We sometimes take for granted the things that connect us to the earth until those things shriek for attention. Losing tr...
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That Line Has a Name
There is an interesting line in the German Shorthaired Pointer’s AKC breed standard (interesting to us, anyway). I...
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The Lazy S
Large, powerful, and unexpectedly fast, the Anatolian Shepherd is a hard-working breed used as a Livestock Guardian Dog....
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Tweed: The Fabric and the Breed
We hazard a guess that most of you reading have had, or currently have, a garment made of tweed. The rough fabric was or...
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Sour, Surly, Severe & Stern
Gruff: grŭf adjective Brusque or stern in manner or appearance. Hoarse; harsh. Of a rough or stern manner, voice, or ...
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The “Rhombus” on Two Breeds
Etymologically speaking, a lozenge is a four-sided, diamond-like shape. For those who remember high school geometry, it&...
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The Well Knit Dog (not what you think)
The Scene: As the judge evaluated the dogs in his ring, he spotted an exquisite head piece, a rear assembly that could d...
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Why Hard Mouthed?
Imagine that you’ve been invited to dinner. On the menu is pheasant, and just as you’re about to cut into th...
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When is a Foxhound a Beagle?
When is a Foxhound a Beagle? It’s not a trick question, though we may have finessed the wording a bit. A Foxhound ...
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Mesopotamian Breeds?
If you’re not already familiar with Atlas Obscura, you’re in for a treat if you like unusual and obscure inf...
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From Berlin to Special Ops
The highest academic degree that one can earn in the world is a doctorate, and not that anyone gives it much thought, bu...
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Four Square
If your idea of “a little light reading” is to peruse breed standards, you’ll have come across the ter...
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A Bichon’s Halos
Many of us think of our dogs as “little angels,” but when we mention “halos” in the same sentenc...
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Mr. Showmanship
Elvis, Cher, Adele, Yanni, Madonna, Bono, Sting, Rihanna, Seal, Prince, Beyonce….long before these people became o...
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The Ears You Don’t See
Ears on an adult corded breed like the Puli or Komondor isn’t something that stands out because the ears hang down...
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A Vlcak Gathering in Wintergreen
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia is the town of Wintergreen, and other than having Virginia’s bigge...
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She’s a Big Boned Gal
The Scottish Terrier is surely one of the world’s most iconic breeds: Companion to Presidents and movie stars, and...
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What Color Brown?
We are of the school of thought that anything that enhances one’s education (as long as it’s moral and legal...
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OMG: Brachyouria
Oh the humanity. Your new Spanish Water Dog puppy has a brachyouria tail. You want to show this dog. Assuming she cleare...
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