Dah winter 2014 2015

Volume 4 • Number 1

Winter 2014-2015

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The Dog & Hound

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P.O. Box 332 • Montmorenci, SC 29839-0332 • 803.643.9960 •

www.TheDogAndHound.com • Editor@TheDogAndHound.com

Time Dated Material • Periodicals • Volume 4 • Number 1 s anyone who been A paying attention

knows, dogs are a hot topic these days, especially in publishing.

There are a many new books about them, some about scientific advances in our understanding of the canine mind, others about the complexities of our evolving relationship with them.

There are more about training and still more that celebrate individual dogs and their relationships to their people.

I have read a number of these books and one thing that has struck me is how often the authors feel the need to start out by describing their own relationship with a particular dog. Many times, even if the book is about a dog the author owns in the present, the book begins with a description or a tribute to a dog that has gone before. It often seems as though the author owes some debt to the lost dog, that he or she can’t write about the new one without first giving credit to the lost one. The lost dog seems to be the inspiration for the book, or even for the scientific endeavor being undertaken.

Much has been written about why dogs touch us so deeply and why, inevitably, they will break our hearts when they go. They can be intimate companions of course, animals that accompany us on so many different journeys in our lives. There is the unconditional love, the acceptance, the mere physical presence of their warm, furry bodies. Then there is the fact that they rely on us for so much. Other animals – cats, horses – may love us. But dogs are different because they need us. It is easy to become addicted to that neediness: let’s face it, dogs make us feel important.

As this year draws to a close, I find myself thinking back to my own inspirational dog. I have always been an animal lover, but never had my own dog before Scout. Scout was a ball of yellow fluff when I got her: a 12-pound, four month old puppy that showed up with her sister one morning at my friend’s farm in Wagener, S.C. We don’t know where she came from or how she got there. Maybe she was thrown over the fence. Maybe she wandered in, following one of the other farm dogs home. Maybe she fell directly from heaven – this is unlikely, unless there are fleas in heaven, because she was covered with them.

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I took Scout home, and for 14 years, she was my constant companion. She went everywhere with me, traveling up and down the East Coast, accompanying me on my daily business. She lived with me in six different states, got to ride in a private plane, admire fall foliage in Maine and chase antelope in Wyoming.

She was smart, not just able to learn whatever you wanted to teach her, but understanding so much English it could be frightening. She was beautiful, with a soft golden coat and a fox-like face. When I took her for walks in cities such as New York City and Louisville, Kentucky, people would stop to ask me if she was a show dog and wonder where they could get one like her. She was willful: She did not appreciate going for walks in the rain, and if you insisted, she did not go easily. She hated baths: If she saw a bottle of dog shampoo or a leash in my hand when we weren’t going anywhere, she would run and hide and wouldn’t come out until she was sure the coast was clear.

When I remember Scout, I think first of her cheerfulness and her charming nature. She loved all my friends, and was always happy when they came to visit, or she saw someone she knew. If she was sitting across the room and you looked at her, she would wag her plumed tail. If you were having a conversation and you mentioned her name, she would wag it, too, as if to say “Scout, that’s me.” Even my friends who didn’t like dogs (even my mother) loved Scout. She was like sunshine.

There will never be another Scout. What breed was she? A mix, but of what? Chow, Golden Retriever, Collie, Australian Shepherd, Carolina Dog, Fox? Where did she come from? I will never know. I do know that I miss her, and that, in large part, anything I write about dogs, and anything I do for them, is ultimately because of her and a tribute to her. So here’s to Scout, and all the other irreplaceable lost dogs out there who took a piece of someone’s heart when they left. It hurts, but it is worth it.

We hope you enjoy this issue. Our next one, Spring 2015, will be out in April.

The Dog and Hound EDITOR & PUBLISHER Pam Gleason ART DIRECTOR Gary Knoll ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jean Berko Gleason LAYOUT & DESIGN Gary Knoll ADVERTISING 803.643.9960 editor@thedogandhound.com PHOTOGRAPHERS Pam Gleason Gary Knoll

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Don’t miss future issues of The Dog and Hound. We will send you a one year subscription (4 issues) for $14.00. Just send us a check or credit card number & your mailing address: P.O. Box 332, Montmorenci, SC 29839 editor@thedogandhound.com Or sign up on the web at www.TheDogandHound.com

About the Cover

Our cover shows a 6-week-old foxhound puppy bred for the Aiken Hounds pack.

Read about the Aiken Hounds breeding program, and see more pictures on page 12.

Pam Gleason Editor & Publisher

Photography by Gary Knoll The Dog and Hound Policies: The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers, editors, or the policies of The Aiken Horse, LLC. The Dog and Hound is owned by The Aiken Horse, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

All contents Copyright 2014 The Dog and Hound

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Table of Contents 6 Holidays for Dogs 8

Dog News

12 Aiken’s Hounds 14 Philip Martin 16 Terrier Trials 20 Regional Calendar of Events 22 The Cuties

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Holidays for Dogs Celebrating with Pets

by Pam Gleason

A

s the holidays approach, people all across America are asking themselves a pressing question: What shall I buy the dog for Christmas?

It is no secret that the majority of pet owners in America consider their dogs and cats to be part of their families. Dogs, which have been said to have intellectual age of a 3-year-old child, are particular beneficiaries of this attitude: 79% of dog owners consider them family members, versus 63% of cat owners. As such, dogs are increasingly included in family plans. This means that they go on vacation with the family and participate in celebrations and ceremonies such as birthday parties and weddings. In addition, they have their pictures taken with

have noticed this trend, urging shoppers not to forget Fido, and selling all manner of holiday dog clothing, costumes, treats and toys with a Christmas theme.

“It’s just fun,” says Kathie Roberts, a retired federal agent in charge at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Kathie lives on a farm in Aiken with her partner Chuck Wright (a retired banker) and their two dogs. They also have tenants who have dogs, and expect to be buying Christmas presents for the whole pack.

“Our tradition might be a little bit different than most because I never had children, and my brothers never had children,” she says. “So my mother’s grandchildren have all been four-legged.”

Kathie says that her dogs and her tenants’ dogs will get Christmas stockings stuffed with squeaky toys and tennis balls. For their big gift, her two dogs are getting new cool gel orthopedic dog beds. They will also get hambones from the supermarket, and toys and treats from Kathie’s mother who always brings them something special when she comes to visit from New York. Kathie and Chuck keep a basket of toys at the house that all the dogs share. Christmas is a good time to replenish it.

“Christmas morning is always about the animals,” she says. “We wrap all their gifts and tag them and make a big deal out of them and the

Santa, they pose for Christmas cards, they join the family for a special Christmas dinner, and they get Christmas presents.

A lot of Christmas presents, in fact. Over half of all pet owners plan to buy presents for their furry friends and about 40% will hang Christmas stockings for them. Thirteen percent of people who don’t even have pets plan to buy a gift for an animal this season. Americans spend an estimated $5 billion every year on holiday gifts for animals. Retailers dogs run around and get excited. It’s a lot of fun for us because we’ve never had kids, and to see their faces in the morning – it’s like looking at a kid’s face.”

After the toys have been unwrapped and the hambones gnawed, Kathie, Chuck and the dogs usually go for a long walk. She says the dogs really enjoy their Christmas routine, but acknowledges that what they really like is the attention. “We have happy dogs. They’d be happy if we didn’t get anything but just went out and spent time with them.

Chuck and I don’t have a lot of down time, so it’s special for us to stay home with them.” And of course their Christmas dinner always includes a little chopped turkey and gravy.

Like a growing number of pet owners, Kathie wants to make the holidays a special time for her dogs, but she also considers the dogs that don’t have a home. “We always ask the shelter what they need,” she adds. “We’ve donated beds and an igloo shelter in the past.”

Donations of money, toys, food and bedding are generally appreciated at shelters, especially during the holiday season. In addition to donations, most sheltered animals can use some extra attention from

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volunteers over the holidays. Shelters are generally closed to the public on Christmas, and there is usually only a skeleton staff that comes in to feed and clean. Many of the regular volunteers who walk the dogs during the week spend Christmas with their families, making volunteers who do come on holidays all the more valuable.

Jody Clark has been spending her Christmas at Aiken’s SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare since 2012. She is one of a

dedicated group of animal lovers who ensures that every dog in the shelter gets a walk and human interaction every day.

“When I moved to Aiken for work in 2003, my best friends from

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Pittsburgh had moved to Columbia, and I always spent Christmas with them,” says Jody, who works full time as a financial database analyst for URS. “When they moved back to Pittsburgh in 2012, I realized this was going to be my first Christmas ever to spend alone.”

Jody has two dogs of her own, but felt she needed something more to do than just spend the day with them. So she made a resolution to go walk dogs at the SPCA. In the fall, she started volunteering on Sundays and holidays, and soon became a regular. “I originally thought I would go two hours a week,” she says. “But it got to be that I couldn’t leave after two hours if everyone hadn’t been outside. Now I don’t leave until I know that, amongst all the volunteers, every dog has been walked at least once.”

Jody says that Christmas at the shelter is quiet, but that she wouldn’t miss going. She gives all the dogs special Christmas treats, but knows that the thing they really appreciate is her presence.

“I am such an animal lover,” she says. “Once you get out there, you can’t help but smile. You love to see the dogs be dogs. I tell the two that I leave at home I have to go see the puppies without a mommy. I love the satisfaction of knowing all the dogs get some attention – A walk, a hug, a pet, they all need some human interaction.”

Of course, the main thing any shelter pet wants is a home for the holidays. In the past, the conventional wisdom has always been that you should never give a pet as a gift, and that the holidays are not a good time to bring a new pet into the household. The claim has been that adorable Christmas puppies are often unwanted and discarded

by February, and that even wanted dogs can be stressed out by all the activity surrounding Christmas. For this reason, some shelters and rescues have restricted adoptions at Christmas time, though most have allowing prospective adopters to present a gift certificate so that the whole family can pick out a pet together after the holiday.

Multiple studies have shown, however, that the fear about giving pets

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as gifts is generally unfounded, as is the claim that Christmas is never a good time to introduce a pet into the household. The holidays probably are a bad time to introduce a new pet if your Christmas traditions include loud parties, fireworks and target practice. But if your traditions are quieter, the holidays could provide the ideal situation, since the whole family is often on hand and everyone has more time to devote to making the animal feel at home.

As for Christmas puppies ending up unwanted in a few months, it is certainly true that some do. But so do some Fourth of July puppies and some April 28th puppies. More people obtain pets around Christmas, which means that a greater number of these animals may not work out in their new homes; it does not mean that a greater proportion of them will be surrendered to shelters. Some studies have even shown that pets given as gifts are significantly less likely to end up at an animal shelter

than pets obtained another way.

In light of these studies, major animal welfare organizations have recently changed their position on pets as gifts, acknowledging that it can work well if the family is really ready for, and really wants a pet.

While they agree that in the right circumstances pets may make good gifts, they continue to caution that they should never be an impulse buy.

If you do decide to get a pet over the holidays, as ever, consider a shelter pet first. There are many wonderful animals in shelters and rescues waiting for homes, including purebreds, puppies, unique breed mixes and deserving experienced dogs. You’ll be giving your new friend the best Christmas of his life, whether you buy him a carload of treats and presents or not.

Help Homeless Pets

For animal shelters, Christmas is a time when some extra help is often needed. One way to make it a better holiday season for shelter animals is to donate money and supplies. Locally, both the SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare and Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) maintain wish lists for the items they use the most. At the Albrecht Center, the Christmas tree in the lobby is decorated by the junior SPCA and it includes solicitations for food and cleaning supplies – the list of items that the shelter can use is also on their website: www.LetLoveLive.org and click on the “Donate” tab under “About Us.” At the Aiken County Animal Shelter, the wish list includes dog and cat food, kitty litter and cleaning supplies as well as bully sticks for the dogs to chew, washable crate pads and flea and tick medicines. Their wish list is on the FOTAS website: www.fotasaiken.org.

Both shelters (and, of course, all of the other local and national animal rescues and charities) also hope that the season of giving might inspire people to make a cash donation. FOTAS includes a number of things that donors can sponsor on their wish list: the transfer fee for a shelter animal to a FOTAS partner rescue, heartworm treatment for a heartworm positive dog that has been adopted, advertisements in the newspaper and so on.

FOTAS also has a number of special fundraisers going on this season. You can purchase a memorial plaque for an animal that will hang in the shelter, or a paver that will be installed outside. You can also donate to the Hang One for the Animal Shelter fundraiser, organized by Jeri Barrett, the owner of Herbal Solutions on Aiken’s Southside. This fundraiser has 12 different locations. For one dollar, you can put your pet’s name on a paper cutout of an animal, and that cutout will be hung on a Christmas tree as a memorial or a tribute. The fundraiser runs through December 30 and Jeri hopes to raise $10,000.

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Dog News

by Pam Gleason

What’s on Your Phone?

Do you ever use a cell phone to take pictures of your dog? Have you ever needed to take a quick picture of a dog for identification purposes, or wanted to get a shot to share on social media? If you have, you know that it can be difficult to get Sparky to look right into the camera. There is usually something more interesting for him to be looking at, and as a result, your pictures aren’t that interesting either. What if there were a way to make a dog pay better attention, smile and say “cheese.”

There is, of course. If you want to get good cell phone shots of your dog, try downloading the free BarkCam app for iPhone. BarkCam, made by Bark&Co, is a camera app that comes equipped with a variety of different sounds, some of which are sure to get your dog’s attention. There is a squeaky duck, the sounds of a dog barking, of someone knocking at the door, of a cat meowing and more. These noises are connected to the shutter button. Press the button, the camera makes a noise, then it snaps a picture.

Once you have captured your dog’s image, you can edit it with a variety of Instagramlike filters. Then, if you are in the mood, you can add signs and decorations, thought bubbles that you can fill with witty sayings, or blocks of text to create an instant, shareworthy meme. Share right from the app to

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Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more, or send it in a message. Of course you can share a plain, undecorated picture, too.

Some of the sounds that come with BarkCam do an excellent job of getting a dog’s attention. In our test, the sirens, meowing cats and howling dogs were the most effective but changing the noise frequently also helps. One problem we had was that too much time can elapse between the sound playing and the shutter snapping.

This can result in the dog looking away just before the picture is taken. It would also be nice if you could simply play the sound on its own so that the dog starts paying attention before you take any shots. As it is, if you want to demo the sounds, you will have to take pictures, too. Still, the sounds are a great idea, and they do work.

BarkCam is just one of a growing number of pet-centered smartphone apps.

Some of these apps are informational, such as Pet First Aid, created by the American Red Cross, designed to provide advice on dog and cat emergencies that may just save a pet’s life. This app costs $.99, and is well worth it, providing information about what to do in case of allergic reactions, burns, car accidents, poisoning, electric shock and more. There are videos and instructions to teach you how to give your pet CPR, a pet-friendly hotel locator in case of a natural disaster, and a vet hospital locator in case you need to find a vet while you are traveling.

You can even key in the number of your own vet so the app can make the call for you when you have an emergency.

Other smartphone apps help identify dog breeds, provide training aids (did you know you can turn your cell phone into a clicker for clicker training?) and connect you to adoptable animals through such websites as PetFinder.

One of our favorite apps is Walk for a Dog by Woof Trax. This is a charitable app that you start every time you take a walk with your dog (or even without a dog.)

Each walk is credited to an animal shelter of your choice. When your shelter gets enough credits, Woof Trax makes a donation.

According to the Woof Trax website, these donations are funded by advertising and sponsorships, and the number of people taking walks for a particular shelter counts more than the number of miles covered by any particular walker. Locally, both the Albrecht SPCA Center for Animal Welfare and the FOTAS have signed up for the program. So next time you take a walk, why not make it count for the shelter dogs?

Saving Heartworm Positive Dogs

Heartworm is a growing (and spreading) problem in the United States. The disease affects dogs, wolves, foxes, coyotes and other canids, and to a lesser extent, cats and ferrets. It is spread by mosquitoes, which infect the animals that they bite with microscopic larvae. The larvae circulate in the bloodstream before taking up residence in the lungs and even the heart. There, they mature and reproduce, flooding the bloodstream with tiny baby worms called microfilaria. When a mosquito bites an infected dog, it ingests these microfilaria and incubates them for about 10 days, at which point they develop into larvae that can be spread to another host.

Adult heartworms can grow to be a foot long or more and cause severe damage to the blood vessels, heart and lungs. Treatment is available and getting more effective, but it can be costly, lengthy and dangerous.

Prevention with a monthly preventive is a better option, especially in areas where heartworm is prevalent. The American Heartworm Society estimates that as many as 85% of dogs in the Southeast that are not on preventive treatment will contract heartworm in the course of their lives.

Dogs that test positive for heartworm have historically not fared well at animal shelters, since few shelters have the resources to treat positive dogs, and may not trust that people who adopt a positive animal will follow through with treatment. At the Aiken County Animal Shelter, heartworm positive dogs used to be available only to rescue groups. This year, however, the shelter changed its longstanding policy to allow some “light positive” dogs onto the adoption floor. These dogs come with six months of so-called “slow-kill” treatment provided by the Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) Heartworm Positive Program. To date a handful of these heartworm positive dogs have been adopted into loving homes.

Since a large number of otherwise adoptable dogs do test positive for heartworm and may not be eligible for the FOTAS heartworm program, a group of Aiken County animal lovers called Shelter Animals Advocates started a program called The Heartbeat Goes On. This group gets a list of positive dogs at the Aiken County shelter, and then works assiduously to find a rescue for each one. There are not a lot of rescues that are able to take in positive dogs, but there are some. Each dog that a rescue takes also usually needs as much as $700 per dog in donations to pay for its treatment, boarding and transport.

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The Heartbeat program uses social media to raise funds for each dog. When a rescue and funding are in place, they pull the dogs from the shelter and send them on to their rescues. Sometimes the rescue will take the dog and treat it themselves. Other times the Heartbeat program sends the dog to a boarding kennel in Chesterfield, S.C. where the dog is treated and then moved to its rescue once it is clear. There are some states that do not allow the import of heartworm positive dogs, so rescues in those states need the animals to have clean bills of health before they can accept them. Each dog may also need a short term temporary foster between the time it is pulled from the shelter and when it is sent to its rescue or to treatment.

Saving heartworm positive dogs is hard work, but it can be done. In 2014, the group has saved a total of 200 dogs and counting – a pretty impressive number. Because Southern dogs are in high demand in other parts of the country where there is less accidental and backyard breeding, dogs saved by the program usually find devoted, happy homes very quickly. So this holiday season, 200 dogs that otherwise would not have had a chance are now members of families that love them.

“It takes a village,” says Mary Lou Seymour, who along with December Clark, is a co-director of the Heartbeat program.

“Thanks to all the wonderful rescues, networkers, transporters and donors who helped to save these dogs. Unfortunately, there is a seemingly unending stream of heartworm positive dogs at our shelter.

It’s a shame, as heartworm is so easily and inexpensively preventable. It should not be a death sentence, though, as it is treatable.”

“The Heartbeat Campaign is a pure labor of love,” says December Clark, the owner of Barkmart, an animal supply store in Graniteville. “Today we celebrate the fact that 200 dogs have been treated, cared for and are in loving homes. None of this could have been accomplished without the like-minded people of the community who help us transport, foster and fund this huge campaign.”

The Heartbeat Goes On Program operates under the umbrella of Palmetto Animal Welfare Services Inc. (PAWS) a 501c3 not for profit charitable organization. “Like” the Heartbeat program on Facebook, or check them out on the PAWS website (www. paws4nokill.org/heartworm-positive-dogs. html) Tax deductible contributions and offers of assistance (fostering, transporting, networking) are always welcome and appreciated. Contact onlywayout@outlook. com.

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Words to a Dog

It wasn’t that long ago that common wisdom held that dogs cannot understand language the way people do. According to this theory, dogs may understand a few words and some commands, but most of their understanding comes from tone of voice and intonation.

If you say “Do you want to go for a walk?” your dog may run to the door. If you used the same intonation and enthusiasm, but with a string of nonsense syllables, he is likely to do the same thing. Does this mean that words don’t matter to dogs at all?

A new study on the way dogs process language suggests that dogs actually understand language in a way that is similar to the way people do. Yes, they pay attention to the emotional content and intonation of the sentence, but they also listen to the words themselves. What’s more, they seem to process the words and the intonation with different parts of their brains, just the way people do.

The study was conducted by Victoria Ratcliffe and David Reby from the Psychology Department at the University of Sussex in England and the results were reported in the November 26 issue of the journal Current Biology. The study involved 250 pet dogs that were placed in a room with speakers on either side of their heads.

They were then played a series of phrases and observed to see which way they turned their heads.

“The input from each ear is mainly transmitted to the opposite hemisphere of the brain,” Ratcliffe said in a press release.

“If one hemisphere is more specialized in processing certain information in the sound, then that information is perceived as coming from the opposite ear.”

Therefore, if the dog turned to the left when the phrase was played, it could be inferred that he was processing what he heard on the right side of the brain, while if he turned to the right, he would be using his left hemisphere.

The phrase the dogs heard was “Come on, then!” spoken by their owners in the way they customarily called the dogs to them.

Before playing the phrase to the dogs, it was modified in several different ways. In one case, the words were clear, but the emotional content of the phrase was electronically stripped out. In another case, the intonation and emotional content was left intact, but the words themselves were rendered unintelligible.

When presented with the unemotional but intelligible phrase, the dogs consistently turned their heads to the right, indicating a left-hemisphere processing bias. When presented with the emotional but

unintelligible phrase, the dogs turned to the left, suggesting a right hemisphere processing bias.

“This is particularly interesting because our results suggest that the processing of speech components in the dog’s brain is divided between the two hemispheres in a way that is actually very similar to the way it is separated in the human brain,” David Reby said.

“Although we cannot say how much or in what way dogs understand information in speech from our study,” continued Ratcliffe, “We can say that dogs react to both verbal and speaker-related information and that these components appear to be processed in different areas of the dog’s brain.”

So, while this study does not prove or claim that a dog’s ability to understand language is human-like, it does suggest that dogs listen to what we say as well as the way we say it, and that their brains may be more like our own than previously thought. This finding is in line with other scientific findings that show that dogs process emotion in the same parts of their brains as humans. It seems the more science looks at dogs, the smaller the gap between humans and animals.

Neutering Options

Back in the 1970s when America finally realized it had to do something about its runaway pet overpopulation problem, getting animals spayed and neutered was seen as the ultimate solution. At the time, the number of families that had pets was much smaller than it is today and the number of animals euthanized each year in shelters was much higher. (In 1977 an estimated 67 million families had pets; today there are over 186 million owned cats and dogs. In the late 70s, approximately 17-20 million pets lost their lives in animal shelters, compared to less than four million today.) Spay and neuter rates were also much lower. Oblivious to the number of animals dying in shelters, many otherwise responsible pet owners thought nothing of allowing their pets to bear multiple litters of unplanned kittens and puppies.

Today, surveys show that about 88% of owned cats and 78% of owned dogs are spayed or neutered, while only 10% of animals entering shelters have been altered.

In most states (South Carolina is one) the law does not allow people to adopt unaltered pets from municipal animal control facilities: they either must be altered before they leave the shelter, or they must be altered by the adopter within a specified time. One obstacle to getting more animals sterilized is the cost.

There are many municipalities, including Aiken, that offer low income pet owners financial assistance for these surgeries. Aiken even has its own state-of-the-art low cost Continued on page 18

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Pet tested. Owner approved.

New clients welcome.

Compassionate care when the going gets ruff.

We give your beloved family members the tender, loving care we give our own pets.

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(803) 226-0551 • www.hollowcreekvet.com Next to Mi Rancho off Whiskey Road | staff@hollowcreekvet.com

Monday-Friday 8am – 5:30pm Closed for lunch 12-1pm Saturday 8am – 12noon • Closed Sunday

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Breeding Better Foxhounds The Hunt for a Champion

By Sarah Eakin, photography by Gary Knoll

K

atherine Gunter, who works with the venerable Aiken Hounds, is not your stereotypical huntsman. For one thing, she’s a woman, one of a handful of professional female huntsmen nationwide. But she also has a way with her hounds that may not be standard practice across the fox hunts of America.

“We do ‘jumpy jump’,” she explains, talking about an exercise she has devised to keep her hounds supple and fit in Aiken’s Hitchcock Woods for their role as the Aiken Hounds, the oldest continuous drag hunt in the United States.

“They bark. They get excited. They run. They jump over the fence and they all get cookies on the other side. Then they run back and do that again.”

Walking through the Aiken Hounds kennels, Gunter is trailed by her three house hounds, all of them active members of her pack. Maverick, whom she describes as “the best hunting dog ever,” Vampire, sire of the hunt’s most recent litter of puppies and ‘Nipper’ who had been written off as a member of the hunt and taken home, but who has since reformed and is now back in the pack (though not back in the kennel.)

“He wanted to hunt deer,” she says of this house hound. “I finally got him quit on deer and I thought he would give up on hunting but now he’s decided he wants to run the drag.”

A barn cat appears in the doorway of the feed room, looking not nearly as nervous as it should, given the odds of the situation. “She knows which hounds she can talk to – and which she can’t,” says Gunter, who like her feline friend has an empathy for each and every one of her charges. As she walks through the four runs of the kennel housing the 13 and a half couple, she gives a rundown, hound by hound, highlighting their individual personalities.

“Vacuum and Vinny. They are very intense,” she says, pointing to two hounds

in what she calls the ‘big boy run’.

“This is Vapor – also intense. Motor – I call him Motorhead, ‘cause he has the biggest head. He’s hunting like a dream, handles so well, great big old voice, very much like his grandfather. These were drafts from my friend Fred Berry: Buttermilk and Buddah. They’re like the Kardashian twins – they are always together and you just say their name together ‘Buddahbutter’ and they come – but they really try and they speak a lot on the drag. If you were live hunting you’d draft them in a second ‘cause they’re babblers. For the drag they’re perfect because as soon as you put them on, they’re on and they speak.”

Gunter’s passion for hunting started when she went out with the Bellemeade Hounds at age 15. She later worked for several live packs before joining the drag hunt as whipper-in six years ago. Linda Knox McLean was the huntsman at the time, but a couple of years into Gunter’s time there, McLean was called away when her mother became ill. Gunter filled in as huntsman, and when McLean returned she was happy to make the role a permanent one. “She was doing such a great job,” says McLean.

Gunter has embraced the multi-faceted challenge facing her as huntsman – a large part of which has been to work on the breeding program and build a sustainable pack for the limitations of the country they have in the 2000 acre Hitchcock Woods. She began with the pack she had and – as is customary –took drafts from other packs, as well as breeding her own, one litter, on average, per year.

“Trying to start over was tough,” she says. “Nobody gives you their best stuff.

I had some trials and tribulations and then started to figure out what I liked,

and you start to figure out the breeding and what’s working for you. Once you get into it and you start breeding and you see your own, it’s addictive.”

She quickly found out she had an eye for ‘houndflesh.’ Her friend and mentor, David Raley, huntsman of the Moore County pack in North Carolina, decided which drafts to give her initially, but when they turned out really well, he suggested she should pick the puppies she wanted. She did and they proved equally impressive.

“David always gives me hell because I always steal his best looking puppies.

Trailer that I got from him was champion for two years in a row. David gave me the first one or two and then he said, ‘Fine, you’re picking them next time.’

I picked Raley this time and my mum said, ‘What an ugly dog,’ but I said, ‘Just wait.’” Raley, named after his breeder, was champion Penn-Marydel at the Carolinas Hound Show last year.

David Raley, the man, has been inspirational in Gunter’s development of a breeding program for the Aiken Hounds and instrumental in Aiken Hounds’ success with champion Penn-Marydel hounds at the last three Carolinas Hound Shows, all with bloodlines that Raley had given Gunter and that have since been infused into the pack.

“The typical Penn-Marydel has splayed toes and is a little weak across the loins – they’ve been bred for nose and voice for a very long time. David has done a wonderful job straightening the breed. I’ve done it by breeding to American for a couple of generations. You come back to Penn-Marydel because you want to keep breeding it back.”

Katherine’s breeding program aims to inject just the right amount of

American into the Penn-Marydel bloodline. “When you throw that American bitch in there you get a totally different type, more streamlined, just a little more built for speed. They’re just a little typier,” she says of the results. “Their feet are more like a cat. That’s what you want. They are stronger.”

Gunter has high hopes for her latest litter, even though she didn’t follow all the rules. “You should breed from the dog that hunts in the middle of the pack,” she explains. However, the bitch she had chosen – herself a front runner in the pack – did not bond with the chosen middle runner and ideal sire on paper, Maverick, and instead chose Vampire, himself a lead hound.

“They are just going to be fast,” Gunter says of the 10 new puppies. “They should be very good hunting dogs. The Mooreland hunt in Huntsville, Alabama is going to take two and they love a good fast hound.”

Gunter’s ambition is to win in Virginia with a hound she has bred herself. “I spend a lot of time with them and have won a lot with hounds that have been drafted to me,” she says. “But one of my goals – besides just the hunting part of it – is to win in Virginia with a dog that I’ve bred. There’s nothing like it.

It’s like people that have had racehorses all their lives and they finally breed a Derby winner.”

The new litter are just weeks old and will debut in the field next winter.

Well-fed on goat’s milk and holistic feed, they are already being scrutinized by Gunter and their personalities are being assessed.

“Some of these babies should do really well,” she says, picking up one and admiring him. “He is that racey, lean type that I like. See that pretty, long neck? I think this is going to be a very beautiful dog. Length of the neck and legs are already longer than everybody’s. That’s going to be a big strapping dog there. He’s not anything special to look at now but…” Just wait.

World Class Dogs and More

Phillmar Dobermans & Powderhouse Pet Resort

by Pam Gleason, photography by Gary Knoll

P

hilip Martin is the owner of Powderhouse Pet Resort, a premier boarding and grooming facility that has been serving dogs and their owners in Aiken since 1986. It offers a range of boarding options and accommodations starting at excellent and going up to five star luxury. Amenities include a swimming pool and television (it’s tuned to Animal Planet), while services include playtime, gourmet treats, regular report cards and pictures. Small dogs are kept separate from large dogs (“they like it that way,” says Philip) and there is a separate wing for cats.

Everything is immaculate.

“People love their dogs,” says Philip. “They are their life; they are their children. People know we will do everything in our ability to make a dog happy. Every ’t’ is crossed and every ’i’ is dotted.” Some dogs come for long or short term boarding; others for doggy daycare or grooming.

The kennel employs three full time and one part time groomer as well as a full-time bather. The grooming room is always a flurry of activity.

“Very early on, I foresaw how people were humanizing dogs,” says Philip, explaining that the kennel strives for quality rather than quantity. “People don’t mind paying for anything for their dog, as long as they know he is getting it.”

Philip comes to the boarding business with a lifetime of experience in many different areas including the horse world, hair styling and dog showing. He is most famous for Phillmar Dobermans, a breeding and show kennel that is among the most successful in the country. Phillmar, which he runs in partnership with Cheryl Green of Tennessee, has bred over 50 champions, as well as 18 top 20 dogs and six All Breed Best in Show dogs. The kennel’s awards and accomplishments are too numerous to list. Philip is also an American Kennel Club licensed judge for many different breeds and has presided over prestigious competitions, including national Doberman shows in the U.S., Australia, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. A dog bred by Phillmar is currently the number one Doberman in the country.

“Every dog we have finished I have whelped, trained and conditioned,” he says. How did he get here? “I’ve been an animal freak my whole life.”

Philip grew up in North Carolina where his childhood love of animals was paired with precocious business sense and professionalism. He bred, showed and sold Dutch rabbits, not in 4-H or with other children, but among adult enthusiasts who often picked him up and drove him to the shows. When he was 13, his parents gave him a German Shepherd, which he showed in obedience. Wanting money for a horse and to go to horse shows, he decided to breed her.

“Directory Assistance was my best friend,” he says. “I called a local obedience school and got the number of a man who had a champion obedience dog he used for stud. So I called him, and he asked me if I wanted to see the dog. I said, yes, but can you bring him over, because I don’t drive. And he did. I didn’t say ‘I don’t drive because I’m only 14’, because he probably wouldn’t have talked to me.” Philip sold the puppies that resulted by placing an ad in the newspaper and made enough to get his horse.

“I give my mother a lot of credit,” he says. “She is the kind of mother that whatever I wanted to do, she supported me. If I wanted it, and I thought I could do it, she would say that I could. I had a lot of freedom, and I learned a lot of responsibility.”

After high school, Philip pursued equestrian interests for a while, taking a job as a green horse rider for Rodney Jenkins, who is in the Show Jumping and National Show Hunter Hall of Fame. From there, he followed another passion, enrolling in beauty school in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. After graduation in the mid 1980s, he went to Atlanta where he started a hairdressing career at Saks Fifth Avenue and then set out on his own. In 1998, Atlanta Magazine named him one of the top 20 hairdressers in the city.

Winter 2014-2015

In 1989, Philip was watching the Westminster Dog Show on television when he saw something that would change his life. The Best in Show class was won by a Doberman, and he was enthralled. “I knew right away that I wanted one.”

It took a few years, but in 1996, he acquired his first Doberman, Ch. Karmabeck’s Bella Nina CGC. His original dog show ambitions were limited to winning a championship. But Nina was an extraordinary dog.

Not only did she win her championship, she became the foundation for Phillmar’s line of fantastic show dogs, producing 11 champions and two Best in Show winners.

Philip’s Dobermans were so successful that by 2002 he decided to

leave his hair salon and make dogs his business. He had sisters living in Charleston, and they helped him find 15 acres near Mount Pleasant where he built a highly successful boarding kennel. Two years later, he sold the kennel, using the profits to invest in real estate. Then he took some time off to pursue (and win) titles and championships in the Doberman world. In 2006, it was time to go back to work so he bought Powderhouse Pet Resort and moved to Aiken.

Today, in addition to Dobermans, Philip has also been showing and breeding Afghan Hounds, achieving the same kind of spectacular show ring success. His sister Pam has Chinese Crested Dogs that she shows under the name PamMar, and Philip helps with her kennel.

Championships, awards and accolades seem to come easily: Philip recently sold a superb Afghan to breeders in Japan who will be flying him and the dog to their country in the spring so that he can inspect and approve their kennels and management routine.

Does Philip have a secret? He credits his success to his eye for a dog, honed by an understanding of horses.

“If you know horses you know movement and you know balance,” he says, “When my horse friends go to the dog shows with me, we pick the same dogs as winners. A Doberman is like a horse: I like to see a pretty small head, a long neck, and, most of all, balance. Some people say that my dogs are too big, and I do have some big dogs, but they all have balance. I like a dog with a little more flair, a little more exaggeration.

All my biggest winners have been big.”

Looking to the future, Philip says that his kennel will continue breeding their champion stock, but he feels satisfied with his own show ring record and is ready to slow down in the dog show world. He has some other projects in mind. One is continuing to improve the facility and amenities at Powderhouse. The other is in the equestrian world.

“I just bought a Quarter Horse,” he says. “I love riding, and I want to show.”

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OktoberFetch!

Terrier Fun Days

by Pam Gleason Photography by Richard Hunter, Hunter’s Run Action Photography

errier owners in Aiken were excited to learn that Laurel Gate Terrier Trials, an organization based in Greenville, S.C., was coming to town on Sunday, November 23 to hold a “terrier fun day” called OktoberFetch. OktoberFetch took place in the historic district on Winthrop Field, which is owned by the Aiken Land Conservancy.

A terrier fun day is an informal version of a terrier trial, a collection of competitions designed for Jack Russell Terriers. Events on the OktoberFetch schedule included flat and steeplechase races, lure coursing and high jumping as well as three hunting competitions: go-toground, “thunder tunnel” (a tunnel that includes a see-through segment so owners can watch what is happening inside) and brush hunt. In these hunting events, a rat is placed in a safe, terrier-proof enclosure and then hidden in an above ground tunnel or somewhere in a wooded area. The

T

Laurel Gate’s Terrier Fun Days cater to rescues – Starr is on the board of directors of a national Jack Russell rescue – and dogs do not have to be registered to compete. In fact, they don’t even have to be Jack Russells, though it helps. “The events are open to any terrier, but a lot of them were created with the size of a Jack Russell in mind.” For instance, for the go-to-ground, the dog has to fit into a 9-inch hole. For the racing, the dogs must fit in the starting box, and the winner is the dog that gets though the gap at the finish line first. Lure coursing, on the other hand, takes place on a field and is open to any breed.

Although experience probably helps, Starr says that 95% of what the dogs do at a fun day is what comes naturally to them as terriers, so there is not a lot of preparatory training involved. Dogs that participate in races and steeplechases do have to be accustomed to wearing a muzzle,

terriers are timed as they find the rat and then “work” it, which means that they whine, dig, bark and otherwise let their owners know what they have found. The rats are not harmed – in fact they seem bored by the whole thing.

Nationally sanctioned terrier trials often include standard dog show competitions such as conformation, obedience and agility. The roster of events for the Laurel Gate Fun Day had an eclectic collection of “Nonconformation Fun.” For instance, there was a timed ball toss, puppy and rescue parades, costume class and musical chairs. In this competition dogs get up on a chair when the music stops and stand as though being judged in a conformation class. The last dog to stand up and hold still takes his chair and goes to the middle of the ring. The class continues until there is just one dog left. There was even a pie eating contest and a contest in which the dogs bobbed for hotdogs floating in a pan of water.

“We want to be the group that caters to newbies,” says Starr Bowen, the founder of Laurel Gate Terrier Trials. The group was formed this year from a group of terrier lovers who wanted to see more entry level competition. “When I first got involved with terrier trials 15 years ago, I was so intimidated. At the bigger trials, there might be 200-300 Jack Russell Terriers and judges from overseas. We wanted to do something a little more lighthearted. Not everybody has the perfect terrier that can stand up in a conformation ring. A lot of us just like to do the performance events like brush hunt and racing. It’s fun, and that’s what it should be about: having fun with dogs.”

since they are terriers, and without one they might have a tendency to scrap. “But a lot of times,” Starr says “If you just bring a dog out and let him watch a few races, he’ll be so ready to go, he won’t even notice the muzzle.”

Many years ago, there was a group of active and competitive terrier people who held events in Aiken, but things have been quiet here for a long time. OktoberFetch was the first event of its kind in a quite a while.

Unfortunately, the weather was anything but cooperative. It didn’t just rain, it poured. But that did not stop the terriers or their people. They came from around the Carolinas, and the show went on.

“The terrier people are almost as hardy as their dogs,” says Starr. “The weather hurt us quite a bit with new people, people who hadn’t gotten hooked yet, but we had a lot of people out. The next time we come to Aiken we might set a rain date for just that reason: new people will shy away in bad weather.”

When will that next time be? The schedule is not set, but perhaps this spring.

“We had a great time in Aiken and we had such a warm reception from the new people that showed up, as well as the Aiken Land Conservancy,” says Starr. “We’d love to come back.”

Laurel Gate’s next fun day will be Sunday, March 8 at Raintree Farm in Cassat, S.C. To find out more, joint their group on Facebook: Laurel Gate Terrier Trials – LGTT.

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Winter 2014-2015

spay and neuter clinic at the SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare where a dog or cat can be treated very inexpensively. (www.

LetLoveLive.org) Still, operations, by their very nature, are expensive. What if there were a better way?

What if cats and dogs could be sterilized with a simple, cheap injection?

If you are talking about male dogs, they can. One option is a drug called Zeuterin (Esterisol in Europe) which is FDA approved for puppies between the ages of three and ten months. Zeuterin, which is a combination of zinc gluconate and the amino acid L-arginine, is injected into the testicles where it causes permanent infertility by blocking the passage of sperm. Available through Ark Sciences since February 2014, Zeuterin has minimal side effects and is a quick outpatient procedure that does not require anesthesia.

Veterinarians are required to go through a five-hour course before being certified to administer it, but the procedure is fairly simple. The cost is about $20 per dog, making it many times less expensive than surgical neutering.

Although Zeuterin would seem to be an answer to many prayers, it has yet to catch on in any significant way. There are many possible reasons for this, one being that veterinarians and animal welfare groups are reluctant to try something new. Another is that Zeuterin does not lower testosterone levels nearly as much as surgical neuter, and there is a perception that lowering testosterone levels may be key to correcting many unwanted behaviors in male dogs, including aggression and roaming. On the other side of this coin, current research suggests that preserving testosterone levels may be important in protecting canine health. Finally, although $20 is a low price, it may not be quite low enough to get people excited.

There is another method of sterilizing male dogs that goes a little further than Zeuterin.

This is a simple injection of 20 % calcium chloride dissolved in pharmaceutical grade ethyl alcohol. Available for use in both dogs and cats, the injection renders the animal sterile and reduces testosterone levels by 60-70%. The cost per injection is about one dollar.

Researchers have been investigation calcium chloride as a sterilizing agent for over 40 years. There have been multiple scientific papers published covering this research, including one that came out this October in the peer-reviewed Danish veterinary journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica. This paper described an Italian study of the long term effects of calcium chloride, and came to the conclusion that the injections “showed longterm efficacy and reduced sexual behavior.

This chemical method of sterilization might provide an effective, efficient alternative to

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The Dog & Hound

surgical castration that can have positive impacts on dog welfare.”

Although calcium chloride is quietly being used by some shelter vets in under-served areas in the U.S., it is not approved by the FDA and is unlikely ever to get approval since it is a common chemical (ever use a deicer on your sidewalk?) It would be difficult to find someone willing to spend the millions of dollars required to get FDA approval for a drug that could never be patented.

For more information on Zeuterin: www. arksciences.com. For more information on calcium chloride: www.parsemusfoundation. org.

Mississippi to Air Force Two

There’s an old adage in politics that if you want a friend in Washington, you should get a dog. It isn’t that simple, of course, because

out, they were approved and the adoption was official. This meant that on Sunday, Nurse Peggy, now Indi, left Nantucket with the family on the vice presidential jet, Air Force Two. It was quite a rags-to-riches story for this 10-month-old Mississippi native, who had been abandoned along with another dog, Trapper John, when her owner moved and didn’t take her with him. Fortunately for Indi and Trapper John, they were both picked up in September by Little Mountain Rescue, a small operation that sends dogs to Nantucket Safe Harbor for Animals, where they are quickly snapped up by eager adopters. Indi and Trapper John were two of six Mississippi dogs that arrived on the island on November 22. Indi was the first to find a new home, just five days after coming north. According to news reports, Indi joined the Biden’s other dog, a year-old yellow lab named Libby, and the two are already good friends.

The Nantucket Safe Harbor for the Animals Facebook page has an album full of pictures showing the Biden children with their new friend, Joe Biden posing with rescue volunteers at the airport and Indi walking up the steps of the vice presidential plane. This may not be the last we hear of this dog. Beau Biden, currently the attorney general of Delaware, has announced that he will run for the governorship of that state in 2016. After that, who knows?

Dog Robots Invade Whitehouse

if you are in politics, there are ramifications to everything you do and someone is always sure to say you should have done something differently. Getting a dog is no exception.

Over Thanksgiving, however, Vice President Joe Biden’s family adopted a dog that seems likely to meet with approval, at least in the dog rescue community. Mr. Biden’s son Beau and his family were on Nantucket over the holiday with the Vice President. They were taking a walk the day after Thanksgiving when they encountered a volunteer for the rescue group Nantucket Safe Harbor for the Animals, who was out walking her foster Nurse Peggy, a young yellow lab mix wearing an “adopt me” bandana. The Biden children, Hunter and Natalie, fell in love with the dog immediately, and the volunteer gave the family the shelter’s card. On Saturday, the family showed up at the shelter to fill out an application. After all their references checked

Speaking of political dogs, Sunny and Bo, the Portuguese Water Dogs owned by the Obama family, will have visitors in the Whitehouse this Christmas season – robot versions of themselves. The dog robots are part of the annual Whitehouse holiday decorations and were built by two different teams.

Neither robot actually does much. Both were built on wire frames which were wrapped in black ribbon to give the illusion of fur. The Bo-bot’s creation team was led by Stephanie Santoso, who is a Ph.D. candidate in information science at Cornell University.

Bo-bot’s big trick is to move his head back and forth. The Sunny-bot, built by Bosco So and David Naffis, both software engineers, has infra-red sensors in her eyes that cause her to turn her head toward people as they come into the room.

According to reports, the teams had initially considered making the dogs bark, but decided against it for obvious reasons.

There are plans to improve the dog-bots next year, maybe even to make them jump and move their paws. This year’s robots are an improvement over last year’s models, however. The 2013 Bo-bot had a tail that wagged. At some point, one of his ribbons got caught in the tail motor, started smoking and nearly caught on fire.

Winter 2014-2015

Classifieds ADOPTIONS/PUPPIES Trinity Farms Terriers: Quality family dogs with proven calmer dispositions. Generations of great temperaments. Health/dispositions guaranteed. Breeders of terriers for 30+ years. Donna Fitzpatrick.

803.648.3137. www.easyjacks. com & trinityfarmskennel.com & trinitynorfolkterriers.com.

Albrecht Aiken SPCA. Dogs, puppies, cats and kittens for adoption. Hours of operation: MonSat. 11 am - 5 pm. Weekly offsite

adoptions at Aiken Petsmart, Sat 10 am- 3 pm; Sun 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm. www.LetLoveLive.org 803.643.0564 Adopt a Shelter Dog or Cat from the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

Many beautiful, healthy, friendly animals to choose from. 333 Wire Road, Aiken. See the pets at www. fotasaiken.org. 803.642.1537.

Barn Cats Available:5 young healthy outdoor cats, vaccinated, spayed/ neutered and ready to go. Excellent mousers; semi-feral. Looking for a good outdoor home; can’t stay where

they are. Also, three sweet friendly kittens, approximately 10 weeks old, ready to be loving pets. Located in Augusta. Please call Jeff: 678-8788497 Pointers! More than just bird dogs.

Many beautiful purebred Pointers of all ages available for pets or for hunting. www.pointerrescue.org.

ANIMAL CARE Horses And Hounds Aiken. Pet & Horse-Sitting. Reasonable Rates, Bonded and Insured, Vet Assistant.

803-643-9972/803-443-8303. horsesandhoundsaiken@gmail.com. www.horsesandhoundsaiken.com Pet sitting, farm sitting, expert horse care. References available. Mary Jane Howell. 802.295.8294 TRAINING Palmetto Dog Club. Training classes, puppy socialization, obedience, rally & agility. 803-262-9686. www. palmettodogclub.org.

Advertising in The Dog & Hound Classified ads are $25 for the first 30 words & 40 cents for every word thereafter.

Photo Classifieds are $35; (limit 40 words) Business Cards: $70 per issue, or $300 a year (local business discount: $60 per issue or $220 per year)

Winter 2014-2015

Editor@theDogandHound.com The Dog & Hound, P.O. Box 332, Montmorenci, SC 29839 We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover Call for AMEX Pay online: www.TheDogandHound.com Or Call us: 803.643.9960

For detailed rate sheet & publication schedule, visit

www.TheDogandHound.com advertise in the Spring 2015 issue!

Advertising deadline: March 13, 2015 Publication date: April 3, 2015

The Dog & Hound

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Regional Calendar of Events December

Beaufort Kennel Club Dog Show. Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, 1 International Drive, Savannah, GA. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com, www.beaufortkennelclub.org.

3-4 Mecklenburg Beagle Club Field Trial. Cabarrus Beagle Club, Concord, NC. 704.875.1212, johnkiser@carolina.rr.com.

3-4 Pensacola Beagle Club Field Trial. 982 Babbs Mill Road, Hampton, GA. 770.297.9483, butterworth.rf36@yahoo.com.

4-7 Carolina Piedmont Agility Club Show. Lone Hickory Indoor Arena, 1950 Bethel Church Road, Yadkinville, NC. Jayne Abbot, 828.713.3278, jhabbot@charter.net, www.carolinapiedmontagility.com.

5 Foothills Beagle Club Field Trial. 417 Oakhill Road, Belton, SC. 864.288.3681, lwilson534@charter.net.

5 Cape Fear Retriever Club Field Trial. Pembroke Farms, Rocky Point, NC. 910.675.1296, gunzup@earthlink.net.

5 Rocky River Beagle Club Field Trial. The Rocky River Club Running Grounds, Oakboro, NC. 704.563.8642, wmcinnis2@carolina.rr.com.

5 Southeast Georgia Beagle Club Field Trial. South GA Beagle Club Grounds, 883 Dafodil Road, Ocilla, GA. 478.374.0381, wcadwell@ dodge.k12.ga.us.

5 German Shorthaired Pointer Club of South Georgia Field Trial.

Utopia Plantation, Mead Road, Arabi, GA. 229.273.1744.

5 Tallokas Retriever Club of Georgia Field Trial. Brooks County Private Properties, In and Around Pavo, GA. 229.291.8386, claddaghretrievers@yahoo.com.

5-7 Winston-Salem Dog Show. Greater Hickory Kennel Club, LJV War Memorial Coliseum, 300 Deacon Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com, www.GHKC.com.

5-7 Durham Kennel Club Obedience Show. 919.460.7944, tafletcher@ bellsouth.net, www.durhamkennelclub.com.

6 Pet Pictures with Santa. 10am-2pm. Cold Creek Nursery, 398 Hitchcock Parkway, Aiken, SC. www.letlovelive.org.

6-7 Palmetto Pointing Breed Club Hunting Test. 106 Whitetail Drive, Walhalla, SC. 864.882.0215, whitetailgwp@mindspring.com.

6-7 Cocker Spaniel Specialty Club of Georgia Hunting Test. Luke Weaver Farm, Lee Maddox Road, Jackson, GA. 404.641.3391, huntingspaniels@ charter.net, www.cockerspanielclubofga.org.

6-7 Sawnee Mountain Kennel Club of Georgia Obedience Show. Family Pet Obedience School, 4890 Hammond Industrial Drive, Ste 100, Cumming, GA. 404.217.3904, jen613carver@gmail.com, www.smkcga. com.

7 Atlanta Obedience Show. Charles Osborne Farm, 1611 Cedar Road, Watkinsville, GA. 915.479.5113, solsticecwc@gmail.com, www. atlantaobedienceclub.com.

8 Cabarrus Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Grounds, Barr Road, 3 Miles NW, Concord, NC. 704.982.5152.

12 West Georgia Beagle Club Field Trial. J. L. Lester Wildlife Management Area, Polk County, Cedartown, GA. 770.443.2831, rtib@ aol.com.

12 Snowbird Retriever Club of South Georgia Field Trial. Properties in and Around Boston, GA. 703.851.4077, mc1glenn@aol.com.

12 Sandhill Beagle Club Field Trial. Club’s Running Grounds, Cheraw, SC. 843.250.2871.

12 Worth County Beagle Club Field Trial. South GA Beagle Club Grounds, 883 Dafodil Road, Ocilla, GA. 229.881.4207, potts575@ hotmail.com.

13 Georgia Brittany Club Field Trial. Heard’s Hill Preserve, Poulan, GA. 404.429.3602, bettymorgan650@gmail.com.

13-14 Carolina Lure Coursing Society Test and Trial. Polo Field, 130 Polo Lane, Camden, SC. 704.483.6269, tntskids@aol.com.

15 Western Carolina Beagle Club Field Trial. Iodine State Running Grounds, Ware Place, SC. 864.472.3682, johned4271@gmail.com.

17 JrSPCA meeting. 6-7pm. Aiken SPCA, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. Www.letlovelive.org.

18 Alamance Beagle Club Field Trial. Carolina Location, Misty Hollow Rd off of Hwy 421, Yadkinville, NC. 704.462.0999, yankee2rebel@ hotmail.com.

19 Palmetto Retriever Club Hunting Test. Cooper Black Wildlife Management Area, Cheraw, SC. 803.463.1313, michellelove2000@ yahoo.com.

20 Lotts Creek Beagle Club of East Georgia Hunting Test. 22901 Talmadge Lane, Pembroke, GA. 912.681.8522, aneta1smith@yahoo. com.

27 Tokeena Beagle Club Field Trial. Pine Grove Road, Seneca, SC. 864.940.0028, briancawthon2003@yahoo.com.

27-28 Carolina Lure Coursing Society Test and Trial. Polo Field, 130 Polo Lane, Camden, SC. 704.483.6269, tntskids@aol.com.

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January 1 2 2 2-4 3 3-4 3-4 3-4 4 7 8 8 9 9-11 10 10-11 14 14 14-18 15 15 16 16 16-18 17-18 17-18 17-18 21 21 22

Central Georgia Pointing Dog Club Field Trial. Beaver Creek Plantation, Twin City, GA. 478.299.3815, eshod1@yahoo.com, www. freewebs.com/cgpdc.

Poplar Branch Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Running Grounds, Moore Road, Aiken, SC. 803.360.8024, taylorb@dnr.sc.gov, www. poplarbranchbeagleclub.org.

Down East Beagle Club Field Trial. Bailey Location, 8600 New Sandy Hill Church Road, Bailey, NC. 252.205.3779, allen.barbee@yahoo.com.

Carolina Piedmont Agility Club Show. NC State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC. 843.271.2711, sunriseagilitytss@gmail. com, www.carolinapiedmontagility.com.

Tarheel Beagle Club Hunting Test. Tarheel Running Ground, 725 Warp Lane, Cleveland, NC. 336.469.6238, wadams@wilkes.net, www. basenji-club.com.

Clemson Kennel Club Dog Show. T.Ed Garrison Arena, 1101 W. Queen St., Pendleton, SC. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog. com, www.clemsonkennelclub.com.

North Georgia All Breed Herding Dog Association Herding Test and Trial. Woods End Farm, Farmington, GA. 706.474.2744, gay.silva@ ymail.com, www.ngabhda.org.

Greyhound Association of North Georgia Coursing Ability Test. T.Ed Garrison Arena, 1101 W. Queen St., Pendleton, SC. 770.889.8188, sbwtlc@yahoo.com, www.gangcoursing.org.

Charlotte Dog Training Club Tracking Event. Rural Hill Farm, 4431 Neck Road, Huntersville, NC. 704.517.1058, shandiak@aol.com, www. charlottedogtraining.com.

Middle Georgia Beagle Club Field Trip. 1/2 Miles South Off Of Roberta, GA. Off Of U.S. 341, Roberta, GA. 706.570.9233, wpmoore6361@yahoo.com.

Chattahoochee Valley Beagle Club Field Trial. 706.570.9233, wpmoore6361@yahoo.com.

German Shorthaired Pointer Club of Atlanta Field Trial. Luke Weaver’s Farm, Jackson, GA. 770.967.2105, cmsdals@bellsouth.net, www.GSPCAtlanta.net.

Cape Fear Retriever Club Hunting Test. Pembroke Farms, Rocky Point, NC. 910.850.4652, jagg69@embarqmail.com.

Atlanta Obedience Show. Altanta Obedience Club Bldg, 1193-D Beaver Ruin Road, Norcross, GA. 706.254.3451, slavinspectra@gmail. com, www.atlantaobedienceclub.com.

Mayfield Beagle Club Field Trial. Running Grounds, Hwy 56, Franklinton, NC. 919.422.9012.

Greater Charleston Weimaraner Club Hunting Test. Armenia Hill Fleming Farms, 2917 Armenia Road, Chester, SC. 843.991.2144, mah@ hallmarweims.com, www.grchasweimclub.org.

Cabarrus Beagle Club Field Trial. Barr Road, Kannapolis, NC. 704.982.5152.

Flint River Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Grounds, Hampton, GA. 770.297.9483, butterworth.rf36@yahoo.com.

Perry Dog Show. Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter, 401 Larry Walker Parkway, Perry, GA. 404.583.5783, trialsec@perryagility. com, www.chattahoocheeweim.org.

Southeastern Brittany Club Field Trial. Robert J. Gordon Trial Grounds, Hoffman, NC. 910.281.0474, hopebritnc@windstream.net.

Show Barn Beagle Club of Mississippi. Club Grounds, Hampton, GA. 770.297.9483, butterworth.rf36@yahoo.com.

South Georgia Beagle Club Field Trial. Running Grounds, Lax, GA. 229.349.4331, l.l.powell@att.net.

Rocky River Beagle Club Field Trial. The Rocky River Club Running Grounds, Oakboro, NC. 704.563.8642, wmcinnis2@carolina.rr.com.

Blue Ridge Agility Club Show. Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC. 828.713.3278, jhabbot@charter.net, www.blueridgeagility.com.

Chattahoochee English Springer Spaniel Club Dog Show. Gwinnett County Fair Grounds, 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Lawrenceville, GA. 260.925.0525, rjds@royjonesdogshows.com, www.cesscga.org.

Sandhills Pointing Breeds Club Hunting Test. Sandhills Pointing Breed Club grounds, 3280 Jackson Springs Road, Jackson Springs, NC. 910.799.5208, ilmsuperjack@aol.com, sandhillspointingbreedsclub.org.

Greater Columbia Obedience Show. Tri-City Leisure Center, 485 Brooks Avenue, West Columbia, SC. 864.263.7382, cbrooks120@gmail. com, www.gcoc.net.

Savannah River Valley Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Grounds, Edgefield, SC. 803.309.3230, janr@upthecreek.net.

JrSPCA meeting. 6-7pm. Aiken SPCA, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. Www.letlovelive.org.

Georgia Brittany Club Field Trial. DiLane Plantation, Waynesboro, GA. 404.429.3602, bettymorgan650@gmail.com.

Winter 2014-2015

22-25 Moore County Kennel Club of North Carolina Agility Show.

Bon-Clyde Learning Center, 3030 Lee Avenue, Sanford, NC. 843.696.2892, karen-w@msn.com, www.mckcnc.com.

23 Greater Charleston Weimaraner Club Dog Show. Silversmith Farm, 4129 Chisolm Road, Johns Island, SC. 843.425.0895, bb.glover@yahoo. com, www.grchasweimclub.org.

23 Emerald Coast Vizsla Club Field Trial. Quail Country Plantation, 1134WQuail Country Road, Arlington, GA. 954.647.6702, pjhart@ windstream.net.

23 Quail Farm Beagle Club of North Carolina Field Trial. Quail Farm Beagle, 6411 Quail Farm Road, Mebane, NC. 336.421.5801, ddayhunting@att.net.

24-25 Ladson Dog Show. Exchange Park, 9850 Highway 78, Ladson, SC. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com, www.palmettockcsc.org.

26 Black Jack Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Grounds, Bishopville, SC. 803.774.3800, dpboyce@ftc-i.net.

28 Seven Hills Beagle Club Field Trial. 982 Babbs Mill Road, Hampton, GA. 770.297.9483, butterworth.rf36@yahoo.com.

29 Pensacola Beagle Club Field Trial. 982 Babbs Mill Road, Hampton, GA. 770.297.9483, butterworth.rf36@yahoo.com.

29-Feb.1 Atlanta Dog Show. Atlanta Exposition Center South, 3850 Jonesboro Road, Atlanta, GA. MB-F Inc., 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog. com, www.sscgeorgia.org.

30 Worth County Beagle Club Field Trial. South GA Beagle Club Grounds, 883 Dafodil Road, Ocilla, GA. 229.881.4207.

30-Feb.1 Carolina Piedmont Agility Club Show. NC State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC. 843.271.2711, sunriseagilitytss@ gmail.com, www.carolinapiedmontagility.com.

31 West Ridge Beagle Club Field Trial. Running Grounds, Hwy 56, Franklinton, NC. 919.422.9012.

31-Feb.1 Charlotte Dog Training Club Obedience Show. Piedmont Kennel Club Showplace, 13607 Choate Circle, Charlotte, NC. 912.308.1007, muttloverx2@gmail.com, www.charlottedogtraining. com.

31-Feb.1 Tarheel Weimaraner Club Hunting Test. Phil Hearne’s Grounds, 4005 Greenhill Road, Snow Camp, NC. 919.362.1154, quiksilvr@bellsouth. net, www.ncweimaraner.org.

February

Coastal Plain Beagle Club Field Trial. Cross Creek Grounds, Beagle Club Grounds, Fayetteville, NC. 910.642.8120.

6 Down East Beagle Club Field Trial. Bailey Location, 8600 New Sandy Hill Church Road, Bailey, NC. 252.205.3779, allen.barbee@yahoo.com.

6-8 Atlanta Golden Retriever Club Agility Show. T.Ed Garrison Arena, 1101 W. Queen St., Pendleton, SC. 404.217.8746, riannx2@ windstream.net.

7-8 Labrador Retriever Club of the Piedmont Dog Show. Piedmont Kennel Club Showplace, 13607 Choate Circle, Charlotte, NC. 704.782.5706, makasi@gmail.com, www.piedmontlabclub.com/home. cfm.

7-8 Vizsla Club of Metro Atlanta Hunting Test. The Milner Lease, 135 Ethridge Mill Road, Milner, GA. 404.414.5180, kkhansen30004@ yahoo.com, www.atlantavizsla.org.

8 Durham Kennel Club Tracking Event. Quail Roost Farm, Roxboro Hwy, Rougemont, NC. 919.381.6755, trackerjean@gmail.com, www. durhamkennelclub.com.

13 Central Savannah River Area Retriever Club Field Trial. Running Grounds, Lincolnton, GA. 912.286.7864, tjw_128@hotmail.com.

13 Tar Heel Retriever Club Field Trial. Running Grounds, Lincolnton, GA. 912.286.7864, tjw_128@hotmail.com.

13 German Shorthaired Pointer Club of South Georgia Field Trial.

Utopia Plantation, Mead Road, Arabi, GA. 678.588.1619, julia@ buggytownbirddogs.com.

13-15 Savannah Dog Training Club Agility Show. Guy Minick Youth Sports Complex, 7200 Sally Mood Drive, Savannah, GA. 757.481.4854, gonedoggin@cox.net, www.savannahdogtrainingclub.com.

14 Piedmont Collie Club Dog Show. Paws4Ever Animal Sanctuary, 6311 Nicks Road, Mebane, NC. MB-F, 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com.

14 Tuckasegee Beagle Club Hunting Test. Club Grounds, Ellenboro, NC. 803.377.1179, steveandsuecox@peoplepc.com.

15 Winston-Salem Dog Training Club Tracking Event. Hilltops, Conrad Road, Lewisville, NC. 336.408.1994, louisaarendt@gmail.com, www. wsdtc.org.

18 JrSPCA meeting. 6-7pm. Aiken SPCA, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. Www.letlovelive.org.

19 Catawba County Beagle Club Field Trial. Catawba County Clubhouse, 5.5 miles east of Maiden, NC. 828.326.9370, abear4@charter.net.

20 Labrador Retriever Club Field Trial. Pinetree Kennels, Bruce Hall’s Farm, Fox Hollow, Americus, GA. 715.495.5455, foxhollowretrievers@ me.com.

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Winter 2014-2015

Palmetto Retriever Club Field Trial. H. Cooper Black Jr. Memorial Field Trial Area, Patrick, SC. 843.362.0406, ccrkennels@earthlink.net.

20 Poplar Branch Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Running Grounds, Moore Road, Aiken, SC. 803.564.6551, taylorb@dnr.sc.gov, www. poplarbranchbeagleclub.org.

20-22 Carolina Piedmont Agility Club Show. Lone Hickory Indoor Arena, 1950 Bethel Church Road, Yadkinville, NC. 828.713.3278, jhabbot@ charter.net, www.carolinapiedmontagility.com.

21-22 Cape Fear Dog Training Club Obedience Show. Cape Fear DTC Facility, 2463 Companion Court, Fayetteville, NC. 910.850.0442, ahussa48@yahoo.com.

22 Brushy Mountain Beagle Club Field Trial. Catawba County Beagle Club, 5 1/2 Miles East Of Maiden, NC. 828.326.9370, abear4@charter. net.

27 Lotts Creek Beagle Club of East Georgia. 22901 Talmadge Lane, Pembroke, GA. 912.681.8522, aneta1smith@yahoo.com.

28 Winston-Salem Dog Training Club Obedience Show. Winston-Salem Dog Training Club, 3800 Bethania Station Road, Winston-Salem, NC. 336.766.9081, opp@triad.rr.com, www.wsdtc.org.

28 Boykin Spaniel Club & Breeders Association of America Hunting Test. H. Cooper-Black Wood Duck Pond, Cheraw, SC. 803.790.886, gtengr92@msn.com, www.BoykinSpanielClub.org.

28 Chattahoochee Weimaraner Club Hunting Test. The Milner Lease, 135 Ethridge Mill Road, Milner, GA. 770.998.0021, tamara@pointhere. net, www.chattahoocheeweim.org.

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March 1 1 6-8 6-8 8 11 13 13-15 13-15 14 14-15 18 18-22 20-22 21 26-29 27 28-29 31

Boykin Spaniel Club & Breeders Association of America Hunting Test. H. Cooper-Black Wood Duck Pond, Cheraw, SC. 803.790.8186, gtengr92@msn.com, www.BoykinSpanielClub.org.

Chattahoochee Weimaraner Club Hunting Test. The Milner Lease, 135 Ethridge Mill Road, Milner, GA. 770.998.0021, tamarabrower@ gmail.com, www.chattahoocheeweim.org.

Charlotte Dog Training Club Agility Trial. Piedmont Kennel Club Showplace, 13607 Choate Circle, Charlotte, NC. 843.696.2892, karen-w@msn.com, www.charlottedogtraining.com.

Four Paw Agility Club of North Georgia Agility Trial. Wills Park Equestrian Center, Alpharetta, GA. 615.406.3380, agilitysecretary@ gmail.com.

Oconee River Kennel Club Tracking Event. Charles Osborne Farm, 1611 Cedar Road, Watkinsville, GA. 706.546.8530, mandrwhite@msn. com, www.oconeeriverkennelclub.org.

Savannah River Valley Beagle Club Field Trial. Club Grounds, Edgefield, SC. 803.309.3230, janr@upthecreek.net.

Central Savannah River Area Retriever Club Field Trial. Running Grounds, Lincolnton, GA. 912.286.7864, tjw_128@hotmail.com.

Charleston Dog Training Club Agility Trial. James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Drive, Charleston, SC. www.charlestondogtraining.com.

Canine Capers Agility Club of Greater Atlanta Agility Trial. Wills Park Equestrian Center, Alpharetta, GA. 770.787.7470, cdanielly@aol. com, www.caninecapersagility.com.

American Chesapeake Club Hunting Test. Cooper Black Wildlife Management Area, Cheraw, SC. 704.473.2883, mybrowndogs@yahoo. com, www.amchessieclub.org.

Madion Earthdog Test. Baum Residence, 2881 Bethany Road, Madison, GA. 770.455.7047, karenrwaldon@gmail.com, www.atlantaterrierclub. org.

JrSPCA meeting. 6-7pm. Aiken SPCA, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken, SC. Www.letlovelive.org.

Raleigh Dog Show. NC State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC. 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com.

Youngsville Agility Club of North Carolina Agility Trial. Teamworks Dog Training, 195 Robbins Road, Youngsville, NC. 919.389.7376, sportsdawgs@bellsouth.net, www.youngsvilleagilityclub.com.

Rocky River Beagle Club Hunting Test. The Rocky River Club Running Grounds, Oakboro, NC. 704.563.8642, wmcinnis2@carolina. rr.com.

Concord Dog Show. Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, 4751 Highway 49 North, Concord, NC. 336.379.9352, mbf@infodog.com, www. columbiakennelclub.org.

Mid Atlantic Beagle Federation Field Trial. 200 Thompson Creek Road, Hampton, GA. 301.536.6684, alil@northeastern.com.

Oconee River Kennel Club Aglity Trial. Oconee Heritage Park, Hwy 441 S., Watkinsville, GA. 706.769.9261, orkctrialsec@gmail.com, www. oconeeriverkennelclub.org.

Cumberland Valley Dachshund Club Agility Trial. Flint River Beagle Club, Hampton, GA. 931.691.3222, linda@c-v-d-c.com, www.c-v-d-c. com.

The Dog & Hound

21

The Cuties

by Mike Ford

“Why is that little cutie limping?” my mother asks me.

The little cutie is my tripaw, Lillie, whose three-legged gait my mother mistakes for a recent injury.

For what seems like the hundredth time in the past hour, I remind my mother of Lillie’s name and tell her once again, “She isn’t limping. That’s how she walks.”

My mother laughs. “What a cutie,” she says, reaching down to rub Lillie’s head. “What’s her name? And how come she’s limping?”

My mother has Alzheimer’s.

Also, we discovered recently, cancer. She’s currently undergoing chemotherapy, which is why at the end of October I moved from Texas to Maryland, to help my sisters care for her. My mother lives with one sister on a small horse farm. I live there now too, along with my four dogs.

I am not a stranger to rural life, although I haven’t lived in the country in almost 30 years. My dogs, however, are city dogs. And small. When I decided to make this move, my primary worry was how they would adjust. I also worried about them around the horses.

As so often happens, I underestimated both species. Within minutes of arriving here, my five-pound boy, George, was walking around the barn as if he’d been raised in it, standing under the horses and happily cleaning up any bits of dropped feed. The other three were equally enthusiastic, particularly about manure, which they quickly realized was both tasty and fun to roll in.

My other worry, of course, was my mother. There were already three dogs here, but they’re big dogs, retrievers, and she’s lived with them for a long time. Also, like most big dogs, they’re fairly drama-free. My four are small, dented, and come with a variety of issues both physical and emotional. I wasn’t sure how they would react to my mother, or she to them.

Again, I underestimated both parties. My mother loves the cuties, which is what she calls all four because not only can she not remember their names, they all resemble one another in being small and brown. Even I get them confused on occasion, so it’s no wonder she can’t tell Lillie from George, or Greta from Andy.

“Look at that cutie!” has become a regular exclamation on her part.

Because of the Alzheimer’s, she doesn’t remember that the dogs live here, and aren’t just popping in from time to time to say hello.

As a result, every time she sees one of them, it’s an event. When I go in to wake her up in the morning, or to put her to bed at night, Greta comes along and jumps up on the bed. The most gregarious of my pack, she sits on my mother’s chest and gives her a lick on the nose. And every time my mother says, “Look at this cutie! She likes me!”

It’s no surprise that Alzheimer’s robs a person of her memories, taking away a few more each day as it progresses. What’s interesting, though, is that in my mother’s case it has also stripped her of much of what made her a difficult person to be raised by. The insecurity and fear that often manifested as inflexibility and judgmental disapproval are largely gone.

And this extends to the dogs. We always had dogs while I was growing up, but my mother was never overly fond of them. Now, however, she’s

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The Dog & Hound

delighted by them, constantly amused by their antics and thrilled by their attentions.

I was surprised the first time I turned around while fixing lunch and saw my mother sitting in her customary chair at the table, holding Lillie on her lap. She’d picked her up and was gently stroking her head. I watched, only slightly anxious that she might drop Lillie or push her from her lap. But she held her carefully, apparently sensing that Lillie’s missing leg meant that she required gentle handling. “This little cutie was under the table,” she said as I set her sandwich down. “She wanted me to pick her up.”

Since then, holding Lillie has become a regular part of my mother’s day. And recently, after a particularly difficult afternoon in which my mother, discovering for the latest “first” time that her hair has fallen out from the chemo, cried and had to be reassured that she was still beautiful, I decided to try letting Lillie sleep with her. Like most Chihuahuas, Lillie is a champion snuggler, so when my mother lay down for a nap I put Lillie beside her. When I checked on them 20 minutes later, my mother was on her side, Lillie nestled in the crook of her arm, both of them snoring contentedly.

It’s impossible to say how my mother’s ever-changing mind is working now. Yesterday she mistook the bobbing, tufted heads of the reeds that border the field for a crowd of people walking, she said, to a carnival located somewhere beyond the trees. But she also has moments of great clarity, more and more of which seem to be triggered by the dogs. Recently, when I expressed frustration after finding that my oldest dog, Andy, had peed on something in the house, she said, “Don’t be angry.

He’s not doing it on purpose.” I couldn’t help but think back to earlier in the day when I’d discovered that she’d hidden her own incidence of incontinence, ashamed and embarrassed at having to ask for help cleaning herself up.

Given that my mother seldom remembers things even minutes after they occurred, I don’t think she was consciously connecting the two events. Rather, I suspect she was simply identifying with another living being struggling with the difficulties of aging.

This morning, after I placed Lillie in her blanket nest on the couch for her morning nap, my mother took my hand and said, “I’ve been watching you. You take good care of her. You take good care of me, too.

Thank you.”

As she hugged me, I felt a moment of contentment in what has been a time of enormous change and adjustment. Then she gave me a squeeze and whispered, “Don’t ever trust vampires. There’s something wrong with them.”

Michael Thomas Ford is the author of numerous books, all of which make wonderful holiday gifts.

Winter 2014-2015

Winter 2014-2015

The Dog & Hound

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