Monday, October 15, 2007

Walking all weekend

All this weekend we were at a huge trade show for the pet industry. We found some wonderful new stuff for small dogs - it'll be rolling in here over the next few weeks. Just a few quick impressions:
  • Small dogs are still huge (so to speak)
  • We don't care what anybody says - other than Halloween & costume parties, dogs do not need their fur dyed, or wigs
  • Paper is heavy and carrying a thousand catalogs around in a tote bag results in sore shoulders
  • We're very glad we cheated and brown-bagged it - $13 is too much to spend on a turkey sandwich
  • Just because you're not at work doesn't mean you're not working
  • Good shoes are crucial for conventions

On a mixed positive/negative note - we saw at least a dozen French Bulldogs at the convention. That's a pretty clear indication that the breed is getting very, very popular. And while we think everyone who meets one will fall in love, we all know it's not the healthiest thing for any breed to get too popular. Unscrupulous people will always jump on bandwagons to turn quick profits - not a good way to produce healthy puppies.

We also saw lots of Chihuahuas, Shih-Tzus, Poodles and Schnauzers, some Dachshunds, a Great Dane and one Doberman Pinscher. I saw the Dobe as we were going down the escalator to the first floor of the show and I thought to myself "What a good-looking dog!" Then Fran asked if I was planning to walk right by our friend Geri and her Dobe, Ryder. How awful is it that I paid no attention, whatsoever, to who was at the other end of the Dobe's leash? Not to mention that I didn't recognize Ryder!

4 comments:

ally said...

What is the difference between French Bulldogs and Old Victorian Bulldog?

Hope said...

Learn something new every day! I'd never heard of Old Victorian Bulldogs til you mentioned them! They have the same derivation, as it turns out, but OVB seems to be bigger, with different ears, and a more turned-out front:
http://www1.freewebs.com/oldevictorianbulldogge/

As opposed to the French Bulldog, which is a long-established breed recognized by most national Kennel Clubs: http://www.akc.org/breeds/french_bulldog/index.cfm

Anonymous said...

With a young dog who requires exercise and a mom who gets bored walking the same route, we meet many breeds we've never seen outside of the Westminster broadcasts we watch religiously every February. I have the same concern about overexposure. I had Bichons before all the movie stars, and watched the breed deteriorate as so many greedy breeders got into the act.

Uncivil said...

I can remember the dog's names at the dog park easier than the owners. I'll greet someone and say "you're Lulu's mom", or something to that effect.