Table of Contents - American Pointer Club, Inc.

July 2014
Volume 131, Number 7
W
INNER
BEST
O N L I N E
MAGAZINE
2013
Table of Contents
AKC News
2 President’s Letter • 3 Updates • 7 Times Past • 8 Dog People • 35 Secretary’s Pages
BREED COLUMNS
Sporting
16 Clumber Spaniels
16 Cocker Spaniels
17 English Springer
Spaniels
18 Field Spaniels
19 Irish Water Spaniels
19 Sussex Spaniels
20 Welsh Springer Spaniels
20 Spinoni Italiani
21 Vizslas
22 Weimaraners
23 Wirehaired Pointing
Griffons
23 Akitas
24 Alaskan Malamute
24 Anatolian Shepherd
Dogs
25 Bernese Mountain Dogs
26 Bullmastiffs
26 Doberman Pinschers
27 German Pinschers
28 Giant Schnauzers
28 Great Pyrenees
29 Komondorok
29 Kuvaszok
30 Leonbergers
31 Newfoundlands
31
32
32
33
33
34
Portuguese Water Dogs
Rottweilers
Saint Bernards
Samoyeds
Siberian Huskies
Standard Schnauzers
* Links to AKC Parent Clubs appear following Secretary’s Pages *
Sporting and Working
January, April, July, and October
BREED COLUMNS SCHEDULE
Hound and Terrier
February, May, August, and November
Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding
March, June, September,
and December
ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS ©ISABELLE FRANCAIS
9 Brittanys
10 Pointers
10 Chesapeake Bay
Retrievers
11 Curly-Coated Retrievers
12 Flat-Coated Retrievers
12 Golden Retrievers
13 Nova Scotia Duck
Tolling Retrievers
13 English Setters
14 Gordon Setters
15 Irish Red and White
Setters
15 Boykin Spaniels
Working
GZ PRESIDENT’S LETTER
s your club planning to host a match in 2014? If
you’d like help with inviting local dog owners
to participate and promoting your match to
community media outlets, we invite you to take
part in our new match program. In an effort to
help clubs attract new members and increase show and trial entries, we’ll be supporting matches with e-mail and
media outreach.
Two weeks before your club’s match, the AKC will send an e-mail to all owners within a 100-mile radius who
have registered a dog within the last three years, inviting them to take part in the event. In conjunction with your
own publicity efforts, we can also help drive match attendance with calendar listings, press releases to newspapers
and TV stations, and local social-media efforts.
We’ll also be creating a new akc.org landing page that will include “First-Time Tips” for new exhibitors, the
Match Rulebook, and a link to the Match Show Bulletin, superintendents, and the AKC Events Calendar to help
you find future matches and shows.
We want to spread the word to the dog-loving public that AKC Match Shows are a great opportunity to socialize a dog in an informal and educational dog-show environment, all while having fun and meeting other dog
lovers who are already part of the AKC community.
If your club is hosting a standalone match and is looking for new exhibitors, let us know if we can help you with
these promotional activities. Simply reach out to our Communications department at communications@akc.org and
we’ll get the ball rolling.
I
Sincerely,
RUSSELL BIANCA/©AKC
Dennis B. Sprung
President and CEO
AKC GAZETTE
•
2
• JULY
2014
GZ
EDITED BY BUD BOCCONE BJB@AKC.ORG
New Kids on the Block
Coton de Tulear, Wirehaired Vizsla Make AKC Debut in July
This month the AKC Stud Book welcomes an odd couple of breeds: a fluffy royal companion and a no-nonsense, rough-coated
gundog of Central Europe.
Coton de Tulear (Non-Sporting Group)
The Coton de Tulear (KO-Tone Dih TOO-Lay-ARE), “Royal Dog of Madagascar,” is
an immensely charming companion known for a profuse white coat that feels as soft as
cotton (or, as the French say, coton). At about 9 to 11 inches tall and weighing between 8
and 13 pounds, the Coton is a small but sturdy dog.
Cotons, named for the seaport town of Tulear, were once the preferred lapdog of
Madagascar’s nobles. The island nation lies some 250 miles off the southeastern coast of
Africa, but the population is primarily related not to African peoples but rather to those
of Indonesia. Because of a bond with France that resulted from former colonial rule,
Madagascar developed strong links with the French-speaking nations of western Africa.
French is still widely spoken by Malagasy elites, hence their little white dog’s French
accent.
Fanciers describe Cotons as “witty,” “at times boisterous but never demanding,” and
“naturally clownish and lighthearted” companions who possess a “remarkable gentle,
sympathetic awareness.” Among their amusing traits are a unique way of vocalizing and a
knack for walking on their hind legs.
From the Standard “The dog must be shown as naturally as is consistent with good
grooming. Any other trimming or sculpting of the coat or any grooming which alters
the natural appearance, is to be severely penalized.”
These red, willing, and able gundogs are, of course, close relatives of Vizslas.
The key distinguishing feature is coat type. In contrast to their sleek and shiny
cousins, WVs have a dense wiry coat, with a shaggy beard and eyebrows setting off a bright, lively expression. WVs are a shade taller and be a bit heavier
than Vizslas. The two breeds share the same striking golden-rust color, with a
nose and eyes that smartly complement the coat.
WVs were created in the 1930s by Hungarian hunters and falconers who
wanted a dog with the same drive and versatility of their beloved Vizslas, but
with a studier frame and denser coat, the better to work on punishing terrain
and in cold weather. They achieved this by judicious crosses of Vizslas and
German Wirehaired Pointers.
WVs are first and foremost hardworking gundogs known as peerless pointers. Like Continental Europe’s other “utility breeds,” WVs were bred for versatility and stamina. They make excellent housedogs: loyal, trainable, affectionate, and generally agreeable with kids and other dogs.
From the Standard “Natural appearance is essential to breed type, therefore
the Wirehaired Vizsla is to be shown with limited stripping and should not be
penalized for being shown in working condition.”
AKC GAZETTE
•
3
• JULY
2014
©AKC
Wirehaired Vizsla (Sporting Group)
GZ
N.C. Dogs Have Their Day
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA—State
employees, staff, and
legislators watched from office windows and gathered on
the capitol lawn on May 21 to cheer as AKC agility dogs
dashed through colorful tunnels and soared over jumps as
part of the 2014 “Canines at the Capitol” day. Twelve
well-mannered dogs gave kisses, cuddles, and high fives to
state officials while AKC staff answered questions and distributed dog-friendly literature.
The annual event celebrates the 2.2 million owned dogs
and 1.3 million dog owners in North Carolina, home of
AKC Operations. It gives state officials the opportunity to
interact with AKC-registered dogs, discuss the history and
function of the breeds, and hear about the wide variety of
resources offered by the AKC and its affiliates. Lawmakers
and guests also learned about the public-education and
community-service efforts of their state’s 145 AKC clubs.
At “Canines at the Capitol” the media got a story with a great Plott.
As always, our dogs were the superstars. AKC Government Relations sent invitations, along with “biographies” of the featured dogs,
to legislators and staff. Many responded with requests for photos with specific dogs, and a 6-month-old Plott named Toby was the
crowd favorite. The Plott is the state dog of North Carolina. —Patty Van Sicklen, AKC Government Relations
Bear Number 1!
MCGREGOR, TEXAS—Wirehaired
Pointing Griffon GCh. Bear Hug Cee Barry
Rockbridge, JH, THDD (Bear), received the AKC’s first Distinguished Therapy
Dog (THDD) title on July 1. Bear is owned by David Boehner, of McGregor.
The AKC launched its therapy-dog titling program in 2011, in response to
therapy handlers who clamored for official recognition of their dogs. The program proved so popular that four new titles, including the THDD, were established in June. The THDD requires that a certified dog-and-owner team complete at least 400 volunteer therapy visits.
Bear is registered with Pet Partners and is a regular visitor at the Baylor
plant in the area exploded, killing 15 people and injuring more than 160, Bear
and Boehner provided comfort to victims and families.
Call for Young Artists
Take the Lead, the charitable foundation that supports dog fanciers in need, is offering a competition for artists age 18 or under. The
winning holiday-themed design will be featured on Take the Lead’s 2014 holiday card. The card’s dimensions will be 4.5-by-6.5 inches.
The winning artist will receive a gift card and an acknowledgement on the holiday card.
Entrants may send high-resolution scans to take_the_lead@yahoo.com or mail original art to Take the Lead, P.O. Box 6353, Watertown
NY. Submission deadline: September 1.
AKC GAZETTE
•
4
• JULY
2014
TOP: ©AKC; CENTER: COURTESY BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE
Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center, in Waco. In April 2013, when a fertilizer
GZ
dogFACE
Part of the GAZETTE’s monthly newsgathering routine is to make the rounds
of Facebook pages devoted to AKC departments and programs. While there, of
course, we can’t resist stopping to look at the pictures. In this new occasional
feature, we present Facebook photos our friends like to like.
Clockwise from top left, from
the Facebook pages of
AKC (main page),
AKC Canine Health
Foundation,
AKC Reunite,
AKC Family Dog,
and AKC Coonhound
AKC GAZETTE
•
5
• JULY
2014
GZ
CHF Researchers Honored
The American College of Veterinary Internal
evaluating and prognosticating for dogs with heart
Medicine has given two Resident Research Awards
and lung diseases that affect heart function.
to AKC Canine Health Foundation–supported
Winter presented on “Biologic Variability of N-
researchers: Lance Visser, DVM, a CHF 2013
Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide and Cardiac
Clinician Scientist Fellow at the Ohio State
Troponin I in Healthy Dogs and Dogs with
University, and Randolph Winter, DVM, a co-inves-
Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease.” He is working
tigator on a CHF Acorn grant at Texas A&M. The
with his mentor, Dr. Ashley Saunders, to enhance
annual awards are presented to researchers on the
treatment of mitral-valve disease through the identi-
cutting edge of veterinary medicine.
fication of biological markers.
Lance Visser
Visser presented on “Echocardiographic
“CHF is committed to funding research that
Assessment of Right Ventricular Systolic Function
helps move canine health forward,” Dr. Shila
Following a Single Dose of Pimobendan Versus
Nordone, CHF chief scientific officer, says. “Both
Atenolol in Conscious Healthy Dogs: A Prospective,
Dr.Visser and Dr. Winter represent our commitment
Blinded, Randomized, Crossover Study.” He aims to
to supporting young clinician scientists, and we
define the best-performing echocardiographic vari-
expect that these two men will be among the next
ables that track changes in right ventricular function
generation of key opinion leaders in veterinary
in response to pharmacologic manipulation.
medicine.
Visser’s data will stimulate further studies that will
allow veterinary cardiologists to define new ways of
“CHF congratulates them on this prestigious
Randolph Winter
achievement.”
Prince’s
Reign Continues
OLMSTEAD, OHIO—MACH7
Prince Doggie, the most
titled dog in the AKC Canine Partners program, continued his romp through the record book by earning
his seventh Master Agility Championship on June 1 at
the Cuyahoga Valley Golden Retriever Club trial.
Prince is a mixed-breed owned and trained by
Tacarra Andrade and Mike Marshall, of Novi, Michigan.
This Month: RDO Day Freebies
AKC clubs and affiliated organizations from coast to coast are now busy planning for their AKC Responsible Dog
Ownership Days.
Beginning this month, the first 650 clubs and organizations to register at akc.org/rdod will receive a resource-filled packet
with a Canine Good Citizen test kit, dog-care and -training information, giveaways, and a website listing.
Groups are encouraged to host events in September, the flagship month of AKC RDO Days, but events held at any time
in 2014 are welcome. Event-giving groups are encouraged to offer CGC testing to celebrate the program’s 25th anniversary.
AKC GAZETTE
•
6
• JULY
2014
TOP: COURTESY SUBJECT; BOTTOM: COURTESY OWNERS
Marshall handled him to the historic MACH7.
times past
Operator,
Get Me
TR3-2256
AKC GAZETTE
•
7
• JULY
DALMATIAN/KUVASOK/BEDLINGTON TERRIER/ENGLISH SETTERS: AKC GAZETTE ARCHIVE
Evelyn Shafer was among the busiest and best canine
photographers of the 20th century. Thousands of vintage
win shots and advertising portraits are stamped EVELYN M.
SHAFER. On the back of each print is a vivid reminder of
her times: a phone number with an exchange name—
TRafalger 3-2256.
These Shafer portraits date from the 1940s to ’60s. In
those days, when show-dog owners wanted their winners
captured in crisp black and white, and wanted the job
done with a certain touch of class, they dialed TRafalger 3.
2014
dog people
GZ
As an all-breed judge, Joe Gregory belongs to an elite circle. He’s man of few
words (“I let the dogs do the talking”), so when he speaks, the fancy listens. “Just
go out there and be honest,” the all-rounder urged aspiring judges in a rare
interview. “If you are honest and you have a conscience, I think you’ll do a decent
job.”
AKC GAZETTE
•
8
• JULY
2014
BUD BOCCONE © 2014
Joseph E. Gregory
GZ BREED COLUMNS
Breed Columns Index
Sporting Group
9 Brittanys
10 Pointers
10 Chesapeake Bay Retrievers
11 Curly-Coated Retrievers
12 Flat-Coated Retrievers
12 Golden Retrievers
13 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers
13 English Setters
ABOUT THE BREED COLUMNS
The breed columns are a time-honored feature of the AKC GAZETTE. Each columnist is appointed by a
breed’s national parent club, which preserves the breed’s standard and helps to educate breeders,
judges, and the public about the breed’s history, function, and possible health issues. A national
parent club comprises dedicated breeders and fanciers, and it represents many years of collective
experience in the breed. Columnists are asked to write about topics of interest to the fancy in general
as well as those of specific interest to judges and devotees of the breed. The breed columns rotate by
group so that each breed’s column can appear four times a year.
Information and opinions expressed in the breed columns represent the views of their authors, not necessarily those
of the breed’s parent club or the AKC.
Breed Columns Editor: Arliss Paddock (AVP@akc.org)
14 Gordon Setters
15 Boykin Spaniels
16 Clumber Spaniels
16 Cocker Spaniels
17 English Springer Spaniels
18 Field Spaniels
19 Irish Water Spaniels
19 Sussex Spaniels
20 Welsh Springer Spaniels
20 Spinoni Italiani
21 Vizslas
22 Weimaraners
23 Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Working Group
23 Akitas
24 Alaskan Malamute
24 Anatolian Shepherd Dogs
25 Bernese Mountain Dogs
26 Bullmastiffs
26 Doberman Pinschers
27 German Pinschers
28 Giant Schnauzers
28 Great Pyrenees
29 Komondorok
29 Kuvaszok
30 Leonbergers
31 Newfoundlands
31 Portuguese Water Dogs
32 Rottweilers
32 Saint Bernards
33 Samoyeds
33 Siberian Huskies
34 Standard Schnauzers
sporting
15 Irish Red and White Setters
Brittanys
nce again our contributor is
David A. Webb.
O
What About a Name?
For several years, on weekends I
would leave early Sunday morning and
travel about an hour and a half to train
our Brittanys, preparing for the upcoming fall hunting season. The location
was a hunting preserve, which usually
had birds—chukars, quail, or pheasants—left over from the previous week’s
hunts. Permission to train on the Flying
Feather grounds was a “given,” as several
of our young Brittanys had been
obtained from the owner.
Our family had owned Brittanys as
family pets and hunting partners for
well over 15 years before the Flying
Feather strain of Brittanys entered the
picture. This later strain of Brittanys was
from dogs having both field trial and
show backgrounds.
When it came time to name these
new pups, there was and are certain
guidelines according to the American
Kennel Club and American Field
(FDSB) that must be followed.
Selecting a name is very important.
One often wonders if slang names, such
as Fat Bubba or Wearing the Pants, or
baby-type names, like Puddles or
Snoopy, are wise choices.
Each hunting season for several years,
I had the chance to watch a super little
AKC GAZETTE
•
9
•JUNE
2014
female Brittany hunt and point chukars
and quail. The owners of this
orange/white Brit had allowed their
son to give her a name: Stinkweed. Her
call name was Stinker. Just a terrible
name to give to a great little pointing
dog.
Another name that has often been
used is Beau. One should consider that
there is a command—whoa—that can
interchange with this name, thus Beau is
not a good choice to name a pup who
will be hunting. Other names that
should be refrained from being used are
those that refer to wild animals.
(Imagine that you’re hunting in dense
woods for grouse and woodcock, and
your hunting partner hears you call your
dog named Bear.)
So what makes for a good, practical
name for your new pup? George Bird
Evans wrote on the topic in his book
Troubles With Bird Dogs, and the quote is:
“When you set about deciding upon a
name for your future gun dog, give it the
serious thought it deserves, give it dignity
and style, and whether you end up calling
him Purdey or Dauntless, Stanch, or
Wingshot, teach it to your puppy early, and
use it thoughtfully all his life.”
The last part of Mr. Evans’ quote is
important: Teach your pup his name. A
short name is one that is easily remembered and quickly given. (This does not
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
mean that your pup will not understand and respond to a two-syllable
name.)
Pups should be in their new home
when they are about 8 weeks of age.
Their ability to learn at this age is phenomenal; their minds are like a sponge.
With the assistance of another individual who holds the pup, with you having
the food dish about 15 feet away, as the
pup is released call his name. Repeat
this exercise each time pup is fed until
he understands his name.
The Brittany is a great upland bird
dog, and he deserves a profound name
honoring the breed’s ancestry or history, or a dignified name, with style
pertaining to the hunting experience.
Not just some cute, slang name. —
D.A.W.
Thank you, Dave.
—Martha Greenlee,
mhgreenlee@gmail.com
American Brittany Club website:
clubs.akc.org/brit
Pointers
ur guest columnist Bess Vanrenen
continues the discussion of
veterinary anesthesia begun in the April
issue.
O
Veterinary Anesthesia
PART TWO
It turns out there are things pet
owners can do to not only relieve their
fears of anesthesia, but also to help
ensure the safety of their beloved animals.
Says Dr. Bednarski, “Every pet owner
should feel free to discuss their pets’
anesthetic risk with their veterinarian
at the time oral care requiring general
anesthesia is required.”
There are several questions veterinary clients can ask of their veterinarian. Dr. Bednarski elaborates:
“I would want to know that my pet’s
anesthetic plan begins with a physical
and laboratory examination appropriate
for my individual pet. I would be certain that during the procedure my pet
will be intubated (have a breathing tube
inserted through the mouth into the
windpipe) to protect his lungs from
blood and fluids present in the mouth
and also for delivery of supplemental
oxygen. I would like to know that
heart and lung function are monitored
frequently and regularly by a trained
and experienced person familiar with
the effects and side effects of the anesthetic drugs used. I would also like to
know that emergency drugs in doses
appropriate for my pet are readily available. Finally, I would like to know how
any post-procedure pain will be
treated.”
He also says, “The older or sicker my
pet, the more laboratory tests will be
needed to ensure safer handling. I
would expect my veterinarian to suggest addressing and possibly treating any
significant health concerns prior to
anesthetizing.”
Laurie Miller, RVT, CVT, CVPM, a
practice consultant with the American
Animal Hospital Association (AAHA),
concurs. She recommends that owners
consider asking the following questions:
• Does the practice require blood work
prior to the anesthetic event—and if so, how
far in advance?
• Will my pet have an IV catheter and
receive fluids during the procedure?
• Is there someone dedicated to monitoring my pet while he is under anesthesia?
Who is that person, and are they credentialed? What training do they have with
anesthesia?
• What type of monitoring devices are
used during my pet’s anesthetic event?
• While my pet recovers, what is the
process for observing and monitoring her?
AAHA also has standards for AAHA
accreditation, some of which are
mandatory, regarding anesthesia. As
Laurie Miller says, “AAHA does take
anesthesia very seriously, and as such,
the points [systems in place] to achieve
AAHA accreditation … requires a
practice to have a good anesthetic plan
and processes in place.”
Both Dr. Bednarski and Laurie
Miller state that anesthesia will never
be completely free of risks. However,
Dr. Bednarski says, “Modern anesthesia,
which I define as an anesthetic plan
AKC GAZETTE
•
10
• JULY
2014
customized for each individual that
takes into account each animal’s…
health risks, is very safe.”
Knowing this, along with knowing the
questions I can ask my veterinarian
about anesthesia, helps to relieve my
concerns. I would rather accept the
minor risks of anesthesia than leave my
dog to suffer silently from tooth decay or
other oral diseases or problems. —B.V.
Permission to reprint granted by
American Animal Hospital Association.
Thank you Bess, for this important
information.
Please visit the APC website at americanpointerclub.com for information on
our wonderful breed.
—Helyne E. Medeiros,
seasydehm@aol.com
American Pointer Club website:
americanpointerclub.org
Chesapeake Bay
Retrievers
ur guest columnist this month is
Mitch Patterson.
O
Jessie, 2014 Retriever Hall of
Fame Inductee
On a cold and snowy morning,
February 8, 2014, DC/AFC JJ’s Jessie,
CD (whelped 9/20/1982, bred by
Carol Andersen and owned by Linda
and Jennifer Jaynes-Patterson) became
the sixth Chesapeake Bay Retriever
and the second Chesapeake female to
be inducted into the prestigious
Retriever Hall of Fame within the hallowed halls of the National Bird Dog
Museum in Grand Junction, Tennessee.
Jessie’s numbers and accomplishments within the Chesapeake Bay
Retriever breed and field trial community made her Hall of Fame–worthy,
but the mere points just didn’t tell the
entire story of this great Chesapeake.
Jessie was the first female Chesapeake
Bay Retriever in the history of the breed
to hold the AKC titles of Dual
Champion (DC), Field Champion (FC),
and conformation champion (Ch.),
along with the titles of Amateur Field
Champion (AFC) and the obedience
title (CD)—and she was also a certified
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
therapy dog.
Jessie was the daughter of a second
breeding by fellow Retriever Hall-ofFamer FC/AFC/CFC/CAFC
Chesdale Chippewa Chief bred to DC
Fireweeds Jasmine.
Linda chose Jessie at 3 weeks old.
She was intended to be a pet for our
daughter Jenni (hence the name JJ’s),
but Jessie spent her life as Linda’s constant partner and best friend.
Throughout Jessie’s life she lived in our
home as a family member, slept in our
bed, and was our constant companion.
Jessie showed remarkable retrieving
abilities from the start, and we knew we
had a special kind of retriever in our
home!
Linda and I did Jessie’s early fieldtrail training and handled her to her
conformation championship and obedience CD title.
As we said, from the start Jessie’s
desire to retrieve was insatiable, and she
had the uncanny ability to “pinpointmark” fallen game while indicating her
courage to retrieve in any condition,
whether it be in icy water, heavy cover,
or the extreme heat of summer.
At 2 years old, Jessie began her “formal” field trial training with the Hall of
Fame professional trainer and handler
Mike Lardy, at Handjem Retrievers,
and showed her abilities by quickly
becoming a Qualified All-Age dog and
then winning a field trial “Open” event.
Jessie quickly went on to become a
Field Champion under Mike’s expert
training. Jessie then came home to live
with our family, training and competing with us and continuing her winning ways while becoming an Amateur
Field Champion (AFC).
Jessie competed at the highest level
of the AKC field trail game until early
effects of canine degenerative myelopathy (DM) were recognized. Although
Jessie’s career was shortened by DM,
she managed to earn 64 All-Age Field
Trial points, along with 20-plus conformation championship points while
qualifying for the seven National Open
and/or Amateur Championships from
1987 through 1992.
At the 1990, 1991, and 1992
National Championships, Jessie competed with her daughter DC/AFC JJ’s
Chi-Town Blizzard, CD, MH, making
history as the only mother-daughter
Dual Champion Chesapeakes ever to
compete together at the National
Retriever Championship level. Jessie
was the Top Chesapeake Field Trial
Bitch in the country six times—until
her daughter Lizzy took over the spot!
Jessie produced DC/AFC JJ’s ChiTown Blizzard, CD, MH, CFC/CAFC
When Harry Met Jessie, plus many
qualified All-Age dogs and dogs with
All-Age wins and Master Hunter titles.
During the induction ceremony, we
thanked the members of the Hall of
Fame, all those present at the ceremony,
and those who voted for Jessie. We then
reminisced about Jessie’s life and shared
a few Jessie stories.
When Jessie was very young, she and
Linda were inseparable. Jessie would
follow Linda everywhere—even into
the shower if the door were left open!
We talked about Jessie as a precocious
but at times “strong willed” young dog,
which brought on Mike Lardy’s
thought, “You had to make her believe
it was her idea to do whatever she was
being taught.”
Jessie was a very competitive fieldtrail dog—she was a “gamer,” coming
up at field trials and rising for the most
difficult retrieves, just as true champions rise for the occasion.
We ended the acceptance by saying
that during Jessie’s career he was told
that she was a wonderful dog—not just
a wonderful Chesapeake—and we felt
that was a very special compliment.
Our closing thought was, “Now
Jessie is in the Hall of Fame—she beat
those great Labrador Retriever field
trial dogs one last time!”
The Hall of Fame is so special, and
Jessie will forever be in the hallowed
hallways of the museum.
Reviewing Jessie’s career and accomplishments makes one realize that she is
a cornerstone of the Chesapeake breed,
setting the standard for future generations. She made history—for her
AKC GAZETTE
•
11
• JULY
2014
breed—and for the field trial sport, she
set the bar high! —M.P. (dualch@sbcglobal.net)
Thank you, Mitch.
Correction
Some text was inadvertently omitted from
the breed’s column in the April issue, which
was on the topic of Chesapeakes who have
earned Versatile Companion Dog titles.The
editors regret the error, and we extend our
apologies to the columnist and to the owner
of the very accomplished dog mentioned
below.
Following is the information that was
missing:
“Level four,VCD-4, requires a dog
to earn the UDX, MX, MXJ, and VST
or UDX, MXP, MJP, and VST. Of all
breeds, only 14 dogs have earned this
distinction since 2006. CT Eastern
Water’s Sea Zephyr,VCD-4, RE, MXB,
MJB, NF, is the only Chesapeake to
gain this title.
“The Versatile Companion
Champion title,VCCH, precedes the
name of the dog who has earned
Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH),
Master Agility Champion or Preferred
Agility Champion (MACH or PACH),
and Champion Tracker (CT). Of all
breeds, only five dogs have attained this
exceptional pinnacle.”
—Audrey Austin,
audreyaustin@cox.net
American Chesapeake Club website:
AmChessieClub.org
Curly-Coated
Retrievers
The Active Sit
og owners today have many
events to choose from, and one of
my favorites is rally. After attending a
rally event recently, it brought to mind
how important it is to know and
respond quickly to the sit command.
Yes, the recall and other actions are
very important too, but for a good flow
of performance in rally, a quick sit is a
big help.
Picture the handler who has to keep
repeating the sit command. Not only
does this affect course time, but it also
appears to interrupt the steady quality
D
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
of movement between signs. Recently
my Curly was entered in a rally trial
that required more sits than I had ever
before encountered. If I had needed to
repeat the sit command even once for
each of the sits in that trial, our course
time would have slowed down considerably. Even so, she was becoming
bored with all of that sitting toward the
end of the course.
I do not suggest rushing around a
rally course, but with the number of sits
required in some course setups, a quick
sit is nice to have. I start teaching many
activities with puppies right in the
house, a few times during the day. A
treat is never forthcoming unless there
is some response to a command—down,
sit, stand, and stay. All can be incorporated into everyday living, right in your
own home. I always have treats in my
pockets, whether just plain kibble or
something more delicious. The sit command is probably my most frequently
required action, and when they sit, I
rather make a fool of myself and praise
effusively.
When training outside, I will do a
few steps of heeling with a quick sit,
then a small treat popped into the dog’s
mouth. Short and sweet is what I
adhere to when training Curlies.
I next hope to have a column about
the new Barn Hunt activity that has
recently become quite popular.
—Ann Shinkle, annshinkle@aol.com
Curly-coated Retriever club of
America website: ccrca.org
Flat-Coated
Retrievers
Your New Flat-Coat Puppy
ome challenges of raising your new
Flat-Coated Retriever puppy might
come as a surprise to you if you have
previously raised other retriever or
retriever mixed-breed puppies. Be
prepared for a puppy who needs mental
as well as physical exercise, calm
handling to prevent separation anxiety,
and structure for mental and emotional
development.
You should prepare for your new
Flat-Coat before he arrives. All dogs are
S
creatures of habit, and many of your
Flat-Coat’s habits begin as soon as you
bring him home.
First, take him for a walk outdoors
alone, with a long line dragging behind
him if you have no fenced yard, so that
the first place he urinates or defecates is
an area you have chosen for that purpose.
Next, take him to the place where he
will spend the night, and do what you
can to make him feel comfortable
there. Take him there four or five times
more during that first day. (If the FlatCoat will typically be left alone for
most of the day, he must be allowed to
spend each night in the bedroom of a
family member, rather than alone.)
Third, take him to the non-carpeted
room in the house where you will
spend the most time with him. (This is
usually the kitchen.) Then, while in
that room, or else outdoors, introduce
your puppy gently and quietly to each
family member, one at a time.
Introduce people first, then animals.
When raising a Flat-Coat puppy,
your gates should all be double-latched,
crates should be certified for airline use
(meaning they are sturdy and well
built), and partitions and baby gates
should be sturdy, tall, and escape proof.
If it is possible for any puppy to get out
of an enclosure, a Flat-Coat will do it.
Trying to patch things up after an
escape will create a Houdini. Outdoor
fencing should be at least five feet high,
and preferably six or seven feet. FlatCoats can be trained to respect a lower
fence, but that training has to be extensive. It isn’t that the Flat-Coat is always
trying to get away; it is that they are
opportunists, always looking for company or excitement.
To keep him interested and entertained, the Flat-Coat puppy should be
encouraged to play with retrieving and
interactive toys. Tease your puppy with
a toy and throw it a short distance.
When he picks it up, run away, call him,
and clap your hands, so he chases you.
Praise and pet him when he arrives, but
don’t reach for the toy. Tease him with
a second toy, but throw it only after he
AKC GAZETTE
•
12
• JULY
2014
has dropped his. This will prevent him
from feeling competitive with you over
toys as he would with another puppy. It
will also encourage him to come to
you quickly and to have a cooperative
instead of competitive attitude toward
you and other family members.
In fact, when a Flat-Coat has a stolen
or undesirable object in his mouth, it is
effective to tease him with a toy or
treat to get him to drop it. Then throw
the toy or treat, and pick up and hide
the undesirable object while he is not
looking.
The Flat-Coat is a dependent and
emotional breed. To keep the puppy
calm when you leave him and to prevent separation anxiety, practice leaving
and returning to him when his excitement is channeled toward toys and play,
whether he is in a room, yard, or crate.
Be pleasant but calm for 15 to 20 minutes before leaving and after returning
to him.
—Sally Terroux, sjterroux@aol.com
Flat-Coated Retriever Society of
America website: FCRSAinc.org
Golden Retrievers
Goldens Immortalized
gathering of 222 Golden
Retrievers is a noteworthy event
in and of itself—and when those
Goldens collect on the grounds of the
breed’s ancestral home at the Guisachan
estate in Iverness, Scotland, the meeting
takes on immense historic proportions.
Among the 350 people attending
that Golden Retriever Guisachan
Reunion in July 2013 was the Friends
of Guisachan, an international group
recently formed to educate Golden
owners about the breed’s history and its
ancestral home in Scotland. The
Friends Advisory Board includes breed
experts from the Golden Retriever
Club of America and the Golden
Retriever Club of Scotland. The
group’s website offers information on
breed history and the famous
Guisachan mansion house, kennel, and
grounds.
The board has sponsored a project to
commission a life-size bronze statue of
A
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
a Golden Retriever to commemorate
Guisachan as the breed’s ancestral
home. The statue will be erected on
Guisachan grounds, near the centuryold memorial to Lord Tweedmouth, the
founder of the breed. It will be created
by Escar UK Bronze of England, and a
plaque at the base of the statue will also
honor Lord Tweedmouth.
The board selected English
Champion Michael of Morehan (1924–
1934) as the model for the statue. The
winner of a record 17 Challenge
Certificates in England and four Crufts
Gold Cups, Michael also sired at least
five English champions, as well as
Am./Can. Ch. Speedwell Pluto, who
was the foundation sire of many
acclaimed North American Goldens. In
addition to his many wins and his production record, Michael’s most striking
features were his lovely face and beautiful eyes, which the board felt best
depicted the sweet temperament of
today’s Golden Retriever.
The project was finalized at the 2013
Reunion. “Guisachan is the beginning
for every Golden, from show dogs, field
dogs, assistance dogs, and rescue dogs to
family pets cherished worldwide,” said
board president Joy Viola. “This statue
will honor them all.”
The $30,000 cost is being raised by
Golden clubs, rescues, and fanciers
throughout the world.
In 2018, Golden owners will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the
breed. And surely Lord Tweedmouth
will be smiling then, as he no doubt
was at the Guisachan Reunion.
—Nona Kilgore Bauer, nona@nonabauer.com
Golden Retriever Club of America
website: grca.org
Nova Scotia Duck
Tolling Retrievers
Impulse Control
oes this sound familiar? Your
Toller screams in the blind while
waiting his turn or breaks on a mark at
a hunt test.Your Toller pulls you around
the conformation ring while gaiting
because he’s chasing the dog in front of
D
him.Your Toller screams in his crate
and/or tries to dismantle or roll it if he
knows you are training or playing with
another dog.Your Toller tries to chase
cars, critters, joggers, bikers, or
skateboarders (a particular nemesis of
one of my own Tollers) when you are
out for a leisurely walk.Your Toller
jumps on you or other people.
All of the above scenarios illustrate a
lack of impulse control. This is certainly
not a problem limited to our lovely little red dogs. It is innate characteristic in
dogs which helped their ancestors survive in the wild to chase down potential prey or avoid other predators.
However, dogs living in close contact
with humans who lack impulse control
can be challenging to live with and
even unsafe.
Overall, Tollers have a medium to
high energy level, and many have quite
a bit of drive. While this can make
them good prospects for people interested in hunting or performance sports,
without an on/off switch, daily life and
even hunting or trialing can be frustrating. Mastering some basic impulse control is essential, even for homes who
simply want an active companion.
However, because it’s generally not
inherent behavior for dogs, it must be
taught.
The best way to achieve impulse
control is to practice it early and often.
As with any training, consistency is
critical. It is simple to integrate impulse
control training into your schedule.
Here is a snippet of a daily routine
incorporating impulse control training:
You wake up in the morning and
release your Toller out of his crate after
he has stopped vocalizing.You ask your
Toller to sit and wait before releasing
him out the back door to relieve himself. You ask your Toller to sit and wait
while preparing his food, releasing him
only after you have placed it on the
floor.You ask your Toller sit and wait so
you can put his leash on in preparation
for a walk.You ask your Toller to sit and
wait at each curb so you can check for
traffic before crossing, releasing him at
variable intervals to ensure he doesn’t
AKC GAZETTE
•
13
• JULY
2014
cue “go” from your routine. While on
your walk, you ask your Toller to sit
quietly at your side while a jogger or
someone on a bike passes by.
In most of these scenarios, the release
is the reward:Your dog is released to go
outside, to be fed, and so on. In the last
example, rewarding him with a treat or
toy would be an appropriate release for
resisting the temptation to give chase.
Tollers are smart, and your Toller will
soon learn that exhibiting impulse control makes good things happen.
—Heather Green, zephyr341@sbcglobal.net
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Club (USA) website: nsdtrc-usa.org
English Setters
Keep Your Cool ummertime living is not easy for a
fully coated English Setter. If you
want to see what it’s like for our dogs
in hot weather, the next time it’s 90plus degrees, put on your warmest coat
and go outside. Now try running.
English Setters, like most breeds, are
built to conserve rather than dissipate
heat. They don’t have sweat glands, and
most of their body is wrapped in dense
fur with no exposed skin; they lose heat
through the pads of their feet and
through their mouths by panting.
As you assemble your gear for summer dog events, you might consider
including the following: battery-operated fans, shade cloths to cover your
vehicle, a canopy, cool cloths, plenty of
cool water, a rectal thermometer with
lubricant to take your dog’s temperature if you suspect heat stroke, and
pediatric electrolyte solution for the
dog to drink if he gets dehydrated.
“Cool cloths” are made of chamois
material, like those used to dry cars at a
car wash.You can put a moist chamois
on your dog’s back without getting him
too wet, take it off, and present him to
the judge, who probably will only feel a
tiny bit of dampness when going over
the dog. If you keep your cool cloth in
a cooler, don’t put it directly into the
ice.You don’t want to put anything icecold onto a dog, because that shrinks
S
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
the blood vessels and generates internal
heat. Instead, whatever you apply
should be cool but not cold.
Another good way to keep your dog
cool is to have him stand on a damp
towel to help the footpads release heat.
If you spray your dog with cool water,
spray his underside that is not exposed
to the hot sun (such as the groin area,
where the hair is less dense), the bottoms of his feet, and inside his mouth.
Of course, you know to seek shade
wherever you can find it. Throughout
the day, a thoughtful judge will take
advantage of every scrap of shade by
shifting the location of where the dogs
are examined and gaited as the sun and
shade shift in the ring.
In spite of your best efforts, your dog
may develop heatstroke. Here are the
symptoms: unusual breathing (rapid and
loud); high rectal temperature (103 or
higher); extreme thirst; weakness
and/or fatigue; frequent vomiting, disorientation; a bright red tongue and
pale gums; skin around muzzle or neck
doesn’t snap back when pinched (dehydration); difficulty breathing; thick
saliva; increased heart rate, collapse or
coma.
If you suspect that your dog is overheated, immediately take him to a
shady spot, into a cool indoor room or
cooled-off car with the air conditioner
running, or turn a fan on him. Separate
his fur with your fingers so the cool air
can penetrate to the skin.
To cool your dog down as quickly as
possible, pour cool water over his head
and body, or gently hose a very gentle
stream of cool water over him, or,
where possible, submerge him in a tub
of cool water.
As soon as your dog is somewhat stable, it’s a good idea to take him to the
nearest vet for evaluation and treatment
if necessary.
And we know you would never, ever
leave a dog in a closed vehicle when
outside temperatures are above 60
degrees F.
—Jill Warren,
Esthete.es@comcast.netEnglish Setter
Association of America website:
esaa.com
Gordon Setters
y series on breeding continues
with more on the “singleton
syndrome.”
M
The Singleton Syndrome
PART THREE
Home again from her first foray with
the foster litter of “redheads” (Irish
Setter pups), Reigna was back in the
whelping box with her dam.
Interestingly, once Mom saw her pup
again, she was content to smell her,
clean her, and feed her. Mom did not
seem bothered at all by any “foreign”
smells that might have come from
Reigna’s foster litter.
Because of what Reigna mirrored
with her surrogate stuffed black-andtan littermates after only one visit with
the redheads—interacting and playing
with them by mouthing and pawing, as
3–4-week-old babies do—any doubts
about the importance of continuing to
have Reigna visit her redheaded family
vanished.
Reigna visited the redheads for at
least half a day, five to six days a week,
for nearly four months! (She always
thought she was both a redhead and a
Gordon!) I watched with glee as she
learned more and more how to interact
and play with her foster littermates and
about bite inhibition, the pecking order
in a litter, and how not to be afraid of
something new (because there is always
a dominant puppy in the litter who
shows the others the way).
It took Reigna about five weeks to
fully understand how to play and interact like a real littermate would. Irish
Mom Brandy even allowed Reigna to
nurse, so she had the all-important
experience of having to compete for
food—while nursing and then while
eating gruel and later, puppy kibble.
This competition lesson is all-important for a singleton so they do not have
imprinted on their psyche that they are
all-important and the only pup in the
universe. They need to be pushed
around by a more dominant littermate,
AKC GAZETTE
•
14
• JULY
2014
be rolled over, be pushed away from the
milk bar, and struggle with other puppies to get to the food source.
Reigna had the ability to improve
her motor and mental skills by having
littermates “push her around” and
knock her off balance, and by running
after them to play and to find new areas
to investigate—different from those at
home. Reigna was not only socialized
with the redheaded foster litter, but by
the other adult dogs in the household.
For those who think dogs don’t recognize breeds, Reigna taught me that
they do. There were both Gordon and
Irish adults in my friend Wendy
Czarnecki’s household, as well as the
Irish litter. (I will always be indebted to
Wendy for her incredible generosity in
sharing her redheaded litter with
Reigna.) Reigna would see Gordon
adults and romp after them, trying to
get their attention: “Hi, here I am—let’s
play!” She only did this with her foster
Irish mom and not the other Irish
adults, which I found interesting.
Reigna even had an opportunity to
teach her redheaded littermates something. The weather in Northern
California in mid-April had gone from
very cold to 90 degrees. Reigna loved
water and would get in a tub any
chance she got. One hot day, Wendy
and I filled up several water bowls and
set them out for the dogs. The puppies
were still too young for a larger tub.
Since Reigna could not sit or roll in
the water bowls—they were too
small—she took first her right then her
left paw and continuously splashed
water on herself, ran around, and did it
again. She was very proud of this!
The redheads stood back, watching
Reigna with fascination.
I asked Wendy, “How long do you
think it will be before the others copy
that?”
Before she could answer, two of the
redheads were paw-splashing, and the
rest soon followed!
Never doubt the importance of
learning from littermates! Puppyhood
is the all-important and formative time
in a dog’s life. The patterns laid down in
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
the first few months of life will shape
the personality of the dog forever, just
as with a child.
Part Four of “The Singleton
Syndrome,” to appear in the October
issue, will discuss some of the personality maladjustments that can happen if a
singleton is not socialized, as well as my
lessons learned from two other singleton litters.
—Carolyn Russell Gold, spellbound24k@netzero.com
Gordon Setter Club of America, Inc.,
website: gsca.org
Irish Red and White
Setters
California, Here We Come!
he 2014 IRWSAA national
specialty and rally and obedience
events will be held on Friday,
October 24, at the grounds of the
Dixon May Fair, in Dixon, California.
Be sure to mark your calendar, make
your hotel reservations, and get ready
for another awesome IRWSAA
national! The IRWSAA Hunt Test
will be open to all pointing breeds
and will take place at the Hastings
Island Hunting Preserve, in Rio Vista,
California, on Saturday and Sunday,
October 25–26. This private preserve
maintains 4,700 acres of prime
upland bird cover.
Judging the regular and non-regular
classes, Juniors, and 4-6 Months puppies will be Patricia Robinson, from
Phoenix, Arizona. Sweepstakes judge
will be Donna Larson from Gait,
California. Marylou Just, from Auburn,
California, will judge obedience and
rally.
The events will kick off with a club
meeting on Thursday, October 23, and
national specialty judging on Friday,
October 24. The IRWSAA will support
the IRWS entries at the Sacramento
Valley Dog Fanciers Association allbreed show that will be held on the
Dixon May Fair site.
Host hotel for the 2014 national is
the Comfort Suites I-80 W of UC
Davis, located at 155 Dorset Drive in
Dixon. The hotel is very convenient for
T
the dog shows and the hunt test. A
block of rooms have been reserved
until Thursday, October 9. To get the
group rate you need to call the hotel
directly. Be sure to mention that you
are with the IRWSAA. A complimentary buffet breakfast is included. There
is a one-time fee of $25 per pet, per
room, with a limit of two pets per
room.
Other hotels in the area are the Motel
6 Dixon # 4831 (phone: 707-693-0606;
fax: 707-693-0694) and the Best
Western Plus (phone: 707-687-1400;
fax: 707-678-0754). For more information, contact show chair Christina
Phillips (209-838-7302; e-mail: waidmanset@aol.com).
To support the national by sponsoring trophies or rosettes, go to the information about the 2014 national specialty that can be found on the
IRWSAA website, irishredwhitesetterassociation.com. Look on the home page for
the “Events” tab, where the official
sponsorship form can be found and
printed.
A little about Dixon, California:
Dixon is located in northern Solano
County, 23 miles from the state capital,
Sacramento. Originally, the city was
named Dicksonville, after Thomas
Dickson, who at the time donated 10
acres of his land for the construction of
a railroad depot following the completion of the tracks and relocation of
Silveyville to the area that is now
Dixon. However when the first rail
shipment of merchandise arrived from
San Francisco in 1872, it was mistakenly addressed to “Dixon”—a name
that has been used ever since. Dixon is
also the home of the Gymboree
Corporation’s only distribution center,
servicing all stores and customers
around the world.
Remember to mark your calendar
and make your hotel reservations, as
you do not want to miss this year’s
IRWSAA national specialty!
“California, here we come …”
—Lee Robinson, Robilee6@myfairpoint.net
Irish Red and White Setter
AKC GAZETTE
•
15
• JULY
2014
Association of America website: irishredwhitesetterassociation.com
Boykin Spaniels
Watch Me
oykin Spaniels are often seen with
their nose to the ground. In the
field, sniffing is essential for the Boykin
to flush game. However, in the
performance ring, sniffing the ground is
problematic. In agility, I have seen dogs
go around obstacles, walk into jumps,
and duck underneath jump bars
because they were sniffing the ground.
While in the ring, dogs sniff the
ground for several reasons. Sometimes
they do it because they are nervous.
Other times, they find the scent on the
ground more attractive than the task at
hand.
The key to reducing ground sniffing
is to make other behaviors more attractive than sniffing. An effective way to
do this is to get the dog’s attention with
something more captivating than what
he smells on the ground. Bait, such as a
treat or favorite toy, is often used to
capture a dog’s attention in the conformation ring. Treats, toys, and other
training aids are not permitted in the
performance ring, however, thus a different strategy is in order. This is where
the “watch me” command becomes
useful.
The goal of “watch me” is to have
your dog to focus on you, momentarily
diverting his attention from the ground
so that you can quickly get him back
on track in the ring. Teaching your dog
to “watch me” is usually an easy
process. Find something that motivates
your dog, such as a small piece of food.
Hold the food in your mouth (or next
to your mouth with your hand). When
your dog looks at your face, give him
the treat. It is important to only reinforce looking at your face—not lunging
at your face, nor jumping up on you,
both of which are undesirable side
effects.
Repeat this step until he reliably follows the treat to your face with his
eyes. Next, point to your face, give the
verbal cue by saying “watch me,” and
B
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
bring the food to your face as you had
before. When he looks at you, give him
the treat. Soon he will begin looking at
you upon hearing the command
“watch me.” When this happens, stop
bringing the treat to your face. Instead,
keep the treat hidden, tell the dog
“watch me,” and give him the treat
when he looks.
Once your dog reliably looks at you
upon hearing “watch me,” you should
begin to increase the delay in time and
space between when the dog looks at
you and when he receives the treat.
(For example, leave the treat on a table
across the room, and give it to him after
he has watched you for several seconds.) This is necessary because treats
are not allowed in the ring, necessitating a delay between your dog performing “watch me” and your giving him a
treat once you exit the ring.
When your dog reliably “watches”
you on command, you can try using
this in the ring to get him back on
track. For example, if you are running
an agility course and your dog begins
to sniff, do the following: Pause, give
the “watch me” command, and when
you have successfully captured his
attention, redirect him to the next
obstacle on the course. I have found
this methodology effective with my
Boykin spaniel.
For a breed that enjoys sniffing, such
as the Boykin, it is important to have
several tools available to divert his
attention from sniffing. The “watch me”
command is one such tool that comes
in handy in a variety of situations
—Jeff Engelmann,
engelmann.jeff.m@gmail.com
Boykin Spaniel Club and Breeders
Association of America website: theboykinspanielclub.org
Clumber Spaniels
The French Connection
PART ONE
olorful myths have an enduring
life, and cynology, the serious
study of canine history, finds few
persons to debunk these myths. A
pertinent example relates to our breed.
C
In the latest edition of the AKC’s The
Complete Dog Book, regarding the
breed’s origin it is correctly stated that
there is “no factual basis for the
previously most prevalent story
[concerning] escapes across the English
Channel from the French Revolution.”
On the Clumber Spaniel page of the
AKC website, however, some text
persists that serves to perpetuate this
myth. It reads: “The breed received its
modern name when a large French
kennel moved to the Duke of
Newcastle’s Clumber Park at the start
of the French Revolution in an effort
to save its dogs.”
According to legend, there was only
one such breeder in France, the duc de
Noailles. As for hurrying his kennel out
of France to save them from the ravages
of the French Revolution, the dates
simply do not add up. There is the
famous 1788 painting by Francis
Wheatley depicting the second Duke
of Newcastle with four unmistakable
Clumbers on his estate in England; the
French Revolution did not erupt until
July 14, 1789. Having taught French
history for many years at the university
level, I can state that even as late as
1788 the good French duke would
have had to have a crystal ball to foresee the precipitous events of 1789. The
Revolution had long been brewing, but
all three classes of French society were
taken completely by surprise in the
summer of 1789.
As for students of Clumber history,
already in 1912 James Farrow
expounded his theory that the
Clumber was developed in the 1700s in
England essentially from the old, much
larger, hunting Blenheim Spaniel.
Peggy Grayson, in her 1991 book The
Clumber Spaniel, writes that perhaps
dogs from France or Spain were
imported to strengthen the bloodlines
of the breed at Clumber Park, but gives
no credence to the specific Noailles
theory. And in 2000 Jan Irving, in her
encyclopedic The White Spaniel, says
unequivocally:
“Any claims that the spaniels came ...
as a result of uprisings or the French
AKC GAZETTE
•
16
• JULY
2014
Revolution are totally ludicrous. ... It is
bizarre nonsense for any author to continue to promulgate the French
Revolution as the precipitant force in
Noailles handing over his kennel to
Newcastle.”
The theory of Clumbers having
come originally from France is probably best questioned by Margaret Aldred
in her 1982 book, The Clumbers of
Clumber Park. Irving considers that this
book, now unfortunately out of print,
“should be on every Clumber owner’s
shelf.”
First, Aldred asks, how were these
white spaniels brought to England?
From the remote interior of France, in
the 1700s, how did they make the
arduous journey by lumbering wagon
over appalling roads to the nearest port?
How were they conveyed across the
English Channel? At what English port
did they land? Once on English soil,
how were they transported all the way
to Clumber Park? Were they brought
by French gamekeepers, and how did
they get back to France—or did
English ones go over for the job? Who
paid? How? All this took a lot of planning. And did Newcastle and Noailles
even know each other? Where is there
some sort of record? Is the theory of
French origin just some sort of hogwash?
To be continued.
Reminder: It’s hard to believe, but
some people claim their dogs are
almost human—and they mean it as a
compliment!
—Bryant Freeman, Ph.D., bryantfreeman72@yahoo.com
Clumber Spaniel Club of America
website: clumbers.org
Cocker Spaniels
Spring Hopefuls
pring and summer are the ideal
times to nurture and develop your
“spring hopeful” Cocker puppies. (As
an aside, I must say that over the years
you take them when they come. Some
of my best were born under harrowing
circumstances during February ice
storms!)
S
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
The warmer weather is a lovely time
to have a large, secure outdoor playyard set up with toys and climbing features for the puppies. Don’t forget a
bench for you to sit and observe puppies playing. While you watch you can
see characteristics of the individual
puppy such as front and rear movement, head carriage and character in
interaction with the other puppies. Do
they join in play, or is one withdrawn?
Puppies eventually tire of toys and
seek you out on your bench.You watch
for keys to the individual’s inherent
temperament and future suitability as a
show dog or companion. Watch their
reactions to sounds and the different
toys and climbing areas you have provided. I have never forgotten the look
in the eyes of a special rascal puppy
who walked to where I was sitting in
the play yard, surveyed my purse, and
not once but several times, grabbed my
car keys and ran circles in the puppy
yard with the “stolen” keys! The spark
of imagination in that puppy continued
into the adult; he became a champion
and companion with a delightful personality.
I remember a 5-month-old Cocker
puppy who immediately made friends
with a little boy and happily learned to
fetch and bring back a toy then and
there. She lived well into old age, living
up to her call name, Lovey, as she visited nursing homes and elementary
schools.
These situations provide opportunities and materials for puppy education.
Toys and supervised interaction with
other dogs and with people, including
children, are all education builders.
Cocker puppies can be sensitive, in the
3-to-5-months age group especially, so
treat them tenderly.
Changes in surroundings provide
good experiences for puppies. The
play-yard at home is a start, if the yard
contains ramps and blocks for jumping,
running, and playing. Use different surfaces such as grass, cement, and gravel
to let the puppy feel different flooring
under his feet.
From the play-yard you can advance
to a park and an outdoor shopping
mall. Take this slowly, introducing the
Cocker puppy without overwhelming
him. Make the experiences good ones,
but if the puppy should become frightened, remain calm and confident; don’t
pet him and reward a fearful response.
Time lost during the spring hopeful’s
development is time lost.You must
actively participate in the puppy’s
upbringing; this is crucial to the eventual adult.
Back to the play-yard. Be vigilant
daily in pulling out weeds and any
foliage that may encroach in the yard.
Puppies are curious and ready to play
with or eat anything.You do not want
to have the puppy ingesting, for example, mushrooms or other deadly plants.
Provide numerous safe objects for the
puppy to investigate and carry.
Lead training is an art form. Use a
long, soft lead, and throw a toy out
ahead to start. The object is to have the
puppy associate lead time with enjoyable play. Encourage a head held high
and not a stubborn display. Few things
are sadder than a beautiful puppy who
at 6 months hates the lead and show
ring.
It is time- and effort-consuming to
develop Cocker puppies. Believe me,
once involved you will find that the
process makes your spring and your
renewal.
—Kristi L. Tukua
American Spaniel Club website: asccockerspaniel.org
English Springer
Spaniels
Care and Cleanup on the
Road
s there any sensation quite as
distinctive as stepping into dog poop
on the carpet in the middle of the
night? The cold wetness under foot is
even more jarring if you are traveling
with your dog, and the “accident” is on
hotel-room carpet.
Thousands of miles logged with dogs
in tow make show-going, vacationing
dog lovers particularly experienced in
giving emergency cleanup and pallia-
I
AKC GAZETTE
•
17
• JULY
2014
tive support advice. I offer thanks to
many Springer fanciers for sharing their
advice for clean and healthy travel for
this column.
For cleaning a dog stained and odorous with bodily fluids, many fanciers
start with plain water, flushing soiled
areas with lots of water. If possible,
stand the dog in the bathtub and rinse,
rinse, rinse. Following water rinsing, the
most frequently cited products used on
the road were hydrogen peroxide (used
on white parts of the dog, and again
rinsed copiously), followed by a gentle
shampoo. Easily procured shampoo
favorites are no-tears baby shampoos
and Mane N’ Tail brand shampoo.
Clean rugs and fabric furniture with
plain water, blot with clean paper towels, and clean again with a favorite
cleaning product like Resolve Pet Stain
Remover Carpet Cleaner. Nature’s
Miracle spray is a proven product,
found in many doggy travel bags for
cleaning nearly anything a dog might
anoint with fluids.
Stranded on the road, in a vehicle,
with no cleaning products and a very
smelly dog? Be prepared by packing an
emergency shaker-container of baking
starch (not talc) baby powder, or a box
of baking soda. Later, when you locate
a store, most dry shampoos made for
humans will also clean dog fur and
make your dog smell clean before you
arrive at your hotel or other destination.
Locating a veterinarian can be tough
in the middle of the night, or in locations hours from the nearest town. For
dogs prone to tummy upsets while
traveling, your veterinarian can send
you off with time-proven remedies. A
prescription of metronidazole can be
the traveling dog’s friend. Pepto-Bismol
or its generic equivalent (never to be
given for more than two days without a
veterinary checkup) may relieve vomiting. Your veterinarian should advise
you on the dosage for your dog.
Tummy-upset veterans may travel with
Pedialyte for dehydration, fat-free
chicken broth, and a few cans of prescription-diet food from your veteri-
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
narian (such as Hill’s I/D and similar
foods). Many restaurants can sell you
plain cooked rice and plain chicken
breasts.
Most dog owners want to see their
dogs eat a healthy meal, even when the
dog feels bad. However, many vets will
urge that for a dog who has vomited or
has diarrhea, the best food is no food, until
you can visit a veterinarian, or at least
until the next mealtime.
Stick to very bland treats once your
dog resumes eating and drinking and
has a settled gastrointestinal track. Try
plain Cheerios, tiny pieces of low-fat
string cheese, or tiny pieces of saltine
cracker.
Baby wipes, chlorine bleach clean-up
wipes, paper towels, old towels, and jugs
of water are helpful items to keep in
your vehicle. Use purchased bottled
water for dog drinking. If you transport
water from home, be sure to refill water
jugs with fresh water each time you
return from a trip. While on the road,
wash all food and water bowls with
dish soap and very hot water after each
meal. Once home, a daily wash in the
dishwasher is best.
For long trips with dogs who have a
tendency for gastric upset, a pre-trip
veterinary check up is a wise health
safeguard. Write down all contact information for you, all health information
for your dogs, and document who
should be contacted to look after your
dogs in the event you become ill or are
involved in a serious auto accident.
Place this information is a waterproof
container and attach to every dog’s
crate and in a place where emergency
responders would find your instructions.
Traveling with dogs is much more
fun when you know you are prepared
for care, cleanup, and emergency
response.
— Sarah A. Ferrell,
saf@abrohamneal.com
English Springer Field Trial
Association website: essfta.org
Field Spaniels
Living With the Field Spaniel
ur breed is noted to be
“unusually docile, sensitive, funloving, independent and intelligent,
with a great affinity for human
companionship,” and has unique
individual personalities—as so many of
our canine companions do. Field
Spaniels range from the serious stalwart
to the downright goofball in attitude,
and we often see a range of traits
within one dog! Owners agree that life
is sweet with our chosen breed, but not
necessarily for everyone.
As an active sporting breed, the Field
Spaniel likes to be a member of its
family first and foremost. It’s sensitivity
and desire to be companion to people
serves it well as a medium sized hunter
companion. It is active in the home,
busy with daily activity and part of
your world. Our dogs fare well having
jobs—if made fun and using their natural abilities, it is highly satisfying for
them. While active home companions,
the Field Spaniel loves the games we
play, from companion events (rally, obedience, agility) to tracking and fieldwork, as well as such things as nose
work, barn hunt, freestyle and lure
coursing. Our dogs enjoy learning new
games with us and train well when we
use rewarding methods and a fun, positive approach.
As with all canines, proper socialization and basic obedience training are
imperative for having a lifelong companion who is not only your best
friend, but also appreciated in public.
Many Field owners enjoy the breed’s
biddability, or ease of teaching. We find
their problem-solving ability to be
amazing and enjoyable throughout a
lifetime. Know that Field Spaniels do
best with work to do, be it within your
community or through sport.
Our breed has found its home in the
city, the country, and everywhere in
between—from walks on suburban
sidewalks to hunting in rural fields.
With responsible ownership and access
to controllable exercise, the Field
thrives with people and can do well
with other animals as well.
Keeping a Field Spaniel groomed is a
O
AKC GAZETTE
•
18
• JULY
2014
bonding experience and keeps our
friends healthy and happy. Maintenance
of the body coat is relatively simple
with good nutrition. It is single and
glossy in texture, never to be body
clipped. Trimming and stripping is generally limited to the head and ears, feet
and pasterns, with regular care required.
Breeders are helpful in showing new
owners the ropes of proper care, and
when raised and trained with structure,
a Field makes a lovely and sensitive
canine friend.
While noted as a land spaniel, some
individuals are known to enjoy water
whether in the outdoors or in the
drinking capacity. Surprisingly, though,
it is not always their long, pendulous
ears that dip in the water! Many are
known to be sloppy drinkers, sometimes because of enthusiasm and at
times just not minding, that they are
being busy—dripping water from their
lips as they happily trot by. Strategic
placement of water stations will help, as
will various types of containers.
Another interesting trait is the occasional snoring some do. Still other individuals make interesting sounds, but
this again may range from quiet peeps
to yodels to warbling outside of the
typical dog bark.
When considering the lifespan of the
Field Spaniel, it is exciting to see puppies and healthy young dogs in their
prime. Many are living into their teens
and active as well. We are fortunate to
have shared improved health and
longevity with our breed over the years.
It is important to note that reputable
Field Spaniel breeders have been working on health testing for hips, knees and
elbows, eyes, cardiac, and thyroid in
their stock. Many say we have a “gene
puddle” as opposed to a gene pool, and
so we must breed carefully to maintain
genetic diversity.
One of their best characteristics
besides being charming to behold is
their apparent silly nature, at times playing the jester of a home. Antics can be
redirected and channeled into proper
desired behaviors, and their humor is
much revered.
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
Temperaments range from outgoing
to reserved and should never be aggressive. This is a breed who may take time
to socialize as a puppy and in younger
years and may “size someone up”
before bestowing trust and friendship
upon them. They are a slow-to-mature
breed, both in body and mind, but the
payoff is an amazing journey of a lifetime together.
All the Fields I have known have displayed mellow moments and a spirit
and joy in life that makes them fun and
interesting to live with. Life with Fields
will yield hair and an air of energy in
your home, as well as water and
humor!
Overall, the Field Spaniel combines a
lot of dog into a medium package that
can play many games, suited for a variety of conditions.
A finer friend I have not found …
—Shannon Rodgers Daspit, shannontrodgers@hotmail.com
Field Spaniel Society of America
website: fieldspaniels.org
Irish Water Spaniels
Take Your Dog to Work Day
f hearing about “Take Your Dog to
Work Day” conjures images in your
head of Poodles running computers
and Beagles manning cash registers, you
are not alone. These things were the
first that crossed my mind as well.
However, this special day was actually
intended to raise awareness of animal
shelters and shelter dogs.
Pet Sitters International launched
“Take Your Dog to Work Day” in 1996
in the United Kingdom to celebrate
the great companions dogs make and
encourage their adoptions from local
shelters, rescue groups, and humane
societies. The annual event came across
the Atlantic in 1999. The idea behind it
is to encourage employers to experience the joy of pets in the workplace
and support their local pet community.
“Take Your Dog to Work Day” is always
celebrated on the Friday following
Father’s Day. (See takeyourdog.com.)
Rolling ahead 19 years, shelter dog
adoptions have become so popular,
I
many shelters in the Pacific Northwest
are now finding homes for animals
from other areas. Therefore, my
employer not only chose to commemorate this success, but also to celebrate
the dog-owner relationship and educate employees about the importance
of giving to local shelters.
On June 20, Skillings Connolly, Inc.,
an engineering firm in Lacey,
Washington, “went to the dogs.” All
employees were encouraged to bring
their dog to work. A pet-food drive
was organized, and various kinds of pet
treats and dog foods were collected
throughout the week prior and then
donated to the local shelter.
At noon the company hosted a barbecue where several types of hot dogs
were roasted. In addition, the actual
dogs had the opportunity to socialize.
Some dogs and their people played
organized games, such as Bobbing for
Hot Dogs and the Hot Dog Relay
Race. (And for those who are wondering, despite a few filched hot dogs,
lunch went off without disruption, and
all the dogs got along very well.)
Our event was so successful that I
would like to encourage Irish Water
Spaniel owners to suggest their
employer (or employees) participate in
“Take Your Dog to Work Day” next
June. Not only will it provide all the
benefits mentioned above, it is also an
opportunity for your co-workers to
meet and for you to promote our wonderful breed and breed rescue program.
Some suggestions on how to
approach the event:
• Spend a few minutes reviewing the
“Take Your Dog to Work Day” website,
takeyourdog.com—it is a good resource
on how to approach the event.
• Share the idea with your boss (or
employees) and request permission to
begin organization. Be prepared to
share your celebration ideas and to
address possible concerns.
• Select someone (or a committee)
to coordinate an event appropriate to
the size of your company.
• Decide how your company will
celebrate—this can be as simple as
AKC GAZETTE
•
19
• JULY
2014
bringing your dog to work, or as elaborate as providing contests or a pet carnival.
• Select a local shelter or rescue
organization to benefit from your
event. Contact them and ask what
items or donations would be of the
most help.
—Jill Brennan
Irish Water Spaniel Club of America
website: iwsca.org
Sussex Spaniels
Registration Numbers
ussex Spaniel registration numbers
remained about the same in 2013. A
few more individuals were registered,
perhaps because more breeders are
individually registering puppies before
they are sold. I strongly encourage this,
as it allows the breeder to name the
puppies—many of us have a system of
doing so.
In the U.S., in 2013, there were 12
litters registered. In 2012 there were
also 12. In 2013 there were 62 individuals registered, which I believe also
included three imports. In 2012 there
were 40 individuals registered.
The figures above would leave a
non-dog person to assume that there
were litters of an average of four or five
puppies in a litter; however, that is not
true, as any Sussex breeder will tell you.
Litters range from a single puppy to
eight or more.
In England, there were 55 individuals
registered in 2013.
As you can see by these numbers, the
Sussex remains one of the rarest of
breeds. The AKC lists the Sussex as
number 163 on its breed-numbers list
for 2013.
However, rare as the breed is, things
improve a bit every year. In 1971 there
were four breedable Sussex in the
U.S.—I know because we had two of
them. Now in the U.S. there are about
600, but not all of them are breedable.
This is why every Sussex puppy is precious. This is why every litter is a miracle. We must keep on breeding Sussex
and bringing in new, responsible, people to the breed.
S
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
A Mirror—A Useful Tool
One of the absolute best grooming
tools you will ever have is a large wall
mirror, or a wall that is a mirror.
Groom the dog, and then look at him
in the mirror. Stack him like you
would in the ring—in other words, see
what the judge will see.
No matter how good a groomer or
handler you are, standing away from the
dog and looking at him or looking in a
mirror can give you a whole different
perspective.You may find that the dog
looks better with the back feet out
another inch or the head held a bit
higher or lower.
Move your grooming table in front
of a mirror, or if you don’t have a mirror big enough to see the whole dog,
go to a thrift shop and buy one. I know
a man who has mounted a salvaged
mirror from the renovation of a gym
on the wall of his garage so that he can
see the dog moving—a great idea!
A Sad Loss
Mavis Lancaster, president of the
Sussex Spaniel Association in England,
died this past spring. Mavis and her
husband, George (who predeceased
her), bred Sussex for years and years
under the Oakmoss and Creswelshaw
kennel names. Our first Sussex came
from them, Ch. Oakmoss Witch, C.D.
Mavis lived a good long life, bred and
loved many Sussex, and will be sorely
missed by her many friends.
—Marcia Deugan,
ZIYADAHreg@aol.com
Sussex Spaniel Club of America
website: sussexspaniels.org
Welsh Springer
Spaniels
How Can I Make a
Difference?
f you haven’t signed up to receive
the “Legislative Alerts” from the
AKC Government Relations
department, I strongly encourage that
you do. It’s sobering to receive these
alerts and recognize how frequently,
and in how many states, our rights to
I
own dogs, breed dogs, and work our
dogs in the field are under attack.
The agenda of the animal-rights
groups is very clear: to make it as difficult as possible—and ultimately impossible—for us to breed dogs, and in particular sporting dogs. That’s a “twofer”
for them: strike a blow against selective
breeding and hunting at the same time.
Earlier this year the legislature in
Maryland, where I live, considered legislation to make it more difficult to
dock tails, crop ears, or remove the
dewclaws of puppies. Specifically, the
original version of the bill would have
required general anesthesia on puppies
prior to these procedures. Since some
of these procedures are carried out on
very young puppies, AKC Government
Relations was in contact with the right
legislators to express the concern of the
fancy about these ill-considered proposals.
The Government Relations team
also let people who are signed up for
the legislative alerts know the timing of
hearings and votes on the bills, as well
as how to contact our legislators.
However, the ability of AKC to reach
these legislators in all 50 states, as well
as our federal officials, doesn’t happen
in a vacuum.
Because I happen to have worked on
Capitol Hill and also as a lobbyist, my
friends in the fancy will often ask me if
there is any way an individual, or group
of people, can really influence the legislative process. My answer is always the
same: “Get involved.”
Following are three ways:
1. Call your state legislator or
Member of Congress when you receive
notice from the AKC Government
Relations Department about legislation
of interest to you. And, most important,
call them when you support a piece of
legislation, not just when you oppose
something. Legislators want to know
what you think.
2. Take part in the AKC Canine
Legislation Support Fund. As it says on
the AKC website, this fund “was established to support the education of legislators on dog issues and to fight bad
AKC GAZETTE
•
20
• JULY
2014
legislation that violates the rights of
responsible owners and breeders. Both
clubs and individuals may contribute to
this fund to enhance the AKC’s efforts
to defeat repressive legislation and
ensure that our rights are protected.”
3. Contribute to the AKC Political
Action Committee (PAC). (Full disclosure: I recently became a member of
the AKC PAC Board.) As the website
states, the PAC, “accepts donations from
individuals only and allocates them to
dog-friendly candidates. Contributions
to the CLSF may not be used for campaigns, and PAC funds may not be
used for lobbying or education efforts.”
Consider what you can do to support these two funds to help protect
your rights as a dog owner or breeder.
—Wendy J. Jordan,
wendy.jordan@capstrategiesgroup.com
Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of
America website: wssca.com
Spinoni Italiani
A New Columnist, on
Father’s Day
fter years of excellent columns, Jan
Naigus has asked me to step in
and give it a whirl. She has given me a
wonderful target to emulate, and I am
honored by her encouragement.
Today I will introduce myself, and
next time I’ll begin in earnest on the
Spinoni that Jan and I love and respect
so much. Thank you, Jan.
I began in dogs 30 years ago with a
family Dalmatian we named Heidi. My
wife, Dana, and I and our girls—Sarah,
6 years old, and Fiona, 4—had just
moved into our first good-sized home,
in Connecticut, after years of pediatric
residency and no disposable cash. The
younger daughter had already been
angling for a dog for over a year, playing violin and planning like Sherlock
Holmes. And, as big sister was a “cat
person,” she would have the dog for
herself, alone.
However, when we all found out
how powerful and headstrong Heidi
was, I started being greeted after work
with the leashed puppy and the wifely
command, “Take her, I’m done for the
A
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
day!” Needless to say, my coach dog
and I were often seen reenacting James
Thurber cartoons as I insisted on offlead obedience from my new pup.Yes,
we started as a cliché, but she quickly
became my partner and unconditional
refuge from the stresses of young doctorhood.
After a few years we moved to
Pittsburgh, my boyhood home. Dana’s
solution to the continued civil disobedience was a new dog-partner for
Heidi, a rescue Greyhound named
“Come home, Reggie.”
What a sweet gentleman the 4-yearold Reggie was! What a contrast in
temperament—but what an elusive athlete when a repairman let him out the
front door. But he survived, we recovered after almost losing him, and Dana’s
plan worked. Heidi was becalmed, and
the two were companionable friends
for years and years as we all grew up.
Eventually Reggie, who almost never
went off lead again, passed eventually,
and powerful Heidi needed companionship again.
We had learned from Heidi and
Reggie what our ideal dog might be
like: calmly loving in the house, and
avid and cooperative outdoors.
We found it in the Spinone.
Fourteen years and many housedogs
later, we have bred 10 litters and
become better trainers. Dana rediscovered a love of conformation shows
from her girlhood, has a great eye for a
good dog, and recently judged the fun
match at our 2014 Spinone Club of
America national specialty. I occasionally show the dogs and have won hunting trophies from the club and joined
its governing board. I use my background in genetics in our breeding, and
I talk to my pediatric patients about the
dogs when they are scared or in pain.
Together Dana and I are conformation
educators for the Spinone club, and I’m
trying to convince modest Dana to
train for conformation judgeship.
In my next column, I will discuss the
essence of the breed.
By the way, we use more exotic
names for the dogs now, if you
wondered …
—Daniel M. Graff, M.D., danielgraff11@gmail.com
Spinone Club of America website:
spinoneclubofamerica.com
Vizslas
Research, and Health Data:
The Legacy Continues
he history of the Vizsla in North
America has included many
dedicated breeders and owners with a
deep commitment to improving the
health of the breed. This legacy
continues with support of health
research projects through the Vizsla
Club of America Welfare Foundation
(VCA WF), which collaborates with
research institutions and the AKC
Canine Health Foundation to identify
significant projects. The VCA WF also
encourages Vizsla owners to visit
vcaweb.org/welfare/welfare.shtml.
Current projects include a mast cell
tumor study at Cornell University; a
Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium
(CHCC) study focused on lymphoma
and melanoma; the Vizsla Epilepsy
Research Project, at the University of
Minnesota; the Canine Health
Foundation’s Lymphosarcoma Project,
initiated by the Magyar Vizsla Society
and the VCA; and a study of hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, and osteosarcoma in Vizslas at the University of
Minnesota.Vizsla owners can support
this research by submitting samples and
by donating through the VCA WF.
An important 2008 project has
resulted in an article in the February
2014 issue of the Journal of the American
Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA).
Entitled “Evaluation of the Risk and
Age of Onset of Cancer and Behavioral
Disorders in Gonadectomized Vizslas,”
the article was co-authored by Dr.
Christine Zink, Parvene Farhoody,
Samra E. Elser, Lynda D. Ruffini, Tom
A. Gibbons, and Dr. Randall H. Rieger.
Using data from the VCA WF 2008
Health Survey, the authors focused on
an apparent association between early
spaying/neutering and the incidence of
cancer and behavioral disorders.
T
AKC GAZETTE
•
21
• JULY
2014
When the VCA WF sponsored and
funded the survey in 2008, the purpose
was to identify current health issues in
the breed by looking at a large number
of Vizslas born between 1992 and 2008.
The anonymous online survey was
publicized among VCA membership
and through Vizsla listservs and other
dog publications, resulting in a total of
2,505 surveys collected and analyzed.
The primary goal was to determine the
breed’s biggest health issues and most
frequent causes of death, and to identify
areas where more research is needed.
The data was collected and analyzed by
the West Chester Statistics Institute, a
research organization not connected to
the VCA WF, ensuring accurate and
unbiased reporting of the results.
The numbers showed that the primary issues were cancer (mast cell, lymphoma, and hemangiosarcoma) and
behavioral issues.
A decision to include questions
about the age of spay/neuter took the
survey data in an unexpected direction.
In 2009 Lynda Ruffini, the VCA’s
Health Chair, shared the results with
Dr. Christine Zink, who was impressed
with the survey and said, “Too bad you
didn’t ask what age they were spayed
and neutered.” Lynda said, “We did!”—
and thus began the road to publication.
In analyzing the data, it was found
that dogs spayed or neutered at 6
months or younger, between 7 and 12
months, or at 12 months or older had
significantly increased odds of developing cancer and fear of storms as compared with intact dogs. Dogs spayed or
neutered at 6 months or younger had
significantly increased odds of developing a behavioral disorder. The younger
the dog was altered, the earlier the
mean age of diagnosis of cancer, behavioral disorders, or fear of storms.
It should be emphasized, however,
that this was a health survey, rather than
a research study with standard controls
and documentation of affected dogs.
While every effort was made to statistically eliminate any bias in reporting
and to correctly interpret the findings, a
survey of this nature is not the same
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
thing as a scientifically designed
research study. It would not be appropriate to conclude, based on the results,
that spaying/neutering causes health
problems or behavior issues; however, it
makes sense for owners and veterinarians to carefully consider the potential
risks and benefits for each individual
dog, rather than using a one-size-fits-all
approach.
Publication in the JAVMA—a
respected, peer-reviewed resource—is a
measure of the significance of the survey’s findings. The Vizsla data, along
with earlier research involving Golden
Retrievers and Rottweilers, points to
the importance of looking closely at
the potential health implications of
spaying/neutering, especially at a young
age.
The survey results make it clear that
more research is needed. There appears
to be a correlation between early
spay/neuter and some kinds of cancer
and behavior issues, but there are complex questions that need answers based
on solid scientific work. We can be
hopeful that funding will become available, because this subject is important
to so many dog owners. It is a source of
pride that our breed is on the leading
edge, along with Golden Retrievers
and Rottweilers.
Words of thanks are due to the
authors of the JAVMA article: M.
Christine Zink, DVM, Ph.D., Zink
Integrative Sports Medicine; Parvene
Farhoody, MA, Department of
Psychology, Queens College, Flushing,
New York; Samra E. Elser, BS, School
of Veterinary Medicine, University of
Pennsylvania; Lynda Ruffini,
Binghamton University Department of
Psychology; Tom A. Gibbons, MS, and
Randall H. Rieger, Ph.D., West Chester
Statistics Institute. Recognition is also
due to Dr. Noah Cohen, Dr. Gayle
Watkins, and Chris Bartizal for technical assistance.
With the exception of the work
done by the West Chester Institute, the
authors did not charge the VCA WF for
their services.
Vizsla owners’ support was also cru-
cial; hundreds of owners completed
surveys and helped spread the word to
encourage participation. As Health
Chair of the VCA Welfare Foundation,
Lynda Ruffini put in countless hours.
Both the JAVMA article and the
original VCA WF 2008 Health Survey
report are very interesting reading.
Here are links:
caninesports.com/uploads/1/5/3/1/153
19800/vizsla_javma_study.pdf
vcaweb.org/download/2008VizslaHealt
hSurvey_info.pdf
This topic continues in our next column, which will focus on talking with
your veterinarian about risks and benefits of spaying and neutering.
—Beth Nash, nash@centurylink.net
Vizsla Club of America website:
vcaweb.org
Weimaraners
Don’t Leave Me! But If
You Do …
ne of the first books I read about
Weimaraners stressed that they
are “not easily relegated to the kennel.”
That phrase stuck with me. As I learned
more about Weimaraners, the meaning
grew like a big ball of duct tape rolling
through a feather factory.
Weimaraners have little tolerance or
understanding of why they can’t constantly be with you. They love their
people, and happiness is being with
their human pack.
Life being what it is, there will be
times when you just have to leave your
grey buddy and deal with human situations that take you away from home.
What to do with the dog(s)?
Personally, I’ve tried to deal with the
situation in many ways—by using kennels, house sitters, and dog walkers, and
imposing on the kindness of friends.
(And sometimes I just give up and take
them with me.) However, in all cases
where the care of my dog is entrusted
to someone else, I give the “trustee” a
set of written instructions about the
care and habits of my dogs. It’s invaluable to have a set of instructions that
cover all the things that are important
for the safety and comfort of your dog.
O
AKC GAZETTE
•
22
• JULY
2014
If you’re dealing with a true emergency or just the last-minute rush of
leaving for a trip, you don’t need the
extra time-drain of detailing your dog’s
care and feeding instructions. Better
prepare that information ahead of time.
Take a few minutes now and write up
an instruction sheet for your dogs. A
little advance planning can make your
departure faster and improve your
peace of mind for the duration of your
absence.
Why should you bother writing an
instruction sheet? Drop off your dog
with a friend, and the person can be so
preoccupied with the dog that what
you’re saying about care and feeding
gets lost in the shuffle. Use a house-sitter or a dog walker, and it’s in the best
interest of your dog, the “trustee,” and
your house to have your expectations in
writing. Use a boarding kennel, and
they’ll automatically ask for contact
information, medication needs, special
feeding instructions, and health history.
What should you include in your
instruction sheet?
Make sure the contact information
you provide includes multiple ways to
get in touch, such as your cell phone
number, hotel name/number, business
phone, and so on. Give the name of
your veterinarian, but also make sure if
the “trustee” will use your vet or their
own if medical treatment is required. If
your dog takes any medicines or supplements, give the name, dosage, and
accurately labeled containers. (Always
provide a more than adequate supply of
medications, so if your absence is
longer than expected your dog is covered.) How many times a day does
your dog eat? Does your dog have any
foods that upset digestion? List behavioral traits that include how the dog
asks to be let out, and how they feel
about other pets and children. Do
thunderstorms send your dog into a
tizzy? Can your dog be left unsupervised with toys? Customize your
instructions to the needs of your dog.
Remember that no one knows your
dog better than you do, so take nothing
for granted when outlining your
sporting
GZ BREED COLUMNS
expectations.
—Carole Lee Richards, ymar_column@yahoo.com
Weimaraner Club of America website: weimaranerclubofamerica.org
Wirehaired Pointing
Griffons
What Harbor Is Your Aim?
he philosopher Seneca said,
“When a man does not know
what harbor he is making for, no wind
is the right wind.” Many of today’s new
breeders seem to have no guiding force
for their breeding decisions. They seem
to be mesmerized by the latest winning
dog in the ring or blinded by all the
titles an individual dog may have. Wins
and titles seem to be the only criteria
they have for their breeding choices.
Not pedigrees, not bloodlines, not the
breed standard, just the superficial bling.
Most concerning is that their decisions are made without the guidance of
an experienced mentor with many
decades of experience in the breed. A
very few breeders of Wirehaired
Pointing Griffons really know generations of our breed or know the influential dogs who populate the pedigrees
some of today’s breeders seem to have
no interest in learning about. Sadly,
many new breeders are instant experts
and don’t want to be mentored. Or
working
T
Akitas
Getting Ready …
t occurs to me that preparing for a
national specialty is quite unlike
preparing for any other sporting event.
It is an endurance contest unique to
our sport, fraught with many humorous
potential catastrophes along the way.
You make reservations a year in
advance, and you begin observing each
dog with a very critical eye, trying to
decide which should attend. Several
weeks out, your dogs give you an
amused look as you begin to scrutinize
every hair follicle on their bodies,
checking for coat condition and
growth. Let the weekly bathing begin!
I
they are misguided by someone who
lacks the depth of knowledge or experience in the breed to qualify them as a
true mentor. I ask, what is their vision
for the breed? Where are they going?
What are they aiming for?
Dogdom is constantly flooded with
amateur folks who fancy themselves a
breeder just because they have a champion or otherwise awarded dog.
Suddenly, this dog becomes breeding
material based solely on those awards.
The truly experienced, wise breeder
knows better than to breed a dog based
on such flimsy criteria alone. The
breeding of true, bred-to-standard,
quality dogs takes in-depth knowledge
of the breed standard and a critical eye
for evaluating one’s individual breed. It
takes extensive knowledge of pedigrees
and an understanding, based on many
years of experience, of how various
bloodlines come together. It takes ruthless scrutiny of one’s own dog to know
its weaknesses and to find a breeding
partner that lessens those weaknesses as
well as supports its strengths in order to
improve one’s breeding program. It
takes guts to know when to not breed a
dog who really isn’t up to standard,
regardless of how much you like his
temperament and personality or the
titles and awards he has. It takes a real,
long-range breeding plan to consistently
produce quality dogs. Only an experienced mentor can provide the depth of
guidance a newcomer needs to successfully progress in a breeding program
that has a positive, long-term impact on
a breed.
Quality doesn’t occur instantly but
takes decades of experience and a lifelong quest to learn to improve upon
one’s bloodlines and move the breed, as
a whole, towards a better place. True
lasting and positively influential quality
doesn’t come from random outcrosses
to the various titled or winning dogs
from today; it comes from a deep
understanding and knowledge of a
given breed’s best breeding lines that
have predictably produced healthy,
sound dogs in temperament, structure
and instinct and continue to consistently produce them. To breed otherwise creates nothing more than a
hodgepodge of random dogs who,
when bred together, continue to produce nothing but unpredictable outcomes that do not improve the breed.
The long-term impact of this kind of
thoughtless breeding can be devastating
to a breed, as it veers away from the
breed standard that should be the guiding force for all breeders.
—Ann Allen, ams2allen@aol.com
American Wirehaired Pointing
Griffon Association website: awpga.com
Do you ever wonder what goes
through their minds when they realize
that we are going to start or increase
their roadwork? I am convinced they
go along with this activity for their
own entertainment. After all, I am usually the one who comes home
exhausted, if not bruised and sore from
the experience.
We move on to picking the owner’s
specialty wardrobe—not an easy task! If
your national is in the fall, like ours, this
means that you will have to pack clothing for any weather condition, be it
rain, heat, cold, or even snow.You will
need clothes to exercise dogs in, go to
dinner in, and attend any club function
or seminar. Then there is the selection
of show clothes, a monumental undertaking for us mere humans. I have left
more than one department-store salesperson staring in disbelief as I’ve run
through the suit department while trying on an outfit to make sure I could
move in the skirt—not to mention
doing the deep-knee-bends and strange
calisthenics I employ to ensure I’ll be
comfortable in that costly garment and
that it has a place to put my bait.
It’s getting close to the entry deadline, so you painstakingly pore through
your premium list and carefully fill it
out. Whether you make your entries
online, through regular mail, or by
AKC GAZETTE
•
23
• JULY
2014
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
sending them overnight, you must be
sure to call the superintendent, because
you have to make sure that your entries
were received. It is at this point that you
may hear a noise only audible to those
in the sport of dogs: the unmistakable
sound of hair falling out of whichever
dog(s) you’ve just entered.You brush
and bathe very gently for the next week
and a half—which is made more difficult because your fingers and toes are
now crossed and you’re holding your
breath, fervently hoping that this is not
a complete coat-blow.
You are now ready to fastidiously
pack your vehicle with every actual or
duplicate item that you might possibly
need. My motto has always been “If I
don’t have it, you don’t need it!” Armed
with your GPS and a stack of maps,
you’re on your way to your national
specialty.
Oh, and don’t forget the dogs!
—Julie Strawsburg-Mayes, darqwitch@aol.com
Akita Club of America website: akitaclub.org
Alaskan Malamutes
For Whom the Hackers Troll
here are times when a national
specialty can be criminal. And I
am not referring to the judging.
After our national in Wisconsin last
October, Alaskan Malamute e-mail lists
and pages were humming about who
did what, and to whom. And overseas,
ears were listening.
On November 3, a call for help came
via e-mail. Barb White, from Castle
Rock, Colorado, was trapped in the
Ukraine and couldn’t get out. She
needed immediate help from her Mal
buddies, or not-good things would
happen to her.
It seemed that Barb had her bag
stolen in Kiev, along with her passport
and money, and now she needed funds
to pay for a ticket home and to settle
her hotel bill. Her flight was leaving
very soon, and all the American
embassy would do for her was to issue
her a temporary passport.
This didn’t ring very true to me. I
T
was an information officer for the U.N.
in Rome for four years, and the one
thing the American Embassy didn’t
want was a destitute American. It
would help in every way to get you
home. And besides most travelers buy a
round-trip ticket, not just one-way.
However, I thought if Barb needed
help to get home, I could ante up a few
bucks. So I said so. Wrong move.
I got an immediate response saying
my “lovely e-mail” had cheered her up,
and would I please hop over to Western
Union and send her $1,930 immediately? It would be “a life saving
moment” she would never forget.
It would have been a moment that I
would have never forgotten, had I done
it.
Getting a barrage of e-mails from
Kiev asking if I had gone to Western
Union yet, I decided to ask whoever
was sending them to give me the name
and year that Barb’s bitch won the Top
Twenty. And I asked for the name of
my bitch who had retired as the topwinning Mal of all time.
Four days passed. Obviously the
plane sitting on the tarmac waiting for
Barb to get on wasn’t a factor any
more. Not a peep, after the almost
hourly pleas for me to “go to the
Western Union outlet and send cash”
with my credit card.
Then here came the finals of the Top
20 and Barb’s bitch, exactly as written
in the AMCA newsletter—with no
mention of my bitch.
By now it was obvious that Barb’s email account had been hacked, but by
somebody who had knowledge of dog
shows. They knew how to access the
members-only AMCA website in order
to obtain show information, but not
where to find the stats dating back
years for my bitch, Snazzy.
As I am writing this, guess what just
arrived? It’s an e-mail from Betty
Mumba, from Haiti, whose children
were killed in an Egyptian air crash in
1999. She was left $10.5 million and
would like my help in giving it to charity. She thoughtfully cited a website
describing the crash and listing her
AKC GAZETTE
•
24
• JULY
2014
children’s names. (Usually these pitches
come from Nigeria; this one is a little
closer to home.)
I don’t want to think that someone
attending our national used their
knowledge of dogs to try and deceive
our members. Rather that it was some
scammer who thought that the scheme
could work with anyone, anywhere.
They include just enough information
to give their cause a thin veneer of possibility.
So the message is beware of thieves;
they don’t all arrive inside wooden
horses. Now they can ride in on emails.
—Dian MComb, alcan@att.net
Alaskan Malamute Club of American
website: alaskanmalamute.org
Anatolian Shepherd
Dogs
Is the Anatolian Shepherd
Dog Gaining Popularity? I
Hope Not.
ne of the perks of being retired is
that I can sleep late and have my
coffee while I watch early-morning
talk shows. I particularly enjoy the Live!
With Kelly and Michael show (formerly
Live! With Regis and Kelly). The show
always begins with the hosts sharing
articles from the daily tabloids.
One morning this past spring the
show’s co-host Kelly Ripa was on vacation, so sitting in her chair for that day
was TV personality Maria Menounos.
Menounos is a dog lover (she has four
dogs of her own), and she shared an
article about the breeds that are growing the fastest in popularity. The breed
at the top of the list was the French
Bulldog, and second was the Black and
Tan Coonhound. However, I was not
prepared for the breed ranked third on
the list: the Anatolian Shepherd. Not
only was I flabbergasted that the
Anatolian made this list, I was definitely
not pleased.
Apparently the information had
appeared in the form of a chart titled
“Vive la ‘Frenchie’!” in that day’s issue of
USA TODAY (March 25, 2014).The
chart listed breeds with the largest per-
O
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
centage-increases in registrations over the
last 10 years (2003–2013), based on the
AKC’s analysis of registration numbers.
What is important here is that our
ethical Anatolian Shepherd Dog breeders and owners do not want our breed
to go the way of so many breeds that
gain instant popularity and large jumps
in registrations, only to have breed rescues eventually overrun with discarded
dogs.
On January 31, the AKC posted a
press release on its website titled “Bigger
Dogs Are Here to Stay! Large Dogs
Dominate Most Popular List.” Further
down the page, there is paragraph that
begins: “In keeping with the popularity
of large breeds, several members of the
Working Group made double-digit
gains over the past decade.”
In 2003, the Anatolian Shepherd was
ranked 123rd in registrations. In 2013,
the breed ranked 93rd—jumping up 30
places in just 10 years. According to the
USA TODAY chart, this is a 149-percent jump in registrations. A disturbing
statistic!
Granted, the Anatolian Shepherd
Dog is a handsome, impressive breed.
However, he is not a breed for the average dog owner. Ranchers who purchase an Anatolian assuming that the
dog can instantly solve their predation
problems and who allow their dog(s)
out into the field without proper training or supervision are courting disaster
as the dog grows and matures. Other
individuals who have questionable or
misplaced motives for purchasing an
Anatolian may also face an uncertain or
potentially unhappy experience,
because they are not adequately prepared to establish a positive relationship
with this dominant, demanding breed.
Conscientious breeders will plan litters well in advance and refuse to sell a
puppy to anyone who is simply enamored by the breed’s “look” or protective
reputation. To help keep the popularity
of our breed in check, these breeders,
when interviewing potential buyers,
will utilize a lengthy list of serious,
telling questions, such as:
• What is your primary objective in want-
ing to purchase an Anatolian Shepherd?
• Will this breed be compatible with your
home, family, and lifestyle?
• How committed are you to socializing
the puppy so that as he grows up (and up)
and matures, he becomes successful with the
normal day-to-day activities of his environment?
• Are you considering possibly becoming a
breeder at some time in the future?
It is worrisome that the Anatolian is
beginning to appear on published lists
naming it a breed gaining in popularity
as demonstrated by rapidly rising registration statistics. We need to breed our
“Turkish treasure” responsibly, with all
recommended health testing completed
prior to the actual breeding. Finally, we
need to make every attempt at placing
our Anatolian puppies in the hands of
people who can successfully form a
lifetime bond with this intelligent,
independent, and physically strong “old
world” livestock-guardian breed to
safely preserve its health and welfare,
now and in the future.
—Marilyn Harned, anat404@cox.net
Anatolian Shepherd Dog Club of
America website: asdca.org
Bernese Mountain
Dogs
Breed Ambassadors
n exciting component of breeder
referral through the Bernese
Mountain Dog Club of America’s
website is its Breed Ambassador
program. Designed to put people in
contact with Berner owners, Breed
Ambassadors provide basic information
about Bernese Mountain Dogs, the
BMDCA, regional BMD clubs, and
generic information about how to find
responsible BMD breeders.
This innovative resource is described
as “a grass-roots, person-to-person
informational program for those wanting to learn about the breed.” Its intent
is to assist those seeking knowledge
about the breed with such things as
understanding the importance of
responsible breeding practices, answering basic questions about puppy training, and giving an idea of what it is like
A
AKC GAZETTE
•
25
• JULY
2014
to live with a Berner.
The latter topic lends itself to sharing
information about the various activities
that can be enjoyed with Bernese. The
versatility of the breed makes that an
easy topic for conversation. Assisting
prospective owners may lead to
exchanges about deciphering an AKC
pedigree and tapping into health clearance databases, such as Berner-Garde
and OFA. Of particular importance is
acquainting them with the nearest local
BMD club and facilitating their meeting other Berner people and becoming
involved in club activities. Names of
ambassadors and contact information
are accessible on the BMDCA website
by state or by an area of interest—such
as obedience, drafting, or rescue.
As an all-breed breeder referral contact for my local AKC kennel club, I
find that a number of prospective owners are goal oriented in their puppy
search and are interested in such activities as therapy work or agility in what
they are seeking in a canine companion. Being able to offer contacts with
people experienced in a specific field of
interest is tremendously helpful in
meeting those needs. Breed
Ambassadors are especially valuable to
those who want an honest assessment
of the breed, unbiased by the potential
of making a sale.
Breed Ambassadors are provided with
specific guidelines, and principal
accountabilities are clearly set.
Qualifications for Ambassadors include
having been a BMDCA member for at
least five years and currently owning or
having owned a BMD for a like period.
Entering and maintaining up-to-date
health and other data in the BernerGarde database on all Berners owned or
co-owned is a requisite, as is agreeing to
fully support and abide by the most
current version of the BMDCA Code
of Conduct. If the Ambassador is a
Berner breeder, he or she must further
agree to comply with those BMDCA
requirements and standards specified in
the Code of Conduct for breeders.
Approval by the BMDCA Board of
Directors is required to act in the
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
capacity of a BMDCA Breed
Ambassador. Removal is at the sole discretion of the Board.
Users of this service are advised that
telephone contact is suggested for optimum support since e-mail, although
convenient, is not always conducive to
lengthy discussion or multiple topics.
An additional good point is to get in
touch with more than one Breed
Ambassador. Doing so broadens the
scope of information that can be gained
from people who own or have had
Berners. Getting points of view on the
same topics from several different people is extremely helpful to the prospective owner in making the monumental
decision of whether to pursue getting a
Berner, to select a different breed, or
even to abandon temporarily the idea
of getting a dog.
—Julia Crawford, cwyemede@dmv.com
Bernese Mountain Dog Club of
America website: bmdca.org
Bullmastiffs
uest columnist Barb Heck is a
longtime Bullmastiff enthusiast,
breeder, handler, and exhibitor. She
offers an article on the experience of
judging as a non-AKC judge.
G
Judging a Specialty—Who,
Me?
As many of you may know, the AKC
announced a new rule allowing a parent club to select a qualified person
who is not an AKC-approved judge the
opportunity to judge at their regional
or national specialty shows. I remember
thinking this was a great idea and what
an honor it would be to be asked to
judge at one of these functions.
Imagine my surprise and delight when
shortly thereafter I was invited to judge
the Southeast Bullmastiff Association
(SEBA) regional specialty in Tennessee!
Once the parent club (in this case
the American Bullmastiff Association)
submitted my name to the AKC, the
approval process began. There are very
specific requirements, among them
completing a test on ring procedure
and canine anatomy. All of the neces-
sary paperwork was sent to me via
computer from AKC.
After being notified of my approval, I
began making arrangements for my
trip. I arrived at my hotel early in the
afternoon the day before the show. This
enabled me to relax, have an early dinner, and get a good night’s rest before
the big day. I also took some time to
review a few items that I felt would
assist me, such as reading the standard
and going over ring procedure in my
mind’s eye.
Upon arriving at the show site I
reported to the AKC Field
Representative and checked in with the
show superintendent. Since I had some
time to spare, I was able to enjoy a light
breakfast and meet some of the other
judges in the hospitality room.
After picking up my book at the
superintendent’s table, I went to my
ring to check with my ring steward and
make sure we were ready to get started.
Fortunately the regional club provided
me with a very competent steward
who had everything in order and made
sure things ran smoothly for the rest of
my assignment.
Even though I was pretty confident
in my knowledge of the Bullmastiff
breed and my ring procedure, since I
have judged several sweepstakes, I must
admit to having a few butterflies. Once
things got started, however, everything
continued along without a hitch.
Since the specialty was held in conjunction with the Greater Kingsport
Kennel Club’s all-breed show, I was
aware of the importance of staying on
time while giving each entry their fair
amount of consideration. I made an
effort to follow a set ring pattern and
be very clear with my instructions in
the ring, and I believe these things
helped me stay within my time constraints and avoided any confusion for
the exhibitors. I am pleased to say that
all the dogs were very well behaved,
which also made my task much easier.
It was funny, but after accepting this
invitation and realizing the responsibility that went along with it, I began to
have some doubts and second thoughts.
AKC GAZETTE
•
26
• JULY
2014
This time I would be awarding points,
and sending my choice for Best of
Breed on to compete in the Working
Group! Thankfully, I was able to push
those thoughts aside and enjoy the
experience of judging the breed that I
have loved for almost 30 years. Being a
breeder and exhibitor and having lived
with Bullmastiffs enabled me to understand the essence of the breed and have
a clear understanding of its structure
and temperament, as well as realize the
importance of judging to the standard.
Judging the Bullmastiff breed has given
me a whole new perspective and reinforced my belief that there is always
something more to be learned.
Thank you to the SEBA members
for allowing me to judge your specialty,
and a special thanks to all of you for
your gracious hospitality. If given the
opportunity to judge another specialty,
I’d do it again in a heartbeat! —B.H.
Thanks, Barb!
—Helene Nietsch, helene@banstock.net
American Bullmastiff Association
website: bullmastiff.us
Doberman Pinschers
The Showdown in the
Heartland
ome join us in Topeka October 4–
11 for “The Showdown in the
Heartland.” The 2014 DPCA national is
going to be fabulous. We have so many
activities planned, you will wish you
had more time! DPCA members are
putting their best foot forward to make
this one of the most memorable
nationals ever. Glen Lajeski will be
chairing the decorations for the event.
Hillary Zimmerman will be bringing a
trailer full of props to serve as the
backdrop for the Western theme. We
have the best party planner,Vickie
Seiler, organizing a variety of activities,
including a casino night and “minuteto-win-it” contests.
Monday will start with the agility
trial and the Working Aptitude Test. At
noon, we will start the general meeting,
with a member appreciation lunch
spread. There will be some awards pre-
C
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
sented and pictures taken of the recipients. We will be introducing the very
exciting new Legacy Awards Program,
to honor our outstanding stud dogs,
brood bitches, and breeders. In the
evening, we will get dressed up to view
the Top 20 conformation competition.
On Tuesday, there will be educational
seminars for breeders and exhibitors,
obedience and rally trials, and Canine
Good Citizen and therapy dog evaluations. Later that afternoon, we will have
a welcome party for all the newcomers,
including a panel discussion with top
breeders and handlers. Immediately following we will have our first roundrobin match. This is a great opportunity
to show your dogs and give puppies
precious practice time. The handler of
the winner of each class will judge the
subsequent class. We have judges
selected for the first class and Best in
Match. The DPCA Generation
Forward committee, chaired by
Charlene Dunnam, is hosting the event.
On Tuesday evening we celebrate the
Agility Top 20.
Wednesday starts with the veteran
sweeps and the futurity. There will also
be an agility seminar by Ann Braue, an
obedience seminar on “What It Takes
to Be a Successful Doberman Trainer,”
and a panel discussion, “Obedience
Problem Solving with Previous Top 20
Winners.” Later that afternoon the
international meeting convenes, and
that evening the Obedience Top 20 will
shine.
Thursday brings the dog judging,
including Stud Dog and Veteran Dog
classes. That evening we will have some
great health seminars.
This year we will offer another new
and unique activity. We will be holding
a Night Test/Night Walk. This is a mental test similar to a WAE, held after dark
with a few interesting twists and challenges. The multiple stations that will
increase in challenge and stimulation so
that puppies, youth, novice adults, and
trained adults can all participate and
have fun. This will not be a judged or
graded activity but will help provide
information to the handler about how
their dog handles different challenges
and stimuli. Doug and Jacque Matson
will be chairing this activity, and they
will need volunteers to help make it
successful. If you would like to help,
please send an e-mail to
doug@kansadobe.com.
On Friday begins the bitch judging,
including Veteran and Brood Bitch
classes. The judges’ education seminar
takes place in the afternoon. The Junior
Jamboree party commences after judging. DPCA Health/Rescue Fundraiser
is the exciting evening entertainment
and will have a Wild West theme. It will
include a Parade of Rescues, the Judith
Felton Award, Lifetime Achievement
Award, and Good Guy Award, and lots
of fun with host extraordinaire Steve
Schorr.
On Saturday is the Best of Breed
judging, preceded by the Junior
Showmanship competition. During
lunch there will be a Top Twenty Junior
Showcase. The judges’ education committee will offer ringside mentoring for
their students. That evening there will
be a closing party.
So don’t miss “The Showdown in the
Heartland,” Dobermans everywhere!
Find out more at dpca.org/national.
—Faye Strauss, sherluckmm@msn.com
Doberman Pinscher Club of
America website: dpca.org
German Pinschers
Low-Entry Breeds
hen a breed’s population is
spread throughout the country,
it takes a great deal of cooperation and
coordination to get enough dogs in
one location to complete a championship.
While many of the breeds that fall
into this category are newer to the
AKC, there are a number of more
established breeds that have been
around for a long time that still do not
have the numbers to easily make majors.
Further, there are few kennels that are
large enough to make their own majors
consistently, even though there have
been accusations of “kennel packing” in
some locations. More often than not,
W
AKC GAZETTE
•
27
• JULY
2014
people communicate with each other to
make plans to attend certain shows
together. This has become much easier
with Facebook and parent-club discussion lists being readily available.
The advantage to being cooperative
is that there are points available, but
there is a drawback to the system.
There are areas where more prolific
breeders sell a good number of their
puppies locally and those entered are of
a certain type. At these shows either
outsiders are not welcome, or they look
so totally different than the local dogs
that they stand little chance of winning,
even when they are the best dog of that
breed in the ring. This is also true of
judges who see mostly one type of dog
in their local area and, not having seen
the variety that exists within every
breed, come to the conclusion that the
type they see most often is correct.
Only at a well-attended national specialty will there be the full range of the
different types within a breed.
Therefore, the national-specialty judge
needs to have a wide range of experience with the breed and a good understanding of the breed standard. Both
judges and exhibitors will benefit by
attending a breed’s national specialty,
especially when it is that of one of the
low-entry breeds. An open mind and a
willingness to learn will enhance everyone’s perception and understanding of
the breed as a whole.
In addition, exhibitors need to keep
in mind the potential of increasing
annual breed-point requirements in
divisions when there are too many of
these cooperative shows in one particular area. Few people would think that
having multiple majors in Arizona
would impact the points schedule for
shows in California, but it does, as these
two states make up Division 9.
In another location, there had not
been a major in German Pinschers all
year in the division that includes North
Carolina until the GPCA national was
held there. Then over a three-day
weekend there was a regional specialty,
the national specialty, and a supported
entry. While the regional specialty and
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
the national specialty were not
included in the computation for the
following year’s breed-point requirements, that one supported-entry show
was counted, and as a result the bitch
numbers increased in the five states and
the District of Columbia that comprise
Division 3.
Effectively, what you call a show is
just as important as the numbers that
attend. The same is true of the location
of the shows in states that make up a
division.
While cooperation and coordination
are good for a breed overall, it does
require some thought and planning so
that it does not negatively impact the
same people who were actively working for the benefit of the breed and
their fellow exhibitors.
— Deidre E. Gannon, Esquire,
chocori@aol.com
German Pinscher Club of America
website: german-pinscher.com
Giant Schnauzers
Intelligence, Reliability, and
Trainability
mong the breed’s traits outlined in
the breed standard are
“intelligence and reliability … easily
trained.” These are must-have qualities
in a working dog, but how can these
traits be assessed for breeding stock? A
conformation championship (Ch.) does
not serve as a certification of working
ability. However, the AKC does offer a
wide variety of dog sports where a
working dog’s intelligence, reliability,
and trainability can be demonstrated
and proven.
Dog sports are usually divided into
three levels, with higher-level titles for
consistency and high-scoring performers achieving more challenging tasks. A
Giant Schnauzer can demonstrate intelligence, reliability, and trainability at the
lower levels, but the more demanding
tests of a highly skilled working dog are
at the upper levels.
An ultimate demonstration of independently tested breed type is for a
Giant Schnauzer to earn championships
in both AKC conformation and a per-
A
formance sport. Giants can earn four
possible championship title combinations: Ch./OTCH (Conformation
champion/Obedience Trial Champion),
Ch./CT (Conformation
champion/Champion Tracker),
Ch./MACH2 (Conformation champion/Master Agility Champion 2), and
AKC Triple Champion (TC)—
Ch./HC/MACH (Conformation
champion/Herding Champion/Master
Agility Champion).
Additionally, sport titles can result in
the development of an amazing relationship with your dog. To encourage
more people to work their Giant
Schnauzers, I will address lack of time
and lack of training skills and entice
you with some updated training ideas.
As you are already committed to
spending daily time with your dog, the
key to lack of time is providing structure to part of the time you already
spend together. Even with just five
minutes a day you can make great
strides in developing your dog’s working potential.
As for training skills, no need to
worry about tackling large learning
theories or requiring large chunks of
time. On the Internet you will find
training skills broken down into
digestible pieces, and many are demonstrated via short videos available online.
Video usually makes implementing a
skill easier than reading about it.
Internet training information can be
obtained free from blogs and websites,
or purchased from online classes and
online training communities where you
structure your own viewing and can
participate in community discussions
for additional assistance.
The following are four skills you may
enjoy incorporating into your training
time.
Shaping is training a behavior by
rewarding small steps toward a final
goal. Shaping is beneficial, as it allows
the dog to think, work through small
frustrations, and build self-control and
focus for a task.
Body awareness games improve coordination, increase conditioning, teach the
AKC GAZETTE
•
28
• JULY
2014
dog to enjoy learning, and are fun to
rotate into training time.
Marker use in a training program
helps with clear communication. Even
if you use markers, a better understanding and consistent use will benefit your
training.
Elimination of non-reward marks (such
as “oops!” or “no”) in foundational
training, paired with using different
combinations and levels of rewards, will
change your focuses to rewarding for all
effort, while still allowing a difference
in reward levels and combinations—
thereby communicating a clear picture
of the desired behaviors.
From the dog’s perspective, they
appear to thoroughly enjoy positive
reinforcement training and having a
job. Learn, train, and participate in
AKC sports for a collaborative win for
you, your dog, and the breed.
Thanks for getting to know our
breed standard.
—Bridgette Tuerler,
bridgettevcd@msn.com
Giant Schnauzer Club of America
website: giantschnauzerclubofamerica.com
Great Pyrenees
White Coats and High Heat
s I write these words, it is a hot
summer day. The Pyrenees are
mostly lying around, and running has
been limited to a brief round of the
yard to stretch their legs and scare off
intruders. After that, they just want to
hide under a tree and sleep. One of the
dogs has actually dug a very large hole
under the pear tree, where she has her
very own “cooler cave.”
In other words, nature makes very
clear what are the best ways to cope
with the heat. And no one has to teach
the dogs to comply. Of course the dogs
have plenty of water to drink, and at
least one of our Pyrs has quite a taste
for ice chips. We like to indulge this
habit because it makes her so happy.
I remember having a phone call from
a friend who has a dog-grooming business. She wanted some advice about a
Pyrenees whose owner had brought
her in to be shaved down for the sum-
A
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
mer. Our friend wanted to know if this
was a good idea. The owner of the dog
wanted to keep her dog cooler in the
summer heat, and she felt that having a
long coat covering the dog would
make her warmer. After all, we humans
put on coats in the winter in order to
keep warm and take them off when the
weather turns warmer.
Emphatically, I told her not to do it.
Nature has provided our dogs with a
wonderful coat that is an all-weather
friend. The Pyr has a double coat, with
a soft undercoat that acts as insulation
in cold weather, and long, harsh guard
hairs on the outside. In the summer, the
undercoat is shed—and it needs to be
carefully combed out. It will come easily free from the skin, and on an average dog the resulting fluff will easily fill
a large garbage bag. There are some
people who will actually spin this hair
into a very fine yarn. Pyr-club auctions
will often feature various knitted or
crocheted items that have been fashioned from this yarn.
The hair must be combed out rather
than brushed, so that all of it is
removed right down to the skin. If it is
not removed, it will rapidly form very
uncomfortable mats that need to be cut
out with scissors. When this is accomplished, the result is a white dog with a
harsh, long white coat. This coat is an
excellent protection from the sun since
the white color reflects perfectly. It
shields the skin from harmful rays and
provides an insulating layer that protects
the dog. Without the fluffy undercoat,
there is an open layer that allows air to
circulate right down to the skin. It is
nature’s remedy for the heat.
While it is certainly true that Pyrs
were originally bred for the cold
mountain climate of the Pyrenees
mountains, many people have happily
had kennels in very warm places. There
are major Pyr kennels in Arizona and
Texas who breed excellent and happy
dogs. And they don’t shave their dogs.
Of course, they often have an air-conditioned home for the dogs, but that is
a different topic altogether.
—Gail Knapp, Ph.D., J.D.,
Gail.knapp1@gmail.com
Great Pyrenees Club of America
website: gpcaonline.org
Komondorok
Delivery People and Dogs
ecently I had a unique
experience, but let me give some
background information first. We’ve
lived in our current home for several
years. Our residence is on 10 acres. Our
neighborhood consists of five houses
on a total of 75 acres. We’re rural. Every
one of our house doors opens into a
secure fenced area that includes decks
and yards. Our dogs are never in the
yard unless someone is home. We have
signs on the gate with images of
Komondorok on them, but do to
potential legal and insurance issues,
there are no “Beware of Dogs”–type
signs.
One morning I was in the middle of
the canine breakfast routine. I had just
put four Komondorok outside and
noticed a white pickup truck pulling
off the highway onto our road. I
thought nothing of it, as it was not
even 8 a.m. A couple of minutes later,
the Koms were barking loudly, and I
went outside to see what was going on.
The white pickup was parked in front
of our house, on it a magnetic sign
with the logo of a national delivery
company. I walked around the corner
of the house, thinking the delivery person was at the gate. Nope, the guy was
holding a box, only five feet from my
side door, and was surrounded by three
Komondorok.Yikes! I yelled at the guy
to “Stop!” I also gave the universal
palm-up signal with my hand because
of all the barking. He finally stopped. I
ushered the three Koms into the house.
(The fourth one was elderly and going
deaf—she didn’t hear the commotion.)
I then turned back to the delivery
person and screamed at him, “What are
you thinking?!”
His reply: “It’s OK, I’ve been bit
before.”
My reply was along the lines of “No
kidding”—but a bit more expletive.
Now let me just say here, we were
R
AKC GAZETTE
•
29
• JULY
2014
very lucky, and he did not get bit at my
house. The four Koms who were in the
yard have never bitten anyone, but it
scared the daylights out of me and
made me furious that this idiot had the
ability to open me up to a potential
lawsuit.
I settled down then called the company’s national phone number and
spoke with a very nice woman who
understood my concerns. I wanted to
ensure that these delivery people are
actually trained not to enter a fenced
yard with dog(s) in it. She assured me it
is one the first things they are taught.
She contacted the local hub and
brought this over-hire’s supervisor up
to speed. Thanks to tracking numbers,
it was possible to identify him.
We’ve had a very good relationship
with our regular delivery people. I
strongly suggest meeting with your
delivery people or at a minimum, leave
them a note to inform them know
your preferences. Make sure they know
never to enter a fenced area. If your
entire home and yard is fenced, consider having a weatherproof container
outside the gate for deliveries. New
signs stating “Do not enter” will be
placed on our gates. Snaps or locks on
the gates may be practical for some
households. Safe and convenient deliveries are the goal.
—Adrienne Freyer,
kburgkom@aol.com
Komondor Club of America website:
komondorclubofamerica.org
Kuvaszok
uvasz are not the most common
dogs at performance events.
However, dedicated Kuvasz owners have
participated in many AKC performance
events since their inception.
Bea Page, a Kuvasz Club of America
member, is a collector of statistics and
has shared the following information
regarding performance titles for the
breed.
K
Kuvasz Performance Stats
AKC obedience has been in existence since 1933. Based on records
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
through November 2013, 122 Kuvasz
have earned a CD, of those 122 Kuvasz,
22 have gone on to earn a CDX. Of
those 22 dogs, only three have gone on
to earn the UD title.
AKC agility is a relative new event,
dating back to 1994. Based on AKC
records through November 2013, 20
Kuvasz have earned Novice-level titles;
of those 20 dogs, 10 have gone on to
earn Open titles. Of these 10 dogs, five
have gone on to earn Excellent titles.
Only two dogs have gone on to earn
Master-level titles, and only one of
those dogs has gone beyond Masterlevel titling.
AKC tracking competition dates
back to 1937, when it was added as
part of the Utility-level obedience
exercises. Ten years later, AKC made
tracking tests a separate event. As of
November 2013, nine Kuvasz have
earned the TD, and only one has
earned the TDX. No Kuvasz has yet
earned the VST.
Another way of looking at these statistics is based on how long ago each
AKC sport was started:
• In 81 years, 22 Kuvasz have earned
the CDX title. That’s an average of
about one CDX every three and half
years.
• In 81 years, 3 Kuvasz have earned
the UD. That’s an average of about one
UD every 27 years.
• In 20 years, 10 Kuvasz have earned
Open-level agility titles. That’s an average of one Open title every two years.
• In 20 years, five Kuvasz have earned
an Excellent-level agility title. That’s an
average of one Excellent title every
four years.
• In 20 years, two Kuvasz have
earned a Master-level agility title. That’s
an average of one Master-level title
every 10 years.
• In 77 years, only one Kuvasz has
earned at TDX—obviously, that’s an
average of only one Kuvasz in 77 years!
So, what’s the takeaway lesson from
these statistics? First of all, we do have a
rare breed, and that carries over into
our participation in performance
events. A Kuvasz in the obedience ring
or the agility arena is a rare sight.
However, our dogs can clearly perform
at very high levels, but it takes is hard
work, consistency, dedication, and
patience.
The bond formed between a performance dog and their handler is truly
wonderful to behold and something to
treasure. Good luck to all those Kuvasz
folks out there who are training and
trialing in these types of events! —B.P.
Thanks, Bea, for sharing the statistics!
—LeAnn Miller, solarikuvasz@att.net
Kuvasz Club of America website:
kuvasz.com
Leonbergers
What Makes a Great Breed
Magazine?
aryl Thompson and Sharon Betts
have worked together for many
years as editor and chair of the
LeoLetter, the official publication of the
Leonberger Club of America. Our
publication comes out quarterly and is
very well received by our membership.
We have often been asked what
makes a breed magazine successful.
Following are the conditions that we
find make the LeoLetter’s arrival an
anticipated event every quarter.
• Organization and Policies
—We have a group of volunteer
committee chairs who make the work
less overwhelming. These chairs collect
and submit material for each issue to
our online collaboration area for proofing and final tweaks.
—Clear policies for content have
been established.View them at
leoletter.net/index.php/policies.
• Every issue should contain news of
interest to all members.
—“Tails from the Members” is a section that prints articles from the LCA
membership. We are extremely lucky to
receive wonderful submissions each
quarter.
—“Vetted” articles in areas such as
canine health, research, and breeding
practices, and so on are included as
often as possible.
— By publishing the minutes of
committees and our board of directors,
C
AKC GAZETTE
•
30
• JULY
2014
the entire membership can stay
informed on club business.
— Stud, breeder, and litter lists are
always included, because everyone is
interested in the newest members of
our breed.
• The magazine must have a welcoming
appearance. A first impression can make
the difference between a member actually reading a magazine and just tossing
it in the trash. We have a special theme
for each issue to add to the interest.
—Images of members’ wins, club
shows, and general interest related to
the quarterly theme are included.
—Color pages may cost a bit more
but are one of the most highly lauded
additions.
—Our Frontpage contest for the
image best representing our theme
always gathers many entries.
—Holiday ads and other “specials”
keep the publication from becoming
stale.
—Our online presence, with information about submissions, ad purchases,
and an archive of previous issues offers
an easily accessible format for everyone.
• —and it would never happen without
our team.
— Our team of volunteers strives to
produce the best-possible publication.
They are constantly collecting information, proofing, selecting the best pieces
to publish, and collaborating on
changes.
—The team supports each other in
personal ways as well. It is a joy to
work with such dedicated people.
A breed publication can help to hold
a club together and to even expand on
its membership. The LeoLetter certainly
captures the Leonberger Club of
America’s motto: “Great Dogs, Great
People.”
You can view a previous edition
here: tinyurl.com/ll-sample
Sharon Betts is webmaster for the
Leonberger Club of America, the chair
and webmaster for the LeoLetter, and
course designer and webmaster for
Leonberger University.
Caryl Thompson has served on the
LeoLetter team since 2006 and has
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
served as editor since 2008. She also
designs the LCA specialty catalog.
LeoLetter website: leoletter.net
—Astrid Robitaille,
astridrobi@gmail.com
Leonberger Club of America website: leonbergerclubofamerica.info
Newfoundlands
We Love Our Juniors!
e love our juniors!” That is
the theme of the juniors’
program of the Newfoundland Club of
America. The program is designed to
keep our juniors involved throughout
the year, especially during the week of
the national specialty, and its many
facets were outlined in the January
2014 issue of the GAZETTE. However,
Cissy Sullivan, juniors chair, and her
committee still saw one glaring hole in
the program—the club’s support for the
juniors while showing in the Junior
Showmanship classes at the national.
Historically, Junior Showmanship
classes at the national took place early
Saturday morning, prior to Best of
Breed judging. A smattering of supporters were always there, but most
potential spectators were preparing specials for the ring, having breakfast,
sleeping in after a long active week, or
packing their cars for the trip home.
The Juniors committee proposed an
effective but simple cure, which began
during the week when juniors took on
the added responsibility of selling raffle
tickets for fabulous prizes: a life-sized
metal Newfoundland silhouette, a
metal leash holder, and two custommade braided and beaded leads. The
raffle would be held immediately preceding Junior Showmanship classes on
Saturday, but the tickets had a caveat—
winners needed to be present at the
drawing!
During the week, the committee also
distributed buttons for supporters to
wear that urged supporters to come
and watch Junior Showmanship.
The final component of the cure
proposed moving Junior Showmanship
classes from first thing in the morning
to between dog specials and bitch spe-
“W
cials, a change to which Paula Nykiel,
juniors and breed judge, graciously
agreed. Following the initial examination of the dog specials, Mrs. Nykiel
broke for lunch, during which time the
raffle winners were announced. By the
time the judge returned and junior
classes began, fans sat three-deep
around the ring. The crowd cheered
and applauded each junior as they went
through their paces, following the
judge’s instructions. The contagious
excitement made it obvious that the
cure had worked, and the juniors’ program was now complete.
—Maredith Reggie,
newfpages@aol.com
Newfoundland Club of America
website: ncanewfs.org
Portuguese Water
Dogs
y sincerest thanks to Maryanne
Murray for sharing with us the
following report on the breed’s First
International Congress.
M
The First International
Congress on the Portuguese
Water Dog
In September 2013, Carla Molinari,
president of the Portuguese Kennel
Club, hosted the first International
Congress on the Portuguese Water
Dog. “One Breed, One Dog” was the
theme, and it was uniquely educational
and inspiring to those in attendance.
Held over five days on the beautiful
Algarve coast in Tavira, Portugal, the
Congress was attended by PWD owners, breeders, exhibitors, and aficionados from around the world. The opportunity to meet people you’d only heard
of and to see, in the flesh, dogs from
every corner of the planet was an overwhelming experience. People and dogs
from as far as Australia and the U.S. and
from most of the European countries
were present to help celebrate this
breed.
Water trials were held over two days
in the rough ocean waters, and it
proved amazing to see what these dogs
are truly capable of doing as they
AKC GAZETTE
•
31
• JULY
2014
crashed through the waves and swam
out to save a drowning victim or drag a
boat back to shore.
Two days of seminars and panel discussions were held, and topics such as
history, structure, grooming, health and
all things pertaining to the breed standard were covered. Chuck Teasley, president of the PWDCA, gave a presentation on the state of the breed in the
U.S., as did others from other countries.
It became obvious to all participants
that this was truly “one breed, one dog,”
in spite of differences in coat length,
color, or grooming styles. The underlying dog is the same worldwide!
On the final day, the Portuguese
national specialty, or Monografica, was
held on the grounds of the host hotel.
What a sight to see such an international gathering of people and their
dogs. Competition was tough, and
Carla Molinari’s Best in Specialty went
to Aquafortis Casanova by Robel, from
Norway. Best Puppy, judged by Luis
Catalan, was Claircreek Columbus at
Aquas Bravas, from Canada.
I believe all who attended came
away from the Congress with more
in-depth knowledge about every
aspect of this amazing breed and an
appreciation for what it takes to preserve and protect this ancient fisherman’s working dog. New friendships
were made, and for all, their passion
for the Portuguese Water Dog was
renewed.
If a second Congress is ever held, all
I can say is—don’t miss it! —M.M.
Thank you, Maryanne!
At the Congress, two excellent presentations were given: one by
Maryanne, on “The History of the
PWD in the USA—The Early Years:
1970s and ’80s,” and one by Chuck
Teasley, president of the PWDCA, who
presented on “Later Years: 1990s to
Present.”
To each of them, Obrigada …
—Carole Prangley-McIvor,
mcivor_carole@yahoo.com
Portuguese Water Dog Club of
America website: pwdca.org
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
Rottweilers
ur guest columnist is Jill Kessler
Miller, a longtime Rottweiler
fancier, rescuer, and radio personality.
O
Topline and Movement
A level topline during movement is
one of the easiest physical aspects for
even a novice to see; however, it does
not, unto itself, equate to proper structure and/or movement.
Our standard calls for front and rear
angulation to be moderate and congruent. Movement should be expansive
and ground covering, without wasted
energy by such faults as paddling or
rolling side to side. The front should
reach out from the shoulder and not
the elbow, claiming the ground in front
of it, with the rear driving powerfully
by thrusting off the rear feet—which, as
follow-through from their own force,
then extend out behind the rear.
If you look at some dogs with level
toplines, you’ll find that they are often
mismatched in terms of front and rear
angulation. The front is often the
straighter of the two. Problems stemming from this inequality are usually a
slight hackney-stepping movement in
the front, which is flashy to watch but
incorrect for our breed.
This type of movement in the front
is inefficient because they don’t really
go anywhere, even after several strides.
The rear, which is often more angulated than the front, and sometimes
even over-angulated for the breed, has
to either move to the side (crabbing)
while gaiting due to overreaching from
the rear to a front that can’t get out of
the way fast enough, or a rear that lacks
in drive, as the dog has learned to
underutilize his own rear and thus just
lightly pad forward in small steps.
When stacked or moving, there is
commonly a small break in the topline
behind the shoulders, where the vertebrae change direction in the spine. This
allows for springiness in movement and
shock absorption. Of course, too large
of a dip is a fault, often giving a “rollercoaster” effect to the eye, as it is often
be accompanied by a long and/or
overly-sloping croup.
If presented with Dog A, who really
moves out and untiringly covers
ground without wasted movement but
has a slight dip in the topline, next to
Dog B, who exhibits a level topline but
straight and/or unequal front and rear
angulations, taking two or three strides
in comparison to Dog A’s one stride,
remember—as always—to fall back to
original purpose: work. Would Dog B
be able to work all day without tiring
doing herding, carting, Schutzhund, or
jumping in agility or obedience, or as a
service dog on his feet all day? It is
unlikely—or at least without complete
exhaustion. If pressed, prefer equal
angulation front and rear and efficient,
ground-covering movement, ideally
with power from the rear over a dog
with simply a level topline that lacks
elasticity and matching power. —
J.K.M.
Thank you, Jill.
—Gwen Chaney, gachaney2@aol.com
The American Rottweiler Club
website: amrottclub.org
Saint Bernards
Boxing Up the Puppy
i,Veronica. This collection of
words was generated as a response
to your e-mail to me expressing
concerns about crating puppies and
young dogs. Let me offer my opinion
with regard to this emotional topic.
Let me start by paraphrasing your email to me.Your question was, “How
do you feel about crating a Saint
puppy? I’ve been told that it’s bad for
the puppy, because crating could produce hip problems. I’m home all day, so
the puppy won’t be left alone.”
I want to start this discussion with a
question of my own: “What can be the
motive for shoving a puppy or an adult
dog into a box and then locking the
door?”
When the question is put into this
form, it seems like we want to do
something that borders on animal cruelty. Well, let me state firmly that when
done with love and care, nothing could
be further from the truth.
H
AKC GAZETTE
•
32
• JULY
2014
It is my opinion that one of the
more important stages towards good
mental health in a dog is developing a
pleasant relationship with crates. Some
points about crates:
• The crate is the dog’s own space, in
which he feels a certain sense of security.
• It keeps dogs out of trouble when
they are not being supervised, and dogs
(especially Saint Bernards) love life much
more when they are not in trouble.
• If you live in a multiple-dog environment and you leave a crate door
open, you will often find the crate
stuffed full of very uncomfortable dogs.
The secret to convincing your pet
that a crates is a good place is to make
being in a crate as pleasant as possible.
• The crate should be large enough
so that the dog is comfortable when
reclining therein.
• There should be water available in
the crate.
• If you can give him a toy upon
which he can service his instinct to
chew, you will be way ahead of the
game. (Caution here: One thing about
which you should take great care is that
the object of the puppy’s attention
should not be something that might
disintegrate into small chunks or slivers
of a dangerous nature.)
• The name of the game is “crates are
good places” in which to spend time.
Being in a crate should never have any
aspect of punishment. If you can get the
little sucker to stay in the crate while
the door is open, you are home free.
As for crates producing hip problems—what utter nonsense!
• Lack of exercise to the extent that
the dog lacks adequate muscle tone
creates hip problems.
• Being overweight and in an unfit
(flabby) condition creates hip problems.
• To a minor extent, having the
wrong ancestors creates hip problems.
• Being old and arthritic causes a lot
of joint problems—among which are
hip problems.
But the fact that a dog spends some
small part of his life in a crate only has
beneficial consequences:
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
• The dog is happier.
• The owners are happier.
• It is my firm conviction that never
does it produce hip problems.
—Stan Zielinski, stan@stoans.com
Saint Bernard Club of America website: saintbernardclub.org
Samoyeds
uest columnist Pam Landers has
owned, trained, and bred
Samoyeds since 1980. She shows her
dogs in conformation, drives a small
sled team, and competes in agility.
G
Samoyeds—White Rainbows
The sun’s white light contains all the
colors in the spectrum. Samoyed dogs
are also white, and in a sense are like
the sunlight because the dogs embody
and can reflect back to us an entire
color spectrum of skills and abilities.
In their original, frigid Northern
environment, Samoyeds had to be
hardy, smart, and adaptable to survive.
The nomadic reindeer herders in
ancient Siberia who bred them took
advantage of that adaptability, using
them to drive the reindeer, sometimes
hauling their sledges, as trackers and
hunters of seal and polar bear, and,
because of the dogs’ affinity for people,
as companions and bed-warmers in the
skin chooms, or temporary dwellings.
That canine versatility appeals to
active, creative, curious people today
who like to try many activities, and
explore all that their dogs can do. In
today’s environment of highly specialized, single-purpose dogs, Samoyeds are
rarely at the very top of the winners’
list in any single endeavor, although
they often perform quite respectably in
many competitions. For instance, the
relatively new sport of dog agility tests
their speed, focus, and flexibility.
Samoyeds seem to enjoy agility, and do
well playing the game. Representatives
have often taken part in the national
agility trials.
Because of their reindeer-herding
tradition, Sams are one of only two
breeds outside the AKC Herding
Group that are allowed to compete in
AKC herding trials. Some are actively
working as farm and ranch dogs.
People in the United States and
Europe regularly hook Samoyeds up to
dog sleds for recreational mushing.
Some are even entered in races, though
they are more suited for freighting
work. Samoyeds can and do pull people
on skis, carts, scooters, and bikes. They
often do very well at weight-pull competitions, and they will carry their own
packs with their food and water on
your hikes.
Although seldom used for hunting
these days, they have done quite well in
the AKC-sponsored lure coursing tests,
demonstrating speed, agility, and focus
in chasing down a lure.
They do take part in obedience and
rally obedience competitions. However,
because they are bright, they can sometimes become easily bored. In their natural environment they often were
needed to think for themselves. This
manifests itself today in obedience
competitions, which may require developing different training techniques and
skills than those commonly used with
other breeds.
Because they are so attuned to their
people, many make excellent therapy
dogs and take part in many programs
such as listening to children read to
them at schools and libraries. Some
have worked as service dogs for people
with disabilities, pulling wheel chairs,
picking things up from the floor, and
answering the door.
The fun of living with such a versatile dog is discovering their many
faceted personalities and abilities. Each
activity explored with them brings out
new skills, talents, and, yes, quirks, that
might otherwise have remained
hidden. Each new challenge strengthens the bond between handler and
canine partner as the team learns to
know each other better. Exploring a
Samoyed’s talents means never having
to say, “I’m bored.”
—Heather LoProto, hloproto@comcast.net
Samoyed Club of America: samoyedclubofamerica.org
AKC GAZETTE
•
33
• JULY
2014
Siberian Huskies
Full Circle
oss is inevitable in the dog world,
whether anticipated or unexpected,
and it can be an emotional experience.
As my years of living with Siberian
Huskies increase, so does the size of my
“Old Friends” album. Although it may
be politically correct to claim that
every dog is loved on an equal basis, I
admit I have always had favorites.
Sometimes the dog picked me;
sometimes I made the choice; and
sometimes it was an immediate
connection that lasted a lifetime.
The start of the new year was difficult, with the loss of two older dogs—
both at home, and within days of each
other. Neither was anticipated, yet the
reality of eventual loss always stands in
the shadows when age 12 looms.
Thankfully, the next generation helps
us to focus on the future while we
fondly remember the past.
They were half-sister and -brother,
on the dam’s side of a line-bred pedigree—and that was where the similarities ended. Equally different was my
relationship with them. She was a mischievous puppy, and her life’s only
ambition was to intimidate all who met
her. She dominated the kennel for
years, only to be dethroned by a spunky
young bitch who had no concept of
respect for her elders. The other dogs
were her subjects, and humans were
acknowledged only when bearing food
or treats. Her interests did not include
the show ring or working in harness,
although she was given every chance to
succeed at both. She was structurally
beautiful and stubborn as a mule. Life
was on her terms, and I often felt that
attitude cost her relationships with
humans and her kennelmates. When
later in life she allowed an older male
to share her outdoor kennel run and
doghouse, I was happy for her.
A few days after her loss, I learned
she had been the last survivor of her
litter, and it made me feel I had not
totally failed her.
He was a “once in a lifetime” dog,
the grandson of a much-loved cham-
L
working
GZ BREED COLUMNS
pion. From the moment I first saw him
at 8 weeks of age, I sensed he was special. I desperately wanted him, but he
had been promised to another dualpurpose home. When I handled him at
his first puppy match, our connection
was immediate, and my appreciation for
him soared. He seemed to tell me to be
patient—good things would come.
Shortly after his first birthday, the old
dog-sledding belief that “red dogs can’t
run” would send him to me. Life was
good, be it in the show ring, running
wheel on the team, or snuggling in bed.
With the help of close friends, he
became a Top 10 Siberian, with multiple group and specialty wins and a Best
in Show.
She was never bred. By choice, he
sired only eight litters, producing offspring who became successful in their
own right. Seeing his descendants follow in his footsteps keeps alive my love
of the breed and hope for its future.
Two of his yearling grandsons are living at the house. One, who reminds me
of his grandfather, is about to begin his
show career. The other, reminiscent of
his great-great-grandfather, would
make a wonderful addition to an active
family. But as the months pass, I find
excuses not to pursue that path.
Sometimes, a dog just picks you.
—Jane Steffen,
klonaquay@fairpoint.net
Siberian Husky Club of America
website: shca.org
Standard Schnauzers
To Smell a Rat
he first-ever Barn Hunt Trials in
New Mexico (you know, the U.S.
state south of Colorado, between
Arizona and Texas) were held in
Albuquerque in March. What fun to see
our Standard Schnauzers in four trials
hunting for rats, one of the tasks for
which they were bred.
The Barn Hunt Association (BHA)
was founded by Robin Nuttall, longtime dog trainer, as a fun sport to test
her dogs’ working abilities.
Neutered/spayed dogs and bitches in
season may compete, as can handlers in
T
wheelchairs. According to BHA’s easyto-navigate website, barnhunt.com,
which includes a map showing affiliated groups and a calendar of BHA
events, “the purpose of Barn Hunt is to
demonstrate a dog’s vermin hunting
ability in finding and marking rats in a
‘barnlike’ setting, using straw/hay bales
to introduce climbing and tunneling
obstacles in the dog’s path.” Scores
depend on locating rats within the
allotted time, surmounting required
obstacles, and dog/handler teamwork.
Handlers announce when dogs alert to
the rat’s location; a false call is one of
several disqualification possibilities.
The sport “is for any breed or mix of
dog who loves to hunt and who can fit
through an 24-inch-wide gap between
two hay bales. It will test speed, agility,
and surefootedness.” We saw many large
working breeds, terriers, sporting
breeds, and others, in addition to the
expected earth dogs. Size divisions are
under 13 inches, up to 18 inches, and
over 18 inches.
Indoor or outdoor rings contain
straw bales inside totally fenced, level
enclosures. “Rat wranglers” handle the
rats—which actually are well-treated
pets—into ventilated pipes or tubes
that are hidden anywhere in the ring.
Equipment includes several 10-inchlong, light-colored, Schedule-40 PVC
pipes, four inches in diameter, sealed
with a snap-in metal drain at one end
and a screwed-in clean-out plug at the
other. Rows of 5/16-inch airholes are
drilled about an inch apart into the
pipes.
Trials begin with a Rat Instinct test
(RATI) for dogs without BHA titles.
Dogs travel down an 18-inch-wide bale
passageway to three tubes: one empty,
one containing only rat bedding, and
one containing bedding plus a rat. Dogs
have one minute to identify the ratcontaining tube correctly and for the
handler to announce the find.You can
see an instinct test and a novice run
video at youtube.com/watch?v=cnJtxfweXQ.
Like other performance sports, BHA
titles, which are transferable to AKC,
AKC GAZETTE
•
34
• JULY
2014
require three qualifying scores in timed
trials. Titles are Rat Novice (RATN),
Rat Open (RATO), Rat Senior
(RATS), Rat Master (RATM), and,
similar to the AKC’s advanced performance titles, Rat Champion
(RATCH), RATCHX, and
RATCHX2. As title level advances,
difficulty increases by height of
stacked bales for dogs to climb, number of tunnels dogs must traverse, and
number of rats dogs must locate. Each
successive performance level specifies
the number of rat-containing tubes,
empty tubes, ratless bedding-only
tubes, and time.
In Albuquerque, judge Lori Oakley
showed each disqualified dog the rat’s
location, let dogs smell the rat, and
praised him or her, making every dog
leave the ring feeling like a winner.
Ivory (Ch. Wustefuchs Ivory Mesa,
CGC) found the rats with great enthusiasm in the Rat Instinct tests and two
trials, scoring High in Trial in one.
Clancy (Ch. Asgard Navigator
Wustefuchs, CGC, CD, UCD, RN,
RA), who took second place in the
fourth trial, discovered the rats early on,
but it took us awhile to understand his
subtle alert to their location. On the
other hand, Emma (Ch. Asgard Mesa
Mist Wustefuchs CGC, CD, UCD, RN,
RA) clearly thought, “This is boring—
you show me the rat.”
As of this writing, 75 Standard
Schnauzers are registered with the
BHA—and six of them were at our
March trials! By the end of 2013, 15 of
our breed had passed the RATI test; 15
had earned the RATN title, seven the
RATO, two the RATS, and none the
RATM.
Find a barn hunt in your area, and
participate—you and your dog will
have a lot of fun. The 2014 BHA
nationals will be held at Purina Farms,
in Gray Summit, Missouri, on
September 6–7 (sound familiar?).
Perhaps some SS might compete there!
—Suzanne T. Smith,
STSpers@aol.com
Standard Schnauzer Club of America
website: standardschnauzer.org
GZ DELEGATES’ ANNUAL MEETING
QUARTERLY MEETING OF THE DELEGATES
OF
THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
JUNE 9, 2014
Dennis B. Sprung, President
PRESENT 276
Affenpinscher Club of America—Letisha
Wubbel
Afghan Hound Club of America, Inc.—
Ms. Constance Butherus
Airedale Terrier Club of America—Aletta
L. Moore
Akita Club of America—Sherry E. Wallis
Alaskan Malamute Club of America,
Inc.—Patricia A. Peel
Albany Kennel Club, Inc.—Mary M.
MacCollum
American Belgian Malinois Club—Carol
J. Shields
American Belgian Tervuren Club, Inc.—
Ms. Janina K. Laurin
American Bloodhound Club—Mary L.
Olszewski
American Bouvier des Flandres Club,
Inc.—Patte Klecan
American Brittany Club, Inc.—Judith
Tighe
American Bullmastiff Association, Inc.—
Alan Kalter
American Chinese Crested Club, Inc.—
Marilyn E. Currey
American Fox Terrier Club—Connie
Clark
American Foxhound Club, Inc—Harold
Miller
American Lhasa Apso Club, Inc.—Don
Hanson
American Manchester Terrier Club—
Roberta Berman
American Pointer Club, Inc.—Karen R.
Spey
American Pomeranian Club, Inc.—Dr.
Geno Sisneros
American Rottweiler Club—Mr. Peter G.
Piusz
American Sealyham Terrier Club—
Kenneth W. Mader
American Shetland Sheepdog
Association—Marjorie Tuff
Anderson Kennel Club—Phillip D.
Sample
Anderson Obedience Training Club,
Inc.—Ms. Patricia A. Sample
Atlanta Kennel Club, Inc.—Ann Wallin
Atlanta Obedience Club, Inc.—Gail A.
LaBerge
Austin Kennel Club, Inc.—Bette D.
Williams
Australian Cattle Dog Club of America—
Joyce Rowland
Australian Terrier Club of America, Inc.—
William I. Christensen
Back Mountain Kennel Club, Inc.—Mrs.
Nina Schaefer
Basenji Club of America, Inc.—Katie
Campbell
Basset Hound Club of America, Inc.—
Sanda J. Launey
Bayou Kennel Club, Inc.—Wayne Boyd
Bayshore Companion Dog Club, Inc.—
Gloria Marshall
Bedlington Terrier Club of America—
Diane Pearson
Belgian Sheepdog Club of America,
Inc.—Barbara Swisher
Blennerhassett Kennel Club, Inc.—John
McCullagh
Border Collie Society of America—Ms.
Carol Clark
Border Terrier Club of America, Inc.—
Mrs. Ruth A. Naun
Borzoi Club of America, Inc.—Barbara
O’Neill
Boston Terrier Club of America, Inc.—
Mrs. Kathleen M. Kelly
Bronx County Kennel Club—Ms. Alexa
Samarotto
Bryn Mawr Kennel Club—Victoria
Glickstein
Bucks County Kennel Club, Inc.—Helma
Weeks
Bull Terrier Club of America—Rebecca
Poole
Bulldog Club of America—Robert L.
Newcomb
Burlington County Kennel Club, Inc.—
Daniel J. Smyth, Esq.
Cairn Terrier Club of America—Pam
Davis
California Collie Clan, Inc.—Robette G.
Johns
Canaan Dog Club of America—Pamela S.
Rosman
Canada Del Oro Kennel Club—Dr.
Sophia Kaluzniacki
Capital Dog Training Club of Washington,
D.C., Inc.—Dr. Joyce A. Dandridge
Cardigan Welsh Corgi Club of America,
Inc.—Vivian A. Moran
Carolina Kennel Club, Inc.—Jaimie Ashby
Catoctin Kennel Club—Whitney
Coombs
Central Florida Kennel Club, Inc.—Julian
Prager
AKC GAZETTE
•
35
•
JULY
2014
Charleston Kennel Club—Sylvia
Arrowwood
Chattanooga Kennel Club—David
Gilstrap
Chihuahua Club of America, Inc.—
Kenneth Saenz
Chinese Shar-Pei Club of America, Inc.—
Marge B. Calltharp
Classic Toy Dog Club of Western
Massachusetts—Dr. Stephen Lawrence
Clearwater Kennel Club—Daniel T. Stolz
Cleveland All-Breed Training Club, Inc.—
Mrs. Maureen R. Setter
Collie Club of America, Inc.—Mr. Harold
W. Sundstrom
Colorado Kennel Club—Mrs. Louise
Leone
Columbia Terrier Association of
Maryland—Norma J. Ryan
Connecticut River Working Group
Association—Fred G. Ferris
Conyers Kennel Club of Georgia—
Michael Houchard
Dachshund Club of America, Inc.—Larry
Sorenson
Dalmatian Club of America, Inc.—Dr.
Charles Garvin
Dandie Dinmont Terrier Club of America,
Inc.—Karen Dorn
Dayton Dog Training Club, Inc.—Barbara
L. Mann
Dayton Kennel Club, Inc.—Sandra
Groeschel
Del Sur Kennel Club, Inc.—Andrew G.
Mills
Delaware Water Gap Kennel Club—Dr. A.
D. Butherus
Detroit Kennel Club—Andrea Glassford
Devon Dog Show Association, Inc.—Meg
Weitz
Doberman Pinscher Club of America—
Janet Van Wormer
Dog Owners Training Club of
Maryland—Kathrynann Sarvinas
Durham Kennel Club Inc—Linda C.
Wozniak
Eastern Dog Club—Mr. Theodore C.
Hollander, Jr.
Eastern German Shorthaired Pointer
Club, Inc.—Jeffrey Drogin
Elm City Kennel Club—Dr. Gregory J.
Paveza
Elmira Kennel Club, Inc.—Homer R.
Hastings, III
English Setter Association of America,
Inc.—Mr. John P. Nielsen
English Springer Spaniel Club of
Michigan, Inc.—Barbara J. Gates
GZ delegates’ annual meeting
English Springer Spaniel Field Trial
Association, Inc.—Susanne Burgess
English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Club
of Illinois—David H. Hopkins
Erie Kennel Club, Inc.—Peggy Helming
Farmington Valley Kennel Club, Inc.—
Terrie Breen
Finnish Spitz Club of America—Mrs.
Cindy Stansell
Forsyth Kennel Club, Inc.—Mrs. Almira
B. Dallas
Fort Lauderdale Dog Club—Charles
Arnold
French Bulldog Club of America—Mrs.
Ann M. Hubbard
Genesee County Kennel Club, Inc.—
Mrs. Cindy Collins
German Pinscher Club of America—
Deidre E. Gannon
German Shepherd Dog Club of
America—Dr. Carmen L. Battaglia
German Shorthaired Pointer Club of
America—Mr. Kenneth A. Marden
German Wirehaired Pointer Club of
America, Inc.—Ms. Patricia W. Laurans
Giant Schnauzer Club of America,
Inc.—Kimberly Demchak
Gig Harbor Kennel Club—James R.
Dok
Glen of Imaal Terrier Club of America—
Bruce H. Sussman
Glens Falls Kennel Club, Inc.—Mrs.
Bonnie Lapham
Golden Retriever Club of America—
Ellen Hardin
Gordon Setter Club of America, Inc.—
Nance O. Skoglund
Grand River Kennel Club, Inc.—Ann
Lettis
Great Dane Club of America, Inc.—Dale
S. Tarbox
Greater Clark County Kennel Club
Inc—Ms. Karen J. Burgess
Greater Collin Kennel Club, Inc.—
Barbara Shaw
Greater Murfreesboro Kennel Club,
Inc.—Margaret DiCorleto
Greater Naples Dog Club—Steven D.
Gladstone
Greater Ocala Dog Club, Inc.—Linda L.
LaFrance
Greater Philadelphia Dog Fanciers
Association—Marlene Steinberg
Greenville Kennel Club—Linda A.
Knorr
Greenwich Kennel Club—Margaret K.
Curtis
Harrisburg Kennel Club, Inc.—Cindy
Miller
Hatboro Dog Club, Inc.—Mr. Robert D.
Black
Havanese Club of America—Jane F.
Ruthford
Heart of the Plains Kennel Club—
Patricia M. Cruz
Hockamock Kennel Club, Inc.—Nancy
Fisk
Holyoke Kennel Club, Inc.—Jane
Wilkinson
Houston Kennel Club, Inc.—Ms. Carol
A. Williamson
Huntingdon Valley Kennel Club, Inc.—
Dick Blair
Huntington Kennel Club, Inc.—Gwen
McCullagh
Hutchinson Kennel Club, Inc.—Barbara
A. Penny
Ibizan Hound Club of the United
States—Luane V. Williams
Illinois Valley Kennel Club of Peoria,
Inc.—Dr. John F. Davidson
Ingham County Kennel Club, Inc.—
Rita J. Biddle
Irish Water Spaniel Club of America—
Jack McDaniel
Irish Wolfhound Club of America—
Eugenia Hunter
Italian Greyhound Club of America,
Inc.—Carole Plesur
K-9 Obedience Training Club of Essex
County, NJ, Inc.—Dave Morgan
Kanadasaga Kennel Club—Mrs. Beverly
M. Nosiglia
Keeshond Club of America, Inc.—Mr.
John D. Sawicki
Kennel Club of Beverly Hills—Thomas
Powers
Kennel Club of Buffalo, Inc.—Margaret
Doster
Kennel Club of Niagara Falls—Esther J.
Cassatt
Kennel Club of Northern New Jersey,
Inc.—Dr. Suzanne H. Hampton
Kennel Club of Philadelphia, Inc.—
Charles H. Schaefer
Kennel Club of Riverside—Sylvia A.
Thomas
Kennesaw Kennel Club—James F.
Gibson
Kettle Moraine Kennel Club, Inc.—
Jacquelyn J. Fogel
Komondor Club of America, Inc.—
Michael Harman
Lackawanna Kennel Club, Inc.—Ms.
Virginia Van Doren
Ladies’ Dog Club, Inc.—Kathi Brown
Ladies’ Kennel Association of America—
Ruth Winston
AKC GAZETTE
•
36
•
JULY
2014
Lake Shore Kennel Club, Inc.—Diana
Skibinski
Lakes Region Kennel Club, Inc.—Ms.
Crecia C. Closson
Lancaster Kennel Club, Inc.—Carolyn
M.Vack
Land O’Lakes Kennel Club, Inc.—Jan
Croft
Lawrence Jayhawk Kennel Club, Inc.—
Deborah Ashlock
Lawrenceville Kennel Club, Inc.—
Robert N. LaBerge
Lehigh Valley Kennel Club, Inc.—
Dominic P. DiBalsi
Leonberger Club of America—Don
James
Lewiston-Auburn Kennel Club, Inc.—
Sue Goldberg
Long Island Kennel Club—Mr. William
B. Tabler, Jr.
Los Encinos Kennel Club, Inc.—David
M. Powers
Maryland Kennel Club—Gary Sarvinas
Mastiff Club of America, Inc.—Rebecca
Campbell
Merrimack Valley Kennel Club, Inc.—
Jeannette Nieder
Minneapolis Kennel Club, Inc.—Ralph
Hogancamp
Mississippi Valley Kennel Club—
Gretchen Bernardi
Mississippi Valley Retriever Club—
Robert H. McKowen
Monmouth County Kennel Club, Inc.—
Harold E. Perry
Montgomery County Kennel Club—
Ms. Ida E. Weinstock
Mount Vernon Dog Training Club—
Ruth Crumb
Mountaineer Kennel Club, Inc.—Mary
Yoders
National Beagle Club—Eddie Dziuk
National Capital Kennel Club, Inc.—
Mrs. Catherine B. Nelson
National Shiba Club of America—
Maggi Strouse
Naugatuck Valley Kennel Club—Viola
Burgos
Newfoundland Club of America, Inc.—
David Helming
Newnan Kennel Club—Willie Crawford
Newton Kennel Club—Catherine H.
Murch
Newtown Kennel Club, Inc.—Mrs.
Diane F. Taylor
Nisqually Kennel Club—R. H. Hachtel
Norfolk Terrier Club—Robert Lachman
North Shore Kennel Club—Richard F.
Coletti
GZ delegates’ annual meeting
Northeastern Maryland Kennel Club—
Stephen Skolnik
Northwestern Connecticut Dog Club,
Inc.—Billie Ponton
Norwich Terrier Club of America—
Betty McDonnell
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Club (USA)—Ms. Marile A. Waterstraat
Oakland Dog Training Club, Inc.—
Lynette J. Saltzman
Obedience Training Club of Rhode
Island—James M. Ashton
Old Pueblo Dog Training Club, Inc.—
Felice Jarrold
Olympic Kennel Club, Inc.—Betty M.
Winthers
Onondaga Kennel Association, Inc.—
Daniel R. Cunningham
Orange Empire Dog Club, Inc.—Burton
J.Yamada
Otterhound Club of America—Joellen
Gregory, D.V.M.
Pacific Coast Bulldog Club, Inc.—Link
Newcomb
Parson Russell Terrier Association of
America—Gary Koeppel
Pasco Florida Kennel Club—Helen
Ingher
Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America,
Inc.—Mrs. Anne Bowes
Penn Ridge Kennel Club, Inc.—Dennis
J. Gallant
Philadelphia Dog Training Club, Inc.—
Larry Wilson
Plainfield Kennel Club—Amy KiellGreen
Pocono Mountain Kennel Club, Inc.—
Sandra Krieger
Poodle Club of America, Inc.—Mary
Ellen Fishler
Port Chester Obedience Training Club,
Inc.—Robert A. Amen
Progressive Dog Club—William H. Blair
Providence County Kennel Club, Inc.—
Richard E. Grant
Queensboro Kennel Club, Inc.—Ms.
Linda M. Lacchia
Ramapo Kennel Club—Jeffrey D. Ball
Richmond Dog Fanciers Club, Inc.—Jan
M. Ritchie
Rockingham County Kennel Club,
Inc.—Janice S. Gardner
Rubber City Kennel Club—Cathy
Gaidos
Sahuaro State Kennel Club—Rita L.
Mather
Salisbury Maryland Kennel Club—Mrs.
Barbara Furbush
Sammamish Kennel Club—Dr. Robert
C. Gloster, M.D.
Samoyed Club of America, Inc.—Mr.
John L. Ronald
San Francisco Dog Training Club, Inc.—
Stanley S. Saltzman
Santa Maria Kennel Club, Inc.—
Laurence J. Libeu
Saratoga New York Kennel Club—
Wanda H. Allen
Saw Mill River Kennel Club, Inc.—Mr.
Andrew I. Kalmanash
Sawnee Mountain Kennel Club of
Georgia—Darlene Kelley
Schipperke Club of America, Inc.—Betty
Jo Patrick
Scottish Terrier Club of America—Helen
A. Prince
Seattle Kennel Club, Inc.—Sandra Frei
Shoreline Dog Fanciers Association of
Orange County—Susan L. Hamil
Siberian Husky Club of America, Inc.—
Ann M. Cook
Sir Francis Drake Kennel Club, Inc—
William J. Feeney
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of
America—Robert Bergman
South Jersey Kennel Club, Inc.—Mrs.
Linda B. Willson
South Shore Kennel Club, Inc.—Linda
C. Flynn
South Windsor Kennel Club—
Margarette (Peggy) Wampold
Southeast Arkansas Kennel Club—Ricky
Adams
Southeastern Iowa Kennel Club—
Marilyn R.Vinson
Southern Adirondack Dog Club, Inc.—
John V. Ioia
Southern Colorado Kennel Club, Inc.—
Lee Arnold
Spinone Club of America—Karen
Luckey
Springfield Kennel Club, Inc.—Dr.
Thomas M. Davies
St. Bernard Club of America, Inc.—Kit
A. Bostrom
St. Croix Valley Kennel Club, Inc.—
Deborah J. Wilkins
St. Petersburg Dog Fanciers
Association—Dr. Gerry Meisels
Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of
America—Jenny Merritt
Staffordshire Terrier Club of America—
Holly E. Sheltry
Staten Island Kennel Club, Inc.—
Marianne Megna
Suffolk County Kennel Club, Inc.—Mr.
Robert Eisele
Sun Maid Kennel Club of Fresno, Inc.—
Marcy L. Zingler
AKC GAZETTE
•
37
•
JULY
2014
Susque-Nango Kennel Club, Inc.—Laura
Trainor
Sussex Hills Kennel Club, Inc.—Mrs.
Florence Duggan
Taconic Hills Kennel Club, Inc.—
Marylyn DeGregorio
Tampa Bay Kennel Club—Mary
Manning-Stolz
Tennessee Valley Kennel Club—Judy
Hart
Tibetan Terrier Club of America, Inc.—
Stacey La Forge
Topeka Kennel Club, Inc.—Robert E.
Bostrom
Town and Country Kennel Club, Inc.—
Toni Doake
Toy Dog Breeders Association of
Southern California—John Shoemaker
Trap Falls Kennel Club, Inc.—
Christopher L. Sweetwood
Trenton Kennel Club, Inc.—Joseph
Martyn
Troy Kennel Club, Inc.—John J. Cadalso,
Jr.
Tualatin Kennel Club, Inc.—James S.
Corbett
Tucson Kennel Club—Dian Albright
Twin Brooks Kennel Club, Inc.—Patricia
C. Sarles
United States Kerry Blue Terrier Club,
Inc.—Mr. Carl C. Ashby, III
United States Lakeland Terrier Club—
Alfred J. Ferruggiaro
Upper Suncoast Dog Training Club—
Josephine De Menna
Vacationland Dog Club, Inc.—Mrs. Joan
Tabor
Valley Forge Kennel Club, Inc.—Mrs.
Carol Fisher
Ventura County Dog Fanciers
Association—Mr. William F. Dumas
Vizsla Club of America, Inc.—Lynn
Worth-Smith
Wachusett Kennel Club, Inc.—Virginia
Rowland
Wallkill Kennel Club, Inc.—Rose M.
Robischon
Wampanoag Kennel Club, Inc.—Ms.
Naida L. Parker
Washington State Obedience Training
Club, Inc.—James W. Smith
Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America,
Inc.—Richard Rohrbacher
Welsh Terrier Club of America, Inc.—
Ereign Seacord
West Highland White Terrier Club of
America—Thomas H. Barrie
Westchester Kennel Club—Ronald W.
Readmond
GZ delegates’ annual meeting
Western Reserve Kennel Club, Inc.—
Ann Yuhasz
Westminster Kennel Club—Harvey M.
Wooding
Whidbey Island Kennel Club Inc—
Colleen McDaniel
Windham County Kennel Club, Inc.—
Frederick R.Vogel
Windward Hawaiian Dog Fanciers
Association—Mrs. Karen Mays
Woodstock Dog Club, Inc.—Rosann
Sexton
Worcester County Kennel Club—Debra
A. Hokkanen
AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
DELEGATES MEETING
JUNE 9, 2014
Dennis B. Sprung, President in the Chair,
called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.
The Chair introduced the persons seated
with him on the dais: Chairman, Alan
Kalter;Vice Chairman, Dr. J. Charles
Garvin; Doris Abbate, Professional
Registered Parliamentarian; Jim Crowley,
Executive Secretary; and Susan Styron,
the court reporter.
The Chair informed the Delegates of the
passing of two Delegates. Mario Palumbo
died on April 28th. He was the Delegate
of the New England Beagle Club since
September 1985. John Studebaker,
Delegate for the Battle Creek Kennel
Club since December 13, 1993, died on
June 4th.
The Executive Secretary read the names
of Delegates seated since the last
meeting:
Cindy Collins, to represent Genesee
County Kennel Club
Delene E. Henry-Vota, to represent
Rhode Island Kennel Club
Darleen Knapp, to represent Northern
Kentucky Kennel Club
Becky A. Luft, to represent Santa Clara
Dog Training Club
Dr. Sharon Manning, to represent
Harrier Club of America
Ronald H. Menaker, to represent
Memphis Kennel Club
Anne L. Testoni, PhD, to represent
Concord Dog Training Club
Joan Urban, to represent Corpus Christi
Kennel Club
Mary C.Yoders, to represent
Mountaineer Kennel Club
The following Delegates, who were
attending their first meeting since
approval, were introduced from the floor:
Deborah Ashlock, to represent Lawrence
Jayhawk Kennel Club
Cindy Collins, to represent Genesee
County Kennel Club
Andrea Glassford, to represent Detroit
Kennel Club
Dale Suzanne Tarbox, to represent Great
Dane Club of America
Joan Urban, to represent, Corpus Christi
Kennel Club
Mary C.Yoders, to represent,
Mountaineer Kennel Club
The minutes of the March 2014
Delegates meeting were published in the
April 2014 online AKC GAZETTE. The
complete transcript was posted on the
Delegate Portal on AKC's Website. There
were no corrections, and the minutes
were approved as published.
The Greater Sierra Vista Kennel Club
was duly elected a member of the
American Kennel Club.
The Chair called on Alan Kalter for the
Chairman's report. Mr. Kalter spoke as
follows:
If you’re anything like my wife and I, it
all started the day you brought that one
dog into your life. For us, it was Caesar our first Bullmastiff. Since there was no
Internet back then, we found him
through the classifieds in our local paper.
He was a great dog, just not a great
Bullmastiff. But that didn’t matter to us.
We loved him - and lost him much too
early. But in that short time, he made us
fall in love with the Bullmastiff breed. We
researched the breed and breeders,
learned about conformation events,
attended dog shows, and began to collect
that array of breed paraphernalia that
somehow invades every corner of your
home. I imagine many of you are
wearing your breed on you somewhere
right now – pins or jewelry or clothing
or even, I would wager, some have a
tattoo. In short, we, like you, became fans
of a breed and fans of our sports.
I like being called a fan, don’t you? I like
what it stands for, even though some
people believe the idea of “fans” came
AKC GAZETTE
•
38
•
JULY
2014
from “fanatics” - a usually pejorative
word. Actually, The Dickson Baseball
Dictionary cites William Henry Nugent’s
work asserting that “fan” was derived
from “the fancy,” a term from England
referring to the enthusiasts of a specific
hobby or sport – like dog shows. The
word came into common usage in
America in 1889, just five years after the
launch of the American Kennel Club.
Coincidence? I think not.
It is an accepted fact in sports that your
fans can have a demonstrable impact on
performance. In football, which allows 11
players on the field, the assemblage of
fans in the stadium is collectively referred
to as the “12th man.” A researcher from
Harvard University discovered that the
home team achieved a tenth of a point
advantage for every 10,000 fans in the
stadium.
Imagine the advantage we could have for
purebred dogs, for breeders, and for our
sport with a much larger active fan base.
We have already begun to do just that
with Facebook.
There are lots of numbers associated
with Facebook, but the most important
are those that identify your true fan base.
There is a simple equation that does that:
the number of “people talking about
this” divided by the total number of
“likes” which is called “engagement.”
According to experts, an acceptable
engagement rate, or true fans, is in the
range of one to two percent.
Two baseball teams with very strong fan
bases are the New York Yankees and the
New York Mets. The Yankees have an
engagement rate of 4% and the Mets
have 6%. Both are doing better than
acceptable in growing their fan base.
Apple, one of the world’s strongest and
best-liked brands, is at 1.4%
HSUS is at 1.6% and ASPCA is at 4%.
The AKC’s engagement rate – the
measurement of true fans – is an
astounding 30%! The actual number of
true fans is 535,000 – higher than any of
those I just mentioned by a multiple. In
fact, we have 16 times more true fans
than HSUS.
You cannot manufacture a fan base.You
cannot buy a fan base.You create it by
telling stories about the many things that
happen in our world, throughout the day,
throughout the years. Sometimes it is
GZ delegates’ annual meeting
about winning, but mostly it is about
unique, emotional experiences that can
only happen when dogs and people
come together. Those stories are best
when told by fans - people like you. As
Napoleon said, “Ten people who speak
make more noise than ten thousand who
are silent.”
At the Delegates Forum today, Chris
Walker presented an informative guide to
utilizing social media to help your clubs.
It will be posted on AKC.org. I’ll
reiterate the conclusion of the presentation: We need you to talk - promote
yourselves, promote your dogs and
promote the sport of purebred dogs. And
educate people about responsible dog
ownership. Be proud of the love and
service you have given the sport over the
years and nurture new people into the
sport.
In short, spread the truth.
There are people and organizations that
don’t want the truth about the AKC to
be known. Hate may attack it and
ignorance may ridicule it, but in the end,
the truth is irrefutable. While yawns,
laughter, and germs are infectious, the
most powerful infectious thing is
spreading the truth.
As true fans, we will stay strong, stand up
for dogs, and speak out for our values.
And we won’t stop until every critic
becomes a fan.
(Applause)
Mr. Kalter: Now I would like Michael
Canalizo to join me up here.
How are you, Michael? For those of you
who attended the caucus yesterday I just
wanted everyone to see what Michael
looks like today, and opposed to when he
was 16.You have a few more years on
you now. And I have something else to
talk about.
WHEREAS, Michael has been a
respected member of the Sport for
over half a century, showing his first
dog in nineteen hundred and sixtyone; and,
WHEREAS, he was a successful
breeder, handler, judge, club officer
and show chairman, before joining
the AKC field staff in two thousand
and five, and becoming the Director
AKC Events Management in two
thousand and seven, overseeing the
success and growth of the
AKC/Eukanuba National
Championship, and AKC Meet the
Breeds; and,
WHEREAS, on Thursday, May
twenty-ninth, two thousand and
fourteen, this mild-mannered AKC
employee showed what he was really
made of; and
WHEREAS, on that morning,
Michael joined tens of thousands of
other Long Island Rail Road
commuters, making their way into
Manhattan, in this case at the
crowded Syosset, New York station;
and,
WHEREAS, while waiting for the
approaching train, he noticed a
fellow commuter falling off the
platform onto the tracks, and while
hundreds of others stood by, not
knowing what to do or not wanting
to put themselves in danger, Michael
and only two others acted; and,
WHEREAS, one other commuter
ran to the end of the platform to flag
down the oncoming commuter train,
Michael and one other person
jumped on the tracks several feet
below the platform, just a few feet
from the electrified third rail; and,
WHEREAS, they somehow lifted
the incoherent victim, who they later
learned was deaf, onto the platform
before pulling themselves up as the
slowed train pulled into the station;
and,
WHEREAS, hundreds of others
froze in a crisis, Michael's only
instinct was to act, heedless of the
danger to himself; and,
NOW THEREFORE be it resolved,
that the Board and staff of the
American Kennel Club, who have
always appreciated his knowledge,
work-ethic, and cool demeanor in a
crises, unanimously agree that in any
situation there is no one they would
rather have their back.
Thank you.
(Applause)
Mr. Sprung gave the President's report as
follows:
I would like to spend a few moments to
honor one of our own. Less than a
month ago, on May 12th, a gallant fight
was lost. Our dear friend Dr. William
"Bill" Randolph Newman passed away at
home in Bedford, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Bill was born in Rosedale, New York,
AKC GAZETTE
•
39
•
JULY
2014
on June 16, 1931. His professional
accomplishments prove a long history of
dedication to his community in Bedford.
He was director of radiology at both
Sacred Heart and Bedford Memorial
Hospitals, having risen to Chief of Staff
at Sacred Heart. A true public servant,
our friend Bill was elected President of
two county medical societies and was
ultimately elected twice as the Mayor of
the Borough of Bedford. Those of us
who knew him well realize he was
always the “Mayor” … but this
confirmed it at the ballot box.
Bill was a great supporter of the arts and
knew the public deserved greater access
to them. Late last year he initiated and
arranged the largest ever off-site
exhibition of the AKC's art collection at
the Pennsylvania's Governor's residence
in Harrisburg.
The good doctor's efforts on behalf of
dogs had no boundaries. In commitment
to our business, he was a board member
for eight years,Vice Chairman and also
Chaired the Appeals Committee.
In his busy world there was always time
to volunteer including serving on the
American Kennel Club Canine Health
Foundation Board, Chairing the
Delegate Canine Health Committee and
Chairing AKC's PAC.
His successes in the sport are almost too
numerous to mention, not least of which
include exhibiting the top-winning
English Foxhound and Alaskan
Malamute. But none gave him that
special twinkle in his eye more than his
love affair with Mastiffs, having bred a
three-time National Specialty Winner.
He was oft-quoted as saying "I am a
Mastiff person." The profound
admiration for Mastiffs inspired him to
do everything at the club level, from
volunteering as the newsletter editor,
show chair,Vice President and President,
and acting as an affable ambassador for
the breed. After 16 years as the Delegate
for the club, he ended his career as the
Delegate of Golden Gate Kennel Club.
He had a great sense of humor and as a
judge he shared a memorable prayer:
"Hail Mary, full of grace, send me a dog I
can place."
The staff admired him for being a
colleague, mentor and a loyal friend.
In December, with Dr. Newman present,
Alan Kalter eloquently praised him in so
many ways. Now is our time to
GZ delegates’ annual meeting
remember him, one of our own. Echoing
the words of Alan that day, I know you
will all join me in saying, "We thank you,
Dr. Bill.” And we will miss you, too."
Thank you.
The Chair called on Peter Farnsworth,
who gave the financial report. A
summary follows:
AKC’s Revenues for the four months
ended April 2014 were approximately
$19.7 million, while Operating Expenses
during this same time period were $17.3
million, resulting in Operating Income of
$2.4 million for four months. In line
with the markets, our investments returns
were overall unremarkable, but generated
a gain of $400 thousand for the first four
months of this year. Both the Operating
Results and the Balance Sheet remain
healthy.
The CFO introduced Doug Ljungren,
Vice President of Sports and Events who
spoke as follows:
This is the 20th Anniversary of AKC
Agility. To commemorate two decades in
this sport it's my pleasure to give you a
short presentation regarding its history,
some of its milestones, and some of the
lessons learned. In the early years, agility
started as an entertainment event at
Crufts. It was so positively received that
in 1980 the Kennel Club in England
adopted agility as a sport. The first event
in the United States was held in 1986 by
the United States Dog Agility
Association. AKC's involvement with
agility started in 1993.
Agility was in the Performance Events
Department. As a sidelight, the person
who was in charge of that department
organized the Agility Advisory
Committee without seeking the approval
of the Board of Directors. He took some
money from other areas in his budget
and formed the advisory committee. This
was the start of AKC Agility. AKC's first
event was held in 1994. I assume he
sought approval from the Board before
we had our first event. It was held in
Houston, Texas, in August. There was one
class with three levels of difficulty.
The sport continued to evolve. In 1996
AKC held its first agility nationals, which
were in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Also in 1996,
AKC sent its first agility team to the FCI
World Championship. Here's a picture of
that team in their red, white and blue
proudly representing the United States
and AKC at that event.
Over the 20 years, three additional classes
have been added: The preferred class has
been added, which allows a little lower
jump height and a little longer time
period to complete the course in order
to accommodate all different breeds and
different handlers. In 1999 the title that's
probably most associated with agility was
added, and that was the MACH. And,
quite cleverly, it was named MACH.You
have to earn 750 speed points as one of
the criteria to earn your MACH. The
speed of sound is 767 miles an hour. This
was also the first title where AKC put a
number behind it. This provides an
incentive to stay engaged with the sport
and have your accomplishments
recognized. This graph shows the growth
of agility over the last 20 years. There are
nine agility organizations in the United
States. From a business point of view that
means we have competition, and we have
to stay on our game.
Thus far we have done that. We have
grown every year, and it's the second
AKC sport to exceed 1 million entries a
year. What are the factors that have led to
this success? What have we learned?
Agility is successful because it's fun for
dogs and owners. Owners and their dogs
can achieve success as they progress and
develop in the sport. It has graduated
levels. Its titling system recognizes
ongoing accomplishments. It's a sport
that's open to all breeds, including
Canine Partners. It's a very healthy
activity since you have to run around the
course. Not a tremendous exertion, but it
is healthy. It's a very friendly sport. The
staff has kept the sport fresh by
introducing new classes every five or six
years. To sum it up, I think you can say "if
you make it fun, they will come" These
are some pictures of our 2014 National
Championship which is held in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was the
largest agility event that's ever been held
in North America. We had 1,650 dogs
competing over four days to determine
the champions. The picture on the top
are the winners from the preferred class,
the bottom are the regular classes. And I
should point out the lady on the lefthand side of the picture is our director of
agility, Carrie DeYoung, who does a
great job of staying in front of this
rapidly growing sport. To show you some
AKC GAZETTE
•
40
•
JULY
2014
of the action I'd like to show a video clip
from that event. This was posted on the
AKC YouTube channel.
(Video shown)
(Applause)
Mr. Ljungren: I think you can see why
it's such a popular sport and a great
spectator sport. It obviously takes a team
to launch a new sport, but there is one
individual that stands above the others as
being the most responsible for AKC's
involvement with agility. This is the same
individual that back in 1993 organized
the first Advisory Committee without
gaining the Board's approval. That person
is still with us as a Delegate. This is a
picture of Bob McKowen receiving a
commemorative certificate at the first
event. The dapper looking gentleman to
his right is Ken Marden. I would like to
ask Bob to please come forward to
receive from Chairman Kalter and
President Sprung an AKC resolution
honoring him for his involvement with
this wonderful sport. Bob, would you
please come forward?
(Applause)
Mr. Ljungren: While Bob is coming
forward I would like to read to you in
part the resolution that Bob will receive.
"The Board and the staff of the
American Kennel Club wish to
commemorate the 20th anniversary of
agility and honor Robert H. McKowen.
Bob joined the staff as the AKC Vice
President of Performance Events in
February 1988. He retired in April 1997.
During that time he was totally devoted
to expanding the opportunities for dog
owners to participate in AKC events. His
legacy includes the launch of AKC lure
coursing, herding and earth dog events.
All significant performance events for
breeds. However, the contribution which
has the greatest impact on AKC and the
sport of dogs was the addition of agility.
It is only fitting that he be officially
recognized at the same time we celebrate
the 20th anniversary of his sport."
(Standing Ovation)
There was a vote on the proposed
amendment to Chapter 14, New Section,
of the Field Trial Rules and Standard
Procedures for Retrievers. The Qualified
All-Age 2, or QA2, is a new title that can
be earned in Retriever Field Trials. The
GZ delegates’ annual meeting
QA2 title is meant to acknowledge an
intermediate level of achievement in
order to encourage participants to
remain in the sport and their club. The
amendment was adopted.
There was a vote on the proposed
amendment to ARTICLE VI, SECTION
5, of The Charter and Bylaws of the
American Kennel Club. The Bylaw
Committee withdrew the second
portion of the amendment which deals
with cruelty convictions, which is already
covered under AKC policy.
There was a motion to divide the
question on ARTICLE VI, SECTION 5,
of the Charter and Bylaws of the
American Kennel Club. This motion
failed.
The proposed amendment did not
receive an affirmative vote of 2/3 of the
Delegates, and was therefore not adopted.
The Executive Secretary read the
vacancies on Delegate committees that
are to be filled at the September
Delegate meeting:
All-Breed Clubs Committee: Three,
three-year terms.
Bylaws Committee: Four, three-year
terms.
Canine Health Committee: Four, threeyear terms
Companion Events Committee: Three,
three-year terms.
Delegate Advocacy and Advancement
Committee: Three, three year terms and
one, two-year term.
Dog Show Rules Committee: Three,
three-year terms.
Field Trial and Hunting Test Events
Committee: Four, three-year terms.
Herding, Earthdog, and Coursing Events
Committee: Four, three-year terms.
Parent Clubs Committee: Three, threeyear terms.
Perspectives Editorial Staff: Six, two-year
terms, and three, one-year terms.
The Chair called on Alan Slay, Director
of Events Programs, to provide an update
on the progress made on the processing
of applications and judges panels. Mr.
Slay spoke as follows:
Thank you, Dennis. At the last Delegate
meeting I told you that we were going to
improve our customer service and I
would come back here and let you know
how we're doing. I'm happy to report
we're doing very well in the processing
of applications and panels as well as
results. We have been concentrating on
the timely initial processing of
application panels and then letting our
customers know the status of that
processing. We have streamlined some
processes, we have modified our
workflow, some of our newer staff
members have taken on additional
responsibility, and we've worked some
extra hours. The manager of that area,
Tabitha Sheppard, has done a great job
overseeing these improvements.
Currently we're averaging eight days for
the initial processing of applications and
panels. That is the lowest that average has
been since 2011, and it's about a third of
where we were at when I was here in
March. We have other improvements and
modifications that we've identified that
we'll be implementing in the next weeks
and months. Additionally, we have a
member of our Audit and Control
Department who has experience in
business process analysis and we've
engaged her to help our department.
She's currently interviewing our team
members and reviewing our processes.
She is going to make suggestions of how
we can further improve. I'm also happy
to report that while we've been focusing
on the applications and panels we're also
doing very well in the processing of
results. We're averaging about eight days
or less to process results, and we'll
continue to do that. I appreciate all the
feedback that both you and our other
customers have given me since I've been
here last. We appreciate the time you
volunteer, and we do understand you are
volunteers, for the clubs. I thank you for
the time that you have given me to talk
to you and we'll continue to do a better
job with our customer service. If you
have anything you'd like to discuss with
me personally I'll be here after the
meeting and I welcome the opportunity
to speak with you. Thank you.
(Applause)
The following discussion took place
during New Business:
Ms. Bernardi thanked the Bylaws
Subcommittee and the Committee as
well as all the Delegates who thought
hard about the proposed amendment.
She indicated that the Committee's
intent is to get more Delegate input so
that it can re-work the amendment with
the intention of bringing it back again.
The Chair informed the Delegates that
the September 2014 Delegates meeting
will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton
Newark Airport Hotel on Monday
September 8th, and that the December
meeting will be in Orlando at the Rosen
Centre Hotel on Friday, December 12th.
Sanda Launey, Delegate for the Basset
Hound Club of America, advocated the
use of ramps for Junior Showmanship.
AKC GAZETTE
•
41
•
JULY
2014
Carl Ashby, Delegate of the United States
Kerry Blue Terrier Club, spoke as
follows: I am speaking today on behalf of
the AKC PAC. I want to give you a
really brief report. We have about
$11,500 in the President's Challenge. We
knew we were running behind and so
we did a little bit of investigation, and
realized we had a breakdown with the
emails notifying you and the follow-up
emails. Consequently we are going to
extend the drive. As I asked those of you
who were in the Legislative Caucus this
morning, I am now asking all of you for
a renewed push on your part by
encouraging your club members to make
donations. Gail did a very good job this
morning at the caucus explaining exactly
how effective the PAC can be
influencing legislation in matters that are
important to all of us as dog owners and
citizens in our community. And so please
watch your emails. We think we have
those problems corrected, and we're
asking for a little bit of an extra push. It
is
Carol Williamson, Delegate for the
Houston Kennel Club and Editor of
Perspectives newsletter, asked the
Delegate to get their articles for
Perspectives to her or Gino Sisneros by
June 15th.
Barbara Mann, Delegate for the Dayton
Dog Training Club, expressed dissatisfaction with the Newark site for
Delegate meetings. She requested that
other locations be considered for future
meetings.
Kenneth Mader, Delegate for the
American Sealyham Terrier Club,
suggested there be a donation portal on
the American Kennel Club website.
GZ delegates’ annual meeting
Naida Parker, Delegate for the
Wampanoag Kennel Club, spoke about
the future of the AKC/Eukanuba
National Championship in view of
Proctor & Gamble selling the Eukanuba
and Iams lines to Mars, Pedigree and
Royal Canine.
Glenda Stevenson, Delegate for Space
Coast Kennel Club of Palm Bay, spoke
about the Reserve Junior Award. She
indicated that the Delegate Dog Show
Rules Committee disagreed with the
AKC staff, and preferred to do a
Reserved Junior much like Winners Dog
and Bitch and Reserve Winners Dog and
Bitch.
Jeffrey Drogin, Delegate for the Eastern
German Shorthaired Pointer Club, spoke
about a proposal in front of the New
York City Council that all dogs to be
sold within the City of New York, from
in New York or outside of New York,
would have to be neutered before they
could be brought into New York City.
He believed that the AKC must up their
efforts with lobbyists in places like New
York City.
As there was no further business, the
meeting was adjourned at 11:25 a.m.
The opinions expressed by the speakers
may not necessarily reflect those of The
American Kennel Club
AKC GAZETTE
•
42
•
JULY
2014
GZ SECRETARY’S PAGE
MISSION STATEMENT
®
F
O
UN
DED 18
84
The American Kennel Club is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its Registry, promoting the sport
of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Founded in 1884, the AKC and its affiliated
organizations advocate for the purebred dog as a family companion, advance canine health and wellbeing, work to protect the rights of all dog owners and promote responsible dog ownership.
8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27617
260 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
NC Customer Call Center ................................(919) 233-9767
NY Tel ..............................................................(212) 696-8200
Fax...................................................................(212) 696-8299
Website.....................................................http://www.akc.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ALAN KALTER, CHAIRMAN
DR. J. CHARLES GARVIN, VICE CHAIRMAN
Class of 2015
ROBERT A. AMEN
DR. CARMEN L. BATTAGLIA
STEVEN D. GLADSTONE, ESQ.
Class of 2017
LEE ARNOLD
CARL C. ASHBY, III
ALAN KALTER
HARVEY M. WOODING
Class of 2016
PATRICIA M. CRUZ
WILLIAM J. FEENEY
THOMAS S. POWERS, ESQ.
Class of 2018
JAMES R. DOK
DR. J. CHARLES GARVIN
RONALD H. MENAKER
DENNIS B. SPRUNG, Ex Officio
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
DENNIS B. SPRUNG
President
Chief Executive Officer
PETER W. FARNSWORTH
Chief Financial Officer
JAMES P. CROWLEY
Executive Secretary
VICE PRESIDENTS
GINA DINARDO
Assistant Executive Secretary
MARGARET H. POINDEXTER
Compliance Division
& General Counsel
MARK DUNN
Registration &
Customer Development
DAPHNA STRAUS
Business Development
DOUG LJUNGREN
Sports & Events
CHRISTOPHER WALKER
Marketing &
Communications
CONNIE PEARCY
Chief Information Officer
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENTS
WILLIAM ADAMS
Computer Operations
MARI-BETH O’NEILL
Sport Services
KEITH FRAZIER
Audit & Control
TRIAL BOARDS
APPEALS TRIAL BOARD
RALPH DEL DEO, ESQ., CHAIR
MARTHA FELTENSTEIN, ESQ.
BARBARA W. MIENER, ESQ.
TRIAL BOARD CHAIRS
LAURIE RAYMOND, ESQ.
DANIEL SMYTH, ESQ.
RITA BIDDLE, ESQ.
THERESA DOWELL, ESQ.
JAN RITCHIE, ESQ.
TRIAL BOARD MEMBERS
DR. KLAUS ANSELM
CHARLES FOLEY
ROGER HARTINGER
MEDORA HARPER
DR. ROBERT MYALL
BERNARD SCHWARTZ
BETTY-ANNE STENMARK
JAMES WHITE
PERFORMANCE TRIAL BOARD
DAVID HOPKINS, ESQ., CHAIR
TIM CARWILE, ESQ.
JOHN RUSSELL
ALTERNATES
MIKE NECAISE
BILL TEAGUE
Attention Delegates
Notice of Meeting
The next meeting of the Delegates will
be held at the Doubletree Newark
Airport Hotel on Monday September 8,
2014, beginning no earlier than 10:00
a.m. It will follow the 9:00 a.m. Delegate
Forum.
Delegates Credentials
Bonnie Berney, Sapula, OK, MidContinent Kennel Club
Col. Harold R. Brizee, Boise, ID, Idaho
Capital City Kennel Club
Sarah E. Gaunt, Signal Mountain,
Tennessee, Old Dominion Kennel Club of
Northern Virginia
Steven D. Gladstone, Mt. Pocono, PA,
Waterloo Kennel Club
Catherine Iacopelli, East Meadow, NY,
Augusta Kennel Club
Patricia Kanan, Santa Ynez, CA,
American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Club
Karen Bowers Lee, Lincoln University,
PA, American Whippet Club
Kathie S. Moulton, Plainfield,VT, Green
Mountain Dog Club
Kathy Sanders, Linden, NJ, Union
County Kennel Club
William L. Totten III, Vinton,VA,
Roanoke Kennel Club
Mary E. Vanderlinden, Reidsville, NC,
Carolina Dog Training Club
Kathie D. Vogel, Virginia Beach,VA,
Tidewater Kennel Club of Virginia
Lori Webster, Amherst, NY, Norwegian
Elkhound Association of America
NOTICE
As a result of an Event Committee
determination the following individuals
stand suspended of AKC privileges. It
should be noted that this determination
may still be appealed and may be reversed.
Upon expiration of the appeal process, an
appropriate notice describing the status of
the individual’s suspension, if any, will
appear in this column:
Ms. Konstance McCaffree (Doylestown,
PA)
Ms. Carrie Nolin (Flanders, NJ)
AKC GAZETTE
•
43
•
JULY
2014
Mr. Andrew Mansfield (Houston, TX)
Mrs. Abba Mansfield (Houston, TX)
NOTICE
The AKC’s Management Disciplinary
Committee has reprimanded Ms. Letha
Jones (Gay, WV) for her signing three dog
registration applications on behalf of
another, without filing a properly completed Power of Attorney form. (Chinese
Crested)
NOTICE
The AKC’s Management Disciplinary
Committee has suspended Ms. Dee
Langley (Hollywood, SC) from AKC registration privileges for six months and
imposed a $500 fine, effective June 10,
2014, for her submission of an online litter registration application containing a
false certification as to the signature of the
co-litter owner. (Papillon,Yorkshire
Terrier)
NOTICE
The AKC’s Management Disciplinary
Committee has suspended Ms. Lucy
Moreno A.K.A. Lucero Moreno (Sanford,
NC) from all AKC privileges for one year
and imposed a $1000 fine, effective June
10, 2014, for non-compliance with AKC’s
record keeping and dog identification
requirements, and the AKC’s Care and
Conditions Policy (unacceptable conditions, dogs and/or facility). (Boxer)
The AKC’s Management Disciplinary
Committee has suspended the following
individuals from all AKC privileges for
five years and imposed a $1000 fine, for
refusal to make their dogs and records
available for inspection when requested:
Effective June 10, 2014
Mr. Cecil Crittenden (Westville, OK)
Multiple Breeds
Ms.Virginia Rocklin (Yadkinville, NC)
Chihuahua
Mr. Paul Shelton (Martinsburg, WV)
Multiple Breeds
Ms. Penny Shelton (Martinsburg, WV)
Chihuahua
GZ secretary’s page
NOTICE
The AKC’s Management
Disciplinary Committee has the following individuals from all AKC privileges for ten years and imposed a $2000
fine, for conduct prejudicial to purebred dogs, purebred dog events, or to
the best interests of The American
Kennel Club based on their violation of
the AKC’s Judicial or Administrative
Determination of Inappropriate
Treatment Policy:
Effective June 10, 2014
Ms. Bella Boyarsky (Bethany, CT)
Multiple Breeds
Mr. Jeffrey Boyarsky (Bethany, CT)
Multiple Breeds
Mr. Dale Ferguson (Fountain Inn, SC)
Multiple Breeds
Mr. Joseph Valentino (Colts Neck, NJ)
Multiple Breeds
Ms. Darcy Smith (Wheatland, ND)
Multiple Breeds
NOTICE
Reprimands and Fines
Notification of reprimands and/or fines
imposed on clubs for late submission of
applications. Rules Applying to Dog Shows
Chapter 2, Section 4 & 9.
Border Collie Club of Northern
California ....................................$ 70.00
Border Collie Club of Greater Los
Angeles .......................................$ 90.00
German Shepherd Dog Club of Detroit,
Inc. .............................................$ 90.00
Rio Salado Vizsla Club, Inc. .........$ 80.00
Sleepy Hollow German Shorthaired
Pointer Club ...............................$ 60.00
Notification of reprimands and fines
imposed on clubs for late submission of
judges’ panel, Rules Applying to Dog Shows
Chapter 4, Section 1.
Border Collie Club of Northern
California ....................................$ 70.00
Border Collie Club of Greater Los
Angeles ........................................$60.00
Cascade Schipperke Club .............$90.00
Dachshund Club of America, Inc. .$90.00
German Shepherd Dog Club of
Minneapolis and St. Paul...............$90.00
German Shepherd Dog Club of Detroit,
Inc................................................$60.00
Northern California Basset Hound Club
....................................................$90.00
Rio Salado Vizsla Club, Inc. ..........$80.00
Yellowstone Valley Kennel Club....$90.00
Notification of reprimands and/or fines
imposed on clubs for cancelling entries,
Rules Applying to Dog Shows Chapter 11,
Section 6.
Topline German Shepherd Dog Club of
Illinois, Inc..................................$500.00
Notification of reprimands and/or fines
imposed on superintendents for violating
AKC Board Policy on evening specialties
by advertising the offering of special
attractions
Roy Jones Dog Shows ................$200.00
CONFORMATION JUDGES
As a result of the October 2010 Board
Meeting, publication notice in the
Gazette was combined into one notice,
therefore the judging approval process
continues to include an opportunity for
the fancy to respond to each permit
judge.
Letters concerning judges and permit
judges should be addressed to the
Judging Operations Department at PO
Box 900062, Raleigh, NC 27675-9062.
Letters concerning Agility, Obedience,
Rally, Tracking, and VST applicants
should be addressed to the Companion
Events Department in North Carolina.
The American Kennel Club will, at
the request of a judge or judge applicant, provide that individual with copies
of letters received by AKC concerning
their qualifications. As a result, it should
be understood that any such correspondence will be made available, upon
request, to the judge.
It is the responsibility of all
Conformation and JS judges to notify
the Judging Operations Department of
any changes or corrections to their
address, phone, fax or emails. These
changes are very important because they
affect your judges’ record, the web site
and the Judges Directory.
Please notify Judging Operations at
(919) 816-3593 or email,
judgingops@akc.org.
PERMIT JUDGES
The following persons have been
approved on a Permit basis for the designated breeds in accordance with the current judging approval process. They may
now accept assignments and the fancy
AKC GAZETTE
•
44
•
JULY
2014
may still offer comments to Judging
Operations.
NEW BREED JUDGES
Ms. Janet Birdsall (97525) FL
(772) 252-1022
myyuppypuppy@yahoo.com
Havanese, JS-Limited
Ms. Sandra London (95561) TX
(817) 295-7181
s-london@sbcglobal.net
Labrador Retrievers
APPROVED BREED JUDGES
Miss Vicki E. Allenbrand (91374) KS
(678) 429-4609
blackjackdogs@earthlink.net
Bernese Mountain Dogs, Boxers,
Doberman Pinschers, Rottweilers
Mrs. Karen Arends (19274) TX
(817) 774-0706
karends999@aol.com
Balance of Hound Group (American
English Coonhounds, Cirneco dell’
Etna, Pharaoh Hounds, Plotts,
Portuguese Podengo Pequenos,
Redbone Coonhounds, Scottish
Deerhounds, Treeing Walker
Coonhounds)
Ms. Deborah Barrett (53586) AL
(205) 733-8367
dbearett@gmail.com
American Eskimo Dogs, Lowchen,
Poodles, Shiba Inu, Tibetan Terriers,
Xoloitzcuintli
Mr. James M. Brown (27333) OH
(513) 932-5264
susanstjohnbrown@aol.com
Balance of Non-Sporting Group
(American Eskimo Dogs, Bichons
Frises, Bulldogs, Coton de Tulear,
Finnish Spitz, Lhasa Apsos, Lowchen,
Norwegian Lundehunds, Tibetan
Spaniels, Tibetan Terriers,
Xoloitzcuintli)
Dr. Joyce Dandridge (62237) DC
(202) 726-9155
justuschows@verizon.net
American Eskimo Dogs, Boston
Terriers, Dalmatians, Lowchen, Shiba
Inu
Ms. Maureen A. Day (29991) NY
(516) 735-5421
maday1@optonline.net
Balance of Sporting Group (German
Wirehaired Pointers, Curly-Coated
Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Nova
Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, Irish
Red and White Setters, American
GZ secretary’s page
Water Spaniels, Boykin Spaniels, Irish
Water Spaniels, Sussex Spaniels, Welsh
Springer Spaniels, Spinoni Italiani,
Wirehaired Pointing Griffons,
Wirehaired Vizslas)
Mrs. Valerie Dombrowski (45866)
GA
(770) 531-3324
rivalfarms@aol.com
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, CurlyCoated Retrievers, Clumber Spaniels,
Cocker Spaniels, English Cocker
Spaniels, Welsh Springer Spaniels,
Vizslas
Mr. Alfred J. Ferruggiaro (7410) MD
(301) 421-1930
alferrug@gmail.com
Balance of Non-Sporting Group
(Bichons Frises, Chinese Shar-Pei,
Chow Chows, Coton de Tulear,
Dalmatians, Lowchen, Norwegian
Lundehunds, Shiba Inu)
Mr. Rick Gschwender (6740) ID
(208) 477-3934
rggschwender@yahoo.com
German Wirehaired Pointers, Flat
Coated Retrievers, Golden Retrievers,
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers,
English Setters, Gordon Setters, Irish
Setters, Irish Red and White Setters,
Cocker Spaniels, English Cocker
Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels,
Field Spaniels, Sussex Spaniels,
Weimaraners
Ms. Sharon R. Lyons (5113) NY
(845) 635-3529
lyonserin@aol.com
American English Coonhounds,
Bloodhounds, Borzois, Greyhounds,
Norwegian Elkhounds, Pharaoh
Hounds, Plotts, Salukis, Scottish
Deerhounds, Treeing Walker
Coonhounds
Mrs. Karen S. McFarlane (4835) MO
(816) 628-6802
karenmcf@aol.com
Balance of Toy Group (Affenpinschers,
Brussels Griffons, Chihuahuas,
Chinese Cresteds, English Toy
Spaniels, Italian Greyhounds,
Manchester Terriers, Miniature
Pinschers, Pugs, Silky Terriers, Toy Fox
Terriers)
Mr. Dale A Meyer (6655) WI
(715) 654-5330
meyerd@tds.net
Australian Cattle Dogs, Bouviers des
Flandres, Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Pulik
Mr. James A. Moses (93094) MO
(770) 329-4768
jmoses0924@aol.com
Akita, Alaskan Malamutes, Bernese
Mountain Dogs, Boxers, Bullmastiffs,
Doberman Pinschers, Giant
Schnauzers, Great Pyrenees, Kuvaszok,
Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, Portuguese
Water Dogs, Rottweilers, Siberian
Huskies, Standard Schnauzers
Ms. Ann H. Roth (63187) NC
(910) 791-3950
harnetthounds@juno.com
Pointers, German Shorthaired
Pointers, German Wirehaired Pointers,
Irish Setters, Cocker Spaniels,Vizslas,
Wirehaired Pointing Griffons
Mr. Thomas W. Schulz (94217) WI
(920) 867-4960
cedargolden@centurytel.net
Irish Setters
Mrs. Nancy D. Simmons (6369) TX
(972) 355-8580
nansimmons@yahoo.com
Balance of Herding Group
(Beaucerons, Bergamasco, Canaan
Dogs, Entlebucher Mountain Dogs,
Finnish Lapphunds, Icelandic
Sheepdogs, Norwegian Buhunds,
Polish Lowland Sheepdogs, Pyrenean
Shepherds, Spanish Water Dogs,
Swedish Vallhunds)
Mrs. Patricia A. Sosa (45766) LA
(985) 845-4562
bandog@charter.net
Balance of Working Group (Boerboel,
Chinooks, Dogues de Bordeaux, Great
Pyrenees, Kuvaszok, Tibetan Mastiffs),
Poodles, Bulldogs
Mr. Merle Taylor (17377) IL
(217) 262-3266
jbrwk1@prairieinet.net
English Toy Spaniels, Italian
Greyhounds, Maltese, Papillons,
Poodles, Pugs, Shih Tzu, Toy Fox
Terriers
ADJUNCT JUDGE
Mrs. Janet L. Fink (6374) CA
(909) 307-9778
janetfink@verizon.net
Coton de Tulear
JUNIOR SHOWMANSHIP JUDGES
Mrs. Cathy S. Dahlberg (97431) FL
(941) 232-9483
cathydahlb@aol.com
AKC GAZETTE
•
45
•
JULY
2014
Mrs. Jennifer Gonzales (97607) HI
(808) 734-4613
qtjenna@hawaii.rr.com
Mr. Collen Stone (97499) CA
(503) 632-1218
collenstone@yahoo.com
Ms. Lauren Texter (97477) CA
(909) 747-4082
laurentexter@yahoo.com
Mrs. Michelle Wolcott (97521) PA
(570) 688-9644
emt9898@yahoo.com
PERMIT ASSIGNMENTS COMPLETED
The following persons have completed their Permit Judging assignments
in the breeds listed, and their names have
been added to the list of regular
approved judges.
NEW BREED JUDGES
Mr. Patrick Guilfoyle (96475) CA
(818) 301-4038
dbldog@mac.com
Afghan Hounds, Poodles
Mrs. Celia L. Hoffman (93977) PA
(610) 365-8750
karhiba@aol.com
Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Ms. Sylvie J. McGee (95341) WA
(360) 705-1233
sylvie@sylviemcgee.net
Basset Hounds
Mrs. Vivienne M. Richards (93613)
DE
(302) 684-3609
vavantgarde@aol.com
Collies
Mr. Robert Schwalbe (55062) GA
(706) 693-7142
reschwalbe@yahoo.com
Dachshunds
Mr. Joseph Smith (95833) GA
(510) 682-4335
rubyd2000@aol.com
Doberman Pinschers
APPROVED BREED JUDGES
Mr. Larry C. Abbott (20217) TX
(972) 562-1200
theabbotts@abbottusa.com
Balance of Toy Group (Affenpinschers,
English Toy Spaniels, Silky Terriers),
Boykin Spaniels, Welsh Springer
Spaniels, Spinone Italiani, Wirehaired
Pointing Griffons
GZ secretary’s page
Ms. Judith A. Adams (18826) OH
(330) 225-9315
pat71vett@prodigy.net
Australian Shepherds, Briards, Old
English Sheepdogs, Pulik
Ms. Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine (6913) MI
(734) 662-0849
foxairn_3@msn.com
Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Whippets,
Akita, Alaskan Malamutes, Bullmastiffs,
Dogues de Bordeaux, Great Danes,
Siberian Huskies, Miniature Pinschers,
Pekingese
Ms. Rita J. Biddle Esq. (6268) MI
(517) 626-6844
ritabiddle@aol.com
Balance of Non-Sporting Group
(Bichons Frises, Coton de Tulear,
Lhasa Apsos, Lowchen, Norwegian
Lundehunds, Xoloitzcuintli)
Mrs. Anne Savory Bolus (35486) TN
(423) 344-6125
dabolus@aol.com
French Bulldogs, Lowchen, Shiba Inu
Mr. John F. Booth (6914) TX
(210) 487-0805
judgejbooth@gmail.com
Belgian Malinois, Briards, Canaan
Dogs, Icelandic Sheepdogs, Swedish
Vallhunds
Mr. Dana Cline (7276) IL
(815) 218-5247
daneman23@yahoo.com
Balance of Toy Group (Maltese,
Manchester Terriers, Papillons,
Pomeranians, Shih Tzu, Silky Terriers,
Toy Fox Terriers,Yorkshire Terriers),
French Bulldogs, Shiba Inu, Australian
Cattle Dogs, Finnish Lapphunds,
Icelandic Sheepdogs, Polish Lowland
Sheepdogs
Mr. Gary A. Dunlop (7280) OR
(503) 634-2663
tobus@monitorcoop.com
Boxers, Tibetan Mastiffs
Ms. Marie Ann Falconer (51642) MA
(413) 433- 6474
mylaone10@aol.com
Bulldogs, Schipperkes, Tibetan
Spaniels, Belgian Malinois, Bouviers
des Flandres
Ms. Donna Greenamyer (65731) CA
(760) 868-1755
dgreenamyer@yahoo.com
Pomeranians
Mrs. Mari J. Hayhurst (17560) CA
(619) 722-6646
marihayhurst@cox.net
Anatolian Shepherds, Bullmastiffs,
Mastiffs, Rottweilers
Mrs. Patricia A. Hess (0983) MD
(301) 292-9337
hesshighbanks@juno.com
English Setters
Dr. Steve Keating (6065) TX
(214) 946-2624
suke19@airmail.net
Beaucerons, Canaan Dogs
Mrs. Diane Landstrom (36322) AZ
(623) 935-4214
dlandstrom01@cox.net
Bernese Mountain Dogs, Boxers,
Bullmastiffs, Portuguese Water Dogs
Ms. Leah D. Lange (44516) PA
(724) 327-4770
dobrgal2@gmail.com
Akita, Boxers, Samoyeds, Siberian
Huskies
Ms. Elizabeth Muthard (6689) VA
(610) 360-1778
sunup1001@gmail.com
Belgian Sheepdogs, German Shepherd
Dogs, Polish Lowland Sheepdogs
Ms. Peri D. Norman (15142) CA
(805) 231-2759
periandbob@aol.com
English Setters, Irish Setters, Irish Red
and White Setters
Mr. Jim Owens (92926) NC
(828) 333-0810
drydockdogs@gmail.com
Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes
Ms. Pat Putman (34310) WA
(509) 884-8258
patputman@charter.net
Rottweilers, Chihuahuas, Australian
Cattle Dogs, Australian Shepherds,
Border Collies, Pembroke Welsh Corgis
Mr. Robert L. Robinson (6039) AZ
(602) 253-6260
brobinson4@cox.net
Balance of Hound Group (American
English Coonhounds, American
Foxhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds,
Cirneco dell’Etna, English Foxhounds,
Harriers, Ibizan Hounds, Otterhounds,
Plotts, Portuguese Podengo Pequeno ,
Redbone Coonhounds)
Mr. Sharon Sakson (7030) FL
(352) 428-2569
sharonsakson@mac.com
Balance of Hound Group (American
English Coonhounds, American
Foxhounds, Basset Hounds, Bluetick
Coonhounds, Cirneco dell’Etna,
English Foxhounds, Harriers,
Norwegian Elkhounds, Otterhounds,
Plotts, Portuguese Podengo Pequeno,
Redbone Coonhounds, Treeing
Walker Coonhounds)
AKC GAZETTE
•
46
•
JULY
2014
Ms. Debra Thornton (18837) VA
(434) 286-9504
cypressbaydlt@gmail.com
Balance of Hound Group (American
English Coonhounds, Black and Tan
Coonhounds, Cirneco dell’Etna,
Ibizan Hounds, Norwegian
Elkhounds, Otterhounds, Pharaoh
Hounds, Portuguese Podengo
Pequeno, Treeing Walker
Coonhounds), Golden Retrievers,
Irish Setters
Mr. Michael L.Van Tassell (38468) UT
(801) 518-2377
cobblecreek@comcast.net
Alaskan Malamutes, Australian
Shepherds
Mr. Bruce E. Voran (5610) AZ
(928) 970-0119
bjvoran@gmail.com
Finnish Spitz, Australian Cattle Dogs,
Bearded Collies, Belgian Tervuren,
Canaan Dogs, Cardigan Welsh Corgis,
Collies, Entlebucher Mountain Dogs,
Icelandic Sheepdogs, Old English
Sheepdogs, Pembroke Welsh Corgis,
Shetland Sheepdogs
Ms. Lee Whittier (18526) WA
(802) 369-0380
leepacnw@gmail.com
Bernese Mountain Dogs, Cane
Corsos, Dogues de Bordeaux, Tibetan
Mastiffs
Dr. Carol White-Moser (7344) TX
(903) 530-1986
carolwm555@gmail.com
American English Coonhounds, Black
and Tan Coonhounds, Bluetick
Coonhounds, Otterhounds, Plotts,
Treeing Walker Coonhounds
JUNIOR SHOWMANSHIP JUDGES
Mr. Arvind M. de Braganca (91666)
FL
(321) 262-7601
jarvyce@aol.com
Ms. Christiane J. Scarpino (94443) MA
(978) 827-6704
whalom@verizon.net
Ms. Lisa Rose Toth (94231) MO
(816) 588-5424
sibeshowr@hotmail.com
RESIGNED CONFORMATION JUDGE
Ms. Sally Poole
EMERITUS CONFORMATION JUDGES
Mrs. Edna K. (Katie) Gammill
Mr. Eugene W. Haupt
Mr. Robert D. Sharp
GZ secretary’s page
DECEASED CONFORMATION JUDGES
Mr. David G. Doane
Ms. Mary Lou Harris
Ms. Susan Parsons
Mrs. Cynthia Sommers
Dr. Todd D.L. Woods
PROVISIONAL
OBEDIENCE/RALLY/TRACKING JUDGES
COMPLETED
The following persons have completed
their Provisional Judging assignments and
their names have been added to the list
of regular approved judges.
Mrs. Karen Frese (94747) PA
(717) 599-5856
jkfrese@comcast.net
Rally – All
Ms. Ilene Morgan (80679) VT
(802) 372-4232
islandlabs@aol.com
Tracking – Variable Surface Tracking
Ms. Stephanie Podejko (82518) NY
(315) 436-0599
stonehilldals@aol.com
Obedience – Open
Jeanne Ramirez DVM (81817) KS
(913) 533-2627
allcreaturessah@sbcglobal.net
Obedience – Novice
PROVISIONAL
OBEDIENCE/RALLY/TRACKING JUDGES
The following persons have been
approved as a judge on a Provisional basis
for the class/test indicated in accordance
with the Provisional judging system. They
may now accept assignments.
Ms. Claire Lynn Earhart (48768) WI
(608) 365-0850
magical@ticon.net
Tracking – Tracking Dog
Mrs. Pamela Thornburg (97843) IL
(217) 787-6429
tompam@mwii.net
Tracking – Tracking Dog
Mrs. Karen Wrey (43294) NY
(845) 592-1722
kayray@optonline.net
Obedience - Novice
Application for Breed-Specific
Registered Name Prefix
The following applications for a
breed-specific Registered Name Prefix
have been submitted to The American
Kennel Club. Letters in regard to these
applications should be addressed to James
P. Crowley, Executive Secretary:
CABIN-CRITTERS – Yorkshire
Terriers – Anita S. Hopkins
DUCKDAWG – Labrador Retrievers –
Libby Milroy
ELEMENTAL – Rottweilers – Franziska
M. Pircher
ENCLAVE – Shetland Sheepdogs –
Hector Hector & Meredith Hector
FAYME – French Bulldogs – LuAnn
Belock
HARVESTMOON – Labrador
Retrievers – Connie A. Cramer
HI HOPES – Australian Shepherds –
Angela Parker
HIRED GUN – Bulldogs – Anna
Dolegiewicz
HUESOFGOLD – Golden Retrievers –
April M. Fulk
KINGSTON’S – Cavalier King Charles
Spaniels – Becky S. Holleman
MASTWOOD – Mastiffs – Kirk Blank
& Kamila Blank
OAKHAVEN – Rhodesian Ridgebacks
– Linda A. Shue
SAPPHIRES – French Bulldogs – Carol
L. Arbuthnot & Roger M. Arbuthnot
SHADYMIST – Golden Retrievers –
Marnie J. Harrell
SWEETBRIAR – Vizslas – Christine M.
Walter
WYNDANCER – Cavalier King
Charles Spaniels – Susan (Sue) Barrett,
DVM
ZA ZA – Bouvier des Flandres –
Priscilla W. Martin
Registered Name Prefixes Granted
The following applications for a
breed-specific Registered Name Prefix
have been granted:
AHADI – Basenjis-Amy S. Davis & Ali
L. Davis
ASLAN – Pekingese – Lori M. Stephen
COUNTRY MANOR – Labrador
Retrievers – Susan G. Merrill & Rod A.
Merrill
DE LEEUW – German Shepherd Dogs
– Wilma C. Bruining
FOREVER’S – Newfoundlands – Mary
K. Porod
AKC GAZETTE
•
47
•
JULY
2014
GREAT SCOTT – Border Collies –
Chris Scott
IMARA – Basenjis – Constance
(Connie) L. Camp
JASET – Poodles – Chris Bailey &
Sandra Tompkins
MARGAUX – Bouviers des Flandres –
Sandi Lyon
POISE – Australian Shepherds – Angie T.
Claussen & Mandy Rose
RAMBLEWOOD – English Springer
Spaniels – Linda M. Riedel
SIXBELLS – Australian Shepherds –
Cheryl Bell
SUNNYACRE – Cavalier King Charles
Spaniels – Kathleen F. Burke
TATTLE TAIL – Labrador Retrievers –
Brenda D. Owens
VINDACHS – Dachshunds – E. Richard
Vincent & Twyla J.Vincent
WILANE – Manchester Terriers –
JoAnn C. Emrick
WILD WEST – Australian Terriers – Eve
Steele
WINTER VALLEY – Labrador
Retrievers – Crystal A. Macris
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
JUNE 9-10, 2014
The Board convened on Monday, June 9,
2014 at 1:00 p.m. All Directors were
present, as were the Executive Secretary,
and the Assistant Executive Secretary. The
April 2014 Board minutes, copies of
which were made available to all
Directors, were discussed. Upon a
motion by Mr. Menaker, seconded by Dr.
Battaglia, the April 2014 minutes were
approved.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Board Action Items
Mr. Sprung gave a status report on
previous Action Items assigned to the
Staff as well as an introduction of new
initiatives.
Events and Entries Update
Mr. Sprung gave a status report on
entries and events though April 2014.
Entries were flat with a 0% change and
Events were up by 3% compared to same
period in 2013.
LEGAL REPORT
Margaret Poindexter, General Counsel,
participated in this portion of the
meeting. She presented a status report on
GZ secretary’s page
pending litigation and other activities for
the months of April and May 2014.
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
There was a discussion on a number of
issues regarding judging, which were
raised at the Delegate Parent Clubs
Committee meeting in June. They
included the increase in the number of
low entry breeds; ideas of acceptable
education and training for judges; the
process of ringside observations by AKC
Field Representatives to evaluate
placements; Parent Club input on breed
standard tests; the demeanor of some
judges and the possibility of some type of
Low Entry Breed Institute.
JUDGING TASK FORCE
Dr. Garvin updated the Board on the
work of the Judging Task Force,
including ongoing projects and a review
of areas where improvement was needed
and areas where further discussion was
needed.
He outlined a pilot program to develop
online breed specific judge's education,
referred to as the Canine College. The
Parent Clubs for Basenjis, Lhasa Apsos
and Dalmatians were taking part in the
pilot program.
Chris Walker, AKC Staff, reported on a
platform that could be purchased, which
would enable AKC to develop software
to deliver the Canine College. Following
a motion by Mr. Amen, seconded by Mr.
Ashby, it was VOTED (unanimously) to
authorize staff to purchase the platform
and to develop the software necessary to
do this.
The Board also considered what
education experiences were really
pertinent and should be included as
necessary preparation for judging
applicants which would instill confidence
by exhibitors that each individual is
knowledgeable about the breed.
It was suggested that there be an
additional survey of judges, The Judges
Review Committee and exhibitors.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
There was an Executive Session to
discuss sensitive business matters.
Nothing was reported out of this session.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
February 2015 Board Meeting
It was pointed out that the dates for the
February 2015 Board Meeting were set
prior to the Westminster Kennel Club
changing its dates in 2015. Without
objection, the dates for the meeting were
changed to Thursday/Friday, February
12-13, 2015.
The Doberman Pinscher Club of America
The Board reviewed a report on alleged
Bylaw violations on the part of the board
of the Doberman Pinscher Club of
America (DPCA). Article III, Section 4
of the DPCA bylaws specifically provide
that the Board may fill any vacancy in
officer or board positions only until the
Annual Meeting. While being advised of
this by AKC, the Board of the DPCA
insisted on filling the vacancies for
president and first vice president for the
remainder of the unexpired term of the
individuals previously holding these
positions rather than until the next
annual meeting. The DPCA membership
was not afforded the opportunity to
submit nominations for the two
vacancies.
There was a motion by Mr. Arnold,
seconded by Mr. Amen, to reprimand the
Doberman Pinscher Club of America,
and to impose a staff-recommended fine
of $500 for the known violation of its
bylaws.
There was a motion by Mr. Powers,
seconded by Ms. Cruz, and it was
VOTED (affirmative: Mr. Powers, Ms.
Cruz, Dr. Garvin, Dr. Battaglia, Mr.
Ashby, Mr. Kalter, Mr. Amen, Mr. Dok,
Mr. Arnold, Mr. Menaker, opposed: Mr.
Feeney, Mr. Wooding, Mr. Gladstone) to
increase the fine to $2,500.
The main motion, as amended, was then
voted (affirmative Mr. Powers, Ms. Cruz,
Dr. Garvin, Dr. Battaglia, Mr. Ashby, Mr.
Kalter, Mr. Amen, Mr. Dok, Mr. Arnold,
Mr. Menaker, Mr. Gladstone; opposed
Mr. Feeney, Mr. Wooding).
FCI
The Board discussed a request from the
FCI to provide it with a list of all dogs it
registers based on a National General
Kennel Club pedigree, so that it can
prevent them from being registered by
any FCI member based on its AKC
registration. In addition the FCI general
Committee asked that AKC Global
definitely not approach non FCI
member clubs in countries establishing a
business relationship. FCI had declined to
cooperate with AKC Global in countries
with FCI clubs for a portion of any
revenue earned.
The Board did not direct or authorize
AKC GAZETTE
•
48
•
JULY
2014
AKC and AKC Global staff to comply
with either request. Staff was directed to
relay that to FCI.
Meeting adjourned on Monday June 9,
2014 at 5:30 pm
Meeting reconvened on Tuesday June 10,
2014 at 8:00 am.
All Directors were present, as were the
Executive Secretary, and the Assistant
Executive Secretary.
AKC Canine Health Foundation
Duane Butherus, the AKC Canine
Health Foundation Board Chairman,
updated the AKC on a number of
matters, including staff changes,
fundraising efforts, and procedures for
making research grants.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY CONT'D
Margaret Poindexter, AKC Staff, was
present for this portion of the meeting.
Trial Boards
There was a discussion on the
reappointment of Trial Boards. The
Executive Secretary had communicated
with current members to determine
which of them wished to continue as
Trial Board members. The only current
members who declined to be
reappointed were Edd Biven and Donald
Booxbaum. Staff was directed to extend
the Board's sincere appreciation to both
for their years of service.
Following a motion by Mr. Powers,
seconded by Mr. Gladstone, it was
VOTED (unanimously) to appoint the
following Trial Board members:
Appeals Trial Board
Ralph Del Deo, Esq. Chair
Barbara W. Meiner, Esq.
Martha Feltenstein, Esq.
Trial Board Chairs
Laurie Raymond, Esq.
Daniel Smyth, Esq.
Rita Biddle, Esq.
Theresa Dowell, Esq.
Jan Ritchie, Esq.
Trial Board Members
Dr. Klaus Anselm
Charles Foley
Roger Hartinger
GZ secretary’s page
Medora Harper
Dr. Robert Myall
Bernard Schwartz
Betty-Anne Stenmark
James White
Performance Trial Board
David Hopkins, Esq. Chair
Tim Carwile, Esq.
John Russell
Alternates:
Mike Necaise
Bill Teague
Boykin Spaniel Stud Book
The Board reviewed a request from the
Boykin Spaniel Club & Breeders
Association to allow the Boykin Spaniel
Stud Book to remain open until January
1, 2025. Currently, the Boykin Spaniel
Stud Book is scheduled to close January
1, 2015. This will be discussed further at
the July meeting.
Miniature American Shepherd Eligibility
to Compete in the Herding Group
The Board reviewed a request from the
Miniature American Shepherd Club of
the USA. The club seeks acceptance into
the AKC Stud Book and requests that
the Miniature American Shepherd be
eligible to compete in the Herding
Group. This will be discussed further at
the July meeting.
Bluetick Coonhound and Redbone
Coonhound
The Board reviewed a request from the
Sport Services staff to allow the Bluetick
Coonhound and the Redbone
Coonhound Stud Books to remain open
until January 1, 2025. Currently, the Stud
Books are scheduled to close January 1,
2015. This will be discussed further at the
July meeting.
Registered Kennel Name Fee
The Board reviewed a proposal to
increase the fee for registering a kennel
name with AKC from $100 for five years
to $150 for five years. This will be
discussed further at the July meeting.
New Breed for Foundation Stock
Service® - Jagdterrier
The Board was advised that the Staff
Foundation Stock Service® (FSS®)
Committee recently approved a petition
for the Jagdterrier to be accepted into
the FSS program with a Terrier Group
designation.
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
There was a presentation on new
business initiatives given by Chris Walker,
AKC Staff.
The discussion covered a multitude of
areas including the redesign of AKC's
website to make it more user friendly,
AKC’s numerous social media advances,
and the plans to market the sport.
REGISTRATION DEVELOPMENT
Mark Dunn participated in this portion
of the meeting. There was a review of
registration numbers and revenue over
the year.
New Breeder Program
The staff presented an overview of a
program currently in development
designed for all breeders. This will be
discussed further at the July meeting.
CONFORMATION
Doug Ljungren, Alan Slay, Bri Tesarz,
Mark Dunn and Amy Chou, AKC Staff,
participated in this portion of the
meeting by telephone conference.
Exhibitor Convenience Issues
Based on a request from the Board at the
March meeting, Event Operations staff
provided a copy of a letter that was sent
to clubs regarding best practices for
Superintendents. The letter was originally
mailed to all Conformation club
presidents in November 2007 via an all
clubs mailing. The purpose of the letter
was to point out scheduling options that
are available to a club that if utilized
could make the running of a dog show
more convenient for exhibitors. Staff was
directed to survey exhibitors and judges
regarding the concept in the 2007 letter.
Streamlining the Event Application
Process
Based on a request from the Board, the
Event Operations staff identified and
presented ways to streamline the event
application process and make the process
easier for both the AKC customers and
the Event Operations staff.
A number of short-term actions were
presented and accepted by the Board.
The Event Operations staff will be
notifying the clubs of the improvements
prior to the next Board meeting.
4-6 Month Puppy Update
Based on a request from the Board,
Event Operations determined how many
4-6 Month Beginner Puppy exhibitors
are truly new to conformation. It was
determined that 26% of 4-6 Month
AKC GAZETTE
•
49
•
JULY
2014
Beginner Puppy exhibitors are new to
conformation. 65% of these new
exhibitors continue on to show dogs in
regular classes. Therefore, of all the 4-6
Month Beginner Puppy exhibitors, 17%
are new exhibitors that continue to show
beyond the 4-6 month class.
Staff was directed to emphasize to clubs
that the 4-6 Month Puppy competition
is a special event and not a special
attraction. Thus, a club holding a 4-6
Month Puppy Competition would not
be required to have a NOHS.
Territoriality
Based on a request from the Board, a
Staff Committee was created to evaluate
the issue of territoriality strictly from a
best business practice view, using the
clean-slate approach. Staff presented
recommendations to the issue strictly
from the point of view of how would a
club’s territory be defined and what
restrictions would be put into place if we
were creating a new club and event
structure for the first time today.
The Board was aware that a subcommittee of the Delegate Dog Show
Rules Committee was working on a
Territoriality proposal. It was suggested
that the committee be contacted to
forward that proposal to the Board for
consideration, after it has been approved
by the committee.
National Owner Handler Series
There was a discussion on the NOHS.
There was a motion by Ms. Cruz to
again make it an opt-in program which
would enable clubs to offer Special
Attractions with group competition
without having NOHS. This motion was
not seconded.
The Board discussed the apparent
confusion of the applicability of the
Board decision requiring a club to hold a
NOHS event if they chose to hold any
other competitive Special Attraction. It
was not the Board's intent to include
Specialty Clubs in the decision.
Therefore, the Board decided a clarification was needed and there was a
motion by Mr. Gladstone, seconded by
Mr. Powers and it was VOTED
(unanimously) to make this clarification
in a formal manner.
COMPANION
Doug Ljungren, Pam Manaton and
Carrie DeYoung, AKC Staff, participated
in this portion of the meeting by
telephone conference.
GZ secretary’s page
Special Event Agility Trials
The Board reviewed a proposal from the
Agility Staff to allow clubs licensed for
agility to hold one Special Event Agility
Trial per year. A Special Event Agility
Trial is defined as one where the club
proposes a unique mix of regular AKC
classes or a unique eligibility criterion. A
Special Event Agility Trial must be open
to all breeds, including Canine Partners.
Regular classes held at Special Event
Agility Trials will count toward titles. A
Special Event Agility Trial must be
approved by the Agility Department and
will count as one of the club’s 12 trials
per year. In addition, clubs may make up
unique non-regular classes to offer at
their trials. A clear and complete
description of the eligibility and
performance requirements for a nonregular class must appear in the
premium.
This will be considered further at the
July Board Meeting.
History of Agility
Based on a request from the Board, Staff
presented an overview of the history of
Agility. The Board believes that, as this
program has been very successful,
reviewing its evolution might provide
insight for the development and/or
growth of other sports. There was
discussion on the history of Agility, how
the sport became an AKC event, the
evolution of the sport, the staff ’s
philosophy used when adding new
classes and titles.
Day of Show Entries
Based on a request from the Board, staff
conducted research to determine if it
would be advantageous to allow day-ofshow entries in conformation, obedience
and/or rally events. It is the staff ’s
conclusion that day-of-show entries do
not make sense for these AKC events,
and the Board concurred.
Companion Events Open to Canine
Partners
Staff presented a memo based on a
Board request to develop a plan to
increase the number of all-breed
Companion Events open to Canine
Partners. In 2013, 98% of Agility, 95% of
Obedience and 96% of Rally events
were open to Canine Partners. Given
the high level of participation, staff
recommended maintaining the status
quo and to continue allowing clubs the
option to decide if they want to offer
classes for Canine Partners.
New Events
Staff gave an update to the Board on
three new activities that are being
researched to enhance AKC’s existing
portfolio of sports.
COMPLIANCE
Margaret Poindexter, AKC staff was
present for this portion of the meeting.
The following AKC Management
actions were reported:
(Final Board Disciplinary actions are
reported on the Secretary’s Page.)
CONSENT
Following discussion, there was a motion
by Mr. Ashby, seconded by Mr. Arnold, it
was VOTED (unanimously) to approve
the following Consent Items:
Delegates Approved
Warren Cook, Eagle Point, OR
Southern Oregon Kennel Club
Rhoda T. Ezell, Cincinnati, OH
Queen City Dog Training Club
Harvey Goldberg, Warren, NJ
Somerset Hills Kennel Club
Claudia M. Grunstra-Pierro,
Waldwick, NJ
Yorkshire Terrier Club of America
Linda Hattrem, Sparta, WI
American Water Spaniel Club
Vivian A. Hogan, Damascus, MD
Miniature Pinscher Club of America
Douglas R. Lehr, Pennellville, NY
North Country Kennel Club
Victoria Ann Marks, Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville Dog Fanciers Association
Raul J. Peralta, Trinity, NC
American Brussels Griffon Association
Harold Tatro III, Crowley, TX
Ft. Worth Kennel Club
Susan G. Thrasher, New Castle, IN
Muncie Kennel Club
Karen M. Williams, Crestview, FL
Okaloosa Kennel Club
AKC GAZETTE
•
50
•
JULY
2014
Modification of the Clusters and Backto-Back Policy
The Board VOTED to modify the
current policy pertaining to the length of
clusters to exclude National Specialties
and associated events and to clarify that
this applies to conformation shows.
The revised portion of the policy follows
(Revisions underlined)
• Approval of more than four days of
unique AKC conformation events is
contingent upon exceptional site
capabilities, Executive Field Staff
recommendation, and subsequent
site approval by Event Plans. There is
a checklist for site inspection.
Clusters of more than five days of
unique AKC conformation events
will not be approved except in the
case of National Specialties and
associated events hosted by the
Parent clubs or specialty clubs of the
same breed.
Lagotto Romagnolo Eligibility to
Compete in the Sporting Group
The Board VOTED to approve a request
from the Lagotto Club of America to 1)
approve the breed standard submitted as
the official breed standard for the
Lagotto Romagnolo, 2) move the
Lagotto Romagnolo from the
Foundation Stock Service into the Stud
Book of the American Kennel Club on
June 1, 2015, and 3) approve the Lagotto
Romagnolo to compete in the Sporting
Group, effective July 1, 2015.
Miniature Pinscher in AKC Earthdog
Tests
The Board VOTED to allow Miniature
Pinschers to be eligible to participate in
AKC Earthdog tests.
Match Regulations
The Board considered a number of
modifications to Chapter 2, Section 1, of
the Match Regulations, based on input
from the Delegate Dog Show Rules
Committee. They were intended to:
• Make FSS breeds eligible for breed
and group competition.
• Remove the requirement that the
FSS breeds be listed on the Match
Application and in the advertising
for the Match.
• Providing that breed standards could
be available at the Match, either
digitally or on paper.
Following a motion by Mr. Wooding,
seconded by Dr. Battaglia, it was VOTED
(unanimously) to amend the last two
GZ secretary’s page
paragraphs of Chapter 2, Section 1, of
the Match Regulations to read as
follows:
Conformation competition is for
breeds which are registrable, eligible
for Miscellaneous Class, or FSS breeds.
Such dogs would be eligible to
compete in the respective group
competition and eligible for Best in
Match level. FSS breeds and dogs with
an AKC Canine Partners listing
number are permitted to compete, at
any level for which they meet the
necessary requirements at Obedience,
Rally, or Agility trials if such classes
are offered.
A club wishing to accept entries for
FSS breeds would be required to
indicate that at the time that the
match application is submitted to The
American Kennel Club for approval.
The club will be required to have a
breed standard for FSS breeds,
approved by a foreign registry or a
national breed club in the United
States, available at the match on paper
or viewed digitally.
New Business
The Board discussed the policy
prohibiting a professional handler from
showing under a judge for four months
before and after handling a dog for that
judge. There was no action taken to
change that policy.
The Board Adjourned 3:50 p.m.
Attest:
James P. Crowley, Executive Secretary
AKC GAZETTE
•
51
•
JULY
2014
Sporting
Parent Club Links
American
Water Spaniel
Boykin Spaniel
Brittany
Chespeake Bay
Retriever
Clumber
Spaniel
Cocker Spaniel
Curly-Coated
Retriever
English Cocker
Spaniel
English Setter
English Springer
Spaniel
Field Spaniel
Flat-Coated
Retriever
German Shorthaired
Pointer
German
Wirehaired Pointer
Golden
Retriever
Gordon Setter
Irish Red &
White Setter
Irish Setter
Irish Water
Spaniel
Labrador
Retriever
Nova Scotia Duck
Tolling Retriever
Pointer
Spinone
Italiano
Sussex Spaniel
Vizsla
Weimaraner
Welsh Springer
Spaniel
Wirehaired
Pointing Griffon
Hound
Parent Club Links
Afghan Hound
American English
Coonhound
American
Foxhound
Basenji
Basset Hound
Beagle
Black and Tan
Coonhound
Bloodhound
Bluetick
Coonhound
Borzoi
Dachshund
English
Foxhound
Greyhound
Harrier
Ibizan Hound
Irish
Wolfhound
Norwegian
Elkhound
Otterhound
Petit Basset
Griffon Vendéen
Pharaoh Hound
Plott
Redbone
Coonhound
Rhodesian
Ridgeback
Saluki
Scottish
Deerhound
Whippet
Working
Parent Club Links
Akita
Alaskan
Malamute
Anatolian
Shepherd Dog
Bernese
Mountain Dog
Black Russian
Terrier
Boxer
Bullmastiff
Cane Corso
Doberman
Pinscher
Dogue de
Bordeaux
German
Pinscher
Giant
Schnauzer
Great Dane
Great Pyrenees
Greater Swiss
Mountain Dog
Komondor
Leonberger
Kuvasz
Mastiff
Neapolitan
Mastiff
Newfoundland
Portuguese
Water Dog
Rottweiler
Saint Bernard
Samoyed
Siberian Husky
Standard
Schnauzer
Tibetan Mastiff
Terrier
Parent Club Links
Airedale
Terrier
American
Staffordshire Terrier
Australian
Terrer
Bedlington
Terrier
Border Terrier
Bull Terrier
Cairn Terrier
Cesky Terrier
Dandie
Dinmont Terrier
Fox Terrier
(Smooth)
Fox Terrier
(Wire)
Glen of Imaal
Terrier
Irish Terrier
Kerry Blue
Terrier
Lakeland Terrier
Manchester Terrier
Miniature Bull
Terrier
Miniature
Schnauzer
Norfolk Terrier
Norwich
Terrier
Parson Russell
Terrier
Scottish Terrier
Sealyham Terrier
Skye Terrier
Soft Coated
Wheaten Terrier
Staffordshire
Bull Terrier
Welsh Terrier
West Highland
White Terrier
Toy
Parent Club Links
Affenpinscher
Brussels
Griffon
Cavalier King
Charles Spaniel
Chihuahua
Chinese
Crested
English Toy
Spaniel
Havanese
Italian
Greyhound
Japanese Chin
Maltese
Manchester
Terrier (Toy)
Miniature
Pinscher
Papillon
Pekingese
Pomeranian
Poodle (Toy)
Pug
Shih Tzu
Silky Terrier
Toy Fox Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
Non-Sporting
Parent Club Links
American
Eskimo Dog
Bichon Frise
Boston Terrier
Bulldog
Chinese
Shar-Pei
Chow Chow
Dalmatian
Finnish Spitz
French Bulldog
Keeshond
Lhasa Apso
Löwchen
Norwegian
Lundehund
Poodle
(Miniature)
Schipperke
Poodle
(Standard)
Shiba Inu
Tibetan
Spaniel
Tibetan Terrier
Xoloitzcuintli
Herding
Parent Club Links
Australian
Cattle Dog
Australian
Shepherd
Bearded Collie
Beauceron
Belgian
Malinois
Belgian
Sheepdog
Belgian
Tervuren
Border Collie
Bouvier des
Flandres
Briard
Canaan Dog
Cardigan Welsh
Corgi
Collie (Rough)
Collie (Smooth)
Entlebucher
Mountain Dog
Finnish
Lapphund
German
Shepherd Dog
Icelandic
Sheepdog
Norwegian
Buhund
Old English
Sheepdog
Pembroke
Welsh Corgi
Polish Lowland
Sheepdog
Puli
Pyrenean
Shepherd
Shetland
Sheepdog
Swedish
Vallhund
AKC
REGISTERED
HANDLERS
The American Kennel Club Registered Handlers Program
establishes criteria and standards for responsible,
knowledgeable professional handlers. All handlers
enrolled in the Program have met these criteria and made
the commitment to follow the guidelines and Code of
Ethics as set forth by the AKC.
For additional information concerning the
Registered Handlers Program, click here:
http://www.akc.org/handlers/ To view the AKC Registered Handlers
Membership list, click here:
www.akc.org/handlers/states/allstates.cfm
For information on upcoming RHP Handling Clinics:
http://www.akc.org/handlers/jr_clinics.cfm
http://www.akc.org/handlers/adult_clinics.cfm