• If you're a past member of the board, but can't recall your password any more, you don't need to set up a new account (unless you wish to). As long as you recall your old login name, you can log in with that user name then select 'forgot password' and the board will email you at your registration email, to let you reset your password.

Why so few B&T Owners??

TillyTommy

TillyTommy

Well-known member
Having followed the poll it seems the B&T are in last place:( Is that because fewer are breed or its a colour not so many want?
 
It angers me when I go out and see that B/Ts are severely discriminated against on most things in the store (i.e. calendars, "weekly engagement calendars," etc.. I was mad last year when I bought a weekly engagement calendar and there was a different picture every week of a different cavalier and there wasn't even ONE b/t on there.. this years has one :roll:

I used to not be toooo fond of b/ts but then I got one and I fell in love.. they are naughty for sure, but oh boy has Faithey ever become beautiful (in my opinion of course!) I took this picture in the yard today:

b142207978.jpg
 
I believe they're harder to find, but I'm not sure...I'm sure the breeders on this board will answer that...My breeder has mostly wholecolors, and we were able to choose from three different colors (ruby, tri & b&t) and chose the b&t based on his personality and the breeder's recommendation, but I'm glad she recommended him because that's the color I secretly wanted! :D
 
vicarrieous said:
What would you say are the different personalities by color type? I have never heard of this?
Click to expand...

Ahh there really is "no" merit to my statement ;) Every single color has their naughties and their calmies.. ;) I happen to have a naughty :lol:
 
Funny I was never so keen on the B/T but my husband LOVED them. Now I own Pebbles I think I now have a real soft spot for them!! A breeder I spoke to said she had trouble selling the B/T. Not sure if thats just her experience on a common situation.
 
Blenheims are my personal favorite, but of course, I think they are all beautiful. I went to a National Cavalier Specialty show last December, and I attended a conformation seminar there. I noticed that whenever the judge/teacher would show a video of a ruby, lots of breeders in the room would ooh and ahh a lot. And I think I remember them talking about how rubies are discriminated against in the show ring compared to the parti colors. They seemed to be cheering for the underdogs, so to speak.

A breeder I had been talking to about buying a puppy told me about a show she was entering some dogs in near me, so I went to see her and them. She had a b&t very young dog who didn't place, and she commented on how hard it is for b&ts to get noticed/placed in the show ring. She definitely felt they were discriminated against.

I think the parti colors are just much more flashy and showy compared to the whole colors, so they grab the judge's attention. Of course, a good judge would be impartial to color, but maybe some aren't.

On the other hand, I did a little bit of work with Lucky Star, and the two dogs I rescued were b&ts, and the lady at Lucky Star said that was a positive in terms of being adopted because she said everyone wants black and tans, and they don't get that many into rescue.
 
My first love is for a tri, but we almost got a B/T first until I showed hubby a little tri. He liked that combo.
But if we were ever to get another it most definately would be a B/T.
They are beautiful/handsome pups too!
 
It's very interesting to hear why people feel B&T isn't as popular - I've heard many experienced breeders say that solids (meaning B&Ts and Rubies) have a very hard time in the showring compaired to the parities (Blenheims and Tris). I really found this interesting when I first started researching this breed, being a die-hard Italian Greyhound lover, and being very partial to my pied (over 50% white) Italian Greyhounds, and the opposite is true in them - It's much easier to finish a solid IG then it is to finish a pied IG -That's part of why I got into the pieds, I like a challenge!

That being said, B&T cavies will always be my favorite, but I have Amber to thank for that! I'd met many cavaliers, but no cavalier succeed to completely steal my heart until Amber! I'm starting to seriously consider a 2nd cavalier, and even though I won't make my decision on color alone, deep down I hope either a B&T or a Tri will be my next cavalier - I have nothing against Rubies and Blenhiems, I just like the rich colors of the B&T and Tris better personally :)
 
I over heard a breeder judge explaining why wholecolors don't seem to do as well. He said as he pointed to a ruby," legs too short, body too long, nose too snippy. He pointed to a tri standing nearby and said if the ruby was shaped like the tri-- it would have done better.
Not all wholecolors have done badly. Those who have done well-- have had more bone, and have many of the same exact attributes as the partis that have been winning.
When most new cavalier people think of a cavalier- it is almost always a tri or blenheim. They are the most prevalent.
 
Is that because fewer are breed or its a colour not so many want?
Click to expand...

It's a mix of both. Fewer are bred as it is the least popular colour (though maybe it is the least popular colour as fewer are bred ad they are harder to find) -- but some breeders have found they are definitely more difficult to sell. Bruce posted here about the difficulty of placing a B&T litter. I know many breeders say it is harder to find really good show quality solid colours full stop. Lots of breeders have said particolours almost always do better in the ring but I wonder whether this is always a colour discrimination or relates to the first point, that many feel it is harder to find good show quality wholecolours in the first place.

I also think it is probably just part of the black dogs/cats difficulty -- it is always much harder to home black dogs and cats when there are other choices, probably because it is very common in cats and with certain common breeds and mixes of dogs (eg labs). Given that there are four colour choices with cavaliers, most go for the other colours. I've only had two B&Ts in rescue. I like the colour but they are very hard to find.
 
For me,initially, Annie as a b/t it was more difficult in reading her expressions.
Now, I wonder how I ever thought that. So, I guess it's "know them is to love them" and certainly Annie has as much expression as Freckles (bl) if not more as she can crack me up mutiple x's daily with her little "looks".
 
I have always been partial to the blens and tris, because they all have unique markings and spots. The main reason we really wanted a blen though, was because, A: I have white leather couches, and B: I have reddish brown hardwood flooring. When she does shed her fur bunnies, they blend in better than black hair!:D

My husband wanted a B/T, (I think he thought that if he had to have a little dog (and I gave him no choice) he would look more manly walking a little "Rottweiller" :rolleyes: than a parti princess!!!

However, that said, the last Cavalier breakfast I went to had over 30 blenheims, a few tris, and one black & tan. Guess who the celebrity of the day was!!! The B/T!!!
 
Its so interesting to read these posts. I myself actually like the whole colours more. Not sure why! I love the bleneims but only if the markings are even and neat. (weird!!) Does that make sense to anyone else??
 
Marianne, that is so funny! :lol: I always thought it would be fun to have a little and large version of each colour:

eg
a gordon setter and a B&T
a red and white Irish setter (they are gorgeous!) and a blenheim
an Irish setter and a ruby
a Bernese and a tri.

:lol:

I'd love a B&T -- almost ended up with a rescue a while ago now. But that fell through.

When most new cavalier people think of a cavalier- it is almost always a tri or blenheim.
Click to expand...

This is certainly true, especially in the US where wholecolours are really rare. I would see B&Ts and especially rubies around Dublin but have never seen either in the US when I am there for work or play (of course I hardly see any cavaliers full stop in the US, but see them all the time in Ireland where they are the most popular toy breed; UK too). I think people feel if they are going to get their ONE cavalier, they will get a blenheim as they are most typical, and the red and white coat is very striking and unusual across other breeds. It's when you get more than one that you are likely to get more colours I think!
 
We have 3 Cavies, Lady a Bleinheim..lovely, Pippa a tri..gorgeous and Treacle a B/T..beautiful..shes only 13wks old but oh boy does she rule the house!!!!...I want one of each colour..hubby thinks I'm nuts..:p, yup about my dogs I am.:luv:
 
It took us two years before we got a b/t as rescue ( averaging 50 cavs per year at that time )
I think we've had 6 in total. 2 very nice puppy farm girls ( possibly mother & daughter ) one with severe episodic falling & a couple of unwanted pets. oh & one starved 14 year old stray a friend picked up from the road

I've never owned a b/t cav myself, but our first charlie was b/t so I have a soft spot for the colour.
 
TillyTommy said:
Having followed the poll it seems the B&T are in last place:( Is that because fewer are breed or its a colour not so many want?
Click to expand...

I think there are a number of reasons for that. When we had 2 litters of B & T's last year, we had a little trouble finding homes for them all. I believe the last one went to its new home at about 5 months old; absolutely unheard of for us! I think part of it was the economy, but also I think most people new to Cavaliers think of either blenheim or tri. At least that's been my experience.

I also think others are right when they say it's harder to win in the conformation ring with a B & T or ruby, especially a B & T. They just aren't as flashy as the blen or tri in the opinion of judges. Having said that, we kept one of the B & T's from last years litters and hope to prove that theory wrong later this summer ;).

When I started the thread on the count by color, I mentioned that I got the idea from another forum. That forum is primarily people from the UK, Ireland, etc. Here is their ranking:

Blen: 49
Tri: 35
B & T: 29
Ruby: 21

Interesting how the rubies are last there.
 
My mum says she prefers the non-black fur which seems to be longer/thicker and more difficult to keep well groomed. She took care of my tri Misha while I was in college and I soon as I took him back, she got a blenheim. I love his furs, even if they need a lot of care.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top