Dog News, August 2, 2013

Dog News

The Digest Volume 29, Issue 31

Of American Dogs $5.00

August 2, 2013

Am. Ch., Am. Gde Ch.

R aquel Welch of Malabo APD

Contents 10 Editorial

46 The VCU Center For Human-Animal Interaction

By Sharon pflaumer

14 The Lighter Side of Judging

54 A Near Miss And How To Avoid Them

By Michael Faulkner

By carlotta cooper

18 Inside the Sport The Dog Days of Summer

56 Rare Breeds of the World The Slovak Rough Haired Pointer

By Pat Trotter

by agnes buchwald

22 The Question Of The Week

58 Off The Leash

By Matthew Stander

By shaun coen

26 Irving’s Impressions Modern Presentation Of Show Dogs

68 Mrs. Earl’s Skye Terriers

By Ronnie Irving

By nick waters

30 Babbling Is It Really Greener On The Other Side Of The Fence???

By geir Flyckt-Pedersen

34 Bests Of The Week

August 2, 2013

74 A WSJ Bruhaha,Waukesha, Judges, Food Companies... And More By matthew stander

78 The Gossip Column

BY Eugene Z. Zaphiris

38 Ten Questions asked of Lisa Warren

84 Click - Waukesha Kennel Club

44 What’s That In Your Genes?

90 Click - The Way We Were The Rose City Classic

By Denise flaim

By eugene zaphiris

By eugene zaphiris

• 92 handlers directory • 94 subscription rates • 96 classified advertising • 98 ADvertising rates 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.

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DOG NEWS, 1115 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10010 All advertisements are copyrighted and owned by DOG NEWS, Harris Publications, unless received camera-ready. Permission to reprint must be requested in writing.

Dill #1 Briard All Systems Winning More Groups -This Time Under Judge Mr. Houston Clark.

Multiple Best In Show & Best In Specialty Show Winning

Mexican, Venezuelen, Colombian, Uruguayan, Paraguayan, Chilean, American

GCh. Deja Vu Mia Cool As A Cucumber Owned by Lynn Bernard, Terry Miller, Dominique DubĂŠ, Amie Melton Handled by Regina Keiter

Photo by Congleton

Dog News 5

PUBLISHER

Dog News Cover Story - August 2, 2013

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

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dognews@harris-pub.com www.dognews.com facebook.com/thedognews SUBSCRIPTIONS

Ian Miller 212 462.9624 Contributing Editors Sharon Anderson George Bell Andrew Brace Agnes Buchwald Patricia Gail Burnham Shaun Coen Carlotta Cooper Geoff Corish Michael Faulkner Denise Flaim Geir Flyckt - Pedersen Allison Foley Yossi Guy Ronnie Irving Roz Kramer John Mandeville Linda More Desmond J. Murphy M. J. Nelson Sharon Pflaumer John Shoemaker Kim Silva Matthew H. Stander Sari Brewster Tietjen Patricia Trotter Connie Vanacore Carla Viggiano Nick Waters Seymour Weiss Minta (Mike) Williquette

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Dog News Photographers Chet Jezierski Perry Phillips Kitten Rodwell Leslie Simis

*The Dog News Top Ten List

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DOG NEWS is sent to all AKC approved Conformation Judges with more than one breed 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.

y b o T

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Group First Thank you Judge Mrs. Nancy Hafner Multiple Best In Show Winner and Multiple Specialty Winner

GCh. Dejavu l Want’A Talk About Me The Number One Chinese Crested *

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Owners Roy & Joann Kusumoto Bred By K. Matlock, A. Freeman & S. Jacobson

Handled Exclusively By Daryl Martin *The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed

Dog News 7

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Dog News 9

HI HO SILVER Expanding its policy of masking judging applications the current Board seems to have adopted the practises of the Lone Ranger and has extended its masking theories to virtually anything connected with the Board and or the Staff.

Just take a look at what is no longer being reported in the Board Minutes. NO financial figures given out whatsoever!

Event and entries information are combined as one instead of being divided into categories such as conformation, agility or obedience. Does anyone really know whether conformation show entries are up or down?

The President reports that “Entries were up 0.84% compared to the first five months of 2012.” Certain Show Supers say these are “cooked figures”. These pages believe the two sides are not talking apples to apples. But try and get the breakdown from AKC. So far no success on the part of these pages from normally reliable sources that’s for sure.

As far as Communications are concerned Chris Walker the new social media guru made an undisclosed report but did announce that there is a new Director of Public Relations.

How long will the new Director of PR Hillary Prim remain masked to the general public and to at least the dog press for sure one ponders in utter amazement. However Lisa Peterson continues as Director of Communications which is we are told more of an internal position than one which deals with the public.

And oh yes Mark Dunn gave an update on Registration and Canine Partners under the questionable heading of Marketing. However no information other than that statement was given-no figures, no numbers no nothing were reported in the Minutes.

Why print these Minutes at all as they are presently being reported is certainly a fair question to ask, don’t you think.

And yes the two day meeting began at 8 am on Monday and adjourned at 5:15 pm only to begin again on Tuesday at 9am (must have been a tough Board dinner the Monday night before) and adjourn at the early hour of 11:15 am not pm as reported in the Minutes. Do 10 Dog News

The

Editorial AUGUST 2, 2013

you think the Board will reduce its monthly fee for only a day and a half’s work instead of the two days scheduled?

Perhaps those times are cooked too, you think? Here’s the reaction of one Delegate to the Board Minutes: “It looks like not much was accomplished at the Board meeting except to look into online judges/seminar sources.

Also the reinstatement process proposed by the Dog Show Rules Committee was shot down by the Board...business as usual...Some of the events previously requiring approval will have standing approvals. Not a word on the masking of judges...strange.” And the Lone Ranger rides again.

REINSTATEMENT OF DISQUALIFIED DOGS Basically the Delegate Dog Show Rules Committee began to look into the matter of disqualified dogs after a judge on the Reinstatement Committee was attacked by a dog presented for reinstatement. It is said the dog caused lots of damage to the judge. The suggestion presented was to have the AKC be in charge of the reinstatement process and assume all liabilities that now could fall on the club where the reinstatement is being conducted. One of the problems which seem to arise is how to determine whether the committee knows for sure the dog that is being presented for reinstatement is the same dog that was aggressive to or actually bit the judge. Part of the idea as these pages understand the problem was to take the total burden of serving on the committee away from other AKC Judges and spread it around to reps and judges alike.While it was discussed at Board level the Minutes read as though the idea was rejected. And that since the intent of the current rule is to recreate the judging scenario which is being accomplished by the current reinstatement procedure it will be continued. No vote was reported to have been taken in this instance perhaps because it fell under the new Business Category.

JUDGES APPEARING IN DOG FOOD ADS AKC has had for the longest of time now a Rule and/or Policy that Judges may not appear in dog foods ads as this kind of an endorsement is considered a definite conflict of interest. Years ago a judge who was also a veterinarian did just that for Pedigree when it was heavily supporting the breeder and the purebred dog and the advert was stopped. Bad judgement call on the part of this Judge too who is a recently appointed member of the new Judges Task Force Committee to re-examine the current judges approval processes. Hardly a disqualification from serving on the Committee but one would think this is a good lesson for anyone who serves on these Committees to be as squeaky clean as humanely possible. Which of course brings up the fact that the new COO Daryl Hendricks has been appointed to be the fourth member of this task force. Originally his TITLE was designated by the Board as having a seat on the Judges Review Committee way before he was so appointed. Wisely Mr. Hendricks elected after his appointment not to vote on any of the pending applications whilst a member of the JRC since admittedly his was purely a business background

and he had no knowledge whatsoever of matters AKC much less Conformation needs of judge applicants. Why he would be put on the Task Force Committee to examine this process baffles these pages in the altogether. What is needed on such a Committee are serious students of the judging processes who have the luxury of time on their side. Certainly the three other members have at least that qualification which quite obviously is missing from Mr. Hendricks resume.

SOCIAL SCIENCE AND THE SHELTER DOG The Wall Street Journal article referred to in the AND MORE column makes imported shelter dogs from the South the dog which should be owned by virtuous dog owners. This article should be read by one and all. It embraces this highly questionable practise whether the writer meant to or not and should open the eyes of many within the purebred fancy as to how to treat this phenomenon.

Rescue dogs seem to be the new status symbol of virtue as compared to yesteryear when they were shunned. Today they are innocent victims whose new owners are allegedly performing acts which are heart warming and good for society generally. What the purebred dog owners must do is make people understand the worth and value of the purebred dog to the family and make people feel that in buying a purebred dog as opposed to buying a transported shelter dog they are assuring a safe and predictable acting new family member as opposed to the unpredictability of the shelter/ rescue animal.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK If you go to the following link and vote for the AKC/CHF in the Truck Vault contest that organization could reap in some nice money as we understand the situation. The link is https:// www.truckvaultcares.com/index. php? (you may want to remove the check which gets you on a distribution list for what may be SPAM when you vote). Problem is that the American Brittany Rescue Foundation is running a close second and that is a worthwhile cause too but in the long run our hearts are with the AKC/CHF group for sure. In any event act soon as it maybe closing anon.

TOSKYDOX i d d re

GCH. MARGINNS FREDRICKA V RUF KNABE

F

After a late start on the year, Freddi has very quickly risen in the breed standing to Number 5* Smooth!

Our appreciation to Judge Ms. Kalen Dumke for another Specialty Best of Variety for Freddi!

Owner: Sharon Lutosky Handled By: Lorene Hogan *The Dog News Top Ten List - Breed points

Dog News 11

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Dog News 13

TheLighter Side

By Michael H. Faulkner

of Judging

No Escape Summer Believe

it or not, there are actually Dog Show Judges who become paralyzed by the thought of having a free weekend or two away from judging. I, on the other hand, strategically plan my dog show judging schedule, using a Gestalt approach in support of my personal, professional and mental well-being. BIG MICHAEL (BM) and I had a meeting of the minds fourteen years ago and agreed that we would spend at a minimum, two weekends per month together. I agreed to curb my constant-canine-craving (CCC) and he agreed to stay away from cemeteries, court houses, churches, and old ladies, leaving his genealogy research for the weekends I contract for dog shows. In theory, this works perfectly. In reality, it proves to be difficult, fun, embarrassing, and sometimes dangerous. We both delicately dance around our urges, pretending that our passions are the farthest thing from our minds when we are bonding.

“I am so happy you took the summer off and did not schedule any dog shows in the months of July and August!” BM boldly exclaims with enthusiasm. “I’m headed to the marina to get the boat ready. You, ROBROY, and ANA meet me there in about twenty minutes, he finishes while exiting the front door. I continue to pack two coolers (BLT sandwiches, chips, watermelon, ice tea, water, beer, vodka, tonic and ice) and a large bag (towels, spray lotion #15, oil #6, lotion #20, lotion #30, lip balm #30). Our two visiting friends, ROBROY from DC and his girlfriend, ANA from Estonia, change clothes in preparation for a relaxing after14 Dog News

noon on the Rappahannock River.

With everything in order, ROBROY and ANA both assist in packing the wagon. I escort them through the front door, deadbolt from within, put Murphy French in his crate, and walk to the other end of the house to make my exit.

It is 2.9 miles to the marina from our front door. I know this to be exact as my weekly running routine is to the marina and back. “Clear skies, plenty of sunshine and a high of 92 expected today for our listening area” vibrates through the car speakers. “Our local marina is in an area called Bowlers Wharf,” I share. “What does Bowlers mean?” Ana politely asks from the back seat. “It’s a family name---a man by the name of Thomas Bowler, born in 1608 in England, immigrated to the US around 1653 and later moved up the Rappahannock River to this area that still bears his name. In 1674 he was commissioned a member of the Governor’s Council and he died in 1697.” “Hmmmm---interesting,” Ana and ROBROY respond in unison, signaling that the idea of spending time on the water will be far more interesting than my attempt at local history.

Turning right on Catch Penny Lane, we proceed down the lane, across two sleeping policemen (speed bumps) and down a steep incline to Garrett’s Marina. Garrett’s is family owned and operated since 1972. BM and I love the fact they offer boat slips, a boat hotel, gas dock, service, parts, a store, and restrooms. I personally love being able to call thirty minutes ahead of time, have them put the boat in the water

and afterwards, remove the boat, rinse it off, and store it until our next outing.

There is more activity than usual, with boats coming and going. There are a few empty parking spaces to the far right of the marina, close to the main storage area. I attempt to spot our boat in the water along the way and notice BM sitting near the gas dock. I park the car. We gather the coolers, bags, and essentials and move towards BM. Ana, in her bikini, looking like an Estonian cat-on-theprowl, saunters towards BM, simultaneously driving the two young men attending to the boats into testosterone frenzy. The taller of the two men walks towards BM as we---meaning ANA---approach. “Hey Mr. Rawlings--- it will only be a bit longer.”

He says while staring at ANA’s chest. “So, where’s the boat?” I gently inquire, sensing that something is slightly off, since BM left the house thirty minutes prior to our arrival. You see, usually it only takes ten to fifteen minutes to get the boat ready, once it is in the water. The boat would have already been in the water when he arrived. “It’s nothing--- be patient,” he says. “Well, where is the boat?

Is something wrong?” “No, nothing is wrong--- it is all taken care of. It will only be few more minutes. Just let it go,” he says with a bit more force. “OK, normally we would have already been motoring out to sea---what is going on?” I continue to investigate. “I did not want to bring it up, but you had to persist--- the boat will be out and in the water in approximately fifContinued on page 62

Jewel

“

”

Size Matters “The Great Dane combines, in its regal appearance, dignity, strength and elegance with Great Size and a powerful, wellformed, smoothly muscled body.”

Multiple Best in Specialty Winning

GCh. Hauerdane’s Don’t Bury The Treasure v Caps

Exquisitely handled by Betty Jo Costantinidis Owned by Annette Brill

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Dog News 17

Inside The Sport The Dog Days of Summer

By Pat Trotter

T

PHOTO BY JOHN ASHBY

he “Dog Days of Summer” are upon us. According to ancient tradition that describes these sultry days of Summer, “Dog Days” occur in late July and August. Aristotle may have been amongst the first to use the term with the Romans that followed him referencing the Dog Star Sirius as the brightest in the constellation Canis Major and associating it with heat. The Old Farmers’ Almanac considered July 6 through August 11 as the forty days of the rising Dog Star and reported this time frame had the least rain of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

With the overwhelming amounts of rain in June of this year in much of the country, maybe a let-up is more than welcome. Perhaps the weatherman is not unlike the dog show judge in that it is almost impossible to get it right 100% of the time! It has been an extremely busy summer for many of us with most of our personal shows in such air-conditioned comfort as the Reliant Center in Houston, the Big E facility in Springfield MA and comfortable outdoor shows as well as indoor shows in other venues.

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The 4th of July weekend in MA is a fabulous run of shows with patriotic displays and feel-good Americanism evident everywhere. And why not? The area is truly part of America’s birthplace. The movers and shakers of these clubs (Farmington Valley, Holyoke, Kenilworth Valley and Naugatuck Valley) are amongst some of the most prominent dog people in the country.

Eddie Lyons, our long-time friend, former handler and now a respected judge, is one person still staying in touch with his roots. Eddie’s “clean sweep” shirt says it all as his crew works several shows at the Big E. With dogs blowing coat that time of year, they still manage to live up to their clean sweep name-cleaning rings not only in the early AM before judging starts each day, but re-doing the job while judges are at lunch.

An amazing BIS line-up occurred at Farmington Valley-not only were all seven group winners in the BIS lineup handled by gentlemen, the judge was also a man-Dr. John V. Ioia. In this day and age when so much of the sport seems dominated by the femi-

nine gender, how often does one see a BIS line-up with eight men in it?

Dr. Ioia chose the Portuguese Water Dog for his winner with the Afghan from Long Island as Reserve BIS. The PWD won four of the five shows with the Irish Water Spaniel bitch garnering the last BIS as well as a RBIS over the holiday weekend. The weekend was augmented by 4th of July celebrations, dining on scrumptious lobster and evaluating some wonderful dogs. This outstanding Yankee Classic Cluster is the product of cooperative teamwork by outstanding dog people.

The following weekend was a nostalgic one for me, as the local Del Monte shows took me “home” to where I spent more than 30 years in the 8th grade. (Some say it was because I was a slow learner!).

About a mile from our home, Carmel Middle School still calls to me on a regular basis and sometimes in the morning my car almost heads in the direction of the school driveway instead of elsewhere. An Australian Shepherd bitch and a Pointer were the BIS winners over a weekend bathed in the cooling breezes of the ocean a couple of miles to the West. Remembering Jane Chopson produced poignant moments for all of us at both the Great Dane specialties on Friday and the all-breed events on Saturday and Sunday.

Jane’s recent passing has been a blow to Californians as well as the national Dane and Field Spaniel scenes. A good friend since the Continued on page 70

Ch. Merry Go Round Express

e p y T t s n e u o l m e u v Fab & Mo Finished undefeated from the Bred By Exhibitor Class with Four Majors, Three Best of Breeds over Multiple Specials, & Two Group Placements, including a Group First!

Watch for the new team of

& !

Beauam e i m S Pictured above, (the day after finishing) Winning Group First under Judge Mr. Jon Cole, pictured on the left with Judge Mrs. Charlotte P. Patterson where Beau started his specials career by winning Group First with his New Handler

Sammie Lewis

k

Merry Go Round Dalmatians • since 1969 • Rod & Patti Strand Dog News 19

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*The Dog News Top Ten List

20 Dog News

Dog News 21

As someone who judges overseas frequently and has perhaps even adjudicated upon dogs in Russia as well do you think FCI should hold its World Show in Moscow considering the law put into effect last month by President Putin which gives the authorities the power to arrest and detain for up to 14 days any foreign traveler who is suspected of being pro-gay, homosexual or lesbian.

Question Of The Week

Dennis Sprung and Alan Kalter On Behalf of the American Kennel Club, we are protesting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s antigay law. We are in agreement with dog owners and dog lovers worldwide who are urging the Federation Cynologique (FCI) to move the World Dog Show from Moscow Russia to a new venue in a country that respects all human rights and supports the international dog community. AKC will not support participation in the 2016 FCI World Dog Show if it is held in Russia. AKC believes the anti-gay law demonstrates a violation of basic human rights.

RON MENAKER In this day and age it is difficult to conceive that a country would put a law into effect which targets a certain group of people who live a particular lifestyle. The fact that this newly imposed legislation also targets visitors is on that basis alone even more astonishing. The FCI and the Russian Kennel Club Organizers have a difficult decision as to what action it will take regarding the World Dog Show scheduled to be held in Russia in 2016.

Beth Sweigert and Peter Green In this day and age such a stand by a major power like Russia is unconscionable . The dog show world internationally has long been one of the most accepting of all regardless of sexual preference.

We both think it would be fitting for the FCI to take

peggy beiselmcilwaine I haven’t judged in Russia, but was supposed to this past June.

By Matthew H. Stander It was cancelled and rescheduled.

While I disagree with these policies as well as many others of Putin’s I’m not sure boycotting countries for political reasons has much influence from our dog show community. However, I’m not sure I will risk my being arrested by their government unless I was assured it would cause an international incident and do away with this absolutely dreadful law. One more thing, I wonder what will happen with the Winter Olympics? Russia is risking losing a lot of tourism by this.

ANDREW BRACE It is hard to believe that such a “law” can exist in this day and age but certainly I shall not be putting my safety at risk. I have no intention of judging in Russia in the future. For FCI to allow a World Show in this country would be tantamount to hypocrisy of the highest level. This is the perfect opportunity for new FCI President Rafael de Santiago to prove whether FCI actually has teeth and backbone. Hopefully the FCI will flex some muscle and withdraw the offer of the World Show and as soon as possible. The dog fancy is one of the most non-judgemental sports of all and Continued on page 67

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a stand on moral and ethical grounds by boycotting such a venue. Also since a good number of those involved with dogs are gay and the rest of us certainly sympathetic we would all be arrested!

Olivia

#1 Bearded Collie – All-Breed

“The Devine Miss O” Celebrates Another Best in Show!

Thanks to Group Judge Dr. Donald Sturz FLASH w Sho n I t s e B ounty C e c n Provide l Club Kenne Judge ings l l i B e l iche Mrs. M

Thank You Judge Col. Jerry Weiss The Multiple Best In Show and Multiple Best In Specialty Show Winning

GCh. Dunhill Celebration Bred By Ray & Dr. Kathy Harrington Carolyn O’Neil www.dunhillbeardedcollies.com

Owned By Carolyn O’Neil Ray Harrington

Presented By Clifford Steele AKC Reg. Handler/PHA

*The Dog News Top Ten List

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Group First Thank you Judge Ms. Marjorie Underwood

Reserve Best In Show Thank you Judge Mr. Sidney Marx

Reserve Best In Show Thank you Judge Mrs. Gloria Kerr

Group First Thank you Judge Mrs. Gloria Geringer

Group First Thank you Judge Mr. Fred Ferris

h t u r a l l A . h C G m u n i t a Pl e y a B e l o S V g n i d d i K t Jus

aye v Sole B D L O G h PIXIE Allarut . h C : Dam

IST ITH A TW W L E M R CA .HILINE’S Sire: Ch

“Justin” is Co-Owned

By Ruth Ziegler - “Allaruth” and Yvonne B. Phelps - “Sole Baye” Los Angeles and El Monte, California 310 472-7993 • 626 448-3424 24 Dog News

Handled Exclusively By Bergit & Hans Kabel Assisted by Nanae Murayama

wins Best In Show Number 20!

Best In Show Thank you Judge Mrs. Gloria Geringer

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IRVING’s impressions

By Ronnie Irving

MODERN PRESENTATION OF SHOW DOGS

R

ecently when looking through the ads in a dog magazine I came to a photograph of what was apparently a big winner in its breed but the presentation was such that I simply had to look more closely to discover just exactly which breed the dog was supposed to be. It brought me to thinking just how much the presentation of show dogs had changed over the years, and there is no doubt that in most breeds it has changed a great deal. The degree of professionalism and the lengths that the exhibitors of some breeds now go to in preparing their dogs for exhibition at shows, seems to have no limits. The whole issue led me to ask myself a few questions.

Firstly can these changes actually be seen as an improvement for the individual dog or for the breed and its popularity? Secondly are they good for the fancy as a whole?

Thirdly, where will all of this so called ‘progress’ end up and what will dogs of various breeds look like in twenty or thirty years’ time?

And finally should we or can we do anything about it?

There is no doubt that in many breeds the level of presentation in the USA has usually arrived far earlier at standards well beyond those which have been met in the UK. I have been careful to use the words ‘arrived at’ and ‘met’ rather than the more positive words ‘achieved’ or ‘attained’ because I’m not at all sure that all of this 26 Dog News

so-called ‘perfection’ is entirely good or in the best interests of the dogs or the dog fancy.

Obviously old photographs are one way of judging the change in presentation which has taken place over the years. However, looking back at things using my own personal experience, I think I can best illustrate the change by referring to Kerry Blue Terriers as an example. My first visit to a dog show in the USA was the first time I judged the Border Terrier Club of America’s National Specialty in 1974 when it was held in Vermont on the New England Circuit. There I saw Kerry Blues presented in a way which to my British eyes looked really unusually spectacular. Today Kerries are presented in almost the same way routinely here in the UK.

Excessive Leg Hair And Beards

As far as my own breed the Border Terrier is concerned there have been attempts over the years in the USA to present the breed in a more fancy way with excessive beards and with the kind of leg-hair that we are more accustomed to seeing in a Lakeland or a Wire Fox Terrier. As far as I’m concerned this is absolute anathema for the breed which purports to be from working origins and where the AKC Breed Standard says: “Coat : A short and dense undercoat covered with a very wiry and somewhat broken topcoat which should lie closely, but it must not show any tendency to curl or wave. With such a coat a Border should be able to be exhibited almost in his natural state, nothing more in the way of trimming being needed than a tidying up of the head, neck and feet.“ Fortunately the Border Terrier Club of America and the Border Terrier enthusiasts have fought very hard to avoid excessive presentation over the years, in particular the presentation of the breed

with excessive leg and muzzle hair. By and large they have succeeded. But even in Border Terriers, and this applies both in the UK and the USA, there is a tendency to show the breed with far less body coat than in the past, and in some instances to show the breed totally stripped out and in its undercoat.

Insults To Wires

But this trend is not new and has been the subject of controversy for many years.

I recently found a letter written in 1948 from a then very well known Border Terrier exhibitor to my grandfather who was at the time Secretary of the Border Terrier Club bemoaning the trend towards ‘overpresentation’ by the handler of another exhibitor at the time. And please excuse the somewhat insulting remarks about Wire Fox Terriers! This person really was very pro Border Terriers!

The letter said: “You lost your bet over X’s Border Terrier bitch at last week’s show!

Personally I think that Y had quite spoilt her by overtrimming, she was barbered to death with that great beard like a Wire’s left on, and altogether handled and moved just like a Wire and had just that same vacant expression that show Wires have, so different from a Border’s keen, interested look. She’s a nice little bitch but he’ll ruin her that way. I think there is a growing tendency to overtrim anyway. I know I do far more to my own dogs nowadays than I used to do before the War (WW2). I have to if they are not to look rough beside the others. You have got to give the judges what they want if you want to win. It is no use otherwise.

My famous old Border dog and bitch were Continued on page 97

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Dog News 29

babbling

By Geir Flyckt-Pedersen

Is It Really Greener On The Other Side Of The Fence???

I

thoroughly enjoyed reading ”Irvings Impressions ” as well as ” Brace Yourself“ in this papers July 5 edition!

The fact that they are handling the English language so much better than I do, is of course annoying, but then I am just an immigrant doing the best I can…

Andrew Brace has of course been heavily involved in the sport since an early age and due to the fact that he “knows everybody” and has friends in all breeds, highlights the problem I touched a few week ago about “judging your friends dogs”.

If you haven’t already read it, I would highly recommend you to do so !

I love the expression “judging cold” – as I have mentioned a short time agoI don’t think it is totally possible, but it’s something all judges should be aiming for!

I was delighted that Ronnie Irving strayed from his usual TKC rules and regulations etc and focused on more of the practical and to a certain extent historical and funny side of dog shows in Europe as well as the UK. I do know that he, since early age, showed his family’s Border Terriers. But the first time I remember seeing him was when he as a very young man who came to Sweden to judge and someone commented that he looked far too polished to be a proper terrier man…He also had an education and job in” management”. So unlike the average British terrier person in those days, which was a world mainly dominated by genuine working class guys.

I know he disappeared, although not completely from the sport, pursuing a very

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successful career, just to resurface after retirement and become Chairman of TKC! In my humble opinion taht was the best thing that happened to TKC for many years- all the way back to the days of the wonderful Leonard Pagliero.( His companion in later life was a local kennel owner, a fellow Scandinavian immigrant, so we got to know him very well- and will miss him forever !)

Len and Ronnie had at least one thing in common. They were seriously interested in improving this sport and to this they both contributed considerably! People could speak with them, they listened and in the midst of it all demonstrated their interest in dogs and dog showing and did not put on an air of importance and superiority which I think we did see in a couple of other TKC chairmen. And I really loved the fact that Ronnie ignored all pressure and still entered the ring with his wife’s dogs from time to time. I seriously don’t think a majority of judges gave him “preferential treatment” due to his position- more likely I suspect it gave a few people a chance to show their own “strength” by not letting him win. Although we know well that wife Kate would not even keep an individual Border without the required qualities…

I don’t know if you in this country are familiar with the Norwegian /Danish author Aksel Sandemose’s “Jante Laws”.

Anyway the first of his 10 commandments is: Don’t for a moment think you are something special !

If these Laws are new to you: Check them out on your computer!

However successful you are you will come across people who want to pull you down !

I am soooo happy to read that GRADING is NOT likely in the UK in the foreseeable future!

The abolition of gradings will probably never happen in Europe, but a number of years ago the Swedish Kennel Club did an experiment for a few shows: No critiques!

The exhibitors hated it.

In my family we loved it, hoping this would be the future, but that was not to be.

I think his comment regarding “scaring away” newcomers by using the grading system is an indicator that tradition influences your thought process.

In my home country newcomers in most cases would walk away happily with a 2nd in quality as they also received a signed piece of paper with a description of their dogs faults and virtues.

But there is a downside to any system: I remember a neighbor who had been encouraged to show his dogs to be part of a breeders group a number of times. He called me over one day after attending his fifth show.

Gradings anything from 2nd in quality to CK (CC quality), but with 5 different critiques.

Laying all the critiques on his dining table his point was: If he put together all the positive remarks his dog was nearly perfect .Doing the same with the negatives, the dog totally worthless.

(I must add that European judges in the 50s and 60s did not mince their words, which could be pretty hurtful at time !!)

So based on this he would just tell me how utterly stupid I was to be so involved in this crazy hobby-and he would never attend another dog show in his life.

A promise I think he kept.

One thing I find difficult when judging in Europe is that they changed the grading system. Continued on page 86

Dog News 31

32 Dog News

a l l e t S

Holding her own

in the very competitive California Working Group!

Stella ...

Owners:

Carla Sanchez Matt & Dena Drosdoff

Thank you Judges for the opportunity, once again, to present to the Fancy - one more outstanding Mastiff!

— Carla nchez Sa

Expertly Handled by:

Pam Gilley

Dog News 33

Hendersonville Kennel Club Spartanburg Kennel Club Portuguese Water Dog GCh. Claircreek Impression De Matisse Judge Mrs. Dorothy N. Collier Judge Mr. Houston Clark Owners Milan Lint, Peggy Helming & Donna Gottdenker Handler Michael Scott Greenville Kennel Club Miniature Schnauzer GCh. Allaruth Just Kidding V Sole Baye Judge Mr. Fred Ferris Owners Ruth Ziegler & Yvonne B. Phelps Handler Bergit Kabel Lackawanna Kennel Club - Friday Cardigan Welsh Corgi GCh. Aubrey’s Tails of Mystery Judge Mr. Steve Gladstone Owners Cynthia & Vincent Savioli Handler Sherri S. Hurst

ts Week The

of the

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

Waukesha Kennel Club - Sunday Doberman Pinscher GCh. Cambria’s Vraiment Parfait Judge Ekarat Sangkunakup Owners Glen Lajeski, Ann Wulbrecht, Karen Thompson & Cambria, Reg. Handler Ann Ramsbottom White Dan Emmett Kennel Club - Saturday Giant Schnauzer GCh. Kenro’s Witching Hour Judge Mrs. Barbara Dempsey-Alderman Owners Robin Greenslade, Luke Norton & Doug Hill Handler Amy Booth Hurricane Ridge Kennel Club - Saturday Golden Retriever GCh. Rush Hill’s Drama’geddon JH Judge Mrs. Patricia Trotter Owner Cathy Meddaugh, Tonya and Mark Struble Handler Tonya Struble

DJ

Multiple Group Winner & Multiple Group Placer

# 5 Keeshonden All Breed*

Our sincere appreciation to Judge Mrs. Murrel Purkhiser for this lovely Group First Placement!

GCh Karina’s You Can’t Stop The Beat Expertly Presented by Jill Bell • Assisted by Chase Waddell Breeders/Owners Vickie L. Louie & Chase Waddell Karina Keeshonden *The Dog News Top Ten List

www.karinakees.com

Dog News 35

36 Dog News

*

Dog News 37

ten

What person do you most look forward to seeing at the dog shows?

MIMI WINKLER

What is your greatest extravagance?

CLOTHES AND SHOES

What do you dislike most about your appearance?

DO WE ONLY HAVE ONE PAGE FOR THIS?

What dog person would you like to see on ‘dancing with the stars’?

MIKE SZABO

Questions

If you were forced to get a tattoo, what would it be?

DOG PAW OVER MY HEART

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you?

ANDREW (HUSBAND), KEIKO (AKITA) AND THE

asked of

Lisa Warren Born: Orlando - Florida Resides: Fogelsville Pennylvania Marital Status: Very Happily Married

INTERNET

When and where are you the happiest?

ANYTIME I’M WITH ANDREW

Other people think I am...?

ORGANIZED (HA!)

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A SCHOOL TEACHER

What would be your last request?

To discover A CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD

38 Dog News

*

*The Dog News Top Ten List - Breed points

Dog News 39

*The Dog News Top Ten List - Breed points

40 Dog News

Dog News 41

In Memorium

Isabell J. Stoffers

By Michael J. Dougherty

I

sabell Stoffers started in dogs in the 1940’s with a Doberman. She bought her first Whippet in the 60’s and started her “RUNNERS” Whippets. She was always proud to say that her Whippets competed in Conformation, Obedience, ARM Racing, Lure Coursing, Open Field Coursing, Agility,

August 19, 1929 — July 11, 2013

and Junior Showmanship. She was best known for her homebred Am. Mex. Ch. Runner’s Our Own Charisma, ROM, “Carrie,” and Am. Mex., Can. Ch. Runner’s He’s The Continental, ROMX, “Tally.”

Both were top winning show dogs

and great producers. “Carrie” still to this day holds the distinction of having won the largest BIS ever by a Whippet in the USA (1974). And “Tally” was a Best In Show winner in three countries.

There are numerous Whippet breeders who started with a “Runners” Whippet from

“She was a very popular and respected judge.

She is one of the very few judges to ever judge the Whippet National twice. She was also very popular internationally, having judged in 13 countries.”

42 Dog News

Isabell. Always happy to help a newcomer whether it was giving encouragement, advice or even and always the honest truth. Her stud dogs were only available to bitches that she felt would produce nicely.

Isabell started her judging career in the 70’s. She was licensed to judge Hounds, Toys, Non-Sporting, and Dobermans (her first love). She was a very popular and respected judge. She is one of the very few judges to ever judge the Whippet National twice. She was also very popular internationally, having judged in 13 countries.

She is survived by six children (yes six) and nine grandchildren. Her daughter, Christy Nelson, will carry on the “Runner’s” tradition.

Lucene’s Magesil’s Naishali My Majesty Close To Finishing!

From the Open Standard Smooth Class to Best of Variety onto

Group First!

Thank you Judge Mr. Eugene Blake Owner - Handler Madeline George Saint Cloud, Florida

www.lucene1948.com lucene1948@cox.net Dog News 43

What do Labradoodles, “super” corn and biracial children have in common? According to one provocative book, a leg up in the genetics department.

What’s In Your W

hich is why I was intrigued when I came across “Breeding Between the Lines: Why Interracial People Are Healthier and More Attractive” (Barricade Books, 2006). Given the title, I knew this wasn’t going to be a celebration of carefully circumscribed gene pools, like the ones that define our purebred dogs (or any other purposefully bred animal, for that matter). I had an idea of what I was in for: Hybrid vigor = good. Inbreeding = bad. But, my curiosity piqued, I ordered it on Amazon.

Ironically, author Alon Ziv comes from a rather closed pedigree himself: His father has Gaucher disease, a recessive genetic disorder common among Jews of European origin in which the body fails to produce an enzyme needed for the breakdown of fats. Because their religion proscribes marriage to outsiders, Ashkenazi Jews have a higher-thanaverage carrier rate of Gaucher disease (almost 9 percent, compared to 1 percent of all Americans). But what’s interesting about Ziv’s book is not the inevitable indictment of “breeding close,” but rather his arguments in favor of outcrossing – or, in human terms, intermarriage.

In his book – which is peppered, sometimes distractingly, with popculture references, from J. Lo to Tiger Woods – Ziv spends a great deal of time discussing symmetry. Since antiquity, human culture has equated symmetry with beauty. Think of 44 Dog News

Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, the 15th-Century drawing of a male nude superimposed in itself and inscribed within a circle and a square, symbolic of the symmetry of the human body, and the universe beyond.

We like mirror images – two arms, two legs, two breasts, and so it goes.

The more visually balanced something – or someone – is, the more attractive we find it.

This isn’t just aesthetics, Ziv argues: It is biological imperative.

Trotting out a zoo’s worth of examples – cheetahs, tamarin monkeys, rainbow trout, house sparrows, thoroughbred horses, side-blotched lizards – Ziv makes the argument that symmetrical organisms are not just more attractive, but are also healthier. And, here is the genetic kicker: The more heterozygous an individual is, the more likely he or she is to be symmetrical. (For those who aren’t genetics buffs, in its simplest terms, “heterozygous” refers to being more genetically diverse, and less inbred.)

Ziv’s argument, then, is that the more inbred you are, the less likely you are to be symmetrical, and therefore the less likely you are to be healthy. And well-being – which in the statistics he gathers encompasses, among other things, higher disease and parasite resistance, fertility, athleticism, growth rates and social extroversion – isn’t the only benefit of being symmetrical: Ziv sites studies that show that symmetrical men lose their virginity

three to four years earlier than their more lopsided peers, and have two to three times more sex partners; for their part, women with more symmetrical sex partners were much more likely to climax during sex. (And you thought it was his cologne.)

Ziv posits that the two most unrelated human groups on the planet are the Bantu of South Africa and the Eskimos of northernmost North America; a marriage between members of these two groups, he theorizes, would produce the greatest heterozygosity. And the greater the heterozygosity, the more likely you are to be healthier and better equipped to survive and pass your genes on to the next generation.

Ziv points out that farmers have long known this to be true, as hybrid crosses in agriculture demonstrate.

Crossing two unrelated strains of inbred corn gives farmers hybrid seeds that yield hardy, high-yield crops.

The disadvantage to this, of course, is that the hybrid seed has to be recreated with every generation.

It doesn’t take very long for this to segue to purebred dogs, with “designer dogs” as the corresponding model.

“Although hybrid corn and Labradoodles don’t appear to have a lot in common, their genetic history is comparable,” Ziv writes. “All our examples of hybrid vigor follow a similar pattern. Two or more strains or variants are created by inbreeding a small number of individuals.

These strains are kept separate and only breed among themselves.”

As politically incorrect as it is to compare dogs and humans in terms of “crossing breeds,” Ziv nonetheless does it. “Mixing two different inbred strains leads to hybrid vigor whether you’re talking about wheat, dogs or humans,” he concludes. “It’s as simple as that.”

It’s easy to walk away from Ziv’s book dismissing it as an indictment of the kinds of close matings that we as purebred breeders do. Even if you are in the outcross-or-die camp – an increasingly popular one these days – as a purebred dog breeder you are dealing with a closed gene pool that relies on its homozygosity to produce predictable traits of appearance and temperament.

But think more deeply for a moment: In order to have the hybrid vigor that comes from crossing two different races, or breeds, or strains, you need the inbred parents. If we all become a melting pot, if we have more commonality than differences, we lose the benefit that comes from very high heterozygosity in our hybrid offspring.

In a conversation I had with a canine geneticist years ago, the subject of breeding rolled around.

“I don’t breed dogs, but if I did, this is the model that makes sense to me,” he said, referencing the same corn scenario that Ziv discusses in his book. “I would keep two lines of dogs, and inbreed on each one in-

It isn’t very often that you come across a book about the breeding of our own species. After all, most of us are “random bred”: With the relatively rare exception of arranged marriages, pairings of human sires and dams are pretty arbitrary, based on whim, serendipity and, sometimes, one too many Cosmopolitans.

By Denise Flaim

Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, drawn in the 15th Century, is a celebration of the symmetry of the human form.

Genes? dependent of the other. And when I wanted a really spectacular dog, I’d cross them.”

We sometimes forget that among members of a given ethnicity or nationality, there are often dramatic differences. For example, my parents are Italian. They come from an isolated mountain valley in the Dolomites, the northernmost part of the country. (Think Julie Andrews and the von Trapps making their getaway over the Alps – those are our edelweiss-dotted precincts.) My parents – and by extension, myself – have very little, if anything, in common – historically, linguistically, culinarily, and certainly genetically – with someone from, say, Sicily, the island at the tip of the boot.

We have this diversity within our purebred dogs, too, especially in breeds where founding breeders developed and consolidated their bloodlines. Taking that a step further, even within one kennel, you can have a family within a family – genetically different dogs, even though they are of the same breed, even perhaps the same general bloodline. That’s not very different from my parents’ Alpine valley, where each town was, until recently, an island until itself, with its own families, its own variant of the dialect spoken – and, because of an intensely parochial peasant culture – its own gene pool.

The danger of talking about hybrid vigor, then, is to only see it

as one rigid measure. You don’t just get hybrid vigor when you cross different breeds, a la the Puggle. You also get hybrid vigor when you cross different lines within a breed, and – getting even more microcosmic – different threads within an established line.

In his book, Ziv discusses the major histiocompatability complex, or MHC, a neighborhood of genes that is involved with regulating immunity. Studies have shown that humans and animals are attracted to mates that have a different MHC than they do.

“A study of 411 Hutterite couples found that the husband and wife were more likely to have different MHCs than would be predicted by random choice,” Ziv says, referring to the communal group of Anabaptists that have similar roots to the Amish, and are clustered in the Dakotas and other prairie states.

“Even within this closed community, it would appear that boys and girls are subconsciously seeking out genetic diversity.”

In other words, European-rooted Hutterites don’t have to find a Cherokee or a Botswanan or some other member of a distant ethnic group to incorporate the diversity required for genetic well-being: They find it within their own relatively closed ethnic community. (Not to sail too glibly between human and canine examples, but this could very well explain why some bitches are dead

Hybrid vigor – and the road to get there set against breeding to a certain stud dog: They probably know something we don’t. Ziv sites studies in which women were not only able to pick out men who were more symmetrical, but also those who had had high levels of MHC heterozygosity, simply by sniffing T-shirts they had slept in.)

Ziv also notes that there is a price to be paid for outcrossing.

“Animals have to find a balance between the costs of inbreeding and the costs outbreeding,” he writes.

“They want to maximize their kids’ heterozygosity so they avoid mating with close relatives. But mating with someone too different can be risky too. It’s critical that the offspring be adapted to the environment where they’re being born. Their survival depends on it. So mates that are too different can be a turnoff.”

Bottom line: You can’t have hybrids without some degree of inbreeding to precipitate them, because a hybrid needs genetically dissimilar parents. There are many conditions and states that depend on the co-existence of two opposites: good and evil, day and night, yin and tang, hot and cold, Republicans and … well, you get the idea.

Five hundreds years before the birth of Christ, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus came up with a name for this theory: the unity of opposites.

“The road up and the road down is one and the same,” Heraclitus wrote. We’re straying into metaphys-

ics here, but basically the only certainty we have is that nothing will stay certain for long. In both our human families and our canine ones, we have condensed and diluted our gene pools constantly throughout the millennia. In one breeding, your inbred strain can produce a total outcross who is a poster child for hybrid vigor; in another, two total outcrosses who have a parent in common can create tightly inbred offspring.

Rather than fearing either extreme, perhaps we should cast a wary eye on the middle, which is something Ziv doesn’t discuss in his book. But we see it eroding so many of our breeds. Thanks to matador sires and willy-nilly pairings, in many pedigrees we find no true inbreeding, nor true hybrid vigor. Instead, we have a creeping homogenization, a groupthink that is watering down many bloodlines, not unlike what is happening culturally in the human world: When gluing yourself to your iPhone, slugging down Coca-Cola, and watching reruns of “Jersey Shore” becomes your cultural norm, except you are in New Delhi, not New York, you know you’re in trouble.

In our dogs and our breeding programs, we’d do well to avoid this McDonaldization, too. As for your own romantic endeavors, maybe adding “symmetrical” to your eHarmony profile wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.

Dog News 45

In recent decades, clinical research has repeatedly demonstrated the depth and power of the humananimal bond. In one such study that looked at how close people felt to their dogs versus their human family members, a whopping onethird of survey respondents said they felt closer to their dog than to any human family member! The sample included parents and their children visiting a veterinarian’s office and dog show enthusiasts and their children attending the Westminster Kennel Club Show.

By Sharon Pflaumer

Chai

The study’s findings were a contributing factor in the founding of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction (CHAI), with its mission of improved health and well-being through human-animal interaction.

In 2001, CHAI was established in the School of Medicine and is housed in the Department of Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, VA. The center promotes interdisciplinary and interinstitutional research, clinical practice, and educational activities related to the human-animal bond.

The driving force behind CHAI, as well as its Director, is Sandra Barker, PhD, NCC, LPC, a professor of psychiatry. In addition to her academic duties and involvement with the center’s programs and research projects, Dr. Barker is an American Kennel Club (AKC) Judge, AKC Delegate, member of the AKC Canine Health & Welfare Advisory Committee, and a long-time Lhasa Apso breeder and exhibitor.

A newspaper article published in the 1980s about a survey of Fortune 500 company executives, who attributed their learning a sense of responsibility to having had a pet during their childhood, piqued both her and her husband’s interest in human-animal interaction and the research that examines its impact. Her husband, Randolph Barker, Ph.D., is a Professor of Management at VCU and a recent member of the CHAI Executive Committee. Because of their shared interest in human-animal interaction—hers from the clinical side and his from the business/organizational perspective, the couple has completed several of the center’s research projects together along with an interdisciplinary research team. Continued on page 88 46 Dog News

During a visit to the Virginia State Capitol, Dr. Sandra Barker, Director of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction, poses with the center’s staff and several Dogs On Call volunteers and their therapy dogs.

Some VCU students visit with Dogs On Call therapy dog, Brinkley, in the medical campus library during final examinations week. Photo courtesy of Kelley Snowa, Center for Human-Animal Interaction.

Dog News 47

48 Dog News

* *Number One Great Dane, The Dog News Top Ten List

Dog News 49

Dog News The Digest

Of American Dogs

is proud to dedicate the Westchester Weekend issue of

September 6th, 2013 to

Take the Lead on the occasion of their 20th Anniversary

50 Dog News

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The advertising deadline is August 30, 2013 If you would like to contribute a testimonial about the benefits of Take The Lead, we encourage you to email them to us: thedognews@aol.com Dog News 51

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Dog News 53

Near Misses – And How To

By Carlotta Cooper Avoid Them

W

e had a near miss in Chattanooga, Tennessee recently. The city council had already approved a terrible animal control ordinance on first reading in July and they were on the verge of the second and final reading. The ordinance had been written by the city’s animal control authority with the help of one of the city’s attorneys, according to newspaper reports. The new proposed ordinance was decidedly anti-breeder. Some of the provisions of the ordinance included: • $300 permits for “dealers” – which seemed to include anyone who sold a puppy, kitten, goldfish, or any other kind of animal; • $300 permits for having a kennel of any kind; • Inspections when you applied for a permit; unannounced inspections during the year; and another inspection when you reapplied for a permit; • If your application for a permit was denied for any reason, you had to submit another $300 to reapply without receiving any information about why you were denied.

• Decision-making was in the hands of the animal control authority; • Standards used for inspections were not specified.

These are just a few of the onerous provisions in the ordinance. They also featured provisions relating to rescues and foster homes; animal performances (especially circuses); and restrictions on allowing dogs at outdoor dining areas. The city council had already killed the section of the ordinance dealing with urban chickens.

One rescue person in Chattanooga referred to the inspections in the proposed ordinance as “Gestapo-like” and said that they would make it impossible to find foster homes for dogs in the city.

With less than a week to go before the final reading was scheduled, the city council started receiving messages from Sportsmen’s and Animal

54 Dog News

Owners’ Voting Alliance (me), the American Kennel Club, the Tennessee Federation of Dog Clubs, the Chattanooga Kennel Club, other kennel clubs in the state, rescue groups, The International Cat Association (TICA), and, basically, anyone we could urge to contact online, through Facebook, dog e-mail groups, and other outlets.

People and organizations stepped up in a big way and, for once, a city council really listened. In this case the city council was cooperative. They tabled or killed the proposed ordinance and they will be creating a task force to create a better ordinance. They will also be including breeders and others affected by the ordinance on the task force.

While this time the city has a good chance of creating a better ordinance with input from everyone, it’s too bad that things had to come down to the last minute. Chattanooga isn’t always good about the open government process but, in this case, they were. The new animal control advisory board was created several months ago and it was announced in newspapers and online. Interested parties, such as the local kennel club and rescue groups, had every opportunity to get involved with the new board and help write the new ordinance instead of leaving it in the hands of the animal control authority.

For some background, the city’s animal control authority is notoriously anti-breeder. The city already has a very bad animal ordinance with high fees which was recommended by the animal control authority a few years ago. However, that ordinance is now, for all practical purposes, invalid.

The animal control authority made the mistake of raiding a pet store that was part of a national chain in June 2010. That pet store had the money and lawyers to fight back, which they did. They not only got their animals back and left the City hanging for $40,000 in costs for the care of the animals, but they sued the City for $10 million. http://www.wrcbtv. com/story/20876941/mediation-

fails-in-5m-federal-suit-againstmckamey-city-over-pet-shop-raid That’s because it was found that the City’s ordinance did not provide any means for hearings or appeals and was unconstitutional. That’s why it became necessary for the City to re-write the animal ordinance – before someone else sues them.

This is, then, a golden opportunity for local breeders to have input into the new ordinance and do away with the high fees and other problems with the old ordinance – if they would pay attention to what’s going on with the animal control advisory board. And that’s the problem. No one pays attention. Even the president of the local kennel club admitted that they had become complacent.

Nearly everyone today seems to agree about what the problems facing purebred breeders are: animal rights issues, mandatory spay/neuter laws, breed specific laws, anti-purebred sentiments from the public, antipathy from shelters and animal control, among others. But we forget about one of the biggest problems: when we fail to take action ourselves. We all get a constant barrage of alerts and messages about cities and states facing problems or groups that need help. We are told over and over about PUPS and APHIS and we hear how much trouble purebred dog breeders are facing.

Sometimes there is so much noise that it’s hard to pay attention when there is a problem on the doorstep.

But we have to know what our local city councils are doing and what the people in our state legislatures are up to or there can be terrible consequences for people with dogs and other pets.

I really do sympathize with anyone dealing with local issues.

I know it’s hard to make time to make phone calls and go down to a city council meeting. Or to try to slip into an advisory board meet-

ing about animal issues. I’ve done these things, too – sometimes uninvited. Sometimes with hostile people sitting around a table. I always try to tell myself that I’m doing it for my dogs and that helps me do it, even though I would usually rather be somewhere else. I know it’s not easy to read ordinances and understand them sometimes. But that’s why we have each other. If you are in this situation, don’t be afraid to reach out to other groups. That’s why we have AKC Government Relations, SAOVA, state federations, and petlaw lists.

These are all good resources for anyone reading ordinances or legislative bills who wants some help with them.

It’s also important that you simply read your local newspaper and check online for local dog news in your city and county. You need to keep up to date on what’s happening in your area. Get on the mailing list for your animal control authority. Ask to be added to any mailing lists relating to animals for your local government.

Make sure you know when your local government will be considering any laws relating to animals, especially dogs. These are things that your kennel club’s legislative liaison should be doing, ideally, but don’t leave everything to him or her. You, as individuals, should also be paying attention to these things because they affect you and your dogs. The more people keeping track of these issues, the better.

The more engaged you are with all of the animal news that’s happening in your area, the more informed you will be when an issue or ordinance crops up. And the better prepared you will be to do something about it.

In the case of Chattanooga and the dreadful ordinance that was proposed, we got very lucky this time. I think the city has every chance of coming up with a good animal ordinance now. But not everyone is so lucky. Pay attention to what’s happening in your city and county and be sure to ask others for help when you need it.

Dog News 55

are

by Agnes Buchwald

Breeds Of The World Slovak Rough-Haired Pointer Slovensky Hrubosrsty Stavac (Ohar)- Slovakia

I

n 1918 formerly a part of Austro-Hungary, Slovakia joined with Bohemia and Moravia to form Czechoslovakia. In the very beginning of World War II Slovakia became a separate republic, controlled by Nazi Germany.

After WW II in 1945 Czechoslovakia became a communist state, but after the collapse of the Soviet dictatorship (1989) Czechoslovakia became a sovereign state. In 1993 the Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate and sign peace treaties. In 2004 Slovakia became a member of the European Union and NATO. Slovakia, a Parliamentary Republic

56 Dog News

covers an area of 49,035 km2 (18,932 sq. mi.) and is located in Central Europe, bordering the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, and Austria. Its population by the 2011 census is 5.398 million inhabitants, and the capital city is Bratislava.

The country has a mixed ethnic population which majority 85.8% is Slovak, 9,7% is of Hungarians, followed in lesser numbers by Roma, Czechs, Ruthenians, and Ukrainians.

The languages spoken are the official Slovak followed by Hungarian, Ruthenian, and Ukrainian.

The country is rich in a great variety

of minerals (mercury, iron, copper, lead, zinc, magnetite, etc..), and agricultural products (poultry, cattle, hogs, potatoes, oils, and grains). Slovakia also has a very productive industry of metal products, nuclear fuel, chemicals, and man made fibers.

There are numerous aspects of the Slovak culture reflecting the country’s colorful traditions. Slovakia is replete with gothic churches, medieval towns, and old castles along majestic rural landscapes besides its music, and dance festivals. Beautiful hand made artifacts can be seen in the open markets all around Slovakia. Liturgical traditions, classical composers, and contemporary music are part of the cultural life.

Slovaks have also embraced the artistic, intellectual, and political movements of the world integrating into their particular context. Together, all of these influences have left an indelible mark on the country, offering an impressive array of cultural manifestations. Anyone interested in the Slovak culture will find a great variety of folklore, music, films, art, and literature to represent the country, and its people.

Visiting Slovakia the tourists will enjoy seeing the beautiful Tatra Mountains, the spa city Piestany, the Slovak Paradise, a beautiful nature reserve, and the Ice caves of Demanovska, and Dobsinska.

Among the many others the most famous castles are Spis Castle, and Orava castle.

The best way to get a sense of Slovak life is to watch some remarkable films and film directors as for instance the Oscar-winning Shop on Main Street which gave a hint of the country’s tremendous filmmaking talent, and the talented directors such as Juraj Herz, Juraj Jakubisko, and Martin Sulik. There are also many famous Slovak personages as the incredible Andy Warhol the initiator of Pop Art whose real name was Andrew

Warhola. Born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, but his parents, Andrej and July Warhola, were immigrants, from Mikova (Slovakia).

Jesse Ventura the 38th Governor of the US state of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, (also known as actor, and author), his parents were from Slovakia and his legal name is James George Janos. Alexander DubÄ?ek (1921-1992) - leader of the Prague spring.

Michael Strank originally Michal Strenk (November 10, 1919 - March 1, 1945) was a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He was photographed raising the flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The leader of the group in the famous picture was Strank, who got the order to climb the Mt. Suribachi to lay telephone wire. He was born in Jarbina/ Slovakia, and died in Iwo Jima, he is resting in the Arlington National Cemetery. Daniel Carleton Gajdusek (1923-2008) - American physician and Nobel Prize winner of Slovak parents. Paul Newman (1925-2008) - worldfamous US actor, director, entrepreneur, philanthropist, of ethnic Slovak mother.

Jessica Biel - Hollywood actress has a Slovak father, Jozef Banic is the Slovak who invented the military parachute, and Slovakia was World Champion in Ice Hockey, and is recognized by ranked tennis and water slalom times as well.

This country is the proud home land of the Slovakian Chuvach, Slovakian Hound, Slovakian Wolfdog, and of my Rare Breed of today, the Slovakian Rough-Haired Pointer.

The Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer is a relatively new breed.

This is an all purpose working dog that was developed in Czechoslovakia after the Second World War. This dog is believed to be the product of the selective breeding built on the Weimaraner, the German Wirehaired Pointer and the Cesky Fousek. This hunting, pointing and retrieving dog is known in Slovakia as the Slovensky Hrubosrsky Ohar or Slovensky Ohar Hrubosrsky. However, outside its country of origin, the breed answers to a number of confusingly similar names. The SRHP is also known as Slovakian Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Despite the nearly identical names, the SRHP is not the same as the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, a smaller but similar breed with a slightly longer coat developed for essentially the same purposes by the Dutch and now most common in the rest of the world.

The versatile SRHP is capable of working under difficult conditions both on land or water. This is a natural tracker with an incredible nose and an enormous determination to follow scents. With a great stamina these dogs can tirelessly cover large area of land and water. The rough and thick coat protects the dog when the hunting is made in areas of heavy terrain, or in cold water, this breed is also excellent in retrieve the fallen game shot by the hunter.

The SRHP is highly valued by the Slovakians which until the present days hunt not as a sport but as a hard work to feed their family. Besides the aptitudes for a specific work these dogs are loving, Continued on page 93

Dog News 57

A

Off LEASH

n exciting new development is happening in the world of wearable computers that can change how humans interact with their dogs. “This is gamechanging, life-saving technology,” said Dr. Melody Moore Jackson, an associate professor at Georgia Institute of Technology who has been training assistance dogs for 18 years.

She, along with her lab partner, professor and Google Glass technical lead Thad Starner, research scientist Clint Zeagler, and friend Jessica Pryor, a designer of dogwear, brainstormed a system called FIDO (facilitating interactions for dogs with occupations), which can dramatically impact the lives of dogs and humans. From aiding bomb and drug-sniffing dogs to communicate with their handlers, to allowing rescue dogs to work remotely, to helping disabled and blind people navigate more effectively, the FIDO system has many uses.

Here’s how FIDO works. Dogs are equipped with a vest that contains a microprocessor and four different sensors that the dogs activate by biting, tugging or putting their mouths nearby. The sensors set off a tone that handlers with visual impairment will hear through an earpiece or a vibrating text message while others see visual messages on the dog’s head-mounted display. Three service dogs participating in an early study were reportedly quick to un-

derstand the technology and Dr. Moore Jackson envisions a day when pet dogs could be outfitted with wearable computers to alert owners as to when they need to go out and when they need to be fed.

FIDO is in its infancy, and its developers will publish the results of the trial run in a paper and a presentation at the International Semantic Web Conference in Zurich, Switzerland in October. The creative team behind FIDO got started with a seed grant from the Georgia Tech GVU (Graphics, Visibility and Usability) Center and is seeking funding from government agencies as well as private entities. Dr. Moore Jackson said the money required “wouldn’t be a huge amount because the electronics involved are simple. No component would be terribly expensive.”

“I’ve had dogs my whole life,” Dr. Moore Jackson said.

She’s been training them for most of her life, too. “When I was a teenager I needed money so I trained dogs instead of babysitting. A neighbor saw me training my dog and said ‘you should train my dog’ so I did. And then I trained all the dogs in the neighborhood. I had a dog training business at 14.” She received her official training certification in 1995 and later enrolled in obedience classes and has been a puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence, teaching dogs between 40 and 60 commands before rehoming them at about 18 months of age. Several years ago she trained her five-year-old Border Collie “Sky” to be an assistance dog and also got involved with agility. This year, “We’re going to the Nationals!” she exclaimed. She has five other dogs at home, including a two-year-old Papillon that also does agility.

Dr. Moore Jackson holds a Ph.D in Computer Science as well as an M.S. of Information and Computer Science from Georgia Tech and spent nine years in industry as a professional software engineer developing real-time embedded systems, secure operating systems, networking, and compilers for companies including Texas Instruments, Sperry, and National Semiconductor, before creating and directing the BrainLab at Georgia Tech to research innova-

FIDO: Life-Changing Technology For People and Dogs ByShaun Coen

Continued on page 95

Dr. Melody Moore Jackson’s Border Collie “Sky” activating a bite sensor

58 Dog News

GCh. Tudorose Apollo Where Will Apollo Go From Here?

Multiple Group Placements in June and July

Thank you Judge Mrs. Sari B. Tietjen

The Number Four* Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Owner/Breeder:

Pat C. Mixon 850-528-4442 Handlers:

Thank you Judge Ms. Jacqueline Rusby

Wally and Carol Rice P.H.A. 318-393-3779 *The Dog News Top Ten List - Breed points

Dog News 59

group first galveston kennel club the reliant world series of dog shows judge mr. robert black in just six weeks a specialty best of breed from the classes to champion to multiple best in show wins to number one* skye terrier and number nine* among all terriers

ch. cragsmoor good time

the number one* skye terrier

owned by victor malzoni, jr. handled by larry cornelius marcelo veras *The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed

60 Dog News

Dog News 61

TheLighter Side of Judging Continued FROM page 14

teen minutes or so. When I arrived, the boat was in the water. I brought the boat around to the gas dock to fill up and I recognized a familiar face. We started to talk. One thing led to another around the topic of genealogy, I got excited and was not focused. I put the gas nozzle into the fish-holding tank and filled the boat with gasoline instead of the gas tank. They had to remove the boat and now they are flushing it out and making sure we do not explode in the water. Is that good enough for you?” He finishes. ROBROY, ANA and I all begin to laugh hysterically while waiting. BM engages ROBROY in a conversation about genealogy at one end of the dock and ANA and I, seated on the two coolers, under a tree begin to converse about--you guessed it---her love for dogs.

With the aid of a sultry Estonian accent, ANA shares, “I miss my Landseer very much and I would love to have another. Can you help me locate a breeder in the United States?” I put my brain in CCC mode and extract several names of Newfoundland breeders for her choosing. “Oh, wow, I tried to GOOGLE Landseer breeders and could only find one located in the Pacific Northwest.

Are you sure they are Landseer breeders and not Newfoundland breeders?” ANA asks. “I see---you are talking about the European Continental Type Landseer,” I respond. “Yes, I will show you.” ANA activates her IPHONE, scrolls through her gallery, and produces a lovely photograph of her with her Landseer European Continental Type. My DROID is quickly activated in search of Continental Type Landseers in the USA. “Look, ANA, I have located a breeder in Upstate New York.” ANA studies the website through my DROID. Looking beyond ANA’s right shoulder, I watch our boat being tilted in a vertical position with the use of large truck/fork lift contraption. “It will only be a few more minutes,” yells the young man standing under our boat, holding a large white bucket. He collects a mixture of water and gasoline as it pours from a small hole located in the rear of the watercraft.

I watch, praying our boat is not dropped and the young man is not crushed in the process.

ANA, a bit stir crazy, proceeds to walk the dock back-and-forth, sending the dock attendees into further mayhem. BM and ROBROY wait patiently in the shade.

The boat is placed in a horizontal position on the giant forklift. I signal to BM. “It looks they have completed flushing the gasoline from the boat.”

The lift moves forward. The boat bobs slightly as it heads towards the marina landing area. It is lowered into the water. The driver, whose name al62 Dog News

ways escapes me, speaks to BM. “Hey Mike! It’s all set. Don’t worry about this. It happens all the time. Also, DO NOT, under any circumstances, light a match on the boat. With all that gasoline that you dumped into the boat, there is still a good chance it could blow up. And, keep the inboard motor cover open for the first ten minutes to allow circulation.” “What’s to keep the damn thing from exploding when we start the engine?” I ponder, while lowering the coolers, essentials, and ANA into the boat. ROBROY assists with the ropes at the front of the boat and I release and manage the aft. BM turns the key to start the engine. It sputters a bit and does not ignite. I release a few more feet of the rope at my end of the boat, at the ready, should I need to throw myself to the ground in the event of an explosion. The second attempt proves to be successful. No combustion, no limbs floating in the water--only three gentlemen and an Estonian Goddess, lathered in sunscreen, released from the marina for a relaxing day on the river, away from professional duties and CCC. BM mans the craft with ROBROY seated to his side. ANA and I accessorize the back. We both find the perfect position for full-body-stretch-out and for maximum sun exposure. I cannot help but feel a close connection with the Kennedy family, especially Jackie, as we clip across the water, sunglasses on, feeling the warm breeze slide across our bodies while sipping on a cold Vodka and Tonic.

“So, Ana…are you looking forward to returning to Estonia?” I ask. “Oh, yes of course. I miss it very much.

Maybe someday ROBROY and I will be able to live in Estonia for six months and the USA for six months,” ANA replies. I continue to ask ANA detailed questions about Estonia’s history, government, demographics, and about her personal family life. The conversation is insightful and without the slightest internal warning, a CCC emerges from the back of my head and I ask, “ANA – this is a silly question. Your

country has been through so much, your country is so small, and I was wondering if there were any breeds of Estonian dogs?” “Damn it! I promised not to discuss dogs.” I whisper to myself.”

“You see, ROBROY, my family settled Totuskey Creek back in the 1600’s. Let’s go there, drop anchor, swim, and have our lunch.” I overhear BM sharing, knowing damn well that he has yet to uphold his end of the bargain, leaving me wiggle room to explore this sudden CCC. “Oh, yes we have one Estonian breed of dog. They are called Estonian Hound--- they are like a sniffing hound,” ANA explains while inhaling and exhaling extra sea air in support of communication.

It is the only dog originating in Estonia. When Estonia was under Soviet control, they mandated that every country in the union have its own dog breed. “Wow! That is very interesting.” I sit up and move closer to ANA in an attempt to ask more questions without BM knowing I am encouraging this hot CCC topic. “I think the Estonian Hound was developed sometime in the late 40’s or early 50’s. They look something like what you call a Beagle. I think they bred many other dogs with local Estonian hunting dogs to make this breed,” ANA feeds my hunger with more information. “They say that the large hunting dogs of Estonia killed off much of the wild animals and the government required a local dog to be created to replace the large dogs. Only dogs of around 43 centimeters were allowed to hunt.”

“Hey---BM!” “What?” he responds, turning in my direction. “How many inches is 43 centimeters?” I ask. He waits a few seconds and responds, “Around 17 inches. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, nothing important--- ANA is telling me an ESTONIAN farm story and I did not know how deep 43 centimeters was,” I boldly lie to his face, keeping my CCC secret safe.

“Oh, Michael, would you like to take the river up to Totuskey Creek? I was thinking it would be a nice place to take ANA and ROBROY, and it would be a great place to anchor for lunch and for a quick swim.” BM asks. “That’s perfect! We will go wherever you want to go. You’re the Captain of this ship,” I say, knowing full well it will stimulate further genealogy discussions.

“After Estonia proclaimed its independence, the Estonian Hound became the national dog by proclamation of the new government,” ANA offers, returning to our CCC conversation. “Very interesting. Well, if they cannot hunt large game, what kind of animals does the Estonian Hound Continued on page 70

Dog News 63

64 Dog News

Dog News 65

TheLighter Side of Judging Continued FROM page 62

hunt?” I inquire. “The only animals that can be hunted in Estonia are---how you say--- bunnies and oh, I am thinking how to say it in English.

They are red and come out at the nighttime--pointed ears, little eyes and big tail,” ANA describes. “Oh, you mean Fox.” “Yes, Fox, that’s it---we are only allowed to hunt bunnies and fox. They are a nice dog, very friendly, and they are colored like a Beagle Hound and they must have white color on the end of the tail.”

“Thank you, ANA. Wait just one moment.” I collect DROID from the side, zipped compartment of the blue waterproof bag. I enter Estonian Hound into the image search bar and tap enter.

The screen fills with several small frames filled with dogs resembling a cross between a Harrier, American Fox Hound, and Beagle. Directly below one of the pictures, I read: Gontchaja Estonskaja – Estonian Scenthound. BM turns back around in our direction. “What are you two doing?” “Oh, just posting some really nice pictures on facebook of you and ROBROY driving the boat.” I offer along with a wink to ANA. I pour ANA and me another Vodka and Tonic as BM and ROBROY guide the boat into the mouth of Totuskey Creek. BM slows boat with the sound of the motor following. I also take note that BM’s voice becomes much quieter, too, “ family...maternal...Jamestown… land… south…” It is obvious what he is attempting to achieve. I pretend not to take notice. “What are you whispering about?” I ask knowing the answer. “I am pointing out and explaining all the various species of birds,” BM responds. “Like ROBROY, who spends much of his time sailing the area, does not know of and know how to identify the various regional birds,” I mumble under my breath. Their conversation weaves in and out of genealogy, history and then ends with politics. ANA and I lay back, shut our eyes, and savor the warm sunshine penetrating our Vodka-induced euphoric state.

“Right here---this is the area that my family settled. Let’s drop anchor, eat lunch, and have some fun.” BM declares. I pretend not to listen. “Michael! Wake up! I need you go up front. Drop the anchor.” I move slowly, careful not to slip off the side of the boat, as I crawl around the cabin and unleash the anchor, securing the boat in genealogically-sacred ground.

I distribute two BLT sandwiches to each of us, along with chunks of fresh watermelon.

Having not eaten all day, the four of us find im66 Dog News

mediate comfort in the food. “Michael--- I would really like to get another Bernese Mountain Dog. Can you put me in contact with a few trusted breeders?” ROBROY asks, stimulating a new CCC. BM looks up from his BLT, lifts his brow, staring in my direction, clearly signaling my response needs to be quick and efficient. “Sure ROBROY, when we get back to the house, I will write down a few names of people for you to contact,” I quickly reply. “You remember our old dogs and our other two Berners--- God, I miss them so much. Of the two, can you remember which one you liked better and why?” ROBROY inquires.

Knowing I have to keep the response short and to the point. “I can’t recall. Maybe you could send me some old pictures and I will be able to offer some insight.” “No problem---I have pictures on m IPHONE. Hang on one moment.” ROBROY clicks and slides away and within seconds passes me his phone. “Just slide across the screen to see additional photographs,” he instructs. I look at each photograph closely. I examine photographs of each the two male Bernese Mountain Dogs with a keen eye before replying to ROBROY. “I liked your first Berner better. He had more substance, better head and expression, stronger behind, and he was not stuffy and short coupled.

Your second dog was square in make and shape, needed more neck, more bone, and I remember his hindquarters to be somewhat weak.” “OK--let’s all take a swim in Totuskey,” BM announces before jumping off the side of boat. ROBROY follows with ANA in tow. Before I jump, DROID chirps and vibrates signaling I have a new message. I pretend to go into the cabin to retrieve an item and use the time to check my message. Title of message: Judging availability – Dear Mr. Faulkner we would like to invite you to judge for our 2014 cluster of dog shows and we would like to know if you are available. Please contact us as soon as possible.

I suppress the need to reply immediately, when I hear BM shout, “Hey! Are you coming in or what?” “Yes, I was getting an extra float for in the water,” I falsely offer while sliding DROID back into the blue waterproof bag. I jump into Totuskey Creek holding a giant, florescent green foam noodle. The water is amazingly cool for the temperature of the air. I swim around a bit, grab hold of one of the two ropes attached to the boat, straddle my big green foam noodle and gather an additional bright orange noodle and wrap it under my armpits and around my upper body

for total floating support. No CCC, no phone, no conversations, no genealogy, no motors, no office, no medical emergencies, no fundraisers--just me, floating peacefully in the river. I lose control, succumbing to an OBE (out of body experience).

Seeing, what appears to be numerous wooden boats coming in my direction from down river, I turn and observe hundreds of men, who bear a strong resemblance to Rappahannock Indians, a peripheral group of the Powhatan Confederacy on the north bank of the Rappahannock River. I attempt to shake free, but the florescent green and orange foam noodles securely hold me in the river. I struggle to release myself from the noodle frenzy. Nothing gives. I watch as the flotilla approaches. A large man, resembling BM, leads the largest boat. His body is painted bright red, his face is painted blue… sprinkled with silver. He wears a red deer-hide crown tied around his hair and a copper plate on the other side, two feathers arranged like horns, and earrings made of bird-claws fastened using shiny, yellow metal.

I grab additional florescent noodles for protection, as they have emerged in society as a useful flotation device in today’s water-related culture, and I assume they would be useful in combating an emerging colonial invasion, led by a large, crazy, Native American Indian. I begin kicking, holding one of the noodles in front of me, hoping to keep my head above water. I tie another around my waist. The large man---crazy man--- resembling BM gets closer and closer.

I do lower body bicycle kicks to stay afloat hoping to stay alive with the aid of the fluorescent green noodle between my legs. I scream for help. I scream again. Suddenly a beautiful Estonian mermaid appears through the emerald green waters of the Rappahannock, along with her companion an Estonian Scenthound. I am returned safely to shore among the Rappahannock Tribesmen.

“It was around 1651 when Totuskey Creek was deeded to the settlers and it was between 1651 and 1653 that my family settled this area,” I hear BM say. Shaking free from my vodka and tonic, warm sunshine, watermelon, BLT-relaxed state, I peer through squinted eyes and listen.

Totally aware that there is no escape and there should never be an escape from the things that bring you happiness and fulfillment. For me--all things purebred dogs. And, for BM---all things pedigree people.

Question Of The Week Continued FROM page 22

As someone who judges overseas frequently and has perhaps even adjudicated upon dogs in Russia as well do you think FCI should hold its World Show in Moscow considering the law put into effect last month by President Putin which gives the authorities the power to arrest and detain for up to 14 days any foreign traveler who is suspected of being pro-gay, homosexual or lesbian.

the input from its gay community has historically been huge. Should this world show proceed it will not only set the FCI back many years it will also put at risk some of its most valued participants.

Zena Thorn Andrews I was laughing so much I cannot reply with anything sensible!!

Would be the near whole of the dog world I would imagine!

Robin Stansell Our sport is inclusive. It would be inappropriate for participants to be subjected to this risk.

GEOFF CORISH No they shouldn’t hold a show with this law in place. Being suspected of being pro-gay is enough for them to arrest you. The FCI should withdraw immediately and show the authorities how the World feels on this subject. What century is Putin in anyway?? Are there no human rights in Russia?? It would appear not!

Sharon Sakson At this moment, I think the FCI should continue to plan for the World Show in Moscow in 2016 and issue a strong statement that they disapprove of such a law and it should be repealed. Their statement should say that the sport of dogs welcomes all people without regard to sexual preference. We should watch for any news indicating the police are actually trying to enforce this law -- how do they tell a gay person from a straight person at the airport?

There were tremendous advances for gays in the decade of 2000; homosexuality was removed from the list of mental illnesses; gays including single gays were allowed to adopt; gays were officially allowed to serve in the military. But according to news reports, public hostility towards gays has been on the rise. This year, a survey found 74% of Russians said homosexuality should not be acceptable in society, up from 60% in 2002. There are gays in Russia with their own newsletters, Continued on page 80

Dog News 67

Two of the most important and influential people in Skye Terriers were Mrs. Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl, the American heiress, and Lady Marcia Miles, the English aristocrat.

Mrs. Earl’s Skye

68 Dog News

Terriers

By Nick Waters

M

rs. Earl was the greatgreat-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt and an heiress to the family’s railroad fortune. Her aunt married the 9th Duke of Marlborough. A sculptor and world traveller, in her youth Consuelo attracted the attention of many socially prominent bachelors.

She married four times, the first to Earl E.T. Smith, polo player, champion boxer and one-time US ambassador to Cuba. Her second husband was Henry Gassaway Davis III, heir to a coal fortune, he was followed by William John Warburton, and finally she married N. Clarkson Earl Jr., an executive with the Howard Johnson chain.

Mrs. Earl purchased her first two Skyes in Biarritz in France and she called them Mickey and Minnie after the cartoon characters who were so popular at the time. Unfortunately they were destined to be short lived for they both developed distemper and died on board ship returning to America. These were replaced by two bought from Mrs. Michael Stillman

in New Jersey. One, Gregory of Arreton, became her first champion.

It was her imports from Briton that established the Iradell kennel, principally from the Merrymount, Mynd and Bracadale kennels. Owner/handled at first, she soon put her dogs in the hands of a professional handler and over the years the Iradell kennel produced dozens of champions Lady Marcia Miles grew up with Skyes, her mother, the Hon. Mrs. Jocelyn owning a large kennel of the breed that included the drop ear, Ch. Prince Donard. While attending a show at the age of eight years she saw a team of Wolverley Skyes, all beautifully groomed and in full coat and vowed that one day she too would own a kennel of dogs to match this great kennel. This she did and more, founding the Merrymount kennel in 1906 which produced umpteen champions.

This painting of two Skyes painted by one of America’s most famous dog artists, Edwin Megargee (1883-1958), appeared recently in

“The painting has had a hard life suffering from paint separation and scattered craquleure which probably accounted for such a low tempting estimate of $800-1,200 for such an historic picture of outstanding dogs with such famous kennel connections.”

the Doyle at Home sale held by Doyle of New York. The dogs are Ch. Bracadale Henry (left) and Ch. Jerry of Merrymount (right) and are show against a background evocative of the Isle of Skye. They were the two most important dogs in the Iradell kennel in the late 1930s/early 1940s siring most of the kennel’s puppies at that time.

The painting has had a hard life suffering from paint separation and scattered craquleure which probably accounted for such a low tempting estimate of $800-1,200 for such an historic picture of outstanding dogs with such famous kennel connections.

It came with a provenance of Mrs. Earl who died in 2011 age 107.

Wealth, husbands and Skye Terriers obviously served her well. Not surprisingly it went well above estimate selling to someone who wishes to remain anonymous for a premium inclusive $5,313.

Both dogs were bred in England, Henry by Mrs. B. and Miss V. Axtell who were prolific breeders of Skye Terriers before World War II. Bracadale dogs never achieved the successes in England as their exports did to America. Henry was Best of Breed at Westminster from 1938 to 1943 and was second in the Terrier Group in 1942, the highest a Skye had placed there until Mrs. Earl won the group in 1953 with another of her imports from England, Ch. Merrymount You’ll Do of Iradell. Another of Mrs. Earl’s imports from the Bracadale kennel, Ch. Bracadale Tiggy of Iradell, was the first Skye Terrier to win Best in Show in the United States, which she did under Anna Katherine Nicholas in 1948.

Jerry was bred by Mrs. N. Leeson and registered as Jeremy of Oran before being acquired

by Lady Miles who changed his name. He was sired by Lady Miles famous champion, Chummie of Merrymount, the sire of 14 champions. Chummie was the greatgrandson of Ch. Grey Dusk, one of Lady Miles early champions whom she bought after judging him and awarding him his title in 1924.

Mrs. Earl was also a great supporter of the Silky Terrier helping the breed gain recognition with the AKC in 1959.

Dog News 69

Inside The Sport The Dog Days of Summer Continued FROM page 18

1960s, there was no finer dog person or human being than Jane. A prominent name in city management as well as at California dog shows, her stately blonde beauty and elegance was a role model for all. I say this about very few people: “She could buy me a dog.”

Jane Chopson was a very special, talented and much-loved lady who will be long-remembered.

Our summer meandering took us to Houston for that very special Reliant Center set of dog shows put on by what has to be one of the great dog show teams in history. Tom Pincus and Company have assembled superb offerings for the dog show fancier with specialties and group shows starting on Wednesday leading to the three all breeds on the weekend-staged by the Houston, Beaumont and Galveston Kennel Clubs. The late Hazel Arnold conceived the idea of holding a “World Series of Dog Shows” in Houston, and to this day her dream continues. Some breeds feature multiple specialties on Wednesday and Thursday along with Working and Terrier Group shows preceding the all breeds. It all adds up to some of the top dogs in the country squaring off to bring spectators and fanciers a marvelous competitive experience. I’m told that seven of the current Top Twenty All Breed contenders were in competition. Judging from the deep quality of the groups, there were plenty of famous winners to go around!

The top winning Portuguese Water Dog won two of the all breed BISs with the Wire Fox Terrier bitch winning the third one. The Eastern Pekingese won two of the Reserve BISs with the Wire Fox bitch winning the other.

Few dog shows in the country have the spectator attendance of these shows. With such a myriad of activities to enjoy, families flock to the 70 Dog News

events and perhaps go on to the circus next door at the vast Reliant facility. The Dr. Mari Jon Filla Student Art Exhibit and Contest is a major attraction of the shows with generous cash prizes (more than $3000 total) for large numbers of participants, proud rosettes that are displayed with winning works and catalog covers featuring the work of previous winners.

More than 800 total entries were submitted for this year’s art show, and maybe someday some of those kids will become permanently involved with dogs as they remember the show’s theme: “The Dog, Man’s Best Friend.”

One judge proudly showed me her T-shirt with a child’s art work on it that she purchased at the show. Working with young people in any way to get them involved is one area we as a fancy need to improve and extend, and kudos to these clubs for taking on this mission. Barbara Wilson is the lady in charge of this huge project. The names of winning contestants are also published in the catalog as well as prominently displayed with their winning works near the group and BIS ring.

As the “Dog Days” continue, keep it mind they are associated with heat and the danger that heat poses to precious dogs. Make sure all animals are kept comfortable with plenty of water, shade and coolness-air conditioning as indicated. If we never again hear any reports of dogs lost because of negligence on the part of their care keepers, it will be a good thing. I wish I could send all of you some of our cooling fog from the Monterey Peninsula to get you and your dogs through the next few weeks.

“Working with young people in any way to get them involved is one area we as a fancy need to improve and extend, and kudos to these clubs for taking on this mission.”

Dog News 71

72 Dog News

* * *The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed

Dog News 73

I

was particularly unhappy with an article which was written

by Anne Kadet in the July 27th Wall Street Journal’s Greater New York Section which in effect lauded the efforts of the North Shore Animal League in transporting dogs from the South for so-called adoption in the New York Tri-State area.

The over-all effect of the article to my mind encouraged these kinds of transportation techniques without giving any thought to the problems they can and do cause for animals and people alike. What follows are the correspondences between Ms. Kadet and myself in the matter: Dear Ms. Kadet, I hesitate to write this letter to you because as a reporter of sorts myself I know how I dislike finding out I have been misused or misled by a source or series of related sources.

Certainly to me this appears to be the case insofar as your article of July 27-28 in the WSJ is concerned.

Personally I would add that had you researched more carefully the matter of the adoption BUSINESS you would have learned that the so-called pioneer in the transportation move-

A WSJ Bruhaha, Waukesha, Judges, Food Companies...

More

By Matthew H. Stander

Waukesha Kennel Club photos by Eugene Z. Zaphiris

74 Dog News

ment of dogs, the NSAL is making a huge amount of money by turning itself into a virtual pet store. This is the case with so many other animal shelters at least the Northeast. Pet stores have been physically replaced by Shelters in Mall after Mall

by Shelters themselves. These so-called Shelters now sell food,toys and other pet related items for profits of course either in their place of origin or in the pet shops they have replaced. Indeed both Pedigree and Purina now are both actively involved in selling and supporting Shelters as they sell and or use as much food as supermarkets. Indeed both food companies now have a large presence in giant pet chains both in Malls and on the Internet for the sale of dogs as well. As for the NSAL its primary source is not the South as your story’s headline states but is in fact the puppy mill states of Missouri and Kansas as well as the Amish farm puppy mill areas of Western Pennsylvania, Ohio and Western New York. To single out the South in the manner you did was most unfortunate and unfair to that region or so I believe for sure. Trucks are sent monthly to pick up dogs from so-called animal shelters to fill these shelters with produce to sell. The fact is that this adoption business headed by NSAL has probably had the unwanted effect of keeping puppy mills alive rather than thwarting them as the “dreaded” AKC has attempted to do. On another point the Maddy’s Fund from San Fransisco last month was offering here in New York City in its so-called big adoption sale a bounty of up to a thousand dollars to the shelters for each animal sold! This giant multi-million unregulated BUSI-

NESS is much more than an attempt to rescue dogs but is in reality a combined business enterprise intended to extend the lives of some Shelters whose very existence is being threatened unless its produce-the dogs-- can be supplied from outside sources. Let’s face there may not be the need for a shelter in the area in which the shelter was originally founded. Or at least not not the need to the extent for the area in which it was originally founded. Indeed the problem of transporting dogs from other states has gotten so out of hand in New England that all six states have enacted new health laws for dogs being transported into their area since diseases stamped out years ago are now being re-introduced into the dogs by the dogs from out of of state.

As you can see from the above there are many ramifications to this Shelter adoption BUSINESS which go far and beyond the desire to find homes for these dogs from wherever they may have come. Presenting the NSAL or even the ACC as saviors to the dog is a simple overstatement no doubt prompted by the propaganda of at least the NSAL acting alone or in concert for sure. The fact is that these Shelters are now giant businesses and should be treated and analyzed as such.

Matthew H. Stander Co-Founder DOG NEWS, The Weekly Digest of American Dogs since 1985 1115 Broadway New York NY 10010 212-462-9612

Hello Mr. Stander, Thanks very much for taking time to write me this note.

My intent in the column was not to do an investigation or expose of the shelter industry; it was merely to highlight the small sector of the local rescue effort that focusing on bringing up dogs from shelters in the south.

But I appreciate very much you bringing the bigger picture to my attention. Perhaps if I am feeling ambitious at some point down the line, I could do a more investigative piece on that topic.

I’m curious if you’ve published much about this topic in Dog News?

Anne Yes we have--for years now. Please do not get me wrong. I recognize and appreciate the need for adoption of dogs and of course cats as well. What I seriously question are both the motives today of certain individuals as well as the true havoc they are causing in certain areas certainly with regard to health problems being reintroduced into certain areas as Continued on page 82

Dog News 75

76 Dog News

Dog News 77

Gossip The

By Eugene Z. Zaphiris

F

Column

irst her life changes when her employers handlers BRYAN & NANCY MARTIN retired and she inherited their string of dogs, now DANIELLE GOODLAND has just got engaged to JEREMY ROSE. We wish DANIELLE & JEREMY the best of luck. While you have to wait five years for the MORRIS & ESSEX KENNEL CLUB dog show, their annual match show will be held on Sunday, September 29th at the Green Village Volunteer Fire Department, Green Village, New respective hats at the home of BARBARA Jersey. The panel will be headed by MILLER. Handlers CHRISTIAN & TINA TRUESDALE with sporting JENNY WORNALL RANGEL are getting breeds and group judged by ready for their European holiday that GEORGE ALSTON, hound breeds will take them to Venice and Rome and and group by LARRY SORENSON, more. TONI & MARTIN SOSNOFF are working breeds and group BRIAN holidaying in Venice (not California BRUBAKER, toy breeds and silly) where they will attend the Venice group RUTH PEREIRA, non biennale art fair that is held every two sporting breeds and group JANET years. All of us at DOG NEWS send our YORK and herding breeds and deepest sympathies to KYLE ROBINSON group JOEL GAVRIELE-GOLD. and her family on the passing of her For more information go to www. beloved father JOHN ROBINSON. KYLE morrisandessexkc.com. Friends is the retired professional handler who and family gathered to help has become the go to person for your ARIANA RANGEL celebrate her travel needs. BILL HARDAWAY former 15th birthday with a Quinceañera vice chairman of the English Kennel Ceremony (a ceremony to celebrate Club passed away from cancer on July a girl’s transformation from 18th. He served in that position during childhood to young adulthood) RONNIE IRVING’S chairmanship. A she is the daughter of IVONNE & very fine gentleman who attended the GABRIEL RANGEL. Finally after AKC dog show on several occasions several long months of rebuilding representing the United Kingdom. His the REISMAN SISTERS (CAROL main interest was working trials and & HONI & FRAN) will be moving German Shepherd Dogs. All of us at DOG back into their Long Island home NEWS send our deepest sympathies to that was devastated by super storm his wife HEATHER and family. The board Sandy. FRAN recently decamped of directors of the American Kennel Club from her California home and has have approved additional Certificates of permanently moved back east.

Merit titles for dogs competing in the They have been hanging their Miscellaneous Class.

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*The Dog News Top Ten List - Breed points

Dog News 79

Question Of The Week

Continued FROM page 67

As someone who judges overseas frequently and has perhaps even adjudicated upon dogs in Russia as well do you think FCI should hold its World Show in Moscow considering the law put into effect last month by President Putin which gives the authorities the power to arrest and detain for up to 14 days any foreign traveler who is suspected of being pro-gay, homosexual or lesbian. political organizations and clubs.

Certainly, I have encountered gay people at dog shows. I think our presence in Russia would show support for the rights of all people, including gay.

Charlotte Patterson I think that law is a human rights violation and I personally would not judge that show. The FCI should also always consider such issues before awarding a world show location. One word particularly that bothers me is “suspected”. Who decides that?

How? Those of us that do travel abroad often know of various thefts and scams and indeed some of us have been the victims.

Therefore any law such as this that gives carte blanche to authority figures is itself “suspect” in how it would be enforced.

GEIR FLYCKTPEDERSEN At first I thought (your question) had to be a joke !! But evidently not ! After the Pope’s statement about gay priests etc., this last

80 Dog News

week, I suppose he could be considered Pro-Gay, so hopefully he will stay away from Russia to avoid the risk of spending a couple of weeks in prison.

I thought we were by now well past this stage and that discrimination against anybody due to religious belief or sexual orientation in the civilized world was history ! I have not seen a judges list for the World Show in Moscow , but we all know that many of the most popular and competent judges be it in Europe , USA or anywhere else in the world are openly gay/ lesbians. And so are many of the best breeders, handlers and groomers. Just the idea that a single person from this group might be arrested makes my decision easy: If this law takes effect this show should be moved to another country. I still feel sorry for the Russian KC and organizers who have nothing to do with this absurd legislation- so for their sake and the dog world in general I hope this new law will be laid to rest! And for some reason I don’ t think a quiet protest is enough to change Putin’s mind !

BOB INDEGLIA Although the likelihood that someone entering the World Show and being arrested as a pro-gay, homosexual or lesbian is small if it were to happen to someone, there would be a long standing personal issue. Putin’s recent activity has been very negative to me, and this is one more act that would overwhelm my feeling that the FCI should not hold its show in Moscow.

Although Moscow is a wonderful city to visit, that would in no way overshadow one person being arrested for this reason.

Ronnie Irving I don’t think that an organisation like the FCI set up to deal entirely with canine issues internationally can afford to stray into politics. If it does so, what would it have to say abut all sorts of human rights issues in all sorts of countries and what kind of muddle would it find itself in? I think it needs to concentrate on canine affairs and goodness knows there are plenty of things for it to do in that area.

Desmond J. Murphy The F.C.I. can not get involved with the politics of every country of the world.

A.K.C. does not get involved with our national politics. We hold shows in states for example that do not allow same sex marraige. Having judged in Russia several times I have never witnessed any anti gay attitudes coming from the Russian citizens.

Lydia Coleman Hutchinson Having recently judged in Moscow and knowing how cumbersome and expensive it was to get a visa to travel to Russia, I personally would not consider taking a dog there to show. I was even required to pay extra to leave the country because of a clerical error on my visa. And now, learning of the recently-enacted law, I am stunned!

FCI would do well to investigate the situation. I can only imagine the grief that could be caused if a jealous competitor let the authorities know that the exhibitor of a competing dog is homosexual.

Karl DONVIL I agree with the statement of Ronnie and I also think that in 2016 there will be no problem. Lots of gay people are travelling to Russia nowadays too and as far as I know there has been no problem. And let us remember the problems with the Hungarian Government for the World Dog Show. In the end the problems were solved and the relations between KC and governement even have improved. The power and influence of a manifestation like the World Dog Show goes much further than we can think. No country wants to get bad publicity worldwide!

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A WSJ Bruhaha,Waukesha, Judges, Food Companies... to still have never hearing one word from Continued FROM page 75

well as fact that in some instances these poor dogs do merry go-round placements from owners in some instances who shift them from shelter to shelter. Thanks for answering my note and if we can provide you with materials or resources which maybe of interest just me know.

Matt Stander Perhaps this exchange will start a discourse about this entire adoption business matter which is overlooked by the National Press. You know just as the entire topic of Sports today revolves around economic and business factors in its place in Society so the ownership and adoption of dogs is turning into a major unregulated business enterprise.

The major shelters are operating in many instances as not-for-profits but the reality is that a look at many a Balance Sheet indicates the exact opposite. I believe that the campaign to make stray dog ownership a virtuous indication of a person’s intent to do something good for society by owning a stray dog has cleverly been promoted by certain Shelter operations and animal rights organizations but how long this fad will continue built on the house of cards as its foundation remains to be seen. As stray dogs are re-cycled from shelter to owner to new shelter to new owner the old saying will become effective--you can fool some of the people-etc etc etc!!Hopefully AKC through its new pr firm wiill find an effective way to promote the purebred dog too. Let’s hope so although I must admit

82 Dog News

Edelman insofar as my simple requests were concerned. This worries me no end.

W

e attended cold cold and even rainy Waukesha this past week-end and it felt more like Montgomery weather than summer time. Too bad too since the Take the Lead ice cream social which so many of us were looking forward to was virtually a freeze out. I kid you not that but for Mike Szabo lending me a warm jacket I doubt I would have made it through the day.The vendors brought only summer clothes so there we were out in that Wisconsin chill. Entries were a very respectable 1600 dogs notwithstanding all the hand wringing as to how the entries are declining overall. If you read President Sprung’s report in the latest Board Minutes entries are up almost 1% over last years and events overall up close to 4%.

This despite certain show supers beliefs that AKC is “cooking” the figures. Probably both sides are correct as when AKC uses the word entries they refer to overall entries while the show supers refer to conformation entries only. Not a case I believe of comparing apples to apples but apples to oranges for sure. I was somewhat amazed to see a full page advert on the back of the catalogue with a Judge who should have known better endorsing the product of a food company. That is verboten as one knows. It seemed to me that there were fewer concessionaires at Waukesha than I remembered being here years ago. Overall the panels were not my kind of panels which could account for

the fact that I thought the exhibits were not of the quality one would have expected from a show of this size in entries. But then again one man’s poison is an others delight so it’s all about how you react and see it. On the other hand there were several adjudicators on the panel which would light up any ones team of judges. You just had to be careful where you stepped--if you get my drift. The Best in show line-up was nice and the little Boston which was awarded the top banana was adorable, I thought anyways. The Eukanuba Breeders Stakes was held on the day of the Specialities which was a noble experiment and certainly the Working Group representatives had to have exceeded all expectations both numbers ways and quality ways as well. This national event divided into sections which compete in finals at Orlando is a major development and asset for Eukanuba which certainly has been developed fully since its inception. Just as I had adjudicated at the first Santa Barbara Breeders event I sort of recall having judged the Eukanuba Stakes early on as well. Stan Flowers awarded Best in Show and it was great seeing both Jane and he looking so well. Tthe dinner served at the Friday event was modest as compared to the SB gala but every bit as heart warming and nice a gesture as one will find anywheres in the dog world today. It just proves that simple and well-meaning can equal, if not surpass, granduer at a dog show.

I

would certainly be remiss not to mention the untimely passing of Bill Hardaway the former Vice-Chairman of The Kennel Club in the UK. Mr. Hardway was a gracious and respected individual in the dog world, a loving family man and someone in whose presence one always felt comfortable and warm.

My thoughts and sympathies go out to the entire Hardaway family.

Dog News 83

Waukesha Kennel Club

BY PHOTOS IS A Z. Z PHIR EUGENE

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Dog News 85

b a bbling Is It Really Greener...

Continued FROM page 30

In my days we had 1st, 2nd ,3rd or 0 in quality. All dogs graded 1st then came in to compete in the winners class, placed 1-5but at first then it was decided whether or not the winner was worthy of the Certificate and the remainder could be awarded “CC quality”.

Today the 1st prize in quality is replaced by “Excellent” and is required to compete in the winners class. And because you have already classed the dog as Excellent, the Certificate is automatic. To me the use of this word, Excellent, is a problem. How many dogs would you see in the ring which “scream” Excellent!?

I remember the first European judging assignment I did after the rule change. I could in no way make myself grade all these dogs as Excellent. In some classes there were no winners, but on a recent trip to Europe I made up for it (?) by giving out too many excellent.

I don’t see any benefits to either the grading- or the critique system. Some of my Scandinavian friends would lynch me for saying that, but it’s a fact.

I love the American system. You place the dogs, mark your book- and that’s it.

You don’t have to spend hours listening to your recordings or trying to read what you were scribbling down after each class Ronnie in his article also reminded me of the system where a person without anything to do with the judging, sat ringside, writing the critique as they saw things !!!

I remember a few disputes in those days, as although I believe the editors tried to avoid conflicts, some of the critique writers expressed clearly that they disagreed with the judge…

What I found intriguing was that many judges had their spouses doing the critiques from the ringside- and they did not always agree either.

I have seen too many judges doing their report with the standard open to make sure they use the correct breed specific terms and make the world believe they knew what they were talking about. In other words “faking it”.

I cannot understand that Ronnie finds WATCHING PAINT DRY so boring…but in addition to the effort of dictating your words 86 Dog News

to a person who at times does not seem familiar with the terminology and takes away your concentration- the worst consequence of the critique is that many judges believe they have to dissect the dog and then cannot put the pieces back together. The result being that often an excellent dog with a number of smaller imperfections is beaten by an inferior dog with less quality, but without any serious faults..

I think we’ve all been there: Looking at a dog, nothing seriously wrong , but just plain and unappealing for some reason… lacking that very attractive “it” !

Type and quality can be hard to describe and put your hands on.

I personally don’t think that American judges ARE GETTING AWAY WITH A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE more than the British judges. I think the European system where you write your critique on each dog makes you need to know the breed well. In the UK most judges know exactly what happened at last week’s show, have read previous reports and can do a totally acceptable job based on memory…

Quite a few times I witnessed UK breed experts we had seen doing great jobs in their home country being a huge disappointment when judging in Scandinavia- and as I mentioned a few weeks ago- on the other sidesome did a great job overseas, but for what I believe, were political reasons, were less impressive at home !

When I judged my first Open Shows in the UK I sent in my report written Scandinavian style and although modified by the editors I was still criticized for being too critical !!

I was given the advice: To avoid upsetting the exhibitors by pointing out the dogs’ faults. To only mention the good points, starting with the head and let the readers themselves read between the lines…

But as Ronnie states: There are a number of judges able to produce very interesting and educational reports. But in my opinion, they are a minority !

THE PERFECT SYSTEM will never be found , but where I think both Scandinavia and the UK differ in comparison with the US, is background and experience required by NEW judges.

In Scandinavia- in addition to initially

going through a rather extensive course re all aspect from rules, genetics, anatomy etc etc-you have to spend time as a student judge , then pass your exam in the ring in writing as well as verbally to prove you understand the breed in question.

In the UK, in addition to breed seminars, your application to judge a breed is basically based on how many classes and dogs of the breed you have judged.(Naturally to a certain extent given credit for dogs bred etc ) In other words, you have proved you are able to “perform” in an acceptable way.

In the US, first after you have been given your provisional license will you normally be able to prove that you are” fit for function”, can handle the pressure, control the ring, that you can relate to dogs as well as exhibitors in an acceptable manner. And at the same time forget that you have that Field rep, who is probably after your scalp , ringside.

My conclusion is that the best system for judging dogs is the American! And I know I repeat myself when I refer to the enormous influence American dogs have today, all over the world including the UK. Which is an indication that not only have we great breeders in this country, but also some great judges.

On the other hand, there are some excellent judges spread all over the world- and some outstanding breeders. In some cases proved and confirmed by the fact that they make use of American bloodlines..

I am a self confessed Anglophile with a deep respect for the foundation the Brits have laid and created in so many breeds, but at the same time I admire all these American breeders who in a kind of Hollywood inspired way have made some of these breeds even more attractive and glamorous..

In some breeds much to the disgust and dismay of breeders in “the country of origin”, but slowly by slowly I think “The American Way”is gaining ground even in the old world !

In most breeds I think I like it and actually in some breeds I firmly believe that the US version is closer to what the “originators” had hoped for than what you currently see in Europe and the UK today.

Dog News 87

Continued FROM page 46

Therapy dog, Daisy, performs tricks for members of the medical student chapter of the DOC Program. Photo courtesy of Kelley Snowa, Center for Human-Animal Interaction.

Electric shock collars can burn dogs to varying degrees—in extreme cases, quite severely.

Staff enjoys a visit from Dogs On Call therapy dog, Zoey. Photo courtesy of Jim Mattson.

Some Surprising Results

According to Dr. Barker, the most publicized of these studies examined the impact pets have on the workplace.

“Its results went viral globally after being posted by VCU in 2012.” She says. “News stories about it appeared on CBS, CNN, NBC and BBC. We still receive requests for interviews about it.”

The study took a preliminary look at a manufacturing company that allowed its employees to bring their pets to work. Dr. Barker’s husband was its lead investigator. The sample consisted of employees who brought their dog to work, employees who chose not to bring their dog to work, and a group of non-pet owning employees. On any given day, there were about 30 dogs present in the workplace.

“The findings of the study revealed that job satisfaction at the manufacturing company was higher among all employees than the industry norm.” She says. “They were more satisfied with promotions, benefits and other aspects of employment that one might not associate with dog presence in the workplace.

“I think their high level of satisfaction is explained in part by the study’s other results.

It also found that by mid-afternoon, those employees who brought their dog to work had 50% lower stress levels than those who left their dog at home or were non-pet owners. The significant difference in the level of stress 88 Dog News

suggests the presence of pets in the workplace may reduce it.”

The study revealed other benefits were derived from having pets in the workplace as well.

“We often witnessed an employee, who didn’t bring his own dog to work, ask another employee who did if he could take it for a walk when he went on a break. In addition to stress reduction, the employee got some exercise instead of just sitting in a break room.”

Dogs On Call

Many of CHAI’s other research projects looked at the benefits derived from therapy dog visitation programs in healthcare facilities. These studies were based on the activities of its Dogs On Call (DOC) therapy dog program where volunteer owner/handlers and their dogs visit patients at the VCU Medical Center.

“In one study where we examined the impact of the DOC Program, we found that after only 15-minutes of interacting with a therapy dog, the patient’s anxiety level decreased by 37%! That’s huge. We also just finished another study where we compared pediatric patients, who completed a puzzle with a human volunteer, with those who interacted with therapy dog and its volunteer handler/owner.

We found the pediatric patients who interacted

with the dog were one and one-half times more likely to have reduced pain and stress levels.” Dr. Barker says.

Much of the center’s research is driven by observation. For example, when doing therapy dog visits with one of her own Llasas, she noticed that whenever they encountered a physician or nurse in the medical center’s hallways, the healthcare professional would stop and smile; sometimes, even get down on the floor and pet her dog.

“This led us to wonder what was going on physiologically with staff members as a result of their interaction with a therapy dog. So, we did a study that looked at the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, in our healthcare professionals. We found a significant reduction in their cortisol levels after only five minutes of interacting with a therapy dog. That was the equivalent of 20 minutes of quiet rest!”

After documenting all of the physiological changes caused by interacting with a therapy dog, Dr. Barker and her colleagues wondered if there would be differences in these changes if the patient interacted with an unfamiliar therapy dog versus his own dog. This led to yet another study that examined patterns of physiological stress.

“In it, we monitored brain waves over a 4-hour period as well as cortisol levels, blood pressure, heart rate and the patients’ self-reported stress level.” She says. “We saw a consistent relaxation pattern where the brain waves; reduction in blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol levels and selfreported stress were associated with interacting with a dog regardless of whether it was an unfamiliar therapy dog or the patient’s own dog.”

(Several years ago, CHAI assisted the VCU Medical Center in instituting a family pet visitation

a member of the DOC Program. For them, completion of the elective focuses on learning about animal-assisted therapy and meeting the requirements to get their dog certified as a therapy dog.”

Other students, whose dogs are already certified and part of the DOC Program, keep a log about their experiences during therapy dog visits.

“Most of them are very surprised by the emotional quality of these experiences as compared to the times when they approach patients in a white coat and ask clinical questions. Because therapy dog visits enable them to speak with patients on a very different level, it broadens their perspective on the doctor-patient relationship and thus is a valuable experience for medical students and psychiatry residents.” Dr. Barker says.

policy that allows family members to bring their dog to see patients in the medical center if certain conditions are met, i.e., the visit is approved by the nursing unit and the patient’s physician; and the dog is up to date on vaccinations, bathed within 24 hours of the visit and brought in inside a closed container.)

The Student Chapter

The DOC Program has a student chapter supported by students on the medical campus who either have therapy dogs or who don’t but are interested in CHAI’s work. After the University Counseling Center asked CHAI to assist with a DeStress Event held during exam week on the academic campus this year for the VCU student body, the DOC student chapter participated by helping to coordinate a similar session on the medical campus. The student response to it was overwhelming according to Dr. Barker.

“Over 1,000 students of diverse ethnicity came to the Commons to interact with our therapy dogs.” She says. “Although we’re still analyzing the data we collected during the De-Stress Event, a preliminary review of it suggests interaction with a therapy dog reduced student stress levels.”

A pediatric patient hugs DOC therapy dog, Dixie, during a visit in a hospital courtyard. Photo courtesy of Kelley Snowa, Center for Human-Animal Interaction.

Funding

Educational Programs

In addition to research and clinical applications, CHAI also is involved in educational programs related to human-animal interaction. Because the center is part of the School of Medicine, it offers an elective to four-year medical students and psychiatry residents.

“Elective requirements are tailored to what’s going in the center as well as designed to meet the needs of the individual student. For example, some students have a dog they want to become

Miracle-Makers

Therapy dog, Brinkley, visits a young patient in her hospital room at the VCU Medical Center. Photo courtesy of Kelley Snowa, Center for Human-Animal Interaction.

CHAI is a 501c3 non-profit organization that operates primarily on donations. In the past, it has received limited support from the VCU Medical Center. Its Pet Loss Support Group also generates donations. The clients of veterinarians, who make a financial contribution to the center, receive pet loss counseling at no charge.

“We also have a Close at Heart Fund where people can make a donation to honor a living pet or memorialize a deceased one, or to recognize a breeder or veterinarian.

The yearly calendar we publish is our main fundraiser however. Each month has a picture of one our DOC therapy dogs visiting with a patient in the VCU Medical Center.”

For more information about CHAI or to make an online donation to it, visit http://www.chai.vcu.edu/.

W

ade Morasco and his 11-year-old Golden Retriever, Brinkley, are part of the Dogs on Call (DOC) Program. The dog and handler team have been doing therapy dog visits in the Pediatrics Ward at the VCU Medical Center for four years. Brinkley--CH Steadmor’s Uptown Girl--is a retired show dog whose dam also had dual careers as a breed champion/ therapy dog.

Five months ago, Morasco and Brinkley met a mom and her 5-year-old, severely autistic son. The boy was in a wagon she was pulling down one of the medical center hallways when the therapy dog and handler team encountered them during one of their visits.

“When Brinkley and I went up to them, the mom told me her son rarely spoke. As she and I continued to chat, Brinkley laid down next to the little boy who began petting her.

I told the mom about the DOC Program and the therapy dog visits that Brinkley and I do at the medical center twice a month.

In so doing, I mentioned Brinkley several times while speaking to her. When it was time for them go, the mom turned to pull the wagon away. As she did so, the little boy looked back at us and said, ‘Brinkley.’ At the sound of her son speaking, the mom began to cry.”

Dog News 89

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Dog News 91

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Rare Breeds of the World Continued FROM page 57

loyal and happy companions when in the home with their human family. Very smart and intelligent, the SRHP is easy to train, but as with any dog the early socialization and training is strongly recommended.

To establish the breed the dedication of Mr. Koloman Slimak, and a number of serious breeders was to obtain a dog with great stamina which would track, point, and retrieve preys of several sizes and forms - form birds to hares and other small animals, as well as large game up to the size of the deer.

Since the origin of the SRHP the Breed Council of Slovakia was granted permission by the FCI to introduce a Pudlepointer and more recently a Weimaraner to increase the new dog’s genetic pool. Although a very attractive, and good looking dog, it is important to keep in mind they are natural hunters and love to work all day, and need to spend energy, therefore they need plenty of exercise when living out of their natural environment.

In Slovakia no registered dog can be bred without having passed a serious hunting test.

With a body type much resembling like the three breeds from which its foundation stock was derived, the SRHP has an intelligent, alert expression. These dogs are moderately large, usually grey but are allowed white markings grey and white, roan or grey and white splashed marked (this color has been actively

reintroduced into the breed. The coat is of moderate length in any shade between a tweedy gray-brown and the classic pewter-silver coat of the Weimaraner and a “rough” or “broken” coat, with harsh, wiry hair, and whiskers (“facial furnishings” or, informally, “moustaches”) like those of the German Wirehaired Pointer or the Cesky Fousek.

White is permitted on the chest and feet.

Lighter and darker shades of gray are permitted throughout the coat, even to the point of speckling. The FCI standard further requires a dark nose, eyelids, and pads of the feet; a scissors bite; and a moderately sloped stop of about 45°.

The color of the eyes may range from the deep amber of the German Wirehaired Pointer to the light shades seen in the Weimaraner. The detailed standard states the eyes of juveniles may be “azure” but those of adults must be amber. The nose is dark as well as the eyelids, and pads of the feet. They have scissors bite, and a moderately sloped stop of about 45°. The tail is docked at 50% of natural length, and the dewclaws are removed.

The back is straight, and the height

at the withers ought to be from 62 to 68 cm for dogs and from 57 to 64 cm for bitches. The FCI standard also states that “the ratio of length of the body to the height at the withers must be of 10:9 in the males and of 10:8 in the females.”

The Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer is sturdily built but with a degree of elegance they are loyal and affectionate with an unexaggerated conformation, bringing economical, ground-covering movement and a serviceable coat make him a truly ‘fitfor-purpose’ gundog.

The Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer is sturdily built but with a degree of elegance they are loyal and affectionate with an unexaggerated conformation, bringing economical, ground-covering movement and a serviceable coat make him a truly ‘fit-for-purpose’ gundog. (The Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer is sturdily built but with a degree of elegance they are loyal and affectionate with an unexaggerated conformation, bringing economical, ground-covering movement and a serviceable coat make him a truly ‘fit-for-purpose’ gundog. (From:www. slovakianroughhairedpointerclub.org. uk ).

Curiously, the first translation caused a misunderstanding as the FCI registered the SRHP as Rough Haired Weimaraner. In 1975 alerted by the German Weimaraner Club the mistake was rectified by the FCI, and the SRHP was removed from the Weimaraner standard. In the mean time the Slovakian breeders hard work and for their many qualities these dogs were rapidly conquering a well deserved place, not only in their homeland but in the European fancy as well.

Finally the SRHP was registered with the Slovakian Hunters Union, and on June 6, 1982, the breed was officially recognized by FCI under the hunt, point and retrieve gundog subgroup.

The SRHP was added to the Imported Breed Registry of The Kennel Club in 1998 and is also recognized by the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association.

Our dear readers will find the complete standard at the FCI’s breeds section.

Dog News 93

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Off The Leash Continued FROM page 58

tive human-computer interaction for people with severe disabilities.

FIDO was a group idea that came about last fall, when she, Pryor, Zeagler and Starner “had an ‘a-ha’ moment when we realized we could do textiles for pet applications,” she said. “By December we had proposals to send to funding organizations and last semester student teams built the sensors. We’ve come a long way in eight months.”

Dr. Moore Jackson says FIDO is in the “very preliminary, initial research stage” and that it will require “several years of field testing in real scenarios” before the application of the technology is commonplace. “The goal is commercial use within four years.”

“The original idea was to help assistance dogs communicate,” she said. “A friend had epilepsy and her dog detects seizures. When she became unconscious the dog would lick her face. We started thinking, what if the dog could say something and have someone call 911 and then we thought, what if the dog could call 911? We figured dogs could send a text and most smart phones have GPS.

From there, the idea snowballed.”

FIDO may revolutionize how bombsniffing dogs and handlers work.

“Bomb-sniffing dogs locate a bomb and bark, which is not safe for the dog,” Dr. Moore Jackson said. “Now the enemies know there’s a dog [and people] present. If a dog can go in remotely and tell what kind of bomb it is and pull a tag on the vest, the dog is never in jeopardy. It’s much safer.”

Likewise, FIDO can enhance how Search and Rescue dogs operate.

“With Search and Rescue the dog can find a person and pull a padded stick on its collar or a tab on the vest. Instead of running back to the handler and then having to go find the person again the dog stays with the person,” Dr. Moore Jackson said.

The Drug Enforcement Agency and police K9 departments can also benefit from employing FIDO. Said Dr. Moore Jackson, “With drug-sniffing, the dogs can tell what drugs are present. Often times there are masking agents involved so a dog can alert if there’s a coffee smell, for instance, to let agents know they should check out that package.”

Sky wearing a FIDO vest with a proximity sensor on it

T

he breeds used so far have been retrievers – Goldens and Labs, and crossbreeds of them – and Border Collies, but Dr. Moore Jackson said, “When testing is expanded to include military dogs we will be testing German Shepherd Dogs and Belgian Malinois as well.”

Dr. Moore Jackson anticipates the technology being used for pet owners to communicate remotely with their pets and for home security, too. In homes that are wired electronically, dogs could let themselves out into the yard and owners could watch them on camera.

Dogs can also alert owners if burglars enter the yard or the premises.

To illustrate how FIDO can help people with disabilities, Dr. Moore Jackson told an anecdote of one of her blind students being alerted when his guide dog stopped walking, an act of “intelligent disobedience.” The student used his collapsible cane to determine what the problem may be and couldn’t find any. So he forged on and stepped in wet cement. There were no barricades put around the area and the dog was trying to prevent him from proceeding. Had the dog been able to tug on a sensor and send a vibrating text message to a cell phone or audible warning to an earpiece, the accident could’ve been avoided.

“It’s been really fun to work on and it’s really wonderful to take my dog to work,” she said. “That’s the greatest privilege.”

“It’s funny how life prepares you,” she said. “It’s all come together. I combined my computer background and passion for dogs. I was in industry for years but I love academia because you can have wild ideas and get funding for it and actually find an application and you can do it. We’re going to change how we interact with dogs.”

From health and fitness monitors to glasses and other wearable computing devices, Juniper Research expects nearly 15 million wearable units to be sold this year, to the tune of $800 million, with nearly 70 million devices expected to be sold by 2017. While it’s too early to tell how many people will splurge for Google Glass eyewear, or wear fabric that incorporates gas sensors that could monitor your health or a tooth sensor that monitors what you eat, our canine companions just may be trendsetters as they lead the way in the world of wearable computers and FIDO may be at the forefront of the movement.

Dog News 95

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IRVING’s impressions Continued FROM page 26

shown with far more coat on them – I never cleaned all their neck and shoulders out to the extent it is done in the breed nowadays.”

That – as long ago as1948 - says it all: “You have got to give the judges what they want if you want to win. It is no use otherwise.” So is it entirely the ‘fault’ of judges and is it because we all want too much to win these days, that presentation has reached the heights – or as my grandfather’s correspondent might put it - the depths – of presentation we now see?

Exaggerated

When we lived in the USA in the late 1980’s it was mostly in the area of the Sporting Group that we noticed that presentation had become more extreme in the USA than in the UK. The Setter breeds in particular seemed to us to look very exaggerated in their coat appearance with far more long flowing leghair than we were used to seeing in the UK, and with much more cleaning out around the neck and front. Today however the trend here in the UK seems to be moving further in that direction than it used to. In our Sporting (Gundog) Group, though it is not yet the norm to see as much long coat on gundogs as in the USA, the odd exhibit does turn up presented that way and in some cases manages to win.

Perhaps in breeds like Poodles the contrast between the breed today and the breed 50 years ago is the greatest of all.

My father showed Miniature Poodles in the 1950’s (not very successfully) but the contrast then with today’s presentation is nothing short of massive. Even the winners of the 1950s would be laughed out of the ring today on both sides of the Atlantic.

His presentation would scarcely merit the recognition of a grooming parlour today. A far cry from the lacquered headpieces and switches and the huge quantity of body hair in today’s Poodle rings.

Improvements?

I asked earlier whether these changes could actually be said to represent an improvement for the individual dogs or for the breeds and their popularity? I am inclined to argue that they have not. From the individual dog’s point of view – looking at some breeds – the amount of coat to be maintained and the immaculate white coloring to be presented must, in some breeds – and here I don’t

particularly mean Poodles - mean that the dogs concerned are not being given the same amount of opportunity to run around and do what comes naturally to them. How many Setters or Spaniels with vast amounts of leg hair would retain that amount of coat if they were galloping around the kind of terrain over which they were intended to work. I know that even with our other breed – the Dandie Dinmont – because they run around our property with the Border Terriers and get their heads deep into the holes they have dug - they would never be able to have quite the amount of topknot that is seen in some of the more extreme Dandie presentation. It would be quite impossible.

So, for many show dogs though they are I’m sure well treated and comfortably kept – they simply cannot be getting the same amount of freedom that their original job of work intended.

As for the breeds’ popularity I think you do have to ask the question:”Does hugely professional and undoubtedly well carried out presentation actually increase the popularity of a breed?” Again I doubt it. Firstly to the average man or woman in the street it sometimes makes the breed look exaggerated and rather over the top – if not even in some cases silly. Secondly it is inclined to make newcomers to the dog fancy think twice about going in for a breed where it might takes years to attain the degree of presentation that is to be seen in the top exhibits of that breed. In today’s modern world of ‘get there quick’ – this may well be a discouragement to newcomers. To that extent and for both of these reasons excessive presentation can’t really be good for the dog fancy in the longer term.

There Are Limits

Where will all of this ‘perfection’ of presentation take the dog fancy and the breeds in twenty or thirty year’s time?

Goodness only knows. I think that for people who share my views on this, there is one consolation and that is that even if there have been huge strides forward in presentation in recent years – there are limits to how far that can go. Kerry Blue enthusiasts – having attained a high level of presentation in the last forty years - will probably find it hard to take them much higher up the presentation ladder. That probably applies to many other breeds too.

As long as coats do not become so excessive as to be a burden to the dogs, no harm will be done. However in some breeds the excessive removal of coat and the constant showing of dogs in their undercoats will undoubtedly lead to a situation where judges will start rewarding winners that don’t have the ability to grow proper coats – and that will be a pity.

What can be done about curbing what I would regard as the worst excesses of presentation but what others would probably regard as the pinnacle of dog grooming?

Probably very little unless you get the cooperation of judges. It is very hard and indeed very unlikely to succeed especially if in the process you try to tell handlers and exhibitors not to put so much time, effort, skill, professionalism and finesse into presenting their show dogs. Yes you can ensure that the breed standards and the rules are written in a way that discourages overtrimming and over-presentation. Yes you can even bring in coat testing rules as in the UK to stop the ‘illegal’ use of coat enhancements. But it is really only if you can persuade judges to take a stand against too much exaggerated presentation that you will ever succeed in stabilising the position.

One Hundred Years Ago

But even hardliners such as myself have to recognize that times do change. Even in the UK things have moved on considerably from the position that existed one hundred years ago. At that time the following were among TKC’s rules for presentation: “A dog shall be disqualified from winning a prize if it is proved that at any show (amongst other things): That any part of the Dog’s coat or hair has been cut, clipped, singed, or rasped down by any substance.

That the new or fast coat has been removed by pulling or plucking in any manner.

(NOTE : The old or shedding coat and loose hairs may be removed by brushing and combing. But no comb must be used that has a cutting or rasping edge.)”

These rules were, as you can well imagine, abandoned almost exactly one hundred years ago and we have obviously moved a long way since then! But just where will things have reached in another hundred years by the year 2113 - I wonder? Heaven only knows!

Dog News 97

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