Dog News The Digest Volume 27, Issue 30
of American Dogs $5.00
July 29, 2011
Spencer
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*The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed
Dog News 3
Contents
10
Editorial
14
Irving’s Impressions
18
The Lighter Side Of Judging
BY RONNIE IRVING
BY MICHAEL FAULKNER
JULY 29, 2011
22 Question Of The Week BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
26 Birds Up
BY NICK WATERS
30 A Thought To Consider BY SEYMOUR WEISS
34 Bests Of The Week 38 Ten Questions BY LESLEY BOYES
42 A Shaggy Dog Story That Isn’t Pointless BY MJ NELSON
44 Rare Breeds Of The World: Porcelaine BY AGNES BUCHWALD
48 Brace Yourself BY ANDREW BRACE
50 Turkey Akbash BY YOSSI GUY
106 dog show calendar
52 The British Scene
114 handlers directory
56 A Horror Story At The Memphis Animal Shelter
118 classified advertising
BY GEOFF CORISH
BY CARLOTTA COOPER
60 All In The Family BY CHARLES ROBEY
64 Judges’ Choice: English Springer Spaniel COURTESY OF THE KENNEL GAZETTE
68 Off The Leash
116 subscription rates 120 advertising rates
All advertisements are copyrighted and owned by DOG NEWS, Harris Publications, unless received cameraready. Permission to reprint must be requested in writing.
SHAUN COEN
70 Laser Therapy For Pets BY SHARON PFLAUMER
72 Heat Related Tidbits, Suffolk County & More BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
98 The Gossip Column BY EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS
100 Letters To The Editor 102 Click – Jupiter-Tequesta Kennel Club BY JERI POLLER
110 4 Dog News
Click - The Way We Were BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
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
Dog News 5
Contents
10
Editorial
14
Irving’s Impressions
18
The Lighter Side Of Judging
BY RONNIE IRVING
BY MICHAEL FAULKNER
JULY 29, 2011
22 Question Of The Week BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
26 Birds Up
BY NICK WATERS
30 A Thought To Consider BY SEYMOUR WEISS
34 Bests Of The Week 38 Ten Questions BY LESLEY BOYES
42 A Shaggy Dog Story That Isn’t Pointless BY MJ NELSON
44 Rare Breeds Of The World: Porcelaine BY AGNES BUCHWALD
48 Brace Yourself BY ANDREW BRACE
50 Turkey Akbash BY YOSSI GUY
106 dog show calendar
52 The British Scene
114 handlers directory
56 A Horror Story At The Memphis Animal Shelter
118 classified advertising
BY GEOFF CORISH
BY CARLOTTA COOPER
60 All In The Family BY CHARLES ROBEY
64 Judges’ Choice: English Springer Spaniel COURTESY OF THE KENNEL GAZETTE
68 Off The Leash
116 subscription rates 120 advertising rates
All advertisements are copyrighted and owned by DOG NEWS, Harris Publications, unless received cameraready. Permission to reprint must be requested in writing.
SHAUN COEN
70 Laser Therapy For Pets BY SHARON PFLAUMER
72 Heat Related Tidbits, Suffolk County & More BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
98 The Gossip Column BY EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS
100 Letters To The Editor 102 Click – Jupiter-Tequesta Kennel Club BY JERI POLLER
110 4 Dog News
Click - The Way We Were BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
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
DOG NEWS COVER STORY - JULY 29, 2011 PUBLISHER
STANLEY R. HARRIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SEAN K. GAFFNEY ADVERTISING MANAGERS
SHAUN COEN Y. CHRISTOPHER KING ACCOUNTING
STEPHANIE BONILLA GENERAL TELEPHONE
212 807.7100 x588 FAX NUMBER
212 675.5994 EMAIL ADDRESS
dognews@harris-pub.com WEB ADDRESS: www.dognews.com SUBSCRIPTIONS
IAN MILLER 212 462.9624 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Sharon Anderson Lesley Boyes Andrew Brace Agnes Buchwald Shaun Coen Carlotta Cooper Geoff Corish Michael Faulkner Allison Foley Arnold Goldman DVM Yossi Guy Ronnie Irving Desmond J. Murphy M. J. Nelson Robert Paust Sharon Sakson Kim Silva Frances O. Smith DVM PHD 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
*The Dog News Top Ten List
6 Dog News
DOG NEWS is sent to all AKC approved Conformation 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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8 Dog News
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A Problem To Solve
The unregulated “humane relocation” (referred to as ‘dog trafficking’ by the less politically correct) is possibly one of the greatest threats facing the breeding and registration of the purebred dog today. This unregulated and somewhat underground business has a multitude of problems including but not limited to serving as a vector for life-threatening diseases: forcing taxpayers who have solved their surplus dog problems to pay for the unwanted dog surplus problems generated in distant jurisdictions and displacing local dog adoptions and sales in the receiving areas. While no official relationship has been proven it is interesting to note that the increase in adoptions mimics the decline in purebred registrations just as the number of dog bites has increased, coincidentally or not with the number of dogs adopted as opposed again to the decline in purebred registrations. Getting a puppy from a shelter in oh so many cases is little different from getting one from a pet shop. With the exception that when you get a puppy from a pet shop, by law that puppy must have come through a USDA-inspected facility and will have gone through a number of vaccinations and health checks, which unfortunately is not guaranteed with a shelter dog! Purebred dog breeders at the same time must be more tolerant and responsive to the needs of the family who wants a companion. The breeder should not make purchasing, which is a form of adoption, so overly difficult or onerous that the family turns to the shelter as a last resort instead. Imports of the so-called rescue animals are a major issue. Shelters must be honest about whether they are dealing with a distribution issue or an overpopulation issue!!! In fact many shelters buy from foreign puppy mills and then sell the pups at a substantial profit to the unsuspecting public. Furthermore there are those who believe that the shelters of today are working towards becoming the pet shops of tomorrow. Shelter reporting requirements must be tightened so that people know exactly where their puppy is coming from. Humane relocation is a major focus of this year’s NAIA conference and these pages urge as many of you to attend this conference to be held November 12 & 13 in Harrisburg, PA in order to fully appreciate these problems.
Taking The Moral High Ground
Ronnie Irving’s recent article in DOG NEWS made some very interesting distinctions when he discussed the much debated issue of whether kennel clubs should continue to register dogs whose parents, in breeds where it is necessary, have not been health tested. He makes the point that “It may be attractive from some point of view for kennel clubs and indeed for breed clubs too to demand extremely high standards from absolutely all of their breeders and thus to occupy the moral high-ground. But if to occupy the moral high-ground means that more and more pedigree dogs are bred outside of the
ambit of the fancy--is that really good for breeds in the long run?”. Kennel clubs rightly register all dogs with registered parents on a second level in the UK. For those breeders so intent to be on the so-called high-ground and who do all the appropriate testing this is an option--thus was born the Accredited Breeder Scheme in the U.K.! The demand for certain breeds of pedigree dogs is high in many breeds. If the so-called purist type breeder “does not step up to the plate and breed more puppies of their breed than others will do so and probably with less regard for the health and welfare of the dogs than those in the dog fancy would want them to have.” The demand for certain dogs continues unabated. Aren’t we better off filling this demand by the serious, committed health-testing breeder? Problem is most breeders operate on a small scale and usually want to keep something for themselves too! And once you begin breeding more than a couple of litters a year suspicions arise about what is truly motivating the people to breed with which to begin. Once a breed becomes fashionable the purist, Mr. Irving claims, acts as though it is not happening and makes it difficult for almost anyone to obtain a puppy from them. A sub-culture can develop in certain breeds often producing far more puppies than do the show people/breed club members/’purists’. And today if they can’t find the puppy in the USA and primarily thanks to the Internet they will look to Europe or the shelters instead. Then there is the reverse situation of breeds which today are not as fashionable as they once were and where the serious breeders numbers have dwindled dramatically. There can still be a demand for the pups but hardly anyone is still breeding them, which can turn into a vicious cycle and seems to result in a no decision attitude being adopted.
What Is The Fci?
Yves De Clerq, the executive director of that organization, writes his answer to that self-asked question in a July 1 DOG WORLD (UK) article. Some of what he writes is informative but obviously as the paid Chief Executive Director of FCI it is as expected a biased promotional piece extolling FCI’s virtues and ignoring its faults. Nonetheless and quite innocently in his opening paragraph he states that the FCI is to the world of dogs what FIFA is to soccer in Europe!! Bad analogy to have made considering what is going on with FIFA these days wouldn’t one think. The hallmark of FCI for the international set in the dog world is usually its annually promoted World Dog Show. Held in the premises of a different member country each year this event can represent the highlight of the show year for FCI. Protecting the name brand “World Show” should be one of FCI’s main priorities as it usually earns the organization a large amount of money for which it does no work whatsoever. FCI totally relies upon the host country to set-up and run the events and rakes in a percentage of each entry. Oft times they are great successes both financially and psychologically although there have been past instances where either financially or reception ways the events have been less than sterling. Unfortunately the
Editorial JULY 29, 2011
10 Dog News
100th celebration of FCI lending its name to the host country’s member kennel club was one of the less spectacular presentations it has backed. While the host city was glorious (Paris) the host kennel club was hardly prepared to run an event of the size and scope of that which materialized and FCI as usual did nothing to assist the Société Centrale Canine. Indeed the reaction has been so negative to this show that over 700 exhibitors have urged and are demanding a higher standard for running both the World Show and the European Show in the future. This as a result of the ineptitude of how the show in Paris was produced. This is unheard from the Europeans who are basically strong supporters of FCI come what may! People are demanding a ‘quality assurance’ for future shows which of course would require an entirely different form of corporate management should FCI or the host countries accede to these demands. Well in advance of the show itself and in reacting to some of the other World Dog Shows (not all of them) these pages have mentioned the need for just such guidance and concern. However American opinions in these sorts of matters are usually ignored by many Europeans most of whom consider our shows too sterile and uniformly run and operated for their taste. Time is long past for these organizations and peoples to take a good internal look and change their attitudes and philosophies, that’s for sure!
Dog Meat Trade Tackled
NETWORK FOR ANIMALS has been joined by at least The Kennel Club in the UK in a bid to tackle the international dog meat trade. The canine victims of this trade are forced to live in horrendous situations - dirty and overcrowded usually with a lack of proper food and water and a high rate of injury and fighting incidents among the terrified and hungry dogs. It is reported that the entire production process - from the dog’s living facilities to the way they are transported and the methods used to kill them, which include clubbing, throat-slitting, hanging and electrocution, are inhumane and cruel! It is said that in countries with a high consumption of dog meat, including the Philippines, South Korea and China, the dog meat trade in certain instances is illegal but the law is either not regulated properly or is enforced very weakly. Whether or not certain cultures traditionally consume dog meat or believe it is associated with health benefits for people under no circumstances can these arguments justify animal cruelty said Caroline Kisko of The Kennel Club, which is working to end the dog meat trade by supporting other organizations that are directly involved in the affected areas. There is a petition for Network’s position, which is found at www. networkforanimals.org/take-action-against-dogmeat-trade.php with which one may want to get involved.
Thought For The Week
It’s the heat stupid--keep cool and keep your dogs cool too!!!! No group shows starting at 9:30 pm either as was the case in Houston this past week whatever the reason!! Absolutely inexcusable for this to have happened. How could Events at AKC permit such a thing? What a dreadful example to set. Who and why this happened should be investigated and proper action taken to prevent this from ever happening again.
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12 Dog News
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An Occasional Column by Ronnie Irving
IRVING’S IMPRESSIONS Field Rep Systems Compared
The AKC Website states “The following Conformation Field Representatives attend all-breed and specialty shows throughout the year, serving as a liaison between clubs and the AKC. Field Reps provide show committees, exhibitors, breeders, judges and novices with information regarding rules, regulations, policies and procedures. They also assist in judges’ education and the judging approval process….” It seems to me that the experience required to carry out the show guidance and informationproviding side of the Field Rep’s job calls for one set of skills. The judges’ education and judging approval aspects would seem to me to call for a completely different set of skills. Should these two basic tasks continue to be combined? My first time attending a dog show in the USA was in 1974. That was the first occasion on which I judged the Border Terrier Club of America’s National Specialty which, in those days, was held in Vermont as part of the New England Circuit. That was my first encounter ever with the AKC’s Field Representative System – a system which in some respects I felt worked very well but which in other respects I felt was a significant intrusion into the judge’s right to judge without unnecessary and undue interference. I had been well warned that, especially as a foreigner, I would be watched and evaluated and by and large that seemed to me then and still seems to me now, to make sense – particularly for foreigners. On that occasion all went well.
Connie Barton – The Doyenne Of All Field Reps
On one subsequent occasion I had something of a contretemps with that ‘Doyenne of all Field Reps’ – Connie Barton - about dismissing a dog from the ring that I shouldn’t have dismissed. In the first cut in a big Specials Class I put out the Winners Bitch. My grounds for that action were that she was of much less quality than the Winners Dog and that besides, I was dismissing from the ring other bitch specials that were of greater quality than the Winners Bitch. Afterwards the redoubtable Mrs. Barton pointed out the error of my ways. She asked what would have happened in my decision for Best of Winners, if the Winners Dog had gone lame? Never one to accept authority very easily, even in those days, I replied, “Even lame the Winners Dog would have been better than the Winners Bitch!” Not to be outdone Connie came back with “What would have happened if the Winners Dog had died?” I nearly said “Even dead the winners dog 14 Dog News
would have been…..” – but then common sense and my instinct for survival kicked in, and I managed to button my lip. Mrs. Barton was of course right and in subsequent years when we have met up on various occasions, we have laughed about this incident – both I think recognizing that each one of us could probably have handled the situation ever so slightly better! On another occasion – having experienced that first indignity and having, as a result, read the AKC’s ‘Guidelines for Conformation Dog Show Judges’ from cover to cover several times, I went into the ring this time to judge Boxers. I was slightly nervous but confident that I knew the Rules backwards. Afterwards my encounter with the Field Rep wasn’t really very productive. “Oh,” she said, “you stood too far away from the dogs when you were judging them.” Having imagined that my performance had been, if not perhaps perfect, at least beyond Field Rep criticism, I asked her, “Where in the Guidelines does it say how far away from the dogs the judge must stand?” Answer came there none! Sensing that I had hit upon a certain weakness there, and more importantly noting that this adversary was not in the same league as Connie Barton, I produced the Guideline Booklet and asked the Field Rep to show me the relevant section in the book! I knew I had won when she started to finger through the pages in a vain attempt to find some way out of the problem!
Help And Advice
These anecdotes aside, my strong view is nevertheless that the role of the Field Rep is an important one. But with my views perhaps colored somewhat by personal experience, when I eventually returned to live in the UK and became involved with Kennel Club matters on this side of the Atlantic, I determined that whenever I could, I would push for any such system of KC field visits to be restricted to the layout, timing, rule observance, and safety aspects of shows. I was determined to ensure that they would have no influence over the judging side. Indeed that is what the UK system of Field Officers is all about. The Field Officers here are part timers and only visit a fraction of the shows that are held here. They nearly always go to a show if it is being held at a new show venue, if there have been problems with the staging club or if there is a significant change of key committee organizers. We do not have Show Superintendents here in the UK and so the amateur committees do take on a much
more hands on role in the hour to hour and minute to minute running of the shows. UK Field Officers are trained to work as advisors to the show organizers and are supposed at all times merely to help and report back on any issues – not to interfere. To that extent they have a similar role to the Field Reps in the USA.
Judge Evaluation
They do not however play any part at all in the education, monitoring or evaluation of judges. Nor do they take any part in the judges approval process. That job is carried out by another set of people, this time volunteers who are called Judge Evaluators. They are, by and large, appointed by the breed clubs from a list of the most experienced judges of each individual breed. Such lists are supplied by the Kennel Club. Every first-time judge of a breed is evaluated in this way – mostly by a breed expert – and this applies even to multibreed judges taking on that particular breed for the first time. The Evaluator reports back on subjects such as speed of judging, whether or not the person judged consistently from one class to the other and from one dog to the other and went over the dogs in a breed specific way. They also answer questions on whether the person judged according to the rules and judged reasonably according to the standard and whether or not they demonstrated a sufficient understanding of the breed.
Universal Geniuses?
No system is perfect. Obviously the scale of our shows, the ratio of specialist judge to all rounder and the geographic spread of dog showing is very different in the UK from what it is in the USA. That means that our respective systems for monitoring shows and monitoring judges are bound to be different too. Having said that my view is that there are certain fundamental issues that are common to all dog shows. I have to say that in my opinion the skills required for the show aspect of the AKC Field Rep’s job must be very different from the skills required for the judging side. Mixing the two must surely tend to cause muddled thinking – and unless all of the AKC Field Reps are universal geniuses this is bound to lead to controversial situations arising. Situations which are neither helpful nor necessary. PS: I’m judging the Border Terrier National Specialty again this year – for the third time. In so doing I am looking forward to meeting yet another Field Rep and will report back on the experience in October!
Judge
Judge
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The Lighter Side of Judging BAD HAIR DAY By Michael Faulkner
F
or those of you who knew me in my junior handling days and through my late twenties, I was blessed with thick, blonde hair. I clearly remember my mod hairdos of the sixties, followed by the center part – feathered disco look of the seventies. Like a dog breeder of a coated breed – my hair was a prized possession then and not so much now. Every week I plug my trusted Wahl pet clipper, which I purchased at Wal-Mart, into the wall (This is so wrong!) and buzz my head. Reaching the comfort zone of buzzing my head was not quick and easy. I, too, like so many other men dealing with hair loss, explored all options privately. First, I reviewed the ever popular comb over, comb up and comb down. You know – wherever your hair is the thickest, grow it as long as possible, whip in the opposite direction and adhere it to your head. Second, I seriously considered inserting plugs of my own hair directly into my scalp, resulting in a globe resembling the world’s corn crop growth chart, and last …the ever-so-dreaded hair piece. In the end, I have become very comfortable not needing to cover up my assumed fault. With so many other redeeming characteristics, I just knew I would be appreciated and valued for my strengths rather than being penalized for being slightly out of coat. The result is complete freedom and worry from looking like Bozo the Clown or the Mad Professor. Strategizing around my hair buzzing and my weekend dog judging schedule is no easy task. My buzzed hair will stand the test of time for exactly four days before I must repeat the buzz. During an average dog show weekend, I am fine. However, longer periods force me to travel with my trusted Wahl Clippers, find a handler in the grooming area willing to clip my hair after hours, or source a traditional local barber who works late (I only use this option when traveling overseas, as I do not like to travel with clippers and I hate paying $40.00 for someone to buzz my head). For this particular weekend of dog shows in Upstate New York, I am set with my in-home buzz and no need to bring my clippers or source an alternative on-site solution. The show entry 18 Dog News
is 1200 dogs, outdoors, in the middle of the summer and hotter than hell. The club was careful not to over-hire and has packed a handful of judges with full schedules. At fifty years of age, I remain one of the younger judges and I have no problem judging a full load in ninety-degree heat and one-hundred percent humidity. I cannot say this for the other three judges climbing into the mini-van / urban assault vehicle (UAV) as we depart the hotel for our first of two dog show days. At the entrance of the county fairgrounds, we are greeted by a swarm of bright orange vests, directing our urban assault vehicle to additional bright orange vests, who lead us across a grassy area next to the judge’s hospitality tent. Mr. 2BIG (Judge in the passenger front seat), breathing heavily, slowly removes himself from the UAV as Little Old Lady One (LOL1) and Little Old Lady Two (LOL2) judges riding with me in the back seat, gently slide through the side door with the assistance of my right hand and left arm. Both ladies look as if they are attending Sunday church and I am sure their weekend dog show excursions are their only source of travel and socialization. With their tote bags around my arms and their hands grasping my elbows, we parade to the tent with Mr. 2BIG shuffling behind. LOL1 and LOL2, clutching their pocket books, enter the tent as if it were prom night. Once I get them seated, I collect coffee for one and tea for the other, as Mr. 2BIG struggles to balance his large frame on the plastic folding chair. I watch in fear of having to lift him once the chair collapses to the ground. A man of few words, I have been on numerous panels with Mr. 2BIG. When you engage him in conversation, he is usually complaining, finding fault and sweating profusely. This particular morning is no exception. From behind, there is a perspiration line starting from his shirt collar, down his back, and seeping through his trousers as he moves toward the donut tray. God only knows what he will look like at the end of the day! Giving the volunteer grief over the quality of the coffee, Mr. 2BIG returns to our table inhaling each of four donuts in two bite intervals. Aghast at the cream oozing down his chin, I quickly divert my eyes to the top of his head. The sheet of mouse grey hair covering his head is one seamless length of growth beginning from the lower back of his head extending up the back, across the top,
and ending in a slight swirl to the left. I guess it to be approximately twelve to thirteen inches long and coated with an artificial substance, securing it to the scalp while protecting it from the elements of wind and rain. LOL1 announces, “Michael – would you be a dear, fetch our bags and assist us to the golf cart as we need to get to our rings.” Breaking away from my out of body experience, buzzing Mr. 2BIG’s head with my Wahl Clippers, I snap to and respond, “I would be honored to assist two lovely ladies to your chariot.” With giggles and chuckles, LOL1 and LOL2 climb onto the back of the golf cart, grab the sides with one hand and wave in my direction with the other in search of ring numbers three and five. Knowing this is the most thrilling ride either one of these ladies has experienced in a long time – I remain transfixed in a joyful state, watching them get tossed and bumped across the field until their cart disappears around the far end of the event tent. I turn back towards the hospitality tent and witness Mr. 2BIG coming directly towards me in the second cart. Steve the driver slows down and suggests, “Mr. Faulkner, climb aboard and I will drop you off at your ring.” “No, thank you – I prefer to walk.” Mr. 2BIG rolls his eyes, lets out a grunt and makes a gesture with his right hand to move along. Steve, not appreciating Mr. 2BIG’s rudeness, pops the golf cart in quick forward action throwing Mr. 2BIG back into his seat. Raising his left arm, Steve gives me a wave from behind and they, too, quickly disappear around the corner as I march to ring number one to begin my day. With exception of the heat, the day proves to be uneventful. Several bottles of water, plenty of ice and shade provide relief to all. LOL1 and LOL2 and I meet at the group ring at 1:30 with the start of the groups at 1:45. The Sporting Group is the first group to be judged. Having examined all of the breeds earlier in the day, I complete the task in exactly sixteen minutes and thirty two seconds. I return to my seat and assist LOL 1 to the group ring to judge the Non-Sporting group. LOL 1 resides in the Deep South and is not about to let this ninety-degree heat get the best of her. Looking better than she did this morning, she gracefully and methodically judges each entry like CONTINUED ON PAGE 76
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20 Dog News
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The Board is considering giving judges the option to list their judging fee in the Judges DirectoryWhat is your reaction to this idea? By Matthew H. Stander
judges are going to publish what their fees are, unless as in the case of delegates, they only charge expenses, or provisional judges who may only charge a per dog fee. Barbara Miller I read the New York Times from cover to cover mostly every morning. On page 2, at the top of the page, is the Chanel advertisement. On page 3, at the top of the page, is the Tiffany advertisement. These two distinguished companies have a product to sell and proudly let the reader know the price of the item being offered. All American Kennel Club judges have a product to sell: Themselves. As a past show chairman, for 28 years, I always dreaded asking the judge their fee. First it's "Hello" then announcing who and why I'm calling and finally, "How Much?" I believe it would be far more civilized for the judge's fee to be listed in the Judges Directory. I truly can't understand why any judge would balk at this suggestion. Thomas H. Bradley 3d It's certainly OK with me but I am afraid that I don't see the value in doing it. I was taught that in seeking a judge's opinion, the value was in that opinion, not in achieving the cheapest deal possible. I have been accused for years of being "old fashioned"- now I can consider that a "badge of honor". Karin B. Ashe I feel that a judges' fee is a contract between the show giving club and the judge. This is not something that should be advertised as a sale at Macy's! To do this, in my opinion, is the same as advertising one's annual income. Lawyers and doctors may solicit their services, but I have yet to see them advertise their fee for an office visit. Car dealerships may advertise theprice of a vehicle, but I have never seen them advertise what their fee is for selling that car. Let's all realize that this is still a sport with integrity and leave it that way. Kenneth Kauffman I think this could be very good for the show giving clubs as they put together their budgets. I don't think very many 22 Dog News
Jane Forsyth Personally I have no objection to it. As for myself however, I believe it to be a personal matter and will continue to treat it as such. Betty-Anne Stenmark Are they entirely nuts? Bonnie Threlfall Seems pretty tacky to me. What's wrong with just asking? Kathy Beliew Just what do they expect to accomplish? I'm cheap therefore hire me? Don't we usually get what we pay for? To hire a judge based on their fee and not their ability is ludicrous. As show chair our judges are chosen based on their capabilities and qualifications. What I charge one club vs. another is between the club and myself. I certainly don't want to be invited to judge because I'm cheap but rather because my opinions are respected. Janet Allen I think this should be a matter between the individual judge and the individual club. This option makes it seem that judging is a business rather than a passion. Madeline Miller I am uncomfortable with this proposal. Some clubs may go for the least expensive judges without regard to their ability. Also, in many cases, fees are negotiable. For example, a judge may ask for a fee plus expenses OR a per dog amount, depending on circumstances. A stated fee may also be lowered at the club's request, if the judge agrees. Clubs may not realize that the printed fee could be just a starting point, thus eliminating judges from consideration without discussion. There are too many variables to have a fee which may be only part of the picture stated in black and white.
Gerard Penta I think it is a mistake for the AKC to begin listing judging fees. It has the potential to create some unnecessary problems. The AKC has always avoided involving itself in contractual matters between judges and clubs, but this certainly looks like the beginning of AKC involvement in such matters. This could draw the AKC into an area it should continue to avoid. Judging fees change, so there will be the task of keeping up with these changes. The AKC does a reasonably good job of posting information which is generated from within the organization. Information which relies on an external source is another matter. For example, a large percentage of the AKC listing of Parent Club JECs is out of date at any given time. Will a club feel that it has been victimized by a “bait and switch” tactic if a show chair calls a judge who then quotes a higher fee than that which is posted on the AKC listing? Some delegate/judges require that clubs make a specific donation to a charity of the delegate’s choosing. Will this requirement, or others like it, be listed in lieu of a fee? Will the listed judges fees, no matter the amount and any alternate arrangements, be viewed as tacitly approved by the AKC since they are listed on the AKC website? Assuming a club hires judges on some basis other than the judge’s fee alone, what is so difficult about e-mailing or calling a judge in whom the club is interested and inquiring about that judge’s fee? However, if a club is only interested in filling its panel at the lowest possible cost, then a way of prescreening for free judges is a real time saver. This listing of judging fees is purported to be “a service to clubs”, and presumably it is, for those clubs who are in such dire financial straits that they must look for free judges. Certainly it is faster and easier than cross-referencing the Judges Directory and the delegates list. Nonetheless, the greatest motivation, for extending this “opportunity” to judges, may have been to provide more of an opportunity for delegate/judges to gain assignments. Some delegate/judges have been hoping to be identified as delegates in the Judges Directory as a way to advertise their no-fee status. Their wish has just been granted. It strikes me as odd that “a poll was taken” of the Board, rather than a motion made and seconded. Could it be that proponents of this move did not wish to be too closely associated with this new policy, since some may see it as a self-serving action by the delegate/judges on the Board?
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24 Dog News
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Dog News 25
By Nick Waters
WOOD CARVER LARRY LEFNER
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tanding beside a road leading to the beautiful Joshua Creek Ranch, a nationally recognised game preserve and hunting resort owned by Joe and Ann Kercheville in Boerne, 45 minutes north west of San Antonio in the renown Texas hill country, is a monumental sculpture carved from a century-old Texas oak that was struck by lightning. The ranch’s uniquely diverse terrain offers some of the best pheasant hunting habitat and quail hunting cover and to accompany the guests shooting has a team of professionally trained and handled field dogs – English Setters, German Shorthaired Pointers, English Springers, Brittanies, and working English Cockers. Appropriately the sculpture is in the form of one of the working Cockers from the ranch flushing a cock Pheasant from long grass. The final design was arrived at following collaboration between the ranch’s owners and Colorado based but nationally recognised wood sculptor, Larry Lefner. His Fly Fisherman sculpture commissioned by the town of Basalt, Colorado put Larry in a category of his own making. Born in 1945, self-taught and soft-spoken Larry has been carving wood since he was nine years old when his father taught him to sharpen a knife. His first exhibit was in the Laguna Beach Art Festival in 1957 and at college he traded his sculptures for beer money with fellow students. Having moved to Idaho, his earlier pieces there blended art with function,
Images reproduced courtesy Janna Lefner 26 Dog News
BIRDS UP
sculpting many original doors for the area’s custom homes. His more monumental pieces came following his move to Colorado. For years he owned the Woody Creek Art Studio which represented local artists, with an ongoing showcase of his own wood sculptures. His work is in many public and private collections, including that of Henry Catto, one-time United States Ambassador to Britain. The commission from the Kerchevilles giving Larry the opportunity to transform a large oak into a beautiful sculpture was music to his ears. He and his wife, Janna, arrived at the ranch on the 1st April – which some may consider an appropriate date - after a 2000 mile drive south which was fuelled primarily by the anticipation of what was to come. The first task was for an eight-man crew to prune the tree according to Larry’s sizing, take away all the felled branches and prepare the site. Then after eleven days of design collaboration, the real work for Larry began, some days working on it for as long as twelve hours, perched on scaffolding in the Texas heat. First he gauged the bark before wrestling with a chainsaw. The dog was tackled first, the focal point of the sculpture, so the long road of chiselling began until gradually a dog appeared, rough looking at first but after hours of ‘one wood chip at a time’ the shape of a Cocker Spaniel emerged, the coat texture accentuating his muscular fea-
tures which gives movement and character to the dog. He broke more tools than he cares to count working on the coat texture, such was the denseness of the wood. With the Cocker complete, other shapes began to appear, firstly tall blades of grass, an integral feature of the sculpture, which gives it fluidity and binds it all together. Finally Larry reached the uppermost point. There with expert and fast chiselling suddenly a cock Pheasant appeared, colour was added for definition. The grain of the wood with a little colour makes the work more beautiful and life-like. As a final embellishment Larry chiselled his name into the tree which was then coated with a water sealant to protect it from the rain. Following two months of long, hard work, often in searing heat, sometimes cold and wet, using a variety of tools – chainsaw, chisels, other specialist tools, sandpaper – an oak tree that could have been destined for firewood became a work of art - ‘Birds Up’,an English Cocker Spaniel flushing a Chinese ring-neck Pheasant from the tall Texas prairie grass. Larry Lefner’s work can be seen at www.lefnerart.com.
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A Thought to Consider How Badly Does This Buyer Want This Dog?
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By Seymour Weiss
he extent of what people will agree to in order to acquire a purebred dog from a well-regarded breeder is often nothing less than mind-boggling. It is at least equally mind-boggling to consider what some dog breeders will expect, ask for, or bluntly insist on as part of an agreement of sale. And all this continues to thrive even in the current climate of “political correctness” expressed by the animosity to our community and the media encouragement of adopting shelter dogs over dogs available from breeders. If one does the math, it quickly becomes obvious that parting with a king’s ransom for a quality puppy is not only possible, it’s commonplace. Suppose a person interested in a wellbred pet enters into discussions with a breeder who likes selling dogs with as many “strings” as the traffic will bear. A four-figure (routine) selling price is just the beginning. With bitches, a breeder could insist on all or part of a first litter or a portion of more than one litter as part of the selling price. Now factor in the normal pet price for a puppy of your breed and multiply that amount by the number of puppies involved in the deal. That’s like selling a $2,000.00 puppy for $10,000.00 or more. A person who wants a dog badly enough might meet those conditions, but it hardly seems fair to pick someone’s pocket while holding them over a barrel. And this says nothing about the buyer covering the normal expenses that attend the breeding of a bitch, whelping of a litter and the rearing of puppies to a salable age. Throughout all this we have not yet addressed the matter of how the expenses of showing are handled. Let’s face it; most people who come to breeders like us are looking for a dog that will mature into an agreeable companion that will be pleasant to live with. No more, no less. Not for these potential owners are the prospects of the grooming, traveling and frustrations that are all a normal part of showing. And they are unlikely to welcome the costs that come with the way of life we know and love. But that’s us! Holding a proverbial gun to someone’s head so they can have the privilege of paying for the campaign of a dog we bred and want someone else to underwrite is 30 Dog News
taking inappropriate advantage of an unsuspecting innocent. But every such instance varies. Everyone has “war stories” dealing with this very subject. There is usually a better than even chance that there will be at least one puppy in most well-bred litters that could finish in the hands of a breeder-exhibitor who knows his or her away around. And often there will be more. We, as breeders, usually hate the thought of sending a puppy with potential to a pet home to be neutered and never heard from again. Even if the pet home is truly wonderful, there has to be a tiny twinge in the knowledge that one of our breeding that could, will never annex a conformation title. Suppose you are contacted by someone looking for a puppy and the initial interview goes well. If the initial contact is by phone, the buyer’s willingness to show or lack of interest can be established at that time. Today, in the age of the Internet the potential buyer will sometimes make the first inquiry via email. Here you must exercise caution. It is wiser to reply with a contact phone number rather than a direct answer to email questions. In that way you do not make potentially sensitive information public knowledge. If the email correspondent follows up with a phone call, you can proceed to the next level. Otherwise, the request for answers becomes “road kill” on the information super highway. What is the next step? Of course, you will want to meet this potential buyer. No breeder worthy of the name will knowingly send a puppy into the unknown. After meeting the person interested in purchasing one of your dogs, providing all goes well you may wish to revisit the matter of showing. Sometimes the resistant voice on the phone takes a different tone when faced with a puppy’s attractive parents or a wall full of ribbons and trophies. In evaluating the would-be owner, you must determine what is best for the dog, the buyer and for you. The road from the whelping box to the winners’ circle is liberally furnished with some intimidating speed bumps. It is, therefore, imperative for the seller to guide the willing buyer through any and all that emerge and just as imperative for the new owner to trust the seller. Without mutual trust, any relationship is bound to hit the wall. If the new owner is a blank, but willing canvas, he
or she should be invited to a local show where the seller’s dog is being shown. Of course, the seller wants to win in the buyer’s presence. But even if that does not happen, the buyer gets to see the seller’s dogs in comparison to others. If the dogs measure up well, the seed is planted regarding the worth, beyond coin, of what the buyer is about to purchase. If buyer and seller live near one another, the opportunity is created for both to attend training classes together. This provides hands-on nurturing and mentorship. A new exhibitor is often what his or her teacher can make of them. The newbie should be taught about the dog sport positively; there will be many chances to learn about the other side of the coin as one progresses. In the event that buyer and seller are not in convenient physical proximity, the seller may have a friend who lives nearby and who can help out. This often works out well, building strong, long distance bonds. There should also be agreement on who does the coat work. In some breeds, normal good care will be almost all that is needed to get and keep a dog in competitive condition. In these instances, the owner should be able to cover the matter with a little assist from the breeder or a knowledgeable friend. In coated breeds, the new owner’s instruction becomes more involved. An experienced person will probably need to step in or a professional handler may need to be hired to get the dog ready to show. This is where both sides must decide how much each is willing to put into the effort, and if professional help is indicated, who pays and how much? Logistics also play a part. How far will an owner be willing to travel to show a dog? How much time can they put into it and how much would they be willing to spend to hire the services of an expert? Actually, there are no pat answers. As has already been mentioned, every situation is different and most of us have been through the exercise more than a few times. However, it is imperative to be fair to those who come to us to get the best dogs they can find. If, by these efforts, we can find and develop new people in the sport that will carry our collective passion securely into the future, we will have served it well. Thank you for reading.
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Dog News 33
JULY 29, 2011
BESTS of the WEEK Galveston County Kennel Club Pekingese Ch. Palacegarden Malachy Judge Mr. Dana P. Cline Owners Iris Love, Sandra Middlebrooks & David Fitzpatrick Handler David Fitzpatrick Portland Kennel Club - Saturday Smooth Fox Terrier GCh. Slyfox Sneak’s A Peek Judge Ms. Virginia Lyne Owner J.W. Smith Handler Edward Boyes Chambersburg Area Kennel Club - Friday Grand River Kennel Club German Shepherd Dog GCh. Babheims Captain Crunch Judge Mrs. Paula H. Hartinger Judge Mrs. Patricia A. Mowbray-Morgan Owners Jim Moses, Sheree Moses, Deb Stern, J. Lange, C. Navarro, M. Deschamp Handler Jim Moses Houston Kennel Club Wire Fox Terrier Ch. Steele Your Heart Judge Mr. W. Everett Dean, Jr. Owners Torie Steele & Mary Ann Roma Handler Gabriel Rangel Putnam County Kennel Club - Saturday Miniature Pinscher Ch. Kimro’s Dora The Explorer Judge Ms. Barbara Wood Owners Kimberly Calvacca, Robin Greenslade & Howard Schwell Handler Kimberly Pastella
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 34 Dog News
Oklahoma City Kennel Club Ashtabula Kennel Club German Wirehaired Pointer GCh. Mt. View’s Ripsnortersilvercharm Judge Mrs. Barbara Alderman Judge Mr. Ronald Menaker Owners Claire & Kelly Wisch Handler Phil Booth Beaumont Kennel Club Cardigan Welsh Corgi GCh. Aubrey’s Tails of Mystery Judge Mr. Joseph Gregory Owners Cynthia & Vincent Savioli Handler Sherri Hurst Richland County Kennel Club American English Coonhound Ch. Alexander’s Color Me Bad Ginn Judge Mr. Charles Olvis Owner Amanda Alexander Handler Curt Willis Portland Kennel Club - Sunday Redbone Coonhound Ch. Eskai’s Sir Kasper Judge Mr. Donavon Thompson Owner Stephen Hendrix Handler Diane Chestnut American Spaniel Club National Specialty Black Cocker Spaniel GCh. Casablanca’s Thrilling Seduction Judge Mr. Jamie Hubbard Owners Bruce Van Deman, Carolee Douglas, Mary Walker, Linda Moore Handler Linda Pitts Havanese Club of America National Specialty GCh. Bellatak McDreamy Judge Mr. James Reynolds Owners John Oakes, Carole Shea, Kathy & Tom Patrick & Jane Samson Handler David Murray
#1* Great Pyrenees, All Breed
Thank you Judge Dr. Harry Smith
Best In Show and Multiple Group Winning
GCh. Saddle Ridge Power of Won Presented by Nina Fetter, AKC Reg/PHA/DHG Assisted by Kristy Collins Breeder/Owner: Brenda Weiss Saddle Ridge Great Pyrenees Nashville, Tennessee
*The Dog News Top Ten List
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10 QUESTIONS ASKED BY LESLIE BOYES OF:
Michael & Michelle
Scott
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Born: Michael: Central Square, NY Michelle: Flemington, NJ Reside: Chesapeake city, MD Married: 5 years
What year did you start showing dogs and what breeds were they?
Michael: 1968, Standard Poodles! (started juniors at that point) Michelle: 1984, Rough Collie (at match shows)
Which dog no longer being shown would you liked to have shown or owned?
Michael: I got to show the one I wanted... HOLLY!!!! (pointer) Michelle: Sandy D’Andrea’s Malamute that she won the group with at Westminster! I loved that dog! (Nanuke’s Take No Prisoners)
Why do you think most people want to judge?
Michael: To share one’s knowledge about dogs and breeding. To be in the position to voice an opinion. Michelle: Because they are passionate about dogs and for the thrill of discovering the next “great one”!
Who are your non-dog heros or heroines exclusive of immediate relatives?
Michael: Men and women who serve our country. Michelle: Oprah Winfrey. I admire her sense of giving. If I were in the financial position she is in... I would do the same thing!
If you could change one thing about your relationship what would it be?
Michael: Nothing.... I am crazy in love!!!!! Michelle: Ditto!!!!!
How would you describe yourselves in personal ads?
Michael: (written by Michelle) Amazing cook, neat freak!, enjoys travel and fine wines. Michelle: Eternal optimist, always fighting for underdog, non-stop energy... Loves BIG dogs!
Do you think there are too many dog shows?
Michael: No. As long as our dogs are happy and healthy... We can choose more or less shows to attend. Michelle: No. My theory is successful people in other professions work long weeks/ hours in order to be successful. Why should I be different? Our dogs are home each week for downtime and that is key to their happiness.
Which are your three favorite dog shows?
Michael: Westminster, Westchester (at Lyndhurst estate), Morris & Essex Michelle: Westminster, Morris & Essex, Wine Country circuit ( Romulus,NY)
Do you think there should be a limit on the number of times a dog may be exhibited in a year?
Michael: No. It should be each person’s own choice. Michelle: No! Our dogs are happy and healthy... It should be every individual’s decision on how many shows a dog is shown in a year. I wouldn’t want someone telling me a limit of shows.
How do you react to people flying in and out of shows on the same weekend?
Michael: No problem with flying. I do, however, have a serious problem with the abuse of the service dog program! Do not get me started on that! Michelle: I agree with Michael. Our dogs are well behaved enough to also travel on board... But I too feel very strongly that it is wrong to lie about a dog being a service dog!
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OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG
A SHAGGY DOG STORY THAT ISN’T POINTLESS A shaggy dog story is defined as an extremely long-winded tale featuring extensive narration of typically irrelevant incidents usually resulting in a pointless or absurd punchline. But this shaggy dog story is none of the above. BY M.J. NELSON
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While boredom was always an issue in performance activities with Kristine Loland’s OES “Belle” (Am/Can Ch Masquerade Mirabella CD RA AX AXJ JHD OAC NJC O-NGC O-TNN-O TDI), that was not the case when she was herding.
Jim Caplan found he had the most success in herding when he stayed out of “Cruiser’s” (BIS BISS Ch Familytree’s It’s My Day CD RN RA RE HT NJP HCT CGC ) way.
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his is a tale of a shaggy old dog that, despite its bumbling-along appearance, is actually a pretty darned good athlete and a very good herding dog. In other words, it is about versatile Old English Sheepdogs. A small but growing number of OES fanciers are discovering to their delight, much the same as American Cocker, Airedale and Standard Poodle folks have found, that despite many generations of neglect, it is difficult to breed the “bird” out of hunting dogs and the “herd” out of herding dogs. With this realization has come the notion of “Hey, why not give it a try?” and that idea has also spilled over into several performance activities. “Old English were meant to be a working breed. Granted there aren’t many herding-titled dogs let alone true working dogs in the breed and even fewer breeders specifically selecting for working ability or who would necessarily even genuinely know what that is. Despite these limitations, as a breeder myself, I believe that working with my dogs in different activities gives me a truer sense of their real strengths and weaknesses both structurally and in terms of temperament. I KNOW these dogs in a way that showing them in conformation and living with them as companions alone—although I do both as well—simply would not afford me,” said Kristine Loland, whose dog “Belle” (Am/Can Ch Masquerade Mirabella CD RA AX AXJ JHD OAC NJC O-NGC O-TNN-O TDI) has now retired at age 13. “There are so many things an OES can do that, to us, it seemed a waste of the dogs’ abilities to just do conformation,” said Jim Caplan, who with his wife, Grace, owns BIS BISS Ch Familytree’s It’s My Day CD RN RA RE HT NJP HCT CGC (“Cruiser.”) “OES are very intelligent and athletic. They truly want to please you although they sometimes do it in their own way.” This seems appropriate for a breed originally known as the “shepherd’s dog” although there are some who argue that both “Old English Sheepdog” and “shepherd’s dog” are misnomers since the breed originally was an all-around, versatile stockdog. There
is considerable evidence to suggest that the breed initially was a favorite of the drovers as they needed a dog with stamina, steadiness and the courage to drive off predators, stand its ground against unruly livestock and intervene when bulls or oxen decided to attack the drovers. They also needed the tough temperament necessary to be able to move large animals that might not be amenable to going in the direction the driver wished as well the gentleness to move calves and lambs. All of these drover requirements may explain why the OES is successful in so many different performance activities. “OES are often called the ‘dumb blondes’ of the dog show world. But this is a breed that is enormously talented and we need to have more multi-titled dogs to show everyone just how diverse their abilities really are. People, including those with rescue dogs, need to know that success with an OES is possible in many different areas...and for conformation enthusiasts, that yes, there truly is a life beyond brushing and trimming. OES have a very easy going temperament, a very strong build and a considerable amount of willingness to work with and for you. But, you also have to be aware of their sense of humor. They are a very people-oriented breed. They love to be with people and will happily accompany you everywhere including places you may not wish to have company. At our house, it is not possible to take a shower without having at least two OES in attendance to make sure you are doing it correctly,” said Barb Diaz, who owns Ch Dreamtymes Dandi Dunkin Dame CDX RE PT MX MXJ MXP2 MJP XF MFP (“Apache Nicole.”)
“O
ld English Sheepdogs are, in general, outgoing and they want nothing more than to be doing something with their owners. They are true companions that want to be with you during any activity. They are happy, eager, energetic and need a job to do. They have an incredible sense of humor, a strong play drive and are very willing to please. The OES is more than just a pretty face. There are brains, brawn and athleticism hidden under all that coat. That said, the Old English Sheepdog is not a dog that is going to do something 50 times in a row like a Border Collie or a Golden Retriever. When training, I try to get three good repetitions and then move on to something else. It’s important to always keep an OES engaged which means if you were watching us, you might wonder if we were training or just playing. I break every exercise down into small parts and train separately on each part. After a few attempts, you need to move on to something else to keep the dog working happily,” said Janet Trombo, who owns Ch Rosebery Looks Good on Paper MX MXJ AXP AJP OFP RE (“Chase”), Ch Reflections Rollin Doubles CD NA NAJ NAP NJP (“Cooper”) and Ch Pooh-Bears British Accent UD MX MXJ RA OAP NJP (“Murphy.”) The fact that an Old English Sheepdog rarely shows up in a performance activity can sometimes be a
In training an OES for any activity, Barb Diaz said that she found a “triple-P” program of praise, persistence and practice, practice, practice to work best. It paid off with her Old English Ch Dreamtymes Dandi Dunkin Dame CDX RE PT MX MXJ MXP2 MJP XF MFP (“Apache Nicole.”)
problem. “Sometimes you run into instructors who don’t have the ability or desire to work with dogs that don’t fit a certain mold. If you don’t recognize that you are probably setting yourself up for failure. Yes, an OES looks different than most dogs and even behaves somewhat differently than most of the more prominent herding breeds being somewhat more independent than most but they are still dogs and the same sound training principles apply although perhaps with a bit more ingenuity. I also think most people who compete with ‘rare’ breeds feel some degree of pressure. When someone comes up to me after a nice agility run and says, ‘I didn’t know an OES could run like that!’ it is a double-edged sword. Yes it is a compliment but it also brings home the fact that, deserved or not, this is not a breed with an outstanding reputation as a performance competitor and reminds me that I’m not just out there competing with my dogs, I’m representing the breed in a way that handlers of more popular breeds generally are not. The same can be said for herding which was the hardest thing for me to do and there was absolutely no contest! It is the most humbling yet simultaneously awe-inspiring activity I have ever encountered. In agility and competitive obedience, you can teach set behaviors, put them on cue and essentially choreograph the performance. In herding, the handler in theory should still be the one calling the shots. In reality, if you are anything like me, you have absolutely no stock sense. Your dog, however, has some basic instincts to fall back on. They have a sense of what should be happening and how to make it happen and the majority of OES have rather strong opinions in this regard which often involve going too fast, working too close and being too pushy. Part of that probably stems from the fact that they were historically used to move large groups of livestock not three to five flighty sheep which is what you typically find in most herding tests and trials. But, some of the problem probably also can be attributed to this being a breed where almost no one has been selecting for genuine working ability for a very long time so we’re often just
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Dog News 43
The Porcelaine – Franche-Comte – France
by Agnes Buchwald
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ears ago, as a very young girl, I learned for the first time about a dog breed called Porcelaine. In my mind I have pictured a fragile little white dog with long hair, tiny, delicate, almost as breakable as the porcelain itself used to be. My misinterpretation was over when going through a dog encyclopedia I saw the proud holders of this denomination. I found an energetic, strong, active, large and intelligent looking dog whose only similarity with its name is the china’s white color. In honor of the World Dog Show which this year was held in Paris/France, and was won by the American Akita Ch. De Kaner’s Wolverine Revenge “Logan” owned by Mr.Dietro Natti, Italy, I have the pleasure to talk about this French breed; the Porcelaine. The breed originated in the FrancheComté, the former “Free County” of Burgundy, a traditional province of eastern France with a population of 1,159,000. The principal cities are the capital Besancon, Belfort, and Montbéliard . Other important cities are Dole (capital before the region was conquered by Louis XIV in the late 17th century), Vesoul (capital of Haute-Saône), Arbois (the “wine capital” of the Jura),
and Lons-le-Saunier (Wikipedia). Originally occupied in the 4th century B.C. by the Sequani, a Celtic tribe, the region became a part of the Roman Empire after Julius Caesar’s victory over the Gauls in 52 B.C. It was later settled by the Burgundians and, in 534 A.D., conquered by the Franks. In the 10th century the various small courtships of the area were united to form the county of Burgundy. The name Franche-Comté (“Free County”) first appeared in an official document in 1366. In 1384, Franche-Comté passed to Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, under whom it received definite political organization. After the reign of Emperor Charles V, it passed in 1556 to the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs. Under Spanish rule the province did very well and was granted with a large measure of autonomy. Franche-Comté’s prosperity was symbolized by Besançon’s fairs and the new Renaissance edification. Franche-Comté was often invaded by the French, and in 1665 King Louis XIV laid claim to Franche-Comté. Louis was forced to return it to Spain, but another successful invasion was staged, and finally the arch of Saint Martin’s Gate in Paris was erected to celebrate Franche-Comté’s definitive annexation in 1678. In 1790, as part of the administrative reforms brought about by the Revolution, the old province was divided into departments. Franche-Comté was resurrected as an administrative region in 1982. As we are in France let’s talk about the traditional Franche-Comte dishes which are rustic, warm and used to help the people to live in hard and demanding environments. Nowadays the whole world benefits from CONTINUED ON PAGE 80
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BRACE YOURSELF
Should Officials Exhibit at their Own Shows? An Australian magazine devoted to the sport recently posed the above question and my own immediate reaction was “No”. However, having thought about some of the answers and looked at the question in a present day context I realised that this was not as clear cut as you might think.
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t is a subject that has been regularly debated here in the UK where most people are of the opinion that officials should be working at their shows rather than showing. All well and good at large multi-breed shows, but in the present climate when some of the smaller breed clubs are struggling for entries, does it make sense to prohibit all the committee members and officials from exhibiting and supporting the judge they nominated? The way different clubs approach the matter is interesting. Some clubs include in their show schedules a statement that “officials and committee will not HANDLE at this show”. This means that dogs in their ownership may be shown, but not handled by anyone directly involved with the management of the club. This seems to be a reasonable way of solving the problem of falling entries and yet avoiding any question of impropriety. Other clubs however maintain a much more open approach and allow any of their officials and committee to show, believing that the judge they invited will judge the dogs put in front of them regardless. This will not however prevent some disgruntled exhibitors from claiming that club-involved handlers were shown some preferential treatment should they ultimately walk away with major prizes. My own slant on the question is that in this day and age when clubs are floundering with smaller entries there may be justification for allowing club officials to show, provided they have not been directly involved with the aspects of entertainment and hospitality where the judge is concerned. In the original article I read it was often stated that in
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Australia, where even the all breeds shows in rural areas can be relatively small, if the hard working committee did not have the opportunity to show, entries would be even further reduced and it would also be difficult to persuade people to join committees in the first place and undertake the various necessary duties. Certainly in the UK our major all breeds Championship shows are of such magnitude that all the committee people have jobs to do for the smooth running of the event. I cannot really see any necessity that such shows need to allow their officials and committee to show when there are so many other opportunities to do so and for the most part they don’t. Where our breed clubs are concerned, it is arguably another matter. Clubs should of course always try to see things from the judge’s point of view. I recently judged a terrier breed specialty here in the UK. It afforded me a very pleasant day’s judging with some excellent dogs competing and I ended up awarding BIS to a very promising young male who has since made his title. At the end of the show it was officially closed by the club Chairman who made a speech and presented me with a commemorative gift and a cheque for my expenses. I did however feel a little uneasy as the lady who made the presentation was the self same owner-breeder-handler who had minutes earlier won BIS under me! In fairness, I had had no contact with this lady before or during the show, and made light of the fact as she handed over the goodies, but I just wondered how it looked to the exhibitors who were sitting ringside, especially those who are new to the sport. Of course some clubs, particularly in some overseas countries, adopt an entirely different approach to officials showing under a judge and have no problem with entertaining the judge lavishly before showing under him the
next day. This I do find inappropriate and I experienced an extreme example of this some years ago in one of the South African countries where my hosts ironically went to great pains to point out that on no account was I allowed to mingle with exhibitors before the show. However, on the evening prior to my judging I was taken to a private dinner party at the home of friends of the show chairman which was extremely pleasant. You can imagine my anger when the next day the host of the dinner party showed dogs to me without so much as a blush. They did not do as well as they had obviously expected, and it has to be said that thereafter the hospitality became distinctly cooler. This was hypocrisy at a very high level and something that tainted the otherwise pleasant trip for me. Although it was rather tiresome, I felt there was something to be said for the policy adopted by one Asian club I once judged for where they actually had a dinner before the show which was open to all exhibitors and gave them the chance to “meet the judge”. In some ways it was constructive in that some handlers came to me and asked how I felt about presentation in their particular breeds, keen to establish if I had strong feelings about hair spray etc. and whether I preferred dogs topped-andtailed or shown free. (The latter was a no brainer for me!) That I could cope with, but I did have a problem with the stream of diners that queued with photographs and pedigrees of their dogs, especially those who had invested in British imports. Despite its irritation I suppose at least this dinner was not conducted behind closed doors and open to all. At the end of the day the question of officials showing is not as straightforward as it seems. On the surface, in the perfect world it is something that would not happen. However in the current climate there may be exceptions which can be justified. What matters above all is that judges continue to judge the dogs free of any inclination towards favouritism and that clubs do everything in their power to never compromise their judges.
Story and photos by Yossi Guy
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e try to use the Internet to reach the public and when our Kangal and Akbash and the Anatolian Sultan are recognized by the FCI. Tazze are “fast”sighthounds. There are two types, in the south, Adana, they are bigger and shorter haired than the other type more to the north and they have a croup higher than their withers. There is a law against exporting local breeds. From now we are registering the breed and will try to repeal the law. The English like them but most of their dogs are not Kangals, more cross bred. They are flock guardians against wolves. They have a very strange temperament, if the owner is with you, they will not touch you. If you are alone, you cannot approach them safely. Kangal is as old as the history of the Turks who came down from Asia, probably related to the Middle Asian Shepherd. There are archeological findings to prove. There is also a Turkish mastiff and we can see this dog in Mesopotamia used to guard royals and rich people. They work on instinct, very territorial, one master. A breeder of the Kangal, Feride Cansever has had them as a girl. “Parts of my life I had Kangals, I bred them but the family was not happy about that. And now again from about 15 years. I like the character, they are calm, independent, clever, protective. They are never aggressive without reason. They are very kind with children. They usually eat barley with hot water in the villages with the flock. In summertime they are terribly hot but not humid, because the height is 1,700m and they are not watered. The area is very flat, the dog moves with the sheep and usually around them. They work in groups, between 3 and even 10 if the flock is large. They have different positions within the flock. When the flock stops to graze, the dogs look for a vantage point from which to observe. The males go a bit further away and the females are close to the flock. 50 Dog News
They give birth within the sheep fold so the puppies actually grow up with the sheep. The farmers don’t feed the puppies and when they are weaned they must learn to survive, so they are very hardy dogs. They are mainly solid colors, from beige to gray with a black mask and a tail curved above their back. They have a raised croup. I once saw a dog running, two dogs from the flock were also running and we saw the dust raised behind them. Then we saw the wolf with the dogs on its tail until the wolf disappeared and the dogs. We went about 5 times around the area of the high plateaus, measured dogs and used the data to write the standard. I try to keep the original type of dog. For the last years people started to make festivals around the dogs and mostly dog fighters came there and mixed the dogs to give them more substance and height. That’s the danger so we try to keep the original type.
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e have a farm in a forest on a mountain. We go for walks or go to the field to pick vegetables and they always go with us and sit under a tree. If one of the villagers approaches, they will sit closer to us. Kangal and Akbash don’t bite. They are absolutely obedient towards the shepherd, but without their owner one won’t dare approach the dog. Actually, they are a regular Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – ferociously guarding their flock from strangers but quite willing to accept the same strangers when given the OK. They come up, tail wagging, and definitely don’t seem intimidating as they ask for some attention. Umit, a college professor, took some time off from his work to show me around the villages in the central CONTINUED ON PAGE 82
Dog News 51
The British Scene The UK is known the world over for its large agricultural shows. We are known as a nation of stock people and at these shows you can see all manner of livestock, cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, rabbits and the list goes on. In fact it’s a brilliant day out for all the family because there is everything to see.
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he Three Counties Agricultural Society is one of the largest and most prestigious shows in the country. Situated near the spa town of Malvern in Worcestershire, it is fairly close to the famous Cotswolds and again a very picturesque part of Britain. The title of the society encompasses the counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. Sadly now the main show and the dog section are no longer together, but we all live in hope that one day it will be returned to days of old, when if you had a bad day with your dog you could pop over and watch all the other attractions. Weather-wise you could always rely on Three Cts to bathe in glorious sunshine. This year we had some of that but we also had tremendous downpours and so some of the groups had to be judged inside the large marquee. In contrast to my last report, where several of the group winners were imports, this show just had two, and one of them went BIS, an import from the USA, but more of that later. Taking one step closer to that all important breed record was the Shar Pei
By Geoff Corish 52 Dog News
Ch/Am Ch Asia’s Red Marsh Whip It Good. He was imported by Tim Ball and Joy Bradley and they co-own him with Kristen Marshall and Lisa Myers from the US. He won his title at seven months old and then stayed home for a while. Tim Ball heard about the dog and phoned the Kristen to see if he would be available to buy him, no he wasn’t for sale! But she would agree to lease him. He arrived in the UK October 2008 and completed his title in three consecutive opportunities. He was top Shar Pei the same year. In 2010 he was BOB at Crufts and then was best in show at Bath, the first male and the second Shar Pei to take this award in the UK. He also ended the year with top utility, the first of its breed to do so. In the herding group the winner was the tri Pembroke Corgi Allan Mathews’ Irish Ch Craigycor Viva La Diva, this was her third certificate and can now add her UK title as well. Both parents have their US titles, sired by Ch/Ir/Am Ch Shavals Fire Classic at Craigycor ex Ir/Am Ch Elfwish Sally Ride. A US import won the working
group, the Bouvier des Flandres, I’m Special Inessence Movado at Kanix. He is co-owned by Fiona Lambert, Janet Hughes and Pat Murray and this was his second group first. He is handled by Dave Killilea, better known for his Redwitch Akitas. Hound group winner was this year’s Crufts reserve best in show winning Basset Griffon Vendeen Petit, Ch Soletrader Peek a Boo, owned by Sara Robertson and handled by husband Gavin. Her dam is the record breaking Ch Soletrader My Appodisiac. The terrier group was another group 1 for Phil Davies’ new star Perrisblu Kings Ransom, handled by myself as always. He was reserve best in show at the recent Scottish Kennel club show. Keeping it in the family was the winner of the toy group and subsequent reserve best in show. Michael Coad’s Bichon Frise Ch Pamplona Bring Me Sunshine. What a record this dog has. Best in show under Ron Menaker at the recent Southern Cts Show, he was BIS at the UK Toy dog Ch show and has won every group this year that he has been in including Crufts. Last year he was number 3 all breeds and to date this year he leads the field. And as l said at the beginning of this report, the best in show winner was from the USA. In the space of 8 months the Irish Water Spaniel, Am Ch Whistle Stop’s Elements of Magic, has taken 2 groups, a reserve best in show and now the top spot here of BIS. He is co-owned by his handler Judith Carruthers and co-owned with his US breeder Colleen McDaniel, who is from Seattle. He is mostly American bred though he goes back to Judith’s Sh Ch/Fin/Sw/Dan and Am Ch Fynder Freethinker, who has Irish breeding on his sire’s side. While in the USA he mated Am Ch Poole Ide Then There’s Maude owned by the famous east coast breeder Greg Siner and Debbie Paterson, proving highly successful with six champions and two BIS winners, the best known being Ch Poole Ide Got Water with 13 all breed BIS’s and 46 Group Firsts.
Dog News 53
y d d u
ch. cragsmoor
B
owners carolyn koch victor malzoni, jr. handlers larry cornelius marcelo veras breeders eugene z. zaphiris matthew h. stander *the dog news top ten list - all breed 54 Dog News
goodman
the number one* skye terrier and number three* among all terriers
pictured winning three of four groups in one weekend thank you judges mrs. michele billings mrs. judy webb mrs. margaret mickelson
Dog News 55
A Horror Story at the Memphis Animal Shelter The Memphis Animal Shelter in Memphis, Tennessee has had more than its share of problems in the past. Even at the best of times this shelter, under contract to and funded by the City of Memphis and Shelby County, has been described as a doggy concentration camp.
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ccording to the NoKillMemphis web site http://www. nokillmemphis.org/memphisanimalshelter_12.html, the shelter has an astonishing kill rate of 77.45 percent, compared to the national average for shelters of 50 percent. A few years ago a dog was found starved to death, its body in a frozen mound outside the shelter. This abuse and neglect at the shelter led to indictments and firings of shelter staff. Matthew Pepper was brought in as shelter director and things were expected to improve. Unfortunately, things at the Memphis Animal Shelter continue to look like a horror show. In February two dogs escaped from their yard and were picked up and brought to the Memphis Animal Shelter. The dogs’ owner went to get his dogs, who were intact males, and was told by shelter director Matthew Pepper that, in order to be in compliance with the new mandatory spay/neuter law in the city, both dogs would have to be neutered before they could leave the shelter. The owner said he would rather take the dogs to their regular vet to have them neutered but Pepper refused. The city’s law does not require that the shelter itself perform this surgery, only that the owner come into compliance with the law. http://tinyurl.com/4qasbeb A short time later, one of the dogs was dead following the surgery, after being left unattended on the kennel floor. The dog had a postoperative reaction to the anesthesia and there was NO ONE around to see about him. There are plenty of questions about why a dog was left unattended following surgery. How does a healthy dog go into the Memphis Animal Shelter and die from a normal procedure for neutering? And, how did Matthew Pepper react to this story? He spent the Saturday following this event dressed up like dog in a cage at the shelter as a fundraiser, coming out to dance occasionally http://tinyurl.com/4utf73x, and refused to answer questions about the dead dog. In other cases, there are dogs that were
picked up loose by animal control who were euthanized the same day they were picked up, breaking state law: http://www.wreg.com/ news/wreg-dog-euthanized-story,0,2052517. story And, in the most recent and terrible case, at least 40-50 dogs were killed last week,and as many as 100 dogs may have been destroyed at the shelter this week because of an outbreak of distemper. These are both what the shelter considers “adoptable dogs” and the strays they pick up. While it is not unusual for shelters to deal with outbreaks of disease by destroying dogs in large numbers, what is troubling about the way Memphis Animal Shelter has dealt with the situation is that they have roundly blamed the public. Instead of taking responsibility for the situation because they have no quarantine area for new dogs that come into the shelter, or because they do not vaccinate dogs for diseases and hold them long enough to see if the dogs will stay healthy, MAS blames http:// yesbiscuit.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/pigpileon-the-irresponsible-public/ the public for not vaccinating animals. It’s quite possible that many dogs they take in may be vaccinated for distemper and other diseases since they are owner turn-ins, but how would MAS know when they destroy healthy dogs with no sign of the disease? YesBiscuit! has been following the tragedy in Memphis day-by-day with photos of the kennels and information from people who visit the shelter. YesBiscuit reports today, along with the Memphis media, that “up to 14 dogs” have been taken away by rescue groups. Wow. Up to 14. Is that really the best that the Memphis Animal Shelter could do for the dogs they are responsible for? This is just what’s been happening at the Memphis Animal Shelter in the last few months, since Matthew Pepper took over as shelter director, but the culture of blaming the public, treating dog owners with disrespect, and treating the dogs even worse, has been going on for years. Yet, if you asked them, I’m sure these CONTINUED ON PAGE 84
BY CARLOTTA COOPER 56 Dog News
GCh. Evergreen’s
Honey-Glazed
Hamlet wins a Group First under Judge Dr. Robert Indeglia. Hamlet is ranked Number Four* French Bulldog Owner Claire & Alan Auckenthaler *The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed Points
Breeders and Handlers Jane & Stan Flowers, DHG www.StanandJaneFlowers.com 612 747-5770 Dog News 57
GCh. Toskydox India Pale Ale
Indy
n i g h B t ut Pale! y An Judge Mrs. Lowell Davis
Lorene
Sharon
Breeder/Owner:Sharon Lutosky 58 Dog News
Marj
Shown By: Marj Brooks & Lorene Hogan
Sammy
GCh. Sunteckel’s Samuel II Back To Back Group Firsts!!
A Big Thank You To The Two Joes. Judge Mr. Joe Gregory And Judge Mr. Joe Tacker
Shown By: Lorene Hogan
Owners: Sharon Lutosky & Terry Abst Dog News 59
ARE YOU TRAINING YOUR DOG- OR IS YOUR DOG TRAINING YOU?
Since retiring from the dog business, I have settled back in my “Frazier” Dad’s recliner, you know the one held together by duct tape, and become addicted to the “Animal Channel’s” Dog Whisperer TV show, the series that features Cesar Millan addressing extreme dog behaviors. And the one thing I have learned is that in a good number of the dog problems, the dogs have become accustomed to ruling the household.
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r. Henny Youngman penned the a famous quote, “What is a home without children? Quiet!” This same quote holds true with a well mannered family dog. Therefore, does your family pet rule you or do you rule the pet? Or, is the word, or phrase “discipline” just a forgotten word, in your pet’s vocabulary? I remember growing up hearing such firm requests as, “don’t’ put your feet on the furniture, don’t eat too many snacks before dinner, and children should be seen and not heard”. Obviously, the family dog is quite different than your children. Dogs cannot pick up objects with their paws. Thus starts the manners training, as the dog’s natural instinct is to result to chewing the items of interest. Oh yes, one may spend big bucks with the dog psychiatrists or the professional trainer. However, just a few simple repetitions, such as a stern no, a gentle pat on the back end coupled with a doggy treat can often times work wonders. So, what about that four-legged family member that we call the family dog? How does his or her manners relate to those of our other family members? Can we draw a parallel? I think so. The old cliché, “Train up the children, when they are young, and they will always remember”, can be compared to “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” So, let’s get right to the point of training that new family dog. Remember, when your Mom would react to pending discipline by stating,” Just wait till your dad gets home, you are going to get it”. Well, this will have about the same effect with the family dog, as it did with you, as a child. Dog punishment must always be given, at the time of the bad behavior, so that the dog can learn 60 Dog News
By Charles C. Robey to compare the punishment with the crime. Do your young children ever go through the phase of screaming to get their way? Guess what, your family dog is going to bark, simply because he or she is a dog. Barking is a normal response for all dogs. Dogs can find the strangest things to bark at. For instance, other dogs, strangers, shadows, kids, or a cat. Just don’t let the dogs barking disturb the neighbors. If the barking is simply a means of attention, then use the same discipline measures as you would for other misbehavior. A simple “NO BARK,” command, followed by a little praise and dog treat works very well. Dogs, like humans, should be taught, from an early age, not to jump on the furniture. This is a simple task. As much as we would love too, just don’t start by sitting with that little cuddly dog on the couch by the fireplace. And if he or she climbs on the furniture, just kindly remove them, with the gentle nudge of a rolled up newspaper, and a give a stern warning of “No”. After a few repeats, he or she will get the message. Like children, just don’t give your family pets very many snacks between feedings. Furthermore, never take them to the local fast food drive in window, to show them off, and treat them with that fast food human treat. The same goes for table scraps, as they are a definite no-no. What about the “One A Day” vitamins you took growing up? Mom would always say they were a good preventative medicine. The same holds true, as your young family pet grows into maturity. Good nutrition is very critical to the growth and maintenance of your family dog. Do you ever play rough neck with your children? When you play rough with your dog, you are teaching the dog that your hands and arms are fun things to grab. Just don’t start this routine with your family dog, but develop the dog’s energy by providing a nice soft play toy. This same routine also applies to when the puppy starts to chew on your available body parts. What about sleep habits? Do you re-
member, years ago, when the doctor told you not to make a habit of having your baby sleep with you? Well, guess what? Once you allow that little family pet to sleep with you, you will never have any rest again. If you must keep him or her close to you, place the dog bed in your room. You should start by confining the dog to the dog bed with a cloth leash. Do not use a chain leash, as it may accidentally harm or scar the dog. Then, as the dog gets used to the situation, you may remove the leash. I don’t ever suggest that you incorporate the dog’s food and water, with the bed. Remember when your Mom would comment about you using your energy in play just before bedtime and that it would tend to help you sleep better. The same holds true with your dog’s sleeping habits. A good brisk walk, just before turning in for the night, will do wonders for both you and your pet. In closing, the dog manners, as addressed in this article, probably just scratch the surface, when it comes dog discipline. As mention in the article, “plain old” common sense goes a long way in developing that polite family pet. With the right training and proper manners, your dog will give you many good memories. REMEMBER! THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS REENFORCE DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR. SO START EARLY WITH THE PUP’S TRAINING. Author’s Note: The intent of this article is to use common sense tactics when simply training the family pet. The article, in no way, was intended to display any of the more complicated technical training exercises. I’ll leave those type maneuvers up to the professional trainers. For a professional obedience trainer, consult your local kennel club, research the Internet, etc.
The Best In Specialty Show Winning
CH. PYRLESS NO-BRAINER A TOP FIVE* GREAT PYRENEES
Flash Group First Riverhead Kenn Judge Col. Jerr el Club y W Group Second eiss Riverhead Kenn Judge Dr. Danie el Club II l Fleitas
Our appreciation to Judge Ms. Angela Porpora for this acknowledgement. Breeder Dr. Valerie Seeley
Owners Sean & Rebecca Garvin
Handler Sue Capone, PHA *The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed
Dog News 61
62 Dog News
*
*The Dog News Top Ten List - Breed points
Dog News 63
Judges’ Choice
English Springer Spaniel
Reprinted from The K Kennell Ga Gazette Re inted with permission mi io fr tt
We asked a number of Championship Show judges to select their three greatest English Springer Spaniels of all time. The dogs could be from the past or the present and from anywhere in the world. We have asked our judges to avoid choosing dogs with which they have been closely associated. However, they can make reference to them if they are signiďŹ cant.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 86
64 Dog News
Riley Multiple Best In Show Winner Top Twenty* Working Dog Number Four* Boxer All Breed
GCh. Conquest-Rosend‛s New Kid In Town
Presented by Cheryl Cates
Group First under Boxer Judge Mr. John Connolly
Owners & Breeders Conquest & Rosend Boxers *CC System
Dog News 65
*
*CC System
66 Dog News
*
*The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed points
Dog News 67
Off The Leash
S
hould Animal Control Officers decide whether or not a dog should be declared dangerous or vicious? That’s what being decided in Los Angeles this week. Under current law, only a judge can declare a dog By Shaun Coen dangerous. But that may soon change, as Los Angeles County Supervisors decided last There was a collective sigh of relief this week when it was announced Tuesday that Animal Control Officers should that the National Football League and the NFL Players Association have the right to decide whether a dog is or vicious during administrative had come to an agreement, ending a lockout and ensuring that dangerous hearings. Before the ordinance becomes law, it there would indeed be a professional football season this season must be voted on a second time, and a second and it would start on time. It is hoped that this contentious battle meeting was scheduled this past Tuesday at Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors ending in agreement will serve as an impetus for Republicans the to decide it’s fate – and maybe those of the and Democrats to find also find a compromise so America won’t county’s dogs. The Department of Animal Care and default on its loans and throw the world into an economic freefall. Control claims that such a change to the county code will save significant legal costs og fanciers also hope that in the country’s most popular sport made and protect the general public. A “vicious” dog such an agreement can serve him a role model to millions of children, and is defined as one that has been trained to fight as a model in helping the his partaking in and bankrolling of a major or severely injured or kills a person without American Kennel Club devise interstate dogfighting operation that garnered provocation. Under current law, once a dog new revenue streams and implement major media attention may have heightened has been declared “vicious” or “potentially sensible cost cutting strategies that will the curiosity of children to attend such events. dangerous”, animal control can require that allow dog shows to continue and thrive The HSUS estimates that there are some 40,000 the dog be confined, muzzled or ordered to without compromising the integrity of dogfighters in the U.S. today. wear a fluorescent yellow collar that is visible the sport. Dog lovers may also hope that While the country is obviously facing such from 50 feet away. The dog’s owner can also be the return of football will signal the end serious matters during this extended recession fined and ordered to take the dog to obedience of the newly formed tag team of convicted and politicians continue to bicker and fail to class. The dog can also be ordered euthanized. dogfighter Michael Vick and the Humane find compromise, it’s feared that issues such as Municipalities everywhere are Society of the United States President and animal fighting may get lost in the melee. But understandably looking to cut costs wherever CEO Wayne Pacelle, as the sight of them animal fighting mustn’t be tolerated and laws possible and animal control departments together is enough to send shivers down any against it need to be strengthened. Dogfighting are no exception. However, this proposal has dog or dog owner’s spine. is illegal in 50 states, and it’s currently illegal dog owners fit to be tied. We’ve all heard But perhaps these two men have truly to be a spectator at an animal fight in 49 states, the horror stories of the wrong dog being turned a corner and are making a sincere with 28 states imposing felony-level penalties accidentally euthanized and of innocent men effort to put an end to dogfighting in this for such an offense. Making it a felony-level on death row and all steps must be taken to country. They both appeared at a press offense to attend such events in every state ensure that those mistakes never happen. conference before Congress last week would go a long way towards strengthening Allowing an animal control officer to be touting legislation that would penalize animal fighting laws, presuming that enough judge, jury and executioner for the sake of those who knowingly attend animal fights money and manpower is dedicated to enforcing saving a few dollars is simply a bad idea. The and allow minors to attend. In the early them. decision should remain with an impartial stages of the legislative process, the bill It’s with trepidation that one supports Vick judge that does not have a vested interest in known as the Animal Fighting Spectator and Pacelle, two men who lost the trust of dog the decision. Neighbors of dog owners have Prohibition Act calls for penalties of up lovers through their involvement in dogfighting been known to fabricate claims, from excessive to one year in prison and unspecified and anti-dog owning and breeding legislation barking to alleged attacks, and dogs have fines for attending an animal fight and a in the past, but stronger laws protecting been impounded as a result. Needless to say, penalty of up to three years in prison and children and animals that further criminalize dog owners have to foot the bill for having unspecified fines for bringing or allowing animal fighting deserve unequivocal support. a dog quarantined and under this proposal, a minor to attend such a fight. The bill is While many Americans will never find it in the dog could pay the ultimate price — with trying a different tack, not only targeting them to forgive what Vick has done in the its life. The ordinance would also allow the participants, but also going after the past, and those on the frontlines of canine animal control department to consider prior spectators that drive the economic engine legislation will never trust Pacelle and continue attacks that happened outside the county’s of these criminal enterprises through to question his motives, there are many among jurisdiction when deciding to label a dog admission fees and gambling. It also aims us who are rooting for them in this particular “vicious” and hearing officers would not to prevent exposing children to these endeavor. Not many thought that Vick’s dogs only take into account bites, cuts or fractures bloodsports, as it is widely believed that it could be rehabilitated but the believers proved caused by the dog but also illnesses allegedly numbs them to violence, thus preventing them wrong. Maybe Vick and Pacelle will make caused by the dog, such as a heart attack. So, future generations of desensitized social believers out of the skeptics in this instance, a neighbor with a vendetta can suffer a heart deviants and saving law enforcement too. As Vick goes back to work instilling fear in attack, blame it on the dog next door and an dollars in the process. Vick spoke from his opposing defenses on the football field, maybe animal control officer can pick up the dog own experience of attending dogfighting his experience of spending 21 months in federal and the officer’s co-worker may determine the events as a child having an impact on his prison and losing tens of millions of dollars in dog’s fate? Maybe it’s the heat but something behavior and said he was unaware that the process will instill enough fear in children just doesn’t sound on the level with this more children attend such events today. not to follow his footsteps into the criminal proposal. One can only hope that cooler heads Apparently it didn’t dawn on Vick that world of dogfighting and inspire lawmakers to prevail and this notion is tossed aside during being at one time the highest paid player strengthen animal fighting laws. • this week’s hearing.
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68 Dog News
LASER THERAPY FOR PETS
Space Age Medicine Has Gone to the Dogs! BY SHARON PFLAUMER
Eye protection for personnel and patients is important when administering a laser treatment. Here, a dog is pictured wearing protective eyewear called “doggles.”
70 Dog News
Photos by Darryl Millis, MS, DVM, DACVS, CCRP, DACVSMR
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aser Therapy speeds healing, reduces pain, improves mobility and thereby enhances the quality of life for pets suffering from a variety of conditions. It’s also quick, painless, non-invasive and requires no sedation or restraints. In the following interview,Darryl Millis,MS,DVM,DACVS, CCRP, DACVSMR, a Clinician and Researcher at the University ofTennessee College of Veterinary Medicine at Knoxville, TN and the author of Canine Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, discusses the therapeutic use of lasers. He explains how it works, lists which conditions can be treated with it and why,and compares its effectiveness to other forms of treatment. Many pet owners are familiar with lasers being used to perform surgeries like declawing or spaying and neutering. What’s the origin of lasers being used to perform therapy? DM: The use of light for therapeutic purposes, called phototherapy, originated from the belief that light from the sun and other sources has therapeutic benefits. Laser devices, a source of a particular kind of artificial light, were first used more than 30 years ago. Since then, many different types of lasers have been developed for medical and industrial purposes. The recent development of a new class of low level or
Application of laser treatment for a muscle injury.
A therapeutic laser with applicator.
“cold” lasers has led to their use in therapeutic applications to treat pets suffering from conditions like arthritis, back injuries, sprains and strains, and acute and chronic pain issues. What is laser light? DM: Laser light is generated when the energy level of a particular atom is intensified. When the electrons in the atom drop back down to their normal resting state, energy is released in the form of laser light that contains photons. The kind of photons generated in laser light determines its wavelength. That’s important because laser light is more easily blocked by surface tissue when its wavelength is too short. The longer the wavelength that laser light has-the deeper its tissue penetration. Likewise, the number of photons delivered to tissue also is important. The more laser light that’s delivered--the more photons would penetrate deeper into the tissue. What happens when tissue is exposed to photons? DM: The photons delivered to the tissue in laser light stimulate biological changes in the cells by triggering a process called photobiostimulation. That process energizes cellular metabolism by stimulating the cytochrome system in cells. As a result, oxygen ATP, and DNA production are increased. There also are changes in the cell membrane, making it easier for substances to pass through them. Enzyme systems also may be stimulated, which may help with protein synthesis. All of these things may increase tissue repair and healing of various tissues such as skin, tendons, ligaments, nerves and muscles. This is the basic underlying principle behind all therapeutic laser applications.
Would all conditions benefit from laser therapy? Why or why not? DM: Some photons penetrate the surface tissue but many are blocked or absorbed by it at a depth of only a millimeter or so. That means treatment with therapeutic lasers is most effective for more superficial types of injuries or conditions. Thus it would not be an effective treatment for deep tissues. But it can help speed wound healing in the case of skin issues like burns or wounds. It’s also an effective treatment for shearing injuries that occur when a limb is trapped under a skidding tire and the top layer of soft tissue is eroded away down to the bone. Stimulating a shearing injury with laser light may help it to cover over more quickly with granulation tissue and thus cause wound healing to progress more quickly. Laser therapy relieves the pain associated with arthritis and other painful conditions. Why is that? DM:Lasertherapyalsostimulatesthebody’s production of anti-inflammatory products. In a normal body, the anabolic or building up action is balanced with the catabolic or tearing down action. In pets suffering from arthritis, the action is more weighted toward the catabolic or tearing down action. More specifically, inflammatory mediators called prostaglandins and interleukins promote the breakdown of cartilage and joints. Therapeutic laser treatment activates enzymes called cytochromes that may reduce interleukins. In addition, laser therapy can reduce edema and swelling of tissues. It also may reduce pain by stimulating endorphin release and suppressing pain transmission.
to reduce treatment frequency to one treatment a week done every other week. The goal is to maximize the interval between treatments while still maintaining improvement. Is special care needed after laser therapy and how soon would owners see improvement in their pet’s condition? DM: No special care is needed. Owner’s seeing improvement varies depending upon the severity of the condition and how long it’s been going on. But they probably would see some response after the third or fourth treatment. How effective is laser therapy when compared to other forms of treatment? DM: In regard to the effectiveness of different types of treatment, I rate them on a sliding scale of from zero to ten, with zero being absolutely useless and ten being the equivalent of creating a new joint. For example, NSAIDs are a seven or an eight. Shock wave treatment is a six. Laser therapy would be a four or a five. While laser therapy isn’t as effective as an anti-inflammatory drug, you also don’t have to worry about gastrointestinal side effects from it. Plus,laser therapy can be used in combination with other treatments or medication to maximize the level of improvement. It also should be noted that, in regard to arthritis, it’s difficult
to compare the effectiveness of treatments because each individual responds differently. For example, some dogs don’t respond to NSAIDs at all. Others respond extremely well and others still only get some relief. The same thing is true of laser therapy. Some dogs respond pretty well, others respond somewhat and others still don’t respond at all. Even when dogs do respond positively, it’s never known for sure how much of the improvement resulted from treatment and how much reflects the waxing and waning nature of the disease. Typically, between 80% and 90% of dogs suffering from arthritis would show some improvement with an NSAID. But even those not taking the drug would show 30% to 50% improvement due to the waning phase of the disease. What’s the availability of laser therapy? DM: As more veterinarians learn about laser therapy--what it can and can’t do and how to use it properly-they’re going to be more likely to adopt the technology. Right now, it’s most likely going to be available from veterinarians who practice alternative and complementary types of treatment. What’s the cost of laser therapy? DM: The cost of a laser therapy per treatment may range from $30 to $100.
Does laser therapy have any side effects? DM: Unlike nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, for example, which can cause serious gastrointestinal issues; there are no known side effects of laser therapy. However, certain precautions must be taken during any laser procedure. Everyone including the pet being treated must wear protective eye gear. Dogs wear what we call“doggles.” Pets also should be shaved. Otherwise, most of the laser light would be absorbed by the fur and tissue penetration would be blocked. Growth plates or tumors must be shielded from exposure as well. Growth plates could be damaged by laser light and tumor growth could be stimulated by it. Darker skinned pets absorb laser light at a greater rate than lighter skinned ones. That means the dosage must be adjusted downwards for them.
More About Lasers
How often are treatments necessary? DM:We begin by treating an arthritic patient, for example, two or three times a week for two or three weeks. Then, we try
lasers heat tissue to a variable degree but don’t damage it. Surgical
L
Lasers are classified according to the level of power they produce and whether or not they could damage the human retina.
CLASS 1 LASERS are very mild and include supermarket
scanners
and
post
office
readers. They probably wouldn’t be harmful
but looking at them still is not recommended. CLASS 2 LASERS are slightly more powerful and include the laser pointers used during screen presentations.
They probably aren’t
harmful either but, again, looking at them is not recommended. CLASS 3 LASERS have enough power intensity to damage the retina when they’re looked at directly but they’re not powerful enough to heat tissue. CLASS 4 LASERS are therapeutic and surgical lasers. Therapeutic lasers are powerful enough to cut through tissue. Most of the lasers used for therapeutic procedures are Class 3B and Class 4A lasers.
Dog News 71
AND MORE
HEAT RELATED TIDBITS, SUFFOLK COUNTY GONE WILD...
W
ell the oppressive heat of the past week caused the Putnam County KC to call off the Groups in the mid-afternoon and raised the question of course about summer shows held outdoors and when and if to cancel them due to heat problems. Certainly this past week’s heat was unusual that was for sure although long term weather reports indicate a reemergence starting later in the week. Putnam is in an unusual situation in that the venue is particularly affected by heat due to its being held on a small airport location with a baking tarmac very close by. Fortunately things cooled off somewhat for Saturday I am told but I will tell you that we went no where near those grounds. Other locations in the Northeast and Midwest have reputations for being “hot spots” too and how they handle the heat related problems seem to be individual without any real program in place. Years ago of course the month of August was basically a vacation month for most everyone but that thinking went the way of all flesh some years back. I remember only too well when it was unusual rather than the norm to look askew at anyone who attended shows until very late in the month of August. Today of course the competitions go straight through all forms of weather and hopefully in the extreme heat not only must dogs be extra-looked after but the equipment for both vans and motor homes must require extra maintenance. Just in the past month a handler who was in between shows and said to be visiting someone in the hospital for an eighthour period lost a number of dogs due to mechanical airconditioning problems. That’s just unacceptable on any level and what if anything is AKC going to do about it? If it even has authority to do anything in a non-show situation certainly is open for discussion. The fact that a number of the person’s dogs were saved hardly lessens the horror for the deaths of the eight or so dogs that died in the incident. One wonders how AKC would have reacted were the handler a member of its registered handlers association? If they would step in in that situation why not act similarly even though the handler is independent in nature. After all he still goes to and makes his income from AKC licensed show events! The anti-pedigree dog legislation being proposed in Suffolk County New York is possibly one of the most limiting and odious pieces of legislation to pop up anywhere in the US. It attempts to limit the choice of the type of dogs that may be
BY MATTHEW H. STANDER 72 Dog News
sold in Suffolk County which is merely a way for the animal righters in that area to get around the anti-breed specific legislation which exists in NYS. AKC has taken most properly a very harsh stand against this legislation, which makes wild and untrue allegations about breeders generally and AKC specifically including claims that AKC inspections do not assess the care/conditions or well-being of dogs! There is strong opposition to the proposal and hopefully it will not pass but even to think that the arers could mount such an attack is enough to make the blood boil. Of course the reputation of the Suffolk legislature is a dubious one and has been for years. Anyone familiar with Long Island politics knows this so it should come as little surprise that this kind of reactionary and illogical legislation should be proposed there at all. Defeated it must be and defeated this bill will be!!!!! From where I sit I do not think AKC Judges should be required to list the fees they charge the clubs. Of course I also think judges should only receive minimum honorariums to judge as they do in the UK instead of fees but should receive expenses for sure! I exclude from that category the professional handler turned judge who already has established the fact that he or she makes money from the exhibition of the purebred dog and thereby should continue to charge a fee for their services. I believe that the breeder/ judge falls into the honorarium only category and should not be making an income from judging dogs while the Delegate judge who was a professional handler (and yes, there were a few of those) is entitled to charge a fee as well. But that’s a minority view for sure. If a judge does not want it known as to the amount of his or her fee they should keep it quiet and not have to list it. Those who want to let their charges be known can list them. I do not make this issue a big deal but it certainly will raise the heads of the judges as anything involving them seems to get more publicity than anything else which happens in the show world. Was happy to see that the Board rejected the idea of doing away with the printed version of the Judges Directory. First of all to compare it to the GAZETTE decision is ridiculous in that the GAZETTE was losing AKC over $750,000 annually whereas the Judges Directory is said to at least break even if not make a small profit. Anyone involved in the sport knows what a useful Directory it is to have on hand constantly whereas the need to look people up on AKC’s Web site is both cumbersome and time consuming. True the new format is somewhat of a pain but remains useful nonetheless.
*
*All Systems
74 Dog News
Dog News 75
The Lighter Side of Judging CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18
it is her own house pet. I am in shock when she completes the task in twentytwo minutes flat. “YIPPEE – two down and five more to go,” I say to myself. The third, fourth and fifth groups are judged within the schedule time and the last two groups being judged by LOL2 and once again by LOL1. It comforts me knowing LOL1 will finish the line up for Mr. 2BIG, who will judge Best in Show. Fifty-one minutes later, they call Best in Show into the ring. I ask Norman, our driver, if he would retrieve our UAV; get it cool so LOL1 and LOL2 could sit in comfort while watching the BIS judging. Norman quickly returns with the cooled vehicle, and assists LOL1 and LOL2 into the back seats. It takes MR. 2BIG exactly nine minutes to walk the distance from the first dog to the seventh dog, before starting the individual examination. “This is going to be painful,” I whisper to myself and proceed to join the LOLs in the cool UAV. Not paying any attention to Mr. 2BIG, we all begin to chitchat about our day and our judging experiences. LOL1, a long time Poodle breeder, shares her concern about the exaggerated hair pieces they are creating in the poodle ring. In her southern way she remarks, “Well, I never!” Between all the hairspray and the extra two feet of hair piled on their poor heads, it’s amazing they can run around the ring. It’s bad enough the color does not even match. I wish they would spend half as much time on breeding a good sound dog and a little less time creating hair sculptures.” I chuckle to myself as LOL2 immediately responds: “Honey, I agree. I judged Newfies this morning. They all looked like baboons running around the ring with topknots the size of bowling balls.” Needing and wanting to contribute to the conversation, I add, “Yes, ladies I agree – while judging my own breed, I am constantly fighting the exhibitor who finds it necessary to fluff the Golden Retriever, back brush, chalk and starch the legs and clipper the ears and head because they are too lazy to use their fingers.” We continue to bounce back in forth in conversation as Mr. 2BIG makes his BIS selection of the little dog at the end of the line--the car pool had already made this prediction. Mr. 2BIG moves slowly toward the podium for photos. In anticipation of our departure and return to the hotel, LOL1 & LOL2 in unison take compacts out of their pocket books and inspect the damage of the day. LOL,1 with lips puckered, smears a layer of creamy fuchsia across her lips. Sucking on a piece of tissue, she pops her lips up and down removing the extra. I am half tempted to grab the tissue from her hands and wipe the right side of her upper lip, which is now touching her nose, and clean the fuchsia
76 Dog News
lines from around her dentures. Shaking myself from this out of body experience (OBE), I turn to LOL2 as she liberally smacks facial foundation powder onto her forehead, her cheeks, her neck and into my nasal cavity. Choking and needing air, I slide out the UAV side door to check on Mr. 2BIG’s progress. The handler of the BIS winner is trying to get Mr. 2BIG to sit on the podium for several candid / fun shots with the little dog. “No, please no, he will never get up and we will never get back to the hotel,” I want to scream. Mr. 2BIG, clearly knowing his limitations and on the verge of a major stroke / heart attack, declines the additional photo opportunities and strolls towards the UAV. I quickly jump back in and watch Mr. 2BIG waddle towards the UAV. Overheated, wet with perspiration, and not aware the entire front of his dress shirt is pulled loose from his trousers, he exposes a thick roll of flesh to LOL1 and LOL2, as he drops and slides into the front seat. Norman turns the knob controlling the air conditioning to the coolest temperature and simultaneously turns the radio to WNNR105, the local country western station. Mr. 2BIG, breathing heavily, sweating, turns three quarters of the air directional vents in his direction with little concern for the other passengers. “Congratulations on a job well done Mr. 2BIG,” remarks LOL2. No response. The ladies turn their head towards me, shrugging their shoulders. “That was a lovely little dog you awarded BIS,” says LOL1. Again, no response from Mr. 2BIG! The roll of thunder pours from his hairy nostrils and we realize he is dead to the world, in a deep sleep. Shania Twain would be so chagrined if she knew a snoring, semi-comatose, sweaty dog judge was accompanying her rendition of “Any Man of Mine”. LOL1, LOL2 and I all chuckle quietly as we watch Mr. 2BIG’s head fall back and forth to the sounds of Shania and his own nostril harmonics. Fifteen minutes into the thirty-five minute trip back to the hotel, Mr. 2BIG jerks forward quickly and tosses his head back over the seat, releasing his twelve inches of comb-upand-slightly-over, wet sweaty hair down his neck and onto the back of the seat. “NO – Oh NO!! this did not just happen in front of my eyes,” I whisper to myself. LOL1 & LOL2 look in amazement, covering their brightly highlighted lips with their hands to muffle the laughter. In a frozen state, I am transfixed by 2BIG’s large, sweaty, bald head with no eyes, no nose, no lips and a twelve-inch beard hanging below. “YUCK”! I silently mouth in the direction of the ladies. I, too, start to giggle along and immediately have the sick inclination to ask the ladies for their make-up to draw little facial features on the back of Mr. 2BIG’s head.
LOL2 pats my shoulder, barely able to speak through the quiet laughter and utters, “What are we going to do, Michael, my dear?” “How embarrassing for him,” giggles LOL1. I calm myself down and attempt to collect my man bag from the back seat. No luck, it is too far back for my arm to reach. “Would either of you have a pen or pencil I could borrow?” I ask. Within a second, LOL1 pulls out a classic BIC blue ink pen from her purse with a slightly chewed top and hands it to me. “Perfect”! I say. I remove the cap and hand it back to LOL1. “What are you going to do with the pen?” inquires LOL2. Shifting in the seat for better leverage and holding the pen in my right hand, I explain, “O.K. follow me, ladies - first I will take the pen and carefully slide it under his hair and collect as much as possible on the top of the pen. O.K., next I will slide the pen up two thirds of the way and stop. On the count of three, I will swiftly snap and flip his twelve inches of nasty hair back onto his head with the hope it will once again find its home, using sweat as the bonding agent.” Mr. 2BIG appears to remain in a deep sleep/coma. LOL1 and LOL2 sit with schoolgirl grins on their twinkling faces as I slowly slide the pen between Mr. 2BIG’s hair and the back of the seat. Norman is totally oblivious to our good deed as Shania has been replaced with Garth Brooks. My right hand trembles slightly while trying to control my laughter. “Ladies – here we go- ONE, TWO – THREE” and with a sudden turn of the wrist, snap and flip Mr. 2BIG’s twelve inches of hair propels forward, up the back of the seat, the back of his neck, the back of his head and flops down on the top. The ladies, all smiles and wide-eyed, look in total disbelief at our successful results and respond “Simply amazing. It looks as though we need to push it forward another inch or two – Oh, I am sure he will never notice.” I reach out to hand LOL2 her pen and she gently takes hold of my wrist and says, “Oh no, my dear, you must keep the pen.” With another fit of laughter among the three of us, LOL2 hands me the chewed top to the BIC pen. Sliding the pen into my shirt pocket, I watch Mr. 2BIG release the front door, crawl from the front seat and slowly move to the hotel lobby with hair in place. I smile knowing my slightly used, chewed new pen saved him from total shame and tomorrow, in his honor, I will use the pen to record the winners, the losers and the entries with artificial substances and bad hairpieces.•
*
*The Dog News Top Ten List - Breed points
A SHAGGY DOG STORY THAT ISN’T POINTLESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43
happy to see that at least the basic instincts are still there,” said Loland. Caplan agreed that the lack of exposure to the breed can sometimes create problems in performance and herding. “Some judges, trainers and fellow competitors who don’t know the breed have preconceived conceptions. For instance, at one herding trial, the judge disqualified us quickly for gripping the sheep when it was only a little nip while qualifying a Border Collie that grabbed a sheep, took it down and wouldn’t let go until being physically taken off the sheep. It was extremely rare when there would be another OES in any all-breed or rally event we were in. There was never another OES competing in any all-breed herding or agility event we were in. It’s important to find the right trainer for any of these activities, though. I’d have to say herding was the most difficult for me but not for the dog because it just didn’t come naturally for me. I would get in the wrong position and be in the dog’s way, frustrating him. We did best when I just stayed out of the way.”
A
s far as training an OES for any activity, Diaz said that she found a “triple-p” program to work best. “Praise, persistence and a special emphasis on the last ‘p,’ practice, practice, practice. Breaking down an activity into its smallest steps is vital for a dog’s understanding. As a former teacher and corporate trainer, this was easy for me. It is also important to understand that if your dog does something correctly three times it does not mean that he knows or understands a concept and can repeat it properly on another day, time or at a different location. As far as the first ‘p’ is concerned, you can never tell or show anyone enough times, be they human or canine, what a great job you think they are doing. Verbal praise, food, toys, games, pats all work very well with an OES especially when you mix up your rewards. The real problem is convincing quality instructors that they aren’t ‘wasting their time’ helping train an OES. When AKC first came out with their agility program, I remember telling some of our top exhibitors that I wanted to try this new sport. Their reaction? Laughter followed by ‘OES can’t do THAT!’ I used that as motivation to show them that they were wrong, wrong, wrong although we have had a few problems along the way, not so much in agility as in obedience where you can only issue a command once and Apache is a bit headstrong and likes to do things her own way. In herding, the difficulty was me. I grew up in New York City and as such, I didn’t have too many opportunities to encounter sheep.” Trombo said that the breed’s size can be a factor in agility. “With males weighing in at 80 to 100 pounds, you have to be mindful of the stress all that jumping puts on their body. Teaching the dog the proper jumping technique early in its agility career is imperative. We do not jump our dogs every day and we don’t start their agility careers until well after their growth plates have closed.” 78 Dog News
“Murphy” (Ch Pooh-Bears British Accent UD MX MXJ RA OAP NJP) one of Janet Trombo’s Old English Sheepdogs, shows that there are brains, brawn and athleticism hidden under all that coat.
What are the greatest obstacles to success with an OES in any dog sport? Boredom in performance activities, said Loland. “The same intelligence that makes them so interesting to train tends to lead them easily into boredom. It’s a rare OES that won’t rebel at pattern training and repetition in general can be a problem. Herding, however, is an entirely separate issue. There the biggest obstacle for most high-drive OES is self-control. I was shocked the first time I worked Belle, my sweet, biddable, agility and obedience titled therapy dog and discovered that she instantly forgot everything she had ever learned related to obedience including her name. Until the day she retired at 12 and a half, I had to all but drag her out of the arena when we were done working. I never did get a reliable stop on her. Somewhere there is a photo of me throwing myself at her and grabbing coat to pull her to a stop having exhausted all other options. The same dog would all but faint at the thought of having to redo a rally station. In conformation, to say I’m grooming-challenged would be an understatement but I discovered that if you breed for movement, many judges upon seeing a sound, balanced nice-moving OES will forgive the fact that the dog looks like a mobile haystack compared to better-presented dogs and put you up anyway. However, the greatest challenge we face in the breed itself is our shrinking gene pool. Many of our remaining long-time breeders are getting ready to retire, most are breeding far less frequently and there are relatively few people with their level of commitment to the breed coming in to take their place. The irony is that at a time when litter registrations and breed entry numbers keep dropping, performance participation for the breed is actually on the rise. A handful of us have worked to spread the word that yes, you can excel with your OES or at least have a rockin’ good time trying. It is to be hoped that there will continue to be quality Old English Sheepdogs for people to enjoy in all activities.”
Dog News 79
RARE BREEDS OF THE WORLD
The Porcelaine – Franche-Comte – France CONTINUED FROM PAGE 44
traditions that have been kept alive for centuries. From the Sausage de Morteau and Sausage de Montbéliard to the outstanding FrancheComte cheeses, this region has a lot to offer to everyone. When visiting the area one must taste its famous honey, the hams as the Jambon de Luxeul, and the Jambon fume, the Bleu du HautJura (blue cheese), and the installations of Le Vache que Rit. (The Laughing Cow). By the way, this name always intrigued me and I found its curious history; the original laughing cow was thought up by the cartoonist Benjamin Rabier when he was serving as an officer in the military during W.W.I. He painted a laughing cow on the trucks transporting the soldiers’ meat rations along with the word “Wachkyrie”, which was supposedly to make fun out of the Germans’ own supply trucks that were decorated with the mythical Walkyries of Norse legend. Said in French, “Wachkyrie” sounds like “Vache Qui Rit”, which amused the French soldiers, including a young officer, a dairy farmer, Léon Bel who liked it so much that in 1921 asked Rabier to draw him a new version specifically for his newly created soft cheese, La Vache Qui Rit. Rabier gave the original cow a new red coat and little cheese box earrings, and in this way the most famous triangular cheese the laughing cow’s trade mark was born. The region is also famous for its Absinthe, the Vin de Paille, the Chardonnay, the Burgundy, the Pinot Gris, and Noire and the several typical dishes. This is the region where one of the county’s greatest prides, the Porcelaine, was born. 80 Dog News
The Porcelaine is an energetic and friendly dog, and an excellent wild boar, hare and deer hunter. The breed is believed to be the descendent of the Chien Blanc du Roy or a white variety of the Saint Hubert (the Saint Hubert Blanc de Lorraine), from the now extinct Montaimboeuf , the English Harrier and some of the smaller Laufhounds of Switzerland. Porcelaine is also known as Chien de FrancheComté, derived from the name of the region they were born.
D
uring the 1700’s, the Porcelaine was considerably larger than the modern breed of today, but the very distinguished-looking dog with a finely chiseled head, a black nose with wide-open nostrils, and a flat forehead, eyes dark with an intelligent expression is still the same. Characterized by a smooth and shiny coat, white skin with black mottling that is often visible through the coat, these dogs have a very a sweet expression. After the revolution when the French nobility fled France, the dogs were taken with them and a good number of hounds reached other
lands. Interestingly the Rousseau family from the east of France fled to Louisiana escaping from the revolution. Some Porcelaine was taken with them. The Rousseau was granted by King Louis XIV with large tracts of lands, and many Porcelaine litters were raised in the Rousseau plantation. The plantation was broken up after the Civil War and most of the dogs were given as gifts to ranchers. It was speculated that the Porcelaine has prominently figured in the development of the Native American hound breeds. The Porcelaine Club of France was founded in 1971, and its effort helped to revive this elegant breed. Hardy and robust, the Porcelaine is quick, impulsive, and enthusiastic. Serene and gentle, besides a great hunter, he is a pleasant companion. Our readers can find the complete standard at the FCI’s (www.federation cynologiqueinternationale. com website, and at the NKC = National Kennel Club, APRI = American Pet Registry Inc., ACR = American Canine Registry, and the DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc.
Dog News 81
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50 CON
Turkish hills. We were accompanied by a young villager dressed up in his Sunday clothes, or so it seemed, who knows every dog in the area for miles around. He took us from shepherd to shepherd, starting off with one of the village houses in whose enclosed yard we were introduced to the dogs. The houses are not much more than hovels, denoting their owner’s lack of financial means, but upon entering one of the homes I was surprised to see electricity, refrigerator, TV and running water. Some of the houses are very well appointed from within, with shining floors, freshly painted walls, decorative curtains, lighting fixtures and other accoutrements. The dogs, and there are always several, are not all pure bred. One can notice a lot of mixed breeds dispersed among the more typical Akbash (“white head”) of the region, although they are never allowed in the house but are kept in the yard or on the outskirts of the property. The puppies are reared with the adults as well as with the flock and are expected to fend for themselves from an early age. Some dogs are tied, usually the ones assigned to guard the house. The flock guardians are allowed the run of the sheep fold when at home. In summer months, the shepherds take the sheep out to graze at around dusk, when the temperatures decline and enable sheep, dogs and men to go out into neighboring pastures. They usually stay out until morning breaks and the sun again begins to heat up the surroundings. The shepherds are invariably men and boys; we never saw a single woman out with the flock. All of them hold a crook or staff to help them move the flock in the desired direction. Even though they are well familiar with dogs, they do not use them for driving the sheep. That role is left to the humans who put a bell on one of the rams. The other sheep follow the leader “like sheep”, so actually the
82 Dog News
shepherd only has to steer a single member of the herd. The Akbash (or Kangal) work naturally. As mentioned, they are kept in groups and don’t work alone. They encircle the flock while on the move, always on the lookout for invaders. When the flock stops to graze, the dogs take to the surrounding bushes, grass and vantage points, while some intermingle with the sheep, camouflaged by their cream colored coats. When approaching a grazing herd, one must really search the territory for the dogs, but when one gets close enough, the dogs seemingly appear from nowhere and it is better to keep one’s distance unless the shepherd OK’s you. Since I was in Turkey for a dog show, I had brought my little Sheltie bitch, “Kiwi”, with me. For reasons of her personal safety, she remained in Umit’s Land Rover while we went out. At a certain point, the local dogs realized she was in the car, and flocked towards the vehicle, seeking to inspect the unfamiliar creature. Kiwi, the brave Sheltie she is (when enclosed by iron and glass) barked back at them with her usual vigor. The shepherds, who do not use dogs to drive the sheep, were surprised to learn she was a sheepdog. One of them actually offered to buy Kiwi and although she may have become a Turkish queen, I was loath to part with her, even for a few head of sheep. Due to our trusted escort, we were invited by three shepherds to squat and share their tea. Turks, although world-famous for their coffee, are actually a tea-drinking nation, boiling the leaves with water to make a strong,
almost bitter infusion. It is served in small glasses, with or without sugar and even modern Turks confess to drinking at least 10 such glasses a day. When asked, the shepherds could point out their better dogs, the ones with stronger guarding instinct. Some of the dogs wear strange metal collars with 10cm (3 inch) iron spikes sticking out of them. This is to protect the dogs’ necks from wolf bites. Yes, it turns out wolves do roam the Turkish countryside, on the prowl for their version of kebab. Among the shepherds we met, several had encountered wolves in the past month or two and were proud to point out the dogs that had given chase to those predators. Work is the major factor when deciding upon mating. The better their instinct, the more the dogs or bitches are used to breed the next generation. The dogs, by the way, are named, but mainly using generic names for “white dog” or “white bitch”. There are no Rovers here. Our host told us his personal dogs are familiar with every one of his sheep. When neighboring sheep wander into his flock, his dogs will summarily chase them off, causing the other shepherds to complain that their sheep are being attacked, when actually they are being sent home. We continued to climb up, noting the beautiful mountain scenery, with small red brick houses. We stopped to drink from a local spring – sweet tasting ice-cold water – unbelievably clear and sparkly. Near one of the village houses we saw a bitch with a young litter of pups.
Dog News 83
A Horror Story... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 56
people would tell you that they all loved animals. I live in Tennessee and I keep a file on my computer solely for dog events that happen in Memphis. It’s a sickening file, frankly. What’s troubling for the rest of us in Tennessee is that Memphis legislators often try to have state laws passed based on things that happen in Memphis, and fortunately, nowhere else in the state. Compared to Memphis, the rest of the state is a cakewalk. As a result, a state legislator from Memphis like Rep. G.A. Hardaway consistently tries to have passed some of the most draconian dog laws imaginable, probably based on what goes on in Memphis. Even the U.S. congressman from the Memphis area, Rep. Steve Cohen (D, TN-9), seems to have been influenced by what happens in Memphis with regard to dogs. He has been a consistent supporter of HSUS and is supporting PUPS once again this year, the only legislator from Tennessee to do so. Now, the Memphis Animal Shelter is still taking in local dogs. They are required by law to do so, though where they are keeping these dogs so they won’t contract distemper is a good question since they have no quarantine facilities. Are these dogs being euthanized as fast as they come in the door? I don’t know. But their kennels are empty, for the most part. As anyone knows, you can’t allow an animal shelter to have empty kennels. Without dogs to sell, er, adopt, they won’t make any money. And they need cute puppies and dogs other than the bully breed dogs that make up a large portion of the dogs
miles southeast of Nashville. Lickety-split they were on the scene, working with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office to seize the 125 dogs — and five birds. Oh, yes. The birds had to be rescued, too! According to a news story http://www.wkrn. com/story/14345964/150-plus-dogs-rescued-in-warren-co, ARC estimates that the entire operation may cost them over $100,000, which is kind of hard to imagine. How much are they planning on spending per dog? Naturally, they have their hand out for donations. Oh, yeah, I forgot to describe the dogs to you. But you can probably do that yourself. They were living in “deplorable conditions.” They had mats. They were “encrusted with feces and urine.” And, (I love this touch), one of the dogs was found in between two dead dogs! Oh, my! The description of the seized dogs is so textbook that they could have copied it right off some old news release, and probably did. If you look at the photos on the page of the story, the dogs look pretty nice. They are small breeds and very cute. They look nice and well-groomed to me. People who saw the news stories on TV said the dogs looked nice, too. But, isn’t that always the case lately? These groups only seize dogs that are small, in good condition, and which will be easy for shelters and rescue groups to sell. So, it’s hard to imagine what ARC plans to spend that $100,000 on. If anyone donates money to them, I think it’s likely the money will go straight to an ARC picnic, an ARC Christmas party, maybe some nifty ARC gear with their logo. But I don’t see it being spent on the dogs because they don’t look like they
Asanyoneknows,youcan’tallowananimalsheltertohaveemptykennels. Withoutdogstosell,er,adopt,
THEYWON’TMAKEANYMONEY. in Memphis, which the newspaper, the Commercial Appeal, complains about all the time. Their editorial staff really, really dislikes “pit bulls.” They never miss an opportunity to run a bad story about them. But where is the Memphis Animal Shelter going to get some nice adoptable dogs to fill up their empty kennels? Well, wouldn’t you know? Scotlund Haisley http:// humanewatch.org/index.php/people/detail/scotlund_haisley/, formerly Director of Emergency Services with the Humane Society of the United States, formerly of the Animal Rescue League, formerly of In Defense of Animals — the guy known for his swat team tactics and “cowboy ways,” according to HSUS’s Wayne Pacelle, is now head of ARC, Animal Rescue Corps. That’s another made-up rescue group that goes around kicking in doors and seizing dogs from breeders. It seems that Mr. Haisley’s group received some kind of tip that there was a “bad” breeder in Warren County in Tennessee, about 75
84 Dog News
need much help. It does seem kind of strange that they don’t know if any charges will be filed against the breeder, yet they went in and seized the dogs. How can you seize dogs when there are no charges? I certainly hope the breeder will hire a good attorney and fight to get custody of their dogs back. I think it’s pretty clear by now that the intent of these raids is two-fold: a) take dogs that can be sold through shelters and rescue groups; and b) ruin the lives of breeders as much as possible to try to stop them from doing any future breeding. It’s that simple. They don’t care if the dogs are well-cared for or not. These radical groups have their own agenda and it’s not really about what’s best for the dogs. If the breeder doesn’t get their dogs back, how much do you want to bet some of these very cute, very adoptable dogs end up in the Memphis Animal Shelter and their empty kennels?
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*
*Number 11 Pug overall, CC/SS All Breed points
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Best In Specialty Show Winning
GCh. DRD’s The Revelation Best of Breed Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association June 19, 2011
R Y K E R
Breeder-Judge: Mrs. Judith Brown
Owners: Barbara Hainline and Cari Jensen Breeder: Cari Jensen Handler: Doug Toomey
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The
GOSSIP Column
T
he show committee of the upstate New York PUTNAM VALLEY KENNEL CLUB wisely cancelled its Friday dog show at noon following breed judging, eliminating group and best in show competition because of the extreme heat in the area. One judge and several exhibitors and dogs were affected by the heat. The annual meeting of the MORRIS ANIMAL FOUNDATION was held last month. Some of the highlights of the meeting included honoring the GOLDEN GIRL of the Foundation, BETTY WHITE, for her forty years as a trustee. Among the speakers praising BETTY were former board president TOM SULLIVAN and former chairman of the board ROGER BOHART. As a former trustee myself, I can tell you personally that her presence and active participation as a trustee has helped the Foundation immeasurably. She never fails to mention the foundation or help raise public awareness of the good works that it does for the health and well being of all animals. Another highlight was the check given to the foundation from DAVID PETRIE of BLUE BUFFALO FOUNDATION and CLINT WHITE of PETCO for pet cancer research. The monies were raised during the Pet Cancer Awareness Month in May. In Iran it is not just the people who are suffering, now the government is going after dogs and their owners. As a result of the Internet, American television programs can be viewed from satellites and Iranians have seen the joys that dogs give their owners in the West and they are now becoming dog owners in spite of a government ban on dog ownership and the illegal act of buying and selling dogs. The parliament passed a bill to criminalize dog ownership calling it a sign of “vulgar Western values” and the AYATOLLAH NASSER MAKAREM SHIRAZI issued a fatwa (a religious decree) denouncing dog ownership. Dogs are considered unclean in Islam. Ignoring
BY EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS 98 Dog News
the laws, dog lovers are visiting websites named WOOF WOOF IRAN DIGITAL PETS and PERSIANPET to connect with fellow dog lovers and learn how to select a breed, groom and care for their pets. Another reason to be more than thankful that we live a democracy, where the pets you keep is no one’s business but your own. You can add CATHAY PACIFIC to the growing list of airlines that will no longer accept in cargo any brachycephalic breeds. In addition to these short-nosed breeds like Pugs, Shih Tzu, Bulldogs and Boxers, Himalayan and Persian cats have also been added to the list. This ruling comes after a Department of Transportation report studied from 2005 to 2010 that half of the 108 deaths were that of short-nosed breeds. Rumors have been circulating that the ENGLISH KENNEL CLUB is eager to sell its London building because of an article in the business section of the EVENING STANDARD English newspaper. The Clarges Street building does sit in the very up market Piccadilly section of London and there has been talk of new buildings in that area. But according to STEVE DEAN, the new chairman of the English Kennel Club, he assures the members that they are not seeking to move. However, if a substantive offer came along, the members would be polled as to a decision, as it is entirely at the member’s discretion. The English Kennel Club does have back offices (unlike the American Kennel Club back offices that are a plane ride away from New York) not far from their London site but I would think that in order to get the Kennel Club to sell its property, it would have to be a very substantial sum of money. Best wishes to Pekingese fancier BRENDA SCHLEIBLAUER who was married on July 1st to TIM PLESE. All of us at Dog News send our best wishes to DAVID HARPER and JENNIFER HAYES, who were married Friday in Biloxi, Mississippi.
“Genie” Flash! Two Group Firsts at Duluth Kennel Clu b, under Judg es Mr. Pete D awkins and Mr. Don R ogers.
MULTIPLE BEST IN SHOW WINNING
GCH. EVERGREEN’S MISS CONGENIALITY
Owner: Charlotte Roberts Breeders/Handlers: Stan & Jane Flowers, DHG www.stanandjaneflowers.com 612 747-5770
This Multiple Best In Show Winner wins another Group First, on this occasion under Judge Mrs. Peggy Haas.
Genie is ranked Number Three* Bulldog
*The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed
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Published on Aug 4, 2011
Dog News The Digest of AmerIcan Dogs Volume 27, Issue 30 July 29, 2011
