MIDWOOF Musings

All Aboard!

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Hi all,
We are safely on board the Carnival Miracle and are preparing to set sail from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. Temperatures in Alberta were -28 C when we left yesterday ... in Ft. Lauderdale we are enjoying +22 C; Nice change!

We are meeting many new friends and getting reacquainted with old ones. Dr. Hutchison, Dr. Battaglia are here with their very lovely wives. I met Dr. Coren on the bus to the pier where he informed me that he is not very comfortable being over so much water. I haven't told him about the Life Boat Drill yet ... it is a Drill only a Drill .. really! I do think I have an extra set of acupressure wrist cuffs for him if the seas get rough. They worked great for me last year.

Pat Hasting is joining us again this year as well as Kaye Aims and Corky Vroom and his lovely wife who is always the life of the party.

I'll post often to let you know what is going on. I can't post photos from the ship but will add them when I return.

The K9 College Cruise 2009 will be sailing shorty. Thanks for coming along on our trip! I know you will have a BLAST!

We have a get together this evening to launch the K9 College.

Oh, and I've already booked my first Spa appointment.

Ta Ta For Now (TTFN)

Two More Sleeps...

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:55:00 +0000

It is that time of year once again! I will be leaving for the K9 College Cruise Sunday Night. Late Sunday Night as my flight is the Red Eye out of Edmonton 1:00 am Monday morning.

We are looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.

The online store www.midwoof.com will still be open for business during this time and we can take your order. However, nothing will be shipped until I return the last week in February.

We appreciate your business and your patience. As a small thank you we will include a 'little something extra' for all orders placed online from 16th of February through to the 25th of February.

When I return I'll tell you all about the Cruise and the Dog Show at Sea (Virtual of course).

I'll see you soon!

Oodles of doodles

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:45:00 +0000

By Naomi Kane, ARTICLE, LIFESTYLE

The history of most of today’s purebred dogs starts something along the lines of Lord Somethingorother, local gamekeepers or huntsmen, needed a dog that could catch rats all day long, herd livestock, guard something special, pull heavy loads or hunt over some special terrain, so they bred local dogs to imported dogs to achieve this special purpose and created the Wirehaired Specialhund. The Wirehaired Specialhund remained popular, even when its original job became obsolete, because of its wonderful temperament, adaptability etc., etc.

We have purebred dogs today because a fancier or a few fanciers thought a dog with those characteristics would be useful or just nice to have around. So what is wrong with experimenting, why not try new things and what exactly is the difference between the Bullmastiff and the labradoodle, aside from the silly name?

Qualities of a purebred
A purebred dog comes from the mating of two registered purebred dogs of the same breed. The resulting puppies can be reliably predicted to have the physical and mental characteristics of their ancestors. This means that if you breed a Poodle to a Poodle you will reliably get Poodle puppies that will grow up to look and act like Poodles.

Purebred dogs have a standard of excellence – a written description of the breed’s ideal look and characteristics. Generations of purebred dogs have been carefully screened and selected so that only the healthiest, best tempered and best looking are used to produce more puppies of that breed. Purebred dogs are registered and have pedigrees that can be traced back in some cases to the beginning of the breed. The qualities of the dogs that go into the pedigrees are known and recorded so that faults and good qualities can be tracked. Breeders and breed clubs work tirelessly to maintain high ethical standards and keep the look, temperament and health of each breed.

A distressing number of people think that simply putting a name to a mixed-breed puppy makes it a real breed. Jugs, puggles, schweatens, cockapoos and every doodle imaginable are populating parks and handbags around the world. Clearly, many people either don’t know or don’t care that if you mate a Pug to a Beagle you have a litter of mixed-breed dogs, even if you call them “Puggles.” Misinformation and rumour touted as fact; the all-too-human propensity for falling in love with the first cute puppy you see; and a real lack of awareness on the part of purebred dog breeders and organizations has resulted in a worldwide frenzy of crossbreeding anything to everything. Crossbred puppies with goofy names are advertised as “designer breeds” and sell for exorbitant prices while carefully bred, health-tested purebred puppies from responsible breeders are overlooked.

Characteristics of crossbreeds
How many times have we heard that mutts are healthier than purebreds, mutts have hybrid vigour or that Poodle crosses are hypoallergenic? The myth is that if you breed two dogs of different breeds, you can accurately predict the exact attributes the ensuing puppies will display, and that these “designer dogs” will be healthier than purebreds due to “hybrid vigour.” The truth is that crossing two different breeds will result in some puppies looking like each parent and some puppies resembling a mix of the two – maybe. Even though the breeders of these pups say they can predict things like coat type, colour, temperament and size, they cannot. The only things that can be predicted for sure are that the puppies will be awfully cute because puppies always are, and that many of these dogs will end up in shelters because they got bigger and weren’t hypoallergenic as advertised.

Doodle dogs are deliberate crossbreeds and their producers have no intention of developing a breed; they simply continue to crossbreed and sell puppies. Doodle producers do some fancy double-talk touting their puppies as special and better because they are crossbred. If you have a weak heart or high blood pressure, skip the next section or at least make sure you’re sitting down. The North American Cockapoo Registry – yes, they call themselves a registry; that isn’t the shocking part – says, “A true cockapoo is ONLY a purposeful, planned crossing of a purebred cocker spaniel with a purebred poodle. Without a traceable background anything cute and fuzzy could be (and has been) passed off as a “cockapoo” by unscrupulous people.” If they weren’t so successful it would be funny, but instead of seeing the idiocy and finding a nice Poodle or Cocker Spaniel with a real, traceable background, people read that and buy a cockapoo.

Most labradoodle merchants offer labradoodles and Australian labradoodles. The difference between them is that Australian labradoodles are supposed to be a purebred developed from infusions of a few other breeds into the original Poodle/Lab crosses. According to some web sites, there is a move to seek eventual breed recognition. So now they have it both ways: A mixed breed is better, except when it isn’t.

Hybrid vigour
Millions of dollars have been put into health research and testing by responsible breeders of purebred dogs. Records and databases going back generations make health issues in purebred dogs visible; therefore it looks like purebred dogs have lots of health issues. There is no database or health record for mixed-breed dogs, but it is evident from observation that they have health problems.

Crossbreed producers claim to be breeding “top quality” dogs and fixing health problems by producing puppies with “hybrid vigour.” To begin with, no reputable breeder would knowingly sell a puppy to somebody planning to produce mixes, so the breeding stock must come from other, less-than-reputable sources. The quality and health of their bloodlines is suspect to say the least.

Hybrid vigour refers to the mating of two different species within a family of animals, such as a lion and a tiger, a horse and a donkey, or a dog and a wolf. Since crossbreed dogs are simply a mating of a dog and another dog, the genes for health problems have an excellent chance of doubling up and expressing themselves in the offspring. Claims of super health are nonsense; veterinarians see as many problems in “designer dogs” as in purebreds. Since most doodle producers do no health testing and their breeding stock is unlikely to come from health-tested backgrounds, some “designer dogs” get the worst of both worlds and inherit different problems from each parent.

So what is the difference between a Bullmastiff and a labradoodle? The Bullmastiff (or any other purebred) breeds true, and puppies can be guaranteed to be as advertised. Purebred dogs are the result of research, artistry and dedication. While there are some irresponsible breeders and problems in the purebred fancy, purebred dogs are healthy and reliable overall. Labradoodles and other mixes are a hodgepodge of possibilities that cannot be predicted, thrown together in an effort to make a quick buck. Size, colour, coat type and temperament are a guess at best.

A wake-up call
People “in dogs” have no idea of the gulf that exists between them and the average person looking for a pet. Despite the obvious discrepancies between myth and reality, many people continue to believe the doodle hype. Purebred-dog clubs and breeders need to realize that they are in direct competition with the doodle merchants because many people think a St. Berdoodle is a breed.

Purebred breeders are passionate and protective of their breeds and have been in the habit of downplaying them to discourage too much popularity. It’s not untypical for a breeder to answer puppy queries by listing all the reasons their breed is not suitable for everybody, especially the person calling to enquire. There are breeders who won’t sell to pet homes, or who breed only if they want to keep a puppy for their own breeding program, leaving potential pet owners puppy-less and feeling snubbed.

Responsible breeders don’t like to advertise in newspapers, and are afraid to market their dogs because they don’t want to be perceived as puppy merchants. If responsible breeders are hard to find or won’t breed for the pet market, then pet buyers will go where they can get a puppy – straight to the designer-dog merchant who makes them feel special because they have a special dog that is “better than a purebred.” Once they have that puppy, they will love it, protect it and defend it as passionately as any purebred breeder.

The world of purebred dogs needs to wake up and get marketing, educating and reaching out to the average pet-buying person or watch as oodles of doodles fill the need for pet dogs.

By Naomi Kane

Frequent contributor Naomi Kane is a CGN evaluator and has been breeding Leonbergers for over 10 years.

(Originally appeared in our February 2009 issue of "Dogs in Canada" the publication of the Canadian Kennel Club)

CKC and CKC Foundation Do Their Part to Support Supreme Court Challenge

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:43:00 +0000

CKC and CKC Foundation Do Their Part to Support Supreme Court Challenge

At its January 26, 2009 meeting, the CKC Foundation Board of Directors met, and one topic of discussion was support for the DLCC (Dog Legislation Council of Canada) and its Supreme Court Challenge. The CKC Foundation Board agreed to ask the CKC to consider donating 50% of funds raised at the March 2009 Purina National to the (DLCC), to a maximum of $25,000.

The CKC has committed all funds raised at previous Purina National shows to the CKC Foundation.

"As a registered charity, we are bound by the provisions of the Income Tax Act," stated Foundation President Charles "Charlie" Simonds, "Our funds can only go to registered charitable organizations. To do otherwise would jeopardize our status as a registered charity, and this therefore prevents the Foundation from responding with financial support to the current and immediate needs of those organizations
constitutionally battling breed specific legislation at the Supreme Court of Canada.”

“It is critical,” Simonds continued, "that funds are behind this endeavor and the Foundation Board feels this is the best way to meet that need."

CKC Foundation Executive Director, Joe Mauro, added "Mrs. Anita Cairns will bring a motion to the CKC Board at its March 16-17 meeting with this recommendation from the Foundation." Mauro added further that, "We (the CKC Foundation) wrestled with how we could help the DLCC cause and if the motion on this contribution passes at the March 16-17 CKC Board meeting, it will clearly affirm, in a very tangible way, the collective support of the CKC Board and Membership, plus demonstrate the benevolent approach of the new Foundation."

In response to this encouraging news, CKC Foundation Treasurer, Dawne Deeley, stated that "The CKC Foundation found itself in the unenviable position of trying to meet this crucial application, while juggling various legal requirements. That a viable solution was found, points to the Board’s commitment to do the right thing for everyone concerned. Speaking as a representative of the DLCC, I can say this motion will not only offer essential funds, but a tremendous sense of encouragement and unshakeable support. No other kennel club worldwide has stepped up to the BLS plate in the same manner as the Canadian Kennel Club. The DLCC is in their debt!"

Regards,

Joan D'Souza-Plavins

Executive Assistant to the CEO

THE PURINA NATIONAL

Three Championship Dog Shows, Three Obedience Trials,

Three Rally Obedience Trials

Tillsonburg Special Events Centre, Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada.

ENTRIES CLOSE FEBRUARY 24, 2009

Click here for your Purina National entry form

"LE PURINA NATIONAL"

Trois expositions de championnat. Trois concours d’obéissance.

Trois concours de rallye obéissa once

Tillsonburg Special Events Centre, Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada.

DATE LIMITE DES INSCRIPTIONS – LE 24 FÉVRIER 2009

Veuillez cliquer ici pour un formulaire d'inscription au Purina National

New Toll Free Number

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:51:00 +0000

We have just been assigned a new Toll Free Phone Number
(866) 643-9663 --aka -- (866) MID-WOOF

This number will be accessible from Canada and the U.S.A. and should be working by 24th of January 2009

DOLLARS FOR DOGS UPDATE:

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:26:00 +0000

DOLLARS FOR DOGS is now on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=48458226710

Canadian Dog Fanciers are under attack by our own government's misguided attempt to protect us from dogs, when they should be protecting us and our dogs from bad owners, by enforcing laws that are already on the books.

The really scary thing is that this Ontario legislation is being used as a basis for more breed ban laws all over North America.Where will this stop? NO breed is safe anywhere! We cannot let this continue!

Help us stop this here and now by becoming part of an unprecedented donation campaign at the grass roots level. REMEMBER we only have until the end of January. GIVE NOW!! GIVE GENEROUSLY if you can, but remember every penny counts!

Go to www.doglegislationcouncilcanada.org and donate now!

Remember we are donating $5 for each and every order we receive on our website www.midwoof.com until the end of January. ($45 so far)
You can add your donation onto your order and we will forward it for you along with ours.
See our earlier BLOG entry for all the ways you can donate.

QuinnCarlin's Midwoof.com is also purchasing $250 worth of advertising on www.canuckdogs.com which will be donated in full to this cause (A BIG Thanks to Sue Coghlan).

Judy

Visit our Midwoof Forums

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:08:00 +0000

We have now officially launched our Forums. We are open for discussions about all your Canine Reproduction and Puppy Care issues.

Come and be a part of this new holistic community of caring Canine Guardians and Breeders.
www.quinncarlin.ca/midwoof/bb/

-Judy

Midwoof.com is now on Facebook

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:05:00 +0000

We are now on Facebook for all you Facebook addicts er ... I mean users out there.

You need an account (they are free) then find us on Facebook

We hope to see you there!

Judy

DOLLARS FOR DOGS!

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:56:00 +0000

QuinnCarlin's Midwoof.com Announces a Donation of $5.00 for each order placed online from 13 January to 31 January 2009. These monies will be forwarded to the BANNED AID COALITION

In addition, customers can choose to add their donation to Banned Aid to their order and we will forward their donations along with ours to Banned Aid at the end of January 2009.

UPDATE:

NEVER EVER BEFORE has the dog world come to answer the call as we Canadians have for the DLCC and Banned Aid.

In just a few days, you all have shown your love and have donated the grand total of ...............
23,486.00 as of 11 PM Atlantic time !!!
so we have just 43,514 to raise !!!

WE CAN DO THIS !

Dollars for Dogs

ALERT:

The constitutional challenge to represent the collective, national interest of responsible dog owners is in dire straits.

We are 67,000 short of being able to get our voices heard in Canada's highest court, the Supreme Court. We have been granted an extension to come up with this amount, but just till the end of January 2009.

BIG BROTHER, DAVID AND GOLIATH

On-SCARIO ( AKA Ontario Canada ) has flagrantly wasted tax payers dollars to act as Goliath against our David (Banned Aid Coalition) to ban any "substantially similar" dogs to the banned pure bred dogs, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and American Pit Bull Terriers.

NOW WHO IS THE BULLY?

Over 4000 dogs dead, yes even puppies folks. In essence, the Ontario government has taken over our Pedigree Act and has decided what breeds and mixes thereof will live, drive through or visit within its boundaries.

It simply doesn't matter whether you like the bully dogs. It is now a matter of sending a message to government we are no longer willing to allow politicians to sacrifice the lives of innocent dogs.

DOGS for DOLLARS: IS YOUR DOG WORTH A DOLLAR?

ONE DOLLAR, A LOONY TO FIGHT THE LOONS IN GOVERNMENT!

PAY PAL. Please go to www.doglegislationcouncilcanada.org and click on the "Donate!" link for the Pay Pal tool. You can also make an online payment from your financial institution's website by sending a bill payment to treasurer@doglegislationcouncilcanada.org

Send cheques or money orders directly to Mr.Ruby at the following address,

c/o BANNED AID LEGAL CHALLENGE FUND

Ruby & Shiller
11 Prince Arthur Ave.
Toronto, Ont.
M5R1B2
416 964 9664

On behalf of the BANNED AID COALITION--- -- THANK YOU!

Canine Ovulation Detection

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:42:00 +0000

The Key to a Successful Breeding is Timing.

Bitches ovulate immature ova. It takes between 48 - 72 hours for the ova to ripen after ovulation. The ova remain alive and viable for another 2 - 3 days after ovulation.

Fresh or fresh chilled sperm, remain alive in the bitch's reproductive tract for 5 to 6 days. Therefore, successful insemination can occur with the bitch being bred anywhere from 2 days prior to ovulation to 4 days after ovulation.

On the other hand, frozen thawed sperm live only a few hours, therefore it is advised that you work with your Vet and have them perform a trans-cervical Artificial Insemination (A/I) or a surgical A/I no earlier than 2 - 3 days following ovulation if you are using frozen thawed sperm.

If pregnant, a healthy bitch will whelp exactly 63 days after ovulation, regardless of when she was mated or when her eggs were fertilized. Therefore, knowing the date of ovulation will make your calculations for planning the delivery much more precise.

Testing for Ovulation

Progesterone Testing is the most accurate test currently available but it requires the drawing of the bitch's blood and access to a lab to perform the test. It can be expensive and depending on where you live it can take up to 24 hours to receive the results.
[Effective for natural breeding as well as AI with frozen, fresh chilled or fresh semen]

The Draminski Canine Ovulation Detector is the next best option. It is a probe that tests the viscosity of the vaginal mucous. This mucous thins out during ovulation in order to allow the sperm to gain access to the eggs. During most of the bitch's cycle this mucous is thick and viscous keeping germs and debris out of her vaginal tract. The Draminski is as accurate as progesterone testing for bitches that ovulate in what is considered a normal range. The Draminski is reusable and the breeder can easily learn how to use it.
[Effective for natural breeding as well as AI with frozen, fresh chilled or fresh semen]

The Fertile Focus or a microscope is the next best option. The Fertile Focus is a small portable 60x magnification microscope that allows us to test the bitch's saliva. Dogs and humans have a unique change in their saliva when the Estrogen peaks in their systems. Saliva taken during this peak time will crystallize into a distinctive ferning pattern when dried. This indicates the estrogen surge; which in dogs occurs about two days before the LH surge which occurs about two days before ovulation. This give s breeder planning a natural breeding a good indication to breed 6 days after seeing the ferning (remember to wait 2-2 1/2 days after ovulation for the eggs to ripen)
[Effective for natural breeding as well as AI with fresh semen. Can also be used to know when to start the more expensive progesterone testing]

You can use Litmus paper such as pH Stix or WYSONG Estrus Strip to test for pH changes in the Vagina. PH of the canine vagina drops from 8.5 to as much as 7.0 during Ovulation.
[Effective for natural breeding as well as AI with fresh semen. Can also be used to know when to start the more expensive progesterone testing]

The Draminski Canine Ovulation Detector, the Fertile Focus, pH Stix and WYSONG Estrus Strips are all available online at www.midwoof.com

Merry Christmas Happy Yule, Hanukkah, Swansea ... Holidays!

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:00:00 +0000

'Tis the season and we wish you all the very best, in whatever way you choose to celebrate it.

As you may have noticed, we have experienced a major meltdown with our servers and have since left our previous provider (Fatcow.com) and are now safely ensconced on the HostPapa.com servers.

This may well have been a blessing in disguise as we are very pleased with the new store and the extra functionality that we now enjoy.

We are still working out the kinks with the shipping modules, but we hope to be back better than ever very soon.

What all this computer jibberish means is that you can view all our products online at www.midwoof.com, however our shopping cart is not yet functional. Please call or email to place an order.

We will soon be better than ever. We will also have our own Midwoof Forums ... so stay tuned for that!

Enjoy your holidays!!

Allan & Judy Green

QuinnCarlin's Midwoof.com is a Proud New Sponsor of the K-9 College Cruise!!!

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:34:00 +0000

We had a BLAST at the K-9 College Cruise in March & April of 2008! There were more than 20 people from Alberta Canada alone! Way to represent!! We met doggy people from all over Canada, the USA, England and Australia. We are sailing again and are really looking forward to meeting new doggy friends in 2009.

To read about our exploits in 2008, see lots of photos and to learn how you can join us and be a part of it all for 2009 please visit the K-9 College Cruise, for a full listing of the faculty and itinerary.

Registration is now closed for the K9 College Cruise 2009. Plan to join us in 2010!.

If you are voyaging with us in 2009 please check out the K9 College Cruise Jackets at www.midwoof.com. If you sailed with us last year you can update your jacket with 2009 for a small fee.
Deadline for the Jacket orders is January 30th 2009.

Welcome

judy@midwoof.com (QuinnCarlin's Lead Midwoof) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:14:00 +0000

Hello all and Welcome!

I have been asked by many to provide a space where questions can be posed and answered.

So, finally ... here it is!

Please submit your questions here or through (email) and I will do my best to answer them for you in a timely manner.

Thank you for joining us on this journey ....

Judy