Svend Lovenkjaer

I have been involved with dogs all my life. My passion for dogs started when I was no more than 12 years old and got my first Schnauzer.  At that time I was living in Sweden, and helping out regularly at a Schnauzer Kennel. This allowed me the opportunity to show the Kennel´s dogs as well as my own. Showing and breeding dogs remained a major part of my life - mainly English Springer Spaniels and Newfoundlands; several Champions and World Winners.

For the last 20 years I have been living in Denmark and it was here that I began judging. I feel my position as an all-breed judge to be a tremendous privilege. It has taken me to many parts of the world. However, in all my experience, I have never lost my great respect for dogs, breeders and exhibitors.

Today I am a board member of the Danish Kennel Club and "boss" of education of all judges in the Danish Kennel Club. I was Born in Sweden (south) and Skånsk Terrier was a common breed there. The last few years I have, together with my good friend Ole Staunskjaer, given seminars about the Dansk/Svensk Gårdhund (Danish/Swedish Farmdog). I like to educate new judges and would like to give my experience to your "folkes" how NOT to make our breed "American"!

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Judges Seminar

Svend Lovenkjaer will be giving a Judges Seminar at the 2013 Danish/Swedish Farmdog National Breed Specialty this fall. The presentation will include The Danish/Swedish Farmdog history, form and function of the breed, an in-depth consideration of the Standard and a question and answer period.

More information about Svend Lovenkjaer's lecture and Seminar will be published in the next Newsletter.

National Specialty

This year the Specialty will be held in Southern California, in conjunction with the ARBA Hollywood Classic.

Classic Danish Judge: Svend Lovenkjaer

Location: Hotel Claremont 840 S. Indian Hill Blvd. Claremont, CA 91711

Phone: 909-621-4831

Date: November 9th &10th

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2013 Regional Shows

It is always fun to get together with other Farmdogs in your area and attend local shows. The following is a list of ARBA shows for 2013.

Spring Classic April 13-14 Monmouth Battlefield Manalapan, NJ 07726

Southern California Classic
May 18-19
Hotel Claremont, CA 91711

Garden State Classic
June 1-2

Minnesota Classic
June 8-9

Northern California Classic
June 22-23

Missouri Classic
July 6 – 7

Liberty Bell Classic
July 13-14

Oklahoma Classic
July 27-28

Turnpike Classic
August 18-19
Manalapan, NJ

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2014 Calendar Photo Contest

Take your Camera and Your Farmdogs Everywhere!

Remember to take a lot of pictures this year.

Photo Due Date - September 30th.

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More Barn Hunt Information ...

Currently Barn Hunt Clubs are located in the following states:

• Arizona
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Missouri
• Ohio
• Oregon
• New York
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Texas
• Washington

Barn Hunt Fun Day

The Danish/Swedish Farmdog Club is looking into a Barn Hunt Fun Day at the National Breed Specialty in November. Watch for future announcements.

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Purka’s Milo and Flora’s Buttercup “Hilde”
June, 27, 2006 Litter

Where Are They Now?

Buster (aka Winther's Buster), physically the largest of the litter, lives in Newton, NJ. His family sends a beautiful Christmas card each year with a photo of the two daughters, now teens,  with Buster nestled snugly in-between.   He is still the ‘Energizer Bunny’, and is constantly on the move. According to his owner, “He is just so cute though, that even when he gets into mischief, you just can't be mad at him.” There are reports that each Christmas he steals ornaments off the tree and lets the kids run around after him.

Blanca (aka Winther's Blanca) still lives with her mom Hilde, in Tolland, CT.  Blanca and Hilde are such a unit, always together, with Blanca seeing it as her daily duty to be cleaning Hilde’s ears. A typical late afternoon finds Dad and the girls on a long walk on beautiful farm fields and hiking trails along a river, on the University of Connecticut farms.  The dogs run like the wind in search of the herd of deer whose tracks they smell. They also visit a bunch of friendly and peaceful cows in a paddock. When they look at Hilde and stick their long tongues out at her, she blushes and gets embarrassed. Dad says they are just two very happy and healthy doggies, who have brought such joy into our lives.

Lola (aka Winther's Cola) lives in Chevy Chase, MD in the D.C. suburbs. The family's daughters are now in their early twenties and no longer at home, but Lola is quite active nevertheless with the folks. Mom takes Lola to visit the horses on occasion at the stables where Mom is involved in horseback riding. Mom’s ancestors were from Sweden, and recently she and Dad became owners of a family vacation cottage there, so hopefully one of these days Lola will get to spend time in Sweden!

Dakota (aka Winther's Dot) lives in Washington where she enjoys long daily walks with her sidekick, Gazelle, a pom-chi mix. Since August 2012 she’s been learning Nosework skills. She’s got her half – her handler is still learning to trust his dog! She travels a lot – sometimes just local pick up rides but often she goes in the cabin of Southwest Airlines to New York or Southern California to spend time with distant family. Bouncing and barking, grabbing a toy to “kill”, (she got her 1st witnessed kill this year – poor squirrel), playing with a cat on occasion --- she’s a delightful companion at all times!

Lucy, Hilde’s clone, (Winther's Lucy) was the firstborn in the litter. She lives happily with a large family in Deerfield, IL which is on Chicago’s suburban north shore.  The family’s five kids really enjoy Lucy and her sidekick Danish/Swedish Farmdog, Cali.   Each summer Hilde's family drive to Northern Wisconsin, a two day and 1200 mile trip from CT, where they visit their relatives on the lake 'up north'. On their way they stop for a visit for a couple hours with Lucy's family where mom-Hilde and sis-Blanca frolic with Lucy! It's hard to tell Hilde and Lucy apart - it is amazing!

Jip (aka Winther’s Nash) lives in Hillsborough, CA, on the peninsula just south of San Francisco. His family has three kids, one or two just entering their teens. They are a very active family, traveling and hiking; Jip accompanies them all over. Jip was at the Claremont ARBA show in 2010, where many of the Club members met him and his family.   He sired a recent litter with Danasa's Kelley, from Lincoln, Nebraska. In fact, one of the male pups from that litter, Danasa’s Ajax, now known as Cech, has joined his dad, Jip and the family. Now they are the male version of the Hilde/Blanca pair ... very special!

Venny (aka Kennel Winther’s Simon) lives with his Dad out in the rugged Sawtooth Mountains near Stanley, ID. They live alone in a log cabin. Venny's Dad works for the local phone company where Venny often accompanies his Dad to job sites.   According to Dad, “Venny is the least aggressive dog I have ever known.  If other dogs are aggressive, he is submissive; he still only barks about three times a month and he will socialize with anyone or anything.  He even tries to get mules and horses to play.  The only animal that he shows agressionto is what we call whistle pigs. They are like prairie dogs or ground squirrels.  He doesn't catch many, but he tries really hard.”   Venny goes snowmobiling with his Dad in the winter, tucked snugly inside his Dad's coat with his head sticking out! Note: The staff was not able to locate a current photo of Venny before the publishing deadline.

The Barn Hunt

The Barn Hunt will test speed, agility, and surefootedness of the dogs. The Barn Hunt is all-inclusive and fun for any dog and human who wishes to play the game. Barn Hunt is a sporting event, and as such there will be levels of difficulty, titles, and championships to be attained. While it can be used as an instinct test, there is also a handler component in that the handler must signal when the dog has reached the desired target PVC rat tube; thus, the handler must know and have a partnership with their dog. Teamwork will win the game.

The origins of the Barn Hunt go back to the days when itinerant Rat-catchers would travel to towns and farms, being paid to use their sharp and clever dogs to rid the area of rats and mice. These dogs were not necessarily go-to-ground dogs or Earthdog breeds. I would not be surprised if the Danish/Swedish Farmdogs were frequently used.

Today Barn Hunts have been held across the country as a fun event in conjunction with Earthdog and Jack Russell trials. There has never been an official sanctioning organization or sport with rules until very recently. This new sport will allow any breed and any size dog to participate and title. The only restriction is that the dog must be able to fit in an 18-inch wide by 22-inch high gap or hole, usually made with bales of hay.

The basics of the Barn Hunt include climbing over and under hay bales in search of prey. They must give the handler a signal that they have found the rat. This is called marking the prey. The handler must call the mark to the judges, much like they do for K9 Nose Work. Placements are based on the over all time. All rats are handled responsibly and humanely.

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In This Issue

• Where Are They Now
• Farmdog History
• Svend Lovenkjaer
• Judges Seminar
• The Barn Hunt
• 2013 Specialty Show
• DSFCA Member's Litters
• Dog Treat Recipe

Farmdog History

Until a few decades ago, the small Farmer's Dog was a natural part of Danish rural life. Its everyday functions were many. This little working dog had many jobs around the farm including: mouser/ratter, livestock herder, hunting dog, watchdog and family companion. The breed was so lively and trainable. It was often utilized in circuses, appearing as the clown's playmate.

In more recent times, farms were closed down and families moved to the cities. The faithful little farmer's dog was suddenly not "grand" enough, and the breed became hard to find. A part of Danish dog culture was in danger of disappearing totally.

The Danish Kennel Club and the Swedish Kennel Club worked together in cooperation to seek out typical breed specimens and save the little farmer's dog from extinction. During the search, it turned out, fortunately, that excellent healthy specimens of this tough old breed still existed.

With its new name, Danish/Swedish Farm Dog, this funny little dog is one of the newest of the national breeds in Denmark and Sweden, although it has been proven that its ancestors go far back in history. Its origins go back to the 1700's where it could be found in Great Britain, Germany and France as well as Denmark and Sweden. Though often mistaken as a terrier, this breed is most closely related to the pinscher family.

Article from "To Live in The Countryside" Author: Journalist Svend Olav Josephsen Translated into English by: Helene R Pedersen

Information Update …

The American Kennel Club's Foundation Stock Services (AKC/FSS) recognized the breed in 2011. The American Rare Breed Association (ARBA) has recognized the Danish/Swedish Farmdog since 2001.

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Kennel Little Denmark Had Puppies

My Bonnie Nøkkerose I Civil "Nikki" gave birth to 6 healthy puppies on February 5, 2013.

She had 3 males and 3 Females.

One may be coming to live in the U.S.

You can learn more about these puppies at www.farmdogs.net

Click here to contact the breeder

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Salmon Fudge Dog Treats

• Two 6 oz. cans or one 14 oz. can of salmon (do not drain)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour

Mix salmon and eggs together in a food processor (hand mixer or hand mix) until smooth. Add flour in small amounts until dough is one big ball (takes less than a minute in food processor).

Grease a 9x9 pan (Pam works well).

Spread dough around pan evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Freezes well.

You can use tuna instead of salmon.

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If you would like to be in on the ground floor of this new sport visit www.barnhunt.com

There is a one-time registration fee per dog of $26. That gives you a lifetime number for that dog (no yearly fees, no club membership fees). That fee, along with the fees to clubs holding Barn Hunt Tests, pays for the costs of the of the sport.

The Barn Hunt Rules

Click here for the current copy of the Barn Hunt Association Rules.

AKC will list Barn Hunt titles on AKC pedigrees.

Links to Barn Hunting

The Barn Hunt Blog
Barn Hunt Events
Barn Hunt FaceBook Page
Barn Hunt Rat Care