Welcome To My View

Loss of a Beloved Dog

Recently I have had several friends that have lost a dear beloved dog.  As they are talking about their dog to me, remembering their little tricks and habits, it was all I could do to not sob.

I want to be the kind of friend that allows my friends to talk about their sweet dog if it helps their grieving process.  I  know way too soon, I will be needing them to listen to me about the loss of my sweet girl who is 14 years old, now.

I remember how I got my very first Standard Wirehaired Dachshund.  My family had always had smooth dachshunds.  Fritz was so special to me.  I was more of a dog person than my sisters when we were growing up.  My sister, Debbie, loved cats and my other sister had a bird and a white mouse.  There was this couple that walked around my tiny Georgia town.  Everyone knew that they weren't quite right in the head!  One day they just decided to take Fritz out of our yard and walk off with him. Even though my Dad knew where he was, he wouldn't allow me to go after him and until this day, I don't know why he didn't go after him.  As it turned out before any of us could go retrieve him, this couple's shack of a house burned down.  Our town volunteer firemen found Fritz tied the the bed and there was nothing they could do for him.

I must have cried for weeks for him.  I felt like my teen-aged heart was going to explode with grief.  I didn't really think I could talk to anyone about it.  My boyfriend at the time was nice enough to listen to me, but he was a kid and his patience was going to run out about the topic.  So, I just kept most of my feelings to myself.  Little did I know that there was someone in my town that understood exactly how I felt.

Dr. Lavender, our small town vet asked my boyfriend to bring me to his office after school.  When we arrived, the doctor took me to one of the small exam rooms with a Dutch door on it.  The top half of the  door was open and he was holding my hand when he had me peek over on the far right back corner.  There was the most magnificent wirehaired dachshund with her litter of puppies.  The puppies were about 12 weeks old, fat, shiny and wiggly.  They were rolling and playing with each other.  Dr. Lavender changed my life that day.  He told me he was sorry about Fritz and he understood how sad I was.  He went on to explain that Fritz was a one and only and could never be replaced, but that he was fairly certain that he knew Fritz well enough to know that he would not want me to stay sad and he would want me to have another puppy to love.  Dr. Lavender said the sweetest words I ever heard.  "This is  my girl and her puppies.  I want you to have the pick of the litter to love."  

I rushed into the exam room, flopped down on the floor amongst all the playing puppies.  I picked up each one.  I allowed them to crawl on me.  This was going to be a big decision and I wanted it to be the right one.  After about an hour, I had made my decision.  I picked a chubby little girl, that didn't mind being cradled on her back in my arms. She licked my nose.  She would hop around me and run back to my lap.  She was the one. 

She was a gorgeous wheaten colour (light red).  Smart would be an understatement.  More like brilliant.  She was my constant companion.  She was perfect.  She could sit up on her haunches forever and you couldn't even push her over.  She would play for hours retrieving a ball.  She was the damnest dog to take fishing.   If you tried to go without her in the boat, she would swim after you until you gave up and hauled her into the boat.  If you tried to fish with a bobber, she would swim after it and bring it back.  She loved to dive under the water and bring up terrapin turtles from the bottom.  

I had to leave her behind when I went off to school and when I left for a job in another state.  My family would not even consider allowing her to leave home. I loved to go home so I could see her.  She lived to the rip old age of 15.  Talk about an entire family grieving.  It has been 31 years since she crossed the Rainbow Bridge and I am still grieving for her.  Her name was Cognac.  She was a wonderful girl and I still love her.  


Now, I wait, for my sweet Chloe who is 14,

Chloe

to say goodbye.  Some days she is spry as a puppy and others she barely gets up except to eat and potty.  So for now, I will stroke her head, let her lick my face, throw the ball that she may or may not go after and just be together.

Go ahead, grieve for your sweet dog.  Take time off work if you need it.  Find a way to memorialise your dog.  I kept Cognac's collar and tags.  Talk to a friend or don't talk, whichever is right for you.  Grieving is your right and you should feel free to do it and do it your way.

       Storyteller

Ron Pearson

In today's computer-age, there are so many opportunities to meet wonderful storytellers.  I    was reading a post of a member of Canadian Show Dogs and was enthralled.  When I 

Spirit

finished reading his accounts of his two dogs, I was craving to know more.  Ron Pearson lives in Dugald, Manitoba with his wife, Kirby, a 9 year old Black and White Siberian Husky rescue named Spirit, Balla, an 8 year old lovingly called a Norway Houseky and he is also a rescue and to round out the clan are 4 cats.  Ron's wife has a grooming business they call Husky Howllow.  Here is one of Ron's stories.  He promises to 

Balla

entertain my readers with more stories in the future.  He also wants to tell all of us about allowing our dogs to be blood donors.  Spirit and Balla are donors.  

     The Farmers Market

 

Saturday at the Farmer's Market Spirit and I were wandering around the vendors saying Hi to familiar faces and introducing ourselves to new
ones. Some old friends were missing and we hope they will be at future
markets (this years market opened two weeks early)

At any rate there was one familiar face that Spirit dragged me over to
see. A fellow and his wife come to a few markets during the season to
sell their smoked trout, hand raised chicken and other goodies. They
offer samples of their goodies and this is what Spirit had retained in
the recesses of her convoluted minds. She had met them twice last year.

She parked herself in front of Tom, the vendor and gave him a few Wuffs,
pats with her paw and lots of wiggle butt to let him know she was there.
Naturally Tom had a tray with samples in his hands and this is what
Spirit was keying on. His wife was laughing her head off and petting
Spirit. A few samples later Spirit persuaded me that we really needed
to take home some trout (that was my plan anyway) so I bought some for
supper. Even got a discount because Spirit's antics attracted a few
other people who also made a purchase.

Looks like it will be another summer of fun at the Market.
Spirit, by-the-way, is a Siberian Husky.

PS: Spirit (and Balla) really enjoy the skin from the fish as a special
treat which they got after their house time last night. There were drool
puddles on the floor and ignored cookies when they realized just what
they were getting. Spirit sure is no fool dog.

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

Maude Bicknell 

 She puts the BEST in Show

Maude is a very familiar face in Ontario.  You hardly go to a show that you won't see her.  Maude got started in conformation in 1974 when she bought her first Siberian Husky bitch.  She bought a male Siberian that finished in two weekends and also went Top Siberian.

That was Imasibe's Storm Warning, Call name Stormy.  Maude did a bit of handling, but Jo Griffith mainly showed Maude's dogs to their championships and beyond.

Maude also had Norwegian Elk Hounds and most will recall Kobanko's Chase Manhattan and Care Bear from Barb Inniss.  Chase was an  Canadian/Bermuda/ American Champion.

As impressive as Maude's Elk Hounds and Siberians were, she is just as well known for her work around the show rings.  About 15 years ago, Hilda Depew contacted Maude about setting up and cleaning up for shows.  Maude makes sure that everything is ready to go for the show to start and she keeps a vigilant eye on the condition of the show site all weekend.   Maude provides much of the show equipment and on occasions rents some of the equipment out to kennel clubs.  

When I asked Maude what keeps her interested in dogs, she said that she likes the people.  She enjoys working with the Kennel Clubs to put on the best show possible.  She stated that she always does her best, or she won't do the job.

Maude would agree that she is a woman of very few words.  She can be a bit crusty and she runs a tight ship. But, Maude is the woman that does everything possible to get lost items back to their owners.  She has been known to change flat tires while the car owner is inside showing dogs.  Maude gives advice to Newbie RV owners that show up without enough hose, electrical cord or the proper electrical plug.  She has been known to have extra and to loan it out, plus give instructions on what to have, where to buy it and how to use it.

How many in Ontario know that years ago, exhibitors were not allowed to leave their dogs in the arenas overnight?  Well, you can thank Maude for changing that rule.  She started allowing dogs to spend the night in the arena, but to be certain every dog was safe and cared for, she would spend the night in the arena with them.  She would bring a cot and find an out-of-the-way spot to sleep for the weekend.  

Maude makes sure that the show site stays clean.  She  sanitizes the rings at the end of the day and keeps the areas ringside swept and clean.  When you hear "Clean up Ring 1", Maude has made sure that it gets cleaned up and that the Mop and Bucket with disinfectant are nearby. One of Maude's pet peeves about Exhibitors are the people that do not clean up their Set Up area.  She says bring a broom with you and sweep up the hair and trash and properly dispose of it.  If you don't have a broom, ask her to borrow one.  Scoop your Poop!  She said, its just plain rude to expect someone else to pick up your dog's poop. Better not let her catch you not Pooper Scooping.  She says that Exhibitors should encourage each other and show good sportsmanship.  

Maude will allow exhibitors that would like to practice in the ring after the show to use the rings, but she says that the exhibitor should be respectful enough to clean up if their dog has an accident.  She's not there to clean up the ring twice.  

Maude's view on dog shows now versus years ago is that there is too much back biting and too much gossip.  She said it used to be more fun and people were nice whether they won or lost.  She worries about the cost of showing dogs now.  Everything is so expensive, she knows a lot of people can't afford to show any more.  

Maude is a heart of gold under that crusty exterior.  She would help anyone that has a need.  I shutter to think what will happen when Maude decides its time to retire.  There will never be anyone as great as Maude.  Perhaps if we all keep our Set Ups clean, we follow proper show etiquette and we let Maude know how much we all love and respect her, she will keep our shows running for many, many years to come.  Maude is one of those people that hasn't got enough recognition over the years for her contributions to the Dog Fancy.  Stop and think what it would be like without her.  

The list of people that love Maude is vast.  Thank you so very much from our entire Dog Show Community for your many years of hard work and dedication.  

Jo Anne Griffith

Thanks so much to Jo Anne Griffith for providing the show photos to me to use in this article.  Much appreciated.

Kate Barnett

Setting Realistic Goals For Showing Dogs

         by Kate Barnett

Many of us step foot in the ring without a clear goal in mind. Sure, we are there ‘to win’, we believe that our dog is the most deserving, and we cross our fingers and hold our breath when the judge makes their final decision. When we win, we’re happy, and when we don’t… well very few of us can leave a show empty handed, day after day, and still feel excited about coming back next weekend. I say we change that.

No, I’m not talking about changing the way shows are judged, making everyone ‘winners’ so we can feel proud of ourselves. That devalues the win and doesn’t help anyone in the long run. What I am talking about is setting realistic, attainable goals; goals that we have complete control over.

An Outcome Goal is something like “I want to win the Major on Saturday”. It doesn’t take into account all the factors involved, such as the skill of the handler, training of the dog, experience of the judge, the quality of the competition, and whether there is enough competition to make a Major (to name a few). Many of us set Goals like this, and it’s really hard to learn from them. If your goal is to ‘win the Major’, what steps can you take to help you achieve that goal? Well, you can study the likes and dislikes of the Judge, and hope he likes your dog. You can scout out your competition, and hope your dog measures up against them. You can keep your fingers crossed that there wasn’t a mistake in the entry count, and nobody is absent to break the Major. Finally, you can work on your own performance, the only thing in this scenario that you have any control over. It seems that the odds are stacked against you achieving your goal, as your goal is only to win, and doesn’t focus on how you are going to win.

A Performance Goal is different. Instead of focusing on winning that Major, for which you have little control over, you are instead putting focus on one area of your performance. Let’s say your Goal is for your dog to land the perfect stack at the end of the down and back. This is something tangible, you can practice it, and achieving the goal has nothing to do with the other dogs in the ring or who the judge points at. If you do achieve your goal, you’ve mastered an important skill, and have a better shot at winning that Major, and if not, you have something to work on before the next time you enter the ring.

Goals should be able to be evaluated. After your performance, look back and determine if you were able to achieve your goal. If not, why not? What can you do to ensure you achieve your goal next time? In our example of the perfect stack, we can say “The stack wasn’t achieved because there was a barking dog in the next ring and it spooked my dog. To achieve my goal in the future, I will practice with my dog in a variety of areas to ensure he won’t spook in the future.” We can’t say this about the Outcome Goal of winning the major, maybe you lost because the other dog was better, or the judge didn’t like the colour of your shoes, or it was too windy, or, or, or… There is no clear way to evaluate an Outcome Goal, and the only advice to move forward is “better luck next time.”

Future Goals should build upon goals already achieved. Now that you have mastered that perfect stack and can repeat the performance consistently, we can build on that goal, by saying we want the dog to do stack perfectly at the end of the down and back, and while the judge is making his final decisions. Next, add in a rock solid stand for the examination, as that ties in with the stack you’ve already attained. Before you know it, you and your dog will have mastered the entire ring procedure, and you can bet you’ll be proud of what you and your dog have accomplished!

As you achieve your goals, your confidence improves, which improves your ring presence. You are more relaxed, because you have had success in the past, and know that you can achieve the goals you have set for yourself. In turn, your dog is more relaxed, as we know every emotion we feel in the ring travels right down the lead to our dog. You paint a beautiful picture when you are in the ring together, working as a team, and delivering a wonderful performance. And it’s very hard for a judge to deny a dog who “asks for the win.” And before you know it, you are being rewarded with those Majors! When you win them, enjoy it, but enjoy it because you and your dog earned it together, and you had a great time together along the way.

Kate Barnett (Curlious Reg'd) is a first generation "dog person", living vicariously through neighbours dogs growing up until her parents finally allowed her to have a dog of her own. When the internet came along, so did information about dog shows, and it wasn't long before Kate knew she had to be a part of it. She chose the Chinese Crested, and has successfully piloted numerous dogs, both hairless and powderpuff, to their championships in both Canada and the USA. Kate is a CGN evaluator, involved with the National and Regional Chinese Crested breed clubs, and will embark on a new chapter this year as she steps foot in the ring with her first Afghan Hound.

Have Something To Say?

This is your opportunity.  If you have something you would like to write about pretaining to the Dog Fancy, please send me your article.   There are only a couple of things to keep in mind.  My blog is meant to be used for encouragement, instruction and humour.  Please incorporate that into your article.  Keep your article to around 1000 words and include pictures with captions if possible.  Personal stories of your experience in the Dog Fancy or a funny story about something that happened to you would be great.  Don't worry too much about grammar, I edit everything.  

I like to share, so go ahead and send me your article to djenkins@shaw.ca   Be sure to put Blog Article in the Subject, so I won't overlook it.  My blog is Canada-wide, so I'd love to hear from you folks outside of Ontario, too!

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.

   

Jan Carpenter

 

This week I want to thank all the people that take pictures of my guys and dogs in the ring and send me the pictures.  Everyone loves to get those unexpected shots from the show.  Sometimes they are just too funny, too!  These nice people emailed me pictures they took at the Erie Shores Kennel Club Show this weekend.   Thanks so much!  I really appreciate getting them.

Jospehine Lambert

Has someone taken pictures of your dog?  Wouldn't you like to say thank you here?  Just drop me an email.

Stephanie Chuchman

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

What Is Campaigning Really About?

Campaign, Promote, Advertise and Introduce

Why would anyone want to campaign a dog?  It is very expensive.  It requires being on the road every weekend or hiring a professional handler to keep your dog out, and to be certain they are putting the needed emphasis on your dog.  Campaigning means spending a lot of money on advertising, graphic artists and photographers.  What kind of person would invest so much in a dog?

We wish that there were no need to campaign a dog.  In a perfect world everything would be equal and every dog would be judged only on their breed standard. There would be no politics involved and every judge was deemed impartial and fair.  Unfortunately, that isn't the show world today.

I can only speak to why Lyle and I started campaigning Cara this year.  We are six months into the year and I am certain that we have family members and friends that think we have lost our minds.  They may be right!

Here are our thought processes in making the decision to campaign Cara:

•    Cara was finished in the USA and Canada and was much too good to retire and too young to breed
•   She is as fine a Standard Wirehaired Dachshund showing presently and could be very competitive
•    We love our breed and would like to see Standard Wirehaired Dachshunds have a bigger presence
•  We love showing her and she loves the ring
•   We are serious about the sport and either we are going to be serious competitors or we should go back to playing golf every weekend
•    Lyle and I make a great team and we love the time spent with our dogs at the shows.    We like new experiences and the challenge

Is Cara perfect?  No.  There are no perfect dogs.  There is a possibility that a Standard Wirehaired Dachshund is laying on the family room rug somewhere that could give all the show dogs currently out there a run for the title, but due to his owner not having an interest in conformation, or does not have the available money to spend on showing his dog or prefers to enter Earth Dog events, we will never meet that dog.  So, we don’t kid ourselves that Cara is the absolute "be all-end all" in the Dachshund world.  However, I do believe that she is worthy to be shown and she has what it takes to be #1.

Lyle and I are probably strange, because we are genuinely happy when a worthy competitor wins.  We understand their happiness, because we love to win. We get it.  Above all else, we are good sports.  We respect the other dogs being shown or campaigned, and we know that we are all aiming for the same prize and we all are sharing the same goal.  We hope that at the end of the year, it can be said that we were worthy opponents that conducted themselves with good manners and sincerity.  

We are not wealthy.  Nowhere close.  We are a regular working class couple willing to sacrifice most luxuries to be able to pay for campaigning.  Getting a hamburger out is a rarity, now.  I agreed to make my wardrobe last for another year.  I have learned to accessorize my wardrobe to change it up.  Lyle has given up going to dinner and the movies with his buddies twice a month.  We are eating Mac and Cheese without hot-dogs, with hot-dogs  with tuna and with chopped chicken.  We don’t smoke, seldom drink alcohol and unless you consider taking your dog in the ring each weekend gambling, we don’t gamble.  After our bills are paid, every cent we can scrape together goes to the campaigning cost.  We just pray that no one in our family dies, because Lyle would have to wear a  suit that has bait stains and smells like Roll Over, and I will have to wear that tired pair of black slacks everyone has seen, but has been disguised with various accessories.

There certainly have been lessons to learn.  There is more to ad design than you would think.  Ads are expensive, and it is hard to know if you are getting a decent return on the investment.  It is thrilling to see that first ad in print. We have ads in Canadian Dog Fancier and Canuck Dogs website.  We have done some ads in show catalogues and we are considering a few other publications.  We must make sure to get the best audience for our money.  We can’t be wasteful.   Scheduling shows is another trick.  Travelling is the biggest expense.  On top of all the expenses, we bought a travel trailer this year.  After we did the numbers crunching, it was more cost effective to pay for the RV rather than hotels and restaurant meals.  The other bonus of the RV is that we eliminated the need to load and unload dogs twice daily in a vehicle to travel from the hotel to show site.  It is so nice to be right adjacent to the show rings.  We can groom under our awning in the summer.  We have a place to rest during the day and we can socialize with friends in the evenings.

We like doing our own grooming and handling, so that saves us a lot of money.  There are two ways to look at owner/handler at this level.  Lyle is not as well known as the professional handlers, so we risk being overlooked.  We are still learning, so we may not do everything perfectly.  Some say in the long run it is cheaper to hire a pro handler than try to do it ourselves.  Could be true, but what fun is that for us?  We like being involved with our dogs.  We don’t want to wait for show results via text messages.  We are not doing this alone.  We are so fortunate to have a breeder that has been our mentor, trusted friend and advisor.  We have been lucky to have made wonderful friends in the dog fancy.  With their continued support, we will keep looking toward the finish line.

We got off to a slow start in Canada because we were showing in the USA at specialities and the Dachshund Nationals in St. Louis.  We will be doing our best to catch up in the points the rest of the year.  I hope you will keep an eye on our progress. 

For now, we are not starving.  We can still afford to buy gas to the shows.  We are still able to feed our dogs the best quality food.  Life is good.

Carol and Tess

French Bulldogs Canada 
By Carol Gravestock

Part 2 of 2

French Bulldog registrations in Canada have steadily increased over the past ten years. Once, we were lucky to see two or three French Bulldog litters registered in all of Canada in an entire month. Now, we see two or three dozen litters, many of them bred by the same small handful of people. Increasingly, these litters include the so-called “Rare Colours”  - more accurately referred to as the “Disqualifying Colours” from the French Bulldog breed standard.

Disqualifying Black & Tan Frenchie

The standard defines our disqualifying colours as “black and white, black and tan, liver, mouse or solid black (black means without any trace of brindle)”. The “rare colour” breeders have marketed them as “Chocolate” (liver), Black and Tan and Blue (“mouse”).   It’s almost certain that a vast majority of the so-called Black and Tan French Bulldogs are, in fact, first or second generation crosses into other breeds carrying the genes for this pattern. As for “Blue” and “Chocolate”, breeders who extensively produce black masked fawn and black masked fawn pied French Bulldogs have always known that these recessive genes lurk within their

Fawn Pied 

pedigrees. Puppies produced in these colours or patterns were simply altered and placed as pets. As breeding stock, there are links between these patterns and cosmetically undesirable traits such as light eyes and light or self coloured noses, and health complications such as coat Alopecia and systematic skin diseases. The breeders producing these colours don’t concern themselves with these issues, since they've realized that it’s possible to con the gullible, puppy-as-status-symbol craving public into paying upwards of $6,000 for their puppies.

Merle with microphahalmic eyes 

As with any fad, the market for the commonly seen “rare” colours has been decreasing (an oxymoron – common ‘rare’ colours – but when you can find Blue French Bulldog puppies on Kijiji and Puppy Find, it’s undeniable that they've lost some of their mystique). Seeking new fads, breeders have recently begun producing “rare Merle” French Bulldogs – again, no doubt by crossing in other breeds which carry the genetics for Merle patterning. Rumours have reached us from Europe of Merle French Bulldogs selling for $20,000 or more. With profits like these at stake, have no doubt that the producers of Merle will have no hesitation when it comes to breeding Merle to Merle to Merle. We’re already seeing photographs of Merle French Bulldogs with missing and malformed eyes.

All good French Bulldog breeders are saddened and sickened by this trend of fad colour breeding, with its emphasis on colours above genetics, health or breed type. This makes it even more frustrating to encounter breed judges who don’t understand our standard as it relates to colours and patterns. In Western Canada, a “Chocolate” French Bulldog recently finished its breed championship – a fact being touted by rare colour breeders across the USA, who are eager to have the chance to be able to tout “Champion Line” rare colour pedigrees. The dog in question has an almost black coat, with slight liver overtones, but his lamplighter green eyes were a certain give away to anyone who saw him that this was NOT a brindle dog. 

Conversely, a Canadian judge also recently declared that a black masked, Fawn Pied French Bulldog was actually disqualified from competition, as he defined the dog to be a “Black and Tan” specimen. This is roughly the equivalent of declaring a fawn and white JRT to be the same thing as a Rottweiler, at least so far as colour is concerned. Genetically, the two patterns do not share the same allele, and visually they are also strikingly dissimilar, making it difficult to conceive of why the differences between the two patterns should be so confusing to some judges.

Within Canada, the last ten years have also seen the dramatic rise of French Bulldogs imported from Eastern Europe. While many of these dogs are exceptional examples of the breed, and have been imported by serious breeders to improve their own gene pools, an increasing number have been brought in people seeking a cheap, no questions asked source of breeding stock for their backyard programs and puppy mills. These inferior dogs are larger in size, more ‘terrier’ in type and seem to be much ‘harder’ in temperament. Many are overly dog aggressive, and an increasing number are being turned over to rescue following incidents of aggression towards people.

In the show ring, the extreme examples of Eastern European bred French Bulldogs generally carry heavy bone and large heads, but also tend to be longer in back, higher on leg, and heavier in weight. For breeders with pedigrees that tend more towards the classic “American” type, the smaller, more compact, more correct dogs can be overshadowed within the ring by these dramatically larger specimens. We hope that judges will hold the line against this trend, but understand it can be hard to find the apple in a ring full of oranges – even if the apple is the more correct dog.

The Eastern Canada French Bulldog Club offers a program of Judge’s Education Seminars on several topics, including Colour and Patterns, Breed Structure, and Movement. Hopefully, this will be a platform for long time breeders to share their knowledge with judges who hope to increase their understanding of a breed that can sometimes seem complicated to evaluate.

Interested Judge’s Groups and Breed Clubs within Eastern Canada can request a seminar via our website, at http://www.frenchbulldogscanada.com

The French Bulldog Club of Western Canada also offers Judge’s Education, and can be found at http://www.fbcwc.ca/

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

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's spotlight is on Joy Lynne Huntley.  Joy Lynne owns Briarhunt Coonhounds Kennel located in Woodville, Ontario.  She is a CKC and AKC judge.  

Joy Lynne answered my call for help in getting background information on Maude Bicknell.  Even though she has many projects on the go and has a very hectic schedule, she has spent thee last week contacting others for old pictures, stories and making sure she got the information to me.  

I could not have been able to properly recognize Maude without her help.  Thank you so very much, Joy Lynne.

Another example of people helping people in the Dog Fancy.    

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