Thanks Kim, for this lovely post. Such a lot of fun to read the history behind an influential dog. Myra Savant
>From: Kim Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel List ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [CKCS-L] Influential Dogs >Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 12:32:45 -0800 > >Hi List- > There have been a few interesting threads over the past two weeks that I >have felt compelled to respond to, but packaging and trips to the post >twice daily with the Christmas coffee orders, end-of-year Show week-end and >whelping a litter of eight pups (who should live forever, as they are >double Beans and Kelso descendants) has kept me running, not sitting and >expounding upon...So I will post in order of oldest thread first... > >Peggy Mickelson wrote: >" Over the years I've been involved in this sport, three dogs come to mind >as having had a MAJOR impact on their breeds...changing the look of the >breed entirely. They were the German Shepherd, CH Lance of Fran-Jo, the >Golden, CH Cummings Gold-Rush Charlie, and the Smooth Fox Terrier, CH Ttarb >the Brat. Brat was an import from Tasmania (we bow again to our friends >down under)...the other dogs were American Bred. I don't think we will see >anything like those dogs in Cavaliers...those >three STAMPED their offspring unmistakably and literally changed their >breeds. That's what I call having an influence........ ' > > Oh, how it warmed my heart to see reference to Charlie, as it seems so >many people in dogs (all breeds) are relatively new to the sport and don't >know beyond last years' #1 rank (I'm am exaggerating here...). Gold-Rush >Charlie, shown and bred thru the 70's, held the #1 Golden Retriever >position for over 20 years. His BIS record was surpassed several years >back, but he remains the record holder in All Breed points...until very >recently he remained ranked #3 Sporting... > I truly feel that his influence, both in his progeny and in his show >career, did change the Golden Retriever breed in the USA (for better or >worst-that's your choice!). As a multiple group and BIS winner, he changed >many judges view of what a show quality Golden Retriever should look and >act like (he was a innate showman and gentleman, and had that "je ne sais >quoi" charisma that true grand dogs have- the pug Dhandy's Favorit >Woodchuck and shepherd Covy Tucker Hill's Manhattan had >the same "look", among other greats). However, there a many famous show >dogs that don't manage to pass on their look. Charlie did "stamp" many of >his get with his unique head type, ear shape and carriage, blend of neck to >shoulder to back, substance and coat (uh-oh, there's were we get >controversial as to his contribution in the Golden world!). Within our own >kennel, he was not line breed, but was rather considered "First Generation" >of a line..that is, bred to bitches (usually >with little in common genetically, but we tried to find like phenotype) and >those resulting pups kept based on possessing those unique properties, and >then line bred to one another. Thirteen or so generations later one can >still find that "Charlie" head, topline, substance and temperament, at >least at Gold-Rush. What other Golden breeders who bred their bitches to >him and where striving for (and if they got it, and kept it) was up to >them-though it does seem as if many of us were >after the same thing. > >Anne of Cavatibs wrote: > "I am surprised to see that from 1970 to date neither dog is listed on >the OFA web site. One wonders what other >major impact these dogs made on their respective breeds. Without health in >these highly (presumably) bred dogs, you have nothing. >And Terrie wrote: > "However, it is my understanding (and please remember this is long >before my time in the breed, I was a toddler when Charlie was around) hip >clearance testing was in its infancy in comparison to where it is today. I >don't know exactly when it became GRCA's advertising policy to include hip, >eye, and heart clearances. But I don't think one can compare in any breed >the frequency and >types of health testing, or lack thereof 30 years ago to today." > > Well...Hip clearances and the OFA were very much the order of the day by >1972. Again to history-Charlie was bought at 5/12 weeks (!) as 2nd or 3rd >pick pup from a well established breeder, with Ch. parents. Ann (my mother >in law) had no intention of showing him-she was a PhD. student (in >genetics), as was her husband, and they just wanted a well bred family pet. >As Charlie grew, and his qualities began to show, they were literally >accosted on the streets over and over by dog show >folks (often not only Golden Breeders) insisting that they had a great dog. >They finally relented, attended a show and won BOB- buckle collar, leather >obedience lead and Larry running on the wrong side and stacking him facing >the wrong way! And so his show career began. When Ann was told she needed >to get his hips x-rayed, she trotted him off to the local vet, and to >resulting picture didn't pass. Naivety ruled the day, and Ann didn't >realized that it was 1.) a poor xray and 2.) she >could resubmit. After much research, she surmised that good hips are not >due entirely to genetic factors, and rather than "throw out the baby with >the bath water", she choose to breed him. This decision to breed him >without the clearance was, and remains an enoumous controvsery amoungst >Golden people. However, his hip status was never a secret and outside >breeders who choose to breed to him were fully aware of it. Looking back at >that old xray (Ann has a photo of it, framed and over >her office desk for all to see), I feel he was probably an OFA fair with >proper positioning and better film quality...every breeding dog in our >kennel this day is OFA, eye and heart cleared ( in fact, there are quite a >few OFA excellents in the yard) but that's not to say that we might make >the decision to breed one that isn't, if that dog possessed an outstanding >quality we needed. This holds true for my Cavalier breeding, as well ;>)! > >Peggy also wrote" > "When we speak of influential dogs, it is well to keep in mind that some >dogs who could have and should have been influential did not become so >because they belonged to people who may have been disliked, or to people >who did not accept all comers for breeding, and therefore did not get used >much. This happens more here in the US (and maybe in Canada) than in other >countries, where it seems breeders have a better sense of what is >important. I've known bitches to be sent to dogs when >their owners just about hated one another...but not in this country. Here, >often it is who the owner is that determines whether a dog is used often >enough to have an effect on the breed...and I'm not just speaking of >Cavaliers here." > > YES,yes, yes, yes, yes! (Gee Peggy, we ought to have dinner!) I can't >tell you how many times I've had to defend myself to my dog friends when >going to a particular dog that, "I'm breeding to their dog-not them!". It >is such a pity that this attitude, along with the "My bitch/stud dog is too >good for anyone's but my own" is sooo prevalent lately. Such a closed >crowd, these USA Cavalier folks are. Probably true of Golden folk too, to >a new person, but as I was born into it, I >couldn't tell. It has been a disappointment though, and one reason I ended >going south (AU/NZ) with my breeding program... > >And finally, I will end this massive...uh..missive with the word of the >wise Jeanie Montford: >"breed the best to the best and hope for the best" > >Think I'll stick to that, too. Mele Kalikimaka all- >Kim Johnson >Allegria Cavaliers and Gold-Rush Goldens > >========================================================= >"Magic Commands": >to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL >to start it up gain click here: >mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL > > E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. >Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html > >All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 1999 by its original author. _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. 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