2 June
- What I Learned at the Dog Show
I spent this weekend at the Myrtle Beach kennel Club’s all-breed dog show in Florence, South Carolina. The club invited me down to talk about the threats its members are facing from the Humane Society of the United States and the rest of the animal rights movement. Since I had never been to a dog show, I said yes. (I grew up thinking that “fancy” was an adjective. Silly me.)
I’m not a big fan of people who pooh-pooh things they’ve never tried or seen up-close. If one of my children says she “doesn’t like” something on the dinner table before taking even a tiny bite—well, let’s just say that doesn’t wash in my house.
And I’ve always thought the whole “dog show” community was rather mysterious, a kind of benevolent secret society with its own rules, customs, and vocabulary. Sorta like Deadheads, but with a lot better grooming and a lot less fleas.
Truth be told, the dog breeders I met this weekend do have their own peculiar ways of saying and doing things. But they’re really just ordinary people with a shared hobby. They’re really into what they do. And they taught me a lot in just a Saturday. Here’s some of what I learned.
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When you go to a dog show, bring your own chair. But don’t be surprised if someone offers to lend you theirs. (I’m typing this in someone else’s customized, embroidered lawn chair.)

Dog shows are competitive, but the people involved are remarkably supportive of their human opponents. I heard a steady stream of “congratulations!” offered to blue-ribbon holders from handlers who were trotting away empty-handed.

If you’re a first-timer who asks “what kind of dog is that?” too loudly, somebody might look at you funny.

These people treat their dogs like royalty. It was 90 degrees in the shade on Saturday, and the dogs had shade, electric fans, and cold water—even if their owners didn’t.

Judging from this weekend, the typical show-dog handler isn’t a stuffy Brit wearing Saville Row tweed. She—yes, she—is an energetic 40-year-old married mom whose husband packs up the kids and brings them along on the trip.

Sometimes the kids strut the dogs around the ring. The under-18 handlers even have their own judging category in which their skills are being judged, not the qualities of their dogs.

The name of the game is “conformation” (not “confirmation,” as I used to think). Dog show breeders are trying to breed animals that “conform” to a set ideal of how a breed can look, “gait,” and behave if they do everything right. (I read an article in Wired this week about how Cheetos in the factory are checked every 30 minutes against a “reference sample” from Frito-Lay headquarters, just to make sure the ideal color, texture, and crispiness is being matched. It’s kinda like that, but it takes years for these folks to make a single Cheeto. And Cheetos don’t pee on you.)

Watch where you step in the parking lot.
If this particular dog show is any indication of what’s typical, the “dog fancy” is a lot of fun for a lot of people who contribute a lot of money to the economy—and aren’t hurting anyone. “If we’re not having fun here,” one judge told me, very much off-the-cuff, “we shouldn’t be doing this.”
For the life of me, I can’t figure out why the Humane Society of the United States has such a visceral hatred of everything they stand for.
I think what’s going on is that HSUS, PETA, and other animal rights groups are conflating breeders whose main goal is to sell puppies with those who just happen to really love Pomeranians, Pinschers, or Poodles. This latter clique of people (far larger than the former) shows their favorite animals because they’re proud of them, not because they believe it will make their next litter worth more money.
It’s not hard to understand HSUS’s stated motivation for attacking people who breed dogs. The group wants everyone to believe that rampant pet overpopulation in America is all their fault. But personally, I just don’t see it.
I didn’t meet “puppy millers” this weekend. I met hobbyists, just like if I were at a model railroad convention, an antique fair, or a swim meet. They ask after each others’ kids. They visit each other in the hospital. They have knitting circles where the dogs watch approvingly. They’re 50 percent garden club, 50 percent church pot-luck. Zero percent animal abusers.
I asked one breeder how much money she had spent raising her champion dog, a mammoth Anatolian shepherd. “Who knows?” she answered. “I never really added it up. If you’re pinching pennies you probably aren’t treating the dog right.” In addition to the two purebred dogs she was showing, she had “two rescue mutts at home, and they have the same food, supplements, and everything else my show dogs get.”
And when I asked one of the veteran breeders how many of her peers raise dogs so they can sell the litters commercially, she looked at me like I was from Mars. “We all sell dogs, son,” she told me. “But none of us make a cent doing it. And I know where all my dogs live. If anyone can’t provide for them, we take ‘em back.” And then, almost as an afterthought: “I sure don’t want any of mine going to the pound or a rescue.”
Everyone I asked about this had the same kind of answer. If they found out that any of their puppies wound up in a shelter, they’d sure do something about it.
So why all the hostility from the Humane Society of the United States? Why did I hear from North and South Carolinians who had beaten back attempt after attempt from HSUS to have them taxed, registered, regulated, raided, and otherwise priced out of their hobby? What is it about these men, women, and children, so passionate about running up and down a concrete floor with their pets, that demands intervention from activists who think they know better?
Maybe it’s that HSUS thinks the only way to shut down “puppy mills” is to paint every dog breeder with the same broad brush. Maybe. I haven’t yet really wrapped my mind around why HSUS is opposed to everything I saw this weekend. I just know that it is.
As with pretty much every group of ranchers, dairymen, biomedical research scientists, and chicken farmers I’ve met, the breeders I spoke with this weekend had varying levels of awareness about the looming political threat from HSUS. Some of them can’t be bothered to be bothered. Others are fired up at the mere mention of Wayne Pacelle’s name.
“Somebody has to take that guy on,” one 50-ish man barked when I brought up the name of HSUS's CEO. “That whole movement is nuts. After I showed up to lobby against HSUS’s last North Carolina breeder tax, I started getting calls in the middle of the night, untraceable phone calls, from these people saying they were going to come on my property, take my dogs, and burn my house down. I told ‘em my new rifle has an awesome night scope. That pretty much ended it.”
I spoke to the crowd after the Best In Show was awarded, in this case to a fluffy pekingese named “Noelle.” I told them that their problem is the same as the one faced by pork producers, egg farmers, dairymen, and even cancer researchers. But it was up to them to reach beyond their circle of friends—outside their comfort zone—if their kids and grandkids were going to keep being Junior Handlers and continue to raise the dog breeds they’ve come to love.
At the end of the day, I have to be skeptical of HSUS's blanket condemnation of pet breeders. I'm confident that there are some horrible ones out there, as there are with any group of people (including animal activists...), but any legislative or cultural movement that lumps the people I met this weekend in with the bad actors is just plain wrong-headed.
Because the dogs I met in South Carolina were among the best-cared-for animals I've ever seen. Anyone who's truly interested in animal welfare would want to make sure more dogs—not fewer—are treated this way. So how 'bout it, Wayne? Why aren't you promoting dog shows?
Probably because you've never been to one.
- Julie Hagen

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28 May
- Warning to all people traveling through the states of Georgia, N. Carolina and S. Carolina. The above states will confiscate your dogs if traveling through them and they stop you and you can't show proof of vaccination for rabies. Also, the state of Georgia can euthinize immediately.
Always have a shot record with you!

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5 May
- Some vets believe that "...dogs are more aggressive than they were 20-30 years ago..." and "dogs are dying at young ages, 2, 3, 4, 5 year old dogs are dying of old age dog diseases such as cancer, heart attacks, and autoimmune diseases. . . ." and the vets attribute this to poor diet, over vaccination, side effects from topicals such as flea/tick repellant, and side effects from chemicals in heartworm prevention medicine. These are all controllable things that we are doing to our dogs.

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4 May
- All-natural diet ideas:
1. A wide variety of foods: beef, bison, chicken, turkey, fish, beef heart.
2. Veggies: no less than two to three different colors in each meal like, green beans, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, kale, mushrooms, romaine lettuce, etc.
3. Fruit: add a large apple to each meal. Bananas, pears, peaches, blueberries, cranberries, kiwi, melons, apricots,etc...
4. Herbs, rosemary, sage, mint, fennel, cinnamon, parsley, etc.
5. Dairy: eggs, yogurt, kefir, cheese, cottage cheese.
Basic rule: 85% meat, 10% veggies and 5% herbs, friuts and dairy.

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1 May
- WHAT IS AN OBEDIENCE TITLE REALLY???
Not just a brag…not just a stepping stone to a higher title…not just an adjunct to competitive scores…a title is a tribute to the dog who bears it. A way to honor the dog, an ultimate memorial. It will remain on record and in memory for about as long as anything in this world can remain. Few humans will do as well or better.
And though the dog doesn’t know or care that his/her achievements have been noted, a title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count.
A title says your dog was intelligent and adaptable and good-natured. It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that pleased you…however crazy they may have seemed.
And a title says that you loved your dog…that you loved to spend time with him/her because he/she was a good dog…that you believed in him/her enough to give him/her yet another chance when he/she failed and that, in the end, your faith was justified.
A title proves your dog inspired you to that special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable creatures, THIS DOG with a title was greatly loved and loved greatly in return.
And when that dear, short life is over, the title remains as a memorial of the finest kind, the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of praise in one small set of initials after the name.
An obedience title is nothing less than love and respect, given and received and permanently recorded.
Printed with Permission
SandyMowery - 1998

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2 April
- When you are searching for a sport dog. The dog needs many drives to be successful in the sport. The dog should be balanced in conformation and health so he is physically able to reach the heights and demands for the sport. The scaling wall is vertical. A dog with too straight a front, front assembly to far forward, will have difficulty climbing this wall, with the added weight of a Schutzhund dumbell. Same for any extremes. Longevity for the sport is compromised. Tracking requires another drive, that should be maintained throughout the pedigree. Hunt drive is often neglected in breeding decisions. It's difficult to train a drive that is not genetically sought after. Bite work requires a strong , confident dog. These dogs must still engage with the helper as the stick hits continue. There is a lot of pressure from the helper. Even in watching AKC obedience. You can see some of the dogs with a weaker nerve , unsettled by the judge moving into his space. Physical soundness affects mental soundness as well . You are fortunate if you have the mental and physical soundness, with the balances of drives, health, and conformation needed for the sport. That also will determine the dogs working longevity. Being true to the Boxer heritage as a working breed, these balances should be sought for in breeding decisions.

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1 April
- The day you pick your puppy has arrived. Please come prepared. With a leash and a collar and paper towels and a doggy blanket.
Also, you need to be able to examine your pup right there:
- Clear eyes, clean ears. Some wax is normal. But look for the redness and odor.
- Bite
- Touch your puppy all over, look for hard spots or sensitive areas.
- Testicles if buying a show/breeding potential.

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31 March
- Finding the right breeder:
1. Check the breeder's expertise in breeding and raising puppies.
2. Don't be afraid to contact a show breeder. Not every puppy is born a champion.
3. Field trials, obedience, shows - the more the better!
4. Health is important!
5. Plan, visit, talk.
6. The breeder has to be experienced enough to be able to select the right puppy for you depending on your criteria.
7. An ethical breeder will not trash another breeder but will ethically try to educate you which breeders are not considered reputable AND why.
8. Intuition.
9. Quality of dogs used in breeding.
10. Quality of past dogs, puppies and breedings.

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30 March
- If your dog has kennel cough. First of all, it's a combination of various viruses and Bordetella bacteria - all of them cause similar symptoms but they are actually different in nature. Bacteria is easily treated with antibiotics. While viruses cannot be treated the same way. Only the immune system can fight off a virus. A virus can also cause a secondary infection which needs to be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics, in their turn, kill the immune system. As you see, it's like a cirlce. So, the best thing is to provide a lot of immune support. Herbal remedies should not be overlooked. They take longer but they are very effective in the long run.

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29 March
- One breeding pair of dogs and their offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in six years. Every year nearly 30 MILLION cats and dogs are born in the US. Only 10% will find safe and loving homes. Every year 6-10 MILLION are killed. Most are adoptable but can't find homes. Euthanasia is the single largest cause of death for cats and dogs in the US. Nearly 65% of animals in shelters are killed. The single biggest cause of animal overpopulation is people who do not sterilize their pets. Nationwide the costs of trying to manage animal overpopulation may be 2 BILLION dollars. SPAY AND NEUTER! Not everyone is born a breeder and not every dog should be bred!

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28 March
- Tethering is disgusting and degrading to human nature. Persistent chaining of dogs causes mental, emotional and physical problems. If you see a chained dog, here is what you can do: find out if there are anti-tethering laws in you area, report, or ask your local humane society for help. Donate to organizations that work on such legislations.

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27 March
- While browsing through the shelves at Petsmart, I stumbled upon a catch tag saying "New" pointing at the new looking Authority dog food. It was a few dollars cheaper than what my dogs are eating right now - ProPlan. Usually cheap doesn't mean the best. But something made me turn over the bag and look at the protein % and the ingredients. Turns out it's the same - 26%. Just what I consider the right amount. And then the first two ingredients out of 3 (first 3 comprise the greatest part of the food) were chicken and chicken meal. What could be better?! I keep looking and I find myself thinking that I like what I am seeing. And so 5 bags land in the cart. Even such well established brands as Science Diet, IAMS, ProPlan cannot boast 2 first ingredients being of high grate meat or poultry!
So, we started yesterday. There is no transition in my pack. It's normally: "Okay, guys, we are switching to Nutro today!" Today I discovered more solid waste than after months of feeding Proplan. Will keep you all posted!

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26 March
- A lot of buyers ask me what the best time to start training their dog is. The best time is NOW. You start small. Potty training. Talking. Basic gesture commands. Basic commands: sit, down and come. Your dog has to listen to you and respect you. You are the pack leader. Before you start serious training, you need to accomplish two things: the dog has to be controllable (without fear), and your need to get to the point when your dog becomes either food motivated or toy motivated (fixated will be a better word here). Add praise, and you are off to a great start!

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25 March
- I love dogs that are not afraid of water. Swimming provides a lot of exercise and fun time. Here is what you need to know:

1 Use a dog life jacket
2 Be in the water with your pup
3 Start small
4 Keep it short
5 Make it fun!

Instructions:

1) put a well fitting harness on the dog,
2) attach a long floating rope or leash to the harness,
3) play fetch with the floating toy on the shore at first,
4) When the dog is happily playing fetch then start throwing the toy closer to the water,
5) Then throw it into the water at least five or six feet,
6) Gradually increase the distance of the throw,
7) If your dog is still reluctant to go after the toy get out the other dog who does love to swim,
8) Continue to play with the fetch toy near the water and in the water until the dog is venturing into the water and swimming out to retrieve the toy,
9) practice this until the dog is swimming easily without lots of splashing and thrashing.

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21 March
- The critical time frame for socialization is from around 8 to 16 weeks of age. How to socialize your puppy:
1) Invite a range of people and friendly, healthy pets to visit your home and visit their homes with your puppy.
2) Enroll your puppy in a puppy training class or kindergarten.
3) Introduce your puppy to noises that she'll encounter throughout life. Be very careful with fireworks.
4) Take your puppy to the vet's office. 5) Expose your puppy to unusual things.
6) Go places!

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20 March
- The general principles recommended by OFA for breeding away from
HD (hip dysplasia) are:
1) Breed only normal dogs (meaning, not dysplastic) to normal dogs.
2) The normal dogs should come from normal parents and grandparents.
3) The normal dogs should have over seventy-five percent normal siblings.
4) A dog with excellent hips from a litter having more than twenty-five percent dysplastic pups is a worse breeding choice than a dog with fair hips from a litter experiencing less than twenty-five percent dysplasia.
5) Choose replacement dams that have better hips than their parents and the breed average.

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19 March
- We DO NOT give other breeder referrals. Do your homework and search online for a breeder or a dog you like. There are hundreds of breeders in the US - do we cannot keep up with what they are breeding and selling.

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18 March
- You can't have a BMW for the price of a Toyota. A $2000 pup will not and should not cost less. " hi im tiye i would like to buy ur puppy but im affaid that i dont have enough money the MOST i could spend is $450-500 plzz i realy want him." It's like going to a Lexus dealer and saying: "Can you give me a Lexus but I can't afford it but I will drive it well". Doesn't work this way, does it?
If you google a litter cost calculator, you will see what is included in breeding. A LOT. IF done properly.

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16 March
- The stench of garbage, urine and feces is unbearable. Ammonia hangs heavy in the air, and flies are everywhere. Dim lighting and the constant barking of dogs in distress create a sense of chaos. Row upon row of stacked cages hold dogs matted with feces?some too sick to move. This is the world in which a puppy mill dog lives. MORE - http://www.aspca.org/news/national/06-26-09.html#1

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15 March
- HSometimes I hear people ask for a discount or a price reduction due to the slow economy. Well, the economy doesn't give us discounts, right? We spend just as much and sometimes even more on airfare, travel, stud fees, show fees, training fees, vet bills. The demand is high, the supply is low. We don't have enough litters and pups for everybody interested. So, as you see, the economy is not that slow after all.

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2 March
- Hip displasya is usually an inheritable disease BUT there are two other factors which can cause it as well. Overfeeding and underexercising.

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1 March
- To breed or not to breed. If you can come up with 5 good reasons why you should breed your dog (reasons like making money, "my dog is so..." and seeing the miracle of life do not count), then maybe you should...

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28 February
- When to fix the dog? I'd say that males have to wait until they are a year old to reach full size. With females it'll be best if she is spayed before her first heat. Spaying/neutering is beneficial health-wise, no doubt. But if you have a dog, let's say a male, who's got behavioral issues, like being male aggressive, fixing him won't solve the problem.

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27 February
- AKC registration of a foreign-born dog is not hard, folks! It takes time to get the foreign papers. 2 months at least, depends on how fast the kennel club works and whether the litter registration was done on time. Once you have European papers, the AKC part is easy.

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21 February
- Male or Female? I hear this question all the time. I think I am a male person but I still enjoy the company of female dogs. Males are more independent, quite often more stubborn. If in tact, they'll take their time marking all visible bushes before they are done. And can run away. Some males can be male dog-aggressive. Males are bigger and stronger. And look more intimidating. Females seem to be better with kids and other dogs. Male-female combination usually works best for those who want more than 1 dog. In tact females have heats 2 times a year. This can get slightly messy. They can also have false pregnancies. Alpha females need to be the only females in the house. Training-wise it does't matter what gender you decided to go with - it will all depend on the temperament of each particular dog.

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