NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
Those of you who have read my breed notes over the last two weeks may have noticed that when I was writing about the club show, there was (Imp)and (ai) after several of the dog’s names. I have been in the breed 30yrs this year, when I came in there was no pet passport and although AI had been known about for years, it was not until the 1950s that it started to be used more commonly in farm animals, especially cattle, but not in dogs for some years later. If a dog was brought into the country it had to go into quarantine kennels for six months, which was not very pleasant for the dog and expensive for the owner, but it was the only way to try and widen the gene pool, as only a few years earlier HC had been found in the breed and many breeders had given up, only leaving a handful of dedicated breeders to keep the breed going. Sadly, it was not always successful, one bitch that came in was shown to have HC on her first eye test which of course was devasting for her owner, another which was more successful was a bitch that was whelped in quarantine and when the puppies were weaned, she went home and the puppies come straight out. Despite the breeders’ best efforts though one or two health issues started to be more prevalent, which was thought to be due to lack of genetic diversity. Then on 1st October 2001 Pet Passport started, dogs had a rabies injection, then a blood test a month later and if this showed the rabies vaccination had taken, after a further 6 months the dogs could travel either into or out of the country and return. We used Pet Passport to show abroad but several breeders brought puppies in (although after doing their quarantine at home they were usually 10 or 11 months old as they could not be vaccinated till they were 3months) although the age did come down after a while, several adult dogs came into be shown and help the gene pool and then went home, although one stayed and became a UK citizen. Now of course things are very different we not only have pet passport but also AI is proving very successful, which means semen can be stored from dogs and can be used when they are too old to mate or have even passed away, and semen can be brought in from abroad so long as the dog has passed health tests. We continue to have a group of dedicated breeders who are keeping the breed going, with as much genetic diversity as possible which in turn should keep the breed as healthy as possible, although we must never stop health testing, as sadly dogs in other countries also have HC, for which we continue to hope to have DNA test for one day. If Buhunds were a UK breed they would not just be considered vulnerable but very vulnerable, but with the international co-operation we have now between breeders in Canada Finland Holland Norway the US and more recently Australia, where the breed was started with dogs from Norway Canada the US and the UK, I think the future of the breed is very bright thanks to the dedication of breeders past and present. I am sure if you looked into the pedigrees of all the dogs at the club show you would see that virtually all had dogs in their pedigrees, dogs that were bred in other countries either as one or both their parents or further down the line, international cooperation at its best, with of course dogs from the UK also going abroad, where they not only help the gene pool but are often very successful in the show ring .
In my notes last week, I said how tight the points were at the top for ‘Our Dogs’ Buhund of the Year’ competition. I have heard from Addrienne Frost- Treadwell that their Annual Champion Competition has already been decided, as the show season in Eire has come to an end, because as Brenda Bethell has said the weather in Ireland makes outside showing in the winter almost impossible, and apparently the IKC National Show Centre at Swords near Dublin Airport is still not available for dog shows, having been leased out by the IKC. Addrienne said she does not think it has ever been so close going right down to the wire. Like our system with CCs, with the first Green Star that is awarded in the year the dog gets 5points and 1 point for each Green Star awarded after that. Top Dog Sue Sercombe’s Trelowen Forest Gump (ai) by Ir Ch/Ch Trelowen Conar Tun (Buddy) x Ir Ch/Ch Trelown Dizzy Rascal. The top puppy was Kerry and Fritz Frost Addrienne Frost -Treadwell and Caro Flanagan’s Frostisen You Win Again (Skye) she also became an Irish Junior Champion and will be coming to Crufts next year, she is by Frabjas Your Obedient Servant Mr Burr at Frostisen x Leggatts Gimmegimmegimme (Keeva ).Top Veteran and Irish Veteran Champion Brenda and Tony Bethell and Sam Roden’s Lux/Int Ir Ch Arnscroft Glad Di Ola at Minforst Lux Jr Ch (Freya) by Conar Tun x Ch Arnscroft Kiss and Tell Di for Sturtmoor .Top Breeder was the Sue Sercombe’s Trelowen Kennel with 35 points with Dizzy Rascal by Tokyn Durian x Trelowen Pink Pigeon. Forest Gump & Trelowen Aviator at Frostien Ir Jr Ch CW22 (Maggit) by Conar Tun x Trelowen Lola. 2nd Top Breeder with 16points was Sue Crocker’s Leggatts Kennel with Ir Ch Leggatts Fernando from Frostisen (Zorro) who also became the first Black Ir Ch and Keeva ,these two are litter brother and sister and are by Frostisen Winsome x Knytshall Noor Ul Ain 3rd was the Frostisen Kennel with 15points with Skye and Frostisen Blakk Zapper by Zorro x Ir Ch Kyons Dronningen av Frostisen( Ma’am)(Imp Can).4th Top Breeder Brenda and Tony Bethell and Sam Roden with 11points Ir/Int Ch Minforst Galadreil CW 19 (Ella)by Ir Ch Zodiac’s Featuring Fredrik at Taevas of Minforst x Freya.
Norwegian Buhund Club of Ireland awards 2022.Top Bitch Ella 11points 2nd Dizzy Rascal also with 11points (BOBs making the differenc) 3rd Skye 10points. Top Dog Forest Gump 12points 2nd also on 12points Maggit (BOBs making the difference)3rd Zorro 11points. Top Breeder Trelowen 35points with three dogs in the ring 2nd Leggatts 16points with two dogs in the ring.
Good news. Neil Hood and James Stewart’s Draccus Diamond Day O’ Buhcafrey bred by Lisa Strong out of her Leggatts Dancing Queen At Draccus by Ch Rikarlo Gable JW has had a clear eye test.
Stay safe everyone.
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