Pure Dog Talk

The Conversation at the Top is Different: Finding a Mentor [caption id="attachment_13021" align="alignleft" width="482"] Christian Rutten with one of his top winning Golden Retrievers.[/caption] Breeder-handler Christian Rutten joins host Laura Reeves to encourage new exhibitors and breeders in finding a mentor. “I think the biggest mistake people make is they cut corners,” Rutten said. “They find...

Puppies and Kids: Expert Insight on Best Practices Dr. Marty Greer, DVM and host Laura Reeves talk about bringing home your new puppy, introducing it to your children, how puppies and children interact appropriately, and how to make that be a really positive experience. “The first place I would start,” Greer said, “is if you don't already have a breed that you have selected and you have children,...

Sheila Goffe On the CDC's Importation Regulations Sheila Goffe, AKC Vice President of Government Relations, joins host Laura Reeves to discuss the CDC's soon to be implemented rule about importing dogs into the US. Goffe provides background on retail rescue as the impetus for CDC's regulations, the work AKC, NAIA and other stake holders have provided to the CDC and the most recent update to the ru...

Host Laura Reeves is joined by Bo Bengtson, legendary breeder, judge and author of The Whippet: An Authoritative Look at the Breed’s Past, Present and Future. Questions for Bo: [caption id="attachment_12997" align="alignleft" width="490"] Bo Bengtson judging the American Whippet Club National Specialty.[/caption] 1) This is your fourth edition of the quintessential book, “The Whippet,” first publi...

Espen Engh Offers a Master Class on Dog Breeding Famed Norwegian Greyhound breeder and judge, Espen Engh, is back with host Laura Reeves offering a Master Class on dog breeding. “When we started out, there was a combination of two very different British strains that had proven that it worked really worked,” Engh said. “Those two breeders were at the end of their career and they hadn't mixed their...

Espen Engh on Greyhounds and Judging Host Laura Reeves is joined from Norway by famed breeder and judge Espen Engh of Jet’s Greyhounds for a two part conversation about Greyhounds, judging, breeding and why the Scandinavian dogs are so consistent in quality. [caption id="attachment_12982" align="alignleft" width="376"] Int. Ch. Jet’s Elegant Negress, Engh's first Best in Show winner from his first...

Drinking from a Firehose: Puppy Enrichment Weeks 5 to 8 Dr. Marty Greer joins host Laura Reeves for a continuation of their conversation about puppies and neonates. Puppies raised properly are given the best possible start to their future. Today’s topic is enrichment, all of the things that we can do in the five to eight week period between “their eyes are open, they're eating solid food, they're...

Puppy Brain: How Our Dogs Learn, Think and Love Author Kerry Nichols joins host Laura Reeves for a review of her new book, “Puppy Brain: How Our Dogs Learn, Think and Love.” Nichols’ book is written for the dog buying public to help them understand how to find a breeder, what a responsible breeder looks like, how puppies learn, and how breeders and buyers can work together to raise well-adjusted d...

Juniors’ Best Advice: Always Strive to Improve Octavia Stensen, Best Junior at Westminster Kennel Club this year, joins host Laura Reeves for the behind the scenes story of how a non-dog show kid just capped off the triple crown of junior showmanship, having also won Best Junior at the AKC National Championship and made finals in Juniors at Crufts. Stensen’s family acquired a Norwegian Buhund when...

What Your Puppies’ Poopy Tells You Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for an extended conversation about puppy poopy. Color, consistency, contents and coating of the puppy’s stool give detailed information about its gut health. They also discuss prevention and treatment of common intestinal upset. “A yellow, softened, seedy stool is absolutely normal (for the first two weeks),” Greer sai...

Study Shows Purebred Dogs Healthier Overall than Mixed Breeds Dr. Kiersten Forsyth, DVM cardiology resident at Purdue and lead author of the recent paper from the Dog Aging Project discussing findings on health in our canine companions, joins host Laura Reeves with the details, which are not necessarily the same as what you might have heard. “The Dog Aging Project is this really cool community sci...

NOHS Regional Events from the Club’s Perspective Ryan Horvath and Sandra Pretari Hickson join host Laura Reeves to discuss the upcoming first ever NOHS Regional Event at their Harvest Moon Classic dog shows Oct. 17-20 this year. “Since the inception of the owner handled competition, we've included it in our shows every year,”  Horvath said. “And we've also recognized the need to elevate it to a st...

Best Advice from Best in Show Judge, Roz Kramer Roz Kramer, Best in Show judge for Westminster Kennel Club last week, joins host Laura Reeves with advice, stories, suggestions and tips for all exhibitors. On judging Best in Show at Westminster [caption id="attachment_12915" align="alignleft" width="255"] Kaz Hosaka, winning BIS at WKC with the Miniature Poodle, Sage.[/caption] “You know, you're se...

The New Voice of Westminster Kennel Club Host Laura Reeves is joined by Valerie Nunes-Atkinson, handler, breeder and the new color commentator at Westminster Kennel Club. “So I think one of the reasons why I've been brought in is because of some of the things that you mentioned, being a handler, having lived it and been there. So I'm hoping to bring the insight from that perspective, from the hand...

Expert Tips for Expanding Puppies' Minds Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for their ongoing conversation about raising puppies. This month they’re talking week four, when the puppies’ minds are exploding with new sensory input. [caption id="attachment_12902" align="alignleft" width="528"] From Dr. Greer's "Canine Reproduction and Neonatology"[/caption] “When the puppies first open thei...

Eye Emergencies Can Go From 0 to 60 in a Blink Host Laura Reeves is joined by veterinary ophthalmologist Stacey Halse for a deep dive on eye emergencies in our dogs. [caption id="attachment_12861" align="alignleft" width="385"] Dr. Stacey Halse, veterinary ophthalmologist, with one of her Dobermans.[/caption] “Eyes are a very unique structure when it comes to every other organ, well, most other or...

Westminster Kennel Club Fashionista Advice Host Laura Reeves is joined by Veronica Wolfe of Best In Show Clothes, talking about that *perfect* WKC outfit, hair, nails, makeup and more. “So, you know Westminster, it is the premier dog sport event of the year,” Wolfe noted. “It is the second oldest sporting event in the nation only behind the Kentucky Derby and then only by two years. It's been goin...

Neonates Deep Dive: Caring for the Dam and Hypocalcemia Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves for a continuation of their ongoing conversation about neonates. The discussion today includes hypocalcemia and eclampsia, how much calcium to supplement and when. “For some bitches, you need to continue (calcium supplementation) until the puppies are weaned,” Greer said. “It depends on the size of...

Show Safe Launches for the Dog Sport Community Host Laura Reeves is joined by Mary Dukes, Lindsay Fetters and Carissa Shimpeno to discuss their new grassroots launch of Show Safe . The organization encourages all exhibitors to take the Safe Sport program and offers a lapel pin to those who complete it. “I knew about Safe Sport through my daughter, who's a professional horse trainer,” Dukes said. “...

Tools to Help Protect Vulnerable Victims [caption id="attachment_12816" align="alignleft" width="335"] Pam Bruce, judging in Orlando.[/caption] Host Laura Reeves is joined by Pam Bruce, a 32-year veteran of the Toronto Police Department where she was a sex crimes investigator. Pam was also Canada's first acknowledged expert in this field. With recent arrests that have dramatically impacted the pur...

Kelly Lyn Marquis Shares Her Insights from the Masters [caption id="attachment_12798" align="alignleft" width="368"] Kelly Lyn Marquis in the ring.[/caption] Host Laura Reeves is joined by Kelly Lyn Marquis to discuss the stories in Marquis' new book Behind the Scenes of Best in Show: Intimate Moments with the Masters. "When I started writing (the book)," Marquis said, "I was seeing some dissensio...

What to Do at WKC from the Queen of Queens [caption id="attachment_12785" align="alignleft" width="353"] Host Laura Reeves and Denise Flaim at Crufts '24.[/caption] Denise Flaim, lifelong resident of Queens, joins host Laura Reeves with a personal guided tour of what to do while at Westminster Kennel Club , slated for May 11, 13-14 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. “Qu...

At-Home Early Cancer Detection Test Hits the Market Chan Namgong, founder of Oncotect , joins host Laura Reeves for a very personal discussion of the value of early cancer detection for our dogs. Namgong launched his company in 2019 in the aftermath of his mother’s cancer diagnosis. He already knew that dogs can detect human cancer by scent. But then he learned about a group of scientists that dis...

Managing Your New Puppies’ Critical First 72 Hours Dr. Marty Greer, DVM joins host Laura Reeves to discuss managing the critical first 72 hours with new puppies. A recurring theme with breeders and new litters is the term “fading puppy.” “(Fading puppy) is basically we're just lumping a bunch of stuff together and calling it fading puppy,” Greer said, “because we don't necessarily have a confirmed...

CRUFTS! Preview with breeder, exhibitor, judge Sharon Pinkerton [caption id="attachment_12769" align="alignleft" width="329"] Sharon Pinkerton with one of her 66 champion GWP.[/caption] Sharon Pinkerton, Bareve GWP, joins host Laura Reeves to preview the Crufts dog show held in Birmingham, England on March 7-10. Pinkerton, who was raised with Greyhounds and English Cocker Spaniels, will judge Spin...