Retirement Breeds

There's no avoiding the fact that we're all getting older — and especially around the conformation ring. Just surf the various dog-show websites and those for the publications, and see the number of articles that lament the graying of the sport, the increasing average age of the people involved, and so on. Look around you at the next dog show you attend, and note the proportion of gray-haired judges and exhibitors to younger ones. (While you're there, do something nice for a junior handler, even if it's just to say, "Good job." They are the future of this sport, and fewer and fewer of them are taking up show handling instead of XBox.)

Not that I mean this post to be a downer. It's just that I've noticed the subjects of conversations with my friends drifting toward certain subjects more and more often as time goes on. One very popular theme these days is the Retirement Breed. Almost everyone I speak with at a show has, at one time or another, started a sentence with, "When I retire, I think I might get myself [X breed]."

Retirement Breeds are almost always smaller than people's current breeds. Some have easier-care coats. Some have the same sorts of coats as the speakers' current breeds. In Beardie-land, a number of people have "downsized" from Beardies to Lowchens or Havanese — same amount of grooming, but on a dog you can gait around the show ring at a walk, show on a table, and pick up and carry easily.

I'm honestly not ready for the little dogs yet, if ever. Having grown up with Newfies, I still maintain an overwhelming fondness for the giants. I would have a house full of Irish Wolfhounds if they only lived a little longer. As it is, I proudly point to Dinah and say, "I've already downsized! She's the smallest dog I've ever owned."

Still, playing the game of "What If" with friends is fun and doesn't cost anything. The subject of Retirement Breeds came up around the stewards' lunch table at the Penobscot shows. Aside from the folks with Shelties and Chihuahuas, who have probably already downsized enough, nearly everybody added a Retirement Breed to the pile.

French Bulldogs appeared to be the paws-down favorite; quite a few people would trade a little snoring for a short, easy-care coat. Many of those folks thought that Boston Terriers or Whippets wouldn't be bad breeds to downsize to, either. One person offered up a Smooth Collie as a breed that still was respectably big enough to have fun with, but with an appealingly low-maintenance coat.

For myself, I can't imagine not having a Beardie around the house. Long-haired smaller breeds just don't make adequate substitutes for me. Actually, most short-haired small breeds don't do a lot for me, either. If I did cave in and draw up a Retirement Breed Bucket List, perhaps these breeds might make their way onto it:

• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I just love this breed and always have.
• Skye Terrier. I've met a few belonging to friends and think they're just wonderful. They're definitely not little dogs; they just have low centers of gravity.
• Frenchie. Of course, the Frenchie! I had one become my BFF at a Mardi Gras dog parade once.
• Greyhound. Yes, they're big -- but they have hardly any coat, and they wear funky collars so well.
• Standard Poodle. I had one as a kid. Keep a good groomer on speed-dial if you're not the DIY type, but they're wonderful.
• Smooth Collie. All the fun of a Rough Collie with a fraction of the maintenance.

What about you? What breeds would be your Retirement Breeds?

Dispatches from the Confessional

Tuxedo Park Kennel Club, 9/4/09
Dinah: BOS
Badger: 1st in Open
Somerset Hills Kennel Club (Garden State Bearded Collie Clan Regional), 9/5/09
Badger: 2nd in Open



(Note to my Catholic readers: No offense intended, but sometimes you just have to riff on the accidentally funny when it presents itself.)

We always have good memories of the Garden State Regional. Dinah went WB there for the past two years, and this year was the first year she'd be back as a special. The Regional itself had been moved to a show on an earlier date for a couple of reasons: the biggest being that the Ramapo shows took place on the weekend immediately following the National, and people were too dragged out from the National to enter Garden State.

Thus it was with hope in our hearts that Kathy, her junior helper Joanne, Joanne's Portie Brita (World's Cutest Portie Ever), Dinah, Badger, and I converged on New Jersey. We were hoping that both Beardies would make a good showing, and we could keep up the tradition of winning at the Regional. Kathy was also showing Cali for our friend Lesley, and it would be nice to take home Winners Bitch three years in a row.

Our time in the hotel proved to be a special bonding experience for Dinah, the B-Man, Auntie Kathy, and me. Joanne mentioned that Brita usually didn't care for other dogs, but she appeared to really like the Beardies. Dinah was so happy to see Auntie Kathy that she danced and danced... she even danced on Auntie Kathy's head in the middle of the night. Badger stretched out diagonally across my bed, rolled over onto his back, and snored softly. I awoke a couple of times to find myself rolled into a little ball on the bed, with Badger expanding to fill the available space. Brita decided to join in the slumber party and helped Dinah take up all the remaining space on Kathy's bed.

When we reached the show site on Friday, we set up an "assembly line" for the Beardies. Badger went first, since he was the only boy in our little doggie group. I have no expectations for the B-Man; I'm not sure whether I should simply wait until his pigment comes back completely, or just go for it. After all, he is 7 years old already, and I am not going to struggle to finish him.

Much to my surprise, B-Man took first in his class, though the judge didn't give him Winners or Reserve. It did demonstrate to me that some judges would put up a handsome, great-moving dog with iffy pigmentation over a dog whose pigment might be better than his movement. It cheered me, even if he didn't get any points out of the deal.

Back on the grooming table, there was no rest to be had. Lesley got Cali all groomed for 12-18 Bitches, and Joanne prepped Dinah for Breed. It grew hotter and muggier the longer we stayed out there.

Cali ended up going Winners Bitch, and those last three points finished her Championship. It appeared to be a bittersweet experience for Lesley, who would have liked to have finished Cali at the Specialty -- but we take the opportunity to finish when we can.

Finally, Best of Breed came around. Joanne finished getting Dinah ready, and we performed a complicated dance: I held on to Badger, Kathy took Dinah in for Breed, and Cali went back in with Joanne. Dinah showed very nicely -- even in the heat -- and went Best Opposite. "He LOVED her!" Kathy exclaimed as she exited the ring.



Joanne had to stay late into the afternoon for Juniors, so I scooped up Dinah and Badger and decided to head back to the nice-air-conditioned hotel for a quick shower and a room-service lunch. It was just too hot to go anyplace where I'd have had to have left the dogs in the car -- so we returned to the hotel and hung out together. We had ourselves a nice, cool afternoon, shared my salad, and waited for Kathy, Joanne, and Brita to return.

Joanne reported that she had won her class in Juniors, but didn't get Best Junior. Brita strutted around with her pink squeaky toy and didn't seem to care. We all slept more soundly the second night, and Dinah kept her head-dancing to a minimum.

Saturday dawned frickin' hot and sticky and grew even hotter and stickier. Kathy had been running around in Friday's heat and bore up well, but Saturday's temperatures threatened to do her in. (She, like Dinah, is not a fan of the hot weather.) All of us had forgotten to pack the Gatorade, so I made some supply runs to the booth selling vitamin water with electrolytes, and threw in some salty potato chips for fun. We didn't even start showing until late in the afternoon. Joanne and Brit won their Juniors class and came back to wait with us.

Of course, when you're drinking considerable quantities of liquids, sooner or later, you'll have to "pay the rent" on those same liquids. Kathy departed, then returned and told me with a chuckle that someone had taped a sign over the porta-potty door reading "CONFESSIONAL." Thus, every time one of us needed a biology break, we'd depart with the announcement, "I have to go to confession now." "Again? You must have been very bad."

We kept ourselves amused until it FINALLY came time to show. Brenda Wantland appeared to have a very good time judging Sweeps, and we all enjoyed watching Sandy and Casey out there with the veterans. Kathy handled Cali in 12-16 sweeps (she hadn't been moved up after finishing the day before), and Sue handled Jezebel. They placed first and second in their class.



In the regular classes, B-Man took second in his class, but not Reserve. It was a bummer that he didn't do better on Specialty Day, but the handsome brownie that Karen Bowens showed definitely had the better day.



Cali took first and Reserve in the regular classes, and Jezebel took third. They held up well, for having to go run around twice in the heat.

While in the ring, one of the other handlers murmured to Kathy, "If he makes us run around one more time, I'm leaving the ring." Kathy replied, "If he makes us run around the ring one more time, I'll be leaving the ring in an ambulance!"

After more sweat and more confessions, the time finally came for Best of Breed judging. Dinah would have none of it. She wiggled. She sniffed. She looked everywhere but straight ahead. Kathy reported that she looked as though she needed to confess something, but she'd just gone to confession shortly before going into the ring. Apparently she hadn't felt completely absolved of her sins.



It was disappointing that Dinah hadn't felt like showing. Garden State is usually a great show for her, and she did very well there two years in a row. She must have put all of her energy behind the Friday show. She didn't do anything on Saturday, not unexpectedly -- but such a shame. When the Princess doesn't feel like showing, you can't get her to show with bait, bribes, steaks, cold hard cash, a bulldozer, or the entire first violin section of the Boston Symphony. She waited; she made her mind up; she was done. There's nothing else one can do about that.

We're Red Sox fans. Time to raise the battle cry: "Wait 'til next year!"

Another reason why our ring time was such a shame is that it grew too late to enjoy the wonderful buffet lunch that the Garden State club always prepares for members, exhibitors, and friends. By the time our part of the show was over, people were dismantling their setups and packing instead of hanging around and socializing. GSBCC is one of my favorite shows. I hope that next year, the Powers That Be will put us back in the morning so we can enjoy ourselves and enjoy everyone's company more.

A few people were interested in meeting and going over the B-Man, which was nice for both of us. They told me that they felt it was worth trying to finish him, and hoped his pigment came back soon to make that part easier. Some felt that his pink lips wouldn't deter an all-breed judge from giving him some respect, but until the blue fills back in around his eyes, he's going to scare them off. At least I had some reassurance that the effort wouldn't be entirely futile.

I can't believe how quickly this year is going by! In a couple of weeks, we'll be making the Long Trek to Minnesota for the National. Think good thoughts for us.

Long-Lost Doggerel Found!

I've been looking all over for this poem. Someone posted it to the Beardie List eons ago, and I haven't seen it since. Thanks to the magic of Google, it's been found. No one seems to know who the author is, but whomever you are... Thank you!

Lament of a Stud

My job is making puppies
And I get two tries at that
They pat me on the head and say "Good Boy",
and that is that.

It's half my job to give 'em
teeth and toplines, fronts and other,
Remember, it's only Half my job...,
they also have a mother.

It's not my job to carry pups
And make 'em grow and nurse 'em
And feed and clean and make 'em strong
That's for "mother" and a person.

It's not my job to wean
And feed the calcium and food
And stack and gait and housebreak,
And make 'em a "showing" brood.

It's not my job to plan the breeding,
And learn what produces well,
To study pedigrees, learn what's there,
And pick out those to sell.

It's not my job to guarantee champs,
The breeder picks the pair,
To mate and whelp and feed and show,
and HOPE that the champ is there.

It's not my job to be on hand
when points are given out.
The breeder, owner, dam and friends
Take credit with a shout.

It's not my job to deliver a winner.
It's only genes I sell.
But let the puppies turn out bad,
And guess who catches HELL.

A Candid from Crufts

Congratulations to Leo (Bendale's Special Times) and his mom Anne Wilding for winning BOB at Crufts! We were cheering for him for BIS, but the judge didn't pick him for the group. Ah, well.

I hope this link stays up a while, but take a look at this CLASSIC photo taken at the show by a Reuters photographer.

The Westminster Post-Game Show

Congratulations to CH Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee (Stump), the Sussex Spaniel who took BIS at Westminster! We who love our old guys can be especially proud that 10-year-old Stump took the honors, as if to declare that our senior dogs can still show the young pups how it's done in the show ring. Those of us who have less-popular dog breeds can be cheered that for once, a Best in Show judge had the guts to choose the dog from the 145th most popular breed in AKC registrations, instead of just going for the easily-recognizable breeds or the toy dogs again and again.

I'm happy to admit that Stump was my pick for BIS. I fell in love with that beautiful brown face during the Group judging, The camera obviously loved him as much as I did. "There," I told Greg. "There's the dog I would pick for BIS, but he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell. Just you wait -- that Best in Show judge is going to pick a Poodle or some little foo-foo dog. No one ever picks the rare breeds."

Not that I'm knocking the BIS judge at all — Sari Tietjen has been a legend in the dog-showing world for ages, and I remember as a little kid, reading her name in the AKC Gazettes that my uncle gave me back in the '60s and early '70s. Although she is known most for her involvement with Japanese Chin, I could swear she also had Pekingese at one time. (I stewarded for her sister Joy once. We didn't hit it off.) 

Anyway, I was sure that this meant she'd favor the Brussels Griffon -- who was quite the little specimen in his own right. And, of course, there was a Poodle in the ring. I also loved Tiger Woods, the Scottish Deerhound -- another breed that I figured wouldn't get any respect. In short, there wasn't a loser in the bunch -- but the big question remained, Who would be the biggest winner from among the winners?

Was I tickled when Mrs. Tietjen picked Stump! "I can't believe it!" I told Greg. "She picked the best dog there, and it wasn't the Poodle!" I know this means that the Sussex Spaniel Club of America is going to have its collective paws full with people calling to buy Sussex puppies -- but the Sussex is a breed that won't end up going into manufacture to meet the demands of Flavor-of-the-Month fans. 

Stump has a busy year ahead of him, as Uno did last year. As the newly crowned "America's Dog," Stump will be traveling with David Frei, Westminster KC's communications director and my current hero (more on that later), to appearances all over the country. He will assume a new role as spokesdog for all good dogs. He'll visit children and soldiers in hospitals. He'll help educate people about responsible dog ownership. I'm hoping that he'll help people to think about what it means to live with and love a dog, and to help stem the crazy, wrong-headed tide of anti-dog/animal-rights-sponsored legislation that's rising all around the country and trying to end dog ownership as we know it. It's a big job, to be sure. Miss America should have as important a mission. Although David will do a lot of the talking, Stump's gorgeous hazel eyes will also speak volumes.

20 Minutes of Fame, Up From 15

You might remember last year at about this time, when my friend Monica Collins (a.k.a. Ask Dog Lady) asked me about a certain little-discussed, but no less vital, aspect of showing at Westminster. Thanks to Monica's witty syndicated advice column of the same name, dog lovers all over the country (wherever her column appears) had the chance to -- er -- go behind the scenes at the Garden. It just figured that when my 15 minutes of fame came around, that I'd spend it discussing dog poop.

Anyway, when Monica asked me to join her and her co-host on her weekly radio show, I was just tickled to bits. (I did wonder whether I'd have to watch what I said about poop over the airwaves.) We had a delightful time chatting about Stump, and our feeling that his win was a victory for senior dogs everywhere. She asked me to explain some of the acronyms in Dinah's list of accomplishments, and we even had a caller! That was perhaps the quickest 20 minutes I've experienced in my life.

You should be able to hear our portion of the show on the Ask Dog Lady Web site once it's available. The sound experts probably have to edit out all my "um"s and "ah"s. Oh, and we didn't talk about poop. (Much.) The FCC will be proud.

Murphy's Laws Pertaining to Dog Shows

Little disclaimer here: This came from one of the dog showing email lists, and no one there knew who originally wrote it. If I ever find out, I'll post the attribution here. If you wrote it, please drop me a note so I can give you the proper credit. In the meantime, thanks to whomever came up with this in the first place!

1. After trying forever to obtain that elusive second major, you have no problem getting the third major the next day.

2. The Novice people who enter every show and drive 8 hours even if you show at 8am will not show up on the day that it is exactly a major.

3. If you try to build a major, the stuffer will win.

4. Your dog needs a major to finish. You drive 12 hours to a 3-day circuit to discover the superintendent erred in the count and you are one short of a major--and of course your dog is WD. You go home, as the next 2 days are not majors. You get a call Monday morning. The super erred again. The following 2 days were majors and your dog would have probably won, as the judges were great for him.

5. The day you leave your mud boots home because it is the middle of a drought, there will be 12 inches of rain.

6. Although every dog show has dozens of vendors, the day you forget your tack box will be the day the vendors have no show leads.

7. If you go to the trouble of checking out of the hotel before you show, you will not win breed.

8. If you don't check out of the hotel before you show, you will win breed and there will be no time to go back and check out before the group.

9. Your National is always scheduled 2 days ahead of your most promising puppy's 6-month birthday.

10. Your dog will totally blow coat one week before the National, and after you have paid for hotel, airline, banquets, etc.

11. The day you say, "If Buffy doesn't do something today, off to a pet home she goes!", she wins a 5 point major. Of course she never wins another point and all the pet homes have fallen off the face of the earth.

12. And, we all know about the now neutered puppy we sold as a pet and the littermate we kept as a show prospect...

13. If your dog does better as a follower, you will always be forced to be first in line.

14. And of course, if your dog does best at the front of the line, someone will have already beaten you there.

15. The judge you didn't enter under because he hates you/your dogs/your new hair style/whatever draws an overload and your favorite judge in the entire world picks up the overload.

16. Whenever the group judge is one that adores your dog, the breed judge will be the one that told you to pet your dog out. But, if you don't enter, refer to rule 15.)

17. A particular judge always puts up the dog for Best of Winners unless YOUR dog goes Winners Dog and there is only a major in bitches.

18. When you enter a small show that normally has no Specials, 5 of the top 10 dogs in the country will be there.

19. If you do win an easy breed at PoDunk, NoWhere, you will then learn that a dozen top dogs and their handlers have flown in from the furthest corners of the country and they're all in your group.

20. If you win the Group, you will discover that the BIS judge's all time favorite dog has just won its group and the BIS judge has already given it several BIS.

All Right... I Said I Wouldn't, But...

Charlie thinks a Beardie would make a great First Dog!

It's been almost two weeks since President-Elect Obama's public Election-Night promise to his daughters to get them a puppy, and the swell of opinion on the subject shows no sign of lessening. Every dog blogger and his littermate has had to weigh in on the subject -- not to mention all the journalists, political bloggers, armchair politicians, and practically anyone else with a mouth and an opinion. The Ambassador from Peru has offered a Peruvian Inca Dog (hairless) to the soon-to-be First Family. I'm sure that hundreds -- thousands -- of other people have been offering up candidates for First Dog. The offers range from people promoting shelter dog adoptions to fans of some of the other dog breeds who have already graced the White House. Enough, already!

I really thought I would just keep my mouth shut and blog about something else, but I've even been receiving emails from people I know, and whom I don't know, asking whether I could find a rescue Beardie for the White House.

On the plus side, Beardies do have hair rather than fur, and they thus produce a lower level of dander than many other breeds. I wouldn't go so far as to call them hypoallergenic, but a well-kept Beardie has played less havoc with most of my dog-allergic friends and acquaintances than have other dogs.

Does this class them with other dogs rumored to be better for allergic individuals, such as Poodles, Bichons, Soft-Coated Wheatens, and even (may the heavens rain down fury on those "breeders'" heads) Labradoodles? I don't really know. Only Malia Obama, her parents, and her allergist will know for sure.

Even the hairless breeds, such as the Chinese Crested, Peruvian Inca Orchid, Xoloitzcuintle (don't ask me to pronounce that! -- otherwise known as the Mexican Hairless) -- produce saliva. If there are allergens in saliva, then very sensitive individuals might not suffer all that much less with a naked breed. Please forgive me, all of you who own them, but they're just not all that much to look at.

One thing is definite: In order to have a Beardie in the White House, you must be possessed of one hell of a sense of humor, and lots of cleaning supplies besides. Imagine a happy, muddy hairball bouncing all over visiting dignitaries, counter-surfing at state banquets, and leaving miles of muddy pawprint trails through the Lincoln Bedroom, down the halls, and onto the papers on the desk in the Oval Office. Only the British Royal Family, with the Queen's pack of Corgis, would really appreciate the humor.

Not that a First Beardie wouldn't make a great asset. The dumbass TV presenter who got a chunk taken out of his hand by Barney the Scottie (smartest and most articulate member of the Bush family) deserved everything he got by swooping down on the dog, but had there been a Beardie on the scene, the talking head would simply have been covered with mud and had his microphone slurped off instead.

If I had to make a choice for First Breed, I'd recommend a Standard Poodle. They're intelligent, athletic, very trainable, and can be great with kids when bred, raised, and trained properly. They're also not yappy. Their coats are classed among the less allergenic, which means that they might be suitable for Malia.

All the same, I have to smile when I think of what the White House would be like with, say, half a dozen Old English Sheepdogs barreling down the halls.

What Not to Wear, Dog Show Edition

Junior handlers, avert your eyes now!



(Thanks to Dinah's breeder for sending me this one and making me almost spew my morning coffee.)

Dog Show People: A Field Guide

Someone posted this to the Beardie List this morning. I couldn't help but chuckle -- so you enjoy, too.

Dog Show People -- A Field Guide

The #1 Authority on #2

Do you have a dog-related question? At a loss for what to do in a dog-related situation, or just curious about something on the subject of dogs? You can always turn to Ask Dog Lady for advice that is both humorous and helpful. Her Web site design is certifiably Wicked Sharp as well.

Imagine my pleasure when I found an email from her in my inbox this afternoon. She had received a question from a reader on the subject of dogs eliminating during a dog show. My reply, and her column on that delicate subject, appear on the home page of Ask Dog Lady. It's a timely query, considering that the Westminster Kennel Club show takes place over the next two days, and the groups are broadcast on Monday and Tuesday evenings on the USA Network and CNBC. Best in Show takes place on Tuesday night immediately after group judging.

Struck Me Funny!

Usually, whenever something humorous travels around the email "circuit," I get 42 gazillion jillion copies of it from everybody I've ever met (plus a bunch I haven't). This is a historic moment, though: I saw one on the Canadian Show Dogs email list that I hadn't seen before. It's too funny and too truthful not to share.

Unfortunately, any attributions of authorship didn't appear with the original posting... so if you're the author, thanks for a terrific chuckle. I didn't write this, but wish I had.

Enjoy!

Dog Show Terms Explained!

Angulation-
Degree to which dog handlers will bend over backwards to impress judges.

Balance-
(a) How to arrange the chequebook so your husband won't know how much
money you spent on dog shows last month. Usually done in the bathroom
with the door locked;
(b) Ability to hold coffee, danish, leash, treats and entry form all at once.

Bitch-
(a) Name for a lady dog;
(b) Name often heard at dog shows, not always to describe a lady dog.

Blind Retrieve-
When you can't see the toy under the furniture.

CGC-
Canine Gastrointestinal Catastrophe {aka GAS}

Coat-
The hairy covering of a dog that usually falls out about one week before the Specialty show.

Crabbing-
What you do when the judge doesn't like way your dog moves.

Dam-
(a) lady dog with children;
(b) expression frequently overheard at dog shows as losers leave the ring.

Distemper-
Shown by those hot-headed competitors.

Dog-
To chase a judge from show to show in an effort to attain more breed wins.

Double Bind-
Finding two toys under the furniture.

Elbow-
Method of getting to ringside when late.

Expression-
"Sweet" look adopted by dogs while staring ravenously at chunks of liver.

Fancier-
Degree to which some gentlemen handlers dress more than others.

Feathering-
What winners are accused of doing to judges' nests.

FlyBall-
Neutering.

Force Fetch-
Dog drops the toy under furniture, scratches at the carpet until you're forced to "fetch" it.

Front-
Part of the dog often stacked toward the outside of the ring.

Guard Hair-
An activity in which one watches intently as the dog's hair falls out, in clumps, just after entries are mailed.

Heel-
(a) what you feel like when your dog beats the one you had just sold to an eager novice;
(b) expression often screamed to attract the attention of deaf dogs.

Height-
As in "Maximum Allowed," a measurement which all champions fall under by AT LEAST 1/8 of an inch.

Hock-
A way of financing your dog shows by the use of jewellery such as wedding rings.

Kennel-
Where you go when the kids fight and your husband yells at you.

Litter-
Trash left all over the building and parking lot after a dog show.

Mask-
What to wear when you have to show the pet you sold six months ago.

Muzzle-
What to put on your kids at a dog show to prevent them from calling your competition what they overheard you call him last night.

Noseprints-
Cute marks left all over your French doors.

Outcrossing-
What your husband tells the minister you are doing out in the kennel with the dog and the bitch.

Overshot-
Running so fast as to pass the 1st place ring marker and plow into the judge and the stewards.

Pedigree-
Dog food with lots of great coupons.

Points-
Minute, invisible awards for winning which you cannot convince your spouse are more important than cash prizes.

Puppies-
Small, dog like food-processing machines with the ability to stink up an entire house and collectively deafen a band of magpies. (These creatures have not yet been perfected, as they come with leaky systems, and can also be dangerous to weak hearts and bank accounts.)

Qualifying Score-
Justifying the 170.5 you got in obedience today.

Ribbons-
What you want to cut the other exhibitors into, after their pet wins.

Specialty-
Whatever your dog is good at, like bringing home dead cats or chewing on walls.

Type-
What your dog has... if you turn down the lights and squint a little.

Utility-
The kind of vehicle you need to haul around your dogs.