NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
Our dogs are never with us for long enough and when they pass over the Bridge, they always leave a massive hole in our hearts, and although we can no longer see them, we have our lasting memories of them. All are very special, and some have also made breed history. I always feel privileged when owners allow me to print their dog’s Obituary in these notes. One such dog is Neil Hood’s Dino aka Ch Arnscroft Di Nah Sawr Us Rex SCHM VW SCHEX, Neil writes: -“It had been a dream of mine since a young teenager to own a Hungarian Puli. That came true in 2006 when I got a Puli called Tarzan. When Tarzan was ten months old, I entered an open show in the Woking area. I was in AVNSC pastoral, looking at the catalogue when I arrived, I was in AVNSC with a Norwegian Buhund. We were called in the ring and Tarzan won the puppy class and Margaret and Debbie Deuchar’s Fizz was the Buhund. To my surprise, Tarzan won best AVNSC, he went on to win group 2 and then won the puppy group. Debbie had won best of breed with her Pyrenean sheepdog and stayed for the group. Throughout the day I was asking questions about the Buhund as I was absolutely smitten with the breed. I met up with Margaret again a few months later at the Working and Pastoral breeds champ show. Here I got to meet about 20 Buhunds, I went home that day and told Julian about the breed and said it is definitely a breed for me. At a later show, I was introduced to Di Stirling, little did I know then that Di would be giving me my dog in a million. I told Di I would be very interested in a male from her. Thankfully, I only had to wait 18 months to be owned by a Buhund. I still remember the email Di sent me telling me to sit down as Dino’s dam had NINE puppies and all the males were stunning. It was not long before I made the journey to Di to meet and take home my first Buhund. It was not exactly love at first sight, as Dino would howl the house down at bedtime. I am quite old fashioned, and of the mindset of “let him get on with it, he will tire in an hour” …Dino would not tire and go all night.
Absolute proof that they say Buhunds never go off duty. It was about two weeks after getting Dino we had our first “quiet night” I snuck downstairs to see what was going on, and I found Dino asleep in one of Julian’s trainers that he left downstairs by mistake. I told Julian that day that I would by him a new pair as those shoes now belong to Dino. Dino enjoyed showing, I called him Jekyll and Hyde because everyone at shows would see this absolute gent of a dog, and when we were at home, he was the absolute wind-up merchant. He would steal, dig, bury stuff and bark constantly. Even so much as two years ago, I had my garden landscaped, and the tradesman uncovered a watch I thought I lost 6/7 years ago. It turned out that Dino decided it was his and buried it. I also spent a few hundred pounds on shrubs, bushes, bulbs etc for the garden. To be greeted the next morning with them all dug up. At his first show at six months old, the judge for all the AVNSC’s and group was Peter Jolley, he gave Dino best AVNSC puppy and puppy group 2, he commented that Dino was very raw but worth running on. Two weeks later Dino won Best Puppy in show at the same show I had met Margaret at several years before. Dino’s show career continued to amaze me, I knew that Dino was a good dog, but every time he won, I was always truly honoured that he was thought of so highly. I remember every CC Dino has won, his first one was at the National in 2012 from June Purves, I was not originally going to go due to work commitments, but I went not expecting to leave the show winning his first CC, BOB and then Pastoral Group 2. Dino won his Show certificate of merit at 4 years old after being shown at open shows. It was also this year that he won CC number 2 under Debbie Peniston- Fleming and then his crown was from Jacque Cobb at the Welsh Kennel Club. Dino became MY first champion. I had handled and made-up champions for family and others, but Dino was MY first champion. He went on to win 5 more CCs under breed specialists and all-rounders, one judge commenting that for an 8-year-old she could watch him move all day. As Dino was now a veteran, the Kennel Club introduced the Veteran Warrant. At this point, Dino had about 7 points already. Then the covid lockdown took place. During lockdown, Paignton champ show organised on online champ show. I entered Dino and he won the Pastoral Group and Veteran Group. I carried on showing Dino as a veteran because he loved it. The sweets, the treats, and the attention. My favourite memory was when he won RBVIS at Richmond champ show. Dino won his veteran warrant with ease, gaining it within seven shows, three of those shows he ended up BVIS, and two of them RBVIS. He also won his Show Certificate of Excellence as a veteran. It was 2022, I decided that Crufts was going to be Dino’s last show and retire and be a “numbers dog” for aspiring judges. In February 2022, Dino started coughing, a dry hacking type of cough. The vet told me it was Kennel Cough and he had to be isolated. Dino’s last Crufts was not meant to be. It later transpired that Dino has mitral valve disease, which could be eased by medication, but not cured. We carried on going to shows, but only a couple. He went to Poole premier show and went BOB, group 3 and RBVIS. And in February 2023, we went to Portsmouth open show as it is only five minutes from me. We had breed classes, and the judge was on our judging list, so I entered all three boys. Dino went RBOB behind Bergen. The judge commented that you would never know he was 12 years old. At this show, Dino went RBVIS, the BIS judge also commented that Dino was belying his age and was so sprightly. Eleven days later, we attended the vets as Dino had gone a bit downhill energy wise. The vets performed an ultrasound to check on his heart etc, during this, they found a large mass on his spleen. The vet advised that she could operate, but given his heart issues, she was not confident that he would survive this. The vet mentioned the only other option was to say goodbye to Dino. Dino snuggled in as if to say he was ready to go. I was adamant that I wanted him to be at home with me at the time. The vet arranged for a local company that deals with this situation to come out the next day. Dino passed away peacefully in my arms, he was so peaceful, like he just went to sleep. He was spoilt that day, he had steak mince, a burger, and his all-time favourite…. rabbit’s ears. Even as I write this, I am sobbing. He was my one in a million. He just treated everything like it was never a problem. He went to every show and never put a foot wrong for whoever he showed for. He helped junior handlers win top awards, he was a training dog for Michelle Green before she got her Samoyed, so she can get used to showing a free-standing dog. Nothing phased him. He went in the ring with his attitude and just shone. I will never forget him for as long as I live and by God, he had better be waiting for me when it is my turn. Sleep well Dino, and as we used to sing to you whenever the Rihanna song came on … ‘Shine bright like a Dino’”
Stay safe everyone.
Margaret Deuchar. margaretdeuchar@gamil.com
The views expressed in Margaret’s Breed Notes are hers and hers alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Norwegian Buhund Club of the UK.