tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5002177368979961272024-03-13T13:04:49.860-07:00its-a-dogs-lifeTerry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-28496394458622879072014-01-15T12:33:00.001-08:002014-01-15T12:38:04.430-08:00<h2>
<span style="color: orange;">DILL</span></h2>
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2013. </div>
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<span style="color: orange;">#1 Briard All Systems</span></h4>
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<span style="color: orange;">#6 Herding Group</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">7 Best In Shows</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">41 Group Firsts</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">110 Group Placements</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">143 Best of Breeds including three specialties</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">151 times shown</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">WOW!</span></h2>
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Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-78541601122973257962013-10-18T21:49:00.001-07:002014-01-15T12:40:35.649-08:00<h2>
DILL WINS THE BRIARD CLUB OF AMERICA</h2>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To win a National Specialty is a breeder's dream. To win a National Specialty is a handler's dream. To win a National Specialty is an owner's dream. Basically, the way I see it, Best of Breed at the National Specialty is the ultimate win. It is better than any win, anywhere, anytime. It is your dog as last dog standing against his/her peers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have won 11 National Specialties. I realize, a pretty hefty record. It is a record I am exceedingly proud of. Some of those wins were under judges from the Pantheon of judge greats-Mrs James Edward Clark, Jane Forsyth, John Connally, James Reynolds, Thomas Mayfield, Denny Kodner, Edeltraud Laurin, John Studebaker. People I would be proud to have any win under.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This National Specialty was in Denver Colorado. It was accompanied by two Regional Specialties sponsored by North Central Briard Club and The Briard Club of America.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The morning regional was judged by Mark Houstin McMillan. We had no idea what to expect. Do not know him, never met him, never saw him judge. Dominique did a gorgeous job showing Heloise, Deja Vu Popsakadoo Hints From Heloise. She was Winners Bitch, Best of Winners for a 5 point major. We were thrilled. Dill, Ch Deja Vu Mia Cool As A Cucumber was Best of Breed with Regina. We were wildly happy. Johnny, again, shown by Dominique to brilliance, Ch Deja Vu Pomme Despair Came Knocking was Best of Opposite to Best of Breed. We were pinching ourselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The National was judged by John Studebaker. I know John. He is a brilliant dog person. He learned judging and breeding dogs through his foundation of judging and breeding dairy cows. He is a real smart stand up guy. We were hoping he would like our dogs because his opinion actually matters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Marge was Winners Bitch, sired by Hoot, Ch Touche In Cahoots with Deja Vu, visiting from Mexico, bred by our friend Paula. We were tickled that Tabby, Popsakadoo Deja Vu Here Kitty Kitty was Reserve Winners Bitch from the 9-12 puppy class for a major(new rules).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dill was Best of Breed. Johnny was Best of Opposite. Cagney, Ch Deja Vu Mia Cake Walk, Dill's brother, was First Select right behind Dill. Theo, Ch Deja Vu Popsakadoo Grin And Bear It received an Award of Merit. Awesome!</span><br />
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Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-70563728155704690112013-07-19T13:55:00.000-07:002013-07-19T13:55:03.971-07:00My Mentor Mary Lou and my start in Briards<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I began my search about Briards, I had been in dogs for a time. I had some idea about how to look, where to look and what to look for. I had been training dogs for the five years since college. In my roster of training clients were two families with Briards. My curiosity was piqued. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One of the clients loaned me their copies of the Dew Claw and Le Magazine and I roamed the pages familiarizing myself with what looked right to my unschooled eye, the winners and the articles on the breed. I knew I wanted a show dog. I knew the breed had a reputation for problem temperaments. I knew I wanted this dog to be a foundation for something-what exactly, I wasn’t sure. But I knew it would be an important jumping off point into the world of conformation.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not only did I know I was looking for the right dog, I was sure I was looking for a mentor. I wanted someone who had more experience than I, was dedicated to the subculture of dogs, was smart, was successful in Briards and above all ethical-someone I could trust to guide me. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By looking through the magazines, I picked out four breeders whose dogs I admired and called them . No internet or e-mail in those days. One of the four no longer bred so they were out of the search. I called each of the other three to hear what they had to say. One told me that he could not get his foundation bitch off of the couch if she chose not to come. “She growled” he said. “ She would bite if pushed” he added. That one was out of the search too.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I knew temperament would be a huge consideration for me. I was concerned by the breed’s reputation for being aggressive to both dogs and people. I was positive I didn’t want to live with an aggressive dog. I also had the concerns for my profession as a dog trainer. My dogs lived a fairly public life accompanying me to classes, seminars, workshops, private lessons at clients’ homes, commercial shoots, demonstrations and ultimately to dog shows. I could not risk an unsteady or untrustworthy dog.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A year passed and I read some more about the Briard. There was little available. I also looked at and spoke to a few breeders of other breeds-Springer Spaniels, Old English Sheepdogs, Gordon Setters, Bernese Mountain Dogs and Standard Poodles (of which I already had two). As luck would have it, I was entered in obedience at the December Cleveland dog shows and who was there showing Ch Phydeaux What’s Happenin’ but his breeders Art and Mary Lou Tingley. I already knew that Happy was the top winning Briard of all time. I was told that he was in the top ranked dogs of all breeds that year(I wasn’t sure what that meant exactly). However, two things sealed the deal for me. One, Happy. He was exactly what I wanted. A stand up gregarious and extroverted dog of great confidence, tremendous presence and unequalled athleticism. Two, Mary Lou. When Mary Lou looked me squarely in the eye and in answering my query about temperament said, “ I stand behind my dogs unconditionally. If you don’t like even the look in the dog’s eyes, I will take him back” I knew I had found my mentor.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Two months later Ch Phydeaux What’s Happenin’ won the Working Group at Westminster shown by Art Tingley. I believed in Mary Lou from our meeting in Cleveland. Mary Lou Tingley had been one of my four phone calls. I looked no more. I chose the breed because of the breeder. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In every breed there are factions and cliques. It is the human condition-tribes forming, alliances cultivated. People congregate around the family of dogs they start with or devote themselves to. Minds are sometimes closed and options ruled out. A closed mind is never good for a breed. A closed mind is never good for anything. To eliminate options and possibilities, to fail to appreciate the good in others’ animals creates an atmosphere of animosity and exclusivity. It develops dead ends and stifled creativity. Mary Lou was the penultimate mentor. She taught by example. She lead by example. She and Art fostered a spirit of sportsmanship and kindness...and open-mindedness. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the atmostphere of Mary Lou’s open mind and natural appreciation for others’ points of view, she fostered in those around her the same. I have never met someone in my life so open minded to perpetual learning and inspired by what new ideas might come to her doorstep. This was Mary Lou. Because of it, it was the kind of breeder she was. Open to all possibilities.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At the knee of Mary Lou my mind was inundated with education of the AKC standard, structure of the dog, evaluating breed type, understanding proportions, seeing movement and appreciating the breed for what it is-its nobility and character, its independence and intelligence, its countenance and sense of humor. We talked endlessly about breeding and genetics, pedigrees and history. It was an unequalled education and life long inspiration.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Through Mary Lou I came to admire and identify the beauty and soundness of the de Vasouy kennels from France. When Mary Lou attended her first national in Philadelphia she was struck by a dog imported by a French war bride. This woman had brought Haro de Vasouy to the States with her. She drove from her home in Texas to the national in Phildelphia to exhibit him. Mary Lou laid eyes on Haro and knew this was going to be her start. This dog was so different than what she had seen before. He was upstanding and sound. He carried himself proudly and alert-something Mary Lou knew was right.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My first Briard was a cheerful and extroverted boy named Phydeaux Take The Money N Run. Mary Lou called him “Thunderbolt” because of the strip of white on his chest which disappeared later. I called him Woody after the Woody Allen movie with the same name. Woody was out of French import dam Ch Jennie D’el Pastre. Jennie, shown by Art (and one of her Best In Shows by Mary Lou) was famous for setting the record for Best In Shows(subsequently broken by Happy) and causing a sensation for her beauty, proud carriage, smooth movement and gorgeous coat, unforseen in that day.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Woody’s sire was a young dog named Richlen Steppenwolf. “Hesse” as he was called..or kiddingly “Hesse-Bob” by his southern breeder/owners Richard and Ellen Walton/McDearman. Hesse went back on one side of his pedigree to breed greats like “ Turquoise” and “ Henry” and the de Marha kennels of Harold Marley. What Harold brought to the table was his breeding experience and knowledge about line breeding, a new fangled concept to Briards in that day. Mary Lou aways said that Harold, an accomplished Collie breeder was truly wise and quickly set his style and type in the early generations of de Marha Briards. He was able to create a family of dogs with beautiful heads and breed type. Mary Lou admired what Harold was able to accomplish. He used Mary Lou’s great dog Ike de Vasouy-the first dog Mary Lou imported and brought forth qualities by converging traits from Ike and Harold’s own Nestor de Vasouy. Hesse had de Vasouy from both sides of his pedigree. Hesse’s sire Turquoise went back to Ike and Nestor deVasouy and Hesse’s dam, Chateaubriard Novelle Nova came from the great Chateaubriard kennels which started with Phydeaux dogs founded in de Vasouy again...Ike de Vasouy, Nestor de Vasouy, L’Ange de Vasouy, Hilda de Vasouy and Haro de Vasouy.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For me, my luckiest break in dogs came by accident in the aquisition of Tinsel. C’est Bonehur Woodbine Tinsel, was bred by Fran Taylor, taken as a stud puppy by Judy Odom and offered to me when she was two. Tinsel was a beautifully Phydeaux line bred bitch by Phydeaux Luvem N Leavem CD out of Phydeaux Polly Poulet. Barbu ( Luvem N Leavem) was by Sultan d’Esprit an Ike de Vasouy grandson out of Peinarde de Marha a Nestor de Vasouy daughter. Barbu’s dam was Phydeaux Usheba des Bergers, an O’Tresor de Vasouy daughter. Tinsel’s dam Poulet was by Happy who was an Ike de Vasouy grandson and Jennie d’el Pastre. It proved to teach me the values of diagonal ladder breeding in line breedings.This breeding which created Tinsel, eventhough not bred by Mary Lou by record, was classic Phydeaux in its finest form. Eventhough I had bought my first Briard from Mary Lou to aquire a dog from the great Phydeaux kennels, for me, the true flagship of Phydeaux in my dogs was Tinsel. I believed that in her greatness and all the best that I have in my dogs is because of Tinsel, her breeder Fran Taylor, therefore Mary Lou.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Mme Turgis of deVasouy had a vision of what this rustic working breed should do, how it should function and how it should operate in the world. Obviously this was not lost in 1960 on this blossoming brand new breeder, Mary Lou. Mme Turgis used her dogs in functional ways, pulling her in a cart to town, alerting her to the presence of Germans in her attempts to shelter and hide soldiers on her French property. The deVasouy kennels was where much of Phydeaux was built. Therefore, those who line bred and inbred on those dogs have brought forward into the future, into the present the classic gorgeous looks and family resemblance of Mme Turgis, then reinforced by Mary Lou.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was because of this foundation and the vision to combine them, breeders like me were given the gift of the solid Phydeaux breedings. Famous founders of the modern American Briard were left in good stead to carry foreward and make their mark in the breed’s future. When Mary Lou stopped breeding, she left in her wake an incredible legacy in the breeders who began with and relied on Phydeaux.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It has been a wild and fascinating ride in dogs ever since Woody came to me in 1982. Mary Lou and Art opened doors for the breed in the show ring and made the path easier for those of us who campaign our Briards. Mary Lou is the rock that I relied on. She is the sportswoman, the spokesperson, the gracious face of the breed for 50 plus years. She is the anchor, the foundation, the elder stateswoman, the expert voice of reason. I would not have what I have in the my dogs without her. Few of us would.</span></div>
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Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-77509377488299381702013-07-01T14:47:00.003-07:002013-07-19T14:01:29.692-07:00Dill and Lyme Disease<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A lot changes in a year. All the hope wrapped up for Dill and hooked on handler Mark Bettis crumbled in front of our very eyes. Let's just say that Dominique and I thought Dill would benefit from Mark's talent and Mark needed a dog like Dill. Why we thought rescuing a human from the fall out of his life was our responsibility-especially when it came to the quality of life of our dog...life's misjudgment # 599 I guess.<br />
Dill got diagnosed with Lyme Disease in March of 2012-not Mark'e fault. Dill spent the next 7 months in Michigan with Mark, and lame on and off. I had a suspicion that Mark was not treating Dill with the antibiotics he was given. We had no proof. Unbeknownst to us, Mark lost interest in the dog he had touted as the greatest Briard he had seen. Dill slid into neglected oblivion at Mark'e kennel, untreated and uncared for, depressed and cranky and obviously in pain. Mark would not return my phone calls-over 50 of them.<br />
The clarifying moment was in October when a friend traveling from Mark's direction on the way east, offered to pick Dill up and bring him home for us. Dominique and I were ready to bring him home and let him live his life out here with the best pain management we could find. Obvious to us was that Dill had some chronic condition that could not be fixed.<br />
Kent met Michaela, Mark's wife at the time, and retrieved Dill and his little paper bag of pill vials full of antibiotics. Full pill vials? Mark was shipped two bottles of pills 9 weeks prior, with 60 pills. Those pills should have been long gone. Michaela didn't know enough to hide them, toss them or flush them. She was raising their baby and basically uninvolved with Mark's dog management. Lucky for us that in that one serendipitous event, we learned more than we could have otherwise known. Dill had never been treated for the Lyme Disease and it was still raging inside of him.<br />
The last insult was the horrible coat condition Dill returned in. From multiple reports after the fact, the dog was living in a concrete run (the last thing you'd do with a lame sore dog) felted with matts. He came back with matts and holes in his coat and front leg coat, pastern coat and hock coat 1/8 inch long.<br />
Funny thing. The day after Dill returned he was started on 60 days of Doxicycline. By a month later there was no evidence of lameness. There has been none since.<br />
2013 has produced a healthy dog in Dill. So far this year, shown by Regina, he has won 22 Group Firsts, 3 Best In Shows, a specialty and 6 Reserve Best In Shows(and countless other group placements). What a difference a healthy dog makes.<br />
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<br />Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-65186746669652730542012-04-01T10:23:00.002-07:002012-04-01T10:41:27.321-07:00Number One Briard all systems-so far<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-klFXGPGLJE0/T3iTO53CByI/AAAAAAAAAHs/horf4v6MYzc/s1600/get-attachment-972.aspx.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-klFXGPGLJE0/T3iTO53CByI/AAAAAAAAAHs/horf4v6MYzc/s400/get-attachment-972.aspx.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726488810460677922" /></a><br />Dill has come back home. We brought him back from his stellar career in Mexico where for the past year he was Number One Herding Dog and Number Five of All Breeds. Dill won about 100 Group Ones all over South America and a mess of Best In Shows. He was Best of Breed at the AKC Invitational-a gorgeous win over about 18 Briards. He won Best of Breed the day before as well and placed in the group. Dill was shown by his Mexican handler, a gentleman names Fernando Paz-seemed like kind man but the language gap doesn't help judgement. Fernando speaks no English. I speak no Spanish.<div>Dill, so far this year (and the year is young for sure-alot can change) is Number One Briard in all the ratings systems. He is shown by Mark Bettis.</div><div>My search for the right American handler began last Fall. I knew Dill would be coming home. That was the agreement with the Fischl's who had "borrowed" him for the past two years in Mexico. This was not an easy dog to figure out. Therefore, not an easy dog to show. Dill needed someone dynamic. Dill needed someone who would know how to pay attention to detail. Dill needed someone tall( left out Regina for sure!). Dill would be best with someone who did not carry a giant string of show dogs and of course the basics of the handler knowing how to do coat and the final things that can not be compromised on-basic care.</div><div>Dill tends to be a bit lazy, retiring, easy going. He is a soft sort of temperament-not big and boisterous(read Flynn) and needs someone who would connect with him. He does not lack for confidence, he can be cheerful and very sweet. But he is not the big ego dog Flynn was. Flynn could have gone anywhere and basically been pretty happy and still believe he was the king. Not so Dill.</div><div>Picked Mark. It was a complicated decision and a long story. Dill looks spectacular with Mark.</div>Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-65103218606867712612011-07-12T12:11:00.000-07:002011-07-12T12:20:41.774-07:00Singing In The ShowerI love to write. I am not very good at it. For me, it is kind of like singing in the shower. When I live alone with my writing, it reads brilliantly. When I compare it to others' I know it is sadly pretty poor. I like my vocabulary pretty well but I am acutely aware that my grammar sucks.<div>It also depends on my subject. I can wax philosophic about dogs for days...Briards, training, behavior, their owners, and all the crazy stories in between.</div><div>I think the craziest stories are the ones built on the phone calls I have received over the years. They are also the most maddening. The woman with the Great Dane whose husband is going to make her get rid of the dog on a pre-arranged specific date if the 10 month old dog does not "shape up" and listen to him. But he won't train the dog, won't pet the dog, won't interact with the dog. He just wants to bark commands at him. The wife's concern was not for the dog's miserable life. She was afraid that if she did not follow directions her husband would leave her.</div><div>Bye bye.</div>Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-78541173491786113122010-10-24T21:25:00.000-07:002010-10-24T21:48:25.693-07:00Flynn and his daughter Sassy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/TMUICgZMCGI/AAAAAAAAAG4/nlh4o7DB_HY/s1600/sassyflynnsmallverticle.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 279px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/TMUICgZMCGI/AAAAAAAAAG4/nlh4o7DB_HY/s320/sassyflynnsmallverticle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531836556442863714" /></a>This is one of my all time favorite pictures of my dogs. It is of my beloved Flynn, American Canadian Champion Deja Vu In Like Flynn CD PT and his daughter Sassy, American Canadian Champion Deja Vu Ruffles Have Ridges PT. Flynn is the top winning Briard of all time. Sassy is the top winning Briard female of all time.<div>Flynn is the top sire of all time in the history of the breed. Almost 50 champions. Some specialty winners, Best In Show dogs, Westminster winners and top producers just like Flynn.</div><div>Flynn was a four time national specialty winner in both the United States and Canada. Flynn was a multiple Best In Show dog. Flynn was a Top Five Herding dog. Flynn was Number One Briard every year he was shown. Flynn was Best of Breed at Westminster four times. Flynn placed in the group at Westminster.</div><div>Sassy was a national specialty winner. Sassy was a multiple Best In Show dog. Sassy was a Top Ten Herding Dog. Sassy was Number One Briard every year she was shown. Sassy was Best of Breed at Westminster. Sassy placed in the group at Westminster.<br /><div>Flynn died at almost 14. I believe one reason he lived so long is that he was the king...in his own mind. Up to the last day of his life Flynn viewed the world as his own. In his reality he was larger than life. His legacy is enormous. He is what sets the image of the breed in many peoples' mind's eye...in and out of the dog world. Flynn put himself on the map by who he was on the inside and who and what he was on the outside.</div></div><div>To me, he was my beloved...my son...my best companion for almost 14 years. </div>Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-3086777920612631462010-10-23T22:18:00.000-07:002010-10-24T20:54:02.337-07:00Dill and PoutineDill continues to thrive in Mexico. He has just won his second Best In Show-the dog world's highest achievement at any given dog show. <div>Dill has sired well in Mexico. His son from his first litter in Mexico produced "Buda". Buda has now won 8 Junior Best In Shows. Buda looks in his videos and photos extremely promising and beautiful. How great for the Fischl family who are Buda's breeders.</div><div>One of these days Dominique and I will travel to Mexico to see Dill shown and visit our friends the Fischls. Driving there tempts us both. We both love to get on the road and experience the trip inch by inch.</div><div>My ideal would be to live a certain part of my life on the road. The diversity and opportunity call my name. Besides, I love the road food. Hot Tamales, Jordan Almonds, Chex Mix, good cheese and brown bread. The recent favorite discovery is Ketchup Potato Chips by Lays. We can only find them in Quebec. They are outrageous in the category of road food. Couple them with a little bag of freshly made cheese curds from Quebec and you have food heaven. </div><div>In a way, even though the tastes are not even close, the theory behind my combination and Quebec's favorite peasant food Poutine is the same. Potatoes and cheese. Big difference is that the poutine is french fries, cheese curds and gravy over the top of it all. Still, two of the food groups are shared-potatoes and cheese. Cholesterol slow death. Yum.</div>Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-35087683377502393302009-11-28T11:58:00.000-08:002009-11-28T13:48:57.952-08:00Am Mex Ch Deja Vu Mia Cool As A Cucumber<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/SxGVY_yZxDI/AAAAAAAAAGY/8ygLC7-PMMo/s1600/Dill%27s+first+show+in+Mexico.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 223px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409268884120912946" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/SxGVY_yZxDI/AAAAAAAAAGY/8ygLC7-PMMo/s320/Dill%27s+first+show+in+Mexico.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Dill is in Mexico. He is having quite a bang up career there. He is co-owned with the Fischl family-father Christian, mother Lala and daughters Paula and Lourdes. He sleeps in Paula's bed at night, waits for her to come home from University every day and generally is flourishing in his new life there as show dog and family pet with kids (he loves them). </div><br /><br /><div>So far in 5 months of showing Dill has won about a bazillion Herding Groups and has climbed up from non-champion to the Number Two ranked dog in the Herding Group. Very cool for such a young dog not yet in his prime.</div><br /><br /><div>Dill is not perfect, but his outline, proportions, breed type and beauty is arresting. He has such a lovely head, solid topline and classic carriage. He is a proud guy. You can see it in his natural carriage and style of being. </div><br /><br /><div>Carriage is one thing I consider heavily important in the Briard. It is something intangible but of tremendous significance. It is part of what makes a Briard a Briard-not a Bouvier. The standard for the breed is so defined about how the dog should operate in the world, how he should present himself in life and carry himself in general. </div><br /><br /><div>I read and reread the AKC standard arbitrarily and intermittently over time. Every time I do, I take away something new which I missed or forgot about. Last time I looked at it, the passage about carriage struck me with a fresh appreciation. In the first sentence the words "vigorous and alert" implies a certain countenance and carriage. But go on to the specific " the head joins the neck in a right angle and is held proudly alert". </div><br /><br /><div>Recently there was a discussion on one of the inane Briard lists on the internet about head carriage. As long as I have been in the breed I have heard the clueless expound on proper head carriage. They like to say the dog should carry his head low-many proclaiming greatness in the presence of a dog who looks like a plow horse-head being carried in motion in a line below the shoulders. There is nothing proud or alert about a plow horse. The carriage is more reminiscent of a Border Collie or crippled old Cocker Spaniel than a Briard. </div><br /><br /><div>The clueless like to say the dogs who win too much look more like "prancing Poodles". My mentor and friend Mary Lou Tingley in response to a photo posted demonstrating the low head, long strung out body of a bad moving devoid of carriage Briard remarked that it was probably herding field mice. Indeed, that is what it looks like-one line from tip of nose to tip of tail. We call them "flatliners". Like the cardiac monitor of a dead person-one flat line.</div><br /><br /><div>Dill will never be a flat liner on his worst day.</div>Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-31530577243709721132009-11-17T12:26:00.000-08:002011-07-12T12:10:59.547-07:00My Best In Show dogs-there are eleven<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/SwMJwahRgeI/AAAAAAAAAGI/QMckF0LznJc/s1600/the+car.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405174705131979234" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/SwMJwahRgeI/AAAAAAAAAGI/QMckF0LznJc/s320/the+car.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Three weeks ago we added to the list of Best In Show dogs. This time it was a 9 month old puppy. This Best In Show was from the classes. In other words, she was not a champion at the time. She was a 9 month old puppy entered at a dog show in order to complete her championship. She got a 5 point major that day.</div><div> </div><div>This is a rare occurance at a dog show indeed. There are a handful of dogs it has ever happened to...and usually, it has been the very fancy breeds it happens in-Pomeranians, Standard Poodles, Afghan Hounds. It has never happened to a Briard. The puppy is the youngest Briard to win a Best In Show (breaking her dam's own record). The puppy is the only Briard to win a Best In Show from the classes-ever.</div><br /><div>She was Best Of Breed the first day, beating her intermittently lame Lyme Disease affected granddsire Udo and others. Then won the Herding Group. The second day history repeated itself (this time Udo was too lame to compete at all) but she went all the way to be the last dog standing...Best In Show.</div><br /><div>The puppy is from CH Deja Vu Mia Chain of Fools (Udo x Suzie) bred to Ch Deja Vu Ruffles Have Ridges PT (Flynn x Lena). </div><br /><div>The puppy's name is Eastbay Deja Vu Enjoy The Ride. </div>Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-81511169717126303002009-08-30T19:34:00.000-07:002010-10-24T21:00:39.396-07:00ControlFor me, it is more interesting to write about Briards than about training. I would<span style="color:#ffff00;"> </span>rather write about my clients in training, than the training itself. But clients can get a tad irritable if I say what I think...which I am prone to do, so I am best to work at stifling myself-at least a little bit.<br /><br />Like the woman in class with the Border Collie rescue. The dog had tons of potential but was a bit pushy and overenthusiastic. On the third lesson I urged the woman once again into correcting the dog for an out of control behavior which kept reoccurring but was perfectly easy to modify. The woman had been reminded throughout the first two classes to address the whining with our initial technique of choice- a taste correction.The woman at first ignored me, pretending to follow through. It was Dominique-the eyes in the back of my head- who ratted on her. Dominique told me the woman had not once followed the request, rules or my direction for dealing with vocalizing. On the fourth urging in that one class from me, the Border Collie woman got a pained look in her face and moaned like I was forcing her to torture her dog.<br /><br />With a class full of new people and dogs it is impossible in the beginning to address and follow through on every request and directive and enforce rules. In the beginning order is established which includes getting vocalizing under control. This serves three purposes. Most importantly, to set the stage for the dogs learning about self control- a new concept for many of them, and secondarily, so I do not lose my mind over the din of a crazed group of dogs experiencing their first group experience, and three, so people can hear and learn something.<br />When the BC woman herself started whining about me "making her" I made the same joke I always make, " maybe you need to get counselling and take some drugs". hehehehe....everybody chuckled except her. Ok, maybe I should shut up and maybe I should avoid the joking editorial comments but I thought it was funny at the time.<br />A week later class got rescheduled so I had to call all students to tell them. I called the Border Collie woman who informed me that she would not be coming back to class. When I asked why-and I was genuinely surprised, she told me of how insulted she was about my comment on her mental state. I chided her that is was just a joke and suggested that it was foolish to give up on her dog's education, 185 bucks spent and the 9 weeks still to come because of a comment by me. She allowed that probably was a good point and maybe she would reconsider. She didn't. I never saw her again. It was a cool dog too. Oh well.<br />In training the big common denominator is self control. Teaching the concept of self control to owner and dog means infusing it into every subject and behavior. That includes vocalizing in class which encompasses all vocalizing like the whining thing. When a dog whines in class most of the time it is to demand the owner's attention and service. Many dogs attending class are being first introduced to the owner making demands on them. Part of setting the stage for who is really in the driver's seat is drawing clear limits to demanding behavior-translated, putting an end to the dog's demands by using negative consequences. It's not hard, we don't hit, we don't scream and we even provide positive consequences as a result of positive reactions.<br />To stop demanding vocalizing we use a taste correction. It is a squirt bottle with lemon juice or vinegar in it. When the dog vocalizes in class, the owner says the name and "quiet", manually opening the dog's mouth and giving a taste on the tongue.<br />For hard core cases who enjoy lemon or vinegar we use Listerine. The dog should react with a "yuck". A first introduction to consequence training.Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-25777714470694931382009-08-20T21:34:00.001-07:002009-08-30T18:29:52.047-07:00Number One Sire<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/So4rLiOr6qI/AAAAAAAAAF4/lVx_et1nEuI/s1600-h/diamond+in+the+rough.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372278882666539682" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/So4rLiOr6qI/AAAAAAAAAF4/lVx_et1nEuI/s200/diamond+in+the+rough.jpg" /></a><br /><div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 122px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372276850252129346" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/So4pVO5VJEI/AAAAAAAAAFw/kUytj9wmHIA/s200/maggie+finishing.jpg" /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/So4onhOxdAI/AAAAAAAAAFo/L7zpWd-Cj20/s1600-h/dejavu+blackwater+du+jour.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 162px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372276064899920898" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/So4onhOxdAI/AAAAAAAAAFo/L7zpWd-Cj20/s200/dejavu+blackwater+du+jour.jpg" /></a>Ch Deja Vu Diamond In The Rough, Ch Deja Vu Blackwater Du Jour, Ch Deja Vu Blackwater Diets Don't Work sired by Udo out of Blackwater Silhouette.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Speaking of luck and breeding...Udo ( Ch Deja Vu Up Close & Personal) is a really good sire. A good sire is a dog who can give some of his best traits, sometimes overcoming the opposite weakness in the bitch he was bred to. Additionally and most importantly to me is that he can be counted on to stamp his traits in a recognizable way on his puppies. Sometimes the traits are not his phenotype (what the naked eye sees) but instead what he carries genotypically(in his genes). </div><div>This past year Udo was bred within the family to Bella (Ch Blackwater Silhouette) and the results have been quite impressive. So far, three of those get have finished their championships and one just lacks a few minor single points to finish. Two won multiple group placements from the classes and three had Best of Breed wins over specials(dogs who are already champions).<br />Udo has been the top sire in the breed for the past three years which means he has produced more champions than any other sire. This gratifyingly has been when bred to bitches from different families as well as bitches within and remotely in the family he comes from. Bred to Dominique's bitch Salem (a great producer in her own right), he produced Ch Popsakadoo Deja Vu Bad Seed and Ch Popsakadoo Deja Vu Bono. Bad Seed was Winners at the 2007 National and Bono finished undefeated with group placements and then Awards of Merit at both Nationals he was old enough to be exhibited at. Both Bad Seed and Bono finished in Canada with group wins and multiple Best Puppy in Shows. Udo produced a gorgeous bitch for Gina Klang in California, Mon Amie Abee In Her Bonnet and likewise for Gail Zamarchi and Fran Davis(both with bitches within the general family). Just recently I saw a beautiful young dog from a dam loosely within the family bred and owed by Christi Leigh sired by Udo-impressive outline, head and tail and breed type.<br />At first I chuckled that people seemed to be drawn to Udo's beautiful rear-which it is. I chuckled because his front is the amazing part to me. It is classic in its structure and quality and function in a breed which is desperately in need of such a thing. To create such a front is indeed a challenge and a coup. To find one to breed to is a revelation!<br />Congratulations to Bella's champions by Udo: Smokey (pictured below)<br />Josh (pictured above)<br />Maggie(pictured above)<br />Diamond(pictured above)</div>Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-87010808045336956522009-08-20T18:52:00.000-07:002009-08-20T20:20:25.735-07:00It's Not Nice To Fool Mother NatureWhen you do a breeding, you never know. All the machinations and mental calisthenics don't make it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">successful</span>. All the guessing, theorizing and substantiation as to why it will be a great breeding is a waste of time and effort. When it comes down to it, Mother Nature is in charge. Make your best guess, close your eyes, cross your fingers and hold your breath. Maybe you will look brilliant. Maybe you won't.<br />Great <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">breedings</span> happen in retrospect.<br />You think it is a safe breeding for health and three have bloated by the time they are two. Two have cancer by the time they are five. One winds up with an autoimmune disease. Two don't have clear hips. It would be far fetched to think this might happen all in one litter. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">likelihood</span> is slim. But one of these events happening is profound enough.<br />The worst part about breeding is dealing with the people. The best part about breeding is dealing with the people. Puppy people, especially ones who are inexperienced in the field of pure-bred dogs can be prone to see things very black and white. If it happens to their dog, it was your fault and on purpose. Some are extremely reasonable and "get" the reality of the situation. I guess it all depends on who they are in life and how they operate in the world.<br />Logic would support that no sane breeder WANTS a health problem to occur in one of their get. The gene pool the breeder swims in is the gene pool the breeder lives with. The breeder's own personal dogs come from the same source. The heartbreak a puppy person feels over a health problem is the heartbreak a breeder feels over a health problem in their own personal pets as well. There is no benefit for a breeder to be careless about health-it is a killer emotionally and literally-heartbreaking to one and all.<br />Breeding is risk taking. By its very activity the risks are present. There are unknowns, surprises good and bad. The art of breeding comes in the delicate balance struck between the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">knowns</span> and unknowns. The art of breeding is the choices made in plain sight of those risks.<br />In my own breeding experiences I can recount ugly and unhappy stories about genetic surprises and dead ends. One story I like to retell is about two of my three foundation bitches, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Tetley</span> and Tinsel.<br />Both bitches came from pretty strong healthy hip backgrounds. Both had dams who were <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">OFA</span> Good( <a href="http://www.offa.org/">http://www.offa.org/</a>) and both had sires who were <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">OFA</span> Good. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Tetley</span> was an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">OFA</span> Good herself with one <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">dysplastic</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">littermate</span> and several others who were <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">OFA</span> Good. Tinsel was an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">OFA</span> Fair herself with two <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">dysplastic</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">littermates</span> and one <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">OFA</span> Good <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">littermate</span>. Logic might tell you that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Tetley</span> would be the better hip producer than Tinsel because of the depth of her litter's hips.<br />Funny thing. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Tetley</span> produced multiple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">OFA</span> get and multiple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">OFA</span> failures in five litters. Tinsel, in three litters produced no <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">dysplastics</span>, six <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">OFA</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Excellents</span> (four out of one litter to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Tetley's</span> brother oddly enough) the rest <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">OFA</span> Goods with one Fair.<br />So things are not always what they appear. In subsequent generations Tinsel's hip contribution has created a foundation for a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">phenomenal</span> hip record. The record of her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">descendents</span> is the best the breed has ever seen. When line bred and in-bred on, it is not unusual to expect nothing less than all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">OFA</span> Goods and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">OFA</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Excellents</span>.<br />Mother Nature was kind in the hip department. Luck and being careful and more luck left the family of dogs I breed from very strong and dependable for clear hips. I am proud of the Deja Vu hip record. I am proud Flynn represents the Briard and the Briard Club of America as the Briard Champion for health on the OFA site. Click on Champions For Health and read Flynn's bio.Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-73702137656321021782009-08-06T11:34:00.000-07:002009-08-30T21:08:06.339-07:00Udo's story<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/SnspYn3sJYI/AAAAAAAAAEA/4otCsYoGUms/s1600-h/Udo4.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 328px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366928883938239874" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/SnspYn3sJYI/AAAAAAAAAEA/4otCsYoGUms/s400/Udo4.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Udo was out of a litter from Flynn bred to Mona (Ch Mokie Deja Vu Mona Lisa). It was a litter of just two boy puppies. There were two female puppies born-one still born, one faded and died. The other brother is worshipped living with his owner in Miami and is a finished champion-a handsome boy. The other was Udo who was sold to a person in the breed looking for a top show prospect.</div><br /><div>I seldom keep males and at the time Flynn was still the man of the house. I had no need or desire for another male so Udo was sold to a woman who co-owned him with friends of hers who were an older couple. From the beginning he was mismanaged, isolated, unappreciated and unsocialized. The older man believed he knew everything and closed his mind to what a developing Briard needs in the way of nutrition and social and mental nurturing. Udo was fed a diet of what we liked to call "nursing home food" which was over cooked rice and chicken and little else. </div><br /><div>By 7 months old Udo was a mental and physical mess. He crawled on the ground in terror in new settings and with new people. He had raging chewing and scratching allergies and bad skin. He knew nothing and operated on the lowest function.</div><br /><div>I persuaded all the owners to send him out with Regina for a while to try to repair the mess and prevent permanent damage. Because I do so much with my puppies in the way of handling and socialization and stimulation before they depart here, he had a decent foundation to draw on and quickly improved. Once on good food, the mess of his skin became healthy and the coat which had been very damaged began to grow and not be destroyed by his own discomfort.</div><br /><div>Udo finished his championship at the Harrisburg Specialty( photo above going Best In Sweeps the same day) with 5 points proudly behaving like a confident show dog. He was 9 months old.</div><br /><div>The owners took him home and proceeded to continue to do nothing with him. Udo began to self destruct again retreating in to the mess of his former mind of fears and neurosies and nursing home food.</div><br /><div>At that point is where the begging and pressure began to get him back. This above all, was not a good situation for the dog. He was the one who <span style="color:#000000;">would</span> ultimately pay the price. Finally I was successful and got him back and back on the road to his recovery.</div><br /><div>Udo is 6 years old now. He is a pleasant guy to live with, easy and undemanding. The girls push him around mercilessly which he either likes or barely notices. He is a Best In Show dog, a multiple group winner and the top sire in the breed for the last 4 years. He is a good show dog, a great sire and a fantastic house pet(except with cats). I am thrilled to have him and live with him and try not to think what might have been if I had not gotten him out of there.</div>Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-70108988911412611462009-08-04T22:45:00.000-07:002009-08-04T22:59:21.391-07:00All In The Family<span style="color:#ff6600;">It is gratifying as a breeder when a judge finds consistency in my dogs. It is gratifying as a dog person when a judge demonstrates their likes, dislikes and interpretation of the standard with consistency.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Smokey finished his championship at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Briard</span> specialty weekend in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Canfield</span> Ohio this past weekend. The first day he was Winners Dog for 5 points. It doesn't get better than that in dogs. The second day he was Winners Dog for 5 points which finished him to become a champion.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Where consistency came in was Smokey's sister Maggie (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Deja</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Vu</span> Diets Don't Work). Maggie did exactly what Smokey did. She was Winners both days for 5 points each which finished her to her championship.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Reserve Winners Dog was another <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Udo</span> son named DiCaprio. Why they called him Teddy, when Leonardo was the perfectly logical call name, I'll never know.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">To top it off, their sire, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Udo</span> was Best Of Breed over a field of quite a few specials (champions). So does this make the judge <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">brilliant</span> that she <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">discovered</span> three related dogs-a sire and his two get-two litter mates? In some cases yes-some no. In this case I like to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">believe</span> yes. She knew what she was looking for.</span>Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-37848251187310601482009-07-26T22:13:00.000-07:002009-09-10T22:30:49.294-07:00My Best In Show Dogs. There are TenCh C'est Bonheur Woodbine Tinsel HT ROM* HOF *<br />Ch Deja Vu Every Little Breeze HOF<br />Ch Deja Vu Grand Jury HOF<br />Ch Deja Vu House On Fire HOF<br />Ch Deja Vu In Like Flynn CD PT HOF ROMPX*<br />Ch Deja Vu Purple People Eater ROM HOF<br />Ch Deja Vu Runaround Sue HOF<br />Ch Deja Vu Sense And Sensibility CD RN AN HOF<br />Ch Deja Vu Ruffles Have Ridges PT HOF<br />Ch Deja Vu Up Close & Personal HOF ROM<br /><br />* HOF is a breed title from the Briard Club of America which stands for Hall Of Fame. It is for show ring, reproduction and performance accomplishments by an individual dog which put him/her above and beyond in achievements.<br />* ROM is a breed title given by the Briard Club of America for achievements as a producer. In order for a male to be awarded this he must have produced at least 10 champions. For a female it is 7 champions.<br />* ROMPX is beyond the acheivements of the ROM by producing many get who excelled in performance areas (herding, agilty and obedience).Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-32217129124409616152009-07-25T00:09:00.000-07:002009-07-25T10:46:43.325-07:00VioletThere are lots of disappointments in life and since dogs is a microcosm of life, it is so in dogs as well. Heartbreaks come and go but by far my most profound was losing Ch Deja Vu Purple People Eater. Losing Violet was not the kind of sickening sadness when you lose a much loved one which is expected, like losing Flynn which I still can barely speak about or losing Clover which was like losing my own daughter or right arm. Losing Violet was pure tragedy because of the circumstances. She was 7 years old, in her prime, had 12 week old puppies and died.<br />I am proud to say that the vast majority of the dogs I have bred live to ripe old age. Many have lived to 12 and 13, Flynn was almost 14, Tosha was 13 1/2, Cryin Out Loud was 16, both Tinsel and Clover were over 11.<br />One day I realized there was something not right about how she climbed the stairs to bed. She had not been eating well, but with weaning puppies and all the complexities of having just had then weaned a litter it is sometimes hard to see the forest for the trees.<br />I took her to the vet on a Thursday somehow deep down knowing there was something gravely wrong. I drove home from the vet and called Regina. Out of my mouth came words I still can hear, "I don't think Violet is going to live through this".<br />Blood tests revealed kidney failure and complete system failure with no explanation. Massive infection. A weekend of desperate attempts to save her with fluids and meds didn't touch her decline. I put her down on Sunday purely out of mercy. That morning she laid in the dining room moaning in pain.<br />We did a necropsy. Tissue samples sent to all sorts of places-labs and vet schools. Nothing. The closest to a conclusion was a source of infection in the uterus. Conjecture was a body overcome by infection causing systemic shut down. I was numb in disbelief and sorrow.<br />Violet was a dog who could have been described as just plain good. She never had a bad day, viewed the glass of the world as half full and greeted all situations with optimism, co-operation and cheerfulness. Violet never met a stranger. All cats, birds and especially squirrels and chippies were on her life's list of goals to taste-literally.<br />They say only the good die young. It never was so true as it was about Violet.<br /><br />Ch Deja Vu Purple People Eater ( Ch Deja Vu Instant Success x Ch Apropos Deja Vu Moon Unit PT) National Specialty winner, multiple Best In Shows, multiple specialty winner, dam of champions, group winners and winners at specialties.Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-18213037495458046022009-07-23T02:02:00.000-07:002009-07-27T12:31:23.067-07:00My 10th Best In Show dogUdo, CH Deja Vu Up Close & Personal HOF ROM was Best In Show under the esteemed Liz Muthard-to me one of the most respected opinions in dogs as a judge. His group win that day was under Charles Olvis-also a pretty smart guy! <g><br />Udo was returned to me at 2 years old after begging his former owners for almost a year to let him come back. Mentally he was a mess and needed alot of work to normalize him.<br />In April '09 he won his fourth specialty at the big Harrisburg weekend. This year will be the fourth year in a row he will be the top sire in the breed. Udo follows in the path of his great sire Flynn as a top sire, specialty winner and now Best In Show dog. His group win at Harrisburg the day of his most recent specialty win will be televised on Animal Planet in late July.Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-91905244146625540852009-07-23T00:30:00.000-07:002009-07-23T09:27:00.789-07:00clientsClients...translated- people...slay me. Having trained dogs now for 33 years ever since graduating from college, my view of people has metamorphasized. Now I am fairly certain that most people are at minimum function in their lives. Teaching classes as I do is a most revealing process. It is a window into the bigger day to day functioning of each person's life.<br />Over the years I have mellowed substantially in my expectations and communications with clients. My repeat clients tell me so. I know so. But in fact what has taken place is that my expectations of people have lowered exponentially.<br />In classes right now I have a fistfull of the disfunctional. There is the very nice and passive girl with the 5 month old downright aggressive female Rodesian Ridgeback. That dog will eat her one day if she makes life inconvenient enough or even slightly less accomodating. In the past I would have been riding her at every class to force the issue as I saw it and change the dynamic. Not now. Because to do so I would have to totally change who the woman is. That will never happen. So I watch as she makes nice and adapts herself to the pushy aggressive demands of her adolescent dog. I offer help as I can, knowing it is the tip of the iceberg and only scratching the surface. We will have a serious discussion about my concerns for their future together. It will not change anything.<br />Then there is the chain smoking drunk who shows up for class 30 minutes late every single week with debris and papers falling out of her car and purse, a puppy who bites, having accomplished no homework. This week the puppy had diarrhea before class so the woman brought her neighbor's pet toy poodle to train assuming this was perfectly fine....not. She left class after continuously interupting with inane questions, forgetting her purse and a mess of papers abandoned in a heap on the ground.<br />Instead of listening to the teaching during class and the imparting of my infinite wisdom, she furiously paged through her workbook looking for some imagined passage that said she could bring another dog to class to train if hers could not attend...not.<br />Then there is Butter. Rescued a few weeks before class began. A creamy colored-oh yeah, butter colored beagle chihuahua mix whose new owner does his homework to perfection and has the sweetest, most attentive and appreciative little companion in this wonderful dog. She devotedly heels and automatically sits, she downs from a distance, she performs like some top notch obedience competition dog all in 6 weeks of ownership and 4 weeks of classes.<br />What a contrast.<br />The stories go on and on. Private lesson clients who pay me alot of money up front, take one lesson and never call again. Group class students who come twice and are never heard from again. It was too much work. It was not the magic they had hoped for. Easier to leave the dog alone and operate life around the issues and inconveniences.<br />Statistics say that shelters are full because of bad canine behavior. It is the number one reason given for surrendering dogs. I'm doing my part, I guess.Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-8584856128317313992009-07-15T16:59:00.000-07:002009-07-15T19:05:50.153-07:00Smokey and Cirque de SoleilDominique and I are showing and training a beautiful dog of my breeding named Smokey. His first dog shows were not pretty when three days in a row Smokey decided to not be touched by the judge and had to be excused out of the ring. It happened at the biggest specialty weekend for the breed annually which is Harrisburg in April.<br />Funny thing too, since he is generally an extroverted guy with good people skills and attraction. The excusal was after watching airbound Smokey imitate Cirque du Soleil flying through the air like a giant fish flailing.<br />I convinced his owner Linda, who did a splendid job raising him as a wonderful house pet, to send him here so we could modify the behavior. The dog was too handsome to wash our hands of his show career.<br />In one easy week, Cirque de Soleil Smokey became solid show dog Smokey and at his first dog show was Best Of Breed and on to a Group 2. We put intensive work in to him every single day, clarifying our expectations at every moment.<br />The starting point was to narrow down the specific behavior which was the problem. He was friendly and cute as long as he approached. He charmingly sauntered up to greet pretty much everyone. But put him in the position of an approach where he had no choice or escape valve or avoidance option and you were left with a bucking flailing bronco. Additionally, Smokey had learned that the balking thing like some hairy donkey worked well to change the subject and direct the outcome his way. He expected, probably through life experiences, that when he put the brakes on or resisted, it pretty much always went his way.<br />So two behaviors were taught. One, with the assistance of a snug nylon training collar providing consequences for backwards motion, Smokey was never, not ever, permitted to balk, slow down, resist, or make any avoidance of the forward propulsion guided by a human.If he balked it was to be anticipated and quickly interrupted and forward momentum continued.<br />Two, he was taught with firm correction and intervention that he MUST stand up and be touched. NO choice was given other than shoving him back in to position if he even so much as shifted his body weight, let along tried to fling in to the air or colapse to the ground. At his first fun match he was literally lifted up by me by collar and tail to a standing position and held there until he was standing on his own steam being touched all over by the judge.<br />Dominique and I partnered in Smokey's recovery. Dominique handled him in the match. Dominique is a soft person with a light hand-in opposition to my own. We felt it useful to have him resilient to mutliple people making demands and handling him and his behavior. SMokey learned to be a show dog at that match.<br />The other helpful excercise we did was at Tuesday night obedience class. While the entire large advanced class did long down stays with their dogs, Dominique walked along the line with Smokey and asked each and every one of the students to touch and examine Smokey like a dog show.<br />Even though most of my students are pet people, almost all knew how to do a dog show exam because of dog shows on TV. The excercise was good for Smokey and a great distraction for the students' dogs.<br />It has been no looking back. The reaction to Smokey from exhibitors and judges is VERY positive. He has since been Best of Breed again, over a special (champion) and another group placement and points to his championship. Dominique is showing Smokey and doing a great job in all aspects-his behavior, his grooming and his showing. Now I will see if I can get some pictures up of him.Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-90387738341797792772009-07-09T21:31:00.000-07:002009-07-09T21:50:44.982-07:00The Rare Black BoxerA new client called to make an appointment for his two dogs. His vet referred him to me ro resolve the complexities of a dog fighting problem. He has a 9 year old intact male Boston Terrier. Somehow he decided in his infinite wisdom that two males would live in harmony much better than the opposite gender. He bought a male Boxer...oh excuse my negligence- a <em>RARE BLACK Boxer</em><strong>.</strong><br />When I introduced the subject of long term management and the necessity of castration he informed me that he would be <em>STUDDING </em>his rare black Boxer out.<br />Oh and by the way, could I come and give him a lesson and making the dogs get along together?<br />My classes often have Boston Terriers. They are a smart dear little breed with a tendency to bossyness towards other dogs...often times aggression towards other dogs-especially if not effectively managed.<br />Boxers in 9 out of 10 cases-and we train ALOT of Boxers, although not alot of rare black ones-are downright dog aggressive and overstimulated when interacting with another dog. My Boxer breeder friends do not expect Boxers to be able to run together or live together in the wild environment of a kennel. Separate runs for one and all.<br />As it turns out with the Boxer/Boston client, he decided it was too much money and would figure out how to fix it himself. Can't wait to hear the outcome of that one.Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-8469836116704896112009-07-08T21:09:00.000-07:002009-07-08T21:27:11.332-07:00failureLiving with multiple dogs is a challenge at times, especially when the dogs get stimulated and feed off of one another's energy. The management of them is a balancing act and an art which can at times be strung as taught as a violin string ready to break.<br />In this house the easy temperaments who can adapt to any combination are the classic perfect pets who could reside with anyone anywhere. Briards are not typically that easy and require much more skill and talent of sensitive observation and timing.<br />Over the years I have watched some of my colleagues in the breed basically give up doing what we try to do here which is have pretty much all of the dogs live together as a family. Sure, there is some jockeying-especially in times of estrus, but for the most part the demands here are high to get along, tolerate and coexist. For years it has worked well, something I have been proud of.<br />My fellow Briarders with multiple dogs on the scale of my numbers seem to have groups who coexist and more of a kennel setting than my own. Then there are the environments who have more than I-some with 15 and 25 dogs. Those logistically can only be a kennel situation-basically a warehousing of the canine species to keep control and sanity in check.<br />In a multiple dog situation when there is one friction dynamic or one "bad apple" it does seep into the entire operation. I have a dog like that and it has become more than trying to live with him. His life at this point is basically solitary. It breaks my heart and makes me sick. I feel somehow to have failed him, yet I worry about the danger I put the other dogs in by merely coming in contact with him. In 33 years of living my life as a dog trainer and behaviorist-this one-my own personal dog who I have raised from a puppy, have raised his parents from puppies and who comes from generations of my very biddable family of dogs and I have hit the wall. I can not fix him.Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-64423322553285945172009-07-07T20:44:00.001-07:002009-07-07T20:47:59.523-07:00I am finally getting two seconds to try this for the second time. It is almost midnite and I finally have time after a harried day fo trying to de mat two massively matted Briards. One on his way to his now home in Mexico and the other readying for dog shows this weekend.<br />My Tuesday night 7 pm class is so easy. Most of the people are actually doing their homework and getting somehere with their dogs. It helps that most of the dogs are fairly easy.<br />There is a teenage girl in that class who listens to everything and effectively makes it happen. She will go somewhere in her life.Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-500217736897996127.post-68640342067203984852009-07-05T20:16:00.000-07:002009-07-09T21:30:13.819-07:00my first blog after cleaning and taking pictures of the dogs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/SlFunNsOgZI/AAAAAAAAAAw/opY2AQYAPPY/s1600-h/briard.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355183051889344914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 296px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_W_cDKy0gyEA/SlFunNsOgZI/AAAAAAAAAAw/opY2AQYAPPY/s320/briard.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Spent the day cleaning and cleaning and cleaning and then for a great respite, took dog photos with my good friends Dale and Kerrin Churchill ( www. dogphoto.com) the greatest dog photographers in the world.Terry Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049911763320568691noreply@blogger.com2