Welcome To My View

The Art of Active Listening

There is an art to knowing how to really listen.  To be an active listener, you must really apply your mind and body into the listening.  An active listener wants to listen and makes it clear to the talker that they are interested in the conversation.  To be a great dog person, you must be a great listener.

There are so many opportunities to listen.  Now, folks don't be afraid to sit within earshot of me at the shows for fear I will be eavesdropping on your conversation.  I'm not talking about that kind of listening.  I am talking about when you are with a group of dog people, you should be interested in everything being said.  There is a great education in conversation.

Let's assume you have done all the really important things to prepare you to be a good dog person.  You have learned your breed standard back and forth and can recite it.  You have taken handling classes and know how to move your dog around the ring and you have learned how to best use your 5 minutes in the ring.  You have studied your breed structure and movement and feel like you understand gaiting and angles and what makes a dog move.  Now you are ready to listen to others to hear about their experiences in and out of the ring.  You will learn grooming technique and feeding advice.  You will learn tips on how to manage your bitch in heat or in false pregnancy.

Active listening will give you information that is hard to come by in books. You should ask questions when you hear terms or phrases you don't understand.  You will hear stories that people have had and you can perhaps help save yourself from having the same experience or at least know what to do.  If you have done all the work prior to starting your Active Listening, you should have enough basic information to determine if what you are hearing sounds reasonable or is it simple Poppycock!  

Remember, even though the vast majority of people will go out of their way to help you and would never deliberately give you bad information, there are people that think they are authorities on dog fancy but unfortunately they have never taken the time to learn the hard stuff and they just spout nonsense.  Active Listening will quickly give you enough information to know if you should invest anymore time on that person's conversation.

Don't be afraid to approach the professionals, breeders, other owner/handlers to ask advice.  Showing them that you are a good listener and you can put their advice into practice (if it is suitable for your situation), will build a respect for you and you will have earned a supporter.  

Here are hints on Active Listening:      

1. Pay Attention

Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also "speaks" loudly.

• Look at the speaker directly.
• Put aside distracting thoughts.
• Don't mentally prepare a rebuttal!
• Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations.
• "Listen" to the speaker's body language.

2. Show That You're Listening

Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention.

• Nod occasionally.
• Smile and use other facial expressions.
• Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting.
• Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh.

3. Provide Feedback

Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions.

• Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. "What I'm hearing is," and "Sounds like you are saying," are great ways to reflect back.
• Ask questions to clarify certain points. "What do you mean when you say." "Is this what you mean?"
• Summarize the speaker's comments periodically.

4. Defer Judgment

Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message.

• Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions.
• Don't interrupt with counter arguments.

5. Respond Appropriately

Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down.

• Be candid, open, and honest in your response.
• Assert your opinions respectfully.
• Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated.

French Bulldogs Canada 
                       Part 1 of 2

              By Carol Gravestock

It’s a typical Tuesday evening, and I’m doing one of the chores I have come to dread most as a French Bulldog breeder, and head of a French Bulldog breed club and rescue – checking my voice mails.

“We’re looking for a Frenchie – a blue one or maybe one of the black ones. We thought it would be fun to breed it. What kinds of prices do you have on yours? Call me back”.

“I want to get a French Bulldog puppy, and I’ve been talking to a breeder I found through Kijiji. They said they can meet me at the Wal-Mart parking lot to drop the puppy off, and I was wondering if you knew anything about these people”.

“We have a French Bulldog, and she keeps biting our kid. Can someone from your shelter call us back and let us know where we can drop her off? I want her gone before the weekend”.

For French Bulldog aficionados, the last ten years have been a crash course in what happens when an obscure breed becomes insanely popular. It’s a course almost none of us have enjoyed very much.    

When I decided I was ready for a dog, I knew exactly what I wanted – as a third generation breeder, I knew I wanted the sturdiness and strength of my Grandmother’s beloved mastiffs, without the size, and I knew I did not want the coat or grooming requirements of my Mother’s English Cockers. A photograph in a dog breed book of three leashed and huffing French Bulldogs caught my attention, and after a little bit of research, I knew that this was the breed for me. Where to find one, however, was a daunting challenge.

In the eighties, if you wanted a show potential French Bulldog, it required deep pockets and a lot of stubborn determination. Litters were few and far between (literally far – you had to be prepared to either get on a plane yourself, or have your puppy shipped cargo), and the breeders who had them tended to spend as much time swapping puppies back and forth between each other as they did selling puppies to newcomers. I had my first puppy shipped in from Texas, and my next two came from Missouri (shut up) and Arizona. All three of them had horrific genetic defects, serious enough to require euthanasia in one instance, and placement as pets in the other two.

My third show prospect I researched with the diligence of a madwoman, calling breeders from around the world, none of whom knew quite what to make of this obsessed Canadian. Eventually, I flew across the ocean to the UK, where I then boarded a train into the middle of Northern England, and then took a taxi to a row house in the middle of a working class suburb.

“I’m here for my puppy!”, I burbled to the bored looking woman who answered the door. “Oh, right. Hang on, then”, she replied, before shutting the door in my face. Five minutes later she returned, handing me an undersized brindle mite who looked almost as puzzled as I surely did. She seemed to feel this exchange of goods (my envelope of cash, her puppy) concluded our business, and she prepared to shut the door in my face almost instantly.

“I… I think I need to come in and get some paperwork and whatnot”, I protested meekly. The woman sighed, and reluctantly let me into her over crowded sitting room, with a lovely view of a back garden full of what I believed to be rabbit hutches (but which I later learned were their dog runs). The puppy and I exchanged a look that clearly said, “Get me the hell out of this joint”, so once I’d been handed my packet full of paperwork (the important bits of which, I later learned, were all missing) she and I bolted for the door.

The kindest thing anyone in dogs has ever done for me was the reaction of Dr. Richard Meen when I proudly showed him my new import puppy (who I today realize was pretty much a train wreck, no matter how much I loved her). After being introduced to my gay tailed, fiddle fronted, tiny headed darling, and asked for his opinion, Dr. Meen said words to the effect of, “I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun with her”.

Today, anyone seeking a puppy will have a much easier time than I did. French Bulldog popularity has boomed in the last ten years, and we’ve gone from an obscure breed that almost no one had ever heard of, to one of the fastest climbing “AKC Top Ten Most Popular” dog breeds of the last fifty years.

Martha Stewart might have started the celebrity rush to French Bulldog ownership, but Ashley Olsen, Reese Witherspoon, Leonardo DiCaprio and a host of hipsters and young urban professionals have all helped to increase the desirability of French Bulldogs. Demand combined with high puppy prices has created a virtual goldmine for both backyard breeders and big business puppy mills.

Today, almost any online sales site will be happy to provide you with a ‘show quality’ French Bulldog in any color of the rainbow (even the colors we’re not allowed to show). In Canada, CKC registrations of French Bulldogs have increased tenfold – from less than a dozen puppies registered per year in all of Canada, to dozens of litters every week. This doesn’t even take into account the booming trade in import brokered puppies – puppies brought over in bulk from Eastern Europe, and resold at a hefty mark up.

As you can imagine, this dramatic increase in availability has also led to an astronomical strain on French Bulldog rescue. Where once we’d place perhaps two or three dogs per year, rescue in Canada now routinely deals with two or three dogs per week. Many of these dogs show serious temperament issues – not just towards other dogs, but towards people, something inconceivable in a well bred French Bulldog. Placing these dogs is a challenge that we are all struggling to meet, and harder decisions are coming for all of us in French Bulldog rescue to make.

Part 2 Next Week

Carol Gravestock, Bullmarket French Bulldogs,  lives in the Village of Durham, near the Bruce Peninsula.

Carol Gravestock purchased her first pet quality French Bulldog in 1989 – a little cream bitch she affectionately refers to as the ‘gateway drug of dogs’. 

Since then, Bullmarket French Bulldogs have finished championships in almost twenty countries around the world, with numerous American, Canadian and International Champions. Carol has also bred one of only two Brindle Pied French Bulldogs to win Best of Breed at Westminster, and is breeder of the current youngest Best in Show winning French Bulldog in Canadian breed history. While proud of her show wins, Carol is equally proud that one of her French Bulldogs was invited to the Eukanuba Agility Invitational at the age of fourteen.

The co founder of Canada’s first ever French Bulldog breed club, Carol is now President of the Eastern Canada French Bulldog Club, while also serving on the board of two North American French Bulldog rescue groups. Carol is also the proud creator of the internet’s first French Bulldog specific web pages and mailing list.

She has written extensively about French Bulldog collectibles, breed history and historical owners of French Bulldogs, and on the intricacies of French Bulldog coat color genetics.

Websites: www.bullmarketfrenchbulldogs.com

www.frenchbulldogscanada.com

My Home Club is having its annual show.  I hope to see many of you there!

     

I like to see people do nice things for others.  If someone does something nice for you at a show or you see or hear about something nice being done, please send me an email at djenkins@shaw.ca.   Be sure to put in the subject: Nice

We will mention that person by name in the blog.

I interviewed Maude Bicknell this week.  I want to spotlight her here, but I want it to be a real celebration of her service to Dog Fancy.  If you have any photos of Maude or any stories you would like to share, please send them to my email:  djenkins@shaw.ca and be sure to put Maude in the subject line.    Maude has dedicated herself to the betterment of our shows.  I am so honored and thrilled to Spotlight such a wonderful lady.  My deadline is next Monday, June 3rd.  

Thanks for helping me make this a real tribute to Maude.

Remember to watch for "Nice Deeds".  They are happening all around us.  Let's talk about the people helping others.   Send your "Nice Deeds" to me at djenkins@shaw.ca 
Be sure to go to Canuck Dogs, http://www.canuckdogs.com, to see all the upcoming events and to check stats.  You should  bookmark it.  That's where you will find my blog. 

                                                                     XXXOOO

Welcome To My View

Purina Farms 

I just got home from Purina Farms in St. Louis, Missouri.  What a fantastic facility for a dog show.  Starting at the road, the farm is set back off the main highway and off a narrow country road.  Once you arrive at the front gate, you travel down beautiful winding driveway with green lawns on each side.  At the top of the driveway is the main event building.  There are topiaries of various dog breeds greeting you on each side of the front walkways.  Everything is neat and well groomed.  

Inside the Event Building there is a huge grooming area with plenty of electrical outlets.  No need to buddy up on outlets or scourge around to find one.  There is so much room, you don't have to worry about rubbing behinds with your neighbor when you are at the grooming table.  The entire building is well lighted.  You would be hard pressed to find a shadow or dark corner.  There are six huge bath tubs in the public wash area. Change rooms are provided if you don't want to stay in your show clothes.  

The show floor is rubberized which eliminates the need for matting in the rings. The rings were huge, from 40 feet x 40 feet to 40 feet x 60 feet.  Purina provides ample seating ringside, so there isn't a need to haul your personal chair back and forth.  The Agility and Obedience rings were covered with Astroturf of the highest quality.  Purina thought of everything to make the dogs comfortable and safe.

Hungry?  Go to the Checkerboard Cafe.  Food was good and there was plenty of variety.  For advice on Purina Pet Food, go to the ProPlan Help Center.  Samples of food were available along with canvas bags and calendars.  Purina has changed its packaging graphics and they were taking the time to make sure attendees understand how to find the food they want.

The camping facility was great.  They provide full hookups and the RV's are located just mere steps away from the Event Center.  If you plan to take your RV to Purina Farms, be sure to take a couple of large outdoor mats.  The RV's are parked on pea gravel and it makes for a hard place for your dogs to use an ex-pen and to step out on when leaving the RV.  We had two mats, one under the ex-pen and one under our awning and it was perfect.

If you are not camping at the Farm, the closest hotel is the Travel Lodge less than 10 minutes away.  It isn't plush, but its clean and convenient and the people staying there said the staff was very friendly and helpful.  This hotel was considerably cheaper than the suggested Host Hotel.  The next nearest hotel is about 15 minutes away at the next exit off the interstate highway.

There are plenty of restaurants and shopping nearby along with other fun activities.  Six Flags is just one exit away and a must see is the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog in nearby St. Louis.  Don't forget to stop and take a close up visit at the Gateway Arch.  It is the tallest national monument in the United States standing 630 feet.

Purina Farms was so wonderful, I wish we would have our National Show there every year.  If you have the opportunity to go, don't miss it!

Here are websites that you can tour for more information:  

http://www.purinafarms.com/clubs-and-exhibitors/purina-event-center

http://www.gatewayarch.com

http://www.museumofthedog.org/

Dachshund Club of America Show

We attended the DCA show at Purina Farms last week.  I love this show.  It is like going to a huge family reunion.  I get to see people that I only get to see once a year at this show.  This year I got to see friends from Poland and to meet a breeder I've wanted to meet for a long time from Brazil.  

Debby Krieg, Daybreak Wires with Aga
and Dillon at DCA

We call our little group of friends, "Wired and Wonderful" because we all have wirehaired dachshunds.  Our group travels from Wisconsin, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Oregon, New York, Poland and Canada.  

Wired and Wonderful Group

We can't wait to see each others' dogs, hear about new litters and future breeding plans.  We discuss grooming and what products we like.  Even though we all want to win in the ring, we are just as excited for our friends when they win.  This year, Lyle and I had our new Polish Red Dog, Chase, ExSentia Catch Me If You Can, to introduce and we were very excited for everyone to meet Dillon Conod, our wonderful junior and his dog Cooper.  

Lyle and I hosted a cookout for our friends from all across North America. We had a fabulous time catching up.  It was

Pizza Party at DCA

wonderful to have Marcello Tulipano and Bob Boxma; Guy Jeavons and Vicki Thomas at the cookout.  We had a nice Canadian turnout at DCA this year.  Congratulations to all for such nice dachshunds and good job in the ring.

We didn't do too bad in the rings.  Cara went Select Bitch at the St. Louis Host on Tuesday.  Dillon with Cooper, ExSentia Deuce Coupe, went 1st, two 2nds and a 3rd in large and competitive 12 - 18 month classes.  Chase went 1st, 2nd and a 3rd in the 12 - 18 month classes.  

Dillon stacking Cooper

We appreciate Aga Malecka for showing Chase at DCA.  Aga and her mother Ina are his breeders from Poland.

Aga Malecka with Chase

 Dillon has a fan following all over the world.  He holds his own in the big ring with all the experienced pro handlers and long-time owner/breeders.  We couldn't be more proud of him and Cooper.  Thanks so much to Shirley and Jim Conod for allowing Dillon to travel with us and to pursue his love of dogs and the show ring.

Another Nationals is done and over.  We are back home with memories and photos as reminders of all the fun.  Now we plan our trip to California for DCA next year.  Hotel reservations are already made.  Now to find a jar to start saving our money for trip!

I like to see people do nice things for others.  If someone does something nice for you at a show or you see or hear about something nice being done, please send me an email at djenkins@shaw.ca.   Be sure to put in the subject: Nice

We will mention that person by name in the blog.

This week we Spotlight  Laurie Savoie.    

Laurie along with her husband run Myrtlehill Pembroke Corgi Show Kennel.  She also owns Savoie Faire Photography and she is a regular writer for Canadian Dog Fancier Magazine.

Laurie called me about the last blog I wrote and the article about Tricks in the Ring.  She wanted to discuss the advice I had given about going to the end of the line if you experienced problems with another handler.  I have the utmost respect for Laurie's experience and knowledge, and I really appreciated her taking the time and interest to contact me.  

Laurie had concern that my advice would not be universally accepted by all judges in all areas of Canada.  Since I was drawing on my own experience in Ontario, I agreed that my advice was probably not good enough in this instance.

So, thanks to Laurie, I would like to correct that advice and tell everyone that first and foremost you should safeguard your dog by keeping your body between your dog and the dog behind you.  Always speak to the Ring Steward for permission to move to the end of the of the line.  Remember, the judge is the sheriff of the ring, so you must follow the judge's instructions at all times.

Thank you so much, Laurie.  I am honoured that you read my blog and I am very thankful for your guidance and advice.   I am humbled!  

For more helpful information from Laurie, check for her articles in Canadian Dog Fancier Magazine.  You can look at past issues on their website, http://www.canadiandogfancier.com

Remember to watch for "Nice Deeds".  They are happening all around us.  Let's talk about the people helping others.   Send your "Nice Deeds" to me at djenkins@shaw.ca 

Be sure to go to Canuck Dogs, http://www.canuckdogs.com, to see all the upcoming events and to check stats.  You should  bookmark it.  That's where you will find my blog. 

                                                                     XXXOOO

Welcome To My View

Handling Bag of Tricks

When you get your first show dog and you sign up for your handling classes, you never think that you will need to learn a "Whole Bag of Tricks" to be competitive.  Most Owner/Handlers are shocked to know what all can go on outside and inside the ring to put then at a disadvantage.  Being a career woman and having owned a business, nothing surprises me or so I thought.

I am a firm believer that having a dog that meets all its breed standards and a great temperament and drive to compete should be all that is needed for success in the conformation ring.  Unfortunately, so much of the time that simply isn't enough.  If you are lucky, your handling instructor will give you hints on what to expect in the ring and how to prevent those tricks from hindering your success.

For those of you that haven't had the benefit of learning the tricks here are some common ones to watch for.

Inside the Ring

• Shadowing you.  That is when another handler will pull up inside of you making it difficult for the judge to see you while you are lined up inside the ring.  Many times, this happens when you are in line waiting to have your dog's review by the judge.  Remedy:  Ask the person to get in line behind you and stop doing that or simply go to the end of the line.  If the judge asks you why you moved, tell them you were being crowded and didn't want your dog hurt in the process.
• Overactive toy squeaking or throwing.  Some handlers will do this if they ever see that it bothers your dog.  Remedy:  Ask the person to stop or simply move to the end of the line.  If the judge asks you why you moved, simply state that another handler was being overenthusiastic with a toy and getting your dog over excited and you didn't want either dog hurt in the process.
• Running their dog up your dog's back.  Some handlers will do this to unnerve your dog.  Can you imagine how a mini dachshund feels when a Irish Wolfhound runs up within a tail hair's length away from it.  Remedy:  Use an authoritative voice to let that handler know that behavior is not appreciated and to give you at least two dog lengths between you.  If you have a small breed, feel free to go to the back of the line.  If the judge asks you why you moved, simply state that your dog is not going to move fast enough for the larger dog to move out so you want to be fair to everyone.
• Throwing bait on the floor and not picking it up.  Remedy:  Pick it up yourself and use that time for a training session for your dog to not bait dive.  Sounds crazy, but I am in the hound group and some hounds can smell bait that was dropped at the far end of the parking lot.  They must be taught to keep their heads up so they don't bait dive.
• Other handlers or audience members talking to you while in the ring.  If you are distracted, you are not paying attention to whether the judge is looking down the line before or after he is doing the individual inspections.  Remedy:  Always be on guard for distractions.  It's your time in the ring and your dog should be your priority.  Keep your dog relaxed and be sure to stack your dog if you think the judge is looking down the line.

Outside the Ring

• Placing their ringside table directly in front of the Ring Steward's table.  Many savvy handlers will set up right in front of the Ring Steward's table, so they are seen by the judge prior to entering the ring.  They also will talk loudly about their dog's wins so they can be overheard by the judge.  Remedy:  Get to the spot first and invite others to sit there while they watch the competition.  If nothing else, you will be on to them and their motives.
• Talking to the judge before their class starts.  Personally, I find having a general chatting up the judge prior to the judging starts deplorable.  It makes both the judge and the handler look bad.  To save your reputation, never do this, even if you had dinner with the judge the night before.  You don't want to put the judge's opinions in question, so be respectful enough to not do this.  Remedy:  There isn't one.  The sad thing is, people will make judgments and that isn't good.
• Judges showing to Judges.  I actually don't have a problem with judges showing to other judges.  We get our great judges from the Breeder/Owner/Handler population.  So judges showing to judges isn't a bad thing.  Unfortunately, there are some situations that become obvious that some judge exhibitors expect that the judge they are showing under will give them a placement because they control certain shows and make judges assignments. Also there are some judges that think it is a professional courtesy to give and receive placements when they are showing.  Again, even though I have seen this happen while I was showing, I must say very clearly that this is by far the exception to the rule rather than the majority.  Remedy:  I have a couple of friends that believed that this was happening over and over in their breed.  They did some investigating and found that this judge had quite a list of fellow judges as their Facebook friends.  These enterprising people then looked up this judges show records and checked to see how many times there were placements made  by these judges.  It was really astonishing.  But what to do with that information?  They can stop showing to all the judges they suspect were giving gratuitous wins but then they may have no one left to show to.  They can spread the word to other exhibitors.  They can refuse to show in the ring with the offending judge.  But, unfortunately, I'm afraid that this is a situation with no real remedy.  JUST REMEMBER, most judges are great at judging and don't give a whip who is showing to them.
• Noise making to unnerve other dogs.  There are handlers that will set up their ringside tables and as they are brushing their dog, they will deliberately rack the brush across the table making an obnoxious noise that can upset nearby dogs.  Remedy:  Learn who does these kind of these and don't stand anywhere near them.
• Talking smack about your dog or you.  Too bad this happens but it does.  Some people will stoop very low to win.  They have so little confidence in their dog or their ability to show their dog that they resort to bad behavior.  Sometimes they will accuse you of doing something wrong, like crowding them in the ring or saying something about you in just a loud enough voice so you can overhear and get you off your game. Remedy:  Laugh it off.  Be the bigger person and not respond or react.  Keep your head in your game.  You only get your two to five minutes in the ring with the judge.  Make better use of your time and be a winner.  No payoff and that person will most likely not bother you again.

Even though there are dirty tricks, you must remember, there are more kind and generous people than not.  If you ask for help, you will usually get all the help you need.  If you ask for advice, you will get helpful and honest advice.  The best way to combat The Bad Bag of Tricks is to be a great handler, learn how to handle with confidence, know your breed, know what gets your dog up and ready to perform.  Take the time to find a professional handler you respect and sit and watch what they do inside and outside the ring.  You can learn a lot of Positive Tricks for Your Bag!

Car Accident Story                              

This story is real not fiction.

On April 8^th, 2013, around 1:45PM:  Josee Boulanger and her 4month old Pomeranian boy (2lbs) were leaving her house to go to a physiotherapy appointment and after that she was to join family for her “Birthday Dinner, then to finish the day with the Handling class practice.  It was a spring sunny day; Josee was going quietly along the road, in no rush, no stress, no cell phone, no text and no alcohol.

After four or five minutes driving, Josee’s car slid on the sand and little rocks used during the winter for the snow on the road. She lost control of the car. She goes up on the sidewalk, getting upside down and rolling in the grass and mud and finally came to a stop when she hit a hydro pole.

The owner of the property and another man helped Josee out of the car using the passage side. Josee was not fully aware of what happened.  She was only aware of the men rushing to get her out of the car.  The little Pomeranian boy was on the rear seat in a “OLD STRONG VARI-KENNEL”. Once Josee was safe, she asked the two men to please save him, too.

Just when the police, fireman and ambulance arrived at the scene,  the car caught fire and it was fueled by a full tank of gas.  Josee was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where they quickly treated her  injuries.  They released her a few hours later after X-rays and stitches.

Josee had asked the older man to take care of her little dog and don’t let her baby go to the shelter. Josee tried to give the man the phone number of a friend, but mistakenly gave him a wrong number.   The kind man took the Pom puppy to his house and waited for news from Josee. He didn't touch or open the “broken crate”.

Unfortunately, nobody had called Josee’s family, and they were all at the restaurant waiting for Josee  2 hours with worry and confusion.

When Josee finally got to a phone and she called her friend to get news about her puppy.  That is when she discovered she had made a mistake when she gave the man the phone number.  Josee called the police to find out where her Pomeranian was. They told her that he was taken to a shelter and it was closed.  She would have to wait until the next day to get any word on him. Distraught about her puppy, Josee and her husband went to see the road and exactly where her accident had happened. They found Hydro-Quebec working to restore electricity in the area.  Josee walks down a long driveway and asked the man knows what happened to her puppy. Josee was so relieved when the man told her that the pup is in his house in the broken crate. The puppy is taken directly to the vet.

The vet makes a full exam and X-ray of the tiny puppy and he found no injuries at all to him. God was with Josee and her puppy that day.  The old man and the “OLD STRONG CRATE” saved that puppy’s life.

Josee ended up with stitches in her shoulder, right arm, back, knee, foot, and legs. But like her sweet puppy she was alive.

Two weeks after the accident Josee and her  Pomeranain “Lahoussaie General J Pershing” won BEST BABY IN GROUP!

Josee’s advice to others is NEVER let your dog free in your car and don’t buy cheap crates, but buy quality because it may be what saves your dog’s life.

If you would like to contact Josée Boulanger at La Houssaie red’g Standard Schnauzer and Pomeranian  go to www.lahoussaie.com.

              

I like to see people do nice things for others.  If someone does something nice for you at a show or you see or hear about something nice being done, please send me an email at djenkins@shaw.ca.   Be sure to put in the subject: Nice

We will mention that person by name in the blog.

This week we Spotlight Rob Paterson of Conquerer Golden Retreivers.  

Last week Rob brought to my attention that I failed to put anything in the subject line of my weekly blog email blast.  I really appreciated him catching that.  I like to be sure to fill the subject line in each week, so those that don't want to read the email have the choice of hitting the delete button.  Reading the subject line is usually enough to let folks know the blog is ready.  

                                         Rob is a busy fellow.  He is breeder/owner of Congquerer Golden Retreivers and has an active breeding program and show schedule.  You can find more about Rob by going to his website:  http://www.conquerergoldens.com

                                         Thanks so much again, Rob!!  Your my unofficial official proof reader, now! 

                                                  

Remember to watch for "Nice Deeds".  They are happening all around us.  Let's talk about the people helping others.   Send your "Nice Deeds" to me atdjenkins@shaw.ca 

Be sure to go to Canuck Dogs, http://www.canuckdogs.com, to see all the upcoming events and to check stats.  You should  bookmark it.  That's where you will find my blog. 

                                                                     XXXOOO