Featured Posts RSSThu, 05 Jan 2023 13:35:08 GMTRosettes to RuinMaking & Breaking Dogs in the Show RingChanges in the shape of the Bull Terrier head, 1930, 1950, 1980Photos courtesy of the Albert Heim Foundation for Canine Research, Berne, SwitzerlandThe pictures above are a physical and visible monument to what the show ring did to one terrier breed in less than 50 years time.Bulldog and terrier crosses, which once had powerful jaws well-placed to do important work (gripping and holding semi-wild bulls and pigs so they could be altered or slaughtered), were rapidly transformed at the turn of the 20th Century to the point that the jaws of today's Bull Terrier, while still massive, are now no longer set at a proper angle to do the work the dogs were once bred to do.If you look at the Fox Terrier, you will see a similar transformation over time -- once small and supple dogs transformed into large, stiff-legged creatures unable to move properly in the field and with chests too deep for the animal to go to ground after fox.This is what show ring breeders do -- they ruin working breeds. And it is not just the AKC show ring, either -- it's the UKC show ring and the JRTCA show ring as well. Give any show ring enough time, and it will ruin any breed of working dog -- it always has and it always will.Go through John Broadhurst's excellent new book, "Terriermen & Terriers" (ISBN 0-0687296-1-4) and look for Welsh Terriers, Border Terriers, Wire Fox Terriers, Smooth Fox Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Lakelands, Skye Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, Cairn Terriers.They are simply NOT there.Instead you see terriers that are not registered or are unregisterable -- Jack Russells, Fell Terriers, Fell-Border crosses, and the black Fells called Patterdales. There's even a Dachshund. The only terrierman named working a Kennel Club breed (53 terriermen are profiled) is a single fellow who recounts a Border Terrier story that is now more than 30 years old."Working" terrier breeds? Ha! It seems they are all gone -- shot ... Read more

]]>Thu, 05 Jan 2023 13:35:08 GMTFirst of all, the site looks great Gary. This is Tonedog from back in the day. I decided to just randomly see if molosserdogs was still around, fearing the worst, but wow, looks good.  Maybe some controversial debate will help liven the place up a bit? lol Over the last few years I've been continuing my recreational research into dogs and dog history (which has now spanned many decades), and I've stumbled onto a realization that "mastiffs" basically don't exist and never did.   Hear me out...  I believe the mastiff category is merely comprised of retired dogs from various other functional types. They have no real genetic foundation making them a group and no real ancestral function. If you name a mastiff I can tell you how it isn't one and never was, and what it really is.  English mastiff- Boarhound. Essentially a breed created at Lyme Hall by the descendants of Sir Piers Legh to pay homage to the legend of Sir Piers being saved by a mastiff in a battle with the french in 1415. The thing is, before the recreation, the dogs of lyme park were clearly boarhounds. As boars were depleted from the english countryside they continued to keep these boarhounds for a while as "chamber dogs" that would hang around inside and play with the kids.  But they were simply england's great danes, really. Retired boarhounds, which initially were created by crossing bulldogs with large sighthounds. Any image of a mastiff in england from before the 1800s looks like a long legged mongrel boar hound, and only rarely won't be referred to as such. I'm rather convinced that's all they were, while they were working functional animals. The modern english mastiff is a recreation based on the legend of these boarhounds, and they made them more bulky and sluggish, but not for any real functional reason.  Big for bigness' sake, with total amnesia about their boar hunting origins.  Neapolitan mastiff -  Bulldog. The neapolitan mastiff and cane corso were assuredly one in the same dog before... Read more

]]>Sat, 24 Oct 2020 14:07:05 GMTFrom signs and symptoms to what to do if your dog's been diagnosed, get the important dog cancer information you need.Posted: May 29, 2014, 2 p.m. PST While too many dogs still get diagnosed with cancer each year, new research and treatments are helping increase the quality and quantity of life for dogs with the disease. Education also works as a powerful tool in preventing and dealing with canine cancer. In observance of Pet Cancer Awareness Month in May, the staff at The Veterinary Cancer Center in Norwalk, Conn., offers information on the disease that can benefit both you and the dogs in your life. Do Dogs Get Cancer?Answer By Gina Olmsted, D.V.M.Not only do dogs get cancer, but cancer is sadly one of the most common diseases affecting aging pets. Estimates indicate that at least 4 million dogs develop cancer each year. In addition, 45 percent of dogs that live to 10 years or older die of cancer, according to one survey of data for more than 2,000 dogs. A 2005 Morris Animal Foundation survey revealed that cancer was the largest health concern among dog owners at 41 percent, with heart disease the No. 2 concern at only 7 percent.What Types of Cancer Affect Dogs? Answer By Gina Olmsted, D.V.M. Our pets get many of the same cancers that humans do, and a lot of these cancers behave very similarly in pets as they do in people. Some of the most common cancers seen in dogs are skin tumors, lymphoma, and mammary cancer (breast cancer). The cause of cancer in our pets is much the same as in people, with genetics playing a large role and environmental factors serving as a contributing element in some cases.Most Common Canine Cancers>> Can Dogs Be Treated for Cancer?Answer By John Farrelly, D.V.M., M.S., DACVIM (Oncology), DACVR (Radiation Oncology) Pet Cancer Awareness Month is a time when we like to draw attention to things we can do to identify cancer in our pets. With cancer, an early diagnosis is important to give dogs the best chance of success. However, another key s... Read more

]]>Tue, 03 Jun 2014 22:35:24 GMTBeware! Plants Poisonous to DogsKnow which plants and foods are no-nos for your dog.By DC Editors | Posted: Mar 19, 2013, 3 p.m. EDTPeople are often surprised to learn that there are actually hundreds of plants potentially poisonous to dogs many of which could be in your home, or yard.The following is a list of some plants, trees, flowers, and foods that are poisonous to dogs:American bittersweet roots, leaves, berriesApple seeds, in large amountsApricot seedsAutumn crocus - Its active ingredient, colchicines, triggers an anti-metabolic effect that can cause rapidly dividing cells, shedding of the gastrointestinal tract, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting. Learn more>>Avocado leavesAzalea - This popular plant can harm a dog's cardiovascular system and trigger vomiting or gastrointestinal upset.Bird of paradise fruit, seedsBlack-eyed SusanBleeding heart leaves, rootsBoston ivyButtercupCaladium  Castor bean seeds, leavesChinaberry berries, fruit, barkChokecherry bark, leaves, seedsChristmas rose leaves, roots, sapDaffodil (Narcissus) - Toxic ingredients in the bulbs cause convulsions, tremors, lethargy, weakness, and upset stomachs.DiffenbachiaEnglish holly berriesEnglish ivy leaves, berriesFoxglove seeds, flowers, leavesGlacier ivy leaves, berriesGolden chain flowers, seeds, podsHemlock seeds, stems, rootsHyacinth - This popular plant can cause severe vomiting, bloody diarrhea, depression, and tremors.Hydrangea leaves, budsIris rootsJack-in-the-pulpitJerusalem cherryJimson weedJonquilLarkspurLily of the valley - This plant can cause heart failure, coordination problems, and vomiting. Learn more>>MilkweedMistletoe berriesMorning glory seedsMountain laurelNephthytisNightshadeOak acorns, foliageOleander - Extremely toxic, this popular outdoor plant contains cardiac glycosides that harm the heart, decrease body temperature, cause abnormal pulse rate, and can cause death. Beware: Even people have died from eating hot dogs roasted on an oleander twig.PhilodendronPoinsettia leav... Read more

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