a Scottie, You Know” joined host Laura Reeves live at Westminster Kennel Club.
Scottie registrations are down, Kuhn said. The breed has witnessed an astonishing 70 percent decrease in overall number of registrations in the last 15 to 20 years.
Ott believes the “Adopt don’t shop” mentality has impacted registrations. He also notes that breeders have aged out and the overwhelming number of activities available makes it harder to get young people involved.
Kuhn and Ott share with Laura the five-year long story of developing the book idea, acquiring the illustrations, battling cancer, and the life-saving focus the project provided.
The hardback book brings children’s attention to purebred dogs, teaches life lessons and features charming illustrations of Scottish Terriers.
“With every purchase of our book, we will be donating a portion of the profits to help fund research for childhood cancer and to the Scottish Terrier Club of America Health Trust Fund,” Kuhn said. “Why? Our lives were changed several years ago when we sold a Bouvier in 2014 to a young girl Noah Nechemia who was going through recovery from medulloblastoma. She is now 4 years a Survivor. Childhood cancer receives less than 4 percent of all funding toward research and we are not OK with this. We are donating a portion of the profits from the sales of our books to the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas that did so much for Layla Stamp and her family and because of our dedication to preserving the Scottish Terrier, we want to help support research on health problems affecting Scottish Terriers.”
Bravo Scotties Chicory and Dee Dee will be going through the Pet Partners International Therapy Dog program to become certified Therapy Dogs and will later accompany the authors not only to hospitals to visit children, but also to elementary schools around the country. In the schools, Kuhn will read the book to children and help educate them on the Scottish Terrier and give kids a chance to meet a real, live Scottie.
268 – Veterinary Voice: Newborn Puppy Risk Factors
Managing the Neonate – Early Detection and Management of Newborn Risk Factors
By Dr. Marty Greer, DVM, JD
Breeders, experienced and inexperienced, will benefit from monitoring their newborn pups for the following parameters. This information is modified from recent research gleaned from Neocare in France.
Having specific numbers to assess and monitor can be very helpful in early intervention with newborn pups, to avoid and prevent loss of these fragile new pups. Simply peeking into the whelping box does not give adequate information for either the breeder or the veterinarian asked to help with intervention.
Once you have collected this information, you can open a productive dialogue with your veterinary team. You can only manage what you can measure.
With this data, we can assess, intervene and provide specific treatments early enough in the first few days of life. This will significantly reduce neonatal loss, sometimes reported to be as high as 40 percent of newborn pups.
| Parameter | Risk | Managing the Risk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. APGAR score Appearance, pulse, grimace, activity and respiration | A Problem APGAR score of <7 is associated with a 22x risk of death in the 1st 8 hours after birth.
Pups with an APGAR of 4-7 can achieve a 90% survival rate with appropriate intervention. |
Repeat or continue resuscitation efforts of suctioning, oxygen, epinephrine, caffeine, ventilation and veterinary care as indicated.
Pups with an APGAR score of 0 – 3 need intensive resuscitation efforts. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. Weight | Low birth weight pups have an 81% chance of death in the 1st 48 hours. Pups in the lightest 25% of its breed has an increased risk of mortality during the 1st 2 days of life.
Weight loss – >4% weight loss associated with 8x risk of death. See formula. |
Digital Scale – essential – grams preferred.
Toy breeds – 100 – 200 gm Medium breeds 200-400 gm Large breeds 400 – 600 gm Giant breeds – 600 to 800 gm |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. Litter size | Large litters have a 4x increased risk of neonatal death associated with low birth weight. | Nutritional support with bottle or tube feeding. Nuby medi-nurser bottle recommended.
Plasma if colostrum is limited. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. 3 H syndrome | Hypothermia à ileus of gut. à dehydration à hypoglycemia.
Room temperature – 75o F. Surface temperature – 90 to 95oF. Rectal temperature 94 – 96oF 1st 24 hours. Rectal temp 96-98o F 1st week. Hypothermic pups – 4x increased risk of death. Humidity should be 55% +/- 10%. Monitor hydration with MM moisture and urine color.
Plasma (IV, IO, SQ or oral) or colostrum orally along with appropriate antibiotic therapy should be prescribed. |
Rectal thermometer and Weather station to monitor temperature and humidity.
Pups cannot regulate their body temperature until they are 3 weeks old. PuppyWarmer incubator and oxygen concentrator recommended.
Increase surface temperature. Avoid use of heat lamp due to risk of dehydration, overheating and starting a fire. T.E. Scott Whelping nest recommended.
Avoid feeding until pup has appropriate rectal temperature for 1 hour. Pups should be warmed slowly. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5. Hypoglycemia | Glucose of 90 mg/dl or higher at 24 to 48 hours of age– normal.
Glucose < 90 gm/dl = 4x increased risk of death. |
Glucometer & foot pad stick.
Karo syrup or 5% dextrose. Tube or bottle feeding. PetTest glucometer and sticks recommended. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
The following are the 5 P’s of safely tube feeding newborn pups. Do NOT sponge or eyedropper feed due to risk of aspiration. If pups are too weak to adequately suckle on a bottle, tube feeding may be safer. 1. Premeasure tube – enter to rib, 2. Pinch à vocalize before feeding, 3. Pass with chin down, 4. Pass down side, prefer left. 5. Prewarm – puppy and formula
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It is reported that in small animals doxapram is most likely to be beneficial in increasing respiratory efforts in neonates with low-frequency, gasping, an erratic patterns of breathing after receiving oxygen therapy (Traas 2009). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
267 – Dog Friendly Adventure Travel Takes Off
Travel with your dog to see amazing sights
David Blank founded Happy Tails Canine Adventure Tours, designed specifically for people who want to travel and adventure with their dogs.
Blank is a professional tour guide and dog trainer who has been to 49 US states and 45 countries. He has hitchhiked from the US to Guatemala to study Spanish, backpacked and hitchhiked throughout East and South Africa, and spent a year motorcycling 20,000 miles throughout the US, Canada and Mexico with his dog Max. He has an MBA in International Business and has lived and worked in Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, China and France.
“As a guide, the only thing that is really important to me, besides sharing my love for the world, is that my clients have a unique, fulfilling experience that they will remember prominently and fondly for the rest of their lives!”
The Happy Tails tours are designed to learn about traveling with dogs and build great relationships with dogs while seeing new sights on guided tours.
The next tour travels to the desert southwest before the heat of summer. Tour participants will swim at Lake Powell, spend time on the Colorado River in Moab, Utah with a barbecue dinner on the river beach and hiking in the Grand Canyon.
“We want good travelers with dogs,” Blank said. “We want to make sure their dog gets along with other dogs. That the dogs are trained, behave well and are open to new experiences. We want to make sure everyone safe and everyone has a good time.
“The dogs get tired,” Blank said. “There is so much information for them, going to new places, seeing new stuff. The dogs’ safety is a premium for us.”
What about a PureDogTalk Adventure Tour?
Listeners, think about that! Anybody interested in a tour with host Laura Reeves, learning handling tips while seeing the sights, shout out!
Trip Advisor reviews of Happy Tails: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g49022-d14932745-Reviews-Happy_Tails_Canine_Adventure_Tours-Charlotte_North_Carolina.html
266 – Westminster KC Treasure Trove: The VOICE of MSG and Yukon Vet
Westminster KC Treasure Trove: The VOICE of MSG and Yukon Vet
Michael LaFave, Westminster Kennel Club Announcer
“May we have the hound group please” may be the most thrilling line in dogdom. Westminster Kennel Club announcer Michael LaFave has been the announcer voice at Madison Square Garden for 18 years. Host Laura Reeves caught up with LaFave and Yukon Vet Dr. Michelle Oakley in New York City earlier this month.
LaFave was a Basset Hound fancier and president of Eastern Dog Club in Boston when the revered Roger Caras fell ill before the 2001 Westminster dog show. That last minute “fill in” assignment launched nearly two decades associated with his deep, powerful voice describing each dog being judged on the green carpet.
Intense moments and gorgeous dogs mark his tenure speaking to the thousands of fans filling the seats at the famed Manhattan venue. His favorite winner? Uno, the Beagle. His most memorable moment? The presentation to the Search and Rescue dogs who worked 9/11, just months after the tragedy.
Yukon Vet Debuts at Westminster
Nat Geo Wild series star Dr. Michelle Oakley, Yukon Vet.
Unlike LaFave, Oakley was brand new to Westminster Kennel Club. The TV star of the Nat Geo Wild reality series Yukon Vet was star struck herself as she met our famous canines. Fan girl moment? Biggie the pug. Oakley has a pug herself who she zips up in her snowmobile suit to take on two hour rides to her cabin.
She compared the agility competitors to sled dogs in their enthusiasm to work and reported “puppy breath wafting” from the floor of the show while watching the groups.
Her practical tips for living in sub-zero weather with dogs is to make sure they have boots, coats and possibly even an outdoor heat lamp for a place to potty when the weather is extreme.
Take a listen to her stories of weather change extremes in the Yukon, which disrupt and even kill hibernating animals.
Westminster was a “happy hunting ground” for podcast topics this year and we’re happy to share our discoveries with you.
265 – #takebackourstory: How YOU Can Help the Fight
#takebackourstory: how YOU Can Help the Fight for Breeders’ Rights
AKC Vice President of Government Relations Sheila Goffe shares details about the Political Action Committee. This fund, administered by AKC, is another tool helping breeders #takebackourstory.
“We are constantly fighting bad legislation,” Goffe said. “One of the things we can do that is the best short cut is make sure the folks who get elected understand us. The PAC provides campaign contributions to people running for office. Our Board looks at candidates who are already in office, people in position to make a difference. People who have worked with us in the past, we want to be sure they get re-elected.”
The AKC PAC makes contributions through YOU, Goffe said. “This is your dollars, but we work with local clubs to invite local people in specific district to deliver the donation. The enables us to develop relationships in the local community with local legislators.”
The reality of money in politics, Goffe noted, is it’s not a quid pro quo. “But when you hand them a check and they know who’s contributing, it gives you an opportunity to be heard. Then it’s up to us. We are the subject matter experts. Many groups writing breeder laws have no experience breeding dogs. We are the experts.”
#takebackourstory
Regulation vs legislation
AKCGR is currently tracking more than 1500 bills nationwide. One of the hotspots of contention is in Ohio.
“There’s a lot of confusion about what’s going on in Ohio,” Goffe said. “Definitions impacting hobby breeders have not changed. We are working with them directly, with the director of Ohio legislature, to ensure that the correct intent of the laws and regulations are adhered to.”
In a shorthand version of the legislative process, Goffe noted that once a bill passes and becomes law, administrators create regulations that implement the law. The people who are determining how the Ohio law is to be implemented are misinterpreting the regulation.
There are a whole lot of reasons that legislation and definitions matter, Goffe said. Proposed legislation needs to be reviewed because even though it may not impact breeders today, the question remains how easy would it be for it to have impact in the future.
“It may not apply to you until it’s “misinterpreted”… the intent of legislators is one thing, then it goes to how is it implemented. The application of the statute can be a problem,” Goffe said.
It matters. Pay attention. 98% of success is showing up.
https://www.akc.org/clubs-delegates/government-relations/toolbox/
https://www.akc.org/clubs-delegates/government-relations/federations/
264 — Carlos Puig: All About Dachshunds and Getting in a Dog’s Head
Carlos Puig: All About Dachshunds and Getting in a Dog’s Head
Handler Carlos Puig and Longhaired Dachshund, Burns, Hound group winner at the 2019 Westminster Kennel Club.
Anyone who watched the joy with which the Longhaired Dachshund, Burns, showed at Westminster Kennel Club last week, or loves Dachshunds in general, will appreciate this talk with handler Carlos Puig.
A Dachshund fancier, breeder and handler for 45 years, Puig brings out the pure spirit in each of his charges. How and why this “jazz pianist” of dog handlers does this is an amazing story. His encyclopedic knowledge of the Dachshund breed is equally impressive.
“(Dachshunds) are almost like an accordion,” Puig said. “They are very flexible because they had to be able to get in the badger den, maneuver underground and then back out.”
Dual Champion Does it All
In fact Burns, GCHP DC WALMAR-SOLO’S OMG SL JE, is believed to be the first dual champion of any breed to win a group at Westminster Kennel Club. Puig is proud that Burns has been successful in both field trials and earth dog events, proving that great show dogs can still do the work for which they were bred.
While Standard and Miniature Dachshunds have the same breed standard, Puig notes there are distinct differences between the varieties of coats and sizes. Smooths are the guard dogs, Longs are the snugglers and Wires will make you laugh, he said. And while Standards were bred for hunting badger, Minis are more about speed and were bred specifically for hunting rabbits and flushing deer.
“Back in the day (as the breed was developed in the 1800s) the best wires were standard longhairs bred to Dandie Dinmonts,” Puig said. “Which is why you still see lighter color hair on the heads of some Wire Dachshunds.”
Dog Handler as “Jazz Pianist”
Puig began his journey as a shy 11-year-old, house sitting for a neighbor who owned and showed Great Danes and later Dachshunds. He helped socialize puppies and groomed dogs for the owners while they were at shows because his parents were very protective and wouldn’t let him travel out of state.
“I learned to communicate with dogs before I learned to communicate with people,” Puig said. “I am grateful to the dogs…. they literally saved my life. I feed off the dog’s personality. You gotta get in their heads. I hate the robot dogs. There are never two dogs that are exactly alike. If you can’t pick up on that, you’ll get nowhere. I’m fortunate I started with Dachshunds, because I had to convince them they were doing what they wanted to do, not what I was making them do.”