Furs Fins & Feathers

By BRIAN LOWNEY

For the past 22 years, I have enjoyed the privilege of judging junior showmanship classes at American Kennel Club licensed dog shows held throughout New England and occasionally in other states such as Virginia and Missouri. Judging these classes of dogs not only allows me to see a variety of beautiful dogs, but also to observe the great talent that our young dog handlers possess, as they expertly present their canine charges in the ring.

Shortly after I began judging, I received a call from the late Al Kirby, a top-ranked professional handler, trainer, and owner of Stonehouse Kennels in Westport, Massachusetts. He asked me to substitute for him at a 4-H match in New Hampshire, and told me that it would be a fun judging assignment and a great learning experience. When I arrived at the show, I quickly learned that the 4-H competition referred to as Fitting and Showmanship classes were very different from those I was accustomed to judging. I was surprised to see mixed breed dogs allowed in the ring. Much to their credit, several young handlers exhibited family pets adopted from a local shelter.

Another major difference was that I could ask the young handlers up to three questions about canine anatomy and their breed. In the case of a mixed breed canine, the handler was allowed to choose which ancestor to discuss.

I was impressed by each handler’s enthusiasm and ability to artistically present their dog to its best advantage, which is often no small feat when exhibiting a mixed breed dog. Every animal was neatly groomed, with a brushed coat, trimmed nails, and clean teeth and ears. The competitors were judged, as they still are more than 20 years later, on their ring presentation, cleanliness, and condition of the animal, knowledge of canine anatomy, and whether their attire is in compliance with the prescribed 4-H uniform.

Kirby was correct. I enjoyed my assignment, made some wonderful friends, and have been judging 4-H competitions throughout the Northeast for the past two decades.

On a brutally hot July Sunday morning, I had the opportunity to judge 25 young 4-H handlers at the Stratham Fair in Stratham, New Hampshire. The talented exhibitors represented several local clubs scattered across the Granite State, and were eagerly

“When my oldest mare died, I allowed the others to see her, sniff her body, and realize that she had died, not just disappeared,” she wrote. Pugh addedpreparing to compete at the Eastern that the mare’s daughter, Dolly, was brought out of the barn to witness the burial. States Exposition - the Big Em- which is held every September in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

“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 left. From that day forward, when she was let out of her stall in the morning, the first 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. Then 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.

The most difficult part of my assignment was judging the senior class, which had 19 entries and several highly skilled competitors. Many of these young dog fanciers also compete at AKC events, exhibiting in the conformation ring, as well as junior showmanship, rally, and obedience. I have judged at Stratham many times so some of the older kids knew what I was looking for as they presented their dogs. Others remembered suggestions that I had made during past assignments and worked diligently to show me how much progress they had made since the previous year when I judged at the popular fair. While most of the handlers – even the very young ones – possess a fundamental knowledge of canine anatomy and can easily answer my questions, what always impresses me most is the handlers’ knowledge of breed origins and development. I was fascinated by one participant’s knowledge of Viking history and the ancient Nordic breeds that were the ancestors of the Norwegian Elkhound, the breed the young woman was showing that day. One of the most unusual exhibits was a long-coated Whippet, which at first glance, I thought was a Borzoi-cross. The handler explained that the variety is widely recognized in England, where the Whippet was developed as “the poor man’s Greyhound.” These smaller, but very agile racing dogs, were prized by factory workers who entered their canines in Sunday races, which became great sporting events for the working classes. In this country, the Whippet is now as popular as a lure courser.

After making a flawless presentation with the handsome Whippet and answering my

• A dog’s nose has about 4 times as many scent cells as a cat’s and 14 times more than a human’s. That’s why dogs are often used to track down illegal drugs and missing persons. They can sniff out their dinner from any room in the house!

• 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 difficult. Dogs can learn at any age, and like humans, it’s just old habits that are hard to break!

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• 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.

• The heaviest dog ever weighed 319 pounds.

• The oldest dog ever died at age 29.

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questions, the exhibitor earned a perfect score of 100 points. Another handler, presenting a beautifully groomed Shetland Sheepdog, also could not be faulted so there was a tie for first place.

After both handlers successfully completed a series of difficult ring patterns, I knew that I “We speak for those who somehow needed to break the tie. Since cannot speak for themselves.” the 4-H classes studied the sporting breeds this year, I asked the two finalists which pointing breed was just admitted to the miscellaneous class by the AKC and much to The well-known animal authority advises horse own-my amazement, the young lady exhibiting ers to allow their other equines to see the deceasedthe Sheltie replied, “The Wirehaired Vizsla.” before it’s removed or buried because animals understand death and need to mourn the passing. After winning the large class, the young handler continued her stellar performance by defeating the winners of the other classes “Unfortunately, I have had to use my own advice moreand eventually took home the top prize – a often than I cared to,” shelarge purple rosette. concluded. “Being that their lifespan is thirty years or more, you develop a close relationship with them and it’s devastating whenDespite the heat, I truly enjoyed my 4-H they die.” assignment and look forward to judging a similar competition in a few weeks at the Marshfield Fair in Marshfield, Massachusetts.