XOLOWORLD REVIEW - Xoloitzcuintle Club USA

XOLOWORLD REVIEW
SECOND QUARTER 2010
Welcome back to the XCUSA newsletter. Please bear with me as this is my first try with one
since the good old days of ditto’s.
We have some good training information, the reason Xolos are hairless, a club report and an
invitation to join us at the National Show in October. Enjoy
Submissions are always welcome
President's Report
By Barbara Griffin, XCUSA President
Our Annual meeting was held May 1 & 2, 2010. Our attendance was excellent and we got lots of input
from those attending. Those who missed the meeting can go to the files section of the XCUSA list
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/xcusa/files/2010%20Annual%20Meeting%20Reports/ to read any
of the committee and officer reports.
Your new Board for 2010 is
President - Barbara Griffin
Vice President - Patty Hoover
Corresponding Secretary - Connie O'Hara
Recording Secretary - June Disotell
Treasurer - Mark Bartnick
Jo Acton - Board Member
Kacie Johnson - Board Member
Rosemary Kennedy - Board Member
Kim Lovewell - Board Member
Lisa Moore - Board Member
Newsletter: Kacie Johnson stepped forward to be our newsletter editor. Thank you Kacie! We
established a committee, chaired by Brenda Armstrong, to begin work on having a newsletter again. The
committee met right after our meeting and as you can see, we have a newsletter again. This needs to be
a group effort, so any of you who can contribute, please step in!
Breed ED:
Breed Education is essential in our breed, not only for judges, but for those interested in owning a Xolo
too. Education protects our breed. Our Trifolds are excellent for the public. They can be downloaded in
the files section of the list. Print some off and take them with you when you and your Xolo go out.
Barbara Griffin will develop DVDs for both judge education and general education. Printed material can
come from these. There will be a Breed Ed judge's seminar at our 2010 National Specialty.
AKC: Xolos will be eligible to be shown in AKC conformation January 2011 and will be a fully recognized
AKC breed.
Championship Points: People need to turn win-sheets in to our Championship point chair in order to
have their dog's points tabulated. From our website: For Championship and Top Xolo Awards points to be
tabulated you MUST have ALL information on this form completed, along with ALL required signature and this form
must be postmarked within 45 days of the show or points will NOT be counted. Send completed sheets to Mark
Bartnick, our Point Chair.
http://www.xoloworld.com/registry/xolo-champ-point.pdf explains the process and
http://www.xoloworld.com/registry/ShowWinsSheet2.pdf takes you to the Winsheets.
Announcements: Our 2010 Xoloitzcuintle Club USA National & PNW Regional Specialty
(Conformation, Obedience & Rally Trials) will be on October 15-17, 2010. Plan to join us!
Remember to check our XCUSA list http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/xcusa/ to keep up on what's
happening in our club!
Xolos and AKC Shows.
Kacie Johnson Newsletter Editor
As many of you know I got curious when we went into AKC Miscellaneous class last year and started to
keep a record of the number of Xoloitzcuintle who were being shown in AKC. I did this by checking the
AKC records and finding out if there were Miscellaneous dogs being shown at each All Breed Show then
checking to see if there were any Xolos at that show. If there were, I recorded the dog's name, name of
show, date, if they had BOB or BOM (Best of Breed or Best of Miscellaneous.) I also made a table and
put a check mark under which other breeds were being shown at that show. Many dogs had a BOM but
were the only miscellaneous dog at that show (including my Coatl at several). I felt it was important to
keep going to shows even with no AKC points awarded because the judges were so happy to have us
there. Over the year I had many judges tell me that Coatl was the first Standard, or in some cases even the
first Xolo, they had ever had a chance to get their hands on.
As the year progressed I went back and started to keep a list of the other 11 breeds in Misc as people had
asked me how many dogs were being shown in the other breeds. We should be proud as only 3 other
breeds as many or more dogs being shown. The Leonburgers were first with 114 dogs, Cane Corsos
second with 72 and the Finish Laphund tied us with 41. Several of these breeds have been in
Miscellaneous for a number of years.
We had 41 different dogs shown in AKC shows last year. They participated in 188 different shows a total
of 281 times. Some dogs were only shown once but many were shown multiple times.
In tallying the number of shows that were done last year…. I might be off a tiny on this statistic ...there
were approximately 740 shows with no Miscellaneous dogs shown at all. There were about 410 shows
that had other Miscellaneous breeds but no Xolos shown.
One of the Xolos shown only once was Tenango from Mexico. He was shown at the Eukenuba show and
took best Miscellaneous dog over all.
I think we should be proud of what our people and our dogs have done this past year. I will be keeping
this database again this year and trying to improve it. If anyone is interested in a copy please Email me at
xololady1@hotmail.com
Just a quick note: Through the end of April this year we have had 20 Xolos shown in 71 different shows.
Another change is that the AKC shows with Miscellaneous Dogs in them outnumber the shows with no
Miscellaneous Dogs.
A Big Brag at Gwinn-Dell
by Barbara Griffin
Baalche, Quixote, and Quetzal
showing off their Therapy Dog vests
There are now three Therapy Xolos at GwinnDell. Quetzal, owned by Don Webb and
Barbara Griffin and trained by Don, recently
earned his Therapy Dog Certification. Quixote,
trained by Barbara and also owned by Barbara
and Don, earned his certification the same day.
They join Baalche in being able to visit nursing
homes, hospitals, classrooms and libraries to
provide emotional support for those in need.
All 3 Xolos had to pass rigorous tests in a
simulated Alzheimer’s ward, with “patients” grabbing at them, shrieking, running wheelchairs and walkers
toward them, and offering them forbidden food. Several dogs were overwhelmed. Our Xolos took it in
stride.
Barbara and Don take them to Salem Rehabilitation Center and have been invited to visit Salem Hospital
to visit patients. The Xolos are quite a hit and excellent with the patients. On one of Baalche’s visits, a
Mexican man who had only been in this country 6 years, spoke to me in a Spanish/English combo. He
had had a stroke and worked to pet Baalche with his afflicted hand as physical therapy. The man was
sooo excited to see “A muy hermoso perro de my country.” He kept thanking me and told me he had
read about Xolos but until meeting Baalche had never seen one. Baalche brought a smile to him. It was
very gratifying.
Baalche
Quetzal
Now Quixote and Quetzal will be able to do the same.
PET THERAPY - WHY AND HOW
By June Disotell
Barney TDI
Have you ever wondered if you and your dog would
like to try pet therapy? You’ve seen stories on TV, read
Quixote
about it in newspapers and magazines. But the question is: Would you like to get involved? Is your dog
suitable?
First, from one with twelve years experience, it’s the most rewarding type of volunteer service you
can imagine. If you like to make people happy and occasionally make a real difference, if you like to do
things with your dog that your dog loves, then you should explore the possibility. You may want to
become a pet therapist at a hospital, nursing home, care center, rehab facility or maybe a library or boys
and girls club where the child reads to your dog.
Now, the basics for dogs. Your dog must be at least a year old. Any breed is a
candidate, but some are more likely to be good pet therapists. Visiting dogs need to be social, polite,
calm and friendly. Friendly is especially important. When you visit, your dog should be delighted to meet
a new friend for pets and praise. Excellent obedience
Coated Xolo, Pilar TDI
doesn’t necessarily make a good therapy dog. Next, the basics for you. You need to be comfortable
meeting lots of strangers and making pleasant small talk. You also need to be able to handle an
occasional problem. Can you change the subject when the conversation gets into far too much medical
information, incendiary politics, or radical religion? Sometimes you see far more of the patient than you
wanted to, or they show you the injury that caused their hospitalization. These things happen, not often,
but you need to be able to react politely. When you visit, you and your dog need to be clean and well
groomed, conservatively dressed in closed toe shoes, ladies with no cleavage front or rear. A special
collar with a bandana or vest tells your dog you are going to work and his rules are different. You need to
adhere to the rules of the facility you visit, which trump any rules of the organization that certified you.
And of course, the VERY important HIPAA confidentiality regulations – not a rule, but a federal law. Just
like in Las Vegas -- what happens there, STAYS there.
I could tell you anecdotes of the wonderful reactions at hospitals, rehab facilities, libraries and
senior care centers to fill all the pages of this newsletter. I’ll give you just one recent story. A young
woman studying to become a veterinarian fell from a second story window. She was unconscious for
three months in the ICU, then transferred to a rehab center near us. According to her mother, doctors
said she might never be able to breathe on her own or react to any stimulus. We took two dogs to visit.
Her stiff fingers and arm were manipulated to pet a lab mix. Her eyes moved, she tried to move her head.
I then put my little Xolo on her lap; again she tried to move her fingers and her eyes lit up. Her mother
and the nurses were ecstatic. We went back to visit several more times, and a pet therapy team that lived
nearby visited regularly. After a couple of months this young woman was breathing on her own, smiling,
moving and reactingto her family. She continues to improve. Pet therapy was the breakthrough for her.
You know WHY you might
be interested in pet therapy with your
dog. Here’s HOW to get involved.
Most facilities you might want to visit
prefer--and many require--that you be
a certified or registered team of dog
and handler. So the first thing to do is
try to find any organization in your
area that certifies pet therapy teams.
There are a number of local or
regional organizations that may be
close to you. Contact your local
hospitals or care centers that have
pet therapy visitors to see if they can direct you to an active group. Remember, one major advantage of a
group is the insurance provided by your membership dues.
Pilar TDI and Barney TDI
Nationally, there are three major organizations. Probably the most famous is Delta Society.
Another is Therapy Dogs, International. I am affiliated with Therapy Dogs, Incorporated. A regional
group primarily in the Eastern United States is Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc. If you are more
interested in having children read to your dog, there is the R.E.A.D program. I’m sure there a many
others that I am not aware of, but a Google search may help you find something near you.
Go to any of these groups and find out where there is a local evaluator or tester. Explore their
website, read the FAQ section, check out the test to see if you think you and your dog can pass. Click on
“How to become a member”.
Here are some websites to try:
www.deltasociety.org - Nationwide, well recognized they certify dogs as well as other
animals for animal assisted therapy and visits.
www.tdi-dog.org will take you to Therapy Dogs, International. While they are a wellestablished group, they do not have evaluators in many states. You can find out if they are in your area
on their website.
www.therapydogs.com is nationwide, (no tester/observers in
New Hampshire, Rhode Island or S. Dakota) but have extensive
membership in all other states. Read their “Hints and Tips” section for
detailed information on visiting.
www.golden-dogs.org is the site for Bright and Beautiful
Therapy Dogs, Inc.
www.therapyanimals.org will take you to the R.E.A.D.
program if you think your dog is more suited to snoozing on the floor
while a child reads to him or her.
Kahlo visits a patient
If you decide to try visiting with your therapy dog, remember you won’t get much recognition, but
your dog will absolutely love it. I had been taking my naked Xolo, Barney, in for about a year. One night
a nurse saw us as we walked down the hall in the pediatrics section. She said, “There’s Barney, my
favorite dog!” and knelt down to pet him, then looked up at me and asked, “Have you been in
before?”
Barney TDI
The Doggie Bowl
Liver Treats
Even the fussiest dogs love these: This is an old fashioned type recipe with guestimates instead of
measurments..
A nice piece or liver or some chicken livers.
Olive Oil, Bisquick, Salt, A little garlic, water.
Take the liver, and olive oil (about ¼ cup) and blend them in a blender until you have a puree, add some
water and the Bisquick and blend again until you have a relatively thin batter. Put in the salt and garlic.
Place the batter in a greased cake pan. Pour it about ½ inch thick and bake in the oven at about 300
degrees until it gets brown on the top and is getting a bit crispy on the sides, about 20 min.
They will be soft, like brownies. Take them out of the oven and cut them into small squares and loosen
them with a spatula. Put the pan back into the oven at about 200 degrees until they are hard.
Bring them out, beat off the dogs, and when cool divide them up into smaller portions, and store them in
the freezer. They will keep outside the freezer for up to 4 days.
These are absolutely wonderful training treats.
Dog Health
Poisonous Foods
Lisa Windflower found this article
We all know that pets aren’t supposed to have people food. But let’s face it, sometimes, it
happens…something falls on the floor when you’re cooking dinner, and Buddy is quickly there, vacuuming
up the crumbs, or Felix steels something off the plate when you aren’t looking…
There are some healthy “people foods” for pets (only small amounts-not replacements for pet food).
But there are also many foods that can be dangerous to our feline friends and canine companions.
Here is a handy list of the top common foods that are toxic to your pet along with tips on what to do if
your pet happens to get a hold of any of these substances.
Avocado While many pet owners say they feed their pets avocados with no problems, studies have
shown that their leaves, fruit, seeds and bark can contain a toxin called Persin. According to the
ASPCA, the Guatemalan variety, which is commonly found in stores, contains the most toxicity.
Onions, onion powder, chives and garlic
These all can lead to gastrointestinal irritation and red blood cell damage. All forms of onion can cause
problems including dehydrated onions, raw and cooked onions. Cats are more susceptible than dogs, but
it can be toxic to both.
Grapes and raisins. These can be toxic to dogs and cause kidney failure. Researchers say there are
still many unknowns about the toxicity of grapes and raisins, including whether only certain types of dogs
are affected, but it is advised not to feed grapes or raisins to dogs in any amount.
Yeast dough
Dough that is not cooked and contains yeast can rise in your pet’s stomach, causing pain, and can
potentially cause the intestines to rupture. This risk diminishes once the dough is cooked.
Left-over bones
Left-over bones pose a choking hazard to pets, and they can also splinter and puncture your pet’s gut or
intestine. Additionally, do not feed your pet undercooked meat or eggs, as they can contain harmful
bacteria.
Foods with a high salt or fat content
Excessive fats can cause upset stomach and potentially inflame the pancreas causing pancreatitis. Salty
foods can pose a risk for the development of sodium ion toxicosis, according to the ASPCA. Be aware that
if your pet gets into food with a high fat or salt content, she could experience stomach problems
including diarrhea and vomiting.
Chocolate, coffee, alcohol
According to the ASPCA, the substances in chocolate, coffee, and caffeine, methlxanthines, can cause
vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, and
potentially death in pets. The higher the cocoa percentage, the more dangerous the chocolate is, making
dark chocolate more toxic than milk or white chocolate. All these products can cause vomiting, diarrhea
and even death.
Sugarless candies (products sweetened with xylitol)
This compound can cause liver damage and even death in some more vulnerable dogs. Xylitol is in many
products including gum, candy, sugar-free cookies and toothpaste.
Macadamia nutsThese nuts can cause weakness, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs.
Symptoms generally last up to two days, and usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion.
What do you do if your pet ate something poisonous? If your animal is having seizures or losing
consciousness, bring him or her to your veterinarian or emergency vet center. If your pet is not showing
symptoms, but ingested something potentially toxic, call the ASPCA hotline at (888) 426-4435. Have the
following information available: the species, breed, age, sex, weight, and information about the product
exposure. It is best to have the package of the product available for reference.
Megan Zehnder, an animal lover and committed vegetarian, is an editor and producer for Care2's
Healthy and Green Living.
Why Hairless Dogs are Hairless
Kacie Johnson
In the 1980's many people were concerned about the Human Genome project which was an immense
effort to map the genes that make up a human being. To many people's surprise, with modern computer
technology they succeeded within a couple of years. They had already mapped simple organisms like
fruit flies and bacteria but this was an early attempt at a complex mammal. One of the next animals to be
mapped was the dog. There were several reasons for this, one of them was that dogs are very common
and easy to get samples from. Another is that some breeds of dogs have genetic illnesses that are very
similar to ones that humans have. A third reason for using dogs is that they appear to have a very rapid
rate of mutation. All dogs evolved from Wolves in less than 100,000 years. If you think of the differences
between a Chihuahua and a Wolfhound the idea that their common ancestor was less than 100,000 years
ago is mind boggling.
One of the things that geneticists have found is that the same genes reappear in organism after organism
and that they appear to do the same or similar things. Another important thing is that many genes
regulate processes that go on in the body, turning on and off to trigger certain activities.
Several studies have been done with different breeds of dogs to track the location of the genes controlling
simple traits. The scientists like using pure bred registered dogs because they provide a closed breeding
population and that makes it somewhat easier to see variations in the genes and possibilities in the
phenotype, or physical expression of the gene. In the case of hairlessness there are several different
breeds that have the same characteristic and that gives a separate way of comparing for the correct
gene. The same technique has been used in looking at other genes. One example is the finding of the
gene that codes for very short limbs like those in Bassets. There are over 20 breeds that share that
characteristic.
Many genes actually work as switches turning different processes on and off. Foxi3 is a gene that is
common in many classes of animals but in mammals one of its uses has come to help with regulation of
the finishing up of 'ectodermal tissue' or skin and teeth in the late stages of development in utero.
Although I have not seen any evidence in the studies this could also explain the differences in amount of
hair seen on some of the hairless. I have two who have quite a bit of the longer guard hairs and also have
several small premolars. Their genes probably switched on later that their brother who is a true hairless.
Since Chinese Crested breeders are selecting for hairless dogs that have large flashy furnishings the true
hairless with scant furnishings will probably become more rare as dogs are selected that have the late
switch on of the Foxi3 gene.
The gene has long been known to be a semi lethal dominant. If you look at a large sampling of surviving
puppies the results of hairless to hairless breeding is shown to be about 1/3 coated to 2/3 hairless. If it
was a true dominant gene the proportion would be closer to ¼ coated dogs. The hairless dogs when gene
mapped show only 1 chromosome of the # 17 pair showing the mutation. The second chromosome has
the normal gene for coat. If the embryo receives 2 copies of the mutated gene it dies. In many cases like
this the simple gene mutation is usually not the cause of the second effect but is normally very closely
positioned to a second gene that causes the second effect.
One possibility for the eventual development of a true hairless mutation that is not a semi lethal would be
for crossing over to occur. When that happens chromosomes actually trade pieces of each other so two
traits that had been associated now are not. A good example of that in humans is red hair and blue eyes.
They are normally associated together both being recessive traits. Occasionally you get families that have
either brown or green (a relative of brown) eyes. In that case a portion of the chromosome that contains
both recessive genes has traded a portion of itself with it's pair that contains a dominant brown gene. If
this could occur with hairless dogs it would depend on how close the two genes are on the chromosome.
This mutation is quite common in mammals and in tropical animals may be a species survival trait. The
lack of hair, sweat glands on the backs and between the legs of some hairless, and the relatively rubbery
skin may help protect the animals from ectoparasites and fungal diseases while conserving the coat in
case the climate, or location of a population of the dogs change.
Two of my sources.
Canine Morphology Hunting for Genes and Tracking Mutations.
Shearen and Ostrander
National Human Genome Research Institute
A Mutation in Hairless Dogs Implicates FOXI3 in Ectodermal Development
Drogmuller et alle
Science 12 September 3008 Vol 32 # 5895 p 1462
If you would like more information contact me at xololady1@hotmail.com
Training column: Part 1
Many pups do not come with this background though. I still use these same methods with lots of touching and
handling an older puppy or grown dog so the pup or dog learns that this is a good thing. My Xolos love to be
stroked and massaged. They are all used to being handled and touched.
Teaching the Sit
To teach a Xolo to sit, using my left hand to guide, I spread my thumb and fingers, begin to run them on either
side of the spine and give a slight squeeze in front of the hip bones while holding a treat above his head.
Treat above Baalche's head
Baalche reaches up for his treat which rocks him back into the desired position.
Slight squeeze
When he’s in front of me at this point, I want him standing and baiting for treats in preparation for his
conformation training.
I teach the sit while kneeling or standing beside the dog and focus him on the treat.
Tarasco focuses on the treat
My hand moves back over his head. This rocks him back into a sit.
He gets his praise and treat immediately as or just after he sits. I never push down on his rear when first
teaching him to sit. This causes him to brace himself and can also injure a youngster. I use this same method on
older dogs. Following the food above his head and getting the reward work much better for a Xolo than
physical methods. Food and positive are the keys.
When a Xolo begins his formal obedience training I want him to learn to do an automatic sit when I stop when I tell
him to "heel." This is where the light squeeze comes in. I give a light pop up with the lead. My right hand goes close
to his neck as I stop, as my left hand gives him the light squeeze in front of his hips. With a Xolo, I rely heavily on
the food. I have the food ready for his reward as soon as he lowers his rear into the correct position. The early work
and base I have set by teaching him the sit first help insure success .
The light squeeze “folds” him and helps him to learn to sit in a non-threatening manner.
My emphasis is on using the food, as one cannot physically force a Xolo into a sit without a huge fight. The hand
merely steadies and guides. The squeeze helps to fold. You do NOT want to get into a physical fight with a Xolo. He
is not going to comply and will hate the exercise. If he resists the hand and squeeze, turn the exercise into a food
game at first. Hold the food above him moving your hand over his head as he stretches to get it and reward.
Besides being our President Barbara Griffin is a well-known Obedience instructor.
Training Tips
Kim Lovewell
Teachers tend not to believe students when the kids say that the dog ate their homework. But sometimes
it's the truth, especially when the dog is young and active and in its chewing prime. When I was a kid, my
dog (not a xolo) chewed up the record that went with my ALM French class and I couldn't listen to that
night's dialogue homework. Fortunately, I had the munched up record to show my French teacher!!
Dogs LIKE to chew, and an intelligent dog like a xolo is very good at entertaining itself and will find things
to chew on. Unfortunately, if you don't provide suitable chew toys that are the dog's own, he'll chew on
YOUR stuff and you won't like it one bit. First and foremost, we must remember that xolos do xolo
things, and if we leave our $300 cowboy boots where the xolo can chew on them, he WILL, and that is
OUR fault, not the pup's. Be vigilant and don't leave anything you don't want chewed where your xolo
CAN chew on it and you'll avoid a lot of problems. If you find your xolo chewing on YOUR stuff, take it
away and give him one of HIS toys. Don't allow your xolo to chew on things like shoes and socks. The
"old" shoes may be his, but he has no way to distinguish between "his" shoes and "your" shoes. A shoe
is a shoe and xolos shouldn't chew on them.
Provide suitable chew toys for your xolo. Toys that can be filled with treats that are dispensed slowly as
the dog plays with the toy are a big hit with xolos. Remember to cut back on his food a bit to take into
account the calories he has gotten from the treats in his treat toy. Brands of treat dispensing toys that I
have found to be sturdy and attractive to xolos are the various Kong toys, the Buster line of toys (Buster
Ball, Buster Cube), and an unusually shaped toy called Molecuball. Some of these can be filled with
peanut butter and frozen, others can be filled with tiny treats (like Charlee Bear) or even some of the
xolo's own kibble.
Stuffed toys are a lot of fun for a xolo, but many xolos immediately set out to de-stuff stuffed toys and
cleanup can be difficult, not to mention that fact that you don't want your xolo getting a belly full of
stuffing. Dog toy vendors sell a line of toys called Skinnies, which are MADE with no stuffing. Xolos like
to shake Skinnies like prey that they are killing. I don't like shelling out the money for brand-name
Skinnies, though, and I have found that xolos like it just as much if you go to Goodwill and pick up some
kids' stuffed toys for a couple of bucks and de-stuff them. Cut off anything like plastic eyes that the xolo
could remove and swallow. Wash the toy in the washer before you give it to the xolo. LOTS of fun!! No,
they won't last forever, but they give a lot of pleasure for a very small investment.
One thing that it's important to remember is that xolos get tired of the same old toys. Rather than buying
new toys every time your xolo gets bored, have two or three sets of toys and rotate them. Mine are kept
in boxes until I see that the dogs are losing interest in their toys and then I pick up the current batch, give
the dogs the batch in the box, wash the "old" toys, and put them away until it's time to rotate them again.
Avoid toys that are small enough for your xolo to swallow them. Cut off anything that the xolo might rip off
and swallow. Choose washable toys when you can; they DO need a bath every now and then to remove
the xolo spit and dirt. If your xolo is a vigorous and destructive chewer, select toys that are sturdy and
practically indestructible like Kong toys.
Smoked knuckle bones made especially for dogs can be a lot of fun for your xolo, but be aware that these
things may stain your carpet and your dog should be supervised while chewing on these to make sure he
doesn't bite off chunks and choke on them. Any time you give your dog a new toy, you should supervise
his play with it at first to make sure that your dog is playing safely and appropriately with his new toy.
Some folks don't give their xolos rawhide chew toys. I do, because they love them, but ONLY under
supervision and I take the toy away when it gets small enough to be swallowed. You'll want to look for
rawhide chews that are made in the USA if you can possibly find them. Other countries may use harmful
chemicals to process the rawhide.
Another thing that it's VERY important to remember is that EXERCISE is vitally important for xolos. A
tired xolo is not a destructive xolo. A fifteen minute session of "fetch" will take the edge off the xolo's
energy and is a lot of fun and a bonding time for xolo and owner. Many xolos will not bring a toy back to
you for you to throw it again, so have two or three toys at hand for each game of fetch so that you have
one to throw, one in the dog's mouth, and one waiting for you to retrieve it and throw it again. A nice long
walk is good exercise for the xolo and will also take the edge off his energy, PLUS it has the added
benefit of burning up some calories for the xolo owner!!
The xolo doesn't HAVE to eat your house, and if he's given his own chew toys, not allowed to become
bored with them, and given plenty of exercise, he is MUCH less likely to devour your abode.
Enjoy your xolo!!
Kim Lovewell
Puppy tip Lisa Windflower
You may feel that with a puppy the word you use most often is NO! It is not uncommon for new owners
to feel frustrated and even angry at the amount of mischief a new puppy can get into.
MANAGEMENT is controlling the environment to prevent bad behavior from occurring and eliminating the
need for corrections or punishment. If your shoes are not left out, the puppy is unable to chew them. If
you give your puppy "high value" chew toys, he is unlikely to chew your chair leg. If you remove your
hands as play things and substitute a plush toy, you will not be injured by ravenous puppy teeth. For
every behavior problem there is a management solution that should be put in place.
Julie Flanery
Wonder Dogs
National Show Information
2010 Xoloitzcuintle National &
PNW Regional Specialty
(Conformation, Obedience & Rally Trials)
A lot of planning has already gone into our 2010 National & PNW Regional Specialties
being held October 15 - 17, in beautiful Vancouver, Washington, along the banks of the themighty
Columbia River. Join the show committee for our club’s big event at the Red Lion at the Quay!
The Red Lion Hotel includes a full-service restaurant and lounge, coffee makers, microwaves &
refrigerators in every room, free high-speed wireless internet access and direct access to a 3K scenic
Waterfront Trail along the Columbia River.
Getting to the XCUSA show site is a quick 15 minute ride from Portland International Airport (PDX) and
is made easy with the Red Lion Complimentary Airport Shuttle. Shopping is minutes away in the heart of
downtown Vancouver, WA, which includes a farmers market every weekend through October. Portland,
Oregon, across the river, offers shopping, art galleries, gardens, an arboretum, museums, heritage sites,
zoo, and a multitude of other local and regional attractions.
Trophies - Contributions being taken to purchase Mexican Pewter, Tin & Sarapes for prizes.
Contact Brenda Armstrong or Kacie Johnson
Banquet and Annual Auction - Enjoy dinner in the Gull’s Nest overlooking the Columbia River. Banquet
organized by Teresa Vila
Bid on exquisite one of a kind xolo items. Proxy Bidding available to members. Auction organizer Jo
Acton
Hospitality Bags - donate items in lots of 25 - 30 or make a $ donation and Stacey will be happy to shop
for you. Stacey Koenig
50/50 Raffle - Need Not Be Present To Win! $1 per chance; or 6 chances for $5 or 25 chances for
$20.00!!! Kim Lovewell
RV Parking at the Hotel - Barbara Griffin Barbara Griffin
Catalog Advertising - Announcements, Brags, Notices, Etc... Mark Bartnick
Club Sales - Xoloitzcuintle picture frames, limited 2010 shirts & bags, XCUSA merchandise. Teresa Vila
Dia de los Muertos altar as an annual remembrance of dearly departed. Send or bring photos to be
placed on the alter of honor and remembrance.
Breed/Judges Education Seminar - A great opportunity for everyone to learn more about xolos and ask
all those questions that have been on your mind. Presentation to include hands on examples of all 3
sizes, both coated and hairless varieties.
Obedience & Rally - Offering two days of obedience and rally, for an opportunity to compete in these fun
sports. Glenda Phillips or Lisa Moore
Parade of Companion & Rescue Xoloitzcuintle - Sharing stories & paying tribute to these magnificent
dogs and their loving families with a Memorial Rosette.
Gary Armitage or Lisa Windflower
Videographer & Photographer: A professional videographer and photographer at our 2010 shows will
record this important passage in time for our club history and bring national and international attention to
XCUSA and the Xoloitzcuintle.
Videographer: www.showdogvideopros.com As a club XCUSA is very fortunate to have booked Video
Pros for our National and Regional Specialties. Going full recognition at AKC on January 1, 2011 many
people are going to be very interested in finding out more about our unique elegant breed. Since there
are so few xolos nationwide it will be hard for many exhibitors and judges to actually see one in person.
This media venue will facilitate the education of so many people. Having the videographers at our show is
extremely important for XCUSA and all the XCUSA xolos. Smile you're going to be famous!
Photographer: www.ninasphotography.com Nina Sage, our show photographer, has an incredible
amount of experience in photography but more importantly to us, experience photographing dogs in
action, for win photos and portraits. She is local to the Portland area and has worked closely with many
dog clubs. Her prices are reasonable and she provides many choices to accommodate the needs of
herclients.
For the purpose of recording club history, major placement winners will be required to have photos taken
although they will not have to purchase unless they want to. Nina will also have a booth set up to do pet
portraits, human portraits as well as the show wins.
www.xcusa.net
Teresa Vilá 2010 Show Chair
Rescue
Xolo Rescue USA report
Lisa Windflower
XRUSA is still waiting for our Federal non-profit status to be approved. We have had our Washington
State, the state we operate from, non-profit status since we officially began as an organization.
We have taken into foster and/or adopted out around a dozen dogs with limited resources. As we’ve
gone along we have acquired more foster homes, something we are always in need of, the more foster
homes we have the more dogs we are able to take in. Several dogs have been adopted out this year;
two are presently in foster care.
A dog in foster care right now needing a forever home is Suzy. Suzy has been with us since September
of 2009 when her owner of 8 years gave her up because he was moving. Suzy is taking medication to
control seizures although with a vet’s help the dosage may be reduced or possibly eliminated. She has
shown no sign of seizures since she has been with us. This gentle 8 year old is great with kids and other
dogs. She is crate trained, potty trained, good with people and especially attracted to gray haired men.
If you or someone you know could provide a forever home for Suzy, please let us know.
One of our recent success stories is Mimi, an older dog that Kacie Johnson has been fostering for 3
years. She has been placed with an elderly gentleman who recently lost his dog of many years.
Another success story is Chulo, formerly know as Einstein who came to us via Rat Terrier Rescue. He
had spent his life in the cab of a truck so had little socialization and no manners. Jo Acton was kind
enough to help place Chulo in the Prison Paws for Humanity program where he learned lifetime skills.
Eventually a perfect gentleman, Chulo was adopted by (lucky) Connie O'Hara.
If you are willing to be a foster home or help transport dogs when needed please let us know.
You may contact Lisa Windflower at LWESKE@weskefamily.com or 541-929-5352 with any questions
or information.
Donations are gratefully accepted.
MIMi