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DandieOnline, April 2000

Autorin: Mrs. Deidre J McLeod - ... 125th Anniversary DDTC

The DDTC championship show, held in Carlisle, encompassed a millennium celebration and its one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversay show. To celebrate the occasion committee, and some of the exhibitors and spectators, were in Victorian period costume to mark the year, an anniversary for one of the oldest breeds clubs in the UK. The dogs coped well with the long skirts and that prize-winning keeper with the skins hanging invitingly from his belt and shoulder.

There was a group of visiting members from America and another from Europe who presented a special trophy to the club marking the occasion and all members shared the special cake, a delicious one with a strong alcoholic content, which was cut by Elizabeth Dalziel who is an honorary member of the club. It was also good to see Margaret and Jim McKenzie there and we all hope that they will continue to improve and be able to be at the ringside again.

With Ferelith Somerfield making the decisions in the ring, BCC and BIS went to Rita Camm's Glencobo Lawley Lady at Somercloud and DCC made up the Derrys' Vistca Vaudeville, who has had that gap between two and three that I referred to last week. BP again went to Peggy Hulme's Hendell Evening Star who has been making successful forays in the north.

The club AGM minutes have been circulated with the magazine and notify members that it has now been decided that the old trophies should no longer go home with the winners but will be held, for security and protection, with winners receiving a commemorative memento of their win.

I can fully appreciate the reasons why this will happen, but I also feel that the winners will lose out on experiencing some of the emotion which is created when the realisation of achievement sinks in and you at last sit back and read the names engraved there. On these historical pieces it is possible to trace past winners from your own pedigrees and it is only later that you can have the time to evaluate the history, the information and even savour the experience and appreciate the intricacies of the metalwork involved.

The cups were there on Sunday, but at a show you do not have the opportunity to spend the time it takes to examine them properly and my memento, while still on display and a fond memory of Mettlesome, is not quite the same.

Autorin: Mrs. Deidre J McLeod - ... Kennel Names come from? (2)

I had another couple of references to the sources of affixes reminding me of the anagrams, PARSTONE for Nancy Paterson, and also a letter from Anne Terrell. Anne had had desolate time after losing her oldies very quickly, one after the other, and eventually answered an ad for German Shepherds only to find they were Shorthaired Pointers and couldn't resist one. She named her Solace, calling her Lace for short. Some time later she met our breed, acquired her first Dandie and then bred her first litter, just as we all do. It started with Lace so it was Lace and more, which was registered as LACANMORE.

Anne's Dandie has just shown her how things are done by setting out to produce a litter under the shed in a blizzard, the second such I have heard of recently, the first being in a carefully dug hole under the roots of a tree. Both are just typical and corroborate another letter from a pet owner who says they tried hard to train his young bitch but she does (not) come when she is called - so he thinks it might be better to leave it at that and neither of them will be disappointed. They do it their way.

Autorin: Mrs. Carole Pallister - The "Eye" of the Judge.

There has been much discussion recently regarding the consequence of the Kennel Club judges working party directrives and I shall be interested to see if, longer terms, the standard of judging improves or alters.

My personal view is that anyone with an interest in any breed should observe quietly at the ringside for years, apply themselves diligently to the Standard, and get their hands on as many specimens of that breed as possible, of whatever quality - I do not see the reasons for the great divide between "show" and "pet" Dandies.

The most beautiful and correct Dandie I have ever seen and had my hands on is a bitch sold as a pet, and is sadly spayed but she has everything type, quality, movement, coat and tremendous personality. She is loved and cherished by her owners, but I do feel a pang every time I trim her, as she is breathtaking.

I also feel that people either have an "eye" or not, but hope that the breed clubs will do their very best to take enthusiastic novices and give them every chance of going over many Dandies, with knowledgeable guidance from those who have been in the breed for many years. We are fortunate to have experienced and articulate people in the breed to help.

When I was showing horses, there was a valuable system in place at big show of sending "probationer" judges along with experienced one who would explain their placings and reasons, an idea which could be adopted in dogs.

I also feel that it should be mandatory for ch show judges to turn in a reasonably detailed critique to the dog papers who provide the wherewith at every show; all too often, exhibitors are disappointed at the lack of a critique, particularly after a big win, and it seems to me discourteous not to spend a little time explaining ones' placings hopefully constructively.

Autorin: Mrs. Deidre J McLeod - Where Kennel Names come from?

The Drevaburn affix comes from the Dreva Burn, a stream to the English, in the borders near Peebles, Williamwood was the Monro estate near Gretna, and Inzievar was a mansion owned by Peg Davidson's ancestors near Saline, in Fife. The Roslyns live in Renald Lane and my own Healaval is a mountain across the loch from Dunvegan Castle, the ancient castle of the McLeod Clan in Skye.

The McKenzies' Avonview is from the river Avon near their home and Jean Bedborough's Pitfirrane is from as estate area near her home.

I sometimes wonder where and why the rest of you chose your affixes, so why not tell me. All of my Dandies, and most of the Drevaburns, have 'guid Scots names', which have sometimes stumped Southern exhibitors, both in pronunciation and meaning but, to be fair, their choices can puzzles me too.

Autorin: Mrs. Deidre J McLeod - Attend Shows

In the late '70s and early '80s open shows with Dandie classes drew a good entry and I can recall an early Scottish Breeds open with about 20 Dandies. Quality was mixed but even the pet owners looked on it as a day out. How times have changed!

I have attended three such shows in the last six to eight months where the entry was not good to begin with and many dogs were absent, some with reason but none-the less a set back for everybody involved, the judge who had a paper entry, the society who were doing what they could promote the breed and finally the exhibitor who bothered to go.

Clubs are trying to promote and subsidise a structure for our aspiring judges. Committees are seeking to build up a progressive development of shows where novice judges can build up the three shows and 30 entries needed to go on the B lists of all three clubs. Theoretically, all that is needed after that is a ch show without CCs or the equivalent and a breed club show and judges would have achieved the numbers to go through the A list. Provided they have done their stewarding and stipulated classes. Exhibitors must enter and attend these shows for the future prospects of our members.

Autorin: Mrs. Carole Pallister - Inflamed Ears

I have had great success with treating badly inflamed Dandie ears with Forever Lining's Aloe Vera Gel. A friend's elderly dog was very prone to ear trouble. After a week of twice daily cleaning out with the gel, his ears are clean and cool.

I would be interested to hear if anyone else has had success with aloe vera in treating other canine ailments.

Author: Mrs. Deidre J McLeod - Growth of Coat in the Seasons

Coats are starting to come through and seem to have quickened in growth with the turn of the year. I know that this is part of the old lore and that coats grow as coats grow but it does give me a crumb of comfort with the days counting on.

It never ceases to amaze me how each Dandie has its own growth pattern. Old Reekie has never been out of coat till now, no bad feat for a 14-year-old, but his half sister seems to have little or no growth for ages and then, suddenly, it's all there and desperately needing to be thinned.

With six running round together, coat and colour is very much part of identification but, at the moment, they are only half-dressed and look like a pack of strangers.