The last one for 2011

2011 has been quite a year on here. Thank you to the hundreds (literally) who turn in every day; it’s appreciated you take the time. Ideas are already formulating for 2012 and, by request of Glen of Imaal Terrier Enthusiasts & Fanciers, the first one is already in motion. This is number one of what will be a quarterly update. We’ve always gone with what has been wanted so as it’s been missed it is now back!

2011 finishes with a late Christmas card from a Glen owner. Her boy doesn’t want to go walking much anymore and obviously age is now starting to catch up with him but he is still great. The sort of thing we all want to receive but this lad is rather special as he was seventeen and a half years old on the ninth of December. Keep on going Spector! And for the final thing before starting again in 2012 for just a few days before the winter shutdown…………..think back to  December 15th and dog A, the puppy that was declared (by some) a full drop. That puppy is no longer a baby and his ears are half prick. Happy New Year Folks!!

 

A reminder if you travel

The rules for taking dogs (cats & ferrets) changes on January 1st 2012. When the new rules were first published it hadn’t been decided fully what the schedule for tapeworming would be. This has now been done so do make sure that your animal is fully compliant. Also, from what was discovered by actual travellers just a few weeks ago, it might be a good idea to carry copies of the new regulations for the first few months of 2012 as the ferry officials seemed woefully unaware of any changes expected.

Here we go again….

…well nearly

Westminster is the first big show of the International calendar but you can only exhibit there on your 2011 results. The top five in each breed get an automatic invitation and then it is in the lap of the Gods of your entry will get through before the “entry full” sign goes up. 2012 will see six Glen of Imaal Terriers strutting their stuff in New York so somebody made it through!

It’s a Boxing Day tradition

Despite what some people think it is still possible, and quite legal, to attend a Boxing Day hunt. The traditional day still goes ahead for thousands of people so if you’d care to join them…..

It’s nearly here

It’s nearly Christmas so let’s wind down with a Glen of Imaal Terrier giving their owner a good idea that has benefitted  other dogs. We all know Glens are a good idea so Happy Christmas to all of them….and to everybody else!

Serious bummer or any other word you would prefer

All year Glen of Imaal Terrier people have been waiting for some news. You haven’t pushed us, we haven’t pushed them…well, not to be begin with anyway.

Back when the Kennel Club Charitable Trust gave the grant to the EFG  (on behalf of Glen of Imaal Terriers) one of the provisos was that, if the gene could be found, it would be very appreciated if the Animal Health Trust could have the test for inclusion in the services they offered. We all know that Optigen and Bochum discovered it seemingly within about 30 seconds of each other. We all know that the test has been adopted with enthusiasm by the international Glen community. We all expected it just to be a matter of time before the AHT included it on their list as Bochum had instantly made it available to them. We are all to be disappointed.

This is part of an email from the AHT “Due to the nature of the genetic change involved, the test would not fit in with our diagnostic procedures. I had hoped that we would be able to get round that but I am sorry to say that we haven’t been able to do that yet, and I cannot justify committing any further resources when your members do already have the option to have the test done at two different laboratories.” Needless to say we have contested this VERY strongly but the decision has made.This now leaves us with the choices of Optigen or Bochum University who both will continue to provide us with the necessary testing.

OptiGen will be offering their Winter Discount Days for online entries starting January 2nd through January 16th. Entries need to be made during that time using the code Happy2012 for the maximum discount of 25%. Clients will have up to 30 days from the date of their online request to get samples to OptiGen for testing. For more information, please contact Becky at (001) 607-257-0301 or email genetest@optigen.com.

“Of The Year” (2011)

The “Of The Year” results are now coming out. In Glen of Imaal Terriers Top Stud is Donvaleset Black Velvet (Jeonty Tinker Boy Murphy at Brockland-Monavoth Girl Among Donvaleset) & Top Brood Bitch Brocklands Brenna Anne (Gingers Fashion By Malsville-Jeonty Gold Leader at Brockland). Congratulations.

For pedigree/breed history buffs those two results are interesting. The two awards are from different animals winning CCs as Black Velvet & Brenna Anne never had a litter together. Black Velvet is the first Glen to get the award purely from a non resident address. (Malsville Soldier Blue won the award twice after moving to America but that was for dogs sired before he left.) Brenna Anne’s sire-Fashion- is also Black Velvet’s grandsire via Tinker  Boy Murphy and he was the grandsire of Soldier Blue via his sire Little Soldier. 

So a dog has influence…why is it particularly interesting? Fashion was imported from Germany on his pedigree alone and was not exhibited!

Eukanuba-we were there!

Courtesy of Mark Brown all Glen of Imaal Terrier people can enjoy Eukanuba weekend.

Still showing strongly into Christmas week

The big Eukanuba cluster in Florida saw a triumph for GCH Cill Dara’s Fergus of Daulton with four out of four Best of Breeds and twice being shortlisted in the Group. Glen of Imaal Terriers also caught the eye in Pennsylvania with two Group 3 placements for GCh Coleraine’s Mandalay Royalty. In Euroope the last of “The Winners” took place with BOB at the Belgian Winners going to Taramont Niamh Tirnan’Og. Well done to everybody.

And as it is Christmas week: “I still believe in Santa Claus. I’m sure the children must have told me that he isn’t real. But I have never believed them (Nancy Reagan)

As we were asked (what a surprise)….

Yesterday saw quite a few requests come in & obviously we always try to oblige. Basically, condensed & re-written, they all said the same thing “where on earth did the fad (a ruder word was used) for ears stuck on top of the head come from?” It’s a good question and the photographs below make it even more pertinent. Two of these were taken in the first two years of the recognition of the Glen of Imaal Terrier by the Irish Kennel Club (34 & 35), so these are dogs that performed for a living, not show bred specimens and the higher ear is definately in the minority. Whilst looking at the photos you might notice the length of leg these dogs have but shall we do that next week?