April 1998 Newsletter - Volume 2. Issue 8

Select an Article

• The Future of "Dog Show Computing" Part II
  By Bob Christiansen

• I Got My Rights
  By Dorie Crowe

• The Shaggy Dog
  Sent In By Donna Harman

• A Special Bulletin From The AKC Canine Health Foundation

• We the Dog People
  By Tom Crowe

• Board Members of the AKC Canine Health Foundation

The Future of
"Dog Show Computing"
Part II
By Bob Christiansen

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I GOT MY RIGHTS!!!!

(Yeah, but you keep forgetting RESPONSIBILITIES come along with them.)
By Dorie Crowe

While conducting business in the office and away at shows we continually hear a phrase, with some variation, along the lines of, “We have a right to expect….”, or, “We have a right to have….”

Here are a few thoughts on this subject:

“We have a RIGHT to expect a decent show site.”

Yes, you do. However, you also have the RESPONSIBILITY of helping take care of that show site.

Begin by parking where the club has designated. They have conferred with the site owners/managers, with their own parking committees and they have drawn a plan that best utilizes the site under various conditions. Remember if the grounds are torn up EVERYONE loses - the club may have to bear the burden of costly repairs and we may lose yet another show site.

Keep your grooming areas clean during the day and leave it clean when you pack up to leave. When you move into a site it’s been cleaned in anticipation of your being there; when you leave it should be as it was when you arrived. Next time you attend a show look around in the areas that have been vacated in the building or under the tent…or look at your own objectively during the day. That chalk comes out, dryers blow it all over the people passing by or into the next set-up and it ends up floating across the site in a thin cloud or in a white pile on the floor which is then stepped in and tracked all over the site. The scissors and clippers also come out and then hair begins to blow as well.

Those handy things called trash bags, brooms, dustpans, etc., are a big help and should be part of the equipment on your rig or on your list of show supplies you take to each show. It’s a common courtesy to clean up after yourself – if you drop something pick it up and throw it away in the proper receptacle; if you spill something, wipe it up – you know, you might be the one who slips in it. If you throw bait halfway across the ring you should retrieve it at the end of your class. The next exhibitor in the ring may not appreciate that his dog is constantly after that piece of bait you left in his path.

This also extends to your dog. Just because Phideaux wants to lift his leg on something doesn’t mean he has to do so. You control your dog’s actions. There are appropriate places to exercise your dogs. Trash containers on the indoor floor of a site are not the appropriate place. Ring equipment is not the appropriate place. The club’s flowers in the ring are not the appropriate place. Would you feel differently if it were your job to pick up, pack up or empty these items at the end of the show? And, if your dog eliminates in the traffic aisles at indoor or outdoor shows, you should be cleaning up after it – or, at the very least, calling for clean-up. Have a look around at outdoor shows. There are children everywhere – walking AND sitting on the ground. Is this where you would want YOUR children? Is this what you want to step in yourself?

“We have a RIGHT to expect good judging.”

Yes, you do. However, you have the RESPONSIBILITY of breeding dogs to the Breed Standard and showing what you believe to be your best stock. When you enter you are asking for his/her opinion. And, in most cases it’s just a difference of opinion when you lose – you like one type; the judge likes another. If you know the judge does not like your type of dog and you enter anyway and lose, you have no legitimate gripe. If you are an agent and your prime concern is collecting your fee when you know the judge is not right for your dog, you have no legitimate gripe.

Under the present system AKC has for approving judges, they must have read the Breed Standard, taken a test, attended seminars, had an interview and been observed judging. If you have observed a judge in the ring and you do not like anything about that judge, isn’t it really a no-brainer? Just as you expect the show- giving club to do some research on their panel; YOU have the responsibility of doing that same research.

“We have the RIGHT to expect fair treatment.”

Yes, you do. However, you have the RESPONSIBILITY of treating everyone else in a fair manner - from the gate attendant to the parking attendant to the novice who asks you a question, to the judge in your ring, to the person in the ring standing next to you, etc.

That novice who comes to you at a show to get information or guidance should be given help that will point them in the right direction. How many times have we heard someone say, after a question has been posed, “What a novice!”? Well, folks, we were all novices at some point in our life in dogs. It’s up to us to get the best new talent we can into the sport to insure its future. That novice is going to be breeding dogs one day – maybe your breed. That novice may be a judge some day; may be a club member or a show chairman some day. What kind of information do you want that person to have coming into the sport? What’s the impression of the sport you want to imprint on them? If you want that person to become a constructive force in this sport, the time is NOW, when they ask you a question.

And, don’t forget the show officials. They want to have the best show they can have; smooth running, with little or no problems, where, at the end of the day, exhibitors can say they had a good time. Think before you go at them yelling, screaming and threatening. Present your problem in a calm, clear, factual way. If there’s anything that can be done to remedy the situation, they’ll be glad to do so. And, if they are in the middle of something, for example a superintendent marking a catalog, try to wait until they finish the breed or get to a place they can comfortably stop. Marking takes concentration – you wouldn’t want us to finish the wrong dog or not catch an incorrect marking now, would you?

If you think the club’s got big problems at their show become a member of the club and offer solutions to those problems. Help to make it better than ever. Most clubs work very hard and do their very best. Most clubs also need and desperately want new members with constructive ideas who will WORK to help them have a better show and help continue their charity work and community service. So get out there and be part of the solution to those problems you find you encounter at shows.

“We have a RIGHT to bring our children along.”

Yes, you do. However, you have the RESPONSIBILITY of looking after those children. Discussions should take place with children before they come to a show on: the appropriate way of approaching a dog (after getting the owner’s permission, of course); not putting fingers into crates of strange dogs; not putting their faces into a strange dog’s face; not running through traffic aisles, leaping over ring equipment, jumping off bleacher seats, etc.

We’re sure you’ve been in attendance at shows where it looked like the parents saw a sign that said “Dog Show,” so they dropped off their kids and said they’d be back later in the day to pick them up. You will be the first to be up in arms if something does happen to your child as a result of someone else’s negligence – and rightly so. However, you should also be the first in their line of defense by equipping them with the knowledge of how to act appropriately at such a public event so they will not get harmed.

“We have the RIGHT to take our dog….”

Yes, you do. However, you have the RESPONSIBILITY of NOT having him/her in areas that are off limits.

If a hotel/motel does not want your dog in the room, it should not be in the room. And, if the place is kind enough to allow dogs you should not be bathing it in the room or trimming it in the room. And Poopsie certainly should not be left in the room unattended if it’s not in a crate. Even if the dog is a perfect lady or gentleman, remember hotel/motel personnel come into rooms when you are not there for a myriad of reasons and they are not around show dogs all the time. If Poopsie escapes from the room or “defends the territory” neither you nor the hotel/motel will be very happy.

If the motel or club has restricted dogs from being in certain areas, that DOES include your dog. When clubs do this it is generally because their site has advised them this rule must be in effect – and it may have come into effect because of the abuses of prior years.

Usually, restrictions include lobby areas or restrooms, areas under construction or remodeling, or areas not included as part of the show site, which are pretty self- explanatory. Site managers/owners do not want urine stains and hair on their fresh new carpeted lobby and they sure as heck don’t want dogs bathed in the restroom lavatories (nor do they want dog food remnants clogging up the drains). And they don’t want dogs exercising in their nicely landscaped walkways.

Generally, dog folks are a caring, rule-abiding group of people. The problem is that it only takes a couple of inconsiderate people to give the whole dog show population a bad name or get us kicked out of another site or another hotel/motel. Just a little thought and consideration would go such a long way in making ourselves and our canine companions welcome almost anywhere. Let’s all make that effort.

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The Shaggy Dog Stories

A Butcher and A Dog

Sent In By Donna Haarman

A butcher is working, and really busy. He notices a dog in his shop and shoos him away. Later, he notices the dog is back again. He walks over to the dog, and notices the dog has a note in his mouth.

The butcher takes the note, and it reads, “Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please?”

The butcher looks, and lo and behold, in the dog’s mouth, there is a ten dollar bill. So the butcher takes the money, puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, and places it in the dog’s mouth.

The butcher is very impressed, and since it’s closing time, he decides to close up shop and follow the dog. So, off he goes.

The dog is walking down the street and comes to a crossing. The dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the crossing button. Then he waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights to change. They do, and he walks across the road, with the butcher following.

The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable. The butcher is in awe at this stage. The dog checks out the times, and sits on one of the seats to wait for the bus.

Along comes a bus. The dog walks to the front of the bus, looks at the number, and goes back to his seat. Another bus comes. Again the dog goes and looks at the number, notices it’s the right bus, and climbs on. The butcher, by now open-mouthed, follows him onto the bus.

The bus travels thru town and out to the suburbs. Eventually the dog gets up, moves to the front of the bus, and standing on his hind legs, pushes the button to stop the bus. The dog gets off, groceries still in his mouth, and the butcher still following.

They walk down the road, and the dog approaches a house. He walks up the path, and drops the groceries on the step. Then he walks back down the path, takes a big run, and throws himself -whap!- against the door. He goes back down the path, takes another run, and throws himself -whap!- against the door again! There’s no answer at the door, so the dog goes back down the path, jumps up on a narrow wall, and walks along the perimeter of the garden. He gets to a window, and bangs his head against it several times. He walks back, jumps off the wall, and waits at the door. The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts laying into the dog, really yelling at him.

The butcher runs up and stops the guy. “What the heck are you doing? This dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for God’s sake!” To which the guy responds, “Clever, my eye. This is the second time this week he’s forgotten his key!”

MB-F, Inc., c/o The Shaggy Dog, P.O. Box 22107, Greensboro, NC 27420 or e-mail://www.infodog.com

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National Study of Sebaceous Adenitis

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have asked for the assistance of breeders and owners of Standard Poodles in their study of an inherited skin disorder, sebaceous adenitis (SA). The research study is funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation, Poodle Club of America Foundation and Versatility in Poodles.

SA is an inflammatory reaction in the sebaceous glands. It is characterized by dry scaly skin and eventual hair loss. It is known in Standard Poodles but has also been reported in many other breeds and mixed breeds. The recent development of canine genetic markers has made the parasympathetic diagnosis of inherited canine diseases feasible. Screening for (SA) sebaceous adenitis is desirable because it is thought to have a recessive mode of inheritance. Once a marker linked to SA is found it will be possible to predict which puppies in a litter are most likely to develop SA as adults. The test will identify which dogs are carriers, (dogs that are unaffected but can pass on the gene). Use of this information will advance the genetic health of Standard Poodles by providing breeders with more information on which to base their decisions about which dogs to breed.

Breeders are owners of Standard Poodles are being asked to participate in this study. Dog do not have to be affected by SA, but may have family members that are affected. Participation is encouraged from related normal and affected dogs. It is particularly critical to receive samples for normal dogs and dogs that have been observed by knowledgeable owners who would recognize even a mild case of SA. Owners should send a 2 milliliter tube (less than teaspoon) sample of blood preserved in an EDTA tube. If your dog is having blood drawn for other reasons, the blood can be drawn at the same time. Also needed is a copy of any information about the disease status or disease free status of the dog from your veterinarian and a copy of the pedigree. All information related to the study is strictly confidential. Breeders, owners and veterinarians may contact Dr. Patricia Wilkie, Department of Veterinary PathoBiology, University of Minnesota,

Phone: 612-624-6207 or 612-624-4246, a message can be left at 612-624-2700.

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We The (dog) People

A Special Appeal To All Dog Clubs
By Tom Crowe
By Tom Crowe

We the dog people the Exhibitors, the Handlers, the Breeders, the Veterinarians, the Superintendents, the AKC Board and Staff, the Canine Health Foundation and last but by no means least the individual All Breed and Specialty Clubs. We are the dog people and we have the power to do many wonderful things. As individuals we have not much impact but as a group, if all of us were banded together and inclined in the same direction, WOW; Miracles could be performed. That’s what this article is all about, banding together in a common cause and working miracles.

The Canine Health Foundation needs your help, not as an individual but as a band of dedicated dog people bent on eradicating genetic diseases and traits which are harmful to our canine friends and to humans as well. Yes, it’s true, in the field of veterinary research have already uncovered some outlaw genes common to man and dog.

One of the greatest things the American Kennel Club has done is the establishment of the Canine Health Foundation. (On behalf of all Dog People, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AKC.) The Canine Health Foundation Board is a composite of Veterinarians, Medical Doctors, business executives, and prominent persons in public life. They are all volunteers and receive no compensation as salary or travel expenses. They are Dog People with a mission and they are seeking your help.

In a former article for this publication I wrote of a plan adopted by the Foundation whereby every dog person could become a contributor to the fund with little outlay of cash and effort. We asked each club to raise their entry fee by $1.00 (the cost of a cup of coffee at most dog shows) and earmark that dollar for the Foundation research projects. Superintendents will keep the records and forward the funds to the Foundation in the names of the clubs. Last year over 1,500,000 dogs were entered in shows. In donations to the most worthwhile project ever engineered for the health of our canine friends, that amounts to $1,500,000 per year. In a few years that amount of money properly invested and multiplied would become a self sufficient program to fund many projects without reduction of principal. What could be better than a no hassle way of raising the money needed to carry on the work already begun in behalf of the health and well being of our four legged friends?

Some clubs have already responded and have plans to begin their contributions at their very next dog shows. We have one cluster that expects to raise at least a $10,000 contribution in the near future as a result of the cooperation of all clubs in the cluster. We are the power and we can perform, at the very least, MINOR MIRACLES if we band together.

Get in touch with your superintendent or show secretary and have them make an insert in your premium list. Give notice that you have raised your entry fee by $1.00. State the entire amount is to create a donation to the Canine Health Foundation for research grants in the fight against Major Canine Health problems such as cataracts, subluxations, PRA, Bloat, etc. Let us lead the way and show the public that pure-bred dog breeders and show enthusiasts are responsible and caring human beings as well as animal lovers. AMEN, I say unto you, DOG PEOPLE, rise up and smite the foes of our canine friends and a MIRACLE shall come to pass. Canine Health is the WORD and the word shall prevail throughout the land.

Note: Lois, my dear wife, proof reader and strongest critic, upon reading this article remarked, “It reads as though you are coming right from the pulpit. “My reply was “Perhaps I am.” “Who knows??”

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BOARD MEMBERS OF THE AKC
CANINE HEALTH FOUNDATION

In last months Issue we began introducing to you the members of the Canine Health Foundation. As in the last issue we will be spotlighting two members of the board until all eighteen have been introduced. We feel you will be quite surprised at the talent and the power of these volunteers in their regular daily lives. We are indeed very fortunate to have such talent within our midst with the knowledge and the willingness to carry out our mission of WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE HEALTH OF YOUR DOG.

Highlighted in March, Mr. John A. Studebaker and Mr. Robert Kelly.

This month we will spotlight Mrs. Myrle Hale and Susan Hamil.

  Myrle Hale is the delegate for the Tampa Bay Kennel Club, a club which she has served for over twenty-five years. She has been, among other things, Vice President, Board Member, Show Chairman. She does not believe in belonging to any club unless willing to be an active member. She is the secretary of the Canine Health Committee of the Delegates Committees.

Myrle and her husband of 40 years Charles “Chuck”, have been breeders, owners and exhibitors of Chihuahuas (exclusively) for thirty eight years. They have bred and exhibited over 100 champions and have had them consistently listed among the top Chihuahuas in the country.

Myrle is also a member of the Chihuahua Club of America and was a board member or officer for more than twenty years.

Myrle is a registered, practicing Dental Hygienist. She feels that regardless of one’s age, one should still work --- if not for financial reward --- for the good that it does one’s grey matter. Being a member of the Canine Health Foundation (and its Secretary) is very rewarding for Myrle. Her experience in dogs emphasizes the need for sound dogs in body, mind and spirit, coupled with proper breed type. Doing this requires consistent study because, like a jigsaw puzzle, all the parts must fit together properly.

The most profound reward for any individual “in dogs”, comes from the payback given. The ego trip for exhibitors must be balanced with what those exhibitors can do for the health of the pure-bred dogs.

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