So...how's that book coming along

• Name: How the breed got its name, what it means in English and how it is pronounced.
• History of the breed. In this section, I take a good hard look at the available evidence and try to piece together the most likely scenario of each breed's development. In the process, I challenge some long-held assumptions and even bust some myths.
• Current Situation: Who's breeding them, where are they being bred, how many are there, what clubs represent the breed.
• Appearance. I briefly describe the coat type, colour, height and overall look. I avoid the common cop-out of just cutting and pasting the published conformation standards. I mean c'mon, world does NOT need another lame book with nothing more than show ring standards for content.
• Performance. I give a description of how they run, point, track, swim, fetch, and protect (if applicable).
• Tests and Trials: A look at the performance related events used by breeders to select stock.
  
• Breeding programs. Basically a look at what went into the breed to create it...and what may still be going in officially or by the light of the moon.
• Personal Observations. My own impressions of the breed after having seen it and spoken with breeders and hunters who know it inside out.
• In a Nutshell. In this section I sum up the pro's and con's of the breed, its hunting niche, clubs, etc.
• Caution Index: I rate the risk factor associated with trying to find a good one. The range is from moderate to extremely high; no breed is a sure bet, none are rated low or no risk.
• Homeland: The breeds are presented in sections according to the country of origin. In each section, I offer an overview of the hunting history and traditions of that particular country as well as a description of the gundog scene there today.
  

Myth-busting the Grand Duke's Grey Ghost

Ok, we've all read about Karl August of Sachsen-Weimar and his connection to the Weimarner right? You know, the Grand Duke, that fancy-pants European nobleman, friend of Goethe, who liked his schnapps a bit too much, and, according to most Weim histories, more or less created the grey ghost and shared the breed with his fancy-pants friends?

Ya, that guy (check out those pants!)

Ok, so tell me this: why is it that despite years of on-again, off-again research into the Duke have I been unable to find one, single, solitary piece of solid evidence that proves he even knew what a Weimaraner was, let alone created it from scratch?

Sure I've read all the stuff published by Weimaraner enthusiasts. They are nearly unanimous in their assertion that the Weim came from the court of the Grand Duke. They point to paintings that seem to show the old guy out hunting, with dogs of all kinds prancing around the game fields of his estates. Any dog in these illustrations that is short haired and lighter in colour is immediately "identified" as a Weim. And they write that "it is said that the Grand Duke..." or "according to tradition, Karl August"...yada yada yada. Yet no one provides anything more than a sort of "I heard it from a guy who knew a guy that had a friend who heard..." sort of thing.

Now, the few mentions I can find of the Grand Duke that were written by men who tried to get to the bottom of the story turn out to be completely opposite to what most people believe. Guys like Robert Herber and Dr. Kleeman, renowned experts who lived and breathed this kind of stuff, concluded that:

"the hunting activity of the Dukes of Weimar had nothing to do with the existance of the Weimaraner" (Kleeman)

and

"hunting writers of the Royal Court of Weimar never mentioned the Weimaraner, which they by all means would have done for patriotic reasons." (Herber).

Herber even goes on to say that: "I have been in touch with the Hofmarschallamt and the Hofjagdamt in Weimar, who had found nothing concerning the Weimaraner despite thorough searching through their files. The name was probably brought into existence because the Weimaraner first occurred in large numbers in Weimar and was bred there. Even Diezel says nothing about the Weimaraner in 1873. (Herber, Deutsch Waidwerk No 22, September 1, 1939)

And I too have tried, in vain, to find any mention of Weimaraners in writings about the Grand Duke by people not connected to the breed. I've poured over a couple of Duke biographies and found nada, zippo, zitch about Weimaraners in them. Recently, I noticed that there is a new biography on the market. Written by Volker Ebersbach, it seems to be mainly about the Duke's connection to Goethe. On the cover is a beautiful painting of the Duke with a longhaired brown and white dog laying beside him...definitely NOT a Weim!

So, if Karl August did have a hand in creating the Weimaraner and if he did, as some "authorities" claim strive to keep it among the nobles of Weimar, why, oh why would he have his painting done showing him with a dog that is surely NOT a Weim?

Does anyone have this book...or access to it at a local library or book shop? I would love to know if the author makes any mention of the Weimaraner in it.

And while we are at it, can anyone tell me how the dogs in this illustration of the Grand Duke, Goethe and Corena Schroeter can be mistaken for Weims?

There are plenty of other illustrations of the man, some of them feature dogs. In NONE of them, is there clear evidence that the dogs are Weimaraners.

What gives? Is the whole Grand Duke thing just wishful thinking? Is it all a bunch of hokum?

Does anyone have any information they can point me to that clearly establishes a link between the Weimaraner and the Grand Duke?

Or should we considered this myth busted and follow Christopher Hitchens's advice?

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens

Spring Training

It's Canada Day...do you know where YOUR dog is?

I recently received an email from a friend in the US who owns a Garmin Astro. The Astro is relatively new device that, in my opinon, should be ranked right up there with fire and the wheel in terms of revolutionary technology. In a nutshell, it allows you to know exactly where your dog is at all times within about a 7 mile radius! It does that by sending a signal from the dog's collar to a hand-held GPS unit carried by the handler. Astro's are really catching on in the US. In Canada however, they are not (yet) approved for use, so we can't buy one from a local GPS shop or even order one in from a US supplier.

So my friend was wondering what would happen if he brought his unit over the border and used it while he ran his dogs in Canada. Apparently there are internet rumours out there claiming that the Canadian authorities will confiscate any such unit and fine the user up to 20 grand for using it and then impound his/her vehicle! So far no mention of strip searches and waterboarding, but it is probably only a matter of time before the rumour goes viral and ends up with some sort of connection to 9/11 and ninjas.

So anywho, I decided to see if I could get to the bottom of this whole thing by contacting the Canadian Government department in charge of all things radio/gps related. After spending a couple of hours wandering through the Kafka-esque maze of Candadian Government bureaucrats and other forms of plant life, I finally found someone who knew what he was talking about.

Here is what I gathered from a very helpful fellow at Industry Canada, the dept. charged with regulating these kinds of things.

1. The Garmin Astro is not approved for use in Canada. This is because...

2. The Garmin Astro uses the MURS band to transmit from the dog's collar to the hand-held reciever. Unlike in the US, the MURS band is not free to use in Canada. You need to buy a licence for a specific frequency on it. Anyone can get a license for an approved devise like a radio and base station. It costs a few bucks, but is pretty much available to anyone with a walkie talkie. You just purchase a license from the Gov. and voila! You are good to go. Farmers, foresters, pizza delivery guys all over the place have licences for a MURS frequency. So in theory, you could just buy a licence for the frequencies that the Astro uses and head to the field. But....

3. The Astro is not approved for use in Canada. From what I gather, Garmin has not jumped through the hoops of submitting it for approval (yet?) since they know that MURS band is not free up here and in order for them to get exclusive use of the frequencies for the unit, they would have to buy out a lot of folks to get them off the band...ie: $$$$$$ Either that, or they realize that every Canadian Astro user would have to fork over more cash to buy his/her own license to use the thing in the field.

4. You see, the Astro uses all 5 frequencies of the MURS: 151.82, 151.88, 151.94, 154.57, 154.60. I did a check on one of them (151.82) just to see how many others are on MURS up here (there is a search function on the website of Industry Canada where you can find out.). Well, it turns out that there are lots of people and organizations that have purchased licenses for one or more frequencies on the MURS band. Everything from Government agencies (probably foresters) to some city of Toronto workers to farmers in Saskatchewan. So that means if you are using the Astro near them, you could interfere with their radios.

5. So there you have it. The reason is NOT some super secret Canadian Gov. frequency used to track drug lords and assorted terrorists. It is all about the way the MURS range of frequencies is managed in Canada. I suppose that Garmin could have bought out all the current licences users on the MURS band if they thought they could sell enough units up here to still make a profit. But alas, the accounting dept. told them "no way!" I figure that is why they haven't even sent the unit up here to be tested and approved for use. Even if it passed all the tests (I'm sure it would, all other Garmin devises are approved), it still could not be used due to the frequency thing...each and every user would have to buy a license for all five frequencies.

But fear not! Apparently the Canadian Gov. may be moving towards the same sort of set up as in the US, a free-for-all MURS band. Here is what they say on their site:

3.2.3 MURS in the 150 MHz Band

In its consultation, the Department proposed to designate five frequencies, after a five-year transition period, in the 150 MHz band for use by MURS devices. The frequencies were 151.820 MHz, 151.880 MHz, 151.940 MHz, 154.570 MHz and 154.600 MHz.

The Department also noted that MURS devices posed some potential for intermittent disruption to existing users on these channels and on some adjacent channels. However, historically, this has always been the case with the 150 MHz band, which has always been licensed on a shared basis to many private, commercial and public safety users. Therefore, all users have had to co-exist for many years with the realization that the spectrum is shared among many users.

In general, Canadians expect to have access to the same range of electronic and wireless products and services that are available elsewhere in North America. However, making these frequencies available for these wireless consumer products often poses several challenges. One of the primary challenges is that the desired spectrum is often already in use. This means that incumbent licensees need a reasonable notification period to move to other frequencies to avoid interference to their radio services.

There were several public comments received from fire departments, their associations and the municipalities in which they operate. The comments voiced concerns about the potential for interference from MURS devices to their operations and their desire for exclusive public safety spectrum. Industry Canada has met several times with senior representatives from the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC). Through this ongoing dialogue, a better understanding of the implementation and timing of this policy has been achieved.

Decision:

The Department establishes the following spectrum utilization policy to permit the operation of MURS devices, on a licence-exempt basis, and to enable current licensees to eventually migrate to other channels should they so desire.

The Department designates the following channel limits for the use of MURS devices:

151.81438 - 151.82569 MHz
151.87438 - 151.88563 MHz
151.93438 - 151.94563 MHz
154.56000 - 154.58000 MHz
154.59000 - 154.61000 MHz

In addition, a moratorium on any further licensing of these channels to new land mobile systems is now in effect.

The Department establishes the following time frame to permit MURS devices to operate in these five channels in the 150 MHz band.

1. a five-year transition period is established from the publication date of this spectrum policy, after which the distribution and sale of MURS devices will be permitted;
2. all affected licensees will receive notification letters following the publication date of this spectrum policy and two years before the end of the transition period;
3. affected licensees that wish to move to other frequencies, at their own cost, will be accommodated with new frequencies where possible. The Department will inform licensees of the availability of alternate frequencies, on a case-by-case basis, at the request of the licensee;
4. licensees may continue to use these frequencies on a secondary, no protection basis, but may be subject to interference from the operation of MURS devices; and
5. the Department will establish appropriate technical limits for the MURS devices in a relevant Radio Standard Specification (RSS) and/or a Standard Radio System Plan (SRSP). The provisions of paragraph (iii) and (iv) will also be applied to certain adjacent frequencies, as listed in the relevant SRSP.