Hi there good folks of the BTN. I hope you're all well and safe wherever you may be. I thought it would be nice to do an article to help those that either collect or you feel it's something you want to take up. Please remember I chose the Bulldog as it's one of the top made pieces and it dates back over two centuries and beyond.  But, you can choose to collect anything you like. For this demographic I'm thinking it would be the Boston Terrier, but the choice is yours.

I believe there is just the one overall passion for collecting, yet it does have a couple of different purposes and these are love and investment. Those that collect for the love of it tend not to be so fussy about what they buy, as there is no commitment further down the line to gain your money back. Then there's collecting for investment with love, but wanting a future return. This tends to be a 30% increase on the item you buy over a period of ten years. This isn't always the case as, you imagine, trends change so book prices do not always reflect current market value.

So where do you start if you want to create an amazing collection or even just a cabinet full of your favorite pieces of your favorite breed/ subject matter? Let's start with the normal online outlets: these include the obvious Etsy, Ruby Lane, eBay and I'm sure there's many other outlets just like these where you can start picking up all sorts of different pieces at good prices. A tip from me is, you will find a better service from Etsy and Ruby Lane. If you use eBay, do not pick sellers that take advantage of using the eBay global shipping program. IT'S RUBBISH!!! That's not to say that sellers on this site are unfriendly, but they do tend to pass the buck when your parcel goes missing. There's thrift stores and markets to muse and, of course, yard sales and other collectors.

Please note, if stateside, there's many a bargain on a site called Craigslist. I know a couple that have bought nearly all their collection just from that one place.

Once you have your foot in the door, so to speak, not only buying with selective thought, you will then come across the more experienced websites that just deal in mid to high quality pieces. Again it's about research as you don't want a beautiful piece costing lots if it's just a piece of extravagance. After doing a little research for your demographic, I found that Europe is key to quality, if you're after Boston Terrier pieces to collect. A couple of websites which are pricey and for the dedicated come to mind: Royal Copenhagen Factory, the other is hunde-figur.de, a German website with a selection of Boston Terriers to choose from. America may have a ceramics industry rich in figurines, buy I'm yet to find any that are native to the USA.  This is only lack of research, there could be hundreds.

For the serious collectors out there that have time and money, there is the luxury of auctions world-wide that can be bought straight from your Devices with such sites as auctioneers.com, invaluable and similar auction alert websites, you type in what your interests are and an alert comes through as an email when a piece pops up anywhere in the world. If you're apt at auctions, you could get a high quality piece for a bargain. Part of this appeal is the different currency exchanges that could save some folks some money, depending on the country and what currency they wish to take.

PLEASE NOTE!!! You have to read all terms and conditions when buying from auction as there are variables that you wouldn't get with normal online auction sites. One example is that you find your own courier. Some only take top rated credit cards. These are just a couple of examples. Do your research before attempting a bid, or get advice from experienced auctioneers.

 I started out on eBay and rose through the ranks and have used all of the above in the past. I also have the lucky edge of somehow soaking up this field to be able to share my knowledge.  I also have contact liquidators I know that have help to obtain some amazing pieces we now have in the collection.

I'm more than willing to help anyone should you wish to start or are stuck on how to find new and interesting objects for your collections. My knowledge is researched and learned by myself, so from fauxs and repos right through to dates, artists and even what countries made what pieces by the colors used, I have found these skills have come naturally. As one lovely [Lady] once said to me, "I must be the conduit of these pieces for a reason a preservationist for the next generation".

Remember I'm here if needed, and until next time happy collecting folks.

BOSTON TERRIER NETWORK NOTES:    You will find Eiffion's blog at http://www.collectibulldogs.com/ 

Eiffion can also be found on Google, Twitter and Facebook.

Edited by Jan Mitchell

What on earth caused this? Most of us have heard of Cushing's disease, but did you know that left untreated this is what the dog goes through?

This is a true story about Ella. Her story is brought to you thanks to Northeast Boston Terrier Rescue (NEBTR).

NEBTR Foster Ella was a stray rescued from a shelter on January 13, 2016. Due to the horrific photos we were sent, we scheduled an appointment at the Holistic Vet the following day. Her condition when she arrived was even worse than what we had suspected.

Her skin was bloody, raw and oozing with large patches of missing hair.

She had very little muscle tone and it took all she had to walk up one step.  We just could not imagine what had happened to this poor girl.

To our surprise she was diagnosed with untreated Cushing's disease! Cushing's disease -hyperadrenocorticism, is the overproduction of the hormone cortisol by the adrenal glands that are located in the belly near the kidneys. We started treatment with the Holistic Vet and she slowly improved over the next 6 weeks. We were all relieved.

The beginning of March 2016, the sparkle in her eye was fading. She could care less about playing ball, going for car rides, and needed assistance going up any stairs in the house. Her thirst was increasing and the urination was so bad that she could not make it more than 20 minutes without having to relieve herself. She started developing more lesions on her small, weak body that oozed, and became bloody and raw, and we are back to having additional patches of hair falling out.

After careful consultations with both the holistic and conventional Veterinarians, we had blood work done. With her numbers from those tests, it's clear we will need to have a more extensive ACTH Stimulation blood test to monitor the cortisol levels in her blood. In addition, an ultrasound needs to be performed to determine if she has an adrenal tumor, and/or any liver abnormalities.

Ella May is feeling better, but she still has a long road ahead. She is being lovingly fostered by Desiree Shearer Schellinger who is also a member of For The Love Of Bostons group.

 Foster mom Desiree Shearer Schellinger tells us "She was extremely guarded for the first few months. Her skin has improved and gets better every day."

Jeanne Orlando "A good source for Science-backed info is www.caninecushings-autoimmuneCare@yahoogroups.com . I have had quite a few BTs with Cushing's disease and this helped with great info and input from a veterinary endocrinologist."

 Desiree Shearer Schellinger "In Cushing's dogs, their bodies make too much cortisol and that's where the incredible thirst and hunger comes from. And the urination! Uugh!!! Ella was so bad when she was at her worst. She couldn't go 15-20 minutes without going. I thought I would lose my mind. She is so much better right now. Accidents are now few and far between and at night she wears a Huggies diaper. Now she hardly ever wets her diaper, but that wasn't the case a few months ago. This is my first experience with a Cushing's dog and I have learned so much and the more you talk to others the more enlightened you become. "

 Ellie Gibberman  "I feel this article helps answer and explain Cushing's better than any other,Canine Cushing's Disease.  As Cushing's disease (hyperadrenocorticism) is a common disorder in older dogs, it is important for the regular pet owner to have a basic understanding of how to recognize and treat it."

 

Desiree Shearer Schellinger  "She is feeling so much better and becoming a little spitfire.

It is Calanosis Cutis. Because she was not being treated for the Cushing's, her body was making massive amounts of cortisol and it caused the Calanosis Cutis. And, yes, when she came to me her nails were crazy long. I dremaled them but can only do a little at a time because the quick is so far out. We are getting there!"

Marilyn Morgan Holzerland "Our old poodle had Cushing's too. Our vet gave him trilostane, I think it was, which he had a bad reaction to. So, she said just don't treat him at all. That was NOT an option! We took him to the University of Minnesota where they treated him holistically with Melatonin and flax oil with lignans. He bounced back like nobody's business! He lost a lot of his hair and had bad sores on his belly.  We were so blessed with the U of MN and the natural treatment they put him on. It saved his life and he lived to be 15."

 UPDATE: MAY 14TH 2016

 https://www.facebook.com/desiree.schellinger/videos/10209193720550452/

 Just look at how good little Miss Ella is doing! She is feeling and looking so much better. With the Cushing's she will need Meds and care for the rest of her life, but thanks to NEBTR and all her donors she is taking full advantage of living the good life!

Northeast Boston Rescue (NEBTR) is comprised of volunteers based in NY, NJ, PA, CT, and parts of other states, and serves Boston Terriers in need within reach of our helping hands. If you want to follow up on how Miss Ella is doing, or help with her medical costs or just send her a toy, contact the rescue.   Northeast Boston Rescue (NEBTR)    

Edited by Jan Mitchell

BOSTON TERRIER NETWORK wants to warn you about two of our friends... Some of you might have run into them before.  When you only hire volunteers, your choices of help can be limiting. Scott Edwards, with Talent on Loan from Leroy Brown the Boston Terrier, is a graphic artist with an overblown idea of his skills with a computer and a mouse clicker.

Most of the time you can find him on the couch with a cup of coffee, watching reruns of This Old House and pushing the cursor around his laptop, trying to design logos and group page headers for Facebook auctions sites that help raise money for Boston Terriers. (Although he has been known to cheat on the breed and design stuff for other types of animal rescue.)

Once he made a group header for an Italian rescue group. Nobody spoke the same the language, so the design process was like trying to nail jello to a fence post. But it all worked out in the end. He does most of the design work for free and as he says, “It’s my way of helping so that the money spent on logo designs can go to the dogs instead.” It’s more a case of his narcissistic need for people to look at what he’s doing. But that’s another story. Scott's biggest claim to fame, other than the fact that he’s six foot six, kinda broad at the shoulders and narrow at the hips, is that he’s part of the management team behind Leroy Brown the Boston Terrier. A fifty dollar Craigslist find that was near death, which looked and smelled like a dirty dish rag. Leroy's trip from near death to a full recovery and living a happy healthy life has been chronicled in his very own Facebook page, where the joke is usually at the D.A.D.’s expense and the Pretty Mama is the greatest mama ever.

We are happy to be able to announce that Leroy Brown and Scott Edwards (aka D.A.D.) have agreed to join our graphic staff.

YOU ARE INVITED TO FOLLOW Leroy Brown the Boston Terrier

Edited by Jan Mitchell