SDDTC Pooch Scoop - Spring

Pooch Scoop Quarterly Newsletter -SPRING

News,views and opinions in this newsletter are those of the correspondent's not necessarily those of the club,editor and committee.The Springwood District Dog Training Club Inc. reserve the right of rejection of material.

COMMITTEE President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Chief Instructor Obedience Chief Instructor Agility Obedience Trial Manager Obedience Trial Secretary Agility Trial Manager Trophy Officer Table Manager Obedience Sporting Representative General Committee

Lynn Olson Vicki Finn Leanne Brown Paul Kelly Ron Amann Nicola Read Vicki Finn Robyn Assar Vicki Finn Shane Grundy Wally Campbell David Brown Vicki Cooper, Bonnie Sheather, Chris Lambert

Remember you are always welcome to attend our Club's General Meetings at the Red Cross Hall in Macquarie Road, Springwood on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7.30 p.m. (There is no meeting in December).

Life Members – Dot Luker, Ann Moy, Sue Fell, Ron Amann, Wally Campbell, Pam Waters, Lesley Piggott, Lynn Olson.

Annual General Meeting will be held on the last Thursday in August, 2014. (There will be no training on that night).

Web Site – -www.sddtc.org Email - - -info@sddtc.org Training days – Agility

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Obedience -

Monday night –

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7.00 p.m.

Tuesday morning -

10.00 a.m.

Thursday evening -

7.30 p.m.

Wet Weather – Call Club Secretary (AFTER 6.00 P.M.) on 47542910

TWO

Introducing Mia and Zac

Hi, I am Mia and my puppy is Zac. Zac is a Spoodle which means he has a Poodle – Dad and an English Spaniel Mum. He loves food, he will do anything for it. Zac is a really good jumper and can jump so his head goes over the middle size fence. I love horses, ponies and dogs, they are all so cute. All my friends say that I am a horse-lover, but I really like dogs just as much.

Here are some facts I found: There are more than 700 kinds of pedigree dogs.

Beanbag beds are ideal for dogs that get cold, because the beds help to keep in body heat.

Many dog illnesses can be cured if they are dealt with quickly.

THREE

C0MING WHEN CALLED Teaching your dog to come is an extremely important command, especially if his safety is at risk if he doesn't comply.

There are some huge mistakes people make when calling their dogs to come. They ask

their dogs to come when there is no way it's going to happen. If your dog is chasing the neighbor's cat, he will never respond to your calling and it's unreasonable for you to expect him to. In fact, calling him to come at such a time will let the dog know that you can't control what he does and that he doesn't have to obey you straight away. It's better to go and get him rather than call him and have him not come.

Then the dog does finally come back, or when we go and get him, we punish him. Big, big mistake. Why would the dog ever come to you if he thought he was going to get into trouble. He will not associate your anger with his non-compliance, all he knows is that he's with you and you are yelling at him.

The only time you call your dog to come is to put the lead back on and go home. The dog will learn that coming to you equals the end of the fun he is having. Combat this by calling your dog to you a number of times during his off-leash time, just to give him a reward then let him go again.

So how do we teach come? There are plenty of things you can do to get your dog to come to you, crouch down, hold out a treat, run in the other direction, make an interesting noise. When the dog is coming towards you say “come� and when he gets all the way to you, reward and release. Then all you need to do is increase the distance, then add distractions. Remember to keep the dog on lead so that you have success at each attempt.

If he doesn't want to come to you or gets distracted on the way in, use the lead to reel him in

FOUR

Add distractions by getting a friend to walk close to the puppy or make a distracting noise while you are practicing the command. Then practice in an unfamiliar or exciting place.

Once you are getting consistent results using a long lead, take away the distractions and

start teaching off lead. Teaching off-lead recalls the fastest and most fun way is by running way from your dog. This appeals to his prey instinct and he will be more than happy to chase you. Tell him stay, take off his lead and walk to a reasonable distance, then call him and immediately turn and run away from him. When he catches you give him a reward and heaps of praise. He will soon associate coming to you with fun and play and rewards.

If you find that your dog is coming in but you'd like it to be faster, then try this: 2 dogs, l treat. Get the dogs to sit next to each other, tell both to stay and walk a distance. Show them the treat then call them both to come. The one that gets to you first gets the treat and the other will learn to be faster next time.

BUT, remember this – no dog will ever be completely trustworthy off lead, there are just too many things that you cannot control.

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HAPPY P. & M. Kelly V. Canty C. Croft F. Dyer L. Strasser J. Murphy

Bree Pireaus Steptoe Sparkle Rani Basil

BIRTHDAY 12th October 17th October 24th October 25th October 25th October 30th October

FIVE

UPCOMING OCTOBER Agility Trial – Sunday 20th October, 2013 – Lomatia Park DECEMBER Christmas Presentation and Fun Night – Thursday 12th December, 2013 – 7.30 p.m.

VOLUNTEERS FOR AGILITY TRIAL - OCTOBER Our Agility Trial is on Sunday 20th October at Lomatia Park. We require volunteers to assist with stewarding, morning teas, lunches, etc., so if you can spare a couple of hours on the day it would be appreciated. Morning tea and lunch is provided for all volunteers. If you would like to come along, there will be a volunteer sheet at the sign on table. Just fill in your name and contact number.

CLUB MEMBERS SHOP For all your treats, etc, please ask at the sign on table.

Halti's all sizes $22.00 Halti's extensions $8.00 Treat Bags (large) $24.00 Treat Bags (small) $12.00 Pigs Ears $1.50 Bacon Treats $2.50 Liver Treats $2.50 One Meter Lead $14.00 Cold drinks in fridge - $1.00 please leave money in the door.

SIX

MAC'S MYSTERY MUTT The breed originated, on the coast of Newfoundland in the 17th century. They were trained to bring in the fishing-nets through the icy waters for the fishermen and, in the early 19th century, were brought to Poole Harbour in Great Britain. These dogs were short-limbed, sturdy swimmers with short dense coats and an otter-like tail. They were so attractive that the fishermen had umpteen offers from Englishmen to buy them. The breed was instantly successful as a gundog.

The Earl of Malmesbury was fascinated by these dogs, known at that time as Saint John's breed of water dogs and he started breeding them, calling them the name we know them today.. A heavy dog tax in Canada and the new quarantine laws in Great Britain caused a great reduction in the breed, limiting further breeding to be done without any more imports. Thankfully the ones already in Britain were of excellent quality and in the hands of serious breeders. The Kennel Club of Great Britain first recognised the breed in 1903.

The dogs are very active, strongly built dogs with good bone and substance. Their heads are broad with soft, intelligent eyes. They have a double coat: the undercoat being weather-resistant and the outer coat being short and dense with no feathering. Their tails are totally unique being 'otter' like and their movement is straight and true both front and back, covering the ground freely.

The breed comes in solid black, yellow and chocolate brown/liver. Bitches measure 54 to 56cms at the withers, dogs between 56 to 57cms. Bitches weigh around 28kgs and dogs around 30kgs.

This breed is definitely in the top three when it comes to choosing a family pet! They are friendly, good-natured dogs who are affectionate with everyone. They are adaptable dogs and are naturally social animals. They bond well with children, being patient and forgiving. Other household animals are not at risk. They are extremely loyal and love to be included in all aspects of family life. They will bark to draw your attention to strangers but will welcome them with open arms.

Intelligent dogs, they are easily trained, making them ideal for use in field sports, obedience competitions, as search dogs, as guide dogs and as hearing dogs. These dogs take a great pleasure in any of these activities. These dogs will adapt quite readily to the amount of time you can allocate for their exercise but do remember they should be given quite a reasonable amount. They love fairly long walks with a chance to run and play off the lead. They adore retrieving and water, so do take care when near the latter to ensure their safety. They will adapt to town living but come into their own in rural surroundings.

WHO AM I? Last Month’s Dog was ……Boston Terrier

If you would like to contribute to our newsletter please do not hesitate to send any information to our email: info@sddtc.org or see Lynn Olson on training nights.