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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-07-12, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012. PAGE 13. Remains found in ACW Belgrave girl leads dog to victory at show The Bluewater Kennel Club’s annual dog show proved to be a great chance for Belgrave-area dog breeder Melissa Leishman to show off her dog Lyrical’s Miss Congeniality. The dog, a whippet, which is a sighthound, beat out seven other competitors from different classes like scenthound and sport to claim the top spot and win Best Bred by Exhibitor in the show. The ribbon was one of nine that Melissa’s Whippets brought home, all of whom were born on Nov 14, 2011. “There were seven puppies born all together,” Melissa explained. “There were five girls and two boys.” Preparing the dogs for the show has proven to be a daily challenge for Melissa, but it’s one she has been prepared for by her other experiences in showing. “Every morning you have to bath them and clean them and make sure that they are white where they’re supposed to be,” she said. “I then shave their whiskers and ears before the show to create the definition needed.” Prior to that there is a lot of training that needs to be completed before a dog can even be considered show ready. Dogs need to be comfortable being touched, grabbed, examined and having their mouth and teeth inspected closely. Strangely enough, Miss Congeniality wasn’t Melissa’s first choice when it came to the litter of puppies. “I liked her sister more, she was more girly, this was definitely my father’s favourite puppy,” she said. “But she grew on me eventually.” Melissa got involved in showing through co-owning the previous generation of Whippets.“First I co-owned [her currentshow dog’s] mother, finished her showing and then she had a litter, then I owned her,” she said. Melissa’s mother Waneta explained that her daughter has had previous experience through showing her dog, an Afghan, in the United States. “She showed my dog to an American Championship and World Championship,” she said. “It was a grand experience for her.” Showing in the United States is a different experience than showing in Canada, according to Waneta, since the fields of competitors are usually bigger and the atmosphere is a lot more competitive. Waneta explained that Whippets are considered one of the best-kept secrets in the dog world. “Most of them, by nature, are very calm,” she said. “When they come in the house they will find a comfortable spot and stay there all day.” That fact is both a blessing and a challenge for breeders since the dogs need to be sociable enough to compete. “If you find one that is sociable,you have to try and cultivate that inthem and in their puppies,” she said. The litter of seven has been pruned down to three show-worthy animals by Melissa with the rest becoming pets for people, but that in itself is a challenge as well according to Waneta. “Breeding dogs for show is, in itself, a part-time job,” Melissa said. “The ones that aren’t show are assessed early as pets, but after that it’s a long screening process to find an owner,” Waneta said. “This isn’t the kind of breed you can tie up the backyard.” The drive to breed and show is a family one, according to Melissa, who was following in her mom’s footsteps after Waneta bred pomeranians. “My mom bred poms, and seeing that, plus the fun that puppies can be, got me interested in it,” Melissa said. Waneta agreed, saying it’s fun, but it’s also an ordeal at some points, mentioning that you basically have to “child proof” a house if you have dogs like Whippets. Melissa is a graduate of F.E. Madill Secondary School who will be going to university to studyBiological Science to become aspeech pathologist. While at school she’s going to continue to breed her current generation of whippets since her parents felt that it wouldn’t be fair for her to give up the experience before she got to breed her own dogs from a dog she bred. “Melissa’s father and I agreed to help while she is at school,” Waneta said. “It wouldn’t be fair for her to have to quit now.” Attending any dog show is enjoyable, Waneta said, however the Bluewater Kennel Club’s show in Blyth is a truly enjoyable experience. “The Blyth show draws some beautiful animals because, as far as we’re concerned, it’s one of the premier show sites,” she said. “There is shade, power, water and the ground is nice, there’s no holes.” Showing is a great social experience, according to Waneta, who said that they have made a network of friends stretching from North Carolina, Arizona, Ohio, Michigan and all throughout Ontario through showing dogs. On July 8, just after 10 a.m. members from the Huron Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Detachment responded to a property on Amberley Beach Road in Ashfield- Colborne-Wawanosh Township (ACW) for a call of found bones. Officers learned a construction crew discovered the bones while excavating the property. Members from the Huron County Crime Unit, OPP Forensic Identification Unit and forensic anthropologists from the Ontario Coroner’s Office attended the scene. The bones discovered are confirmed to be human. Police are in the early stages of the investigation. As further information becomes available details will be released. The Citiz e n Get Your Message AROUND THE WORLD IMMEDIATELY If you have important papers that need to go somewhere FAST ... use THE CITIZEN’S FAX MACHINE! Our fax machine can contact any other fax machine, in the world, instantly. We offer this service for a cost of $1.00 per printed sheet. Our fax number, is also your number, so use it to receive your messages at $1.00 per sheet. WE CAN RECEIVE 24 HRS. PER DAY! This service is only available in our Blyth office Ph.: 51 9 - 5 2 3 - 4 7 9 2 Fax: 51 9 - 5 2 3 - 9 1 4 0 Ph.: 51 9 - 5 2 3 - 4 7 9 2 Fax: 51 9 - 5 2 3 - 9 1 4 0 One hot dog Melissa Leishman, shown here posing with her Whippet Lyrical’s Miss Congeniality, did well at the Bluewater Kennel Club’s annual dog show in Blyth last week. Her three Whippet siblings brought home nine ribbons including Miss Congeniality’s best bred by exhibitor in show. (Denny Scott photo) By Denny Scott The Citizen BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED