NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
Most of you who read these notes will know that Committee member Lisa Strong oversees the club’s Discover Dogs stand. Here Lisa gives her report on Discover Dogs 2024.
‘Crufts runs for 4 days and within the Halls there is a section called Discover Dogs that is usually in Hall 3A. Discover Dogs showcases all the breeds that are currently recognised by the Royal Kennel Club, and it is the perfect place for people to find out more about the different breeds and if the breed might be right for them. Breed Clubs oversee the stand for their breed and ask the Club members to volunteer their time to help run the stand and provide a dog/dogs. Some Clubs have Discover Dogs (DD) ambassadors and my husband Alex and I are lucky enough to be this for the Norwegian Buhunds. There is an opportunity to get into the NEC on the Wednesday evening to do the stand set up, or alternatively you can get in early on the Thursday morning to set the stand up before the public arrive. I am also part of a couple of dog show committees, and one had been nominated and was in the final three for the Open Show of the Year award for the Pawscars, which was held on the Wednesday night prior to Crufts, so this meant that we could not do stand set up on the Wednesday night this year. We had booked a hotel from the Wednesday to the Sunday and once getting the 3 dogs (Loki, Eris and Raven) settled in our hotel room, I donned a ball gown and left my husband (who was under the weather) in the hotel with the dogs. The show did not win but we had an amazing time there and I fled the dance floor just before midnight to try and get some sleep. The next morning saw us all in the NEC for 7:30am with Loki leading the way, he is 12 but he was on a mission to get to the stand having done it since he was 3 and he loves it. On arrival we put all the dogs in the pen area with some water and unloaded the trolley containing the kit for the stand. Within minutes the stand was being transformed as posters and banners appeared on the walls, providing information on the different activities Buhunds are involved in, and the health screening we do to ensure that our breeding population is healthy. A crate was put in the back of the stand as there were a few Buhunds coming to help for the first time (our Raven being one of them at 10 months old), and the crate can provide a chill out space if needed. As the final flags and leaflets were being positioned the public arrived and the show was on! Thursday saw Nancy Kent join us with Jamie and Toby, a tactical decision was made to have them on the front with Loki and Eris and Raven (the girls) in the pen area, with myself in the pen to be able to lift up the girls for strokes. When having different dogs on the stand together it is important to think about which ones are intact and which ones are neutered plus their different personalities, and who is dominant and who more submissive to try and prevent any incidents. The Friday saw Marinda Taylor -Smith with Bulah (who is 16.5 yrs. old) join us with Tom and Penny Glibbery popping in for a bit. We thought Thursday was busy but that was nothing compared to the crowds Friday, but the dogs took it all in their stride. Some people who visit the stand are on a day out or a school trip or getting their dog fix. Others are seriously thinking about what dog might be a good fit for their way of life, and on the Friday there were several couples/families that popped back a couple of times throughout the day to ask more questions. Representatives from the Canine Genetics Centre came by the stand and appreciated our poster helping to raise awareness of their lack of fund for canine health testing. In addition, American Buhund owners Autumn and Octavia Stensen came in between Internation Junior Handing Events that Octavia was involved in, plus some Norwegian breeders and judges popped by too. Saturday was show day for the Buhunds so some Buhunds that do other activities were able to come and take over from us, to enable me to show Eris and Raven in the show ring (with Alex and Loki coming along to keep me calm). This was really appreciated as I woke up that morning to discover that I had lost my voice and had a mild cold. Paul Martin & Ulfie, Lucy Gilbert and Zuki, Tom and Penny Glibbery with Indy and Robbie Keir & family and Otto happily stepped in to enable us to show in the afternoon. As the Saturday was a sellout day at Crufts having so many dogs enabled rotation and allowed people to go shopping. The Sunday saw Sue Crocker & Jamine Freeborn with Franny & Tissy starting the stand, with us joining later and Junior Handler Bethany and family with Ruby joining as well. My sister and her daughter had Sunday and Best In Show tickets they took time out of their day to help on the stand, so people could go for food and comfort breaks. By this point we were getting feedback that people were joining the two main Facebook pages to find out more about the breed, and in a couple of cases to get in touch with breeders who are planning litters this year. One of the frequent comments we have had in the past, when people have looked at the posters was that they did not realise that they came in Black. This year we had at least 2 Blacks each day with three out of the four days having 3 which was great. People were also wanting to know about how healthy the breed is and the posters about our health screening plus having a 12yr and 16yr old Buhunds on the stand really helped and illustrated the overall good health of the breed. I would like to thank everyone who helped on the stand, it was really appreciated’. Thank you so much Lisa having done it myself for many years in the past I know how tiring it for humans and canines alike, but also how rewarding to get our lovely breed better known.
Stay safe everyone.
Margaret Deuchar margaretdeuchar@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