PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

Make a difference this month by showing your dog to support a cause. Whether it’s supporting a food bank or local pet organizations, you and your dog can take part in the festivities dedicated to raising money for these important causes.

This weekend two dog festivals will be held in Virginia. Caroline County will hold its first annual Dog Day Festival on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mr. B’s Bluegrass Park. The festival will have a bone hunt, hot-dog relay race and other contests. Money raised at this festival will be donated to local humane societies, rescue groups and dog clubs.

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Maybe your pet is not agility show material, but that doesn’t mean your pet isn’t unique in some way or another. Some pets can perform amazing tricks like back flips, singing, dancing, etc. If your pet is talented, show off their skills at a contest where they can do a trick and get more of a treat than you would ever dream of.

A Stupid Pet Tricks contest will be held at John Pierson’s Toyota of Stuart, Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 am to noon. Contestants will be narrowed down to 12 pets, which will then compete at the West Palm Beach Home and Garden Show on Oct. 17-19. The winner of the grand prize will receive a trip to New York City and tickets to the “Late Show with David Letterman.” Also the winning pet’s name will be announced at The Paws & Claws gala on Feb. 19, 2009.

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Slimy, slithering, wriggly creatures can make interesting pets, and there are so many different ones to choose from. Veiled chameleons are lime green and fit on your finger when they are babies. Geckos, Dragons, Monitor and Jeweled Lacerta are some common lizards. Or you can choose various colored snakes that wouldn’t mind wrapping their bodies around you.

The Tucson Reptile and Amphibian Show and Sale will take place Saturday, Sept. 27 from 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday, Sept. 28 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Tucson Expo Center in Arizona. At this event, you can simply view or go a step further and purchase these reptiles and amphibians.

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In agility shows, dogs jump over hoops, run up and down ladders and zigzag through obstacles. The dogs appear to be having fun, and they enjoy being rewarded for their effort in the end. Not only do dogs have to be well behaved and trained for agility shows, but they also have to have confidence. According to Times of the Internet, agility shows can help your dog have more confidence to be active and social.

If your dog is shy around other dogs and people, agility training can improve your dog’s behavior. In order to be a part of an agility show, the dog has to be around other people and animals. To get started, purchase treats and a couple pieces of agility training equipment like a tunnel and a high pause table. Try to teach your dog to sit on the table and go through the tunnel by enticing the dog with a treat or toy. Your dog might be uncomfortable or unsure of what to do so be patient and consistent. The purpose of the training is to increase your dog’s confidence, not make your pet feel more insecure.

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The Westminster Kennel Club | 2006 Best In Show

Congratulations Rufus!

The 2006 Best In Show Trophy was awarded to “Ch Rocky Top’s Sundance Kid,” a.k.a. “Rufus,” a Bull Terrier (Colored).

11 Ch Rocky Top’s Sundance Kid
Breed: Bull Terrier (Colored)
Sex: Dog
AKC: RM 30817201
Date of Birth: April 08, 2000
Breeder: Rebecca P Poole & Robert S Long & William F Poole
Sire: Einstein The Joker
Dam: Ch Rocky Tops Ulster Annie
Owner: Barbara Bishop & W F Poole & N Shepherd & R P Poole
Photos: Breed judging / Group judging

When I first started blogging on May 31, 2005 .. I wrote an article titled .. “PetLvr Story - Timeline of our Pets” … Between June 1998 and February 1999, major events occurred that tremendously affected our lives .. (You can read the above linked story … but here’s the reader digest version)

* From Verdell - That cute dog from “As Good As It Gets” ..
>> We adopted Zeussie Pussie Cat from the Winnipeg Humane Society Shelter

* From Kirby - That cute little butterfly dog who won ‘that show’ ..
>> We purchased a Pure Bred Papillon dog .. Maxxie!

YES! Thanks to Television … we not only convinced ourselves to get a pet, or three .. but it sure helped us in figuring out what type of pet to select! Of course, we did TONS of internet research, yet all of it went out the door when our decisions ended up being based on the above two TV events!

Are you looking to purchase or adopt a dog?

here’s your chance to catch up and do some research!

Today was Day One of the 130th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show .. What this show is - is an encyclopedia of dog breed information! There are seven groups of dogs, with many breeds in each group with many entrants. Ultimately, each breed will be end up having a “Best of Breed” picked out and that alone is a great prestige. But, after all seven groups of “best of breeds” dogs have been selected, then all of these “best of breeds” compete to become the “best of group” choice .. (I’m not sure if that is the title). Finally, the “best of group” choices compete in a final judging and one dog our of all the groups out of all the breeds out of all the entrants of dogs … gains the title “Best in Show”..

Personally, I don’t really understand the semantics of the judging procedures at all .. because the judges have to know everything about an animal and the breed and then makes a choice based on her own criteria I suppose. But, my wife cries with joy and smiles a lot watching the dogs parade up and down the walk with their trainers proudly smiling and eating up all the “ooohs” and “aaaahs” and crowd cheering and clapping!

Today .. were selected in the following categories:

* Working
* Terrier
* Toy
* Non-Sporting

Tomorrow .. they will continue to pick the BEST OF BREEDS for the following and remaining categories:

* Sporting
* Hound
* Herding

And Who Would I Be Cheering For If We Got USA Channel And Watched It Live?

Well .. Naturally .. I would have to select … The Papillon!

27 Ch Cadaga Civil Action
Breed: Papillon
Sex: Dog
AKC: TN 82199601
Date of Birth: November 29, 1998
Breeder: John Oulton
Sire: Ch Loteki Supernatural Being
Dam: Ch Clearlake Prima At Cadaga
Owner: Linda Sohn & Kyoko Ozeki
Photos: Breed judging

You can check out TV Coverage HERE

You Can See All Of The Breed Entries Here

WORKING BREEDS

Akita
Alaskan Malamute
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
Bernese Mountain Dog
Black Russian Terrier
Boxer
Bullmastiff
Doberman Pinscher
German Pinscher
Giant Schnauzer
Great Dane
Great Pyrenees
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Komondor
Kuvasz
Mastiff
Neapolitan Mastiff
Newfoundland
Portuguese Water Dog
Rottweiler
Samoyed
Siberian Husky
St Bernard
Standard Schnauzer

TERRIER BREEDS

Airedale Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
Australian Terrier
Bedlington Terrier
Border Terrier
Bull Terrier (Colored)
Bull Terrier (White)
Cairn Terrier
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Fox Terrier (Smooth)
Fox Terrier (Wire)
Glen of Imaal Terrier
Irish Terrier
Kerry Blue Terrier
Lakeland Terrier
Manchester Terrier (Standard)
Miniature Bull Terrier
Miniature Schnauzer
Norfolk Terrier
Norwich Terrier
Parson Russell Terrier
Scottish Terrier
Sealyham Terrier
Skye Terrier
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Welsh Terrier
West Highland White Terrier

TOY BREEDS

Affenpinscher
Brussels Griffon
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Chihuahua (Long Coat)
Chihuahua (Smooth Coat)
Chinese Crested
English Toy Spaniel (B&PC)
English Toy Spaniel (KC&R)
Havanese
Italian Greyhound
Japanese Chin
Maltese
Manchester Terrier (Toy)
Miniature Pinscher
Papillon
Pekingese
Pomeranian
Poodle (Toy)
Pug
Shih Tzu
Silky Terrier
Toy Fox Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier

NON-SPORTING BREEDS

American Eskimo Dog
Bichons Frises
Boston Terrier
Bulldog
Chinese Shar-Pei
Chow Chow
Dalmatian
Finnish Spitz
French Bulldog
Keeshond
Lhasa Apso
Lowchen
Poodle (Miniature)
Poodle (Standard)
Schipperke
Shiba Inu
Tibetan Spaniel
Tibetan Terrier

SPORTING BREEDS

Brittany
Pointer
Pointer (German Shorthaired)
Pointer (German Wirehaired)
Retriever (Chesapeake Bay)
Retriever (Curly-Coated)
Retriever (Flat-Coated)
Retriever (Golden)
Retriever (Labrador)
Retriever (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling)
Setter (English)
Setter (Gordon)
Setter (Irish)
Spaniel (American Water)
Spaniel (Clumber)
Spaniel (Cocker) A.S.C.O.B.
Spaniel (Cocker) Black
Spaniel (Cocker) Parti-Color
Spaniel (English Cocker)
Spaniel (English Springer)
Spaniel (Field)
Spaniel (Irish Water)
Spaniel (Sussex)
Spaniel (Welsh Springer)
Spinone Italiano
Vizsla
Weimaraner
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

HOUND BREEDS

Afghan Hound
Basenji
Basset Hound
Beagle, 13 In.
Beagle, 15 In.
Black and Tan Coonhound
Bloodhound
Borzoi
Dachshund (Longhaired)
Dachshund (Smooth)
Dachshund (Wirehaired)
Foxhound (American)
Foxhound (English)
Greyhound
Harrier
Ibizan Hound
Irish Wolfhound
Norwegian Elkhound
Otterhound
Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeen
Pharaoh Hound
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Saluki
Scottish Deerhound
Whippet

HERDING BREEDS

Australian Cattle Dog
Australian Shepherd
Bearded Collie
Belgian Malinois
Belgian Sheepdog
Belgian Tervuren
Border Collie
Bouviers des Flandres
Briard
Canaan Dog
Collie (Rough)
Collie (Smooth)
German Shepherd Dog
Old English Sheepdog
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Puli
Shetland Sheepdog
Welsh Corgi (Cardigan)
Welsh Corgi (Pembroke)

The National Dog Show Presented by Purina (spoiler for west coast)

The National Dog Show Presented By Purina

Featuring over 3,000 leading canines from a variety of breeds, the National Dog Show presented by Purina® has become a part of the Thanksgiving Day tradition. Tune in at noon (in all time zones) to see one extraordinary canine crowned “Best in Show.”

It was on just on in my Central Standard Time (CST) zone … did you watch it? The winner of the terrier group, Rufus, a colored bull terrier from Holmdel, New Jersey .won the coveted Best in Show award

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