Elan Jim v Ruskin

Elan Jim

Ruskin

Elan Jim a tricolour merle WBC

Ruskin also a tricolour but with less brown.

Elan Jim is from Wales. Ruskin followed me as a puppy in a town about 30 miles from the Welsh border so don’t know from what georgraphical. But it would not be unreasonable to assume whoever may have wanted a WBC could have got him from Wales. Both have a cheecky daintiness., but behind that a highly intelligent, motivated and serious dog. It is possible that both are from a similar eco or regional type, from the geographical and cultureally defined genepool of Welsh dogs.

Ruskin was an amazing dog, so if there are similarities or connections between them  any contribution from Elan Jim would be of benefit.

 

Beardie Evolution

What Status the Bearded Collie?

Someone on the Pedigree Dogs Exposed, annonymous 22 January 2011 11:22 left a comment implying Working Bearded Collies years ago might not have been looked after as well as dogs are today. This to me throws up the question, do we really understand the psyche of the Bearded Collie and our own history with them?

Unlike a gun dog, which is an extension of a person’s arm, reaching out for them and retrieving a shot bird. A Bearded Collie is an extension of a person’s mind. They are eyes on the high pasture miles away. They are the hearing for the wolf approaching the flock in the night. They are the sense of smell finding a lost calf under a snow covered bush.

They are the movement and the muscle to round up the stock. They are the courage protecting the home. Like the Celtic Shaman would throw his sight through the eyes of an eagle to see the world from upon high. So the Beardie was the familiar, through whom the farmer or crofter lived his life.

The Beardie was the quad bike, the shotgun, the burglar alarm, the cattle truck. In a time of few possessions the Beardie was the most prized of all possession of all. The Beardie was the means by which they could exist.

Is to consider a working dog was not looked after a misunderstanding of the breed, somehow demeaning to the Beardie’s heritage? A Beardie does not mature as a working dog until 3 years old, that is a lot of investment, for poor people living barely above subsistence, before they got a return as a contribution to the means of providing for the family.

Surely the Beardie was not just a treasured possession, more like half their souls.

Dog Days Perth Scotland 20/21 August 2011

Hello the UK and Ireland dog world.

You are all invited to the beautiful:

 North Inch Perth Scotland 20/21 August 2011 for a Dog Days weekend

of canine fun, communication and amusement.

Part of the event will be the first Skyhoundz European Qualifier for the World Dog Disc Championships in the UK.

There will be agility, obedience, demos, speakers etc all to do with dogs. If you would like to take part please contact us.

Put the date in your diary and please tell all your friends so they don’t miss out.

The Bearded Collie Debate

Interesting debate on Bearded Collies from Pedigree Dogs Exposed, which triggerd other comments on a Beardie list and constructive discussion on the Friendly Beardie Collie site. Bring it on!

A Present Under the Tree

Snow Don’t Stop the Show

Opening the curtains this morning and there it was, the promised snow. Can you do disc work in it? So off me and Seiben went for our first experience of snow together. The army TA or whatever were training on the North Inch, they had a Rhodesian Ridgeback to keep them company. Seiben and the Ridge had a run around and a tangle together for a few minutes, then we left and found a place to get the disc out.

Though covered in Ridgeback slobber Seiben waits for discwork in the snow

Crunchy firm snow provided ideal conditions for precise discwork

After a good workout there is nothing more refreshing than a dip in the Tay, snow on the ground and minus 2 is just right for a WBC

More like an Alaskan bear fishing for salmon than a WBC

 

On one Bearded Collie list there was a discussion on how to dry a Bearded Collie. After coming out of the Tay Seiben had a mad run around with a German Pointer then another 30 minutes running about interspersed with recalls and aways. When we got back to the flat I was surprised to find his coat on the outside was covered in ice.

Despite his coat being relatively short until it fully grows back probably towards the end of February it still had the insulating properties to maintain his body temperature while only about an inch away it was below freezing. That is one serious temperature gradient. And an indicator of how the WBC is adapted to the harsh winter Highland environment.

When Leave Means Leave

At The End of The Rainbow

Eye to Eye Contact