Napoleon's Web Page News

Website News

2nd July 2010: The Council Of Docked Breeds has launched a campaign to repeal the docking ban. We will be actively promoting them as we did before. Our Forum section GENERAL CANINE/OTHER has all the links to the information and GENERAL CANINE/PETITIONS has our online petition on the issue. The Poll is anonymous, although you have to register and login to vote we won't know who and how they voted. Please note new user registrations can take up to 24 hrs to be activated.

19th December 2009: It's that time of the year again, our Christmas lights are on and it gives me the chance to use my home written audio streaming software for the Christmas music. The blip we experienced over the last few days has been rectified and we are back on line (nice try spoilsports). The Facebook site continues to grow and now has nearly 1100 members. I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year.

12th December 2009: Ofcom rule on complaints about PDE, see our Forum ->GENERAL CANINE->OTHER

11th July 2009: Napoleon's Web Page has gone global, as of now you can follow us on Twitter at : http://twitter.com/NapoleonWebpage

and see our Facebook page at :

http://www.facebook.com/napoleons.webpage

You will be able to share photos with our members on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/napoleonswebpage/

4th January 2009: I have an epitaph to Poly now online HERE.

30th December 2008: I must sadly report that Poly passed away in his sleep on the 27th December 2008 after a long illness. His memory will live on through this website.

10th November 2007: It's that time of the year again and our regular users will know that we run a Christmas theme. London's Oxford Street switched their lights on this week so we have done the same. This year we have the audio stream available so we are able to play some real Christmasy music in full digital stereo.

1st November 2007: I have improved the sound technology on the site, the audio stream software only allowed one tune to played. I decided to write my own and it is now working as you can all hear. There are multiple tunes all with a special Poodle meaning, see if you can guess what it is. My "home bred software will also allow video (hmmm Napoleon TV). You will need to have Windows Media Player version 7 or above installed on your computers for the sound to work. If you can hear the sound then you need to do nothing, if you cant hear the sound and your computers sound is on (and the volume turned up) then click the Windows Media Player link on the bottom of the HOME page.

14th September 2007: We have got to the bottom of the technical problems that have dogged (excuse the pun) the site over the last few days. Working together with our excellent Web host it all seems fine now. If there are any outages over the next few days it will be because we are working on the site.

28th August 2007: B.U.B.A Schedules now online in our schedules page.

28th July 2007: When I moved the site to a server in the USA I said that I would be bringing new technology online in 2007. I have already started. Let me know what you think of the new music on the front page.

27th July 2007: The show information is back, click on SHOW CALENDAR, then scroll down to the bottom of the page. There you will find directions to the next show , a journey planner and a regularly updated weather forecast.

14th July 2007: We are supporting the Dog World initiative in sending a letter to Gordon Brown and asking how his government will treat dogs. Read it below and send him or your local MP a copy of it.

The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

Dear Mr Brown

OVER THE last few years, responsible dog owners have been subject to ever more onerous restrictions on what they can and cannot do with their dogs. In these the early days of your premiership we would respectfully like to ask if this might be an appropriate moment for a new start so that dog owners, generally a law-abiding and trouble-free section of the British community, are able to enjoy the various hobbies and activities we undertake with our animals without the burden of ever-increasing bureaucracy.

First, as part of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act local authorities have the power to issue dog control orders. These powers are extremely wide-ranging, far more so than is generally necessary, and potentially can restrict drastically the areas where dog owners are able to walk with their animals.

Already a number of local authorities have attempted to impose orders which would be a considerable burden on the vast majority of responsible dog walkers. A consultation process is required but often it is only through the vigilance of concerned local enthusiasts that the planned restrictions are brought to the attention of those whom they will affect most.

We would like to ask you to ensure that any such proposals are properly publicised, and then that representations of those whom they will affect are taken into account. The Kennel Club, the voice of the responsible dog owner, is already asking that the consultation process be improved. We ask you, please, to listen to them.

Second, the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991 is widely regarded as one of the worst pieces of legislation ever to go onto the Statute Book, not least because it negates the traditional precept on 'innocent until proven guilty'.
Since then some of the worst excesses of the Act have been improved, but there is still much to be done, and there remains a tendency for knee-jerk reaction to any, thankfully very rare, serious biting incidents, which penalise thousands of 'good' owners as well as the minority of 'bad' ones. We ask that you take seriously the carefully drafted proposals of those who are trying the reform the act to make it fair to all.

Third, with regard to any dog-related legislation that has been introduced in recent years, on topics such as hunting and docking of tails, the views of those thousands of dog owners affected by the law have been ignored, indeed at times apparently treated with contempt, often in spite of a lack of reliable scientific evidence in favour of the proposals. We ask you to ensure that this does not happen again, otherwise you risk further alienating thousands of law-abiding citizens.

There are many hundreds of clubs round the country to which dog owners belong and which run activities ranging from dog shows, to training classes, to competitive obedience, to field trials. These people are responsible citizens who do no harm to anyone and who love their animals. Yet their views are spurned. Please take note of them, consult them properly and above all listen to the Kennel Club which co-ordinates all these activities.

Fourth, European bureaucracy has affected many aspects of our lives. Again, before adopting and suggestions from Europe which affect pedigree dogs and their breeders and owners, please consult with those in Britain who know what they are talking about.

Dog ownership has so many social benefits to the community, and indeed economic ones too. Dog walking keeps both people and dogs fit and healthy, and discourages crime in parks and open ground. Dogs provide companionship for a great many people and in some cases give them a reason for carrying on. The manufacture of food and accessories, the running of boarding kennels grooming and training establishments, the need for veterinary care, all provide employment for thousands of people. Please do not ignore them.

Yours sincerely

15th May 2007: I have been asked if Dew Claw removal is still allowed since the Animal Welfare act came into being. The answer is yes, here is a brief synopsis of what the act says:

DEW CLAWS

The removal of dew claws is permitted under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. In England it is allowed under The Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007, which came into effect on 6 April 2007. The same provision is made in Wales under The Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (Wales) Regulations 2007, which came into force on 28 March 2007.

The Regulations operate alongside the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. As such the removal of dew claws by owner or his employee (over 18 years of age), before the dogs eyes are open, continues to be allowed. However the regulations also state that the permitted mutilation must be carried out—

(a) in accordance with any relevant requirement in Schedules 2 to 9;
(b) in such a way as to minimise the pain and suffering it causes to the animal;
(c) in hygienic conditions; and
(d) in accordance with good practice.

If the eyes have opened then anaesthetic must be used.

The full text is included at

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/20071100.htm

(This is the Government site, The Office Of Public Sector Information - scroll down to just above the start of schedule 2.)

And

http://www.countryside-alliance.org.uk/food,_farming_conservation/food,_farming_and_conservation/Brief_on_the_Animal_Welfare_Act_2006/

(Scroll down to the last paragraph on the Countryside Alliance site)

6th April 2007: DOCKING

All UK legislation has now been passed and enacted as follows;

The docking of dogs' tails will be banned in England from 6 April 2007 and in Wales from 28 March 2007 but with exemptions from the ban for certain working dogs, and for medical treatment. A total ban in Scotland will take effect 31 April

There will also be a ban on the showing of docked dogs (all dogs docked after the commencement date of 6 April/28 March) at events to which members of the public are admitted on payment of a fee. However, this ban does not apply to dogs shown for the purpose of demonstrating their working ability.

The exemption for working dogs allows a dog that is likely to perform certain specified types of work to have its tail docked by a veterinary surgeon. The dog will have to be less than 5 days old, and the veterinary surgeon will have to certify that he or she has seen specified evidence that the dog is likely to work in specified areas. Puppies being docked must be microchipped, either at the time of docking or when the vet considers they are old enough. The types of dog that will be allowed to be docked, and the types of evidence needed, is detailed below.

Puppies from certain working dogs may be docked if evidence is provided to the vet that it is likely to be worked in connection with law enforcement, activities of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, emergency rescue, lawful pest control, or the lawful shooting of animals. It is accepted that in a litter not all puppies docked will be found suitable for work.

The owner of the dog, or person representing the owner must make a signed statement that: the dam of the puppies to be docked is of a type which can be certified as set out below; the date on which the puppies were born; and that it is intended that they will be used, or sold, for one of the working purposes set out in the regulations.

The vet must sign a declaration that the requirements of the regulations have been satisfied i.e. that he has been given the necessary declaration by the owner, or person representing the owner, and has seen the evidence required.

The vet must have a completed statement, signed and dated by the owner of the dog (or by another person whom the veterinary surgeon to whom it is presented reasonably believes to be representing the owner), made in the form set out in the regulations. The vet must see the dam of the dog and a further piece of evidence such as:

a current shotgun or firearm certificate issued to the owner of the dog, or to the agent or employee of the owner most likely to be using the dog for work in connection with the lawful shooting of animals OR

a letter from a gamekeeper, a land occupier (or his agent), a person with shooting rights, a shoot organiser, a club official, a person representing the National Working Terrier Federation, or a person engaged in lawful pest control, stating that the breeder of the dog whose tail is to be docked is known to him and that dogs bred by that breeder have been used (as the case may be) on his land, or in his shoot, or for pest control.

Although the procedure is the same, the list of dogs which can be docked are different between England and Wales. There is a total ban on docking in Scotland.

In England the following can be docked:

1.      Hunt point retrieve breeds of any type or combination of types.

2.      Spaniels of any type or combination of types.

3.      Terriers of any type or combination of types.

In Wales the following can be docked:

1.      Spaniels of the following breeds: English Springer Spaniel, Welsh Springer Spaniel and Cocker Spaniel, but not combinations of breeds

2.      Terriers of the following breeds: Jack Russell Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Norfolk Terrier, but not combinations of breeds

3.      Hunt point retrievers of the breeds listed below:

Braque Italian, Brittany, German Long Haired Pointer, German Short Haired Pointer, German Wire Haired Pointer, Hungarian Vizsla, Hungarian Wire Haired Vizsla, Italian Spinone, Spanish Water Dog, Weimaraner, Korthals Griffon, Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer, Large Munsterlander, Small Munsterlander.

It remains the prerogative of a veterinary surgeon as to whether he chooses to dock a dog’s tail or not.

Showing of Docked Dogs

A dog docked before the 28 March 2007 in Wales and 6 April 2007 in England may continue to be shown at all shows in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland throughout its natural life.

A dog docked on, or after, the above dates, irrespective of where it was docked, may not be shown at shows in England and Wales where the public is charged a fee for admission.

However, where a working dog has been docked in England and Wales under the respective regulations set out above, it may be shown where the public are charged a fee, so long as it is shown “only to demonstrate its working ability”. It will thus be necessary to show working dogs in such a way as ONLY to demonstrate their working ability and not conformity to a standard.

A dog legally docked in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or abroad may be shown at any show in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Full information including a copy of the form need to be completed and presented to the vet to complete can be found at www.cdb.org/awa

The Kennel Club has a question and answer information page at http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=999

DEFRA has an information page at http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/act/docking.htm

19th March 2007: The Kennel Club have released a superb Q&A page concerning the showing of docked dogs in the UK, after the new Animal Welfare Acts take effect, look at sections " Q&A for Judges and Q&A for show organisers. Click on the link HERE. Crufts results are now online.

11th March 2007: Latest news on Docking, is there a last minute reprieve.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 comes into force in Wales on 31st March 2007, England on 6th April 2007 and Scotland from 30th April 2007. Tail docking will definitely be banned in Scotland, but in an unprecedented move, the draft Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations appertaining to the English Act, were opposed in the Lords on March 7th.

It would appear that the Government has since withdrawn these regulations and that the Government will now have to reconsider the exceptions to the ban on tail docking.

At this point in time, nobody is sure of the next steps as the situation is unprecedented. Lord Rooker felt the matter should go back to the floor of the Lords, the RSPCA are suggesting the matter will go to a committee of MP's early week commencing 12th March.

Whilst the chances of the docking ban being lifted are highly remote, nothing can be lost by sending an e-mail to your MP and interested Lords yet again. The RSPCA are encouraging supporters to do so and we are suggesting the same.

http://tinyurl.com/yqakla takes you to "Write to Them" by entering your post code you can find your MP in a few seconds. If you write your e-mail before going here, you can just cut and paste it into the box on the site. After this please send an e-mail to a Lord. A list of Lords interested in docking, will appear if you type "docking" into a query box on the Lords page.

Please do not use the suggested text at the bottom exactly as it is, please change it to suit your own style.

Please also encourage as many of your friends to join in what is a last stand for docking, however futile it may seem, but do contact your MP NOW.

Text you can adjust before sending;

I understand that the draft Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations 2007 have not been accepted in the Lords and that they are now under further scrutiny. I strongly desire for the continuance of the status quo with regards to tail docking. Veterinary surgeons should be legally allowed to continue to exercise their clinical judgement with respect to which puppies they dock, where they feel it to be in the interest of the animals future welfare.

The draft Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations 2007, displayed gross hypocrisy in allowing only a select few breeds to be docked. The docking procedure is NOT cruel or painful for those breeds indicated in the original draft, nor is it cruel or painful to dock the remainder of the traditionally docked breeds.

Sheep and pigs can legally continue to be docked for sound animal husbandry reasons, I can see no reason why the same should not apply to all traditionally docked breeds in canines.

The government through DEFRA, studied and consulted on tail docking for 3 years and came to the conclusion that in the interests of animal welfare, the status quo offered the best solution. I concur with that opinion and trust you can do all in your power to help prevent future tail damage to my breed, when this legislation is re-examined

27th February 2007: A new petition to Number 10 to allow tail banding in the same way that Farmers are to be allowed to continue the practise with sheep, this closes on April 6th so please sign it and tell all your friends. This is a last gasp effort so lets all make it a BIG petition. The link to it is below:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Banding-tails/

9th February 2007: Big thanks to all those who rang or emailed to see how Poly was. To those that don't know, he had a tumour on his neck which burst. He has had it successfully removed although it was touch and go for a couple of days when I thought I might lose him. The lab results are back and thankfully it is not malignant, it is a pilomatrixoma tumour which is prevalent in dogs such as Poodles and Old English Sheepdogs. He will have his stitches out next week. He is on the mend, spent yesterday barking at the snowmen and has been gobbing off at the girls today so its all back to normal.

11th December 2006: Show Dates for 2007 now online.

The Animal Welfare Bill has now completed all of its Parliamentary stages and received Royal Assent on 8 November 2006 - it now becomes the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

A ban on the mutilations of animals (including tail docking) is included, with certain specified exemptions.

The Act does not become law until 6 April 2007 and tail docking will be subject to regulations which now have to be consulted on, before the section on docking is enacted.

The consultation document can be viewed below

10th December 1006: LKA Poodle results now online.

9th December 2006:It has come to my attention that Labramongrel breeders have been posting on the forum. Now we do allow freedom of speech but there are limits. The forum is to discuss issues appertaining to ALL THREE sizes of Poodle, it is not to make personal attacks on people. These two Labramongrel breeders have already been banned from The Standard Poodle Clubs Forum, I also will not tolerate these personal attacks. Incidentally I was at The SP Club Show and never experienced any "debacle", I suspect these Labramongrel people are just stirring. Remember posts must be kept within the law and anything slanderous will have the names of the persons being attacked starred out **** . If the post goes too far I will remove it. If you want to accuse someone of something in a court of law you will not be allowed to use a nickname it would have to be your real name. I have started a thread in the SP section-> General about Labramongrels, now lets tell these people what real SP people think of them.

26th November 2006: There is an online petition to the Prime Minister to keep tail docking, the link is below:

Click here to sign the Petition to The Prime Minister to Keep Tail Docking

24th November 2006: The makeover has been completed, the site is now much easier to read, the Forum is up and running too. I have removed all the music apart from the front page and the news page. As you can see I have put up the sites Christmas decorations, which have been a tradition over the last 7 years. As I said yesterday, I have some plans to add some more features to the site in the new year so watch this space.

23rd November 2006: Well finally the site is in it's new home, this allows me to move the site up a level. It now has the space to update the show results and all the other services that it had before. There is a new Forum, (you will have to re register) with other exciting new services coming online during 2007. The Site will also be having a makeover giving it an entirely new look. Stories of our demise were simply not true, please bear with us during the changes, they will be worth it and will once again make us "The Number One Poodle Site on the Web".

1st August 2006 :

A while back I said that legislation would not stop at a docking ban and could include some aspects of showing, it seems I was right.

TV Vet "Emma The Vet" (one of the most vociferous anti dockers) has turned her attention to the way dogs are bred.

Who is this lady ? is she a well respected and vastly experienced Vet ?

She has been a Vet for 6 years so I will leave you to make your own judgement.

This is the lady who when I asked the question as to why she was so against docking but did not speak out against the ritual slaughter of animals and when I also used the analogy of circumcision, came out with the crass reply, all men think about is their p....

This wretched girl has come up with this statement about Basset Hounds and clearly shows her feelings about the show world.

*****

Bassets are one of the worst breeds of dog around today. They never used to be but with many of our breeds they have been COMPLETELY ruined for the sake of the show ring. Bassets were originally bred to hunt hares. I saw a Basset recently that could barely walk or see, let alone chase a hare. I had a very distinct mental picture of three hares rolling around around on the floor a few feet away from the dog, clutching their sides and crying with laughter and pointing at the poor thing.
Lets see, where shall I begin? Their legs are too short to support their weight, their backs are too long so they are predisposed to back problems, their ears are so long they trap all the wax and fluid produced in them and are prone to ear disease, their eyelids droop so much that they are prone to chronic eye infections, the ‘breed standard’ (ha ha) specifies the legs skin should be ‘heavily wrinkled’ so they get chronic skin infections in the folds, they have weak skin immunity and are prone to yeast and bacterial infections. They are no longer dogs, they are itchy, miserable ornaments, totally man- made and should be banned.

******

So here we can see where these badly informed, self opinionated anti dockers will go next. We must stop them in their tracks. Please email or write to their Lordships on the docking issue over and over until they listen. We have until October to put over our point of view.

31st May 2006 :Received in the post today a clipping from a LABRAMONGREL website telling us how INTERNATIONAL they are, using bloodlines from Australian dogs. Apparently they have a Solicitor on their side acting as an email contact. Now was this sent to me because of my stance on these crossbreeds ? I wonder ? But it does not make any difference I am still opposed to the cross breeding of two lovely breeds purely for financial gain. I have said it before and I will say it again " in our lifetime the LABRAMONGREL will never gain Pedigree status in this country". first they need a breed standard and then after that it can take 40 years to attain KC recognition. They cannot have a breed standard when they DO NOT even know whether the puppies coats are going to be Poodle or Labrador. Aside from the health issues, breeding these things is immoral and shows a complete disregard for the welfare of the dogs. If my attitude to LABRAMONGRELS upsets those in favour of them, then all I have to say is TOUGH !

16th March 2006 :Tradition, what does the word mean to you ? The dictionary says "an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behaviour". Fox hunting was traditional to this country and it was banned, now we face another attack to our culture and traditions, the banning of docking. Make no mistake, this legislation is not for the benefit of animal welfare, it is PURELY POLITICAL. It has been brought in to appease the Marxist animal rights movement, who are happy to point the finger at us but will not speak out against the ritual slaughter of animals without stunning them first (which is appalling) in case it offends religions. (that is not a racist comment, although I am an Aetheist now I WAS BORN JEWISH and have seen ritual slaughter for myself. so I know what I am talking about) . These "do gooding" idiots and their friends in the Anti Vivisection League are responsible for the suffering of those six poor individuals who took part in a drug test at a London Hospital last week. Had the drug companies been able to test properly on RATS then this terrible thing may not have happened. I hope that they can live with themselves (I suspect that they could not care one iota).Their "compassion" has caused more suffering to the fox community as farmers are not accurate enough when shooting them. They will also cause suffering to the docked breeds as many breeders will not continue thereby opening the door to unscrupulous puppy farmers breeding their bitches EVERY season and selling the puppies unregistered. I also blame those misguided anti dockers who breed traditionally docked breeds (those who jumped on the bandwagon when the hypocritical RSPCA joined in) for what has taken place in the house this week. Once again it is the minority brushing aside the wishes of the MAJORITY. It is not over until the fat lady sings though, the bill must now go to the House of Lords. Below are some instructions for what to do next. There are links to the CDB website in the text as they have all the information. Now lets all get emailing.

THE CDB TEXT FOLLOWS:

Parliament has voted on tail docking in an amendment to the Animal Welfare Bill on 14th March. Full details of the amendments to be put on the face of the Bill, can be found here. As it is not being introduced as a Stautory Instrument, it will cover England and Wales with no further input possible from the Welsh Assembly.

The Bill is expected to proceed to the House of Lords almost immediately, then go back for further consideration in the House of Commons. All business in the Lords is now set in stone up to the 27th March so the second reading cannot be before then. The Lords go into recess from 31st March to 17th April. There is a possibility that the Second reading could be 28th, 29th or 30th, but it is not yet even on the provisional list. Lists are generally published every Wednesday. The general feeling is that the Second Reading is likely to be after 17th April. We should know for certain on Wednesday 22nd March

It is essential that CDB members and supporters write NOW to as many Peers as possible in defense of all forms of tail docking. Please remember that Peers have the power to amend the Bill either FOR or AGAINST our interests!!!

Guidance for lobbying peers

1. The CDB suggests you write and/or email as many Peers as possible starting with those based in your locality. Peers are not attached to Constituencies like MP's so they will not be offended if they live nowhere near you. Write to / email as many as you feel able to. Your target should perhaps be a very minimum of ten (more is better).

2. Write to Peers at House of Lords, London SW1A 0PW and/or use these links to email a selection of Peers, end your correspondence "Yours Sincerely". How to address Peers can be found here

3. Your letter should ideally be short, hand written and polite. Please use an appropriate selection of the points made here as a guide and to personalise your letters. Please do not hesitate to add your own reasons too if not listed.

4. Peers do not always have the same secretarial support as MP's, so while you may not get a reply, please note that your letter will count. Do not forget to include your address.

Points you may wish to include in your letter (in no particular order):

Liberty and tolerance - a ban in any form represents an attack on an entire canine owning culture and the rural way of life based no scientific evidence to support a ban. There are well over 1,000,000 docked dogs in the UK so the number of docked dog owners affected is substantial.

Docking is not painful - In his anti-docking submission to the Scottish Parliament, John Bower MRCVS a former BVA President, stated “Pain is possibly the least powerful argument as it is so slight”

After three and a half years investigating, DEFRA concluded that “Scientists from across the globe agree that tail docking does not cause pain, as research distinguishes between groups of newborn animals, including dogs, and confirms that they are relatively immature at birth and up to around two weeks of age, and so cannot feel the same degree of pain as human babies, lambs and calves. Therefore, it seems unnecessary to amend current legislation”. (UK Government Regulatory Impact Assessment Note – Animal Welfare Bill, para. 15)

Docking simply for working dogs does not make sense. If it is not cruel to dock litters which will be worked, how can it be cruel to dock litters destined for companion or show homes?

Dogs are not docked for cosmetic reasons. We paint the outside of our house to protect the woodwork, and most agree it looks far better with a fresh coat of paint. The cosmetic effect is the same with docked dogs. We dock to protect our animals and prefer the look of a docked breed, which is a consequence of docking, not the reason to dock.

Docking simply for dogs worked in the field does not make sense. The same breeds in companion or show homes, display the same characteristics when exercising. All owners living in the countryside know how they love to forage in the undergrowth and left undocked, these will damage their tails the same as their worked relatives.

Tail Docking is a humane method of preventive animal management; over 500 vets currently dock legally and wish to continue the practice. Any form of ban would be detrimental to animal welfare, not assist Animal Welfare.

Undertakings by the Government that it would only legislate on scientific evidence, rather than hearsay or anecdote have been reversed. As John Bower, a former BVA President, states "Who needs science: docking is just a totally unnecessary, cruel and cosmetic operation.". which confirms that the anti-docking lobby has no scientific support for its arguments whatsoever.

Parts of Australia have banned tail docking and the effect on litter registrations of previously docked breeds has been devastating. Breeds are doomed to die out if a ban is introduced. Devoted conscientious breeders with years of experience will simply stop breeding their favorite breeds, the gene pool will reduce and puppy farms with little regard for temperament qualities and behavioral problems might well increase.

Many breeders both work and show their dogs. Under this suggested legislation, they cannot do both with the same dog. They will be forced to decide at 5 days old, which they want to work (and have docked) and which they want to show (and leave undocked). This is an impossible choice to make at 5 days old before temperament and type can accurately be assessed.

There are not enough vets prepared to sign the documentation required by this legislation, so its introduction in its current form would have the same effect as a total ban. The RCVS has confirmed its view that docking by vets is unethical and starts disciplinary hearings against any when it obtains documentary evidence under the current law, which allows docking by vets. Twenty vets to cover the whole of England and Wales is not sufficient logistically and the distance pups would have to travel is against their welfare interests.

Tail docking by Veterinary Surgeons is in the INTERESTS of animal welfare banning it for the majority is not.

12th March 2006 : At Crufts yesterday there was a lot of discussion about Addison's Disease, it was quite surprising to find that a great many Standard Poodle exhibitors did not fully understand the disease and it's causes. There is a wealth of information to be found on the Internet and from the Standard Poodle Clubs Welfare Officer. We carry a comprehensive section on health too so have a read of our Addison's information page.

3rd March 2006 : As you may already know, the Report Stage and vote on the Animal Welfare Bill in the Commons is now taking place on 14th March, not the 8th as previously expected. As of today, the various options MP's will be given to vote on, have not been announced. Both the RSPCA and the RCVS have stepped up their campaign targeting MPs with their anti docking propaganda.

If you have not received a suitable reply from your own MP, you still have a few days left to attempt to convert him / her. Copies of MP correspondence The CDB are receiving back from members are showing that we still lack enough support to win this vote, so please do not leave it to others. Let your MP know what you think now and do not stop writing until you receive answers to any questions you have posed.

Also write to Her Majesty the Queen to try and gain her support, (she does have docked breeds herself) the TV Vet Emma Milne (an anti docker) is trying to get a petition sent to her. We MUST do likewise. NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR APATHY , I KNOW ITS CRUFTS WEEK BUT IT TAKES LESS THAN AN HOUR TO WRITE A LETTER.

27th February 2006: The Countryside Alliance has published an independent poll today which clearly shows that the majority of the general public do not want a ban on tail docking ( http://www.countrysidealliance.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2499&Itemid=604 ).

Or read here http://www.politics.co.uk/press-releases/countryside-alliance-doubts-over-tail-docking-ban-$17055323.htm

The vote is split fairly evenly with close on one third wanting the status quo to remain, another third supporting the option for just working dogs and only 36% wanting a complete ban.

Considering that the public have been bombarded with hysterical misinformation from the RSPCA,
two thirds of the public supporting the continuation of tail docking is a remarkable result in its favour.

If you have been corresponding with your MP, please bring this poll and the results mentioned above, to his / her attention ASAP.

Is your MP aware that there are well over 1 million docked dogs in the UK? Does he/she appreciate the huge numbers involved and severity of the problem if it were to be banned and the number of unhappy voters which could result?

As always, please keep your messages courteous, in your own words and as brief as possible.

The Countryside Alliance Poll

A new poll shows that a clear majority of the public think the docking of working dogs should be allowed to continue. Meanwhile a senior vet has said that he believes “there is a welfare case for the docking of working dogs’ tails”.

MPs will vote on a ban on tail docking, which is only carried out by vets, at the Report Stage of the Animal Welfare Bill on 8th March.

The poll, carried out by ORB* for the Countryside Alliance, shows that just 39% of people think that the docking of working dogs should be banned. The survey asked:

Typically a vet may dock (shorten) a dog’s tail when the dog is young for two reasons – one is for cosmetic reasons (i.e. to enter the dog into a competition), the other is for working dogs (such as police dogs and working spaniels) to prevent serious tail injuries to them. Which of the following would you prefer?

Banning this procedure for all types of dogs    36%
Banning this procedure for working dogs     3%
Total – banning for working dogs     39%

Banning this procedure for cosmetic reasons 34%
None of these – this procedure should be allowed to continue 27%

At present the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ (RCVS) guidance on this issue accepts that docking may be permissible if it is for therapeutic or truly prophylactic reasons. The College suggests that it is for Parliament to decide how to interpret this in law.

John Parker JP MA VetMB FRCVS, last year’s President and now Senior Vice-President of the RCVS, is not convinced by the need for a complete ban. He says: “As a countryman and a vet who has seen injuries to working dogs’ tails I have docked all of the many working dogs I have bred. I personally believe that there is a welfare case for the docking of working dogs’ tails. I am not satisfied there is ever a justification for cosmetic docking.

“In my view, the best way forward would be to remove all the conjecture, anecdotal evidence and emotion that have clouded this debate and conduct a proper scientific investigation into the welfare consequences of banning the docking of working dogs”.

However, a proposal will be put to the RCVS’s Council at its meeting on 2nd March that it should support a ban on all except therapeutic docking. This would be subject to review after five years, in the light of a scientific review of evidence of the incidence of tail injuries in working dogs during this period. The College expects a lively debate as strong personal views are held by veterinary surgeons on both sides.

22nd February 2006:I cannot believe some of the replies that I have been getting from MP's of all parties on why they support ritual slaughter and not docking. There is no chance for us if these people are running the show. After reading HRH Prince Charles comments in the papers yesterday, I am going to write to him and try to get him on board. After all he is pro hunting and he has Corgi's and Jack Russell's (both traditionally docked breeds). Perhaps that is something we should all do, you can write to him at:

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
Clarence House
London SW1A 1BA

21st February 2006: More things to do on the docking issue, please write to Bill Wiggin MP at The House Of Commons, London SW1A OAA giving your support for docking. Bill is the Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries and has told me today in a letter that (and I quote) :

"I believe it is right to make an exemption for working dogs because of the injuries they can sustain during their working lives. However, it is essential that docking is carried out by a qualified vet so that the animals concerned do not have to endure pain.

I am therefore opposed to a total ban on tail docking and I do not propose to attack cosmetic docking either.

I strongly believe in and have always voted in favour of choice"

If you have a Conservative MP and your response has not been favourable then you should contact him/her again and tell them of Bill Wiggin's view. If you have a Labour or a Lib Dem MP then say that you will not vote for them if they oppose docking. We must now pull out all the stops and maybe even start to fight a little dirty. Next week may be too late, DO IT NOW !

21st February 2006:Talking about fighting dirty, well those of you who know me personally know that I am Jewish, that allows me to criticise things I don 't like about the religion without fear of prosecution for racism or anti Semitism by this Orwellian regime we live under. As you may be aware the RSPCA jumped on the anti docking bandwagon at a very late stage and swung the MP votes over to the anti side. I went to their website and read their reasons, but I also noticed that they are not against the ritual slaughter of animals as performed by the Jewish and Muslim faiths. Now I have seen this and take it from me the animal does not die immediately and obviously suffers. The RSPCA's entry to the docking debate made me email them the following letter:

Dear Sirs, How can you justify your position on the docking of tails in dogs when you are not against the ritual slaughter of animals ?
I am JEWISH so this is not a question based on any racism or anti semitism.

When I saw the way that animals are killed for both Kosher and Halal I was physically sick, the animal did NOT die immediately and must have suffered.

It makes your position on docking at worst hypocritical and at best misguided.

I would like to hear your comments please as to the difference between the two and your reasons why you continue to support ritual slaughter but are against docking.

-------------------------------------------

This was sent a week ago and they have not had the "bottle" to respond, they know I am right and so does every MP that I have sent a copy of this to. As a Barrister would say it goes to "credibility" which the RSPCA have very little of. It smacks of "pc" all round, abandoning their principles so as not to offend religions (especially Islam which is anti dog, opposed to having dogs in the house) and taking a stance on docking to try and appease the Marxist animal rights lobby. They banned Foxhunting and are trying their damndest to ban docking. What next, will these wannabe do gooders want ? Today it is docking tomorrow it could be banning Dog Shows altogether . We must make a stand right now and stop them in their tracks.

10th February 2006: The C.D.B are asking for all pro Dockers to write to their MP's again and have a 14 page document on their website to send. I have sent an email to the RSPCA asking them some pertinent questions about their stance on docking and showing up their complete hypocrisy. I cant say any more on the subject at the moment except to say that I will let you all know more in due course. I await their reply with interest, if they have the "bottle" to respond. I am doing an upgrade to the site which should make us compatible with other browsers, there might be one or two things that don't work properly whilst the upgrade is taking place, there are a lot of pages so please bear with us. The modifications for the Mozilla Firefox browser are already in place and working.

24th January 2006: The RSPCA and the Dogs Trust are two charities who have thrown their weight behind the anti docking argument. I am not sure that it is right for charities to get involved in political issues of this kind so I have complained to The Charities Commission and asked if there is anything that can be done about it. Also the RSPCA on their website state that the results of a Mori poll shows that eight per cent of the British public supports the docking dogs' tails for cosmetic reasons, while 75 per cent oppose the practice. This poll was commissioned by the RSPCA themselves and was based on 1,000 interviews conducted by telephone in 11 regions, between 16-18 December 2005. A visit and search of Mori's website can reveal no such poll taking place. Indeed even if it did I would like to know how they arrived at the sample of 1000 people ? were they RSPCA members ? did they really care about the issue ? were they playing Devils Advocate ? did they give any old answer just to get rid of the caller ? and what questions and what information was given to them to base their answer on ? There were two Internet polls carried both by the CDB and the Anti Dockers and the results were a massive yes to retaining the right to dock. This has been born out by the governments decision to allow a free vote (due to the sway of public oppinion to retain the right to dock). This was the only true poll and not some namby pamby misleading poll carried out by bleeding heart liberals for bleeding heart liberals. I must urge all you pro dockers out there to write, phone and call your MP's and relay to them the real truth about docking and urging them to support the retaining of it. I have told mine that if he does not, then I will not support him or his party's candidates at the next council and country elections.

23rd January 2006: Manchester Poodle results are now online.

2nd January 2006: The docking issue is up for debate and the C.D.B have sent their members an email regarding it. If you are not a member but support docking then please make the first thing you do in dogs for 2006 is to become a member. The contents of the email is produced below.

The Second Reading debate of the Animal Welfare Bill is scheduled for the afternoon of 10th January. This will be the first time the Bill has been debated on the floor of the House. The Second Reading is high profile, but the debate will only deal with the principles of the Bill - this is not the point when decisions are taken.

Since writing to you last, the following have mounted an intense campaign against the retention of the docking option - the RSPCA, PDSA, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, Wood Green Animal Shelter, BVA, BSAVA, RCVS and most have contacted their own members / supporters, asking them to contact their MP just as we have. Several members have writen to us in disgust at charities campaigning in this manner and have told us how they have withdrawn their support for those charities.

It is of vital importance that MP's receive more letters supporting the retention of docking than against. We now have a full guide with ideas on how to compose your letter at http://www.cdb.org/mp-letter.htm should you require assistance.

Even if you have writen to your MP before, it would help if you contact him/her again, asking if they are attending this debate, to ensure our message is getting through in higher numbers than the opposition.

You may also wish to visit the new Vets Against Docking site to see if your own vet has added his name to the anti-docking campaign at http://www.vetsagainstdocking.co.uk

You can write to your MP at the House of Commons, London W1A 1AA or you may prefer to email him/her direct from the following link: http://www.locata.co.uk/commons you can also use this link to find out who your current MP is, simply from your post code.

May we take this opportunity to wish you a happy New Year and to thank you for your continued support. If we all rally together and encourage others to, we can still win this campaign.

This Website continues it its support for docking and the C.D.B. campaign. If your Vet is one that has signed the petition then perhaps it is time to find another !! I have also written letters to the charities listed above expressing my disgust and telling them that I would no longer support them in any way. The CDB ask that if you are a member of one of the Poodle Breed Clubs then get them involved. Tell them to write stating how many members they represent. They can also send a delegation of 2 -3 members to visit MP's in areas their Club covers, always stating how many members they represent. I will be writing to the Clubs that I am a member of and I ask that all Pro Dockers do the same. Perhaps you could let me know what responses you get back from your club(s).

31st December 2005: Show dates for 2006 are now online.

29th December 2005: May I wish you all a very happy, healthy and successful 2006.

22nd November 2005: " Will you, won't you put the Christmas effects on this year " ? I have been asked that question by many of you. As you can see I have ! I think this is one of my better efforts. After sitting up half the night choosing the music and changing the page I am delighted with it. Just to poke a little seasonal fun at the politically correct brigade, can I say that this is one non Christian who is NOT OFFENDED by Christmas but one who thoroughly enjoys it, Bah humbug to those who say otherwise and try to rename it Winter Festival. IT'S CALLED CHRISTMAS (have all you "politically correct" councils got the message loud and clear ) ? If not may I respectfully suggest that they go and do what I am going to do to my turkey (the word Paxo comes to mind) !

7th November 2005: Standard Poodle Club results now on site.

29th October 2005: Midland Counties Standard results now on site.

17 October 2005 The Animal Welfare Bill, published yesterday, will ban ‘mutilation’ of animals, but will allow for a range of specified exemptions which will be listed in subsequent Regulations. Details of these Regulations have not yet been published. However, in the Regulatory Impact Assessment which accompanies the Bill, the Government has stated: “Sincere views were held by those who both support and oppose a ban on cosmetic docking and our preference is that there should continue to be freedom of choice.” Well done The C.D.B. this site joins them in their support for this statement. You can find more information on their site where you can also support them by joining. They only charge a modest £9 which in my view is a small price to pay for keeping our freedom of choice in the docking issue.

15 October 2005: Two articles that may be of interest from the USA on the subject of the "Labramongrel". One is from The Labrador Retriever Club and the other is an article written by Anne Rogers Clark on The PCA Website. It seems that the two Breed Clubs have joined forces on the issue and I am in total agreement with them. The articles are http://www.poodleclubofamerica.org/labradoodle.htm and http://thelabradorclub.com/library/labradoodle.html

8 October 2005: All the updates to the site have now been completed.

16 September 2005: The Forums have finally been fixed and can now be used again.

22nd August 2005: Been a busy couple of months here but a day off today to recover from Builth Wells yesterday. I will start doing some updates on the site this week and bring it back up to date. Someone has sent me a link to a Labramongrel website today where it clearly shows that a Poodle person of some standing has allowed one of their dogs to be used at stud to create a litter of these things. The breeder has the "front" to charge £650 for the puppies as well, as they say " a fool and his money..." . This website has is and always will be against the bastardisation of our lovely breed to create these litters. It is my opinion that if the owner of the stud dog is a member of the Standard Poodle Club then they are in breach of the code of ethics as follows: c) TO BREED ONLY WITH CONSIDERATION FOR THE BREEDS WELFARE AND NOT FOR COMMERCIAL RENUMERATION. 1) TO BE STRINGENT IN THE ASSESSMENT OF THE SUITABILITY OF THEIR DOG TO PRODUCE PUPPIES OF GOOD TEMPERAMENT WHICH WILL BE A CREDIT TO THE BREED IN TYPE, HEALTH AND SOUNDNESS. How can you have a "type" when these breeders cant even predict whether puppies will have a Labrador or a Poodle coat ? As for temperament well Lab temperaments are not so good these days. It is purely for commercial gain and not for the betterment of our breed that these are bred. Whatever these dogs can do the Standard Poodle can do better, remember the Labradoodle is and in our lifetime always will be just another Mongrel...

8th May 2005: What a long day yesterday at Birmingham, Standards not in the ring until the afternoon made it a tiring one for exhibitors. Birmingham Poodle results are now online.

3rd May 2005: After all that a computer failure, now all fixed and I have finally updated the site. Hope you all had a good WELKS ? I enjoyed it very much apart from the early showers (as usual just as I was getting the girls out of the car) and the resulting mud (mostly on my suit due to much excitement from jumping Poodles ) . By the time we all get together again at Birmingham the fate of our country will have been decided in the upcoming election. I wholeheartedly agree with the editorial in DW last week that asks everyone to check where their prospective candidate and their parties stand on animal issues. It seems that the Tories will (if elected ) remove any docking ban from the upcoming animal rights legislation proposed by our incumbent Labour government. They have also spoken out against banning fishing (the hobby) and will revisit the foxhunting issue. These things and their other policies (which I find myself in total agreement with) means that this website wishes Michael Howard and his party every success in the election. For the good of the country I hope he is our next Prime Minister even without the help of that LABOUR RAG "The Sun".

18th April 2005: A combination of problems with the ISP and my lack of time to correct it has meant I have not been able to update the site. However the ISP problems have been fixed now and I will be updating the site shortly. The For Sale page has already been done, the results and the rest will be updated shortly.

23rd January 2005: Manchester Poodle results now online.

22nd January 2005: One of the Poodle Calendars and one of the Internet Sites are showing the incorrect date for The Poodle Club's Champ Show. The correct date is SUNDAY 30th January (as printed on their schedule and in the Dog Press), some exhibitors have been confused over the correct date.

17th January 2005:Show dates for 2005 now online.

26th December 2004:I would like to take this opportunity of wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year. LKA Poodle results now online.

5th December 2004:B.U.B.A Poodle results now online.

5th December 2004:I received some enquiries about using my dogs to breed these "Labradoodles" which I declined. I am shocked to hear that many Standard Poodle owners have had the same enquiries, thankfully they declined too. Why oh why do these people want to "bastardise" our lovely breed ? Why create yet another MONGREL when the rescue centres are already full of them ? I ask them what purpose does this type of mating serve except to make money !! Their excuses are pitiful , "Labradoodles are good guide dogs for allergic blind people" one "breeder" told me. Well I got news for them, Standard Poodles are used as guide dogs in their own right in some countries. Another excuse was that it is for people who are allergic to dogs, I thought that was one of the reasons for getting a Poodle !! One of the people who enquired told me that they would shortly be getting full KC status. HA HA HA HA I think not, look how long it took the Parson Jack Russell to be accepted. As I said it is a money making exercise on the backs of ill informed members of the public who do not know that the Standard can not only do what the Labramongrel is being sold as doing but do it better !!

24th November 2004: Well its that time of year again, the decorations are now online. I am going to see if I can make BUBA as I have not entered LKA this year and would like to be able to wish you all compliments of the season in person. I have just had to upgrade my car to an MPV (Multi Poodle Vehicle), the old one was fine for me and Poly, along came Josie which made things just a little cramped. Now Jordan has joined us it is impossible so just for the comfort of the Poodles I have bought a bigger vehicle. Imagine the salesman's face when I told him what I wanted and why. Its a dogs life !!!

15th November 2004: Show Results page now updated (inc SPC). Been very busy of late building web sites for clients. Coupled with a new puppy in the house it has left me with less time to spare. Thoroughly enjoyed the SPC show yesterday, it was up to its usual high standard and with what I suspect will be the highest entry of the year. Good atmosphere and good sized rings helped make it a very enjoyable day. Once again the parade of the SA affected dogs brought home what a terrible affliction this is. I have entered B.U.B.A but will probably not be able to attend so look forward to seeing you all again in the new year.

19th September 2004: Darlington Poodle Results now online.

12th September 2004: Richmond Poodle results now online.

12th September 2004: Good day out yesterday at Richmond's new venue Loseley Park. It seemed to be a smooth transition from Ascot to its new home. The weather kept dry, there was a good collection of trade stands and the burgers were excellent. It was a good sized ring for the Standards too, hope you all had a good day.

8th September 2004: Birmingham City Poodle results now online.

30th August 2004: SKC Poodle Results are now on the site.

22nd August 2004: Didn't enter WKC this year as I had designated the last two weeks in August for starting decorating the house ,hope you all had a good day and will see you all at Birmingham next month. WKC Poodle results now online.

16th August 2004: What a wet Bournemouth show it was yesterday. I felt so sorry for the Standard exhibitors who got thoroughly soaked as the dog classes were judged during the downpour. Thankfully the bitch judging was moved to the wet weather ring, which although smaller at least was dry. The Mins and Toys were in their wet weather rings from the start so they and their exhibitors were able to keep dry. Bournemouth Poodle results now on the site.

11th August 2004: Busy month here, new projects keeping me busy and finally I have updated the site. The show results and the for sale pages are now up to date. If I have missed anyone out please let me know. Mad rush now to get ready for Bournemouth.

8th July 2004: Blackpool and Windsor poodle results now online.

21st June 2004: Border Union Poodle results now online.

17th June 2004: Busy month here, I have been working on a couple of new projects. Apologies for the delay, Bath and SCCA Poodle results are now online.

16th May 2004: SKC Poodle results and The Poodle Club Open Show BIS/ BOB results now online.

7th May 2004: Birmingham National Poodle results now online.

26 April 2004: WELKS Poodle results now online.

11 April 2004: After reading the RUBBISH in this weeks DW regarding vaccinations, I feel that I have to first castigate the AHT for making their statement that (and I quote) "no such association was found between vaccination and ill health in dogs". This is total nonsense as there is ample evidence provided by researchers across the world that there is such an association. If this is the best that the AHT can do then I think that their research is flawed, I have lost all respect for them . Secondly on page 9 of DW , there is an article by one David Coffey a Vet whose arrogance sticks out like a sore thumb. Apart from his obvious leanings toward annual vaccinations (I wonder why ) he goes on to say that (and again I quote) "It is the multinational drug companies who provide the scientific justification for the use of their products" (hmm wonder why) that just about says it all ! He also said that " The idea that owners could research the subject themselves is frankly ridiculous" Well Mr Coffey guess what, this is 2004 and due to our education system many of us can read these days and understand what we read ! I think you are an arrogant so and so and I feel sorry for your patients and their owners, I am glad that I am not one ! Perhaps under the impending legislation for the welfare of animals, people like him could be prosecuted for allowing our Pets to suffer. Reading the letters page there are two who agree that there is a link between vaccination and ill health and I know of several SP owners whose dogs have suffered (remember I have one).

31st March 2004: A new format on the For Sale and Wanted Page, I have split it into three pages, FOR SALE, WANTED and DOGS AT STUD. You may now advertise your Stud Dogs as well as your puppies. I have added this after several requests from some of you, so your wishes are my command. Just access the new pages via the main menu, which will take you to a sub menu for the three pages.

29th March 2004:IPC, BOB/BP/CC/RCC results now online.

19th March 2004:The headline and front page article in today's Dog World should now make more people aware of the dangers of vaccination. The article says that "A group of Vets (UK) are calling on their profession to cease the policy of annual vaccination". They quote The American Veterinary Medical Association Committee's recent report on re-vaccination. This refers to the earlier report by all the Veterinary colleges in the USA on the subject. Today's article clearly states that " promoting annual vaccination constitutes fraud and theft" and also can subject dogs to the risk of allergic reactions and Autoimmune disorders. If you have not already done so, then please read the papers on vaccination and it's Homeopathic alternative in our Health Section. This web site has been providing information on the dangers of vaccination and the benefits of Homeopathy. My interest in the subject started 3 years ago when my white dog had bad stomachs and coughs which subsequently have been proved to be allergic reactions and the two tumours which he later suffered could all be attributed to a vaccination booster. After speaking to Eileen Geeson about the subject I did a lot of research and that has enabled me to take the dogs health and his quality of life to a level he has not enjoyed since his puppy hood. Eileen's research goes back over ten years and she has done more than anyone to raise awareness to the dangers. This article is a huge step in the right direction, hopefully leading to a switch to the kinder Nosode vaccination even for puppy jabs. At the end of the day the winners in this debate will be the dogs themselves who will no longer have to suffer all those toxins pumped into them and if everyone stopped using processed dog food (those with all the additives) as well then maybe, just maybe we might even see a reduction in the number of Autoimmune and other genetic problems whose cause could be attributed to these environmental issues.

18th March 2004:Some sad news to report today, Poly's Mum Bruvelle Morning Blase (Tanya) passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday evening. She was 13. She always greeted visitors to the Caswell home in Birmingham with a lovely warm welcome. Tanya had been at Discover Dogs in 2003 where her lovely nature made her a big hit with visitors to the stand.

12th March 2004:Many of you have expressed your dissatisfaction about the horrendous problems getting away from Crufts last Thursday. It seems that this was not helped by the NEC having non existent traffic management and another exhibition going on at the same time. I know of several exhibitors who have written to the NEC complaining and it might be an idea if we all did the same.

5th March 2004:Super day out at Crufts, I do like the atmosphere ,had a good result too but had the day spoiled (as did most of us) by the traffic problems outside at 4PM. It appears that an accident on the M6 caused a massive jam which prevented cars leaving the NEC. It took over 3 hours to get out of the car park. The Police should have had some traffic control at the two roundabouts to help the traffic ease out of the NEC but I think matters were made worse by Crufts insistence that exhibitors stay in the venue until 4PM. Crufts have said in the past that this is to allow paying members of the public to see the dogs. How many of us put our dogs in their crates and cover them when their judging is completed. I think Crufts need to rethink this and allow dogs to leave (perhaps after their BOB judging has been completed). This would allow a staggered exit instead of the mad rush at 4PM. Crufts 2004 Poodle results are now online.

22nd February 2004:It has been suggested to me by many of you and I am happy to oblige so, due to the high number of advertisers on our very successful Sale And Wanted Page, I am changing the format slightly. I am listing litters in order of their age so that the oldest appear first. Would you also email me and let me know when you no longer require your advert so that the ones in the list below you can move up.Also contrary to what is going around I will confirm that I have no plans to change the service from a free one and to re-iterate that the primary objective is to find good homes for puppies and nothing else ! Some advertisers have asked if they can make some sort of donation to charity, if that is what you would like to do then may I suggest that these are paid to The Standard Poodle Club's DNA fund. I do ask that sellers and purchasers do read the disclaimer on the page. Thank you for using the service and if anyone has any suggestions as to how it could be improved still further please email me.

16th February 2004:The case of the missing pom cover to report, I was packing up and located Josie's gold pom covers ready for the "off". With everything on the trolley I went to get the covers and found that I had misplaced one. I looked everywhere but it was nowhere to be found. I was quite upset until Sandra Pennels found it, with it's Velcro grip firmly attached to the rear of my jumper. We all had a good laugh over it. It made up for a bad start to the day, when I was unpacking one of my rubber bungees flew off and hit me in the face, it has left me cut and bruised and minus a filling in one of my teeth, I am going to try and use straps in the future. Thank you to everyone who offered assistance yesterday. MCPC 2004 Standard Poodle BOB/BP/CC/RCC winners, results now online.

30th January 2004:There has been a problem with new users registering on the updated Forum (those of you using Norton Internet Security) this problem has now been rectified.

28th January 2004: Our Domain name has been hijacked by hackers, they have been sending out Spam emails using the napoleon.org.uk and the full email address. Some of the emails have "bounced " thereby alerting me to the problem. The emails have links to Pharmaceutical sites in the USA. I have reported it to the Internet Abuse team and my ISP and have been assured that our domain name is not and will not be blacklisted. The Powers that be are well aware that this kind of thing goes on and they are investigating the hackers unique Internet addresses. They are quite satisfied that both my ISP and myself have taken every precaution possible even to the extreme of Virus scanning emails from here twice (with different software) and again at the ISP. The outgoing mail server will not allow relaying so it is locked tight and any Spam does NOT come from here. Sorry to disappoint you Mr/Mrs Hacker but your feeble attempt to bring us down has failed, I don't think that there is a waking hour in the day early enough for you to catch me out. As I have said before What I have forgotten about I.T. you have yet to learn !!!

27th January 2004: The Poodle Club Champ Show BOB/BP/Ticket & Reserve winners (Standards) now online.

25th January 2004: I have been asked to explain what the new vaccination protocols in the USA are, here is a reprint taken from the April/May 2003 Newsletter of the Senior Dogs Project:
All Veterinary Schools in North America Changing Vaccination Protocols
Recent editions of the Senior Dogs Project's newsletter have reported on the
ever-broadening trend of eliminating vaccination for adult dogs, except for rabies, where required by state law. All 27 veterinary schools in North America are in the process of changing their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats. Here, in a nutshell, are the new guidelines.

"Dogs and cats immune systems mature fully at 6 months. If a modified live
virus (MLV) vaccine is given after 6 months of age, it produces immunity,
which is good for the life of the pet (i.e., canine distemper, parvo, feline
distemper). If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies
from the first vaccine neutralize the antigens of the second vaccine and
there is little or no effect. The titer is not 'boosted' nor are more memory cells induced.
"Not only are annual boosters for parvo and distemper unnecessary, they subject the pet to potential risks of allergic reactions and immune-mediated
hemolytic anemia. There is no scientific documentation to back up label claims for annual administration of MLV vaccines. Puppies receive antibodies through their mothers milk. This natural protection can last 8-14 weeks.
Puppies and kittens should NOT be vaccinated at LESS than 8 weeks.
Maternal immunity will neutralize the vaccine and little protection (0-38%) will be produced.
Vaccination at 6 weeks will, however, delay the timing of the first highly effective vaccine. Vaccinations given 2 weeks apart suppress rather than stimulate the immune system.
A series of Vaccinations is given starting at 8 weeks and given 3-4 weeks apart up to 16 weeks of age.
Another vaccination given sometime after 6 months of age (usually at 1 year 4 months) will provide lifetime immunity."

24th January 2004: The Forum software has been upgraded to the latest version, let me know if there are any bugs. Sorry about the glitch on Friday (when we appeared to be offline for a while) this was caused by a problem between the servers and was quickly rectified. There should also now be a noticeable speed increase.

23rd January 2004: I have started a new Forum Topic regarding Vaccination problems (one for each size of Poodle) . I would like those of you who have had dogs react badly to post your thoughts and comments there. If we can get enough interest and enough of you are prepared to post then I will send the information to the RCVS to see if they would at the very least consider changing our vaccination protocols to match those now in place in the USA. Remember, last year ALL 26 Veterinary Colleges in the USA said that their Vaccination protocols were wrong and have changed them to a much kinder way. I have heard that a Standard a Toy and two dogs in other breeds have suffered recently as a result of our protocols, how long must this go on and our dogs suffer until our Vet's see sense ? Let me share this thought with you, would you unnecessarily pump toxins into your body ? NO ! then why do our Vet's insist on doing it to our dogs ? perhaps the reason is not medical !!! If you have not already done so then please go to our health section and read the information on Vaccination and also Nosodes.

18th January 2004: Well I won't be going to The Poodle Club's Champ Show this weekend. Josie has obliged by coming in season but at least we will be OK for Midland Counties and Crufts.

17th January 2004: Manchester Poodle Results now online.

14th January 2004: Thanks for the phone calls regarding the closing date of MCPC on the Newsbar. The Schedule and entry form says SATURDAY 14th JANUARY and yes today (14th) is a Wednesday ! I should have spotted it as the 14th is my birthday. If you have any queries contact the Secretary (Mrs C Lawton-Anderson) on 01782 623955 or 07715 497281 her fax number is 01782 615199.

6th January 2004: Dezynadog are running a grooming seminar on Sunday 25th January. For further details see our Poodle Services page.

2nd January 2004: Midland Counties Poodle Club Championship Show, Schedule and class list now online.

22nd December 2003: I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year.

12th December 2003: Dosed up with pain killers off we went to LKA for it's usual great day out. It went well, stayed to watch the Poodle BOB winners in the group but had a nightmare journey home. The M6 was closed due to an accident so went A45/M45 with a 12mile tailback. Eventually got to the M1 and all was well until Luton when there was another tailback so had to pull off and go through the villages to get home. What is usually a 1 1/2 hour journey turned into 4 1/2 hours, I am feeling it today. LKA Poodle results are now online.

8th December 2003: My Doctor suspects that I have aggravated a back problem from a year or two ago. He has told me I need to rest (some chance). I have some strong pain killers which have taken the edge off the discomfort. I have managed to face/feet and tail Josie this afternoon and now I am going to rest for a few hours. I will bath her tomorrow and hopefully if all is well will see you all at LKA on Friday.

7th December 2003: Eventful week here, involved in a car accident on Friday afternoon (thankfully not in my 4X4), just a little bruised and my pride hurt otherwise I'm OK. The vehicle I was driving now has a bad front but it's shoulders are most definitely well laid back ! Yesterday had a puncture and put my back out whilst changing the wheel. Hopefully it will clear up in time for LKA but I put my chances as 50/50. BUBA results now online

1st December 2003: Sorry it has been taking longer than usual to reply to emails. This is because of the "flood" of garbage no doubt sent via the person I spoke about on the 29th. I have to sift them out, contact the domains to report the abuse and add them to my blacklist. On a happier note, I have long had a dream of living by the seaside, it has gone up a couple of notches this weekend as I have found something I like. It fits in with work, showing dogs etc. A move in the new year looks very likely.

29th November 2003: Great show today at Eastern Counties, super atmosphere. One thing could have spoiled it (if I let it). A few people had told me that they had received anonymous phone calls from someone who told them that I had been making derogatory remarks. Well hopefully it was nipped in the bud, as I told these people who I thought was responsible for this stirring. It is because this persons infantile attempts to cause me grief have come to nothing and they have had to resort to this slander. Again "my friend" I warn you, the ice is getting thinner by the day and were it not for the fact that you are not worth the effort, I would have taken legal action against you ages ago.

20th November 2003: A while back there were one or two people who tried to use the Forum on this website for their own political ends, defaming the name of other organisations. I made the registration on the Forums more secure (by requiring a valid email address) to try and stop this from happening in the future. As you are no doubt aware there are many ways to obtain a valid email address. The system always emails me when a new user registers and I then check it out. I noticed this morning that a new user had registered and had then used the Forum to make derogatory statements about various persons in the breed. I have removed the post, the users login and placed the email address on a blacklist to prevent them from accessing the forum with it again. I will not tolerate this kind of behaviour, the forums are for the exchange of information and discussion of everything Poodle not for "slagging off people" . I have contacted the Abuse department of the domain where this person obtained the email address, you are treading on very thin ice my "friend" as this provider takes abuse very seriously and will act on it.

16th November 2003: I have updated the Show Dates page for next year. To view it click on SHOW CALENDAR then the link for 2004 DATES. It will become the main page after LKA. I have added full contact details for each show secretary (handy if you have forgotten that schedule) and a list of judges (where available) for all three sizes.

15th November 2003: Well it's that time of the year again, the Christmas lights have been switched on in London and that means we turn ours on as well (at least ours worked). There was a small problem last night as we ran out of space on the server and I have had to have a clean up, delete some unused pages and some pictures. I have had to remove a few old ones from Friends and Family and some from Poly's show career (which are now on my Affix site anyway). There is ample space now until the site is upgraded in the new year.

10th November 2003: Earlier in the year I added the multilingual facility to the website. I have been negotiating for a while and finally I am delighted to announce that we are taking server space in the USA, Australia and another two, one in Europe and one in Scandinavia. This will enable faster access to the site in these areas and provide extra backup in the event of a catastrophic failure. These servers will mirror exactly the content on the UK server and will not affect you at all as it is completely transparent, you still use the address www.napoleon.org.uk . I am also going to have to increase the space on the current UK server as it is near capacity, that should happen in early January when the ISP move the site to a new machine. I have some exciting changes planned for the new year but they cannot take place until the changes to the UK server are completed.

9th November 2003: It was great to meet friends old and new at the Standard Poodle Club's Championship Show yesterday, (BIS, CC & Res CC winners results are now online). It was another well thought out show with the usual parade of the SA dogs in the lunch break. This always brings home what a dreadful disease this is. There was also Tracy Ansell and her Standard Poodle "Spirit" doing their heelwork to music routine, I first saw them at last years SPC Exemption show. Coupled with the usual raffles, the background music and the biggest entry of the year for SP's made it one of the most enjoyable shows of the year, here's to the next one.

2nd November 2003: What a super venue for South Western Poodle Club's Champ Show yesterday. It was held at the Hutton Moor Leisure Centre in Weston Super Mare. It was a nightmare start to the day, when I woke up at 5 AM it was raining and I had to walk the dogs on their own so as to keep them under my brolly. On returning with Josie, Poly had found his way into my bag and eaten my sandwiches (no breakfast for me), we then had to travel through driving rain for the 2 1/2 hour journey to Weston. On arrival it stopped raining and I unloaded the gear, as I went back for the dogs it poured again and I had to wait for a break in the weather to get them out of the car. Once on the grooming table, blue skies and sunshine (wouldn't you just believe it). The journey home was dreadful, road works on the M4 created a 40 mile jam and it took over 4 hours to get home. BOB/CC & Res CC winners in Standards, results are now online.

27th October 2003: Midland Counties Poodle results are now on the site.

19th October 2003: The following is taken from the April/May Newsletter of the Senior Dogs Project:
Vaccinations: All Veterinary Schools in North America Changing Vaccination Protocols.
Recent editions of the Senior Dogs Project's newsletter have reported on the
ever-broadening trend of eliminating vaccinations for adult dogs, except for rabies, where required by state law. We have now had a report that all 27 veterinary schools in North America are in the process of changing their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats. Here, in a nutshell, are the new guidelines under consideration:

"Dogs and cats immune systems mature fully at 6 months. If a modified live
virus (MLV) vaccine is given after 6 months of age, it produces immunity,
which is good for the life of the pet (i.e., canine distemper, parvo, feline
distemper). If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies
from the first vaccine neutralize the antigens of the second vaccine and
there is little or no effect. The titer is not 'boosted' nor are more memory cells induced.
"Not only are annual boosters for parvo and distemper unnecessary, they subject the pet to potential risks of allergic reactions and immune-mediated
haemolytic anaemia. There is no scientific documentation to back up label claims for annual administration of MLV vaccines. Puppies receive antibodies through their mothers milk. This natural protection can last 8-14 weeks.
Puppies and kittens should NOT be vaccinated at LESS than 8 weeks.
Maternal immunity will neutralize the vaccine and little protection (0-38%) will be produced.
"Vaccination at 6 weeks will, however, delay the timing of the first highly effective vaccine. Vaccinations given 2 weeks apart suppress rather than stimulate the immune system.
A series of vaccinations is given starting at 8 weeks and given 3-4 weeks apart up to 16 weeks of age.
Another vaccination given sometime after 6 months of age (usually at 1 year 4 months) will provide lifetime immunity."

12th October 2003:Driffield Poodle results are now online.

6th October 2003:Some of the Northumbria results are now online.

26th September 2003:Quite a few suggestions regarding the news item on the 22nd. Most suggested that if we see anyone putting anything into our dogs water bowl, not to throw it away but to keep it for analysis by a Vet.

22nd September 2003:Some important information to pass on to you all. The breed notes in this weeks Our Dogs had a warning saying: Someone out there has been doing despicable things to Poodles at shows. One bitch has been poisoned and subsequently died (cause yet to be determined) , chewing gum has been found in the middle of a dogs coat and cigarette burns in another. Someone other than the owner was seen putting something in a dogs water bowl ,its owner saw it happen out of the corner of their eye and threw the water away before the dog could drink it. Unfortunately this allowed the perpetrator to escape. Lets all be vigilant and try and catch the person or persons responsible, these people (if caught) should be banned from breeding/showing dogs for life.

14th September 2003:Darlington Poodle results are now on the site.

7th September 2003:Richmond Poodle results are now on the site.

1st September 2003:City of Birmingham Poodle Results are now on the site.

29th August 2003:Reminder, judging for Standards is at 9AM at The City of Birmingham Show.

27th August 2003:SKC Poodle results are now on the site. As some of you know Poly collapsed on Sunday morning. It is a recurrence of his breathing problem and thankfully Steroids have once again stabilised him. He is going to have an ultrasound scan shortly and I will know more at that time.

24th August 2003:Some help from our London based readers is needed. A friend of mine Jane Keeling (who owns Canine Creations grooming parlour in West London) has had her eight year old Toy bitch stolen from her car outside a leisure centre close to her home . She is a black girl with silver markings on her legs, she has a lower canine tooth missing and is wary of men. Jane has been able to view the incident on CCTV footage but unfortunately it didn't pan low enough to get the registration number of the thief's car. If anyone is offered her or asked to groom her I have a telephone number. Jane is devastated and would love to get her bitch back. Some of you will remember Jane who used to show a white Myall Standard dog.

22nd August 2003:Our For Sale and Wanted section goes from strength to strength. Over the last few months we have been operating a "match up service". From the many requests that come in if there are people wanting puppies and people selling at the same time, (where possible) we put them directly in touch with the breeder. This has been very successful and I understand that good homes for over 30 puppies have been found. We had another first this week, a breeder had a six month old puppy back from a couple who could not cope with a grown Standard. He was advertised on the site and within 12 hours we had found a loving new home for him. Remember it is a TOTALLY FREE service with finding good homes the only objective.

20th August 2003:This is a message for the idiots who keep trying to send email to the sites address with a virus attached in a Zip file. THEY ARE NOT GETTING THROUGH ! If my ISP misses them one or both of the two scanners I run here catch and quarantine them successfully. Wake up and get a life, what I have forgotten about I.T. you have yet to learn. You can tell whoever has put you up to it that their attempts will always fail because "this is what happens when you ask boys to do the job of men " !

LATE NEWS: It has been traced to a BT OPENWORLD account, I have both the IP Address and more importantly the login information. Just to prove that I really do have the information the unique Windows name of the perpetrators computer is PASHA2. Some have the knowledge and some just think they do !

18th August 2003: WKC Poodle results are now on the site.

15th August 2003: A hacker has been damaging Forums on Poodle Websites, Both ours and the SPC's have been hit. Twice I rebuilt ours only to find them damaged again. I have been discussing the security with the ISP and they have made some improvements. I have upgraded our forum software and fortunately because this site has a daily backup policy have been able to restore all the data that was lost.

10th August 2003: Bournemouth Poodle results are now on the site. What a super day for Maefare Poodles, Roger Bayliss and Andrew Hoblins Maefare Hollywood Blonde at Kertellas winning Best Of Breed. Rodney Bird's Maefare Poetic Justice and Maefare Soul Mate winning Minor Puppy Dog and Minor Puppy Bitch respectively his other girl, Maefare Justice Be Dun At Lenurb getting third place in a very hard Junior Bitch class. My girl Maefare Proof Of The Puddin winning Novice Bitch and Mr and Mrs Lotts Maefare Secret Affair getting VHC in hard Junior Dog class. Well done to everyone. Don't forget to leave extra time when planning your route to the Welsh KC next weekend. There are some traffic problems in the area (see News Ticker for details). There is a route planner at the bottom of the Show Dates page. I have had several requests to add the latest entries to Poly and Josie's diaries, your wishes are my command.

26th July 2003: Leeds Poodle results are now on the site.

18th July 2003: The so called "animal loving" anti hunt campaigners are typical of the do gooders who are ill informed and do more harm than good with their ideology. Why do I say that ? well as you know the government is trying to pass a bill that would outlaw hunting. Whether you agree with hunting or not you do have take a look at the wider picture and see what "knock on" effects there will be. According to the latest figures, around 17,000 hounds would have to be destroyed if a ban came in to effect, only a handful could be rehomed as their pack instincts and need for exercise make them unsuitable as pets. Hunt supporters have criticised MP's who have portrayed themselves as animal welfare enthusiasts, who are so willing to pass a law which will mean genocide to so many dogs. As a dog lover I am appalled at this and I will be writing to my MP and President Blair. I am sure the latter will be too busy gallivanting around the world to "give a stuff" about what real people are feeling about real issues at home !

17th July 2003:East Of England Poodle results are now on the site.

10th July 2003:South Wales Poodle results are now on the site.

9th July 2003:There is an increasing number of Show Societies who have an Online Entry Form. I have today received permission from Higham Press to link to their system. To use the service go to the Schedule Page, scroll down to the relevant show and if it say's ONLINE ENTRY click on that to go to www.dog.biz (The Higham Press Online Entry System). A new window will open to allow you direct access to their system.

6th July 2003:I heard today about two Red Setter puppy's (in different parts of the country) who had suffered Epilepsy as a result of their puppy inoculations. One of the pups subsequently has died. To those who say that they will vaccinate conventionally for the puppy jabs and Homoeopathically for the boosters, this is further evidence to make you think again about vaccinating conventionally at all. Windsor Poodle Results are now on the site.

3rd July 2003:Suppose your dog has won twice at Championship shows outside of Puppy classes. You then have a batch of show entries to send off, you want to enter Novice. What classes should you enter your dog in (suppose he were to win at an early one in the batch) ? I had two answers to this and wanted a clarification so I rang the KC. They said that if 7 days (or later) before the closing date for entries is before your dogs 3rd first prize then you can still go into Novice. If the qualifying win comes prior to 7 days before closing and you have sent off the entry, then you have to contact the Show Secretary who may transfer you to the Open class. These rules apply (with the relevant number of wins) to all classes. This is Rule F(A) 9D (page 3.72 in the KC Year Book). After discussions with many exhibitors and trying to trawl through the Year Book this answers the question perfectly.

28th June 2003:Paignton Poodle results are now on the site.

27th June 2003:There is a letter from Eileen Geeson in today's Dog World regarding Nosodes, it mentions Dr Charles Loops Paper "To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate". For those who wish to read the paper it is on this site click the link to go straight there. Recent developments suggest that Optigen are making progress in detecting the DNA markers for the other type of PRA in Miniatures. They need more dogs to come forward and be tested. Those with the other form of PRA in their stock are needed to help by keeping researchers advised of any clinical developments in later life. For newcomers to Poodles who do not know what PRA is, go to our Health Sections where you will find comprehensive information on the disease.

As you may have seen in the papers and last week`s Dog World the Welsh Assembly has issued 2 grants to set up puppy farms and very many more are in the pipe line. If you are interested please would you at look at the information and petition on the link below.

http://www.ethical-business.com/?sect=detail&pet=619 My Thanks to Carole Grundy for emailing this to me.

26th June 2003:Poly is 4 today and it is also a year since Josie came to live with us. There was a Poodle exhibitor a while ago who said that I would never get Poly to accept another dog or bitch into my house and that I would have to re home him in order to get any others. We now know that this person was talking out of their behind (something they do quite a lot) as my two are totally inseparable (see picture below).

21st June 2003:I have been asked to add some more information about the Standard bitch who had 7 biopsy punches. The Vet took the biopsy' for diagnostic purposes and it was not done as part of the Standard Poodle Club's Open Registry Scheme. As I pointed out, Poly's biopsy done under the scheme back in 2001 was hardly noticeable so do not let this put you off having your SP S.A. tested. It must be remembered that those Vets who are working within the scheme or those who have read the information on SA testing in Veterinary journals do an excellent job.

21st June 2003:During the next few days I will be posting the Schedule for The Wembley and District CS Open Show on Sunday August 24th. at Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middx. At our March show we had the highest entry of Standards in the society's history and we would like as good an entry again. We are running three classes for Standards and three for Toys, (come on Toy exhibitors we need a much better entry this time). Our Judge is Mrs Pam O'Brien (Danapam) who judged Standards at Windsor in 2001. We are one of those societies that do not allow committee members to handle or exhibit at the show, so we look forward to seeing you at what will be a very good day out. Blackpool Poodle results are now on the site.

18th June 2003:I have heard a horror story today of a Standard having an "SA Biopsy from Hell". The bitch had had a general for this and no less than seven punches taken, some within an inch of each other. Is it any wonder some people are terrified to go to their vets for blood tests if this is what happens for a relatively simple skin punch. To see a picture of this click the link HERE . It is absolutely disgusting and I hope the owner refuses to pay the bill (which I understand ran into 4 figures) and reports the Vet to the RCVS. This is a real "botched job", I remember when Poly had his Biopsy done, you could hardly see it AND HE WAS IN FULL SHOW COAT ! all I had to do was to put a couple of bands in his mane to separate the coat. How a Vet can make such a mess of this leaves me feeling very angry.

17th June 2003: When I started out in the breed I was hungry for grooming tips, I was very fortunate to have had advice from some of the breeds best. Apart from a couple of excellent Poodle books and video's there was not a lot of information on the Net that was really useful for the novice groomer (I'm one of those). I had been asked at shows if the site could run some grooming features, I have been happy to oblige and the first one is online now, click on Training and Tips from the Main Menu, then click on Grooming Tips.

16th June 2003: Border Union Poodle results are now on the site.

16th June 2003: I have received an email from Dr Jeff Sampson (The KC's Canine Genetics Coordinator) regarding the Von Willebrands DNA test that is now available for Dobermans. I had asked for more information and this was some of his reply.

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The company that is offering the vWD test for Dobermanns is in Finland and called Finnzymes. Mikko Koskinen, is the person to contact, his email is mikko.koskinen@finnzymes.fi . There is absolutely no chance of a vWD test becoming available here in the UK in the immediate future, but additional research is being undertaken that might correct this in the future.

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15th June 2003: We have just won our fifth Internet award, it is the Diamond Web Award 2003 (level 1).Please continue to vote and let's see if we can get to level 2.

12th June 2003: Don't forget that the new, bigger, better show schedules service is now online.

10th June 2003: Three Counties Poodle results are now on the site.

9th June 2003: I have updated the Schedule Page, it now includes most of the upcoming shows. Schedules, Entry Forms and complete "zipped" files can be viewed or downloaded. You will need Acrobat Reader and or Winzip, there are links to download these at the top of the page.

6th June 2003: I have added a link to Healthy Pets, they provide very competitive insurance cover for dogs and cats. You can find the link on our Links Page, a couple down from the top.

30th May 2003: Great day out at Southern Counties, it was one of the most enjoyable shows I have ever been to. There was a large grooming area next to the ring (large itself) and I noticed that the benching areas were double the size they usually are. Couple this with a great venue (just off the M4 at Newbury), good facilities and super weather, made it a most memorable day. Poodle results for the show are now on the site. After a highly successful month for Josie in the show ring I am going to rest her for a few weeks. She will return to Champ Shows at East Of England in July.

29th May 2003: Summer is finally here and there were warnings at Bath on Monday regarding the leaving of dogs in parked cars . Heat Stroke can be fatal to a dog, most of us are aware of this but for some of our newer visitors I have added a section on Canine Heat Stroke to our Health Pages. This can be found at the bottom of the page under the OTHER PROBLEMS heading. Thank you to those who enquired as to how Poly was doing, he has recovered nicely from his operation and has a small layer of coat over the scar. I have run a number 4 over his body, leaving his legs with coat on them. He looks like Sergeant Pepper at the moment but I will scissor the shoulders in next week and see how my effort looks ! I hope to enter him NFC at Bournemouth where I will be bringing him for a day out.

27th May 2003: Great show at Bath yesterday, the sun was shining and it was not as muddy as last year, now looking forward to Southern Counties and their new venue at Newbury on Friday. More congratulations for Val Beck, who has had a terrific week . She won the Min Dog CC with her delightful Maldavale Macdonald. Poodle results for Bath are now on the site and yes I am off of cloud nine today !! Thanks for all the good wishes both at the show and via email, they were much appreciated.

24th May 2003: The Forum is still experiencing some problems, I have informed the ISP.

23rd May 2003: You can't fail to have noticed the current anti dog hysteria in the press this week. It seems to me that they have jumped on the bandwagon and sensationalised the stories they reported. It is the headlines that worry me. These are what are seen by members of the public, who might not necessarily read the whole story so as to make a more informed decision as to the facts of the case. Look at the headline "Dog savages 2 month old baby to death" ,perhaps it should have read "Drunk baby minder leaves 2 month old baby alone with German Shepherd" .Not as sensational perhaps but more truthful. Why was the dog put in this position in the first place ? why was it not put it in another room in the house until the owners returned ? There are lots of unanswered questions but one thing is for sure the dog was not entirely to blame. According to the press reports the baby minder had been drinking and fell asleep, apparently Police are considering Manslaughter charges against her, and quite right too. Also this dog will be put down because of her actions and although we all make mistakes you have to ask what could have been done to avert this terrible tragedy. Our hearts go out to the parents of the child, who must be devastated by their loss. If the press really want to help then perhaps they should be promoting responsible dog ownership. Perhaps doing some research and printing a list of dog training clubs or a "do's and don'ts" of dog ownership might be of use. There are also Behaviourist's like Dr Roger Mugford who's Company Of Animals in Surrey run both training classes and temperament evaluation sessions to assist the dog owner. It would be nice to see the press doing articles about this type of centre. I have always believed in the sharing of information regarding our four legged friends and this type of incident just brings home how important it is to do so.

22nd May 2003: Whoever thought that they could send the sites email address the malicious virus "W32.HLLW.Mankx@mm" had better get up a little earlier in the morning. Not only does my ISP scan everything in and out, I do too ! I have three virus scanners running simultaneously here which will catch anything my ISP misses (and that has not happened yet). Oh and by the way spoofing email addresses in the way they did is mere child's play, the average five year old can do it ! It is such a shame that they did not learn to hide their unique Internet Address (IP) as it has been recovered and will be passed on to their ISP. I think that what I have forgotten about I.T. this person has yet to learn !

18th May 2003: SKC Poodle results are now on the site. Well done to Val Beck (Maldavale) and her lovely miniatures, she had a great day at The Poodle Club's Open Show today with a Best Dog, Best Bitch, BOB and BIS.

14th May 2003: A couple of months ago I promised another first for a Poodle site and today I am delighted to launch Napoleon's Web Page in FIVE LANGUAGES, English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. To activate this, click on the relevant flag and then Click HOME on the menu. This will turn on the translation software for the relevant language. The translated pages take longer to load so please be patient. To return to English use the same procedure with the Union Jack, Let me know of any problems that manifest themselves. The English text will work as usual and will not be affected (speed wise) by the translated pages.

12th May 2003: The Forum is experiencing problems this morning, I have reported it to the ISP and they are looking into it. Hopefully they will be back online later today.

11th May 2003: At Birmingham an incident occurred which needed the intervention of a Min Exhibitor unfortunately I was benched at the far end of the hall and did not see it. However it seems another Exhibitor was playing around with a video camera and managed to get the whole thing on film. A VHS copy is in the post to me and after viewing it I will be keeping it as ammunition in the event that the perpetrator of the incident tries it again at any future shows.

8th May 2003: I received an unusual request at Birmingham National today, I was asked to remove a picture (Highla Indiana Hits Malibu) from Napoleon's Show Friends. I have decided not to remove the picture as to do so would be an injustice to both the breeder and the bitch, who have done nothing wrong. The breeder has no objection to the picture being there so I fail to find any valid reason why it should not be. Birmingham National Poodle results are now on the site. Well done to Rodney Bird and his stunning 10 month old miniature (Kertellas Nobody's Business At Lenurb) who won the Puppy Stakes class. It doesn't get a mention in any results published on the Web so we are doing it here. How about a picture of him to put on the Net Rodney ?

4th May 2003: I have added a new feature to our For Sale and Wanted section, you may now upload your own advertisements to the site.

2nd May 2003: Our For Sale and Wanted section goes from strength to strength, two advertisers sold their puppies within a few a days of putting the Ad online. One of them sold within 24 hours and was spoilt for choice for buyers. Remember this is a FREE service and it is for Standards, Mins and Toys.

27th April 2003: WELKS Poodle results are now on the site.

26th April 2003: What a nice show WELKS was yesterday, there was a great atmosphere despite the wet weather and our being in the "Cowsheds". Nightmare 4 1/2 hour journey home as the traffic through Cheltenham, Oxford and then the dreaded M25 was nose to tail. My only criticism was the lack of trade stands, considering the amount of space available. I was not even able to buy any top knot bands, oh well I have enough to last until Birmingham. On a sadder note , I spoke with a lady who has a Standard Puppy, on enquiring how it was doing, she told me that she could no longer show as it had been diagnosed as having a muscle wasting disease. This disease is prevalent in Golden Retrievers and her Vet had told her that he had not seen it in Standard Poodles before. Apparently it's cause was not genetic but from the FIRST PUPPY VACCINATION. The worst affected areas were around the head, neck and spine (closest to where the Jab was administered). The lady has now changed over to a Homeopathic Vet and he is treating the problem. I will be speaking to her again shortly for an update on how it is going and I will let you all know. This answers those who say that although they will no longer "boost" they will still do the Puppy Vaccinations and confirms what ALL the U.S. Veterinary colleges are saying about the Vaccination Protocols in this country.

20th April 2003: I have added two new Forum subjects to each size of Poodle. They are DIET and HOMEOPATHY .

5th April 2003: I have had a serious row with my Vet, he insists that I should have brought Poly in for a vaccination booster in November 2001. He has typical "Veterinary Vision" (it only sees £££ signs) and refuses to accept that Nosode vaccination not only works but is actually beneficial. This all came about when Poly had yet another tumour removed yesterday. This has made me angrier then ever about Vet's intransigence to Homeopathy so I have decided to "ramp up" the debate. There is a link on our Home Page saying CANINE HEALTH CENSUS, please click on it or the link above, it makes very interesting reading. There will be a lot more information on the subject appearing over the coming weeks, including how genetic problems can be introduced into a line by over vaccination. Because this site has no affiliation to any organisation we are not afraid to reprint already published articles which may offend or disagree with laboratories or companies working in this field. I receive a lot of emails on the subject of Homeopathy and where products can be obtained. I have added a link to the Ainsworth's Web Site on our links page, from there you will be able to order their products online.

4th April 2003: Again last night I heard a well known radio presenter (James Whale) refer to "that Poodle at number ten". Although I am a big fan of Mr J.W. Perhaps it needs a few of us to ring in and put him straight. As we all know Poodles are an elegant, intelligent breed, more than can be said about the incumbent at number ten ! James Whale can be heard on Talk Sport 1089 /1053 AM (dependent on where you live) Monday to Thursday at 10 PM. For those who have never heard him, BE WARNED he is outrageous, his show can offend. I suspect however that his "Poodle" comments were made in passing. I have emailed his show at http://www.talksport.net/ and asked him to consider using the word "puppet" instead of Poodle to describe the relationship between Bush and Blair.

16th March 2003: I would like to express my gratitude to all those who voted for me at The SPC election, unfortunately I was unsuccessful but I was delighted with the number of votes. There was no problem with Josie except that she has learned to open the crate door, (Freda tells me her (Josie's) mother is the same) I put her back in and made sure the catch was secure, madam was in my drivers seat again when I returned. To those who mock our breed and insinuate that our Prime Minister is The US Presidents Poodle, I say that "Poodles have more intelligence then Politicians" !

12th March 2003: There have been some postings on the forum which were similar to the threats received on my Guestbook I have deleted them and the bogus user. To prevent this happening in the future all new users registering on the forum must enter a valid email address. A validation code will be sent via email and to activate the forum account they will have to open it and click on a link contained in the email. This will not affect current users. One nice spin off from this is that if you forget your password there is now a link on the main forum page. You only need to click on it and follow the instructions. You will then be able to reset your password (providing the email address you gave when registering was correct). You can change the email address by clicking on PROFILE at the top of the main forum page after logging in.

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TO THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE
I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO STOP YOUR SICK BEHAVIOUR AND I AM NOW LIAISING WITH OTHERS IN THE DOG WORLD TO WHOM YOU HAVE CAUSED TROUBLE.
I WILL TAKE OUT A FULL PAGE ADVERT IN THE DOG PRESS INFORMING EVERYONE OF WHO YOU ARE WHEN THE POLICE FINALLY CATCH UP WITH YOU.
I HAD MY DOGS WATCHED AT CRUFTS AND THE SAME WILL HAPPEN AT OTHER DOG EVENTS AND SHOWS.

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10th March 2003: We had a great day out at Crufts yesterday, Josie performed very well and I enjoyed the atmosphere, Poodle results are now on the site. More threats have come in via the Guestbook (I suspect the same source) it appears that this has been happening to others in the dog world and they suspect the same source also. Be aware lady that I have been in touch with a northern Police force this morning and I will assist them in every way to find you and make sure that you get what is coming to you. I will also publish your name and address on the Internet so that others to whom you have wronged can find you and attempt to gain some recompense.

7th March 2003: There is some nastiness to report today, a while back I received a threat to my dogs in the Guestbook , from it's contents it was quite easy to work out who it was from. Last night I received another, telling me that "if I leave my dogs unattended at Crufts, harm may come to them". I got news for you "lady" I have already sorted out a rota with friends who bench close by and our dogs will be watched at all times ! I have also reported the incident to the Police who will I am sure add it to the large list of allegations against you. Oh and by the way I gather that the Police want to talk to you about another crime you allegedly committed so if I see you at Crufts I will make sure that I put them in touch with you !

4th March 2003: I have a new service on the drawing board which will be another first for a Poodle Site. I am not going into details at this time but I hope to have it up and running sometime in March, watch this space.

25th February 2003: If anyone had told me when I started the site in March 2000 that it would get 50,000 hits in three years I would not have believed them. But here we are three years later and today we have gone past the 50,000 mark. That is a dream come true for any Webmaster and we are truly global now as many of our visitors are from all over the world . I often receive over 200 emails per week regarding the site, many asking for features such as maps to shows, weather etc. We do try to accommodate and the sites large size is testament to that. Keep visiting, I really appreciate your support over the last three years, here's to the next three.

23rd February 2003: Our Poodle Information Search Facility is back online on the Home Page. It makes finding information on the site "a breeze" You enter the word(s) you want to search for and press "Start Search"". You then scroll down the page where you will see hyperlinks pointing at the pages with the word(s) on them. Click a relevant hyperlink and you will be taken straight to the information without having to navigate the site.

21st February 2003: I heard this today and had to share it with you : A guy sees a sign in front of a house:

"Talking Poodle for Sale." He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a black Standard just sitting there. "You talk?" he asks. "Sure do." the dog replies." So, what's your story?" The dog looks up and says, "Well, I discovered my gift of talking pretty young and I wanted to help the government, so I told MI5 about my gift, in no time they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies eight years running." "The jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger and I wanted to settle down. So I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security work, mostly wandering near suspicious characters and listening in." "I uncovered some incredible dealings there and was awarded a batch of medals. Had a wife, sired a few litters of puppies, and now I'm just retired." The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. The owner says, "Ten quid." The guy says, "This dog is amazing. Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?" The owner replied, "Cause he's a liar. He didn't do any of that stuff."

21st February 2003: Patrick Holbourn has asked me to inform you all that The Standard Poodle Club website is back online at the new address of www.standardpoodleclub.com where the Webmaster is currently rebuilding the site..

15th February 2003: Some Forum users have told me that when logging on they so not see any posts. Beneath Poly's picture (on the forums front page) you will see "CHANGE CATEGORY GROUP". Beneath that is a drop down box, make sure that "ALL CATEGORIES YOU HAVE ACCESS TO " is showing. When logged in to the forum make sure that "SHOW ALL TOPICS" is in the drop down box (on the top right of the postings above "LAST POST)". We are getting really busy, the site's weekly hit count" has doubled.

15th February 2003: It is always a difficult question when building a Website as to whether to keep it simple and quick or use the newer technologies which may sacrifice speed. I have just looked at a US site which uses the "flash technology" and even on my Broadband connection was slow to load. I think we have got it just about right as this site is still reasonably quick on modem connections but has embraced some of the newer technologies. Thanks for your input regarding "the look and feel" the response has been positive I'm glad you like it. There are still some pages to be updated and some new features to the site which will come online during the year. Good luck if you are going to MCPC tomorrow I hope you have a great day, unfortunately we cannot go as Josie is in season but hope to see you all at Crufts 2003. A big thank you to those of you who entered Wembley Canine Society's Open Show in March. We have the largest entry of Standard Poodles in the society's history and look forward to seeing you all there on the day.

14th February 2003: The forum issue has now been resolved, if you are running a firewall and wish to register you can. The software developers came back within 5 hours with the fix and I added it this afternoon.

14th February 2003: There is an issue with some firewall software which can prevent you registering to use the forum. It seems that when you click the AGREE icon it dumps you back to the same page. The software developers are working on the problem and I expect a solution shortly. In the meantime a quick fix is to disable the firewall, register and then enable it again. It will not affect logging in once registered.

13th February 2003: The facelift continues, Show Directions and Weather Forecasts have moved to the Show Calendar 2003 Section. I will gradually be altering the font on the information within the site to this nice Monotype Corsiva one. The music on the front page has been changed to something more apt, anyone know what it is ? subtle eh ?

12th February 2003: I am giving the site a huge facelift, it may take a little longer to load the pages on the first visit but it will be worth it. Please bear with me whilst the upgrades are taking place and let me know what you think of the new look or if anything does not work correctly. You Must have Internet Explorer 6.0 (SP1) installed, (those using Windows XP must have SP1 installed). If you must run IE 5.0 then you will need to install the MS JAVA add in. If everything is displaying correctly then you need take no action. I have checked the speed of the site with three different connections, 38KB and 56KB modems and a Broadband connection, it was fine after the first visit with the modems and perfect on B/Band, It was only the initial front page load that took a little longer, the rest of the site worked as normal. Full Manchester Results are now on the site.

5th February 2003: We have a great new service, Napoleon's Chat Room. When you enter this you will be able to chat LIVE to anyone online on this site who has logged into chat, it works similar to Messenger. If you see someone logged in to the room that you want to chat to then highlight their name, click options and ring and if their sound is on you will be able to "ring" their PC. This service will allow you to chat to your Poodle friends from ALL OVER THE WORLD for the cost of your Internet connection telephone call.

23rd January 2003: The Schedules are back, I have one online in MS Word Format. There are two pages, page 1 is the entry form and page 2 is the class list.

22nd January 2003: We have made some more subtle changes, the Breed Standard page has now split into three to include Toys and Mins with their respective Breed Club information. The Training Club Page is now being expanded to cover the whole of The UK for both Ringcraft and Obedience. Secretaries please email information on your clubs for addition to this page. The diary pages have been renamed to The Poodle Diaries, clicking on that link will take you to the diary menu page where these popular pages can now be found.

15th January 2003: I thought you might be interested to know that there is some new information on vaccination from the USA. Go to Poodle Health Info and then scroll down the page to Vaccinate or not to Vaccinate. Scroll down to Vaccination Newsflash: Crossposting from: Dr. Ihor Basko. It makes interesting reading.

14th January 2003: It's my birthday today and I have reached a milestone, this is one that I will NOT be celebrating !!

10th January 2003: I have moved the menu into better arranged groups, you will find the diaries and pictures lower down.

4th January 2003: The show results have had a small change of format, I have split the results into their respective years which will make navigation a little easier. We have a new service a Show Calendar which also gives the venue. There are some blanks, if anyone can help fill them in please email me. If any Open Show Secretaries want to advertise their shows (providing they are running Poodle classes) please email me with the details. The Show Calendar can be found on the main menu.

1st January 2003: I have changed the format of the site a little. I have created another page exclusively for my Affix which will contain show pictures of the dogs, their achievements etc. Napoleon's Web Page will keep the information it currently has and will also retain the popular diaries of Poly and Josie (most emails during the last year said how much they were enjoyed). I am working on a few of the ideas that have been suggested, watch this space. By the way my Affix site is now online at www.kiragleons.co.uk Poly and Josie's show pictures are now to be seen there.

27th December 2002: It's that time again, Old Father Time has pushed us another year further into the 21st century. As we close in on our third anniversary, it is thanks to you all for making us the success that we have become. Over 46000 hits in those three years speak volumes and we are now one of the largest Poodle Websites in the world. We have led the field, providing the services that you have asked for and there is more to come in 2003. Keep those suggestions coming in and again our gratitude and thanks to you all for visiting us, we hope you will visit us again in 2003. I would like to wish you all a very happy, prosperous and successful New Year.

22nd December 2002: Congratulations are due to Cynthia and Francois Koegler (Angel's Heart) for making up their new German Champion, Angel's Heart Black Face (Angel). Cynthia and I have had links between our sites since we went online in 2000, she has one of the best breeder sites on the net, www.angelsheart.ch .

19th December 2002: Poly is now home and sleeping off the effects of the anaesthetic. The Endoscopy found nothing except some inflammation on his tonsils. The Vet is sure his problems are all allergy related and he will be kept on a low dose of steroids as they seem to work.

19th December 2002: Thanks ever so much to everyone who emailed and sent cards wishing Poly well for his op today. I have to take him in at 9:00 AM and I should have some news about 1:30 PM. All being well I should be picking him up around 7 PM and bringing him home. I will post news of how he is then.

14th December 2002: Great day out at LKA today, thoroughly enjoyed it. Poodle results are now on the site.

14th December 2002: It's an early night so I can take a slow ride up the motorway. Good luck at LKA everyone, hope you have a super day, see you all there.

4th December 2002: OK you wanted a proper whelping calendar that shows bred from/due dates rather than just a calendar to work it out. Your wish is my command.

3rd December 2002: I was asked at B.U.B.A if I could put a Whelping Calendar on the site. I thought it was a great idea and (as if by magic) you will now find it from the menu. It could also be used by both secretaries and exhibitors alike for checking those show dates.

2nd December 2002: B.U.B.A has come and gone, a big thanks to all those who offered advice it was much appreciated. Poodle Results for B.U.B.A. are now on the site.

1st December 2002: Hope you had an enjoyable B.U.B.A ? I am still recovering and have spent the day resting. Poly and Josie are both flat out and have commandeered the sofa.

25th November 2002: Great new information on the dangers of Vaccination either view it from the Health Menu or click on the text here: To Vaccinate Or Not To Vaccinate. In particular read the paragraphs marked 4,7 & 8 .

24th November 2002: Well if it's good enough for London to have switched on the Christmas lights it's good enough for us. Hope you like them.

23rd November 2002: Just a reminder that B.U.B.A. is next Saturday 30th November not 7th December as printed on some calendars.

19th November 2002: Due to the ongoing problems that the forum has been experiencing, the ISP has moved it to a new server. The menu link has been altered to allow access but there may be interruptions to the service for the next 72 hours whilst they make some changes. Once complete the forum should run faster and have a 99% uptime.

16th November 2002: I have upgraded the forum software to the latest version, please let me know if there are any bugs.

14th November 2002: There is a problem with the forums at the moment. It is in the network centre housing the server on which the forum resides. The ISP is working on it and the forum will reappear when the problem has been rectified.

7th November 2002: If you click the picture of an Atlas on the home page it will bring up a map of where the next show venue is. Use the scroll bar at the bottom of the page and scroll right. You will then be able to type in your road or postcode, scroll down the results page and your directions will be displayed on the screen.

4th November 2002: It seems that my technology is ahead of the site's ISP. They are unable to support my search facility until they upgrade the server early next year. I am not beaten yet watch this space.

3rd November 2002: Whoops a problem on the server has again caused the search engine to stop working, they will look at it tomorrow. We have started a Weather Information Service for the next show venue, see the Icon on the homepage.

2nd November 2002: I have made the necessary changes and the Search Facility should now display the correct page names. What a wonderful thing Broadband Internet is, it makes editing pages as quick as if they were on your PC. To access the Search Facility all you need do is click on either of the "Search " logos on the Home Page, . It is simple and quick. I have also implemented a "wildcard search" this means (for example) if you are unsure of the spelling of Sebaceous Adenitis you just need to type in Seb* and click on search. Remember the facility searches all the pages on the site for the word (or part of) that you typed in. It may take a few moments on some connections to display the results.

1st November 2002: The Engineers have fixed the problem on the server and our search page is up and running, some of the results might display an incorrect name and I have a few hours work to fix this problem. The search does work though and all you have to do is to click on the hyperlinks the search throws up. The number on the right of the hyperlink shows the relevance to your search (highest numbers first), go on give it a try. Try this example, you want to see the Standard results for Midland Counties 2002, type the surname of the judge SPAVIN into the search box and press start search.

27th October 2002: Because the site has become so large I have added a search facility, Click on "Search The Site For Poodle Information" and you will be brought to the Search Page.

26th October 2002: Thank you to all those who came up to me at Midland Counties to say how much they enjoy the site. It is nice to be appreciated and was the icing on the cake of a super day for me.

23rd October 2002: As I thought, Morley (the government minister looking into whether there should be a ban on docking) has ignored the consultation responses. There is a press release from DEFRA on the subject which can be read by clicking on the link below:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2002/021016a.htm

This is another piece of Nanny State legislation waiting to happen, they want to ban fox hunting and tail docking, what next ? Dog Showing ? I jest not, if you give these hypocrites an inch you will get a "Foot" or a "Ben" or maybe even two Jags.

15th October 2002: Thank you to everyone who has phoned or emailed to ask how Poly is doing. He is recovering nicely from the Op and his stitches come out at the weekend, his chest problem is controlled by the Anti Inflammatories and thankfully his stomach is stable and he is eating again and has put on a few pounds. He is beginning to look more like a SP and not a giant sausage. He should make a full recovery but there is some concern that there might be something more sinister causing his chest problem. He was playing chase with Josie this morning and barked at the Postman so I know he is feeling better.

24th September 2002: I now know for sure what has been ailing Poly, I have had some tests done and it seems that as was thought he has food intolerances to wheat/gluten and dairy products. This is coupled with a problem in his body breaking down proteins. He is also allergic to various pollens, tree saps, house dust (just like human asthma/hay fever). The Vet says that unfortunately he is a very allergic dog. I told him that that his diary points to the trigger being a vaccination booster and that it is well known that these can attack the immune system. I asked if he could guarantee that it wasn't due to the booster and of course he couldn't. This backs up what I have researched on vaccinations and what a prominent poodle person has been saying for ages. Poly is on a modified diet and some natural remedies to help his chestiness. Can't stop him romping around in the bushes with Josie, though, he pays for it afterward. Before the wretched booster was administered Poly was healthy and could eat whatever was thrown at him, he also romped around in the local fields (with long grass) without any ill effects. I wish our Veterinary Surgeons would come clean about the dangers of vaccinations and admit that the Nosode way is the kinder, safer way. If I had known all this two years ago I would not have conventionally boosted. It does make me wonder if autoimmune problems are caused by vaccinations damaging the immune system.

22nd September 2002: The site has reached a major landmark today, 40,000 hits. A big thank you to everyone who has visited us during the last 2 1/2 years for helping us reach this number. Here's to the next 40,000 !

14th September 2002: Darlington Poodle results are now on the site.

7th September 2002: Richmond Poodle results are now on the site, hope you all had a great day.

27th August 2002: Updated Standard Poodle results for SKC are now on the site, it appears that the problem lay with Fosse Data.

26th August 2002: Poodle results for SKC are now on the site, anyone who went yesterday care to comment ? be interested to hear from you on our Forum. The Wembley CS Open Show went well and a big thank you to the Standard exhibitors who gave us an entry (16) This was the biggest Poodle entry for our show for some time. We hope to see you all at our next one in March 2003.

24th August 2002: The site has won it's third Internet award, we now have the Diamond Web Award. This is the second we have achieved this year, thank you to those of you who voted for us.

15th August 2002: After a lot of tooing and froing the KC finally accepted one of the names I wanted for the new pup. I drove to the Aylesbury office yesterday and received a warm welcome from the staff who also made a huge fuss of Josie. The registration certificate was in my hands in super quick time and Josie (complete with her new name) is now registered to me (see her diary).

6th August 2002: When I brought Poly home at 5 months I looked around for a local training club, originally I was going to work him in obedience so I looked for that kind of club. On attending one there was one of the committee there who was to say the least "abrupt". It was said to me that I would be lucky to make a pet out of Poly let alone an obedience or show dog. This person has been "slagging" poly off ever since. When he qualified for Crufts 2001 this person said "he was lucky", when he got placed third in his class "he was lucky", when he was continually getting placed at Champ shows it was "due the the standard of poodles being poor". It was not just Poly it was ANY of the poodles attending that club and there were quite a few. If I, in my capacity as Secretary of a local Canine Society spoke to people like that we would lose all our members ! At the weekend it was brought to my attention by two people that this person was once again slagging Poly off saying that a certain breeding (allegedly behind his) was responsible for all the bad temperaments in Standard Poodles. What utter nonsense ! and Poly does not have that line behind him anyway. I wonder what the Kennel owners would say if I told them what this person said ? This person can say all they like about my dog but what i will not tolerate is the attack made against my name to someone else ! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, a friend of yours has stopped me just short of writing a letter to the KC but if you do not desist I WILL write a letter and also complain about the way you treat your members.

5th August 2002: What a fantastic day out at The Standard Poodle Club's Exemption Show yesterday. We were lucky with the weather, apart from a shower during the novelty classes it
was a warm sunny day. The Pedigree classes were well supported with entries in the twenties and quite a few Poodles in each. The same with the novelty classes and a super demonstration of heelwork to music by Tracy Ansell with her Standard Poodle (Spirit) "Somanic On a Mission For Chalkwell". There were also well supported Obedience classes.
The facilities were terrific, Portaloos (if you have ever been caught short at an Exemption Show you will know what a good idea these were) a Hot Dog and hamburger stand and the committee stand selling Poodle books and literature.
It was a long day, we got there at 10:30 AM and left at around 5 PM but it was a thoroughly enjoyable one. Let's hope they raised a substantial sum for the DNA research fund.

1st August 2002: Don't forget that Sunday is the Standard Poodle Club's Exemption Show in aid of DNA research into Sebaceous Adenitis. The long range weather forecast is good (fingers crossed). For information on how to find the show, look at our home page and scroll down to the "flyer" advertising the show. There is a link to a local map and a map of the area. There will also be local signposts to help.

17th July 2002: Some nastiness to report today, someone tried to enter obscenities in the Guestbook. However they have to get up a little earlier as all entries go into a buffer file which only I can see. I then have to manually add the entry to the main Guestbook. So hard luck my friend it didn't work !! The site is hosted by a major Internet Provider with all the necessary security in place (firewalls etc) to prevent anyone from deleting or altering the site.

15th July 2002: I have started a major redesign of the website, some of the pages will still have the old format until the redesign is completed.

9th July 2002: As you know, after all the trials and tribulations of Poly's behaviour in the ring I bought a new puppy. She started her show career tonight at a puppy match, the result is in her diary. Not to be outdone Poly did even better, see his diary !! wouldn't you just know it.

2nd July 2002: I really do despair sometimes when our "know it all" politicians open their mouths. I worry that Animal Welfare Minister Elliot Morley made up his mind on the docking issue before hearing representations from the pro lobby. Why do I say this ? well today I heard that after all the doubts about the safety of the MMR vaccine, London's MARE, (not a spelling mistake) Ken Livingstone has told parents that the TRIPLE vaccine in safe, come on Ken when did you qualify as a Doctor ? what next ? will you be telling dog owners that the Vanguard 7 vaccine is safe ? makes you wonder what really changes hands behind closed doors !

26th June 2002: Poly is three today and hopefully beginning to grow up. I have a special treat for him later.

21st June 2002: I have added some information on Homeopathic Vaccination, click on Poodle Health Info, go to the bottom of the page and find Cures and Remedies and click on Nosodes. Latest news on Teddy, he has improved a little today but is not yet able to eat, he is on a special diet from tomorrow.

20th June 2002: Some sad news to report today, Teddy "Thunderball At Twindles" was taken ill yesterday and had to have a life saving operation. It appears that he swallowed a sock which had wrapped itself around his intestines. The Vet has successfully removed the offending item and Teddy is back home with Dawn and Phil. He is not out of the woods yet but they are hopeful he will be fine. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him his usual happy self at Bournemouth. Perhaps you should instigate a "Sock Patrol" what do you think Dawn ?

17th June 2002: It's a busy time here as the new puppy settles in and my working time is around her needs. She is very promising. Although I am not entering Poly at Bournemouth I will be meeting some friends there after the show. Poly and Josie will both be coming along for our customary post Bournemouth dog walk. I may see some of you there.

15th June 2002: A hard disk failure has kept me off line for a few days but we are back again now.

10th June 2002: Well the new puppy is now here, she is a beautiful black girl (Dam) Maefare Don't Con a Connor. (Sire) Ch/Am Ch/Ir Ch La Marka Lemerle Oscar Wilde. She will make her debut at Midland Counties in October. I am calling her Josephine (Josie), her Pedigree name is yet to be decided. Watch out for her diary, pictures on the site soon.

4th June 2002: Southern Counties Poodle results are now on site, it has been said that Higham had got the Bitch CC winner wrong and after a few emails from some of you who attended, hopefully we have it right (please let me know if you disagree). I have been a little busy of late preparing the house for the arrival of the new puppy, I will let you all know more soon.

1st June 2002: Thank you for all the emails regarding Poly's show career. I am not taking his coat off yet, I will only do that if he does not improve and then only after Crufts next year. He is a long way from how he was just prior to the attack but has shown signs of recovery. The question that has been asked about the name of the site, well it will always be Napoleon's Web Page. I will add a diary for the puppy when she arrives here.

27th May 2002: As you all know, due to Poly's behaviour in the ring this last year I have been looking for a new puppy. I have found one and paid a deposit for her. I expect her to be here with us in three weeks. More news on this soon.

20th May 2002: Poodle results from the cold and windswept SKC are now on the site (who said Poodle Exhibitors were not a hardy lot) !

10th May 2002: There has been much discussion this week regarding the use of lacquer on "top knots" and the coat testing due to be carried out at shows (see today's DW) . With foreign dogs now entering UK shows I hope that their owners are aware of our regulations ? after all it would not do for one of these dogs to be exhibited with lashings of the stuff all over it's coat. I say this with a little tongue in cheek as it surely wouldn't happen, would it ? GOOD LUCK at Birmingham everyone I hope you have a successful and enjoyable day. The (hopefully) better behaved Poly re-emerges at next weeks Poodle Club Open Show in Hemel Hempstead and then Bath on the 27th, look forward to seeing you all then.

7th May 2002: 2nd May 2002: Please note that there is an Exemption Dog Show in aid of the Standard Poodle Club DNA Research Fund (Animal Health Trust) on Sunday 4th August 2002 at Hitchin, Herts. Our Home Page carries contact emails and further information. Please make an effort to support this show as monies raised are for a very worthy cause, the AHT research into finding a DNA marker for Sebaceous Adenitis. I look forward to seeing you all there. Many thanks to those of you who have emailed and called to find out how Poly is doing. If you click on the Napoleon's Diary link (from the menu) a full account of his progress can be found. It has been a hard slog but real progress has been made.

2nd May 2002: Tomorrow's issue of DW carries the headline "Morley Not Impressed By Docking". It goes on to report That Animal Welfare Minister Elliot Morley was not impressed by the argument that a dog should be "mutilated" (his words) solely to improve it's appearance. His party is also considering signing the European Convention for the protection of pet animals which could lead to the loss of over 100 breeds. The RSPCA are asking that the proposed bill should increase their powers, giving them the right of entry, search and seizure. I would suggest to the Minister that they (RSPCA) need to put their own house in order, the recent case in Liverpool (read the news 31st March) and others I am aware of show their incompetence. Giving them these powers would only give them a licence to be the jumped up little Hitlers that they really are ! Finally a message for the minister regarding docking. It sounds to me like you have made up your uninformed mind already, before you rush off and drop another clanger you would do well to speak to your colleagues in the House of Commons (do Labour MP's still do that) who have been lobbied by their constituents. It is Polling day for our local elections and I am off to vote. I know who I will be voting for ! Not your party Mr Morley as they seem to have a hearing problem ! How many of your voters support docking ? do you know ? You would do well to find out. Remember these words at the next General Election, it could be another nail in your party's coffin if you don't. This website totally supports the CDB DEFRA campaign, please click the link on our Home Page for updated information.

26th April 2002: I hope you like the new look show information, it is one of many improvements to the site that I will be making during the coming months.

24th April 2002: The Forums seem to be back and working again.

19th April 2002: The Forums have a technical problem which the ISP are dealing with. It appears that they loaded some software yesterday which has been causing problems (perhaps I should offer my services) ?

4th April 2002: It was Prince and he is back with Carol and Norman. She took him to the Vet for a check up and they have found that his heart rate is slow, that is causing some concern. It could be that he was given something by his Kidnappers, I will keep you all informed. Carol and Norman wish to thank everyone who helped in Prince's safe return.

3rd April 2002: It looks like Prince may be safe and well, a white SP was found wandering by the Mersey and is currently being looked after by a lady who owns SP's of her own in Liverpool. Carol is going there today and fingers crossed that it is him.

31st March 2002: I had an email from Carol Prince of York this evening. She owns a white Standard Poodle called Prince. She was in Liverpool visiting relations this weekend and Prince was stolen. I have removed some of the email at her request and pasted the remainder below. All our thoughts are with Norman and Carol and hope that they are quickly reunited with Prince. They have tried to ask for help from the press and local radio in Liverpool but they did not want to know. She asks that if anyone is offered a white Standard or if anyone spots him please email her on nw_ca@btconnect.com

Click on this link for a picture of him:

Carol's Story:

He had been out for a long walk with us, and returned him to my aunts house while we went to the shops for two hours. Norman and I thought the deadlock had been on the front door, but my aunt has never done this! Prince bounced on the front door handle and let himself out. Running up and down the street looking for us!

People found him a few doors away and took him to the police station, they in turn said take him to THE RSPCA. WHICH they did, while there a couple followed them in, and started to make a fuss of Prince and read his collar. They left and went home. These people I do not know what happened to them, but the centre was closed for buying strays. Only open for dogs that had strayed. The RSPCA said that a woman had phoned saying her sister had lost Prince a white standard poodle and did they have him. Within 30 minutes a man came down and collected him! No security check to prove who they were, no scanning of his TWO micro chips! When we returned with the police, the manager a girl of about 30 said she was down the kennels, and the staff were too busy. It happened too quickly he was only in for 30 minutes. So much for the RSPCA.

If you could ask around if anyone has seen him, as I think he may have been taken for breeding, ignorant idiots, he is no use, and is probably running wild in the streets now. We have looked for him over there and have gone around the streets, the Police have a report out for him.

The insurance company are going to be investigating the situation and the RSPCA are going to get bad publicity, as I have been told this is their main rescue centre!!

When I was told that I said heaven help the animals.

Carol Prince

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My thoughts are that the RSPCA have a duty of care to both the owners and the dogs, if the investigation finds them responsible they must be brought to book and their procedures reviewed. When the Police tell us they do not have the resources to catch criminals we ask are they using their resources effectively i.e why does it take 4 Constables in the morning rush hour to book an old lady for driving in a bus lane ! Are the RSPCA going to offer the same excuse as to why their staff were "too busy" were their officers doing their jobs efficiently or were they investigating anonymous complaints which were brought vexatiously thus over stretching their resources. Carol and Norman have behaved with both dignity and restraint, I think that I would probably have NOT ! If any member of the press reads this please take this story on board, I wonder if the incident is a repercussion of Topscore's success at Crufts ! Avid Petrack (who I used when Poly was microchipped) give you a collar tag which just says that the dog has been implanted and to scan him. This is to be preferred to having a name or number which can be viewed by any Thief.

30th March 2002: I.P.C Standard Poodle results are now on the site, Happy Easter everyone.

30th March 2002: A good IPC for us but more work is needed on Sirs behaviour in the ring. I have a marked catalogue for the Standard results and will put them on the site tomorrow.

27th March 2002: I have started to prepare for IPC, Poly is clipped and is currently in the garden sleeping on the lawn "taking in some rays". That's what I should be doing, not sitting indoors on the computer ! Poly's bath time is tomorrow and he will be scissored on Friday. I hope you all have a successful show.

21st March 2002: I read in the dog press today (D.W. March 22nd p25) that The KC General Committee has sent a letter to The Poodle Council stating that "it (The KC) did not support the proposal for the use of lacquer on topknots". In the same letter it also reminded our Breed Council on the present KC rules regarding the use of artificial substances on exhibits. The article went on to say that the Poodle Council had done all they could to help both breeders and exhibitors on this issue. I am sure that we all thank them for their efforts. If you have anything to say on this issue then go to our Poodle Forums where I have setup a "thread" in the "General " section for all three sizes of Poodle.

16th March 2002: There is a new canine virus around which appears to be a mutation of Parvo it has been covered in Jane Lilley's column in this weeks DW. One of our Forum users has also asked for more information about it so I have been doing a little digging and I will post the results on the Forum shortly. We must all be vigilant. If there are any symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, passing blood or an acrid smell, DO NOT DELAY, Seek Veterinary advice immediately. Remember Parvo can be transmitted by humans having been in contact with an infected dog not just by dog to dog or droplet infection.

14th March 2002: The site is now two years old and how it has grown in that time from a single page into a multi page site taking up over 20 mb of server space. I am still looking at ways of improving the site and I would be interested to hear them from you.

10th March 2002: An acceptable Crufts for us, thoroughly enjoyed the day, what a great atmosphere. I am very tired today as is Poly. Well done to everybody I hope your day was as enjoyable. Crufts 2002 Poodle results are now on the site.

5th March 2002: I am starting the preparations for Crufts and after three excellent Ringcraft sessions I have decided to show Poly myself. Good luck to all of you and I hope you enjoy the day.

24th February 2002: Those of you who belong to the SPC will have received the latest Open Registry for S.A. On the back cover you will see the news that The Animal Health Trust have agreed to begin research into DNA testing for S.A. The SPC have launched the fundraising for it and are asking people to help in any way they can. After speaking with one of the two fund raisers today I have offered my support and the Home Page now carries their email addresses. This will allow those who are not members and may be unaware of the fundraising efforts to be able to offer their support.

18th February 2002: What is there to say after Poly's display at Midland Counties Poodle Club Champ Show yesterday. Perhaps a thank you to the Judge for placing him at all ! then to look at the reasons why he reacted like that and to see if there is anything else that can still be done. My gratitude to those of you who offered kind words at the show and to those who have emailed with suggestions. A trip to the park today with Poly off lead made a nonsense of yesterday as he played with the other dogs quite happily. I still have a couple of things that I am going to try but in the meantime I am also looking around for a new puppy. I am not going to rush into anything as I really want to be sure that whatever I buy is the right choice. Suffice to say that this Website will always be Napoleon's Web Page and let's not forget that whatever happens in the future, Poly has been one hell of a learning dog for me.

12th February 2002: My PC has been offline for a week or so as the hard disk had failed. Fortunately it was under warranty and a new one arrived today and has been installed. Updates to the news can now recommence. There is a new entry in our Guestbook from Carolyn of Bolton whose Min has a problem, I am glad that we have been able to help and we all wish Jack well. Congratulations to Poly's Nephew Teddy "Thunderball at Twindles" for getting 4th in Group at The Portsmouth Open Show, a very delighted Dawn and Phil I think. Manchester results are now on the Site.

3rd February 2002: The Royal Mail sent me a letter yesterday apologising for the problem with my Recorded Delivery letter. They have sent me a book of stamps to "compensate me" for their inability to track the item. Thankfully my entry did get to the Secretary and of course with proof of posting I would have been alright but that is not the point. At least they have admitted it was their fault and used a little "Customer Service". I am looking forward to Manchester next weekend and hoping that I can get Poly to behave as well as Marlene did at the Poodle Club show. That would be wonderful, I hope that he continues the recent improvement in his behaviour and "shows" as well for me.

27th January 2002: Today was the Wembley and District Canine Society's Open Show. This was the first time since joining their committee that I had to participate in the running of a show. It was a long but enjoyable day especially for Ambridge and Clare's Standard Poodle, Russmic Holy Man who won Best in Show. The committee each had to do a stint at Stewarding and after telling me that I would be given a breed with a small entry to start with, I found myself as the Steward in the Golden Retriever ring. This had the highest entry in the show and this coupled with the heavens opening and the hardy exhibitors wanting to stay outside made it all the more interesting. I got through it though and what an insight it gave me into the job of a Steward, it was not easy and I take my hat off to those who do it regularly.

26th January 2002: Spoke with the Royal Mail yesterday, they agree that it is not satisfactory. They are going to find out what went wrong and let me know in a few days (holding one's breath too long is not a good idea) !

25th January 2002: I always send my show entries by Recorded Delivery so that I can make sure that they are received. This can be checked on the Royal Mail's Website a few days after sending. I checked up on the status of an entry yesterday to be informed that the Royal Mail could not trace my item. A call to their Customer Services confirmed the worst "they had lost my entry". It seems that when Recorded Delivery items are sent they are "bar coded" at every point along the route until signature on receipt. I then had to wait until the evening when I called the show secretary and was informed that she had received my entry. Why then do we pay the extra only for the Royal Mail not to do their job ? Surely they at least got a signature ? does it not say "signed for" on the slip ? I think a stroppy call to their Customer Services today is in order !

19th January 2002: Poly continues his start to the year at The Poodle Club's Open Show on Sunday I am in grooming and keep clean mode.

5th January 2002: Poly's behaviour continues to improve at today's open show, see Napoleon's Diary for details.

4th January 2002: We are ready for the Wood Green and Palmers Green Open Show here in London tomorrow, I hope to see a few of you there, last year had a good entry of Standards and hopefully 2002 will be no different.

31st December 2001: I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

29th December 2001: I have recreated the forums in their new home with all the posts intact. The new web space does not have its own www name yet but it is accessible and I have directed the menu system to it. Let me know if there are any bugs. There may be a few days when the changeover is being made where it will not work but I am hoping that this will not happen.

28th December 2001: I have been asked if I can help find a quality young black Standard dog a good home. If you are interested please email me and I will put you in touch. I do not have any further details.

27th December 2001: Due to the dreadful service that I have received over the past year, the provider that hosts our forums is being changed, which means that they will be off line for a few days whilst the transfer takes place. I then have to rebuild them on the new site. The main website will be staying with it's current provider and the service will not be disrupted.

24th December 2001: I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas, it is off to the family tomorrow for Christmas dinner. Poly has been bathed and is now sleeping waiting for Santa.

8th December 2001: A good LKA for us with Poly getting a third in Post Grad Dog (see Napoleon's Diary). Well done to Poly's 7 month old Nephew Teddy (Thunderball At Twindles) handled by Jean Caswell. He got third in Minor Puppy Dog qualifying him for Crufts to the delight of his owners Phil and Dawn Courage of The Isle of Wight. That was only their second champ show and hopefully it will give them the confidence to show him some more in 2002. We all stayed in Birmingham the night before the show and it was a great laugh with two boisterous Standard Poodles and Dawn and Phil's young son Ben. Many thanks to those of you who came over and said kind words about the site, it's nice to know we are appreciated.

6th December 2001: We are travelling to Birmingham this evening and staying overnight for LKA on Friday. Don't forget Toys are in the ring at 9:00 AM followed by the Mins. Standards are on at 9:30 AM. Good luck to all of you, I hope you have a good show and I will see you all there.

1st December 2001: As you can see I gave in, LOADS of requests for a Christmas theme similar to the one we had last year. I sat up until 2AM changing things around, still not 100% sure on the music. Let me know what you think. Perhaps we should have a name the Dancing Snowman competition (the one on the front page). Poor Poly has been unable to settle (like my neighbours) as I have been humming away to the music.

30th November 2001: Good luck everyone at BUBA, We are entered but unable to go. I will see you all at LKA next week.

28th November 2001: OK this new virus is the most intelligent yet and can cause real problems if not sorted. If you go to http://www.antivirus.com click on FREE TOOLS, then click on SCAN YOUR PC FOR FREE, Click on the line SCAN WITHOUT REGISTERING and Follow the prompts. Say yes to install and run the software. Read the instructions on the page as to how to use it, I suspect that you will need to click on the "C" to scan your "C" drive. Allow the scanner to clean your disk. Other than that you should ALL be running Norton or similar AV programs by now which you can update over the net.

15th November 2001: A slight change to the forum, when you click on the menu the page opens in it's own window. To return to the main page close the window after logging out from the forum.

11th November 2001: What a nice day out we had yesterday at The Standard Poodle Club's Championship Show. There was a great atmosphere and also some interesting additions. In particular I enjoyed the parade of the rescue dogs, it is good to see that there are some nice people willing to give a home to a dog (or three). There was also a parade of dogs suffering from S.A. I thought how brave the owners to were to take them around the ring. It really brings home what a dreadful disease this is and leaves you hoping that the research into it bears fruit soon. On a lighter note Poly got placed, although he stood like a rock and moved well on his own he is still playing up on the go around. It will still take some time and work to train this out. After I arrived home and unpacked the kit I slipped over and have a badly bruised toe, so I am hobbling about today (Poly had to be content with the garden). We have a three week break from shows now until BUBA in December, let's see if that helps Poly.

9th November 2001: I am getting Poly ready for The Standard Poodle Club's Championship Show at The Connexion, Coventry tomorrow. He is clipped and groomed through and now comes the dreaded bath and dry. I look forward to seeing you all and hopefully the result will be a good one. It will be a good test for us as there is always a huge entry for this show.

7th November 2001: Cynthia and Francois Koegler (Angels Heart) from Switzerland have sent me the first pictures of their new litter. They can be seen in Napoleon's Show Friends under the heading of Snow. Mum and pups are doing and looking great.

6th November 2001: I have been asked if we can have an online quiz on Poodles ? In the Forum under Std Poodles/Showing I have started a quiz topic and started the ball rolling with a question on Poodles. Let's see if there are going to be any takers and how many get the answer right.

4th November 2001: Poly's result was good (2nd in PGD) but his performance was much better at Midland Counties last week. It was nice talking with you all and I hope to see you at The Standard Poodle Club Champ Show next weekend.

3rd November 2001: Well tomorrow is The South Western Poodle Club Championship Show and I am busy getting Poly ready. I wish you all the best of luck and look forward to seeing you all there.

2nd November 2001: Congratulations to Cynthia and Francois Koegler (Angels Heart) of Switzerland on their new litter of 7 (4D 3B) from their bitch Snow (Jetset White Face to Face of Beautyflake). Puppies are doing well and Cynthia will have some photos soon.

26th October 2001: Well Poly improved a lot but it was an unproductive show for us (see Napoleon's Diary). He looked great and drew some compliments from other exhibitors. New nephew Teddy (Thunderball at Twindles) also drew a blank in a very hard Minor Puppy Dog class but I am sure he will win Dawn and Phil rosettes and cards in the future. Poly's sister Blanche (Twindles For Your Eyes Only at Jencro) kept the family flag flying by gaining a well deserved third in a large tough Postgraduate bitch class. This completes a great couple of shows for her after winning a RBIS at an Open Show a few weeks ago. Thank you to those who have emailed regarding Poly's performance they were much appreciated. Another email asked why people do not show the correct ring etiquette and offer congratulations to people placed ahead of them ? I guess it is not always easy if you have not been picked out and leave the ring, I try to say "well done" if I have been. You can send Ecards to those exhibitors you know are on the Net or you can approach people after they have left the ring. There may be some people who like me get a little "hyper" at shows and they could just forget. This is a good discussion point for the Forum.

25th October 2001: Good luck at Midland Counties everyone, fingers crossed that Poly behaves himself, he looks fantastic this is one of my better bathing/drying/clipping sessions !

21st October 2001: Poly's newest nephew Teddy made his debut at an Open Show on the Isle of Wight yesterday. He was entered in AV Utility Puppy and AV Novice. He was the only entry in Puppy and got his owner a nice red rosette (always nice for your first attempt). The best was yet to come in AV Novice, remember there were much older dogs here. 12 were present in the ring and Teddy did ever so well to gain fourth place. Well done Dawn, I bet that will make the show bug bite even harder, let's hope that is the first of many rosettes and cards you will win. We look forward to seeing you and the family at Midland Counties. Talking of which I look forward to seeing you all there. Does anyone have all the results from The Poodle Club of Scotland ? if so can you email them to me. I have been asked what has happened to Napoleons Diary. Well it is still there and being updated all the time, just scroll down the menu list a little and click on Napoleons Diary.

18th October 2001: Nice to see some new activity on the forum, some of you have noticed that you have to enter your login details when replying or posting a message. This is normal, we have added an extra level of security to comply with our Internet Providers request to deter some of the undesirable comments which appeared a few months ago. The forum is an information exchange where we can all share knowledge about these wonderful Poos. Don't forget we are there for Toys and Mins too. I have owned all three sizes and they are all delightful, so come on get posting.

12th October 2001: The entry form and class list for the Wembley and District Canine Society's Open Show is now printable from the schedules page. We look forward to seeing you there. No doubt I will be pestering you all to part with some cash for the raffle.

7th October 2001: The Forum is experiencing some technical difficulty. The problem lies with the provider and I am complaining too them in the strongest terms. Hopefully they will be back on line ASAP.

30th September 2001: Poly had his first off lead run for the first time in 10 days, he has finished the Anti Biotics and is returning to normal. He wanted to play a lot today and that is encouraging. We would like to wish a Happy Birthday to Janet Clare's Rushan "Shalanka Salvadore-Dali" who is 14 tommorrow. Recently he had an operation to remove a large tumour from his leg and has recovered enough to be as lively as her other dogs.

23rd September 2001: Well done to Poly's sister Blanche (Twindles For Your Eyes Only At Jencro) She got RBIS at an Open Show today and has qualified for Crufts 2002. Poly says "see ya there big sis".

21st September 2001: All quiet at the moment with no shows until IPC in October, it gives me a chance to work with Poly to see if I can break his current misbehavior in the ring.

9th September 2001: We are back from the windswept Richmond Champ Show. What a nice show it was too, plenty of stalls, better variety of food available, LOADS of waste bags making clearing up easier and Poly getting placed. I heard a few gripes from exhibitors, they were (1) Why no Minor Puppy Classes ? (2) Why did they put Standards in that ring with all the tent covers blowing around ? I especially agree with point 2, it was not raining and the mins and toys seemed to manage outside. The tent covers were really moving around and a lot of the dogs were playing up because of it. There was also a spectator with a "silver" coat which was reflecting light from the sun back into the ring (it even made Poly turn his head around when we came toward the judge after the up and down). Thank you to the exhibitor who pointed that one out to me. The atmosphere though was terrific, very friendly and I got the chance to speak to quite a lot of you. I really enjoyed it, especially as Poly (who still played up) improved a little on Birmingham. The day could have been disastrous as I broke down on the way, but the quick arrival of the breakdown truck and the prompt repair allowed me to arrive at the showground before 8 AM. Note for Monday, book Jeep into garage for 18000 service !

7th September 2001: As you know I had removed all the postings from Juridical after a warning from our ISP.
Some of you thought that it was still OK to post the names of the people who you thought Juridical was, I have removed those too. One person whose name was posted has replied using their correct name and email address.
I have allowed that post but I have locked the topic and I WANT NO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON JURIDICAL any found will be deleted, Please put this subject to bed.

7th September 2001: Belatedly the City of Birmingham 2001 results are now on the site.

5th September 2001: After all the trials and tribulations of yesterday there is some good news to report. The site has won a Golden Web Award for 2001/2002. This is the second time the site has won it and I am absolutely delighted. Gearing up for Richmond and I hope to see you all there.

4th September 2001: Thankfully the web space that our forum uses belongs to a different ISP than the main site, we could have had the whole site off line otherwise. This morning I have received a warning from the forum ISP regarding the posting placed there by Juridical. I was told to remove the offending post or they would shut the forum down. They suspended access to allow me to remove it. This has now been done and the forum is back on line. Let's use the forum for what it was intended, discussing health issues, benching, topknots!, grooming, jobsworths that ask us to groom in the rain, handling, etc, the list is endless. Vent your spleens by all means, use nicknames, I don't mind but please refrain from commenting on Dog Show Politics that may be construed as an attack on people in our breed. Please do not make derogatory comments about judges as these will also be removed. The ISP will not issue another warning so any posts that appear along the same lines will be removed as soon as I see them.

1st September 2001: I note from an article in the Dog Press that Spain has now jumped on the dangerous dogs bandwagon. They seem to be going down the same route that the Germans are. More information of the German situation can be found on the "Home" page of this site. This surely is yet another reason for NOT becoming part of the United States of Europe.

Let's hope that "the lads" do the business in Germany this afternoon and show them who is Boss!! - Prediction Michael Owen to score - 1-0 to the England.

31st August 2001: We are ready for Birmingham on Sunday, I have asked Jean Caswell to handle Poly (more in Napoleon's Diary).

26th August 2001: SKC, what a wonderful show, the venue was good and the weather managed to stay fine until the Standard classes finished. I drove up the night before and stayed in the Holiday Inn (about 10 minutes from the showground). We were nice and fresh for the show and the atmosphere was friendly. It was nice to experience the legendary Scottish hospitality and the local scenery was a joy to behold. We came away with a nice second in PGD and set off to find accommodations en route home. Every hotel I tried that did not take dogs had vacancies and those that did take dogs were full (ANTI DOG LOBBY TAKE NOTE). I thought I had found paradise, an Hotel in the mountains of the Lake District that took dogs, no joy it too was full. So I pressed on southward and had no joy whatsoever (oops it was Bank Holiday weekend). I decided to head for home and 71/2 hours (4 or 5 stops)and 420 miles later arrived home and collapsed into bed. I stopped off in a village called Biggar (about 40 miles from Edinburgh). It was a real eye opener, it was just like it used to be in London 30 or so years ago. I went to get some fuel and it was not self service (who can remember that far back), I sampled some real fish and chips and didn't see any traffic wardens. My only criticism of the day was the lack of stalls at the show.

23rd August 2001: Well it is off to Scotland for the Scottish KC Champ Show in Edinburgh. As I have never been to Scotland before I am making a weekend of it, hopefully we will do better than we did in Wales.

21st August 2001: Back by popular demand are the Show Schedules, many of the other sites either use PDF or DOC format and some "ZIP" these files. The problem here is that a lot of you do not have a PDF reader and MS Word documents if saved in the wrong format do not always display correctly. Also a lot of you did not know what "ZIP" was when I tried to use that format here before. So what to do ? I had to make this a functional facility which everyone could use, well you all use a Web Browser (otherwise you would not be reading this page) ! What I have done is to save the classes and entry forms to Web "HTML" format which will display like a normal web page. All you have to do is open the relevant page, do a FILE/PRINT and Voila you should have your entry form and class numbers on your printer. I have not done a complete schedule as it would take too long to do in this manner but you should have all you need to enter the show.

17th August 2001: Poly is clipped for Welsh KC, bathing today, I hope to see you all there tomorrow.

15th August 2001: I visited Janet Clare's new bungalow this week and noticed that she was having a luxury 55 ft conservatory built. It had Italian marble tiles on the floor and she had moved some settees in there to make it comfortable. I asked her if it was going to be her sun lounge, "oh no" she said "it is for the dogs" Well if that's how her dogs live then I am going to perm my hair and buy myself a collar and lead, talk about Poodle Power.

12th August 2001: Poly's behavior showed some improvement today (no barking in the ring) and he stood like a rock, his movement was all over the place though and his coat did not look as good as it can. He got a VHC in a class of six, more work required on his behavior (ongoing) and his coat (underway). For a few moments I thought we were going to have another EOE as it started raining, thankfully it stopped and halfway through PGD it started again, The Judge said "don't you dare" and as if her prayers (and ours) were answered it stopped again. Some exhibitors were asked to move their tables into the grooming area (outside) in the rain. Well it begs the question, if exhibitors were given the choice and they opted for the removal of the benches wouldn't it make more room for the tables ? That is one for more discussion on our Forums.

11th August 2001: We are all ready for Bournemouth see you there.

9th August 2001: If you are going to Bournemouth I wish you good luck, hopefully we will have a good show and some better weather.

1st August 2001: There has been an outbreak of the W32.Sircam.Worm@mm virus in the poodle world. One rescue organisation in the USA has lost years of contact information and had files deleted from their computer systems. This virus also emails your confidential documents to people in your address book, I have been able to read a few "crackers". You will need to have some good anti virus software such as Norton Anti Virus, this will not clean it but will prevent infection. I run two separate Anti Virus Software programs so it was detected and prevented from infecting my systems. I copied the files to an old laptop where I was able read the contents, I then formatted the hard drive. There is no way to repair damaged files at the moment but they can be detected and removed. Your PC can also be cleaned. I have a file which I have obtained from Symantec's Website which will do just that. Caution, this file could delete infected document files, but this is the only way. Due to popular demand Napoleon's Diary is back and can be reached from the main menu. There is no Politics there it is just going to be a diary of his life.

31st July 2001: I would like to offer my sincere condolences to Pam O'Brien on the loss of her husband Danny. He passed away at home in North London on July 10th from Cancer. The funeral was attended by over 500 people from the worlds of Boxing, Dog Shows and Danny's London Taxi Driver colleagues. Danny and Pam were on the committee of the International Poodle Club and Pam also judged Standard Poodles at this years Windsor.

31st July 2001: The Forums are back again, The ISP seems to have rectified the problem. I have had over 100 emails from all over the world asking for Napoleon's Diary back again. OK, OK, I submit, this site has got where it is by listening to it's users so I will recreate it. It will take the format of a diary (minus any Politics) and be a completely separate page to this one. Watch the menu for Napoleons Diary, I will try and do it over the next couple of days. Please don't forget to use our newer, faster forums where you will be able to speak with other Poodle People on a wide range of issues, click on Napoleon's Poodle Forums from the menu.

29th July 2001: There are still problems on the Forums, the fault lies with the ISP's system. The Engineers are looking at the problem AGAIN!

28th July 2001: I have changed the order of the menu items around, it should make the site easier to navigate.

27th July 2001: When I started this site in early 2000 I could not find a central resource on the web for information on Poodles, so I decided to build one. People asked for more things and I have tried to accommodate them. The focus of the site has gradually shifted from Poly's life history to one of a Poodle information centre. Some of the users of this site have asked for more services and I am going to provide them over the coming months. I will still carry Poly's Champ and Open show results but this news will not have any "political" issues or Poly's diary in it. Our forums are the proper place for the discussion of any issues as everyone can add to them. Poly has taught me a lot during my 18 months in showing and is still teaching me how to handle in the ring, canine nutrition, grooming and training. Hopefully he will improve enough to be showable for a couple of years yet. When I decide to stop showing him he will still be part of the family and hopefully will live to a ripe old age (like my other poodles did), my dogs will always be pets first and show dogs second. When the time comes for me to retire Poly from the ring I will (armed with a lot more knowledge) choose another for the ring and then all I can say is WATCH THIS SPACE.

25th July 2001: We have suffered a catastrophic failure of the forums. I am investigating but it would seem to be a problem with the host server in Gloucester. I have rebuilt the forums with a newer, faster, more secure version and I have tried to recreate the topics as close to the old as I can. Get posting everyone.