NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
I am writing these notes on Sunday 26th April, when a number of us in normal times would have been at WELKS. Whether we have any shows this year remains too been seen, but at the moment the most important thing is to stay safe, and hope that the scientists find a cure or a vaccine for this awful disease. In the meant time there have been several posts on face book, of how you are giving yourself and yours dogs extra exercise on top of your daily walks. Agility seems to be one of the favoured activities rather more exercise for the dog than the owner. Alan Linstead who lives in Scotland posted a video of himself cycling round the garden hotly pursued by Magnus and Loki. Then there was Tom Glibbery who I am sure you know runs marathons and did the London marathon last year, he ran a half marathon round his garden with Indy as his running partner keeping up with him, whether he did the half marathon as well I doubt but I don’t know, but they regular do Park Runs together, every weekend.
To keep these notes going as obviously there are no shows to comment on, I have been asking if you will send me details how you choose to have Buhunds and your affix if you have one. Jacqui Cobb has very kindly sent me three articles. The first one she has entitled from Borzois to Buhunds.
‘Borzois are a beautiful breed, not only do they look elegant, but they also have an elegant nature. They really want nothing better than to please their owner. The downside is that they are not the most intelligent of breeds, and whilst wanting to please they do not always get it right; also despite being far away from the Russian Steppes one glimpse of a hare, rabbit or other prey and they are off. When Bruce my son was six he started to complain that I never let him walk a dog, so I promised him a dog of his own. My first thought was to get him a standard long- haired dachshund as we had friends that bred them. No, he wasn’t keen that idea. Next, we considered shelties, and a friend introduced me to a breeder who promised me pick of the litter, but this time it was me that was undecided. They did not seem to my eye to be a ‘boy’s dog’. Still undecided I went one Saturday to an open show at Dorchester cattle market, and there across the other side of the market, I saw a lady with what to me at the time looked like two yellow miniature Huskies. I had no idea what they were, but my immediate impression was ‘that is a boy’s dog’ if ever I saw one. To cut a long story short, the lady was Hester Jesson, and the dogs of course were Buhunds. After a long talk Hester gave me Win Stanbury’s details, and I went home happy. The next day I was talking to my friend with the Dachshunds, saying that I had discovered the breed I wanted namely Buhunds. “Oh” she said “one of the children’s Godfather’s breeds Norwegian Buhunds”, and she immediately gave me Michael Quinney’s details. I wrote to both these doyens of the breed, both replied offering me a bitch puppy. In the end I chose one from Win Stanbury and so that is how Liemonchek Merryg came to join the Borzois. Thanks Jacqui. Merryg went onto have three litters with three Champions from one litter. Next week Jacqui will tell us how she chose her affix.
I finish with some lovely news in these bad times, many congratulations to Nikki Davies and husband James on the birth of daughter Iona Grace Meredith born on 24th April and sister to Emily.
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.