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GZ BREED COLUMNSherdingmeandered over to check me out.Suddenly his tail wagged so furiously itwas only a furry blur. The enthusiasmof his greeting left no doubt that herecognized me.“He remembers you!” Allan’s motherexclaimed in amazement.And yes, I did find it amazing that aBeardie I had last seen as an 8-weekoldpuppy would remember me 12years later. Skipper velcroed himself tomy leg and kept looking up at me witha happy grin while I talked with hisowners.And when I opened the door of myvan to leave, he hopped in, ready toleave with me. It was flattering, butsomewhat embarrassing.Then again, maybe 12 years isn’t allthat long if you believe the part in TheOdyssey where Odysseus’s hound,Argos, recognizes him after 20 years.Admittedly, these experiences haveleft me with one question unanswered:If dogs can detect familiar scents days,months, or even years later, why doUtility exhibitors spend so much timeputting their scent on articles to beretrieved? —Alice Bixler,alicejb@att.net; Bearded Collie Club ofAmerica website: bcca.usBeauceronsHarmony and BalanceThis year the Beauceron Club ofAmerica will hold its nationalspecialty in Dixon, California, onOctober 26. The show will be judgedby Carolyn Herbel.As the Beauceron breed becomesmore established and known in thecountry, this event takes on a greaterimportance each passing year as differentbreeding programs from the UnitedStates and other countries are represented.The Beauceron is a formidableworking shepherd, known for hisendurance and stamina. Today’s standardstill stresses the essence of an animal“exhibiting the strength,endurance, and agility required of theherding dog.”The correct Beauceron is not aheavy, oversized dog. He does not haveto be to tend his flock and performefficiently. He is a balanced dog withgood proportions. He is a harmoniousdog untarnished by the following commonextremes: The Beauceron is notbulky and coarse, yet he is not leggyand snippy.Years ago, an eminent Frenchjudge—and breeder—invited to anAmerican Rare Breed Association showin Washington, D.C. was confrontedwith a choice between these two differenttypes. He favored the lighter dog forhis Best of Breed, explaining to me,“The Beauceron is a shepherd, not amolossus; the lighter dog is closer to thearchetype of a shepherd.”This harmony and balance mentionedin the standard are reflected inthe correct proportions of a well-builtBeauceron. They are very specific andrelate closely to the height of the dog.Thus, the length of the body should beslightly superior to the height at thewithers by ¾ inches, while the chestequals the height plus 4½ to 5½ inches,and the length of the head equals twofifthsthe height of the dog.A beautiful head carries the type. Inthe Beauceron the head is dictated byexact proportions, all aiming at achievingthis harmonious look. The muzzle,the skull’s length, and its width must allequal half of the total length of thehead. The ears also contribute to thebalance of the head; their height (forthe cropped ears) and their length (forthe natural ears) equal the length of themuzzle.A Beauceron presented to the judgein the show ring must be “exhibited inthe natural condition, with no trimming.”Whiskers, ears, or underbellycannot be shaved, and the undercoatcannot be thinned out. Doing so istampering with one of the importantelements a shepherd: his protective coatperfectly suited for his work outdoors.Indeed, the Beauceron, often referredto as “the country gentleman,” is an elegantand athletic animal exempt ofcoarseness. He is the epitome of balanceand harmony. —Claudia Batson,Claudia.batson@hotmail.com; AmericanBeauceron Club website: beauce.orgBelgian MalinoisOur guest columnist this month isKris Jacobson, who has writtenan absolutely fascinating account oftruffle hunting with Ilsa, her Malinois.Truffle HuntingMy name is Kris Jacobson. I was firstintroduced to the Belgian Malinoisbreed in 2001 while I was a police officer.When I was assigned to the K-9division in my agency, I was fortunateto be paired with a Malinois namedFryda, and I immediately fell in lovewith her. Fryda taught me how wonderfuland special this breed can be. Mytime with her opened a whole newworld for me, and I’ve been involvedwith these amazing dogs ever since.I currently have two Malinois: anolder male rescue named Duke, and Ilsa, a 4-year-old female. I’ve had Ilsa sinceshe was 3 months old, and she has beenmy constant and loyal companion since.As Ilsa matured, it was evident thatshe was an extremely fast, athletic,driven and intelligent dog. We startedto compete in various sports—discdog,lure coursing, dock diving, andcanine nose work.Canine nose work is a fairly new andgrowing sport that has its origins in theworking narcotics and bomb-sniffingdogs in law enforcement. The idea is totrain dogs to discern and successfullysearch for three distinct odors (birch,anise, and clove) in several differentphysical settings. Competitive trialsconsist of three basic search areas; vehicles,building interiors, and exteriorsearches. There are three levels or titlesa team can achieve: Nose Work 1, 2, or3. Each level is harder than the previous,with more “hides” and added scentdistractions designed to confuse thedog or handler.Ilsa and I competed in our first K-9nose work trial in March 2012, and wewere awarded our Nose Work 1 title,CNW1.In mid-December of 2011, by acci-A K C G A Z E T T E • 30 • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2