In August the Danish Bulldog Club hosted a bulldog show in Denmark, where Omlet sponsored prizes for the ‘Most Beautiful Head’ category! We had a chat with the organisers to learn a bit more about the bulldog and find out why they focus so much on promoting the healthy bulldog.
Why is there a focus on promoting health in bulldogs at this show?
We focus on promoting bulldog health at all our shows and the reason why we have so much focus precisely on health is that many bulldogs (many different varieties) unfortunately have become more and more at risk of illness.
We believe it’s important to show the healthy dog that can breathe, move freely, is not bothered by allergies etc.
What are the signs of a healthy bulldog? And what are the most common health problems in bulldogs?
A healthy bulldog can move around freely. Meaning it is not physically limited. Open nostrils that do not create breathing problems, and it’s important that they are not overweight since this can put pressure on their hips etc.
The most common health problems are skin problems, hip/elbow dysplasia, breathing problems/narrow nostrils.
For those interested in getting a bulldog, what can they do to ensure they buy a healthy one? And how can you help your bulldog stay healthy if you already have one?
When buying a bulldog, the best way you can make sure it’s healthy is by seeing documentation for the parents such as x-rays of the hips, elbows, back etc. If possible, it is best to met both parents, but at least you need to see the mother.
Likewise, it’s important that you familiarise yourself with the breed and for instance go to a show where you can see and meet different dogs and breeders.
When you have your bulldog, the best thing you can do is to keep it slender/muscular and in good shape. Make sure it gets the right amount of exercise, food and lots of love. Remember that the bulldog is not just a sofadog. A bulldog needs exercise and stimulation just like other breeds.
What is the best thing about bulldogs compared to other dog breeds?
The bulldog is a very versatile breed which is suitable for everything from family dog to a hardworking training buddy.
The dogs enormous personality makes it a fun and loving member of the family and its muscular body og strong determination makes it the ultimate training partner for everything from obedience to weightpull.
Generally, the bulldog easily adapts to the individual family’s needs.
How many different varieties of bulldog are there and do you host shows for all of them in DBC?
There are: English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Old English Bulldog, Leavitt Bulldog, Renascence Bulldog, Continental Bulldog, American Bulldog etc.
However, in Denmark the American Bulldog is illegal.
So far, we only host shows for the OEB and Leavitt Bulldogs.
What might people not know about bulldogs?
They are super charming and very stubborn but they bring out smiles and laughs every single day.
***Winners of the ‘Most Beautiful Head’ category – sponsored by Omlet***
This entry was posted in Dogs
Last month, the Danish championships for guinea pigs were held in Copenhagen. The championships were hosted by Dansk Marsvineklub (The Danish Guinea Pig Association). The association’s purpose is to spread knowledge about the animals, and how to best care for and feed them and shows are held throughout the country where members meet up and exhibit their animals.
There were 3 main classes:
- Pure bred: Judged by the standard for each breed, for example whether the hair is properly coloured, if the eyes and ears are large and are placed correctly etc.
- Pets: All animals are welcome and emphasis is placed on the animal’s general condition, well-being and temperament. Denmark is known for the best pets throughout the Nordic region. We will return to this point…
- Juniors: A class for exhibitors under the age of 15. Same requirements as for the pets class, however, here emphasis is also placed on the interaction between children and animals and the child’s knowledge of the daily care
In addition, there are also some “for fun” competitions:
- Dress up competition
- Cucumber eating
- Weight competition
WINNER OF THE DRESS UP COMPETITION
The winner of the dress up competition was 5 month old Bluebells Teddiursa who was dressed as a dinosaur!
Here’s some of the other dress up entries!
WINNER OF THE CUCUMBER-EATING COMPETITION
How did you prepare for this competition?
“The animals feel safe with us – this is the theory. They feel so safe when we’re standing down there at the table. So they come to us and because they know we’re there and looking after them, they just dare to sit and eat and relax. Even the little one there who’s 2 months old, he was number 3 in the competition. We were number 1, 2 and 3 – and that happens almost every time. We take the guinea pigs up and feed them every day, they’re real pets! So you could say that we are practicing every day.”
This family (mother and two sons) were number 1, 2 and 3 in the cucumber-eating competition this year. The boys are both 14 years old, so it’s the final year that they’re allowed to compete in the junior class. Next year they have to compete with the pets. How do they feel about this?
“Well we’re already allowed to compete with the pets now – it’s only the adults that can’t compete with the juniors.”
The family has only once returned home from a guinea pig show without the cucumber-eating rosette.
“This was in February. Their favourite guinea pig was ill and they decided that she should be allowed to compete in the cucumber competition one last time, even though they knew she probably wouldn’t win it.”
You can learn more about Guinea Pigs by reading the Omlet Guinea Pig Guide here
This entry was posted in Guinea Pigs
Everyone is going barking mad about Crufts 2018! We were lucky enough to attend on Thursday which is the day dedicated to Working and Pastoral breeds of dog.
What is a working dog? A working dog is the type of canine who can be trained to perform tasks and tricks to assist in work or merely for entertainment such as the agility demonstrations you see on TV at Crufts. Working breeds can be used in the police, as therapy dogs, guide dogs etc. The breeds include Boxers, St.Bernards, Mastiffs, Dobermann, Komondor, German Shepherds and many more.
What is a Pastoral breed? A pastoral breed is typically referred to as a herding dog. These dogs are bred to work with livestock as guardians and to herd the animals around. The Kennel Club’s list of Pastoral breeds include, Collies, Welsh Corgies, Swedish Lapphund, Sheepdogs etc.
Upon arriving at the NEC in Birmingham, UK we were slightly overwhelmed with the size of this event, there’s so much to see and do, we would definitely recommend purchasing a show guide and looking online before you attend to plan out your day. We took our time looking around all the booths and learning about some great new products on the market, we also spent plenty of time over in the ‘Discover Dogs’ area where you can see hundreds of different dogs and breeds from countries across the world, we got slightly sidetracked in this area as we were able to cuddle the most adorable puppy.
We spoke with some fantastic charities throughout the day including rescue dogs, shelters and therapy dogs who have been assisting people with their disabilities, it was really rewarding to see how dogs can have such a positive influence on people’s lives. It was nice to be at an event dedicated to celebrating how great dogs are!
Towards the end of the day we made our way over to the Main Arena which is where you see the majority of the shows and performances on TV. The arena was huge but these dogs didn’t seem phased at all. Watching the dogs in the Freestyle Heelwork to Music category was incredible, the stories and choreography these owners and canines were able to perform was spectacular with Cinderella and her owner sweeping first prize with their Disney inspired tale. We were also able to catch the Kennel Club British Open Agility Final which was equally as impressive. This is the category where the dogs have to race around the arena in an assault course including hurdles, hoops, tunnels and the famous A frame, all of the trainers are kitted out in their sportsgear and trainers ready to sprint as they have to lead their pups around the course at lightning speed.
If you haven’t caught any of the Crufts coverage this year we would recommend having a look at clips on Youtube.
To start training your own puppy or dog we would recommend beginning with crate training as a first step before you try any of the hoops or hurdles! To check Omlet’s range of fabulous new Fido Studio dog crates, click here.
This entry was posted in Dogs
We recently attended the Royal County of Berkshire Show up at Newbury Showground. We wanted to give everyone a chance to come and see the New Eglu Cube in action and we were amazed by how many people came out to see us, especially the troopers who came on the very windy and rainy Saturday.
We appreciated everybody’s feedback and welcomed any questions or queries with regards to the new model.
We will not be featuring at any more shows this year however we do have the opportunity for you to come and see the New Eglu Cube at Omlet HQ in Wardington, Banbury.
Please give our customer service team a call on 01295 750094 or just drop by and a member of the team will be happy to help you!
This entry was posted in Offers and promotions
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