caniculture

[caniculture]

Just going to ramble a bit because, if my friend is to be believed, what else is Tumblr for.

People who don’t know shit about proper dog husbandry and have never been to a show or had their hands on a dog need to shut up about proper ethics. If you don’t understand why a dog looks and is structured and acts the way it does then you shouldn’t have a say in it. People who cannot spell Brachycephalic and don’t know the actual history of Brachycephalic Breeds and the specific, likely now extinct, breeds that went into developing them shouldn’t have a say in the breeding, legality, or husbandry of them. The Dog Fancy hobby is dying and with the death of it comes the death and extinction of wellbred, well-structured dogs as a whole, mixed breed or not.

And, it is not just the actions of ARAs and the manipulated, unaware public that are leading to the death of the hobby. As someone new to the hobby that’s overly passionate about dogs, I have been talked down to by people in the hobby every step that I have taken further into the hobby, I will only put one of these examples here. I was originally interested in Beauceron and when I looked into the breed and talked to some people in the breed that were rude and put me off a little, but, I didn’t want to give up, the breed seemed to be everything I wanted; a driven, smart breed that excels at many many sports and has the desire to try anything with their owner at least once, and then I learned about the biggest source of drama in the breed, a well-known breeder knowingly selling a puppy to a zoophile and all the people supporting and shielding her from criticism. When I wanted to talk about it to find breeders who aren’t associated with her I was met with harassment and was told that it was “no big deal” and other statements undermining the situation. That was when I gave up on the breed.

I’m sure there are many good people and good breeders of Beauceron, but, as a sensitive and autistic 18 year old just looking to dip his toes into showing and sports at the time, I couldn’t handle that part of the community.

Then I talked to a delightful person who has and breeds Cardigan Welsh Corgis who pointed me towards Manchesters and told me to keep an open mind to breeds until I find the ones that click. They said that they had started with Manchesters and that Manchester people were very welcoming. This is true, every Manchester person I have spoken with, both in person and online, has been delightful. However, the Manchesters I had met, despite being wonderful dogs and the breed as a whole just being wonderful, didn’t quite click with me. The breeders and exhibitors and owners of Manchesters that I had met are the only reason that I had the courage to try again in the community and hobby as a whole.

Then, I joined many dog groups and talked to more people, reached out to some people about Japanese Akitainu, a breed I had adored since childhood, and they had been nothing but welcoming and encouraging. They helped me figure out what breeds would fit me best and connected me to some people to talk with and hopefully meet in person at a show so I can meet their dogs in person. The breeds they suggested were Kishu and Shikoku, both primitive breeds that mixed very well with my needs and even with most of my wants.

Then through them I found out about the Japanese Terrier, a terrier breed bred for companionship that still has that terrier spice in a small, around 10” to 13” to the shoulder, package. An alert dog that gets along with most other dogs and enjoys dog sports.

I hope someday to be a breeder for at least one of the following breeds as they have truly captured my heart, I don’t think any other breed could fit quite as well as what I’ve heard about these breeds could:

Kishu, Shikoku, Japanese Terriers, and/or Algarve Barrocal Dogs.

Now, you may be wondering about Algarve Barrocal Dogs as they aren’t really known outside of Portugal and I had not brought them up earlier in my ramble, well, this is because I found out about their existence completely on my own while I was learning about the culture that my father left behind. They are a medium sized, primitive hunting breed that comes from Barrocal in Algarve, Portugal.

Described as perfectly suited for the rough terrain of Barrocal, they were bred to be prolific hunters that are lively and accepting of other dogs, they should be tolerant with a “pyramid shaped” head. If I had to choose a breed they looked the most like I’d choose the Silken Windhound, but don’t think they’re interchangeable, there are several key differences. Algarve Barrocal Dogs are also not recognized by the AKC, UKC, or even the FCI yet, so in order to get involved with them I’d have to visit Portugal and track down the right people which I hope to do someday, they’re amazing dogs and if everything goes well I hope to bring them to the US and help them get recognized if I could manage and afford such a venture in the future

If I could afford and manage to breed all 4 breeds I would, however, it seems more likely that I’ll start with Kishu and Shikoku and see if I could handle more from there. I get to go to my second show ever the weekend of October 20th, it’s in my hometown, I’m hoping that some dogs of the breeds I’m interested in will be there this year, however, I’m aware that it’s a long shot and will continue to attempt to meet dogs and breeders from these breeds.

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All of this to say, don’t talk on things you aren’t willing to listen to others who are more educated about, and if you choose to talk on something, don’t get pissy if someone corrects you respectfully. The hobby needs to pull together and be more welcoming, if we stay divided and not willing to talk about controversies and not willing to hold people accountable, we will fall and the breeds we love will have less and less good breeders keeping them healthy and stable. We should be nurturing people’s interest and fascination, not stomping them down for asking “stupid” questions or pointing out things and asking about why we do things the way we do.

I hope to be getting my first wellbred dog soon enough but, I know I can handle it. I know I’m prepared. I hope to see the hobby be what I know it can be, these bans will keep coming and affecting things for the worst if we don’t politely and respectfully educate the public, go out and talk about our dogs, help people find good breeders and be able to identify bad breeders and the shades of gray between, and encourage people to show and perform with their dogs instead of tearing them down for mistakes. I hope to see a community that’s less clique-y and more supportive of each other in the future.

Once I'm established with my dogs and have been around the block, absolutely I will be encouraging and helping new people handle, show, and do sports with their dogs. I may be a purebred snob but will never ever turn my nose up at new people who are willing and able to learn or even people wanting to argue. We're all just people who love dogs at the end of the day, we should help each other achieve the best we possibly can so we can do justice for all of the amazing breeds out there, even if some aren't personally our tastes. We all have things we can learn from each other and I cannot wait to learn even more about dogs and this amazing, yet nerve-wracking to get into, hobby!

Sincerely,

Luka of CaniCulture🐾

Canine Trinket Collector

Dog Enthusiast and Aspiring Photographer

Aspiring Dog Groomer, Breeder, Exhibitor, and Trainer