NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
I have talked about this before, but I expect many of you will have seen it on the news recently that Alabama Rot is hitting the dog headlines again, 10 deaths being recorded just this year. I am sure you all know that at the moment there is no known cause or cure, but it does seem to be more prevalent between November and May, and particularly if the dogs are walked in wooded areas. It is no way breed specific so if you walk your dogs in these kinds of areas do check you dogs for skin sores that have not been caused by an accident. These can appear as lesions, patches of red skin, swellings or be open and ulcer like and are usually found below the knee /elbow, and occasionally on the stomach or face. If you can catch these sores as soon as they are seen and are treated there is an outside chance that the dog will recover, but once the disease gets a hold it will affect the kidneys and the dog will either die or have to be put to sleep.
On a happier note, every group has a Ch show and an Open show each year. Working and Pastoral Breeds Premier 205 class Open Show was held on Saturday 10th February at The Sports Connection Coventry. We were in the ring after 4 breeds with 45 dogs, and our judge was Sandie Ann Tadd who gives CCs in Estrela Mountain Dogs and Pyrenean Mountain Dogs. The Kennel Club like clubs to sponsor breed classes at 2 open shows a year, so we sponsor this show and the Nordic, giving £3 £2 £1 in each class and £10 for BOB & £5 for BP, so all the entrants went home with treat/petrol money. There were three Buhunds owners at the show without dogs Lorraine Bolton and Jenny Shorer-Wheeler who were judging and Neil Hood who was stewarding. I was not able to go to the show, but it was great that show secretary Lucy Mottram live streamed, so that I could watch at groups being short listed, and watch BIS, there are also photos of most of the BOBs on their FB page.
Lisa has kindly sent me details of the show, ‘Saturday 10th February saw a few of us up nice and early to get on the road to Ryton on Dunsmore in order to attend the NW&PBs show. The show has Buhund classes which are sponsored by The Norwegian Buhund Club UK. Quite a number of people arrived early at the show so initially we were all dotted around the hall, but within a couple of hours we were able to relocate everyone together and Bu corner was formed. Junior handling was first so 9-year-old Bethany stepped into the ring with my and Alex’s Ch Leggatts Dancing Queen at Draccus (Eris) instead of her parents Dr Johanna & Nicholas Rees Guillod’s Draccus Obsidian (Ruby) in order to practice with her, in case a backup dog is required at Crufts for her handling, she came away with Reserve, prize money and some useful things were discovered when handling a different dog. After a few other breeds it was time for breed classes under judge Sandie Tadd and into the ring bounced 3, yes 3 puppies! They were all wiggle bums for their examinations which made everyone smile, first was my and Alex’s Draccus I have a Dream (AI)(Raven), second was Mazads Nom de Plume (Dexter) and third was Mazads Jioe de Vivre (Luna). Limit class was won by Ruby and First in Open was Marie Corin and Adam Camm’s Kligenthal Almuric (Bergen) and second was Eris. In the challenge Bergen was awarded BOB, Ruby RBOB and BP was Raven. Breed classes over it was a dash over to the puppy stakes that were almost complete, but they allowed Raven into the ring as there were 2 still to be examined, unfortunately she decided to pace so no love in the stakes. After a bit of a wait (but still quite early for an Open Show) they called the Groups setting up 2 big rings so adult and puppy Groups could be run virtually simultaneously. Dianne Stewart-Ritchie was the judge for the Pastoral Group, but Bergen had no luck there. The Pastoral Puppy Group judge was Hazel Fitzgibbon and Raven decided the floor needed checking for food so no love in that Group either, but a thoroughly enjoyable day and we were home before the sun set!
For some strange reason a couple of us had booked in to a show for the next day, so off we went to Portsmouth and Southsea Kennel Association 215 class open show, held at the Havant Leisure Centre. On arrival we had a message from a fellow exhibitor so say they were unwell, and to send their apologies to the Judge. On heading into the hall, I discovered it to be extremely full with no possibility of setting up even one crate. After patrolling around, I discovered an open alcove where the table tennis tables were kept with enough space to fit the crates in, so after checking with people nearby that they were happy for me to set up in there, a Bu corner was formed and thankfully I could see the Buhund ring from the alcove, which was good as the breeds before us were being judged very efficiently. Unfortunately, Bergen decided to go lame, so we were down another Buhund. The Buhund (and both Pastoral Groups) judge was Gavin Robertson, and he found his BOB in my Eris and his RBOB and BP in my homebred puppy Raven. After only a short wait it was time for Groups, as Marie hadn’t been able to show Bergen, she had handled Eris in the breed challenge, and then went into the Pastoral Group with her, where they were Group 4. Next it was Pastoral Puppy Group and there was no love for Raven, but she kept her head off the floor today, so I was happy with that. In summary a very good weekend of showing if very tiring and over 500 miles driven’. Thanks Lisa and well done a great weekend.
Those that have entered Crufts will know by now that Pastoral Day is the Saturday 9thMarch and that we are in Ring 16 Hall 4 after 119 Samoyeds, so not the early start of last year! and hopefully no snow this year either. The next day to note in your diary for club members is the AGM and funday on April 6th to be held at the Hare & Hounds Watery Lane Coventry, please note this is change of venue from last year. It is the same hall where we hold our BADs .Welks is on April 28th no CCs at the Ch show, but we are holding the first of our 2 Ch shows, having lost CCs at Richmond (we do not know yet whether they will keep classes on for us), we have been given another Ch show so long as it is run with a partner show, the judge will be Marion Hodgson. The club open show will be held on 7th July in conjunction with Boston Ch show which will now be held on the Rutland Show ground in Leicestershire the judge will be Penny Roberts.
Stay safe everyone.
Margaret Deuchar magaretdeuchar@gmail.com
Any 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