There is no reason to use these dangerous jumps anymore! Period. There are just too many opportunities for injury.
Steve Schwarz, self-proclaimed "Agility Nerd" has a blog post regarding the danger of metal jumps. Is anyone still using them?? Owl waits for the timer and the signal to go at his (and my) very first agility trial, September 2009
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[Nexus is ABS6 DC Nexus v Dorndorf L CD TD JE RN NA VC Wa-T BHP-G LH, 11 years old.]
[Owl is ABS5 FC Alpine Owl von Dorndorf TD JE NA OAJ SchwhK SchwhKF Wa-T BHP-G LH, 8.5 years old.] [Viljo is FC Cadium Aurinkosoturi, 2 years old.] There were 16 Field Champion Dogs in competition on the grounds of the Flint River Beagle Club in Hampton, Georgia today. In second series, Nexus came back High and Owl 4th. When judging concluded, Nexus was the winner, Owl placed 3rd, and Viljo was named NBQ. What a weekend we had! Congratulations to all our talented guys! They are pictured below with judge Michael Nothstein. None of them were particularly happy to be having their photo taken. They were hungry and while waiting for photos, I'd been feeding them pieces of muffins left over from breakfast. Nexus is struggling to get down and back to 'em, Owl has a pained "oh if I have to" expression and Viljo is not taking his eyes off the muffins which are on the table to his right. Like if he blinks, they might disappear, ha ha! "Photos? Who cares? You know, Patt, that it is not nice to keep a dachshund from his appointed appetizer." [Oslo is ABS11 FC Audi Oslo von Dorndorf CA CG, owned by Stan Knoll of Mississippi.]
[Owl is ABS5 FC Alpine Owl von Dorndorf TD JE NA OAJ SchwhK SchwhKF Wa-T BHP-G LH, owned by Patricia Nance.] [Nexus is ABS6 DC Nexus v Dorndorf L CD TD JE RN NA VC Wa-T BHP-G LH, owned by Patricia Nance] In second series of 15 Field Champion Dogs today at the Dachshund Club of Metropolitan Atlanta, Oslo was called back High, Nexus 2nd, and Owl 3rd. When the class judging ended after fourth series, our dogs had finished Oslo 1st, Owl 2nd, and Nexus 3rd. Furthermore, one of the judges kindly told me that Viljo had had the 6th best score in the class. There is no recognition for 6th but I am proud of Viljo, too. Later, Oslo capped the day off by becoming Absolute Winner in a total entry of 75 dachshunds. It is the 11th time that Oslo has won the Absolute Winner award. Not many dachshunds have won 11 or more Absolutes! I will find out how many have done it. Congratulations to Stan and Oslo and to Owl and Nexus! And Viljo! [Babe is ABS3 FC Bob's Babe von Knobydox, owned by Tina Knoll of Mississippi.] The main reason I drove to Georgia in the first place was to get Babe back to her owners. When Stan called a couple of weeks ago to tell me that Babe had come in heat, he asked me how I wanted to handle the mating. I thought about it and told him my first choice would be to meet him halfway between southern Mississippi and southern Ohio to get Babe. Then, because I knew Stan planned to be at the Atlanta field trials, I said that I would go, too, for the timing was likely to be good for him to get Babe back this weekend. The timing was great. Babe and Owl mated three times. First time was on Wednesday, March 13. Second time was Friday, March 15. And the third time was Sunday, the 17th. I decided to hold off on updating the Puppies page until we know that Babe is pregnant. For the sake of the good people waiting on puppies, we would like to know as soon as possible. The plan is to have an ultrasound done in mid-April. In the meantime, I realized that I have very few photos of Babe. So this evening after the field trial, Stan took Babe out and I took some photos. Babe is of correct size, good temperament, excellent conformation, and has a lot of ability on game. She could use more pigment which is one of the reasons why she was bred to Owl who is quite dark. Babe could also use more coat. So could Owl, frankly, but more hair is not so high on our list of priorities. Besides that, all four grandparents have or had more coat and it is entirely possible that the puppies will, too. Babe wants to track rabbits! But Stan did not want to enter her in the trials and I agreed with him. The first couple of weeks after mating, we want to keep things as stress-free as possible, including good stress. Babe is 6.5 years old and we are focused on maximizing her chances of "settling" and having a litter. Babe was grinning a lot. She was happy to see Stan and also to be out of her crate in the car. By the way, the scars on her muzzle are from Babe being bitten by copperheads. This happened more than once. Afterward, Babe's face was very swollen and she was sick for a few days but bounced back nicely. Let us hope that Babe is expecting!
[Owl is ABS5 FC Alpine Owl von Dorndorf TD JE NA OAJ SchwhK SchwhKF Wa-T BHP-G LH, owned by Patricia Nance.]
[Oslo is ABS10 FC Audi Oslo von Dorndorf CA CGC, owned by Stan Knoll.] Owl was called back High and won the class of 17 Field Champion Dogs ("Dogs" here refers to males) at the Dachshund Club of Metropolitan Atlanta. His brother Oslo was NBQ ("Next Best Qualified" after 1st-4th Places) in the same class. The trials this weekend are being held at the Flint River Beagle Club in Hampton, Georgia. Today's trial was the first dachshund field trial held at Flint River and we are finding them to be excellent running grounds. Congratulations to Owl (pictured) and Oslo! True to Stan's assertion that their bitches are ready to breed sooner than has been the norm for mine*, Babe accepted Owl last night. First day of mating, then, is March 13. Due date to be the middle of May. Here's hoping! I will update the puppy page soon. (*Even though they are closely related to mine. Any thoughts or conjectures as to why this might be? Much more sunshine in southern Mississippi than in the Ohio Valley? Living many hours closer to the equator? Different food? ??) Owl himself as an owlet
[Owl is ABS5 FC Alpine Owl von Dorndorf TD JE NA OAJ SchwhK SchwhKF Wa-T BHP-G LH, owned by Patricia Nance.]
Owl had an appointment today with Dr Mark McCloskey, canine reproduction specialist at the Canine Semen Bank of Columbus. The purpose of the visit was twofold. First, Owl, 8.5 years old, is our choice to father Babe's litter this spring. Second, due to his outstanding individual qualities and his pedigree, I intend to have some of Owl's semen frozen and stored for the possibility of future use. So a good evaluation was the next step. Taya is in heat so I took her with us. Her presence made collecting Owl very easy. Dr Mark was pleased with the quantity of semen until some blood, too, came with it. He said that Owl has some prostatitis going on and that we should treat the prostate before collecting semen for freezing. Microscopically, Owl's sperm appeared to be about 70% normal and functionally motile. Mark noted that this is quite adequate for natural mating but, ideally, he would like the number of normal sperm to be about 90% before processing for storage. He thinks obtaining this increase is very doable. Owl will be on 250 mg of Cipro twice a day for 30 days. Then we will reevaluate. I will keep you posted. I am writing about the Yaktrax again because these little devices are so amazingly useful. Made of rubber that threads through small coils of wire, they simply stretch from toe to heel over the bottoms of your footwear and you're good to go. I got the Pro version which has slightly larger wire and a Velcro strap that goes across the boot and further secures the Yaktrax. I like both features. This afternoon, I walked Nexus, Owl, and Viljo nearly two miles on the snow-covered road as snow continued to fall. It was a very beautiful walk - made more so because I was not at all concerned about skidding and crashing. That was nice! Here are my boots with Yaktrax attached, soon after I took them off. The wire is not at all sharp. How it works is that the wire coils spread under your weight and dig into the ice or packed snow. The wire does not, however, dig into the floor. I walk across carpet and tile flooring on my way out the door with no problem. I could have put the Yaktrax on my leather boots but for winter weather and tromping around on or near the home place, I just attached them onto my inexpensive canvas boots and left them on. I turned around from taking the photo of my boots and there was Owl, hovering at my wet jackets (one jacket inside the other) and asking to go again. It was wishful thinking though because that was it for our walk today. Also in the picture is Viljo rolling around down there on the floor. Notice that Viljo's skin and "underhair" look like they might be dry. That is because they are dry. VERY little of the skin of either dog became wet after walking two miles in snow. A good longhaired coat has really remarkable insulating and water-proofing qualities. But that must be the subject of another post. : )
This afternoon, Viljo and Taya were out in the dog yard. I put Nexus and Owl on lead to take them out, too. I forgot about Kiki... There is a reason why I feed Kiki in the tractor shed instead of on the porch. Why her crate bed was moved to the tractor shed, too. Why I keep that crate on top of a table. And why I put her in that crate when Owl is going to be out and about. Frankly, it is a pain to keep managing Kiki the (formerly stray) cat and Owl and his cat obsession. But then I think of all the voles that Kiki has taken out of the yard. And the mouse traps that I have not had to bother with for two years. I read one time where an exterminator said that if you live where mice are a problem, feed a stray cat. I began feeding Kiki because the weather was freezing and she was so scrawny - but there have been fringe benefits. There has also been Owl. I LOVE Owl's intensity and determination but his obsession with cats is both fascinating and frustrating. I am convinced that it is entirely reflexive on his part. Owl sees a cat and another part of him kicks in. Grab first, grab fast, and ask questions later. He has gotten hold of Kiki before. One time, he discovered her in her crate bed (when it was still on the back porch) and pulled her right out of it. They tumbled down the porch steps wrapped in each others' clutches like one big screaming red and white fur ball. They went at it for a bit on the ground, then, leaving Owl with a mouthful of hair, Kiki streaked off. I did not see her for two days. Owl had some gashes on his face and on top of his head but of course that only made him "like" Kiki more. I am probably 95% positive in my interactions with my dogs. Right or wrong, I am not opposed to punishment when I think the situation warrants, though. (Even so a weighty punishment is rare.) I did use all manner of techniques with Owl in this matter of cats after Kiki showed up on the scene. Including adversives. I concluded that the only truly effective way to disconnect Owl from his obsessiveness with them would be to use an e-collar. I decided not to go that route. It still briefly crosses my mind but Owl is 8.5 years old and it just isn't that important to me. I decided to manage his exposure to the cat and that has been working out pretty well. Today, though, I forgot... With Nexus and Owl both on lead, I opened the front door and there was Kiki. Before I could say "Owl," he snatched her near the top of her head. (Or maybe it wasn't her head, it was hard to tell.) It is a good thing she is hairy because hair is all that Owl came away with. I pulled him back into the house, closed the door, and told him in no uncertain terms to sit. Then, because I like to take photos, I took some. So "The Cat and the Owl" comes with illustrations. Now I should offset the possible notion that dachshunds in general are wannabe cat killers. Of course that is not true. Nexus would take a bite of cat if provoked but he is not obsessed with the idea and is generally peaceful around them. Viljo was born in a home that has cats and loves playing with them. Truly playing, there is no aggression. Unfortunately for Viljo, it is uncommon for him to find a cat willing to play. Kiki does not fall in that category. One of the Stock's cats, Nike, does, though, and it is entertaining when they are together.
Taya is another reason I am glad to have Kiki here now. Taya is growing up with a cat and, while she likes to irritate Kiki at times, they often walk and run side by side across the yard. And Owl's daughter Pie lives nicely with the three cats in the Stock household. ps Kiki is none the worse for Owl. When I went out to feed her a little while ago, she did come when I called for her. She hesitated to follow me when she saw Taya, then realized that it was "only" Taya and we all traipsed off to the tractor shed as usual. [Owl is 8 year old ABS5 FC Alpine Owl von Dorndorf TD JE NA OAJ SchwhK SchwhKF Wa-T BHP-G LH, owned by yours truly.]
And because he hasn't been able to tear it up, it is my favorite ball, too! After months of incessant gnawing, Owl hasn't made a dent. Previously, I would have said that a squishy, rubber, treat-dispensing ball that could stand up to Owl for months didn't exist! It isn't actually that great as a treat dispenser; for all but the dogs who are brand new to treat dispensers, the treats come out too readily. I like to use it like that but I know it won't be long before the treats (usually kibble) are gone and the game is over. Over in my view, that is, not Owl's. He loves the ball whether it has treats in it or not and he plays with it by the hour. I am very glad that there is a ball that suits Owl - and me - so well! Owl looks pretty benign in the photos, doesn't he. Just try taking his ball away from him. (You can see his possessiveness in the third photo, when I came closer with the camera.) Owl and I have a good understanding now. It is his until I say "aus" - one time - and then he must relinquish it. He has become good at it, but it took us years to firm it up. I often reward a quick release by letting him have it right back again - whatever the it is. Following are the Dachshund Club of America's Top Ten in Field for 2012. Congratulations to Stan Knoll and Oslo and everyone! It takes a lot of talent and dedication - as one top obedience campaigner wrote years ago: much willingness to sit for hours and hours on your butt, staring at the road through a windshield - to make it to this level! [Dogs are listed by call name, registered name, number of merit points, and number of placements.] 1. Danika FC Danika vom Nordlicht TD ME, 343, 17 2. Zuni DC Rellih's Little Indian MW TD SE, 340, 22 3. Dixie FC Anja von Moosbach-Zuzelek RN SE, 270, 17 4, Auggie FC Augden von Moosbach-Zuzelek RE ME, 239, 14 5. Oslo FC Audi Oslo Von Dorndorf CA, 237, 11 6. Lily FC Diamant Lily von Lowenherz, 224, 10 7. Veela FC Viola von der Hardt-Hohe JE, 186, 8 8. Carmen GCH DC Siddachs Carmen MW, 168, 8 9. Stanze FC Stanze von Lowenherz JE, 165, 8 10. Trooper FC Rosie's Little Trooper, 163, 10 I went to many fewer field trials this year than the usual in years past. Nevertheless, Owl had two nice placements for 48 points and Nexus two placements for 40 points. Merit points are earned one point per dog defeated in the Field Champion class. For example, in a class of 17 Field Champions 1st place nets 17 merit points, 2nd place 16 points, 3rd place 15 points and 4th place 14 points. Besides that, a dog must have at least two placements in the Field Champion class to make it onto the merit points list, he cannot have just one. In 2012, 81 dachshunds earned two or more placements in the Field Champion class. I have only listed the Top 10. Thank you to Tracy Freeling, DCA Field Trial Statistician, for receiving and compiling the numbers. Stan Knoll and Oslo after a day in the field in 2008. I am using this photo because, while it would obviously be difficult for a dachshund to be joined with his person at the hip, here is proof that it is entirely possible for them to be joined at the knee! Diane Webb and John Willmore sent me two photos from California that they'd had BEAUTIFULLY framed. The large one (20x11) is the photo of 5 Dorndorf dogs taken at DCA in Wisconsin last year. Here are photos of that photo: alone and also newly put up on my dog wall. The other photo they sent is an 8x10 of Olive who became a new Master Agility Champion in 2012. I have emailed them these photos and also wanted to share them here. THANK YOU, JOHN AND DIANE! Hope everyone is having a great day!
Because she is a puppy, I have been weighing Taya every week. Today, since it has been quite a while that I weighed the males, I weighed all four dogs. Nexus, 10.5 years old male, weighs 20.2 lbs / 9.1 kg Owl, 8 years old male, weighs 18.2 lbs / 8.2 kg Viljo, 2.5 years old male, weighs 20.2 lbs / 9.1 kg Taya, 6 months old female, weighs 15.8 lbs / 7.1 kg From the AKC Standard as revised in 1992 - Weight of the standard size is usually between 16 and 32 pounds. From the FCI Standard - SIZE AND WEIGHT/ IMPORTANT MEASUREMENTS: Weight: Standard Dachshund up to about 9 kg. Photo is Nexus who was V rated by DTK judge Wolfgang Trumpfheller. Not ALL American-bred Standard longhairs are giants! Nexus went green (qualified) and blue (1st place) again in Novice Standard today so he had a great weekend. Nexus really enjoys all the obstacles and being "on stage!" But I believe that will be it for him for agility. I feel very fortunate that he is as sound as he is and I am not going to push the envelope. What I think we'll do next is Open obedience and go for the CDX. It has been something like 25 years since I trained DC Grissel CDX TD in advanced obedience and I want to revisit that activity with Nexus. As much as he likes field trials, he also enjoys training and told me this weekend that he is NOT ready to "retire!"
Owl, on the other hand, did not qualify on any of our three Open Standard courses this weekend. Very good effort and speed for the most part but a couple if bobbles here and there killed our opportunities to qualify. Of course, Open is a different kettle of fish from Novice and the fact we haven't been to a trial since April or a class since May didn't help us. Our record in Open Jumpers of three trials and titled is certainly not holding for Standard but we'll get there! I was proud of his performances nevertheless, especially in the first two trials. And Owl, the toy-obsessed, got a toy out of the weekend anyway. Nexus won three, one for himself, one for Owl, and one for Marta. Viljo and Taya stayed home but that's another post. We had more excitement in the kennel building today. Taya and I were in the house shortly before I had to get ready for work. Nexus, Owl, and Viljo were outside. All was quiet until I heard The Noise, aka the dachshunds are after something again. Leaving Taya inside, I ran out. There was a black snake curled up on the floor in the kennel building. Nexus was close by in a kennel run but he did not have access to the snake, he was just barking like crazy. I picked Viljo up and took him to the house. I did not want Viljo and Owl to squabble over a snake. When I came back, Owl was darting in on the snake who was striking back at Owl. Black snakes are not harmful but neither are they timid. I like them and would just as soon have gotten this one and taken it into the woods. I have done it before. Owl, however, had other ideas. When I was three feet away, he rushed in and took hold of it and began shaking it like crazy. I was really hoping that he would not let go and fling it onto me! I have my limits. But no, he ran with it out a dog door and continued shaking and biting it outside. I was interested in Taya's reaction to all this so I went to get her. I kept her on the other side of the fence but she was not put off by the barking and behavior of Owl or Nexus or by the snake. Why this snake came into a room with three dogs is a mystery but it obviously was not afraid of them. At least now it will not be living in or under the building someplace to keep the dogs hunting for it for days. Owl, of course, was in seventh heaven. He stood guard over the snake for awhile afterward but I couldn't give him much time to do it. I have stretched the snake out to give some perspective on size. It was an immature black snake. The black snake is the state snake of Ohio. They are beneficial to farmers and ranchers for killing rats and mice. When possible, I take these snakes before the dogs can get them and relocate them down the road and into the woods. I don't need them myself since Kiki the (formerly stray) cat moved in. Dual-registered with AKC and the DTK and born on this date in 2004, the litter of seven by SUvCH NUvCH SvCH FC Hound’s Kashmir (Sweden) x FC Marta v Dorndorf L JE LH is the most accomplished litter I have ever bred. They are (in alphabetical order with males listed first per DTK tradition): ABS5 FC Alpine Owl von Dorndorf TD JE NA OAJ SchwhK SchwhKF BHP-G Wa-T, Patricia Nance ABS FC Apache Otter von Dorndorf (Lost from his new home at 3 years, I pray that Otter is alive and well.) ABS7 FC Audi Oslo von Dorndorf, Stan Knoll Axel Odin von Dorndorf, tracks and recovers wounded deer in North Carolina, Stan & Alicia Wenner ABS5 FC Annie Ochre von Dorndorf TDX, Laura Knoll ABS FC Arlina Ossie von Dorndorf RE AXJ BHP-2, called Asti, John Willmore and Diane Webb FC Autumn Olive von Dorndorf VCD1 TD CD RE MX MXJ Wa-T BHP-G, John Willmore and Diane Webb
Happy Birthday to Owl, Otter, Oslo, Odin, Ochre, Asti, and Olive! Laura Knoll has been Ochre's owner and handler since Ochre was nine months old and Laura was seven. All the accomplishments, awards, and titles are really great, but Laura's relationship with Ochre and their amazing teamwork is the breath of life for breeders like me. Here is what dear Laura posted on Facebook: "My baby girl turned eight years old! She has been such a blessing in my life and I thank God, her breeder, and my parents for allowing us to be so successful in our seven years of running together! She became a Field Champion at about two years old and has led me to winning five Absolutes, with one being the National Absolute in 2008. [I've made a link to a good article on the AKC website.] And two tracking titles; Tracking Dog and Tracking Dog Excellent. Ochre has taught me so many things about field trials and has let me travel all over the States. She is one of the best things that has happened to me! Happy Birthday Ochre and your litter mates!!!"
Well, the bad news from Stan Knoll is that ultrasound done in Mississippi this morning showed that Babe is not pregnant. No little Owlets for us this summer. Needless to say, this is very disappointing. I very much expected that Babe would be expecting.
The good news is that there have been a couple of standard longhaired litters born overseas this spring that hold a lot of interest for me. I am grateful that there still are a number of breeders who think "dachshund" means much more than "show dog" and remember it in their breeding decisions! (You all know who you are.) In that vein I extend deepest thanks to the Knolls for their willingness to have pups this summer even though it did not work out that way this time. This morning I had just finished four miles on my exercise bike when I heard a bunch of commotion from the kennel yard. Nexus, Owl, and Viljo virtually never fight but this did not sound good. I went out and found that there was - or had been - something under the corner of the kennel building. All three dogs were digging and barking and running back and forth through the nearest dog door. I went into the kennel and Owl began barking with his head shoved behind the shelving unit. Beside the shelves is a door to a very small room (closet size) that also has a door to the outside. I opened the inside door, figuring that a black snake, mouse, or chipmunk was long gone. The dogs piled into a corner behind some stuff I have in there and came tumbling back out with a woodchuck! Woodchucks, also called groundhogs, are very tough little guys with sharp teeth and claws but obviously no match for three determined dachshunds. They pulled it into the kennel room and it took a few minutes but they killed it. I weighed it afterward. It was a 7.8 pound male and recently out of hibernation. Where it came from, I don't know. Marta killed one on the neighbor's property several years ago. But I have never seen a groundhog on my property, much less inside the kennel building! The outside door to that little storage room was gaping open a bit from recent winds which must be how the animal entered. I have to say that good old Nexus worked the hardest and with the most intense determination. At first, Viljo was like wow, I've never seen anything like this! But after a moment's shock and awe, Viljo was the one gripping most around the head and neck which was very helpful to their cause. Owl tried a few times early on to pull it outside through a dog door in an effort to claim it for himself. But he was working against the woodchuck, Nexus, and Viljo and gave that up. I knew the instant that the woodchuck was dead because Owl began a low growl toward the other dogs. I picked Owl up and took him away. While I was momentarily gone, Nexus and Viljo got into it with each other. I picked Nexus up and that was the end of that. None of the dogs was hurt except Nexus has a small puncture wound on the bridge of his muzzle and one on the flap of an ear. (From the woodchuck or from Viljo? I suspect from the woodchuck.) The dogs were very happy that the woodchuck was there. I am happy that the woodchuck is gone. I do not want den animals burrowing under the kennel building!
Well, you can see that I do not always lead a quiet and peaceful life! A zuchtschau (breeder's show) of the North American Teckel Club was held today in Loves Park, Illinois. Our judge was Andreas Tornau from Germany. I found Mr Tornau professional yet fun in his demeanor, informative yet succinct in his commmentary, and strict yet fair in his judgements. I enjoyed the day and I know others did, too! The primary purpose of a zuchtschau is for dogs to be evaluated by a DTK judge so they may receive an official conformation rating. A rating of Vorzuglich (Excellent) or Sehr Gut (Very Good) is required for a dog to be used for breeding in the DTK system. People not breeding in the DTK system, however, may still show dogs for ratings. It is an informative experience to show to a judge from the country of origin of the dachshund; it serves to broaden perspective. It is also fun! My FC Alpine Owl von Dorndorf was rated Vorzuglich (Excellent) which means he is now V rated x 4. Maxine Brinker's 14 month old Sage v Dorndorf L receieved an SG (Very Good) rating because she is presently way out of coat. But Maxine was so happy that the judge liked her Nutmeg that she hardly noticed! (Nutmeg is spayed so she did not receive a rating.) Tina Knoll's FC Bob's Babe von Knobydox was rated SG for the very same reason. The Germans are strict on coat. They are strict on a number of things about which we are rather lenient. And they are rather lenient on some other things about which we are more strict. Like I said, it is an interesting and educational experience to show to a judge from Germany. It tends to tweak the mindset. Following is a video of Stan Knoll in the ring with his six year old FC Audi Oslo von Dorndorf. This is their first time in the conformation ring together. I showed Oslo at a zuchtschau one time a few years ago where he was rated SG because he weighed half a pound over 22 pounds, the weight limit for a V rating. Today, Oslo weighed 9.5 kg which is 21 pounds. We figure that a weekend of field trials before Oslo's weigh-in today must have been a good thing! He showed well for Stan. Before I began recording, Oslo had been on the table you'll see on the right side of the screen. He was weighed on the digital scale, his chest was measured, he was briefly examined for two testicles, and thoroughly examined for all his teeth and for no malformations of his bite or of any of the vertebrae in his tail. Beginning this year, the DTK (of which NATC is a member club) also requires each dog to undergo a basic temperament test. First, the judge pays close attention to the dog's behavior during examination on the table. Then after the dog has been shown, it's reaction to the loud noise of metal hitting metal - dog off lead - is observed. NATC's zuchtschau guidelines tell us to remember that the dachshund is a hunting dog. Handlers' dress is casual and grooming of the dogs is minimal. There is no 'stacking' of the dogs, very little baiting, and dogs are shown in a variety of leads and collars, including flat buckle collars. Nothing fancy, this is all about the dogs. Here's Stan and Oslo. They have already gone around the ring a few times. This clip begins after about a third of their time in the ring. at the Minnesota Dachshund Club field trial today! It was held at the Northern Illinois Beagle Club in Roscoe, Illinois.
Owl, owned and handled by yours truly, won the class of 14 Field Champion Dogs, won Best Field Champion, then went Absolute Winner in a total of 83 entries at the Badger Dachshund Club field trial today! Babe, owned by Tina Knoll and handled by Stan Knoll, placed 2nd in a class of 18 Field Champion Bitches! Judges in the photo above are Pam Bethke (left) and Sherry Ruggieri. There's a picnic table in front of us and Owl thinks that one of the prizes on the table is a toy. Owl covets toys.
The North American Teckel Club spring zuchtschau (breed show) was held today at the Winnebago Scout Reservation in Rockaway, New Jersey. We had a nice entry of 30 dachshunds. The originally scheduled judge, Jens Witter from Nürnberg, Germany, became ill. We hope he is doing better today. Herr Witter was replaced by Frau Heike Behring of Berlin, both are DTK conformation judges, hunters, and breeders of DTK dachshunds. Frau Heike, we hope you enjoyed your time in the States and meeting us and our teckels. We enjoyed having you here. Each dog was judged one at a time according to the Deutscher Teckelklub /FCI #148 Standard for the Teckel. Of the 30 entries, 29 dogs were shown. Of the 29 dogs shown, 16 received ratings of Vorzuglich (Excellent), 7 were rated Sehr Gut (Very Good), 2 were rated Gut (Good), 3 were Disqualified (all due to issues with bites), and 1 puppy was rated Very Promising. I strongly debated myself about whether to enter Owl. He has been shown at two NATC shows in the past and been rated Excellent both times. I really did not know whether I wanted to take the chance of him getting a lesser rating; all of the results are 'on record', so to speak, with the DTK. I'd had one judge at a zuchtschau tell me that Germans prefer clear reds and Owl has a heavy black overlay. I guess you might have to be in that situation to understand my internal dialogue but there was a lot of arguing going on! I'd taken Owl's daughter, the Stock's black/tan bitch Pie, with me to show but she had blown most of her butt and tail feathers and really didn't look her best. So then I took stock of the rest of the crew. I really felt Seiko was too physically immature to show. I hadn't groomed the undercoat from Nexus and I thought Kasi was too gray and he wouldn't have enjoyed it; both of them have V ratings anyway. And Marta is spayed so she was ineligible. That left Owl and I wanted to show this judge from Germany at least one dog... Oh me of little faith. Heike Behring liked Owl just fine, no problem. In fact, of the eight or so longhairs given Vorzuglich ratings, the final two under consideration for Best Longhair were Owl and one of Alexandra Weber's zwerg bitches. The pretty little bitch got the nod but the judge caught up to me as we left the ring and emphatically stated that Owl is a "super dog." Great! Thank you! I'll take that! : ) Jolanta Jeanneney sent me this photo she took of Heike and Owl and I. Jolanta, thank you! Owl's father came from Sweden and his mother is American breeding.
Alexandra's bitch is from German bloodines on both sides. Best smooth was a black/tan standard bitch bred, owned, and shown by Anke Masters. This bitch has a German pedigree. Best wire was a wild boar standard bitch bred, owned, and shown by Joyce Wilson. Her father is a Norwegian dog and her mother is American. So just from this small sample of all the dogs present, you can already see that it was truly an international affair! Best dog of the zuchtschau was the wire bitch and a very well deserved win it was. I know that Jolanta got some nice photos of the three Variety winners as well as other photos that she will post soon. Congratulations to all who participated! It was so good to see many people again and to meet others for the first time. And what a surprise to see John Robinson again! In years past, John, owner of standard wires, was a very active Deer Search member, field trialer and field trial judge from the east coast. It was not difficult to figure out how long it had been since I'd last seen John. His 25 year old daughter Beth was with him, as was Beth's husband, and about the last time I remember seeing John, four year old Beth was riding on his shoulders at a field trial. Now Beth and her husband Gentian are field trialing and showing wirehairs! The generations of life are good. Badger Dachshund Club Field Trial
Grounds: Northern Illinois Beagle Club Roscoe, Illinois Trial Chair: Shawn Nies, Hazelwood, MO Trial Secretary: Carolyn Henry, Caledonia, WI Open All-Age Dogs - 13 David Faust, Robert Schwalbe 1. Diablo, b/t MS Jan DuBois, WI 2. Wolfie, wb MW, Amy Tetmeyer, IA 3. Packer, red MW, Patsy Leonberger, IL NEW FC! 4. Blaine, red MS, Jan DuBois, WI NBQ Nit, wb MW, Carol Luetkens, WI Open All-Age Bitches - 25 William Dyer, Tracy Freeling 1. Etta, red MW, Robert & Janet Schwalbe, GA NEW DC! 2. Nova, red SW, Shawn Nies, MO 3. Maple, red SL, Kim Kaus-Wirth, MI 4. Nutmeg, red SL, Maxine Brinker, IL NBQ River, red MS, Megan Milligan, IN Field Champion Dogs - 24 Pam Bethke, William Dyer 1. Oslo, red SL, Stan Knoll, MS 2. Owl, red SL, Patricia Nance, OH (back High, littermate of Oslo) 3. Auggie, wb SW, Sherry Ruiggieri, NJ 4. Nexus, red SL, Patricia Nance, (half-brother of Owl and Oslo) NBQ Petey, red ML, Dan & Debby McNamara, WI Field Champion Bitches - 11 Carol Luetkens, Janet Schwalbe 1. Danika, wb SW, Cheri Faust, WI (back High) 2. Dixie, wb SW, Sherry Ruggieri, NJ (littermate of Auggie) 3. Babe, red SL, Tina Knoll, MS 4. Ochre, red SL, Laura Knoll, MS (littermate of Owl and Oslo) NBQ Tilly, b/t MS, Ray & Ann Parrish, IL Best Open - Etta Best Field Champion - Danika Absolute Winner - Etta |
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February 2015
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