This past winter I attended a number of Sportsman Shows throughout the northeast where I performed numerous waterdog retrieving demonstrations, showing the versatility of the English springer spaniel and Labrador Retriever. What amazed me while speaking to the average outdoorsmen was not the fact that they were unaware of a spaniel or the Labrador Retrievers’ versatility, but rather that they were unaware that there was a difference between show and field gundogs.

During the show I was absolutely amazed at the number of avid outdoorsmen who had little, if any, understanding of the qualities that go into breeding world-class gundogs. Throughout the course of these sportsmen shows and meeting tens of thousands of avid outdoorsmen, I would venture to guess that better than 70% of the folks I met were unaware that such a difference existed. Ask those same individuals what gauge or shot size they would use to hunt a species of upland game or waterfowl and they could easily rattle off the pros and cons of each.

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Crufts was named after its founder, Charles Cruft, who worked for a dog biscuit manufacturer and spent considerable time travelling to dog shows both in the UK and internationally. This allowed him to establish contacts throughout the world, as well as help him understand the need for higher standards in dog shows. This in turn led to Cruft promoting his first dog show in 1886, the “First Great Terrier Show”, which featured 57 classes of dog and 600 entries from around the country.

Five years later, the first show named “Crufts” – “Crufts Greatest Dog Show” - was held at the Royal Agricultural Show in Islington. This was the first show where all breeds were allowed to compete, resulting in 2,000 dogs and almost 2,500 entries. This number rose with the close of the 19th century, with entries reaching 3,000 and including royal patronage from various European countries and Russia. The popularity of the show continued to grow until Charles Cruft’s death in 1938.

Following Cruft’s death, his widow continued to run the show for the next four years. However, the high demands of time and effort required to keep the show running eventually became too much for her and, in an effort to preserve the reputation of the show and her husband’s work, she sold the show to the Kennel Club.

The first Crufts show held under the new owner occurred in 1948 and continued to grow in popularity with each passing year. In 1959, despite an increase in entrance fees, the show set a new world record with 13,211 entrants and, by 1979, the show had to be moved to Earls Court in London as the increasing amount of entries and spectators had outgrown the capacity of the previous venue, Olympia. Just three years later in 1982 the show had to be changed again due to its massive popularity, with the duration of the show being increased to three days. It was later increased to four days in 1987.

1991 saw Crufts celebrate its Centenary. The occasion was marked by another change of venue, with the show moving to its current home, the NEC in Birmingham. It was also this year that the Guinness Book of Records officially recognised Crufts as the largest dog show in the world with 22,973 dogs being exhibited in conformation classes that year. It is estimated that 30,000 dogs take part in Crufts every year with 150,000 human visitors attending the event.

In 2007, 153,000 spectators filled the NEC over the four days of competition, attending not only to see the finest breeds of dogs in the world but also to wander around the various stalls selling a vast array of dog related merchandise and advertising various pet related charities and pet insurance companies. Rather astoundingly, the popularity of Crufts has not diminished at all during its illustrious 117 years, with all signs indicating that it will continue to be the world’s premier dog show for many years to come.

Located on the grounds of the famous Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria, is Tiergarten Schönbrunn (German for Schönbrunn Zoo) the oldest zoo in the world. It was founded as an imperial menagerie in 1752 and when first opened to the public in 1779, there were no entrance fees.



It was the Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II, who first organized expeditions to Africa and the Amercias to capture specimens for the zoo and the first giraffe arrived in 1828. On July 14, 1906, the zoo shocked the world with the birth of the first elephant in captivity; until then, zoologists had held the opinion that elephants could only reproduce in the wild.



At the onset of the first world war, the zoo was home to 712 species and 3500 specimens, but due to diminishing food supplies during the conflict, the number of specimens rapidly sank down to 900. Bombing raids in February 1945 during World War II had an even greater impact on the zoo; many buildings were destroyed and many animals were killed, leaving just 400 samples alive.



After the war, the new zoo director Dr. Julius Brachetka eventually managed to restore the zoo, but in the 1980s, it experienced a financial crisis due to lack of visitors and increasing costs, however, closure was prevented by privatization in 1992. Recently, under the guidance of manager Helmut Pechlaner, also president of the Austrian wing of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the zoo has been able to renovate and extend many of the enclosures thanks to significantly increased entrance fees, but also through private and corporate sponsorship, and hotels in Vienna are once again being patronised by visitors who have come from afar to visit the famous animal establishment.



Tiergarten Schönbrunn is one of the few zoos worldwide to house giant pandas and on the 23rd August 2007 the first non-artificial insemination panda baby in Europe was born there. Other attractions include a rainforest house, in which the spectator is led through a simulation of the Amazon Rainforest, and an aquarium which enables spectators to walk underneath a simulation of the Amazon in flood. The new polarium for animals of the Arctic region was opened in early 2004 and the zoo is now also a center for Zoological research.



The zoo’s long life has not been without hardship and a number of tragic accidents have plagued the organisation. In 2002 a jaguar attacked a caretaker during feeding, killing her in front of visitors and the director sustained heavy arm injuries whilst trying to intervene. In February 2005 a young elephant lethally crushed his caretaker and in the following press storm, director Helmut Pechlaner offered to resign over the issue.



However, despite all this, Tiergarten Schönbrunn is among the most modern zoos in the world and their motto “Schönbrunn should be a zoo of happy animals”, is clearly visible everywhere, which is what has allowed it to survive to become the world’s oldest zoo.

Victoria Cochrane is a freelance writer for both online and print media. She lives with her husband and son, and enjoys travelling when not writing.

Knowing that you need to better understand this matter I recommend that you take few minutes to read what we have to say. If you ever wondered where all those lovely and cute pets you see in pet stores ever came from, look no further. A very few of them might have come from parts unknown and a very few of them might be able to hunt their ancestry back to the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, but most of the pets you see in pet stores, come from assorted variety pet breeders.

These people are the ones who make it their life’s work to breed certain type of pets. If the pet breeders breed only one character of pet, or they narrow down in a certain type of pet breed, then the rate of these pets do tend to go up in price. These, of course are the better breeders.

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Knowing that you need to better understand this matter I recommend that you take few minutes to read what we have to say. If you ever wondered where all those lovely and cute pets you see in pet stores ever came from, look no further. A very few of them might have come from parts unknown and a very few of them might be able to hunt their ancestry back to the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, but most of the pets you see in pet stores, come from assorted variety pet breeders.

These people are the ones who make it their life’s work to breed certain type of pets. If the pet breeders breed only one character of pet, or they narrow down in a certain type of pet breed, then the rate of these pets do tend to go up in price. These, of course are the better breeders.

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Introduction - If you plan to go fishing in the Florida Keys area, the best option is to book a fishing charter. Forget about the complications and leave the job to an experienced captain and his crew. They will take care of anglers, licenses, live bait, tackle and cleaning of fish. They will also filet, package, and freeze your fresh fish. You will only have to worry about food, drinks, sunscreen, and having fun.Rates - Rates for booking a Florida fishing trip go from $550 to $950. There are options for all budgets and schedules: half a day (4 hours either in the morning or in the afternoon) for $550; three quarters of a day (6 hours) for $650; or a full day for $750. You can also book deep bay or deep offshore trips for $800 or tarpon trips (either in the morning or afternoon) for $400. If you want to catch some big tarpon and multiple species of fish but have limited time, your captain can also organize a trip tailored to you. For example: tarpon fishing in the morning, then a half day offshore, reef or backcountry, followed by tarpon fishing again in the evening.

Fishing Calendars - You can catch a wide variety of sportfish species in the Florida Keys, among them: amberjack, barracuda, blackfin tuna, blue marlin, bonefish, cobia, grouper, king mackerel, dolphin, permit, sailfish, shark, snapper, tarpon, wahoo, white marlin, and yellowfin tuna. Before booking your Florida fishing charter, it is advisable you check a Florida Keys fishing calendar in order to know about the best recommended fishing dates for your favorite sportfish species. For example, tarpons are available all year long, scarce from October to March, but fairly abundant from April to June, while white marlins are available from May to August only.

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If you plan on hunting goose in the early season you should scout in order to find out which zones the birds prefer to rest in and which areas have the crucial food sources needed before the season begins. If you plan on hunting on water be sure to check which of the surroundings wet waters have water in them and which of these wet areas the geese use for resting.

If you are going to hunt on land don’t forget to check the nearby fields in order to find out what crops are growing in them. You must keep in mind that farmers usually rotate their crops, for example last year corn, this year beans, rice or wheat the next year so it is highly recommended to know in advance which of the fields have the right crops.

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Hunting along with a dog is a rather controversial sport these days and there are some dogs better at it than other, some dogs are better “at” a specific type of hunting than others, that is why hunting with a dog is a popular sport among hunting enthusiasts. There aren’t any specific groups registered in the American Kennel Club ( AKC ) for hunting alone other than the hounds which are known to have an ancestral background in their lineage in the hunting domain.

These traits vary from dog to dog: some have a very developed scenting ability while others have very good stamina and so on. Some of the most famous hounds would be the: Beagle, Norwegian Elkhound, American Foxhound, Black And Tan Coonhound and others as well. The widely known AKC Sporting Group is a rather large group of hunting dogs for those hunters that enjoy hunting along with a dog in a woody or watery environment. Some of the dogs that belong to this group would be the: American Water Spaniel, Golden Retriever, English Cocker Spaniel, German Shorthaired Pointer and others as well.

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Almost everyone likes pets. But not everyone can afford to keep them because of expenses. And still many families do it because of children, who always require pet, and the own reasons. In any case cats, dogs, turtles, or parrots become the members of our family and dear friends who need love and care. They deserve only best treatment because they are devoted, kind and defenseless.
Having any pet at home you need to feed it, pay for the visits to a vet, buy toys and vitamins, look after the hygiene. It is similar to your child and requires making huge expenses that can make your wallet thinner. How to take care of pets and not damage the family budget?
Some banks and companies offer the solution. They issue special credit cards for pets and their lovers. Most probably, with this card you, as a pet owner, can be more generous and careful. This is one of the simplest and convenient ways to show your treatment.
Such amazing cards are of different designs. You have the opportunity to order the design you wish. Let’s say, you wish to put the picture of your adorable pet on the card. To make your wish come true you need only to send the digital photo of your animal friend. This service is free. And you will get the plastic with cute picture. In case if you hesitate what picture to place, you can choose among the pictures offered.
Certainly, the nice surface and design are not everything that you need. What are the benefits of these cards, you may ask? It allows you to purchase and get rewards, earn redeemable points and discounts. With this special credit offer you can even make a donation to aid the animals in the world, of course, if you are a real animal admirer, like me. Going to the pet shop and buying, say, shampoo, comb, Pedigree or other necessary things for your dear pet, you get discounts and rewards. The rule to save more is quite simple – the more you buy for your animal, the more benefits you receive and the more money you may save.
Now I am talking about one of the Visa cards from Bank of America. Its name is Pet Rewards Platinum Plus. It is simply an example of good card with no annual fee for plastic using and free balance transfer that you can take going to the pet shop or vet clinic. Of course, there are many other companies that offer cards for pet lovers and, perhaps, with more alluring features. Searching for the pet card, it is important to turn to the reliable company or bank. Make your search thoroughly and compare all cards for pets presented on the market to choose the best one for your dear animal and be absolutely sure that you make the right choice.
These cards can be beneficial both for pet lovers and their adorable pets because pets can get what they need for living and owners afford to buy everything for the needs of pets and even save money.

I barely woke up on a cool September morning when my wife let our German Sheppard, Sachi, outside. We own an Invisible Fence that surrounds our property. Sachi is a nervous and very territorial dog but we never had problems with her because she stays inside the limits of the Invisible Fence area - at least, until this morning.

This cool September morning, Sachi ran through the fence and after a lady walking her dog. We heard the barking and screams from inside. Instantly, we got Sachi back to house. Thank god, she did not bite the startled passersby.

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