GZ BREED COLUMNS

Fanciers can check the AKC Canine many situations, without being given American Polish Lowland Sheepdog Health Foundation and the Morris direction a PON will use his mental Club website: aponc.org Animal Foundation to see what abilities to solve problems on his own. research studies are being conducted. Unfortunately, in today’s world such Pulik You can also check with your state vet solutions may not always be acceptable. The Things That Matter school to see what clinical trials are It is very important for the owner to ur lives begin to end the day we herding being done. Perhaps your corgi can establish dominance in a fair and consis- Obecome silent about the things that serve as a control in a study. tent manner so that the does not get matter. —Martin Luther King If we aren’t going to help researchers, too creative on his own. It must be clear then who will? to him where he fits into the family When I read the words above, it —Lynda McKee, dynamic. A PON should be subordinate made me think about how breeders [email protected] to all human beings in the household. affect breed type and how changes Club of This means that he should be shown in introduced today can have a profound America website: pwcca.org a clear and simple manner what is effect on the breed in the future. expected of him. In addition, it must be Having been active in Pulik since the Polish Lowland understood by all family members that early 1970s, I have seen many changes Sheepdogs consistency is required in order for the over the years. he following was written by Russ dog to live up to those expectations. Many are positive changes that have TTesarz. Socialization may be the single most brought us closer to the ideals defined important training tool in raising a well- in the breed standard. The unique Puli Temperament adjusted PON. The breeder has begun coat is much more uniform today. We Possibly the most important attribute this process with frequent interaction rarely see the silky, straight, open coats of any dog in today’s world is to have a with the pups as a group and individu- of the ’70s. Most Puli coats today have temperament that allows him to be a ally. good texture, with the proper double good citizen. Depending on the breed, Once in his new home, continued coat, and are generally clean and well the work involved in shaping or devel- exposure of the pup to new environ- groomed. We’ve come a long way from oping a canine’s temperament can vary ments, situations, and people is crucial to those early days when we struggled to from very easy to very difficult. The healthy development into adulthood. find a method of keeping them clean Polish Lowland Sheepdog, or PON, Socialization is an ongoing process that and fresh for long weekends at dog requires some work in this regard. must be started at an early age, and the shows. Most people today have clever Let’s examine what the standard has best results occur when the dog is con- ways to tie up the cords and wrap the to say about temperament. In the section tinually exposed throughout his life. ’ bodies to keep them clean for on “General Appearance,” the standard A common mistake made by new these weekends. Fanciers have become says, “His herding and working ability owners is the belief that because the quite skilled at grooming their Pulik to are due to an intense desire to please and dog behaves very well with the family, show them to advantage and minimize compatible nature. He is lively but self- he will automatically behave this way faults. Dogs suspected of having color controlled, clever and perceptive, and with strangers. Due to his very nature, enhancement of their coats are gener- well known for an excellent memory.” the PON is loyal to his family as the ally few and far between today. Under the section on “Temperament,” providers of his needs and because of Pulik today are also structurally the standard continues: their familiarity. sounder than those of 30-plus years “He is stable and self confident. He Likewise due to his nature, however, ago. Breeders today pay more attention needs a dominant master and consistent he is aloof and wary with strangers, a to the medical testing available, and training from the time he is very young. necessary requirement in a herding or we’ve made great strides in minimizing If this is not provided, he will tend to working dog. luxating patellas and hip dysplasia in dominate the master. When not used as Good breeders understand the tem- the breed. Today a Puli can fly around a herding or working dog, he can be a perament of their PON as described in the show ring with great speed and magnificent companion, as he seems to the standard. showmanship. Temperaments are also fit into any type of lifestyle. He is They also realize that there is a spec- much improved, and our dogs today are extremely loyal, but somewhat aloof and trum of temperament in describing well socialized and accepting of new suspicious of strangers.” individual dogs. It is the important people and different situations. The PON is a working breed and an responsibility of new owners to do their You might ask, “So what’s the down- independent thinker who was some- homework on the breed and question side?” times required to do his job without the breeder on the specifics of the par- The Puli standard starts out with the direct interaction with his owner. In ents and pups. —R.T. description Sensibly suspicious of strangers.

AKC GAZETTE • 38 • SEPTEMBER 2013 GZ BREED COLUMNS

A dog content to stay in the field with his at 9 months. Other breeds I’ve Pyrenean Shepherd Club of America his flock of sheep should never be will- helped train to track as pups include website: pyrshepclub.com ing to jump into a car with the first Rhodesian Ridgebacks, an Australian stranger that comes by. While we want Cattle Dog, a Bearded , a standard Shetland Sheepdogs our dogs to be in control in all situa- Poodle, and a Bull Terrier. Every single Tips for Finding a Lost tions, we need to remember the inher- one has loved the sport. Sheltie herding ent traits the Puli was bred for. When I first started tracking with arla Duffey and her husband, We want our breed to be able to puppies, I trained on grass. The little DErnest, began breeding and cover ground efficiently and to move fellows would toddle through grass showing Shelties under the Fayr Wynds soundly and effortlessly. However, we stems as high as their knees to find prefix in 1984. A year later, they also call for a square dog with a short their treats, as happy as could be. founded the Jacksonville (Florida) loin. We need to avoid adding that extra (Except for one; more about her later.) Sheltie Rescue (JSR). But when one of length to the dog to allow him to stand Now I start pups as well as older dogs the first rescue dogs they placed got over more ground and cover more on asphalt, so they trot through a park- away from his new owners, Darla was ground when moving. It may be flashy ing lot enthusiastically searching for plunged into what has since become and showy, but these are not traits their tidbits. her real passion: helping people find called for in the standard. They’re born with those great noses: lost Shelties. Over the past 20-plus Breeders must pay strict attention to All we do is ask them to follow a par- years, she’s become the go-to person the characteristics defined in the stan- ticular scent. They get rewarded with when someone needs help recovering a dard. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to food for staying on top of that smell. lost Sheltie. She’s traveled far and wide forget the breed’s original function, and There is no punishment associated with helping people track lost dogs and we should always strive for deeper learning to track this way. If they get off teaching others how to organize understanding of why certain character- the track, they simply don’t find the successful searches. She also maintains a istics were called for in the first place. food. Being hungry little opportunists, page of search tips on the JSR website, Changes that we allow to creep in they quickly learn to stick with the jacksonvillesheltierescue.org/page8.htm. can have long and lasting affect on the smell that produces the goodies. Searching for any lost dog can be a breed and can alter those very qualities That makes the experience hugely grueling and stressful experience but, that many have tried so hard to retain positive for the puppies, except that says Darla, lost Shelties may be the and perfect. If we remain silent about one—my Great Pyrenees girl—had hardest dogs to recover, because they changes we see that deviate from the very little appetite as a pup. Food on typically go into “flight mode” imme- standard, it could well mean the begin- the track was no reward for her at all. A diately. ning of the end of the breed as we good friend and I were training It may be hard to conceive of your know it. The Puli is a breed with a together, so we experimented with hid- loving and obedient Sheltie not coming small gene pool, and each litter that we ing from our puppies. We each handled when you call, but this is normal have and puppy we produce can impact the other’s pup at first, and then we behavior for a lost Sheltie. the future. asked our husbands to hide from the “Shelties don’t typically approach —Sherry Gibson little guys and handled our own young- strangers readily anyway,” she notes, Puli Club of America website: puli- sters. We branched out to other track- “and for a Sheltie in flight mode, every- club.org layers from there, and our pups loved one is a stranger. When he spots a tracking as much as the food-motivated human or another dog, he bolts; he Pyrenean Shepherds ones. It worked well, but food is sim- doesn’t wait around to see if it’s some- Tracking With Puppies pler for most handlers. one he knows. The only way you are y experiences in doing tracking Because scent work is such a natural likely to get the dog at this point is if Mwith puppies—Pyrenean activity even for very young dogs, they he happens to run into a yard and gets Shepherds, Great Pyrenees, and a Basset learn to work cooperatively with their cornered, or if he goes into a trap.” Hound—have been such a source of humans in the least stressful way possible. A lost Sheltie often spends his first bonding with each new canine Watching the puppies enjoy their few days hiding out, Darla says. While companion that tracking now is a part first teamwork with such ease has con- this means the dog may not be spotted of my initial training for every puppy. vinced me that tracking can begin to right away, it also gives searchers a small The Pyrenean Shepherds who live pave the way for other, more demand- window of opportunity to get the with me earned their Tracking Dog ing training when the pup’s age is still word out, because the dog is likely to titles at 9 and 10 months; the Great counted in weeks. be hiding in the same general area Pyrenees earned theirs at 8 and 10 —Kathleen Monje, where he went missing. It may take months; and the Basset Hound earned [email protected] several days for him to feel comfortable

AKC GAZETTE • 39 • SEPTEMBER 2013 September 2013 Volume 130, Number 9

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Table of Contents AKC News 2 President’s Letter • 3 Updates • 7 Times Past • 8 Dog People • 41 Secretary’s Pages BREED COLUMNS Toys Non-Sporting Herding 9 Affenpinschers 19 American Eskimo Dogs 27 Australian Cattle 35 German 10 Brussels Griffons 19 Boston Terriers Dogs Shepherd Dogs 10 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 20 Bulldogs 28 Australian 36 Norwegian 11 Chinese Cresteds 20 Chinese Shar-Pei Shepherds Buhunds 11 Chihuahuas 21 Chow Chows 29 Bearded 36 Old English 12 English Toy Spaniels 22 Dalmatians 29 Sheepdogs 12 Havanese 22 Finnish Spitz 29 Belgian Malinois 37 Pembroke Welsh 13 Italian Greyhounds 23 French Bulldogs 30 Belgian Corgis 14 Japanese Chin 23 Keeshonden Sheepdogs 38 Polish Lowland 14 Maltese 24 Lhasa Apsos 31 Belgian Tervuren Sheepdogs 15 Miniature Pinschers 24 Löwchen 31 Border Collies 38 Pulik 16 Papillons 25 32 Bouviers des 39 Pyrenean 16 Pekingese 25 Shiba Inu Flandres Shepherds 16 Pugs 26 Tibetan Spaniels 32 39 Shetland 17 Shih Tzu 27 Tibetan Terriers 33 Canaan Dogs Sheepdogs 17 Silky Terriers 34 Cardigan Welsh 40 Swedish 18 Toy Fox Terriers Corgis Vallhunds 18 Yorkshire Terriers 34 Collies 35 Entlebucher Mountain Dogs * Links to AKC Parent Clubs appear following Secretary’s Pages * BREED COLUMNS SCHEDULE Sporting and Working Hound and Terrier Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding January, April, July, and October February, May, August, and November March, June, September, and December ©AKC