How Long to Persevere

How Long to Persevere

The dust has settled on another National.  There will be happy winners and not as happy losers, but it’s always been that way.  We have more winners than in the past because we give out more awards and some even talk about how many “cuts” they made.  It’s all part of the game. 

The old dinosaur has had an interesting past few months.  Fell and cracked my pelvis in October, pneumonia in January and just diagnosed with a hernia that needs surgery.  Getting old is so much fun, particularly when you’re too dumb to admit it.  As the boy said when he swallowed the pincushion, “even this shall pass!”

Dog breeding and dog showing have been changing over the years even though some basics stay the same.  One thing that hasn’t changed is the need to honestly evaluate your dogs.  Some folks drag a dog around forever to get it finished.  Once your dog earns the right to have a “Ch.” or “Gr. Ch.” in front of its name, it’s still the same dog it was before.  Titles are the result of opinions by judges who may or may not be knowledgeable.

I used to tell folks if they took a dog or bitch in good condition, groomed well, and trained properly to ten shows and had no points it was time to quit.  You can drag them around and perhaps finish them eventually, but you still have nothing.  Be honest in your judgement of your dogs, cull ruthlessly, and if you have a good eye you will achieve success.  If you don’t have a good eye for what’s correct, get some help from someone who does.   Some of the pictures I see of dogs who have finished give me the shudders.  The old evaluation game of “it’s my competition dog and it’s no good, it’s my friends dog and it has lots of good points, and it’s my dog and should have won the National if the judge was decent!”  is a sad plot to fall into, but shows how some people think.  (all the same dog)

Frank Sinatra made a lot of money with a song that said among other things “regrets, I’ve had a few!”  It further indicates he did it “his way.”  Whether breeding or showing we all will have some things we wish we’d done differently, but need to have the courage to admit we did it our way.  If you buy a pup that doesn’t turn out, you pay your money and take your chances and when you breed to someone’s stud dog you face the same criteria.  When all is said and done it’s easy to brag about your good decisions, but much harder to not blame someone else for the ones that didn’t turn out so well.

When I was breeding and showing some regrets certainly showed up.  But most weren’t too bad.  A few were not so minor, but they were all my decision and I lived with it.

I had a beautiful bitch courtesy of my friend, Barbara Woodmancy (Ch. Gregshire Little Honeycomb).  She was heavy coated, showed like a champ and finished with four majors when majors were hard to get.  Her first litter produced Ch. Jadene’s Breezalong who won the Naitonal for me in 1967.  Breezalong was sired by my Ch. Gingeor Bellbrooke’s Choice R.O.M., who was a fine sire.  Bellbrooke’s Choice was sired by Bellbrooke’s Master Pilot, an outstanding dog who sired two first rate champions with hardly any opportunity.  I always regretted not having tried breeding Honeycomb to him.

Later I had the good fortune to acquire a bitch who became Ch. Sontaw’s Trudy Fair.  The day she finished at the Cleveland Specialty was a real high point.  Her daughter, Ch. Marnus Evening Breeze won the Kem Sweeps, her son, Ch. Gingeor’s Jack of Tamarack was Winners Dog and Trudy was Best of Winners to take five points and finish.  Days to rival that are few and far between.  The others that come to mind are the Mason-Dixon Specialty under Oren Kem where Phil Blevin had Winners Dog with Gingeor’s Patent Pending, I had Winners Bitch with Gingeor Comanche’s Legacy and Breezalong took the Breed.  There were also two shows where Steve Field gave me both sets of points for Majors.

After that great litter by Breezalong, I thought it made sense to breed Trudy to his sire, Bellbrooke’s Choice because he was a great sire and theoretically would be done at stud sooner because of his age compared to Breezy.  Alas, after winning the C.C. of A.  In 1967 Breezy developed a skin problem, the treatment for which rendered him sterile while his dad was still going strong.  The Evening Breeze litter was never repeated.

Breezalong’s skin problem led to probably my greatest regret as an exhibitor.  In Columbus in 1966 Breezy fought it out with The Clown Prince of Floravale for B.B.  Next year in San Mateo, CA he took B.B. and was top Collie in the country.  In 1968 the C.C. of A. was at the Mason-Dixon C.C.  in Virginia, a show that Breezy had owned.  I believe he won it three years in a row and the judge for B.B. was John Lindeman who had put Breezy up at the C.C. of Conn. and saw him take the group and nearly B.I.S.   The catalog for the 1968 C.C. of A. has a silhouette of a dog and handler on the cover.  It was a silhouette of me showing Breezy and a tribute to a grand dog who the club was honoring.  I know of no other catalog for a National that offered such a tribute.

The folks who decided on the catalog and the rest of the club knew nothing of Breezy’s skin problem.  I had had him to the Univ. of PA School of Veterinary Medicine, but we found no answer better than the low dose of predisone to stop him scratching and chewing.  His coat came in, but in nothing of the former beauty that it had shown.  We went to no shows leading up the the C.C. of A. National

As entry time approached the pressure to show him seemed to intensify.  This dog had a big fan club and the show was in his backyard (I lived in NJ) with a judge who really liked him.  As I sent the entry my thought was still not to take Breezy, but as the show approached I became sure he’d look decent.  To the National we would go!

This is absolutely in no way a reflection of the winner that day, Ch. Noranda Daily Double.  His owner, Dorothy Long, and his handler, Les Canavan always had my whole hearted respect.  “Buster” and Breezy traded wins over the years, so I bear him no ill will in any way.

The only ill will in my heart was of a young fellow from New Jersey who let himself be convinced to show a dog who should have stayed home.  This dog who had carried me to the pinnacle any Collie person could aspire to had been let down by the guy who should have shielded him when he wasn’t his best.  That was my greatest regret and I’ve never forgotten in all these years.  Don’t ever take a dog out that should have stayed home.

Think about it!!!  I still do.

Times - They Are Changing

Times – They Are Changing

As time goes along things change.  Sometimes for the better and sometimes not.  When we talk about things being different than they formerly were, I like to differentiate between change and progress.  Change just means not the same as it was and progress means it’s changed for the better.  As usual I’ll let you decide which is appropriate.

Over the years it’s been my pleasure to judge the CC of A National on three occasions and my good fortune to go Best of Breed twice.  On all five of these occasions it was a one day show with judging going on for dogs and bitches at the same time.  You tried to stagger your entries so you didn’t get caught with two in different rings at once.  In early shows we had futurities where you nominated a bitch’s litter before the pups were whelped.  This was eventually replaced with sweepstakes and now we have puppy class awards.

The point of futurities was to have enough faith in your skill as a breeder to put your money where your mouth was.  It was similar to horses where they nominate for the Kentucky Derby, Breeder’s Cup, etc.  The sweepstakes was something where you could enter any puppy without pre-nomination and gave people a chance to evaluate their pups until entries closed.  Both systems had their supporters.

The National has now grown to a week long event if you want to take in the whole thing.  In addition to the conformation classes and obedience, we now have herding, agility, and a variety of activities with something for almost everyone.  The size of the entries have grown to the point where it takes multiple days to judge and the social aspect has exploded.  In addition to the annual meeting and dinner, we have the Quarter Century Group the Collie Health Foundation, The top Twenty Competition and breeders, judges, and/or grooming seminars.

The CC of A at one time hosted yearly seminars with speakers from allover the country.  Held in the summer when most dogs were out of coat they gave us a chance to learn while not having to worry about the dogs.  Acconeus Collie College in Connecticut and the CC of MD also offered excellent chances to learn and talk about breedings, judges (Oh,boy) and many other things.  Alas these have gone the way of the Dodo bird.

When I first got serious about Collies my mother bought me as a Christmas present a subscription to one of the best dog magazines at the time:  Dog News.  This was not the Dog News of today, but was published monthly by Alice Rosenthal from the same building that housed the Foley Dog Show Organization.  My first issue was the December 1953 issue and had a blue merle Collie and blue merle Sheltie from Ronas Hill Kennels in Canada on the cover.  If my memory is correct the Collie was Ch. Blue Minstrel of Ronas Hill and the Sheltie Ch. Blue Flag of Ronas Hill.

Dog News featured different breeds each month and Collies (which were very popular) always got the Christmas issue.  They had excellent columnists such as W.R. Van Dyck (Honeybrook) and Oren Kem (Lodestone) and had numerous advertisements.  Though the Collies were always first with me, I got to see the best of many other breeds, the breeders, and the handlers.  You also could see who was judging and read about their opinions.  The ads featured stud dogs and litters of puppies for your consideration.  Today’s magazines (of which I get many because of being a judge) seem to be geared toward influencing judges more than anything else and some of the wording is ludicrous.  The idea of describing a judge as the “esteemed” so and so is a bit much.  Most pictures show the judge smiling at the camera as is the handler and some of the handler’s outfits are skimpy to say the least.  It would be nice to see judges and handlers looking at the dog instead of posting as in a screen test.

In addition to some weird outfits on handlers, the judges also have gone over the top.  Male judges are often seen in tuxedos and the ladies have evening gowns slit up the side no doubt to look sexy.  Pardon this old dinosaur, but the focus is supposed to be on the dog not the people.  It may be time to re-evaluate some of our priorities.  Do we want a social event for the enjoyment of people or an experience that promotes better dogs?  Years ago I learned that the best handlers were those who knew how to do the little things that help the dog take center stage while they hid in the background.  Which are you?

Think About It!

Few Good Men or Collies

Few Good Men or Collies

Before I go further I need to thank all those who sent emails or cards during my recent bout with pneumonia.  It was a nasty time, but I’m home now and on the mend.  Unfortunately my wife, Phyllis, falls victim to doing all the outside work for now since I’m forbidden to go out in the cold for a while.  As the boy said when he swallowed the pin cushion, “even this shall pass!”

Tom Cruise has made a number of movies over the years.  One of my personal favorites is “A Few Good Men.”  It got me to thinking as I often do about how it applies to dogs.  Sometimes people get too caught up in the numbers games and that, in my opinion, is a great mistake.  If your goal in dogs is to breed the most champions, win the most shows, have the top studs or brood bitches, that’s nice, but it isn’t always as great as it might seem.  Just because many dog magazines devote half their pages to meaningless statistics does not make them important.  They only cater to those who love the numbers game more than their dogs.

Years ago when I was breeding and showing with considerable success there were never more than a dozen grown dogs in the kennel.  Generally a number were champions and there might be some pups who I hoped would be the next link in the chain.  Breedings were never done to supply a market, but to continue the program with a goal of breeding better Collies.  The pups who didn’t fit my needs were sold and often did quite well for their new owners, but I seldom had more than three or four litters in a year.  Raising puppies right is a job and I had a full time job and three boys to raise plus the grown dogs to care for as well.

Now back then I competed with some breeders who were quite successful and knew of some who preceded me who likewise made quite a record.  The winning and lofty records left me a bit cold at times when I spoke to people who visited some of the kennels.  One place was mentioned with the puppy yard where puppies stood at the fence on several inches of feces.  Another had dogs that were so lacking in socialization and/or good temperament as to have to literally lasso the dogs to catch them.

While I never visited either place I know of some that are very similar.  Too many dogs not only takes the fun out of breeding, but they never get proper care.  We know thru some of the terrible things that come to light such as the nightmare from Alaska that this is true.  There are very few cases such as Bellhaven where the owner’s wealth allows for sufficient kennel help to allow large numbers to be kept.

Raising Collies is not like raising livestock such as cattle or hogs.  You don’t just provide them with food, water, and shelter and expect them to thrive.  The right kind of Collie is born to make its master happy and when you take that away you’re missing the whole point of breeding dogs.

You don’t need to have lots of dogs to do well and have others respect your efforts.  There have been and still are many kennels that are low in numbers, but high in quality. Wayside, Marnus, and Shenstone could compete at the highest level.  Gayle Kaye breeds very few pups, but the Chelsea Collies do just fine I assure you.

Years ago when the CC of A was still putting on seminars to educate breeders we talked about kennels that had laid the foundation for those who came after.  We mentioned Lodestone, Tokalon, Sterling, and Parader among others, but as we dug deeply into Collie history we came upon the “vein of gold” that lay behind all of the notable current dogs.  That vein of gold was the Collies of Charles and Lillian Wernsman and their Arken dogs.  They had an impact on the breed that was phenomenal and showed that we Americans could breed dogs as good as the imported ones.

The Wernsmans had a kennel that seldom had more than twelve dogs of which almost all were sable.  Interesting how many of the successful old breeders stayed away from blues unlike some today who seem to think it’s the only important color.  It was a different time and Collies were much more popular than they are today with the public based on registration numbers.  They were also a breed in those days where owner handlers could be quite competitive.  My how times have changed!

I mean no disrespect to those who handle dogs for others.  Many of them I consider friends and I’ve often told people who didn’t do their dogs justice to get a handler.  My concern is, as it has always been, for the Collie.  If our breed becomes a dog with its appearance geared to a few breeders rather than the public and if so many tricks need to be mastered to show one successfully, then I wonder if we’ve served the Collie well.

Don’t worry about the numbers game and keep what you can properly care for and love.  If that’s too big an order you might try breeding guppies.

Think about it!

Puppies, Puppies, Puppies!

Puppies, Puppies, Puppies!

It’s been a long time since we had a puppy here, but we have one now.  She’s three months old and cute as blazes and we’re enjoying her thanks to Kathy and Jerry Zehetner.  Leash breaking, grooming, trimming nails, and feet are all part of her education and it reminds me of how important these things are.  Puppies are the fruits of any breeder’s dreams and they represent the future if things go well.

If puppies are the fruit of our labor and dreams, then the sires and dams are the foundation we build upon.  The dog and bitch that we use to produce our next generation will determine it’s success or failure.  As has been stated many times the two cornerstones for success in a breeding program are health and temperament.  You may achieve some short term success with dogs that fall short in these areas, but sooner or later your house of cards will tumble down.

People sometimes get on the stud dog kick.  Van Dyck used to call it the “who’s he by” syndrome.  The truth is that your brood bitch is just as important.  The people who spend a lifetime trying to upgrade mediocre bitches by breeding to top studs are legion.   People used to ask me how the puppies I had by my studs were often the best that they produced.  My answer was simply that my bitches were top of the line and I knew what kind of bitch worked best with those studs.

Don’t ever forget that “good mothers beget good mothers!”  The stud dog certainly has major influence on those puppies, but in addition to her genetic contribution the bitch contributes mothering that includes producing strong puppies, lots of good milk, and calm temperament.  Years ago my mother bought a tri bitch of impeccable breeding and a real looker.  We bred her to Ch. Windsong Dealer’s Choice, our first champion, and she had a lovely litter of tris and blues.  I whelped the litter and got to endure this bitch laying on the pups until only two were left.  I sent her home to my mother to keep me from killing her.  Other qualities not withstanding, she was worthless.

You plan your breedings carefully and use individuals that can be expected to produce well.  You feed a good ration and provide the bitch with exercise so she comes to whelping with sufficient muscle tone.  She will be up to date on all shots and free of worms, heartworms, and all external parasites.  You will provide her with a place to whelp that is quiet and removed from activity both human and canine.  You will introduce her to this area at least a week before her due date and two weeks is better.  Now all you need are the puppies!

There are so many things that happen once the puppies are whelped.  Routine things such as worming, shots, and good food and water are a given.  If they’re not you shouldn’t have bred a litter at all.  There are other things that you need to do as well, but what works for me may need some tweaking to work for you.  My puppies started having nails trimmed at one week and it was done weekly the rest of their lives.  They get a gentle, rudimentary brushing several times a week as well.  The brushing and nail trims were done in my lap at first and later on the grooming table when they could stand.  They also had a lead put around their necks on the grooming table and little tidbits of steak.  They always were groomed and handled when due to get a meal to make sure they were hungry and in the evening on hot days.

A puppy who has been fed and groomed on the table learns it’s a nice place.  When you set them down they readily follow some food in front of their nose and are lead broken in short order.  Teaching them to pose takes some patience, but it’s important to show a Collie on it’s four good legs, not have them stacked like a Dobe.  Any dog I judge is asked to come to a natural stop when finishing a down and back.

We used to have match shows, both specialty and al-breed, to use for training our puppies.  They duplicated the experience of going to a show and helped training tremendously.  Matches have gone the way of the Do-Do bird and it’s too bad because they were very beneficial.  I guess we’re so busy going to point shows we don’t have time to support matches.  Everyone’s in such a hurry to take points, they forget how to prepare.

Admittedly some people used to show too much at matches and that’s a case of overkill.  Occasional practice at home and a few shows are all a puppy with good disposition needs.  I never showed puppies too hard since every day a pup is at a show is a day it doesn’t eat and exercise normally.  They need to do both to grow properly.  Don’t let’s be like the owners of Thoroughbreds who race two year olds rather than let the horses mature.  If we’re breeding dogs that have to do their winning as puppies, we may be breeding the wrong kind of Collies.

Think about it!

R.O.M. - Good or Bad???

R.O.M.  -  Good or Bad???

The idea of designating dogs or bitches as being worthy of Register Of Merit listing is not new.  Lots of other breeds do it and the intentions are probably always good, but does it end up that way?  Does the desire for R.O.M status make people breed too many dogs as does the feverish desire to be breeders of the year?  Given the number of dog shows and the ease of making your own majors the criteria for R.O.M. status obviously needs some changes.  We have people showing dogs year around who can create an R.O.M. very quickly by the same standards used when it was much tougher.

It’s long been my feeling that credit given to dogs or breeders such as top stud dogs, brood bitches, R.O.M. or breeders of the year should be done on a percentage basis.  My theory has always fallen on deaf ears, but I still think it’s the right way to do it.  If your dog sires ten puppies from two litters and five finish why should he be considered inferior to a dog who sires one hundred puppies and six finish?  Of course, we know dinosaurs have weird ideas.

The R.O.M., top breeders, and top studs and dams are just a few of the things the C.C. of A. might think about addressing.  The C.C. of A. has done a lot of good things for the Collie, but remember the club is not an entity, but only a group of people.  Its ability to move the Collie forward is only as good as the people we all elect.  Often some who seem to be excellent candidates decline getting involved at the national level for various reasons.

My own choice was not to seek national office though I was asked several times.  It’s just not something I cared to do.  I was District Director in New Jersey and chaired both the Standard Committee and Tellers Committee.  My choice was to work at breeding better dogs rather than hold national office.  We each need to use the talents with which we are endowed by our maker.

Our current president, Pati Merrill, has my wholehearted respect and admiration.  She has so many outstanding qualities and sets a good example for our membership.  Pati is not just an exhibitor/breeder or a politician hoping to wear a little pin.  She genuinely loves the Collie and cares about all Collies not just the ones that can win at shows.  In addition she’s crazy enough to run for president after having done it before.

A friend who knows of my involvement with Collies asked me recently, “what’s happening to Collies?”  For years our breed was in the top ten in registrations.  It seems as though many people remember a Collie from their childhood.  The fall from favor has been going on for years and could be for many reasons.  It’s not size or grooming since Shepherds, Goldens, and Labs are all in the top ten and are big dogs with grooming needs.

It could definitely have to do with the eye issues and the ads in papers over the years saying “Collie pups, eyes checked” which made the public sensitive to a problem they and most vets didn’t understand.  Albert Payson Terhune no longer cranks out books and magazine articles and Lassie no longer performs heroics on TV.  All of these things have an impact and we’re not always good to each other.  We need to think more about the good of the breed and less about improving our image by knocking the competition.

Collies have gradually over time become a tough breed to show.  The makeup, fixed ears, and some other unsavory practices have made it tough for the little guy to compete.  Nowhere is this more evident than at the highest level.  It may be too late to see Collies go back to being the people’s breed.  They may be doomed to the fate of most terriers, poodles, and some others.  If so, I’m glad to be an old dinosaur since I don’t wish to watch it happen.

To all our many friends, Phyllis and I wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  My cracked pelvis continues to heal and we have a new puppy coming courtesy of Jerry and Kathy Zehetner.  Yes, there is a Santa Claus! 

Think about it!

Showing a Champion

Showing a Champion

Over the years I’ve tried to understand what some folks are doing when they show their special.  To start with a class that says “for Specials only” tells me that any dog or bitch in that class should stand head and shoulders above the ones not yet Champions.  Unfortunately most specials do not fit that description.  The AKC may find ways to keep you showing with “Grand Champion” lollipops to put in your hand, but most of the ones who finish should call it a day and stay home.

Edith Levine of Glen Knolls did not like showing in the Specials class.  She used to say “nothing is as stale” as last year’s champion.  To her the proof of a breeder was what you could come out with each year in young stock.  Perhaps her Collies matured early and didn’t age well, but that was her outlook on specials.

During my time as a breeder/exhibitor there were only two dogs that I specialed:  Ch. Jadene’s Breezalong (BB CC of A 1967) and Ch. Gingeor’s Indelibly Blue (BB CC of A 1976)  To be sure I did show some of my other champions on occasion if I thought they had a good shot at winning, but no others steadily campaigned.  My outlook on showing in the Specials Only class was that you had to have a good reason. 

Never in those years did I ever want to campaign a bitch.  My outlook on that was probably a lot like some others who felt that once a bitch finished her job was to provide the next generation.  The stress of an ongoing campaign puts a bitch at risk in being successful in the whelping box.  Of course, there are exceptions, but also plenty of bitches who win a lot and are flops as producers.  Personally I’d rather have the producer.  She helps you move your breeding program forward while the winner just feeds your ego.

If you have a good young male who finishes and looks promising as he matures, then further showing as a Special gives prospective customers with bitches to breed a chance to see him.  Once his puppies are old enough to start winning (we hope) the need to show him diminishes.  If the pups aren’t outstanding, then he may need to look for a new home.  Ditto for any bitch who hasn’t shown anything special in her first two litters.  Don’t try to keep dogs that don’t help forge the next link in your chain.

The stress of an extended campaign can have adverse affects on males as well as bitches.  Sperm counts may go down and condition as well.  Each dog is different and must be evaluated as to their ability to handle a number of shows.  Today’s Collies sometimes seem a bit “sharp” in disposition compared to earlier dogs.  It may help keep them showing, but may not be enjoyable to live with at home.  Perhaps it’s what is needed with the large number of shows today, but I’m not sure if it appeals to the public.

I read an article some time back where a handler was asked about what he looked for in a dog to campaign.  The answer was “toughness”, of course, quality was also presumed.  The way we show today and the number of shows available may be changing what we breed.  You can decide for yourself whether it is changing and whether you like the change if it exists.

The British have a saying that says “showing a dog fearlessly!”  The meaning is fairly clear.  Such a dog or bitch would be of quality that allows you to show where the competition is really tough, not to duck the big boys to pick up more wins.  Though I also showed at all-breed shows, my preference as I bred better Collies was to go to the specialties.  Not only were more points available, but the judging was more competent, and you could learn more.  You learn most by going where the  competition is tough and your dogs must be good to be competitive.  Showing against second rate dogs makes you lazy.

Years ago I spoke at Acconeus Collie College and told the audience that the people I showed against were “The wind beneath my wings!”  Starting with Trudy Mangels and Pat Shyrock (Starkweather) and continuing thru Bobbi Roos and John Buddie.  They made me breed better dogs to keep up and win.  Set your sights high and don’t lower the bar, but raise it.  When my sons were growing up and playing sports I always told them to learn from losing as much or more than winning.  The act of winning makes you feel good, but losing makes you try harder.

Think about it!

p.s.  Since your humble scribe has taken a fall and cracked his pelvis, blogs may be skimpy for now.  Moral is that T-Rex should not try to do pushups.  They’re not built for it!!

Crown or Crap? (The Collie Coat)

Crown or Crap?  (The Collie Coat)

Our standard calls the coat the crowning glory of the Rough Collie and, indeed, it can be, but it needs to be correct.  As in so many coated breeds some folks seem to think more is better.  Actually it’s the right type of coat that’s what we should shoot for because it’s not only the correct coat, but it’s easier to groom without a lot of “aids.”  Great big fluffy, soft, voluminous coats take away from the Collie’s desired outline and make exhibitors work much harder.  Such coats also can be virtually impossible for any pet owner to handle.

When I was breeding and exhibiting I learned a lot about coats and how to groom the Collie.  In addition to having a clean dog and one that is properly trimmed the essence of grooming the Rough Collie coat is to add moisture without adding so much that it looks soggy or really wet.  To accomplish this takes skill acquired over time, hard work, and a Collie with correct coat.  That correct coat will not only absorb the moisture applied, but hold it longer without continuous need to reapply.

The coat that we desire is one where we can feel the harshness of the outer coat particularly along the back and have a denseness of the soft undercoat that makes it hard to see the skin.  It should “fit” the dog not billow around it like a halo.  The correctly fitting coat will not only accentuate the Collie’s outline, but shed rain and carry snow without melting it.  It is not just a coat for looks and the dog shows, but one which is useful.

To work moisture into the coat one has to know how the coat grows and which direction it lays.  To get moisture into the coat you need to “open” the coat against its normal direction of growth while applying and working in the moisture.  You can do this with your hands, as I used to, and then with a brush as you continue to mist the coat.  If you’re at a show don’t forget that timing is very important to your grooming efforts.

Almost any Collie when set down on the floor after grooming will shake.  Allow enough time to settle the coat and round off the rough edges that result from shaking.  If you can’t see the ring have someone watch it for you and advise when it’s time to be ready.  You don’t want to run into the ring with a Collie that looks like a hedgehog while you brush, brush, brush, because you weren’t ready. 

If you have a Collie with proper coat and have learned to groom properly then all you need is a great head and expression, sound body, good movement, and a born show dog and you may be in business if the judge knows their job.

Over time you should get a system down that works for you, but it must start with a good dog.  All the grooming, trimming, and training won’t make “a silk purse from a sow’s ear.”  You will develop your own routine and realize that all dogs don’t require the same type of attention.  A lot of grooming is just common sense, but some folks find that a tough commodity to acquire.  I always tried to do all trimming at home before the show.  In that environment the dog isn’t as distracted and the trimming goes more smoothly.  It also allows you to concentrate on grooming and doing a good job with the moisturizing.

To be able to groom properly as I said before it helps to have a good dog with the right kind of coat.  They also need to learn to accept grooming and trimming.  My puppies started having nails trimmed at one week of age and had it done weekly thru their lives.  They were subjected to grooming (gently) in my lap at the same age and frequency.  They went on the grooming table as soon as they could stand and were leash trained at about six to seven weeks.  Leash lessons always followed the grooming table and occurred when it was time for a meal so they were eager to follow a piece of baked steak.

We can make breeding, grooming, and training harder than it needs to be or we can spend some time planning each move.  You don’t breed your bitch to the second cousin of the great producer, but to the producer himself.  You can learn to groom and to train, but if you don’t feel good about your efforts hire someone whose results you admire and use their skill.

Above  all take however long it takes to understand how to breed correct Collies.  If that doesn’t work buy your show dogs from someone with the skill you don’t possess.  Beware, however, of the breeder whose dogs only win for them.  A good Collie can win for anyone with reasonable skill at grooming and handling.  Don’t fall for cheating to get your wins, dog showing is a sport and all sports have rules.  Play by the rules and you enrich our breed.  Break them and you weaken the gene pool to a sad degree.  Puppies are not whelped with tape on their ears, or makeup on their faces, or hair spray on their coats.

My only experience with doctoring a coat came years ago the first time I showed at the garden.  I had heard that beer would make the coat hold up longer in the ring so I decided to give it a try.  I was showing Windsong Dealer’s Choice, the blue who would be my first champion in the open blue class.  Mike Kennedy of Bellhaven was standing next to me with a dog that was impeccably groomed, the judge was Emily Tharp, President of the CCA who looked like everyone’s idea of a white haired grandmother.  When Mrs. Tharp went over my dog the coat almost snapped, crackled, and popped (no one told me the beer should be stale).   Since his coat was a bit sticky and she had trouble running her hands thru it, Mrs. Tharp looked up at me and said sweetly “my, my he does have a harsh coat.”  I probably turned red and Mike Kennedy was convulsed with glee.  So ended my using anything but water.

Oh yes, I did breed dogs with correct coats.

Think about it!