Caroline's breed notes are also available from www.pedigreedogs.co.uk. Please send us your news!

5/03/2009

Crufts

The pedigree dog world in the UK has been in such turmoil since the "Pedigree dogs exposed" BBC so called documentary and some have been doing as much as possible to spoil the coming Crufts show. But you will be please to know that it is well and truly going ahead and that Spicemill and many others will be proud to take part this year again.

If you are on Facebook and wish to show your support to the show, why not become a "Fan of Crufts".

Several influential organizations are trying to make the world think that all breeders are nazis-like and obsessed about conformation to the point that health, temperament and working abilities are ignored. If these excess may unfortunately be true for a handful of breeds and breeders, as far as we know we know most British hovawart breeders put health and temperament first. This does not stop them breeding very pretty dogs who are successful in the show ring. So at least by the hovawart ring side at Crufts, I hope to see heads carry high and people proud to be there. 43 hovawarts are expected so it should be an enjoyable day. Amongst the hovawarts shown at Crufts this year will be dogs doing obedience, working trial and a bitch who is an active operational search dog. Try to come and tell us that our dogs are not 'fit for life, fit for function'. You had better get your facts right!

On the same subject, it was interesting to read Wendy Beasley's column in Dog World where she was expressing her sadness not to see dogs from the working group actually being worked. I know she is still right for the majority of them but it is encouraging to see the testimonies she received with examples of dogs of various breeds actually performing a job. Let's hope these examples will motivate more breeders to ensure excellent working abilities in their lines and more to the point, that more dog owners will get out there and enjoy their dogs to the full by doing an activity with them, be it just for fun.

British lines abroad

British bred Polish Junior Champion Spicemill Steamy Wasabi, owned by Anna Pieczynska, has just become a dad. We received news and pictures from Poland that his first litter was born as planned on 22 February. We believe that makes him the first Birtish bred hovawart to sire a litter in Poland.

10 puppies were born, unfortunately, a little black girl drowned at birth. This is always a fear for breeders that such thing happens. The 9 remaining puppies, 4 males and 5 females, in black and black & gold colours, are doing very well.

Club AGM

The hovawart Club of Great Britain will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Sunday 29th of March in Bradmore, Notts. Anybody close to Spicemill (J5 on the M25) or on the way and who wishes a lift, please get in touch, if not to keep our carbon emissions down, at least to enjoy a bit of company and share the costs. We'll put diesel in the van if you buy breakfast on the way ;).

Reminiscence from the past

We have been in touch with Penny Miles lately, as she was considering giving a home to our Ruby. She finally decided that she would rather wait for a blonde and shared with us her memories of the late Zanie (Hofwarth Buffie) who she lost in 1994.

She kindly sent us a picture of Zanie at Crufts:

If you want to send us pictures of your hovawarts who have now gone, please feel free to do so. We will put them in the next breed notes so that they are never forgotten.

Read the previous breed notes