cesky connection the - The American Cesky Terrier Fanciers

APRIL—JUNE, 2015
EDITION 2, VOLUME 2
the
cesky
connection
Whats inside?
Cover - Barn Hunting pgs. 1 & 2
Letter From The President
pg.3
Special Achievement Award
“Brandi”
pg. 4
Programs For Your Pup
pg. 5
What Does Your Dog Eat?
(Letter To The Editor…)
pg. 6
Spring Treat Recipe
pg. 6
Photo Booth
pg. 7
For The Love Of Purebred Dogs
pgs. 8 & 9
Doggy Tidbits
pg. 9
Meet the Breeds
pg. 10
“A” Match Information
pg. 11
Ms. Coco And The Vet
pg. 12
Annual Club Meeting
pg. 13
Purina Pro Club®
pg. 14
Sending a special thank you to our
Canadian friends Michael Barnes,
Linda Beasley and Dann Wilson;
and kudos for the huge support
from Bob Comer and devoted club
members who kindly contributed
so much to this issue!
Barn Hunting
Wanna Have Fun With Your Cesky?
From an interview with Ginger Robertson
Barn Hunting . . . “it’s a great way to have fun with your Cesky,”
says Ginger Robertson, Performance Chair for ACTFA. “You can do
it as a Performance Event sanctioned by the Barn Hunt Association,
LLC. or with your terrier friends in setting up and running an exciting course in an informal environment.” While it is great for your
Cesky, any dog of any size or breed that can fit through an 18" wide
by 22" high tunnel can participate.
What is Barn Hunting specifically? It is showing your Cesky’s ability in finding and marking rats in a “barn-like” setting (no barn is really required). Events are held indoors and feature tubes, straw/hay
bales, and other impediments to introduce climbing and tunneling
obstacles in the dog’s path to its quarry. Barn Hunting is based on the
skills historically used by itinerant “ratcatchers” in traveling the
countryside ridding farms of vermin, thus helping conserve and
preserve food grains and cutting down on disease.
And, best of all, in our modern day equivalent no rats or dogs get
hurt in the hunt. The r at(s) are safely enclosed in large aerated
tubes protected from the dogs. The event is timed and the dog must
follow a series of paths and traverse the obstacles in order to locate
the rat.
Although AKC and UKC do not as yet sanction this event (AKC,
however, will accept Barn Hunt Titles) you can participate in Barn
Hunt Trials, start your own Barn Hunt Club and compete at large
events for prizes and ribbons. Like AKC and UKC Events, Barn
Hunts are conducted in an environment of good sportsmanship and
are considered a family oriented event. To participate in Barn Hunt
Trials a one-time lifetime membership fee of $26 is required and no
yearly membership fee is assessed. For more information on Barn
Continued on page 2 ...
Continued from page 1...
Hunts contact Ginger Robertson, ACTFA Performance Chair (www.ceskyterrierfanciers.org under
Contact Us) or the Barn Hunt Association LLC.
(www.barnhunt.com).
The pictures shared here are from a “barn hunt intro”
test. These tests are always held inside a building. The
intro consists of the dog going through a tunnel (two
bales of hay long and one bale high), a climb (where
dogs must have all 4 feet on the bale of hay, they can-
ACTFA 2015
ELECTION RESULTS
President
Richard Cotter
Recording Secretary
Julie Gritten
Directors
Nancy Devine
Dennis Loy
PUBLICATION SCHEDULE 2015
January 1 , April 1,
July 1, October 1
not jump over) and then on to find the rat.
Tubes are placed for the dog to search. A rat is housed
in one tube, bedding in another tube, and another tube
is clean and empty. The handlers start in a “blind” and
have no idea which tube holds the rat. The handler
may talk to the dog and point where they would like
the dog to check. The handler calls “RAT” the dog
has located the rat.
The rat’s tube is moved every five handlers. In the
Novice test, the tubes are hidden in the hay. As the
classes get harder, the dog and handler must find more
rats. Fun for all!
All submissions due two weeks
prior to publication date.
Editor
[email protected]
Lissa Preston
309.558.8092
NEWSLETTER POLICIES
The Cesky Connection is the newsletter of and
copyrighted by the American Cesky Terrier Fanciers
Association, Inc. (ACTFA). Opinions expressed in the
Cesky Connection are those of the authors and may
or may not reflect the opinions of ACTFA, Inc., its
Board of Directors, the editor(s) of the Cesky
Connection or ACTFA membership.
The editor reserves the right to reject any
submission deemed unsuitable for publication by
the editorial staff for reasons to include
inappropriate language or inappropriate content.
Dear Members:
I would like to thank you for your overwhelming support. I promise, as your new President,
to do everything I can to help the ACTFA
move forward with AKC and to promote our
wonderful breed.
First, and foremost, I want to thank departing
officers Bob Comer, Linda Comer, Ginny
Melich and Lynne Kuczynski-Veazie for their
hard work over the past years. Due to their
efforts and those of the remaining board, the
club today is more organized and much better
positioned for the future. Their efforts were
herculean! They docked a ship in some very
rough seas.
This is actually the third Cesky club that I
have served in the position of President. I went
back to look at some old newsletters and I
found this picture from 2002. (see below) I
also noticed this was the issue of that newsletter that welcomed Bob and Linda as new
members! This was taken at the National
Specialty of a former club. There were 25
Ceskys and 30 people in attendance.
It is my goal and hope that the club, over time,
can get back to the levels of membership and
increase the attendance at Cesky events to
where the breed was for some years. One way
to do that is to make sure we have some fun.
Not everyone was showing their dogs back in
2002. Many who attended came with their pet
Ceskys and just wanted to meet other club
members, have a picnic, and some drinks.
Wouldn’t you like to try barn hunting with
your pet CT? It looks like a blast.
We are a small group and it is very important
that members support each other. As in any
organization there will always be some tensions. Let’s try to keep these to a minimum.
It’s imperative that AKC sees us as a harmonious group. I ask those who like to stir the pot
to put down their spoons!
I hope many of you will attend our AKC
Sanctioned “A” Match and the tailgate party at
the show on Saturday May 30th in Missouri. It
is our last hurdle to becoming a fully licensed
AKC Parent Club. Please mark your calendars
now so you can join us at the Montgomery
County Kennel Club-All Terrier Show in
Pennsylvania on October 4, 2015. You can
attend the club’s annual meeting, meet other
CT lovers, bid in our silent auction or raffle,
and have fun. I promise you will have a great
time. I’ll see you at the barn hunt.
Richard Cotter
Brandi and Dave Pistorius
AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and
STAR Puppy Programs
By Becky Goodwin (ACTFA member since 2007)
Have you ever
wondered if there
is something you
can do to help give
your puppy or
older dog more
“life” experiences?
Several years ago, I
took my Dalmatian to obedience classes and after six
weeks of training, he passed his Canine Good Citizen
(CGC) test with flying colors. At that time, it was just
a fun thing to do with my dog. After a dog passes the
course, the initials CGC can be added to a dog’s name
as an official AKC (American Kennel Club) title,
following the dog’s registered name. Although the
title does not count toward most breed club versatility
titles, it is a precursor for being ready to compete in
AKC event for the “rally” and then on to the first AKC
obedience title of “companion dog” (CD). This can be
followed by many more obedience titles. A dog can be
any age to start obedience training, so don’t let anyone
say “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
I took my Cesky terrier puppy to a beginning
obedience class to prepare
for the STAR puppy certification. This must be done
before the puppy turns one
year old. Sometimes the
timing of classes in a local
area may not match up
with the age of the puppy
or busy work schedules, so
it is not always possible to
find a class, but worth the
effort if you are looking for
socializing opportunities or something fun to do with
your puppy. During the course of the training classes,
the puppy will be exposed to many situations that
would be considered everyday experiences: greeting
other dogs and people while on a walk, being examined
by a veterinarian or dog show judge, coming when
called, basic sit, stay and down commands, and more.
There are specific rules and tasks that must be
completed to earn the title of STAR Puppy, just like
in the CGC or other titles, but none of them are too
demanding for a Cesky terrier puppy. My Sara, aka
CH CiCi’s Angel’s Delight, is currently in training for
more obedience work.
You can find out more about these programs on the
AKC website, or from your local dog obedience
facility.
The following links should help get you started:
AKC STAR Puppy
www.akc.org/starpuppy/about_the_program.cfm
AKC Canine Good Citizen
www.akc.org/dogowner/training/canine_good_citizen/
Other things you can get involved in:
Conformation/Obedience/Barn Hunt/Agility
Lure Coursing/Carting/Tracking
Earth Dog/Terrier Racing/Dock diving/Flyball
Therapy Dog
Maybe not all of these will work for a Cesky terrier,
but I think they are worth checking out.
Gatsby & Gracey’s Kitchen
Did someone say “treat”? Photo of Chaser’s Cesky Couch Potatoes
Carrot Cookies! Simply Delicious!
Ingredients:
2 Cups of grated carrots
1/2 Cup of dog kibble
2 Jars of beef baby food (small jars)
1/2 Cup of plain non-fat yogurt
2 Cups of wheat flour
1 Teaspoon of baking powder
Directions:
Put the dog food in a food processor or blender and
grind to a fine powder. You can also put the carrots in
the food processor if you wish. In a large bowl,
combine the kibble powder, carrots, yogurt and baby
food. Blend well. Next, add the baking powder.
Once these ingredients are blended, slowly add the
wheat flour. Knead with your hands for at least three
to five minutes. The dough will be "chunky" because
of the carrots. On a flat, floured surface roll out dough
to desired thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out
shapes and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at
400 degrees for 20 minutes or until bottoms are
golden brown.
Send your recipes for your fur-kids and photos to
[email protected] to see them here!
What Does Your Dog Eat?
Letter to the Editor…
I always enjoy the newsletter and photos of Ceskys.
I have a non-show Cesky and consider him my best
friend.
Are you the person contributing the dog food recipes
to the newsletter? I thought you and other Cesky
owners might be interested in my findings when I
switched my guy, Otis, from high quality kibble to
raw meat. We are fortunate in the Twin Cites area
(Minneapolis ~St. Paul) to have a Woody's Pet Food
Deli (woodyspetdeli.com) that sells a wide variety of
raw and cooked ground meats, with and without
supplements and added bone for dogs and cats.
Ground meat is sold frozen or unfrozen in a range of
container sizes. They recommend feeding 2-3% of
body weight each day (adjusted of course to an
animal’s metabolism) and meats that contain
supplements be fed only every 3 to 4 days.
That's the background.
Here's what I've noticed: My dog, despite a past
history of being a little piglet when it comes to food:
• Is maintaining a healthy weight with a shiny coat
and a good energy level (he's 9 yrs. old).
• The tartar on his teeth (and there was a considerable amount on the upper canines in particular) has
almost completely disappeared.
• The ‘eye boogers’ I’ve always attributed to Otis
being short legged and close to ground dirt/debris are
gone.
• He's a lot less "food frenzied".
• His breath is sweet as opposed to the infamous
‘doggie breath’.
The weight issue is really important to me since his
emergency back surgery for 2 partially erupted lumbar discs a year ago; he can't get fat, but that said my
dogs are always kept on the lean side.
My feeding schedule is an AM & bedtime meat feeding and in late afternoon he gets about 1/8 cup lightly
steamed & chopped mixed vegetable (minus corn
which he doesn’t break down) and a scant 1/8 cup of
cooked legumes (canned variety), as well. He's never
taken a multiple vitamin or related supplements.
Otis’ alternative therapy vet (acupuncture for his
back) at the University of MN Vet Medical Center
has told me that dogs don't need many veggies in
their diet but some each day is good for them. And
he LOVES them; Otis is a fan of almost any fruit or
vegetable I am willing to share and he regularly raids
my garden for sweet peppers, cabbage and tomatoes
in the summer but is not a fan of raw eggplant ~ one
bite was enough of that veggie! I believe he would
kill for his absolute most favorite treats of all ~
romaine lettuce butts. He knows when my sister
brings one over for him and sits by the refrigerator
door talking to me until he gets a chunk. When I’m
cutting up any vegetable or fruit he is at my side hoping for errant droppings. I think if given the choice he
could be a happy vegetarian Cesky, as well.
from Deborah Newcomb
Hi Deborah Thank you for the great letter! This is interesting
information and I am going to share it so others may
also benefit. This is a subject I have been asked about
frequently.
I have been contributing the recipes so far, but anyone
is welcome to share one. I would really appreciate
some new ideas and would like to feature them here.
My dogs love their homemade treats and eats, but I
also have a concern about keeping them at a healthy
weight. Thank goodness they love baby carrots!
We are not fortunate enough to have a pet deli in my
rural area so I do my best with kibble, lean leftover
meats, veggies and rice, but I am still experimenting.
I once had a Welsh Terrier with terrible food allergies
that intensified as she got older; I could not feed her
anything with poultry in it. It was so hard to do
because chicken and chicken byproducts come in almost everything manufactured. (Just check the labels
sometime!) I was stuck feeding her and my Ceskys the
same diet to keep the peace in our home.
Now that I am no longer restricted to buying whitefish
or salmon food (which was smelly) or lamb food
(sometimes too rich for their tummies), I have not yet
found an affordable dry food that I am consistently
happy with. I would also like to learn what others are
feeding. This is great discussion for our members to
weigh in on!
Thank you for sharing your story and adding to my
knowledge of healthy eating choices for my dogs.
Please give Otis a belly rub from me!
Lissa Preston - Cesky Connection Editor
I would like to invite all our members to send an email
and share their Cesky’s food choices to
[email protected]
Ishy, attending "Meet the Breeds"
at Westminster, with Dennis Loy.
ABOVE: Simon (Alchemy Guilty
Please), at 4 & 1/2 months,
shared by Nancy Devine.
AT RIGHT: Brewster, owned by
Valerie & Michael Barnes,
looking for that special pebble...
BELOW: Schnuzie, giving her owner
the "eye", and with her best pal Fudge.
From Carole Chinn in Cape Coral, FL
“For the Love of Purebred Dogs”
By Dann Wilson
Last fall (2014), I was invited to join a group of breeders, dog show exhibitors, handling professionals and
judges who believe there is a growing need to provide
support, education, mentorship and advice to anyone
who is interested in purebred dogs.
“For the Love of Purebred Dogs” was launched
through a Facebook group, and this ever-expanding
band of purebred enthusiasts sets up a booth at various
dog shows (for now) across the country, to assist the
public in all aspects of purebred dogs. Everything
from picking the right breed, finding a good vet, and
dispelling the myths surrounding purebred dogs, to
how a dog show works, finding a breeder and even
meeting many of the purebreds that are at the show,
are some of the many challenges this group takes on.
This initiative is spearheaded by a gal I know, admire
and respect, Pam McClintock. Pam has been a professional handler for many years, and I really came to
know her through her handling classes that she conducts in the Niagara Region.
Purebred dog populations are diminishing at an
astounding rate. This group is focused on protecting
all purebred dogs, but I thought as Cesky Terrier owners, you would appreciate knowing about this initiative. When you are out at dog parks, at the beach or
walks throughout your towns and cities, talk to any of
the owners of the latest mixed-breed “designer
dogs” (or core aptly put “Doodle-dogs”) and it is
astounding the inaccurate information they have about
their very pricey (often as much or more than a purebred dog) pooches. Education is key. Here are some
misnomers and some knowledge you may want to
keep to rebut these ill-informed owners of the
designer ilk.
 Purebred dogs are fraught with genetic issues
 Not true. Yes, good breeders of purebred dogs do
know the pitfalls within their respective breeds and
work diligently to eradicate these issues. They
work together with other breeders, import dogs
from around the world to improve their genetic
diversity and keep their breeds genetically sound.
Chances are, a breeder has bred a litter to keep
something for themselves, and they have every
reason to produce healthy, happy puppies. Also, a
reputable breeder will stand behind the puppies
they produce and will be with you every step of the
way to insure their puppy owners are as happy
with the breed they love as they are. Cultivating
good ambassadors is as important as producing
quality litters.
 Purebred dogs are expensive
 Reputable breeders of purebred dogs do what we
do for the enjoyment of our interest, and we have
many years of knowledge and experience under
our belts. Believe me, if you are doing it right,
there is no financial gain in this for a breeder. The
price of a puppy comes with it years of experience,
the dedication of the breeder to each an every puppy they produce, with all of the necessary health
checks and assurances they can provide.
Many are “commercial breeders” who produce mixedbreed puppies to supply a demand in the market. They
may not know the pitfalls of their dogs’ genetics or
how to avoid them. They are breeding one breed to
another, so who knows what genetic time-bombs lay
in wait. That is WHAT you are buying…the price of a
“doodle dog” is comparable to the price of a purebred
dog. I have heard as much as $2500 and more is being
asked by some mixed-breed producers.
 “I only RESCUE dogs”
 An honourable and worthy statement, and my hat
is off to those who take this task to heart. Too
many dogs end up abandoned in shelters. Just be
sure this is a dog truly in need of “rescue”. Rescue
has become a real business, and organizations are
buying puppy mill dogs that cannot be sold in pet
stores and are creating a level in the market that is,
in fact, supporting the puppy mill businesses.
 “____________doodle puppies are SOOO cute!”
Yes, when faced with all of the facts, this is often
the response of those who run out “why mixedbreeds are better”. Come on! ALL PUPPIES ARE
CUTE!!
 “I have no interest in dog shows, so why would I
get a purebred dog?”
In addition to ALL of the points made above, here are
just a few other facts about purebred dogs;
 Because each breed was bred for a specific purpose, you can actually sit down and create a list of
attributes that a dog should have that would fit
your lifestyle.
 What size of dog do I want?
 How active should my dog be to fit into my lifestyle?
 What breeds get along well with small children?
Other pets?
 My partner has allergies. Would a non-shedding
breed be better?
 What sort of temperament would I like in my dog?
 There are many activities that you can get involved
in with your dog. Agility, fly-ball, tracking, obedience, den-trials…to name just a few. OR, just to
have a loving family pet whose needs, temperament and attributes are known entities, so that you
can have a happy, healthy family member!
continued on page 9...
continued from page 8...
 Purebred dogs come with a community of support.
Experienced breeders are always available to offer
guidance and assistance, and to share their vast
knowledge and experience.
If you would like to know more about the group’s
initiatives, or schedule of shows where we will set up
to help and support, please contact me and I will get
you the information you are looking for.
And we all know, if you want the BEST purebred dog
for your family, the Cesky Terrier should be at the top
of the list!!!
Do Dogs Have Memories?
Your dog has no problem
remembering where you keep
your tennis shoes, but he’s not
going to remember the hug you
gave him a few minutes ago.
Dogs have terrible short-term memories. At least
that’s what’s suggested by recent research in the
short-term memory of animals.
A team at the Centre for the Study of Cultural Evolution at Stockholm University in Sweden conducted
more than 90 memory experiments on 25 species,
ranging from bees to chimps. Their findings, reported
in the journal Behavioural Processes, indicate that
animals have extremely limited short-term memory.
By comparison, humans are unique. For example, you
can remember where you parked your car at the mall –
usually – but your dog could not. This ability is called
episodic memory, which enables humans to remember
things, even trivial matters, for long periods.
Dogs forget an episodic event, such as your hug, within two minutes, the researchers say. Still, that’s much
better than many animals. Chimpanzees, which you
might expect to do well on memory tests, forgot an
event in about 20 seconds, the researchers found.
In conducting their experiments, researchers showed
an animal a visual stimulus such as a red circle. After
a delay, the animal is then shown the same circle with
one or more other colored shapes. Using food rewards
as incentives, the animal is tested to see whether it can
select the original circle after the delay.
The study suggests that animals quickly forget arbitrary events and instead remember useful information
about what could help them survive, said Johan Lind,
an ethologist who led the research team.
Dogs, like other animals, have excellent “associative”
memories, the researchers say. This enables them to
do such things as remember their training and obey
your commands to “sit” and “come.” It also allows
them to recall that a trip to the veterinarian’s office is
to be resisted.
Can Dogs Tell If We Are Happy Or Angry?
Most dog owners would agree that a smile will always
be matched by their pet’s friendly tail-wagging.
Sure, the dog is happy to be getting some attention.
But a dog owner likes to think that Spike is happy
because her owner is happy.
That may indeed be what’s happening, according to
researchers at the Messerli Research Institute in Vienna, Austria, who demonstrated that dogs can tell the
difference between happy and sad facial expressions.
The researchers, who recently published their findings
in the science journal Current Biology, tested 11 dogs:
a Golden Retriever, a Fox Terrier, a German Shepherd
Dog, and few Border Collies and mixed-breeds.
Each dog was placed in a
small booth and faced a
computer screen showing
two images of the same
person making an angry
face and a smiling face.
However, the images
showed only half of each
face - either the top half
where the eyes are visible
or the bottom half where the mouth is seen.
Using treats as rewards, the researchers trained one
group of dogs to pick out the happy half-face by
touching the screen with their noses. The other group
was trained to select the angry half-faces.
Once trained, the testing began.
The dogs were asked to pick images of the half-face
they were trained to select. However, sometimes they
were shown the opposite half-face they were trained
to recognize (if trained to pick the upper-half of a
smiling face, they were instead show the lower-half of
the same face, and vice versa). In other cases, they
were shown a smiling or frowning half of a different
person’s face.
The researchers found that the dogs demonstrated an
uncanny ability to select a happy half-face, even when
it hadn’t previously seen that particular image. They
noted that “the dogs performed significantly above
chance level” in distinguishing between happy and
angry expressions.
They also found that dogs rewarded for selecting
happy faces learned the difference faster than the dogs
rewarded for recognizing angry faces. The researchers
suggest that this might be attributed to a dog’s learned
experience – he doesn’t expect a treat from an angry
person.
The researchers suggested that the dogs’ ability to
recognize happy and angry expressions from images
of half faces can likely be attributed to their memories
of actual happy and angry people.
AKC Meet the Breeds 2015
Fun with fur and friends!
This year Meet the Breeds was only a one day event, held
during Westminster weekend. In spite of the bad weather, there
was quite a turn out even with the
change of venue to the Piers from
the Javits Center. Truthfully, I
preferred the Javits center. I was
thrilled that Barbara and Lonny
Hopler, Dennis and Kathy Loy
and Jane Pedersen were able to
join me this year along with their
Ceskys. Another devoted member
even showed up in a traditional
Czech costume and shared their
dog and was interviewed!
I love that so many children came
by and our Ceskys were so patient
with all of the hands on them
throughout the day.
- David Spierer
FUND
RAISER
Now you can get fabulous Cesky Terrier themed items and support your club at the same time!
Please visit http://www.pawsinstitches.com/American-Cesky-Terrier-Fanciers-Assoc_c_21.html
to order. You can find lunch coolers (for those show and training days), duffle bags, blankets and
a great windbreaker for cool spring days out with your Cesky. They will make great gifts!
Show News
ENTRIES CLOSE NOON, Central Time, Friday, May 15, 2015
at the match secretary’s address, Under no circumstances may
entries be accepted after the specified closing date and time.
Premium List
AKC Sanctioned "A" Match
American Cesky Terrier Fanciers Association, Inc.
“A” MATCH PARTY
Date and Time Pending
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2015
Show Hours: 30 Minutes after Best in Show at the
Mississippi Valley KC Show
Purina Farms - Purina Event Center
300 Checkerboard Loop, Gray Summit, MO 63039
Indoors - Unbenched
Judge
Norman Patton, 2131 Riverdale St, Mesa, AZ 85213
Entry Fee: $15.00
**Professional handlers may only show dogs they own or family owned
The following classes are offered for dogs & bitches
Puppy • Bred-by-Exhibitor • American Bred • Open
Match Secretary: Richard Cotter
310 West 106th St., New York, NY. 10025
[email protected] • Tel: (212) 807-6434
Sanctioned by The American Kennel Club
Wins at sanctioned matches carry no American Kennel Club
championship points.
Join the fun this year with a casual
get together as Cesky Friends gather
to unwind and share munchies and
friendship at Gray Summit!
Dogs are welcome, of course! We
hope to host the event outside at
the Purina campground, please plan
to bring a chair and a doggy-pen if
needed.
More information to come as the
show schedule unfolds. Stay tuned!
Ms. CoCo and the Vet
A couple of years ago this is what I met one winters
morning.
I got out of bed as normal and made my way down to
let the dogs out. As Ms. CoCo was in season I had to
put each one out separately. I let the other dogs outdoors and went to the kitchen for my coffee. I noticed
that CoCo seemed more quiet than usual but I did not
think anything of it. I went about my normal routine,
going outdoors and throwing snow at the dogs (they
love chasing and trying to catch snowballs), cleaning
up etc. I put the other dogs back into their crates with
breakfast and then went back to the kitchen for CoCo.
 Skin resilience - by gently gathering the skin
between 2 fingers and “pinching” it you can tell if
the animal is dehydrated or not. The skin will bounce
right back if the skin is properly hydrated; it will stay
in a peak or return to flat slowly if the animal is
dehydrated.
 Heartbeat – to take the heartbeat place your hand
over your dogs left chest wall; holding this position of
15 seconds counting the number of beats in this time –
now multiply by 4 to get the number of beats for a minute. For example if you counted 30 beats in the 15
seconds then multiply 30 time 4 to equal 120 beats for
a minute. (Editors note: normal for puppies and toy
breeds is 180 beats per minute. 60-160 is acceptable
When I opened CoCo’s crate, she just laid there. She for most adult dogs; larger or active dogs will be at
did not move. There was no interest in going out, get- the lower end of the scale. Respiratory rate is 16-20.)
ting water, food or anything. And there was a horrific
smell coming from her crate. I picked her up and took  Pulse– to take your dogs pulse place your fingers
her outside. She just stood there shaking and looking gently on the middle of the upper thigh, remaining
there for 15 seconds – count the number of beats that
at me with a very woebegone expression.
you feel in that time. It should equal the heartbeat.
I took her in and went about checking her temperature, which was high normal; checked her skin resili- The capillary refill time and the pulse tells the vet how
ence which showed that she was dehydrated; pressed well your Cesky’s heart and blood vessels are maintaining it’s blood pressure. Capillary refill time is
on her gums – they refilled within a second - which
told me her capillary refill was normal; took her pulse/ when you press your finger tip to your dogs gum’s
and then count the seconds until it refills to the same
heartbeat which was also normal but slightly raised.
or normal colour. This is normally 1 second.
But still my CoCo bitch was not well, we could see
that. I called my boss to tell him I had a family emer- I mined this information from a doggy medical care
gency and impatiently waited for the vet to open. Our book that I have had for at least 30 years. I suggest
vet took us right away and off we went to see Dr.
that this may be a good investment for any dog owner.
Kirsten Graham and the staff of the Wingrove Veteri- I still use my book even though I have my computer,
nary Clinic. After blood work and x-rays it was decid- as the book is in my doggy emergency kit.
ed that Ms CoCo had all the classic symptoms of
Linda Beasley
pyometria. The sure fine way to deal with this was to
spay her but we did have the option to try medication.
We choose to spay so it would not happen again.
Doug and I have been in purebred dogs for over 30
years and breeding for most of that time. This is the
pyometria that we personally encountered. I have to
say it was scary. CoCo came home the next night
and she actually walked out of the clinic on her own.
She is now fine and healthy and once again ruling the
roost.
I have compiled a small list for those who do not
know what I did when I examined CoCo. If you can
tell your vet any of all of these things when you first
call you can help get more precise help and prediagnosis for the vet clinic. I can also help you in
making informed decisions when it comes to your
Cesky Terrier.
 Temperature is obvious to all. A dog’s normal
temperature, taken rectally is 101.0 – 102.5 F or 38.3
– 39.16 C.
WE’RE ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET!!
Inviting all ACTFA members and their dogs to our
Annual Club Meeting/Dinner, Fun Days and Conformation Shows.
The host hotel is The Holiday Inn Lansdale – 1750 Sumneytown Pike, Kulpsville PA 19443,
telephone 215-368-3800. We have 30 rooms allotted to us at the rate of $134 per night
(NO pet fee required, plus applicable taxes) and includes a buffet breakfast, beginning
Wednesday night of 09/30. Checkout will be Monday morning 10/05 by 11am. You may stay
as long or as short as you wish.
Reservations must be confirmed with Holiday Inn no later than September 07, 2015 with a
credit card. Parking is free. Ask for Group Code ACT and tell them you are with the
American Cesky Terrier Fanciers Association, Inc.
This is our eighth year here and they are gracious hosts.
ACTFA’s Annual Meeting/Dinner on Saturday night, October
5th from 5 until 10:30pm at the Hotel. Cocktails and Silent
Auction starting at 5pm. Dinner to follow at 6pm.
We will have a Silent Auction of Cesky Items
(donated by Neil & Sydney Cassel).
Plans are as follows: On the grounds
at the Holiday Inn on October 3rd
(tentative date) and we will be having
Cesky Fun Days; more infor mation to
follow. Then, of course, you may attend
any or all of the conformation
shows at Morris & Essex on
Thursday 10/01, Hatboro 10/02,
Devon 10/03 or
Montgomery 10/04.
Hoping to have a
fun filled weekend,
catching up with old
friends and meeting
new. Hoping you
join us and tell
us about your
wonderful Ceskys.
Barbara Hopler
Vice President
FEED YOUR BREED
Purina® Parent Club Partnership
(PPCP) Program
Since 2002, thousands of fellow dog breeders and enthusiasts have declared their
participation in the Purina Parent Club Partnership (PPCP) Program. This program allows national parent breed clubs to individually earn funding based on
Purina weight circle submissions by Pro Club® members.
How it Works
Pro Club members submit weight circles from bags of participating Purina®
Brand Dog Foods and accumulate weight circle points as part of the Pro Club
Weight Circle Program. (Refer to Purina Pro Club Weight Circle Program for the
program details). Purina tracks these weight circle submissions, and for every
$100 of qualifying weight circle points earned by Pro Club members, Purina donates $10 to the participating national parent breed club. It is as simple as that.
Points are accumulated throughout a calendar year, and a check representing 10
percent of the value of the submitted weight circles for the year is evenly split
between the participating national parent breed club and the AKC Canine Health
Foundation. Since all funding is incremental to the weight circle program, your
participation in the PPCP will not result in a reduction of the points you personally earn.
Funding Distribution
One half of each club’s individual annual earnings is issued directly to the Canine
Health Foundation to support research grants aimed at a better understanding of
genetics and other conditions impacting our dogs’ health. The other half is issued
to the individual national parent breed club for use in the support of canine health
research, education and/or rescue efforts. The PPCP Program has raised in excess
of $3.5 million for canine health research, education and rescue efforts since
2002.
In addition to helping fund canine health research projects, the funding returned
to the individual clubs has been used to help support educational outreach programs such as scholarships, library support, youth programs and conservation
education programs. It has also been used to support judges’ education seminars,
to produce breed specific educational materials and to produce responsible dog
ownership materials.
Rescue programs have benefited with funds being used for the direct care of dogs
in need, the development of fund raising tools and the support of adoption events.
How to Participate in the PPCP Program
You must be a Purina® Pro Club® Member to participate. Pro Club® members
must individually declare their participation in the program and identify the national parent breed club that will receive their Purina Points. Members may declare for their national parent breed club by calling the Purina® Pro Club® tollfree number at 1-877-PRO-CLUB (1-877-776-2582) from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST,
Monday through Friday, or by registering on this site. Pro Club members can only
earn funds for their national parent breed club if the national parent breed club is
enrolled in the PPCP Program.
The ACTFA parent club is a registered program participant. Please be aware
that this is not an endorsement for Purina products; we only wish to share this
information and ask those who choose Purina foods to consider donating their
weight circles for the benefit of health foundations, rescues, education and
The American Cesky Terrier Fancier Association club endeavors.
Information and use of media assets granted by Purina Pro Club®