31

Crufts 2015

Agility Results

Bernadette Bay with Ag Ch Obay Itz Got Pizazz AW(G)

1st British Open Small 1st Singles Heat Small - Round 1 1st Singles Heat Small - Final 1st Championship Small - Agility 2nd Championship Small - Jumping 2nd Singles Heat Small - Round 2 2nd Singles Heat Small - Overall Ranking 5th Championship Small - Final

Amanda Rodgers with Malaroc Moving Water

1st Small Team North Downs Maggotts - Semi-Final 1st Small Team North Downs Maggotts - Final

Jean Tuck with Myndoc Minstrel For Craygill AW(G)

1st Medium Team RSCTA Rough with the Smooth - Semi-Final

Amy Lawson with Ag Ch Millie On to One

2nd Singles Heat Small - Round 1 5th Singles Heat Small - Round 2 5th Singles Heat Small - Overall Ranking

Karen Gibbons with Riverbend Mitzie AW(G)

3rd Medium ABC 6th Championship Medium - Jumping 6th Championship Medium - Final 7th Singles Heat Medium - Round 1 7th Championship Medium - Agility 8th Singles Heat Medium - Round 2 8th Singles Heat Medium - Overall Ranking

Chantal Karyta with Licosateria Mai Sunseeker AW(B)

4th Novice Cup Medium Jean Tuck with Ag Ch Japaro Cool Jazz At Craygill

5th Championship Small - Agility 11th Championship Small - Jumping

Louise Eden with Obay The Boyz High Voltage

6th Singles Heat Small – Round 2 7th Singles Heat Small – Overall Ranking 10th Singles Heat Small – Round 1

Eleanor Balchin with Sheldray Smoke On The Water AW

7th Medium ABC Christine Wingate-Wynne with Ag Ch Obay Tiz Wild

9th Championship Medium – Agility 12th Championship Medium – Jumping

Obreedience Team Amy Bennet with Heidron Dream Come True For Xotica

Vanessa Hardin with Sheltysham Miss Mayhem

Sue Lang with Chelmarsh All The Way

Karen Smith with Samphrey Wild About Saffron

Margaret Horsfield with Marricksham Secret Dream At Tarasol

Sue Robinson with Calambray Back Chat

1st Team Sheltie

Inter-Regional Obedience Team

Bobby Austin with Colroy Carbon Copy

Janette Mitchell with Shelridge Special Diamond

3rd Team Northern Ireland

Sue Robinson with Shelridge Distant Laughter with Alnac

5th Team South East & East Anglia

World Cup Gabriele Recker with Magic Monty vom Erkelenzer Land

5th Team Germany

Thanks to Lesley Lubbi for these results.

32

Q & A with Lyndsey Jones

Lyndsey Jones, from North East Wales, is believed to be one of the youngest dog trainers in the UK at 15 years of age.

Lyndsey owns a Sheltie and Japanese Spitz and participates in dog showing, junior handling and dog training, as well as

running a dog obedience club called "Top Dog Training” in Queensferry. Lyndsey generously shares her advice on the

following questions on showing and training. Thank you Lyndsey.

How do you get a dog to walk beside you, on a loose lead, with their attention focussed on you?

This is a rather simple thing to teach your dog of any age, however it is easier and quicker to teach a

younger dog to do this. Try to swap the side the dog is walking on regularly, as training on the same

side every time can cause your dog to feel uncomfortable when swapped to the opposite side when

needed. Hold your lead like handle bars, whichever side you have your dog on, hold the end (or loop)

of the lead in the opposite hand, so if you have your dog on your left, hold the end of the lead in your

right hand. This just stops the lead getting in the way or hitting the dog in the face. Then use the free

hand (left in example earlier) to hold a smelly dog treat, I personally use fish or sausage, and hold the

treat just above the dog’s nose. DO NOT RELEASE TREAT TO DOG YET. Do not worry if your dog is

jumping up trying to get the treat at this stage, add a command that you will stick to, either 'heel' or

'steady' and every time the dog drops to all four paws on the floor, verbally praise the dog in a high

pitch voice. As you reach the end of the mats, reward with the treat in your hand. Once they have got

the heel position sorted without needing the treat in your hand, lots of verbal encouragement is very

helpful for your dog. Saying their name a lot and using a treat that you can hold up to your eye, will

help your dog to learn the 'look' command. A dog will also find it easier to concentrate on the handler

if the dog has been taught some tricks. The dog will be looking at his handler for what to do next,

once again lots of talking to your dog is required here!

What common mistakes do you see handlers make when doing obedience training and also in the

conformation ring?

The most common mistake made by owners teaching their dog anything is changing the commands or

using the same command for more than one movement or even using words that sound like each other

but are for completely different requirements such as 'Stay', 'Stand' or 'Sit', which is why at my training

club, we tell owners to use the word ‘And’ instead of ‘Stand’. This is helping to prevent confusion. Using

two words such as 'sit down' or 'lay down' - doing this is really confusing to the dog resulting in

misunderstanding. Although you as the owner know what you mean, you truly have to train the dog as if

it's stupid and keep everything to the basics. When a dog misunderstands, a lot of owners get annoyed

and frustrated with their dog which is obviously not good!

What’s the best way to train a puppy ready for the conformation ring?

Practise makes perfect! Try to get yourself to a ringcraft or show training club as soon as possible.

Getting your dog socialised is key! Get them out with other dogs as much as possible, maybe joining a

basic obedience club just for the socialising if nothing else! This is socialising with other dogs and

humans. For a show dog, teach them the stand (free stand) command before the sit or down etc. The

stand is the most difficult to teach a dog, especially if the dog has already learnt the 'sit' command

first. Of course everyone is looking for that perfect square stand, but as long as you can get the front

legs as straight as possible, don't worry too much about the back - you get to sort them out later on

the table. The best thing to do is make a bond with the dog, so the dog just wants to impress you all

the time. Spending as much time as possible as you can with the dog as a one-to-one, especially if you

have more than one dog.

33

What makes a handler in the conformation ring a ‘Great’ handler, as opposed to just an ‘Average’

handler?

A handler who stays calm, does what the dog needs more than not listening to the dog. If your dog is

nervous or timid etc, the handler understands this and works with it rather than making the dog do

something it’s completely not keen on doing. Also, what's important for a 'Great' handler is that they

become invisible and complement the dog in the way that they present the dog to the judge. Nothing

should get in the way of the dog and judge. The handler’s clothes should also be carefully chosen. It

should not be too bright that it catches the judges attention rather than the dog and you should try to be

the opposite colour of your dog. If you have a sable and white, the handler might wear black. If you have a

tri colour, you might wear white. If you have a blue merle, you might wear pink etc. Even the way the

handler holds the lead is important. The way the handler is with the dog while waiting as others are on

the table, and the handler should always be nice to the judge and other competitors. Nothing irritates me

more than someone who thinks it's only them in the ring.

It’s important to be neat and tidy while in the ring too. Keeping your dog in line with the others as much

as possible, and while out on the move the corners and turns are nice and tight and lines are straight to

the judges feet, being aware of the judges position and where the judge and other competitors are at all

times.

Lyndsey: topdog_queensferry@outlook.com

As a fundraiser for the 2018 Shetland Sheepdog National being held in Perth (Aust), Nic Ford has designed a

2015 Sheltie diary, see example below. Diaries are also being made for 2016 onwards. The generic Sheltie

diaries are available for purchase at $20 AUD. If you would prefer a more personalised diary using photos of

your own dogs supplied by yourself, this can be done also, and will cost $25 AUD. To purchase, no matter

what part of the world you are from, please contact Nic Ford (via Facebook or nfo96557@bigpond.net.au). For

people who are interstate (states other than WA) express postage is an extra $6.50, or the regular mail option

is $3.50.

This is a great fundraising initiative, and it’s a wonderful way for you to enjoy seeing your dogs’ photos on a

daily basis, as well as being a great gift idea.

Sheltie Diaries to Purchase

34

Sydney Royal (March 2015)

SSCNSW Championship Show (March 2015)

Judge: Mr Aramis Lim (SA)

DCC - Ch Deerod Rich And Famous RU BOB

Res DCC - Eng Ch, Sup Ch Rannerdale The Time Warp (imp UK)

BCC - Ch Hartly Shine On Me BOB

Res BCC - Sup Ch Daydream Drusilla

Swedish Shetland Sheepdog Specialty Show (March 2015)

Judge: Mrs Maureen Bywater (UK)

BOB, BCC - Lundecock's Hot Legs

BOS, DCC - Int Ch Limbunya Orion (Exp France)

PD - 1. SHANELG TAYLRD TO TEASE* Best

2. BLUSWELL THE DEVIL U KNOW

3. BECKVIEW MIGHTY JARRAH

JD - 1. SUNLAND STYLE N ACTION

2. HATZTOO HEZ MY BOY

ID - 1. HILLACRE YOGI BEAR

2. CH. HERDSMAN HAIRY VERSACE PT.

3. WEOWNAH WINTER LORD

ABD - 1. KELANMEE HONOURABLY DECKORATED

OD - 1. CH. SHELTASTIC EAT MY SHORTZ - CC BOB

2. CH. MONTAGE ESCAPADE - RES CC

3. AM. CH. CAN. CH. SUP. CH. WINSLOW GOOD TO GO

(Imp USA)

PB - 1. PEERIELEE TIME TURNER

2. CHERALAY MY SWEET OBSESSION

3. BLUSWELL DEVILS APPLAUSE

IB - 1. MONTAGE FANTASIA - RES CC

2. BEAUIDEAL STARR ATTRACTION

3. PEERIELEE COLOURS OF THE WIND

ABB - 1. ROKEL RAY O SUNSHINE

2. CH. HILLSWICK SWEET ENCHANTRESS (AI)

OB - 1. CAN. CH. GRANDGABLES JUST FLAUNT IT - CC RU BOB

2. CH. HATZTOO HER ROYAL HOTNESS

3. CH. CHERALAY IM SWEET ON YOU

CH SHELTASTIC EAT MY SHORTZ - CC BOB

Sydney Royal

New Supreme Champion

Sup Ch Lyndream Strictly Speaking

New Champion

Ch Sheltastic The Illusionist

Congratulations

35

Bright Future

Kayani The Jurys Out

‘Dexter’

Introducing new hopeful Kayani The Jurys Out -

Dexter, who has now joined Shatrin Shelties.

This sweet little boy is from Ch Shatrin Saints B

Praised x Ch Bonaustell Punk Rock, and was bred by

Jacqui Cant.

From a litter of 4, there was 1 boy - showing much

promise, Dexter made his way to his new home.

Dexter displays such lovely qualities from both his

parents, and although only currently 3 months old,

he has a very bright future in front of him.

Dexter has an endless zest for life, and is a real

extrovert who is always into everything and never

misses a thing! Dexter will be starting his show

career shortly, and there are sure to be many

exciting times ahead.

Owner - Petrina Limkin

Photo by Kayani

36

Bright Future

Sire: Ch Kelanmee Superman Dam: Ch Kelanmee Red Poppy

DOB 31/05/2013

’

Tic Toc’s achievements have certainly been an AI success story. Semen was collected and stored from Ch Kelanmee Superman and utilised on Ch Kelanmee Red Poppy. The uncertainty of storing semen and the ensuing outcome have indeed proved a successful venture – Tic Toc has excelled in the show ring and possess true star quality. Coming from a litter of three, Tic Toc has taken after her sire in many ways. Superman (Clarke) attained 500 Challenge points when campaigned, and was a true showman being awarded Baby Puppy in Show at the SSCNSW Championship Show and quickly gained his title. He was the first Champion Dog bred under the Kelanmee prefix. Tic Toc has already surpassed the success of her sire with being awarded multiple Classes in Show at Specialty (QLD and NSW) and All Breeds Shows. Titling quickly, she has been awarded RU Best in Group and RU Best in Show in Canberra from Puppy Class. Tic Toc’s most notable achievement to date was being awarded Challenge Bitch at the Melbourne Royal Show, 2014 by Mrs E Haapeniemi (Finland) from the Junior Class over her dam, who was Reserve Bitch. Tic Toc possesses a beautiful head with true Sheltie expression due to her correct eye shape and placement. Her coat is of correct texture, with judges often commenting on this. She has clear eyes with full dentition, and is an excellent mover.

With her show career in its early stage, no doubt the best is yet to come.

37

Grooming & Presentation Trends Over the Decades: The Herding Group (aka Working/Pastoral Group)

By Allan Reznik, August 2, 2013 (Source: DogChannel website, Dogs in Review magazine,)

Author and AKC multi-Group judge Charlotte McGowan started showing her Rorralore Shelties in the late 1950s. "At that time," she recalls, "as a young person, I was told by adults to use a wet sponge to moisten the coat and then brush it out when I got to

the dog show. We also chalked the white parts to make them sparkle. But you had to be careful to brush it all out because a cloud of white if the dog shook got you excused. Prior to the show, my show dog got a bath, but not everyone did this. The beauty of

Shetland Sheepdog to me was that it was a lovely, natural breed.

"When I campaigned my Shetland Sheepdog 'Chance' to No. 1, he always got a bath before the show, and I spent hours brushing every hair to the skin. His feet and whiskers were neatly trimmed. I used cornstarch to whiten and carefully brushed it out before

going into the ring. I used a dog-whitening shampoo. The dog had a beautiful shape all by himself, and I made no effort to enhance. But body trimming was starting back then in the '80s. Plus attempts to breed natural-tipped ears began going south.

There was the use of metal filings to tip ears, artfully done, and much taping of ears from puppyhood."

McGowan contends that "in recent times, the Sheltie has become a grooming nightmare in my humble opinion. He is chalked with coloured chalk, and all manner of hair products are used. I have even seen people using eyeliner to cover lack of pigment. He is

sculpted into ridiculous shapes with lion ruffs around the neck going above the ears. Instead of concentrating on breeding the natural shapeliness of the dog, we have dog handlers trying to trim the shape in. Are there any natural ears? I hope so, but it's

hard to tell since so many are taped. Call me old fashioned, but I wish the Sheltie could go back to being a beautiful, natural,

graceful show dog."

*******************************************************************************************************

The AVA-ANKC Australian Canine Eye Scheme (ACES) - ANNUAL BREED SUMMARY REPORT July 2013 to June 2014

Source: report on ANKC website, presented by Amanda O’Hara & Dr Bruce Robertson FANZCVS This Report covers the annual ACES returns on approximately 70 breeds on the ANKC register, summarising those findings in detail. Shetland Sheepdog 1 * Notations: (*) This breed is being well monitored on the whole. The Breed Clubs are encouraged to continue with effective screening polices, and to monitor future progress State by State.

(1) For any well-established breed with potentially significant eye comfort or vision threatening defects, breeders need to be vigilant over the longer term while Breed Clubs can help to promote policies that will ensure normal eye health and function.

Breed notes: 9 adults is < 1.5% of annual registrations (steady at about 650 in 2012-13) so the fact that none of those presented had choroidal hypoplasia (part of the CEA Complex) is not very meaningful. While owners are using Litter Assessment to good advantage, too many are relying on that early screening result and are not putting up their breeding age adults for ACES testing. Good progress HAS been made in reducing the numbers of CEA-CH affected pups, but much more could be achieved if the DNA test was used NOT as an alternative, but as an adjunct to ACES. Litter screening summarised: 97 Litters (357pups) 58 Litters (193 Puppies) unaffected CEA or other defects (apart from 6 with minor PPM remnant scars). 26 Litters (110 Puppies) choroidal hypoplasia only in one or both eyes - no vision threatening signs. 13 Litters (50 Puppies) colobomas reported (14); retinal detachments 1; retinal folds 3. 1 pup with post. axial lens opacity (intact hyaloid BV?). *******************************************************************************************************

A tasty treat the shelties will love - thank you Aileen Durn (Rosa Bleu).

Tuna Treats: 1 can Tuna in Oil, 1 Egg, 3/4 cup (180 grams or 6 fl. oz) of Plain Flour.

Chop up the Tuna until the flakes are tiny (use a fork or a knife). Beat the Egg in a separate bowl, and add

to the Tuna. Add the Flour bit by bit, until the mixture has the thickness of mashed potatoes (you may not

use up all the Flour). Transfer to a microwaveable dish (no need to oil because of the oil from the canned

Tuna). Microwave on high for 4 minutes for chewy, or 6 minutes for more solid. Slide onto plate to cool,

then chop into tiny pieces. Note: You can add some Parmesan Cheese and make them Tuna & Cheese

nibbles!

38

This is why we love our dogs…. A Devoted Capitán: When Miguel Guzmán, from Argentina passed away, his dog Capitán went missing.

After a few days Capitán was found in a cemetery lying next to his owner’s grave. Remarkably though, Guzmán passed away in a hospital, and was buried in a cemetery far from home. Capitán had never been to the cemetery before. Capitán had entered the cemetery alone and found his owners grave all by himself. Each day at 6pm, Capitán visited his beloved owner without fail. This goes to show that devotion and loyalty can endure, and don’t necessarily end at death.

A Saintly Companion: Prior to the passing of Maria Margherita Lochi from Puglia, Italy, she attended church every day with her dog Ciccio. Whether it be in the hope to see his beloved owner again or to just pay his respects, Ciccio still attended church every day after his owner’s death. Quiet and well behaved, Ciccio sat beneath the altar, near the priest. Lochi took in several strays, but Ciccio was reportedly her favourite.

A Life Changer: East Londoner John Dolan's described himself as 'a proper homeless rough tramp'. He spent time in prison for stealing, then ended up living on the streets where he suffered from a drug addiction. In 2010, when staying at a shelter, another homeless couple asked John to take care of George, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier they had found abandoned and who was fearful of people. In the spur of the moment John agreed - this decision ended up being the best one he’d ever made.

I’ll Take the Bus Thank You: In Seattle (US), Eclipse, a 2 year old Labrador cross, rides on a bus, including getting on and getting off; by herself. It all started after her owner, Jeff Young, took her by bus to the local dog park. One day, while Young was still finishing his cigarette, Eclipse decided to get on the bus by herself. She proceeded to make her way to the dog park and got off the bus at the correct stop. This eventually became a habit, and she was able to go to the park and back, without her owner. She knows where the stops are, hops on a seat beside a stranger, and attempts to get a view outside through the bus window. The bus drivers and fellow passengers love her. Young still accompanies Eclipse on some trips, or will catch up with her after taking a later ride. But when she does go solo, Young will sometimes get a phone call from a well-meaning citizen alerting him of Eclipse apparently having ’run away from home’. Young says “I have to tell them ‘No, she’s fine’, she knows what she’s doing”.

Saving The Cup: In 1966, the Soccer World Cup was being held in England. England was favoured to win, and indeed they did. However, the precious Cup was stolen four months before the matches began. A spirited Collie named Pickles was being walked by his owner one day, when he alerted his owner to something he had sniffed out in the bushes - what Pickles had found was the missing World Cup. The press hailed Pickles a hero and he quickly rose to fame. He received a banquet in his honour, a monetary reward and later appeared in TV shows and movies.

It’s the Heart that Matters: Chinese Crested dogs are said to be so devoted to their owners that they may die of a broken heart when parted with them - either by the passing of the owner or being rehomed.

Not everyone has a Sheltie who’s recovered stolen goods or saved them from a house fire… But - if you have a Sheltie who’d prefer to doze off on wooden floor boards rather than a cozy, warm dog bed, just so they can lie at your feet to be as close to you as possible (or at least alternate between the floor and the cozy bed!), you’ve got something special.

'That dog is like an angel, he turned my life around. I've had relationships before when I've said to myself "I will change for this girl" but it never happens. But having George was like having a child and I had to keep a roof over our heads, not for me but for him. He really made me pull my jeans up.'

During his time on the streets, John began drawing scenes around him, as well as sketching George. His artistic abilities became noticed, and from there his artistic career blossomed. No longer homeless, John also began writing and produced his memoir: John and George: The Dog Who Changed My Life (a book). George was John’s muse and savior.

References: Mashable website; TheHuffingtonPost.com; Listverse website; Daily Mail Australia website

39

More Important Training - Examination & Waiting

As mentioned last issue, through the Dog Star Daily website and/or Croydon & District Dog Obedience Club website

(Vic), Dr Ian Dunbar’s two books – “Before you get your puppy” and “After you get your puppy” have been made

available free of charge.

Handling/Examination

Teaching your eight-week-old puppy to enjoy being handled and examined is as easy as it is essential. Moreover,

your pup's veterinarian, trainer, and groomer will be forever grateful, as will be you and your puppy. It is a truly

unfortunate puppy that finds it scary to be handled and examined.

Many dogs have a number of "hot spots", which if not defused in puppyhood can be extremely sensitive to touch.

Handling the ears, paws, muzzle, collar area, and rear end often provokes a defensive reaction in an adult dog if these

areas have not been desensitized during puppyhood. Similarly, an adult dog may act fearfully or defensively when

you stare into his eyes, if as a puppy he was not taught to enjoy direct eye contact.

Some areas become sensitive over time simply because nobody bothers to examine them. For example, few owners

regularly inspect their dog's rear end, or open his mouth to examine the teeth. Some areas are naturally sensitive and

may provoke a reaction even in puppies. For example, nearly every puppy will bite your hand if you firmly take hold

of his leg or paw. Other areas become sensitive because of bad husbandry and mishandling. Dogs with hangy-down

ears, which are prone to infection, soon come to associate ear examinations with pain. Similarly, many adult dogs

associate being stared at or being grabbed by the collar with bad times. Dogs quickly become hand-shy when people

take them by the collar to lead them to confinement, grab them by the collar to put them on leash (ending an

otherwise enjoyable play session in the park), or grab them by the collar to punish them for some transgression.

Handling and examination exercises serve to defuse the hot spots and help the puppy form positive associations with

being handled. Desensitizing the puppy and teaching him to enjoy handling is simple when combined with

handfeeding him kibble (dry food). It is so simple, in fact, that it is surprising there are so many hard-to-handle adult

dogs.

Use your puppy's daily allotment of kibble as training treats to teach him to enjoy being handled. Take hold of your

pup's collar and offer a treat. Gaze into your pup's eyes and offer a treat. Look in one ear and offer a treat. Look in

the other ear and offer another treat. Hold a paw and offer a treat. Repeat with each paw. Open his mouth and offer a

treat. Feel his rear end and private parts and offer two treats. And then repeat the sequence.

Each time you repeat the process, progressively handle and examine each area more thoroughly and for longer

periods. Once your puppy is quite happy being handled and examined by family members, it is time to play Pass the

Puppy with your guests. One at a time, have each guest offer the pup a treat, take hold of his collar, look in his eyes,

handle and examine his ears, paws, teeth, and rear end, and offer treats as described above before passing the pup

(plus the bag of dinner kibble) to the next person. Few people intend to hurt or frighten a puppy, but accidents

happen. For example, a guest may inadvertently step on his paw, or the owner might accidentally grab his hair when

reaching for the collar. But if the pup feels secure when being handled, he will be less likely to react defensively.

The Delinquent Waiter Routine

Have you ever been kept waiting for an hour in a restaurant eating bread and drinking water yet you haven't

even ordered? "Where is that waiter? I wish he would hurry over." Well, the delinquent waiter routine

prompts the same reaction in puppies. Most will beg you to approach their food bowl. Weigh out your

puppy's dinner kibble in a bowl on the counter and then put the pup's bowl on the floor with only one piece

of kibble…She will look at the bowl with disbelief. Your pup will look back and forth between you and her

bowl, gobble down the one piece of kibble, then thoroughly sniff the empty bowl. Casually walk away

from the bowl and busy yourself…Wait until your puppy begs for more, walk over, pick up her bowl, place

in one more piece of kibble, wait for the pup to sit, and then put her bowl on the floor.

Your puppy will become calmer and her manners will improve with each "course." Also, by feeding your

puppy's dinner in many small courses, you will teach her to welcome your approaches.

Delightful Sheltie Children’s Story Book “Penny & Maggie & Friends - Sheltie Tales”

can be found on ASSA website or link www.assa.org/Kids/SheltieTales.pdf.

40

Having "An Eye for a Dog” and Obtaining the Eye

The following excerpt comes from The Art and Science of Judging: By Gretchen Bernardi, May 19, 2014 from Dog Channel website (Dogs in Review magazine).

…”Why do we seem to forget that an important element for a great judge is that mysterious element we call "an eye for a dog.”

All the great judges had/have it, usually without knowing it because it is so natural to them. Judith Anne Dorothea Blunt-Lytton, the 16th Baroness Wentworth, whom Arabian Horse breeders have always referred to as Lady Wentworth, understood this

essential gift. In addition to her Crabbet horses, she was a respected breeder and judge of King Charles Spaniels and wrote a distinguished work on the ancestry of Toy breeds in 1911. She expressed her views on judging dogs in 1950 in the English magazine Country Life: "A good judge must have natural aptitude as well as experience. No amount of training can replace it,

and a lot of nonsense is talked about training young judges. Nothing is worse than training in a bad school, and a lot of old

judges would have to go to an elementary school themselves before they would be able to teach. Yet the worst judges are often

the hottest advocates of Leading the Young Idea, and it becomes a case of the incurably blind leading the short-sighted.”

I can never read that statement without thinking that if a group of people heard her say that today, they would surely ask, in

concert, "Why don’t you tell us how you really feel, Lady Wentworth?”

There was an interesting article that appeared in Sports Illustrated before the Westminster show in 1967. The great Percy

Roberts, then 77 years old, was the Best in Show judge that year, and his comments on dogs and judging made the importance

of that "eye” crystal clear. He was interested in all animals, including cattle and horses, observing them in order to hone his skill at finding quality wherever he could, going to the racetrack, not to gamble but to observe the horses at work. He recalled his

Welsh father, a horse dealer, telling him to "never buy a horse that doesn’t impress you when he first comes out of the barn.” He worked as a kennel man for the best breeders, and observed animals of all species and breeds at every opportunity to improve

his knowledge of dogs and refine his "eye.” He didn’t do it by looking at photographs and certainly would not by looking at digital

images if he were alive today.

There is an entire book dedicated to this subject, An Eye for a Dog, Illustrated Guide to Judging Purebred Dogs, by the late

Canadian writer Robert W. Cole. In the conclusion of the book, Mr. Cole writes, "Having an ‘eye for a dog’ combines both science and art. Knowledge of the science of the dog and the ability to develop an appreciation for the art involved are required

for the successful judge and exhibitor. On the science side, you must know the purpose a breed serves. This provides the clues as to how the dog should be structured and move. The art involves the ability to recognise beauty, form, symmetry and style ...

in other words the dog’s aesthetic appeal. One category complements the other.”

Other livestock judging requires this combination of art and science, even when more scientific qualities are more important, such as milk production, wool quality and the fat/lean balance in beef and other livestock. For example, this from the article

"Alpaca Judging: Art or Science?” by Mike Safley: "I have judged 1,000’s of classes over the past 10 years, and I would like to

suggest that each decision is not necessarily scientific; there is by necessity a certain art to judging alpacas.”

Tom Horner, the well-known English judge and journalist, is reported to have said that breed standards are like "The Lord’s

Prayer.” Even a child can memorise the prayer, but it takes a lifetime to completely understand it. He was another admired judge

who clearly understood the art/science balance in judging.

In his Take Them Round, Please: The Art of Judging Dogs, Mr. Horner writes, "Judging is both an art and a science: It is an art

because the decisions with which a judge is constantly faced are very often based on considerations of an intangible nature that cannot be recognised intuitively. It is also a science because without a sound knowledge of a dog’s points and anatomy, a judge

cannot make a proper assessment of it whether it is standing or in motion.”

In acknowledging the essential gift of talent, he writes, "Knowledge, decisiveness, integrity and the rest of the necessary qualities are useless without one vital possession - ‘an eye for a dog,’ which is the ability that every good judge has to recognise

at a glance whether a dog is right or wrong, good, bad or indifferent. A priceless gift, without which no one can make a real success of judging, it is acquired by long and painstaking study of anatomy, breed standards, high-class dogs and poor ones,

breed books, photographs and so on, until it becomes an instinctive skill to weigh up the merits of a dog, almost on first sight.”

And once again, who can ever say it better than Raymond Oppenheimer? (And what does it say about the world of dogs or, now that I think about it, me, that most of my references are to English men and women, and deceased English men and women?) In the chapter on judges and judging in McGuffin & Co.: A Bull Terrier History, published in 1964, he describes a good judge. "He

must have that flair which recognises quality, style, symmetry and balance at a glance.” This requirement "is one that can never

be learned unless the judge has an artistic sense, and it is the one which will always mark out the first-class judge from the second-class. If a man can see quality, style, symmetry and all-round balance, he has what it takes to make both a great

breeder and a great judge.”

If we can accept the proposition that science and art are both necessary parts of the good judging equation, how do we try to achieve that in our judges, the ones in our future who are just entering the approval process or applying for additional breeds?

Most of the people quoted above agreed that these qualities can be attained or, at least, our natural talents can be improved

upon. The question is, how? I have a few suggestions.

Does anyone read anymore? There are excellent books in print that would add to everyone’s existing knowledge of dogs, written by people who have talent and experience. In his excellent book, Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type, the author/judge Richard

Beauchamp discusses the value of reading expertly written books for both breeders and judges and gives examples of specific

ones that he has found valuable in his judging career. Why is reading one of these books not an acceptable component, even a

requirement, in the application process? Is having aspiring judges write book reports such a bad idea?

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There is nothing to compare with getting your hands on dogs, and on as many dogs as possible. We’re all at dog shows, and it

takes very little time and effort to ask an exhibitor outside the ring if we can go over a dog. It may not be a breed we are at that moment interested in judging, but may still enlighten us as to structure or coat texture. And it doesn’t have to be a great dog, or

even a good one. How a dog feels under our hands, and learning by experience what that feeling means is enlightening, even as

we try not to listen to the owner tell us about the dog’s wins and rankings.

To say that I am not a fan of PowerPoint or slide presentations is a great understatement because both are so often the refuge of

the lazy or worse. I am reminded of several breeders I know who will sit in front of their computer or television watching a litter of puppies on video when the very puppies are outside in the yard. Nothing replaces touching and watching the actual dog in living

flesh. Otherwise, why don’t we just send photos of our dogs to judges to be evaluated?

Could we require all aspiring judges to write a critique of the dogs judged during the permit phase of the approval process? Writing a critique requires the judge to focus on what he or she saw and forces that judge to prove or disprove his or her actual

knowledge of the standard. Of course, writing a critique takes time, and yes, it might slow down the ring a little. But couldn’t we allow fewer dogs to be judged per hour in the pursuit of better judging, better dogs and better breeds? It is a valuable tool for

learning as well as evaluating, and I have known some of our best judges to sit ringside and write critiques on the dogs being observed, even dogs they are currently approved to judge, because our best judges always want to know more and to do a better

job.

Finally, we need more intelligent conversation about our dogs and our breeds. The talk at club meetings, shows and even specialties is more often than not about a specific dog’s winning record or national ranking, or who has bred to what dog, or what

horrible health issues a popular sire is producing. I am always impressed at the high level of discussions ringside and in the dining areas at Scandinavian shows, where there seems to be a more intellectual approach to all aspects of dogs, especially

breeding and judging. Is it possible that this approach is at least partially responsible for the consistently high quality of their dogs

and, dare I say, their judging?

As a group, we are particularly resistant to change. But if we are truly interested in better judging, in the product and not the

process, there are many options we could consider. May I suggest that the proposed AKC Canine College, which would provide online educational opportunities, might be an acceptable method to train some architects or some engineers, but not those

seeking the art in judging dogs?

All judges are not created equal and do not approach judging with the same talents, with that natural understanding of balance and beauty, that "eye for a dog.” And, in the end, we are all going to have to be satisfied with a wide range of expertise in our

judges. But can’t we do a better job in finding those especially talented ones and give them every assistance possible to advance? I know we can be more creative in helping to develop that essential "eye” in all aspiring judges who are willing to put in

the time and effort to that end.

The first ever Crufts was held on the 11th February, 1891.

At Crufts in 1892, there were dogs entered by at least 3 European royal families. (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’

Pomeranian; Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia’s Borzoi; and Prince Henry of Battenburg’s Collie).

Crufts was cancelled for three years because of WWI, and six years because of WWII.

In 1915, the first show after WWI, Crufts held special Army and Navy classes for dogs owned by officers, NCOs and the

men.

The show was also nearly cancelled in 1952, due to the death of King George VI, but they decided to go ahead regardless.

In 1954, however, it was called off due to an electricians’ strike - they couldn’t clear the venue from the previous event to

make room for the rings.

The first ever BIS winner was a Greyhound, called Primley Sceptre, as late in the show’s history as 1928. A greyhound has

won the accolade 3 times since then.

The first female owner to win BIS, with “Bramshaw Bob” the Labrador in 1932, was Lorna Countess Howe. The same dog

won again the next year - there hasn’t been a Labrador as Best in Show since

The most likely breed to win BIS, statistically, is the Cocker Spaniel. A Cocker has come out on top 8 times in total, more

than twice the number of victories than any other breed. Welsh Terriers and Irish Setters have each won 4 times.

Crufts was admitted to the Guinness Book of Records as being the largest dog show in the world.

Total ground area for the halls and adjacent pavilions covered nearly 25 acres.

The biggest entry was in 1991, with a total of 22,993 dogs. This was Crufts centenary year.

Crufts used to have an apostrophe in it. It was Cruft’s Dog Show (in reference to founder, Charles Cruft), but this was

removed in 1974 due to a rebrand by the Kennel Club. Since then, Crufts has become a brand/institution in itself.

Facts about Crufts References: dogsinthenews.co.uk; Dog Channel

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A Tribute to Mason

Sup Ch Lurikeen Cort Be N Norti 28-09-2007 to 14-12-2014

From the moment I laid eyes on Mason, as an 8 week old baby, I said ‘he's mine, I'm having him!’ Little did I know that Mason was already ear marked for my mum, but like all good mothers she just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. It wasn't until Mason was 6 months old that my mum let me know that I had actually taken her puppy. I knew Mason loved me but nothing was going to get in the way of him and his Nanny. Mason went from a being a beautiful baby to a handsome young man. At 10 months old we took Mason on the NSW show circuit where he won multiple CC's, BOB’s, BIG’s and going on to win Runner Up Best Exhibit in Show at 101/2 months of age.

In 2008 he was awarded Top Puppy of the Year for the Working Dog Group (senior section), and from this moment on he never looked back. Mason was a Multi Best in Show winner and still to this day holds the record for Western Australia's Youngest Grand Champion Shetland Sheepdog and Western Australia's Youngest Supreme Champion Shetland Sheepdog. Mason definitely held his own in the ring and it wasn’t uncommon for mum and Mason to kick mine and Dakota’s butts (Sup Ch Lurikeen Turn Up Th Heat)! On Sunday December 14th 2014, Mason passed away peacefully in the arms of the two people who loved him more than words will ever be able to describe. Mason had had episodes of been unwell for a long time, and after seeing numerous different vets and not being able to find a reason why he was having these episodes, he was diagnosed with pancreatitis on the Saturday, and very unexpectedly passed away on the Sunday morning.

Left, as a puppy

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Mason enjoyed going to the dog shows so we continued to share in his enjoyment and show him. There was never any pressure put on him - just for him to be out there having fun. With this, he continued on his winning ways with the first weekend in November Mason won Best Exhibit in Show and also Best Exhibit in Group the following weekend. Mason was an absolute joy to own and a very much adored member of our family. I really want to say a big thank you to everyone who has loved and supported Mason during his incredible 7 years. Especially his Nanny Lizzie. Mason certainly found his way into many people’s hearts. To my beautiful Mum; thank you for being Mason’s rock. I know how much you loved him and it was crystal clear how much he loved you. Mason, you are an amazing little dog and I will forever be thankful for you letting me hold your lead as you ran around that ring and stalked the judges LOL. Until we meet again...keep being Happy Happy Happy xx

I Will Always Love You xoxo - Ashlea Stanton

Owner - Ashlea Stanton

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What is ideal? … continued Reflecting on the World Sheltie Conference 2000

Source: Tom Coen (ASSA website)

Last issue included the views of Joyce Miles, Milesend Shelties, UK, Barbara Phillips, Nigma Shelties, Australia, Jean Simmonds, Carmylie Shelties, US, and Mary Davis, Monkswood Shelties, UK, in answering this question from 2000 World Sheltie Conference:

Q: "While our standards contain absolutes such as tail length, dentition and certain structural requirements, there are areas that leave some room for individual interpretation. Over the years of involvement a mental picture develops for each of us in regard to our visualisation of the standard. Using words, please paint for us, as detailed as possible, a picture of your ideal Sheltie according to the Standard."

Here are three more views from Madeleine Lund, Starbelle Shelties, Sweden, Tom Coen, Macdega Shelties, US, Roy Pearson, Edglonian Shelties, UK.

Madeleine Lund, Starbelle Shelties, Sweden

Painting a Mental Picture of My Ideal Sheltie

At first glance, my ideal Shetland Sheepdog must instantly appear as a small, attractive, longhaired sheepdog of working shape with flowing lines and graceful movement, of colours and markings according to the Kennel Club Breed Standard. I look for an overall impression of nobility.

Head must be refined and balanced into a smoothly moulded blunt wedge. A flat skull with a slight stop and a rounded muzzle with tight lips must profile parallel planes. The almond shaped and obliquely set eyes giving an inquisitive look. Natural well carried and placed ears with tips gently folded over. All these details play such a vital part in producing the sweet expression, mixed with substance but without the slightest hint of coarseness.

Bone structure should be strong but never heavy. Well angulated fore and rear quarters must give freedom of movement with reach and drive into a floating, daisy-cutting action. Oval feet important.

To me the typical Sheltie must also have the characteristic sweep over the loin and a correctly carried well feathered tail which never comes over the level of the back when on the move. All crowned by a well-fitting coat and furnishings.

Finally, I wish my ideal Shetland Sheepdog to have that typical temperament of being very affectionate, gentle and polite, willing to please, a quick learner and interested in his surroundings.

I couldn't think of a nicer constant companion!

Tom Cohen, Macdega Shelties, USA

My ideal Sheltie always appears in the late afternoon light, that golden light that softens everything and gives it almost a "glow" from within. He, and we'll use the masculine form only for the purposes of this description as there is no preference on my part, is standing in a field of green and I am immediately struck by his beauty. He is regal and proud with great symmetry and balance...elegant balance...not stuffy or cloddy in any sense. He is, however, sturdy of build with well furred legs that provide a sound foundation for his athletic body. He sees something in the distance and draws himself up, exhibiting reach of neck. I notice that his head is well above the level of his back and well forward of his front legs, indicating a well angled front. The graceful curves of his arched neck, which fits smoothly into his back, gradually sloping croup, and well bent stifle create flowing lines that are pleasing to the eye. There is nothing square or short legged about this picture that would spoil the overall impression of elegance.

I notice that this dog is not long in the underline and the distance between his front and rear legs is relatively short, a sign of correct angulation and length of back and loin. The tail completes the flow of this picture and I see the hair on it actually touches the grass, indicating good length of the vertebrae. The crowning glory is a profuse, harsh double coat, rich in colour that fits the dog and further enhances his outline.

As he comes closer I observe the clean lines to his head. It appears to taper only slightly in profile and from the front. The planes are well defined and the stop is the balance point between the muzzle and skull, which are of equal length. The head is inclined to lightness but it is completely finished, detailed, refined and one piece. The top skull is flat over the eyes and is "up" all the way back to the occiput. The sides of the skull are also flat with no prominence to the bones on the sides of the head, thus creating the desired "cornering" of the skull. His eyes are set somewhat obliquely into the skull and they are almond in shape and always very dark, except in the blues.

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His ears are set well up on his skull with the top quarter tipping forward in tulip fashion. The underjaw, while not particularly deep, is finished out to the end, with a nice "chin" and is wide enough to accommodate a full complement of evenly spaced teeth that meet in a scissors bite. The lips are straight and tight and contribute to the illusion of "smiling" when the mouth is open. This construction of the head along with the eyes, ears and soul of this dog give it a soft, intelligent, alert, and inquisitive expression - a true reflection of his inner nature and character and one of the most important elements of his breed.

As he begins to move I'm immediately impressed by how agile he is. He drives with his rear and his front feet are barely lifted above the ground as he reaches forward. I notice that he reaches past his nose with his front feet when in a fast trot and his back is very "quiet", appearing as if you could place a glass of water on it and it wouldn't spill. It all seems so smooth and effortless almost as if he could go all day.

The sun is beginning to go down and I realize it's time to call it a day. I turn around to collect my perfect dog but he has suddenly vanished ...I guess I shouldn't be surprised as I've been pursuing him for thirty five years and he has always managed to elude me.

Roy Pearson, Edglonian Sheltie, UK

Currently in my country the head of a Sheltie appears to lack uniformity, with so many interpretations of opinion of what is considered an acceptable type. However, I consider a long blunt wedge is simply nothing more nor less than a long blunt wedge that is symmetrical with the rest of the body. Furthermore, when you add to that wedge a flat skull, and the head and muzzle are separated with a slight but defined stop and on two level planes, it fills my eye. Essentially, however, the head must also have clean cheeks and a rounded strong muzzle with level lip line, together with almond shaped medium sized eyes that are obliquely set and neat small ears.

I do not want to go into minutia, but I must include a point about expression. I find the requirement to verbally explain true Sheltie expression to be the hardest task of all to define. As humans, we each see things slightly differently and all I can say is when you actually see a divine melting expression, which so very few Shelties possess, there to behold is a Sheltie in all its glory.

As far as breeding is concerned, I have a clear, fixed, mental vision of what I would like to achieve and I have benefited through the years from an emphasis on Line Breeding with an occasional outcross. My criterion is for a Sheltie of "Ideal" size, weighing just short of 20 Ibs, (9 kg), moderate bone with excellent construction and movement, presenting a shape of beautiful graceful lines.

Finally, I have always thought it necessary for any working dog to project the appearance of being able to carry out that function. In my opinion therefore, an essential requirement for a Sheltie besides a long well fitted double coat, is to have a decent set of legs, pasterns and well-padded oval shaped feet. In addition, a Sheltie must have a good reach of neck, which is naturally arched and crested together with a level top line that sweeps gracefully over a rounded croup to a tail. I have always considered a full set of properly placed teeth an essential component of a Sheltie.

My pet hates are to see square shaped or over-long Shelties. In addition, are those with large forward facing round eyes, or large floppy ears or, two-piece heads with rounded skulls and deep stops. Also, those Shelties which are out of balance, together with those having short legs, certainly indicate to me that they could never fulfil their duties properly.

Just to put the icing on the cake my Sheltie would essentially have a real loveable and steady temperament to enhance my life and be a real pal.

******************************************************************

"Ring Out the Bells" 11th Shetland Sheepdog National, David Roche Park, Cromwell Road, Kilburn, Adelaide

Conformation - Wednesday 3rd & Thursday 4th June, 2015 at 8.30am Judge: Mr MICHAEL EWING (UK) (Sommerville Shetland Sheepdogs) ENTRY FEES: $27.50. CATALOGUE: $20.00 prepaid (Full breeding please). CLASSES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 18 Neutered / 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, 8A, 10A, 11A, 18A Neutered. ORDER OF JUDGING: Bitches 3rd June; Dogs 4th June. AWARDS: Trophy and Sash for all in Show awards. Catering: Available.

Obedience - Wednesday, 3rd June at 9.30am, Agility - Thursday, 4th June at 9.30am Obedience Judge: MRS KATHY MILLINGTON (SA) CLASSES: UDX, Utility, Open, Novice & CCD Agility Judge: MS JANE LAWRENCE (SA) CLASSES: Agility: Master, Excellent & Novice Jumping: Master, Excellent & Novice Vetting: By Committee. 9.00 to 9.15am. Bitches only without proof of desexing. All exhibits to pass checkpoint by close. ENTRY FEES: $22.00 each class. CATALOGUE: $20.00 (Full breeding please). ORDER OF JUDGING: As above. TROPHIES: 1st Place qualifying in all classes. SASHES: To all qualifiers.

Entries to: Mrs Lynda Webb, 7 Archer Street, Hamley Bridge, SA 5491 OR easydogentries.com.

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SHETLAND SHEEPDOG CLUB OF NSW - CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW – 14th APRIL, 2014 Judges Critique: Elizabeth Blake-Watts (NZ)

I would like to thank the Shetland Sheepdog Club for inviting me to judge this show and all exhibitors for their entries and sportsmanship. I was very pleased with the entry and the quality of the dogs shown under me. Whilst not all could win, there were many exhibits who showed good breed type and soundness which augers well for the future of this beautiful breed in New South Wales. Congratulations to all the winners and keep on the good work of breeding to the Standard.

Elizabeth Blake-Watts, Wintersett Rough Collies New Zealand

Baby Puppy Dog: 1st 2. Lizneb Taylor Made N Blu - 5 months old blue merle, nicely balanced with good length of neck. Head shows promise. Well angulated in front with correct movement. 2nd 1. Hatztoo Havin Fun In The Sun - 3 months old sable at his first ever show. Promising type. A little short and steep in upper arm which showed in movement at this stage.

Minor Puppy Dog: 1st 5. Hatztoo Hez My Boy - Very sweet sable of beautiful type. Correct head type with good planes, almond shaped eye giving sweet expression. Good angulation fore and rear. Needs to gain confidence on the move but went on to win Best Minor Puppy in Show. 2nd 4. Brashelle Back The Rookie - Blue merle rather heavy in colour. Head shows correct planes but eye spoils expression. Sound in movement and of good size. 3rd 7.Hillswick Cracker Jack - A small sable and white at his first show. Needs to settle but shows promise.

Puppy Dog: 1st 9. Ronsa No Doubt - A rich red sable and white, very well coated. Up to size giving rather heavy appearance. Head planes are parallel but flares in back skull and eye not sweet. 2nd 8. Weownah Winter Lord - A light coloured sable and white. Out of coat. Head planes need to improve and eye a little big for me. Well angulated fore and rear.

Junior Dog: 1st 14. Louanda Livin Ona Prayer - A well-coated red sable of good type and correct size. Head shows correct planes and correct eye shape and placement giving sweet expression. Moved out well and went on to win Best Junior In Show. 2nd 10. Name not supplied - A well coated tricolour up to size. I would like to see the back skull flatten. Dark almond eye. Good bone and sound movement. 3rd 12. Peerielee Iridescent Blu - A blue merle of good size and colour. A little unsure of himself at this stage.

Intermediate Dog: 1st 18. Louanda Time After Time - A beautiful sable and white in full coat. Correct head planes, very sweet, angulated dark eye giving sweet expression. Good angulation, sound movement. 2nd 22. Summerset Mind Games - A sable and white of good size. Correct head planes. Would prefer expression to be sweeter. Moved out well. 3rd 17. Ch Inneslake Rising Sun - A tricolour in good coat with rich tan. Moved well.

Australian Bred Dog: 1st 97. Aust & NZ Ch Beauideal Devil In Dskyz - A nicely coloured blue merle in good coat. Correct size. Classic style head with correct parallel planes and good ear placement. Sweet expression. Moved out well. Went on to win Best Australian Bred in Show. 2nd 29. Hillswick Ace of Diamonds - Lovely type but out of coat. Well balanced head with correct ear placement. Beautiful expression. Handling on the move let him down. 3rd 28 Ch Kelanmee Richly Decked - A well coated mahogany sable of good size. I would prefer a sweeter expression. Tail carriage rather “happy”.

Open Dog: 1st 33. Eng & Sup Ch Rannerdale The Time Warp (imp UK) - A red sable of beautiful type and correct size. Correctly moulded foreface with flat skull, parallel planes and rounded full muzzle. Showed sweet expression from well - placed dark eye. Well angulated both front and rear displaying correct quick movement. A quality dog, I loved him and could not hesitate to award Best Dog / CC. 2nd 32. Sup Ch Shelmanna Zulu Prince - A stunning tricolour of 11 years of age carrying a fabulous coat. Good head planes but just lacking a little in fill below eyes now probably due to age. Correct size. Beautiful shape and bone and moved out well. 3rd 34. Ch Lyndream Strictly Speaking - Sable and white in good coat. Good type but head a little too blocky for me, detracting from requirement for clean smooth wedge.

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Baby Puppy Bitch: 1st 36. Deerod Flashn My Fascinator - Sable and white of good size and shape. Head planes need to flatten. Excellent length of neck. 2nd 37. Gavend Baby Im Yours - Pretty baby with promising head type. Just needs to settle in the ring. 3rd 39. Peerielee Share A Moment - Dark red sable. Head not my type.

Minor Puppy Bitch: 1st 40. Hillswick Sparkling Diamonds - Sable and white with good head properties, correct planes and sweet expression. Well angulated front and rear. Needs to build confidence. 2nd 42. Tiakina To Paint It Perfect - Well coloured blue merle. Head planes need to improve and lacks stop at this stage.

Puppy Bitch: 1st 47. Kelanmee Treasured Timepiece - Beautiful sable and white. Correct head with parallel planes and well placed stop. Sweet expression. Good angulation, moved out well. Worthy winner of Puppy In Show. 2nd 44. Daydream Devil Woman - Nicely presented tricolour with correct head and dark, well placed eye. Well angulated. Good type. 3rd 45. Lyndream Words That Impress - Sable and white out of coat. Needs a little more time for head to develop but not as sweet in expression as above.

Junior Bitch: 1st 48. Peerielee Colours Of The Wind - Blue merle of good colour. Head still needs to mature but good body shape. 2nd 49. Deerod Dazzling In Diamonds - Sable and white needs to mature. A little broad in back skull and large in eye for me. 3rd 50. Ch Hillswick Sweet Enchantress - A big girl. Head lacks clean wedge shape, sound but not feminine enough for me.

Intermediate Bitch: 1st 60. Louanda Indiana Rose - A lovely feminine sable and white with correct head, sweet expression and sound movement. A beautiful type went on to deservedly win Intermediate In Show 2nd 53. Ronashill Tricky Business - A very nice blue merle with stunning tan. Good size. Correct head with good expression, well angulated and moved out well. 3rd 59. Louanda English Rose - Sable and white of good type. Back skull a little too flared for me. Correct size and body shape.

Australian Bred Bitch: 1st 66. Ch Louanda Exclusive Style - A gorgeous golden sable with beautiful head and expression. So very feminine but sound with good angulation fore and rear. 2nd 64. Hatztoo Her Royal Hotness - A mahogany sable of beautiful shape. Just a little sweeter in eye would please. Sound and moved out well. 3rd 71. Hillswick Shimmering Gold - Beautiful type with sweet expression, just a little out of coat against the above.

Open Bitch: 1st 78. Sup Ch Kelanmee Autumn Aria - A beautiful mahogany sable moved to perfection. Correct head properties with beautiful sweet expression from dark eye. Correct topline on the stack and moving. Exceptional angulation. A stunning bitch who well deserved CC and Best In Show. 2nd 72. Gr Ch Beauideal Girlish Charm - Gold sable of nice size, correct head properties. Well angulated and moved well. 3rd 76. Ch Hartly Shine On Me - Smaller gold sable with correct head and sweet expression .

Some Secrets and Strategies for Show Ring Success From ‘Westminster Dog Show Handlers Share

Secrets and Strategies for Winning in the Show

Ring’ by Kim Campbell Thornton. Vetstreet Pre-Show Training

Can take a year or more to prep a dog for a major show. Bathed, trimmed, groomed weekly. Roadwork: running alongside a bike or on a dog trotter, usually three or four times a week, or more. Regular sessions with a canine massage therapist and chiropractor.

Show Prep: Outfits

Handler Laura Bergstraser-Lorenz: “I never want to blend in with my dog. If I’m showing a lot of black dogs, I don’t wear a lot of solid black. If I’m showing brown dogs, black is fine, or I’ll wear a lot of tan, cream, green, blues, pink.” If a handler wants to de-emphasise a particular point, they might wear an outfit that matches the dog, in an attempt to mask less-than-perfect movement or structure.

Treats and Tricks

Handler Bruce Schultz: Puppies “Make it fun for them, and they’ll show better and longer. Some of them you have to play with longer, some of them you have to play with harder; it just all depends on the individual dog.” Bait: Boiled liver; beef liver; smoked beef heart; fajita chicken; chicken jerky. You learn what they like best and what they’re going to give you more with.

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Congratulations

Sup Ch Kelanmee Autumn Aria

Best In Show - Shetland Sheepdog Club of NSW Championship Show, 2014

Breeder & Owner - Kim Tresidder

A beautiful mahogany sable moved to perfection. Correct head properties with

beautiful sweet expression from dark eye. Correct topline on the stack and moving.

Exceptional angulation. A stunning bitch who well deserved CC and Best In Show.

SSCNSW Champ Show Critique - Elizabeth Blake-Watts (NZ)

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Ir Ch, Lux Ch Irish Legend of Navarrem

BOB - Manchester Championship Show, 17th January, 2015

Bred & Owned by - Emilio Castillo & Patrick Fortune

Conformation

Best Of Breed Mr. Thomas W Coen

Dogs Mrs. Gayle Eads

Bitches Mrs. Barbara Wright

Futurity Mr. Robert Olsen

Junior Showmanship Mrs. Barbara Wright

Obedience

Novice A, Open A & B Ted G McCall

Novice B, Utility A & B Donald A Levinson

Beginner Novice A & B Victoria A Brown

Veterans TBA

Rally

All Rally Classes Victoria A Brown

Agility

All Standard Classes Jim Smotrel

All Jumpers With Weaves

Classes Judy Smotrel

American Shetland Sheepdog Association National Specialty - April 18-25, 2015

Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Herding

Sheep Herding Tested & Deborah Johnson

Sheep Course A Roy Johnson

Ducks Course A & B Deborah Johnson

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Remembering Edburton Paladin (imp UK) ‘Sailor’

By Glad McIntosh (updated by Editor)

Edburton Paladin (imp UK), Sailor, arrived in New Zealand aged 41/2 months, with the tricolour, Ranker of Exford

(later NZ Ch). Sailor’s ears had ‘gone fly’ during the arduous voyage which included a lengthy breakdown in the

ship’s engines off the West Indies, where a Revolution was in progress. Sailor initially wasn’t chosen to make this

journey. The tricolour Mica of Exford was supposed to accompany Ranker, however, Mica’s ears pricked just

before they were due to depart, so Sailor was chosen to replace Mica.

Ranker aged 7 months, had become very attached to his smaller companion and thereafter foiled all attempts with

Sailor’s ears, by his constant licking. For this reason, Sailor didn’t gain his Title (being seldom shown), but he

deserved it otherwise. After Ranker’s untimely death, he fretted for quite some time.

His head had a perfectly flat skull and a pencil fine blaze - his trademark, which he often passed on to his

offspring. He was also renowned for keeping size down. We cannot vouch for it, but have been told that he was

the only sable son that tricolour Eng Ch Philander of Exford sired, also he had a particularly interesting forebear in

his Great (x3) Grandmother Edburton Hoona. This sable bitch was found during the war after a bombing raid and

thought to be of Fetlar origin. Her owner and previous history were never found, and she was renamed and re-

registered.

For the record, on his last veterinary examination, Sailor showed no sign of eye defects.

Sailor was behind many prominent winners in New Zealand and later in Australia. His daughter, Gay Lass of

Kendin, was BOB at the NZ 1974 National All Breeds Champ Show. Many South Island winners were descended

from Sailor including the NZ Champions Moonrocket and Moonboy of Mariland. NZ Ch Mokopuna of Delcorver

was another winning daughter.

His breeding is behind many Shelties in NZ, North and South Islands, as he served a total of 98 bitches over the

years, with only a handful not becoming pregnant. This sound little dog, Mrs F.P.B Sangster of Exford kennels

wisely prophesised would be a most useful contribution to the breeding in NZ.

The Australian connection is descended through the males NZ, Aust Ch Chaos of Eurydice (WA), and Shaftsbury

Sir Galahad. The tri bitch Merri Poppins of Twoseas added to the gene pool with her daughters Ardvasar Eltrym

and Ardvasar Amythyst, and their worthy sons Ch Ardvasar Jindivick, NZ Ch Ardvasar Beau Lara, Aust, NZ Ch

Lakkie Leonardo and Ch Jentam Stopn Stare. Jindivick providing the factor for the first black and whites in Victoria

lines. Sailor would be justifiably proud to know that he was behind Ch Quendale Krystal Star.

In the Spring of 1974, Sailor was put to sleep at the age of 10 years, and the following tribute on the next page

‘The passing of Edburton Paladin (imp UK) - Sailor’, by Harry Waring, was written for the sake of those many

people whose Shelties’ pedigrees include the name Edburton Paladin (imp UK).

Ch Philander of Exford

Ch Lothario of Exford Ch Exford Piskiegye Taw

Ch Fascinator of Exford

Ch Founder of Exford CDX Ch Riverhill Rescuer

Gloworm of Exford

Edburton Ragamuffin

Helensdale Magnus Helensdale Cadet

Helensdale Diana

Edburton Rocrose Riverhill Roc

Edburton Heatherette

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The passing of Edburton Paladin

(imp UK) - Sailor by Harry Waring

I held him tight against my chest his old brown form still soft and warm Then wrapped him in his worn old rug

as if to keep him safe from harm

And then a flowering shrub I took There as I laid him in the ground This little tree to mark his spot I set upon his earthly mound

And from his wasted body flows now aided by the sun and rain

the strength to cause the sap to flow and so new life will spring again

The Summer’s sun will bring the flowers deep centred where the stamens lie

And if I peer within their depths I think I see his soft brown eye

The Winter’s wind will stir the leaves They flutter in the breezy morn

and in their movements if I please I see him scamper ‘cross the lawn

Sturdy and strong his tree shall grow secure within my garden wall

and every Spring the sap will rise and every Spring I will recall

Meeting Sailor Again….

An excerpt from Harry Waring’s book “A Breeders Day”

…”On a bright spring morning and not having any more pressing chores that day, I decided to make a small detour to visit Bellevue Kennels to ‘view’ a litter of puppies, for she had been mated to one of our stud dogs. Bellevue was not only a small kennel, there was also a small vineyard, but there was nothing small about the quality of their Shelties. I must add, or their wine...

On the road again. I soon took a right into a side street, which I knew would make a short cut to the main road for my journey home, traveling at a slow speed now (as there were many young children around) I now saw a familiar sight - a young Sheltie dog trotting down the footpath on the right hand side of the street. As I drew near him, his type was well-known to me - the trim outline and neatly fitting coat. As I drew level with him (he turned his head to view the passing vehicle), and I saw at once - the two parallel planes head, the flat skull, the pencil fine blaze - ‘The Edburton Trademark’. For this young sable Sheltie was an offspring of our old Sailor (Edburton Paladin, imp UK), I would stake my last dollar on that; as I had seen his type in suburban streets and in the show ring, for many of Sailor’s pups were strikingly true to type. Now as I passed ‘Young Sailor’ he turned right, through a gate way and up the garden path.

On a sudden impulse, I smartly stopped the van, hopped out, ran across the street, to follow ‘Young Sailor’ up the garden path. To the right of the house a man was working in the garden...I sang out… “I see you have my young Sheltie here”...The man was somewhat taken back by my bold and forthright statement… he said “Yes he’s my dog”, I then replied “Yes, he may be your dog now, but many years ago, he was my dog, I’ll be bound!”… Then bending forward, I spoke softly to the young Sheltie, “Hello Sailor old boy, how have you been getting along down through the years?”. ‘Young Sailor’ gazed back into my eyes. Looking down now deep into Sailor’s soft brown eyes, for a few magical moments time rolled away, and I gazed deep into my ‘Old Sailor’s’ eyes - for a few seconds we were united there, man and dog in those precious moments of yester year. As I spoke that soft word to ‘Young Sailor’, he cocked his head slightly to one side, as I had seen ‘Old Sailor’ do a thousand times, as he strained to understand my words.

Then I turned my head quickly away to hide the tear now smarting in my eyes, I hurried back down the path, ran across the street, jumped back into the van and drove away.”

The Sheltie & Collie Ear Trimming DVD is now available to order. This DVD covers the complete process of trimming a Shetland Sheepdogs’ or Rough Collies’ ears for the show ring (or just to improve the looks of your beloved companion dogs) from start to finish. Two different dogs are used in the DVD, so you can see this process completed on more than one dog. You can also pause it, as you try this technique out on your own dog. The DVD is available for $29.00 plus $3.00 S&H in the US.

Please contact Tammy for a quote if you live in Australia, Canada, etc (outside of the US).

Tammy Brolin Alden via Facebook or malden@ec.rr.com

www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr

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Making Waves Across the Tasman

Aust & NZ Charmhill Noahs Crusade ROMA

Sire: Gr Ch Rannerdale The Wizard Of Oz (imp UK) Dam: Meega Moonlite Amber DOB: 18/01/2007

To know Noah personally is to love him, as he is a dog that so easily touches your heart.

When his litter was born in January 2007, I was pleased with all 4 puppies (3 males and 1 female), and by 6 weeks old Noah, who was the shaded sable, was shaping up to be the pick. However, he had dark freckling on

his face and any friends of mine know a smutty muzzle or freckling on the face is one of my pet hates! Sue Lishman (Louanda Shelties), owner of Ozzie, Noah’ sire, viewed the litter and selected Noah as the pick and

assured me that the freckling would go - she was right...lucky for that!

Noah is a handsome boy of 141/2 inches. He is beautifully balanced with correct head plains, effortless movement, natural ears, and sweet, almond shaped eyes. Although not a lover of the show ring in his younger

days (too busy checking out what was going on outside the ring), he did however hold his own when he was in the mood and giving his attention. Once he realised 'Oh this is what I’m supposed to do!’, he was a pleasure to

show.

At home, he is a devil - there is no gate tall enough, no latch that can’t be undone and no wooden trolley he

cannot eat his way through when there are bitches around in season. He is a very determined dog!

When I was going overseas for 5-6 weeks in late 2009, I sent him over to my good friends Rosemary and Peter Richards (Romanoc Shelties) in New Zealand for a 12 month stay. I am incredibly grateful for the love and

attention they both gave Noah whilst over there. He quickly gained his NZ title, and left behind some top quality progeny.

After arriving back in Australia in late 2010, my friend Glenyse Acreman (Hillacre Shelties), finished obtaining

the final points needed for his Australian title. At the time I had just undergone major knee surgery, so was very thankful for Glenyse’s help.

Noah has achieved ROMA status (an honour bestowed when a sire produces 10 or more Champion progeny), and to date he has sired 13 Champions between Australia and New Zealand, with several more awaiting final

points for their title. Noah also has some very promising pups ready to start their show career this year. I’m always honoured when breeders have wanted to use Noah at stud, and thank you to Megan for wanting to

feature his achievements in ’Sheltie Showcase’.

‘Noah’

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Champion Progeny Aust Ch Charmhill Celtic Rivalry Aust Ch Scotsdream Knee Deep N Daizies Aust Ch Daestar Dawns Mystical Spell NZ Ch Shelton Nite Cruzin NZ Ch Romanoc Kiwi Krusade NZ Ch Romanoc Maeden Krusade NZ Ch Eyespy Guns A Blazin NZ Ch Romanoc All Grace NKnickers Aust Ch Inneslake Leilani Aust Ch Cheralay Fireworks Aust Ch Cheralay Im So Sweet NZ Ch Romanoc If I had A Dream Aust Ch Shelbronze Desert Sun Aust Neuter Champion Shelbronze Dash Of Rum

Gen Clear CEA/Ch, MDR1 & DM.

Hip score 1/3. Full Dentition .

8 months

3 months 8 weeks

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Noah

Australian progeny:

Aust Ch Cheralay

Fireworks

NZ progeny:

NZ Ch Romanoc

Kiwi Krusade

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How do you chose your show dog names?

“Choosing an AKC-registered name for your dog is an important part of purebreed ownership”. March 4, 2013. Source: dogchannel website

Taylor Dearborn: Broadway Paradigms Summer Loving ... It's from the movie ‘Grease’.

Nancy Zumbach Smith: My son played travel hockey for 11 years, and his last year was when we acquired our dog. I have a poster at work of the Stanley Cup, which says "The Ultimate Goal." Our dog is Ch Windmoor's Ultimate Goal, and of course we call him Stanley!

Clint Werner: I like literary names, and my breeder likes painters' names. It was an ‘R’ litter, so we found Dante Rosetti, a poet and painter named after Dante Alegheri, so he's Ch Beldach's Radiant Rosetti, 'Dante’.

KS AmStafs: KS's The Big Guns, 'Mac' is named after my Grandfather who was a USAF bomber pilot.

Rachel Diller: In 2011, I lost three Mastiffs to bone cancer (in about four months), so I was devastated. The year prior to that I lost my alpha bitch to old age (almost 12) and my next in line girl to another type of cancer in her spine. Both of my Afghans went back to the breeder because of aggression with those Mastiffs. Then, after all was said and done, the breeder resold those Afghans, and I was not able to have them back. The last Mastiff to pass away was my stud and sire to an unborn litter. So, when the litter came to be, the only fawn girl was named Marbles Magnum's Until I Found You. She saved my sanity. At that time, I had to take over the old Afghan again who had been bred, and the litter was too challenging to manage. I whelped the litter of Afghans from three days on, and my new Mastiff pup came and nursed on her as well two days after that. The Mastiff mother did not nurse after she woke up from her C-section. So, Marbles was raised on the Afghan Hound along with eight other puppies. I love her so much. I also just won a Bred By Exhibitor Group 2 at the Denver Cluster against 13 working breeds. She's my life saver!

Amanda Dunne: My latest puppy is Fasusq Bohemian Rhapsody, as I was in the Czech Republic when he was born!

Carrie Cabrera: Canaan Dog Sufat Sheleg Ziva bat Ash. ‘Sufat Sheleg’ is Snow Storm in Hebrew. Kennel name ‘Ziva’ means ‘brightness, radiance, brilliance’ in Hebrew and being a favourite character on NCIS, ‘bat Ash’ is ‘daughter of Ash.’ Canaan Dog FarSight Maccabee bat Onyx. ‘Maccabee’ came from my favourite Christmas carol ‘Light One Candle’.

Trudi Kimm: When I saw Buzz for the first time, I thought, "This dog is going to cause a buzz in the breed," hence Pleasant Hill's What's The Buzz. Until his death last year, he was the most versatile living Canaan dog with 18 group placements and a CDCA Versatility Excellent title.

Janet Warner: Our mentor had just died. Her favourite dog in the whole world had ‘Connection’ in his name. She had a boarding kennel (not her kennel name) named ‘Holiday’. Her name was Daisy Lilleym so we named our girl after her. (The first three names are our kennel names) GCh Majic Azuma Wilbec's Holiday Connection, 'Silly Lilley’.

Sarah Diaz: My latest dog's name is Bessdach's Calm Before the Storm, 'Katrina’. The litter was born two weeks after hurricane Katrina, and the breeder lives in Texas, so it was fitting.

Erin P. Cody: The litter had a theme of 'Hunter.' So what type of ‘Hunter’ did I want? A trophy Hunter, of course! So thus Ch Cha-Rish Trophy Hunter.

Eric L Green: GIFAJ La Diosa Rubia is my newest Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy. The kennel name means ‘God is faithful and just’. The Mexican interpretation of her name is the blond goddess, and she is a brindle! She was the most famous female bullfighter in all of Mexico. In that culture, they preferred to refer to darker skinned people by the opposite of what they were so as to not offend them. Hence the term rubia or blonde, as opposed to negro.

Alexia Fino: Stonecroft's Pretty Fierce Potrero, aka Nina, was named after Nina Garcia from Project Runway. Nina G. is my favourite host on the show because she's pretty and fierce.

Joan Lieder Hackel: Jazz was in the ‘J’ litter and called Jolene by her breeder. We were not fond of it. I changed it to All That Jazz. Our older one came named by her breeder, and because she was older we kept her name.

Shana Rodriguez: Being that my dog's breeder loves Western theme names, I had a great name in mind. Dachaven Barketta The Singing Cowboy, call name 'Autry'. And yes, he does "sing" ... and my dad is a huge Gene Autry fan.

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Lyn Dunne: I named my most recent Cavalier puppy Aberlour Shakitlykapolroidpctr (pronounced ‘Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture’), as her mother is Aberlour Mega Pixel! (LOL)

Chris Vitosh: Due to a conversation I had shortly before my mother passed, I went back to my childhood breed and found a female pup who I named ‘Paxston’, which is my mother's maiden name. A family memory was my mom as a toddler telling her teenage aunts that she needed "Ip-I-tick and oouge"; hence, Paxston became Ch Stone Ridge Packin' Lipstick 'n Rouge.

Cheryl Claypool: Artworks Let The Rumors Begin, aka 'Rumors’, is my foundation bitch and Artworks Rumors Will Be Herd, aka 'Echo’, was the talker of the litter.

Sharon Walden Manos: I was given a list of song titles to choose from by my breeder. His stud dog was named after Stevie Ray Vaughn, so I chose the song title that best suited what was going on in my family at that time. Ch Rayvon's Wall of Denial, call name 'Max’. He was born on my parent's wedding anniversary; my mom is Maxine, and we were dealing with her dementia, so ‘Wall of Denial’ seemed perfect.

Kim Egan: My first show quality Toy Fox Terrier came from Louisiana from Kajun-Fox Kennel. I am a big fan of zydeco (Cajun) music, and he had the prettiest gold markings I ever saw, so I named him ‘Beausoleil’ (which means ‘beautiful sun’) after the zydeco band. All of his puppies that I kept were named after Beausoleil album titles (Cajunization, Vintage Beausoleil) or albums recorded by the lead singer, Michael Doucet (Christmas Bayou).

Linda Deuel: Ch Lindel Caran No Denying. It was an ‘oops’ breeding. I was in total denial that we were going to have puppies until about 10 days before seven puppies were whelped. Her call name is 'Deni’.

Mary-Ann Yanez: We're fans of ‘The Honeymooners’, so my dog's littermates have Jackie Gleason-themed names. My girl is GCh Augustines To The Moon Alice BND's. Her sister is Augustines How Sweet It Is.

Mary Anne Morrison: BISS Immerlachen I'm Roly Poly o Chief was named by my son, a fan of Bob Wills music. “Roly Poly, daddy's little fatty, he needs lots of strength to run and play!"

Andrew Dolan: My Rory came from the ‘wait’ litter, as both kennels had waited a long time for the pups to come. That's why he's called Kr'msun Nefer-Temu Worth His Wait In Gold.

Cara N. Dixon: I used to have a Yankee. I wanted a Rebel. Now I have one. A Beauceron. He is Rebelle Avec Une Cause Du Chateau Rocher, a nod to his French heritage and a reminder that he has a job - to soak up all of the love and attention that he most certainly deserves.

Now, for my Dober-baby. He is Electron N Foxfires Easily A Saint, call name 'Nico', shortened from Nicodemus - St. Nicodemus. Because mama is ‘Easily Steller’, the litter had to have ‘Easily’ in the name. Electron is the breeder; both bitch and dog are Foxfire Dobermans. And his beautiful disposition makes 'Easily A Saint' the perfect name.

Sarah Woodling Houle: Brian the Beagle as a puppy was named after Brian on ‘Family Guy’. So his registered name is Kinsglo Road to Rhode Island, which is the musical episode featuring Brian and Stewie's characters on a crazy cross-country adventure!

Randall Learniski: My last Sealyham Terrier’s name was Katharine Hepburn after my favourite actress, of course!

Lisa Higham: Shasta's Mud Monster. Yep! She earned it!

Sheltie Diaries to Purchase More examples…..

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Why are some litters larger than others? This questions was addressed by Dr Carmen L. Battaglia in his paper ‘Litter Size and Singleton’ in reviewing several studies (references below). … “There are several ways to approach the study of litter size in dogs. One perspective is to look at what can influence the size of a litter; another is to study one-puppy litters. Goldbecker and Hart reported experiences with both. For the one-puppy litters they suggested the use of foster mothers and to treat the singleton as an orphan because they have similar problems. They believed that these pups needed siblings or other dogs to interact with in order to learn the rules of the dog world. To that end it is generally accepted that at least for canines, littermates provide valuable and necessary practice sessions. Interactions provide opportunities for using their teeth, developing eye contact and a wide range of other canine behaviours that become useful as adults.” … “Most of the small breeds, notably the toys and terriers usually produce very small litters. This is in part because of their very small size, which limits their capacity to carry large litters. But in the larger breeds there are wide variations in litter size ranging from 1 to 21 and in some instances they have been larger. Breeders have for years unsuccessfully tried to make improvements in litter size via breeding and selection techniques with little success. While many traits have high heritability, litter size is not one of them. It has a low heritability, around 10 -15 % which means that one cannot count on the genes to increase the number of pups born.” … “When it comes to litter size selecting parents who come from large litters will not improve the number of pups born. However, the physical condition of the dam at the time she is bred has been shown to increase or decrease litter size. For example, obese bitches tend to have smaller litters than those that are fit and trim. Nutrition is still another factor that was suspected to affect litter size. Some thought it would vary between and within breeds. The fact that there are large variations in litter size attracted the attention of Russ Kelly, a noted nutritionist. He set out to better understand litter size by examining what would happen if nutrition became the variable. What he found was that the diet fed bitches during their pregnancy did influence the size of their litters. To do this he studied three colonies of bitches that were in whelp. One colony was fed only a dry ration of good quality dog food. The second was fed the same dry ration but supplemented with cottage cheese. The third was fed the same dry ration with supplements of cottage and meat. The important point here is that two of the three colonies were fed extra protein supplements. The colony that had the largest number of pups born alive came from mothers not fed any supplements. His findings make clear that supplementing a high quality, nearly perfectly formulated dog food with rations of cottage cheese and meat would interfere with the number of pups born alive. In other words, supplements added to a good quality commercial dog food reduces the chances for larger litters. This finding is good news to dog breeders.” … “The singleton pup is a one-puppy litter. To better understand these pups three general questions were used. They focused on the whelping process, behaviour during and after weaning and the effects of the dam during their development. While many species have single births, the canines are not one of them even though there are many breeds that only produce one or two puppy litters. Small litters can be directly related to the selective breeding practices that breeders have used over the years to fulfil the physical size requirements of their breed standards. The other explanation for variations in litter size has already been demonstrated to be nutrition and conditioning. Since there was no body of literature on this subject several breeders and veterinarians were contacted that had reported experiences with single puppy litters. Many of the breeders said that a singleton pup could be a little dog aggressive, less sociable and a little more "abnormal" than an average pup born with littermates. Others said that singleton puppies were not problem pups until they started to take notice of their surroundings. All of the breeders interviewed had also produced pups with large litters and thus had some basis for making the comparison. Most of the breeders assumed that a singleton would be larger than normal thus producing delivery problems, which resulted in a “C" section. Veterinarians on the other hand reported a wide range of different experiences that did not necessarily agree with those indicated by the breeders. Most veterinarians said that a singleton was not a larger, stronger or smarter pup than others of the same breed when larger litters were produced. They also noted that the singleton did not necessarily make a better companion. Only a few reported that they noticed behaviour problems even though many lacked interaction with other littermates.”

… “Based on the experiences of these two groups the recommendations that can be offered suggest a number of approaches. Apart from having no littermates to interact with, the lack of companionship could be compensated for if the dam is encouraged to provide daily stimulation and attention. Puppies learn to be a dog by being part of their "pack" in the nest. Keeping the singleton occupied was found to be important and most recommended handling by different individuals to keep them from becoming bored. While most dams naturally encourage their pups to play, they also teach them good manners. As soon as these pups are old enough they should either go to their new home (8 weeks is early enough), or have them introduced to the owners other dogs.” … “The group was asked about the singleton when it had become an adult. While this study was limited to several breeders and veterinarians, they all agreed that the bitches involved in this limited study were considered to be good mothers and had plentiful supplies of milk. Most seemed to adore their one and only pup and none were overprotective or lacking in interest. Some were raised in the house as opposed to the kennel. Most of these pups received more supervision and more early human socialisation than normally would have been provided while in the nest with a litter. In order to fill the gap involving the lack of stimulation, some were placed with other litters. All grew to be normal and healthy. Most but not all were considered well-adjusted adults.” References: Goldbecker, W. and Hart, E., This is the German Shepherd, T.F.H. Publications Inc. Jersey City, NJ 1964, p.125. Kelley, Russ, Recent Advances in Canine and Feline Nutrition, Vol. III, 2000 Iams Nutrition symposium proceedings; "Canine reproduction: What should we Expect?" Orange Frazer Press, Wilmington, OH 2000, p. 225-239. Severzov, Adrian and Owen, Ray, General Genetics, W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, 1957, p 503. Scott, J.P. and Fuller, J. L., Dog Behavior, the genetic basis. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Ill.1965, p.366-367. Trumler, Eberhard, Understanding Your Dog, Faber and Faber, 3 Queens Square, London. 1973, P. 56 Willis, Malcom, The German shepherd Dog: a genetic history, Howell Book House, New York, 1995, p. 289-293.

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High Honours

Sup Ch Lurikeen Turn Up Th Heat

To the best of our knowledge, Dakota holds the title of The Greatest Winning Shetland Sheepdog Bitch of all time in

Australia.

Some of Queen Dakota’s career highlights:

Over 6000 Challenge points

31 BEST EXHIBIT IN SHOW AWARDS All Breeds

25 RUNNER UP BEST EXHIBIT IN SHOW AWARDS All Breeds

106 BEST EXHIBIT IN GROUP AWARDS

51 RUNNER UP BEST EXHIBIT IN GROUP AWARDS

8 SPECIALTY BEST EXHIBIT IN SHOW AWARDS

5 SPECIALTY RUNNER UP BEST EXHIBIT IN SHOW AWARDS

2 BEST EXHIBIT IN SHOW SEMI SPECIALTY

WA’s First and Youngest Grand Champion Sheltie bitch. WA's First Supreme Champion Shetland Sheepdog. Contest of Winners 2004 & 2007 "Best of Winners". Contest of Winners invitee for 11 consecutive years.

Queen ‘Dakota’

When I was 13 years old, I held an 8 week old puppy in my arms and said "I am going to get the Grand with this one". ‘THEY’ laughed and said “No way, she is a bitch, has coat drops and seasons - you will never get it with her”. My Mum said to me “What about the Champion title?”, my reply “We will pick that up on the way!” At the moment, I never could have dreamt just how incredible our journey together would be.

Today, Dakota is 12 years young and I am so thankful that she doesn't act her age. Always up to mischief, including stealing things off the kitchen bench and taking herself for walks at the dog shows after escaping from the show trolley. There is never a dull moment when she is around - she knows how to bring a smile to your face.

Not only is she the ultimate show dog, she is my heart and soul. She is a very much loved and adored member of the family.

The Queen finished 2014 with the following awards: #1 Top Working Dog In WA (Working Dog Club Of WA) DOL Point Score Competition 2014: #1 Shetland Sheepdog in WA Show Dog of the Year Competition #1 Shetland Sheepdog in WA Breed Challenge Winner #1 Shetland Sheepdog in Australia Breed Challenge Competition #2 Shetland Sheepdog in Australia Show Dog of the Year Competition #2 Top Working Dog in WA #11 Show Dog of the Year in WA

Photo above: Ashlea and Dakota. Dakota - winner 2015 Veteran of the Year Sweepstakes.

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Dakota has already started 2015 with BANG! winning:

Best Exhibit In Show 23/1/2015

Best Exhibit In Group 24/1/2015

Veteran Of The Year Sweepstakes Winner 25/1/2015

Best Exhibit in Group & Runner up Best Exhibit in Show 1/2/2015

Thank you to our wonderful support crew and a special thank you to our beautiful Mum who is the backbone behind The Queen’s success.

Dakota, you’re one in a million - thank you for always giving us your best, it’s been an amazing journey. I am so very honoured to hold on to the end of your lead whilst you run around the ring proving why they call you

“The Queen”.

Best Of Breed 2014 Perth Royal

Owner - Ashlea Stanton

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UK & Aust Sup Ch Rannerdale The Time Warp (imp UK)

High Honours

UK Ch Rannderdale Ghost Buster x Rannerdale Sheer Velvet DOB: 30/1/2005

‘Reggie’

Where to start - Reggie is definitely a once in a lifetime dog. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would get a UK Champion. Those who have imported, or tried to import, will know how difficult it is to get UK dogs, let alone a Champion! Then for that Champion to be my ideal Sheltie!

I’m sure Ann and Clare Stafford only parted with him as they had his younger half brother doing a lot of winning (Ch Rannerdale Bugsey Malone). Bugsey Malone has won 23 CC’s to date, which has made him one of the highest achieving Shelties in the UK.

Back to Reggie - he achieved so much in the short time he had in the show ring before his semi retirement… being almost 6 yrs old when he arrived!

MULTIPLE BIS & RU BIS WINNER

15 BEST IN GROUPS

11 RU BEST IN GROUPS

One of the highlights, apart from the obvious BEST IN SHOWS was winning the:

RES CC at the 2013 SSCV Champ Show under UK Specialist Mr Brian Hull in a near record entry of *180*:

“Sable and white, very close decision, good foreface, good eye setting, good ear carriage, good reach of neck and shoulder angulation, good length of tail, good bend of stifle”

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Photo: Sally Stasytis

CC and Runner Up Best in Show at the 2014 NSW Champ Show under NZ semi specialist Mrs E Blake-Watts:

“A red sable of beautiful type and correct size. Correctly moulded foreface with flat skull, parallel plains and rounded full muzzle. Showed sweet expression from well placed eye. Well angulated both front and rear displaying correct movement. A quality dog. I loved him and could not hesitate to award him Best Dog/CC”

We are proud and privileged to have such a stunning example of Breed Type and Soundness.

Although he has only sired 7 litters here with us... amazingly there have been 7 Champions with several more well on the way. I can honestly say there were no ‘ugly ducklings’ in any of his litters. The whole litter would exhibit that ‘TYPE’. In over forty years of breeding, I have never seen such a dominant stud! Previously he had sired Champions in the UK and Europe. Probably the most well-known being ‘Swe Ch Rannerdale Oliver Twist’ who has been the Top Winning Sheltie in Sweden for several years.

Now in semi retirement living as a much loved family member with Karen beside her bed every night, to us he will always be the Complete package: Super Show Dog, Super Stud Dog!

We made the big decision of doing a half brother / sister mating - the result being ‘Louanda Time To Dream’, Archie, so we have high hopes for him passing on Reggie’s qualities!

We can never thank Ann and Clare enough for entrusting Reggie to us. We hope he has done you proud, whilst also helping to improve our future generations of Australian Shelties.

Owners: Sue & Karen Lishman

Two of Reggie’s Sons: Ch Louanda Livin Ona Prayer & Ch Louanda Time After Time

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High Honours

Gr Ch Deerod Give Me The Night (ROMA)

‘George’

22-9-97 to 3-4-2011

Sire: Ch Aanara Knight Move (ROMA) Dam: Jentam Miss Conduct

When I planned this litter, my hopes were for a tricolour bitch. As we all know, plans are made to come

unstuck and that is exactly what happened. 22-9-97 my beautiful Connie produced a sable male and 2

tricolour males and that’s all. I was not only disappointed with a small litter but also no bitches.

Very early on it was apparent that there was a very special little black dog in this litter. George was always

the standout puppy and being blessed with an intense black coat, rich tan and sparkling whites he was

certainly striking. No way was this gorgeous puppy going anywhere.

From the moment George hit the show ring as a baby, he was

a star. Winning through all his classes, George picked up his 1st

Best in Show award while still a puppy. Many more Best in

Shows followed, winning these awards at all levels, Specialty,

Semi-Specialty and All Breeds.

George proved to be a popular stud dog, making his biggest

impression with merle lines but also successfully sired to

sables as well. Such was George’s success as a stud, in his

limited stud career he has descendants across Australia, New

Zealand, Asia, Europe, Scandinavia and I believe some in North

America as well. Many kennels have benefited from George

and his descendants. He sired several Best in Show winners

and Grand Champions and he lives on in the many current

dogs that carry him in their background.

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‘George’

George – 11 months old

Best in Show under specialist Cherri Seeber

Blessed with a fabulous temperament he endeared himself to many but his little quirk was that he did not

like any of the brachycephalic breeds. He would spot them a mile away and start growling. I think he

thought they were ugly!

I believe George is still the only 5th generation tail male ROMA we’ve had in the breed in Australia.

I am heartened by the many breeders still wishing that George was around.

Loved, bred and owned by Deirdre Crofts

Sheltie Breeder Q&A

Donna Saltau (Shelbronze Shelties) and Ashlea Stanton (Lurikeen Shelties) were asked the following questions. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

1. Could you list in order of priority the 5 most important points you believe a judge should look for in a sheltie?

Donna:

1. Breed type (coming from correct head and outline) 2. Movement (reach and drive with effortless action) 3. Head properties (dark, almond shaped eyes, obliquely set. Correct eye will usually come with a shapely one-piece, moulded head) 4. Overall outline (with correct, well fitted coat. Arch of neck, level topline and well balanced angulation) 5. Temperament (not overly outgoing but friendly. Definitely not shy or timid. Our breed is very smart in performance work and a solid temperament is a must).

Ashlea:

1. Overall type 2. Expression 3. Head, eyes and ears placement 4. Movement 5. Height

2. What dog have you admired past and/or present and why?

Donna:

Gr Ch Deerod Give Me The Night (pictured right). A real eye catcher this boy was with his symmetrical outline, free flowing movement and a head to die for, especially for a tricolour. His luxurious black, shining coat just finished the whole picture for me. He took my breath away the first time I laid eyes on him.

On a biased note, I was very fortunate to have shown one of my greats in Ch Shelbronze High Spirits. One of the best moving Shelties I had ever seen. Another who I really admired was Ch Kimbush Star Kingdom. All of these boys showed masculinity but still having the correct type. Sweet expressions, refined yet strong and ALL were of excellent structure for working dogs.

These boys could really have done a full days work easily. We don’t see dogs of this style much anymore unfortunately. Ashlea:

Ch Daestar Dannaher - A true ambassador and behind many top winning dogs. I would have loved to have been around in his day, he was a beautiful representation of the breed.

3. What bitch have you admired past and/or present and why?

Donna:

Ch Hillacre Heaven On Earth. She epitomised the correct type. Beautiful head and eye showing such femininity. She was of correct size with fair length and arch of neck. Flowing outline and smooth, easy movement. She just floated.

I could actually name quite a few more bitches that I have admired over the years. Ch Nigma Allegreta, Ch Jentam Tri Alittle Magic, Ch Romaynes Regal Star and Gr Ch Hillacre Heavenly Blue. Any one of these bitches I could have owned. Loved them all.

Ashlea:

Ch Lerwicklea Loads of Class. I saw Danielle and ‘Blaze’ in the ring when I was 13 years old at the 2003 Shetland Sheepdog National in Perth. I said to my mum "I want one like her” - she was just beautiful.

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4. What would you say the breed needs most improvement on?

Donna:

As like many breeds we have always had issues with the correct lay of shoulder and length of upper arm. Without a well angled shoulder we lose that lovely length and arch of neck. The whole outline is lost and is a big part of correct breed type. We also lose that ‘Daisy Cutting’ movement our breed asks for.

We also need to be careful not to lose our refinement which is what gives us our sweet feminine bitches and handsome boys.

Again we must keep the eye shape, placement and colour correct for that melting expression you only see in a Sheltie. With that we should keep correctly shaped heads.

So more emphasis on shoulder angulation, eyes and expression and keeping the breed refined and not too heavy are the things I think we need to keep improving on. Ashlea:

Fronts. Overall as a breed, I think this is something that we lack.

A Lamb who thinks she’s a Dog?

Source: MailOnline & Nature websites

Have you ever heard of a lamb who likes going for walks, wags her tail and leaps and frolics

about in the snow? Well there’s a 10-month old lamb in the Scottish Highlands, named “Pet”,

who does just that.

“Pet” struggled to survive following her birth last April, where she suffered complications. As a

result, she was lifted from her mother and landed a spot in the warmth of her owner’s house

where she bonded instantly with the family Border Collies.

She was 'adopted' by the oldest dog called “Dice” and even began sleeping in a dog basket (at

one point she kicked one of the dogs out of its own bed). She bonded with the dogs and they

accepted her as one of them. When she was younger, she became so attached to the dogs that

when she couldn't see them she would bleat for them.

Now she behaves more like a dog than a lamb and even tries to wag her tail and loves nothing

more than going on daily walks with all of the dogs. In being so attached to the oldest dog,

both of them take themselves off for walks.

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New Supreme Champion

Supreme Ch Kelanmee Richly Decked

The Tresidder family is very pleased to announce the newly titled:

Supreme Ch Kelanmee Richly Decked

Handled by Kim and Luke Tresidder, he collected 4 Best in Shows, 3 Runner Up Best in Shows,18 Best in Groups, Best of Breed at the Dogs NSW Spring Fair 2013, Final 12 Dogs NSW POTY, and Winner of the Sydney Royal 6 - 12 month Sweepstakes and is of course a Multiple Class in Show Winner. He has also sired five beautiful Champions. Every win has been a thrill and the Tresidder family couldn't be more proud.

Nudgiebear is the third Supreme Kelanmee Champion

Sire: Sup Ch Kelanmee Top Deck Dam: Ch Nigma Steffi Graf