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Dog Hobbyist News A version of this newsletter with photos is in the DogHobbyist News Archive. In This Issue:
Do you play with your dog? What types of games do you play? Fetch? Tug-o-war? How about some new and fun things to do with your dog. Hide and Seek can be a fun game to play, and teach your dog to do a little searching. You can start this game by running and hiding behind a tree or a wall and encourage the dog to follow. Make the distance greater over time, and have someone hold the dog back to give you a headstart. If you have basic commands down such as sit or stay, you can use this, then teach a find command to have the dog look for you. A dogs sense of smell is one of its greatest assets. Instead of having your dog seek you, have it seek an object. Take a favorite toy or treat and hide it under a rug, towel or blanket. Lift the covering, drop it and lift it until the dog sees the object and grabs it. Make a fuss and reward. Make it fun! Once your dog begins to figure out this game, make the object more difficult by not lifting the covering. Get the dogs sense of smell into it. Some easier games to play with a dog or puppy is tag, playing fetch in water. Teaching your dog to swim at an early age is beneficial to all. You can also get into some of the more complicated sports such as agility or obedience. Just remember, it is not enough that we just feed, house and walk our dogs. They also need our time, love and fun. Playing with a dog is not only good for the dog, but good for us too. Have fun!
Melody Golubski New at PetHobbyist! PetHobbyist.com Rescue Group & Shelter Locator Do you run a Rescue Group or Shelter? If so, PetHobbyist.com would like to invite you to list your Group or Shelter FREE with our brand new Rescue Group & Shelter Locator. Groups will be asked to provide information about their program, a description and mission, types of animals your group works with, and any special clauses or requirements your group has. Groups who list with us will abide by our Code of Ethics. Those who meet our guidelines will receive a free listing in a comprehensive international database of registered Rescue Groups. This Rescue Group & Shelter Locator will be searchable by species and by location, and will provide information on selecting a Rescue Group or Shelter. PondHobbyist.com!
Whatever your interest in ponds, DogHobbyist.com has a new sister site: PondHobbyist.com! You'll find a full line up of forums, including ones for amphibian ponds, watergardens, fish ponds, and turtle ponds. You'll see an ever-growing collection of advertisers, care sheets, recommended links, and other resources. Check it out at PondHobbyist.com.
Winner's What?
A Day at the Dog Show I remember the first time I attended a dog show. It seemed like mass confusion. Dogs and people milling about, running seemingly willy-nilly in and out of rings, people shouting numbers. It made my head hurt just trying to make sense out of it. Most dog shows in the United States are held by the American Kennel Club, the largest registry of purebred dogs in this country. Upon arriving at a dog show, visit the superintendent's table. They will have free schedules available, known as "judging programs." The judging program has a list of breeds, the number of that breed entered, the ring they will be shown in and the ring time. After determining what breeds you'd like to observe, locate the rings they are being judged in, and arrive a few minutes before judging time starts. You will see a lot of people holding dogs standing outside the ring, many of them wearing numbered armbands. Two people will be standing in the ring, one of whom wears is a badge saying he or she is the judge. The judge is totally in charge of what happens in the ring. The second person in the ring is the steward. The steward functions as the judge's assistant and keeps things running smoothly. S/he checks in exhibitors, hands out armbands, calls exhibitors in for the classes, gets ribbons ready for the judge to award, and marks a catalog with all absentees and placements (among other tasks). When showtime arrives, the steward will start calling the dogs into the ring. The dogs are shown in categories based on sex, age, where they were bred, and if the exhibitor is the breeder. They are also shown in categories for dogs who are working toward their championship, and dogs who are already champions. The dogs are shown anonymously; only the handler's armband number identifies them.
The winners of each category then return to the ring to compete against each dog of their same sex. The male and female winners of this competition are known as the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch; these are the awards that come with the all-important championship points. "First runner ups" known as Reserve Winners Dog and Reserve Winners Bitch are also selected. (There is no apostrophe after "Winners".) Immediately afterward, the steward calls in the dogs for Best of Breed (BOB) competition. This consists of the dogs who have already finished their championships (often referred to as "specials"), the Winners Dog, and the Winners Bitch. The judge individually examines the specials, and evaluates them stacked and moving. Often competition is quite keen, and in this class showmanship can be critical. After careful consideration, the judge makes three awards. Best of Breed is awarded to the dog that most closely approaches the breed standard on that day, in the judge's opinion. Next Best of Winners is awarded, which is exactly what it says, the best between the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch. The last award given is Best of Opposite Sex (BOS). If BOB is a male, BOS is given to the most outstanding female, and vice versa. There is no rule stating that BOB and/or BOS must be champions, and in fact it is not uncommon for class dogs to win these awards.
The steward calls each Best of Breed winner into the group ring, and they all line up, stacked and looking their best. All dogs are individually examined and gaited, even if they are showing to the same judge who did their individual breed. It is important to remember that the dogs are not really being judged against each other, but against the perfect specimen of its breed described by the breed standard. In other words, not "is the Papillon prettier than the Pug," but "does the Papillon more closely match its breed standard than the Pug." Four placements are made in each variety group, first, second, third and fourth. After all of the groups are judged, it's time for the main event! The seven group winners are called into the ring for Best In Show (BIS) judging. Once again, dogs are judged starting from scratch. A BIS judge must know the breed standards for all breeds, a great feat of memory. Many judges have a theatrical flair, and make the award in a dramatic fashion. With a great flourish, the judge points at the Best in Show winner that day. There are congratulations, tears and laughter. The awarding of Best In Show brings our day at the dog show to an end.
A New Pup Found Well, summer is in full swing now in most states. Which of course reminds me of one case I was on several years ago. A family got a new pup. The entire family was involved in Buying a Puppy
Oh by the way, they wanted to name the pup after me, but I gave them a place on line to get a zillion name, so they could pick just the right one: A Zillion Dog Names My other suggestion to them was to sign up for training classes so they would have a great pet for years to come. Basic Training Can Head Off Behavior Problems. Always have fun with your dog, but learn to read their feelings, They also need love, attention, good nutritious food, clean water and a good fun play time, Search for a Dog Park. Along with DogHobbyist.com Registered Code of Ethics Breeder Locator, DogHobbyist also has Rescue and Adoption Links and Petfinder.com is a great place to search for a new pet. See you all next month and don't forget to hug your dog today.
Monday 9-10 PM Sighthound Chat
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Does frog song from a backyard pond send you to sleep every night? Do your turtles have their own pond? Does your love of all things cold-blooded include pond fish? Or are you just a watergarden fan?
Handlers and dogs move around the ring, and when they have completed the circuit, the dogs are examined individually. The judge examines the dog's bite, to make sure the teeth meet in the manner prescribed by the breed standard (some standards also require the judge to check for missing teeth). The judge also checks for condition (muscle tone), proper coat texture, and structure. This is particularly important in coated breeds, where structural faults can be hidden by skillful grooming. While grooming may fool the eye, it won't deceive a knowledgeable pair of hands! All the males must also be checked for two normally descended testicles.
The dog judged Best of Breed is eligible for the next level of competition, known as group judging. All fully recognized AKC breeds are divided into seven variety groups. They are: Sporting Group, Hound Group, Working Group, Terrier Group, Toy Group, Non-Sporting Group, and Herding Group.
What to discuss more about Dog Shows and what a person does when showing dogs, please join PHSara for Show Dog Chat on Tuesday evenings from 10:00 - 11:00 pm et in the 
As soon as they picked up the pup they had a vet check and then off to the pet food store. They made one big mistake, they should have taken the pup into the store and not left the pup in the car, even though the windows were cracked open. We all know you have to