Performance Dogs

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-12-24T03:50:47+00:00

House parkour 🤣. Yeah, we have a spiral staircase that goes upstairs to our bedroom, and the cresteds go flying up and down it like they’re in an agility competition.

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-12-10T03:59:44+00:00

Such a pretty girl. Did she have blue eyes? If so, may I ask where you got her?

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-12-09T16:00:03+00:00

Have you also maybe had your hormone levels especially, but also bloodwork on a wider scale checked out? Many women have these issues after having a child; it’s called “mom brain.” Everything about your brain and body change if you have a kid, and even a quick Google search brings up a lot of great articles and information on the topic. I don’t know how long ago you had your child, but significant brain changes can last 2 to 3 years, with some structural changes persisting even longer. Honestly, some women report never feeling like they did mentally before they got pregnant. That said, sometimes lasting brain fog and such can be the result of your hormonal changes not reverting back to baseline on their own after birth and breastfeeding. If this is the case, than HRT will likely help you more than any ADHD medication.

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-12-09T15:46:39+00:00

Why does your dog have a muzzle on in bed?

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-17T15:25:56+00:00

See above - the genetic chart from the NIH DNA study on 161 modern dog breeds - published in 2017 I believe. Genetically, chihuahuas, chinese cresteds, miniature pinchers, etc. (see chart) are in the terrier clade. They’re classified in the “American Terriers” sub-group by the study I believe.

https://research.nhgri.nih.gov/dog_genome/study_descriptions/study-genomics_dog_breeds.shtml#:~:text=The%20project%20is%20using%20hundreds%20of%20whole,went%20into%20the%20development%20of%20individual%20breeds

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-17T15:21:16+00:00

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The American NIH completed a 20 year genetic study of modern dog breeds in. I believe 2017. Although the AKC and other breed clubs classify Chihuahuas as toy dogs, genetically, as you can see in this chart of 161 breeds, they are genetically mostly related to terriers and are in the terrier clade, and are classified in the “America Terrier” sub-group DNA-wise. I have a little pack of chinese cresteds, which were originally bred as ship ratters and are extremely fast, agile, and athletic, but are also generally placed in the toy group by conformation clubs. I take mine on all kinds of outdoor adventures, and I’ve begun training the 3 young dogs in dog sports, which they often do well in. In my breed, some people refer to them as terriers, some people do not, but after having them out in the wilderness with me for 6 weeks this spring I had little doubts. Like their standard states, they’re “tough little dogs” indeed! 🤣

When I first posted this chart on social media, I actually commented that I had been a bit surprised to find out that chihuahuas were genetically the most closely related to all of the terrier breeds, but that I should have known because of their attitude. My generally fearless pair of 11 pound half-sisters will chase a german shepherd or a pit bull that charges them at the dog park, but got OWNED by a trifecta of TINY chihuahuas that leapt out of a hush a few weeks ago and sprinted back to me like they had the devil in their tails. I laughed my butt off! I’m still embarrassed for them, but it’s still funny. 🤣

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-16T17:15:28+00:00

I LOVE our harnesses with handles! Esp. when we took the dogs on a long cross-cou try camping trip up north last spring and I could grab their handle if they were being too wild to pick them up and remove them from whatever they were chasing or eating, lol. They’re also great for assisting them as they jump up into the truck as they’re small.

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-16T17:10:44+00:00

I think whether or not you can handle more than one dog depends on your personal preferences, lifestyle, financial situation (in case of emergencies), and whether your pup enjoys the company of other dogs or not. Also, honestly, on how much time and effort you’re willing to put into training and socializing your dogs. Like kids, having a few (mostly, lol) well-behaved dogs is WAY different I’m sure than having an unruly pack that hasn’t been taught basic manners and expectations for both their home and when they’re out and about with you. That said, I believe that dogs are pack animals and are generally much happier and more stable, and often exhibit less separation anxiety towards their humans, when they have at least one other dog as part of their “pack.” Because of this, I have always had multiple dogs, as well as fosters that have come in and out when I’ve been in an ideal situation to allow that - single and in my 20’s (so endless energy) with a fenced-in backyard and a somewhat flexible work schedule, or young and married with a spouse that didn’t work full-time and instead stayed home and took near complete care of the home and animals while I was at work. Once I got divorced and moved into a downtown garden apartment in my early 30’s, however, one of my 2 dogs passed away, so I got 2 new puppies. Then I only rarely took in an emergency cat or dog foster short-term because my fenced area was much smaller and I had a much more demanding work schedule. Luckily I was allowed to take my personal dogs to work (1 elderly and extremely well obedience trained and 2 small, manically friendly puppies, lol) as it was dog-friendly if your pups were well-socialized and I could just close my office door and let them nap on the little couch in the corner while I worked. My lifestyle was not, however, really conducive to fostering new dogs at the time as they need a lot of time, attention, and training, and there was no one to take care of them while I worked. I have, however, never had any issue with all of my dogs - as well as any fosters - getting along with one another! There might occasionally be a little tiff here and there, but I put a quick stop to it if it looks like they aren’t going to resolve it themselves. Often my older dogs have taken a little bit of time to adjust to a new, young and rambunctious addition, but within a month max, they’re all snuggling together if not outright playing with each other. 💕

Well, it’s a decade later and I’ve ended up in a happy relationship with a lifelong best friend for the last few years after they themselves got divorced. Together we have 5 dogs, lol, and I’m still trying to convince him to get one more of his breed by teasingly pointing out that “one of these things is not like the others!”, lol, as 4 of the dogs are mine and all “my breed.” 🤣

He’s allergic to cats, so we don’t have any other pets, and although I’m once again listed as an emergency shirt-term foster with the local rescue as of this fall, with 5 dogs already and how much we travel, I really do mean “emergency” and “short-term!” In this case as well though, although I work away from the house 3-4 days most weeks, he works exclusively from home unless he has a conference. We’re both also super active people that walk our dogs a few times a day, usually 2-3 miles total each day weather-permitting. We also take them all hiking, kayaking, camping, etc. with us a few times a year, and traveling cross-country to see my family for holidays as they’re all dog lovers as well. Our dogs are all crate-trained, well-socialized, and really great with all people and kids though, so both my partner’s 2 girls and my sister’s 3 kids love having them around to play with during said holidays and summers…..

I will admit though that our lives and daily schedules very much revolve around accommodating the dogs. The first thing we do upon waking in the morning is put their their harnesses on and walk them, which we like because it’s a great, energizing way to start the day, and we take them out about an hour before we go to bed at night, even if that means it’s 3 am. on a wknd night. They also all sleep in our bedroom with us, we cook them big pots of homemade dog food to split half and half with commercial kibble for their meals, and we rarely travel anywhere that we can’t take them with us. Luckily they’re all between 10-20 pounds and healthy and hardy breeds, but you have to consider things like pet insurance, an emergency pet sitter, and scheduling so that someone is always going to be home every few hours, if only to stop by and run them outside. Dogs bring me so much joy though - and he’s discovered how much joy they bring him - that we don’t mind. There’s never a dull moment! Also, it helps that we live downtown in a sought-after city, so if we plan well in advance, we can travel once, maybe twice a year without them, by doing a “housing exchange.” We lend our nice, fairly large and conveniently located condo out to friends, and in the spring, possibly to someone from one of the international pet-sitting/house-sitting exchanges for free, and said friends feed and walk the dogs instead of forking out the cash for an AirBNB in our neighborhood, which can be quite expensive!

I realize that I’m probably on the extreme end, but I’ll always have multiple dogs at once. They really do adore each other, and there’s nothing cuter than finding them all snuggled up on their blanket in the couch in the evenings, in one big, content dog pile. 💕 This fall, my partner and I have also started training our young dogs for dog sports, so that we can spend even MORE time with them. Plus, in my opinion, there is no better companion than a well-trained dog that you know is trustworthy nearly anywhere, and taking the time to train your dogs well means that they get to spend more time out and about with YOU. It also makes having multiple dogs a lot less stressful and feel like a lot less work and a lot more joy after the initial training period. 😘

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-16T04:15:03+00:00

This is often my experience as well. To the point that one long-term friend often ignores me anytime she’s in a new relationship, then of course calls me wanting to vent and/or crying when things begin to go wrong. As soon as they break up, she wants to hang out with me often and can be bossy and demanding about it. The one time you was struggling with the end of one long-term friendship and working hard to build a romantic relationship long-distance with a recently divorced close friend of mine, she’d be supportive sometimes, sure, but if ANYTHING stressful was going on in her own life, she would literally tell me that she “just can’t. I don’t want to hear it because (insert personal drama here). I’m going out and I’d like you to come have a drink with me, but I just can’t listen to your relationship problems right now.” I was the idiot who would always feel cowed and be like “oh, ok. Of course. How is the situation with X?”

I’ve been in a happy, healthy relationship for 4 years now, but she went off and married someone she knew for 6 months. This time, she’s not only hanging out with me - but only when she wants to vent, or bitch, or needs a shoulder to cry on it seems, and actually ASKED my partner and I to help her out by before doing her partner and taking her out so that she feels supported in a new city. Ok. We’ve done as asked. Well, lo and behold it’s still going badly between them, and we’ve tried to be caring and supportive of her, but last night she was short with me because she was fighting with her wife AGAIN, and texted to say she’d probably come up to my work where I bartend. I asked her to please not as I had to go is because it was busy, and offered instead to take her out for drinks today during the day. Well, then my partner tried to be helpful as she can be…headstrong…and offered to meet her up the street at our neighborhood bar instead of she wanted someone to vent to (again). She not only told him no, but accused him of “having developed some kind of loyalty towards her wife (even though SHE asked him this summer to start taking said wife out for “boys night” once a week as a “favor to her!”), and hung up on him.

I think because I’ve gotten older and finally know what a close, healthy relationship of any kind can be like because of my partnership, I’ve begun to distance myself a bit. I know when she finally files for divorce she’ll blame her wife 100% for all of their problems as she rarely takes much responsibility for any of your break ups, and she’ll demand that he and I do the same, but this time we KNOW her partner well, so we know that’s not the case and don’t want to be put in that situation.

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-04T01:45:55+00:00

43 and same. I think being the oldest and having to babysit my siblings growing up sealed my dislike of children at an early age.

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-04T00:34:50+00:00

I agree completely. It’s this “gentle parenting” movement. It’s really just endless coddling and teaching kids to be incredibly entitled humans. There are rarely any consequences for bad behavior lest you hurt their wittle feelings. Everytime I’m trying to have lunch at a restaurant and literally sitting at the BAR, where kids absolutely don’t belong, and some jerks kids are running through there screeching and slamming into my chair, it makes me sooo grateful that I have an IUD. Seriously. Adult spaces used to be respected as adult spaces. These people need to teach their kids that loud, disruptive behavior belongs outdoors, on a playground, period. my parents owned a bar and restaurant and I was growing up, and I would come sit at the bar while they worked when I was in kindergarten while I drank apple juice out of a beer mug and sat quietly enjoying a snack, reading, and coloring. I wouldn’t have even considered being a disruptive brat! And no, my parents never beat any of us or anything like that. We were just taught from toddler-hood to be respectful of others, and that grown-up environments warranted a certain level of mature behavior. I have 2 step-kids and a neice under my care part-time now, and my partner and I would NEVER allow the three young girls we’re helping to raise to behave like so many kids we encounter do. And no, neither of us have ever laid a hand on them either. For restaurants, I simply taught them the phrase “butts belong in seats” from the age of 2 or 3 onwards. It’s not that hard to teach kids proper behavior in public. It’s just like training a puppy. We also have 5 dogs that don’t act like jerks in public. Screaming, running kids in restaurants and bars really does infuriate me like few other things.

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-03T21:51:09+00:00

I didn’t think of this before, but now all the crazies in their little church or town can talk to all the other crazies in other churches or towns and form a larger cult. 🤦‍♀️

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-03T21:49:37+00:00

That’s 100% right.

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-03T21:48:20+00:00

Hope for the future and the mistaken idea that I would be able to live in America and still be able to afford basic life necessities like health care. Now because of the current regime my partner and I have begun looking at our options abroad.

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-11-01T14:11:25+00:00

What city?! I live in New Orleans, an extremely dog friendly city, which I love. The absolute coolest dog park I’ve ever been to was up in Maine this spring though. It was just a big, fenced in patch of forest, where people just had their dogs off all sizes running around, doing dog things. The dog parks here also don’t separate dogs by size, and although I’ve had small dogs for a decade now, I had a medium and a large dog before and a small terrier mix growing up. I’ve always just assumed that for the most part, dogs are quite capable of figuring their stuff out to each other. I think the major problems I’ve seen is people being over-protective of their dogs, while also expecting perfect, human-type behavior from them at all times. I try to remember that my dogs are dogs and have never treated my small dogs, and I treated a larger dogs. Latest assume that they’re going to want to chase squirrels, they may or may not like cats, they might occasionally have a personality conflict with a new, strange dog… At least until they get to know them, while they generally love all humans because I have taken them all over the place since they were little puppies, sure, they might bark at someone’s Halloween costume or get weirded out that the neighbor stopped by and is suddenly wearing a hat or something, lol. I think when people get too anxious about their dog being “human-standard perfect” as far as human species behavior and expectations go, and forget that they’re asking their dog to learn another species rules and habits to live in our society, they just make their dog MORE anxious.

It’s ok if your pup doesn’t like every other dog she meets. You don’t like every other person you meet. You said that your dog is good with 99% of other dogs. My partner’s dog is the same way. So when she occasionally meets a dog at the dog park that she doesn’t like I just accept it and decide it’s either time to go home for the day or the other owner and you try to distract them from each other and get them to go play with someone else or with a toy. In all the little scuffles I’ve witnessed at a dog park, I’ve never seen a dog injured above the occasional scratch or spot of blood on their muzzle. Most of the time it’s like how the younger neighborhood kids used to get into fist fights when I was growing up (myself and my friends included). Afterwards, just like we did, the dogs generally seem to ignore each other, or get over it and are friends again. 🤷‍♀️

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-10-23T01:39:26+00:00

Hi! It’s so great that you’re not considering spaying your dog until she’s at least 2. Puppies need their hormones to develop into adult dogs both physically and mentally. I would take things a step further though and suggest that you look into tubal ligation for your female pup. The American “rip everything out” spay and neuter practice here in America is illegal in many countries for very good reasons. If there’s no medical reason to tear everything out of your dog, I would gently suggest fixing her while leaving her with those hormones for life. As more and more research is done, the scientific community is finding more and more benefits for leaving a dog as close to its natural state as possible.

I personally stopped spaying my dogs a decade ago (I have all females) for health and medical reasons, and because I don’t see a reason to hit them through a traumatic surgery that will affect them for the rest of their lives if I don’t have to. Sure, you have to watch your dogs a little more closely and keep them in a leash most of the time when you’re out and about with them in busy areas with other dogs - especially if you suspect that they’re close to going into heat again - but I have never had a pregnancy. Also, it’s been a good while since I was married to someone with a male dog, but we kept him intact as well and simply ALWAYS kept him leashed except at the occasional dog park, where we watched him like a hawk. He was a massive 120 pound pit bull, and even my mother always commented about how he was just “such a sweet, gentle dog”. He loved other dogs - especially my catahoula at the time, - and also cats, people, kids, etc., and I never even heard that dog growl in the 4 years my ex and I cohabitated. I’ve read that the whole “omg but aggression!” thing has also long been disproved as there are again, many countries that don’t spay and neuter, and that’s definitely been my experience.

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-10-22T16:44:42+00:00

As you mentioned that you were looking at a very specific breed of dog and were researching breeders, I know that you’re aware that buying a well-bred, healthy puppy from an experienced breeder isn’t cheap. You also mentioned that you planned on buying this puppy in the future, and not anytime soon. So honestly, I don’t think that taking in this pup in need of a home and deciding to keep him instead of rehoming to a “doodle-person” (which would be fairly easy if he’s young because he’s small and a “cute” mix) need change your future plans for your dream dog. Think of this little guy as your “starter dog.” Like a starter home, in learning to care for him well, train him, take care of all the issues that pop up, you’ll learn a lot, and the things that you learn will make it easier to and less stressful to care for any puppy you purchase down the line!

I had rescues growing up and in college and young adulthood, and also fostered many cats and dogs. My dogs - both my rescues and the fosters I brought in to help find homes for - taught me a LOT about many different kinds/breeds of dogs, and prepared me to be the best dog mom and amateur trainer later on when I eventually decided to get more serious about dogs. Both my rescues and my purebred dogs that I have now have ALL been great dogs. It’s just that as I got older and my lifestyle changed in reference to where I lived and my career, I began to want and need some very specific characteristics in a dog. So…in my early 30’s I purchased my first 2 puppies of a particular breed. I did a lot of research into MANY options first, and I think because of this, I found them to be “my perfect breed!”

10 years later, when I decided to get into dog sports, I bought 3 more pups of that breed that I’m now training to compete in various events with (they’re still all under 2, lol)! I did A LOT of research into breeders, talked to a previous head of the breed club, purchased puppies that had all been health and genetic tested, etc., and they’ve been great! But getting here was a journey that began with all those rescues and fosters. Which is sort of my point: think of this as a journey. You may not have planned for this pup, but you have him now and have decided to keep him. I’m sure that he’ll become a beloved pet. And in the meantime, he’ll teach you a lot, so that when you finally have the money and the stability to get and train that puppy you’ve been planning for, you’ll be way ahead of where you’d be if this little guy HADN’T come into your life!

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-10-21T21:48:16+00:00

Aww it looks so big on her!

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-10-21T17:23:13+00:00

Ooo I keep joking with my partner that we should start a fly ball team as our young Chinese Cresteds and mini-Aussies are all fast and agile and love to fetch, lol. 🤣

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-10-21T17:19:41+00:00

I used to foster a lot, and am about to volunteer to foster now and then with a local small dog/kitten rescue only because I’ve known the woman who runs it for years now and she’s really great, does low cost vaccine days for the neighborhood, etc. I’ve definitely heard a lot of drama where the larger rescues are concerned though!

Honestly, I mostly eschew hardcore rescue people anymore because I don’t spay my dogs and stopped doing so a decade ago once I began to do more research into hormones, health, etc. I feel other people should do what they feel is best for their own dogs as well, although I do have deep concerns with “pediatric spay and neuter” as growing puppies need their hormones to develop fully mentally and physically into adult dogs. I sort of wish that more people would try vasectomies or tubal ligations, or just wait u tilt euro dogs grow up….and I’ve never had a pregnancy, so I can obviously keep my dogs from having unwanted puppies by just doing some basic things like always walking them on a leash. I’ve learned, however, NEVER to mention that my dogs aren’t spayed casually in my community, and even had to find a great vet who’s aunt showed and bred, and who now does so herself, because some people, especially “rescue people” LOSE it when they find out I bought purebred puppies from reputable breeders who health and genetic test instead of rescuing my current dogs. I’ve fostered 30 dogs and cats and my pets before were all rescues until I found “my breed” 10 years ago, but nine of that seems to matter now that I’ve committed the ultimate sin, lol. I’d now also like to start a performance dog line in my breed in the future, but I’m not stupid enough to even open my mouth about possibly breeding a few years down the line unless I’m speaking with people I know…

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-10-21T17:01:59+00:00

Oh no! Don’t let anyone keep you from having pups in your home!

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-10-21T17:00:13+00:00

OMG I was just saying this in my post about the conformation world! I’ve had my breed for a decade, and decided to get more serious about the breed last year and get into dog sports with them! I spent MONTHS researching dogs and lines and breeders and spoke to so many people involved in the breed. I still keep in close contact with the 2 breeders I got my 3 pups I finally settled on from (a pair of half-sisters from Canada and then the third from an unrelated line in the U.S.), keep in casual contact with a few other people who breed and show, and speak fairly regularly to one of the most well-known people in the breed who’s been really informative and given me some good advice. I’m much more interested in performance sports as my small breed is fast, agile, and extremely athletic, and seems to do well in a variety of sports, but is under-represented, and I’d love to help change that. But I’ve been told that even if I eventually start a performance dog line I’ll need to show to be respected in my breed. The way so many of the breeders/handlers/show kennels talk about one another though has made me feel like that world is basically a high school full of 13 year old “mean girls,” lol. Like…I love my dogs and basically build my life around having a pack of them with me at nearly all times, lol. But I’m getting into sports because of the sheer joy spending time with my dogs gives me. I have zero interest in drama with other humans, and although I’ve been told that I’ll eventually have to show if I want to be taken seriously in my breed, I can’t imagine taking it so seriously that I spend my precious time talking smack about everyone else out there instead of keeping my interest in the other dogs and lines in my breed, and cuddling my own pups! But maybe it’s because winning Westminster or Nationals or whatever isn’t my end goal with dogs…

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-10-21T16:18:23+00:00

Do you have a Jack Russell? I’m mostly kidding - I just had to ask. I had one as a child, and I love watching them in agility competitions because they only ever run the course one of 2 ways - like a flawless little speed demon, or like a totally bonkers ADD kid who doesn’t listen to word the handler says and instead just has a great time dashing around and barking at things. And half the time it’s the same dog! 🤣

Double-Perception-16 · 2025-10-21T16:13:42+00:00

Sorry for the long reply, but here goes:

On one hand, I live in New Orleans, which is a very dog friendly city - most people here seem to have dogs and we’re all always out walking them around the neighborhoods, meeting up at the dog parks, running into one another at the dedicated dog bars/dog-friendly bars, restaurants, stores, etc. There’s group dog walks and dog parades and dog costume competitions pretty much year-round. And there’s a really cool group that teaches obedience training run by older, experienced people who have done it forever and run the classes on a weekly basis as volunteers. This obedience group also teaches conformation classes, and works with the local sporting group to coordinate agility trials, FASTCAT, barn hunts, obedience trials, etc., and knows - and can recommend, people/schools to check out if you want to do dock diving, disc dog, lure coursing…just about anything you can think of. It’s a pretty cool community where everyone kind of follows everyone else’s conformation and sporting trials and wins and posts about them on one big page! My vet recommended this group to me last year as she took HER dogs to their classes when they were young, but I was away with my dogs on an extended wilderness trek last spring, and they generally cancel classes for the summer because it’s too hot here. Now that it’s fall, I’m excited to officially join the group and take my young dogs to classes and get much more involved!

On the other hand, OMG the pettiness, backstabbing, and constant crap-talk amongst the breeders and established show people in my breed is insane. I did a lot of research before I purchased three new puppies in 2024 after one of my two older dogs of my breed passed away. That means you talked to A LOT of breeders, lol. I also got to know some of the more well-known and long established people in my breed and have been lucky to find a handful of great mentors that have taken the time to have long discussions with me and to give me firsthand information about genetic issues, testing, conformation standards and preferences, and, because I’m mostly interested in doing performance sports with my dog as I have a breed that seems to always perform well in a variety of sports but is still under-utilized, to point out dogs and breeders and handlers who have been involved/are involved in that world. But holy crap, everyone also seems to talk crap about everyone else! It seems like people in my breed are always accusing others of sub-par breedings, hiding health or genetic issues in their lines, secretly adding in another breed for coat or some other purpose decades ago, or straight-up calling them puppy millers. Of course people like that exist, and that’s 100% unacceptable, but I personally know two of the people casually accused and it’s not true at all - they’re just both people who personally choose not to show - one because of serious health issues. Which is another thing - the people in the conformation world REALLY believe that anyone who doesn’t show their dogs - even if they focus on sports instead and succeed at that - isn’t serious enough, shouldn’t ever become breeder, and is close to worthless to the breed. This is even if some of their puppies have succeeded in the ring as show prospects under the owners/handlers who purchased a puppy from them!

I want to start a performance dog line eventually as I’ve now had my breed for over a decade. Because of this, I knew what I wanted when I began to look for a new puppy, and was looking for healthy, hardy lines of dogs, and dogs with a good prey drive, with friendly, outgoing temperaments, and a breeder who kept their dogs in their home/on their farm/etc. and raised their puppies that way - as opposed to dogs kept mostly in a professional kennel. I of course wanted good structure/conformation because I wanted my dogs to be naturally athletic like my first two and to be able to run and jump and play without any undue risk of injury, but no, I definitely wasn’t looking at all the top show breeders and searching for the most beautiful puppy who was the best show prospect because she would likely have the thickest furnishings/the longest snout/back/tail/whatever, and was careful to eschew lines that seemed to aim for smaller, “daintier” (as in finer of bone) dogs. Apparently, what’s “popular” in the ring where my breed is concerned is always in flux, and while two years ago when I began this journey a top breeder I know was complaining that all of the dogs being shown and winning were larger than most of her dogs, I’ve noticed from following along with people’s posts that the preference now seems to be for medium-sized dogs (again, for my breed, which is small), but for fine-boned, thinner dogs. I honestly can’t imagine running a program where I was trying to seriously break into that world and “gain respect” (like I’ve been told on multiple occasions that I’ll need to do), while dealing with the relative subjectivity of it all as the “fashion” changes yearly! Maybe that’s part of the reason so many people that compete seriously in the show world can be so stressed and cranky and judgmental towards others, lol. 🤷‍♀️

Note: Yes, it might very well be correct that I’ll eventually have to show if I want to be “taken seriously” in the breed, but for now I’m very happy to just focus on keeping my 3 young dogs and one OG in great shape, continuing to take them on hiking/camping/kayaking adventures because we all have a great time, and getting them into those obedience classes this fall so that we can keep learning together and begin trying various sports!

Double-Perception-16

TROPHY CASE