More about those terrific terriers

Image: Just one of the many cute terrier pictures on show at Gumhaven Kennels -Tenterfield Terriers.

Maureen Schutt, inspired by the recent reference to her favourite dog breed, writes:

JUST wondered if you are aware of the history. Miniature Fox Terrier, Tenterfield - same dog, new name. I was there when the dog was renamed.
The canine association would let us register the dogs under the name mini fox terrier as they were not a miniaturisation of the Fox Terrier, but made up of other breeds as well.
In order to move forward with these little dogs we had to rename them. Several names were put forward and as Don Burke for some reason had started referring to them as a Tenterfield and so it was decided to go with that as people were getting familiar with that name and we felt calling them something else again would be too confusing basically.
So the Miniature Fox Terrier clubs changed their names to Tenterfield Terrier clubs. There is still an offshoot Mini Foxie Club in NSW of a few members that did not want to change the name, but as such their dogs cant be shown at Australian National Kennel Club shows, nor are their pups registered with the ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council ). The Tenterfield Terrier is the Official name.

MAUREEN also sent the following text "from the history page":

It is believed they used the smaller progeny of the Fox Terrier and outcrossed it to other breeds to bring the dog down in size.
There appears to have been many inputs of other breeds over the years, with probable inclusion of Chihuahua, Whippet, Manchester Black and Tan, Min Pin and Italian Greyhounds. The dog has commonly been referred to as the "Miniature Fox Terrier".
In the early 1990s a group of interested owners, who wanted to secure the future of this terrier, advertised for interested persons to attend their first meeting.
This meeting led to the formation of the Miniature Fox Terrier Club of SA. A similar club had been running in NSW for some time prior to this. A club was then formed in WA and the breed registry was established soon after, with the first entries being January 1991.
In 1992, it became quite apparent that if we were to eventually have this wonderful little dog recognised by the ANKC, the name of "Miniature Fox Terrier" was extremely inappropriate as the terrier was not a miniaturisation of the Fox Terrier.
We, as a club, could understand this valid point. The link to the Fox Terrier is long since removed.
After consultation with all club members, moves were then made through SA, WA and NSW to instigate a name change for the breed.
Numerous ideas were put forward which resulted in a ballot to all members of the SA, WA and NSW Clubs. After much publicity via the media, it was strongly voted (some 85% of returned votes) to embrace the name "Tenterfield Terrier".

Maureen Schutt is president of the Tenterfield Terrier Club of South Australia.
(TTCSA).

Classifieds give comfort after family dog dies

Image: Dog meets kitten. Courtesy of Tenterfield Terrier Club of South Australia Incorporated.

THANKS to all who have expressed condolences over the recent loss of a much-loved family member, our 10-year-old desexed Tenterfield bitch.
The most heart-warming element of the feedback on my obituary of Penny (Classie Corner, February 1) was that no one seemed to worry about me writing about a dead dog when people are dropping off like flies.
But that is simply the attraction of the ‘Mini Foxie’ and the cousin breed, Tenterfield terrier, which Penny represented.

MY research into the Tenterfield breed during this state of mourning has scratched up some interesting tidbits for all the ‘minifoxiephiles’:
Former TV producer and presenter Don Burke claims the credit for naming the breed, "Tenterfield terrier", in the 1990s.
The website, www.burkesbackyard.com.au, says: "The Tenterfield terrier was first known and bred around the Tenterfield area -- hence the name suggested by Don Burke. They were originally bred as farm dogs …"
This seems to be a bit of modern history but don’t let it turn you off a great little dog. Such a discovery during the wailing and gnashing of teeth in grief failed to dampen my enthusiasm for Mini Foxies.
I simply shut down the computer – as one would – and turned to the Classifieds Pets column for comfort.

HERE, I found a Macleay Island family that shares our deep love of the tiny dogs whose ‘nervous’ shiver disguises a warrior’s heart.
Jenny and Chris Power and their daughters, Liarna and Tamara, moved to the island from Inverell about a month ago.
The couple operates building firm C and J Power Constructions. Breeding Tenterfields has been Jenny’s hobby for about four years since she brought her first T. terrier, Miffi.

JENNY will always remember the move, with three terriers: Miffi; a puppy that was the last of Miffi’s most recent litter; and the Powers’ desexed male Tenterfield, Boss.
"We could even stay at motels with the three of them on the back of the truck," Jenny said. "They didn’t bark, or cause one little bit of fuss.
"That is to me what is so good about the breed – they are just so loyal, you can just about take them with you anywhere."
Jenny advertised the puppy – and found it home – just as our Penny either went to the dog basket in the sky or stayed below to spook a rat or two.
Luckily, the rest of my family was crying too much to read the Classifieds that week. I will have to hide the paper in a few months because Jenny is looking for a good match for Miffi around the southern bay islands.

THANKS for joining me to meet the great people and other creatures in the marvellous community of classified advertising. This story has appeared in The Redland Times, Cleveland, Redland Shire, Queensland, Australia.

Farewell to 'Queen of the Classifieds'

EVEN the name of the species, Ratus ratus, is enough to make most humans shudder with revulsion.
A glimpse of one anywhere around a home will bring shrieks of disgust and terror.
Ratus ratus, the rodent that came to Australia with European settlement and has been credited with spreading the "black death" plague, is an ugly sight.
For the past 10 years, my family has had protection against rats through the services of a specialist rat remover.

PENNY, a Tenterfield terrier, came to us, thanks to the marvellous community of classified advertising.
Wife spotted ad and announced, "There’s a purebred Tenterfield in the Pets column for $25." Dad pretended not to hear but two little girls ensured he received the message.
Then he said the price must have been a ‘misprint’ dropping a zero or two. But soon the family walked to the front door on an acreage property.
A relative of the advertiser had bred Penny, then 18 months old, but an older Tenterfield had dominated over her and the owners decided it was best to find her a new home.
The low price tag was a statement of principle to say the dog was not simply a worthless giveaway, we were told, as Penny shook nervously in her basket.

SO the dog came home with us. When she was inside our house for the first time, she rolled on her back and weed. I felt like taking her back. It seemed we had taken over a lapdog with severe psychological problems.
But Penny did not have any more many accidents like that.
Within a few weeks she was running the house -- and neighbourhood when she could – showing an amazing physique with bulging muscles and sharp ears.
This type of dog often trembles but it is not a sign of weakness, that’s for sure.

WE had Penny for several years before I saw her pounce on a black snake on our block. She levitated off the ground with the snake in her jaws, shaking her head amazingly fast.
Then she dropped the snake’s lifeless body and, apparently dizzy from all the shaking, staggered around in circles.
At that point, I resolved to never judge a book by its cover. This was not the quivering jelly that had appeared to suffer from extremely bad nerves; it was a machine, sleek and efficient.
Some time later, we saw her chase a rat from the property and catch it within about 20m. The rat didn’t have a chance.

IN an amazing contrast, Penny welcomed a tiny kitten to the household with a play bow and they immediately became good pals, rolling and running around in mock battle. The dog would also protect our cockatiel against feline instincts by positioning herself between the cat and the bird, just in case …
We had lots of good times with Penny, who died this month. She was the best dog we could have had. For me, she will always be the Queen of the Classifieds.

THANKS for joining me to meet the great creatures in the marvellous community of classified advertising. This story has appeared in The Redland Times, Cleveland, Redland Shire, Queensland, Australia.

'French heart in art while Aussies simply wonder'

Image: The famous bronze sculpture, The Thinker, by Auguste Rodin. Courtesy wikipedia.

QUITE apart from kangaroos, meat pies and a certain brand of cars, the broad subject of Australian culture has been on the mind of at least one Victoria Point woman.
The focus for Anne-Laure Demene is our attitude to art.
Bubbling with French tradition a quarter of a century after migrating from New Caledonia, the sculptor known as "Laurie" reflects that most Aussies still seem to lack an understanding of the value of art to society.
"In Australia, people will see a work of art and ask, 'What do you use it for?'," Laurie laments."But art is really about the feeling it gives. You look at a painting or a sculpture and you must feel something - it may be peace or beauty.
"This is in the French culture, it's in every home and you can't leave any home without taking with you some of that feeling."

LAURIE has been among the quiet achievers on the Queensland art scene since she began sketching and painting in earnest while studying interior design and then found a calling from the third dimension.
Her mentors have included respected Queensland sculptors George Virine and Frank Lambert.
Working in clay in a traditional manner, Laurie specialises in portraits and figurative works, glazed and fired or cast in bronze and other mediums.
Many commissions and exhibitions are on Laurie's lengthy CV, which includes two public monuments - one at Logan and another, the King of the Islands portrait, for Wallis Islands, which are part of the French culture in the Pacific region.
Her recent portrait subjects have included Redlands mayor Don Seccombe and the former Logan mayor John Freeman.
Laurie also has completed a portrait of the most famous mountaineer, Sir Edmund Hillary, who died in January in New Zealand.
She is a member of the International Creative Community (ICC), which she describes as "an exchange of artists from allover the world".

"WE went to South Korea and next year will go to Canada," Laurie says. "I am teaching but at the same time believe it is important that I keep learning through workshops (local or overseas) and courses."
Laurie's work is exhibited at Contrasting Colours Gallery at Raby Bay and the Luba Gallery at Milton. Her current projects include a trophy commissed by an overseas client.

THANKS for joining me to meet the great people in the marvellous community of classified advertising. This story has appeared in The Redland Times, Cleveland, Redland Shire, Queensland, Australia.

Little boy changes others' eating habits

Image: Organic vegetables at a farmers' market in Argentina. Courtesy wikipedia.

WHILE corporations budget millions of dollars on advertising to promote health and its soul sister, well-being, a young Victoria Point boy has spent not a cent to get people eating a healthy diet.
The saying that an ailment can actually help keep you healthy seems to ring true as the fitness culture grabs more time and space in our mass media.
But Nelson Bennett, 6, can claim the credit for changing dietary attitudes in his family and then inspiring a move to supply diet-conscious Redlanders with the right food.
"Nelson was quite sick and had a few health problems when he was younger so we looked at his diet," his mum, Nicole, says.
"I started by taking out the food with preservatives and additives and as I researched more I realised our bodies certainly do not need the chemicals and toxins that are sprayed on fruit and vegetables.
"Produce may be sprayed with numerous different chemicals and in some cases it may be sprayed daily for two weeks before it reaches the market."

NICOLE turned to certified organic produce for her family, which also includes husband Mark and their other two children, Tristan, now 11, and Latique, 2.
However, she was dissatisfied with the availability of such products in the district. About 18 months ago, Nicole started a business, Wholesome Organics, with the slogan, "Refrigerated delivery to your home or office - afforbable, healthy, chemical-free living".
Our regular readers have become familiar with the splash of colour Nicole's ad brings to our For Sale column, with pictures of fresh fruit standing out in the fine print of many listings.
Nicole says our Classifieds have been an important tool to supplement a "word of mouth" approach in steady growth of the business.
Wholesome Organics now supplies dozens of Redlanders with certified organic produce that it sources from the Rocklea markets and directly from organic growers, she says.

PART of the organic experience is to embrace the philosophy of the seasonal influences, taking advantage of nature rather than opting for techniques to grow produce outside its normal season or to increase its storage life, Nicole says.
"Everthing we sell has been immediately picked and is not, for instance, coming out of a cold store months after harvest," she says.
Wholesome Organics' modest accommodation is a trailer that features eye-catching artwork incorporating a shining sun.
The proprietor believes selling organic produce must have a bright future and her aims include development of an educational emphasis including a website.Nelson and his siblings, meanwhile, are doing their bit, presenting as healthy ambassadors for the organic cause.

THANKS for joining me to meet the great people in the marvellous community of classified advertising. This story has appeared in The Redland Times, Cleveland, Redland Shire, Queensland, Australia.