December 1997 Newsletter Volume 2. Issue 4

Select an Article

• Political Assassination by Rumor and Innuendo,
  By Tom Crowe

• THE COMING MILLENNIUM, By Tom Crowe

• "CAMERA READY" But we don't have a camera anymore, By Anna Tiedemann, By Anna Tiedemann

• INFLATION AND ENTRY FEES, By Fred Lyman

• GUY'S WORLD, by Guy Walton

• DEAR MB-F.... by Dorie Crowe

Phone Notes

In our November issue of the newsletter we advised you of our new phone system. We want you to know that all MB-F Clubs now have on the page noting the "Important Dates In Your Contract," a listing of phone extensions for those people with whom you need to conduct conduct club business. Some of those extensions appear below:

Political Assassination by Rumor and Innuendo

By Tom Crowe

I learned long ago; try to avoid rumor and innuendo. They are usually unfounded and are the product of gossips trying to be first with a juicy story. I vowed earlier we would not become a party to such shenanigans. Alas! Here we are in the midst of a terrible injustice being foisted onto a man of honor and a lifelong participant in the Sport of Show Dogs. I hesitate to try to set this matter straight because many times involvement only makes things worse. However, in this instance it is such a blatant attempt to discredit a sitting AKC Board member in the face of a coming election that it smells of political chicanery. The only fair way to handle this is to face it head on and dispel it once and for all.

Bob Smith, a respected judge and a member of the AKC Board, has been accused by rumor and innuendo of absconding with funds from the Certified Professional Handlers Board when he was the Treasurer of that organization. There it is for everyone to see. It no longer has to be whispered or secretly passed from gossip to gossip.

Here are the facts: Bob was one of the first volunteers to help the organization get started. He was elected Treasurer by a unanimous vote of the Board because of his reputation. He did not run for the office it was more or less thrust upon him. I was elected to the office of Executive Secretary because I had the wherewithal to furnish some of the materials, without charge, needed for such a group to function. Mel Downing was elected Chairman forcibly and the other volunteers George Ward, Eric Bergishagen, Mark Threllfal, Betty Trainor, Kathy Bowser, Peter Green and Connie Barton were enthusiastic about our project and pitched in to elevate the profession of Dog Handling to the place it deserves in our sport. Secondarily, it was our hope to prove to the AKC this could be done. We have made our point. We have been successful, we are financially sound and we did it with much help from all of the above and especially Bob Smith.

We feel these unfounded rumors are aimed at the organization as well as Bob. This is our way of bringing this terrible assassination of a man's character to an end. In the beginning we didn't have enough money to abscond with and we all contributed to the pot rather than the pot contributing to us.

When Bob elected to run for the AKC Board we all agreed that because we were attempting to work with the AKC that he would have a possible conflict of interest and he elected to resign. I was appointed to audit the books which was the proper way to handle a resignation of the Treasurer of an organization. The actual audit was done by a professional auditor at no expense and was approved by me and presented to the Board. There were no discrepancies of any kind. None! Zilch! The transfer to the new Treasurer was completed in an orderly manner with all Board members present. End of story.

You folks who are attempting to make hay at this man's expense should go and hide your faces. What you are doing is a disgrace to the dog business. Get off his back. This type of trick often backfires and the accusers become the accused. Amen!

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"CAMERA READY"

But we don't have a camera anymore

By Anna Tiedemann

For longer than I care to remember the catalog ads were reproduced with the aid of a camera. Camera ready material could sometimes be shot with the camera. This gave a negative, which then had to go to a plate and then to the press. Sometimes the material that was received as "camera ready" was not the right size, logos not clear enough and clippings from the newspaper or phone book were terrible. Often the advertiser stated that "nothing was to be changed on the ad" - what do you do about the misspelled word?

Today the ads are generated through the computer. A negative is no longer needed. It goes straight to a plate and then to the press. The photos are scanned and the text is typeset as before. Often an entire ad without a photo can be scanned but the quality isn't quite as good as it would be if it were typeset. When the ad department typesets a "camera ready" ad they always try to match the fonts (type) as closely as possible.

One thing to remember is that the size of the catalog page is NOT 8 1/2" by 11". The printed portion of a catalog page is 4 7/8" wide by 7 2/16" long. A number of ads look good on the 8 1/2 x 11 paper they are sent on but when reduced to catalog page size the type becomes minuscule - too much information, not enough space. And everyone wants the photo as large as possible.

The term "full bleed" is requested for some pictures. The shape of the picture and the subject determine if a full bleed is possible. Sometimes a picture can bleed from side to side but because of the dog's feet being so close to the bottom of the picture it is impossible to bleed it at the bottom. A full bleed needs the subject in the center of the photo with even amounts of unneeded space all around the subject. If the subject is long and low the page might need to be set up vertically instead of horizontally.

Several clubs have started sending in their ads typed and indicating a general idea of the layout. This is greatly appreciated. Typed or neatly printed material is always best. The typesetters in the office are not "dog people". They do not always understand the terminology used in the copy but if it is typed or printed clearly they can copy it. Some material is not clear and everyone has to guess or a phone call has to be made to clarify the ad. Be sure what you say is what you mean. You know what your copy is trying to say - we don't, and the people who will be seeing your ad won't know unless you are very clear.

There are times when ads are faxed to the office - with logos. There is no way that a fax machine can do justice to a logo. There are times a fax machine doesn't do justice to the letters. There seems to be a tendency to write to the extreme margins of the paper and then fax it. Lots of information is lost this way. The fax machine will imprint over written material at the top and bottom - and loses some on the sides. Once again it is a guessing game.

As a general rule a picture is cropped to put the emphasis on the dog. Letting the typesetters know if you want the entire picture, just dog and handler, or just dog is a big help. When instructions do not come with the picture the typesetter reads the ad and if it refers to the judge in the picture they print the entire picture.

If everyone were perfect there would not be any typos or errors in the ads. Unfortunately, after typing and proofreading thousands of ads the law of averages catches up with you. But why does it have to happen in your ad?

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INFLATION AND ENTRY FEES

By Fred Lyman

Are you and your Club aware of the effect of inflation on the entry fees collected for your Club's dog events?

I know this subject is a rather touchy one for most Clubs and especially Club Members who show, since they are the ones who pay entry fees for another Club's events. Regardless, I feel this is one subject that needs attention since entry fees are what pay the expenses for our Sport.

MB-F furnishes each of our Clubs with graphs intended to be valuable information to help the Club stay abreast of the effects inflation has on that Club's entry fee. This is a good tool for Clubs to use to determine when an increase in entry fees is warranted. As stated, these graphs are for informational purposes only, not intended in any way to suggest to a Club they should raise their entry fees as some think for the benefit of the Superintendent. The Superintendent's fees are pre-set in a contract between the Club and the Superintendent a year or more before the event, and not related to the price of an entry fee.

At the end of this article is a graph from one of our Clubs to use as an example to illustrate the effects of inflation on entry fee income. As you see, the entry fee for this Club in 1993 was $18.00, but with the inflation factor applied, the buying power of that $18.00 was only $17.48. The following year with no increase in entry fee, the Club only had $16.96 buying power with the same $18.00 entry fee. So, we see a loss of 52¢ per entry in one year. Needless to say, the Club made less profit in 1994 than in 1993.

With the use of the graph, the Club realized the need to increase the entry fee in order to remain profitable. In 1995, the Club raised its entry fee to $20.00, bringing the buying power of its dollars back up to and a little better than what they were in 1993. You can also see from the graph that by leaving their entry fee at $20.00 in 1996, they lost 54¢/entry buying power due to inflation. Realizing the trend, the Club raised its entry fee to $22.00 giving the $18.94 buying power for each entry in 1997. This was a very good decision by the Club. By the way their total entry remained the same.

We all realize the effects of inflation in our everyday lives. In the late 1960's when I came to the MB-F team, entry fees were $7.00. If entry fees had kept pace with other expenses and costs, the entry fees today would be in the $50.00 per dog range. Thanks to computerization and other technology utilized and adapted by Superintendents, along with clever ideas at the Club level, entry fees have been held down below the levels they would have been.

The graphs furnished to our Clubs are very valuable tools and indicators to help Clubs stay on top of the effect of inflation on the buying power of their entry fee dollars. As we all know, the price of plane tickets, hotels, food, clean-up, judges' fees and show ground rentals continue to rise. Let's make ourselves aware of when to increase entry fees so our Sport can continue on a healthy road for years to come.

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THE COMING MILLENNIUM

By Tom Crowe

I was born during World War I. I survived the Great Depression. I have witnessed as telephone, radio, television and computers became the greatest communications vehicles known to man. I served in the Air Corp during World War II and I survived. I saw bullet trains replace old steam engine-drawn rail cars. I have been part of jets replacing piston engine planes. I have seen man on the moon and in space. What a wonderful world! I have been living in an era of unprecedented advances in quality of life, health and medicine, scientific achievement in all phases of living, social arts and entertainment. So far it has been a wonderful life but believe me, "you ain't seen nothin yet". In the next few years and for several years to follow you will see miracles never before thought possible.

How does all of this effect the Dog Business? Well, bear with me for a few moments. MB-F is a very small player in this wonderful world of advancing technology but we are totally committed to its future. Witness the advances we have made that you now take for granted. Rolf the continental-accented computer voice, that gives forth information about shows, judging programs etc. and even takes entries. How about Dial-N-Entry? Using your telephone and our computers we make it possible for you to make entries with ease into all our shows without the fuss of filling out forms or running to the post office to mail them; and you are guaranteed your entry is in the show. Fax is another addition to make your life easier. The quality of premium lists and catalogs have become commonplace and expected. We will soon have a video to distribute to all clubs showing the modern methods and equipment being used to bring about these wonderful changes while holding inflationary prices in check.

Topping off all the above, however, our latest advance in the field of technology is INFODOG the computerized wonder of the dog business. The program does everything except take your dog into the ring. As the terrific pace of the use of computers expands, more and more information will become available to everyone in every walk of life and particularly to those of us in the world of dogs. We are now working with live presentations to be part of dog shows where you as an owner can sit at home and watch your dog being shown in real time. We have already made it possible for you to make entries in all dog shows and have your entries confirmed on the spot. Further, when the show is completed to have the results of the shows on INFODOG after the completion of the shows. Our dog files are as large as those of the AKC. We don't keep your dogs' show records but we have the capability to do so. That, however, is the job of the AKC and their records are the only official records. We have so many new things coming along with INFODOG that will effect how you will enter, keep records, and enjoy dog shows, that it would only boggle your mind to tell you about it all at once.

For show chairpersons: If you haven't seen our new premium list preparation process on INFODOG you must take a look. If you haven't got a computer find someone that does and take a look. You fill in the blanks and transmit it with a keystroke and we receive it in minutes ready to fashion into a premium list and put into print. It's open to all clubs and all superintendents for their use. We believe in making life easier for everyone. Also in the future for clubs anywhere that do their own thing; catalogs and premium lists can be typeset by us and transmitted electronically to a local printer anywhere in the world thereby eliminating shipping and mailing costs. It really is a wonderfully bright future we are opening up.

One more thing, if you missed seeing the recent closing of Westminster at our office you missed a bit of the future. It was on INFODOG for all to see. You would have been amazed to see the traffic jams caused by the overnight carriers jockeying for position at the 8:00 AM door opening. Quite a sight to see. You can expect more of this type of news in the near future along with the video conferencing on which we are now working. We can hardly wait to enter this new era. If you haven't got a computer it's time to go shopping. There are bargains galore out there now.

Well, I could bore you with talk about bandwidth and expansion of our web site etc., but I'll leave it up to you to keep tuned to INFODOG and MB-F. That's where the future lies in the dog business. You can become part of it and, as always, we will be most happy for your suggestions and to welcome you aboard. Just contact us on http://www.infodog.com. For club business only call 1-800-334-0813. For all other information call 1-336-379-9352.

WE LEAD FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW

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GUY'S WORLD

by Guy Walton

I must preface this article with the sad news of the passing of Arthur Marsh (former American Kennel Club Rep.) a good dog show friend. My condolences to his faithful and caring daughter Amanda.

This is December and we are fast approaching the January Florida Circuit. We are starting in Deland (Greater Daytona back-to-back January 2 & 3. Then Jacksonville Dog Fanciers Association on the 4th all in Deland.)

Where shall we eat in Deland? I can recommend two restaurants in downtown Deland on N. Woodland Blvd. "Yesterdays" is a simple establishment with good food especially lunches. It is owned by twin brothers Frank and Bill Jenning for eight years. Before I knew that, I had my usual twin problem (see my other articles). I started talking to Frank about this article and he had to go to the back and when I thought he had come back I continued on, but unknowingly I was now talking to Bill and he didn't know what this crazy man was talking about. Try the Chicken Provolone sandwich or the Teriyaki Mushroom Swiss Chicken Sandwich. Also, have Snowcrabs on special on Friday. They have some great pictures and posters on the wall at the back of the restaurant. My other favorite is "Scooters Italian Restaurant." New to Deland but established in the Florida Keys in 1980. It is owned by Scotty and Maria Price. They have good sandwiches, subs, pasta, and pizza (if I like the pizza it is good and I like theirs.)

Next, we go to Lakeland for the Combined Specialties and Lakeland-Winter Haven on the 5th and 6th. I really haven't had time to find any unique restaurants or pubs there other than the usual chains (Lone Star Steak House, Etc.)

Now on to Sarasota for the Sara Bay Kennel Club (7th) and Manatee (8th), back at a new location on Robarts Fairgrounds. Judging will be outdoors with grooming under permanent cover with electrical hookups.

I have grown to love downtown Sarasota and St. Armands Circle on the Island. Let's start with downtown. It has about eight blocks that offer many restaurants, unique art galleries, live theaters, concerts, plays, and collector book stores. My favorite gathering place is "Patrick's" located on Main St. (at one point of what is known as 5 corners). I love sitting at the elevated bar with the regulars, which is ably tended by Ken (9 Years), Cheryl (3 Years), John (2 Years), and others. Patrick's is entering its 14th year and I have been a customer from the beginning. It is owned by a group of men. Several of the partners (Jack and John) are in for lunch daily (and folks they are still living, so the food must be safe). They have many daily specials and a varied menu. If you like garlic, try Chicken Vesuvio (with herbs, quartered potatoes, peas, and wine) or Half Roasted Chicken with lemon and rosemary and garlicky mashed potatoes. Their steaks are outstanding and their hamburgers are the best in town. Patrick's has some of the best sports photos including the greatest picture of Arnold Palmer. I have tried to buy it for Tom Crowe (who is a friend of Arnie's, who once gave me a few pointers when I was a young man at Oakmont County Club in Pittsburgh at the behest of club pro Lou Worsham). They have an autographed shirt of Gordie Howe, a full-sized replica of Don Mattingly, and even a photo of BIS Irish Terrier owned by Steve Sundhiemer which was shown at one of our shows. One of my other favorite photos is of the New York Yankees four great catchers (Dicky, Berre, Howard, and Munson). Another feature of Patrick's is the abundance of characters and entrepreneurs that collect there. None is more unique than Ward H. (Bud) Patton, Jr. whose father founded the Green Giant Co. (of canned and frozen food fame) and Bud worked for the firm. Bud was born in Minnesota and lived in Minneapolis. He attended school at Amhurst and Harvard. He survived the sinking of our last aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Bismarck Sea, in World War II. In 1957, he moved to Sarasota (population 70,000 cty to over 300,000 now) and brought with him a publication, "Mobile Living", which he replaced with several others until he created "Sarasota Scene" (34 years), which was renamed "Scene" in 1993, so he has been publishing for 40 years. He is a very astute stock advocate and likes watching the ticker tapes on Patricks' multiple TVs and has me doing it now. He is also pissed off at me because I found a typo error in his 1997 annual issue of "Scene" in an article on Sarasota's longtime postmaster Gordon Higel (who is writing a book "Thirty-three Years a Postmaster and Never Licked a Stamp"). It should be interesting as after all our company is dependent upon the post office. I really enjoy Bud's wit and sage wisdom.

Where else should we eat? If you want a sports pub with good, good food, try the "Sports Page". Big screen, nine small TVs, 2 pool tables, etc. and many great pictures, including one of the 1984 Detroit Tigers World Series Stars (Anderson, Lemon, Parrish, Whitaker, Gibson, Trammell, Morris, Petry, and Wilcox). Also on display is the real bat Gibson used to homer and win the series along with the Detroit Free Press front page on the win. The best photo in the house is one of Bear Bryant. I also like the one of the Righteous Brothers (Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley - is that dating myself?) there are many, many more including Eddie Arcaro, Sonny Liston, Gordie Howe, Al Rose, Carl Lewis, and Ditka. Mary is my favorite barmaid.

I can write forever about downtown restaurants, but let's list just a few more. "Sage" - bear, wild boar, Kangaroo, Ostrich, and Buffalo "Two Senoritas" - good Mexican "Francoise et Henri" - French and American - try Coq Au Vin - Chicken Flambe with Cognac "The Gator Club" - single malt scotch tasting and live music If you stick a stock of liquor in your locker Be sure to put a lock upon the stock For some slicker who is quicker will trick you of your liquor Though you snicker you'll be sicker from the shock Be a piker though your club mates mock and bicker For like brokers round the ticker they will flock to Your locker full of liquor and your stock will vanish Quicker if you fail to lock your liquor with a lock." "Mediteraneo" - good Italian "Carmichaels" - Great Buffalo Steaks "Blue Lagoon" - varied menu with live entertainment and many more. If you go downtown, go early so you can vist the great galleries (art, sculpture, crystal, art deco, etc.). There are too many to list, but you must visit the Hodgell Gallery and look at the Todd Warner works. You will die laughing. I have purchased 12 pieces and am contemplating more. Unfortunately, the ones I want are too big and run $3,000.00 to $6,000.00, but it doesn't cost anything to look. The couple (Brian and Kate O'Connell) that run the store are very nice and cooperative. Another great gallery is the Paradise run by Gudrun `O. Newman, Pres. who I believe is from Iceland. Their art consultant is Barbara Hart. They have seized some of my money on their sculptures and art deco neck ties. If you like books, visit the Main Book Store with its over 400,000 new and used collector books. You can't go wrong in downtown Sarasota.

Now on to St. Armands Island and their famous collection of stores on the circle. There are clothing stores of every kind (high fashion, sports, and casual) but you better take plenty of money or plastic. There are also many galleries. Women can spend days in the clothing stores and for men you will love Taffy's and The Carriage House. The first time I took Karen McKulka and Phyllis Becker there, they only managed to cover one block out of about 10. I'm a speed shopper, so I did the whole circle and waited for them at a "Charley Crab's" (one of the many restaurants) sidewalk table and listened to the live pianist and singer. Other notable restaurants to consider: "Columbia" - which is very good, but I don't like it as much as the one in Tampa's Ybor City. Their stone crabs are outstanding and if you think you hear a bird it's just one of their Cuban waiters. "Cha Cha Coconuts" - I've really taken a liking to them with their sidewalk tables (interestingly, you cannot have a cocktail without food if your table is not covered by the overhang roof). Their food is tropical, but they also have burgers, etc. You must try sweet potato fries with apple butter dip. If you like Rum Runners theirs are the best. They also have entertainment and Monday night football specials. "Hemingways" - is also a must with a varied menu "Cafe L'Europe" - is probably the most exclusive restaurant on the circle. They have braised rabbit and veal sweetbreads.

There are just so many restaurants in the Greater Sarasota area. I just can't list them all in this article, but I should mention "The Quay" on U.S. 41 with its multiple eateries including "Nick's" Italian Restaurant. Also, if you like micro beer, go to the "Sarasota Brewery" off of South 301 near Clark Road. They have good food.

Leaving Sarasota we hope to have our new five-show cluster on the 160 acre site owned by the Clearwater (9th), St. Petersburg (10th), Tampa (11th), Pasco (12th), and Inverness (13th) Clubs which is 18 miles north of Tampa between 301 and 41. Since I haven't had an experience in that area, I can't recommend any restaurants other than those in Tampa (See my September article and our news letter from a few years ago on "Bern's Steak House".)

Guess what? We actually have a few days off before we do the Lake Eustis back-to-backs on the 17th and 18th in Eustis, Florida. My favorite haunt is the "Red House Saloon" in Leesburg. Western good old boy flavor, but good food. There are others including a "Sonny's Barbecue".

We round out the month with the Greater Orange Park back-to-backs at a new location on the north edge of Starke, Florida on 301. Sorry folks, I haven't eaten in Starke since 1960 and if that restaurant owner is still living, he must be the oldest Greek in this Country. Also the same weekend as the Greater Orange Park shows, we have the Gold Coast United Dog Club (U.K.C.) going back-to-back the 24th and 25th at T.Y. Park in Hollywood, Florida.

What's next for me? The "Garden", but don't forget our Waukesha (February 14th) and Burlington, Wisconsin (February 15th) shows. Also for you snowbirds not migrating south in January, the Detroit office has Columbiana (January 2nd) and Rubber City (January 3rd), Livingston County (January 16th and 17th) followed by the United Kennel Club simultaneous shows (January 18th). We also have Marion (January 24th) and Crawford County (January 25th).

I know this has been very long winded, but I am only catering to the many requests I get about restaurants, etc.

Many of you have asked if I have any more "portolet" stories and the answer is "yes". See futher articles.

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DEAR MB-F.... by Dorie Crowe

Periodically we re-visit the MB-F "Funny File". In keeping with the lighthearted time of the year we thought we'd share some of the items people have sent to us over the course of time, to help lift your spirits as well. These letters are exactly the way we received them......we have ** out names of people, dogs or shows for obvious reasons. These are just a few and we'll keep printing a few in the next several issues.

Dear MB-F: Apparently, Entry No. 9, which I have been assigned for the past couple of shows, has been a truly lucky number. Many thanks.

Dear MB-F: I mailed a first entry to you, in a regular US mailbox outside of my office. Some kids came by and sat (sic) the mailbox on fire and the Fire Dept. put it out. I think they had picked up the mail before that. However, to be sure I am sending another entry.

Dear MB-F: On October 9, I am to be in a wedding at 2:00 p.m. As I don't know what time Novice A is scheduled, I was wondering if it is at all possible if I could get in the ring before 12 Noon or after 4:00 p.m.?

Dear MB-F: I went to the show in ** - a day late. I put it on my calender (sic) on the 11th - a stupid mistake I know. This note (is) just to let you know what happened.

Dear MB-F: Please send me descriptive information about your caskets and vaults for pet burials.

Dear MB-F: (This letter came with a ribbon returned for a disallowed win.) The stuffed dog which was also given with this ribbon was promptly thrown away after the dog that helped me win chewed it up. He didn't like it....

Dear MB-F: I have had a dog for four years now and I've been trying to find out exactly what kind he is. He's probably mixed with something. I've looked through several dog books and asked many people and no one knows. Is there any possible way you could tell me what kind you think he is? I have enclosed a picture.

Dear MB-F: Several years ago, while motoring thru your area, I noticed a truck with lettering on the side advertising Beagles - 11". I stopped the truck, being a small breeder myself at that time of Beagles and Saints, and had quite an interesting conversation with the driver. Unfortunately, I did not make any record of his address. I would appreciate it, therefore, very much, if your know of this particular breeder, if you would forward this letter to him, so that he may contact me directly. Thanking you in anticipation.

Dear MB-F: I wish to enter my dog in two classes. No. 2 class and No. 3 class. Enclosed is the entry fee.

Dear MB-F: I hate to admit such stupidity, but I lost a partial plate someplace during the ** weekend. They could possibly have fallen out of the side of my purse while sitting at ringside. If I am lucky and you have them, please send them and I will reimburse whatever the cost. Just in case some other nut lost a set, these have two teeth on the right side and one on the left.

Dear MB-F: Please note on entries enclosed the breeder, owner and handler are husband and wife. (A copy of their marriage license was enclosed with this note.)

Dear MB-F: I entered my dog in the ** show. I sent you the wrong check, the check I sent you was for my local newspaper delivery person. The reason I found out so fast is my newspaper was cancelled.

Dear MB-F: I am sending you this entry, but it may be a duplicate. Yesterday I sent you an entry...on another club's form. I meant the entry to be for ** but I think I accidently wrote **. I want to enter BOTH shows but, if you have not received my other entry yet, please make this one for ** as it has a limited entry. If the other is for ** make it for **. That is, if this is the first entry you receive for this dog for (that weekend) please make it for **. The other entry you receive will either be handritten for ** or **. Make it for ** if this entry was for **. I want to enter this dog in both shows and my first entry was sent to your ** address. Also, if you cannot get this dog in Novice A, put him in Novice B.

Dear MB-F: Enclosed is an OFFICIAL AKC form! I only hope you receive it before the deadline. If not, I do hope you take exception to your inane ruling re: entries to be on official AKC form routine. Our first entry was received in due time and I think you are the only or one of the very few superintendents that use the OFFICIAL FORM entries.

Dear MB-F: Inasmuch as we didn't learn of the show in time to send for registration forms, we hope you will accept the attached information in lieu of entry forms. We wish to enter two puppies of about four months of age, but I assume that there are no puppy classes under six months. Therefore, I would like to enter the bitch in open bitches and the dog in either novice or open dogs. I realize that they are very young for regular competition, but we feel that the bitch is very good and besides, both puppies and handlers need the experience.

Dear MB-F: I have a male English Setter that I eventually want to breed and am therefore interested in purchasing a registered bitch, age two or three months of hunting stock. I am particularly interested in a large specimen, possibly without spots, but definitely with blue ticks. Keeness and boldness in her background are essential. I would appreciate a reply from you if you have such an animal and would also like full particulars including pedigree.

Dear MB-F: Please send me your free copy of Regualations (sic) and Standards for Obedience Trails (sic). Also, can a dog trained in an obedience school by a professional trainer but not by an obedience judge compete in obedience trails (sic)? And, when the dog was bought did it have to sell for obedience quality?

Dear MB-F: How would I go about getting on the list to receive the Premium Lists? ...Also, is it possible for me to receive a program for the show I have entered? In the last show I was in I didn't even know who I was competing against until after I got there.

Dear MB-F: The information that I have received about your organization is that you circulate a Premium List....

Dear MB-F: I'm writing in regard to your mailing list. I'd like you to please put me on your list for ALL the point shows. I have attended one and like it very much.

Dear MB-F: ...I would like to know why in one show our male placed first and the next day at a different show against the very same dog, that dog won over us....

Dear MB-F: My sister is getting confirmed at church on **. We will be attending the late service. Could you please give us a late number in our obedience class?

Dear MB-F: Would you please send me a copy of the Rules Applying to Registration and Dog Shows and an extra copy of the premium list for the show on **. The date of your show has been bothering me. It's a Monday! Monday...that day is not a holiday. How do you expect people to take off work? Is it a mistake?

(Telegram) Dear MB-F: Please pull from show half naked dog....

Dear MB-F: Would you please send me some information on some dog shows. I haved (sic) my dog at school twice and now I am ready to see shows. I have a Staffordshire Pit Bull.... I live in ** County area, but I don't care if they are out of this county.

Dear MB-F: I'm sure in all your long time in handling dog show entries you have received all kinds of weird requests; well - here is just one more!...we seem to get the same number...We hate 6. Everytime we have that number some dumb thing happens; flat tires, broken water hoses, sore paws, dog fights, etc. So, if possible could you not give us that number? If there is no control over it, we'll adjust.

Dear MB-F: ** is handling my ** bitch in the Open Class. I am unable to attend these shows because I have no one to take care of my dogs. I have asked him to get pictures when she wins points, but he is either too busy or forgets. I am not asking for a specially posed picture with judge and handler, but if she should go to winners I would appreciate it very much if you could snap her picture as she receives the ribbon. I would appreciate you doing this for me at any shows in the future.

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