As it is February 29th..

Glen of Imaal Terrier people are generally very traditional so today of all days it has to be tradition. Nicki, knowing what year it was, at the start of 2012 asked Richard to marry her. Richard said yes and the event is to be in September. We’ve all known about it for ages but today is the day it should be announced! As it is a Congratulations day the same thoughts and wishes need to go to George and Stephen who are standing together officially in April.

Photographs are needed from both couples.

Two films that should get more media coverage

BBC 4 is running a dog week on their channel. Some programmes are excellent like Ice Dogs with Benedict Allen but others are not of such a standard. There are a couple of productions that should have been shown but you have to have the right connections these days. Have a look here and here; if you approve pass them onto your friends and family for them to look at.

 

“Phennik”-whoever you are it’s a very colourful Glen of Imaal Terrier!

Not a bad idea at all

The Kennel Club appreciate that a lot of younger children these days aren’t from dog owning families and there parents aren’t sure how to introduce them to dogs so are introducing The Rufus Club.

“Welcoming children from newborns up to 6 year olds, the Rufus Club promises to be the perfect place to introduce young members of the family to the wonderful world of dogs. It aims to encourage children from an early age to play safely with their dogs and find out about all the activities they can do together.

Vanessa McAlpine, Events and Education Executivefrom the Kennel Club said: “We are very excited to launch the Rufus Club at this year’s Crufts. We are regularly asked by parents how their young children can get involved and until now we have only had the Young Kennel Club which is for youngsters aged 6-24. Crufts is the perfect place to interact with dog loving families and we hope everyone will be as excited about the new club as we are.”

The cost of membership of the Rufus Club is only £8 per year and those joining will receive a welcome letter, free gift, Fetch magazine, poster, stickers and activity sheets, as well an activity and education pack which will be sent after six months’ membership to keep them up to date.”

Excellent present for any children or grandchildren

It’s reminder time

National Terrier schedules came out before Christmas so in case anybody put it safe and then forgot all about it the entries close tomorrow. Online entries close on March 9th. The judge for Glen of Imaal Terriers is Bill Browne-Cole and the show is Easter Saturday (April 7th)

Anybody know?

There aren’t many Glen of Imaal Terriers in Spain so the front cover of the Whitsun Weekend Madrid Show schedule is a bit of a surprise. Anybody know who it is?

What were your 2011 figures?

A few years ago  a sloppy reporter, aided by a sloppy Kennel Club, wrote a piece on Glen of Imaal Terriers that did the breed a lot of harm in the UK. The (now) infamous “Rare As Giant Panda” headline was stupid, totally wrong. Glen people worldwide knew that the breed had never been so numerous and their sending of registration numbers etc. plus the Kennel Club finally acknowledging that their figures were totally out of context, led to the BBC removing the article from their website. How are things doing now though? 

As it’s late February many of the offficial registries of the world will be bringing out the 2011 figures. The KC record 67 Glens for last year and there is at least one litter tthat was born too late to make those figures. This puts us ahead of Cesky, Australians, Skyes and Sealyhams so we aren’t that bad. What did other countries register?

Too many together.

Last week all Glen of Imaal Terrier people celebrated the life (and leaving) of Clyde, Scarlett & Orlagh; all three a respectable age and all three very missed. Last Friday another Glen joined their walk when the beautiful 16 year old Tate picked up his lead for the last time. Coleraine’s Little Man Tate ( are there any other Erik children still alive?) was the definitive Glen for many who knew him. He enriches our eternal family.

For the file

The Glen of Imaal Terrier entry of 31 for Crufts has been known for a few weeks and it is nice to know that a fair few of these are overseas entries, another we weren’t aware of checked in yesterday. For anybody coming to Crufts (or exhibiting in the UK) the Kennel Club have released a new EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY regulation. As it is written the exhibitor must always have the number of the dog on any crate/cage that it is in even if this crate is on the bench with its official number straight behind it. Did they mean this? It’s the KC so who knows but just make sure you have a spare piece of card with you for Crufts if your dog is crated.

The Kennel Club have already produced a few answers to the questions being asked

Goodbye is such a hard word.

It doesn’t mattter what age or circumstance it is always so hard to say goodbye. Knockroe Big Boy was 9, for some breeds a good age but for a Glen of Imaal Terrier only just past his  prime, Scarlett Ribbon 12 and Glenbrows Orlagh of Kirikee a well respected 15 but all three recently gone and all three leaving such a hole in the lives of their families. Clyde, Scarlett and Orlagh, you were  known and you were loved. No dog can ask or ever hope for a higher tribute. The breed salutes its own.