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Dog News The Digest of American Dogs Volume 27, Issue 14 April 8, 2011
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4 Dog News
BY BILL SHELTON
BY ANDREW BRACE
BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
BY ARNOLD L. GOLDMAN, DVM, MS (MPH IN PROGRESS)
BY SEYMOUR WEISS
BY LESLIE BOYES
BY MJ NELSON
BY LINDA P. MICHELS, CHAIRMAN OF THE ARC TAIL DOCKING COMMITTEE
BY CARLOTTA COOPER
BY PATRICIA GAIL BURNHAM
BY CHARLES C. ROBEY
BY MARJORIE MARTORELLA
BY AGNES BUCHWALD
BY SHAUN COEN
BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
BY CONNIE VANACORE
BY EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS
BY MARCELO VERAS
BY VICKI HOLLOWAY
10 Editorial
14 Today’s Breeder of Merit
18 Brace Yourself
22 Question Of The Week
26 White Paper: Interstate Animal Transport Industry
30 A Thought To Consider: Some Ideas About Specialty Shows
34 Bests Of The Week
38 Ten Questions
42 GSMD: A Breed With Almost As Many “Monikers” As Jobs
46 A Tale of Tails
50 Communicating With Your Dog
54 Who Is An AR Vet?
58 All In The Family: What Does Your Dog Say About You?
62 The Fancy Speaks
64 Rare Breeds Of The World: Hokkaido Inu
68 Off The Leash
70 Vicissitudes, The So-Called Health Conference And More
72 Connie’s Comments
80 The Gossip Column
92 Click – Newnan Kennel Club
100 Click - The Way We Were
102 Letters To The Editor
All advertisements are copyrightedand owned by DOG NEWS, HarrisPublications, unless received camera-ready. Permission to reprint must berequested in writing.
DOG NEWS (ISSN 0886-2133)is published weekly exceptthe last two weeksin December byHarris Publications,1115 Broadway,NewYork, N.Y. 10010.Periodical Postage paid at NewYork.
POSTMASTER:Send address changes toDOG NEWS,1115 Broadway,NewYork, N.Y. 10010
106 dog show calendar
110 handlers directory
112 subscription rates
114 classified advertising
116 advertising rates
ContentsAPRIL 8, 2011
4 Dog News
BY BILL SHELTON
BY ANDREW BRACE
BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
BY ARNOLD L. GOLDMAN, DVM, MS (MPH IN PROGRESS)
BY SEYMOUR WEISS
BY LESLIE BOYES
BY MJ NELSON
BY LINDA P. MICHELS, CHAIRMAN OF THE ARC TAIL DOCKING COMMITTEE
BY CARLOTTA COOPER
BY PATRICIA GAIL BURNHAM
BY CHARLES C. ROBEY
BY MARJORIE MARTORELLA
BY AGNES BUCHWALD
BY SHAUN COEN
BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
BY CONNIE VANACORE
BY EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS
BY MARCELO VERAS
BY VICKI HOLLOWAY
10 Editorial
14 Today’s Breeder of Merit
18 Brace Yourself
22 Question Of The Week
26 White Paper: Interstate Animal Transport Industry
30 A Thought To Consider: Some Ideas About Specialty Shows
34 Bests Of The Week
38 Ten Questions
42 GSMD: A Breed With Almost As Many “Monikers” As Jobs
46 A Tale of Tails
50 Communicating With Your Dog
54 Who Is An AR Vet?
58 All In The Family: What Does Your Dog Say About You?
62 The Fancy Speaks
64 Rare Breeds Of The World: Hokkaido Inu
68 Off The Leash
70 Vicissitudes, The So-Called Health Conference And More
72 Connie’s Comments
80 The Gossip Column
92 Click – Newnan Kennel Club
100 Click - The Way We Were
102 Letters To The Editor
All advertisements are copyrightedand owned by DOG NEWS, HarrisPublications, unless received camera-ready. Permission to reprint must berequested in writing.
DOG NEWS (ISSN 0886-2133)is published weekly exceptthe last two weeksin December byHarris Publications,1115 Broadway,NewYork, N.Y. 10010.Periodical Postage paid at NewYork.
POSTMASTER:Send address changes toDOG NEWS,1115 Broadway,NewYork, N.Y. 10010
106 dog show calendar
110 handlers directory
112 subscription rates
114 classified advertising
116 advertising rates
ContentsAPRIL 8, 2011
Dog News 5
6 Dog News
DOG NEWS is sent to all AKC approvedConformation Judges every week on acomplimentary basis. No part of this publicationcan be reproduced in any form without writtenpermission from the editor. The opinionsexpressed by this publication do not necessarilyexpress the opinions of the publisher. The editorreserves the right to edit all copy submitted.
PUBLISHER
STANLEY R. HARRIS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS
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WEB ADDRESS: www.dognews.com
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORSSharon Anderson
Lesley BoyesAndrew Brace
Agnes BuchwaldShaun Coen
Carlotta CooperGeoff CorishAllison Foley
Yossi GuyJohn Mandeville
Desmond J. MurphyM. J. Nelson
Robert PaustSharon Sakson
Gerald SchwartzKim Silva
Matthew H. StanderKarl Stearns
Sari Brewster TietjenPatricia Trotter
Connie VanacoreCarla Viggiano
Nick WatersSeymour Weiss
Minta (Mike) Williquette
DOG NEWS PHOTOGRAPHERSChet JezierskiPerry Phillips
Kitten RodwellLeslie Simis
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DOG NEWS COVER STORY - APRIL 8, 2011
Dog News 7
8 Dog News
Dog News 9
10 Dog News
REGISTRATION POSSIBILITIESWith the tanking of registrations for AKC and the apparent con-tinuing of same, although the number seems to have remainedsomewhat constant of late, the report in USA TODAY that Pet-finder.com has “celebrated 15 years of success marked by17.5 million pet adoptions” is something of an eye-opener. Ofcourse no one knows what percentage of pets adopted weredogs but one can presume the percentage is on the high siderather than the low one. This animal data base is obviously ex-tremely popular -just punch in your ZIP code and the kind ofanimal you want, and the website shows pictures and informa-tion about them. The thought must have occurred to you justas it did to these pages as to why AKC does not have a similarprogram. Well indeed it does—two of them in fact. One startedabout four years ago with its On-line registration attempts andthe other with its Breeder of Merit program. (See Bill Shelton’sarticle on that program in this issue). These pages are told theOn-Line Breeders Program is quite successful as for $30 you canadvertise your pups for sale with ZIP Code registration whilethe new Breeders of Merit will offer a similar but free advert forpeople who qualify. Two problems that these pages see—ONE,Few people seem to be aware that AKC has one much lesstwo such programs. Instead of going into the Reserve Fund asDirectors Gladstone and Ashby seem to want to do and invade$10 million of the Fund to make the public more aware of theadvantages of owning an AKC pup, how about publicizing atminimal costs the existence of these programs!! And TWO, andas importantly, these pages would REQUIRE that not only mustthe litters be AKC registered by that each puppy advertised beAKC registered as well!! Today that’s not the case—just littersneed be registered. These pages reject the argument that indi-vidual registration requirement would discourage people fromusing the program since the cost is minimal and can be passedonto the purchaser of the puppies at no appreciable expense.After all if a Massachusetts shelter agency can set the followingfees which they post online as adoption prices for strays broughtin from Puerto Rico at Puppies $395 - $450 Teens (5 - 10 months)$295 - $400 Small dogs $295 - $400 Large dogs $250 - $350 thentell us why Breeders can not add a $20 charge onto their feesand thereby force registration upwards again!
THE TESTING and THE EXAGGERATIONDILEMMASTesting coats for “illegal” substances in the UK is the new causecélèbre! This combined with the Kennel Club encouragingjudges to look for winners who lack obvious exaggerations hascaused all sorts of discussion in the UK and deserves to be dis-cussed in the States as well. Let’s take the faking of the naturalcolor of a dog’s coat. Whether these are subtle enhancementsor grievous deceptions depends one would think about whatthe point of a dog show truly is. Is it a beauty contest or a placeaimed at the selection of future breeding stock? If someonesees a black dog in the ring asks a DOG WORLD editorial and isinterested in using it at stud, then they are entitled to know thatit genuinely is as black as it seems. So that faking color shouldbe a constant no-no but what about adding extra coat in theform of switches particularly in the so-called sculptured breeds if
some residue of chalk in the hard-coated terrier is seen? Not as griev-ous one would presume except where the so-called ‘presentation’ istaken to the extreme. Really spraying the exhibit to death in or out ofthe ring or in full view of the spectators should be as taboo as the per-son who leaves a chalk mess in the grooming areas. AKC just seemsto ignore these infractions as though they do not exist. Why not just doaway with them or enforce the rules seems a fair question to pose.
EXAGGERATIONSThere are exaggerations and exaggerations in certain breeds of thisthere can be little doubt. But it is difficult to eliminate certain exagger-ations in a breed where the type preferred in the country of origin is,one must admit, more extreme than may be ideal in today’s climateof thinking. The Neapolitan Mastiff has come under sever scrutiny inthe UK since Crufts as two major veterinary bodies have thrown thegauntlet to the Kennel Club after their attention was drawn to photo-graphs of the NeapolitanMastiff exhibited there. Whether these dogs’unusual breed characteristics should be modified to the point of be-ing deregistered due to the condemnation of Jemima Harrison, whocalled them “mutants” on her blog, is of course a useless and self-effacing position to take. The fact is that banning the breed wouldnot solve the issue as people will continue to breed them nonetheless.There is certainly a long-term commitment on the part of the par-ent club here and in the UK to achieve the goal of producing dogsthat display the very best balance of both breed type and optimumhealth. If these pages are correct the American bred Neapolitans donot seem as exaggerated as those in Europe for sure and perhapseven the UK. It would seem that our breeders have been able to crossthat line and produce a more modified breed with characteristicswhich still result in what most people think a Neapolitan Mastiff shouldlook like.
SWEEPS AT SPECIALITIESThe need to have people adjudicate at Sweepstakes, particularlyNationals, who are well versed in the breed is more acute than ever.How many sweeps have you watched of late which are being adju-dicated upon by people with a real breed background and a true in-terest in the breed? Does it seem to you that these positions are filledby the wannabe judge, a person who is using the appointment aslittle more than an opportunity to advance within the judging ranks.These Sweeps can shape the future of any breed and the appoint-ments must be made with due consideration to the background ofthe people being asked to judge. It’s bad enough that the experi-ence of the regular class judge is questionable in all too many aninstant. Why compound the error and have people appointed todo sweeps who have no real interest or background in a breed withwhich to begin.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEKWell the Board will be meeting next week—April 11 and 12. One ab-solutely new member in Mr. Amen, two faces not seen in two years,Battaglia and Gladstone. The Smith Committee met the day after theelections on the possibility of changing the existing judging approvalsystem. Consistent with its past meeting or meetings no official an-nouncement relative to the progress made, if any was made. Akinto the abbreviated Board Minutes, which reveal little of actual dis-cussions, the Fancy is kept in the dark until announcement time. Atannouncement time most people are so taken aback by surprise orlack of attention to what was going on that the immediate reactionto most new Board ideas is rejection, horror or dismissal. When will theylearn that this is the day of new means of communication—keepingpeople abreast of what is being planned is not the worst idea in theworld—want to prevent another Pet Plan fiasco??? Let people in onwhat you are thinking is our advice--take it or not!!
EditorialAPRIL 8, 2011
Dog News 11
12 Dog News
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Today’s Breeder of MeritAll breeders should be encouraged to become part of the
AKC Breeder ofMerit program; rather they are simply qual-ified at an entry level basis, or are over achievers, which
far surpass any expectations and or prerequisite. AKC wants allresponsible breeders’ input, even those who may qualify andaren’t necessarily breeding any longer. AKC knows that all de-grees of participation will shape a balanced curriculum dedi-cated to advancing all aspects of today’s breeder. Rather youread another word of this article or not, check it all out at http://www.akc.org/breederofmerit.
Here is an opportunity for all of us to take part in the devel-opment of an innovative program which AKC is cultivating forall responsible breeders to come together, stand behind, andcelebrate what we do best: Breed the healthiest, well social-ized, trained and standard conforming dogs in the world to-day. If by chance you’re a naysayer or skeptic of what youmay have heard about any part of the program, AKC still wantsyour participation and input today. No individual should assumethey know what this program will become. Why? Because weare all being invited to participate and give our own vision andthoughts to the AKC now, and in the future. The future is basi-cally in all our hands and I suspect the program will always be awork in progress, evolving and representing as a whole a broadspectrum of responsible “AKC Breeders of Merit”. You are en-couraged to forward your suggestions to http://mail.verizon.com/webmail/%22http://mailto:[email protected]%[email protected] orto learn more simply contact Tina Yuhl at 919-816 3932.
Whatever an “AKC Breeder of Merit” looks like today, it willbe sure to evolve. I for one believe with all of our participa-tion it will become what we envision. It should never belong toany specific majority or minority group but simply represent allresponsible breeders of merit.
What are the entry level requirements for a Breeder of Merittoday?• Certify that applicable health screens are performed on thesire and dam as recommended by a Parent Club.• Hold membership in an AKC club.•Have a history of at least 5 years involvement with AKC events.• Earn Conformation, Companion and/or Performance titles onat least 4 dogs they have bred/co-bred.• Demonstrate their commitments to ensuring 100% of puppiesthey produce are AKC registered.
Join and move forward with what will become one of themost progressive advocacies of breeders anywhere in the world.It costs nothing to be included just go to AKC.org and then to“AKC Breeder of Merit”, the application is available there. Withso many unlimited possibilities and proposals just on the horizonfor the “Breeder of Merit’ program through education, mentor-ing, networking, support services, extended events, and recog-nition. There are just too many to list and all just for the taking.
The AKC “Breeder of Merit” program was only launched of-ficially this year and is already headed towards five thousandstrong. Imagine what a voice this could be for responsiblebreeders if all who are eligible would step forward and partici-
pate. Here’s an opportunityto give back to all those whohave mentored you and I, bysimply turning around and of-fering our support and wisdomto the next generation of “AKCBreeders of Merit”. The rolecall is already a who’s who ofthe greatest contemporarybreeders of our time, and insome instances history.
There are several new pro-grams being planned for inthe near and distant future,stay tuned. I for one have al-
ready forwarded a few of my own ideas for the evolvement ofthe Breeder Of Merit program and extended events.
I would like to discuss a few other ideas and issues with all ofyou today.
The requirement that states “Certify that applicable healthscreens are performed on the sire and dam as recommendedby the Parent Club.” It would appear putting all Parent Clubsin charge of heath screening and testing requirements is as ran-dom as those who test. Some Parent Clubs have no—zero— re-quirements for testing and health screening; others have exten-sive requirements with most other clubs somewhere in-between.Many Parent Clubs’ committees have no actual veterinarianor scientific direction, but only the volunteers’ opinions of thosewho sit on the committee. Some Parent Clubs have no activecommittees. You can see where I’m going with this. We needto identify a relative benchmark or standardization to establishguidelines in assisting Parent Clubs themselves. If health screen-ing is to be a legitimate requirement by AKC to be a breederof merit, I would suggest creating a team of veterinarians andscientists to look into what each parent club should considerminimally as a standard requirement as a baseline from whichto go forward. Then have the same team of veterinarians, andor scientists, appointed by AKC to assist these Parent Club com-mittees individually in prioritizing and identifying health issues ina specific breed’s greater populations. These committees, ofcourse, would meet periodically as breeds evolve into and outof a particular disease.
The next question is if AKC plans to validate testing byindividual participants of the program? If so they havetheir work cut out for them. Not all breeders use onetesting method or measurement; reporting agenciesare different. What if a breeder does test (with a pass-ing result) and is in possession of the documented re-sults, but has chosen for one reason or another not to
record them with a reporting agency?What if a breeder chooses to breed a dog or bitch on from
a simple recessive inheritance pattern like say vWD and oneis clear and the other affected, resulting in a litter of carriersbut not affected? How would this effect participation in theprogram? Who gets to decide what are acceptable breed-ing practices and what aren’t? Depending on the Parent Cluband who sits on the committee, this could all become a slipperyslope.
It’s a huge position of responsibility and authority, one thatshould be given far more consideration by the AKC before giv-ing over regulatory stewardship to several diverse organizationswith many different aptitudes and resources.
Second, why not require the Breeder of Merit to microchipevery puppy they place or sell? This would increase the likeli-hood of each Breeder of Merit’s resulting get to be returned tothe owner or breeder if they should ever become lost or stolen.Again, if validation of testing is to ever be a pertinent part of theprogram, we must have a conclusive means of identifying whothe test subjects are by positive identification.
Third, let’s take another step forward and require the Breed-er Of Merit to DNA all breeding stock, providing proof that weare willing to stand behind the purity of our breeding programsby absolute DNA identification. Future research and DNA da-tabases could be accessed to identify disease pattern of dogsin future case studies (This database can be accessed with noindividual’s breeding program identified, but just nameless dataused).
Fourth, “Demonstrate their commitments to ensuring 100%of the puppies they produce are AKC registered”. We shouldall make a sincere effort to register all of our puppies. The resultof this will bring resources to the AKC’s ability to advocate fordogs and their owners on a national scene. It’s a simple thingto try and meet 100% registration for the organization, which isour voice on so many levels. Let’s all try.
None of the before mentioned issues are to be seen as rea-sons to not participate but rather ideas we should be looking to-wards improving. I sincerely hope you will forward your ideas tothe AKC and become a part of the Breeder of Merit program.
By Bill Shelton
*CC Breed points
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The Kennel Club has clearly defined rules and regulations regardingthe presentation of dogs for exhibition. Reading them, no one couldbe left in any doubt that the application of any foreign substance thatalters either the colour or the texture of a dog’s coat is not permitted.When entering for any dog show that is held under the auspices of TheKennel Club, exhibitors have to sign a declaration that they agree to
abide by the Kennel Club’s rules.
Thus it cannot be argued that exhibitors are not aware oftheir obligation when it comes to presenting their dogs inthe British show ring.
In days gone by certain terrier breeds were very openlycovered in chalk, their colour enhanced with daffy. The once-traditional wearing of full-length white overalls by terrier han-dlers, notably of Bull Terriers, was a practical and simple wayof keeping the wearers’ clothes clean and tidy and free of thepowder that would at some stage inevitably be transferredfrom their charges.
Gradually, over the years, and in the wake of the KennelClub being very vocal about presentation, excessive chalkinghas all but disappeared, but only a fool would claim that ex-hibitors in the UK never use a little chalk to clean up a coat,albeit having sworn that everything has since been brushedout before entering the ring.
Traditionally Poodle exhibitors have enlisted the help of alittle hairspray to hold topknots as they got longer and longerand higher and higher. In the old days, much closer trimmingmeant that all that was needed for a topknot to stand firmlywas correct coat texture, however as they became more andmore elaborate, simple physics meant that a little extra helpwas needed.
In the past there have been several well publicised casesof exhibitors having been disciplined for incorrect presenta-tion when coat samples, taken randomly at dog shows, haveshown that foreign substances have been present. These haveinvariably been fiercely denied in the main, and several of theaccused have gone to great pains, not to mention expense, toprove that if unacceptable substances had been found in theirdogs’ coats, they were not responsible for them getting there.
The method of random coat testing basically involvesthe Kennel Club confidentially advising a show secretary that,at their show, the winners of certain awards will need to havetheir coats tested immediately after judging. This basicallymeans that show officials take the dog and its handler to theveterinarian’s office where coat samples are removed, one
sample finding its way thelaboratory chosen by theKennel Club, another beinggiven to the dog’s handler todo with it what they choose.
I cannot ever recall coattests being carried out atCrufts before, but this year itbecame clear after judgingthat the winners of the DogChallenge Certificate and
corresponding Reserve Challenge Certificate in both Minia-ture Poodles and West Highland White Terriers were to be test-ed, as after the awarding of these prizes the handlers wereinformed and escorted out of the ring, without the chance toeven have photographs taken.
The fallout of the coat testing seems to centre not somuch around the testing per se but around the seeminglyheavy-handed methods that were employed. Writing in DOGWORLD, the newspaper’s Miniature Poodle correspondentJackie Kitchener states “To the public and indeed anyonewho might just have happened to be watching at the time,it appeared that the two lady handlers were being arrestedfor murder! Two security guards plus a further six stewards cir-cled them andmarched them off with grim faces through thecrowd and off into the distance.
“A large dose of overkill, we all felt. Could it not havebeen handled in a quieter fashion, or is our governing bodynow looking to embarrass themselves – and dogdom in gen-eral – by such displays?”
As it happens, the winner of the Dog CC in Miniature Poo-dles had come from Sweden and the winner of the ReserveDog CC in West Highland Whites had travelled from The Neth-erlands. It is reported that the handlers of both these dogswere somewhat confused and bemused by the procedurewith which they had become unwittingly involved.
The outcome will be watched with great interest.Whilst not wishing to advocate that we should accept
dogs that are dyed or taken into the show ring with their coatscaked with “enhancing” products, should the Kennel Clubnot be looking at the whole question of presentation with amodern eye and seeing it in perspective? And at this point oftime, when health and welfare is seen as an overriding prior-ity, should we not see chalk and hairspray for what they are?
Ironically and coincidentally, shortly after Crufts where thiscoat testing took place I was sent a link to a TV interview thatwas viewable online which had been filmed at a dog showin Kentucky. Here a well known professional handler openlychatted with the interviewer about the “makeup” she usedon her dog, running through the various products that wouldenhance both the color and texture of one of her charges. Imay be wrong, but I doubt that the high-ups in Madison Av-enue are going to get too excited about this, and I doubt thatthe handler is going to be hung, drawn and quartered for heradmission. Even though the AKC has rules about presentationas we do, I don’t think anyone would argue that Stateside ablind eye is turned to the use of “foreign substances”, some ofwhich are clearly evident in some dogs’ coats.
At a time when we are keen to promote the dog showingworld as being populated by caring people who wish to pro-duce and exhibit dogs that are fit, happy and healthy, shouldwe not be worrying about more serious matters than puttinga little icing on a “fit for function” cake ???
BRACE YOURSELF
Presentation andPerspective
BY ANDREW BRACE
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BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
Gretchen BernardiThe conference in question will take placewhether or not AKC or AKC-CHF participates.I can’t fathom not wanting to be at the table,any table, at which the subject is purebreddogs. We may disagree with many of thoseopinions, but we have been offered an oppor-tunity to present our case and if we have suffi-cient trust in our beliefs, why wouldn’t we wantto defend them? I don’t know enough aboutthe structure or the chain of command for theCanine Health Foundation, but the on-again,off-again indecision shows a lack of leadershipon some level andmakes one wonder if every-thing at AKC is now politicized. The health andwelfare of the purebred dog is the topic andthose are the raisons d’être of the CHF. Repre-sentation by a CHF spokesperson seems a no-brainer. And here’s an idea: Dog News shouldsponsor a public debate between Patti Strandand Wayne Pacelle, charge admission anddonate the proceeds to the Humane Fund.
Duane ButherusThe AKC, along with other corporate alliances,thecommunityofdogclubsand individual doglovers have for sixteen years generously con-tributed to the mission of improving the healthof canines, enabling the CHF to fund 25 milliondollars of research to improve canine health.Researchers around the world have achievedsignificant advances in preventing, curing andtreating diseases of all dogs. We truly have agreat story to tell. The Foundation’s ExecutiveCommittee with input from several major sup-porters decided that the HSUS conferencewasnot the optimum venue to present this story. Ilook forward to having our story presented in aproper forum.
Mary Anne BrociousI think both groups declining the invitationwas the right thing to do. We do not want toalign AKC and the CHF with the fanaticism ofHSUS. We have to improve on our messageto the public with heightened visibility andusing our events and opportunities to let thepublic know who we are, and what we do.We must not use HSUS platforms to bring OURmessage forward.
Joy BrewsterI felt the AKC and CHF should both have ac-cepted and presented their side, whether itfell on deaf ears or not. It appeared to meto be a missed opportunity to present a sidebacked up by facts and figures that most ofthe attendees probably have not heard veryoften if at all. There would at least have beena chance some people might have ques-tioned their own thoughts and convictions.
Jennifer StevensThey indeed should have accepted the invi-tation...after all, isn’t healthy dogs what weare all about and wouldn’t that have beena terrific opportunity to find a commonalityto unite us even for just a moment? In anycase...words to live by: “Keep your friendsclose and your enemies closer”.
Do you think AKC should have accepted theopportunity to speak at the HSUS Conference inlate April devoted to the Health of the Purebred Dog?What did you think of CHF accepting this invitationand then turning it down?
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White Paper: InterstateAnimal Transport Industry
There are many reasons for thisphenomenon; however, the drivingforce isobviously theemotionalpowerderived fromaperception on thepartof the citizenry and those who areemployed by this industry that theyare alleviating animal suffering. Thegood intentions of those Connecticut
citizens who would adopt transported dogs,as well as the good intentions of many whooperate as agents of this transport industry arenot in question. While there are those who areinvolved solely for profit that alone is not thereason we focus on these practices. We focus onthese practices because we believe that theyresult in a net increase in suffering and an abuseof the animal control resources of the State ofConnecticut and its constituent municipalities.
The animal transport industry is in the main,informally structured, with a diverse andgeographicallywidespreadnetworkofindividuals,not-for-profit organizations, commercialbreeders, other informal confederations ofindividuals and municipal impoundment facilityemployees, communicating and facilitatinginterstate animal transport. They use the internetand world wide web sites dedicated to animaladoption to bring potential animal owners intocontact with individuals and groups operatingas agents of dog transport and adoption. Thisnetwork and its operation are commonly knownas “pet rescue.”
Through these websites (petfinder.com andothers) Connecticut citizens interested in owninga dog can unobtrusively identify one that meetstheir requirements and privately arrange for itsdelivery to Connecticut. Often, individuals basedin Connecticut or in other states, operate asintermediaries (“agents”) in placement (sale) ofthese dogs through their previously developed,internet-based relationship with those in controlof the physical facilities where the dogs may belocated. These agents generally do not havephysical custody of the dogs and in many casesthe arrangements are made without them everhaving custody. The actual transport process
Introduction: For several years, and especially since theHurricane Katrina disaster in 2005, an informal industryhas developed, the function of which is the interstatemovement of animals, in particular dogs, into the State ofConnecticut from other states.
By Arnold L. Goldman DVM, MS (MPH in progress)
CONTINUED ON PAGE 104
Editor’s Note: Arnold L. Goldmanis a veterinarian in privatepractice in Connecticut. For over13 years he has been activein the Connecticut VeterinaryMedical Association, and itsvarious professional pursuits,including service as chairman ofits Government Affairs Committee.Having become aware of thecompletely unregulated massimportation of animals, in particulardogs, into Connecticut, he did hisown investigation and the “whitepaper” (attached), was the result.Since then, the ConnecticutVeterinary Medical Association hasundertaken an affirmative effort topropose, negotiate for and workto pass CGA HB 5368, which willcreate a regime of regulation forthe “rescue” industry as alreadyexists for pet stores and othersengaged in animal importationinto the state (testimonyattached). He views the “rescue”industry in part as a profit centerfor those who do not accept theright of Americans to choose apure bred dog, to breed dogs,or to engage in lawful animalassociated activities. Indeed thebasic issue is one of freedom.
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Now, let’s consider Specialty shows inbreeds that maintain a close connection tothose breeds’ countries of origin. GermanShepherd Dogs come strongly to mind as domany of the terrier breeds. While not directlylinked to a breed’s homeland, many judgesfrom around the world have gathered sufficientcachet to draw good sized entries in large partbecause they sport a foreign address or an in-ternational reputation. Many such judges enjoyshining reputations and have it in their power toteach us a great deal, but not all.
International judges who lean heavily onthe standards of their breeds in their own coun-tries when judging here are not likely to makemany friends. We all know that standards veryfrom country to country. Even small variationscan make big differences Consider the follow-ing true story about a judge coming over hereto sort through the American exhibits in a breedin which our breeding is on a par with that ofany other country in the world, in may caseseven better.
On this particular occasion, the specialtyclub had made arrangements for all its cel-ebrated judge’s needs – except breakfast onthe morning of the show and transportation tothe show site. Duh! One exhibitor stepped upand offered to provide both needs. Would any-one knowingly want to show to a hungry judgewho was tired from walking to the show or tak-ing a bus? Highly unlikely. Of course this altru-ism came at a price and, as a consequence,this person’s dogs spent the day in their crates.Ironically, no one from the show committeeeven offered to refund the entry fees.
In any case, at the appointed time, the ex-hibitor now turned chauffeur politely knockedon the judge’s hotel room door and drove herto a conveniently located restaurant for break-fast. Next on the schedule, judge and ex-ex-hibitor made for the show grounds. During thecourse of this short drive, the two fell into con-versation about the breed exchanging ideasabout their breed. With unfailing courtesy, thedriver offered some observations on the breedwhile the judge ventured her own opinions andpriorities. By the time the judge had been safelydelivered to ringside, her ride was very relievedthe dogs that would not be playing todaywould not have to.
We have a great deal to learnfrom foreign judges, but weshould never forget that Amer-ica is a mighty dog showingcountry without the need to
take a back seat to anyone. And we haveproven this over and over again. In dealingwith Specialties, let us always keep our special-ty activity in perspective, learn from our dogs,the dogs of others and all the judges from hereand abroad who provide us with the opinionsthat are the tools we will use in producing thenext generation of our world beaters.
Thank you for reading.
Specialties are trulywondrous events, don’tyou agree? Those whoare connected to abreed make plans farin advance to attendthe specialties they can
reach. It doesn’t always matterwho is judging or what the prizesare. There are many more impor-tant reasons to participate in aspecialty than the chance of mak-ing a noteworthy win.
Veteran breeders understandthe wisdom of showing the dogsthey are producing. Keeping yourdogs in front of the fancy makesa statement; it tells all your peerswhat you’re doing, your aims andobjectives and establishes you as aserious player in your breed.
A specialty can be properlyviewed as a barometer of a breed.Typically, a specialty will drawentries from within and beyond agiven geographical area therebyaffording a wider view of where abreed stands at that time. Sweep-stakes and futurities show us theyoung ones: the stars of tomorrowif you will. The regular classes showus where the breed is and veteranevents show where the breed hascome from. Stud dog and broodbitch classes showcase the dogsthat their owners feel are worthy ofour notice alongside their sons anddaughters for our mental compari-son. Indeed, there is much to learnat specialties, either in the ring orobserving from the other side ofthe ring ropes.
Every seasoned dog exhibitor isfamiliar with the sometime bizarreritual otherwise known as judge se-lection. We have all seen situationsin which the person in the centerof the ring demonstrates intriguingbehavior, making choices can beconsidered nothing short of exotic!
AThought toConsiderSome Ideas About Specialty Shows
At other times the results of Specialties holdno surprises for the well informed. But how arethe arbiters chosen for these plum assignmentsselected?
In a perfect world everyone who can votefor a specialty judge should exercise prudenceand fairness in exercising their right to choose.The selection should then be based on apotential judge’s in-depth breed knowledge,unimpeachable integrity and the courage tostand by the decisions he or she will make in thering. Remember, I said “perfect world.” Manyvery highly regarded judges may not alwayshave the depth of experience in a particularbreed that would make them a good choice tojudge so important an event. It often happensthat club members interested enough to votefor judges, but not deeply involved in showingand breeding exercise that right just becausethey can. These are the people who will knowsome names, maybe a few faces and vote forthose who are most familiar. If enough votes goto the best known judges, those judges mayfind themselves being invited to judge the samespecialties in the same breed repeatedly, but itmight not be because they are the best quali-fied.
Another familiar gambit involves a con-sortium of fanciers pooling their clout to getsomeone an assignment primarily because thepotential candidate could be good for some-one in their “set.” Sometimes it works, sometimesnot but it always works against the well-being ofa breed. And that’s regardless of the outcome.And sometimes it even blows up in the facesof those who engineered the effort. If a judgewins a vote to preside over a specialty and itis generally well known that this judge is goodfor a particular exhibitor, canny exhibitors maychoose to stay away in droves. Just think of howembarrassing this can be for a judge and forthe exhibitor with the most to gain.
In breeds where there is a fair to large num-ber of specialist judges to select from, there isalways the risk that a judge will be chosen whojudges very infrequently and that person’s per-formance will reflect their degree of poise un-der pressure. The underlying consideration mustbe the potential benefit the person’s expertisecan bring to the future well being of a breed.This is not to suggest that a specialist judge whodoes not work regularly has little to offer thebreed. Many of these people have the passionand the knowledge to bring great lessons tothe fancy of their breed. They certainly deservethe chance to show what they are capableof. Many acquit themselves with great skill and,make no mistake; the memory of the fancy islong. The judge who plays fast and loose withthe confidence of the fancy today is likely tospend a long time living down the cold shoulderhe or she will have carved for themselves.
BY SEYMOUR WEISS
Dog News 31
Proudly Owned By:Eddie & Linda BakerElba Saints
Bred By:Michele & Jack Mulligan
Jamelle St. Bernards
Handler:Melody “Snooki” Salmi
“Powerful, Proportionally TALL figure, strong & muscular in every part with an imposing head”*The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed
GCh. Jamelle’s Aristocrat V. Elba
Pictured with Judge Ms.Theresa Hundt at Lancaster Kennel Club.Our thanks to Specialty Judges Dr. Donald Gill, for the win and the Group Placement,
Mrs. Barbara Sarti Allen, Mrs. Terry Nuss and Mrs. Anna May Fleischli Brown,Mr. Whitney Coombs and Mrs. Sharon Smith for the wins.
Seven Best of BreedsFive Best of BreedsTwo Best In Specialty Showsfor theBest In Show Winning Saint!
Clean Sweep at the Celtic Classic!
32 Dog News
“PLUM” PERFECT“PLUM” PERFECT
Group First - Judge Mrs. Karen C. WilsonGroup First - Judge Mrs. Karen C. Wilson
Dog News 33
OwnersOwnersPam Beale & Beth SweigartPam Beale & Beth Sweigart
Co-Owned By Her BreederCo-Owned By Her BreederElisabeth MatellElisabeth Matell
Presented ByPresented ByRoxanne Sutton andRoxanne Sutton and
Co-Owner Beth SweigartCo-Owner Beth Sweigart
The Number One Norfolk Terrier All Systems
Ch. Cracknor Cross The T’sCh. Cracknor Cross The T’s
Best In Show - Judge Mr. William BergumBest In Show - Judge Mr. William Bergum
34 Dog News
Onondaga Kennel AssociationFinger Lakes Kennel ClubPekingeseCh. Palacegarden MalachyJudge Mrs. Robert D. (Polly) SmithJudge Dr. Robert D. SmithOwners Iris Love, Sandra Middlebrooks & David FitzpatrickHandler David Fitzpatrick
Silver State Kennel ClubStandard PoodleCh. Brighton Lakeridge EncoreJudge Mr. Peter J. GreenOwners Toni and Martin SosnoffHandler Tim Brazier
Chintimini Kennel ClubWhippetGCh. Starline’s ChanelJudge Mrs. Betsy Horn HumerOwners Carey & Lori LawrenceHandler Lori Wilson
Clinton Iowa Kennel Club I & IILabrador RetrieverGCh. Kaltrav Caribbean CruiseJudge Mrs. Sari B. TietjenJudge Mr. Thomas AlexanderOwners Mary Henricks, Cynthia Tripp & Pat KrollHandler Erin Hall
Greater Monroe Kennel ClubStandard PoodleGCh. Dacun Kaylen’s He’s A HeartbreakerJudge Mr. Lee BrownOwners Virginia Dorris & Kay PeiserHandler Kay Peiser
Western Pennsylvania Kennel Association I & IIStandard PoodleGCh. Jaset’s SatisfactionJudge Mr. Charles L. OlvisJudge Mrs. Barbara Dempsey AldermanOwners C. Bailey, S. Tompkins, B. Harris & M.J. WintersHandler Ann Rairigh
Douglasville Kennel Club - SundayMiniature PinscherGCh. Marlex Classic Red GlareJudge Mrs. Robert S. ForsythOwners Leah Monte and Armando AngelbelloHandler Armando Angelbello
BESTSoftheWEEK
Scotts Bluff Kennel Club - SundaySchipperkeGCh. Bonchien Cedric The EntertainerJudge Mr. Arley HussinOwner Kristen HenryHandler Kellie Miller
Scottsdale Kennel ClubCavalier King Charles SpanielGCh. Miletree Northern Star at ShirmontJudge Mr. Joe WaltonOwners Dr. Bruce & Shirley Henry and Betsy GeorgeHandler Clint Livingston
Fort Worth Kennel Club - SundayEnglish Springer SpanielCh. Win More Champagne Super NovaJudge Ms. Patricia LauransOwners C. Florence, B. Fink, Ken Goodhue-McWilliams & E. KerfootHandler Robin Novack
Central New York Kennel ClubNorth County Kennel ClubPetit Basset Griffon VendeenCh. Celestial CJ’s Hearts On FireJudge Mr. Jeffrey G. PepperJudge Dr. John V. IoiaOwners Jean & Charles Hurty, Lynne & Mark Florian & Pam HelmerHandler Greg Strong
APRIL 8, 2011To report an AKC All Breed Best In Show or National Specialty Win Call,
Fax or Email before 12:00 Noon TuesdayFax: 212 675-5994 • Phone: 212 462-9588 • Email: [email protected]
Owners: Sharon Lutosky &Terry Abst
Dog News 35
Handler: Lorene Hogan
The MultipleBest In Show& MultipleBest In Specialty ShowWinning LonghairedDachshund
Judge Dr. Edna K. Martin
GCh. Ch. Sunteckel’s Samuel II
36 Dog News
38 Dog News
What year did you startshowing dogs and whatbreeds were they?
Which dog no longer beingshown would you liked tohave shown or owned?
Why do you think mostpeople want to judge?
Who are your non-dogheros or heroines exclusiveof immediate relatives?
If you could change onething about your relation-ship what would it be?
How would you describeyourselves in personal ads?
Do you think there are toomany dog shows?
Which are your three favor-ite dog shows?
Do you think there shouldbe a limit on the number oftimes a dog may be exhib-ited in a year?
How do you react topeople flying in and outof shows on the sameweekend?
Larry: 1966, BoxerJanet: 1966, Boxer. Actually, I was the first one to handle at an AKC show.
Larry: The Boxer, Bang Away, because he changed the breed so much.Janet: The Specials that we campaigned lived with us. Each one was unique.
Larry: I think the main reason is to be more involved in the sport.Janet: For me, it was the continuation of being involved with dogs and dog
people after 30+ years of owning and professional handling.
Larry: As a vet, the people who volunteer for our Armed Forces.Janet: Being a teacher, I admired Laura Bush for her emphasis on the
education of children.
Larry: It’s too late for a change.Janet: After 52 years, one learns to live with differences.
Larry: Serious but enjoys life.Janet: Happily retired, likes to travel, enjoys judging dog shows.
Larry: Yes, but if there are shows, people will come.Janet: Maybe in other areas of the country but in our area, the
Pacific Northwest, I don’t think so.
Larry: The American Boxer Club National, The Kentuckiana Clusterand Palm Springs.
Janet: I agree. The American Boxer Club National, The Kentuckiana Clusterand Palm Springs.
Larry: No, the option should be open.Janet: No, should be at the discretion of the owner and handler.
Larry: I didn’t do it. Small dogs have an advantage.Janet: Depending on the adaptability of the dog, this should also be the
decision of the owner and handler.
10 QUESTIONS ASKED BY LESLIE BOYES OF:
Larry and JanetSinclair Born: Larry - Blackduck, Minnesota
Janet - Cass Lake, MinnesotaReside - Spokane, WashingtonMarital Status - Married 52 Years
GCh. Tamarin Top Banana“TOPPER”
OwnerMyrna R. Kahlo
BreedersTracy Kahlo
Susy StremelTamarin Kennel
HandlersJorge & Susie Olivera
AssistantsSergio Olivera, Gustavo Jimenez
& Pablo Alsina
BEST IN SHOW
Dog News 39
Multiple Best In Show & Best In Specialty Show Winning
Judge Mrs.Terry BerriosThank You!
40 Dog News
Dog News 41
*The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed
Joseph “Joe Rackets” Casiere (running rackets),Carmine “Charlie Wagons” Fatico (hijacking trucks),Jimmy “The Bomber” Catura (self-explanatory),Vincent “ Vinny Car Wash” Frogiero (ran car washbusiness for the mob), Anthony “The Hatchet”
Chiaramonti (job was to attack juice-loan delinquents witha hatchet), Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso (referred to his tool ofchoice as a mob enforcer) and Louis “Louie Bagels” Daidone(owned a bagel shop in Queens, NY that was used to laundermob money) to name just a few. The late Chicago crimeboss Anthony Accardo earned the nickname “Joe Batters”from none other than Al Capone when his method of choiceas a mob enforcer was to beat up people with a baseball
bat. For others, the nickname resultedfrom some physical feature: Vincent“The Chin” Gigante, “One-Ear” FrankieFratto, John “Jackie the Nose” D’Amico,John “Johnny Red Nose” Pisano, Richard “FatRichie” Ranieri. The rap sheets for many of theseorganized crime figures often listed a whole hostof “also known as” in addition to their official“family” moniker.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog also hasa fair number of “also known as” attached toits name since it is called Grosser SchweizerSennenhundorGrand Bouvier Suisse, depending
Organized crime figures in this country have long had colorfulnicknames or monikers, in “mobspeak.” Often these monikers hadsome relationship to the job that particular mobster did within the
organization or to some particular physical feature:
ABreedWithAlmostAsMany“Monikers”AsJobs
CONTINUED ON PAGE 74
THE GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG
BY M.J. NELSON
Titan ( Ch Markee’s Green WithEnvy CD RE NAP DD WPDX WWDVGS), one of Kelly Nevin’s GreaterSwiss Mountain Dogs, has anatural talent for herding whichjust needed a bit of honing. OtherSwissies may need more encour-agement to herd.
Titan (left) and Fury (Ch. Matterhorn WhisperingPalms Pleiades RA JHD NWPD WWD), Nevin’s twoSwissies, are happy to work as a draft dog team.
upon in what part of Switzerland you happen to be standing, Large SwissMountain Dog, Great Swiss Cattle Dog, “poor man’s horse” as well as justplain “Swissy” in the U.S. and these names reflect either a physical attributeor a job the breed did or still does. These are big dogs that also do a widevariety of jobs that are far nicer, kinder, cleaner and way more legal thanany task ever assigned to themembers of an organized crime family. Swissiesare successful in conformation, obedience/rally, agility, herding, drafting,weight pulling, back packing and tracking. “A Swiss farmer couldn’t affordto have a specialized dog to guard his sheep, haul a cart of product from hiscattle to market, guard his property and be a companion to his children. Asa result, they needed a very versatile dog. A modern-day Swissy has all theattributes the Swiss farmers need andmore,” said Steve Likevich who with hiswife, Dori, owns Ch. Shadetree’s Xenia of TwinPine UDX RE NAP OJP TDD DDWWD VGSX (“Jethro”) and Derby’s Whistle While You Work CDX RN TDD DDWWD (“Walter.”)
“Swissies were developed to be a utility farm dog,” said Kelly Nevinwho owns Ch Markee’s Green With Envy CD RE NAP DD WPDX WWD VGS
42 Dog News
Dog News 43
GCH. SOMERRI DUNHARROW’S DEVIL RAYBEST IN SHOW AND SPECIALTY WINNER
Pictured with Judge Mrs. Gayle Bontecou
THE NATION’S NUMBER ONE* NORWEGIAN ELKHOUND
Starts Spring On The Tar Heel Circuit WithGROUP FIRST - Durham Kennel Club - Judge Dr. Robert Smith
GROUP THIRD - Alamance Kennel Club - Judge Mrs. Robert Smith
Co-Owners:SOMERRI KENNELS, REG.Merrimack, New Hampshire
Owner-Handler:Judy Silker
DUNHARROWWinfield, Pennsylvania
Breeders:Ed Hall
Roland MasseLaura Lewis*All Breed points, All Systems
44 Dog News
46 Dog News
A Tale of Tails
Close your eyes. Visualize aRottweiler. Carefully studythe distinguishing featuresthat make you recognizethis dog as a Rottweilerrather than a Bullmastiff orLabrador Retriever or themixed breed dogwho liveson your street. Visualize this
Rottweiler in action. See him move. See him play.See him greet you at the door. These attributes andcharacteristics, which distinguish the Rottweiler fromany other breed of dog, are called breed type.
Now answer a few questions. Did your imaginaryRottweiler have a tail? How important was this in de-scribing the dog that looks like a Rottweiler? Did theimaginary Rottweiler who greeted you at the doorwag his whole rear end?
By now, you’re probably asking yourself what allthis has to do with tail docking. Actually, it has every-thing to do with why we dock tails on Rottweilers.
History and Lore of Tail DockingTherehasbeenmuchwrittenaboutwhyRottweiler
tails were originally docked. Most dogs with dockedtails do work hunting, herding, droving or draft work.The hunting dogs (gundogs and working terriers) of-ten had to work in dense vegetation and briars andthe tail would get injured in the brush. Terriers went toground after foxes, badgers or other game, and thedocked tail facilitated working in a confined space.The other working and herding dogs, as well as thehunting dogs, were docked for hygiene reasons.
Working and herding dogs worked livestock.Now, I’ll ask you to visualize again; imagine you are
in a barnyard in the spring If you have ever hadthe pleasure of doing chores around a barn, youknow that stockdogs’ tails, if not docked, will be-come fouled with the feces of the stock. On ourdog’s ancestors, this build up of feces acted like aweight on the tail and caused the tail to bang thehocks and become sore and sometimes cut. Thefeces also harbored bacteria and attracted flies,so the injured tail would become infected, causingthe dog to become sick and possibly die. Since theRottweiler was developed for cattle droving andgeneral utility work on the farm, his tail was dockedto prevent injury, sickness and death. In my opin-ion, docking prevented cruelty to working dogs.
Perhaps you have heard the lore of the “tailtax”, which supposedly was a luxury tax imposedon owners of nonworking dogs. Since most work-ing/herding/hunting dogs had docked tails, I sup-pose this makes sense and could be the reason theRottweiler tail is docked closer to the body thanmany of the smaller breeds in these categories.
How are tails docked?Most Rottweiler owners have never seen a pup-
py’s tail docked. I’ll describe the process to helpyou understand what happens to puppies. Basi-cally, there are 2 methods of docking, both per-formed at 2-4 days old. I prefer cutting the tail withsurgical scissors, which is fast and does not seem totraumatize the puppy or the dam. In this method,the tail is clamped and snipped off close to thebody. My puppies have always seemed to objectas much to the being held upside down as they doto the cut. The puppies quiet down immediately
By Linda P. Michels,Chairman of the ARC Tail Docking Committee
From the ARK - 2nd Quarter 1999 (revised March 2011)
The Rottweiler we recognize.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 78
Dog News 47
48 Dog News
Dog News 49
We’re able to “know” what our dogs aretrying to tell us (most of the time) whenthey give us a look, wag their tails, bark,
run to the water bowl, or sit by the door. Howare we able to understand dogs so well? Howare we able to read their body language?
Dogs have been sharing our lives closely forsome 15,000 years or longer — ever since some-body figured out that a few meals shared withwolf cubs were a good investment. But humansweren’t born understanding thebody languageof these early wolf-dogs. And it’s a good betthat these first wolf-dogs didn’t have exactly thesame kind of communication skills that domesticdogs have today. In fact, in experiments today,wolves still don’t display the same kind of under-standing and interaction with humans that dogsdo, even if they’ve been raised by humans.
In one set of experiments with wolves raisedby humans, the researcher would point or use hiseyes to indicate where a treat was hidden. Thewolf was unable to make the connection andcouldn’t find the treat. But when the researcherdid the same thing with a dog, pointing or usinghis eyes, the dog instantly found the treat. Thedog was able to “read” the body clues that theresearcher was giving. Being able to read thiskind of body language is the result of thousandsof years of selective breeding as humans havechosen dogs which were good at understand-ing human communication. Without humans toguide their evolution from wolves, there wouldbe no dogs. We have actually created the dogfrom the wolf.
You can try this same experiment with yourown dog. Hide a treat and just point or useyour eyes to indicate to your dog where thetreat is. Chances are that your dog will quickly
be able to read theclues and find thetreat without usingany other senses.We have bred thisability into dogs. It’sprobable that thereare other ways that
50 Dog News
Communication is a complex subject and most of us spend ourwhole lives trying to get it right. It’s often hard enough trying to
communicate with other humans. Sometimes it seems amazing thatwe can communicate so well with another species, such as our dogs.
CommunicatingWithYourDog
we’ve improved the communication betweendogs and humans, without even realizing it.For thousands of years we’ve chosen the dogswho understood us best as our companions, asour hunting dogs, as herding dogs, and so on.We’ve chosen the smartest dogs and the dogswho were best at their jobs. It’s no wonder thatthe communication between dogs and hu-mans today is as close as it is.
One of the subjects that I find most fascinat-ingas anowner is communicationwithmydogs.If you’ve ever raised a litter from birth then youknow how exciting it is to watch puppies devel-op and start learning. They are born using theirinstincts. Then they begin learning things fromtheir mother. As their senses become more de-veloped, they begin taking in more and morefrom their surroundings. Suddenly it seems asthough they are absorbing everything they seeand hear, touch and taste. It’s almost impos-sible to keep up with them. It’s just at this stagethat they start going to their new homes. Youjust hope that their new owners are preparedfor them because the puppies are learningfast and they’re ready to have someone whocan begin communicating with them in humanterms.
Most people know what it means when adog wags his tail or licks their hand, but there isso much more to the communication betweenpeople and dogs. Spend some time with yourdog and think about how easy it really is for youto understand each other without anyone evermaking a sound.
It’s amazing how well humans understanddogs, too. In one show on TV about how dogsand humans get along, called “Dogs Decod-ed,” humans were asked to identify differentbarks made by dogs and recorded. They hadno other clues to what was going on when thedogs barked. The humans had an amazingability to identify the situation and what wascausing the dog to bark — whether the dogwas lonely, happy, in distress, and so on. So,it seems that people really are very good atunderstanding what a dog is communicating
BY CARLOTTA COOPER
CONTINUED ON PAGE 88
Dog News 51
POWER&PRESENCE
Best In Specialty ShowWinningGCh. Naples Tlbrk Dana San Roque Naika Ika Pono
Owners:Brunson & Jimet Achiu
Presented By: Dick SchaeferAssisted by: Joshua Washnesky
Breeders: Maren Cornish, Jackie White-Vorst, Dawn Dana & Jeannette Copeland
Thank you tothe following Judgesfor PONO’S recentBest of Breed &Group Placement
wins:Ms. Victoria JordanMrs. Billie McFaddenMr. Roger Hartinger
Mr. Clay CoadyMrs. Kay J. RadcliffeMs. Grace AcostaMrs. Faye StraussMr. David BolusMrs. Evie Sullivan
ACLASSICINBLACK
52 Dog News
Dog News 53
There are two reasons: The first is that politiciansconsider veterinarians to be authorities on animalcare. When a local AR vet spoke at the Sacramento
Board of Supervisors in favor of mandatory spay neuter,the board believed him. Fortunately we had two non-AR vets who wrote in opposition. But, even so, the highlicense fees for unaltered animals passed. What the ARswant the vets for is their political weight and also theirability to define animal abuse.
Sensible vets are understandably abit leery of comingout as AR believers, thinking it might alienate their payingclients. It is animal owners that pay for veterinary services,and not necessarily the AR folks. How does the HumaneSociety VeterinaryMedical Association (HSVMA) combatthe vets’ realization that being an out-of-the-closet ARperson could negatively impact their income?
The HSVMA counters those concerns with one oftheir vet school presentations which is titled: “Doing WellBecause You’re Doing Good: How Helping Animals CanHelp Your Bottom Line.” And its description is: “A growingconcern for animal welfare and increasing publicappreciation for positive social impact by veterinariansmeans that involvement in community animal welfareactivities and the operation of a profitable practice neednotbemutually exclusive. This presentationprovides casestudies of veterinarians who have sustained profitablepracticeswhile focusingonessential therapeutic services,such as low-cost sterilization, declining to performcosmetic surgeries, and working with rescue groups andshelters.”
It is interesting that in their view sterilization is “anessential therapeutic service.” I disagree. Sterilization is asmuch elective surgery as tail docking and ear cropping.So their solution to a potential boycott by animal ownersis for the vet to focus on sterilization and working withrescue groups and shelters. These groups are routinelystrapped for cash. What would the vets do without theowners and fanciers who are willing to pay high pricesfor care for their pets? They would be a lot poorer.
According to the HSVMA’s own presentation,veterinary expenditures for dog owning households rosefrom 4billion dollars in 1996 to 16 billion dollars in 2006. The
increase is due to ownerstaking more animals to thevet; the very high pricesfor procedures that didn’tuse to be available toanimals, like CT scans andMRIs and new surgeries,and increased prices foreven routine procedures.It shouldn’t cost $100each year per dog to get
54 Dog News
WhoIsAnARVet?Why should we care if the AR organizations likeHSVMA recruit vet students to their cause?
BY PATRICIA GAIL BURNHAM
a prescription for Heartguard but it now does sincethe vets insist on both a heartworm test and a physicalexam of a perfectly healthy dog before they will writethe prescription. And that is before the cost of theHeartguard itself. When you add that in we are paying$200 to protect a large dog against heartworm. For fourdogs that is $800/year. Heartguard is basically Ivermectinwhich is not even a prescription item when it is used onlivestock. I think anyone can buy and administer it. Sowhy do we let veterinarians charge us for this uselessservice? It improves their bottom line.
So do what I consider to be harmful annualvaccinations. Not only do we pay for the vaccinations,but thenweget to pay to treat the autoimmunediseasesthat excess vaccinations can produce. Two years ago,I spent thousands of dollars to treat two Greyhoundsfor GME (auto immune caused Granulomatousmeningoencephalitis) after they had their rabiesvaccinations boosted. GME is an often fatal disease inwhich theoveractive immunesystemattacks thenervoussystem. It can result in blindness and death. Those girlswill never be vaccinated again. Over-vaccination is aninsult to the immune system as far as I am concerned.
When it comes to money for vetsthe HSVMA and AVMA agree.The Journal of the AVMA says,“The demand for veterinarians isexpected to grow 33% from 2008to 2018 much faster than theaverage. That growth in demand
that will occur through the year 2015 is primarily drivenby the growth in companion animal care. Those whounderstand the bond will be more successful than thosewho don’t.”
And we have more to worry about than possible badtreatments from our vets. There is also the problem forpaying for them.Another interestingHSVMApresentationis “Are DVMs Patient Advocates? Prioritizing Conflictsof Interest in Clinical Practice” Its description reads:Veterinarians are often faced with conflicts betweenthe desire to help animals and the clients’ difficultiesin meeting the increasing costs of our medical care,as well as our employer’s policies and expectations.This interactive talk will help you consider the conflictsyou will likely face as a practicing veterinarian trying tobalance competing interests.” So vets are concernedthat clients can’t pay whatever they choose to chargefor vet care. That leads us to one of the creepiest articlesin the HSVMA e newsletter and the second reason whywe should be concerned at the rise of AR vets. Thesepeople don’t see the world and vet decisions the waywe do. The article is one on “economic euthanasia”that denigrates owners for not spending astronomicalamounts on vet treatment for elderly animals. It wouldseem that in the views of the AR vets, euthanizing a doginstead of paying for extreme vet care is about to beCONTINUED ON PAGE 90
Dog News 55
*
*The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed
56 Dog News
Dog News 57
58 Dog News
What about you? What does your dog think about youand what would he or she say, if only they could talk. Well,maybe they just can. In my experience, as a dog and ken-nel inspector, I found early on that dogs do indeed talk byway of their body language.
Contrary to popular belief, among some dog lovers,dogs are not capable of actually talking. Oh, they will makecertain sounds that mimic certain words, of which the dogowners will swear that the dogs are saying, based on aconceived notion that the dog sounds are what the ownerswant to hear. However, dogs do display certain non-verbalcommunication, such as kinesics, or body language, andcertain sounds indicating the dogs’ mood. Yes, dogs havea way of letting you know how they feel about you, be itpositive or negative, much to the dismay of some dog own-ers. Dogs will certainly tell off on their breeder masters, be itgood or bad vibes.
In early history, dogs in the wild tracked each other byscent. In like manner, dogs will use their sent to track theirmasters. I remember several years ago we had a small Poo-dle named “Bear” and believe me, he certainly was a Bear,all 3 3/4 pounds of holy energy. Each Christmas, we wouldwrap and hide Bear’s toys under the Christmas tree. Invari-ably, Bear would snoop under the tree and pull out his toys.And, believe it or not, if we failed to place his toys under thetree he would surely let us know.
Given the chance, dogs will tell off on their masters. Ihave visited many a breeding kennel in which it was evidentthat the dogs were well socialized by displaying all the “telltale” signs of pleasure and contentment. The dogs would allcome to the fence to meet me wagging their tails and rais-ing their ears attentively. Some would even stick their nosethrough the fence to give me a big welcoming dog kiss.
I once almost busted out with laughter as I approacheda breeder’s kennel. There they were, all 20 small Chihuahuaslined up against the fence. The dogs all displayed newbrightorange plastic collars, displaying large cow ear tags, as bigas the dogs themselves. I could have read these identifica-tions from the breeder’s back door.
On the contrary to the well mannered dogs, I have ob-servedmany situations in which the dogs would run and hidein the corner of the kennel, or under a dog house, as I ap-
proached to check the dogs’ identi-fication. The dogs would curl the tailsbetween the legs, position the earsback or sideways and the hair on thedogs’ necks, backs and tails wouldsometimes stand up, indicating thedogs were mad, extremely nervousor were feeling particularly defensive.When asked, the breeders would al-
WHAT DOES YOUR DOG SAY ABOUT YOU?
ways give the classic response by stating the dogs’ reactionswere because the dogs just did not know me. However, thestatement did not hold water, as the breeders were alwayspresent with me to settle the dogs. Obviously, these dogs hadbeen mistreated. Yes, dogs will tell of on their masters everytime.
Another method of non-verbal communication, observedon many kennel inspections, was the dogs’ barking, growlingor whining. The barking was typically a normal behavior for thedogs, as one could distinguish a happy bark from a nervousbark or even a mean bark. However, I learned early on in mydog profession, if the dogs’ growled showing the teeth, I shouldtreat the situation very cautiously. Whining, on the other hand,usually meant one of two scenarios. Either the dog was dis-tressed or was begging for a treat. How I treated the whiningsituation depended on all the other tell tale signs.
Now, I ask you. Have you ever sat down to eat, only tohave your family dog crouch down by your chair and stareyou down? Would you not give it up and give him that choicepiece of meat? I realize dogs are not supposed to be fedfrom the table, but they do have a powerful persuasive tacticof staring you down. And, what about your dog positioninghim, or herself by the back door, when it needs to go out? Well,these maneuvers are just a few of your dog’s non-verbal bodylanguage.
Numerous dog professionals have attested tothe fact that dogs will show their emotions. Forinstance, if the master spends too much timeaway, the dog may chew up the living room fur-niture or pee on the carpet, just for meanness.I remember once, before being educated on
the proper dog etiquette, I left our little Chihuahua home fora while in a large box. When I returned, this little creature hadclimbed out of the box and chewed the skirts of our couch andchair. Cotton was strewn everywhere.
Conversely, dogs can express positive behavior, in a non-verbal effort to please you, by fetching your slippers or retriev-ing the morning newspaper. Dogs have also been known tosummon help in time of disaster.
Dogs will also show emotions, even though they don’t havethe same reasoning skills as humans. They will feel joy when youfeel joy and they will feel sadness when you are sad. Our littlePoodle, Bear, could always pick up when someone in the fam-ily was distressed. He would always cuddle up to the familymember, as if to say,” I know what you feel and I’m here tocomfort”. Although dogs may not reason, or interpret the situa-tion in their head, they just feel that you are unstable and seeyou as weak.
So, what does your dog say about you? Is his or her com-munication good or bad? If good, great and if bad, well, justwork on your end of the spectrum. One thing for sure, you can-not hide your dog’s feelings. If you want to research this busi-ness of dog communication skills, I suggest you check outCesar Milan’s show on your local TV animal channel, or visit hiswebsite.
A recent spotted bumper sticker read,“Lord, help me to be the person my dog thinks I am.”
By Charles C. Robey
Sincere Thank You toBest of Breed Judges:Mr. George E. MarquisMrs. Cornelia HowardMr. Douglas A. JohnsonMrs. Patricia V. TrotterMrs. Paula HartingerMr. William R. RussellMr. Carl Gene LiepmannMrs. Elaine L. WhitneyMrs. Carol S. BrownMr. Dana KlineMr. Manuel Queijerio
Special recognition toJudge Ms. Virginia L. Lynefor awarding Molly BestOf Opposite Sex at theAnthracite Brittany ClubSupported Entry, July2010, completing Molly’sGrand Champion title.
Dearly Loved and Owned byBrig Gen and Mrs Michael G [email protected], Megan & Olivia Rosener
Breeders Beth & Brittany RosenerValerie DombrowskiShamrock Brittanys & Rival Farms
Presented byJason Starr and Page ConradKorvetteboxers.com
MollyGRAND CHAMPIONSHAMROCK RIVALS BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE
PHOTO BY SARA RIDDLE • SARARIDDLE.COMDog News 59
60 Dog News
Multiple Best In Show &Multiple Best In Specialty Show
Dog News 61
Our appreciation toJudge Mrs. Cindy Meyer
Our appreciation toJudge Mr. Richard Salsbury
62 Dog News
TheFANCYSpeaksBy Marjorie Martorella
A New Breed of Exhibitor
Two weekends ago in New Jerseyexhibitors came to the MarchMadness Cluster for three Groupshowson Thursdayeveningaswellas some independent specialties,followed by back to back showsfor the New Brunswick Kennel
Club and ending on Sunday with theBronx Co. Kennel Club show. The largestentry of the weekend was the Saturdayshow with 2,222 dogs entered. There were18 specialties held over the course of theweekend, including the Manchester TerrierNational and 28 Supported Entries. The AllBreed Clubs offer meeting room space tothese clubs to hold meetings and havehospitality. Additionally, there were HeartClinics and an Eye Clinic.
The planning for such a weekendentails an entire year of work. It includescoordination with all of the specialty clubs,communicatingwith judges, filing thepaperwork and fulfilling the AKC compliancerequirements. The set up day starts at 6AM with the floor plan for the vendors andgrooming space being designated. Themembers of both All Breed Clubs arrivedearly on Thursday to get the building ready
for the exhibitors to enter at 2 PM. Signswere posted stating that all crates mustbe stacked. Space for Day Crating isset aside so someone arriving in themorning will be assured space for theircrates. Tables and chairs were set upin five meeting rooms as well as in andoutside each ring.
Enforcing the stacking of cratesis challenging. For some it meanseveryone but them. This cluster doesnot feel that exhibitors should have topay for grooming space. We have thebuilding so set up that an exhibitor haschoices in grooming areas and there isno reason why they would be far fromtheir ring. The cluster also does notcharge for electrical power. It is readilyavailable for everyone.
We hire the services of Harry Millerto facilitate the parking of motorhomes and the unloading area. Thisis a worthwhile expense as since wehave been using Mr. Miller’s company,we have had no major issues with theunloading zone and the parking area.The cluster also hires the “Foley Boys”to assist the handlers and exhibitors toCONTINUED ON PAGE 94
Dirt left by exhibitors
More trash.
Dog News 63
64 Dog News
Cataclysm –• A violent upheaval that causes great destruction or brings about afundamental change.• A violent and sudden change in the earth’s crust.• A devastating flood. - From the American Heritage Dictionary;
The translation of the word Hokkaido is “North Sea Cir-cuit”, and the island was formerly known as Ezo, Yezo,Yeso, or Yesso, this is Japan’s second largest island. TheTsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu. (The twoislands are or before the tsunami were connected bythe underwater railway Seikan Tunnel). The largest city
of Hokkaido is its capital, Sapporo. The island covers 83,453.57km2. The 2010 census indicated the island’s population as of5,507,456 souls.
In conform the Archeology Hokkaido was settled about20,000 years ago. It is said that the first mention of Hokkaidoappeared in recorded history at 720 A.D.. According to the leg-
end a man named Abe no Hirafu (The Abe clanwas one of the oldest of the major Japaneseclans, and probably is one of the original clansof the Yamato people- Yamato-minzoku which isa name for the dominant native ethnic group ofJapan), led a large navy and army, and one ofthe places Hirafu went to was called Watarishimawhich is believed to be present-day’s Hokkaido.
Around 1573 the Japanese created a settle-ment at the south of the peninsula, and disputesarose between the Japanese and the Watarisi-hima residents. The disputes eventually devel-oped into a rebellion. Japan’s Takeda Nobuhirodefeated the rebellion, and his descendants be-came the rulers of the Matsumae-han.
Hokkaido was known as Ezochi until the MeijiRestoration. In1868 EnomotoTakeaki pro-
claimed the island’s indepen-dence, and named it as theRepublic of Ezo. In 1869 Ezochiwas put under control of theHakodate Prefectural Govern-ment, and when establishingthe Development Commissionthe Government changed thename of Ezochi to Hokkaido.
In 1876 the American pro-fessor William S. Clark arrived inHokkaido. The Colonel was thefounder of two universities ondifferent sides of the globe. OneCONTINUED ON PAGE 96
Hokkaido Inu, or Ainu Ken
BY AGNES BUCHWALD
Dog News 65
66 Dog News
Not Just Another Pretty Face
Dog News 67
2011 NATIONAL SPECIALTYWINNER
TEXAS
Thank you to breeder Judge MR. Nicholas frost
Multiple Best In Show & Best In Specialty ShowWinningGCH Jodell’s Boogie Back To Texas of MNM
Advertising & Photography by Sarah Buck
Owned By Donna Moore & Janice Hayes817.790.6777
Presented By Janice [email protected]
68 Dog News
Thoughwe live in acountry that believes in a judicial sys-tem in which we are presumed innocent until provenguilty of a crime and are entitled to a fair trial by a juryof our peers, apparently there is a faction of lawmak-ers in Montana that want to make sure that those rulesdon’t apply to dog owners. As this issue of Dog News
goes to press, the Montana House Judiciary Committee is con-sidering a bill, known as SB 421, which has already passed theSenate. SB 421 would allow a court to order forfeiture of ani-mals seized under an alleged violation of animal cruelty lawsunless the defendant posts a bond or security sufficient to paythe costs of care for the animals for 30 days. Payment wouldbe required within 72 hours following an animal welfare hear-ing that finds probable cause that the animals exhibit extremedisease, injury or suffering. What has responsible dog ownersand breeders concerned is that “probable cause” is not a de-termination of guilt and being accused of “an alleged viola-tion of animal cruelty laws” doesn’t equate with guilt, nor doesit necessarily mean that one accused of such alleged viola-tions should automatically have to forfeit animals.
Proposals of this nature are often difficult to combat. Law-makers and the general public tend not to be lenient withanimal abusers—and rightly so. However, while all respon-sible dog owners and breeders and rational lawmakers andcitizens support the full enforcement of fair and reasonableanimal cruelty laws, what many fail to recognize is that thereare already animal cruelty laws on the books in every state,including Montana, and that there may be ulterior motivesbehind the movements to pass such laws. Existing Montanalaw currently requires that those convicted of animal crueltybe required to pay costs of veterinary treatment for affectedanimals, and they may be required to forfeit their animals andto pay reasonable costs of care. So why the need for SB 421at all? And why such harsh provisions considering that the de-fendant may be found innocent of all charges? And why noreimbursement of costs should the defendant be found inno-cent of all charges?
Under SB 421, if an animal welfare hearing finds probablecause —not a determination of guilt, mind you—of disease, in-jury or suffering, a defendant accused of an alleged violationof animal cruelty laws would have to post a bond or securitysufficient to pay the costs and care for the animals for 30 dayswithin 72 hours following the hearing. If the defendant doesnot make payment and his animals are forfeit, he loses theopportunity to defend his property rights at trial. There is noprovision for the reimbursement of costs to animal owners whoare found not guilty or against whom charges are dismissed.Likewise, there is no provision for low-income defendants who
cannot pay the costs. Further-more, by the date of the animalwelfare hearing (which could beup to thirty days after a petitionis filed), a defendant’s seizedanimals may be out of his carefor an extensive period of time.During the seizure, transporta-tion and impoundment process,the animals may be exposed todisease or may have suffered in-
By Shaun Coen
Off The LeashOff The Leashjuries unbeknownst to the defendant and while not in his care.Simply put, SB 421 is unreasonably harsh in addition to beingsuperfluous.
One wonders whether overly harsh seizure and forfeiturelaws may be the handiwork of certain animal rights extremistsgroups in light of the fact that an eerily similar law was alsojust considered in Colorado. Thankfully, the American KennelClub’s Government Relations Department is wizened to theways of the AR extremists and their far-reaching agendas andit was able to assemble a timely response, gathering its con-stituents in the 111 AKC dog clubs in Colorado, along with thehelp of the Colorado Federation of Dog Clubs and thousandsof responsible owners and handlers who were able to con-vince legislators to abandon the bill. It was determined thatcurrent Colorado law, which already requires a bond be post-ed to cover costs of caring for seized animals during a crueltytrial, should suffice. All dog owners and breeders must remainvigilant and unified in their efforts to stand up to the scare tac-tics and deterrents dreamed up and drafted into proposedlegislation by the well-heeled and connected AR extremists,and continue to fight for the right to own and breed purebreddogs.
As disheartening as it can be to see these overly and un-necessarily harsh and poorly worded bills introduced thatthreaten our rights and abilities to own and breed dogs, thereare also examples of good bills being passed and bills beingamended that protect the rights of responsible owners andbreeders and the well-being of dogs. In Missouri, for instance,which saw the hotly contested ballot initiative Proposition Bpass by the narrowest of margins in November of 2011 only tobe overturned some three months later, Senate Bills 113 & 05have been introduced, and they aim to address the problemspresentedwith Prop B.Most who opposed Prop B primarily hadan issue with the fact that it placed a cap on animal owner-ship. Time has proven that limit laws, like breed specific laws,have been ineffective wherever they have been enacted.Arbitrarily arrived at limits do not address the real problem ofirresponsible owners. Responsible owners that take excellentcare of their animals are often forced to relinquish their petsin order to comply with limit laws. These dogs, in turn, are en-tered into the shelter system, which is often overloaded and orunderfunded and many dogs are euthanized. Or, becomingmore commonplace, they are alternatively being dumpedinto the interstate transport of pets for adoption, a shadowyand suspect industry—indeed, a thriving business in many ar-eas—that needs to be addressed and regulated.
Missouri’s SBs 113 & 95 will remove the 50-dog ownershiplimit called for in Prop B as well as arbitrary restrictions onbreeding ages and temperature restrictions for dogs. The newbills concede that experienced, knowledgeable breedersrecognize that different breeds of dogs have different needsand that the government should keep out of the whelpingbox. Veteran breeders in conjunction with their veterinariansare better able to determine the needs to ensure the healthand well-being of dogs. Should breeders be found to be inviolation during an inspection, the new bills will allow them 30days to correct violations and would require a second inspec-tion within six months after the corrections. Those sound likemuch more reasonable and effective ways to bring breed-ers into compliance than the draconian seizure and forfeituremeasures introduced in Colorado and Montana. Hopefullythe Missouri Senate will agree.
Dog News 69
Boca and Royal Palms Boxers
Multiple Best In Specialty Show Winning
GCH. BOCA ROYAL PALMS SMARTY’S GOLDEN GIRL
CHLOECHLOE
SIRE: MULTIPLE BEST IN SPECIALTY SHOW WINNING AM. & CAN. CH. BJAY’S TRAVELING MAN, SOMDAM: MULTIPLE BEST IN SHOW, MULTIPLE BEST IN SPECIALTY SHOW WINNING AM. & CAN. CH. ROYAL PALMS SMARTY PANTS, DOM
Website: www.bocaboxers.com Email: [email protected](248) 361-3061 Alan & Joanna Dorfman
(941) 627-1898 (941) 740-1069 Gloria Bower
Owners/Breeders: Gloria Bower, Jack Bower, Alan & Joanna Dorfman • Handler: Kay Palade-Peiser
TOP FIVE* BOXER IN BREED• Multiple Best In Specialty Show Winner • Multiple Group Winner
*The Dog News Top Ten List
70 Dog News
BY MATTHEW H. STANDER
ANDMOREVICISSITUDES, THE SO-CALLED HEALTH CONFERENCE...
Someone who must remain namelesswrote me a private letter in which theperson stated that they had been readingabout the “vicissitudes of the cominghealth conference” with interest in DOGNEWS. I had to look up the meaning
of the word vicissitude, which is basically defined asa change or succession from one thing to another:especially an often unfavorable event or situation thatoccurs by chance! In a sense the word does apply to theHSUS’s so-called health conference since I believe thatoriginally its intent (which may still be its intent,) wasto demean and downgrade the health of the purebreddog and all of we breeders, thereby making the eventunfavorable for sure! Fortunately, and where the wordmay not apply is to the portion of the definition whichstates that the change happens by chance, since someof the changes made in the program for the event andcertainly the latest change was due to heavy backroomnegotiations. And I must say that Dr. James Serpell,who on paper is anything but a friend to the breederof the purebred dog, has been a most willing and fairperson as the program moderator in efforts to broadenand make the conference much more than a one-sidedHSUS affair.
Fran Smith was added to the program and weall know she will more than adequately present athesis which will accurately reflect the true state ofthe health of the purebred dog. The airing of PDE waseliminated although Jemima Harrison unfortunatelyremains a speaker, while AKC’s CHF was asked to
THE TAKE THE LEAD TAR HEEL PHOTOS BY ETHAN WHEELER
CONTINUED ON PAGE 98
Dog News 71
B E S T I N S P E C I A LT Y S H O W W I N N I N G
72 Dog News
BY CONNIE VANACORE
Connie’sCommentsThe first robin made its appearance today.
It seemed a little confused, what with snow and slush on the groundand not a worm in sight. But, one must take it as a sign of hope.
Maybe he knows something we can’t see…that Spring really is here.
That reminded me that it is almost time to puttogether my summer reading list. Every year Imake a list of books I should, could, want orneed to read over the summer. Usually most
of them come home unread from the mountainswhere we spend July and August, but more aboutthat another day.Nonetheless, I make the list and hope for the best.
But before I delve into future literary delights I shouldmake a couple of comments. Some of the books Ihave gathered (mostly bought at the local book-store) are really a stretch. Are they worthy of a pub-lisher’s time? Are they worthy of the author’s time? Itcosts how much?? Why didn’t I think of that?? Thenit occurs to me that some of these authors are ridingthe wave of our dog-oriented society. Almost everyweek there is an article about dogs in the local andnational newspapers and magazines. From the Idi-tarod sled dog race (just completed in record timeby a native Alaskan) to coverage of Westminster,other big shows to local 4H competitions, articlestangential to these events are appearing. Some areinteresting and do contain useful information for thenovice dog owner. Others are just fluff, which is OK,too, but usually too cute for words.The same is true for the books which are churned
out in record numbers, it seems to me. However,starting with last summer’s top books about dogs,comes a sleeper best-seller. Who knew that a bookwith the unlikely title of The Art of Racing in the Rainby a relatively unknown author, Garth Stein, wouldturn out to be a best seller, on the top of many booklists, with little or no advertising. Published by HarperCollins in both hardcover and paperback in 2009,(320 pgs) it caught on,mainly byword ofmouth fromone dog lover to another. Unique in its basic prem-ise, told from the point of view of the dog, this bookshould be on every dog lover’s shelf. There is noth-ing cute or maudlin about it, but it holds every truththat anyone who has made a dog part of their liveswould appreciate. Be warned, it is a three-hankiebook, but worth every word the author has written.At the other end of the spectrum is a paperback
The Encyclopedia of Dog Sports and Activities, byDiane Morgan, published by TFH Publications (493pgs) in 2009. This is a great book of informationabout any organized activity a person might wantto dowith their dog. It covers organized running withyour dog to agility, field trialing, herding, and all ofthe other events which are geared to the purposesfor which dogs were bred. There are also chapters
on the AKC Canine Good Citizen program, therapydogs and Search and Rescue, just to name a few. Ifyou are considering buying a dog, depending uponwhere you live and what activities interest you, youmight consider looking at this richly illustrated book.It is also a useful reference to recommend to otherswho are looking for advice on which breed of dogmight be suitable for them.Finally, the National Geographic Magazine,
March 2011, has a long and interesting article aboutDesigning the Perfect Pet. It describes a multi-yearstudy on selective breeding, which started in Russiawhen a group of scientists decided to investigatehow animals became domesticated and whatchanges in DNA occurred during the course of thisprocess. Taking a group of wild foxes they selectedthose animals which appeared to display a singlebehavior, friendliness towards humans. Within aboutfour generations, the kits began to approach hu-mans voluntarily and wag their tails. At the sametime changes in appearance began. By the ninthgeneration the ears stayed floppy instead of re-mained pricked and they began to have coat col-or and texture changes. Today this type of geneticresearch is widely accepted in other species, bothplant and animal. Experiments into the genetics ofanimals continue today in several facilities aroundthe world, including the fox farm in Novosibirsk. Thegenetics of biology also is producing useful results interms of disease-resistant plants.
The story of the domesticated Russian fox-es has been told before, but this article inNational Geographic contains the mostunderstandable, best illustrated materialthis writer has read on this topic.The red fox has long been the subject
of stories, cartoons and movies. There is afamily living under a shed just outside of
our fenced yard. Our dog knows when they are inresidence, but fortunately they do not like to social-ize. The long bushy tail, the red color and the prickears are unmistakable, however, as one or more trotsinto the woods to look for food. This was a hard win-ter for them and until the river froze over they had totravel quite a distance to find a place to cross. Weoften watched to see if they would swim, but theynever did.Comments, criticisms, suggestions for this column
are always welcome.
Dog News 73
ABreedWithAlmostAsMany“Monikers”...(“Titan”) andCh.MatterhornWhispering Palms Pleiades RA JHDNWPD WWD (“Fury.”) “They were mainly used for carting andmoving cattle. But, I think it is important that dogs with workingheritages work. In my case, I’ve done some carting with mydogs but I also wanted a pack dog because I like hiking andsometimes it’s good to have a little help carrying the stuff youneed if it’s going to be a long or overnight hike. Because partof the breed’s original purpose was as a farm dog, I thought I’dalso try herding.”
The breed’s size and power are an advantage in packingand carting but can create problems in some of the othersports. “Agility equipment was meant for medium-sized dogsand many of the courses are also,” said Mary Jo Rasmussenwho owns Ch Shadetree’s Quixote’s Dulcinea RN OJP OAPNFP JHD NDD (“Sophia”) and Kcier Rasmussens Burley CD REMXJ OA NF JHD DD MBDD WGS (“Burley.”) “Rally courses tendto be very tight and the cones for serpentine and figure eightobstacles are often set too close together for the big dogs tomaneuver. There is also the issue with Swissies that they do notlike lots of repetition. Our Golden Retriever will do somethingover and over but my Swissies will do something a few timesand then look at you as if to say ‘I’ve done that already.Next!’ One of the things that helped overcome this issue wasto practice what they didn’t really like to do when they weredoing something they liked. For example, they love agility. So,I’d make the ‘stay’ at the start line a little longer than necessarywhen we practiced agility which helped solve a problem wewere having in obedience. A big problem is finding instructorsthat are familiar with training a large breed. You cannot traina Swissy like a Border Collie or an Aussie. They will break downover time andmany instructors don’t understand this. However,Swissies are an all-purpose farm dog so they thrive on variety.Cross-training with a bunch of different dog sports actuallyhelps not only to keep them interested but also to not overtaxany one set of muscles or part of the skeletal system. The factthat they were developed to be an all-purpose dog probablyexplains why they really don’t excel at any one sport. They’re ajack-of-all-trades but master of none.”
Likevich agreed that Swissies have some tendencies thatcan cause difficulties in the “Big Three” of AKC performance
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42
events. “In obedience, rally or agility, they are very easily distracted,they can quickly become bored with repetition so you have tobe very creative and make training always interesting for themand they are not the quickest breed when it comes to pickingup and retaining the skills necessary to successfully compete inthese activities especially the advanced obedience skills. Many ofthe performance activities require getting and holding a Swissy’sattention and that is a key to success. Even attaining a GreaterSwiss Mountain Dog Club of America’s draft title requires the dog topass a ‘basic control’ portion of a draft trial test before proceedingto the actual drafting maneuver portion. Swissies don’t respondas consistently to repetition as some of the ‘as long as you keepfeeding or rewarding me I’ll happily do what you want’ breeds. Mylack of ability to be very creative and make training interesting forSwissies has held us back. I tell folks that it takes twice as much workto get half as much results compared to a more traditional AKCobedience breed. The result of this is that experienced people whowant to do advanced AKC-style obedience don’t get a Swissy sothat those who find themselves with Swissies usually don’t have theexperience and tools to draw on to effectively keep and maintaintheir dog’s attention long enough to successfully compete. Themost important is do not assume just because a Swissy successfullycompletes an exercise a couple of times that he really understandsit. I made a big mistake making this assumption and I modifiedmy training to be a bit more ‘correction-based’ thinking he waschoosing not to do the exercise correctly when he’d mess up insubsequent sessions. In actuality, he had just gotten lucky with thoseearly successes and it took him far longer to really understand whathe was supposed to be doing than I earlier assumed. Also, I learnednot to judge a Swissy’s progress based on the pace of other breeds,especially other obedience breeds. Having said all that, if you cansuccessfully unlock a Swissy’s potential, the sky is the limit. They aresmart enough to problem-solve the most difficult rally or obediencetrial, agile and energetic enough to successfully complete the mostchallenging agility course, easily hike ten miles with a full pack ontheir backs and steady enough to pass a drafting test or pull littlechildren in parades or haul cut logs from the back of your property,as mine sometimes do. They do all this while being great family dogsand when you are fatigued at the end of the day, great ‘couchpotatoes’.”
Over the years, Steve and Dori Likevich have been able to assem-ble quite a formidable group of draft dogs. Here carting on theirfarm are (L-R) Charlie (Dav-Ka’s Cardinal Virtue CD NWPD), Ava (ChTwinpine Avenue V Indianola CD TDD DD WWDS VGS) and Indi (Ch. Shadetree-SVR Indianola CD ROM TDD DD WWD VGS.)
74 Dog News
Ch. Shadetree’s Xenia of TwinPineUDX RE NAP OJP TDD DD WWD VGSX(“Jethro”), one of Steve and Dori Likev-ich’s Swissies, shows that big dogs canbe agile and energetic enough to besuccessful in the “Big Three” of AKCperformance events.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 76
Dog News 75
June 9, 10, 11, & 12, 2011Solano County Fairgrounds, Vallejo, CA
The WoofstockCluster’s
goal is to beExhibitor friendly.For 2011 we have
not increasedany of our
Exhibitor fees,Vendor fees, or
RV/Parking fees.•
SATURDAY EVENTSTie Dye Day
$100 forBest Costume
Male and Female$25 Best Dog
•Woofstock Logoitems available
for sale•
Music throughoutthe day. Be there
or be square!
4th Annual
Nine Specialties75 Supported Entries with 20 Sweepstakes
PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTSLive band on Saturday Night -
BBQ dinner availableHealth clinics- Cardiology-CERF-BAER
Contact Information:[email protected]
Host Clubs:Contra Costa County Kennel Club
Lake County Kennel Club of Northern California
ABreedWithAlmostAsMany“Monikers”...
While there are someGreater Swiss MountainDogs that are “naturals”when it comes toherding, there are othersthat exhibit little interestin livestock. “If the doghas a strong herdinginstinct, it is a matter of
shaping that instinct so you have control of the dog. Thehardest part is getting the dog to learn that sometimesthey have to stop and wait before they get to herdagain. Stopping and waiting isn’t much fun for the dogsso they need to learn that they have to wait beforethey get to play. Sometimes you get a dog that is notinterested in herding at all and they ignore the sheep.With these dogs, you have to take a few introductionsbefore they get interested in herding sheep. Anotherthing that works sometimes is putting a second dog thatreally finds herding exciting in with the disinterested dog.This frequently turns the light on for the dog that is notinterested in herding. However, it is important to takeherding lessons with someone who is accustomed toherding with large dogs before you start. But, since mostpeople can’t get access to stock without taking lessons,this usually is not much of an issue. My greatest difficultyhas beenwith agility. I have had someproblemswith thenuances of handling and finding a balance betweenthe dog’s drive and followingmy directions. Lots and lotsof practice and videoing runs at trials have helped meand thus have also helped the dogs. They love to workand mine are very food motivated. Titan and I also hadsome problems with carting. It took many tries to passand I’ve often said that I made every mistake possiblebefore we finally passed. In carting, the entire test hasto be perfect. One mistake and you don’t pass,” saidNevin.
The importance of these multi-titled dogs to theoverall well-being of the breed is considerable. “TheGSMDCA has a versatility program in which dogs with a
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 74
Draft dogs don’t just start out pulling carts. Like young bike riders,they first need to master “training wheels.” Sophia (Ch Shadetree’sQuixote’s Dulcinea RN OJP OAP NFP JHD NDD), one of Mary JoRasmussen’s Swissies, learns some of her first lessons on the wayto her NDD title.
Burley ( Kcier Rasmussens Burley CD RE MXJ OA NF JHDDD MBDD WGS) Rasmussen’s other Swissy, does one of hisfavorite jobs among many that his titles indicate that he’scapable of doing.
championship, a CD and two working titles in two differentareas or a CD and three working titles in three differentareas get a versatility designation. There are somebreederswho believe that having good working ability in additionto being a conformationally correct and healthy dog isvery important. Dogs that have working ability are veryimportant to this breed because it is a utility breed. If thedogs lose the ability to do draft work or herding or packing,what makes Swissies unique will also be lost. This is a distinctpossibility as more and more people seem to want flashydogs that only do conformation. It’s a sad fact that waytoo many breeding decisions are made with conformationin mind first and working abilities either second or notconsidered at all,” said Nevin.
“First of all, it is important for a breed to maintain ties toits historical roots,” said Rasmussen. “It lets a breeder knowthat we are producing dogs that are capable of the workthey were meant to do. Multiple titles stand as beacons toother Swissy owners showing what our dogs are capable ofdoing and, I hope, also beckon them to go for it—the factthat others have succeeded perhaps serving as inspirationto other Swissy owners.”
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Dog News 77
and go right back to sleep. If their dam isthere, they will nurse right away. Rottweil-er mothers do not seem concerned thatthere’s a tail missing, and will go abouttheir business of cleaning and feeding thepuppies.
The second method of docking isbanding. A band, usually an orthodonticrubber band, is placed very tightly aroundthe tail, close to the body. The tail shriv-els up and falls off in 3-7 days. Again, nei-ther the puppies nor the dam seem to bebothered by the procedure.
Just as with tail docking, many Rot-tweiler owners have never seen puppiesless than a week old. We have all seen TVmovies of newborn horses or cows strug-gling to stand and walk. Puppies are notlike foals or calves. When puppies areborn, they cannot see, hear, regulatetheir body temperature or walk. Their eyesdo not open until 10 - 14 days and theirears are sealed shut until their third week.They must be kept in a warm environ-ment, since they will die of hypothermiaif pushed away from the dam and otherpuppies (if the breeder does not interveneand put a heat source in the whelpingbox). Young puppies cannot urinate nordefecate without the stimulus of the damlicking them. They have activated sleep,which causes puppies to twitch. This jerk-ing and twitching helps puppies developmuscle tone and motor control. In short,puppies less than a week old are not fullydeveloped neurologically. For this reason,I do not feel puppies are traumatized bytail docking at 2-4 days.
It is important to note that the tails aredocked at 2-4 days old. Tail docking per-formed on adult dogs is major surgery andcan affect balance, since the dog hasgrown up with this big rudder on his rear,and he is fully developed neurologically.
Docked Rottweiler StructureThe Rottweiler tail was docked before
the ADM, the American Rottweiler Club orthe Kennel Club (UK) developed a breedstandard. Therefore, all standards havedescribed a dogwith a docked tail. As thebreed clubs worked to refine the breedstandards, Rottweiler structure changedand from the 1930s until today, Rottweil-ers became more heavily boned andmuscled. This structure, including a level
topline, shorter back and medium length croup arethe design of an almost square, broad and deep dogwho is capable of trotting for long time periods with-out tiring. This tailless structure has a center of gravitylocated in the front half of the dog. The standards saythat the Rottweiler’s tail carriage is “an extension ofthe topline”.
To add a long, heavy tail to the structure de-scribed in the standards would change the center ofgravity, moving it towards the rear of the dog. Thiswould lessen the Rottweiler’s ability as an endurancetrotter, unless the croup we desire today changes.Mechanically and kinematically speaking, it must belengthened and rounded if the desired tail carriageis down to facilitate the mechanics of trotting tireless-ly for a long time. Likewise, if the desired carriage iscurled tightly over the back, a short croup would benecessary. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog and Ber-nese Mountain Dog breed standards, the Rottweiler’sclosest relatives, call for a long, rounded croup. Al-ternatively, the Akita, who is also a broad dog, has avery short croup.
This Rottweiler has a tail set often seen in Sweden.Note the shortened croup.
This dropped tail shows thegreatly lengthened croup.
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A Tale of TailsCONTINUED FROM PAGE 46
SBKC
Dog News 79
SAVE THE DATE4 ALL-BREED SHOWS
& our3rd Annual Breeders Showcase
Sponsored by
Santa Barbara Kennel Club – Saturday – August 27, 2011Breeder’s Showcase following groups
Santa Barbara Kennel Club – Sunday – August 28, 2011Foreign Bred Competition – Sunday – August 28, 2011
Breeder’s Showcase info:Desi Murphy – 914-523-6091 – [email protected]
or Connie Miller – 269-375-8846SBKC Show Chairman – David Powers – 818-367-5785
Superintendent: Jack Bradshaw – www.jbradshaw.comWeb Site: www.sbkcdogs.com – includes Breeder’s Showcase entry blanks
Also join us for:
Simi Valley Kennel Club – Friday – August 26, 2011Conejo Kennel Club – Monday – August 29, 2011
We will again have dinner on Saturday nightcompliments of our patrons
For further information:
SBKC4 Days in Santa Barbara
80 Dog News
HSH PRINCESS ANTOINETTE OF MO-NACO has passed away at the age of 90.
She was the older sister of PRINCE RAINIEROF MONACO and was an ardent dog lover.She served as president of the Societe Ca-nine de Monaco and was a vice president aswell as patron of the Scottish Kennel Club,where she spent some of her childhood. Verypopular in European dog circles, where shepersonally saw to the operation of the dogshow in Monaco, which you can imagine wasa popular destination on the European dogshow circuit. In what we have as close to roy-alty in the states, JUDSON STREICHER, oneof the finest gentleman ever to grace oursport, passed away last week at the age of 86.Jud was a unique man whose passing leavesa huge void in our sport. A longtime boxerbreeder with his wife GALE, they were in-volved in conformation and obedience. Theywere alsowell known and successful breedersand owners of thoroughbred race horses andminiature horses at their upstate New Yorkfarm. The STREICHERS’ divided their timebetween their two homes in Westchesterand Florida when not traveling the world.Always available, one phone call to his thensecretary MARY and your phone would ringminutes later with JUD on the line. JUD wasa generous benefactor, both publicly andprivately, to many dog organizations fromthe Westchester Kennel Club to the Dog Mu-seum. He was a recipient of the LANGDONSKARDA AWARD (founded by this writer tohonor people who exemplify good sports-manship and give unselfishly to the sportwithout any personal gain). A longtime del-egate and obedience judge he was a mem-ber of the American Boxer Club, WestminsterKennel Club, Westchester Kennel Club, Tux-edo Park Kennel Club and Port Chester Obe-dience Club. He is survived by his loving wife
BY EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS
GALE and two children, a son JAMES and adaughter KATHERINE O’BRIEN. The familyhas requested that those wishing can makea contribution to Take The Lead or the PeggyAdams Rescue League, 3200 N. Military Trail,West Palm Beach, Florida 33409. All of us atDOGNEWS sendGALE and family our deep-est sympathies on their loss. Another wellknown Boxer fancier and retired judge, JOEHEINE, has passed away. Well into his 90’she had been living at a nursing facility. Allof us at DOG NEWS send our deepest sym-pathies to Westminster Kennel Club spokes-man DAVID FREI and family on the loss ofhis beloved mother MARIANN, a residentof Denver, Colorado. SIDNEY STAFFORD,longtime Dachshund breeder and wellknown photographer from Long Island, haspassed away. Our deepest sympathies to herchildren and family. LARRY TERRICONE,BOBVANDIVER and ELIOTMORE are judg-ing in Beijing. Celebrating wedding anniver-saries, CHERYL & WAYNE CAVANAUGH,LINDA & RON MATTSON, PAT & JOSEFULLOA, SHARON & DAVID KROGH. A veryHappy Belated Birthday wish to DON DA-VIS and CINDY COOKE,MEAGANULFERS,ALLISON FOLEY, KELLY WISCH, PEGGYMCGILL, LISA STUMPF, TIFFANY SAXON,DAVID POWERS and DON RODGERS. Cel-ebrating Birthdays…PERRY PHILLIPS, TIMTHOMAS, JANE KAY, C.R. BOYES, CHRISJONES, BRIAN PHILLIPS, DON RODGERS,KEN MURRAY, JANE FLOWERS, KEVINCHESTNUT, SALLY GEORGE, GWEN DEM-ILTA, CARLASANCHEZ, RONSCOTT, BETHSWEIGART, DAVE FREI, MADELYN GOSS,MAKENATARAMARKEY,ARLENEBENKO,WILL ALEXANDER, SHEA SKINNER, SAR-AH REIDL, CONNIE CLAPP and ANDREWPEEL.
GOSSIPThe
Column
Dog News 81
“ONE BREED...”
“ONE FUTURE!”*Rottweilers R Loved Coalition
