Morris & Essex Kennel Club Dog Show ~ Redux

Since its commemorative reincarnation a decade ago, the Morris and Essex Kennel Club dog show has become a modern classic with a serious nod to its traditional roots. A new book just published, The Golden Age of Dog Shows: Morris & Essex Kennel Club, 1927-1957, not only celebrates those roots but raises funds to help keep the tradition alive. With a forward by William Secord, famed canine fine art historian and gallery owner, this photo-filled book promises not to disappoint.

Morris & Essex Kennel Club 1927-1957 Book Cover

Last month, as part of Women’s History Month, I included M&E’s founder, Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, as my nominee for important women in history. You can read the tribute below, which first appeared in my weekly column Lisa Unleashed published in The Newtown Bee on March 13, 2015:

Since 1995 U.S. Presidents have passed resolutions declaring March as Women’s History Month. According to womenshistorymonth.gov the celebration is a “tribute to the generations of women whose commitment to nature and the planet have proved invaluable to society.” Nature and the planet are two pretty broad categories when singling out individuals who have made an impact. Dogs are also part of nature and the canine-human bond is felt all over the planet. As such, I’d like to contribute my nominations of one woman whose commitment to ‘dogs’ have “proved invaluable to society.”

Many have called Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge the “First Lady of Dogdom” of the 20th century. Daughter of William Rockefeller Jr., as well as John D. Rockefeller, Sr.’s niece, she along with her husband, Marcellus Hartley Dodge, heir to the Remington Arms fortune, founded the Morris & Essex Kennel Club in the 1920s. When they married in 1907 at the Fifth Avenue mansion of her father in Manhattan, the newspapers called them “the richest couple in the world.”

Morris & Essex Dog Show

Lisa & Gail show off their hats at Morris & Essex in October 2010

With this vast wealth each year from 1927 to 1957 Mrs. Dodge hosted the famed Morris & Essex dog show for thousands of dogs. Dozens of tents decorated the polo field of their vast estate “Giralda Farms” in Madison, New Jersey as top breeders and handlers came to exhibit their purebred dogs. For decades it was not only a valuable place to come study dogs but also a stop on the social scene. It was a special show, with Mrs. Dodge offering sterling trophies, lavish flower decorations, and the famed boxed lunch for all the exhibitors in attendance.

M&E had become the most prestigious dog show in the country, more important to some breeders and fanciers, than even Westminster, with around 4,000 dogs of all breeds in attendance. A win at M&E was a stamp of approval of a well-bred dog. For breeders, it was a paradise to come and see fine examples of dogs to study and watch as one was determining how a great dog or bitch might fit into a breeding program to improve their line. As a dog breeder herself, Mrs. Dodge understood the importance of a gathering place to see many well-bred dogs in action together to further the sport of purebred dogs. Show fanciers in the sport had large kennels and many litters of great dogs planned for the show ring also made their way into American homes as pets. But like all good breeders, the welfare of all dogs, whether we bred them or not, whether purebred or not, was equally important. Mrs. Dodge, herself a Best-in-Show judge at Westminster, also saw to it that those dogs less fortunate than her prized pups did not stay in that station of life for long.

St. Hubert’s Giralda – Founded in 1939 as a non-profit shelter, Mrs. Dodge wanted to not only advanced the study of breeding dogs but also to care for those injured and lost in her community. In addition, the shelter named after the patron of lost animals, at one time offered animal control services to six towns in Morris County, New Jersey. Today, the organization she founded in her backyard, is known as St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center and its expanded mission states its, “dedication to the humane treatment of animals. Its services to the community include pet adoption and animal rescue, animal assisted therapy, humane education, dog training, and pet loss support.

In 2005, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, St. Hubert’s agreed to take in the first of many airlifts of displaced dogs from Louisiana. As part of a team from AKC, who had funded the airlift through disaster donations, I waited at St. Hubert’s before heading to the airport to unload dogs. At one point I found myself face-to-face with some of the remaining artifacts from Mrs. Dodge’s life with dogs in a meeting room. As I glanced at trophies, books and other ephemera, I was struck by her depth of care and compassion for all dogs from show dogs to just those that needed to survive.

Many people today, including some dog show people, have no idea who Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge was, or her dedication to the welfare of all dogs. It’s heartwarming that nearly 50 years after the last Morris & Essex Dog Show, her legacy of St. Hubert’s Giralda lives on by helping a plane load of dogs who had lost their way after a devastating hurricane. Or also in 2005, the first ‘revived’ Morris & Essex dog show, held once every 5 years, would be established to keep her vision alive on the dog show front as well. This is the legacy of a great woman in history who has advanced man’s best friend and their care which in my opinion “have proved invaluable to society.”

A Gentleman’s Dog – Revolutionary War Style

Posted by Lisa Peterson

In a way, we have George Washington’s love of riding horses and breeding fox hounds to thank for his iconic role in the American Revolution. More importantly he upheld the standard that, even in wartime, a gentleman’s dog is not to be messed with. One of my favorite books, General Howe’s Dog: George Washington, the Battle of Germantown, and the Dog Who Crossed Enemy Lines, by Caroline Tiger (Chamberlain Bros., 2005) captures a little know act of kindness between opposing generals after a battle.

Homesick for Hounds

From Tiger’s well-written and researched account we learn that in 1775 Washington was homesick for his horses and hounds while a Virginia Delegate at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Away from his stable full of horses and his kennel full of hounds in Mount Vernon, Virginia, he brought one of his favorite hounds, Sweep Lips, to stay with him for comfort. One day as Washington walked Sweet Lips in the city, he came across the wife of Philadelphia’s Mayor Samuel Powell, an influential politician who also loved to fox hunt. After a dinner at the mayor’s home and through an introduction to the Gloucester Hunting Club in nearby New Jersey, Washington met other influential men who eventually secured his appointment as command of the struggling Continental Army. Tiger suggests we should thank Sweet Lips for being a chick magnet on the streets of Philadelphia and as a result securing our independence.

A fine pack of PennMaryDel Hounds

However, freedom didn’t come easy. Commander of the British troops, General William Howe, triumphed over Washington for years in many battles, always seeming to let the General retreat enough to fight another day. During the war, they politely wrote letters to each other complaining about food supply blockades, troop behavior, and burning buildings among other unfair tactics of war. In 1776, after the Delaware River crossing on Christmas morning, followed by victory at the Battle of Trenton against the Hessians, luck was beginning to change for the Continental soldiers. Washington, who likened war to hunting, foolishly galloped to the front lines during this battle and said afterwards, “It’s a fine fox chase, my boys.”

By September 1777, the British had captured Philadelphia, considered the nation’s capital, and encamped their troops northwest of the city in Germantown. Washington attacked in Germantown and nearly defeated Howe, before both sides retreated amidst confusion, fog and intermingling of troops. While Washington’s troops retreated back to their encampment at Pennypacker’s Mill, a fox terrier had joined them. Once discovered, one of Washington’s men read the inscription on the collar only to learn that the small dog belonged to General Howe. In all the confusion of the battle, the dog had followed them for 25 miles back to their camp.

General Howe’s Dog

Washington had to make a decision about this new interloper. According to the rules of military engagement at the time, dogs couldn’t be kept as prisoners of war and a man’s personal property should be returned. What to do? Being a gentleman, and ignoring an officer’s suggestion to make the dog a mascot, the General asked Alexander Hamilton, would who go on to become the first Secretary of the Treasury after serving as Washington’s aide-de-camp, to write a note to Howe.

George Washington looks over at the New York Stock Exchange

The note as reproduced in the book reads: “Note to Sir William Howe. General Washington’s compliments to General Howe, does himself the pleasure to return him a Dog, which accidentally fell into his hands, and by the inscription on the collar, appears to belong to General Howe. October 6th, 1777.”

Tiger goes on to describe the dog’s return via a solider on horseback traveling 25 miles back to Germantown with a white flag in one hand and the little terrier in the other. She speculated that British troops most likely laughed at this solider deep in enemy territory carrying a little dog. One of Howe’s men wrote about the incident later: “The General seemed most pleased at the return of the dog. He took him upon his lap, seemingly uncaring that the mud from the dog’s feet soiled his tunic. Whilst he stroked the dog, he discovered a tightly folded message that had been secreted under the dog’s wide collar. The General read the message, which seemed to have a good effect upon him. Although I know not what is said, it is likely to have been penned by the commander of the rebellion.”

George Washington Statue on the steps of Federal Hall, New York City, to commemorate his first inaugural speech at that site.

Unfortunately, as with much of history, Tiger tells us there is no record of what that second note tucked into the terrier’s collar might have said or what General Howe wrote back to Washington in return. She does tell us that, “We know that he appreciated the gesture, since later he referred to the incident as ‘an honorable act of a gentleman.’” To learn more about this book and its author visit www.carolinetiger.com.

Tobey Rimes – World’s Richest Dog or Urban Legend?

Posted by Lisa Peterson

Several years ago a New York Daily News reporter called my office and asked what I knew about the world’s richest dog, a poodle named Tobey Rimes. His inheritance was passed down from generations of poodles descended from the original Tobey of the 1930s, owned by Ella Wendel, the last surviving heir to a vast Manhattan real estate fortune built up over two centuries alongside the Astors.

Wendel never married and lived her entire life with her siblings in a Fifth Avenue mansion, at 39th street, build by her father in 1856 surrounded by a large yard. By the early 20th Century the house had been dubbed the “House of Mystery” since the front door and first floor windows had been shuttered for more than a quarter century. By 1930, all her siblings had died and it was just Ella and her dog living in the aging four-story brick and brownstone mansion.

An Urban Legend

Intrigued, I checked AKC pedigrees to see if there was any truth to these Tobey Rimes rumors, but without current Tobey’s owner’s name it was impossible to track. But the proliferation of misinformation still haunts online:

From MNN.com – “Ella Wendel’s dog: $92 million – Poodle Tobey Rimes inherited a staggering $92 million… he is “the poster dog for the benefits of trust funds and compounding interest” since he descended from a poodle who got his millions from a trust of $30 million set up by Ella Wendel.”

From vice.com – “Toby Rimes: Worth $80 million – Toby’s great-great-great-dogfather, the original Toby, was the pampered poodle of crazy rich lady Ella Wendel, who left him all her money when she died in 1931. The endowment, passed from dog to dog ever since…”

From PetPlan.com – Toby Rimes the dog – £30 million – Ella Wendel originally left her pet poodle Toby £15million in 1931. Since then there have been a succession of pampered pooches, with the current heir being Toby Rimes.

World’s Richest Dog?

What’s The Real Story

According to press reports as early as 1915, Ella Wendel’s little dog occupied the yard of the mansion. “In that lot are on old tree and a dog house and the sisters wait until the dark so that they may take their exercise” and not be looked upon by prying eyes from the new skyscrapers. The vacant lot used to be their grass-covered yard and some newspapers called it the “million dollar dog run” since many a developer offered that sum to purchase it, with Miss Wendel always refusing by stating that her dog needed an exercise area.

By 1930, her attorneys advised her to move since it was costing her $1,000 a day in taxes and expenses to live there. She told them it was her home and Tobey “needed a place to run around in.” So not only, did she maintain the million dollar dog run for her beloved pet, but kept an aging mansion without electricity or modern comforts just so the dog could have an indoor space as well. In addition, she had a small replica of her four-poster bed made for him as well as a dining table covered in red velvet, just like hers.

The Wendels maintained a summer home at Irvington, New York. According to the 1938 book, “I Remember,” by Jennie Prince Black, her neighbor Ella Wendel lamented to a neighbor that she was upset because, “The little dog has a stone in his foot.” He suggested that she get her driveway paved and then the stones would not be a problem to the dog. A local business did the work and presented her with a $20,000 bill for the driveway work from the house to the gate.

On March 15, 1931 Ella Wendel died. The next day The New York Times reported that “Tobey, a fat white poodle, lay beside the coffin” in the House of Mystery. At one point Tobey followed the clergyman into the dining room where he went to put on his vestments, studied him for a while, decided he was friendly and went back to his post at the bottom of his master’s coffin.

“What will become of the dog. Tobey, who was not settled last night,” the reporter asked. Later The Times stated, “His little bed and little table were removed. He had been assigned to the kitchen, where three servants, left as caretakers in the bleak house, took care of him.”

The Passing of Tobey

Tobey lived another 18 months while the executors probated the will and readied the mansion for demolition. His death was widely reported on Oct. 5, 1933. Reports said he had become ‘snappish’ and ill. The statement from the executors read, “It was necessary last week to have a skilled veterinarian bring the dog’s life to a painless end. In natural course, he could not have lived much longer.*** The executors have followed Miss Ella’s wishes as to the disposal of the dog, and he now sleeps peacefully alongside his predecessors.” He was buried in a green plot, behind the summer home in Irvington, N.Y. along with his predecessors, all poodles and all named Tobey.

The Medina Daily Journal read: “With the closing of the Wendel Mansion on Fifth Avenue recently, that the “richest dog in the world” is dead. Toby, a French poodle, occupied a prominent place in the spotlight when his mistress, Ella Wendel, died in 1931, leaving an estate of $100,000,000. It was said Wendel lavished more affection on the dog than any other living human.Toby had his own bed, a velvet-covered dining table, and a plot of ground to play in, which his mistress declined an offer more than one million dollars, “because it was Toby’s exercise place.” Painlessly destroyed, the little dog sleeps in the grounds of the Wendel summer home in Irvington, NY. in accordance with the last will of his mistress.”

It seems fitting that Miss Ella was the last of her line and well as her poodle Tobey. I think the modern day Tobey Rimes is made up by mixing historical fact with rumor. Whatever the truth, there is never any mention in press reports of the day that the dog got any money, but perhaps that her mansion was made available for him to live in until he died before it would be given to Drew University, one of 14 major beneficiaries. Here’s one clue: Mrs. Black in her memoir claims it was the same dog (with the stone in his foot) that held up the sale of the Fifth Avenue property because, “Miss Wendel insisted that her pet must have a place in which to exist.”

Happy Birthday – In Dog Years!

Posted by Lisa Peterson

After celebrating my husband’s birthday Monday, I teased him that our oldest dog, Jinx, an 11-year-old elkhound, is the about same age as him in ‘human years.’ We joked about it because we call her “the ol’ bitch” because she has that grizzled look of a wise old dog. This look – white hairs nearly covering her once black muzzle – afflicts many species. My husband joked back, “We are both grizzled.”

Puppy Bitch ~ Ol’ Bitch

Dog Age in Human Years
In my previous career as the American Kennel Club’s communications director and in-house dog expert, I’d routinely answer questions from the media such as, “Where did the one dog year equals seven human years in calculating a dog’s ‘human age’ come from?” Press inquiries usually came after the death of really old dogs, like a 21-year-old dachshund from Long Island or an allegedly 29-year-old mixed breed from England. Over the years, I’ve answered this seven-to-one conversion question for Esquire’s Answer Fella column, the Wall Street Journal’s ‘The Numbers Guy’ Carl Bialik, and even Slate’s Christopher Beam.

The origins of this conversion as unknown. Most journalists tend to point to the first mention of a human to dog year equivalent in 1268, based on an inscription on the floor of Westminster Abbey in London. Human and canine ages were used in calculating how old one would be around Judgment Day. Ancient scrawl stated that a dog’s average life span was nine years and that humans lived to be 81 years. Another notable comparison example is from Georges Buffon, the 18th century French naturalist, who declared that dogs live about 10 to 12 years while humans live about 90 to 100 years.

Using a rough mathematical formula a nine to one rule was born from these early notations. Then, according to William Fortney, a Kansas State University veterinarian, as quoted in the WSJ piece, human life expectancy was pegged at 70 years (thank you life insurance expectancy tables) and dogs at 10 years and thus the seven-to-one rule was forged into our dog-loving psyche. I tend to believe Fortney’s explanation for the origin of this rule, “My guess is it was a marketing ploy…a way to educate the public on how fast a dog ages compared to a human, predominantly from a health standpoint. It was a way to encourage owners to bring in their pets once a year.” Or you could believe Esquire’s Answer Fella who reported my quote on the rule this way, ..the origin of the seven-year rubic is — like Keith Olbermann’s colon — “shrouded in mystery.”

The Dog Age Formula
But more than half a century ago, science, researchers, and canine studies started to debunk the seven-to-one rule as not a “one-size fits all” for determining you dog’s age in human years. In fact, they learned that the formula varies based on the dog’s advancing age and the dog’s weight as an adult. So unfortunately, like most well-executed marketing campaigns, the seven-to-one rule lives on in popular culture and now must be continually debunked. But if you want to accurately calculate which dog in your household is closest in age to your husband then follow these tried and true guidelines that have been around for the last decade.

Ol’ Bitch Jinx Stealing Ray’s Spot

The first year of a dog’s life is very similar across all the size categories. Most calculating charts have four sizes based on the adult weight of your dog: Small (under 21 pounds); Medium (21-50 pounds); Large (50-90 pounds); and Giant (90 plus pounds). The first two years of a dog’s life show tremendous growth and aging.

1-year-old
Small (under 21 pounds) = 15 years
Medium (21-50 pounds) = 15 years
Large (50-90 pounds) = 14 years
Giant (90 plus pounds) = 12 years

Two-years-old
Small(under 21 pounds) = 24 years
Medium (21-50 pounds) = 24 years
Large (50-90 pounds) = 22 years
Giant (90 plus pounds) = 20 years

But as dogs age, another mystery enters the formula. The larger the dog the quicker it ages (in human equivalents), so by the time a giant dog is 8-years-old, its human equivalent would be 64-years-old. Compare that to the 8-year-old small dog, who would be only 48-years-old, a difference of 16 years aging between the two! Curious to find our about your dog’s human age? Here’s a complete chart for equivalent age in human years.

		Dog Size
Dog Years	Giant Dogs (> 90 lbs.)	Large Dogs (51-90 lbs.)	Medium Dogs (21-50 lbs.)	Small Dogs (< 21 lbs.)
1	12	14	15	15
2	20	22	24	24
3	28	29	29	28
4	35	34	34	32
5	42	40	38	36
6	49	45	42	40
7	56	50	47	44
8	64	55	51	48
9	71	61	56	52
10	78	66	60	56
11	86	72	65	60
12	93	77	69	64
13	101	82	74	68
14	108	88	78	72
15	115	93	83	76

New Year’s Hope

Posted by Lisa Peterson

There are two paths we take as one year passes into the next; one looking forward to the coming year another looking back on what just transpired. Some face firmly in one direction or the other, some do both, a moment of reflection before planning another year. I used to take that two-faced approach, looking back over my shoulder then looking ahead to the unknown. This New Year’s ritual I found mostly depressing as it forced me to focus on what I didn’t accomplish looking back. Then along with setting new goals for the future I found myself putting the same items back onto the resolution list all over again. So, I stopped doing it! Instead I followed my dogs’ advice, which was staring me right in the face, usually after they just licked it.

No Resolutions
My dogs’ advice is simple. Live in the moment. When you spend a great deal of time observing your dogs, you watch them in a variety of moments. I watch them eat, I watch them sleep, I watch them play. I watch them steal bones from each other. I watch them run outdoors. I watch them ‘nest’ before lying down on a blanket. And to borrow a phrase my grandmother, “When we work, we work, when we eat, we eat and when we sleep, we sleep.” This phrase used to come up when someone tried to do something like read at the dinner table or take a nap in the afternoon. In fact, to her, all waking hours were devoted to either work, eat or sleep. Kind of like my dogs. And if you notice that when dogs are eating, they are not trying to play or do basic commands like sit or down. They are focused on the getting to the bottom of the ceramic bowl, to eat every morsel in sight so they can lick the bowl clean and find that blue paw print on the bottom. Then, the bowl is picked up, and eating is done. Fully lived. Finished. Forward. All of us should aspire to live life this way.

So like my dogs, I too live in the moment, I don’t dwell on what just happened and try not to think too far into the future. This has worked out pretty well for both me and my dogs. It also includes not making any resolutions because that would be focusing way into the future where what I’m planning to stick to may never actually happen. Actually, sticking to those resolutions has never happened. So watch and learn from your dogs and discover how they live, from moment to moment to moment. By doing this they create a journey of life moments that flow with ease and take no emotional baggage with them. Besides baggage is heavy, cumbersome and we tend to trip over it. I find their zest for life curious as dogs also thrive on routine, while us humans tend to get bored by routine, especially a dull routine. But to dogs, that routine is again nothing more than lived moments, enjoyed to their fullest, and then moved on to the next one.

All puppies need love!

Hound Hopes
While I don’t make resolutions anymore, I do still have hopes. Buy my hopes are bigger for all dogs and the owners who love them. Here are my New Year’s Hopes for 2015 and that if you find yourself in these moments, no matter how good or difficult, embrace them fully.

– To be in such a still place with your dog – so close, so connected – that you feel the canine-human bond and it becomes the moment.
– To be reminded of the joy your dog feels during the daily walk, evening playtime, couch potato hour watching TV, weekly grooming, and fun training sessions and you don’t let those moments slip by.
– To be considering getting rid of your dog because you made a bad judgement in getting it – and it was just too hard to keep the dog – that you changed your mind in a moment to keep the dog and work it out.
– To be in the position of having to say goodbye to an old or sick dog and you finally found the right moment to do so – and you did with grace and compassion.

Puppy’s First Christmas

Posted by Lisa Peterson

One of my favorite holiday traditions is celebrating with the newest member of the family, the puppy! No matter when the puppy arrived during the year they will always have a first Christmas. Like most of us dog lovers, I’m guilty of overindulgence of my treasured pets. Besides the toys and treats, monogrammed stockings were ordered for them this year. Ok, that was more for me than them.

Holiday Decorating for Dogs
Puppy’s first Christmas is full of wonder and investigation, so in the spirit of safety, no decoration reaches into the puppy zone. Believe me, it’s taken multiple puppies and years of broken ornaments, knocked down large trees, drinking Christmas tree water, licking pine needles, ripped open packages, eaten candles and close calls with poinsettias to come to this design. There are just too many holiday hazards with poisonous plants, glass ornaments, tinsel, chocolate, electrical wires, and open flames to even consider using them. I prefer simplicity and peace of mind for my newest puppy and family pack of high energy hunting hounds.

Adele and Jinx with their elevated Christmas tree

The centerpiece, a two-foot tall Douglas Fur tree in a bucket, rests atop a three-foot tall table placed behind the couch. This keeps it above puppy’s sightline and out of the indoor play area (i.e., the center of the living room). By wrapping a tree skirt (I’ve repurposed an old horse’s dark green quarter sheet) around the bucket and draping table, it keeps inquisitive puppy noses away. Tree decorations are kept to a minimum: one strand of gold garland, a handful of little ornaments and one string of lights. Lights are strung from the tree across the narrow passage way 3 feet above the floor behind the couch to behind a secretary to plug in. This way, no electrical cords are on the floor for a nosy puppy to check out.

Elevated electrical wires for tree lights safely above a prying puppy’s nose

With no room under the tree for the gifts, again, we elevate them even higher, on top of the secretaries near the ceiling. A few larger ornaments previously hung on the big tree now dangle from hutch door fronts and wall sconces. My favorite are two lovely gold painted horseshoes adorned with jingle bells given by the NBLA as party favors at one of their holiday celebrations years ago. Every decoration and wrapped gift is placed 3 to 5 feet above the puppy zone.

Keeping all decorations way above the elkhound’s sightline keeps all elkhounds safe for the holidays.

Christmas Eve Fables
I don’t know when I first heard this fable, but as a child I always believed that all animals bowed down on their front legs at midnight on Christmas Eve to pay homage to all the animals at the Bethlehem manger watching over the birth of Christ. In my childhood home we had a miniature manger complete with biblical action figures, glittering wise men, and an assortment of animals. While counting down the 12 days of Christmas I’d play out this fable with cows, camels and sheep all bowing down in front of the little cradle with the baby Jesus. One day I noticed baby Jesus’ leg bore teeth marks, no doubt from one of the family dogs, who thought he was a toy! The following year, the manager moved from under the tree to the table top. I was never awake at midnight, since I didn’t want to scare away Santa Claus, to see if my pets took part in this tradition.

For the first time in decades, just my husband and hounds will be home, just the five of us, to open our gifts on Christmas Eve. Our puppy will be introduced to the giving of the gifts. The celebration begins with the unwrapping of numerous toys that all three dogs will vie for. After they rip off the wrapping paper, the fun begins. Anyone with a pack knows that what ever toy/bone/treat the other dog has is always better than what they have. The pack plays what I call musical bones! And it usually starts with the youngest puppy going after the alpha dog’s bone, if successful, the alpha goes after beta’s bone, who then turns around and goes after the puppy’s bone. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

This bone-stealing ritual continues unrelenting until they are all exhausted from posturing, chewing and the sheer excitement of something new to play with. After about an hour, the puppy collapses on the floor into immediate slumber, the old dogs soon follow. Then us humans can open our gifts in relative peace. This year I’m hoping to extend the celebration to midnight to finally see for myself if the dogs bow down in honor of the animals in Bethlehem. Happy Holidays to all Hounds from Adele, Jinx & Linx.

Be Thankful for Purpose-bred Puppies

Posted by Lisa Peterson

This past weekend dog lovers descended on the “Thanksgiving Classic Cluster” in Springfield, Massachusetts. This cluster of dogs shows is presented by the Springfield, South Windsor, Holyoke and Windham County kennel clubs who join together to offer four days of dog shows at the Eastern States Exposition, home of the iconic “The Big E” fair. Amongst the more than 2,500 purebred dogs representing 167 breeds at the shows, were dozens of darling puppies.

Dog shows are put on by volunteers who then give a part of the proceeds to needy canine causes in their communities. Yes, dog shows are fundraisers. But the best by-product is meeting all the puppies! There is nothing cuter than a ring full of wagging and wiggling puppies waiting to kiss anyone who calls their name. Every size and shape were on hand, from the handsome Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen to Miniature Longhaired Dachshund in the hound puppy ring. There was the large Great Dane and the little Chihuahua, and of course, everyone’s favorite, the Golden Retriever puppy.

Count Our Blessings

Adele in the wilds of the backyard in Dodgingtown

During the annual turkey tradition many are faced with the “Let’s go around the table and say what we are thankful for” routine. Heard are the familiar refrains of spouse’s and parent’s names and the occasional ‘good health’ thrown into the mix before consuming an 8,000 calorie meal. But this year when asked that question, my reply will be, “I’m thankful for puppies!” Everyone at the table will giggle and laugh but to someone who has spent a lifetime “in dogs” I really mean this as something serious.

Ray welcomes Adele to Dodgingtown

I’m thankful for all the dedicated responsible breeders who plan and lovingly raise litters of puppies. I’m thankful they have spent decades of scientific study in health research, genetics and pedigrees. I’m thankful that when families want a happy, healthy purebred puppy, that meets their needs and lifestyle, they can find one at the home of a responsible breeder. I’m thankful that purebred puppies come with predictable personalities, sizes and coat types, making a lifetime match with a new owner’s needs a very simple and rewarding process.

I’m thankful for the hundreds of breeds (and therefore puppies) in the world. This past weekend I met a 15 week-old Pumi puppy. What’s a Pumi, you say? An adorable Hungarian herding breed with a soft coat like a Poodle and erect ears with floppy tips that give it the cutest expression ever. I melted when I met a 6-month-old Maltese puppy so tiny with its white flowing coat, yet so calm you could cradle him in your arms. Then I met a 17-week-old Norwich Terrier puppy all the way from Finland. His hardy coat, “like a hedgehog” the owner said was a tactile delight. Oh, did I mention the puppy kisses? I am thankful for all of them.

Puppies for the 21st Century
These breeds all had a fundamental purpose to help mankind survive the millennium. Whether to help us with hunting for food, guarding our farms and flocks, or just keeping us warm at night. Some simply being small enough to fit up the sleeve of a royal princess’ robe to ward off the chill in the palace at night. Today I’m thankful for their 21st century purpose. The Pumi is going into Agility, a fast-paced and athletic dog sport to keep her owner active. The Maltese belongs to a senior couple who needs a small lapdog to keep them company in retirement. The Norwich Terrier will be bringing genetic diversity to a breeder’s responsible breeding program. Each puppy has a story, each breed has a purpose. I am thankful that in America each new puppy owner has the freedom of choice for the type of puppy they want.

Adele and Lisa Visit the Enchanted Garden

I’m also thankful that there are smart people who combat and defeat proposed mandatory spay and neuter laws of all puppies sold in America. If that were to happen, eventually, there would be no more puppies. And that would be a very sad world indeed.

So this Thanksgiving I’m thankful for all the puppies and the people who love them. I’m thankful for the volunteers that put on dog shows so the public has easy access to learn and meet scores of breeds and breeders on any given weekend. And I’m thankful for the breeders who preserve and protect them for future generations to enjoy. I am thankful that after the Thanksgiving meal there will be a purebred puppy curled up by the fireplace for everyone to enjoy.

The Roosevelts: Celebrated Dogs of America

Posted by Lisa Peterson

While binge-watching Ken Burn’s historic PBS series The Roosevelts last week, a photo of Theodore Roosevelt and his hunting dogs triggered a thought; there is a meeting room in my office called the Roosevelt Room. I knew the collection of sporting dog prints and detailed pedigrees that graced the walls had something to do with “Teddy” but after a decade of sitting through countless meetings starring at these prints, their origins had been lost on me. So I took a recent lunch break to revisit the treasures of the Roosevelt Room at the American Kennel Club headquarters in Manhattan.

As you turn on the light switch, you are greeted by the black ink on grey paper cover art for the collection “Celebrated Dogs of America, Imported and Native, by A. Pope Jr., published by S.E. Cassino, Boston.” Beneath the poster a framed handwritten note card from Mrs. Richard Derby of Oyster Bay, New York, dated May 1974, reads, “These prints of Celebrated Dogs of America were collected by my father Theodore Roosevelt when he was a student at Harvard in 1879.”

Dan the Pointer

As part of 19th century gentlemen’s society, Teddy must have not only studied, but hunted with these sporting purebred dogs. Today, the 18 muted chromolithographs of original watercolors painted by wildlife painter Alexander Pope, Jr. (1849-1924) hang in a neat row, midway up the walls, circling the room, except where their flow is interrupted by an HDTV used for video conferencing.

Celebrated Dogs of America

Who made the cut in 1879? Celebrants included a pack of black and white fox terriers named Rattler, Vixen, Tyrant, Minnie, Nettle and Daisy; the Rose Tree Fox Hunting Club of Philadelphia foxhounds, and several champion pointers including Dan, a native whelp born 1876 and owned by Mr. John G. Heckscher of New York City. Under Dan’s striking pose it reads, “Dan’s performance in the field have won him a high private reputation, and it is claimed by his friends that as a retriever he has no superior in this country. His first performance at a bench show was in Springfield in 1876, when he secured first in the puppy class, and the following year received ‘very highly commended’ at the New York bench show.”

Fox terriers Rattler, Vixen, Tyrant, Minnie, Nettle and Daisy

Trimbush, a Clumber Spaniel, whelped May 1875, had quite the pedigree. “Trimbush was bred by Mr. William Brailsford, head keeper to the Duke of Westminster, and was imported by Mr. Jonathan Tomas, jr., of New York. He is a perfect specimen of the breed and his superior could not be found in England at the time he was brought to this country.” Trimbush’s mother was Earl Spencer’s Sall, out of Earl Spencer’s Meg and Marquis of Exeter’s Beau, Beau’s sire being the Duke of Newcastle’s Rover.

Trimbush the Clumber Spaniel

It seems that big fancy names were not the rage back then. Take for example others in the collection, champion Red Irish Setters Elcho & Rose, Don the smooth-coated St. Bernard, Mike, the imported Irish Water Spaniel, Lofty the Llewellyn Setter Dog, Jack, the English Mastiff, and the white Bull Terriers, Spider, Grabb and Nellie, whose likenesses silhouetted against farm fencing made a pretty picture.

Bull Terriers ~ Spider, Grabb and Nellie

Historical Hounds in History

Some dogs had famous owners, like a pair of greyhounds named Tippecanoe and Prairie Girl. “Tippecanoe was a white dog formerly the property of General Custer and is a grandson of a great dog named Master McGrath.” Under the print a letter dated April 12, 1879, three years after Little Big Horn, from Mrs. Custer reads, “ Sir, I regret to say the pedigree of the imported hound General Custer received from Scotland has been mislaid among the papers in our home in Monroe, Mich. The pedigree of the dogs sent him from Canada we never had. I do not know whether the dog you own is from the Scotch or Canadian dog. We often had fifty in the pack of hunting hounds. I thank you for your kindness to the dog, and I am glad he has a good home. Very respectfully, Elizabeth M. Custer.”

Tippecanoe & Prairie Girl greyhounds

Rattler and Belle, two Beagles, owned by J.M. Dodge of Detroit came with this explanation. “Foot beagles should not much exceed nine inches in height; they are now even used up to eleven and twelve inches, going a pace which requires a good runner, in prime condition, to keep up with them.” Did Teddy ever had to keep up with these quick Beagles as they chased hares across the countryside.

Rattler and Belle, two Beagles, owned by J.M. Dodge of Detroit

Bevis the Irish Wolf-Dog is my personal favorite. “Bevis is believed to be the only specimen of his breed in this country. He was bred in Ireland by a gentleman who has given a great deal of attention to bringing the breed back to its former excellence. (it being now nearly extinct). The dog was brought to America and shown at Westminster Kennel Club in 1879.” His description goes on to state “…The wild animals which he seemed powerful enough to conquer having long disappeared from the kingdom. The beauty of his appearance and the antiquity of his race are his only claims as he disdains the chase of stag, fox or hare.”

I wonder which dog was Teddy’s favorite? If you’d like to view the collection, drop me a line, it’s open for public viewing by appointment.

World Dog Show 2014

Posted by Lisa Peterson

World Dog Show 2014

Dog shows are the best place to see a variety of breeds here in America. But seeing tens of thousands of purebreds gather from around the world requires a trip to the annual FCI World Dog Show (WDS). This year’s edition held in Helsinki, Finland, hosted by the Finnish Kennel Club (FKC) as part of their year-long 125th Anniversary celebration did not disappoint. Finland is a nation of dog lovers, avid hunters, and reindeer ranchers with 5.4 million citizens. According to the FKC, “Every fifth Finnish family owns a dog. Some 80% of these 600,000+ dogs are pure-bred. Each year, about 50,000 dogs representing more than 300 different breeds are registered in Finland.” Of those 300 breeds, only five are Finnish natives.

Finkies, Lappies & Reindeer Dogs

In honor of the FKC’s 125th, the show organizers waived the entry fee of Finnish Breeds. This brilliant public relations move created large entries of local dogs among the 21,200 dogs in attendance. An amazing 526 Finnish Lapphunds took up five of the 100 show rings one day. This friendly black and tan long-haired medium-sized dog has added to his hunting and herding roots to become a “Lapp dog.” Next up in the Finnish breed parade, an amazing 234 Lapponian Herders were entered. This breed is known for its reindeer herding ability in the northern reaches of Lappland. This breed is a smooth-coated black and tan version of the Lapphund. In fact, if you live in Finland and own property, each year the government will give you 2,000 reindeer to tend to. So you’d better have a Lapponian Herder or two kicking around to help with the herd. There were more than 100 Finnish Spitz – the national dog of Finland – with its brilliant orange dense coat, prick ears, curly tail and foxlike face. Affectionately known as “Finkies” these “barking bird dogs” are known for their ability to flush upland game fowl for the adventurous hunter.

Another national favorite, the most popular registered native breed, the Finnish Hound, made a handsome appearance with his traditional foxhound looks of tan, black and white with long floppy ears to capture the scent of his prey of hare and fox. A Finnish Hound even competed in Best in Show. Wrapping up the natives was the majestic Karelian Bear Dog. This tall, mostly black with white accents hunter of bear, lynx and wolf, clearly demonstrated why he was classified in the Spitz and Primitive breeds group. I must have watched 75 male Karelian Bear Dogs. They are cool breed, similar to my own Norwegian Elkhounds in structure, Scandinavian spitz stature and hunting prowess, their temperament clearly remained on the primitive side. While all dogs at American dog shows are expected to present themselves in a dignified and calm demeanor, these dogs loved to break out into snarling fighting spats in the ring. Now the handlers kept them all on a tight leash, but more than once as I sat ringside watching these magnificent creatures, I pulled my feet away from the ring as they passed, just in case!

Breeders’ Group and Best In Show

My favorite part of the World Dog Show was watching the Breeder’s groups. Each night the arena filled with teams of three to five dogs shown to represent a kennel’s bloodlines. Seeing the most consistent look from animal to animal to animal was a real thrill. Plus, they all dressed in the same costumes! From five Salukis handled by magenta bloused ladies, to four yellow dressed handlers with black Flat-Coated Retrievers in profile against them to smart burgundy suits walking with four Lhasa Apsos. Proud breeders showing off their best dogs. For more photos visit: http://www.pinterest.com/elvemel/world-dog-show-2014-helsinki-finland/

There was much fanfare, a live band, and beautiful emcee, to finally announce that the Affenpinscher “Tricky Ricky” (son of Joey, the Westminster Best in Show winner) won Best in Show. But my top pick for the three-day event was meeting hundreds of native Finnish breeds. “Kittos” Finnish Kennel Club.

Lisa Unleashed ~

On History, Horses and Hounds

dogs

Morris & Essex Kennel Club Dog Show ~ Redux

A Gentleman’s Dog – Revolutionary War Style

Tobey Rimes – World’s Richest Dog or Urban Legend?

Happy Birthday – In Dog Years!

New Year’s Hope

Puppy’s First Christmas

Be Thankful for Purpose-bred Puppies

The Roosevelts: Celebrated Dogs of America

World Dog Show 2014