Back to "Normal" or Whatever

Back to “Normal” or Whatever

Since our pole barn is done except for the wiring and some cement work, we are breathing a sigh of relief.  Our equipment is back under cover that’s not tarps and the shelves are going back up, so we’re heading in the right direction.  Phyllis and I are still trying to figure out what “normal” is for us.  Assuredly it’s different than what most people might attribute to the word, but that’s our choice.

Just looking thru the latest CC of A Bulletin which is full of photos from the National.  Some nice looking dogs and some not quite as you might wish, but we all know pictures may be a bit deceiving.  I learned years ago not to form opinions of Collies I haven’t actually seen and/or judged.  If you don’t have a really flattering picture, it’s better not to use one at all.  It would be nice to see more shots of Collies showing on a loose lead without being stacked up and held in place.

Interesting article in the Bulletin from Kathy Moll relating to our breed’s fall from popularity with the public.  The reasons are many and complex as I’ve noted before.  Collies were once one of the breeds of choice as a family dog and many of us can remember that.  The slow, but sure sliding down the list has largely been aided by not thinking what the public wants and consequently shooting ourselves in the foot.  We can’t bring Albert Payson Terhune back and Lassie has likewise faded into history.  If we want our breed to only fit into the niche of show dogs with glued up ears, coat to the ground, and make up kits that go with each puppy, then continue to watch the slide.  Perhaps in today’s world we’ll see Pit Bulls as the breed of choice.

The Bulletin also highlighted the many different activities that are offered for our Collies.  The days of a National that focused on conformation seem to be over.  In perfect honesty there are competitions that are offered that I have no idea of what the requirements or guidelines might be.  Some of these activities surely highlight the versatility of our breed, but the show keeps growing and growing.  Years ago we had national symposiums which were held in the summer when dogs were basically out of coat.  Having some of the performance events at that time made sense and cold weather problems were no longer an obstacle.  The allure of having a “big” National that lasts for a week or more seems to have prevailed and I suppose you only have to show up for what interests you.

The cost of putting on the National and the difficulty of finding a suitable and affordable venue continue to be an issue.  Most clubs find such an undertaking beyond their capabilities.  Many clubs that used to be considered “powerhouse” groups have seen memberships decline and age to the point that they struggle just to put on an annual specialty let alone tackle the National.  This trend would seem to parallel the declining interest in our breed.  The yardstick used to be that most new people would just last a few years, but today we see less new people and many other activities competing for their time.

Given the enormous effort required by host clubs for the National it’s always amazed me that they really have so little say in things like picking judges.  The host club selects a panel and then it’s off to the races.  The final choices seldom resemble the host club preferences.  With all due respect to the Executive Committee, I’ve never understood why they are more fit to select the judges for the National.  In many cases most of them don’t even compete in conformation.  Years ago Jim Mangels wrote an article about criteria for picking judges for the National.  It included things like champions bred, shows judged, and success competing at high level events.  Interesting idea.

If the stars align themselves and I stay healthy the old dinosaur will judge his last show for the Nebraska CC in October.  A few nagging health issues and a distaste for the way airlines treat travelers nowadays have had me declining assignments for several years.  This will be their 100^th specialty and it’s the club that Steve Field was connected with for years.  I’ve judged this show often and used to think Steve put my name up so we could visit after the show.  Steve will not be there this time, but I hope to see his daughter, Karen, and a few other old friends.  The date in early October is surely early for Collie coats, but the Keystone CC used to hold a show with Devon each fall at the same time and it was great.  I’m long past worrying about the size of my entries, but did get 100 dogs a few assignments back which is pretty good nowadays.

My hope for Nebraska has little to do with numbers and more to do with content.  If I have some quality Collies, well groomed, properly shown on loose leads standing on their own God-given four legs, I’ll be a happy camper.  Bigger isn’t always better, but better always is. 

Think about it!

Wake Up - It's Spring!

Wake Up – It’s Spring!

The old dinosaur has been pretty quiet lately.  The pole barn came down in February of the worst winter in years and literally turned our lives upside down.  It’s all been stripped down to a skeleton and rebuilding should start soon, but we have things stored all around awaiting a new building.  Phyllis lost her mother on Mother’s Day which was not unexpected, but still such things are never easy.  Our daughter, Alexandra, has been going thru some issues with her eyes, which go on and on, so we’re ready for some good news.

The old story that I’ve always believed is that when things look grim, look around – there’s always someone with much worse problems than you.  They say when you’re handed a lemon – make lemonade.  One of the best men I ever worked for said his secret to success was being able to take something bad and make it into something good.  All of that sounds pretty phony, right?  Well, let’s see about that.

Our pole barn came down at 9pm on Feb. 19^th when I would normally have been in it.  I wasn’t there because of talking to Phyllis about a TV show we’d been watching.  We had insurance and will get a new pole barn, so we’ve certainly suffered some inconvenience, but nothing we can’t handle.

Phyllis’ mother had been ill for some time and caring for her in Virginia fell to Phyllis’ younger sister, Diane who lived nearby.  She took a sudden turn for the worse and passed away a few days later after being in a coma.  She did not suffer a lot of debilitating pain.  When Phyllis flew down for the funeral, she and Diane, rekindled a friendship that had languished thru time and distance.

Alexandra in a desperate move to change her environment to help her sensitive eyes has moved from New York where she had a good job and loved living to Des Moines, Iowa.  She is living with her husband’s family while he continues working for Apple Computer in NY City.  She has a new job in Des Moines and things are moving along for she and her husband, CJ, and we pray they can soon settle in one place with their problems solved.

What’s all this got to do with dogs and that is what dinosaurs are supposed to talk about, isn’t it?  Well if you’ve been in dogs for a while, you know about disappointment and if you stay in dogs you’d better know how to pick yourself up again.  The litters that don’t turn out, the accidents that cause a good puppy to be lost, the shows that don’t go your way.  They’re all part of the game.

Every breeding you make is a calculated gamble that you hope will turn out well.  If it doesn’t turn out you sit down and try to figure out why.  It may be that you need a different stud or it may be that your bitch wasn’t meant to produce the next link in your chain.  Whatever the reason, I suggest you don’t look for someone else to blame  Don’t blame the stud dog owner.  You decided to make the breeding.  Pick yourself up and start all over again.

When I started breeding Collies, it took three restarts before it really worked.  Each time I was learning and each time I needed to find homes for some dogs I loved, but it is all about culling as you learn.  Van Dyck used to say breeding was like dealing cards.  You add a good one on the top and discard one off the bottom.  You must constantly seek ways to improve the dogs you’re working with to form your chain and one bad link will cause it to break.

Over the years I had the misfortune to lose three wonderful bitches, each of whom conceivably could have done much for my breeding program.  Ch. Gregshire’s Little Honeycomb (dam of Ch. Jadene’s Breezalong) and Yankee Doodle Waiting Game (Dam of Ch. Gingeor’s Waiting Choice) both were lost to pyometria before we had the tools we have today to fight it.  Gingeor’s Honey of a Choice (Breezalong’s baby sister and dam of Ch Gingeor’s Indelable Ink) was lost due to injuries she sustained in a fight with three other bitches who for some unknown reason rebelled against her unquestioned alpha status.  I never again put more than two bitches together unsupervised.

We plan and we gamble and if we deserve to be called breeders we learn.  We learn about breeding, training, showing and we learn about what’s really important.  When I was breeding and showing dogs, it was probably more important to me than it should have been, but I was out to prove something.  Van Dyck used to say you could be a dog fancier or a dog lover.  I wanted to succeed at being both.  He also said there were two ways to make your way up the ladder quickly.  You could have lots of money or hitch yourself to a successful breeder.  I did neither, but though it took longer it was satisfying.  It took years before I realized that my winning dogs were a tribute to the competition.  Their efforts made me work harder to produce dogs that could be able to win with the best they had.  You never get better by winning a contest that’s too easy.   You get better by being tested and, yes, even by losing sometimes to remind you, you’re not infallible.

Think about it!!

On a pleasant note and one that’s really an indicator of what is important, Phyllis and I had dinner with Laurie Jeff Greer recently.  The friendships acquired over the years are very enjoyable and make the dog game a matter of much more than just winning or losing.  Jeff was in town for some shows and we spent several hours recalling dogs and people we knew and agreeing that some things never change.  (I’ll let you guess what)  After winning the Herding Group on Memorial Day,  Jeff was off to Mississippi with her big rig.  Quite a schedule for an old dinosaur who never went to more than two shows (Sat. and Sun.) in a week.

I also found out that Jeff’s Facebook page gets more hits tha a summertime flyswatter.  My thanks to all the old friends who told her to say “hi” while she was here.  Hopefully as the weather warms the old dinosaur will get more active.  Last winter was like the return of the” Ice Age.”

Statistics, Statistics, Statistics

Statistics, Statistics, Statistics

Not all dog magazines, but a lot of them, seem to owe their existence to statistics.  They have pages and pages devoted to these numbers games many of which are meaningless and boring as well.  Do I care who is the tenth highest dog in breed or all-breed points?  Do I care who is the breeder who bred the tenth highest total of champions let alone the color, sex or coat type of these animals.  All this material is filler in place of good articles that might be helpful and of serious interest.  What a waste!  Those of you who are CC of A members can notice it in the yearbook as well.  Cease and desist already!!

On a more serious topic, I’d like to clarify something I’ve said, but which may have been misunderstood.  As a judge and breeder (some years ago) I’ve always thought that the whole dog and overall way the parts fit together must be more important than any one of those parts.  This includes the head properties which though extremely important should not, in my opinion, trump the overall picture.

Years ago I remember some very respected judges making comments like, “give me a good head and I can get the rest from mutts,” or “give me a good head and if the dog can get across the ring, he’s sound enough.”  Both of the statements may seem extreme, but they were opinions expressed by people who felt strongly and had a sound background in our breed.  Getting all of this sorted out and into proper focus is important to any serious breeder/exhibitor/judge of Collies.

I stick by my statement that the whole is of more value than any of the parts including head, coat, soundness or any other part.  To be a really good Collie a dog or bitch must be good in all of these areas, but the key is how they fit together to form a good specimen.  When we judge the first look at the dogs often gives an indication of who will win the class.  We must do further examination to be sure our eyes aren’t being fooled by grooming techniques or some other trick of the trade.  We must handle and move the animals so “our hands can verify what our eyes think they see.”  This along with knowing the breed, is the basis for judging.  Years ago I judged the North Jersey Specialty and most of my male classes were just average.  My last male class, Open Tricolor, had a truly spectacular looking dog who “filled the eye.”  After going over him I told his handler ”I’m going to be very disappointed if he can’t move!”  Well he could and did and was a shoo-in for Winners Dog.

Now if this dog had a magnificent head, but didn’t stand or move well, he still might have gone Winners depending on the competition, but he wouldn’t have put a real smile on my face.  To do that we need the whole package.

Based on our standard and my sixty-some years of study the Collie head is the “index of the breed.”  Though some other breeds may have heads with some similarities to the Collie’s our breed is unique in that area.  The parts of the head such as muzzle, backskull, eyes, and ears go together to create the expression which is the product of these parts.  There are other breeds which may have similar coats, movement, or other parts which resemble our Collies, but the way all the parts including the head fit together make a good specimen.

The first paragraph of our standard makes very clear to me what a Collie should be, but it only does so if you have a mental picture gleaned from years of observation.  Years of watching puppies grow, seeing dogs from various lines with the faults and virtues they’re known for, and comparing dogs in your own breeding program and others.  Being confident that you understand what our standard means based on discussions with mentors and personal observation over time is when the standard really comes to life.  Don’t be in a rush to show how much you know.  Steve Field once told me that as he got older and learned more, he stopped writing articles because he realized how much he had to learn.  Steve was obviously much smarter than I since I’m still writing.

If my wife, Phyllis, hadn’t prodded me a bit, I probably would be done writing, too.  Behind every good man, there’s a better woman prodding him along.

Think about it!

Waiting For Spring

Waiting For Spring

As mentioned in my last blog, this winter has been a real trial as it has in much of the country.  The snow has just kept coming and the cold didn’t allow for much melting.  Soon after I moved to Michigan in 1976 we had an awful storm in late January of 1978 that dropped 34 inches at one shot.  Things were tough but I was a lot younger and had three teenage sons at home to help.

This year unlike last year I’ve stayed pretty healthy and Phyllis and I have blown snow and shoveled snow since December.  When you have animals to care for staying inside where it’s warm is not an option.  Besides blowing paths for the dogs and to the bird feeders, there were cats and chickens to take care of in spite of the weather.  Both had heated water bowls and the cats slept on heating pads in a dog crate.

Unfortunately the worst was yet to come.  On February 19 the weight of snow on the pole barn brought it down.  The chickens and cats survived in rooms off to the side, but the two riding mowers weren’t so lucky.  The electricity had to be turned off to prevent fire from many broken wires.  Goodbye lights, heated water bowls and cozy heating pads.  Normally at 9pm I take the dogs out for the last time and go in the pole barn to turn off the lights in the chicken coop.  That night we watched a nature show until 9pm so I was a bit late.  The barn collapsed at 9pm just as I was getting dressed to go outside as usual.

So you see blogs may be scarce for a while as we work a bit harder to take care of our creatures under tough circumstances, but this old dinosaur will give thanks to his God every day for not being in the barn when it came crashing down.  For now at least this dinosaur was not meant to be extinct.

Think about it!

How Fast Can He Go?

How Fast Can He Go?

Ye Olde Dinosaur has been rather quiet lately due to the rigors of winter.  In addition to lots of snow the weather has been so cold the snow can’t melt.  We didn’t see above freezing for about a month.  It’s almost forty today so I’m temporarily out of hibernation. 

Like many of you I watched the Westminster Show last week.  Over the years it’s undergone many changes.  When I started showing the Garden offered regular classes from puppies to specials and most often featured a specialty type judge.  The entries in Collies were always a major and the show was considered the “coming out” show for Eastern Collie puppies.

Most shows back then had all around judges doing the groups and judging many of the breeds with smaller entries.  The popular breeds such as Collies often rated a specialist judge and the entries reflected this.  Nowadays many clubs seem to let the judges be selected based on how many breeds they can handle and if they can also be used on next day’s show thus splitting expenses.

The Garden as usual had dogs I liked and some that I didn’t.  The seven finalists at least let me pick both of the top winners.  Many of the judges were dressed in a manner more appropriate to a Broadway opening or a cocktail party.  One lady was so interested in her appearance and had her nose so far in the air, I’m not sure if she saw the dogs.

One of the other things I noticed was the speed at which most dogs were moved.  They seemed to be flying as fast as their legs could go regardless of breed or function.  The crowd and some judges may like it, but I question whether it’s correct.  Dogs that are moved at top speed always make me wonder what they’re trying to hide.  Different breeds and different dogs within each breed have speeds at which their movement looks best.  Faster is not always better just as coatier is not always better.

Years ago at Hagerstown, MD I showed Jadene’s Breezalong under Phil Marsh who had already given him a major.  We went BB from the classes to finish and on to second in the group under the same judge.  The Group First went to Jane Kay with one of her lovely Dobermans.  After the group she told me that I could have won the Group if I gaited my dog at a more lively pace.  I told her that I moved him at what I considered his best speed.  She reminded me that Phil Marsh was an ex-pro handler and liked to see the dogs really move as he did when he was showing.  We next met Phil Marsh judging the Group at the big Trenton show and I put on the gas with Breezy.  We won that Group and I guess I learned a lesson.  It still would seem apropos to move a dog at his or her best speed, but if you find a judge with certain preferences, you’d better decide what makes sense.

As many of you know I deplore the practice of hand stacking a Collie.  Indeed no matter what breed I judge when they go down and back I want a “natural” stop at the end.  The Collie standard tells us excessive posing is not desirable and my dogs were trained to stand on the four good legs God gave them.

Years ago when I was exhibiting Ch. Gingeor Bellbrooke’s Choice in the classes, I showed under an old all-rounder from Washington, DC.  He was a nice man and very likable, but we lost to a dog I though we should have beaten.  After the show someone told me that sound or not he wanted the dogs to be hand stacked.  Next time I showed under him I pretended I had a Boxer and we went Winners.  When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

You need to study judges and know their special little idiosyncrasies, but never lose sight of what is correct for our breed.  You may have to give a bit if you want to win, but you shouldn’t be swayed from breeding the right kind of Collies.  Moving faster than your dog can handle is generally a bad idea and hand stacking may appeal to some all-rounders, but not to the true Collie judge.

Judging is an interesting vocation and I like it when we have some variation.  Having all judges who dress alike and handle the ring alike and like exactly the same thing can be boring.  We all want to see the best specimen win particularly when we own it.  If someone else has the winner, then obviously the judge is having a bad day, right?  Over the years I showed under many judges who were having a bad day.  Their efforts generally became more noteworthy as my placements improved.

Think About It!

p.s.  It’s been such a fun winter , the main part of our pole barn collapsed on the 19^th, the next day the refrigerator died and oh yes, we needed a new clothes dryer.  Love those Michigan winters!

Happy New Year?

Happy New Year?

It’s New Year’s Day 2014 and snowing and cold here in Kalamazoo as is usually is at this time of year.  It seems to me such weather may not be good for dinosaurs, but we persevere.

As with most people who write, I sometimes decide to check my facts against the foremost authorities.  In my case this generally happens after the fact because dinosaurs often “walk in where angels fear to tread.”  The authority for things I say about what makes a good Collie is the Collie Standard.  I realize some folks have never read it and many who have still don’t understand it or, even worse, chose to ignore it.  It has been a roadmap for me for over sixty years as a breeder, exhibitor, writer, speaker and judge.

I have complained in the past about Collies with extremely small squinty eyes.  This creates a hard expression which is not pleasing to anyone who loves the Collie.  The standard says quite plainly with regards to this “they are almond-shaped, of medium size, and never properly appear to be large or prominent.  Nowhere do I find a reference to tiny, squinty, or the smaller, the better.

One of my other complaints is one shared by many and a likely reason for the Collie losing popularity with the public.  If you ever watched the movie “Lassie Come Home” you know you were not looking at a show Collie in today’s world.  In spite of that this was a pretty dog and the public loved her (him).  To clarify I again quote the standard.  “The well-fitting, proper textured coat is the crowning glory of the Rough variety of the Collie.”  It further elaborates on proper texture and reminds us that incorrect coats regardless of quantity are penalized.  No mention of the more coat the better.

Another point I’ve noted has to do with properly grooming our dogs for the ring.  Again I’ll quote the standard.  “The forelegs are smooth and well feathered to the back of the pasterns.  The hind legs are smooth below the hock joints.  Any feathering below the hocks is removed for the show ring.”  We obviously have some exhibitors who are either poor groomers or haven’t read the standard or both.  Read it and reread it and learn what it really means.  The Collie Standard represents the best thinking of people who deserve our respect and for the good of the breed we should follow this road map not just do what we like.

On a more personal note, I want to write about our recent loss of a dog named Grace.  The story of how we acquired her from the local animal control shelter was told in Collie Expressions some years ago.  They considered her pretty much unadoptable due to her condition physically and mentally.  She was a forty pound bundle of distrust complete with fleas, ticks and a coat so matted with filth we had to cut much of it off.  With regards to her being unadoptable they had underestimated my wife, Phyllis.

We got Grace right after my knee replacement surgery in April of 2008.  She spent some time in an ex-pen with me on crutches reading a book to keep her company.  She couldn’t be out with the other dogs until she was de-ticked, de-flead, had her shots, and was free of worms.  The other dogs in time helped because she could trust dogs, but not people.

Phyllis reached out for help and found lots of people willing to offer suggestions.  Some worked and some didn’t, but Phyllis doesn’t give up very easily.  One of the real break-thru’s came from Marianne Sullivan who was very patient and had worked with some traumatized dogs herself.  Step by step, inch by inch, it came together.  After months and years we had a dog who was having a good time.  She never trusted strangers and barked at anything she didn’t identify quickly, but she had a great time and loved Phyllis above anything in this world.  As Terhune might have said “she had found her god.”  She might have been a recreational barker, but Phyllis figured out what it was all about much sooner than I did.  Grace barked at nothing until we came outside.  Then she only barked for good reason.  She had found people to trust finally and wanted them with her.  My wife, Phyllis, often tells me she wishes she knew as much about Collies as I do.  My answer to her is very simple.  She knows all she needs to know and has a way with dogs that we all might wish to duplicate.  She doesn’t give up!

As Terhune also often said “People live too long and dogs die too soon.”  Our goofy, recreational barking Grace is gone.  It’s time now to grieve her loss, or is it?  You can imagine that over sixty some years in Collies I’ve had to say goodbye to many dog friends.  You could ask yourself why continue to put yourself thru the hurt of losing them.  I won’t say my answer will work for everyone, but it works for me.  We gave Grace back her life and watcher her thrive as much as a dog with her baggage ever could.  She was well-fed, groomed, loved and had doggy friends who loved her as we did.  So I just think of the good things not the loss.  It relieves the hurt and helps me build on the only advantage of growing old – memories!  

Think about it!

What's Going on Here?

What’s Going on Here?

The Blood-Horse Magazine which is one of my favorites is all about horse racing, breeding and sales trends.  One of the editorial sections is entitled “What’s going on Here?”  It seems apropos as one looks at the dog game to ask the same question.

Dog show entries are down as are registrations.  The AKC in their infinite wisdom has seen fit to license far too many shows just to help pay the bills.  Likewise they have recognized many strange breeds, some of which were created to kill, not for some silly purpose such as herding, hunting or killing vermin.  In further efforts to boost sagging income we have competition for Grand Championships and Reserve Best In Show along with various titles too long and numerous to mention.

Legitimate breeders are being legislated out of business or going broke because of the cost of vet bills, show expenses and the multitude of fancy dog feeds that modern canines seem to require.  Gone are the days of a few simple choices of what to feed and dogs that could thrive on them.  Today’s pampered pooches need to be tested for food allergies, fed small meals lest they bloat, and beware of raw beef bones!  The nasty cows get growth hormones, antibiotics, and all sorts of bad things.

With the exception of absolute puppy mills, most breeders are so fascinated with breeding the exotic show dogs that they forget what John Q Public wants in a dog.  They forget good health and sound temperament and concentrate on show points that in many cases create a dog that is a sad caricature of what a real dog should be.  There are many examples of such thinking, but one of my favorites is the Pekinese.

This breed used to look more like a Tibetan Spaniel than the Pekinese of today.  We have intensified the breathing problems, eyes popping out, and added coat that hides the characteristic lack of soundness.  How would you enjoy taking the Westminster BIS Pekinese for a walk around the neighborhood?  The poor soul would probably suffer a heart attack.

Just so you know I’m not picking on Pekes, the breed I’ve loved for sixty-five years, the Collie, has its own problems.  There are far too many squinty little eyes, excessively long, open coats, and little tiny phony ears that need to be molded in place.  The temperament of choice is one that shows non-stop and never mind if the dog ever relaxes and enjoys being with its owner.

More and more we see people adopting dogs from shelters whether purebred or mongrel in preference to going to a breeder for a puppy.  Though these adoptions are seldom cheap, and often come with lots of baggage, the new owner feels noble in having saved a life.  Now Phyllis and I have “rescued” several dogs and cats as well.  Some of the dogs were collies and some were not, but between vet bills and adoption costs, they weren’t cheap, but they did need help and I make no apologies.

Breeders need to step up and recognize what the puppy buyer in the real world wants.  They need to be responsible and be willing to take back dogs that don’t work out and encourage people to spay and neuter to avoid shelters full of unwanted pets.  If a perspective buyer wants to show or breed they need a clear picture of what’s involved and some help along the way.

Now I’ve been a dog person all my life and still am, but the cat is becoming very popular as a pet and, in many cased, is replacing the dog because of our changing life styles.  The cat doesn’t need to be walked, and does quite well with bowls of food and water and a clean litter box.  They are subject to ailments just like dogs and many can be annoyingly independent, but many people enjoy that trait.

Those of us who believe in Creation can also understand that things don’t stay the same.  Evolution is a process that is natural and occurs in wild creatures without our help as well as in domestic creatures that we control.  The wild creatures evolve in ways that help them better deal with the life they must face.  If we wish to truly be successful as breeders our goal must be to breed animals that can live as companions as well as show dogs.  One of our main goals should be to produce puppies that mature into happy, fun to be alive dogs.

Car companies over the years have evolved into some habits that are quite annoying.  To get item “A” you must purchase a package that includes “B” and “C”.  If we who love purebred dogs pursue that line of thinking and insist that people who want a happy, healthy, pretty pet must accept a lot they don’t want the shelters and cat breeders will be full of smiles and we’ll only have ourselves to blame. 

Think about it!