Episodes
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Dual Dogs Serve Dual Purpose[caption id="attachment_14045" align="alignleft" width="496"] Brittany puppy with big dreams.[/caption]Host Laura Reeves is joined by Bobby Brian Lewis to talk guided quail hunts in Georgia and how his dual champion Brittanies help create goodwill for purebred dogs and dog breeders generally in this very old Southern tradition.Lewis has been guiding quail hunts since he was a teenager and his dad is still guiding in his 80s. The vast plantations and preserves of Georgia are a perfect backdrop for these hunts, Lewis said.“A lot of people we take, they've got the money to do it,” Lewis noted. “So they're influential. I mean I've taken senators, representatives, ex governors, state senators from Tennessee have all hunted with us and that kind of helps promote (purebred) dogs also.“You kind of get to know them a lot of more. They e-mail me, text me the next day and say ‘hey, where can I get training birds,’ they're involved in our sport now and we've kind of got an advocate on our side.“Just this year we had some legislation coming through in Georgia on dog breeders. The first thing I did was call a couple representatives I know and go, ‘this is gonna hurt our business here and we're trying to get good purebred dogs that have all the health testing and those type of things. And those are the puppies we're trying to sell. And this is going to kind of hinder this a little bit.’ And they were like, well, ‘tell me more.’”Lewis also noted that he’s “sold” on the importance of correct conformation in his bird dogs because they are sound and able to hunt well into their older years.“The conformation means I can hunt them till they're 10, 12, thirteen years old. Doing this type of hunting is very strenuous. We can guide 5-6 days a week. I kept some stats at the end of the season last year, where a dog on the ground retrieved 32 birds in 42 minutes.”All the birds shot during the hunt are eaten by guests and the family. Lewis even shared some of his favorite quail recipes (if you don't happen to have quail available, cornish game hens are a reasonable substitute.)
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Movie Star Great Dane’s Owner Helps Educate the PublicHost Laura Reeves is joined by Bev Klingensmith, breeder, owner and trainer of the canine star of the new movie, The Friend.[caption id="attachment_14029" align="alignleft" width="671"] Bev Klingensmith and Bing on set filming The Friend.[/caption]Klingensmith’s dog, Bing, CH Flighty Foto White Christmas CD RA CA DCAT TKI CGC TT, plays the part of the Harlequin Great Dane in the movie which stars Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, about a solitary writer who adopts and bonds with a Great Dane that belonged to a late friend, helping her to come to terms with her past and her own creative inner life.Bing is Klingensmith’s fourth generation of homebred Great Danes, starting in the late ‘90s.“The production company actually sent an e-mail to me back in January of 2020. When I first got the e-mail I deleted it. People, I've told that story and people ask if I thought it was a scam or fake. And I'm like, no, I just didn't think it was realistic for me. They're talking filming in New York. I live in Iowa. And then I was like, you know, I do have lots of friends on the East Coast with Danes. Maybe I can help point them in the right direction, give them some contacts at least. That was really my only initial reason to reach back out.”Klingensmith is very aware of concerns about the risks posed by purebred dogs appearing in movies and has used the movie as a platform for education about her beloved breed.“I worked with the production team and we put a piece in the credits encouraging folks to visit the Great Dane Club of America's website for breeder referrals and rescue contacts. I have worked with a few rescues for fundraising. We've done so many Q&A events and things like that. And that is one of the things I always hit on is Great Danes are not for everyone.“They are not couch potatoes. They're giant, their expenses are giant. If you choose to get a Great Dane, where you get the Great Dane is so important. It's not just selecting the right breed for your home. It's also selecting where to get that dog. And that's almost more important than selecting the right breed. And that's been a huge statement that I've been trying to make over and over to the public and fingers crossed the message gets out there.“One of the things I like to point out, he is a champion. He's purposely bred, carefully bred, thoughtfully bred with generations of all the same behind him. That none of that has happened by chance. His temperament and his behavior, none of it has happened by chance.“I try to stress that to people as much as I can because we're talking about where you get your dog is so important. I told people a lot, ignorance and apathy, they're both really bad traits to have in a breeder. I might love my dog, but if I don't know what I'm doing, I'm still gonna be a bad breeder unintentionally. And that's just as damaging as the breeders that don't care.”
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How to Battle Anti Breeder Legislation Around the US[caption id="attachment_14021" align="alignleft" width="446"] Jennifer Clark joins fanciers at an event in Washington DC.[/caption]Host Laura Reeves is joined by Jennifer Clark, AKC director of legislative outreach, to talk about legislation in Oregon and what's happening elsewhere in the country and why it matters that fanciers get involved.“For those who are not in Oregon, or may not have been following it,” Clark said, “what this bill basically said initially is that the state has to start regulating anyone who breeds and sells in the state. So if you sell one dog, you suddenly have to be regulated. We don't have any idea what these regulations are going to be.“That was a huge concern for us because why should someone who's breeding and raising one litter in their home be regulated and inspected by the state? A lot of times in states when they're regulating breeders, it's on a commercial level. They're regulating the large commercial facilities or people who are doing this professionally and not those who are hobbyists or financiers.“And there are very specific guidelines that are often in place, such as drainage in your floors and kennel setups and temperature records. All these things like flooring are great if you have a large kennel building, but what if that's your living room? Then how are you going to be able to comply? Does that mean I have to tear up my carpet because it can't be completely sanitized? Do I have to put a drainage system in my laundry room? And does that mean that state has to come in and inspect my kitchen because that's where the whelping pen is. How do we handle these questions? So that was a huge concern.AKC Government Relations, NAIA, local clubs and fancier reaction resulted in an amendment to state ‘more than two litters,’ Clark added and the bill is currently not passed into law. You can track legislation in your state with AKCGR’s fantastic tool HERE.[caption id="attachment_14020" align="alignright" width="307"] Clark's grandmother with her show bred Cocker Spaniel circa 1930s,[/caption]“(Legislators) need to understand this group of people and who you are and what you do. And that is what's going to make the difference to them because you are the ones that are going to be directly impacted. You are the ones who are going to vote, and that's why they need to hear from you. And that's why we've seen any change on this bill at all. And that's why it's slowed down a bit is because of everyone who has written in and called. And we hope that you'll continue to do so,” Clark said.AKCGR is holding a legislative conference to help people learn how to interact on this type of legislation. The conference is scheduled in St. Louis on Saturday, June 14.“We will give updates on legislation around the country, provide fun, interactive sessions on how to be effective advocates for your dogs and our sport, and discuss how clubs can make a difference in their community,” Clark noted.For more information and to register, visit www.akcgr.org/midwestconference2025
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Mastitis is not Metritis is not Pyometra
Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves to walk through the differentials in diagnosing possible infections in the breeding bitch, including mastitis, metritis and pyometra.
“There's a lot of reasons that postpartum bitches can run a fever. So I think it's a really good topic because when you go to the vet or if you know if you're calling for a vet appointment or you're getting to the vet, it can be a little more muddy than you think it should be.
“Before you call your vet with a sick postpartum bitch, take her temperature. Please take her temperature because the second thing the receptionist is going to ask you is what's her temperature? And you'll be like, I don't know, I can't find my thermometer. So have a thermometer dedicated to the dog, have a jar of Vaseline, and be sure that you've taken it and written it down. Because by the time your postpartum bitch is sick, you are stressed, you are tired, and you can barely remember your own name. So write down the stuff.
“How are the puppies doing? Are they gaining weight? Losing weight? Are they sick? Because there is a big difference. Both metritis and mastitis can cause the puppies to be sick as well. Because the bitch is sick. So mastitis is inflammation and infection of the mammary glands, and metritis is inflammation and infection of the uterus to be differentiated from pyometra.
“The top two differentials are always going to be metritis: infection of the uterus, inflammation of the uterus, and mastitis: infection, inflammation of the mammary glands. Now, just because the mammary glands are firm does not mean the bitch has mastitis. And just because the mammary glands are firm does not mean you automatically slam her on antibiotics.”
Marty continues with a complete discussion of metritis (within 24-48 hours of whelping), mastitis (not exclusively, but commonly 3-4 weeks post whelping) and pyometra which generally occurs when a bitch is not in whelp and normally is not accompanied by a fever.
Remember, if you enjoy our conversations, check out our new show! Recorded for you, your puppy buyers, your non-doggy friends and your cousin's uncle's girlfriend, the show is designed to reach the general pet owning public with reliable accurate information in an accessible format.
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Purina Events Center ReopensHost Laura Reeves is joined by Angie Minges, Director of partnership marketing and events for Purina to discuss the rapid response that reopened the Purina Event Center in time for PCA.[caption id="attachment_13976" align="alignleft" width="563"] Tornado damage at Purina Farms has closed the Visitor Center, but the Events Center is open for business.[/caption]The Purina Farm and Events Center outside St. Louis, MO was hit by an EF2 tornado on March 14. The barn and visitor center were badly damaged. The events center and surrounding grounds sustained significant wind damage wiping out trees, light poles and more.“What was hit the hardest on our property besides the lovely trees and just the fields themselves were our barn and our visitor center, so both of those two buildings will have to be demolished. It's so sad and the community has been so supportive and loving and caring of our farm and we couldn't be more thankful for the people that we have in our lives that love Purina Farms. So yes, it was tragic that that natural disaster happened, but it's also pulled the community together and we're just so grateful for everyone that is sending their love and care our way.”While several events were canceled or relocated, the team worked round the clock to have the RV sites and Events Center ready to safely open in time for Poodle Club of America’s National Specialty last week, Minges said.She added that the Visitor Center will be closed for at least the rest of the year.“We have the incredible dog arena on Purina Farms and we have a great incredible dog team that does all the fun tricks and the dock diving. We can't take the dock diving with us, but we'll take an agility show to some of the festivals and different wine tastings and events that are taking place in the region throughout the summer. Just to stay connected to the consumer and bring the farm to the community.
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Own Your Digital Property with an Optimized Website[caption id="attachment_13813" align="alignleft" width="431"] Matt Stelter from Better Breeder Institute with one of his collie puppies.[/caption]Matt Stelter from Better Breeder Institute joins host Laura Reeves for a LIVE@5 live podcast about SEO and how to optimize your website.“Somewhere along the line, conservation dog breeders took on the mindset that they should not be marketing themselves, apparently because it's just something that for profit or commercial breeders do,” Stelter said. “However, nothing could be further from the truth. It is a limiting belief that harms our conservation breeder community. And puts us at a disadvantage.“Conservation breeders have failed to make themselves visible. They failed to plant their flag in the ground and they failed to market themselves. Sharing the tremendous value and the story that our purebred dogs possess. We have hid our light under a barrel and given the antis and the doodle mania a free pass to indoctrinate the general public.“Ask yourself, would you rather rent or own an asset, be it a home, real estate or even a vehicle? When you spend money on paid online advertising or social media, you are investing good money and effort as well on rented digital property and renting is generally a poor long term financial decision.“If and when you stop paying for it, the traffic stops instantly. My recommendation is that you never spend money on rented digital real estate. Puppy marketplaces, paid online breeder directories, and social media are all rented real estate that you unfortunately. Will never control. The number one strategy to get more and better puppy buyers is an optimized website. A website is owned real estate that appreciates in value and performance over time.“Facebook has changed dramatically over the past 15 years, and it no longer works the way it used to. All the while, the power of an optimized website has continued to increase. An important fact to realize is that while ideas and inspiration may start on social media, most purchases begin on Google.“When a prospective puppy buyer starts looking for a breeder, just like with any other important purchase, the grand majority are going to start with a Google search. There's a famous quote from Jimmy Wales who is the founder of Wikipedia and he said if you are not on Google you don't exist. And it really is true when it comes to selling puppies.“It is Google's world and to be successful, we need to be playing in it. And I can tell you what puppy buyers won't find at the top of Google your Facebook page. An optimized website is simply the strongest digital asset a breeder can have. It is owned digital real estate that is yours, and its value and performance are going to appreciate over time if managed properly.”
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Akitas: Guardian Dogs of the Samurai[caption id="attachment_13805" align="alignleft" width="441"] Colleen Sullivan and one of her Sondaisa Akitas.[/caption]Colleen Sullivan joins host Laura Reeves for a Love the Breeds episodes on Akitas.The breed, one of six national monuments in Japan, was introduced to the US by Hellen Keller in 1937. Originally used as guard dogs and companions for the Samurai warriors, the breed is quiet, clean and very devoted to their owners.Sullivan notes that the breed is best for owners who are willing to be leaders in the relationship and that same sex aggression with other dogs and wariness with strangers is par for the course with the breed.Sullivan agreed with Laura’s description of the breed as “people with fur” and treating them that way.“They think too much sometimes,” Sullivan said. “If you hesitate, if you're not a calm, confident person, yeah, you're suspicious (to the dog). You're not gonna walk up to some stranger or allow some stranger to give you a hug and a kiss. You know, you're just not. It's like dogs there's Golden Retrievers the extrovert and then there's Akita the introvert."One of the things we all have in common that have owned an Akita is pride. They’re such magnificent dogs, magnificent beings. They're like artwork but with power."Easy grooming, with the exception of “blowing coat,” and a cat-like insistence on cleanness make the breed easy to live with in Sullivan’s experience.Training Akitas requires some creativity, Sullivan said, and an ability to make the dog think the work is their idea. Consistency is key to training.“You can't let your dog jump all over you one time and then get mad at it the next time,” Sullivan said. “You have to mean what you say.”Bloat can be an issue with the breed. Sullivan encourages owners to be educated about this disease.“I hesitate to make this statement, but one of the things that I do because the Akita is such a primitive breed, it’s one of the oldest breeds, is I look at more the wolves and the coyotes and how they exercise and how they eat. All the exercise is done because they're chasing their prey. Then they're gorging themselves and they're getting all these bodily fluids and all of that, and then they rest. So all my (dogs’) exercise is before eating, they get lots of fluid on their food when they're eating. And then rest.”
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Tube Feeding: When, Why and How with Dr. Marty GreerDr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for a run down of when, why and how to tube feed neonates.New born puppies who can’t or won’t nurse for whatever reason may be fed with a tube passed directly to the stomach.“I just want people to know that dying of starvation is not an option at my house,” Greer said. “Different people have different thresholds and that's my threshold, is you are not going to die of starvation.”Marty and Laura walk through the “why”s of tube feeding, along with when to make that decision, what to do and what not to do.“Usually it's just for a few days,” Greer said, “sometimes a week or two until they catch on, start latching, start gaining and then they do great. But some dogs are slower than others and I see some puppies that are just really slow to grow. They may be half the size the littermates. And again, they may have swallowing defects. There is a lot of things that (can cause puppies not to nurse well.”Greer cautions that all puppies should be checked for cleft palate to rule out that as a cause for failure to thrive/nurse well.“Number one is pre warm the puppy. The puppy needs to be at least 96° on a rectal thermometer. Do not feed a cold puppy #2 is pre warm the formula. Number 3 is pre measure the tube. You measure the tube from the tip of the nose to the last rib. Have a marker or piece of tape, something that you mark on the tube so that you know exactly how far the tube has to be to go to the last rib because the stomach is behind the last rib. The trachea divides about halfway there, so if you're only in halfway, you could be in the trachea. If you're in all the way, you have to be in the stomach.“When you pass the tube, you keep the chin down and you pass to the left. A lot of people throw the puppy’s head up and look in the back of the oral cavity. And if you do that, you open up the airway. So keep the chin down so that you close the airway, you pass it to the left because the esophagus is left of the trachea. So go to the left.“And then the most important thing before you feed is you pinch the puppy on the tail or the toes and make sure it can cry and you can hear it vocalizing. If the puppy can vocalize, you're in the esophagus. If the puppy can't vocalize You could be in the trachea, so pull out the tube, take a deep breath, go get a cup of coffee, come back and try passing the tube again. Those tips will keep you out of trouble 99% of the time. Is there a guarantee? Absolutely not. But I'm going to guarantee you that your puppies aren't going to thrive if they don't get enough calories.”Marty’s video and more details on Revival Animal Health’s Learning Center.
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Canine Health Foundation Celebrates 30 yearsStephanie Montgomery, CEO of the AKC Canine Health Foundation, joins host Laura Reeves to catch up on what the powerful non-profit has done and continues to do for all dogs.Montgomery, an Airedale fancier, joined CHF as the CEO in 2023, but “I was able to kind of blend my passion for science and dogs and started volunteering for the Canine Health Foundation as a scientific reviewer. And then I always say I'm a failed volunteer because now I'm working here.“We are celebrating our 30th year anniversary this year, founded in 1995. And what I was so impressed by was that folks had this vision. So what we do is we fundraise, right? And we distribute that money. To fund the best research that will advance the health of all dogs. So we do that through awarding grants to researchers that tend to be at veterinary schools. And when we evaluate those grants, we wanna find the most cutting-edge research that's going to have the biggest impact on dogs, and that's what we've done for 30 years.Canine Health Foundation helped fund the work conducted at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center that identified the canine genome. This is the basis for all ensuing DNA testing since 2004.“Prior to 1995 when CHF started, there was no dog genome,” Montgomery said. “The human genome had only been completed two years prior and it was pivotal. It changed the way that we could look at genetic testing and evolution of dogs and develop tools in veterinary medicine.CHF’s contribution to ground breaking science continues to this day with research at hundreds of Universities, including studies into mitral valve disease that impacts millions of dogs.“I'm so happy to see the work being done because mitral valve disease is so common in all of the dogs,” Montgomery noted. “I'm a pathologist and the number of older dogs that don't have some mitral valve disease is really next to none. They all have it and we understand so little about it, even though it's so common. And so I'm so excited that we have new studies going that help us understand the physiology of how this disease develops. It will help us identify targets for future therapies. We also have studies on how to best diagnose and monitor progression so maybe we can make a difference and impact all these dogs that have mitral valve disease.”
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Black Russian Terrier: "The Black Pearl of Russia"[caption id="attachment_13770" align="alignright" width="354"] Emily Fagan showing one of her Black Russian Terriers.[/caption]Host Laura Reeves is joined by Emily Fagan, breeder of Black Russian Terriers, for a Love the Breeds episode talking about the “big black fluffy bearded beasts” that have become her “spirit animal.”“Like they are the Black Pearl of Russia and they really are like the hidden gem. Most people, they see them and they're like, ohh, boy, that's kind of this big black scary kind of looking dog. And they’re so stoic and regal in public and then they come home and they're absolute goofballs, complete clowns,” Fagan said.“A short background history that Stalin basically was jealous of the Germans, you know, and their wonderful police military dogs. So he's like, you know what, I'm gonna make a superior breed of dog for military and police work. He got a bunch of scientists, geneticists together and actually started developing the Black Russian Terrier. The four main contributors are the Rottweiler, the giant Schnauzer, the Newfoundland and the Airedale Terrier. So there's the terrier. But they are very much NOT a terrier.”[caption id="attachment_13768" align="alignleft" width="389"] Black Russian Terrier training for "bite work" competition.[/caption]The breed was utilized by the KGB, and still is today by its successor agency, the FSB, as well as being used in the Russian prison system. It’s job, Fagan said, was to terrify people. And they’re very good at their job.The best owners of BRTs are not first-time dog owners, Fagan said. She added that structure and very defined rules are critical.“You do need to be fair because they are very smart,” Fagan noted. “This is not an old school, put the dog on its back. You can't do that. Absolutely not. You would ruin your relationship with this breed because it's built on trust too. You have to build respect. So a person who understands a structured environment is really going to thrive.”
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Resurrecting a Legendary Product
Tasha Mesina, new owner of Cindra, joins host Laura Reeves to discuss resurrecting a legendary grooming product.
“I had used the brand Cindra since the beginning of time on the Belgians and I loved it,” Mesina said. “Unfortunately, Cindra closed with COVID like many things did, supply chain issues, blah, blah, you know the story that everybody has. And I missed it. I really missed it.
“And I maybe didn't realize they had closed for a hot minute until I tried to find Super Coat and then it was like why am I going on eBay to find super Coat? And so I kind of followed the chain, and found out that the company was for sale.
“It was kind of a little bit of a process to buy it, but unfortunately with them closing (during) COVID, it made it affordable for me. I couldn't afford it before so and then closing a grooming shop, selling a property in California, it just kind of all came together at one moment.
“The Phillips started the company. Cindy Phillips was the gal and actually I got to talk to her. I actually bought the company from her son, Seth They have been absolutely fantastic to help me transition. I literally have every document that Cindra ever produced in the history of time, which is really cool. It was a lot, but it was neat to see, you know how the company got started. I mean, they had testimonials from the 80s, you know?
“It was the family owned company. It was the mom, dad and a son that took it over when they retired. Fantastic people. I mean, they're just great. Still to this day, if I have a question, I pick up the phone, they instantly have an answer. I mean, he really, I feel, wants this to succeed because it was their baby for so many years.
“I was a dog groomer. I'm a dog breeder. Like, I didn't understand the nuts and bolts of running a shampoo company. So it's kind of been a huge, huge learning curve for me to understand how all of it works. People can find it at distributors, they can order it directly.
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Overcoming Obstacles by Giving Grace[caption id="attachment_13611" align="alignleft" width="429"] Rebecca Fletcher with her Dogo Argentino.[/caption]Rebecca Fletcher joins host Laura Reeves to talk about her journey as a service dog trainer and breeder owner handler of Dogo Argentino, while overcoming extreme obstacles after losing her leg.Fletcher, a retired Marine, started her journey by training her own Dogo Argentino as her first service dog.“Don't give up, but give yourself grace,” Fletcher said. “Grace is absolutely vital. And I wasn't very good at it. I get mad myself. You know, I train service dogs for disabled people and I tell them all the time, you know, you gotta be patient with yourself. And I give them some great advice. I'm not always good at taking my own advice.“I got my first Group One under Doctor Keating. And it meant so much to me because I was on the verge of not willing to do this anymore. I don't know if he'll ever know how much it meant to me to actually be in his ring and have a dog that I love so much be awarded. But it was amazing.“I didn't know anybody in the dog show world really. And it was a process, but a lot of people were very, very welcoming and guiding me. It's been a great learning process of figuring out how I can be in the ring with my disability. And again, advocating for yourself, you know, the AKC is not exempt from providing reasonable accommodations to us."I hope to continue inspiring people to get out there and try and do whatever they can do. My goal is to help inspire other people to overcome their challenges and keep going."We all have challenges and how we face those challenges I think is what makes all the difference."
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Brucellosis or CHV? Deadly Diseases for PuppiesDr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for a Veterinary Voice topic that can be devastating for breeders and deadly for puppies. Brucellosis and CHV (Canine Herpes Virus) can both decimate a litter.“If you lose even a single puppy in a litter, have testing done on that puppy,” Greer said. “Have a necropsy done of some form at your vet clinic or at a referral center or at a reference lab, so that you find out what happened because you can't learn from it if you bury your mistakes. You can't learn anything and you can't move your breeding program forward until you know what happened.“There is no diagnosis of fadubg puppy syndrome. So if your vet says that's what you have, you need to find another vet or dig a little harder with the one you're working with. Because you need to find out what happened.“Brucellosis hasn't gone away. There's no vaccine for it. So yes, you can have anything from a normal looking bitch and a normal looking stud dog to a stud dog that has inflamed testicles. You can see normal adult dogs develop brucellosis symptoms.“These can be uveitis, which is inflammation of the eye. They can be disco spondylitis, which is inflammation of a disc. So if you go in for a diagnosis at your vet clinic and you have certain symptoms, even in a normal dog that isn't a breeding dog they may test for brucellosis because it can cause other diseases.“In bitches we can see anything from apparent infertility where she looks like she didn't conceive but she actually conceived and lost the litter, to puppies that are born weak that died shortly thereafter, puppies that are born normal and die afterwards, bitches that have infertility. It is shared through venereal spread, which is male to female breeding, but it can be spread through any body fluid. So urine, placentas, all those things.“Brucellosis survives freezing semen, so it doesn't even get killed at that -300° that we see semen frozen at. So you need to be aware that when we say you should test for brucellosis, we’re not joking around. You should test for brucellosis.”Listen in for more information. Learn more about USDA approved brucellosis testing HERE.
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“Each puppy is another little sketch” – Liz Hansen and Sketchbook[caption id="attachment_13591" align="alignleft" width="300"] Liz Hansen with Seasar at WKC.[/caption]Host Laura Reeves is joined by Liz Hansen, Sketchbook Standard Schnauzers, AKC’s Breeder of the Year nominee for the working group.With a degree from the University of Minnesota in scientific illustration, Hansen named her breeding program Sketchbook.“Sketchbook came just sort of naturally from that because these are little sketches I make. Each little puppy is another little sketch,” Hansen said.“Almost 26 years ago, another breeder and I ran into a problem. We had epilepsy show up in our lines that were related and went looking for somebody to help us keep the good and get rid of this problem. And we were at a show in Columbia, MO, and went and talked to Gary Johnson at the university. And after about a year of bringing him samples and getting other clubs involved and helping to write grants and all this kind of stuff, he said, ‘You know, you just need to come work for me, so I changed jobs over epilepsy.(Listen to Liz’ conversation with Laura about this project from 2017!)[caption id="attachment_13590" align="alignright" width="444"] Standard Schnauzers compete in herding competitions.[/caption]"That's good people that I gave a good dog, just like my sister and I got a great dog to start with. I try to coach people along.”“I like to coach the people that get my dogs,” Hansen said. “We've got over 200 champions and most of those are standard schnauzers and well over 250 performance titles on the standard Schnauzers. And that's not all me. That's good people that I gave a good dog, just like my sister and I got a great dog to start with. I try to coach people along.”
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Irish Wolfhounds: Soulful Gentle GiantsLove the Breeds returns as host Laura Reeves talks with Jamie Souza Bartlett about Irish Wolfhounds, the gentle giants of the dog world.[caption id="attachment_13583" align="alignleft" width="318"] Jamie grew up with Irish Wolfhounds with her mom, Linda Souza.[/caption]“They're just, they're soulful, they're sweet. They're the gentle giants and I was very, very fortunate to grow up with them,” Jamie says.“Wolfhounds, much like a lot of breeds, were bred for a specific purpose, which was to hunt wolves in Ireland. Eventually, the wolves became extinct in Ireland, and consequently the wolfhounds almost became extinct. And then several years later Captain Graham came along and really found that this was a breed that required rejuvenation and real, real rescuing and bringing back because they're just so wonderful.“You don't own wolfhounds, you're owned by them. It's not an easy breed to have by any means. It comes with its own set of issues. But when you do own them and you're owned by them, there's just really no greater thing in the world. They are so soulful and so wonderful and like, you become part wolfhound.Feeding“As a young dog, they eat quite a bit because you're looking at a puppy that is a pound when it's born and it'll be 100 pounds by the time it's six months old. So the growth rate is very rapid and they do eat quite a bit as babies. And then quite quickly, once they kind of reach their full height it curbs significantly because you're not looking at a dog that's like a Doberman or something that's constantly pacing, constantly moving around. They will have bursts of energy. Big burst of energy in the morning, big burst of energy when it gets cold at night, and the rest of the time they’re chilling. So they really don't eat as much as an adult as one would think, considering their size.[caption id="attachment_13582" align="alignright" width="521"] Puppies in the breed grow fast![/caption]“I always encourage anybody to listen to their breeder and their breeding program because different lines tend to evolve differently and grow at different rates. We were always just really careful. We wanted them off of puppy food and anything that was promoting rapid growth as quickly as possible. We're trying to do things that are keeping them from growing too fast, which is kind of like the opposite of what a lot of other people do or they want them to like beef up. Really, that's absolutely what we don't want to do.Exercise“We also have a lot of protocols, not just around food, but around exercise. And we tell all of our new puppy buyers like you have to be very, very careful with this breed as they're growing up. And again, the inclination is like, ‘ohh, I got a puppy and I want it to go run around and play with my other dogs and I want it to be jumping around and being goofy’ and it's just a hard no.“Until these dogs’ growth plates close you can do really, really irreparable damage and we tell people don't take them into the hotel rooms and let them jump on the beds and jump down, you don't want all that impact on them as they're growing. Once they hit that two year old range then we'll start putting them out carefully with other dogs. It was one of the great things actually about having whippets. My whippets are fantastic exercising our wolfhound puppies, right, because there was no to low impact, but it helped with their movement. They're running, but kept them developmentally in a good place where they weren't getting injuries to the shoulders or elbows or anything else.”
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Maripi Wooldridge on How to Make Your Dog a WinnerHost Laura Reeves is joined by Maripi Wooldridge, handler of the 1995 Westminster Kennel Club Best in Show winning Scottish Terrier, Ch. Gaelforce Postscript. More recently, Maripi’s Lakeland Terrier MM won the group here in 2022. Maripi takes us through how she thinks about making a dog a winner.[caption id="attachment_13576" align="alignleft" width="468"] Maripi Wooldridge judging the 2024 Wire Fox Terrier National Specialty show.[/caption]LR: If you want your dog to always be best in show ready? Any breed, what are your three top tips?MW: Conditioning both mental and physical. They have to be fed right, exercised right. Mentally, they have to be treated like they’re best in show dogs so they know it. I think you always have to start out with a good dog and people think that ‘oh good enough is good enough’ and good enough is just not good enough.A lot of people do some winning with “good enough” but to really have a top dog you have to have good ones and you have to manage them right. You have to manage how you go to dog shows, where you go to dog shows, and have a good relationship with your clients. Nowadays, there are way fewer good clients and money clients that can afford to do this business.LR: Treat it like a best in show dog. What does that mean to you? What does that look like to you?MW: Well, as far as my breeding program, I bring every puppy up like if it's going to be a good one. I think most good breeders and successful breeders do that. Anybody that can pick a puppy at eight weeks and put their mortgage on it, they’re way better than me.But when you get them in as a handler, they have to feel special. They have to feel special over the class dogs that are gonna go home in a month and a half. They have to have things whether it's walks, whether it's put on the table every day, and even if you just brush their coats or clean their coats or pet 'em, so that they know they are special. Bring them in last instead of first, so that they are the big dogs around. I mean, little things that mean a lot to the dogs that people don't even think about. First out in the morning, that's very big if you want a dog to feel special.It makes a huge difference, especially with the smart breeds. I mean, there's some dogs that doesn't really matter, they're fine, I'm here. But with breeds that are clever and smart, you have to bend over backwards.I had an assistant when I was showing Peggy Sue that would go in the crate room in the middle of the night with a flashlight to look into her crate to see how she was laying because she would wake up in the morning and have like a little wrinkle on the side of her coat. So she made bedding so that she would not get that little wrinkle on the side of her thigh. That level of attention is absolutely needed for a dog to give you everything they have.The second half of the episode is available for Patrons Only. Subscribe at https://puredogtalk.com/patron/to hear more from Maripi's decades of insight.
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Lumps and Bumps: From Benign to BadDr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for a deep dive on the various lumps and bumps we see on our dogs, from benign to bad, from histiocytomas to osteosarcoma.“Histiocytomas are really, really common. And they are really scary looking because there are these pink bumps that show up on young dogs and they come seemingly out of nowhere. It's usually on the head, neck or on the feet, the front legs. You're gonna be afraid that it's something like a mast cell tumor. And mast cell tumors are bad, terrible, bad tumors. But histiocytomas are almost always in young dogs … if it's an older dog, it's more likely to be a mast cell tumor and not necessarily benign.A chance to cut, a chance to cure“And people are always under the impression that if you take (a lump) off that you're going to make it spread or it's going to be bad faster. And the answer is really that's not the case. You need to go in, take it off, take good enough margins that it's not likely to come back. But there are some masses that have little finger -like projections. And no matter how careful the surgeon is, they can sometimes be recurrent. And there's kind of two kinds of serious masses. They're the kind that are locally invasive and are likely to come back, but they're not going to metastasize to other organs like the lung, like the liver, other things like that. And then there's the bad ones that they're just gonna spread.”Listen in to the full episode for a complete rundown on everything from sebaceous cysts and lipomas to mast cell tumors and osteosarcoma, how to differentiate them, treat them and when to see your vet.Marty’s pro tip is to be sure to physically locate and mark the specific lump or bump in question on the dog before visiting the vet. While generally not an emergency, various lumps and bumps should be evaluated clinically.
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Beagles! Phenomenal Little Hounds for Families[caption id="attachment_13522" align="alignleft" width="421"] Lindsay Bryson showing her Beagle at Westminster Kennel Club.[/caption]Host Laura Reeves is joined by Beagle breeder Lindsay Bryson for a deep dive on Beagles as we ramp up the Love the Breeds specials again.Lindsay started her Beagle journey with an obedience dog and shares why that challenge helped her understand the breed better.“I decided to really jump into the dog world with the biggest challenge I could find,” Lindsay said. “He was not even supposed to be a show dog. I had no interest in doing conformation shows. I just wanted to do something with my dog and this woman that I got my first Beagle from, she was in obedience and I thought, well that sounds like fun.“I took him to the pet store one day and the cashier there said, wow, you have a really beautiful Beagle, you should show him in conformation. And I thought, ohh, why not? We'll give that a try too. Sure. So that is how I fell down the rabbit hole, for lack of a better term, of conformation dog shows.“I teach my dogs a quiet command very, very early. You do actually, technically want a loud Beagle because if you're out in the field, you essentially send your pack out and you don't see them, you are focusing on hearing them. So if you have a quiet Beagle that doesn't open up and bay when they catch the scent, you're gonna lose it. It's going to be gone. And many people know that Beagles, once they get going, they're not necessarily going to come back. So you need to have a loud Beagle.“If you're going to be taking that into your home and living with it. obviously, you don't want that. So one of the things that I teach my dogs very, very early is ‘quiet,’ knock it off, you know, keep your volume down. Because that is what's going to work in neighborhoods and when you have people living around you versus out in the field or on acreage.“Living with beagles is like having a permanent 2 year old. They are just forever toddlers. They're constantly looking for things, they're looking for stuff to get into. They're looking for ways to occupy their mind. It is so important to keep a Beagle’s mind busy. Because as soon as they get bored, that's when you start running into the problems that people talk about. Digging, barking, destructive behavior, separation anxiety.[caption id="attachment_13526" align="alignright" width="429"] Beagles love FASTCat[/caption]“If you have a tired Beagle, it is a happy Beagle. So I always encourage people to go out and do things with their dogs, take them hiking, take them running, you know, do performance work with them, even if it's not obedience. I've started running my dogs in Fast Cat and they love it. They think that is the greatest thing because all they get to do is run for 100 yards and then they get cookies at the end. It's like the perfect Beagle job.”
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Emergency Medicine Best Practices[caption id="attachment_13516" align="alignleft" width="515"] Dr. Callie Harris at her "day job" in emergency medicine.[/caption]Dr. Callie Harris joins host Laura Reeves for a deep dive on emergency medicine, urgent care and which is right for you and your dog.“I got bit by the emergency bug,” Dr. Callie said. “This is when the magic started to happen, where I recognize I was an adrenaline junkie. I loved working with really scary crazy cases and I also enjoyed being part of the entire team in my exam room. With very frantic scared pet parents, I knew that I could provide not only life saving techniques, but communication strategies to try to promote calm.“This is what I tell that next generation of aspiring veterinary professionals, animal welfare professionals, anybody in the pet care industry, pets are attached to humans. They kind of have to be prepared to talk to other people because my patients, they don't get in their own cars, they don't drive to the practice, they don't fill out their own history forms. Guess who has to do that? The pet parent. So it's a whole thing.“At the end of the day, I have seen any and everything. Emergency veterinarians, we're definitely like the Cowboys of our profession or Cowgirls or cow people, where nothing phases us. We will eat while we're looking at a really gross wound. We can just get through anything.“The development of emergency facilities came about and so now you have practices that are just dedicated to seeing your non vaccines preventative Wellness types of appointments. We're really seeing the sick patients but even then, ER's became over inundated with cases, pet ownership skyrocketed.“So over the past handful of years is really when we started to see the uptick in urgent cares in the vets space. And so an urgent care is going to provide that middleman if you will. So this is going to be the facility that's going to still treat those ear infections, UTI's, vomiting and diarrhea, coughing, you know, your standard, “my pet is sick on a weekend or after hours and I don't know what to do.’“The reason why you would bypass an urgent care is for those real critical scenarios such as my pet’s unable to breathe or my pet is bleeding out profusely, my pet got hit by a car, my pet has a really severe fracture. These are going to be the ones that I would urge pet parents to drive past the urgent care and go to an emergency.”Listen to the full episode to hear Dr. Callie’s adventure with Moon Pie the goat and more.
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How to Climb the Mountain to Owner Handled SuccessAntoinelle Vulpis joins host Laura Reeves to discuss how she climbed to the pinnacle of owner handled success, winning Best in Show at Montgomery Kennel Club with her Skye Terrier.Vulpis discussed the beginning of this journey in an episode with Laura five years ago. Today’s conversation brings the story full circle.“After our big win at Kennel Club of Philadelphia, I was thinking, we got some awesome momentum,” Vulpis said. “We got two more best in show after I spoke with you. I was like, this is incredible. And then the pandemic hit, so all that momentum and excitement just went away for me. For everyone, you know, it was just kind of a weird time. And then when we were lucky enough to have shows again, trying to pick that back up and make people believe again is kind of tough. So it was a little of a unique experience in that.“Then (I) realiz(ed) that I have these goals in mind, just these little things that I want to check off my checklist. I want to show him at my national. As a veteran. That was a goal of mine and that's what our whole plan was to do. And then I went to Canada too. I was like, let me get his Canadian Championship. Go to Canada with my girlfriends, have a girls weekend and try to get a title. So yeah, I literally only showed him in June (2024) to finish his Canadian title and then Montgomery.…if the judge can't see it, it doesn't matter…“(In Best in Show) we're showing to Lydia Coleman Hutchinson, the legend. I've shown to her several times throughout my dog's career, maybe half a dozen times. But just to be in the ring and like to put my dog on the table as you know, a 7 1/2 year old dog, like just knowing that she's seen him as a puppy, it was very emotional for me and I just kept on being like ‘Don't cry. Don't cry.’“It's just such a full circle moment. And I felt so fortunate to just be in her ring again at this stage because this is going to be my last time showing him at the National.“(On his down and back) I took a knee, man. I mean, it was my Hail Mary. It was the last move, the last card that I had in my deck. So I just got down and just tried to manipulate the lead a little bit and to get him to react to me. And just to see like, ohh, mom is eye level, that kind of thing. And so if you get that, you can get the ears to react a little bit and just let him show off that beautiful top line and his long neck. So you just want him to just for a brief second show off these qualities that we know he has. But you know the answer right? I know my dog has it, but if the judge can't see it, it doesn't matter.”To hear all of Vulpis’ tips and tricks, listen in to the podcast today…
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