Dog News The Digest
Of American Dogs
Volume 30, Issue 34
Seemore
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$5.00 Aug. 22, 2014
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There’s Only One...
! S U G M A E T ... Team Gus ges thanks Jud . L Mr. Robert Vandiver & Mr. James R. White for these ts. Group Firs
H Top Winning Swissy in AKC History! H The Number One Swissy, All Breed H The Number Eight Working Dog **
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Multiple Best In Show, National Specialty Best In Show
GCh. Derby’s Toast With Gusto Owned By: Rick & Sue Copeland Richmond, Texas
Bred By: Kristin Kleeman Robyn & Kenneth Toth *CC System
Presented By Scott Sommer Dog News 5
Dog News Cover Story - AUGUST 22, 2014
Am. GCh. & Can. Ch. Hil-N-Don & Canyonwood Seemore Of Me
PUBLISHER
STANLEY R. HARRIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS CREATIVE DIRECTOR
SEAN KEVIN GAFFNEY ADVERTISING MANAGERS
SHAUN COEN Y. CHRISTOPHER KING ACCOUNTING
STEPHANIE BONILLA SALES REPS
Karen Justin dognewskaren@aol.com
Leslie Simis dognewsleslie@aol.com GENERAL TELEPHONE
212 807.7100 x588 FAX NUMBER: 212 675.5994 EMAIL ADDRESS
dognews@harris-pub.com
We at Shadow Hill are extremely proud of Seemore's accomplishments and enjoy sharing this lovely Springer with the dog fancy.
www.dognews.com facebook.com/dognewsmagazine twiiter: @dognewsmagazine SUBSCRIPTIONS
Ian Miller 212 462.9624 Contributing Editors Sharon Anderson • Andrew Brace Agnes Buchwald • Patricia Gail Burnham Shaun Coen • Carlotta Cooper Geoff Corish • Michael Faulkner Merry Fitzgerald, DVM • Denise Flaim Geir Flyckt - Pedersen • Allison Foley Yossi Guy • Ronnie Irving • Roz Kramer John Mandeville • Sidney Marx Linda More • Demond J. Murphy M. J. Nelson • Sharon Pflaumer John Shoemaker • Kim Silva Matthew H. Stander Sari Brewster Tietjen • Patricia Trotter Connie Vanacore • Carla Viggiano Nick Waters • Seymour Weiss Minta (Mike) Williquette Dog News Photographers Chet Jezierski • Perry Phillips Kitten Rodwell • Leslie Simis
Owner Silsby S. Pelissero Santa Barbara, California
Professionally Presented By Ellen Cottingham
*Thank you Betty Hogan for the lovely cover portrait of Seemore (bestdog) 6 Dog News
DOG NEWS is sent to all AKC approved Conformation Judges with more than one breed every week and have adjudicated at a licensed AKC show within the past three years on a complimentary basis. No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form without written permission from the editor. The opinions expressed by this publication do not necessarily express the opinions of the publisher. The editor reserves the right to edit all copy submitted.
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AKC AND EDELMAN BLUNDER ON The news that AKC’s public relations firm, Edelman, reputed to be the largest in the world billing ways, committed a series of faux pas which needed retraction and possibly caused if not a loss of clients certainly resulted in a major loss in credibility for the pr firm made headlines the world over on Monday August 18. Fortunately AKC was not a victim of these faux pas but no matter as they can do their own damage on its own cry very easily. Chris Walker the so-called social media guru has entered into an exclusive partnership with a contemporary allegedly giving them an exclusive blog interview right with staff members. This breaks with a series of traditions about AKC including giving all press the opportunity to be treated equally by that organization insofar as news releases are concerned. If AKC is being paid for these services these pages were under the impression that a): it should have been open to all to participate and that b): it should have gone out for bid! If a free service how can AKC favor one press organization over another? Mr. Walker is a neophyte when it come to traditions at AKC and perhaps acted imprudently. If indeed he had permission to implement this policy one would strongly suggest that this authority be reversed forthwith-after all what’s another flip-flop among friends when it comes to AKC!
RIGHT IN TIME It would appear that as has been suggested by these pages the unhappiness with many of the Kennel Clubs particularly in Scandinavia with FCI has manifested itself in the formation of a new organization called Partnership For Dogs, which is a newly established. FKK, Swedish Kennel Club, Norwegian Kennel Club, French Kennel Club, VDH from Germany, KC, OFA and in the future also possibly the Italian Kennel Club, the Russian Kennel Club etc., have this joint venture. The idea is to have a new platform to share reliable information between different Kennel Clubs, breeders, even researchers for well-being and health issues in dogs. AKC has been contacted but so far these pages have been unable to find out who was contacted and what the reaction to this idea maybe. By total
chance this week’s QUESTION OF THE WEEK revolves around the international set-up of Kennel Clubs the answers to which are most enlightening. Also FCI has been contacted, but it is reported to these pages that they “would rather put their money to build a new meeting facilities to Thuin than to the wellbeing of dogs”... Nevertheless this new organization has a meeting at the Kennel Club next week in order to establish the board for the organization . The meeting will be held at the same time the FKK has its August board meeting. The apparent scope of this organization reads rather limitedly but it is an overall advancement above and beyond that of any services presently offered by FCI and could be a good step towards the founding of a League of Kennel Clubs for sure.
A DIFFERENCE IN APPROACH When the Events Department began its alleged survey on May 1st of various participants in our Sport to the NOHS the survey itself was never made public despite promises from the Social Media Department headed by Chris Walker to send us a copy of it after these pages were made aware of its existence. Not only that but the results of the survey were specifically declared off limits. Furthermore the claim in the released statement which implied that all show supers were contacted were publicly denied by at least two show superintending organizations. Transparent with the Fancy neither the Events Department nor the Social Media Department is proving to be except when it is convenient for them is the reaction of these pages. On the other hand the Delegates By-Laws Committee sent out a survey about its recent vote turning down a change in the matter of Delegate Eligibility and released the following statement thereafter--The Delegate Bylaws Committee wants to thank the delegates for their tremendous response to the survey concerning delegate eligibility. We asked for your opinion and you answered. As of this morning, 303 delegates have participated. Of our current 537 seated delegates, that is an excellent 56.4% response rate. And, since 276 delegates attended the June meeting at which the eligibility amendment was presented for a vote, this response is especially gratifying Because
the response has been so good, we have extended the deadline to Monday, August 25, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to add his or her voice to this discussion. If you have not yet participated, here is the link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ DelegateEligibilitySurvey. The committee thanks all of you for your participation and looks forward to sharing the results when they are fully compiled. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN ATTITUDE BETWEEN THE TWO SURVEYS-which do you appreciate more the openness of the Delegate By-Laws Committee or the evasiveness and secretive response of the Events Committee and/or the Social Media Department?
THE SERVICE DOG CONTRETEMPS Well USA TODAY and our own Pat Trotter certainly came out strongly against the use of phony service dogs on airplanes and unfortunately many people in the show dog world abet and further this practice. At some point the ar’ers are going to take advantage of this argument and use it against the sport generally. AKC’s Board took a wishy-washy stand on the issue at one its meeting but totally failed in coming out against it but also in establishing a penalty towards the people who continue this practice. Editorially, at the time, these pages took issue with the Board to no avail. Social Media at AKC remains silent on the topic as far as these pages can determine. Isn’t there anyone in power or influence in either area who is willing to take a strong position condemning show people who say their animals are service dogs when it is common knowledge they are not before the animal righters go to work on this issue too?
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK As the race for number one dog tightens monthly it becomes apparent that this is one of the closest two dog competitions in the history of record keeping at AKC. The honor of being nominated for Group Breeder of the Year has been announced and obviously the winners are all delighted. The one aspect of this most prestigious award these pages always believed should be changed since the inception of the award years ago is that the people so honored must have had an exhibit in competition during the year of consideration. This has resulted in a number of people being excluded from consideration who should have been so considered. The elimination of that requirement would make the award even more meaningful than it is today--if that is at all possible.
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BAbbling
“ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE” By Geir Flyckt-Pedersen
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hat song with the same title, has been one of my favorites for many a year. I for some reason had the idea it was a George Formby tune, but just found it was sung by Eric Idle of the incredible Monty Python crew. If you want a laugh and at the same time take these words seriously , listen , it might brighten up your day. You might wonder what the heck this has to do with dogs, but in my case this song always makes me think of our fabulous English Veterinarian Dr Ian Guthrie, who was our “dogfamily doctor” for many years and who actually managed to brighten up some very sad moments in our lives. In addition to his small animal practice just outside London he also was in charge of the Greyhounds at the local race track, so he knew lots about bone and serious injuries… Dr. Guthrie was, (I think he is retired by now) one of those oldfashioned vets who gave the impression that he never looked at things from a negative perspective and always was available whenever we needed him. One occasion which clearly showed dedication to his chosen profession as well as his clients: One of our Greyhounds was having obvious difficulties during whelping after having given birth to 4 or 5 puppies. She was huge , so we knew there were more “in there “, but something did not work. We called his office at midnight , his assistant was on call, but my wife said it would probably require a c-section so could he please ask Dr Guthrie himself to take care of it ? And at 2 o’clock in the morning 14 Dog News
we arrive at the surgery ,meeting Dr Guthrie still in black tie coming directly from a party, just to take care of this for us. And through an incision which only required 3 stitches, he pulled out another 8 healthy Greyhound puppies. That’s dedication for you. We found Dr Guthrie through recommendations by the Cartledges (Liz & Joe) as well as the Suttons (Cathy & Beefy) so we knew he would be special. I remember bringing him a puppy of another breed which I thought had been injured , as something was clearly wrong with one hindleg. Well, he shocked me by telling me it was a birth defect and nothing really he could do about it apart from one thing… Which made me very sad, but when I expressed that I intended to get rid of the remaining puppies as pets, he looked at me with a very serious expression , asking, which he had done so often : “Are you nuts ? This does not at all have to be a genetic disorder, could be caused by restricted blood supply to the leg and if he has 5 healthy siblings, what’s the problem?” And of course he was right , the remaining five all grew up to become successful showdogs and reproducers . His common sense made me rethink a lot of old ideas- and on one occasion he would probably have declared me insane: We exported a puppy and after a few months had a letter telling us that she had been “put down” due to leg perthes disease . Accompanied by X-rays. This occurs in many terrier breeds from time to time,
but it had never happened to us in more than 30 years, so I immediately found a pet home for the pups mother, who was actually a champion - and moved on. Until I one day took a closer look at these X rays and decided to bring them to Dr Guthrie for “second opinion” which seemed sensible as all our brood bitches were related… Well, I suppose you have guessed the answer already: This had in his opinion nothing to do with the mentioned disease and showed me where the leg had been broken at one early stage in life and affected the blood supply which in turn had led to a condition similar to the mentioned disease ! Today more than at any other time it is important to have experts at hand whenever a problem shows its ugly face, who have a common sense approach to anything health related and has a genuine interest in our dogs , not only as a source of income ! If you ever ask me about people who have been of influence and value for my understanding of how this game “works” Dr Guthrie is high on my list. This guy preached to me about how all breeds were improved through positive selective breeding, both regarding health and looks, and if you were looking for problems and were plagued by negative thinking, you would get nowhere ! I have mentioned in previous articles how the old breeders never shared their problems, but simply Continued on page 91
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Brace Yourself Optimism For The Future By ANDREW BRACE
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It is no big surprise “This year obey rules. Today in the Borthat the FCI World Dog ough of Helsinki it is illegal Show that was staged by the everyone to sit outside a bar and drink Finnish Kennel Club was suwas (even when it’s the bar’s own perbly organised. From the terrace) after 10 p.m. At 10 moment it was announced expecting p.m. on the dot, and not a that the 2014 World Show the Finnish minute past, you will see bar would be in Helsinki many removing glasses from wondered how on earth Kennel Club staff alfresco tables and relocatthe Finns could surpass to eclipse ing them indoors, regardthe benchmark set by their of temperature, with the even its less previous FCI European and drinkers following like lemWorld Show events. Finland own past mings. has built up an unrivalled As Desi Murphy will be FCI shows covering reputation for dog show the Helsinki Specorganisation that maintains – both tacle in greater detail I will the integrity of the pureon the conclusions I European dwell bred dog sport whilst at the came to after three exciting same time adding a certain and World – days in Finland’s capital. For “style” that has become the and rumour three hot summer days the country’s trademark. eyes of the dog world were Although it is, in terms had it that sharply focused on Helsinki of population, a small counthe final where the 2014 FCI World try (there are around 30% Show took place. more people living in New night would This year everyone was York than in the whole of expecting the Finnish Kenbe truly Finland), Finland has culturnel Club to eclipse even its ally enjoyed a special bond spectacular.” own past FCI shows – both with the canine species for European and World – and many years, primarily based rumour had it that the final around hunting activities and to night would be truly spectacular. this day hunting prospers with a The figures for the Helsinki refreshing lack of political correctshow were staggering – more than ness. This is perhaps all the more 21,200 dogs were entered from surprising in a country whose peomore than 60 countries. The USA ple thrive on regulations. Finns are had provided 73 of these, knockbrought up to abide by the law and Continued on page 54
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Q U E ST TH I E OW NE OE FK
DO YOU THINK THERE IS A NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH THE CONCEPT OF A WORLD FEDERATION OF KENNEL CLUBS WHERE DISCUSSIONS RELEVANT TO OVERLAPPING PROBLEMS FACING THESE ORGANIZATIONS CAN BE DISCUSSED?
By Matthew H. Stander
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Dennis Sprung AKC certainly welcomes and encourages communication at this and every level. Our Executive Secretary continually has dialogue with kennel clubs around the world, as do our registration and judging departments. Your question is timely in that one of our Vice Presidents returned just last week from meetings with a foreign kennel club. Also, China’s National General Kennel Club is currently visiting with us again at this time. In fact, NGKC’s officers are accompanied by a number of judges for additional educational courses with our staff in Raleigh. Earlier this year we met with The Kennel Club, and we had numerous meetings last year with the Canadian Kennel Club. In January 2014, AKC hosted a two day meeting with the officers of FCI at our headquarters and discussed universal topics that transcend international borders, such as the growth of our sport, restrictive laws and new ways to serve the needs of dog owners. Dialogue between leading international dog organizations fosters a sense of kinship, provides opportunities for mentorship, and even inspires innovation. Many of AKC’s initiatives can provide roadmaps for kennel clubs in other countries to follow. For example, the engine AKC has built with social media is a proven recipe for increased public awareness and diminishing the spread of anti-dog legislation. AKC encourages other kennels clubs to emulate our effective, monthly engagement with millions of dog lovers. By
sharing our experiences with other kennel clubs as we have been doing, AKC has long been participating in the sort of communication you describe. This approach is certainly scalable to address issues of mutual concern to kennel clubs worldwide. Desi Murphy I believe this concept is already accomplished by the FCI. Nearly every kennel club of the world is a member of FCI. The only countries not belonging to FCI are the U.S.A., Canada, England and Australia. I attended the FCI. Press conference in Helsinki. They have developed a Youth Group from the seven different sections of the world. These young individuals will be developed to be the world leaders for the future of pure Bred dogs. I wish the A.K.C. would follow with a similar program. Most countries of the world have so many young people in Sport. Here in the States we are not seeing many young people coming into the Sport. Kirsi Sainio Yes. Globally the problems different organizations and the pedigree dogs are facing are very much the same, and there is much more pressure coming from out side. United we stand or fall. On the other hand there is a always a possibility that such an organization just ends up discussing endlessly - or in the worst case arguing endlessly. If such an effort would be made, it should be planned carefully by competent people. Continued on page 66
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Atticus, a specially trained Dutch Shepherd, was the first successful placement of a full-time School Protection Dog in southwestern Ohio.
School Protection Dogs:
Detect, Deter, Protect Like everyone else and most especially other parents of school age children, Mark Gomer was stunned and horrified by the televised reports of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. As a father of three children attending classes in his local school district, his heart went out to the families and friends of the youngsters and staff who were victims of the violent rampage. After giving the terrible event much thought, Gomer was certain he knew the most effective way to stop similar tragedies from occurring at other schools in the future. 26 Dog News
The recently completed School Protection Dogs Pilot Program was a big success at Oak Hills High School in Hamilton County in Ohio.
By Sharon Pflaumer
Photos by Wesley Leibrook
Keep Them Safe
“On December 12, 2012, the way in which we protect our children in schools was called into question after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School,” he says. “We believe the placement of specially trained protection dogs in schools is one of the best and most readily available ways to keep our children, their teachers and other school staff safe.” Gomer, and his oldest son, Nick, own and operate American Success Dog Training Academy, where they train Continued on page 80
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The death of Javon Dade, Jr. should spur calls to put an end to breed specific legislation once and for all. Last week, the four year-old boy was left unattended and was killed in his own backyard allegedly by one or more of his father’s six dogs. The dogs reportedly involved were two adult female terrier-boxer mixes, three terrier-boxer mixed puppies aged between two and four months old, and one adult male pit bull terrier. This horrible, heartbreaking tragedy will inevitably lead to kneejerk reactions to ban certain breeds of dogs in some cities and states, even though the incident occurred in Miami-Dade County, Florida, where pit bulls are already banned. Though some details remain sketchy, the gist of the story is that the boy was left unattended and wandered into the yard where two adult female dogs – neither of them pit bulls – and their puppies, along with an adult male pit bull, were present. It has not yet been determined which dogs were involved in the attack but the question shouldn’t be which dog or dogs were responsible. The issue is the irresponsibility of the parent and dog owner, Javon Dade, Sr., who has unfortunately paid the ultimate penalty for his poor decisions. A small child should never be left unattended, particularly in the presence of one or more dogs - period. No qualifiers needed. It’s exponentially more dangerous to leave a child unattended around an adult female dog protecting its puppies or a large dog known for its strength and strong jaws, but it’s not okay to leave a small child unattended for any length of time with any breed of dog of by
any size. It’s hoped that nobody ever has to experience the pain and suffering of Javon Dade, Jr. or Javon Dade, Sr. ever again and that the necessary steps are taken to ensure that it doesn’t. For that to happen, a multifaceted movement is required. We need to enforce legislation that protects people against all breeds of dogs and we need to enlighten the general public about responsible dog ownership and parenting. In fairness to Dade, Sr., all parents and dog owners make mistakes and questionable decisions, many of which go unpunished or unnoticed, while his are under national public scrutiny. Police interviewed Dade, Sr. but as of this writing charges were not levied against him. However, he was fined $1,040 for failing to license two of the dogs and for not keeping the dogs up to date with rabies vaccinations. Because of the age of the two pups, two and four months, they are not yet required to be up to date with shots and because it is against the law to own a pit bull in Miami-Dade County there is no requirement to get one
A TRAGEDY ILLUSTRATES THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF BSL
licensed, so he wasn’t cited for the failure to license the pit bull. This sad case illustrates the ineffectiveness of breed-specific legislation. People run afoul of the law. If there is no penalty for doing so, people may be even more inclined to do so and others may turn a blind eye. Animal services reports that they had received no complaints at the address and the homeowner who rented the house to the Dade family in June told NBC news that they snuck the dogs onto the property. He had threatened to evict them if they didn’t get rid of the dogs in a week; on the seventh day the boy was killed.
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reed-specific legislation breeds non-compliance and results in the failure to license, register and vaccinate dogs to avoid detection. In addition, according to the National Canine Research Council, BSL has not succeeded in reducing dog-bite related injuries wherever in the world it has been enacted. Denver, CO enacted BSL in 1989 yet its citizens are hospitalized more frequently from dog-bite related injuries than the citizens of breed-neutral counties in Colorado. Winnipeg, Manitoba enacted a breed ban in 1990 and experienced similar results. Spain implemented a Dangerous Animal Act in 2000 that banned specific breeds of dogs but in the five years following the ban the results showed no difference from the data from five years prior to its enactment. The same holds true in the Province of Ontario, Canada, where BSL was enacted in 2005. After five years, countless dogs had been destroyed but there was no significant decrease in dog bites. The Netherlands repealed its 15-year old BSL ban
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SHAUN COEN
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OF Bests THE WEEK
Danville Kennel Club - Wednesday & Thursday Carolina Kennel Club - Saturday & Sunday Portuguese Water Dog
GCh. Claircreek Impression De Matisse
Judge Ms. Debra Thornton Judge P. Levi Marsman Judge Dr. Alvin W. Krause Judge Dr. Carmen L. Battaglia Owners Milan Lint, Peggy Helming & Donna Gottdenker Handler Michael Scott Greater Hickory Kennel Club - Friday Smooth Chihuahua
GCh. Sonnus Filho (Sanchez)
Judge Steven Gladstone Owners James Moses, Janet Lange Moses, and Romulo Sanchez Handler Erika Lanasa Tioga County kennel club Samoyed
GCH. Pebbles’Run Play It Again Ham Judge Mr. Edward Hall Owners Amy Kiell-Green Handler Andrew Green
Greater Emporia Kennel Club - Monday English Springer Spaniel
Ch. Telltale American Ride
Judge Ms. Ann Kennedy Owners Beth Fink, Celie Florence, Robin Novack, Kathy & Dave Vanvorst & Delores Streng Handler Robin Novack
To report a AKC All Breed Best In Show or National Specialty Win Call, Fax or Email before 12:00 Noon Tuesday. Fax: 212 675-5994 • Phone: 212 462-9588 Email: dognews@harris-pub.com 34 Dog News
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How did you decide on your kennel name?
Azetca is the name my parents and two sisters came up with when our family wanted to start breeding Samoyeds.
What was your most disappointing dog show loss? Where do I start? There are just too many to name.
Who is/was your mentor in dogs? Doris McLaughlin, Joyce Curtis and Betty Cline.
You get your news from CNN, Fox News, PBS, local or none? NBC.
The Greatest 100 Thoroughbred Champions.
Sure I can forgive. But I really have trouble forgetting when somebody does me wrong.
What was your most important dog show win?
My first BIS in 1989 when I owner handled Ch. Sitkin’s Simply Scrumptious to the win. She was sired by one of my dogs.
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The last book you read?
Can you forgive and forget?
Would you rather judge or win best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club?
Are you kidding? Win! What kind of question is that?
Which two people would you have face off on “Survivor”?
Desi and whoever he might pick to go with him.
Questions ASKED OF:
Joan Luna Liebes
You would like to be remembered as? Eric’s Jewish Princess.
BORN: SAN FRANCISCO CA • RESIDES: RICHMOND TX MARITAL STATUS: MARRIED • ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: GEMINI 38 Dog News
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World Dog Show
Helsinki August 8-9-10, 2014
BY Desmond J. Murphy
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The world of purebred dogs has been one of my great passions since a young child. Because of growing older, I no longer have as strong a desire for some of my other pleasures of life. Great
romantic adventures have become a thing of the past for me. As
the years pass quickly, my passion for the sport only grows stronger. The sport has become my whole life. I enjoy traveling and won-
derful dining, but even those two joys of life center around my dog show travels. Many of my younger friends still are combining the joys of dog shows, travel, fine dining and some romance.
If one has a great passion for the sport, they will get great pleasure in seeing great specimens of any breed. Years ago I the states we had so many great shows. The reasons these were wonderful shows was the top quality dogs came from everywhere to compete against other top dogs. At the most we only have a handful of shows that attract all of the top competitors. Some of our top dogs do not even attend our largest show in the country – the AKC/Eukanuba show. As any perpetual student of dogs, the World Shows have to be the highlight of the year. So many of the top dogs in various breeds are found competing at World Shows. There are many elements that go into making a show great, but I believe it is the depth of quality that
makes a show great. Here in the stats we have very few shows that one can see great depth of quality at the breed level. That is why attending Nationals is such a learning experience. The four days of the Montgomery County weekend offers great learning possibilities for anyone that is a Terrier student. While attending the World Show in Budapest, I picked up a brochure for the judges panel for Helsinki. It was evident that the committee went to great lengths to secure the finest judges in the world. By doing this, it attracted so many top dogs that would travel great distances to show to these esteemed judges. There has been times when the judging panel as a whole was not as attractive as Helsinki or Budapest.
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he Scandinavian countries have always been known for wonderful organization of shows. When I attended the World Show in Stockholm, I was amazed at the perfect organization and every detail was executed so well. Two years ago in Paris there was a lot of details that were not handled properly. Kari Jarvinen, as show chair, had the advantage since Finland had already hosted a World Show in 1998. Everyone remembers the fabulous venue and the superb organization they witnessed then. It is very difficult for Americans to comprehend how a club can put on a show of over 21,000 dogs to be judged in just three days. This means that over 7,000 dogs are judged each day. This is more than double what we see at any show in the US. The amount of judges needed to judge so many dogs is a huge task. Miniature Schnauzers required seven judges. Ten judges were needed for Dachshunds. Poodles required five separate judges. The biggest entry in the show was the Finnish Lapphunds. The entry was 526 which required five judges. Since it was the 125th Anniversary of the Finnish Kennel Club, in celebration they offered a free entry fee to all of the native Finnish breeds. This made for very large Continued on page 86
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WHAT A THRILL, SOME QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTORS, AKC BLUNDERS AGAIN...
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M re by Matthew H. Stander
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he official announcement from AKC were made on Tuesday August 19th stating who were to be the Group Breeders of the Year. To say that Gene and I were honored to be the Terrier Breeders of the Year based on our work with Skye Terriers through the years was an overwhelming recognition. When I started showing dogs in the early ‘60’s my sole breed was Bloodhounds and through the early years eventually owned and/or bred Dachshunds, Beagles and Whippets but the Blooshounds were my primary bred and the ones I specialized in although I must admit that the Whippets stole my heart as well but the Bloodhounds were the breed I had the most success with and was the breed for which I was best known within the sport. That continued to be the case even after Gene and I established our relationship although Skyes and Airedales also became a part of our family as we eventually also owned Jack Russell’s in those days as well. Eventually and through the encouragement of Walter Goodman our interests turned primarily to Skyes and Airedales although as we turned older the King Charles Spaniels also crept into our dog lives as well and now at home we
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have Skyes, Airedales, Charlies and now a Griffon who of course rules the realm as only these charming little dogs of can do. Our concentration on Skyes turned heavy in the mid-70’s and although we did not breed a lot of litters we were very selective about our breeding’s and for years and years the bitches we bred did a huge amount of winning within the breed and more than their share of group winning as well.Up to that time we had major successes with our bitches particularly but never seemed to produce a top dog although we had promising males but never as top notch as our bitches insofar as I was concerned. Eventually and I think it was in 1994 on a trip to judge in Russia with a lay over in Finland that we found a stud/show dog which changed our lines considerably and we began breeding both top bitches and dogs which have had international successes. I am sure there are many people more worthy of being acknowledged for their terrier expertise than are we but we are certainly delighted and appreciative of this honor and more than pleased with the results of the campaigning of our dogs through the past several years. Something which could not have been accomplished without the expertise and devotion of Scott Continued on page 95
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An OpinionPiece By Raymond Pittman
SAVING OUR SPORT One small step towards saving our beloved sport from the inside out. I’m going to write this post realizing it may be controversial. Some may agree with me, others may not. The reasons for why some do, and others do not will be as varying as the positions themselves. I am going to try to address this issue from a place of being totally open, honest, concerned, sincere, vulnerable, and with the purest of intentions for the sake of all of us within our breed and sport. I have a unique perspective to many because I was involved in the breed when I was very young, immature, lacking discipline, lower income and resources and inconsistent standards due to both a lack of maturity, overly committed and as a result time management challenged. I also have been involved in the breed and sport being middle -aged with the best of health, strong income and resources, impeccable standards and facilities, staff members, etc. I am now beginning to age and beginning to deal with health issues, etc. So I share all of this with you to say my perspectives are wide ranging. I want you to know I am being honest and transparent about who I was at each stage of my life and career. Present-
ing myself honestly, transparently and with the sincere hope of making a difference. I also have the unique perspective of having been a breeder, owner, handler, and a professional handler, I have been successfully involved in several different breeds and have been exposed to the parent clubs of many different breeds. In addition, I have had a successful professional career in the business world, having been a Senior Executive for a high profile American Company managing a hundred million dollar a year business annually as well as managing hundreds of people at one time while managing people at all different levels of education, skills, talents, etc. Whether it be an hourly labor person or a senior level executive. I am sharing all of this background with you to share a little more about who I am, where I have been, and things that make up the person before you today. In addition, I would like to share with you for the last seven years I have been very active in fighting the Animal Rights folks, working hard to save our rights to own, breed, and show our dogs. I
“I want you to know I am being honest and transparent about who I was at each stage of my life and career. Presenting myself honestly, transparently and with the sincere hope of making a difference.�
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Dog News 51
GCH. Cumhil Hell Raiser Number One
Staffordshire Bull Terrier 2013 & 2014 Multiple Best In Show & Reserve Best In Show Winner National Specialty WInner Top Twenty Terrier in America
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Winner of more than 50 Group Firsts
*The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed ** C.C. System
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“Ollie”
Thank you Judge Mrs. Judy Webb for this Group First Dog News 53
Brace Yourself Optimism For The Future Continued FROM page 18
ing the UK into 19th position as regards national entries. There were 1,620 breeders’ groups entered across the show, 124 judges had been engaged from 35 countries including a large number of British and some Americans and Canadians – much to the alleged annoyance of some FCI member countries who believe that FCI shows should be judged only by those from FCI member countries. 353 junior handlers were entered from 28 countries and the Obedience competition had attracted 100 competitors from 20 countries. The top breed entry was not surprisingly a native breed, Finnish Lapphunds with 526 entered. The Finns are great democrats and rather than follow the customary FCI route of handing out automatic appointments to board members, then filling in the gaps, they canvassed their breed clubs and asked for nominations as to who should judge their breed. This accounted for so many UK breeder-judges being on the panel. Obviously the same applied to all breeds and so it was no sur54 Dog News
prise that some of the more functional hunting breeds would be judged by specialists whose priority is hunting ability rather than the aesthetics of the show ring. As with every dog show I have ever attended there were some moans about judging, some surprising results and some unexpected winners, but the whole event ran like a well-oiled machine. Finland is trailblazing showring technology and at Helsinki in every ring one ring steward carried a tablet into which results were tapped. Instantly the whole world could see each dog’s quality
from Russia but I believe bred in Poland, and I understand she has won well at National Specialty level in the USA. Manchester Terriers followed which were plentiful and my BOB winner was a Finnish bred and owned yearling bitch who outmoved anything else in the entry. My final day saw me judging Cavalier males where the CAC and CACIB went to a young dog who won his second CC under me in the UK in June. I rated him as one of the best I’ve ever judged then and seeing him in international competition did nothing to change my mind. He still stood away. Desi will tell you far more about the show in general, so let’s fast forward to Sunday and Best in Show. The introduction of the legendary and much revered Hans Lehtinen left few dry eyes in the house. He is the consummate no-frills dog judge, typically Finnish in that he can be brusque in the extreme, but he always speaks his mind and always makes perfect sense. Clearly he was emotional when he set about his task, but watching him at the time - and since reviewing the
“As with every dog show I have ever attended there were some moans about judging, some surprising results and some unexpected winners, but the whole event ran like a well-oiled machine.” grading and subsequently its placing. This meant that many eagleeyed and IT savvy enthusiasts could watch breed judging unfold by the minute. Mindful of judges’ comfort and ease or organisation, the Holiday Inn in the exhibition centre was used as the residential base. This meant that those who wished to could go rest up in their room whenever they want to, never having to venture outdoors. I had three fulfilling days. On the first day I judged Fawn and Brindle Great Dane males where my best was a handsome fawn Champion from Finland. On Saturday I had Alaskan Malamute bitches and BOB which went to a superbly typy bitch
video coverage - Hasse remains an education in that anyone who watches where he puts his hands instantly understands what he is seeing and finding. In reverse order the four placings were announced by the glamorous Leena Sarvi-Hannikainen who has graced the Helsinki big ring for many years, each placing necessitating an appropriately coloured gown beginning with green for Fourth etc.! Fourth went to Michael Kristensen from Denmark with his American Cocker Spaniel, someone I remember from his junior handling days when he showed unContinued on page 58
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*All Systems
The Upside OFThe
Seesaw By Sharon Anderson
Sha ron Ande rs on, De n n is S p r u ng a nd Dou g Ljund gr e n .
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he AKC First Lady of Agility, decreed by the Board of Directors and Staff of the American Kennel Club. What an honor for me to receive. Dennis Sprung, President, Doug Ljundgren, Vice President of Sports and Events, and Carrie DeYoung, Director of Agility were the presenters at the Houston Kennel Club cluster in July with the trial chairman, Tom Pincus in attendance as well. All the rings of agility were stopped at the noon hour to recognize the 20 year anniversary of AKC agility. Houston Kennel Club was recognized as the club that hosted the first agility trial for the AKC. Also honored were Jane and Gordon Simmons-Moake, from Flash Paws Agility Club that provided all the workers, equipment and knowledge for this first time event. This brings back so many memories about the first agility trial that was approved to be held by the Board of Directors who had no knowledge of what the sport was about but believed Bob McKowan, Ken Marden and myself that this was the right direction to take and would be a great new event for the AKC. It was held in the large arena of what was then the Houston Astro Dome. Grass was laid for agility as well as later in the day the groups and Best in Show. There was very little at-
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Group of e x hibitors at the f irs t AK C tr ia l .
Jan e & Gordon Sim mons - Moa ke .
tendance in the massive arena early in the morning, but definitely those that were there knew the significance of this event. Even snacks and beverages were provided by the AKC to toast the occasion. The very first dog on the line was a German Shorthair Pointer, the breed the judge, John Loomis ran; and the dog promptly ran over the flower arrangement by the first jump and lifted his leg.
This certainly relieved my tension over the huge responsibility I had taken on. The first year of agility that started in August of 1994 had 23 trials held and approximately 2,000 runs. How that has changed in 20 years with 3268 trials last year and the million runs mark passed. Taking on this responsibility cost me friends who felt betrayed because mixed breeds couldn’t play the game with AKC at that time. Also those that thought I had abandoned the other agility organizations that I had previously shown in. It took about two years to convince agility people this was a viable agility organization and that they should support it. It took much longer to convince obedience people agility was an asset to the obedience community and not out to reduce it in any way. I have a great shirt that says “Agility is Obedience in Action”. Conformation exhibitors were the first to join in and exhibit their dogs that were finished champions and they wanted to do more with them.
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ne of the featured additions to the anniversary trial was a match held at the end of judging on Saturday for the benefit of the World Team. Two judges were used, one of which was Carrie DeYoung, Agility Director. Another special touch for the trial was the handing out of pins by Doug Ljundgren to each exhibitor as they exited the ring. A special logo was designed for the event as well as a backdrop for photos. This was utilized by many of the original exhibitors. Some had pictures with their dogs that were offspring of some of the original dogs entered in 1994. One of these was Lynette Lane with her Fox Terrier who all know as the best “Gate Steward” for any agility trial. Many wore the shirt that was given out at the first trial and it was clear they
My Dog Ca n D o That. were worn many times proudly, as mine has been. The AKC area of ‘My Dog Can Do That” was very popular due to it being manned by agility exhibitors that introduced them to the equipment, puppy size. Too bad more trials do not have this attraction as there is no doubt it was bringing in the public with their pets. The weekend was full of many exhibitors that trialed at the very first event. They all gathered for a picture even if they no longer ran a dog. So many people came up and talked about the memories and such great words of the fun, success, rewarding experiences in agility. Most rewarding were the kind words spoken to me. Agility is one of the best things that happened in the AKC program. The overseas adventures continue for agility and AKC. The European Open was held in Hungary and 38 dogs and handlers represented the USA. There were 34 countries represented. Twelve of the team members were supported by AKC and the rest of the exhibitors paid their own way. There were no podium wins for this group but there were spectacular runs and wins which put them in the finals but unfortunately did not add up to the first thru third place. The first time ever episode was one
of the team members falling in the ring in the finals and broke her wrist. True agility style, she completed her run. Coach, Ann Braue had her hands full to set up practices at the facility for this large number but she accomplished smooth sessions and guidance for all. With the addition of this event to the World Team Tryouts, so many more agility exhibitors are joining into the European scene. Several USA exhibitors also traveled to England for the huge Kennel Club International Agility Festival. Now on to the next FCI event. Coach, Nancy Gyes and Carrie DeYoung are preparing the twelve team members that were chosen for the World Agility Championship to be held in Luxembourg on September 1114, 2014. The team practice was held at a beautiful facility, Star Hill Family Athletic Center in Tolland, Connecticut. The owners donated the facility to the AKC team and the Nutmeg Border Collie club provided dinner and donated money to help defray the cost of practice. This location is a fully carpeted six ring building that was an ideal surface to prepare for the carpet in Luxembourg. You can watch the WAC on live stream via the AKC website. Dog News 57
Brace Yourself Optimism For The Future Continued FROM page 54
usual promise. I have watched him grow up and blossom into the fine young man he is today, now with a wife who is as committed to the fancy as he is. Third went to my fellow Welshman Warren Bradley, one of many talented handlers employed by Victor Malzoni these days, handling his Wire Fox Terrier. He started off as a brash and perhaps over-confident youngster but there was never any questioning his talent especially when it came to coats. He has learnt from some of the best in the USA and in Helsinki Gabriel Rangel had flown over to keep an eagle eye on him and I daresay put on the finishing touches! Fatherhood seems to have quietened Warren down a little and he now looks like a younger version of some of great terrier men of the past. Second went to the impeccably groomed Maltese from Italy but handled by Javier Gonzalez Mendikote, Spanish by birth but now based In Croatia. Javier has only recently come into my life as the partner of my honorary nephew Ante Lu-
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cin, and I am lost in admiration for the dedication Javier has to grooming and presentation, and his very obvious love for the dogs he handles. No matter what time of night or morning, none of Javi’s charges are put to bed until their coats have been prepared and they are comfortable. Then we come to Best in Show. In a world where we see far too many pushy, self-obsessed
“Watching the climax of the 2014 FCI World Dog Show reminded me of why I feel so passionate about this wonderful sport of ours – there can be no greater pleasure than witnessing great dogs being judged well by a great judge, and when the most successful are also shown by great friends, nothing can compare with the feeling.”
handlers who ensure that any judge will notice them long before they realise what is at the end of their leash, it is hard to imagine anyone more self-effacing than Tortrakul Chaiyah from Thailand, soft-handed, quietly spoken and always happy to blend into the background. Few people realise that he is actually the childhood sweetheart and husband of the ubiquitous Ping Ping Panda (whose real name no one can pronounce!) Whilst Panda travels the world, spreading joy amongst all who meet her, Tor is the backroom boy who also becomes the almost invisible front-man when it matters. The previous weekend he had celebrated his 42nd birthday by winning BIS2 at the Kuopio International Show in Finland, so he is hardly a handler on the brink of retirement. So on the top four positions we had four young men, utterly absorbed in and dedicated to the world of purebred dogs, each one of them constantly in pursuit of excellence of a higher level than previously achieved. Watching the climax of the 2014 FCI World Dog Show reminded me of why I feel so passionate about this wonderful sport of ours – there can be no greater pleasure than witnessing great dogs being judged well by a great judge, and when the most successful are also shown by great friends, nothing can compare with the feeling. Coinciding with the World Show was the announcement by FCI of “FCI Youth”, an initiative which aims to unite and recruit young enthusiasts to the fancy around the world and seven dynamic youngsters have been selected to spearhead this unique task force. The progress of this organisation will be monitored with great interest. We have become so used to hearing nothing but doom and gloom about the future of our sport. As I left Helsinki I felt uplifted and optimistic; that in itself was a major achievement!
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Photo by Tom Weigand - The Winning Image
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Photo by Lynda Beam
A Match Made In Heaven! The Best In Specialty
Ch. Monarchs The Messenger Owned by Kristine Harrison & Mary Anne Stafford Bred by Kristine Harrison & Roberta Lombardi Presented to Perfecion by Carol Rice, PHA Dog News 59
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The British Scene By Geoff Corish
THE HOUNDSHOW photos by Alan Walker
One of the special group shows of the year is the Houndshow and if you are a hound person it’s a show you never want to miss.
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eeks before the show the weather had been glorious and the show has always been lucky with the weather and all judging outside on the well manicured grass. Sadly this year that was not to be, and on the morning of the show it rained, and so judging had to be moved inside. As always the show is held in the popular Stafford Agricultural buildings, exhibitors like this venue as its close to the motorways, plenty of parking and easy access to the halls. the down side is, being the venue for the agricultural show its also used for the cows, sheep, pigs etc etc, so its anything but smart. BUT its dry and there is a bar on the balcony and restaurant where you can have a bite to eat or have a drink and be able to watch the judging in relative comfort. There was a real buzz early on and only calmed by the playing of the national anthem. In days gone by, in the lunch break, there would be a parade of Foxhound packs and bloodhound packs too, but sadly they are longer wanted for some reason. These packs are part of our heritage and l for one, as for several others, did miss this spectacle. The entry was pretty good with 1,682 dogs with Whippets having highest entry of 224 dogs. From the USA came Mrs Gretchen Bernardi to judge the Irish Wolfhounds, first time judging in the country from which the foundation stock for her famous Berwyck kennel originated; she has successfully imported from Brabyns, Eaglescrag and Witchesbroom and recently sent a dog back here who has sired some good
stock including a Pup of the Year qualifier. She awarded best of breed to a beautiful bitch Ch Ravensbeech Valerie. There was a parade of the rarer hound breeds, Irenchi, Bavarian Mountain Hounds, Azawakhs and a Taigan, which is a sighthound from Kyrgyzstan, a breed not unlike an Afghan with much less hair. And another new breed with quite a few on show, were the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne, they have a proposed Club and the breed standard is under consideration by the Kennel club. And another lovely breed was also able to be shown and they were the Cirneco de”ll”Etna, bit like a small Pharaoh and hail from Italy.
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he Best in show judge was someone who we have seen for many years and is the daughter of the famous Beagle matriarch Marion Spavin, and so it was daughter Dianna who was today judging the best in show, the Dialynne Kennel are world famous and there can be few beagles that don’t have a Dialynne somewhere in their pedigree. For best in show and to a huge cheer she pointed to the brindle Whippet Ch Crosscop Count On Me as her best in show winner, l see her
grand-mother is Am Gr Ch/Can Ch Collooney Mountain Dew. For reserve it was the Pharaoh Ch/Rus/Am Gr Ch Reedley Road Globetrotter, who was bred in Russia. Best puppy in show was the Rhodesian Ridgeback Diamondbridge Royal destiny with reserve best puppy to the latest star from the Soletrader kennel Soletrader Annie Mac owned in partnership with Wendy Doherty from Canada, this bitch is out of the famous Peek A Boo, best in show winner under myself.”
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*Number 6 overall breed points, Number 4 overall, The Dog News Top Ten List - All Breed
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Question OfTheWeek Continued FROM page 22
DO YOU THINK THERE IS A NEED TO RE-ESTABLISH THE CONCEPT OF A WORLD FEDERATION OF KENNEL CLUBS WHERE DISCUSSIONS RELEVANT TO OVERLAPPING PROBLEMS FACING THESE ORGANIZATIONS CAN BE DISCUSSED? Ron Menaker Why not? Seems to me there are far more positives than there are negatives. RONNIE IRVING I’m not sure about the word ‘Federation’. Maybe that would seem a little confrontational from the point of view of the FCI! After all the ‘F’ in ‘FCI’ stands for ‘Federation’! I think if you used the words ‘World Congress of Kennel Clubs’ where discussion could take place among all of the kennel cubs of the world, then that would be a very good idea. However, though I may be wrong, I very much doubt if the FCI would be happy with the idea. These days they often seem to prefer to speak with one voice on behalf of their various member countries. I personally have always thought that it makes great sense to have as much contact and interaction as possible between kennel clubs. You can learn a great deal from one another - not just about canine health or legislative and political issues - but also about registration, public relations and commercial topics as well. That’s why when I was Chairman of TKC we spent much more time talking bi-laterally to the AKC, the CKC, the Swedish KC, the VDH (German KC) the Raad van Beheer (Dutch KC) and the SCC (French KC) than we did talking to the FCI. After all the FCI is not a registration body. It does not actually register any dogs. Nor does it as an organization run any dog shows itself. It doesn’t train or directly approve any judges and it doesn’t itself discipline any participants. It relies on all of its mem66 Dog News
ber countries to do these things So I would be very much in favor of organizing a ‘World Congress of Kennel Clubs’ on a regular basis. I think there would be strong benefit from it in discussing issues of real concern to the dog fancy. It could be done without all the politics of who is allowed to judge what, or arguments about whose show rules or breed standards should be paramount. It would be able to concentrate on the real and substantive issues relating to subjects such as: • The dog in society • Dangerous dog legislation • Canine health • Canine genetics • Breeder education • IT systems • External communications • The role of kennel clubs in the modern world indeed all of the ‘external’ outward facing issues that kennel clubs have to deal with every day. Having said that, I do have one concern. In practical terms I would think twice about going ahead with the concept if the FCI showed itself to be hostile to the idea. The FCI European Section once tried to tell its individual members not to attend a joint open meeting for European kennel clubs held by TKC and the SCC in Paris. Its request was not 100% successful - but it did slightly reduce the potential number of kennel clubs that might otherwise have turned up. That might be a problem if the FCI were not taken fully along with the idea right from the start.
Vince Hogan I suspect this question has been raised following recent issues such as the WORLD DOG SHOW in Russia 2016 have been highlighted in the public eye. The recent regulations regarding gay people, announced by the Russian Government, caused quite a stir at the time on social media and have had an impact across nations. This is a possible example of where problems can overlap; another might be the multi show situation that caused such division at the last FCI general Assembly. Global sponsorship issues, designer dogs being promoted against proper pedigree and anti dog legislation are all issues that face most dog loving countries nowadays. The advent of social media has also made world issues in dogs (and at life at large) more known en masse so nothing is hidden any more and people have a greater awareness of global problems. One could say that by and large the FCI is already acting as a world federation of kennel clubs, all be it with the exception of some notable omissions in the shape of the AKC and the UK Kennel Club. So perhaps there could be a mechanism between existing organisations without having to go through the set up of a new group or organisation. ‘Someone’ might need to set an agenda and pull together the hierarchy of the FCI, AKC, and UK Kennel Club plus any other key bodies and have an industry meeting maybe every two years to come up with joint policies and present a united front. One way or another, I do think that the world of dogs needs to keep its eyes wide open and be aware of the many problems it faces outside the dog game, never mind all the differences and squabbles that could damage it from within.
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e i k n a r F &Mike
The Number Five* Border Collie All Breed
The Best In Specialty Show, Multiple Group Winner & Multiple Group Placer
Silver GCh. Lucky For You Gangster, PT Owner - Stephanie McLough lin • Breeder - Kristof Benyi - Hungary FRANKIE IS Exclus ively Handled By Michael Reed *CC System
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o s ip s G column the
BY EUGENE Z. ZAPHIRIS
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nce again, AMERICA showed its might at the World Dog Show, with the American bred Best in Show winning Affenpinscher, bred by BETH SWEIGART and TINA TRUESDALE of Yarrow and Hi-Tech fame, taking away the big prize over an entry of 21,000 dogs. TRICKY RICKY FROM YARROW-HI-TECH was given to MIEKA COOLJMANS who owns the sire, JOEY the former Westminster Kennel Club best in show winner, who in turn sold it to JONGKIE BUDIMAN from Indonesia. Great win, congratulations all. There are four best in show awards and second best was the Maltese from Italy, third the Wire haired Fox terrier and fourth was the black American Cocker Spaniel. Several countries boasted group winners from the ten groups that are the norm at FCI dog shows. The countries were Indonesia, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, United Kingdom, Finland and USA with winner of Group Five, the Shiba Dragon House Mr. Jones co-owned by MARJO PURANEN of Finland and SANDI SMITH of the USA. In other areas, MONICA BONIFACIO from Italy won the Junior Handling World Championship competition, German SANDRA ROHRER and her Border collie won the individual Obedience World Championship and the team award went to Finland, Heelwork to Music Individual competition went to German ANJA CHRISTIANSEN and the Team award went to
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Russia. The individual freestyle went to Russian EKATERINA MYZNIKOVA and the ten competition also went to Russia. Otterhound fanciers JACK & ANDI MACILWAINE have opened a Deli in Long Beach, California named Beach City Deli & BBQ at 1714 Clark Street, Long Beach, California. Say “I love Otterhounds” and get a dollar off the price of a sandwich. Word from BECKY SUMNER notifying us that BARAY EVENT SERVICES has moved from Sequim to Burlington, Washington. Their new address is P.O.Box 508 or street address 113 East Fairhaven Avenue, Burlington, Washington 98233 telephone 360.755.7086. Happy Anniversaries to LYDIA & DWIGHT HUTCHINSON, WANDA & JIM WHITE and JANE & GREG MYERS. Celebrating Birthdays MERRY JEANNE MILLNER, CHRISTINE NETHERY, SCOTT KELLOGG, DAVID FITZPATRICK, ANTHONY DINARDO, PATTI GALLAGHER, KAY PEISER, NORMAN PATTON, BOBBY FISHER, KAREN MILLER, BOB BURKHOLDER, MARETH KIPP, MARION LAWRENCE, MADELEINE CONDON, STEVE HAYDEN, KENNY SAENZ, SANTIAGO PINTO, BETTY LEININGER, KAY PEISER, MARYANN BISCEGLIA, ELLEN ROBERTS, CHRISTAIN RANGEL, DEB COOPER, LUKE SEIDLITZ, SANDI FREI and MIKKI DEMERS.
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This pa Back-t st weekend o-Ba Group ck-to-Back F Reserv irsts and a eB Hickor est in Show! ies NY Circuit
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Roberta C. Davies • Cathy H. Daugherty • Raymond V. Filburn Edward W. Hall • Patricia A. Hess • Jack H. Ireland Janina K. Laurin • P. Levi Marsman • Kenneth L. Rayner, Jr. Dr. Robert D. Smith • Col. Jerry Weiss • Edward Wild
The Multiple Group Winning
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An OpinionPiece Continued FROM page 50
was a founding board member for the concerned dog owners of California. I was the first, and to date the only, legislative liaison for my local Sheltie club, I am also a member of the ASSA national committee for legislation, led by Mr. David Calderwood. I have volunteered my time, energy, money, leadership, and tirelessly worked around the clock to try to help my sport in some small, but hopefully positive way. In our breed of Shelties we have really been through it in recent years. Having been put in the unfortunate position of trying to lead through some very serious and critical animal care issues. In the last 18 to 24 months alone, we have had three separate very serious animal cruelty issues to deal with as a group of people. I will not mention any names in this article/post. I also will not judge them in any way shape or form. I will simply discuss them as fresh new issues, that will allow us all to intellectually look at these three issues separately, try to educate ourselves on the details and the reasons why. Then more importantly to review and discuss what have we learned from these experiences collectively as a group of fanciers, and what have we learned about ourselves, and then most importantly from these experiences what have we learned has worked well, what has not worked well, what are our best practices, what mistakes have we honestly made and what do we know we want to do consistently each time as a best practice. What mistakes have we made that we never want
to make again. Then my suggestion a national program designed to address these serious issues, establish Minimum Care Standards, develop a Code of Ethics, etc.
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he three current cases are all very different, and yet there are some similarities. I am very sad to say two of the three cases have been in California and one in the Southeast. I will again not mention names, I will only mention facts that I am certain of, and only for the purposes of leading us to come to a place of facing these problems pro actively to resolution or in a perfect world pro actively helping the person in advance, and never allowing the information to even become common place. I will in advance apologize if I offend anyone as it is not my intention at all. My goal is singular. To pro actively develop a national program, or national set of guidelines in order to better help us all as a people provide the best and most loving care and to provide a safe place for the breed we all love so much. I realize it would be so much easier to ignore these difficult issues, to bury our heads in the sand, and not discuss the problems openly and honestly. I understand how difficult and sensitive all of these issues are and I understand that collectively I am sure we would all just like it to go away. We wish we did not have these animal rights freaks to deal with, wish we did not have to give endless hours of hard work trying to defeat anti dog legislation and so on. I will give you just a small example of something we could have all done so easily and collectively to have made a difference: I posted on my face book wall this week an outstanding article exposing
“I will in advance apologize if I offend anyone as it is not my intention at all. My goal is singular. To pro actively develop a national program, or national set of guidelines in order to better help us all as a people provide the best and most loving care and to provide a safe place for the breed we all love so much.”
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the HSUS for the gangsters and robbers they actually are while citing specific examples of current actions against them. An article that addresses the HSUS losing it’s great charity ranking and explaining why. It was a great article, all factual and would have helped our cause tremendously. So I posted it on my FB wall. I requested, no make that begged, that people just take a couple of minutes to read the article then post it on their walls respectively and challenge their friends to do the same. As a result, we could make a real dent in educating people about how horrible HSUS really is and to educate the general public so we could make a positive difference. It was so simple. I got ten times the response just on my own personal health, which effects no one but me, and does nothing to help us collectively as a people. So I am not being naive about how difficult it will be to bring about fundamental change. I am also not so naive as to believe that all of you may not want me to lead this charge for a variety of competitive issues. Let me say right off, I am fine with that, I understand it, I could care less who credit is given to, and I am not seeking any credit, nor do I wish to be bashed for at least trying. Please fellow Sheltie fanciers, dog show participants and simple lovers of man’s best friend: Take the time to listen, open your mind and hearts and consider the tremendous importance of this effort. Then in some way shape of form, let’s get off our duffs and do something about this matter. Do something for the dogs we so love, do something to off- set the animal rights freaks, and do something selflessly, bravely, boldly to help our breed and sport. Don’t just give this a little lip service, or dust it under the cloak of denial. We as a people can no longer continue to be dysfunctional as a people, and expect we will have Continued on page 76
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An OpinionPiece Continued FROM page 74
a bright, healthy, and happy future. We must be dead honest with ourselves, and for goodness sake let’s pull together and do something about this very serious issue. In all three of these cases there were some consistent issues that jump off the page: DEPRESSION: Depression seems to be a consistent theme in all of these cases. It also clouds judgment because it is a clinical condition. Depression drains us of our energy and resources to do the work needed to provide proper care for our animals. DEATH: Death of a spouse or family member. AGING: Health issues that arise due to aging then ultimately lead to depression. FINANCIAL CHALLENGES: This can result from weak economics, job change or aging demographics. Also since 2008 this has been the worst economy our country has seen since the Great Depression. HOARDING: In some cases the depression resulting in losing someone important is replaced by a hoarding disorder otherwise known as a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. A person with hoarding disorder experiences distress at the thought of getting rid of the items. Excessive accumulation of items, regardless of actual value, occurs. So this results in increased numbers, reduced resources to care for the animals properly, increases the work load to provide a clean, safe living environment for the animals. The Hoarding of animals can replace the emotional loss of a beloved person. While suffering depression
the person is losing control, a way of gaining some control is by hoarding and as a result, the feeling of losing people and things you love, can be offset by hoarding. Overview in our three cases: We know for a fact that all three people were suffering from serious depression. In Case # 1: The death of important loved family member involved in the sport , a loss of her perceived position/ importance within the sport, the loss of income as a result of a failing economy starting in 2008. In Case #2: The Suicide of a Spouse. In Case # 3: The death of a spouse, and the ending of a high profile life style. Conclusion: Those of us with close personal relationships with these people can instantly identify and bring to our attention a key factor that may lead to the depression of a key club member. We can communicate this pro actively to all our club member and we can do outreach. We can consistently offer assistance, help and care. We can communicate honestly and openly with the person facing the depression. We can and should make routine casual unannounced spot visits. Perhaps bring a gift, or just stop for a visit to offer emotional support. If you start to see signs of a problem you can casually on these spot visits offer help . For example, “Those darn toenails grow so fast, they can sure get away from us quickly when we are feeling down, let me help you with those quickly.” If you’re noticing numbers increasing, address this head on and honestly. Say things like “Are you having difficulties finding good homes for your babies, or are you not finding good homes for the retired ones?” Offer to help, or get your club rallied to get these dogs placed. If you are not having success get a partner to help you, stay after the issue, do not turn your
“Whatever we do we cannot drift away or allow distance to grow between us. We cannot live in denial or give up on them.”
76 Dog News
back. Whatever you do, do not stop talking about it with fellow club members. Brain storm ways to help. If you see all the animals are losing weight perhaps just drop off free dog food. You could say you found a bargain or you could say you bought a bunch of food, and realized it was the wrong food. If you can’t afford it, discreetly reach out to trusted club members to see if someone is willing or able to assist. I know in my case, I am a VIP for Purina, so I reach out to them for donations, letting them know what the issue is, not who the person is. Then the company can write these off as a charitable donation.
D
epression is a consistent key factor in the beginning of these problems. Identify openly and communicate consistently with all club members regarding the issues. Whatever we do we cannot drift away or allow distance to grow between us. We cannot live in denial or give up on them. They are one of us, they need us. Even if they are difficult and insistent, you must be stronger and more creative. We simply must keep after this problem affecting our breed and our sport. The most important thing is not to judge them and don’t allow others to judge them. People are less likely to accept help if they are being judged or belittled. Do not allow others to use these issues competitively. Stop negative conversations, name calling, back stabbing, etc. Be strong and stop it. The life of these animals, perhaps the life of your friend, the reputation of all of us as breeders, and the reputation of our sport all depend on you being strong, consistent, and helpful at this time. Get lots of partners and helpers to put together a time and action calendar, a plan.
Conclusions: Again consistent communication, do fund raising within your clubs, seek charitable contributions through “TAKE THE LEAD.” Offer to help sell and place dogs in new loving show, performance, or pet homes, thus raising income, cutting numbers back, cutting care costs back. Offer to help host garage sales to raise funds. This also clears out goods they may be hoarding. It also opens up the home to traffic. Often times depression is a result of isolation as well as the other reasons we have discussed. This is just a quick overview of a few things we can do, share best practices, support one another at all times. Remain strong for the sake of the animals well being, your friends well being, our reputation as responsible breeders, and the well being of our sport’s reputation. The consistent theme among all these parties were in many ways they were isolated, alone, depressed, lacking in resources and struggling with great emotional and physical challenges, and absolutely dealing with either severe or clinical DEPRESSION. I believe we need to consider implementing the following items: • Develop a Comprehensive National Program and a Local Program to deal with the changing environment within our sport. I am aware that during the Spring ASSA meeting there was a discussion about implementing a Safety Net program but this is still a work in progress and the details of the program have not been released. • Speak frankly and candidly about this subject matter. Continue with educational programs supporting the issues that are addressed within this program.
• Do an age demographic of your club’s membership. The average age of members actively participating in our sport, our club members are aging greatly. • We do not have the large number of young people and new people that we once attracted to the sport coming along like we once did in the past. • Complete an analysis of our median age and complete an honest assessment of the challenges we are facing as a result of these aging demographics. A personal example: because of my aging, I am facing failing and serious health challenges. This led me to have an honest conversation with my partner and team that we could not properly take care of the number of dogs we once did before and that we could not attend the number of events we once did at an earlier age. So we pro actively cut our numbers by 50%. We did so smartly and well thought out as it related to the impact it would have on us and the breed. But we pro actively made the cuts. Now I am fortunate compared to most as there are two of us working full time on the dogs. Then we have three additional staff members working full time on the care and presentation of the animals. Even with that said, we pro actively cut our numbers back by 50%.
“Included in this National Committee should be an Ethics Review Board to ensure that this program is administered fairly to all and that these standards for care etc. do not become tools we use against one another for competitive reasons.”
Some other questions to ponder and things to consider… 1. What is the financial impact on our local clubs, shows, majors, etc. because of our actual numbers being cut back? What can we do pro actively to offset these losses? 2. Do education programs on aging and fitness for the aging, put together walking partners, do educational programs on fitness in elderly dogs. 3. Develop a Code of Ethics related to this subject matter both at a national and local level. 4. Develop Minimum Care Standards, abiding by legal standards within our communities and seek buy-in from the current membership by having every member sign a Code of Ethics, a minimum standards of Care Code, and Code of Regulations to adhere to your local statewide and community wide laws relating to local dog laws. 5. Develop a National Committee on these issues because the reality is our sport is evolving, our age demographics are changing rapidly and this presents a whole new level of challenges to all of us. Included in this National Committee should be an Ethics Review Board to ensure that this program is administered fairly to all and that these standards for care etc. do not become tools we use against one another for competitive reasons. In addition, develop a local ethics committee within each club as well.
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e all need to work together and give back to the breed and sport we love in order to maintain a healthy and productive population amongst our dogs and our fellow breeders/exhibitors. Dog News 77
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The World Dog Show P h o t o s B y B E N F R A N Z OSO
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Dog News 79
School Protection Dogs:
Detect, Deter, Protect Continued FROM page 26
protection dogs for the general public and also offer obedience and trick dog training classes for owners. Gomer, who began training dogs when he was 10 years old, has trained 9,000 protection dogs since he started his business in Cincinnati, OH more than 20 years ago.
The Pilot Program
If a School Protection Dog had been on duty that fateful day at Sandy Hook, Gomer is convinced the situation would have ended differently. So much so, he approached officials in his local school district and proposed a School Protection Dog Pilot Program. “They were very receptive when we presented the concept to them,” he
Atticus searches lockers for drugs on a daily basis.
Atticus “Alerts” to the odor of drugs in a locker by doing a Sit/Stay and looking at his handler. 80 Dog News
says. “Because I have children attending classes in the district, I was more than willing to implement a pilot program as quickly as possible.” The School Protection Dogs Pilot Program began Atticus and his brother, Cudo, take a break on the at the beginning of the last soccer field. Cudo, who also is trained in protection school year when “Atticus,” an and detection work, will be placed with a police 8 month-old Dutch Shepherd department. trained by Gomer, was placed at Oak Hills High School in Hamilton County in Ohio. When the pilot program was completed at the end of the school year last May, district officials and parents along with high school staff and students agreed that the presence of a Protection Dog in the school had been a resounding success. “Students seem to appreciate his presence in the school and take every opportunity to interact with him,” John Stoddard, Oak Atticus taking a drink from a school water fountain. Hills High School Principal told reporters. “I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from parents and staff as well.” trained. There are two key commands In fact, everyone was so pleased with that Hornsby, his handler, would give him Atticus that school district officials decided as they approached the scene: ‘Where’s to purchase him. That means the Dutch the bad guy?’ and ‘Bite.’ After the Shepherd will be patrolling the high school handler gave Atticus the ‘Bite’ command, hallways and keeping them safe for the next the dog would take out the bad guy with 8 years. That’s the breed’s average working the gun. life span. “These dogs are extremely motivated by the ‘Bite’ command and are trained to knock down an intruder and hold him in place so he’s immobilized. Although they only weigh 60 pounds, they’re so powerful that when they hit someone it When a School Protection Dog is placed in feels more like they weigh 200 pounds.” a school, a staff member must be trained In addition to protection work, Atticus how to handle it. In the case of Atticus, also is trained to detect the presence Gary Hornsby was trained to handle him. of firearms and narcotics. Thus he and Hornsby already was employed at Oak Hornsby do daily locker searches as well. Hills High School as a Hall Monitor. Atticus “The kids see the dog doing the is always leashed and with him when on searches and that makes him an effective school premises. Together, they patrol the drug and firearm deterrent. Before hallways during school days. When classes Atticus was on the job, a Police Dog was end, the Dutch Shepherd goes home with brought to the school once every three Stoddard and spends the night with him, months to do locker searches. Because his family and his cats. the kids knew when the Police Dog would In the event an armed intruder entered be on campus, they could take steps to Oak Hills High School, Gomer says Atticus not get caught. With Atticus around, they would know exactly what to do. can’t do that anymore. His presence has a “That’s a scenario he practiced huge impact on the drug situation in the hundreds of times when he was being high school.”
How The Pilot Program Worked
The Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherd Gomer trains Dutch Shepherds and Belgian Malinois for protection and detection work. Instead of breeding them at his training academy, they are purchased from a breeder in Columbus, OH who also sells dogs to be trained as Police and Military K9s. Gomer chose these breeds because he says they are “pre-programmed” to do protection and detection work. “They are naturally very high-energy and obsessive. When they get fixated on something that's all they care about. That makes them highly suitable for protection and detection work,” Gomer says. Obviously, the dogs he trains to be School Protection Dogs also must be good with kids and have a great personality, too. “Although these breeds are obsessive, they have an ‘on’ and ‘off’ switch because of the extensive obedience training we do with them,” Gomer says. “That means they are stable, temperamentally reliable dogs that interact well with students and staff but are still capable of biting hard if they need to take a bad guy out.”
“Protection training begins as a fun form of offensive aggression when we let the puppy tug on something soft like an old t-shirt. Later, we let him play tug with a stiffer piece of material like burlap,” Gomer says. The tug of war game advances with Gomer holding the puppy back on a leash, so it only gets one bite or tug out of the four times it lunges at the burlap. This build’s the dog’s frustration level and intensifies its response. Now, the puppy is ready to play the game with a padded sleeve, which is not worn by Gomer’s helper but dragged on the ground so the puppy can lunge at it and tug it. “In the beginning, the puppy is given some easy bites so it gets used to biting the heavier material from which the sleeve is made. Later, the puppy is restrained again on
lead and only allowed to tug or bite the sleeve one out of four times.” Next, the puppy is encouraged to bite the padded sleeve when it’s worn by Gomer’s helper. As the puppy’s training progresses, it’s restrained on lead again in order to further build its frustration level and intensify its response. Up until now, the object with which the puppy plays the game was brought to him by Gomer’s helper. From this point forward, the puppy is allowed to go to the sleeve. However, Gomer still restrains the dog on a leash somewhat. After that, Gomer builds the speed at which the puppy goes to the padded sleeve. Eventually, the puppy is graduated to being released on command to go for the padded sleeve worn by Gomer's helper. The last stage of the puppy’s training is to teach it to bite the padded sleeve when hidden under a sweatshirt worn by the helper Continued on page 82
It’s All A Game
Gomer begins training the dogs when they are only 10 weeks old. By the time they are 16 weeks old, they are nearly proficient at detection and bite work. (Atticus was already working at Oak Hills High School when only 8 months old as already indicated.) “There are two sides to every dog’s aggression: offensive and defensive,” Gomer says. “A dog taking down an armed intruder is an example of offensive aggressive. A dog growling and backing up when threatened is an example of defensive aggressive. School Protection Dogs are trained primarily on the offensive side of aggression.” While that may sound scary, it only means a dog’s biting ability is based on a game.
"...they are stable, temperamentally reliable dogs that interact well with students and staff but are still capable of biting hard if they need to take a bad guy out.”
Atticus and Cudo wait for the “Bite” command. Note the helper wearing padded sleeves in the background.
Atticus and Cudo demonstrate how effective protection dogs can be and illustrate the possibilities of what multiple dogs can do.
Dog News 81
School Protection Dogs:
Detect, Deter, Protect Continued FROM page 81
who is carrying a gun that fires blanks. This is necessary because an armed intruder obviously isn’t going to wear a padded sleeve. “Throughout the training process, we build our control over the puppy by also working him in obedience intensively. That way, when the protection training sequence is completed, I can teach him the ‘off’ command [release the sleeve] and know that he would respond to it immediately every time,” Gomer says.
Drug And Firearm Detection
Just as protection work is trained as a game, so too is drug and firearm detection. Only this time, it’s fetch the tennis ball instead of tug of war. According to Gomer, these dogs love tennis balls and will do anything to play with them. Thus a game of fetch is their reward in this training context. “When training dogs to detect a firearm for example, first, you hide a tennis ball with a gun in a place that’s easy for the dog to find,” he says. “That way, the dog learns to associate the odor of the two objects. “Although you tell the dog to ‘find the gun,’ he thinks he's just looking for his ball so we can play a game with it. As soon as he finds the ball with the firearm, he is rewarded with a game of fetch.” The next step in the training progression is to make the search more difficult. “So, we hide the tennis ball and the firearm in a place that’s a little more difficult for the dog to find. When he does, he is rewarded with another game of fetch.” When the dog becomes proficient at the above, only the firearm is hidden. The tennis ball is carried in Gomer’s pocket instead. Because the dog has learned to associate the odor of the firearm with the scent of the tennis ball, he readily finds the gun. Immediately after it does, Gomer pulls out the tennis ball and the dog is rewarded with yet another game of fetch. After the dog is trained to find the firearm, it’s taught to "Alert" to the presence of the object. That means the dog indicates where the gun is hidden after finding it. “The Alert behavior is a simple ‘Sit/ Stay’ with the dog looking at the handler. It’s taught by cuing the dog to Sit/Stay 82 Dog News
Because many schools may not have the $50,000 available up front, Gomer is willing to work with them and establish a payment plan over a period of months or even two years. He also is considering the development of a fundraising program similar to the K9s for Cops Program to help school districts raise the funds needed to pay for a School Protection Dog
Other Concerns .
Mark Gomer’s youngest son, Blake, playing with Atticus. Blake attends classes at Bridgetown, a Middle School in the Oak Hills District.
immediately after he finds the firearm. The dog is then rewarded with another game of fetch,” Gomer says. The process for teaching drug detection is exactly the same as the training progression outlined above with one exception. A training aid in the form of the scent of a narcotic is substituted for the firearm.
The Cost
Although schools across the country already use Police Dogs for intermittent patrols on campuses, Atticus was the first successful full-time School Protection Dog in southwestern Ohio. Gomer hopes the success of the pilot program at Oak Hills will bring national attention to the School Protection Dog Initiative and already has three more dogs trained to protect youngsters in other school districts. Surprisingly, other school districts have been slow to get involved with the School Protection Dog Program. The dog’s cost may be the most inhibiting factor. Although a fully trained School Protection Dog costs $50,000, Gomer says he’s not in it for the money. “We truly believe it's the best idea that anyone has come up with so far to combat the potential for violence being committed by an intruder in our schools,” he says. “The training and placing of a School Protection Dog is a two-year process for us. We spend the first year training the dog and the second working with the dog in the school.”
In addition to concerns about the cost of a School Protection Dog, other reasons cited for reluctance include how its presence on a school campus would affect the price of insurance coverage and fear that it might bite someone other than an intruder. In response to the latter, Gomer says the dogs would not attack or bite anyone unless they were deployed by their handler. Concerns about students with medical conditions having an allergic reaction to a School Protection Dog have been voiced by some as well. However, this did not prove to be an issue at Oak Hills during the pilot program. No doubt, that’s because dogs were already present in the school (as they already are in other schools), i.e., law enforcement K9s were brought in to do locker searches as already mentioned. And children with disabilities bring their assistance dogs along with them to classes. Other critics of the program say a School Protection Dog could be shot and disabled by an intruder. In the case of Atticus, Gomer specifically trained him to target an intruder’s weapon arm rather than his other arm in order to prevent a gunman from firing at the dog or anyone else for that matter. Gomer also says his dogs are so fast that only a military trained marksman would be skilled enough to hit them. “The smaller size of the Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherd enables them to be extremely fast and therefore a more difficult target to hit. That’s another reason why we train these two breeds specifically for this work,” he says. Further, the use of Police Dogs that pursue armed perpetrators on a daily basis hasn’t been discontinued by law enforcement because the dogs might be shot and disabled. The same is true of the Military K9s used in combat. For more information about School Protection Dogs, view the following video http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=EgK1dPUMJlQ and read http:// www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-NewsWires/2013/1106/School-safety-Useguard-dogs-not-guns.
Enjoy the beautiful fall colors of Upstate New York at the
Wine Country Circuit Dog Shows Four All Breed Dogs Shows, Obedience, Rally, Agility, Lure Coursing
September 25, 26, 27, 28, 2014 29th year at the same location: SAMPSON STATE PARK, 6906 ROUTE 96A, ROMULUS, NY
Elmira Kennel Club
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Onondaga Kennel Association Friday, September 26, 2014
Finger Lakes Kennel Club
Kanadasaga Kennel Club
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Saturday, September 27, 2014
BUS TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PROVIDED FROM LOOPS & OVERFLOW TO SHOW SITE
Specialties
Afghan Hound (w/sweeps), Chow Chow (w/sweeps), Dachshund (w/sweeps), Dalmatian, Scottish Deerhound, Irish Setter (w/sweeps), Fox Terrier (w/sweeps), Newfoundland (w/sweeps), Schipperke, Tibetan Spaniel (w/sweeps), Irish Water Spaniel (w/sweeps)
Supported Entries
Belgian Tervuren, Dalmatian, Scottish Deerhound, Doque de Bordeaux, Irish Setter (w/sweeps) Labrador Retrievers (w/sweeps), Mastiff (w/sweeps), Schipperke, Tibetan Spaniel, Rhodesian Ridgeback (w/sweeps), Irish Water Spaniel (w/sweeps) Clinics:
Sponsored by Purina
Things to Do:
Jim Rau Dog Shows, Supt. Closing Date Thursday, - September 10, 2014
Friday & Saturday Gas Card Drawing Agility:Armband http://www.countrysideagility.com Opening Date - July 19th 2014, Closing Date - Sept. 10, 2014
Contact Information: Edwin Giles - Elmira Kennel Club Show Chairman • egiles@stny.rr.com • 607·962-1481 Dog News 83
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Hurricane Ridge Kennel Club
Photos By Christie Smith
84 Dog News
Dog News 85
World Dog Show Continued FROM page 43
Helsinki
entries in all the Finnish breeds. Compared to our entry fee the entry fee for the World Show was extremely high. If you entered by 5/5/14, it was 75 euros, 6/16/14 – 85 euros, then 95 euros and at the last closing date of July 9th it was 120 euros or in US dollars - $168. People in Europe and Asian countries are used to paying much larger fees than the states. Judges cannot judge half as many dogs, because of critiques, so the judging panels are extremely costly. Dogs that are cropped or docked are no longer allowed to be shown in Finland. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry made an exception for the World Show. This exception did not apply to the many various specialty shows held in conjunction with the weekend. So, many of the American dogs that were shown at the World Show could not be shown at the various specialties. The Finnish Kennel Club is very strict about foreign substances being used to prepare dogs. It was interesting to see breeds like Poodles not be sprayed up to the extent we see in the US. Also if a dog is suspected of being drugged a protest could be filed and a urine sample could be required to be given to the committee.
E
ach year we are seeing more American dog traveling to the World Shows. This year I believe it was about sixty-seven. It is not easy since it requires a lot of paperwork and finding airlines that will transport dogs in the summer months. It is also extremely costly to make these trips. We had more dogs competing than England, but even at the World Show in Paris it was surprising how few English dogs attended since it is a fairly short drive. Russia had well over 4,000 dogs competing. The vast majority of them drove. It was only about 13 hours drive from Moscow. The Russian exhibitors are used to much longer driving distances. Often they will drive by large buses and sometimes it is several days each way. There were a great deal of Americans that just went to watch the show. Some with hopes of improving their breeding programs. Handlers with hopes of buying top dogs for clients and students of 86 Dog News
many breeds. One breed in particular was French Bulldogs. Many people went just to watch, but also several were exhibiting. Patricia Shaw and Jodi Longmire took two exhibits. One was a puppy bitch bred by Peter Photos and Blake Hamman. This was her first time in the ring and she won the Junior bitch class of 50. This was the largest class of Frenchies. Dave Berry had several dogs which he has been campaigning in Europe. Patricia Shaw and Jodi also took their BIS “Freda” and captured a placement in the champion bitch class. Perry Payson showed the Frenchie that won the National in the states in 2012. This dog, “Seena” is owned and bred in Japan by Kazumi Yamanaka. Nancy Shaw was not showing Frenchies, but was looking for possibilities for adding to her breeding program. Nancy did have the thrill of watching her Afghan “Rachael” going best bitch in Afghans. Anna Stromberg earlier this year won the breed with this bitch at Westminster and Crufts. Afghans were dominated by the Americans. Chris Manelopoulos said his co-owner Missy Galloway, were over the moon watching “Matrix” adding another victory to his star studded career. Sally Sweatt did not have a Frenchie being shown, but had a nice victory with her Sealyham who has been being campaigned in Europe. In the very busy three days, I did see so many Americans in attendance. Just to name a few – Deb Thorton, Chris and Tom Levy, Margaret Downey, Peter Photos, Diego and Evalyn Garcia, R. C. Carusi, Carla Hill, David and Ann Bolus, Carol Brown, Perry Payson, Abbe Shaw, Connie Clark, Michele Luther, Claire Hoffman, Jan Ritchie, Steve Gladstone, Judy Daniels, Ron & Lorna Menaker, Bruce Schwartz, Geoff Dawson, Rebecca Cross, Karen Saunders, Carolyn and Merle Taylor, Martha Feltenstein, Minna Kiltes, Bobby Schoenfeld and a host of others.
Like all World Shows, there were only three American judges, Ron Menaker, Lydia Hutchinson-Coleman and Diane Anderson. Looking at the panel for next year in Milan the only Americans will be Brenda Newcomb, Peter Green and Ron Menaker. All American breeders have to take such pride in how well the American bred dogs did. Although the Affenpinscher, “Tricky Ricky” hails from Thailand he was bred in the US by Bill & Tina Truesdale, Beth Sweigart and Letisha Wubbel. With this dog winning BIS at the World Show it is such a feat for a breed that was so obscure just a few years ago. “Tricky Ricky” is a son of “Joey” who went BIS at Westminster in 2013. The American Cocker who was fourth Best in Show was also bred in the states. Kari Jarvinen, and a huge committee have to be congratulated in organizing a show that required 100 rings. Due to the size of the entry, rings 93 through 100 had to be staged outside. The stewards had I-Pads right in the ring so when the placements were made they immediately went to the website so the winners were known throughout the world in several seconds.
J
ust before BIS the Finnish Kennel Club passed on the FCI flag to the Italian Kennel Club who will host the World Show in Milan in 2015. The dates will be June 10-11-12-13 and 14. Since the World’s Fair will also be going on at the same time, travel arrangements should be made in the very near future. Many people already have their flights and hotels booked. When Han Lehtinen stepped out to the stage to judge BIS it was a very emotional moment for so many. Hans has been revere as one of the best judges in the world for as long as I can remember. Hans has judged every major show in the world, including BIOS at Montgomery County in 2003. How fitting for him to judge BIS in his native country for the 125th Anniversary show of the Finnish Kennel Club. It was so touching to see Hans getting a standing ovation from thousands when he entered the ring. It was a wonderful conclusion to an outstanding show.
Letters To
The Editor
Dog News will consider all letters for publication but reserves the right to edit these as required. Letters will not be considered for publication unless full name and contact details are supplied, including telephone number. Letters may be mailed to Dog News 1115 Broadway NY, NY 10010 or emailed to dognews@harris-pub.com. KCAI SCHEME UPDATES CODE OF PRACTICE TO SUPPORT KENNEL CLUB’S CAMPAIGN AGAINST ELECTRIC SHOCK COLLARS The Kennel Club Accredited Instructor Scheme (KCAI) has officially changed the wording of its Code of Practice to include a ban on using electric shock collars or other aversive methods to ensure the safety of dogs across the UK. The Kennel Club is currently lobbying for a ban on the use of electric shock collars and the campaign has been met with overwhelming public support. It is clear that nothing affects a dog’s life and wellbeing as much as
positive training, and the KCAI Scheme’s aim is to set and raise standards in dog training and canine care across the UK and abroad. The scheme offers those who work with dogs the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised qualification, and gives a safeguard for the public by working under a clear code of practice. The KCAI Code of Practice now states that all members working under the scheme must promote and use suitable and motivational methods consistent with principles of kindness, fairness and good welfare, not use electric shock collars or similarly coercive electric equipment and be able to advise on the choice, maintenance, safe and humane use of appropriate training equipment. Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary said: “Electric shock collars fail to address underlying behaviour and can cause further behaviour problems by training a dog to respond out of fear of further punishment rather than a natural willingness to obey. “The availability of positive training methods far outweighs the need for techniques based on aversion or pain. The KCAI Scheme aims to raise standards in dog training and canine care across the UK and abroad. We are very glad to see that the KCAI support of positive training methods has now been backed up by a specific ban on the use of electric shock collars.” For more information on the Kennel Club’s electric shock collar campaign please contact the Kennel Club Press Office on press.office@thekennelclub.org.uk. If you would like more information on the KCAI Scheme please contact Clare Hitchcox on clare.hitchcox@thekennelclub.org. uk Laura Quickfall London, England WORLD SHOW UPDATE Just read your summary of the World Dog Show. Would you please make note that the English Toy Spaniel Fin GCh Clussexx Champagne Breakfast was BOB out of 60 charlies at the Helsinki World Winner Show. The owners of the dog are M Kirschbaum, K Vorderstrasse, June Peterson & Douglas Johnson. Breeder: Douglas Johnson. Kathie Lawrence Webmaster, ETSCA Continued on page 90
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Continued from page 14
buried them in their own back yard , which I still think made sense. If they had shared all their secrets with the rest of the world it would most likely not benefit anybody ! I am for any promotion of health and soundness in dogs, but must admit that I at times find it rather disturbing when we are seemingly looking for problems which in many cases don’t even exist. Sadly it seems to be a tendency that breeders who don’t seem able to produce dogs of show winning quality ,(if they don’t import a new breed,) often use all their energy to prove that the dogs beating them are nothing but unhealthy wrecks. I know I am repeating myself, but during my life in dogs I have known so many serious and dedicated breeders who have had their lives’ achievement in dogs wiped out by hereditary eye -, kidney- or liver disease. A devastating experience, some were able to rebuild and get rid of their problems, others failed and gave up. I suppose today DNA can be very helpful, although at times I think we are able to detect too many problems… Aren’t we sometimes digging too deep ? Just watched a famous athlete , clearly born with a cleft palate , being photographed with his wife and 3 healthy children. How lucky he ain’t a dog as he would surely have been neutered and unable to produce off spring.. Can you imagine what would happen to the population of our little globe if we had the same health schemes and reproduction restrictions for human beings as we have for our dogs ?? Not many of us boys would be found suitable for public stud work ! During my “outside” involvement with breeds like German Shepherd and Golden Retrieversto mention just 2 breeds- I wonder how many thousands of puppies
and youngsters lives were cut short simply because they were diagnosed with HD. Whether or not this “selection” has significantly improved the HD problem I don’t really know , but one of my friends refused to return his GSD to the breeder for “destruction” after the normally fatal diagnosis- and she lived till the age of 13 and was one of the best movers you could ever see. On the subject of natural selection : One of the reason why I think we will need to pay
wouldn’t like what they see. In one of “my” breeds “swimmers” are turning up in litters from time to time. Swimmers are like seals who cannot stand up or use their legs. I have seen people spending hours every day training these puppies to stand up and walk- and even succeded-which is wonderful in so many ways. The fact that they bred from some of them later on is in my book not so wonderful. I admit that I am no fan of all these rules and regulations imposed on us these days and I will never forget the sense of freedom when moving from a bureaucratic Sweden to a more relaxed England, but following the last couple of years “incidents” breeders even there have been robbed or deprived of that freedom- which in my opinion is not just a shame , but a disaster for our sport in general.
BAbbling “ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE” more attention to health issues in the future is that we- the human beings- are interfering too much in the reproduction process. The fact that for health reasons AI seems to be the choice for so many is that dogs , who would have no interest or ability to breed a bitch now is siring puppies, when evidently for some reason “nature” had decided against it. I could also mention a few cases where bitches due to deformities were unable to be bred naturally, but when inseminated successfully conceived and had litters of puppies that “nature” had clearly signaled should never have been ! The fact that we today are able to keep puppies alive which the mother herself clearly rejects is another factor to consider looking at the future for certain breeds- and the old time breeders and stockmen
At this moment in time the US seems a very good alternative for the serious and responsible breeders, but beware, I know there are “underground” working fanatics who are trying to convince the entire world that our sport of showing and breeding dogs is a despicable and horrible abuse ! And if they are able to work on without any organized opposition who knows what the end result will be ? After the infamous BBC program a few years ago, so many people predicted a grym and shortlived future for our hobby and passion. How it has affected the attitude of the “man in the street” I really don’t know, but looking at recent entries at Crufts and The World Show in Helsinki I like to think there still will be a need and a future for healthy pedigree dogs for another 100 years ! Always look on the bright side of life….and if we do, good things are bound to happen !
Dog News 91
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Ashlie Whitmore
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92 Dog News
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off A TRAGEDY ILLUSTRATES THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF BSL Continued FROM page 30
in 2008 because it did not result in a decrease in dog bites. There has been somewhat of a shift away from BSL of late in the U.S. Massachusetts, Nevada, Connecticut, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Utah have recently passed laws that prohibit towns or counties from enacting BSL, bringing the total to 18 states that now outlaw BSL. Last year the Obama Administration announced its opposition to BSL, stating, “research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources.” Indeed they are. BSL diverts resources and is not cost effective to communities. Taxpayers will see funds go towards enforcement, educating law enforcement officials, and kenneling and euthanizing dogs. BSL brings with it a spike in litigation costs and a potential legal challenge from those with disabilities, as the Americans with Disabilities Act states that it is contrary to the Act to deny a disabled person equal access to public facilities based upon the presumed breed of their service dog. It also unfairly penalizes responsible dog owners. In addition to the White House Administration, a partial list of the growing number of organizations that oppose BSL contains the American Kennel Club, American Animal Health Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, Federation of Veterinarians in Europe, American Bar Association, National Animal Interest Alliance, National Animal Control Associa-
tion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Humane Society of the United States, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and International Association of Canine Professionals. It’s often said in jest that it’s the owners who should be licensed and not the dogs, or that people should need a license to be a parent. There’s more than a grain of truth in those observations. Rather than trying to determine which breeds of dogs owners may or may not own, a concerted, multipronged effort must be made to inform the general public about responsible dog ownership, educate parents and children regarding safety around dogs, improve the understanding of canine behavior, encourage consistent law enforcement of dangerous dog and reckless dog owner ordinances at every level, and enlighten lawmakers to draft effective legislation that holds all dog owners responsible for the humane care, custody and control of all dogs regardless of breed, type, size and reputation. Deepest sympathies go out to all of the Javon Dade Juniors and Seniors of the past and present. Every effort must be made to ensure that there are no more of them in the future.
“It’s often said in jest that it’s the owners who should be licensed and not the dogs, or that people should need a license to be a parent. There’s more than a grain of truth in those observations.” Dog News 93
O Jorge
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Susie& livera
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WHAT A THRILL, SOME QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTORS, AKC BLUNDERS AGAIN...
Continued FROM page 46
Sommer,Dennis (Skye boy) Brown and Adam Pederson and the incomparable Celi Ruggles followed later on by Larry Cornelius and Marcello Vergas and of course the support and encouragement of Caroline Koch and one of the nicest people in the sport Victor Malzzoni You know of course I have been questioning the role of the Directors in the sense of their backgrounds and experience in the sport. Along those lines when I asked the Question of the Week about why were there not more female candidates for the Board of Directors much less female Directors themselves I received a most interesting follow-up from Cindy MEYERS WHICH IS REPRINTED HEREIN: Your question of the week regarding women running for the board has caused me to think about the current board members. I assume that the board makes the rules for dog shows, if so I would like to ask them some questions. 1. Do you currently own a pure bred dog? 2. Are board members allowed to exhibit dogs? 3. When was the last time you exhibited or had a dog exhibited? 4. Are they active members of their local kennel club? If these are the people responsible for making or changing the rules I think they should be out in the trenches. Thanks for your time. Cindy Meyer I thought there were a number of interesting points raised herein and decided to pass them along to you particularly in light of the Nominating Committees search for new people to run for the Board.
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M re A
KC’s pr firm EDELMAN which is reputed to be the world’s largest PR firm in terms of billing is acting to correct some faux pas news reporting per THE NEW YORK TIMES for one. Recent episodes not related to AKC generated unwelcome news media attention which has forced this pr giant to take the kinds of steps it would recommend to clients in the same predicaments. How much business they lost is conjecture but if you are interested in reading the reports go to nytimes.com/ business. The actual report was on Monday August 18. Sort of like AKC’s latest blunder through its social media guru in making exclusive deals with electronic publications to have Staff members from AKC blog for them only on a periodic basis. Since when does AKC act in this sort of manner giving exclusive blogging rights to one publication but not another, Sort of sounds like Chris Walker though who is so inexperienced in matters AKC as to do something like that! Sort of reminds me of the CV he put on the Internet saying he was no longer working for AKC when in fact he truly was. When this post was called to my attention I called it to the attention of people at AKC who promptly had it removed. Let’s hope AKC changes its mind about giving contemporaries exclusives unless of course they are being paid to do so and then you know the lengths they will go to get extra monies. Edelman prepare yourself for more predicaments to answer for that’s for sure!
Dog News 95
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98 Dog News
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