Friday night classes

I went back to class Friday after skipping the past 2 weeks. My enthusiasm has been waning lately, but we have a couple of trials coming up, and I will be entering Spot, so maybe that will perk me up.

Spot's class went well. There were 3 of us there. We started late, as usual. I don't really mind, but that pushes the next class late, and the instructor gave us a hard time about taking too much time and going over class time.

Spot is doing well on all the obstacles, but I think he has weave blindness. He just doesn't seem to see them as an obstacle. If I position him and cue them, he takes them, but not on his own the way he does the teeter or jumps. I'm going to practice clicking going through the 2 poles and see what happens. We did a little sequence at the end, and we had to do a front cross after a tunnel, and all the other handlers we told to be sure and run up ahead to get it in, but then I get the opposite advice to stay beind! It's funny, with Shelby, she likes me to be ahead and chase me, but with Spot, he likes to charge ahead, so I'll have to be cueing much earlier I think. He definitely is one of those dogs who will cue off a shoulder turn or some little teeny motion. Should be fun!

Shelby was very exited to be at Gemini, but we we got out on course she was strange and distracted. She sniffed some things and didn't take cues. At one point she took a jump, then instead of coming around, she crawled under the bar to sniff something! Everyone had a good chuckle. Later someone told me there was a seminar or somethere there last weekend, so there were probably a lot of new smells around.

All in all, it was an ok night. It felt good to be back in class.

ABC's Nightline "Best of Breed?"

Last night Nightline broadcast their report on purebred dogs called "Best of Breed?". The main thing that comes through is the AKC's unwillingness to even discuss the issue, which is more damning than the interviews with breeders and experts, I think.

They included a couple of clips from the BBC's documetary and also a brief interview with Patrick Burns of the Terrierman blog, which I read often. He is very outspoken on the issue of inbreeding and the changes breeds have seen over the years due to kennel club breeding.

Super cute cell phone video

My favorite use is fireplace for kittens.

Full Video of Pedigree Dogs Exposed

This is a program that aired on the BBC in the UK only, I think, but it's caused quite a stir and lead to some sponsors backing out of the annual Crufts dog show. I have seen on several dog lists I am on that 20/20 is intending to do an investigation of the AKC on a similar level. The AKC has declined to participate (of course) and is asking any breeders or fanciers contacted by ABC to decline an interview. I understand that dogs have been bred for different purposes in order to be useful to man in some way, but I do think that there are breeds where traits have been overexaggerated to the detriment of the individual animals, and the gene pool should be opened up and/or breed standards need to be re-examined.
Documentary - BBC - Pedigree Dogs Exposed

This is on Spot and Shelby's Christmas List

Just kidding-it doesn't really exist. It's a fake box sold by The Onion.

Cool photo from today's snowstorm

Basie, a 3-year-old dalmatian, waited for his owner, Tom Allen, of Somerville, during a snowy romp in the park at Nunziato Field in Somerville on Sunday, the first day of March.
"He loves the snow," said Allen of his dog.

(Globe staff/Dina Rudick)