Dog News, March 12, 2010

DogNews The Digest Volume 26, Issue 10

Am. & Can. Ch. Star K’s Mile Hi Valentine

Of American Dogs

$5.00

March 12, 2010

Dog News 3

10 ♦ Editorial

CONTENTS March 12, 2010

14 ♦ Inside Out

BY JOHN MANDEVILLE

18 ♦ The Chairman’s Report

BY RON MENAKER

22 ♦ Question Of The Week

BY MATTHEW H. STANDER

26 ♦ Inside The Sport

BY PAT TROTTER

30 ♦ The British Scene

BY GEOFF CORISH

34 ♦ Bests Of The Week 38 ♦ Ten Questions

BY LESLEY BOYES

42 ♦ Helping Ourselves

BY CARLOTTA COOPER

46 ♦ How High Are Your Standards?

BY SEYMOUR WEISS

50 ♦ True North (Strong And Free)

BY ALLISON FOLEY

54 ♦ Aroma “Therapy”

BY M.J. NELSON

58 ♦ “The Hottie Scottie Express”

BY DAVID FREI

62 ♦ Jerry Speaks

BY GERALD SCHWARTZ

66 ♦ All In The Family

BY CHARLES C. ROBEY

68 ♦ Off The Leash

BY SHAUN COEN

70 ♦ Speaking Up And More

BY MATTHEW H. STANDER

72 ♦ Awash In The Desert – Scottsdale, Arizona, Fiesta Cluster

BY SHARON SAKSON

74 ♦ Lehigh Valley Kennel Club

BY KARL M. STEARNS

90 ♦ The Gossip Column

BY EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS

98 ♦ Click – Detroit Kennel Club

BY BARBARA MILLER

106 ♦ Click – The Way We Were

BY SHERI REYNOLDS

104 dog show calendar • 108 handlers directory • 110 subscription rates • 111 classified advertising • 112 advertising rates All advertisements are copyrighted and owned by DOG NEWS, Harris Publications, unless received camera-ready. Permission to reprint must be requested in writing.

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DOG NEWS (ISSN 0886-2133) is published weekly except the last two weeks in December by Harris Publications, 1115 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10010.

Periodical Postage paid at New York.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DOG NEWS, 1115 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10010

- Number 6 overall

10 ♦ Editorial

CONTENTS March 12, 2010

14 ♦ Inside Out

BY JOHN MANDEVILLE

18 ♦ The Chairman’s Report

BY RON MENAKER

22 ♦ Question Of The Week

BY MATTHEW H. STANDER

26 ♦ Inside The Sport

BY PAT TROTTER

30 ♦ The British Scene

BY GEOFF CORISH

34 ♦ Bests Of The Week 38 ♦ Ten Questions

BY LESLEY BOYES

42 ♦ Helping Ourselves

BY CARLOTTA COOPER

46 ♦ How High Are Your Standards?

BY SEYMOUR WEISS

50 ♦ True North (Strong And Free)

BY ALLISON FOLEY

54 ♦ Aroma “Therapy”

BY M.J. NELSON

58 ♦ “The Hottie Scottie Express”

BY DAVID FREI

62 ♦ Jerry Speaks

BY GERALD SCHWARTZ

66 ♦ All In The Family

BY CHARLES C. ROBEY

68 ♦ Off The Leash

BY SHAUN COEN

70 ♦ Speaking Up And More

BY MATTHEW H. STANDER

72 ♦ Awash In The Desert – Scottsdale, Arizona, Fiesta Cluster

BY SHARON SAKSON

74 ♦ Lehigh Valley Kennel Club

BY KARL M. STEARNS

90 ♦ The Gossip Column

BY EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS

98 ♦ Click – Detroit Kennel Club

BY BARBARA MILLER

106 ♦ Click – The Way We Were

BY SHERI REYNOLDS

104 dog show calendar • 108 handlers directory • 110 subscription rates • 111 classified advertising • 112 advertising rates All advertisements are copyrighted and owned by DOG NEWS, Harris Publications, unless received camera-ready. Permission to reprint must be requested in writing.

4 Dog News

DOG NEWS (ISSN 0886-2133) is published weekly except the last two weeks in December by Harris Publications, 1115 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10010.

Periodical Postage paid at New York.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DOG NEWS, 1115 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10010

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MARCH 12, 2010

Dog News Cover Story

PUBLISHER

STANLEY R. HARRIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS CREATIVE DIRECTOR

SEAN KEVIN GAFFNEY ADVERTISING EDITORS

SHAUN COEN Y. CHRISTOPHER KING

TINA captured hearts in Florida.

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212 807.7100 x588 FAX NUMBER

212 675.5994 FAX EDITORIAL SUBMITTAL

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dognews@harris-pub.com WEB ADDRESS:

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Am. & Can. Ch. Star K’s Mile Hi Valentine Bred by J-Linda & Richard J. Stark Owned by Victor Malzoni, Jr. and J-Linda & Richard J. Stark Handled by Jane & Greg Myers, DHG Assisted by Erika Bigott 6 Dog News

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Sharon Anderson Lesley Boyes Andrew Brace Shaun Coen Carlotta Cooper Geoff Corish Allison Foley Denise Flaim Yossi Guy Mary Jung John Mandeville Billy Miller Desmond J. Murphy M. J. Nelson Sharon Newcombe Robert Paust Lenora Riddle Sharon Sakson Gerald Schwartz Kim Silva Frances O. Smith, DVM Matthew H. Stander Sari Brewster Tietjen Patricia Trotter Connie Vanacore Carla Viggiano Nick Waters Seymour Weiss Minta (Mike) Williquette DOG NEWS PHOTOGRAPHERS Chet Jezierski Perry Phillips Kitten Rodwell Leslie Simis Paddy Spear

DOG NEWS is sent to all AKC approved judges every week on a complimentary basis. No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form without written permission from the editor. The opinions expressed by this publication do not necessarily express the opinions of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit all copy submitted.

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DOG NEWS

EDITORIAL

Swiss Reject Law On Animal Rights

Swiss voters by an overwhelming 71 percent rejected a referendum that would have compelled all cantons to hire lawyers to defend the rights of animals. This was considered to be a major set-back to animal rights organizations in a country that has some of the toughest animal welfare laws in the world. If it had passed, each of the country’s 26 cantons would have had to hire official animal lawyers—a sort of public defender—to represent pets, farm animals, and wildlife in court. The Swiss generally take civil liberties most seriously, whether animal, vegetable, or human. For instance, scientists there must consider the dignity of plants before embarking on experiments. Since the l970s, Swiss animals have enjoyed greater protection than their brethren in most countries. In 2008, a 160-page law tightened animal-welfare laws even further, requiring, for instance, that prospective dog owners take a four-hour course before buying a pet. The referendum was hotly debated with the animal-welfare groups arguing that if people accused of mistreating animals can hire lawyers, the victims of such abuse are also entitled to representation.

The Swiss government urged voters to reject this idea arguing that the money this would cost should go to extra veterinary resources to uncover animal abuse. Switzerland’s powerful farming lobby also opposed it, arguing farm animals are already closely monitored by state vets. This case certainly illustrates the extreme lengths that certain animal rightists will go to gain recognition of their causes. Many of these issues are emotional in nature and appeal to the general good-natured feeling of the public at large. This particular referendum failed in Switzerland but don’t be surprised to see equally obtuse ideas being raised and fought about internationally so long as the majority of us sit back and do little or nothing in opposing the PETA’s and HSUS’s of the world.

Dog Abuse

Dogfighting and other horrific violence against animals can become an intractable practice for some abusers. Bills to establish statewide registries of people convicted of felony cruelty to animals have been proposed in California, Rhode Island, Colorado, and Tennessee. Monitoring animal abusers some argue can be vital to public safety while others argue whether it is fair to offenders who have served their sentences to wear a life-long label or will some offenders plead guilty to avoid registry inclusion? A spirit of public vigilantism is also a worry but there does seem to be a grassroots effort to get more animal-abuser-registry laws passed. The idea of protecting this vulnerable population of pets has a great emotional appeal but there are so many side arguments that the wording of each State’s bill would have to be very carefully studied. One area of abuse which can result in longterm suffering for pets is where people with little means to afford them hoard animals. This can result in long-term suffering due to little or no vet care, lack of food and water and resulting side effects. Research shows that the recidivism rate among hoarders is almost 100 percent. Recidivism rates among other categories of animal abusers is not as well documented but most experts say anecdotal experience shows a large percentage do re-offend.

The Delegates Vote

On the very first ballot Charlie Garvin, Pat Scully, and Bill Newman were swept into office as Board Directors by easy majorities. With 198 votes needed for election the three winners received 238, 218, and 217 votes respectively. Of course Dr. Garvin and Mrs. Scully are back on the board after the one year hiatus caused by the term limits proposition, which some believe will be re-voted upon in the early autumn of this year. Dr. Newman was not affected by the term limits for this election as he fell under the grandfather proviso and continues his board representation. Steve Gladstone was unable to regain his seat while Carmen Battaglia was

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upended in his attempt to remain on the Board. They had 172 and 178 respectively.

Editorially, these pages sat on our hands insofar as actually supporting any of the five people running. Garvin we believed was always the front-runner and the most preferred of the five with, candidly, a coin toss separating the other four people. All four had positive and negative things to be said about them. What with the constitutional situation at AKC being in the antiquated and outdated mode it is in and with the great majority of the Delegate Body refusing to react proactively to meet the demands of modern society these election results are almost meaningless since no matter how progressively thinking the Board may be—giving it that attribute—the Delegate reactions basically thwart and prevent Board action.

KC’s New Database

The Kennel Club in the UK is developing a new database which it says will improve the health for future generations within a breed.

The database they claim will enable breeders, vets, and others to record information about a dog’s health including any surgery it has had and the results of any health tests. From this database the KC will develop a Mate Select Program which will be accessed via the KC Web site and which will be the first of its kind to allow both the occasional and regular breeder to assess the impact a proposed mating will have on the genetic diversity within their breed. So much for keeping the kennel club out of the whelping box! This Mate Select seems to raise more questions than it does answers. The most obvious question being how will any potential stud dog be entered on the database? If the owner is to apply there will have to be a health test one would presume? But just because a dog passes a test—say for hips does that mean it is necessarily the right dog for that bitch? What about temperament, soundness matches, adherence to breed standards, use of the same dog—ad nauseam. The idea of a database may have future potential but until it is more fully explained these pages reserve judgement for sure.

Thought For The Week

Designer dogs have been around for a much longer time than most people are willing to admit. After all it was man himself who through experimentation with various breeds developed dogs for hunting, working, herding, and the like. Today’s designer dogs however are motivated by something entirely different than the perfection of a breed. It is the desire of those experimenters to make money from playing around with the matings of odd breeds. Forget that health argument we hear—the motive is simply economic— whether it be book publishers (and why not find out which is the largest book publisher of Designer Dogs) or breeders of whatever “poo” is the handiest we all know the motivation and it’s not purity, it’s money, that’s for sure. •

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InsideOut

by John Mandeville

S

ometimes – but not always, at least as yet – when I’m working on a column I look at the screen and think, “You’re writing about AKC again? What’s with you?”

The companion piece to that thought is, “It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it.”

Hmm… actually that notion is the one that most glibly springs from the keyboard. My true thoughts are more a jumble of “does anyone really care about AKC, until their ox is gored” combined with “irritating those guys is always a worthy cause, even if picking on the lame is cruel”… you just can’t leave well enough alone, can you, John?

AKC’s primary problem is interwoven in the fabric of what it is – part of its DNA, to use a popular au currant bit of jargon, but one which happens to be particularly apt for AKC and we, its clients.

Right… interwoven in AKC’s DNA: AKC takes itself too seriously. Thus will it always be for regulatory authorities. It can be no other way. I mean the IRS isn’t about to offer publications titled, “Regulations Even We Don’t Know What They Mean” or “Deductions You’re Most Likely to Get Away With,” or “The Five Most Comical Things about the IRS.” Likewise AKC with its plethora of rules and regulations, to say nothing of all those policies: We won’t be seeing any pamphlets from them with titles like, “The Rules, Regulations and Policies We Most Often Contradict Ourselves On” or “The Most Inconvenient Rules You Can Disregard with Impunity.”

And, of course, AKC is not likely to even hint at, let alone admit, some decision or other they’ve made might have left something to be desired.

Like…it will be a cold day in a hot place before an AKC high-up will be saying, “Two operating locations in high rent New York City and the notlow-enough rent Raleigh-Durham area were a mistake. AKC should be in one low rent facility in a much less costly location.” And please I don’t need to hear how dead wrong that notion is.

My point is when authority is involved, no matter how well-intended, no matter how palatable the people involved are personally, there can’t be enough widely disseminated public scrutiny. Such is my lot.

Take the Minutes of Board Meetings.

As an aside we’ll skip reference to Delegate Meeting Minutes, something I was indignant about when AKC decided to stop publishing verbatim transcripts of and for which I now owe them thanks.

I no longer have to read word-for-word statements from delegates who if they don’t quite know what they’re talking about, may most certainly forget they ever said it. As in the delegate who made a statement I didn’t understand.

So I called to ask what was meant. The 14 Dog News

“What the….?”

individual didn’t know what I was talking about. When by way of reminder I read their words from the verbatim transcript, the response was, “I’ll need to read the whole transcript. I’ll get back to you.” Fair enough. I’m still waiting.

In any case, Board Minutes: February’s prompted me to wonder who reads them. It’s doubtful many in the fancy bother, but if I’m wrong let me know. At one time a goodly number of judges – most certainly more than would ever admit it – viewed the Secretary’s Page as a scorecard on the Board’s approving judges for breeds, “How’d so-and-so get two more breeds than me? Hey, hey I got three more breeds than blank, John, and blank-blank.”

That’s disappeared amid the check off the boxes, so-called approval system. What a disgrace. It really is appropriate every so often to call out the powers that be at AKC for being too cowardly to make judging approval performance based.

Besides, tell me you don’t think a “system” in which Board members can be approved for breeds is disturbingly close to corrupt?

What particularly caught my eye in February’s Minutes – oh, let’s be completely candid, what caught my eye, annoyed me, and caused me to wonder, “What the ….?” was this brief, almost last item in the Minutes, “(Named of Board member) proposed that the Board take the position that AKC not consider the division of an existing breed into two or more other breeds.”

Where’d that come from?

It screams somebody’s scratching someone’s back. Being the realist I am – right, call me a cynic – I think it’s nothing more than a Board candidate having had someone whisper in his ear.

If that’s a mistaken impression I apologize. That still makes it an out of nowhere proposal.

To the Board’s everlasting credit the Minutes report, “It was the sense of the Board that any such request received from a Parent Club should rather be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.” Commonsense prevails.

Maybe such an odd proposal is intended to manufacture Board work. There’s a perverted logic to that. Can the Board possibly think they need to meet for multiple days, eight times a year? One wonders how long ago eight meetings would’ve been cut to six or four if Board Meetings were held at airports in the middle of the country? No January or August meetings necessary… that’s for sure.

So, what’s AKC’s staff think about eight Board meetings a year? •

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AKC Award Programs Recognize Outstanding Contributions of Both People and Dogs —

The Chairman’s Report Just like the recent Academy Awards, AKC has its own awards programs to recognize the contributions and notable deeds among our dogs and our people.

The AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award - founded in 2006 - recognizes the hard work and dedication of our volunteer club members. Each year, the AKC provides an Outstanding Sportsmanship medallion to be awarded based on criteria that a member club selects. Once a recipient has been selected we add their name to the list of winners on the AKC website.

Another distinguished award established in 1998 - is the Lifetime Achievement Award.

These awards recognize those who have spent a majority of their lives dedicated to the sport and to the dogs.

Past honorees have included dog world greats such as Dorothy Nickles, Rachel Page Elliot, Dr. M. Josephine Deubler, Michelle Billings and Jane Forsyth, just to name a few.

Only AKC member clubs are able to cast a vote for this award. For the first time this year, we have distributed the initial round of ballots to member clubs via e-mail. We ask that you please submit your choices for nominees by May 7th. Clubs may submit one nominee in each of three categories: Conformation, Companion Events and Performance.

Three nominees receiving the most votes in each category will be selected as finalists. Later in the year member clubs get to chose the winner in each category.

We look forward to your continued participation in this selection process.

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Finally, the award program where we receive the most amazing, heart-felt stories continues to be our AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence or “ACE” awards. For the 11th year we will be selecting dogs that have performed exemplary acts in one of five categories: Companion, Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Service, and Therapy.

Heroes, like dogs, come in all shapes and sizes. ACE nominees range from skilled assistance dogs to brave law enforcement K-9s, as well as comforting therapy dogs.

Each year when we review all of the ACE nominations, it becomes clear the increasingly important role dogs play in our day-to-day lives as well as to protect and serve our nation.

We encourage you to nominate a dog that has touched a life in some way or made the world a better place. The new deadline for submission is June 1st. For more information about ACE or any of AKC’s award programs please visit www. akc.org. We look forward to recognizing the people and dogs that have touched our lives.

Sincerely, Ron Menaker Chairman•

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BY MATTHEW STANDER

T he

of t he Week The Kennel Club in the UK will no longer register litters sired by brother and sister matings, nor matings between parent and child. There is a move afoot to do the same with grandparent to grandchild.

As a breeder in America, what do you think of these efforts to eliminate linebreeding?

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Maripi Wooldridge Are you kidding? They might as well turn breeding programs over to PETA and be done with it ... mutts are unhealthy, too ... just no one cares.

Doug Johnson I don’t think that this is their place. I believe they should not be involved in setting these limitations.

Their role should only be to keep and maintain a record of the offspring of said litters. I am happy to make decisions on where I breed my bitches. We are lucky to have the right to breed as we see fit in America.

I don’t think any kennel club body should get involved in this area.

They should stay OUT of the whelping box.

Barbara Miller Linebreeding should be an integral part of any breeders program. For any national registering body to arbitrarily refuse to register a litter due to the relationships of the parents or grandparents to the get destroys the foundation upon which that club was originally founded-which is to promote the health and welfare of the purebred dog. Having said that, linebreeding to be successful must be done intelligently and with the assistance of specialists in various fields of

health. Indiscriminate line or inbreeding must be avoided. Handled smartly it can prove invaluable to any breeder’s line.

Perhaps The Kennel Club in the UK should follow the guide of the kennel club in Finland, which has offered guidelines rather than banishments as a means to cope with the handling of this practice.

Claudia Orlandi I don’t like seeing such a hard-line stance regarding breeding systems. Every breeding system, whether genetic (inbreeding/linebreeding) or non-genetic (outcrossing or like-tolike) has pros and cons.

Because inbreeding/ linebreeding duplicates both good and bad genes, it can increase the occurrence of recessive defects. However, in some instances, outcrossing can also produce genetic disease and master breeders know outcrossing frequently introduces new defective genes into a breeding program.

One of the biggest factors contributing to the spread of genetic diseases in dogs is a lack of honesty among breeders about canine disease. Two keys to successfully using any breeding system are (1) understanding how a breeding system works

and (2) knowing who the carriers and affected ancestors are in a dog’s pedigree. With simple autosomal recessive defects, for example, there are probability tables and simple ways to assess the risk of producing carriers and affected offspring before a mating is done. In my opinion, breeder education and honesty rather than prohibiting various matings are better approaches to producing healthy dogs!

Tom Coen I’m sorry to hear about this policy. I strongly believe breeding decisions are best left to the breeders. What’s important is not the closeness of the breeding but rather the quality of the individuals used, specifically what they can bring to the party in the areas of type and health. The practice of inbreeding and linebreeding is always a double-edged sword, but it is also one of the most powerful tools used by the breeder in creating a distinct family of dogs.

Bottom line, I hate to see the artistry regulated out of dog breeding.

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InsideTHESPORT

I

t’s been more than four decades since I first ventured to the International Kennel Club of Chicago Dog Show with Ch. VinMelca’s Vagabond. The show was held at the old Stockyards in the days when the Stockyards Inn was the place to dine and to stay.

The Stockyards are long gone and many other changes have come to this weekend, but one thing has never changed and that is the quality and prestige still associated with the show.

During that long era, two names have been synonymous with the International Kennel Club: Louis Auslander and the equally prominent person before him, Mrs. C. Groverman Ellis. Thanks to Mrs. Ellis’ efforts, her beloved breed, the Irish Wolfhound, remains the symbol of the International to this day. Auslander has been most associated with the terrier breeds during his long involvement in the sport and also had some whippets.

And what an involvement Lou has had in our sport. He served both as chairman of the American Kennel Club board and AKC president. Yet his hometown International has long been his personal “baby” as he continues to bring a dramatic dog show weekend full of innovations to Chicago. Consider that International is the first club to offer breed, group, and BIS judging to the winners of the Amateur-OwnerHandler class. Started at the 2009 show, the beautiful Nambe Crystal vase for BIS is awarded on Saturday in memory of the love of his life, his late wife Seme Auslander, and another again on Sunday in memory of their beloved daughter Dori Auslander.

The $7.00 entry fee for this class is especially attractive to exhibitors.

Hard to believe it’s been 30 years or so since that was the standard entry fee around the country. Needless to say, the Amateur-Owner-Handler class at Chicago was well supported and a lot of Winners came out of this class.

Purina also supported the class with practical prizes for the group winners.

Saturday’s International also featured a Puppy extravaganza as well, keeping judges and ring stewards on their toes as they had to select a BOB from both Puppy Classes and A-O-H classes following the selection of the regular BOB. The weekend was kicked off by the Park Shore Kennel Club show on Thursday followed by the Blackhawk Kennel Club on Friday. Both clubs offered lowered Puppy Class entry fees and Blackhawk also reduced Bred

By Exhibitor fees guaranteeing them good lineups for their BBE Groups and BIS. The Chicago area judges and list of famous dog people responsible for 26 Dog News

these events reads like a who’s who in dogs, and that list is far too long to name them all. Chances are if you know someone in the area that fits that prominent description, they were hard at work making the four-day event run like clockwork. Kudos to them all!

The venue for this fabulous weekend is the huge McCormick Place Lakeside which features unloading areas where exhibitors could unload under cover protected from the elements. Agility and obedience had their own areas away from the conformation rings. Perhaps the most interesting aspect the shows offer to the public is the “Chicago-style benching concept.” The plan was conceived to make the benched show more comfortable and convenient for professional handlers, exhibitors, and spectators. The traditional benching of yesteryear required all dogs to be benched in a given area for their breed.

Handlers with several charges from different breeds required many helpers at such shows to care for the dogs scattered all over the benching area.

In time, benching morphed into given areas for handlers and their multibreed charges with other exhibitors’ dogs benched in an assigned area for their particular breed. International includes the multi-breed benching area bench numbers of professional handlers in the judging program, enabling everyone to locate dogs and personnel they are seeking.

Historically, the bench show showcased dogs sitting in the open with their collars attached to their benches by bench chains, allowing the public to walk by and pet every dog at the show. Exactly what the liability risk of this scenario was is not clear, but in time wire crates were utilized for the benches and spectators could still see all the dogs up close and personal.

Benches were elevated several inches from the floor and connected to each other, requiring great stability to hold numerous dogs and their caregivers who often sat on the bench with their dogs.

The loss of benched shows took away a very valuable classroom for our sport. Benching provided a real education and forced competitors in close proximity to be civil as well as giving them the opportunity to learn. Your disappointment that the dog benched next to you won over your exhibit might be lessened when you got the opportunity to evaluate the animal and recognize his many qualities. And since you were there, you supported him in the group.

Perhaps he would even end up in your breeding program. Because one had to arrive by a certain time in the morning

by Pat Trotter

and stay until late afternoon, there was none of the drive-by showing so often seen today. The extra time spent at the show allowed you to study dogs of all breeds and expand your knowledge.

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nother positive feature of the benched show is the appeal it has for spectators. People are more likely to be drawn to our sport after a bench-show experience as breeders have time to talk with them about their breed. The “Chicago concept” is the best of all worlds in that it is user-friendly for handlers as all their charges are gathered in areas right where they groom. Other exhibitors are grouped with their own breed and have adequate room to share “tailgate” type lunches and socialize with fellow exhibitors.

Spectators can find the dogs because breeds and individuals are gathered together in an orderly fashion easy to find. No wonder International draws thousands of spectators each day. And the spaciousness of the McCormick facility lends itself to such crowds.

Westminster, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Golden Gate still bring this exceptional experience to the public along with Chicago.

Chicago’s Junior Dog Judging Contest is one of the most unique experiences for youngsters 9 to 19 years of age to enter anywhere.

Contestants judge three to four breeds with up to four dogs in a class. Points are calculated regarding the accuracy of placements (worth 75 percent of their total score) as well as reasons for placements (worth 25 percent).

No entry fee is required. A fixture at the International for more than a half century, the Junior Judging gives youngsters the opportunity to compare their decision-making with that of a seasoned judge. Two of International’s 2010 judges are past winners of “Junior Judging”: Kent Delaney who judged this year’s competition and Barbara Keenan, who judged Toy and Terrier Groups this year and whose daughter Patti is also now judging.

And NO, I will not tell you what year Kent and Barbara won the competition!

As for Vagabond and me, after winning the group on that trip from California all those years ago, we did not go BIS. But two of his descendents did a few years later, adding to my wonderful memories of this great dog show. If you like great dog shows, put the March benched Detroit show on your dance card along with some fantastic shows coming up that are not benched-Nashville and Louisville-for starters.•

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The British Scene

by Geoff Corish

I

t will come as no surprise that the UK’s top dog all breeds for 2009 is the Wire Fox terrier bitch Ch Blackdale Carousel.

“Rudy” has had a phenomenal career taking seven all-breed championship show Best in Show awards and of course a major win for her was Best in Show at the European Winners Show in Dublin early in 2009.

Owned by the young and talented handler Andrew Goodsell, she was of course bred by that world renowned Wire breeder Harry O’Donaghue form Northern Ireland, and is all Blackdale bred, quite some feat. She is by Blackdale Magic ex Blackdale Sunshine. She was not really destined for the show ring and it fact Harry had her as one of his famous brood bitches, in her first litter she produced Irish Ch Blackdale Celtic Queen. He was grooming her one day when he had a re-think and thought there was something special about her and so she was got into show form, and the rest as they say is history! Andrew Goodsell spent some time learning his skill from Peter Green, his best known charges have been Ch Fairwyre Commander at Grambrae who was my group winner at Crufts some years ago. Also Crufts group and Reserve Best in Show winner was the US imported Ch/American Ch. El-Rays Snowtaire Iceni Payback. Her career started back in 2007 when she quickly gained her title and top wire plus two group 1’s. In 2008 she was again the top wire and won another four group firsts plus a championship show Best in Show. During that year she broke the long-standing bitch record for wires which had been held for so long by Ch Gosmoore Kirkmoor Tessa. The overall record is held by Ch/Am Ch Gosmoore Kirkmoor Craftsman bred by another amazing wire breeder Mr. Billy Mitchell father of the famous Vincent.

Second top dog and the top working dog is the brindle Boxer male Ch/Irish Ch Winuwuk Lust at First Sight. This is one of the most famous Boxer kennels in the UK having been founded 50 years ago by Marion and the late Ivor ward-Davies. Today Marion continues with the help of Julie Brown and Tim Hitchings. It is Julie that is usually on the end of the lead. Known at home as ‘Max’ he is sired by the very successful stud dog Ch Winuwuk Lust In The Dust ex his grand-daughter Ch Winuwuk Story Book. His early career was really an up and down one, but then with maturity he really reached his potential with 13 group firsts, one of which was Crufts 2009, plus a group win at the European show in Dublin.

Another working dog was close on the heels of “Max” and yet another with a lot of stamina travelling to shows from Northern Ireland. Willie and Amanda Dobbins Swiss import Newfoundland 30 Dog News

Ch/Irish Ch Fairweather’s Knockout with Brooklynbear, bred by Loredana and Giorgio Salina-Borello by Americanbred Darbydales Smart Alec ex Am Ch Fairweather’s Fine Fellow from Salina and combines European and Nth-American breeding in him.

The tussle for Top gundog has been a tough one this year and in fact the top three gundogs are all within 3points !!!Eventually the top went to the top certificate winning solid-colored Cocker ever Show Champion Dillonpark Ambrogina, bred and owned by Michael Parkinson and Brian Dillon and sired by Show Ch Claramand Rock-n-Roll with Molkara ex show Ch Quettadene Amelia at Dillonpark. As well as a mountain of cc’s she also has won 3 general ch Best in Show wins and is now officially retired.

Right on her heals is another gundog and was the Flat Coated Retriever Show Champion Vbos The Kentuckian and yet another of the more mature dogs to finally reach their best when at 8 years old he took his first group win. He is bred and owned by Jim Irvine up in Scotland and sired by The sorcerers apprentice from Jaeva ex Sh ch Vbos Lady from Louisiana.

At the East of England he went onto best in show and was the first Flat Coated Retriever to achieve this award at a UK ch show since his famous ancestor Ch/Irish Ch Shargleam blackcap in the 1980’s.

In sixth place and the top toy for the second year running is Rosemary and Sarah Jackson’s Maltese Ch Benatone Gold Ring. He is by the American import Ch’Am/Can Ch Hi-Lite Risque Gold Fever.

Interesting in that he himself was twice Best in Show at general ch show and his dam Benatone Love Heart is by yet another BIS winner Ch Snowgoose First love.

In seventh place is yet another gundog and one of the most famous dogs of our time, yes l speak of “Yogi.” If you don’t know who l am talking about he is of course the famous Hungarian Vizla who has now broken the all time Best in Show record held since the 1930’s by the Scottish Terrier Ch heather Realisation. To give him his full name he is Sh Ch/Australian ch Hungargunn Bear Itn Mind owned by breeder Naomi Cragg and Katherine Armstrong.

He was top dog all breeds in 2006 and 2007, top gundog in 2008 and won two more BIS in 2009 and so it was in 2010 at our first two shows of the year he won BIS at both making it 15 BIS awards and in so doing broke that all time record.

In 8th it was another working dog with the Bullmastiff Jaynoss Big Bopper and in joint 9th the well know Dalmatian bitch Ch Dvojica Voodoo and Sue Garsides well known Bulldog Ch Iceglint I’m Harry.

Top hound was the veteran elkhound Ch/ Irish Ch Kestos ISpy at Graythor and top herding dog was Sarah Taylors Cardigan corgi Ch Bymil Picture this. This is the first time a Cardi has reached these heights and she was the breeds first ever group winner for the breed.•

*

*

*The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed

Dog News 31

32 Dog News

Dog News 33

The Bests oftheWeek

MARCH 12, 22010 To report an AKC All Breed Best In Show or National Specialty Win Call, Fax or Email before 12:00 Noon Tuesday Fax: 212 675-5994 Phone: 212 462-9588 Email: Dognews@harris-pub.com

Detroit Kennel Club - Saturday & Sunday Bulldog Ch. Kepley’s Showbiz Razzle Dazzle Judge Mr. Erik Bergishagen Owners J. Fisher, R. Speiser, B. Wolfe Handler Phoebe Booth

Faith City Kennel Club Boxer Ch. Bravo N Sunset Stealing Time Judge Mrs. Marilyn Spacht Owners K. & C. Robbins, G. & B. Adkins Handler Michael Shepherd

Pensacola Dog Fanciers Association II Pekingese Ch. Franshaw Hear Me Roar Judge Ms. Nikki Riggsbee Owner John Shaw Handler Hiram Stewart

Wisconsin Kennel Club - Sunday Border Terrier Ch. Tyrolian Eight Belles At Meadowlake Judge Mr. Walter J. Sommerfelt Owners Karen E. Fitzpatrick and Mr. Thomas H. Bradley III Handler Karen E. Fitzpatrick

Wisconsin Kennel Club Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Ch. Mondrian V.H. Lamslag Of Piccadil Judge Mr. Donavon Thompson Owner & Handler Janet York

Belle City Kennel Club - Saturday Boxer Ch. Winfall Brookwood Styled Dream Judge Mr. William Cunningham Owners D. McCarroll, M. Fagan, Mrs. Jack Billhardt, S. Tenenbaum Handler Diego Garcia

Okaloosa Kennel Club - Thursday & Friday Skye Terrier Ch. Cragsmoor Buddy Goodman Judge Mrs. Jean Fournier Judge Mrs. Paula Hartinger Owners Carolyn Koch & Victor Malzoni Handler Larry Cornelius Scottsdale Dog Fanciers Association - Friday Boxer Ch. Duba-Dae’s Who’s Your Daddy Judge Mr. Robert E. Fetter Owners Charles Vose, Wendy Bettis and Lynn Janson Handler Wendy Bettis Park Shore Kennel Club International Kennel Club of Chicago Pekingese Ch. Palacegarden Malachy Judge Mr. Desmond J. Murphy Judge Mrs. Mary Ann Alston Owners Iris Love, Sandra Middlebrooks & David Fitzpatrick Handler David Fitzpatrick Pensacola Dog Fanciers Association - Saturday Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Ch. Fireside’s Spontaneous Combustion Judge Mrs. Carolyn A. Herbel Owners Joan Coughlin and Elaine Hunsicker Handler Michelle Scott

34 Dog News

Greater Panama City Dog Fanciers Association Wire Fox Terrier Ch. Dalriada’s Mystic Judge Mrs. Ruth Prehn Owners C. Campbell, M. Doleski, C. Ruggles, B. Dowd Handler Scott Sommer Kings Kennel Club of California - Sunday Portuguese Water Dog Ch. Aviators Luck Be A Lady Judge Mrs. Barbara D. Alderman Owners Victor Malzoni, Jerson Bali, Mike and Cathy Dugan Handler Amy Rutherford Hawaiian Kennel Club - Saturday Longhaired Dachshund Xeralane’s Supersize Judge Mr. Desmond Murphy Owner Xeralane Kennel Handler Adrian Agard Kings Kennel Club of California - Saturday Affenpinscher Ch. Tamarin Top Banana Judge Mr. Roger Pritchard Owner Myrna Kahlo Handler Tiffany Skinner Maryland Sporting Dog Association Pointer Ch. Seasyde Dobe’s Den In Fashion Judge Mr. Don L. Evans Owners Jennifer and Darren Pahl and Helyne Medeiros Handler Jennifer Pahl

Dog News 35

36 Dog News

Dog News 37

1

What is your favorite dog show moment exclusive of a win?

As a junior handler in 1995 at The Garden I thought, “How great, look at me; first entry out as a 4-H girl.”

3

2

A singing voice.

Which talent would you most like to have?

4

Who is Sarah Palin. your real life hero or heroine?

“At the end of Which the day ...” words or phrases do you most overuse?

5 6 7 If you could I tend to change one overthink. thing about yourself what would it be?

Other people think I am:

How would you describe yourself in a personal ad?

I have no idea what other people think.

Determined, fun loving, stubborn, and expensive.

8 9 What was your most embarrassing moment at a dog show?

In Canada, I was on the down and back and not one but both shoes slipped off.

Which judge, no longer alive or judging, do you miss the most?

Bob Hastings.

10questions What do you miss the most at dog shows?

Integrity.

Asked of Carmen Ruby Born: Tacoma, Washington Resides: Gig Harbor, Washington Marital Status: Single

38 Dog News

By Lesley Boyes

An Encore Performance Back to Back Best In Shows last weekend in Detr oit!

Judges Mr. Erik Berg ishagen & Mrs. Judith Goodin

Best In Show - Judge Mr. Mr Carl Gomes

Leading Lady

Owners: Joan L. Fisher Robert D. Speiser Barbara Wolfe

THE # 1 NON-SPORTING DOG 2009*

Handler Extraordinaire!

Phoebe J. Booth 203 938-0226

*The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed

Dog News 39

Best of Breed Judge Mr. Andrew Brace

The Number One* Pekingese and Number

Ch. Linn-Lee’s For Sire: Ch. Linn-Lee’s Dragon By Design

Breeders & Owners Erna G. Holcombe & Charlotte Carter 40 Dog News

*All Systems

Group Second Judge Mrs. Shirley Limoges

Three** Toy Dog 2009 Retires at The Garden

the Good Times Dam: Linn-Lee’s Eloise By Pequest

Handler David Fitzpatrick

**The Dog News Top Ten List

Dog News 41

Helping Ourselves

by Carlotta Cooper

Once a year, a little like Punxatawney Phil, I come out of hibernation on the Setters chat list, and I try to discuss commercial dog breeding. However, unlike Phil, no one welcomes me. Instead, I get pelted and sent nasty e-mails.

This was the week. I’m quite sure there are people on the list who would never sell me a puppy because of the things I’ve written about commercial breeders. I know that discussing commercial dog breeding isn’t a popular topic but maybe things are improving.

The moderators didn’t shut the discussion down or put me on moderation this time. The first time I tried writing about commercial breeders one of the moderators kept me on moderation for a year.

The entire discussion was prompted, for me, because one well-meaning person, a very nice breeder, posted a message encouraging people to attend an event where a rescue/ shelter was encouraging people to adopt dogs instead of buying them from breeders. That floored me. I couldn’t understand how a breeder could be promoting an event or group that encouraged people to adopt instead of buying from breeders. Adoption is fine. Rescue is fine. But, do we have to stop selling our own dogs, too?

What followed was a lengthy discussion on the need (yes, I said “need”) for commercial breeders in the United States. Because hobby and show breeders are not producing the extra several hundred thousand purebred pet puppies annually that are in demand for the pet market. Perhaps if hobby breeders were breeding more, instead of less, each year, there would be fewer commercially-bred puppies. But commercial breeders exist because there is a demand for the puppies. And there has been a growing demand for purebred pet puppies since just after World War II, when the U.S. government gave loans to farmers and encouraged them to begin commercial dog breeding.

There is a growing demand for pet puppies today, even though AKC registrations are down. There are more than 77 million pet dogs in the U.S. today, which means that the number of pet dogs is increasing every year.

The difference is that the demand today is being filled by mixed breeds and dogs from other so-called “paper” registries. When we have AKC show breeders encouraging people to attend events that promote the adoption of dogs instead of buying from breeders, we are only contributing to our own problems.

This is not rocket science. How long do 42 Dog News

you think good purebred dogs will continue to be available if breeders encourage adoption instead of buying from breeders? Don’t you think those AKC registration numbers are going to continue to sink?

It’s fine to have compassion for shelter dogs and to help rescue but don’t we, at some point, have to consider what’s good for our own breeds and for purebred dogs? Shouldn’t we be encouraging people to buy purebred dogs from breeders instead of always adopting? If you are a breeder don’t you believe in the dogs you’re breeding? Don’t you believe that a purebred dog makes the best pet? Why wouldn’t you tell people to buy a dog from a breeder?

Are we so elitist that we think only other show breeders deserve to own one of our dogs? Is it fine for the average person to adopt a mutt?

Personally, I would tell people to get a dog in this order: 1) buy from a hobby/show breeder; 2) get a purebred dog from rescue; 3) buy a commercially-bred purebred dog; and 4) as a last alterntive, get a dog from a shelter. Purebreds are always my preference, no matter their source.

There are times when I am so tired of the adoption message that I think I’d rather have a cat than adopt a dog. The reason is because adoption has become almost inextricably linked to the animal rights movement. Maybe if I had a cat I wouldn’t have to hear it.

It’s really too bad that so many breeders have been brainwashed into believing that their own hobby of breeding and owning purebred dogs is something that they have to apologize for. They seem to bend over backwards to try to make up for it by encouraging people to adopt dogs instead of buying them from breeders. Well, I think that’s wrong.

In the discussions that followed on the Setters list there were people who objected to calling dogs “breeding stock.” Oh, the poor dogs.

To be thought of as animals. Wake up, people! Dogs are animals!

We do breed them! That’s what we do. We’re dog breeders.

Have we really reached the point where we have to apologize to our dogs for thinking of them as animals? Is it mandatory to provide them with their own room and TV? How on earth will dog breeding survive with this kind of attitude?

Yes, of course, this is why nobody likes it when I try to discuss, rationally, why we need commercial breeders. There are hobby/ show breeders who can barely bring themselves to deal with the fact that they are breeding dogs in the comfort of their own homes. They can’t imagine breeding dogs on a large scale as a real business. They are trying to cope with a large measure of guilt for simply breeding a single litter once a year.

If our own hobby/show breeders don’t find a way to change this aversion to breeding then purebred dog breeding as it has existed for the last 200 years is going to cease to exist. It’s fine to love your dogs and treat them like part of the family. But if you can’t reconcile the fact that your dogs are animals and that it’s okay to breed them, you might as well stop breeding now. You’re not doing yourself or the breed any good.

But, for goodness’ sake, please stop telling people to adopt instead of buying dogs from breeders. The rest of us love purebred dogs and we don’t think there’s anything wrong with selling our puppies. •

Riley

The Number Two* Rottweiler

Thanks to Breed and Group Judge Mrs. Doris Cozart.

Ch. Falkore Taking Care of Bizness STNHDG Owners: Henry & Betty Ward Tollison

Handlers: Jessy & Roxanne Sutton *The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed

Dog News 43

WILEY: A worthy lineage

National Best In Specialty Show AM & CAN CH. Bella del Conte Rissoso, TT, is the current exhibiting dog in the line of her pedigree, down from eleven recorded generations of dogs awarded selection in Rassemblement for outstanding conformation in all areas of the standard. In each of these generations the selection includes a full evaluation of correct and desirable character for the Briard. Those dogs selected in France must pass a complete TT along with full conformation examination to receive this award.

Wiley, herself, has been selected to date in two countries, becoming a 12th generation selection Briard. She took the TT separately.

She is the first Briard to earn a leg in tending in the country of Canada, stopped temporarily in order that she can be out as a ‘special’ for the year.

She is three years old.

Her consistency speaks for itself.

2007 Best puppy at the Canadian Briard National Rassemblement puppy Selection, Canadian National Briard Specialty Best Senior Puppy at the American Briard National 2008 Adult Rassemblement Selection, American Briard National, First Place in Open Class, The American Briard National Specialty 2009 Best In Specialty Show, the National Briard Specialty, Canada 2010 Best of Opposite Sex, Westminster Kennel Club, NY Briards of the Coastline, NY www.briards.com 44 Dog News

We see her and we love her.

Best In Specialty Show Winning

Am. & Can. Ch. Bella Del Conte Rissoso, TT

WILEY

Best of Opposite Sex Westminster Kennel Club, February 15, 2010 Thank you Judge Ms. Peggy Beisel-Mcllwaine.

Always shown by Adam Bernardin & Jamie Bernardin Delighted Owners: Ellen Jo Myers & Nancy Valiquiette Breeder: Tino Malinverno Sire: Vaso del Conte Rissoso ( IT) x Dam: Uma of the Coastline ( AM) Dog News 45

HowHigh AreYour Standards?

Picking From the Top of the Stack

by Seymour Weiss

What does the word “Standard” mean to you? Standards are and always have been an integral part of the conformation dog sport. For most of us the word Standard immediately brings to mind the written description of the ideal specimen of a breed.

However, there is another definition of this important word. This definition has nothing to do with official documents or approved descriptions of hock joints or upper arms or bites or eye color. This alternate definition concerns individual fanciers and the level of commitment they apply to everything they do in dogs. And this level of commitment has a profound bearing on the personal satisfaction they derive from their participation.

The fancier who picks from the top of the stack (meaning the demanding meticulous individual who believes that “good enough” can never be “good enough) in all matters demonstrates an uncompromising insistence on quality in thought and deed as well as in dogs. Buying a dog to show and/ or to breed from takes an enormous commitment to everything breed standards demand; or it should. The fact that we see so many dogs in competition that honestly do not make the grade points to an unfortunate acceptance of mediocrity as a yardstick for the dogs we allow to represent us.

In Nature, there is a strong pull toward the average. This means that if you show dogs or breed from dogs that are only adequate, your stock is not likely to send the hearts of knowledgeable judges racing. You can probably produce dogs that can hold their own in average company and can even finish under favorable circumstances. But average will always remain average and the dogs fitting that description are unlikely to make themselves a place in the history of their breeds or the sport.

In an earlier time, when large kennels were more in evidence than they are today, breeding was carried out with a different operating philosophy. Under that system many more litters were bred than is now the norm. Litters were graded ruthlessly and individual dogs that did not make the grade were discarded in ways most of us would never countenance today. Some large kennels did express a greater benevolence and the results were seen all around the kennel’s operating area.

I was once told that the unforgettable Foxden Kennels of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Farrell, Jr. would often give Smooth Fox Terrier puppies to pet homes throughout their community. So, if you stopped at a gas station in the vicinity of Darien, Connecticut, it would not have been unusual to spy a decent looking Smooth owned by the station owner while filling your Packard. Was it true? I really don’t know, but it could easily have been. The Farrells and those like them hardly needed to sell puppies unless they wished to. It is, however, a safe bet that the same mascot of the gas pumps would probably be in the show ring today. There is also a reasonable chance, it would even be successful!

The contemporary mindset of getting every dog we breed into the ring and into our breeding programs is not necessarily the right way to guide this sport we profess to love through the perilous times in which we now find ourselves.

Picking from the top of the stack means exercising uncommon discrimination in what we breed and what we buy. That no dog is perfect is a given and no dog, however superlative is immune to being pulled apart by detractors for the most glaringly fatuous reasons. It never ceases to amaze me that so much carping directed against the best dogs come from those who consistently exhibit animals of indifferent merit. It is not enough to litter the show ring with finishable pets. A show dog, by definition, should be something special and its worth should obvious to and appreciated by all.

Pets should be cherished and appreciated by all serious breeders. They fill a valuable, important place in the dog world. Pets gladden the hearts and grace the homes of those who elect not to participate in the mad tea party we call the dog sport. For the breeder, the demand for pets allows him or her to carry in the quest for excellence and to seek 46 Dog News

out the swans while attending the best interests of the geese. The point is that when a fancier knows better, showing dogs that do not belong in the ring hurts the entire sport.

It is routine for certain breeders to sell dogs on the condition they be shown and finished. But what does this accomplish besides running up a breeder’s champion stats? It would be better if more dogs sporting a championship title really reflected the high merit implied by the title a dog carried. If breeders relax their insistence on in-depth quality in their stock they will soon find their best brought down by dogs they bred and showed that should have never seen the inside of a show ring or a breeding program.

Our professional handlers often become the targets of the chronic complainers. They are routinely accused of showing dogs of lesser quality, but handlers are like breeders. Most apply high standards to their very necessary, very important craft.

And the best of these have the luxury to pick from the top of the stack in the dogs they are approached to show. There are many reasons one may decide to use a handler rather than show a dog oneself. You don’t need me enumerate the reasons. Suffice it to say, there are many roads to a conformation title and some dogs need more help than others to get there.

Showing dogs for others allows handlers to pursue a livelihood in a much sought after service. Those who are known to employ looser standards in the dogs they show will always attract clients who may be too comfortable with compromise. For them, retribution springs from the whelping box and will put most in the ranks of former participants in our sport.

Finally, we come to the judges – the ladies and gentlemen who, with a nod or a gesture, confer stardom or the bum’s rush to thousands of hopefuls every time competition is joined. Like breeders, nonbreeding exhibitors, or professional handlers, quality varies in judges. Today we no longer have the numbers of judges who represent multiple generations in the game. There are some, to be sure, but not like it once was. One malaise we see in modern judging is the urgency to acquire more and more breeds, to get more and more assignments and to do it as quickly as possible. The AKC has tried many ways to develop and educate those who would stand in the center of the ring. Many of those efforts have been disappointing for one reason or another. One hopes that someday soon we will have a system in place that will provide enough qualified judges to suit the needs of all breeds and all shows. That this has yet to happen is borne out by all too many questionable decisions made by judges who are totally out of their depth in the breeds for which they are approved.

The knowledgeable judges are distinguished throughout the fancy and a win under any of them is both an accolade and an endorsement. They have shown they know how to pick from the top of the stack and are the top of the stack themselves. But there are judges who will be asked to sort out dogs shown by exhibitors more in tune than themselves.

It is altogether too routine to see judges who are without a true appreciation of breed type and all the other elements that distinguish the outstanding from the ordinary. But the worst is the judge that works his or her way through an entry with the map of boredom prominently displayed on one’s face.

With some you wonder whether they even like dogs!

We will always have people in the fancy at all levels of achievement. You can’t have a top of the stack without a middle and a bottom. However, while we understand that we must always make room for variables, we should never stop trying to reach above ourselves at whatever level we find ourselves.

Thank you for reading.•

Best of Breed The Westminster Kennel

Mondrian

Can. Ch. & AKC Ch. & CKCSC USA Ch. Mondrian V.H. Lamslag of Piccadil RE

Flash Best In Show Wisconsin Kennel Club March 6, 201 0 Group Judge Mr. Robert S turm Best In Show Judge Mr. D onavon Thompson

Our appreciation to Judge Mr. Joseph F. Joly III for this Best of Breed Win!

11 Group Firsts in Limited Showing 2010 Number 1 Cavalier 2008*, 2009**, 2010* Number 8* Toy! With 12 Best In Shows!

Always shown naturally by

Owner-Handler Janet York *The Dog News Top Ten List, All Breed

**All Systems

Dog News 47

48 Dog News

Dog News 49

True North (Strong and Free)

[Ed note: We are delighted to have Allison Foley join our staff of writers. She will be reporting periodically on Canadian show happenings exclusively for DOG NEWS.]

by Allison Foley

G

reetings from north of 49 where, contrary to popular belief, it is not a frozen tundra all year round, all of our police officers are not Royal Canadian Mounted Police, we call having a soda “having a pop,” and we don’t say, “Y’all.” (How do y’all say, “Y’all,” I was once asked? “We don’t,” I replied.)

Well anyway on with the show.

As the Olympics wind down, the Canadian dog show scene is finally warming up. Unlike our counterparts to the south we don’t start our year with nice big clusters in a warm sunny climate. Rather we come out of our winter hibernation slowly and with purpose. There are only two dog show weekends for a total of six shows in the entire month of January. One weekend has three shows held in London, Ontario and another weekend, three more shows held in Cloverdale, British Columbia, approximately 4100 km away from each other! In Canada, typically all shows held together on a weekend at the same venue are hosted by the same Kennel Club.

The first shows of the year are held in Ontario, the province that has the most all- breed shows in Canada. The Best in Show winner for Day 1 this year The smooth Saluki – Ch Windstorm Shalom After All – currently #11 All Breeds

The Sheltie —Ch Shelhaven Sweet Seduction – currently Canada’s top Herding dog 50 Dog News

at the Elgin County Kennel Club in held in London, Ontario was the Scottish Deerhound Ch. Dhu Mohr Pennant’s Quilleran under Judge Michael Woods. Day 2, under Judge Thomas Touzel was the Smooth Saluki bitch, Ch Windstorm Shalom After All, and Day 3 under Judge Dr Richard Meen was the French Bulldog puppy, Ch Petite Cherie Savoir Faire At Foxmoor.

The Best in Show winner on Day 1 at the Ladies Kennel Club of BC, held in Cloverdale British Columbia was the Samoyed, Ch Summerhill’s Bear With Spirit, under Judge Tim Doxtater. On Day 2 under Judge Peggy Gutierrez-Otero of Mexico was the American Cocker Spaniel GCh Sjoblom’s All That He Touches.

Day 3 under Judge Donald Emslie was the Saluki, Ch Carmas Indian Summer.

During the month of February, Canada is slowly emerging from its winter rest. The first weekend in February brings us the Alberta Kennel Club shows CONTINUED ON PAGE 76

Best In Specialty Show Winning

VN Ch. Bear N Mind’s

The Guardian CD, DD, WRD Clancy Wins at Westminster 2010!

Thank you Judge Mr. Robert L. Vandiver Owned & Bred By Christine & Dwight Gorsuch Bear N Mind Newfoundlands

Presented By Greg Strong, AKC reg.

410.822.2187 Nick Viggiano, AKC Apprentice Sara Miller, Assistant Dog News 51

52 Dog News

Dog News 53

by M.J. Nelson

Aroma “Therapy”

A

number of years ago, at a family gathering, the subject of a neighborhood family came up. The paterfamilias for this unit was well known for his frugality. But until my cousin, who attended school with his sons, piped up with the remark, “Oh, you mean ‘Aroma,’ when one of the tightfisted father’s sons was mentioned, it was not common knowledge that his parsimony precluded buying the electricity to pump water for the bathtub as well as the purchase of soap.

You would think niggardliness was also a common trait of dog owners, particularly when they have breeds that have an oily coat and the dog manages to get wet. It is also true that when some of my Chesapeakes have shaken themselves free of water from a particularly noxious swamp with most of the water landing on any hunters dumb enough to be within ten yards of the wet Chessie, there has been a tendency for the hunters who escaped the shower to pointedly tell the hapless recipients to “stand the hell downwind.”

But these odoriferous experiences, bad as they are, pale in comparison to the stench that results from an encounter with a skunk.

For skunks are nature’s terrorists intent on waging chemical warfare on all who occupy

or invade their homeland. For those of you with conformation champions who are now venturing into field work, it is important to know that there is something about these slow-moving, black-and-white woods kitties that makes them irresistible to dogs. Once a dog has been sprayed with the skunk equivalent of CS gas, you would think it would dawn on the dogs that skunks should be given a wide berth. But no, every single dog I’ve ever known that has been skunked can’t wait to tackle another one. It’s like they find something beneficial in reeking of skunk, a sort of do-it-yourself aromatherapy.

There are certain “biohazards” in the field which dogs can easily be taught to leave alone. Poisonous snakes, for example, are something a dog can be conditioned to avoid using an electronic collar, harmless snakes and the recorded sound of a rattlesnake. This is not the case with skunks. I have seen dogs ignore a jolt using the highest intensity levels on the electronic collar to get at a skunk. In other words, there is no such thing as “skunk-proofing” a dog. Making matters worse is that where a snake’s strike zone is limited, the same cannot be said for skunk spray. If they have the wind behind them or it is a damp, humid day (or CONTINUED ON PAGE 86

When it came to skunks, Sparky was the canine equivalent of a heroin addict. She simply could not leave them alone.

54 Dog News

Ch. Cordmaker Rumpus Bumpus

“

Ziggy

”

Group First - Judge Mr. James Frederiksen Group First - Judge Mrs. Robert D. Smith Group First - Judge Mr. James White Owned By: Jackie Beaudoin Sue Huebner Franco Licciardi

Bred By: Sue Huebner Cordmaker Puli

Handled By: Jackie Beaudoin

Dog News 55

Am. & Can. Ch. Bravo N

GROUP FIRST Time Flash

Another Best In Show

Faith City Kennel Club Judge Mrs. Marilyn Spacht

Owners Cheryl & Keith Robbins George & Barbara Adkins Dave & Jan Yenne 56 Dog News

Breeder Karen Deschambault

Sunset Stealing Time

and Time Again!

Judge Mr. Edward Lyons Handler Michael Shepherd

Dog News 57

“THE HOTTIE SCOTTIE” EXPRESS

The Westminster World of Media, Media, Media…

By David Frei • Photos by Mary Bloom

A

t 11 p.m. on Tuesday night of Westminster, Sadie, like Best In Show winners before her, was christened as the world’s newest single name celebrity and the media parade began.

We call it the World Media Tour, and after a post-show press conference, the “Hottie Scottie Express” hit the streets of New York early Wednesday morning with stops at the naand tional television talk shows like Fox & poulos o n a h p e orge St Friends, Good Morning America, and osts Ge h die a a S ic d r l an Ame ie r g b in a The Early Show. Later, we dropped n G r o it with Good M erts vis b o R

by The View and MSNBC for live apin Rob pearances, and visited at Fox News (Shepard Smith), shot a piece at Inside Edition and WCBS, did an interview with Jeannie Moos of CNN, and did a live bit on NASDAQ’s Fast Money.

And there were three new stops this year for Sadie: Donald Trump graciously and enthusiastically welcomed her entourage to his office; after that, it was on to the Empire State Building, where Sadie became the third dog ever to visit the Observation Deck (behind Lassie and Uno); and on Thursday morning, Sadie became the first Westster minster winner ever to ring the bell to estmin W e h t pose at open the New York Stock Exchange ommer S t t o c ue and S th Aven if F Stump s k (the market was up 83 for the day!). a ow at S CONTINUED ON PAGE 96

58 Dog News

wind

First weekend in January, Two Group Placements under Judges Mr. Jon Cole, pictured, and Dr. Lee Anthony Reasin New York Boston Terrier Club under Breeder Judge Mrs. Joyce Fletcher First Award or Merit Westminster Kennel Club under Judge Mr. Charles Trotter

AMAZING WEEK!

Best of Opposite Sex THE WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB Thank you Judge Mrs. Karen Wilson Owned by Jane Forster Plum Creek Westies bjforster@msn.com 60 Dog News

Bred by Meade Carlson Jane Forster

Presented by Troy Cashman, PHA

AMAZING GRACE!

Multiple Best In Show & Best In Specialty Show Winning

Ch. Plum Creek Di’s Amazing Grace PLUM CREEK KENNEL CLUB OF COLORADO

BEST IN SHOW Group First Group First

Thank you Judge Mrs. Carolyn Herbel Thank you Judge Dr. Vandra Huber Thank you Judge Mrs. Cindy Meyer Dog News 61

Lehigh Valley Kennel Club

100 Years of Community Involvement and Great Shows

By Karl M. Stearns

Q

uestion: Where can you and your companion go in January that’s festive, lots of fun, and provides plenty of activities? A) Aspen, Colorado; B) St. Thomas; C) Allentown, Pennsylvania. If your companion happens to be your favorite canine, then of course your answer is “C” because you would be heading to the Canine Learning Experience, billed as the Ultimate Match Show Weekend, produced by the Lehigh Valley One of the oldest kennel clubs in the US, Lehigh Valley Kennel Club (www.lvkc.org) celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. Situated within 90 minutes of New York City, Lehigh Valley still retains much of the culture of the Pennsylvania Dutch that is part of its heritage.

Indeed, one can find a real farmer’s market selling produce, meat, and handmade crafts in close proximity to the Canine Learning Experience. True to their roots, club members engage in a great deal of community service as part of their club’s work Every year in January, the club holds its Canine Learning Experience at the Agricultural Hall in Allentown, PA at the Allentown Fairgrounds. Attendance has become an annual ritual for local families and canine companions alike because of all the fun, educational and health-related functions that are held. “Canine Learning is a unique, nationally famous event,” said Deborah Gunkle, club president. “This year was our 33rd year.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 74

62 Dog News

Dog News 63

64 Dog News

All In

The

The “ALL IN THE FAMILY SERIES” takes a general practical common-sense approach to dog care. For a more detailed, scientific explanation of dog behavior, contact your local vetenarian.

Family

So You Want A Kennel

By Charles C. Robey

T

he Great Mahatma Gandhi Once said, “The Greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

Yes, dogs are like humans, and they like to be comfortable in their surroundings. So, how does your dog kennel facility blueprint stack up? Smaller dogs are usually housed indoors, and larger dogs for the most part are usually housed outdoors in a separate kennel arrangement. If you do decide to mix the dog sizes, you should separate the small and larger dogs.

Reviews of the various dog registries show a variation of specifications in protecting the welfare of the animals. Some dog registries take a common-sense approach to the kennel regulations, while others give more detailed specifications. However, most of the dog registries do concentrated on keeping the dogs well protected and healthy.

THE PLANNING STAGE First, in planning your kennel do your legal home work. Contact your local government authority such as the Animal Control, Humane Society, and Planning Board, or in some cases the Health Department. And when talking with the authorities be sure to get any dog ordinances or kennel regulations in writing along with any mandatory license fees.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Next comes designing and building you kennel facility. There are as many kennel variations as are house designs when considering the kennel. However, for the sake of simplicity we will concentrate our information on some variation of the combination indoor/ outdoor type facility. I tend to favor an indoor/outdoor run building design as it is easy to maintain, and it also gives the dogs a choice as to where they want to roam.

The main building should be any type of heavily-insulated, durable structure. As for the outside runs, I tend to recommend rust retardant type fencing with a cement base, and the outside base should be slanted so as to allow good washing drainage. A PVC type plastic half pipe, running the length of the end of the outdoor runs, and terminating in a septic container, is preferable for easy cleaning and parasite prevention.

Always remember to give an adequate height to the outside kennel run dividers, as dogs seem to turn into a regular “Houdini” at certain times of the year to be with their girlfriends and they will climb fences.

It is very important that you always remember, when planning your facility, that it is much less expensive to error on the anticipation of future growth up front, rather than an expensive retrofit later.

66 Dog News

VENTILATION This day in time we must consider the same kennel cost cutting measures as we do with our house. The facility should be well insulated with the heating, air, and ventilation systems only being directed to the indoor portion of the kennel. In the summer, depending on the weather and humidity, you may wish to alternate between a fan and the air conditioning to save cost.

KENNEL BEDDING The bedding should be cheap and low maintenance, as the bedding will constantly need changing. If a cloth like material is used, continued disinfectant and parasite spray will be needed. But you should remember that some dogs are senative to certain allergies. A good environmental type material, which keeps down parasite activity, is cedar shavings.

WHELPING ROOM The whelping room should be costructed so that it is an isolated private arrangement, within the kennel proper, with no other dogs other than the moms having access to the new puppies. The bedding should be kept clean and the ventilation should be in accordance with the season. Puppies, unlike well developed dogs, also need warmth, such as a heating pad or strong light bulb.

Some kennels have placed Closed Circuit TV in the whelping room for consistent monitoring.

PROPER USE OF FEED AND WATER The very best feeding and watering appliances are the automatic low maintenance type. Basically, the only maintenance required is a water check in the cold weather and a regular check of the feed container for evidence of varmints.

REMEMBER! IF YOU ARE COLD, YOUR DOGS ARE ALSO PROBABLY COLD Remember, the old cliché “Home Sweet Home” works for your cherished kennel breeding family, as well as your home family. And always remember, if you are cold, your dogs are also cold. •

Dog News 67

S

ince they already established a mandate requiring nearly every resident to obtain health care in their state back in 2006, the members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives have turned their sights to a more pressing issue. No, not an initiative to create jobs or spur the depressed economy. Instead, they’ve come up with a solution that may result in the death of more dogs. The Massachusetts House has voted to ban the surgical “debarking” of dogs and cats by a vote of 150-1 and the bill is now headed to the Senate. Just a lone member in the House has proven the old adage about common sense not being so common in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The push for this bill is obviously the handiwork of animal rights groups, and one must acknowledge their persistence, capabilities and resources to table such a measure during an era of much more pressing issues. Last year, the largest network of animal hospitals in the U.S., Banfield, bowed to their pressure and banned tail docking, ear cropping and devocalization procedures. This year, the AR extremists were able to convince all but one Massachusetts Representative that the practice of debarking amounts to animal cruelty. Apparently none of the representatives are practicing veterinarians or owners of herding breeds that tend to be noisy workers, nor did they bother to consult them before rendering their decision.

While excessive barking may be not a problem on a vast pasture, it’s not a pleasant experience for neighbors in an apartment or condominium complex. What are dog owners to do if all other methods of trying to quiet their pets fail? Multiple citations for noise complaints from animal control officers lead to dogs being euthanized or relinquished to shelters, and anyone with animal shelter experience can attest that the avid barkers tend not to be easily adopted or re-homed. Simply put, a bill that prohibits the devocalization of dogs will kill dogs.

There are exemptions in the bill for when a veterinarian certifies that the procedure is medically neces-

sary to relieve an illness, disease or injury, but for owners whose dogs have been deemed a nuisance, whether justly or unjustly, they’re out of options. For owners faced with the choice of either putting down their dogs or having to move, “debarking” saves dogs’ lives. It’s not an act of cruelty; it’s an act of being a responsible dog owner and a good neighbor when all other options have been exhausted.

Lawmakers who are unfamiliar with the procedure are being swayed by the AR extremists and their brazen PR schemes and unknowingly advancing their hidden agendas. PETA and the HSUS want to eliminate pet ownership altogether and the push for prohibiting the debarking procedure that saves lives helps them accomplish this goal, as do mandatory spay/neuter measures and breed specific legislation. Elected officials need to answer this question before endorsing such a measure: What’s more humane, putting down a healthy dog or softening its bark?

Let’s debunk the debarking myth.

A more accurate term for the procedure is bark softening, as the object is to reduce the volume of the bark, not totally eliminate it. The surgery is a minor procedure to remove a small piece of tissue from the vocal chords, not a complete removal of them, as many “humane” groups would lead us to believe. A licensed veterinarian typically performs the procedure using a laser or a biopsy punch and the dogs quickly recover. There is anesthesia involved, which always carries risk, but by veterinary accounts, the procedure is considered relatively safe. Dogs retain their ability to communicate through barking, whining and whimpering, only more softly.

The American Kennel Club’s stance on debarking is, “This procedure allows owners to alleviate noise in populated neighborhoods so that the dogs do not become a nuisance,” which would support its position statement on the right to keep and enjoy dogs: “The AKC strongly endorses the right to own, keep, and breed dogs in a responsible and humane manner. We believe that responsible dog ownership is compatible with

OFF LEASH

by Shaun Coen

THE

68 Dog News

most living arrangements…The AKC recognizes the special obligation of dog owners, not only to their pets but also to their neighbors. The AKC supports “curbing” and clean-up ordinances, leash laws, nuisance laws, and other reasonable regulations designed to ensure that dogs and their owners remain respected members of their communities.”

The American Veterinary Medical Association also endorses the procedure “as a last resort if the alternative is abuse, relinquishment, or euthanasia.” At the 146th AVMA Annual Convention last July, Dr. Kelly S. Moffat was one of several speakers who addressed controversial issues in animal behavior. Citing excessive barking as one of the most common complaints of dog owners, she said, “Ultimately, we need to do what’s best for the animal and the client.” She cited that not every owner is capable of making the necessary behavior modifications that may correct this unwanted behavior, for myriad reasons. The dogs may not respond to it, the owners may work long hours or neighbors may insist on a zero tolerance policy on barking. Dr. Moffat cited the AVMA policy on canine devocalization as a final alternative to correct excessive barking and suggested that debarking might be more humane in the long term that the use of shock collars or physical punishment.

Shouldn’t responsible breeders, owners and veterinarians that have first hand knowledge and experience with this procedure be the voices of reason on this subject matter and not the AR extremists with hidden agendas? The bill is headed to the Senate, where hopefully the state Senators will hear from plenty of barking mad dog owners, breeders and veterinarians.

T

he AVMA and the AKC are up against formidable opponents in PETA and the HSUS, who’d rather see dogs die than be quieted, while silencing dogs’ proponents in the process. PETA just announced that Bob Barker has donated 2.5 million dollars towards the renovation of a building in his name on Sunset Boulevard that will be home to the group’s media, marketing, youth outreach and campaign departments. The idea seems to be to “get ‘em while their young,” to influence their views when they can still be molded. The AKC and the AVMA need a similar commitment to reach out to young people with a marketing campaign of its own, debunking the debarking myth and other smear campaigns that the AR machine excels at propagating. •

Dog News 69

I

recently read a critique of AKC written by a fairly well known but rarely hired judge (as far as I know) who is also a prolific author and former delegate, as well as an apparently admired lecturer. He took AKC somewhat to pieces – nothing really new – and quite frankly much of what he wrote was quite redundant and hardly ground breaking.

But it was an interesting if not an overdone summary with some interesting historical data – how accurate I’m not too sure but interesting if true. Sort of like reading an historical novel – you never know what is real and what is not. The thing that struck me the most and the reason why I am even writing this piece is that the author noted how he had been a delegate for years. I sort of remember those days pretty well, and I cannot for the life of me can recall one thing he did then to attempt to modernize the Delegate Body in his days as a delegate. It’s great today to write about what should have been done.

We’ve been writing about these problems for over 30 years now – some have been solved and/or rectified some have not. We keep at it attempting to be as positive as can be. But we never have had the power of the vote. Why don’t those with that power today attempt to modernize the organization? In fact, the Board is about as progressive a Body as there is at any Kennel Club in the world! I truly believe that; what stands in its way are those people within the Delegate Body who refuse to give an inch of their power up and who stand in the way of progress.

One of the greatest feats of any Board was the introduction of the mixed breed program. In the long run I believe this will be the saving grace for AKC. But it took a very hard-pressed Board to accomplish this feat. True, the Delegates fell into line but if the concept had not originated within the Board and been maneuvered and manipulated with dexterity by a limited few, does anyone really think the Delegates would have had the nerve, courage, or common sense to push that program through? I don’t for one second think so.

AND MORE Speaking Up...

by Matthew H. Stander 70 Dog News

A

friend of mine recently had his dog diagnosed with cancer of the leg. The dog was ten years old and the Vet suggested a prosthetic. My friend declined and had the animal put to sleep. Well that is clearly distinguishable I suppose from the person who decided to use a prosthetic or braces for injured or sick dogs. The treatment involving cancer aftereffects and broken legs or the like are clearly different. OrthoPets treats more than 100 creatures a month and is a recognized leader in the industry for custom prosthetics and braces for animals that need help to stay mobile and relatively pain-free. Dogs make up approximately 95 percent of the clients for this company. Prosthetics that take the place of missing limbs (and run in the area of $800) can give confidence to three-legged animals. Braces seem to be turned to when owners want to avoid the expense of surgery or when operations are too risky.

In Canada there is a company, K-9 Orthotics, which competes with the US company. This is a new and comparatively new medical treatment worth looking into for sure if you are in need of this treatment for your dog.

The election results are in and quite frankly I am not too surprised as to how the Delegates voted. I am told that most of the Board members were happy that Steve Gladstone was not elected I am sure it is difficult to work with him but his legal mind certainly is a major plus as is his understanding of AKC’s constitution. I guess though in the long run his over-bearing presence was too much for most. Too bad I thought – I still strongly believe and have for years believed that at least two seats should be set aside for non-dog business type people to sit on the Board. The situation is desperate insofar as getting real business people on the board – right now there is only one – and outside help is necessary. Do you think you’ll ever see that day? I don’t. •

INTRODUCING

onesome L CH. POUCH COVE’S

z

D

z

“Gus” OWNER: Amy H. Phelan BREEDERS: Peggy Helming and Milan Lint HANDLER: Rindi Gaudet CONTACT INFO: ahaynie9079@yahoo.com

Dog News 71

Scottsdale, Arizona, Fiesta Cluster

AwashIn TheDesert

[Ed Note: The Monday show was cancelled due to the rain. The rings were under as much as six inches of water.]

By Sharon Sakson

Scottsdale, Arizona is a quiet place in the desert next to bustling big city Phoenix and at the foot of a mountain range. Two clubs teamed up to put on a four-show weekend called the Fiesta Cluster – the Scottsdale Dog Fanciers Association and Superstition Kennel Club.

Their show site, Westworld, is home to every kind of equine competition. The short grass and even ground of the polo field were ideal for dog show rings. Warm weather, a mild sun, tons of specialties, and supported entries – this must be heaven.

The Superstition Mountains are always part of the landscape; so unlike the rolling green hills of the East Coast. The mountains are sharp and jagged. The peaks jut up into the sky. The most intriguing aspect of the mountainscape is that they are always purple, a kind of rich, velvety purple that is calming to behold.

Ken Clemons was stewarding on Saturday and brought some balance to that seemingly calm landscape. He lives at the foot of the mountains. Mountain lions are a constant hazard to his neighbors’ livestock, he said. His German Shorthaired Pointers roam in a fully fenced yard, but he keeps a careful eye to make sure no mountain lions decide to hunt them.

The Scottsdale Dog Judges Association put on a Coonhound Comparison seminar Friday that was extraordinary. Kitty Steidel, George Bolton, and John Wade had us listening to experts from five coonhound breeds. Our eyes were opened to the particularities of American English Coonhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds, Plott Hounds, Redbone Coonhounds, and Treeing Walker Coonhounds.

The first speaker was Joe Burkette, Plott 72 Dog News

breeder from Texas, a veterinarian who keeps a kennel of around 70 Plotts. The first thing he told us was, “The Plott is not a coonhound. It’s a big game hound, bear, mountain lion, and wild boar. If I get one that doesn’t do big game well, I might give him to a coon hunter. But the breed hunts big game.”

They don’t kill game, they tree or bay it. Then they wait for the hunter to arrive. “There’s a thin line between grit and stupid,” Dr. Burkette told us. “I raised a litter of six that I thought were the most terrific hounds I ever bred. One went to Germany, one went to South Africa, and a couple went up north. Within a year, all six were dead.

Too much grit.”

The dogs were so fearless that they got too close to the game, and were killed as a result, which led Dr. Burkette to change his breeding plan.

As we admired the dogs, he said with a grin, “I figure I’m not going to hunt pretty game with an ugly dog.”

He provided the intelligent performance breeder’s perspective. He said that he’d started out breeding only for performance, but after a while realized he needed to breed for conformation in order to have dogs who would stand up to multi-day hunts and still be hunting year after year.

“Without a 90 degree angle in the shoulder, they break down,” he told us. Without a balanced body, they tire quickly. Without tight feet, they can only run short distances, not for days. His perspective was unique and refreshing. All the judges were still hashing out the points he brought up the next day. Many of them wished, as I did, that we could digest his material for a while and then hear him again.

Saturday, I judged a huge entry of my own breed, Whippets. The coonhound seminar had reinforced in my mind that the Whippet standard describes a hound whose job is to bring home a hare for dinner. The mission is not to find the prettiest dog but the one who combines the qualities of athleticism and elegance.

My Winners Dog gave no doubt that he would fill the dinner pot, then curl up by the hearth to be admired. He was Wildfire’s Sonoran Sun. My Reserve was a puppy who would step right into those shoes, Windborn Oxford New Moon at Krisdan. When the Bred By Bitches entered, a class of 14, my eyes were drawn to one bitch in particular.

I thought, “Wow.” Until you examine a dog you don’t know if the muscle quality is there and topline is flexible and the up and back is sound. Put this bitch up on the table, and when my hands touched her, her muscle sang beneath my fingertips. She was like a coiled spring. Into my head popped the CONTINUED ON PAGE 102

Dog News 73

Lehigh Valley Kennel Club

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 62

During the two days, there are eye clinics with Dr. Gus Aguirre (a world-renowned canine ophthalmologist), tattoo clinics, lectures on canine health, training, and a variety of other topics; breed booths; booths from various dog groups such as service dogs, search and rescue, and Seeing Eye dogs, and vendors. AKC Sanctioned match shows – conformation and obedience – are held on Saturday and Sunday. Anyone in the area who has had a promising puppy knows a win at the Canine Learning Experience match is a special honor, a memory treasured for many years. The match shows are superintended

by Jim Rau Dog Shows, so exhibitors know things will be well-arranged and run smoothly.”

For a certainty, there is truly something for everyone on the Canine Learning Experience menu.

Besides all the above, one can see demonstrations of agility, flyball, search and rescue exercises, dancing (with your canine friend, of course), canine chiropractic, junior showmanship, and conformation handling.

Then there are also commercial vendors with a wide array of pet foods, supplies, arts and crafts, and more. In addition, kids enjoy stories, face-painting, and visits with the Reading Dogs. Each year’s program is full of events eagerly anticipated by all.

Show attendees can recall a variety of venues for the club’s points shows, both indoor and outdoor.

My personal favorite is Macungie Memorial Park, not too far from Allentown, PA. The club is returning to this location for 2010, and hopefully will be joined by another club for a bang-up weekend of shows. Their December show is held at the Philip Rauch Field House, Lehigh University.

The club’s points shows are always popular with east coast exhibitors. Held in September and December, the shows are part of a weekend of shows

74 Dog News

including other neighboring clubs. The September show, as mentioned, will return to Macungie, near Allentown, in 2010 and be chaired by Denice VanDriesen. The December show, chaired by Dominic DeBalsi, is one of the last shows of the year and is held in the field house at Lehigh University with a weekend of companion shows. Both sites allow exhibitors easy access to hotels, good restaurants and other things to see and do while in the Lehigh Valley.

“Our biggest challenge is keeping entry numbers up,” commented VanDriesen. “The economy has certainly played a big part in reducing the entry numbers. We try to control expenses while still making the show enjoyable for the exhibitors.”

The LVKC is very much involved with getting the word out about responsible dog ownership, as well as supportive of many caninerelated activities and services. “We support Allentown-Bethlehem canine programs, canine oxygen masks for emergency response, and various dog shelters,” reported Ed Smizer, a long-time club member, sometimes chair of Canine Learning, and past president. Smizer is now a licensed superintendent with Rau. “We help with K-9 units for police by contributing thousands of dollars in support,” said Smizer. “The club makes annual donations to therapy dog organizations as well as K-9 search and rescue programs We also have an ongoing veterinary scholarship program for second year vet students, awarding $1,000 annual scholarships.”

Community involvement, encouraging responsible dog ownership, and user-friendly dog shows all add up to a great club. We wish them at least another 100 years! •

Dog News 75

True North (Strong and Free) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50

with three all-breed shows held in Calgary, Alberta.

There are also many specialty shows held in conjunction with the all-breed shows. Here in Canada, specialty clubs can and usually do have their Breed, Group, or limited breed specialty shows on the same day and in the same venue as the all-breed show. The specialty is run separately from the all-breed show. So you can go Best in Specialty Show and Best in Show on the same day or conversely Best in Show and best of opposite sex in specialty. There are two sets of points for the breeds involved. This seems to help entries and expenses for both of the clubs, although at times, the scheduling can get a little tricky.

Best in Shows at the Alberta Kennel Club shows for the first two days were done under American judges Donald Booxbaum and Lee Reasin. Both put up the Pug dog Ch Xoe’s Oscar De La Hoya. I believe this broke the Pug record for Best in Shows in this country. Day 3 under another US import Stephen Hubbel, was the Beagle Torquay Shrek. (Beagles here are shown as one breed and not 2 varieties.)

Also on the same weekend is the Wildwood KC shows held near London, Ontario. The Best in Shows here the first two days were won by the Gordon Setter bitch Ch Raggededge Joyride to Kericreek under the American judge (actually a misplaced Canadian) John Rowton and Larry Kereluke, a very popular judge here in Canada. The last Best went to the American Doberman superstar Ch Dabney’s Phenomenon under Patricia Lanctot.

The next weekend brings us to very Northern Ontario, for the Argus Kennel Club. These shows are often attended at this time of year by local exhibitors only, as it is also logistically very hard to get to during the winter months.

Unfortunately, this year that was accentuated, as on his way to these shows popular handler Colin Brownlee was in an accident where his cube van hit black ice and rolled. Thankfully all 13 dogs were fine as well as the passengers, with his assistant Justin spending some time in hospital with a back injury that will see him sidelined for 6 to 8 weeks. We wish Justin a speedy recovery.

The winners here were: under David Markus, the Irish Setter GCh Captiva TurnThe Kerry Blue Terrier, Ch Cranmoss Finbar of Colinca

76 Dog News

American Eskimo dog, Ch NUUKTOK’S ATKA INUKSHUK

ing Heads; under Joan Beech the Flat Coated Retriever Ch Butterblac Rider at Free Style; and under Melvin Beech the Samoyed Ch Celticfrost All Tuckered Out. On to shows held during the time of Westminster, held in almost the middle of this huge country are the four-day combined weekend of the Crocus Obedience and KC and the Wheat City KC. These shows are held in Brandon, Manitoba that is north of Winnipeg MB (also known as Winterpeg). To travel from Winnipeg to Brandon you have to travel over a stretch of road, which is the most often closed stretch of Trans Canada Highway due to snow and ice. It is not for the faint of heart.

Winners were: under David Eadie, the Alaskan Malamute Ch Winterhill’s Blazing Spirit; under Kenneth Hammond of Australia the Golden Retriever Ch Fyreglow’s Lights Camera Action; under Narelle Hammond Robertson also of Australia, the Chow Chow Ch Josol’s Titan; and rounding out the Australian imports Bruce Marquette awarded Best in Show to the Doberman Pinscher Ch Gatehouse Dolce Vita.

Finally, we get to the East coast with two shows being held in Halifax, Nova Scotia by the Halifax Kennel Club. The Best in Show winners were: under Linda Millman the Boxer Ch Elharlen’s Valentina and under Janet Lobb, the Newfoundland Ch Homeport Ebbtide. Both Reserve Best in Shows were won by the Sheltie bitch Ch Shelhaven Sweet Seduction who at this point has more group firsts than any other dog in competition across the country. Reserve Best in Shows are given at the club’s discretion and although they are an official award, they garner you no points. A movement is underfoot to try and have this award given at every show and have the winner get points towards top dog standing for CONTINUED ON PAGE 80

Dog News 77

*Breed points, The Dog News Top Ten List

78 Dog News

Dog News 79

True North (Strong and Free) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 76

it. (The intent is that you would garner all points minus the points from the group awarded Best in Show.) As entries here are declining it is hoped this might put some more interest into the dog shows and make the race for top dog just that much more interesting.

Then like an annual migration we Canadians flock, like our American counterparts, to New York City for the Westminster Kennel Club and all it has to offer. Logistically getting to NYC from almost anywhere in Canada can be quite a challenge but we all manage to do it year after year. The Canadian presence is always noted and this year was no exception with Canadians figuring prominently on both sides of the ribbon. Shirley Limoges looked lovely as she judges the Toy group Tuesday night. Other Canadians also judging this year were, Virginia Lyne, Dr. Richard Meen, Dr. John Reeve-Newson, and James Reynolds. Northern dogs that did well were the Canadian French Bulldog that topped the group Monday night, Ch Robobull Fablehaft I’m on Fire, bred and co-owned by Canadian Shelley St John. Best of breed winners from Canada were: the Irish Red & White Setter, Ch Shiredak Caniscaeli Windsong; the Irish Wolfhound, Ch Wofhaven Ain’t No Fool to Olugh; the Great Dane, Ch Strider N Leinenstones Katalea; the Kerry Blue Terrier Ch Cranmoss Finbar of Colinca; the Sealyham Terrier Ch Efbe’s Merci Pour le Poivre (who was also Canada’s Top Dog All breeds in 2008); the Westie Ch Mac-Ken-Chars Superhero; the American Eskimo Dog Ch Nuutok’s Atka Inukshuk; the Standard Poodle, Ch Dawin Spitfire; the Finnish Spitz Ch Pikkimokka Badg Sir Barksalot; and the Bouvier Ch Quiche’s Demetrius.

As well as these 11 breed winners, Canadian

dogs won 15 Awards of Merits and six Best of Opposite Sex Awards. It is interesting to note that in Finnish Spitz the Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex and an award of merit all went to Canadian dogs. Also of note was the highly competitive Standard Poodle breed, judged by Andrew Brace. Mr. Brace wrote in an article in another publication that he thought that at the time of writing (which was August 2009) that Canada was one of, if not the easiest country to get a championship in. This proud Canadian took offense to this as Champions of certain breeds in certain areas of our great country may be quite easy at times just as they can be in the US. For Mr. Brace to make this statement I felt was rather presumptuous at best (and arrogant at worse) so I quite enjoyed the Standard Poodle judging where the Best of breed and best of Opposite sex winners were both Canadian bred and owned. All in all, it was a great week as usual for Canadians and their four-footed friends.

After the festivities of the Westminster week died down the Ontario Dog show fancy madly dashes for home to take part in the Ontario Breeders four day shows. These shows start the Thursday after Westminster and run until Monday.

Day 1 and Day 3 saw the Hammonds from Australia put up the PBGV Ch Soletrader Bjorn Borg who has a kennelmate who is currently doing well in the US. Sandra Anderson put up the Irish Setter GCh Captiva Turning Heads and Bruce Marquette gave the nod to Standard Poodle (BOS winner at Westminster KC) GCh Classique Scaramouche. There was also the Eukanuba Best of the Best Competition, an unofficial event for the Top 100 dogs of 2009. This was won by the Miniature Smooth Dachshund Ch Grandgables Wee Mr Red Thorn.

As you can see, the dog shows in Canada do get off to a slow start. Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, held in Vancouver, British Columbia compounded that this year as many show giving clubs in that area cancelled or postponed their shows normally held in February and March. It seems the demand for hotel rooms and airline tickets as well as problems with logistics for traveling would have made the shows either economically unfeasible or logistically impossible. So although the games were a boom for Canada on the whole, they have slowed down the start to our dog show year.

As of March 1, 2010 the top dogs in Canada were: #1 PBGV Ch Soletrader Bjorn Borg #2 Pug Ch Xoe’s Oscar De La Hoya #3 Gordon Setter Ch Raggededge Joyride to Kericreek #4 Irish Setter GCh Captiva’s Turning Heads #5 Am Cocker Span GCh Sjoblom’s All That He Touches #6 Std Poodle GCh Classique Scaramouche #7 Beagle Ch Torquay Shrek #8 Frenchie Ch Petite Cherie Savoir Faire at Foxmoor #9 Sammy Ch Summerhill’s Bear With Spirit #10 Saluki Ch Carmas Indian Summer Interestingly enough, the smooth Saluki bitch is #11 and only 17 points out of the #10 spot. Rounding out the Top dogs, the Sheltie bitch Ch Shelhaven Sweet Seduction CGN is Top Herding Dog and the Top Terrier is the Westie Ch Gallaurie’s Zoom Zoom.

The Great Dane, Ch Strider N Leinenstones Katalea 80 Dog News

Well that has everyone caught up on the Canadian dog show scene. As these articles progress we will talk about all aspects of Canadian dogs including breed specific legislation, the cropping and docking ban, junior handling as well as keep you up to date on the top dogs here! •

A GOOD CUP of TEA

Ch.The Island’s My Cup ofTea

CAN BRIGHTEN ANY DAY Owner: Carol Wilson The Island Kennel Marietta, Georgia wils8029@bellsouth.net web: www.theislandkennel.com

Agents: Judi Hartell, PHA & Patsy Wade. PHA Infinity Kennels Austin, Texas datadawg@austin.rr.com web: www.infinitykennelsonline.com Dog News 81

Ch. Clussexx See You ALLIGATOR Is Spot On! Breeders Doug Johnson Jeane Haverick Wayne and Kellie Holbrook Presented by Laura King Erin Gimbut Assisted by Alex Romero NEW OWNERS LADIES ONLY Beth Dowd, Pinehurst, North Carolina Tracey Garvey, Sydney, Australia Gail Drucker, Mill Neck, New York Jeane Haverick, Antioch, Illinois Kellie Holbrook, Alpharetta, Georgia 82 Dog News

Later Alligator

Judge: Mrs. Wendy Willhauk Sporting Group Second Cyclone Country Kennel Club of Ames Dog News 83

Dash Reigns Supreme at the Garden Best in Show, National Best in Specialty Winning and now Two-Time Westminster Kennel Club Best of Breed winner!

Judge Mr. Joseph Joly III

Number One* English Toy Spaniel 2010 Owned By: Doug Johnson Jamie Hubbard Jeane Haverick Wayne Holbrook Jackie Rifenbergh 84 Dog News

Presented By Laura King Erin Gimbut Assisted By Alex Romero *The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed points

Dog News 85

Aroma“Therapy” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54

night) skunks can deliver a knock-out blow at incredible ranges.

One of my old gun dogs, a master hunter Brittany, was drawn to skunks like a moth to a flame. At the first hint that there might be a skunk in the area, a strange, unworldly gleam would come into her eyes and she would not rest until she had found it. Even though every single one of these encounters resulted in her being sprayed followed by banishment from the house until it was possible to stand her presence once again proved to be no deterrent. The fact that she had never managed to actually kill a skunk also made no impression on her. When it came to skunks, Sparky was the canine equivalent of a heroin addict. She simply could not leave them alone.

It would be impossible to enumerate the occasions when she returned, even from a trip in the yard, reeking of skunk oil. The worst was one year on the opening day of pheasant season when she managed to find a recently deceased skunk, roll on it and break the scent glands. Despite using every deskunking recipe and product known to man, nothing but time finally erased enough of the stink so you could tolerate her anywhere but downwind and that took a good six months. Even then, when she’d get wet, the ghost of that long-dead skunk would reassert itself.

When Sparky finally went off to her eternal reward at the age of fourteen, and for the sake of the Almighty’s olfactory senses I sincerely hope she was assigned to a part of heaven that was devoid of skunks, I thought my days of dealing with skunked dogs would become less frequent in number. Unfortunately, that was not the case because Belle, Sparky’s replacement, not only had a similar affinity for skunks, although she was not nearly as dedicated as Spark had been, but I was also judging hunt tests. I quickly discovered, if I really needed a

A skunking at some point is probably inevitable if you venture into the field often enough so you would be wise to carry a deskunking compound in your vehicle at all times.

86 Dog News

reminder since my Chesapeakes also occasionally tangled with them, that my dogs were not the only ones who loved the challenge posed by skunks.

What’s more, it always seemed like the dogs who rode to the tests inside an SUV or in the truck’s cab had the greatest need to find and attack any skunk that might have strayed into the test area. Like the doomed Light Brigade in the Crimean War of 1854, these dogs continue to charge an enemy that holds all the advantages including superior weaponry.

O

ne instance that stands out in memory involved a cuddly little setter who absolutely adored her owner. Before it was her turn to run , she spent the waiting time sitting or sleeping in his lap. Whenever he would move, she would gaze worshipfully at him before she’d reward his movement with a couple of quick doggy kisses. As it happened, the day opened with a dense fog that delayed the start of the test by two hours as my cojudge and I waited for the fog to lift enough so we could keep track of the dogs. Once the fog finally shifted enough to safely start the test, the heavy duty humidity still remained. Although it made for wonderful scenting conditions, for the setter as well as her owner, a gunner, one of the judges and a horse, the scenting conditions were too good.

About halfway through the back course, I noticed the setter showing a lot of interest along the edge of a small marsh. While no birds had been planted in that area, it was certainly possible that some had flown off the bird field during the running of prior braces so motioning the gunner toward the setter’s busy sniffing and tail-wagging, I also urged the horse in the same direction. It was not a good move. When I got closer, I saw what had piqued the setter’s interest. It was a mama skunk and her half dozen skunkettes, all with tails at rigid attention. Skunk babies, incidentally, do not take a backseat to adult skunks when it comes to chemical warfare. They harbor just about as much toxic gas as their parents.

I yanked the horse around in a rollback that would have merited perfect scores in Olympic equestrian competition and drove both spurs into his flanks. He exploded out of the area like someone had lit his tail on fire but fast as he was, it was not quick enough to avoid the fallout from the skunk attack. Still we were far more fortunate than the gunner, the handler and the setter. They bore the full brunt of the skunk bomb. But that apparently did not serve as a deterrent to the setter as she once again charged the skunk family only to be blasted once again.

That stopped her. Rolling around on the ground in agony as her handler and the gunner coughed, gagged and retched from the stench, the setter sought the one remaining refuge she could find.

She jumped into her owner’s arms thus giving him a second shot of skunk. No surprise that it ended the test for the setter, her owner, the gunner, the judge and the horse. CONTINUED ON PAGE 92

STARTING THE NEW YEAR OFF WITH TWO GROUP FIRSTS Our sincere appreciation to Judges Mrs. Betty Joe Patrick, pictured, and Mrs. Lee Canalizo

Lovingly Bred & Owned By Arlene Pietrocola

Superbly Presented By Brian Still Dog News 87

TiMMY

CH. SUNRUMBA’S HONOR Owner Dr. Patricia F. First Breeder/Co-Owner Robin Castillo Handled by Doug Toomey

88 Dog News

AND

HARMONY

OF

AIGH JC

Flash 2010 Clemson Kennel Club (1) Best of Breed - Judge Mrs. Robert Forsyth Group First - Judge Mrs. Houston Clark Clemson Kennel Club (2) Best of Breed & Group Second - Judge Mr. Joe C. Walton Sawnee Mountain Kennel Club of Georgia Best of Breed - Judge Dr. Eric Liebes Conyers Kennel Club of Georgia Best of Breed - Judge Mr. Alberto Berrios Lawrenceville Kennel Club Best of Breed - Judge Mrs. Molly Martin Greenville Kennel Club Best of Breed - Judge Mrs. BettyAnn Hale Spartanburg Kennel Club Best of Breed- Judge Mrs. Barbara Pepper Hendersonville Kennel Club Best of Breed - Judge Mr. Juan Rivera

EDDiE

CH. EVOLUTION’S EDDIE IZZARD Owners Sallie Cummings Kathy Varian Toomey Doug Toomey Joy De Gruccio Breeders Tiffanie & Daren Gisseman Handled Exclusively By Doug Toomey

Flash - 2010 Clemson Kennel Club (1) Best of Breed - Judge Mr. Robert Forsyth Clemson Kennel Club (2) Best of Breed - Judge Mr. Joe C. Walton Charleston Kennel Club (1) Best of Breed - Judge Mrs. Patricia Trotter Charleston Kennel Club (2) Best of Breed - Judge Dr. Gerard Penta Sawnee Mountain Kennel Club of Georgia Best of Breed - Judge Dr. Robert Smith Group Second - Judge Ms. Sandra Goose Allen Conyers Kennel Club of Georgia Best of Breed - Judge Ms. Sandra Goose Allen Lawrenceville Kennel Club Best of Breed - Judge Mrs. Robert Smith Greenville Kennel Club Best of Breed - Judge Mrs. Betty Anne Stenmark Spartanburg Kennel Club Best of Breed - Judge Mr. Kenneth McDermott Dog News 89

the

Gossip column

MARCH…DETROIT, LOUISVILLE, TAR HEEL CIRCUIT and that other yearly MARCH MADNESS (to take a basketball phrase) occasion, the elections of AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The March annual meeting has the biggest turnout of delegates. This year the delegate body had a field of five to choose from. The five delegates running for the CLASS OF 2014 have served on the board or were currently serving. The nominating committee nominated CHARLIE GARVIN & PATRICIA SCULLY (who left the board last year because of term limits… so wait a year and jump back in, so what’s the good of term limits) and WILLIAM NEWMAN (who was currently seated).

Two candidates ran from the floor.

The currently

90 Dog News

By Eugene Z. Zaphiris

seated CARMEN BATTAGLIA (who was alleged not to know there was a deadline to let the nominating committee know that he was interested in running, and so the run from the floor) and STEVE GLADSTONE, who also was off the board for a year due to term limits (hopefully, the delegates will abolish this useless rule sometime this year). So following all the phone calls, letters and questionnaire conducted by JOHN MANDEVILLE that appeared in the Westminster issue of DOG NEWS, as it does every year, the votes are in.

Of over 600 delegates, there were 396 who voted at this election. A majority vote is necessary, so the magic number is 198 to win. The first ballot elected the three winners: CHARLIE GARVIN with 238 votes, PATRICIA

SCULLY with 218 votes and WILLIAM NEWMAN with 217 votes.

The two unelected were CARMEN BATTAGLIA with 175 votes and finally STEVE GLADSTONE with 172 votes.

The wise money was on GARVIN & SCULLY winning and with GLADSTONE & NEWMAN duking it out. So now CARMEN can go back on his cruise seminars and STEVE can field law suits against the Kennel Club, where he found his fame to begin with. But, you never know, both men could be back next year for another try, never say die. One change I would hope the board would make is when directors (because of their position as board members) are placed on other boards like the Canine Health Foundation or CAR, that when they are no longer directors

they also relinquish their positions in these affiliate organizations.

In other words, it’s the position as a board member not the individual who holds the position.

So now we get a month or two off until the next round of elections becomes fodder for the delegates.

Handlers CHRIS MANELOPOULOS & RACHEL CORBIN just returned from a trip to Australia, from where CHRIS hails. It was a special reunion as CHRIS hadn’t been back home in twenty years. EDD BIVIN celebrated his birthday with a trip to Germany and Poland, so who needs sand and surf in March?

An interesting referendum put to the voters of Switzerland last week that would have compelled all districts to hire lawyers to defend the rights of animals in court cases. The

thought behind the proposal was that those accused of mistreating animals have the right to an attorney in court and so should the animal.

71% of those voting rejected the proposal, a big blow to animal rights groups.

Switzerland is said to have some of the toughest animal rights laws in the world. A 2008 law requires prospective dog owners to take a fourhour course before buying a pet. In a nod to our northerly neighbors, all of us at DOG NEWS are pleased to welcome ALLSION FOLEY, a well known and much traveled Canadian as our newest columnist. ALLSION will keep us abreast of what’s happening north of the border. She is a much welcomed addition and fills a big void in our reporting of all things dog show related.

Zoso’sComeFlyWithMeSummerwind Sire: Am. & Can. Best In Show/Specialty Best In Show Ch. Polo In The Air Tonight SC

Dam: Ch Zoso’s Alaskan Dream

Frankie Was Returned, Shaved Down, To Me Less Than Four Months Ago, Much To My Fortune, Their Loss...

First Time Out Frankie Wins Winners Dog Under Judge Mrs. Carol Spitzer At Silver Bay Kennel Club, February 28, 2010.

Shown, Groomed, Loved And Cultivated By: Rosemary Sutton.

Watch For Frankie And Rosemary, We Are Expecting Big Things To Come.

Owner & Breeder: Jerre Ford ZoSo Kennels Reg. www.angelfire.com/stars4/zoso zoso123@msn.com

Handler/ Agent Rosemary Sutton Summerwinds summerwindsBis@aol.com Photo By: Mark Burhart Dog News 91

Aroma“Therapy” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 86

Y

ears of training retrievers had taught me to always carry a complete change of clothing in the truck in case I had to go in the water to remind a retriever that they actually did have to listen to me when they were swimming. I also always carry a couple of boxes of deskunking compound in my truck. Fifteen gallons of water and the contents of both boxes were not nearly enough to make things bearable for the gunner, the setter and her owner. It goes without saying that the dog had ridden to the test in the front seat of her owner’s Suburban so that meant that her owner would be enveloped in skunk all the way home and the vehicle would also be saturated with the stench.

An attraction to skunks is not just a sporting dog problem. Hounds, terriers including the smallest in the terrier group, non-sporting dogs that are or were hunters and even the occasional toy breed that stems from a hunting background all suffer from “skunk fever.”

I have a couple of friends with herding dogs who say their dogs also have this malady.

So, since a skunking at some point is probably inevitable if you venture into the field often enough, the question is, how do you deal with the aftermath of a skunk encounter. The first thing is to forget the old tales you’ve heard about dousing the dog with tomato juice. All you get with that “remedy” is a dog that reeks of skunk and tomato juice.

The appropriate first step is to flood the eyes

When an oily-coated breed like a Chesapeake has shaken themselves free of water from a particularly noxious swamp with most of the water landing on any hunters dumb enough to be within ten yards of the wet Chessie, there has been a tendency for the hunters who escaped the shower to pointedly tell the hapless recipients to “stand the hell downwind.” But this stink pales in comparison to a close encounter with a skunk.

92 Dog News

(the dog’s and yours if you have also been close enough to get hit in that area) immediately with plain clean water. This will remove as much of the spray as possible. Then it is time to tackle the stink.

My personal choice for deskunking is a commercial preparation called Odormute but there are several anti-skunking preparations that are effective and you would be wise to carry one of these preparations in your vehicle whenever you and the dog go afield. You can also make your own using the following: A quart of fresh hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda and a teaspoon of liquid soap. It is a good idea to use latex or plastic gloves when you deal with this potion. Combine the ingredients in an open container because it will explode if you do it in a sealed container. Wash the dog with warm water and then work the mixture well into the dog’s fur while it is still bubbling. Keep it away from the dog’s face and eyes. If the dog has been hit in the face, try using almost any over-the-counter douche product. Let the hydrogen peroxide/ baking soda/soap mixture stand for about ten minutes before you rinse it off making sure you don’t get any of it in the dog’s eyes. If necessary, and it frequently is, repeat the procedure with a fresh batch.

The way this works, according to a chemist friend of mine, is that skunk spray is composed of low molecular weight thiol compounds called mercaptans. (Methyl mercaptan is what they put in natural gas so you can detect a gas leak.)

One of these mercaptans, trans-2 butenyl thioacetate was discovered only when a chemical analysis was done of skunk spray. The hydrogen peroxide/baking soda mix was developed to remove mercaptans used in industry or as military weapons. The oxygen in the hydrogen peroxide releases the thiols that make skunk spray stink as it foams up which is why it has to be used immediately after you mix it and the detergent removes the oil in the spray that holds the scent to the dog’s fur. Did you get all that? Well, don’t feel bad if you didn’t. My chemist friend explained it but finally, after the third or fourth attempt, still seeing the blank look on my face, he resorted to writing it down with the admonition to copy what he wrote verbatim.

However, all you need to know is that the mixture works. At least it does most of the time.

But skunk oil was meant to be persistent providing a long-lasting memory of your skunky encounter. In fact, as long as three months after an ordinary skunk/dog interaction, despite multiple baths and the application of various skunkbe-gone products, the dog may still have a faint but potent skunk odor and this is especially true when they get wet. Of course, about the time you can not longer detect even the tiniest whiff of skunk is usually when your skunk-addicted dog will find another woods kitty to harass serving as a reminder that there is no such thing as a skunk-proofed dog. •

S

incerest thanks for your support during a very difficult time in my life. Your cards, calls, memorial contributions and many kindnesses mean very much to me and are the best tribute to Victor.

Victor would have been so pleased to read your impressions of him with regards to his kindness because his motto was “It is nice to be important, but more important to be nice”.

I was blessed to have loved and been loved

by Victor at a very young age and I am forever grateful for all of those years.

I thank each and every one of you for sharing our wonderful life together.

— Sue Capone Dog News 93

The Best In Show and Best In Specialty Show Winning

Ch. Blackthorn’s

In 2008, Daisy was the Number One Dalmatian Bitch and Number Four overall.* In 2009, Daisy was on maternity leave for 5 ½ months and still cracked the top 20.** Thank you to the following judges for awarding her Best in Show or Best in Specialty Show: American Best In Show - Mr. Kenneth Rayner, Jr Canadian Best In Show - Mr. James G. Reynolds Canadian Best In Show - Ms. V. Ann Hennigan Best In Specialty Show – Mrs. Cheryl Myers-Egerton Best In Specialty Show – Mr. William Cunningham Best In Specialty Show – Ms. Jan Warren Best In Specialty Show – Mrs. Marge Calltharp Best In Specialty Show – Mrs. Helen Lee James Best In Specialty Show – Mr. Joe Walton *Breed points, All Systems **CC & SS Breed Systems

94 Dog News

Flower Power

P

Pictured recently receiving a Group Second with Judge Mrs. Molly Martin Owners Bertha Little Joan Eversole, DMD

Breeders Sara Pruyne Linda McSherry Sue MacMillan

Handler Jeff Langevin

Dog News 95

“THE HOTTIE SCOTTIE” EXPRESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 58

In the days before Sadie won the world’s greatest dog show, there was plenty of work to go around for other Best In Show winners.

As the reigning Westminster king, Stump (2009) put in pawprint-signing and photo-taking appearances on Friday at the NBC Experience Store, Capital One Bank and Saks Fifth Avenue. That same day, Uno (2008) helped the Barclay Intercontinental Hotel announce and celebrate their rollback of a “no dogs” policy. Later that night he appeared at “Barkfest” at the Hotel Pennsylvania. Stump, Uno, Rufus (2006) and JR (2002) all appeared on The Early Show on CBS on Saturday morning before headlining a charity event that night.

On Tuesday of the show, NASDAQ celebrated Westminster’s new breeds by having Irish Red and White Setters

it from s his vis y jo n e Trump Donald fice t his of Sadie a

and Pyrenean Shepherds participate in the closing bell ceremonies. Martha Stewart invited many of the entered Chows and French Bulldogs onto her show.

And the world noticed it all, in spite of the Winter Olympics and American Idol.

Westminster issued 750 media credentials to media representing 22 countries (breaking the old record of 600 credentials). A million copies of a television viewers guide were distributed in major newspapers across the country and stories were in every major t n e m media in print, television, radio, and online. the mo y share il m a f And through it all, Westminster and his Trump er entourage ld a n o D h found its way into the world of sodie and with Sa cial media, with 21,000+ fans on Facebook and 1,100+ followers on Twitter by the time the week was over. •

96 Dog News

Am. & Best In Specialty Show Winning Can. Ch. Michaeldane JB Pocket Change

Sire: Best In Specialty Show Winning Ch. Michldn JB DGN M T Pockets

Dam: Michaeldane JB Cost a Lot

Thank you Judge Mr. Lester Mapes!

Breeders & Co-Owners

Expertly Handled by

Owned By:

Michaeldane - Mike Chiles 419-536-1857

Michael H. Chiles

Abbie Bower 517-673-0146

Jaybee Danes - Jodie Keim 520-455-5236

Asb22269@aol.com

www.Mdjbdanes.com Dog News 97

Detroit lub C l e n n e K

k c i l c y photos b r Mille Barbara

98 Dog News

Dog News 99

AwashInTheDesert CONTINUED FROM PAGE 72

phrase, “Perfect is perfect.” Everything I was seeing was just right. But I warned myself; she could still fall apart on the up and back.

Not a chance. Her up and back was as sound and correct as could be. She won the class.

Then came another big class – Open Bitch. This time, no one bitch drew my eye, but as I worked through, one bitch absolutely won my heart. I had daydreams of picking her up and fleeing from the ring into the desert, avoiding sheriffs, posses, and police officers so I could keep her forever.

With the two bitches before me in Winners Bitch, how to choose? This is when the judge works the dogs to see if one will win it. Both bitches exhibited great sidegait, spot on up and back. When I looked at the Bred By Bitch, I heard that refrain in my head again, “Perfect is perfect.”

She was really everything the standard asks for, all in correct proportion. She was my Winners Bitch, Oxford Sunbeam Sleepless in Seattle. The Reserve was Starline’s The Sweetest Thing.

It was a surprise to discover that the breeder who judged the specialty on Thursday, Iva Kimmelman, had put up the identical dog and bitch.

When I heard that, I groaned, because some people might use this to claim that judges are in collusion to put up the same winners. But in fact, two breeders who’ve always admired similar dogs made the same choices independently.

Best of Breed was full of quality. It was fun was looking around at eight champion Whippets who were all new to me, with no idea which would emerge as Best. After examination and gaiting, one dog and one bitch had fought their way to the top. My eye was especially drawn to the male. In Whippets, it is easier to breed a quality female than a quality male, because the wording and visualization of the standard favor the more curvilinear structure of a female. But the male before me had it all, the taught muscle and elegant appearance inside a definite masculinity. I could eat him up with a spoon, helped by the fact he was the color of vanilla ice cream. He turned out to have a great name, Ch. Runners Call to Arms.

My Best of Opposite Sex was a bitch who struck the same notes, Ch. Charlamar Sashay in White Linen, a fit, streamlined bitch who displayed the kind of balance between elegance and athleticism that our breed needs. After rewarding her, another friend, Paul, told me that last year in Kentucky we had watched a big entry together and I had pointed out this same bitch to him, calling her a beauty.

As it turned out, Iva Kimmelman had taken the Winners Bitch to the breed. Maybe she heard that same refrain, “Perfect is perfect.”

The Cluster was a good caretaker of their exhibitors. There was free coffee in the morning and a fundraiser party on Saturday night that cost only $10 to join in. The parking lots were huge with plenty of room for RVs. There were orangevested workers everywhere giving directions, 102 Dog News

which kept the traffic moving and prevented anyone from parking anyone else in. Coming from crowded east coast dog show sites, that impressed me.

P

eople kept walking by with round sticky labels that read, “I’m here for the DOG SHOWS!” If you stopped at the desk to speak with superintendent Marian Bradshaw, you came away with one of these labels slapped to your shoulder. What’s up with that?

“We want the merchants and government officials and everyone to know that’s why we’re here,” she said. “These shows are bringing a lot of money to this valley. We want to raise awareness and try to head off some of the anti-dog legislation.”

There was a jar on her desk for donations that read, “Shouldn’t the ‘Humane Society’ do better?/ The Humane Society of the United States is NOT your local animal shelter. In fact, it gives less than one-half of one percent of its $100 million budget to hands-on pet shelters./ Meanwhile, this wealthy animal rights group socked away over $2.5 million of Americans’ donations in its own pension plans./ Surprised? So were we./ The dog-watchers need a watchdog./ Join the discussion at: HUMANEWATCH.ORG / Keeping a watchful eye on the Humane Society of the United States.”

Marian says they’ve put up 100 billboards in the Los Angeles area and are collecting to put up 100 more. When HSUS officials saw them, they said, “Hey, don’t lump us in with those PETA folks! Those people are crazy!”

Really? When HSUS Web site slogan reads, “There is no such thing as an ethical breeder,” and their mission statement is about ending pet ownership, its odd that they’re self-image would be, “We’re not like those crazy PETA folk.”

Good work, Humane Watch! You are sticking up for all of us.

The Scottsdale city slogan is, “Bring your passion for life,” which people headed to a dog show will generally do. The City of Scottsdale is one of the sponsors of the shows, which seems like a rare beacon of acknowledgement that dog shows are good for the city economy.

All day Saturday, the cluster committee members worried about what the weather forecasters were predicting. “It’s going to rain tomorrow,” people kept saying.

Since I come from New Jersey where we have had 72 inches of snow, I was unsympathetic. What’s a little rain to month after month of freezing temperatures and foot after foot of snow? Snow that freezes and never goes away?

Sunday it rained gently all day. The dog show went on as scheduled, although quite wet and sloppy. But that night, as we sipped mojitos and munched freshly fried tortilla chips, the skies opened and water poured from above. Pounding, splashing, unceasing rain, the kind of rain that deserts can’t absorb.

Connie Booker and Jim Tysseling and other committee members sadly surveyed their show grounds early Monday morning. “There were only four rings that weren’t totally underwater,” Connie said. “That field is a retention basin. No one could walk on the field. Cars couldn’t get in to the parking lot.

It was dangerous. So we canceled the show.”

The next step was to ferry all the judges to the airport to try to catch earlier flights. I asked how often it rains like this in Arizona. “We’ve never seen rain like this,” said Connie.

Seems to be a strange winter all ovcr the country. •

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