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Lola Her name was- Lola, she was a- show girl..     Barked: Thu Feb 16, '12 4:40pm PST  Zeph. The possibility of lying presents itself in ANY breed where a physical trait is determined by offspring and not genetic testing!! Don't just limit it to smush faces. White boxers and other color disqualifications come readily to mind but there are MANY others!!! And yes, Frenchies have been part of my life since even before poodles and Toto. They were/are my "indoor" dogs vs. my outdoor camping/ kayaking/ hiking dogs. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Zephyr 1213425     Barked: Thu Feb 16, '12 5:04pm PST  I remember looking at Luke's profile (and making the Aww noises) so I figured Lola had to be a relative. And I didn't mean to limit it to just the Frenchies, they're just one of the few breeds that I would consider getting where the potential depth of their issues is outside what I'm familiar with. It would be easy to lie to me and have me nod along. I'd have to take a vet with me to check for palate scars and signs of other surgeries. I have some familiarity with Boxers/a few other bully breeds and their issues but it's not extensive enough for me to be comfortable picking out one on my own or noting the BS when I see it. When it involves breathing, I get concerned. Personal phobia. I feel better when I know the people and the lines involved hence ACDs. Pretty hard to not admit your dog is going to be a nutbag. Edited by author Thu Feb 16, '12 5:05pm PST [notify]

Lola Her name was- Lola, she was a- show girl..     Barked: Thu Feb 16, '12 5:12pm PST  It is a major problem... Who do you trust?? There is no good answer. Palate resection doesn't usually leave a scar due to the fast healing of mouth tissue. Lola is Luke's daughter, born a few weeks after his death. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Rusty Champion PPH     Barked: Thu Feb 16, '12 5:20pm PST  Late to the party, I see. I am annoyed that I missed the first night. I wanted to see the Belgians! *snivel* I was surprised that Ace beat out Beckham! Both Cockers are lovely, but she must have put on quite the show, as he was the odds on favorite for that group. My heart was set on the Dobie. I've seen so many poorly bred, skittish examples of the breed lately, and that Fifi was just awesome! I won't deny that I was not thrilled with the winner. The best part of watching these shows is in discovering a wealth of new dog breeds you never knew about, or reminders of some you had an interest in once. Toto, if I had known Lola could breathe, I might have snatched her up! There are a lot of Russian bred/sold Frenchies around here that are horrifying looking. Edited by author Thu Feb 16, '12 5:21pm PST my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Zephyr 1213425     Barked: Thu Feb 16, '12 5:42pm PST  Rusty, you can see nearly all the breeds off Westminster's website. I think there was some fault in the BSD video according to Belg-L but I haven't checked today to see if it was fixed. The Mal was a Broadcreek dog (big surprise) but there were some other smaller breeders in there too. There was a Terv in this area being shown by a Jr. Handler who I think was going but I didn't think to check. Pretty pretty dog regardless. I took more of an interest this year since my soon-to-be-mine Mal's grandmother was BOB at Westminster a while back and I think many of the dogs there are his cousins. I think he's more handsome but pretty is as pretty does I guess. For me I guess I acquire trust by seeing dogs I like, training with their breeders and getting first hand accounts of their honesty from puppy buyers/other breeders/other trainers but it all seems to be 'leap before you look'. I dread looking for a GSD in a few years. [notify]

Marlowe, RN,- CGC Seize life by- the big stick!     Barked: Fri Feb 17, '12 12:24pm PST  Rusty, you could watch Westminster for days on their website...trust me, I have! There's always just *one* more breed judging I'd like to see. It's great for avoiding studying and homework! Oh, goodness. I'm not trying to be mean to show people. I'm getting ready to go bathe Marlowe for a show tomorrow, and I just finished looking up the entries for a big show we entered in a couple weeks (first time Marlowe will have class competition, and it's a major! ) I'm part of an all-breed kennel club, and my national breed club, and I'm a huge believer that the ultimate solution to dog overpopulation in this country is making sure every puppy born is planned for, wanted, and matched to a home based on reliable breed characteristics. So, I love purebred dogs, and the good people that breed and show them. The key to my statement was the "show bubble". You know what I'm talking about. People who just go along with the current trend in the show ring rather than really looking at the breed standard, the breed's original function, and the health/temperament of their breeding stock. I'm seeing it big-time with Labs right now; I keep asking Lab breeders why they're putting overweight dogs in the ring, and the answer is, "that's what the judges are putting up." To me, that's not an answer. That's losing sight of what dog breeding is supposed to be about. That's a complete detachment from any type of objective reality. That's the "show bubble". I think it's a direct consequence of having shows as a competition rather than an evaluation of breeding stock, but that's a whole 'nother topic. I'm not saying the PDE was a great program (it wasn't), and I'm not saying that Peke breeders should lengthen their muzzles (I don't care), but if you're going to breed an extreme-looking dog, you know you're going to attract attention. You better make dang sure that when people come poking around, they're not going to find you doing unethical things like breeding dogs with health problems, breeding dogs to HAVE health problems (double merle), or covering up serious issues with surgery. Because THAT is the kind of crap that can be used as ammunition to convince the general public that we're all a bunch of screwballs that can't be trusted with dogs. And we're already under enough scrutiny as it is. Ok, off my soapbox. I'm off tomorrow to cheer on people who breed and show (and hunt, and herd, and rally, etc...) their wonderful, happy, healthy dogs. And to get really ticked at the people that would sacrifice a breed's health and history to feed their own egos. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Toto, CD,- RN, CGC We don't do- doodles!!!     Barked: Fri Feb 17, '12 1:06pm PST  "I'm not saying the PDE was a great program (it wasn't), and I'm not saying that Peke breeders should lengthen their muzzles (I don't care), but if you're going to breed an extreme-looking dog, you know you're going to attract attention. You better make dang sure that when people come poking around, they're not going to find you doing unethical things like breeding dogs with health problems, breeding dogs to HAVE health problems (double merle), or covering up serious issues with surgery. Because THAT is the kind of crap that can be used as ammunition to convince the general public that we're all a bunch of screwballs that can't be trusted with dogs. And we're already under enough scrutiny as it is. " Marlowe, I quoted the whole paragraph because I believe that is a profound paragraph. People (lab owners???) need to realize that normal weight labs CAN still win and it would be MUCH easier if there were more of them in the ring for the judge to see. I personally would not fatten mine up like that, I lost alot, but I also did some winning where it really counted. Sadly, the weight issue is now happening in Frenchies as well. Gee what an amazing society we have...used to be the public thought all show dogs were too skinny, now with our acceptance of obesity in both humans and dogs, the public now thinks it normal. I had to quit showing Toto in part due to his weight, he will NOT eat and the judges looked at me like I was starving him or something. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Dr. Watson Not a wiener- dawg!     Barked: Sat Feb 18, '12 3:53pm PST  I too picked Malachy to win, based on last year's performance, although he wasn't my favorite in the ring. If you scroll down to the third picture here, there's a nice photograph of some (working line, ha!) 1899 Pekes with less flat faces -- Qualzucht wins big at Westminster It's so sad to hear of all these disorders and problems in any breed. Such a contrast to Hickory the Deerhound last year. I loved the Kerry Blue and the Dobe (so elegant), but my sentimental favorite, Emily, hasn't been much mentioned here. From the AKC standard: "Temperament: The Irish Setter has a rollicking personality." That she had in spades! my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

Sarah,- CW-SR,- CW-G1, CGC Million Dollar- Mutt     Barked: Sat Feb 18, '12 4:12pm PST  Watson- I loved the Irish Setter! I loved her bouncy, happy, gait. She definitely had the "rollicking personality"! I was rooting for her. She was such a gorgeous, happy looking dog. my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals [notify]

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