Norwegian Buhund

Breed Notes 22nd December 2017 Margaret Deuchar

NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS

I start by wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year. It looks as if the weather will be much milder compared with the past couple of weeks. The very popular song says ‘Dreaming of a White Christmas,’ we have only had two in the last hundred years in 1938 & 1950 and in reality in this country snow tends to cause chaos, as it did two weeks ago, so a mild one may not look so pretty but means everyone’s Christmas travel plans are not ruined. We are really not geared up for snow because many winters, certainly recently ones are fairly mild although in 1963 it was very snowy and cold but the snow did not come till Boxing Day. In December 1998 I went with friends to a 2 day dog show in Hamar Norway, which was held in “The Viking Ship” which had been the Skating venue for the 1994 Winter Olympics. The show was to celebrate the 100 anniversary of the Norsk Kennel Club, and promoted the Buhund that year with a wonderful parade of Wheaten & Black Buhunds with their handlers all dressed in National Costumes, there were also of course breed classes. We had hired a car and drove out of Oslo Airport in the dark onto snow covered roads but we never had a problem, as the car had tyres designed for travelling on snow, at the hotel you connected the car to an electric point, not to charge the battery but to keep it warm. The crossed skis outside the venue had icicles about 2 ft in length. The snow never caused a problem either on the roads or at the airport but of course they have it for months every year, the intense cold did mean though that all the winter clothes we had taken were very necessary.

An update on the AHT Cerebellar Ataxia DNA test. I want to thank all the owners who have sent to the AHT for the DNA results of their dogs. I now have results for over 60 dogs, most are clear but there are 13 carriers. The ages of these dogs range from 2 years to dogs that have long since passed. If you have not yet sent the form off but are entitled to a free test, please can I ask you to spend a few minutes and send it off. The results do not show any particular breeding, but it is obvious that it is still in the breed and we have been very lucky not to have any affected puppies. On the plus side we have several hereditary clear litters born in the last few years, and one some years ago, they are hereditary clear when both parents are tested clear. Remember you are all welcome to attend the visit we will be having to the AHT Newmarket on February 3rd, to discuss Ataxia and Hereditary Cataract.

Brenda and Tony Bethell recently attended Chepstow & District CS members only show, with their Zodiac’s Featuring Fredrik At Taevas of Minforst (Imp USA) (Freddy) & Minforst Galadriel (Ella) they both won their classes under judge Nigel Price. The show was held in Little Mill Village Hall Pontypool, Brenda told me it was  a lovely show and very local to them, she also said Ella has had a clear eye test, she is also hereditary free of Ataxia as both her parents(Freddy)& Int/Lux Ch Arnscroft  Di Ola at Minforst have tested clear, so good news all-round.

Last week I mentioned there was a raffle at LKA for a lovely Buhund Bracelet this was won by Sarah Stonton.

Professor Robert Crouch whose Kimura Viking spent nine months here in 2015 & 16 and was BP Dog at Crufts in 2016, before going to Australia and the Delaroche Kennel of Caroline and Andrew Catt partners of Professor Crouch. Kimura Britt & Kimura Bjorn are going early next year to Professor Crouch joining Nor Ch Renedal’s Brynhild Skolmoy (Imp Nor) at her Blackcombe Kennel in Adelaide. She first met the breed when she was visiting Katherine and Terge Lindstrom and their Rottweilers, there she met Nor Ch Kimura Leonora who was the top winning Buhund in Norway in 2012 and was hooked.

Margaret Deuchar margaretdeuchar@gmail.com

The views expressed in Margaret’s Breed Notes are hers and hers alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Norwegian Buhund Club of the UK