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Dog Shows for Junior Handlers

Showing your dog is a great way to bond! You and your dog will spend lots of time together — grooming, practicing, and finally competing. Dog shows aren’t restricted to adults, either. The American Kennel Club offers lots of opportunities for kids to get involved! Children between the ages of ten and eighteen are allowed to compete with their peers at certain AKC events as “junior handlers”. Junior handlers are not only judged on their dogs’ conformation to breed standards — they are also judged on how they present their dogs. To get started as a junior handler, your best … Continue reading →

The Problem with Show Dog Science

I’ve long known certain dogs were specifically bred with others to get desired traits, but I hadn’t realized how far back it had all started. Which is pretty remarkable considering science hasn’t always been as advanced as it is now. A few months back I caught part of an episode called “Science of a Dog” on the National Geographic Channel which addressed the topic in depth. It was about how certain breeds have come to be, why, and where they go from here. Because for some breeds their health-future isn’t too bright. That was a really sad part of the … Continue reading →

Dog Breeds: Sealyham Terrier

Best in Show at the seventh annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship was Charmin, a Sealyham terrier from Cochranville, Pennsylvania. The representative of the terrier group won the largest dog show prize in the world — fifty thousand dollars. The breed comes from Haverfordwest, Wales. Sealyham estate was the home of one Captain John Edwards — a breeder who set out to create a dog who could hunt badgers, otter, and fox. He was hoping to combine endurance, speed, and strength, so the new breed of dog could chase down and battle prey underground. Historians believe that Edwards created the Sealyham terrier … Continue reading →

Going to the Dog Show: Etiquette

Have you ever been to a dog show? Would you like to? Here are some tips for how you should behave in order to be asked to sit and stay. Don’t just pet the dogs — ask first! This is a good idea anywhere, really. But remember that the owners and handlers have spent a lot of time getting their dogs ready for performance. Don’t just walk up and mess up their hair. Ask first. Don’t let your children run up to strange dogs, either — again, this is good advice outside the dog show, too. Always ask before your … Continue reading →

About the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship

If you had your eye on Animal Planet over the weekend, you probably saw the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship broadcast. I only managed to catch the “tail” end of the show, but I did get to see the lovely German shepherd win the working dog group and the Best in Show awarded to a Sealyham terrier with lots of personality. Here are some things you might not know about the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship: The AKC (American Kennel Club) is the oldest and only not-for-profit purebred dog registry in the United States. The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship is by invitation only. The top … Continue reading →

Dog Breed: Mastiff

The Mastiff — also known as the Old English Mastiff — is an old breed. In England alone, the breed has been around for more than two thousand years as a watchdog. But the history of the Mastiff goes back farther than that! The breed is thought to come from Asia. Mastiffs are depicted on Egyptian monuments from around 3000 BC — which means that these dogs have a history that may be more than five thousand years long! In literature, the breed first appears in 1121 BC. When Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC, he wrote of courageous dogs … Continue reading →