But wait! you also get...

A while back I wrote an essay on being a huntmaster; it's a tough job and I've had the pleasure of seeing some really good ones recently. All things being equal, I'd rather have a dog in a hunt than anything else, but if I'm not running a dog, I'd rather judge than anything else.

At it's best, judging is a lonely job. And spending six or eight hours all by myself is a luxury... no phone, no e-mail, no chores, nobody talking my ear off... just wide open space and endless quiet and the opportunity to be as the hounds slip and the jackrabbit does its level best to out maneuver them. I start my recorder and let stream of consciousness go from binoculars to lips, running commentary. I listen to the play-by-play as I do my scoring, close my eyes and the entire course plays out again.

blue in the lead, pink has quit, yellow arcing around, yellow does a legitimate go-bye... pink has the run-up, pressing the rabbit hard, jink right, advantage blue... tallyho, rabbit straight out, pink on it, the others trailing, rabbit has it's ears up, rabbit hard left advantage yellow, blue very wide can't corner for beans, pink and yellow now pressing the rabbit hard... all tail chase, wow a hawk forced a turn! left turn, pink now has the lead and is closing on the hare... yellow has been dominated since the last wrench, pink is fading, blue out of frame. pink has quit, yellow is still on it, hard turn left, rabbit induced turn... they are coming up the hill right toward me, gawd what a strong rabbit, he's opening up an enormous lead... they have gone into the cover, just flashes of blanket now, they are back in the open, yellow is pressing the rabbit very hard and gaining, take attempt... rabbit is opening a big gap over blue, yellow and pink trailing, left, right, order is the same, dogs are bunching up, blue in the lead, yellow second, pink third, all tail chase, out of sight over a berm... blue opening up a big gap, accelerating and gaining on the rabbit, opening a huge lead over yellow... interesting, rabbit is dicking around, ah now pink is pressing hard, ears down, arc right... yellow trailing, pink is closing the gap on the rabbit, closing, forcing turns, soft turns, left right left again, take attempt, rabbit is very pressed, very pressed, hard right, again, and pink has it...

Recording the courses is great, vastly simplifies my ability to see an "instant replay", enables me to know duration, course dominance, blanket color, and assure kill credits are as fair as possible. As for relying just on my memory would be, well, let's just say I wouldn't do that to the hounds.

But in a 6 or 7 hour day, there may be a total of only 10 or 15 minutes of coursing. You may be wondering what I do with myself the rest of the time. Never fear, gentle reader, there's a long list:

Bright warm memories of great courses to warm the feet on frozen mornings... sand in places ladies don't discuss, sunburn, windburn, mist and frost on boots and in your bones, afternoon doldrums, bored senseless... rattlesnakes (rare), bees (one unforgettably creepy day), countless birds, from burrowing owls and quail to golden eagles; an elk once, pronghorn often, assorted ground squirrels and prairie dogs. There's also repetitive stress injury from lifting binoculars... getting second guessed, yelled at, and developing a thicker skin, gaining a broader perspective and a deeper appreciation of the hounds, and an abiding and genuine admiration of the rabbit.

The season is over, much to the disappointment of my hounds. I watch them twitch in their sleep, lips curled, feet tight, and wonder if they replay the great courses on their eyelids, too.

"Bend over and cough"

OK, I'm paraphrasing. Perhaps describing impact rather than intent. Decide for yourself.

There was a discussion on registration fees, which were last raised in 2007. Following a motion by Dr. Garvin, seconded by Mr. Ashby, it was VOTED (unanimously) to implement the following, effective January 1, 2012:
•  A price increase of $10.00 from $20.00 to $30.00 for dog registration and transfer fees.

This quote is taken from the October 2011 AKC Board of Directors minutes, and it is sending shock-waves through the ranks of Responsible Ethical Breeders (REBs). As a group of people that, almost without exception, lose money on every litter bred, the prospect of losing more money is being met with understandable outrage and horror. (Don't believe me? ask Google)


Adding insult to injury, at the same meeting, came this:

Following discussion, there was a motion by Dr. Garvin, seconded by Dr. Davies, and it was VOTED (unanimously) to implement a $10 fee for each additional owner added to the dog during the original registration of the dog and any subsequent transfers, effective January 1, 2012. A dog may be registered with one Primary Owner at no additional cost. Co-owned dam owners registering members of the litter to the litter owners will be exempt from this additional fee.

Forget doing co-breedings with like-minded REB's on the other side of the country. Forget selling a puppy to a husband and wife and putting both on the papers. Forget ensuring dogs have more than one person to own them should somebody die. Madness!


What I can't quite wrap my head around is the AKC's ability to understand the critical role REB's have...

Truly the lifeblood of our sport, the breeder is owed a special debt of thanks from all who enjoy the sport—owners, handlers, judges, and spectators. So essential are they... those breeders who have dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament, and quality of purebred dogs. 

..., and then throw REB's under the bus anyway. These statements are taken from the 2010 Annual Report. Lip service, anyone?

What I find interesting is that the AKC clearly understands the differences between REB's and - well, them that ain't. AKC has a committee that deals solely with what they term "high volume breeders" and, that even these are a step above "puppy mills."

For purposes of the committee’s work, the term “puppy mill” was reserved for substandard commercial breeders...

This statement was published in 2002. It goes on:

...the impact that high-volume breeders have on rescue... the committee felt that the high volume producers should be encouraged to become accountable for their part of the problem.

Which is to say, it is understood at all levels of the dog fancy that REB's take care of their own; high-volume breeders and puppy mills (both of which are commercial) don't.


But you already knew that. And, actually, isn't the point.


AKC has been, publicly, struggling for many years now, financially. Registrations, the primary mission, are down, which reduces income. The situation has gotten so bad, the AKC no longer publishes registration statistics, only rankings. So it makes financial sense for the AKC to pursue high volume commercial breeders. Those companies make a profit, and have any number of options regarding that additional $10 per puppy expense: take it out of their profit margin, pass it along to their buyers, go to another registry, or sell un-papered animals.


(It seems obvious to me that the AKC wants to eat its cake and have it, too: high quantity of registrations to ensure revenue, while preserving the illusion of quality through papered puppies. As we all know, it's hard to have it both ways at once.)

REB's, on the other hand, don't have much in the way of options. Sure, there are other registries, but if your breed's parent club belongs to AKC, that means REB's have to play the AKC game. Going to another registry isn't an option for most REB's - unless you want to double-register your puppies, which means you pay even more in registration fees.

So, what to do? Break out your keyboard and telephone, that's what. Contact the AKC BOD and tell them what you think of their unanimous vote to screw REB's. Contact the AKC Officers and tell them what you think of their leadership in this area. In particular, let the Executive Secretary, James P. Crowley, know your thoughts. You can contact him by e-mail or phone: 212-696-8234  He's been identified as the point-person for this issue.


When I make phone calls of this sort, I try to remember a simple process from way-back-when in my corporate wage-slave days. Three little parts: "I like... My concern is... My suggestion is..." It is easy to focus on that middle one, which tends to put people on the defensive and makes it less likely they will hear anything else. Flatter a little, be polite with the issue, and then most importantly, offer constructive suggestions.


My own list of suggestions for the AKC to retain registrations and increase revenue goes something like this: focus on quality, and the quantity will follow. Allow individuals to join AKC and become members; simplify the registered kennel name process so REB's can protect their good names; discounts for breeders that belong to their breed's parent club; discounts for Breeders of Merit; discounts for registering puppies from parents with current health clearances, CHIC #'s, etc.; discounts for registering puppies from litters in which both parents have AKC DNA profiles; discounts for registering puppies with permanent ID (tattoo or microchip). Here's a great idea: make those discounts cumulative, so REBs get credit for doing the right things - all of which cost lots of money. In short, more carrot and less stick. I think REB's could come up with a long list of suggestions.


Not the least of which is, AKC needs to be kissing the collective ass of REB's, not screwing us with our pants on.
  

Truth, lies, and fanning the flames

A lot on my mind, many a post not written or shared... Busy is good, silence is golden, and all that.

I spent yesterday temperament testing dogs at a shelter. As a therapy dog team evaluator, this is something we do about once a month, attempting to identify shelter dogs as potential therapy dogs. Of 10-15 we examine per session, on average, 3 qualify as candidates.

The time in-between dogs is usually spent having interesting discussions about dogs, behavior, "the system" of shelters, breeders, puppies, on and on. Yesterday it was suggested that, oh if only, everyone could stop breeding until every shelter dog had a home, then overpopulation and kill rates would be resolved. I pointed out that the market for shelter animals is very different than the market for dogs from Responsible Ethical Breeders. I suggested that if somebody wants a well-bred puppy with health-tested parents and proven lines of breed XXXX, that somebody is not going to go to the shelter and pick up a dog that doesn't meet those criteria. That person won't get a dog at all, until one becomes available from a REB.

The problem, I suggest, is that there is a huge market for puppies in the country. Not a huge market for badly-behaved adolescent dogs or elderly, ill, and infirm dogs.

The truth is: Responsible Ethical Breeders don't produce enough puppies to satisfy the puppy market in this country.

The problem, I suggest, is that shelters are pressured to lower kill rates and increase placement numbers, which results in poor placements to begin with and untracked returns as well.

The problem, I suggest, is that REB's are portrayed as the enemy, when REB's don't contribute to the shelter population at all.

The problem, I suggest, is that most shelters do a poor job of breed identification, and many shelters refuse to work with breed-specific rescue groups.

The solution, I suggest, is that we stop pointing fingers at each other and focus on the people who buy dogs, regardless of source, and ensure they have good information for making informed decisions on acquisition AND information on how to be responsible owners. This means buyers understand how much food and vet bills cost, what good training is and where to find it.

And I say BUYER quite deliberately. Cute euphemisms like "adoption fee" don't change reality: money changes hands. It's a purchase, let's not deceive ourselves. No matter our feelings, dogs are, legally, property. That makes us owners.

Most of us are involved in rescue, on some level. Most of us are familiar with "foster failure" and have the dogs (and vet bills) to prove it. Most of us come to understand that the people who buy from shelters and irresponsible BYB's are the ones that create the shelter problem: if there is no market, there would be no supply.

Can one get a great dog from a shelter? Of course - but the odds are against it. Can one get a terrible dog from a REB? Of course - but not only are the odds against it, the REB will sell her soul to make it right.

Driving home, I saw a billboard that said "There's nothing wrong with shelter dogs." Having just spent 5 hours temperament testing shelter dogs, I vehemently disagree.

It's OK to laugh, and pass a tissue

I went to a funeral yesterday, and had a great time.

A friend died earlier this week, the service was yesterday and I went to pay my respects. I didn't know her well, just someone I ran into from time to time - we took herding lessons the same place, did a lot of the same sports - and liked well enough. We weren't close, never "did lunch" or had the other over for dinner. But I think I would have liked her well enough for that.

The service started with a joke, which was followed by a round of applause. This woman had three distinct areas in her life - corporate, musical theater, dogs - and friends shared memories from each of these. She gardened and cooked and traveled... a full life by most any measure. There was a performance by singers from the theater (including a lyric soprano that was terrific), a reading by a young granddaughter, and recollections from a colleague.

The music moved many to tears, but it's the colleague's speaking that I found deeply touching. A tall, elegant man, his bearing quietly stating his gravitas, choking on his words at the loss of his dear friend. Sometimes it seems the only place men feel safe showing emotion is at sport events - cheering, shouting, hugging, pumping fists. That's not so... 

Life is what we make of it. And it's short, oh so very brief. I am reminded that we don't know how long we have, how long our loved ones have, so we must make the most of every day. And hope to laugh and sing as well as cry at as few funerals as possible.

Unbearable Cuteness of Being

If there's anything more fun than 5 and 6 week old puppies, I don't know what it is. This is the pay-off of weeks of work and worry, months of planning and paranoia, sleepless nights, endless laundry and hope.

The Dva puppies are 6 weeks old and although I've kept their webpage current, somehow the blog got neglected. Sorry about that - guess I was distracted!

Anyway, the puppies met the tunnel this morning. They had the buja board in their play area for several days, and took to romping on it like it wasn't even there. (Somewhere there *are* pictures, but I can't find them right now!) I love buja boards because they MOVE and MAKE NOISE and seem UNPREDICTABLE - all of which teach puppies that these things are NO BIG DEAL and in fact FUN.

On our daily adventures and evening walkies they encounter all manner of obstacles - railroad ties marking off an old garden area, drainage ditch, big dirt piles, cactus - our property could hardly be called "groomed". Puppies learn that the ground is uneven, holes happen, falling down is normal, getting up and having another go is the only way to fly.

As their adult baby-sitter is rotated each day, it has become necessary to ensure the adult dog doesn't steal all the puppy food. So an old section of wallboard with a small dog door is set up to block the in/out of the x-pen barricade. A few days of this - puppies have to find the opening and navigate the hole to get into the big paddock - and they are zooming in and out with ease (in for water and food, out for a big playmate and more room to run).

"In" has other perks - Ripple sez MY rabbit skin.

This morning I simply set the tunnel on the "out" side of the puppy hole - they had to go through the tunnel to get into the big yard.

Four of the little stinkers were out before I had my camera turned on.

Hm, I'll stop and have a sniff.

This isn't a real agility tunnel, but a kiddie version. The real things are heavy, opaque, and expensive. Not what I want puppies exploring with their teeth - which of course is the next thing they do, followed immediately by jumping on it.

Why go around? Over works just fine.

Pretty soon they were running in and out like pros, which is exactly the point.

In.

Out. Repeat.

In the puppy paddock (about 3000 sq ft) they can run to their hearts' content. And explore - the big dog-door into the kennel

Moose (r) peers inside; Chip (l) changes directions.

and the big dog house (room to run in there!)

Hey, whatcha doin' in there?

jump on / run over whatever is lying about

The inverted pool was covering a critter hole; these pups are gamey!

and just generally run like fools.

Dulce (r) in hot pursuit of Vanna (l).

Just another morning in puppy playland...

So I guess this is a Coven?

We are back to Vampires - particularly now that TEETH are coming in! Between toenails and teeth, it's no wonder Tigress sez "how much longer am I gonna do this?"

This is what 42.5# of puppies looks like!

How on earth do puppies go from 1# to 5# in just three weeks?!?! Mama's on a steady diet of unlimited fresh water and Evo, an incredibly calorie-dense kibble. She also gets an assortment of ice cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, tripe - and last night she asked for a bit of cucumber from my salad. I figure, she can have whatever she wants, as this coven of vampires suck her dry several times a day.

The puppies made many other advances this week, and we got some clarification on colors - with some intriguing possibilities. See their webpage for details. Walking - forwards and backwards - is pretty coordinated on good footing, but on slippery surfaces resembles a game of Twister.

One of the things most good breeders try to follow is the "rule of 7's" - and I think it would be hard not to hit 7 of everything by 7 weeks of age. Take for example, surfaces: laps (different kinds of clothing), plastic bottom of whelping box, piddle pads, newspaper, rag in weighing box, blankets (rough and smooth sided), climbing on toys, climbing on dam, grass, dirt, gravel... I find it impossible that any puppy could not be on 7 different surfaces in a matter of days. I like the "rule of 12" and suspect that with just a bit of conscious effort that's quite doable for most puppy raisers. Though I for one will not discourage borzoi puppies from chasing ;-)

Not our usual sunset...

The horrifying smoke of the past 10 days has, thanks to favorable wind directions, abated for the present. Here's a photo of last night's sunset. The sun's color is creepy (due to the smoke haze) but at least we can see the mountains. And the stars at night - I really missed those.


However the frequently hazardous breathing conditions put a damper on visitors - three new people this week. That makes 17 since birth, still a respectable number.

Papa Py has sniffed them and gently wagged is tail - I have no reason to think he knows they are his, but his gentleness with these new members of His Pack is unmistakeable.

Py gazes fondly at Bruno, Dulce, and Ripple.

The paper over the insulation is missing in several places.

And in unrelated news... Anthony is now sharing the shower in the master bath, as there's a wee problem with the tile in his bathroom... We are a cozy threesome these days!

As my friend Susan is coming to help do puppy evaluations in 5 weeks, we have a very clear deadline for getting this all put back together.

Chew Thoroughly Before Inhaling

No doubt everyone with a TV or access to a newspaper is aware of the out-of-control fire in Arizona. As of this morning, the smoke was reported visible in Iowa. Not hard to believe... but it is hard to breath.

A few pictures for those having trouble imagining what it's like:

The usual view of South Mountain (with the Sandias in the background; looking west)

Same mountain, seen driving north on Hwy 344 this morning, just after the smoke moved in.

A perfectly ordinary sunset (taken last month), as seen from our driveway.

Grey does not photograph well.

A photo taken last night, from the same spot in my driveway. See the mountains? No? Well, you're right. They are completely obliterated by the smoke.

The sun isn't usually that color (a surprisingly accurate photo), and as the evening progressed the sky changed from a thick grey to a sickening yellow - similar to a tornado sky.

Before bed, my husband went outside with a flashlight. He said there was ash falling like snowflakes. I have to wonder: will embers travel this far, too?

And, the obligatory puppy picture. My client Becky was kind enough to come in after her agility lesson, and cuddled every puppy.

Shown here with Vanna.

You may be wondering how the puppies are faring with this weather. This has been a source of major concern for me the last couple of days, and I've talked with friends in NE and TN about evacuating Tigress & the puppies to cleaner skies. Thanks to a home-rigged evaporation cooler for the whelping box/play pen and a HEPA-quality air-filter, the family room is currently comfortable.

All the dogs are indoors full-time, exercise and road-work schedules are at a stand-still, and our thankfully cool tile and brick floors are littered with bored dogs. Better safe than sorry, however, no heavy breathing allowed at this time.

We have our fingers crossed the monsoons arrive sooner than later - because rain (and lots of it) is the only chance we've got.