Pure Dog Talk

• Moving Away from Gatekeeping:Why protecting the future of purebred dogs requires opening doors to newcomers rather than holding back opportunities.
• Recruiting the Next Generation:Strategies for engaging passionate young enthusiasts, future veterinarians, and new handlers who want to learn the craft.
• Building Mutual Trust:How the 90 percent rule of trust helps veteran breeders feel confident sharing genetics, responsibilities, and wisdom.
• Practical Mentorship in Action:Setting up supportive relationships through co-breeding agreements, hands-on guidance, and clear expectations.
• Preserving Genetic Legacies:Ensuring decades of careful breeding live on by empowering new caretakers to carry the torch forward.
• Speaking Loud and Proud:Why veteran breeders must actively advocate for purebred dogs and inspire new members of the dog show community.

• Ring Etiquette and Fashion:How clean attire, proper fit, and sensible footwear help handlers move comfortably without distracting from the dog.
• The Judge's Perspective:What Linda Clark evaluates in the ring, focusing on structural balance, efficient movement, and handler poise.
• The Hole in the Fence Mindset:Overcoming setbacks and novice insecurities through resilience, patience, and steady daily practice.
• Lessons from a Lifetime in Dogs:Linda shares stories from her personal journey with Shelties and German Shepherds, grooming experience, and professional handling success.
• Sportsmanship and Community:Why supporting fellow handlers and building a welcoming community keeps the purebred dog world strong.
• Preservation and Canine Care:Celebrating purebred dog heritage alongside modern care practices, including health insurance and GPS tracking.

• The "Get Another Hobby" Rule:Why obsessing over Sunday night results causes burnout and how having outside interests makes you a better handler and breeder.
• Working Conformation vs. Showmanship:Lessons from judging American Foxhounds at Chase National, focusing on feet, running gear, and structural soundness over theatrical presentation.
• Historic Pack Hound Traditions:A look into traditional pack hound gatherings, the Penn Marydell strain, and the functional heritage of scent hounds.
• Show Champion to Life-Saving K9:The inspiring story of Tori, a champion Black and Tan Coonhound who served nine years in law enforcement search and rescue.
• Honest Dog Breeding:Why successful breeders must be their own worst critics and evaluate their stock without making excuses.
• Restoring Ringside Sportsmanship:How exhibitors can bring camaraderie back to the fancy and celebrate the dogs above the ribbons.

1. Subscribe & Follow:Hit the follow button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode.
2. Leave a Review:A quick 5-star rating and review helps other purebred enthusiasts find the show!
3. Share This Episode:Know a handler or breeder who needs a fresh perspective? Send them a link to this episode!

• Early Influences and Mentorship:Diego shares his journey from Argentina, where his parents began breeding Boxers in the early 1980s, to working in the United States for Michael Shepherd. He discusses how Shepherd instilled in him a structured, rigorous approach to dog care that shaped his entire career.
• Treating Show Dogs Like Royalty:Because dogs do not choose to compete on their own, Diego emphasizes that they deserve to be treated like royalty 24/7, with their needs always coming before anything else.
• Physical Conditioning on Soft Surfaces:Building proper muscle tone requires dedication and hard work. Diego advises handlers to run and exercise dogs on grass rather than pavement to protect their movement, feet and joints.
• [caption id="attachment_17303" align="alignright" width="207"]Garcia is well known for his contagious smile and passion for his dogs.[/caption]Mental Connection and Communication:True ring presence comes from a deep mental bond. Diego talks about the power of talking to your dogs on the table and in the ring, praising them so they feel like the absolute best version of themselves.
• Taking the Longer Way:True success and peace of mind come from taking the longer path of hard work, integrity and ethical handling. Diego stresses the importance of being a good loser, staying grateful for every placement and leaving negative talk behind.
• Reminiscing on Legends of the Sport:Diego and Laura reflect on iconic judges and mentors who shaped the sport, including Michelle Billings, Frank Sabella, Alberto Berrios, Annie Clark, Jean Fournier, Asa Mays, and beloved handler Kaz Hosaka.
• Handler Well-Being and Dog Show Yoga:Navigating ring stress, anxiety and the physical demands of handling. Diego shares how yoga and meditation helped him manage burnout, advocating for post-show relaxation sessions to help handlers reset.
• Passing the Torch to Youth:A call to action for experienced handlers and breeders to mentor owner-handlers and junior exhibitors, share grooming and handling tips freely, and lift up the community.

What happens when you travel across the globe with a brand-new puppy, only to find yourself stranded without clothes, while your beloved backpack takes a solo two-week tour of France? In this hilarious and jam-packed episode, host Laura Reeves sits down with our favorite veterinarian, Dr. Marty Greer, for a special "back-to-school" edition of Veterinary Voice. Between moving houses and managing a hectic schedule of 14 flights before the end of the year, Dr. Marty is no stranger to travel chaos. From Sweden to Newark, and JFK to Paris, she has survived it all, and she is here to share her hard-won, practical (and highly entertaining) wisdom for navigating airports, gate changes, luggage nightmares, and international travel with purebred dogs. Whether you're heading to the National, Westminster, Crufts, or just bringing a new puppy home, this episode is your ultimate survival guide to turning travel chaos into a smooth, organized adventure.

🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The Lost Backpack Chronicles: How Dr. Marty’s infamous, frayed blue backpack ended up in Paris while she was stuck in Sweden with nothing but a new puppy, a leash, and a dog bowl.
• The "Bag-within-a-Bag" Strategy: The absolute essentials you must keep in your tiny emergency grab-bag (and why you should never let a gate agent check it).
• AirTag Secrets: Why hanging trackers on the outside of your bags is a rookie mistake, and how "nesting" them inside your luggage and passport pouch will save your sanity.
• Canine Crate Survival Kits: Step-by-step instructions on what to tape to the top of your dog's travel kennel to ensure their safety and comfort.
• Veterinary and Legal Nuances: Navigating the strict, ever-changing USDA accreditation rules, rabies requirements, and APHIS regulations for international and island travel.
• Puppy Flight Hacks: Using potty pads on the plane, selecting behaviorist-approved travel medications (and why Benadryl is not the answer), and handling carrier disputes with gate agents.
• The 3.3-Pound Math: Hilarious stories of repacking suitcases on the airport floor to hit that exact 49.5-pound limit.

• Arrive early, but not too early: Avoid sitting at the gate so long that you miss unannounced gate changes.
• Set boarding alarms: Set a phone alarm for 15 minutes before boarding begins, and another for the scheduled boarding time. Don't rely on gate PAs, especially when traveling internationally!
• Make eye-to-eye contact: Always speak directly with the gate agents to verify flight capacity, check-in requirements, and make sure your paperwork is in order.

• The Mini-Emergency Bag: Always keep your passport, medication, toothbrush, car keys, and a spare change of underwear in a small inner bag that you can quickly yank out if your carry-on is gate-checked.
• Bury your AirTags: Don't hang trackers on the exterior of your luggage where they can be ripped off or stolen. Bury them deep inside zippered interior compartments.
• Track your passport: Paranoid about losing your passport overseas? Keep it in a dedicated neck pouch with its very own AirTag.
• Take photos of baggage tags: Photograph the paper baggage receipts the airline prints for you so you still have the tracking numbers if you lose the paper slips.
• Look "homeless chic": Ripped seams and ugly luggage might not look glamorous, but thieves are far less likely to target bags that look like they’ve been through a war zone! Avoid checking bendable, multi-handle duffel bags that can get caught in airport machinery.

If your dog or puppy is traveling in the cargo hold, tape a "survival kit" securely to the top of their kennel:

• A Ziploc bag containing a full day's worth of kibble.
• Lightweight, collapsible/flattening travel bowls.
• A spare slip leash (vets' giveaway leashes work perfectly).
• Extra physical copies of their rabies certificate, health certificates, and veterinary paperwork.

• The 6-Month Rule: No puppy can enter the United States until they are at least six months old and have a valid rabies vaccination.
• USDA Accreditation: Ensure your veterinarian is USDA-accredited (Level 1 or Level 2) and has their accreditation number on the rabies certificates. Regular state licensing is often not enough for international transport!
• Island & Rabies-Free Travel: Hawaii, Japan, England, and New Zealand have incredibly strict quarantine rules. Start your testing and paperwork preparation up to 12 months in advance. Use the official USDA APHIS website to verify current requirements.

• In-Flight Restroom Breaks: Pack puppy potty pads in your carry-on. If your pup is restless, take them into the airplane restroom, lay down a pad, and let them relieve themselves safely.
• Behavioral Support: Skip acepromazine and Benadryl (which is not an anti-anxiety medication). Talk to your vet about gabapentin, trazodone, or alprazolam. Always test the dosage at home before travel day! For motion sickness, ask about Cerenia (maropitant).
• Snack Like a Professional: Pack highly motivating, smelly dog treats that double as human survival food in a pinch. String cheese, meat sticks, jerky, and even canned Vienna sausages are show-dog favorites!
• Check out our convo with airline employeeAliciaMorrisonJonesfor more travel insight!

• The All-Around Performance Dog:Dandies are far more than companion dogs. Barbara shares her experience in Earthdog, Therapy work, and how she raised the #1 top agility Dandie Dinmont Terrier of all time.
• Decoding the Standard—"No Topline, No Dandie":Why the correct outline, a filled muzzle, dark round eyes, and a low tail set are non-negotiable for a true Dandie. Plus, the "teacup test" for smooth, effortless movement.
• The Complex Rules of Pepper & Mustard Genetics:Why you should never breed pepper-to-pepper (which dilutes furnishings) or mustard-to-mustard more than once, and how breeding the two colors together preserves the perfect coat texture and color depth.
• Behind the Name "Molly Bay":The heartwarming story of how Barbara and her husband blended their names to create a Celtic-sounding kennel name that is uniquely theirs.
• The Power of Mentorship:Lessons learned from breed giants like Christie Maxfield, Vern Wilson, Peggy Carr, and Kathy Nelson, and Barbara’s advice for the next generation of preservation breeders.

•  The "Dandie or Bust" Beginnings:How a vet visit and a picture of a "Don King" dog led to a long-distance search and a sight-unseen puppy flying in from Pennsylvania.
• Immersion Into Conformation:Learning to groom with Vern Wilson and standing by the ring with mentor Christie Maxfield to study the breed standard.
• The 3 Golden Priorities of Breeding:Why temperament comes first (the true "gentleman's terrier"), followed by health preservation (combating glaucoma and lymphoma), and structural movement.
• The Teacup Movement Test:Ensuring a Dandie moves with a smooth, flowing reach and drive rather than jumping like a Bichon Frise.
• Coat Color & Genetic Dilution:The definitive guide to breeding mustard and pepper coats to avoid graying furnishings.
• Beyond the Show Ring:How the club promotes this rare breed to the public through Scottish heritage festivals, custom brochures, and their very own tartan.

• The "Pure Love" Difference: Drawing from Sigmund Freud’s observations, Dr. Blazina notes that while human relationships are often plagued by complex ambivalence, our love for dogs is straightforward and pure. Dogs draw out the "better angels" of our nature.
• Sigmund Freud’s Canine Assistant:Freud used his Chows to help screen his therapy patients and even relied on them as his clock, the dogs would stand up when the session hour was over. Freud famously noted that we can trust dogs because they are straightforward:"They love their friends and bite their enemies."

• The Left Gaze Bias: Science shows that dogs look at the left side of human faces when we tell stories—this is naturally the more emotionally honest side of our face. They are uniquely attuned to our actual emotional state.
• Empathic Attunement:Dogs don't just notice when we are emotionally disregulated or having a bad day—they actively respond in sync to help regulate our moods and make our days better.

• Agility Study & Cortisol Levels: A cited agility competition study shows that when handlers are agitated or grumpy, their dogs' cortisol stress levels rise to match theirs.
• The Reciprocal Bond: What we experience, our dogs feel. Being a great handler means remaining mindful of your dog's emotional state, rather than just focusing on the win or the ribbon.

• Practice "Rupture and Repair": Humans are clumsy, awkward creatures, and relationships will have missteps. Instead of walking away, learn to re-engage and actively repair connections to build deeper closeness.
• Reciprocity: Move away from "me, me, me." Relationships are about mutual give-and-take, a concept dogs teach us through their constant willingness to connect.
• Do the "Happy Dance": Let your protective layers down. Celebrate the people you love with the same unbridled enthusiasm your dog shows when welcoming you home at the gate.

• Sir Walter Scott’s Personal Tartan:The official Dandie tartan is a black and white pattern that originally belonged to Sir Walter Scott, who immortalized the breed in his writing.
• A Gift of Friendship:This historic tartan was originally gifted to Sir Walter Scott by his cousin, the Duke of Buccleuch.
• A Castle Room Dedicated to Dandies:Dick recounts meeting the modern-day Duke of Buccleuch (cousin to the King of England) during his travels to Scotland. The Duke and his wife have been active supporters of the breed, even dedicating an entire room in their historic castle to Dandie Dinmont Terrier archives.

• The Wind’s Edge Origin Story:How Dick and his partner, Steve, named their kennel after their windy Connecticut home, which sat high on a hill overlooking Katharine Hepburn’s estate.
• The Artist’s Eye in the Ring:How Dick's background in design helps him appreciate the breed's distinct hallmarks, including the soft, soulful expression of the eyes, the curved top line, and the elegant chest drop.
• Navigating the Gene Puddle:The realities of preservation breeding in a rare breed, using modern tools like TCI (Transcervical Insemination) and global collaboration to import fresh lines from Germany and England.
• Finding the Sparkle:Dick's unique puppy evaluation process, which involves watching them play, analyzing video footage and seeking guidance from trusted mentors.
• The Clever Singleton Puppy:A delightful story about Dick's clever singleton puppy (nicknamed "a lit") who inherited the "pizazz" of her ancestors, including a hilarious knack for opening her own crate latch with her nose.

• Who it helps: Reputable organizations providing direct medical care and boarding for animals in need.
• Grant sizes: Average grants range from $5,000 to $15,000, with total funding of $60,000 to $70,000 distributed annually.
• Application details: The process is simple, fast, and accessible online, with a renewal cycle allowed every three years.

• How the funding is used: Grants help domestic violence shelters construct pet-friendly housing spaces, purchase critical equipment, or coordinate secure off-site boarding where owners still have regular access to their pets.
• The impact: Shelters report that these grants have enabled them to help 25% to 35% more people, providing safety and peace of mind for survivors and their beloved animals.

Pure Dog Talk in partnership with the Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of America dives deep with Laura Chapal Snyder of Dreamboat Dandies. Since 1980, Laura has dedicated her life to the rare and wonderful Dandie Dinmont Terrier—but her path has been anything but easy. In this episode, Laura shares her extraordinary journey of rebuilding her entire breeding program three separate times after facing heartbreaking health crises, including devastating battles with glaucoma and lymphoma. From the musical inspiration behind her kennel name (connected to the band Heart!) to her absolute insistence on prioritizing temperament and proper head structure, Laura offers a masterclass in preservation breeding. Discover why honesty and communication are vital when managing a "gene puddle", how she utilizes line breeding after careful outcrossing, her strict 12-week rule for puppy evaluation, and her powerful message of perseverance for the next generation of dog show exhibitors. 💡 Key Episode Takeaways

• Overcoming Genetic Hurdles:Laura faced glaucoma in five out of six puppies in her first litter. Instead of quitting, she kept her blind dogs as beloved family pets and restarted her program.
• The "Dreamboat" Priorities:For Laura,Temperament is #1andHeads are #2("Dandies are a head breed").
• Breeder Transparency:With such a small gene pool in rare breeds, open communication about hereditary issues like glaucoma, lymphoma and Cushing’s is vital for breed preservation.
• Puppy Socialization:Laura advises against isolation. Puppies need to be handled, socialize with other people and play with other dogs to build confidence.
• The Reality of Show Success:Practice makes perfect. Laura spent her first 10 years in the show ring winning almost nothing, reminding new breeders that dedication pays off.

🔗 Resources & Connect

• Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of America (DDTCA)