Furs Fins & Feathers

By BRIAN LOWNEY

When I was a young boy, my father’s friend announced that he had a litter of puppies for sale. The Basset-Beagle mixes cost five dollars and my father, mother, young brother, and I visited the Westport, Massachusetts farm where the puppy was handed to our enthusiastic family. The playful hound, named “Annie,” lived with us for more than 13 years and stole more than her share of the neighbor’s rubbers, toys, garden gloves, and anything else she could grab.

When I graduated from college in the late ‘70s, and began working, I sought to purchase a purebred dog. I started reading “Dog World” from cover to cover and became mesmerized by all the fascinating canine breeds. Remember that those were the pre-Internet days, and I was intrigued by the late Louis Iacobucci’s Sunday pet column that appeared in the Sunday Providence Journal.

After reading about the fabled Sealyham terrier, I sought to purchase a puppy, but I could not find that particular breed available. I then searched for my second choice, a basset hound, but couldn’t locate a puppy in the area. I started attending local dog shows, such as the events sponsored by the Providence County Kennel Club and became fascinated by the various breeds and their unique histories. Every time I visited a show, I wanted a different breed. Being a terrier, Connolly was a bit rambunctious and needed training. I was teaching in Westport at the time and one of my student’s fathers also owned dogs and was active in a local kennel club. I brought my dog for training, never thinking about dog shows, but just rather to have a dog that would behave and settle down.

I enrolled in a class taught by Al Kirby, a consummate dog trainer from Westport, Massachusetts, who together with his wife Betty, owned Stonehouse Kennels, renowned breeders of Great Danes and Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Kirby invited my mother and I to join the Wampanoag Kennel Club, an organization of which I am still a member.

The Kirbys invited me to attend dog shows as a spectator, and once I attended my first “fun match” and won a ribbon, I was soon hooked.

While Connolly won a few champion points, he never was a title holder. He truly was a beloved family companion, however, and spent hours every day sitting alongside my father, who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Blue terrier for sale at a local kennel in Swansea, I immediately called. The local breeder owned Kerries and Wire-Fox terriers and had one Kerry puppy for sale. Needless to say, Connolly of Castletown arrived home that day and my life changed forever.

ited in both this country and Canada, earned two championship titles, and “When my oldest mare died, I allowed the others to have served as an A.K.C. Junior Showsee her, sni her body, and realize that she had died, manship Judge since 1990. I currently not just disappeared,” she wrote. Pugh added that the also serve as the vice president of the Rhode Island Kennel Club. mare’s daughter, Dolly, was brought out of the barn to witness the burial. “She stood over her mother until the heavy equipment came to move the body, dig her burial spot, and bring her down to the site,” Pugh continued. “Dolly followed the backhoe and waited patiently, standing guard until her mother was completely covered and the equipment le . From that day forward, when she was let out of her stall in the morning, the rst place Dolly would go was to her mother’s grave and stand over it for a few moments before moving on to graze. She is now buried alongside her mother.” Pugh revealed that cows also grieve. “I saw my neighbor’s cow give birth to a premature calf,” she recalled. “It didn’t live long, less than an hour. As the mother stood over her baby, trying to nudge it back to life, all the other cows gathered around. en they formed a line and each cow walked by, gently touching the dead calf and then moved on. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.” Pugh remembers that the cows also comforted the mother by gently nudging her and remaining with the grieving animal for the rest of the day. “Years later, when that same farmer’s horse died and was being buried, the cows that had been lying in the cool shade under the trees all stood up and watched the burial. It was almost like they were paying respect to the dead,” she added.

Last week, I helped at the two dog shows sponsored by the Wampanoag Kennel Club at the Cracker Barrel Fairgrounds in Wrentham, Massachusetts. There were more than 195 different breeds entered at the show, many of which I had never seen. The American Kennel Club (AKC) is the leading expert on dog breeds and it has a list of officially recognized breeds that began in 1878, and gets longer by the year. However, it’s no easy feat to get added to this list. First, the breed must already be recognized by a registry in another country. It must also have existed for at least 40 years and have a minimum of 150 dogs in the U.S. that all have three-generation pedigrees. This means that lots of ancient dog breeds from elsewhere in the world have only recently gained official AKC recognition. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the Lancaster Heeler, a herding breed that is exhibited in the miscellaneous group, while seeking full recognition. Many developments have occurred during the more than 41 years since I became involved in the sport of dogs. Not only have new breeds been recognized in this country by the AKC, but new activities such as Rally, Earthdog, Agility, Flyball, Barn Hunt, and Dock Diving have also become popular. Many mixedbreeds can now participate in many of

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• With patience and understanding you can teach any old dog new tricks, depending on what you are trying to teach, or un-teach the dog, which is usually more di cult. Dogs can learn at any age, and like humans, it’s just old habits that are hard to break!

• According to a recent survey, the most popular name for a dog is Max. Other popular names include Molly, Sam, Zach, and Maggie.

• An estimated 1 million dogs in the United States have been named the primary bene ciary in their owner’s will.

• Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not sweat by salivating. ey sweat through the pads of their feet.

• Dogs can alert their owners of an epileptic seizure up to an hour before it occurs.

• Walt Disney’s family dog was named Lady. She was a poodle.

• e heaviest dog ever weighed 319 pounds.

• e oldest dog ever died at age 29.

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these fun-filled events.

One of the highlights of my canine activities was being afforded the opportunity to judge Junior Showmanship classes, a privilege that has taken me to many parts of this country to witness the talents of young handlers and many outstanding dogs. “We speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Another opportunity that I have also enjoyed is my involvement with my television show, Fur Fins and Feathers, which is broadcast on Swansea Access TV. The segments e well-known animal authority advises horse ownfeature guests ranging from dog breeders, ers to allow their other equines to see the deceased trainers, feline fanciers, avian experts, fish before it’s removed or buried because animals underhobbyists, and many others. stand death and need to mourn the passing. “Unfortunately, I have had to use my own advice more o en than I cared to,” she concluded. “Being that their lifespan is thirty years or more, you develop a close relationship with them and it’s devastating when they die.”

For more information, contact Brian Lowney on YouTube at Fur, Fins and Feathers. Shop In RI 71