Contents - Versatility In Poodles
Transcription
Contents - Versatility In Poodles
Dedicated to the Health, Education and Performance of Poodles Everywhere Volume 15 Number 3 June 2007 www.vipoodle.org President’s Message Contents Another PCA National has come and gone… VIP News and Information...................................2 PCA Event Reports................................................2 Canadian Tracking Seminar.................................6 Consequences of Spay/Neuter...............................7 Advance Notice.......................................................9 Rembrances...........................................................10 All the Good Dogs.................................................11 Bits and Pieces.......................................................11 Novice A Awards...................................................13 Northwest WC/X Test..........................................14 Training Treats and IBD......................................14 Temperament Study.............................................16 New Members.......................................................16 Brags......................................................................17 Animal Rights Warnings......................................19 Fundraiser.............................................................21 Make your plans now for the PCA Regional in September and the AKC-CHF conference in October! Protect your Poodle ownership rights- learn about the “Animal Rights Agenda”! VIP Newsletter June There were many things that were done properly at this year’s PCA, and amongst them is the variety and availability of the health testing for Poodles. This year, the opportunity to be tested for atrial septal defect by Texas A&M was offered without charge. The National Institute of Health representative was there gathering information on canine morphology and squamous cell carcinoma in black Standard Poodles. The University of Missouri was there doing a blood draw and educating breeders on neonatal encephalopathy. There were also blood draws for Optigen (PRA) and for von Willebrand’s Disease. I have heard that the Hunting and WC/WCX events, dinner and presentation went quite well. Linda Miller will be reporting on those events. The entries for obedience were 198 and for rally 143 – clearly a record for these events at PCA – and agility entries exceeded 350 and this required the hiring of a second judge. And there was one thing that was wrongly handled...and that was a poorly timed message that future Parades will be limited to those Poodles who meet the solid-colored portion of the breed standard. This announcement was delivered while 145 of us were awaiting our turn in the ring for the Parade. It takes effect with the PCA Regional in Long Beach in September, 2007. I will start this off by stating what I believe is already common knowledge – I own, train and trial a Standard male parti- Poodle. And for those who do not know it, I had asked permission of PCA to bring my parti to the trials and enter him in the 2007 Parade. That permission was given. 2007 Please keep in mind that while a full blown parti is a very visible picture of the color disqualification, even a single small patch of white on a dog, commonly referred to as a mismark, is also, by PCA definition, a particolor. I am sure PCA sees this issue only from the point of view of their responsibility to uphold the breed standard. For that they cannot be faulted. It is, after all, their job to safeguard the breed. However, there has never been a time when such restrictions mandated by breed standard have been applied to obedience Poodles; in fact, there have been partis and mismarks in the Parade before this. The name of this organization is Versatility In Poodles. We, as an organization and as individual members, support in many different ways the great range of activities that our Poodles can do. We are also, in many ways, an advocate for Poodles, regardless of breed standards and registries. All of us understand the importance of activities of some sort for our Poodles as an integral part of their health and well-being. Many of us have devoted [hundreds to thousands of] hours to different aspects of events for Poodles; all with the goal of showing the great diversity and adaptability of this breed. We are now being told that because of color, some of our performance Poodles cannot be recognized for their achievements by PCA. During some private e-mails with Richard Lehman, he has made it clear, as of the date of this writing, that PCA is not interested in revising their stand on this and that they are not interested in holding a separate Parade for Titled Performance Poodles on Tuesday. They apparently feel that the issue of color is more important than a Poodle’s accomplishments in performance venues. I am not advocating any sort of specific action against PCA, and I am certainly not advocating any push to change the breed standard. But I would ask our membership to keep this situation in their thoughts. If you feel, as an individual, that breed recognition of some sort should be open to all performance Poodles, regardless of their place in the breed standard, please make your feelings known to your parent club during the coming year. We may not be able to change PCA’s stand on this, but perhaps we can make them understand that we value, greatly, the accomplishments of our Poodles outside the conformation ring. I, personally, am both proud of and grateful for our organization’s sponsoring of the Versatility and Versatility Excellent Certificates – those certificates may be as close to breed recognition that many fine Poodles can get. VIP Newsletter June Many, many thanks to all who made their opinions and thoughts known, and many thanks to PCA for listening to its exhibitors!” Irma Shanahan, President Late breaking news: The news has just broken that PCA has considered the impact of their change in the Parade, and will now be holding separate Parades of Titleholders for Obedience, Agility and Hunting Poodles on the day of each event. Breed standard disqualifications will not be applied to those parades. This is great news - it will give all of us the opportunity to show off our accomplishments in front of our peer group! Full details are at http://www.poodleclubofamerica.org/news. htm. VIP News and Information For your information, only VIP members are invited to submit brags for each newsletter. If you wish to help us save postage and printing costs and can receive your newsletter via internet as a .pdf file please let the editor know so that we can add you to our growing list of people who get the newsletter via the internet. Contact the current editor at [email protected]. The AKC-CHF Health Information Conference will once again be held in St. Louis, MO, in October. The organizers, sponsored by Purina, have always invited a representative from VIP to attend this important conference. In past years our representative has attended and submitted a comprehensive report for the October newsletter. This year the Board of Directors has chosen Grace Blair to attend the conference. Purina supports this by paying for room and board and either the representative or the club pays for tuition. Grace will be donating the cost of the transportation to VIP, as have several past representatives to the conference. If you are not on the VIP members e-list and would like to be please contact Carolyn Wray at: [email protected] PCA Event Reports Hunt Tests and WC/WCX by Linda Miller Junior Hunter: Judges Ms. Sandra E. Stiger, Ms. Mary C. Williams Ten Poodles were entered. One Poodle was scratched from the test. Seven Poodles passed. Tudorose McCheers NA, NAJ Owner: Mary Ruth Calhoun CH Ascot For Your Eyes Only RN 2007 Owner: Claudia Straitiff & Glenna Carlson piece of land to get the bird. CH Carylyn Clamity Jane NA Owner: Joyce Carelli, Jeanne Kennedy & Michael Lamb Master Hunter: Judges Mr. Michael K. Moss and Mrs. Sue Shaw K.C.’s Sassafras of Weilerbach UD RAE AX AXJ Owner: Kevin J. & Carol Stone Three Poodles were entered, two passed. Ellery’s Salsa of Walnuthill JH Owner: Emily Cain Lonetree’s Go Bang SH Owner: Jack D Combs & Mia DiBenedetto CH Ascot Boucheron Joalleria CD RN SH Owner: Claudia A Straitiff Bibelot’s Tolka Hands Up Owner: Jack Combs & Mia DiBenedetto Master Test Description: Finnesse All Jazzed Up CDX RAE MJP MXP Owner: Kevin J. & Carol Stone Junior Test description: The Junior test was run as back to back land to water. Land- Shot flyer was to the handler’s right (thrown left to right) towards the berm. Distance about 50-60 yards. Dead bird was tossed left to right on the handler’s left, toward the shot flyer station, landing in front of the berm, distance 35 yards. Water- Handlers went directly to water after the land marks. Gunner’s station was located on island almost directly across from the line. First bird, 40 yards, tossed to the right of the island, bird landing in water. Second bird, 35 yards tossed to the left of the island, landing just on the shoreline. Senior Hunter: Judges Ms. Sandra E. Stiger, Ms. Mary C. Williams Three poodles were entered, one passed. The Master test consisted of four series. The first series was a land triple with a walkup and honor. As handler and dog were walking to the line, the first bird was thrown without a call, right to left, at the handler’s right side. Handlers immediately sat their dogs while the second bird was thrown out in front of the dog, right to left. The third or go-bird was a flier thrown left to right angled back across a ditch. Second series consisted of a double-land blind through heavy cover and diagonally across a track run from the top of a mound. The third or land-water series consisted of a double mark with a diversion bird thrown when the dog was coming back from the first retrieve. The final series was a delayed triple. With a blind following whose line was between two of the falls. I’d like to thank, Jack Combs, Mia DiBenedetto, Margaret Fox and Dana Stewart for helping with the SH and MH test descriptions. CH Ascot Boucheron Joalleria CD RN SH Owner: Claudia A Straitiff WC/WCX Judges: Mr. Michael K. Moss and Mrs. Sue Shaw Senior Test description: WC Test description: Land-The land was a walk up. The memory bird was about 20 degrees to the right of the center line between the walkup and the two bird stations. It was thrown right to left , up on the side of a mound towards the right rear of the blind. Distance was about 70 yards. The flier went right to left. It was about 90 yards. The blind was to the right of the right hand bird blind. Per the judge, Mary Williams, the blind was 90 to 100 yards and set at the tree line. There was a trough that ran about 45 degrees across the blind line. Land-The line was on top of the berm. Right mark 2530 yards, dogs running down edge of berm in short grass, through about 10 feet of 2 ft. tall sparse grass which had been packed down by tire tracks in certain areas, bird landing in short grass. Left mark, same set up only about 20 yard distance. Water-The double was right to left. First bird was on the opposite bank, so it about 50 yards of water and 15 yards of land. The go bird was at about 60-70 yards in open water thrown left to right. Blind- The line was about 25 yards to the right at the water’s edge. The blind was to the left of the left hand mark. You ran about 30 yards of water to an island, across the island then about 30 yards of water onto another VIP Newsletter June Water- Line was at the water’s edge. Left mark, bird falling in open water, 25 -30 yards. Right mark, bird falling almost at edge of opposite shore, distance 20 yards. Working Certificate Passed: CH Ascot For Your Eyes Only RN Owner: Claudia Straitiff & Glenna Carlson Tudorose McCheers NA, NAJ Owner: Mary Ruth Calhoun 2007 Working Certificate Excellent Passed: Cosmic Mountain Scout SH WCX Owner: Gary & Helen Scovel Lonetree’s Go Bang SH WCX Owner: Jack D Combs & Mia DiBenedetto Deaux Rey’s Splash N Fah So JH WC Owner: Sheree Melancon Ellery’s Salsa of Walnuthill JH Owner: Emily Cain CH Ascot Boucheron Joalleria CD RN SH Owner: Claudia A Straitiff CH Ascot For Your Eyes Only RN Owner: Claudia Straitiff & Glenna Carlson CH OTCH MACH 4 Ravendune Rong On Q Owner: Cathi & Dick Winkles CH Carylyn Clamity Jane NA Owner: Joyce Carelli, Jeanne Kennedy & Michael Lamb Finnesse All Jazzed Up CDX RAE MJP MXP Owner: Kevin J. & Carol Stone Paradigm’s Walkn The Wild Side CD WC JH Owner: Margaret Fox CH Ascot Boucheron Joalleria CD RN SH Owner: Claudia A Straitiff OTCH Walnut Hill Castor of Tudorose Owner: Emily Cain Bibelot’s Tolka Hands Up Owner: Jack Combs & Mia DiBenedetto Jo Whirlwinds Majormajormajor Owner: Patricia Rose K.C.’s Sassafras of Weilerbach UD RAE AX AXJ Owner: Kevin J. & Carol Stone Valentine’s Ruby ‘N The Rough CD OA NAJ JH WC Owner: Linda V. Miller The weather was beautiful for both field days at PCA. Sue and Mike offered a coaching session after the hunt tests on Saturday. A dozen or more handlers and their poodles took part in the coaching session. Prior to running any dogs, Sue and Mike gave many helpful hints on training, along with handling at tests. Then each poodle was run at the level they were training, including beginner dogs. Questions were freely asked and answered. Much was learned! Ellery’s Bright Star In Nixie NA NAJ Owner: Terry Pearce Paradigm’s Walkn The Wild Side CD WC JH Owner: Margaret Fox Lonetree’s Go Bang SH WCX Owner: Jack D Combs & Mia DiBenedetto Sue and Mike had a special surprise for every entrant at this year’s working tests. They had made each participant a hot pink blind pole. Wrapped around the pole was a bird bag tied with pink surveyors tape. Both were superb judges, as were all the judges, everyone enjoyed the weekend. K.C.’s Sassafras of Weilerbach UD RAE AX AXJ Owner: Kevin J. & Carol Stone Jo Whirlwinds Island Rook Cheryl Ingwersen The caliber of work performed by the poodles this year was outstanding. Pass or fail, every poodle tried their hardest, putting forth terrific effort. Both poodles and handlers had more experience under their belts and it showed by the pass rate. Very exciting to see! Ellery’s Salsa of Walnuthill WCX JH Owner: Emily Cain Tudorose Blk Forest Calla Lily Owner: Helen & Gary Scovel WCX Test description: Land- Line was on top of the berm. Memory bird fell on the right side of the berm, distance 35 yards. Go bird fell on the left side of the berm, distance 30 yards. Water- Line was on water’s edge. Island was directly across from the line. Go bird was tossed off the right side of the island, landing in open water, distance 35 yards. Memory bird fell about 30 degrees to the left of the line, landing just on the edge of the island, although in enough water to make a splash. Distance 20 yards. VIP Newsletter CH Carlyn’s New Moon JH WCX Owner: Joyce Carelli, Jeanne Kennedy & Michael Lamb June The weekend ended with the Hunting Poodle Medallion dinner. Poodles past and present were recognized for their efforts, along with those Poodles who qualified receiving their medallions. Congratulations to all who participated. How thrilling to see the hunting Poodle movement growing in leaps and bounds. 2007 Obedience at PCA, 2007 by Irma Shanahan As the obedience community made preparations to attend PCA this year, we were greeted with the news of the demise of Dr. William Wisecup, an obedience judge who was scheduled to judge Open B at the nationals this year. Bill was a well known and liked judge, who had earned the respect of many of us. He was a resident of western Maryland, and spent his time split between obedience and his love for nature photography. His loss to the obedience community will be felt for a long time. As usual, Susie Osborn was ahead of the game, and had Don Levenson join the judging panel in Bill’s place. As Susie has done in the past, she provided us with judges who are known for their fairness and consistency in judging, and truly love the sport. We had the largest obedience entry in PCA history, with 198 entries in traditional obedience, and 143 rally entries. To get a comparison on this, there are many all-breed obedience trials in this area that do not draw these kinds of entries. Given the large entry that came in for agility on Monday and the entries for obedience and rally, PCA’s decision to open the second floor for crating space was a good one. Since many obedience people came in on Monday also, the second floor was a good and much quieter spot to use. By Tuesday, space downstairs had emptied out enough so that anyone who wished to move to the first floor had room to do so. Another nice thing was that by starting the trial at 10 AM instead of 8 AM, the great majority of grooming set-ups had been completed. This was a great improvement over last year when people were struggling to get into the rally ring entrance at the same time others were struggling to get grooming equipment and dogs past to their set-ups. The actual classes seemed to go smoothly, with the Poodles either opting to be very serious about their PCA appearance, or be the clowns we all know they are under that fur. The full range of non-regular classes were offered, including team, which was its usual success for the spectators. HIT went to VIP member Cathi Winkles with Ch. Ravendune Right on Target, AX MXJ RE, and HC went to Tatiana Nagro with OTCH Ridgewood Quintessence UDX. Both ladies are long-time PCA exhibitors, and both are really nice people who deserved to win. But then, everyone seemed to come away as a winner this year – there were lots of people celebrating at the Obedience Dinner in the evening. The PCA decision of having a Performance Parade for Titleholders on the day of the event is one that should benefit many obedience and rally exhibitors. Being held the same day will mean that it won’t be necessary to stay over an VIP Newsletter June extra day to participate or to watch the Parade, which will encourage more people to participate. It also means that, for those of us who will be watching, we can deeply appreciate the amount of time and effort that goes into training these dogs to earn titles. And, hey, since people will be there a little later, they may as well stay for the Obedience Dinner, too? Hope to see you all at PCA next year! 2007 PCA Agility by Helen King Last December, my husband, Mel, and I packed up our six dogs (four Standard Poodles, a Border collie and a mutt) into our motorhome and headed out for a countrywide agility tour that led up to PCA in June. This was the first year we attended PCA. We didn’t know what to expect and had no preconceived notions. “Sod over concrete?” We said when told about the surface. How on earth could this possibly be any good? Well, the surface at PCA was by far THE BEST agility surface on which we have ever run (and we have run on a LOT of different surfaces)! The air conditioning was awesome and very much appreciated by dog and handler! The first thing that struck us was how many wonderful Poodles there were! We have never seen so many Poodles in one place . It was fun to see most of the Poodles exhibit the great love of life for which they are so well known. The quality of performances was better than we expected at all levels, especially the Excellent B dogs. Many were willing working dogs with good speed and focus. There did seem to be a lack of work ethic in some Poodles. This, however, could easily be changed with good instruction and toy drive work to increase focus and speed. It was easy to spot the happy dogs that were trained with positive methods. Some Poodles performed very entertaining zoomies or IPE as we call it (Irrational Poodle Exuberance). Zoomies are a form of stress in the ring, just as sniffing and wandering are and we found competing at PCA much more stressful than at regular trials. After all, these were our peers! We compete a lot during the year and rarely get nervous but have to admit to a few butterflies at PCA. The large number of spectators in the stands gave the feeling of being on center stage when stepping to the start line. The courses were fair but tricky with some subtle traps. We did think the judge they brought in for the overflow was a bit uptight in his calls. He called several dogs for running out of the ring after their go. Most judges would not have been so strict in their interpretation of AKC’s under control rule at the end of each run. We like fun judges who smile and make us feel welcome but some judges are just more serious than 2007 others. The trial ran very smoothly and the ring crew were awesome! So many pitched in to help and this made the whole day go a lot faster. One of the few complaints we heard was that the results were never posted. The only way to know what you did was to go see if there was a ribbon with your name on it. In the future, it would be great to have the results posted as soon as the class is over. PCA was an amazing experience. One of the highlights for us was the wonderful MACH parade! Hopefully, next year they will consider having twelve weave poles instead of six for the Parade. Twelve poles are a lot more impressive and the dogs can really get a head of steam going better than with six. It was wonderful meeting so many terrific people and great Poodles. It was a supercharged atmosphere of fun and we hope to return again next year with all four of our girlz. And The Rest of PCA: Best in Show was: Toy Poodle- Ch. Smash JP Win A Victory Owners: Ron Scott., Breeder: Yukiko Omura. Handler: Kaz Hosaka Miniature Poodle BOV: BOV: Ch. Zelon Driving Miz Daisy Crazy Standard Poodle BOV: Ch. Brighton Minimoto Health testing during the show included: Echocardiograms for atrial septal defect, blood draw and cheek swabs for Optigen, von Willibrand’s disease, neonatal encephalopathy, juvenile renal disease, Addison’s disease and epilepsy studies. There were auctions, dinners, meetings and a seminar as well. All reports are that the 75th Poodle Club of America Specialty extravaganza was a resounding success and everyone is looking forward to next year’s event! (example of “head down tracking”) Canadian Tracking Seminar by Margot Jorgensen As a friend just commented over the phone - “methods of teaching tracking in the Comox Valley will now change dramatically.” Our club was privileged to host a Tracking VIP Newsletter June Seminar presented by Carol Pernicka this last weekend. Present were many novices as well as a number of very experienced trackers, and Carol taught us all new skills. On Saturday she helped a number of green dogs and handlers begin on soccer field grass, and in the afternoon moved on to a hay field to assist some more experienced handlers in assessing and learning how to correct problems in field tracking at the TD level. Sunday she amazed many skeptics by starting their green dogs on pavement and ably demonstrated to us that “tracking is tracking, whether it be on grass or hard surfaces”. She also clearly convinced all that cross-contamination of a track will not distract a dog from following the correct scent. We finished with three short demo tracks in the urban style and learned the difference between tracking and trailing. Carol convinced several of us that we have allowed our dogs far too much leeway with line in training urban tracking, that the dogs can work methodically and stay closer to the laid track rather than range afar checking out doorways and other areas where scent flows and gathers. I will certainly begin a totally new style with my Dono. Another dog demonstrated clearly that although he’d learned to cross pavement assuming he’d find the track on the other side, he was not actually tracking the hard surface. Carol handled people so tactfully, and spoke so clearly, explaining things in basic terms that I have already received extensive positive feedback on her presentation, and have heard of several small groups of those attending who have set dates already to begin tracking together. As well, she rekindled interest in Urban tracking in several who had tracked field for years, but not tracked on hard surfaces. With a group of 35 participants and 25 working dogs, Carol kept things moving smoothly, held the interest of all, answered any and all questions and retained her sense of humor to the end making it one of the best seminars I have ever attended. Already people are talking about inviting Carol back in the future for a possible seminar/test weekend. Our breed was represented by 7 Standards (including two of Dono’s offspring) and a Mini as well as two people who audited, but didn’t work their SP’s, so tracking with Poodles is alive and well in this area ! I highly recommend to other clubs that they arrange a seminar with Carol. I had been teased a little by my friends with Goldens and Flatcoats that I was bringing in a “Poodle expert”, but Carol more than justified my faith in her ability to present a very clear picture of the perfect tracking dog, no matter the breed, and earned the respect of everyone. Thanks so much, Carol, it was great ! 2007 Physical and Behavioral Consequences of Neuter/Spay in Dogs By ©Lynne Edwards, Ph.D. Is early neutering safe or more desirable than a later neutering? What is the optimal neuter/spay timing? What are the risk factors? These questions have been raised continuously and yet there has been no consensus. Neutering timing remains a highly and hotly contested topic. Many research studies attempted to tackle selected facets of this complex puzzle, but the overall picture has not been forthcoming. Recently Laura Sanborn has reviewed over 50 peer-reviewed articles on this topic titled “Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay/Neuter in Dogs’ (2007) (http://www.naiaonline.org/ pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf). Her review is only 12 pages long and readable. I highly recommend reading it in full, as this seems to be the most updated and fairly extensive review on this issue to date. However, one word of caution is warranted that the Sanborn review itself has not gone through the peer-review process either at an online or printed scientific journal. Therefore, her review should be read as a good starting point to survey the issue and its scope rather to accept what is reported as the definitive word on this issue. To the extent my independent review of this topic contains the same research articles as Ms. Sanborn’s, I present conflicting results where they are apparent. examined was from 1990 to 2007, written either in English or in German; the journals were either printed or online, and all publications were peer-reviewed; the veterinary journal studies chosen excluded case studies of a few dogs or by a single veterinarian or a rescue operator. I searched the literature through PubMed, Agri, AnimalScience, BioSis, and OVID with gonadectomy, ovariohysterectomy, or orchiectomy as a keyword. Because of the policy implications of neutering, it was especially important not to focus on advocacy positions or on policy studies, as they can bias an objective assessment of the scientific research. Since Ms. Sanborn’s review appeared in the midst of my research into this topic, I switched gears to supplement and complement her work. References: Selected references are attached at the end, but they are not meant to be exhaustive or complete. Most of them are already cited in the Sorbone’s paper [1]. [2, 3, 4, 5] are often quoted in the current veterinary positions on this issue; [6, 7, 8] represent various European studies; [9, 10] are specific to the behavioral impact on working dogs; and [11] has a unique implication for athletic dogs but has some methodological/analytical problems. Highlights from Sanborn review [1]: The studies considered for her review ranged from the late 1960’s to the present and mainly appeared in the peer-reviewed scientific journals. My attempt here is not to duplicate her efforts but to supplement and complement her review on skeletal and physical consequences of neutering. I will not focus on the unwanted pet population control policy of the neutering or the timing for such, but rather try to discuss a study on ACL injuries, the behavioral consequences not discussed in Ms. Sanborn’s work, and the European perspectives on this issue. First, I’ll discuss how the scientific research on this issue was selected; second, I will summarize the highlights from Sanborn’s review [1], then present a closer review of an ACL injury study, a behavioral study on service dogs, followed by some alternate European perspectives, then a summary of this issue for working and performance dogs. Her conclusions on the effects of neutering for male dogs at any age are: Pros: 1. eliminates the very small risk of (<0.1%) dying from a testicular cancer, which can be detected early and for which the prognosis is good. Cons: 1. increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer) for medium/heavy dogs if neutered <1 year; 2. increases the risk of cardiac hernangiosarcoma by a factor of 1.6; 3. triples the risk of hypothyroidism; 4. increases the risk of orthopedic disorders (CCL); 5. increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations. How early is early? Any neutering before the “traditional” timing of 5 to 10 months will be called “early” or pre-pubertal in this discussion. Some research reviewed included results of neutering as early as of 6 weeks of age. The questions we ask here are: (1) What are the pros and cons of prepubertal neutering compared to the traditional neutering at 5-10 months? (2) What are the consequences of neutering at any time in terms of the skeletal, physical, and behavioral consequences? Her conclusions on the effects of spaying for female dogs at any age are: Pros: 1. if neutered before 2.5 years, greatly reduces the risk of mammary tumors which are difficult to detect early and have poor prognosis; 2. nearly eliminates the risk of pyometra (mortality rate of 1% of intact female dogs); 3. reduces the risk of perianal fistulas. Background: I started to answer these two questions by examining scientific research on neutering in the peerreviewed journals; the subjects used were exclusively dogs (not rabbits, rats or any other species); the time span I Cons: 1. if done before 1 year, increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); 2. increases the risk of splenic henangiosarcoma by a factor VIP Newsletter June 2007 of 2.2 and cardiac tenangiosarcoma by a factor >5; 3. triples the risk of hypothyroidism 4. causes urinary “spay incontinence” in 4-20% of female dogs and increases the risk of persistent urinary tract infections by a factor of 3-4; 5.increases the risk of cystitis, vaginitis especially if spayed before puberty; 6.increases the risk of orthopedic disorders (CCL); 7. increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations. Although Sanborn (2007) [1] summarized an increased risk of obesity for both neutered females and males based on one study in the UK and another in Australia, this conclusion was counter indicated among the dogs studied in the United States [2, 5] (although they found cats to be heavier if neutered.) The common image of inactive neutered dogs is contrary to what was reported: the activity level of neutered dogs increased in comparison to the intact counterparts [2, 5]. Ms. Sanborn has not mentioned for both female and male dogs that if neutered before 5.5 months old they tended not to escape from home [3]. This is a serious problem, especially for adopted rescue dogs. Barking or growling at visitors (for males only) increased if neutered early [3]. This point is consistent with the service dog study [9] I will discuss later. As to the risk of osteosarcoma, it was found that the earlier the neuter/spay takes place, the higher the life time risk of bone cancer. On ACL injuries: Although the title of the paper suggests that the neutering (at any point) can increase ACL ruptures in dogs [11], the further scrutiny of the research suggested that this is based on one private clinic’s records over two years. The biggest factors known to affect ACL, namely, the breeds and the age of the dogs were not discussed in the results. One of the analytical models claimed to have included “breed” as a factor, but it was not properly isolated nor fully reported. Age of the dogs was never examined in their models. Typically older females in heavier breeds such as Rottweillers are known to have a higher prevalence of ACL ruptures and the analyses reported did not successfully dispel such alternative explanations on age and breeds. One analysis did report higher odds of ACL ruptures among heavier dogs compared to medium/small dogs and the effect of neutering remained. On behavioral consequences: Early neutering produced more noise phobias, reactivity, and generally high activity levels in dogs [3, 5]. However, little is known about the behavioral aspects relevant to working, service or performance dogs. One such rare research study is by Kim et al. [9] and the guest editorial on this research [10]. This is an experimental study of military service dogs where German Shepherd Dog (GSD) bitches were randomly assigned to being left intact or being spayed during 5.5 to 10 months, i.e., at a traditional neutering time. They found various forms of behavioral reactivity, such as showing teeth, ears pushed backward, growling stances on 6 out of 7 spayed bitches over 4-5 months after the surgery, while the intact counterpart were non reactive to a strange person-dog pair. This is a critical study, of interest to those VIP Newsletter June who are concerned with the performance dogs as well as service and working dogs. At least for females, the impact of spaying, even with the traditional timing, can result in undesirable behavioral traits impacting their ability to perform the service they were assigned. The clear implication so far is not to spay service prospect females until past 10 months, although it is not clear at this point whether a delay of spaying time beyond 10 months will moderate the dogs’ reactivity. A similar reactivity was reported for early-neutered male dogs in another study [5]. On European perspectives: There hasn’t been a promotion of early neuter in Europe unlike in the United States. One European study recommends waiting at least past the first heat cycle [8] because of the mammary cancer can be well controlled if spayed before 2.5 years and because the maturity of genitals helps reduce chronic or repeated infections in female dogs [7]. Another study compared the bone density levels of early-neutered dogs to the intact counterpart. The result from Hungry showed an increased bone density in the accessory carpal bone (ACB) in the early-neutered group measured at 6 months in comparison to the intact group. [6] This may be due to the faster body weight increase among the neutered group as opposed to the counterpart who received a sham surgery. However, the long-term effect of neuter/spay with the body weight has not been established. Therefore, we need to wait for their longitudinal report of the experimental subjects for a clearer picture. What they suspected was that the measuring method (invasive vs. non invasive) and the exact location of bone density testing may very well produce different results. Since the growth plate closure gets delayed by neutering, potentially the neutered dogs may have had a higher growth rate than the counterpart until the plates are fully closed, which in turn, is correlated with the ACB bone density. The implications for working dogs: For male dogs, aside from rescue dogs potentially running away [3], there is no health or behavioral benefit to neutering. The early detection and prognosis of a testicular cancer is good, and the prevalence is low (<1%) and the mortality rate is even lower (<0.1%). Noise phobia and reactivity to strangers is less likely for the intact males than the neutered males [3]. For female dogs, there seems to be enough evidence to wait for spaying until close to 2.5 years without increasing the mammary cancer risk. As opposed to testicular cancer in male dogs, a mammary cancer has a poor prognosis even spaying takes place 2 years prior to the detection and a surgical removal of the tumor. As there is no study comparing spayed service or working dogs at 2.5 years vs. those left intact to see whether there is any behavioral change, the jury is still out on the optimal neutering time. Reactivity to strangers seen in spayed female working dogs is a serious behavioral consequence among the service or performance prospects [9]. Again we do not have research studies yet to answer the question whether spaying female working dogs after 10 months can curve undesirable reactivity. 2007 In closing: The short-term surgical consequences [4] showing no ill effects on early neutering with an advent of anesthesia for small patients are often cited in advocacy position of early neutering. However, it is a policy decision and not the study in and by itself that automatically favors early neutering. Further, consequences should not be generalized beyond the scope of the study. Although studies focusing on diverse physical impacts are available today, there are few studies on behavioral consequences. In most cases, the neutering timing cannot be totally controlled and it is dependent on the voluntary timing of the pet owners or the intake time at the humane societies. There is not likely to be any definitive study conducted on the optimal neutering timing. One important reminder is that neuter timing and the health consequences go well beyond the immediate post surgical risk factors. Another important point is that what may appear to be contradictory results are not necessarily contradictory when the study targets are thoroughly examined. For example, one study may find a gender difference in CCL injury rates while another may not. I found that heavier, older female dogs tended to have a higher prevalence of CCL and that the former study used dogs of all ages while the latter used only young dogs (<2 years). Hence, their conclusions do not really contradict each other. Such an example shows us that cursory readings of abstracts can easily lead us astray. The question of when to neuter or whether to neuter at all needs further investigation. While it is easy to adopt an advocacy position and “cherry-pick” one study or another or one aspect or another to generalize and solidify one’s position, it’s important to keep an open mind to scientific research results and to objectively weigh among the risk factors for the welfare of our performance dogs. Selected References [1]Sanborn, L. J. “Long-term health risks and benefits associated with spay/neuter in dogs” http://www.naiaonline. org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf (2007). [2]Salmeri, K. R., Bloomberg, M. S., Scruggs, S. L., Shille, V. “Gonadectomy in immature dogs: Effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development” JAVMA (1991). 198(7): 1193-1203. [3]Spain, C. V., Scarlett, J. M., Houpt, K. A. “Long-term risks and behefits of early-age gonadectomy in dogs” JAVMA (2004). 224(3): 380-387. [4]Howe, L. M. “Short-term results and complications of prepubertal gonadectomy in cats and dogs” JAVMA (1997). 211(1): 57-62. [5]Howe, L. M., Slater, M. R., Boothe, H. W., Hobson, H. P., Holcom, J. L., Spann, A. C. “Long-term outcome of gonadectomy performed at an early age or traditional age of dogs” JAVMA (2001). 218(2): 217-221. VIP Newsletter June [6]Ekici, H. , Sontas, B. H., Toydemir, T. S. F., Senmevsim, O., Kabasakal, L., Imre, Y. “Effect of prepubertal ovariohysterectomy on bone mineral density and bone mineral content in puppies” Acta Veterinaria Hungarica (2005). 53(4): 469-478. [7]Shafer-Somi, S., Konig, G., Aurich, J. E. “Zur Kastration juveniler und prapubertarer Hunde und Katzen” Wiener Tierarztliche Monatsschrift (2003). 90: 160-168. [8]Stolla, R. “Kastration vor oder nach der ersten Laufigkeit?” Tierarztliche Praxis (2002). 30(K): 333-338. [9]Kim, H. H., Yeon, S. C., Houpt, K. A., Lee, H. C., Chang, H. H., Lee, H. J. “Effects of ovariohysterectomy on reactivity in German Shepherd dogs” The Veterinary Journal (2006). 172:154-159. [10]Overall, K. L. Guest Editorial. “Working bitches and the neutering myth: Sticking to the science” The Veterinary Journal (2007). 173: 9-11. [11]Slauterbeck, J. R., Pankratz, K., Xu, K. T., Bozeman, S. C., Hardy, D. M. “Canine ovariohysterectomy and orchiectomy increases the prevalence of ACL injury” Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Researcch (2004). Dec (429): 301305. Advance Notice – Watch for… As part of the VIP, Inc. fundraising efforts, we are putting together an arrangement that will provide magnetic stickers for our vehicles, etc. Details will follow shortly, but right now, we are planning to offer the magnets in the fields of agility, obedience, and hunt work. Watch the website <www. vipoodle.org> for updates. These would make excellent stocking stuffers for Poodle friends, too, so be prepared…… Carolyn Wray still has some note cards from past fund raisers. So if anyone is looking for cute note cards, she can offer the following: pencil sketch by Irma Shannahan of a Poodle puppy with a toy box: 10 cards and envelopes for $10. Or a set of six cards, two each of three designs, with envelopes for $10. I would like to clear these out of my closet and complete this fund raiser. Carolyn Wray [email protected] We still have DVDs of the “Versatile Poodle release 2006”. These would make nice gifts for new puppy owners and are good for educational programs as well. Information about these are on the VIP website www.vipoodle.org. 2007 Remembrances Susan Fleisher We are sorry to report that one of the founding members of VIP and a tireless worker for the health of Poodles passed away on June 17. This information was submitted by Laura Zulch-Hays: Susan Fleisher died peacefully in her own bed this morning at around 4 AM with [her Standard Poodle] Cricket nuzzled peacefully beside her. She wanted to die without morphine and drugs and she did. Graphic Moonstruck, (Luna) CD, RA, CGC Delta Pet Partner A donation was received from the Deep Peninsula Dog Training Club of Los Altos, CA, in memory of Standard Poodle, Graphic Moonstruck, CD, RA, CGC Delta Pet Partner, owned and loved by Lynn Benson-Colbert. This donation was directed for Addison’s Disease research in Standard Poodles. In addition, a donation was received from Randi and Maggie (owned by Miriam Hillier) in memory of Luna, their best friend, who they miss very much. Her decline had been steady since her last hospitalization after her last birthday around May 10th. She put off being admitted to Hospice until she was sure she would not recover—a week and a half ago. She had been able to take care of herself until yesterday. Her mobility and breathing plummeted yesterday. By late afternoon she could no longer talk or move. There was a team of us, taking turns being with her so she was not alone. We will miss her sharp mind, open heart, humor, infinite passion for Poodles; her deep appreciation and high standards for art, music, specifically opera, fine food, beer, good friends and good conversation; her sense of fairness and generosity. Her ability to beam joy and gratitude or blow up with anger and frustration with a rare gusto. The joy and appreciation drew us to her, and fortunately the blow-ups never lasted long. At this moment, I am filled with deep gratitude for her and the place and presence she had in my life. Laura Zulch-Hays, The neighbor and fellow Poodle owner who has been taking Cricket out to play every afternoon since Susan’s decline in November. VIP and Cathy Rainer have made donations for Poodle renal health research in memory of Susan. Cosmic Halley’s Comet UD From Joan and Gary Heymann: It is with very heavy hearts that we need to let you know that our wonderful Halley died , after 13 years and 1 week of life. He had multiple ailments, and after days of pain and suffering, he was peacefully put to sleep. So good-bye loving companion and obedience dog – Cosmic Halley’s Comet, CD, CDX, UD, who also participated in conformation, agility, tracking, and flyball. Halley accumulated 12 conformation points including a major as a puppy but Gary refused to live with a Poodle in an adult show clip so he was withdrawn from conformation competition and began his obedience training. We had a grand life together, and miss him terribly. Gary and Joan Heymann (owners) as well as Grace Blair (breeder) have made donations to VIP for health research in memory of Halley. VIP Newsletter June Don and Geronimo Photo by Nickie McAuley Cosmic Geronimo UDX, CGC, RTD A donation was received from breeder, Grace Blair, in memory of Standard Poodle, Cosmic Geronimo UDX, CGC, who passed away at the age of 14 1/2 years. He had OTCH points and two first place finishes toward an OTCH. He was also field and water trained for retrieving. He was a Registered Therapy Dog and had approximately 250 visits to rest homes, retirement homes, homes for the memory impaired and schools. He also went to special education schools for kids. He loved every minute of it and loved kids. Geronimo was also nominated twice for the AKC award for Canine Excellence and has two very nice certificates on the wall to remember these nominations. Geronimo was a very special animal, owned and loved by Don and Martha Stuart of Oregon. As well, Miriam Hillier made a donation for Addison’s Disease research in memory of Geronimo, much loved companion of Don Stuart. U-CD Cole’s No Doubt About It UD A donation in memory of U-CD Cole’s No Doubt About It UD “Rocky” was received from friends on the BIOlist. Ch Cosmic Fantasia (Tessie) CDX, OA, NAJ, WC, WCX, JH, VCX, Herding Instinct Certified Breeder/owner, Grace Blair, has sent a donation to VIP for health research in memory of Ch Cosmic Fantasia (Tessie) CDX, OA, NAJ, WC, WCX, JH, VCX, Herding Instinct Certified. Tessie won the Open A Agility class at PCA 2007 10 when she was 6 years of age and prior to her retirement had accumulated a greater variety of titles than any other Standard Poodle in North America. (Her titles have since been surpassed by several talented Poodles.) She was truly a versatile Poodle. Tessie had her 15th birthday on May 19 and had been very healthy until she suffered a sudden stroke on Memorial day and was sent to the rainbow bridge the next day to await the future arrival of the many people and dogs whom she loved. She is very greatly missed by Grace as they had been inseparable for the entire 15 years. Tessie and her daughter, Leica, were listed and pictured in the 2007 “North American Working Poodle Hall of Fame” Poodle Club of America catalog. Miriam Hillier also made a health research donation to University of California, Davis, Vet School and to VIP in memory of Tessie, a dear friend. All the Good Dogs by George and Helen Papashvily What purpose did they serve, all the good dogs that once ran through the world and wait now in the shadowy quiet of the past? They lightened our burdens and drove away our enemies and stayed when others left us. They gave aid and comfort, protection and security. They held a mirror wherein we might see ourselves as we long to be. They gave us a glimpse of the world beyond the narrow confines of our own species. Although we make dull students, slowly they help us learn how to command and to protect with wisdom and justice and imagination. They taught and still teach us the joy of giving generosity and kindness and love—without thought of gainful return. And now—all the fleet hounds, the staunch mastiffs, the loyal shepherds, the dancing toys, the fumbling puppies, pets on silk pillows, workers plodding at their tasks, the special ones you loved best, those of ours we still miss—all the good dogs, goodbye, until on some brighter day, in some fairer place you run out again to greet us. Bits and Pieces For anyone who has frozen semen stored with the San Diego SYNBIOTICS CORPORATION, they have moved in order to be more centrally located in KANSAS. Pet Travel Up In The Air For immediate release and communication to Canadian Kennel Club members: Air Canada announced late Thursday June 20 that they have terminated in cabin pet travel on all domestic flights beginning July 15. This is the worst possible news for the VIP Newsletter June many CKC members who frequently fly their dogs and we urge you to respond today. We are suggesting to any CKC member or pet owner that if this has an impact upon you and your travel plans with your dog make your position and opinion clear to the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, at [email protected] as well as copies to Air Canada media team at [email protected]. Air Canada President and CEO Montie Brewer can be reached via fax at (514)422-4945. We have been unable to find email for the Executives and Board of Directors for Air Canada for quick communication but postal information is available on their website at www.a ircanada.com. We would like to remind all CKC Members that for over a year now the Canadian Kennel Club Mosaic MasterCard (available to CKC Members at no charge) provides WestJet Airmiles. WestJet is both a family and pet friendly airline. For further WestJet information please visit their website at www.westje t.com. The Pet Food Institute has formed a National Pet Food Commission which will be investigating the massive pet food recall this spring and making recommendations on how to prevent a similar event from occurring in the future. For more information go to www.petfoodreport.com. From Julie Borst Reed: The OFA hip and elbow submission forms now have a question for the vet as to whether they checked the identification of the animal presented! See new form: http://www.offa.org/hdappbw.pdf Now, the other forms just have to follow suit . . .. . . . and dog breeders and owners may need to petition the CERF vets to get serious and take our applications as a true scientific finding, as they are usually not checking microchip identification in most instances across the US today. Report all non-compliant vets to CERF. The lady I called twice about this, was so disappointed, because they had scanners donated to every CERF ophthalmologist a few years back. The good news, OFA hip and elbows are to either be checked or noted as No Positive ID (NOPI) - by the vet! For PennHip forms, I plan to have them sign the OFA form at the time of the x-ray - before I just put down PennHip in the vet information. PETA worker charged with theft of deputy’s hunting dog: http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=127403& ran=159617 Hunting dog owners will be interested in the charging documents reproduced at CCF’s site: http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/ headline/3391 2007 11 American Kennel Club Announces Tulsa, Oklahoma Will Host 2008 National Agility Championships --Three Day Competition Slated For Newly Renovated Facilities at Expo Square - New York, NY— Today the American Kennel Club® announced that the National Agility Championship will be held at Ford Truck and Mustang arenas in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 28-30, 2008. This is the second time the state will host the AKC® National Agility Championship, which will feature teams competing for top titles in the AKC’s fastest growing canine sport. The Ford and Mustang arenas are located adjacent to one another in the Built Ford Tough Livestock Complex, and will be able to accommodate up to five agility rings. The 13th annual AKC National Agility Championships will award six National Agility Championship titles to dogs in the 8”, 12”, 16”, 20”, 24” and 26” jump height categories. Agility allows dogs and handlers to demonstrate their agile nature and versatility by overcoming a challenging course of obstacles, such as weave poles, tunnels, jumps and seesaws. Teams who have earned at least 6 double qualifying scores and 400 speed points will be eligible to compete in the national championship. “We are thrilled to be holding the nationals at the Ford and Mustang arenas in Tulsa. With over 1,000 teams likely to compete, these venues will be ideal for competitors as well as spectators,” said Sharon Anderson, AKC Agility Director. “We look forward to working with all agility enthusiasts in the state of Oklahoma who will help us put on a top notch event.” For more information about the 2008 AKC National Agility Championship, visit: http://www.akc.org/events/agility/ national_agility_championship/index.cfm AKC Introduces Online Record Keeping -- Free, Web-based Service Helps Breeders Manage Dog and Litter Records - New York, NY – The American Kennel Club® is pleased to announce that Online Record Keeping, a new service for breeders of AKC® registered litters and dogs, is now available. Any breeder with a My AKC account now has access to this free service, which provides a centralized area to manage and maintain dog and litter records online. “We are pleased to offer breeders of AKC dogs this new complimentary online feature to help them manage their dog and litter information,” said David Roberts, Assistant Vice President of Registration and Customer Service. “Breeders can access their personalized breeding, ownership, and registration records from any computer with internet access at any time. This service is only the beginning of a variety of online features planned for the future.” VIP Newsletter June With the new Online Record Keeping service, breeders can record mating and birth information for litters and view official AKC litter registration information including dog registration status for all puppies in a litter. There is also a handy address book function that gives breeders an easy place to store contact information for co-owners and puppy buyers. And the AKC’s secure, password protected breeder record service keeps your information secure and private. In addition to being able to record and view information, breeders can also quickly print AKC Dog Ownership, Breeding, and Litter records. If the breeder completes the necessary fields in the record-keeping system, all of the information required for AKC record-keeping rules and regulations will be pre-populated on these forms. This new service also allows a breeder to record sale and ownership information for the puppies and to manage puppy records by adding notes about breeding and whelping. For those breeders that have already taken advantage of online dog registration to record sale and new ownership information for their puppies, this information has been moved to the Online Record Keeping section of My AKC for easier access. If you have an authenticated My AKC account (or want to start one - just go to the home page on the upper right hand box and start the quick process), maintaining your dog and litter records online is just a click away. Follow these easy steps to get started: 1. 2. 3. 4. Log in to your My AKC account. Sign up for Online Record Keeping services from the main page. Go to the My Dogs and Litters section. Click Breeder Records to view, create and maintain breeder records, view AKC litter and puppy registration information, and manage puppy records. For more information go to: http://www.akc.org/services/ breeder_records.cfm From the Internet: Mary Whiteley www.dogenes.com is doing research on the genetic component of struvite bladder stones. Shesays that Miniatures are the only “breed/variety with a “high” percentage of dogs with struvite stones who do not also have JRD, thus they offer a unique opportunity to get to the bottom of the problem. Contact her at [email protected] for more information and test kits. At this point “all” she wants are affecteds. She will, of course be asking for samples from known carriers and siblings when/if she finds the gene!!! Isn’t life grand that there are more and more research studies being done to get to the bottom of what bothers our furry friends? Also, those who have SA affecteds can contact Mary for test kits as she is doing significant research on that as 2007 12 well. In addition, we should be proud of the fact that Mary is very impressed with the cooperation of Poodle Breeders in research, as not every breed is so inclined. So HOORAY for us!!! A new drug for motion sickness in dogs has been approved. The drug is maropitant citrate and is called Cerenia. It should be available from veterinarians soon in tablets and injectable formulations. This is the first such medication specifically for dogs. Previously used drugs for motion sickness were for humans and had inconsistent results in canines. From Lynne Edwards: OFA’s e-newsletter is at http://www. offa.org/enewsmar2007.pdf Notable: OFA funded research areas for 2006-2007 include: *Determination of Breed Specific Reference Ranges for Assessing Thyroid Function in Several Breeds – University of Minnesota *Mapping Refinement of Quantitative Trait Loci for Canine Hip Dysplasia – Cornell University *Development of a New Resource for Positional Cloning of Hip Dysplasia Genes: A High Density SNP Map of Canine Chromosome One – CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH) *Patella Luxation in Dogs: A Molecular Approach – University of Utrecht Research abstracts may be accessed via the OFA Website at: www.offa.org/research.html A gene which is associated with human autoimmune diseases has been identified. Can a similar gene discovery be far behind for our beloved Poodles? This indicates that the tail wag direction indicates the dog’s emotional state http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070319/ full/070319-6.html Gene Test For JRD Now Available Great news! There is now a DNA test available for Juvenile Renal Disease in Standard Poodles through the Dogenes lab in Canada. It’s a direct test which is more accurate then a linkage test. For more information you can go to www. dogenes.com. The DNA test is a simple cheek swab test with a brush to collect the cells. Normal cost of the test is $90, however there will be a special clinic price of $75 at the Poodle Club of American National Specialty Show in June and on August 26th at the Watchung Mountain Poodle Club Health Clinics. So if you’ve been wondering whether it’s safe to breed your dog or bitch that is from a line that has produced JRD you will be able to get the information you need. The test is also available for Lhasas, Shih Tzu, Miniature Schnauzers, Boxers and Soft Coated Wheaten VIP Newsletter June Terriers. Dogenes also does DNA banking and was the repository for the VIP DNA samples prior to being moved to the OFA respoitory. Breeder’s Symposium Presented by the American Kennel Club and AKC Canine Health Foundation Hosted by the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine August 4 & 5, 2007 Saturday 8:15 AM - 5:00 PM (7:30 Breakfast) Sunday 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (7:30 Breakfast) Hollingsworth Auditorium, Universityof Tennessee 2431 Joe Johnson Drive(corner of Joe Johnson Dr.and Chapman Dr.) Complimentary Parking available in Lot 66 Program check-in begins at 7:30 am on 8/4/07 Cost $125.00 - includes materials, breakfast both days, lunch on Saturday and parking Topics to include: Canine Reproduction - Tulio Prado, DVM, MS, DACT Building a Better Breeding Program - Jerold Bell, DVM Use of Genetic Tests - Jeff Phillips, DVM, PhD, DACVIM Nutrition for Canine Reproduction - Deborah Greco, DVM, PhD, DACVIM Canine Oncology - Amy LeBlanc, DVM And other topics! To register online, go to: http://www.Cvent.com/ In the top right corner of the screen click on “RSVP for an Event” Under Respond to an Invitation, enter the event code 7CNP6TVYNTX For More Information: AKC Ronald Rella 212-696-8303 e-mail: [email protected] Novice A Trophy Awards! Congratulations to the following owners and Poodles for winning the Novice A obedience class at a Poodle Obedience Trial. They have each won a one year subscription to the VIP newsletter. Colleen Britos and her Standard Poodle, Samovar’s Maximillian, won Novice A obedience at the Poodle Club of Las Vegas Janet Elwert and her Standard Poodle, CH Delta’s Captain In Control won Novice A. The sponsoring Poodle Club was not listed. Helen B. Esmond and Spangle Rockin Robin Hood, Standard Poodle, won Novice A at the Watchung Mountain Poodle Club obedience trial. 2007 13 Sally Beckner with her with her Toy Poodle, Sierra, from Middletown, CA also won Novice A. The sponsoring Poodle Club was not listed. Two Miniature Poodles, ages twelve and thirteen, ran the WC. Though they didn’t qualify, their training, willingness, and birdiness impressed everyone. Imagine what you would think if asked to retrieve a duck that was as heavy as you! During the water marks, diversion was provided by three very curious Muscovy Ducks. The artistry of photographer John Harbour captured the mood, the magic, and the moment of handlers and their dogs working together. A perfect ending to a perfect day was the workshop presented by Jac Harbour. “An Introduction to Retrieving” was the topic. It was well attended by those interested in learning more about retrieving with their Poodles. Even handlers with experience listened and enjoyed watching dogs discover their own birdiness. Training Treats for Poodles with IBD by Cathy Rainer Miniature Poodle at NW WC test, photo by John Harbour Northwest WC and WCX by Tracy Lone May 19th, 2007, was a perfect day for the VIP sponsored WC and WCX test. The Northwest offered up its best weather, a light marine cover, no moisture, a nip in the air and a bit of sun. It took place at Cindy Leung’s property in Cornelius, Oregon, nestled in the rolling hills of the Tualatin Valley way out in the country. The WC/WCX was orchestrated and coordinated by Jac Harbour who had just returned from a trip to England and Scotland the week before the event. Accolades to Sylvia Dodgson Martineau for the computer skills, efficiency, and energy she put forth before, during and after. The outcome was an event that was planned and implemented just right. Part of that “just right” feeling involved the many participants who not only entered their dogs, but also prepared food for the potluck lunch, accepted registration fees, brought equipment, carried blinds, marshaled for the judges, acted as gunners, blew duck calls and tossed birds. A frequently heard comment was, “I’ve never done this before but…..” They later walked away with a smile and a new skill. The judges for the event were Nikki Illias and Kurt Fordice. Their expertise and critique were invaluable in making this an enjoyable experience. There were eleven entries in the WC and eight passed and three in the WCX with 2 passes. In addition, three dogs ran the WCX as noncompetitive singles in preparation for an AKC Hunt Test held the following day. VIP Newsletter June Ginger, a lovely, cream, 10-month old Standard Poodle, was on course to become a service dog until she was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The IBD diagnosis meant that Ginger was pulled from the service program. Ginger’s puppy-raiser was smitten by her and decided to keep Ginger and begin CGC and other training. Depending upon where the IBD occurs in the dog’s digestive tract, there can be vomiting and/or diarrhea. IBD dogs have inflammation and an allergic immune system response to many foods, which can affect food absorption and motility of the digestive tract. Several IBD-affected Standard Poodles are listed in the Poodle Health Registry at: http://www.poodlehealthregistry.org/docs/Standard/PHR_ Standard_IBD.html. The PHR gives links to more in-depth information about the disease. Dogs with IBD may be put on a diet with a protein source different from foods the dog had in the past. In Ginger’s case, she cannot have poultry, beef, corn, wheat, soy or dairy products. Her regular diet is now fish and potatoes. Ginger’s owner was looking for treats she could use in training with Ginger, and members of the VIP list gave some excellent suggestions. Thanks to all of you who contributed with your experience, ideas and suggestions. Fortunately, there are now many more products available to use as training treats for dogs on restricted diets that in former years. The following are the suggestions made by VIP members. Veggies and Fruits: 2007 14 Grace Blair suggests small carrot slices, which many dogs love and Bev Duerst recommends partially cooked carrot slices. Louann Currey adds green beans to the veggie list. Another small veggie treat suggested by Renee Koch is hashbrown potatoes roasted on a tray in the “oven until they’re just a bit crispy-browned.” Mary Ainsworth recommends fruit as a good treat, too, because the dogs like the sweet taste. Mary finds apples and strawberries to work well for her dog who is on a restricted diet. Processes: Use your microwave, says Mary, to dehydrate various foods such as fish or sweet potatoes. Drying the food allows you to carry these treats in your pocket without the treats being greasy or wet. Bev Duerst also recommends dehydrating fish. Sweet and white potatoes can be sliced very thin and baked in the oven, says Bev. Roslyn Beaman developed a novel method of turning the canned version of her IBD dog’s food into treats. Roslyn says to gently slide the canned food out of the can, slice the food, then bake it in the oven until it is “a little crispy on the outside.” Roslyn has been known to bake a salmon steak, too! you can use various ingredients: Liver Cookies 1 lb. liver 3 eggs 3 cups of any combination flour (any kind), oatmeal, cornmeal, etc. 2 cloves garlic Puree it all in the food processor and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. It seems you can’t make a mistake with it; I’ve heard it done with fresh salmon and chicken too. I double the recipe. Cut it into small pieces while warm, then freeze. Doubled, it makes 3 quart bags full. Quick Treats: Dried rabbit food pellets from the veterinarian (Marcia German). Flint River has a fish and potato treat, without the wheat (Marcia). Tuna from the pouches (Roslyn). Fake crab meat (Mary Ruhe). Brandname Treats: Salmon Rollover (Roslyn). Homemade Treats: Mary also suggests using potato flour (from a kosher foods market) rather than wheat flour to make your own dog biscuits. Mary adds that, “Prepared fish stock is available these days too, in cartons so (that could be used) to punch up the flavor of more dull items, if need be.” Linda Gower sent the following recipe for Tuna/Fish treats (Please note the egg content of the recipes in case your dog cannot have chicken products): Tuna/Fish Treats 1 can Salmon (or 2 cans Tuna) mostly drained (also Mackerel) 1 1/2 cups flour (Louann suggests substituting potato flour for the regular flour and Linda says that various mixes can be used including cornmeal.) 2 eggs 1 tsp. garlic Yummy Chummy treats (Mary who says the Yummy Chummy treats “are fish based but may have some other ingredients so owner should check the label.”) Wellness Fish and Sweet Potato biscuits (Mary says, “All the dogs love them. They crumble well, which would be necessary for effective training treats.”) Treats from Internet Sources: Mollie Harris gives these links to internet sites which carry limited ingredient treats and may work for an IBD dog. Fish treats from sitstay.com: http://www.sitstay.com/store/edibles/fish1.shtml#EDWS04 Natural Balance makes fish and potato cookies for dogs: http://www.sitstay.com/cgi-bin/sdisp.cgi/EDNBPF.lg.jpg Mix and press onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 250 for 20-25 minutes, or until firm. Flax seed can be added for an additional health bonus. Linda warns: The mackerel and tuna really reek while cooking, but salmon doesn’t smell quite as bad. Mollie suggests that Simon & Hueys (soy is not used in their treats) treats are excellent treats because they are small and moist and her Toy Poodle “really likes the peanut butter+molasses and the salmon + dill treats training treats:” http://www.sitstay.com/store/edibles/treats3.shtml http://www.simonandhuey.com/bakery/softtrainingtreats.html Carol Pernicka sent the following variation on the recipe above and says as long as you keep the proportions the same, Another fish treat popular at Mollie’s house: http://www.puplife.com/dogsupplies/lakse-kronch-dog-treats. html VIP Newsletter 2007 June 15 Mollie gives another site, but adds that she has not tried this source: http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/product_detail.asp?pf_ id=10312505&dept_id=17&brand_id=111&Page= Temperament Study: Florida State University by Dr. Barbara Licht Below is a request from a student of mine to participate in her study on the temperament and health of various breeds and mix-breeds of dogs. I am hoping that you will help her by completing a survey on one of your dogs. Her study has been approved by her thesis committee consisting of myself and two Biology professors at Florida State University (FSU). If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me (850-644-6272 or [email protected]) or the Chair of the FSU Institutional Review Board (850-6448633). [email protected] (Note: this is an email address—not a web site link.) In order to make scientifically accurate conclusions about the temperament and health of various breeds, it is important that owners answer each question as truthfully and accurately as possible. The goal of this study is NOT to show that any one breed or mix of breeds is better or worse than any other. Your honesty and carefulness in answering these questions is, therefore, GREATLY appreciated. Feel free to email me at the above address, or contact me or Dr. Barbara Licht ([email protected]) at 850-644-6272, or you may contact the Chair of the Florida State University Institutional Review Board at 850-644-8633 if you have any questions or comments. I thank you for your consideration and time. It is greatly appreciated. --Ruth Marcec Welcome to Our New Members!! Dear Poodle Owners and Breeders, My name is Ruth Marcec, and I am an undergraduate Honors student attending Florida State University in the field of Biology (Pre-Veterinary). I am conducting my Honors Thesis research on the temperament and health of various breeds and mixed breeds of dogs. My major professor is Dr. Barbara Licht. One of the breeds included in my study is Poodles. I am requesting owners of Poodles to fill out a short questionnaire on your dog. All information provided will be held strictly confidential, to the extent allowed by law. Findings from this study will be posted in this newsletter after the data are analyzed (February, 2008). I am interested in all varieties of Poodles. So that no one spends too much time on the questionnaire, I ask that you complete the questionnaire on ONLY ONE of your Poodles. If you have more than one Poodle, write each dog’s name on a piece of paper, fold up the paper, and blindly (randomly) pick one. This way, I can get an unbiased sampling of Poodles. The study consists of two short questionnaires. The first asks you to rate the temperament of your dog on 23 temperament items. It takes between 10 and 20 minutes. The second questionnaire asks about your dog’s health history. It takes between 5 and 15 minutes. This second survey is optional, but your input would be extremely helpful to the study. I strongly encourage you to complete the second survey, but if time is an issue, I understand. If you are interested in participating, please send me an email at the address below, and tell me the breed and variety of your dog. You will receive the questionnaire via e-mail within 2-7 days of your request. The questionnaire will come from the e-mail address: VIP Newsletter June Donna Kaplan Tucson, AZ Interests: Education, service dogs, obedience, tricks, CGC, hiking and jogging, rally. Variety: Standards Loanne and Roger J. Maier Forest Grove, OR Interests: Education, team obedience, service dogs, obedience, working (hunting), CGC, hiking, therapy dogs, scent hurdles, charity walks, tracking, rally, herding (I had the 1st AKC title on a Rottweiler). Other--Children reading out loud to dogs in libraries and any other event I learn about that a mini is allowed to enter. Variety: Miniatures Darlene Kelley Suwanee, GA Interests: Agility, education, conformation, obedience, therapy dogs, tracking, rally. Variety: Toys and Standards Hilary Ellis San Ramon, CA Interests: Agility, hiking and jogging, tracking, rally. Variety: Standards Carol Hamblin Indian Trail, NC Interests: Agility, education, team obedience, service dogs, obedience, working (hunting), tricks, CGC, hiking and jogging, therapy dogs, charity walks, tracking, rally, herding. Variety: Miniatures and Standards 2007 16 BRAGS (including those from April which were not previously published) Jac Harbour, OR On April 23 Cheers earned her Started title in UKC and Brag and Sur each earned one leg. On Saturday both Sur & Brag thought the first water mark was too long and the breeze had died down so there was no help here, it was blowing from the duck to the dogs on line. But in HRC you are allowed to get every bird even if your dog has blown it. The second bird was much closer and with a little encouragement they both went swimming and got a lovely duck. One Sunday we started with land again - yea ! and by the time we got to water Brag was all fired up, first bird was the shorter one. He went in a bit hesitantly swam out about 15’ turned left to the lily pads nope no duck there, looked out and to the right and saw more lily pads, checked them out, nope then spotted the duck, nice delivery to hand. Second mark was 60 yards and he leaped in did a bit of a serpentine checking out the lily pads but kept on going to get his duck, nice delivery to hand again. Sur did similar only he went in for the first one, did a circle and came almost up on shore, looked at me, I avoided making eye contact, said nothing and he turned around and went back in checking out the lily pads like Brag and got his bird. He grabbed it by the wing, he does not like opening his mouth in water. At the shore he stepped on the neck, dropped the bird, took his foot off and picked it up and delivered to hand - Good boy! The dogs do not have to deliver to hand in UKC Started but I like them to if they look to have a solid hold on the bird. Second mark he went straight in and swam a dead straight line to the duck, no checking out the lily pads he knew what they were, and a straight line back for a leg to his Started title which needs 4 passes. He is so much better this season, one thing he does not have is any kind of heavy coat to swim with, he is in a short all over clip. Sure makes a difference to him. He is also not shivering when he comes out, more body fat and maturity. “Trip” a son from Cheers’ first litter also earned 2 legs towards his title, this was his first test ever. Marcia German, NJ I am proud to announce that Rosie, Kali’s Lil Apacchi Rosebud, earned her Rally Novice title. She did it in 3 straight shows. First show, Watchung Mt. Poodle Club, score 97, 1st place. Second show, Poodle Obed. Training Club, score 99, 1st place. Third show, Washington Poodle Club, score 97, 2nd place. VIP Newsletter June Tom Reese, Maryland Dr. Tom Reese reports that his SP Wicket finished a TDX in March and an RE in April. So he is now “Miles Wicket of Wide Water VCD3, RE, SH” This makes Wicket the 4th VCD3 Standard Poodle in AKC records. Eva Mitchell, IN In April, it wasn’t pretty (I forgot myself and spoke to Faith on the fast. ), but it was for real. Am/U-GR CH Dream Faith in Freedom CD RE CGC (CHIC) completed her third CD leg at the St Paul Training Club show . She is CH Parade Protege TP X Am/Can/Int CH Tanzen Muffin’s Dream TP (CHIC) and was bred and is owned by Eva. She actually had a pretty credible run. She was lagging just a bit and I called her up (which judge had instructed those of us in Novice A to do if that happened.). As we went into the fast, she was right with me and I totally forgot and told her to “let’s go” which I would have done in Rally. It cost me points. Then, on the recall, she went right to the finish for the first time in her life. We were #112 (yes, this was Novice A and a nice class of 13 dogs showed!) and she sat and watched all of those people in front of us and figured out that everyone was calling their dog back to heel after the recall and she might as well just go there in the first place. She had a 181 1/2 which is a qualifying score, not a placement. We had been in Minneapolis to CERF dogs, deliver puppies to new owners, and for this show. We drove back to Indiana right after the show on Friday. Molly Brown (Dream Simply Irish Blessing RN-CHIC) was in whelp and due on May 4th. Saturday morning she decided to scratch around a bit and started popping out toys. Black toy girl, 4 oz. Brown toy boy, 4 1/2 ounces, and a really pretty brown girl that is 5 oz. Proud dad is Am/U-CH Dream Pickets Double Class RN (CHIC). Claudia Straitiff, NC Today (March 20, 2007) we picked up Ruffian from Chris and Rachel. We celebrated his Championship with duck throwing and swimming... He looks like a hairy wood tick swimming in the water -- but I am holding on to that hair until the title shows up on AKC then it is on to a nice short 7 or 5 blade! Claudia also managed to put together a wonderful PCA field event...an awards dinner and catalog of all the previous field and WC/X title holders. In addition, Mulligan attained another MH leg and a JH leg on CH Ascot For Your Eyes Only RN, the only SH pass with CH Ascot Boucheron Joalleria CD RN SH, and Wc and WCX passes at the PCA 2007 field events. Roslyn Beaman, ON In April, at the Victoria County Kennel Club show in Oakwood, Ontario, Owen picked up two more Open B legs and finished his CDX!! Oddly enough his scores were exactly the same (183) for each of the three legs so although what he goofed around with changed each time, he was certainly consistent...now, on to flyball and field work for the rest of the year....and utility in the fall! Bronte picked up two 2007 17 more CARO Rally legs a couple of weeks ago and earned her CARO Rally Novice title all with scores between 192-196... not too bad for a Poodle who doesn’t like regular obedience! This means that her title can read Rally Novice Magna Cum Laude. places, two were in Excellent B JWW 24”, one in Excellent B Standard 24”, and one in Novice FAST 24”. Her other qualifying run was a 4th place in Novice FAST 24”. With her two Novice FAST qualifications, she earned her Novice FAST title. She also earned her first Double Q. Her total points earned for the weekend were 94. Agility in Motion filmed Tia’s runs and has posted one of our runs on her website. The website address is www.agilityinmotion.com Carolyn Wray, OR Howie got his first CD leg....192.5 and 2nd in Novice B. He worked better than that until the recall where he ran in at a gallop, head and tail up and used my legs to brake so lost points for handler contact that plus his lame-brain mom sent him to heel to the left knowing that he does a better finish to the right. I was so happy by his fast recall that I lost my brain...poor Howie. Roslyn and Owen Charlene Shelton, HI Jon Jon and I got our second RAE leg. We had a 98 score in RE and a perfect score of 100 in RA (we took fourth place). And more recently.... On June 9 and 10 Sparkle and I were at the first two agility trials in Hawaii for 2007 and did very well. Sparkle got two legs in standard course & JWW and one leg in FAST all first places except for one second place in standard course on Sun. I blew the second leg in FAST because I stepped in the send out box. All her times except for the JWW on Sun were below SCT. We really had fun this weekend! Louann Currey, NY April 1, at the Staten Island UKC obedience trials, Ree finished her UCDX out of the Open B class with a 1st place, beating Nick who earned a 2nd place and the final points for his UOCH. :) In addition, I have a history making brag.... I did research at UKC. Nick’s UOCH has since been verified. It appears he is the first Triple Ch with a GRCH. Marlene Jurkovich, CA Friendships Ravens Tia O’MandM, AX, MXJ - call name Tia earned her MXJ Title in March at the Columbia River Agility Club Trial held in Albany, Oregon. At the Mensona Agility Trial held in Santa Rosa, California, May 5 & 6, Tia had a stellar weekend. Out of six runs, she qualified in five. Out of those five runs, she got four 1st places. Of those four 1st VIP Newsletter June And at PCA..... Shelby got a first in Novice JWW (8” Preferred) and Howie got a 2nd (12” Preferred). I was thrilled to have rosettes from the national! Shelby also got two first places in JWW at the all breed agility trials the weekend before. Howie was a wild boy in JWW and neither one would do the chute in Standard any of the three days. It was Howie’s first flight and he had to go cargo all the way to Dulles then we drove 4 hours to Salisbury. Howie also got his 2nd CD leg, a placement on PreNovice and 97 in Rally Novice B. And they both participated in a Parade of Champions and Titleholders...... beautiful rosettes with the 75th Medallion and their names and tiles printed on the streamers.....very cool! They had a jump, 6 weaves and a tunnel out and you could run your dogs through the sequence while all the crowd cheered and clapped and they played “Fame.” A kind breed person even scissored Shelby’s topknot up for me so she would look cuter doing her little course....not that Shelby could be much cuter than the little Toy poodle that she is LOL Shelby was entered in Rally Advanced B but informed me Tuesday AM that the princess was not inclined to do rally that day, and being the sometimes smart girl that I am, I listened to her and she spent her day keeping various laps occupied. PCA was great fun and the very best part is meeting so many friends...many of whom I only knew via internet.....and I somehow managed to NOT get on any toll roads except the Bay Bridge! Probably because I had my roll of quarters close at hand . Cathi Winkles, MI CH OTCH MACH 4 Ravendune Right on Q, UDX, RE earned his MACH 4 Agility Championship recently. At age 11 he’s still flying around the agility ring at top speed. Both Q and his “little brother” T, CH Ravendune Right On Target, RE earned their RE titles this spring as well. AND, Ch Ravendune Right On Target was High in Trial at the PCA 75th Anniversary Show!! 2007 18 Mary Ruth Calhoun, VA Tudorose McCheers NA, NAJ qualified for his first JH leg at the Labrador Retriever Club of The Potomac on May 5, 2007. Julie Piomiroo, CA Julie reports that Remy (Cosmic Love at First Sight CDX RA) earned his CDX June 10 at Contra Costa Kennel Club in Antioch. Now on to Utility! Becky Baxter, CO UKC/Int CH, UCD Anutta DeVyne Trick Or Treat CD, RA, NA, OAJ, PK1, PJ1, PI, PI Pairs, PDI, CGC/TDI “BOO” Received his AKC CDX title with 3 qualifying scores in a row! Boo is owned by Patti and Gene Downing and bred by Becky Baxter. Anutta New Years Resolution CD, RA, CGC- “MACIE” received her RE Rally title. Macie is owned by Sherrie Pendleton and bred by Becky Baxter. Anutta Ready Set and Intuit CD, RN, CGC - “REMY” receives her RA and RE Rally titles in one weekend. Remy is owned by Katheen Thompson and bred by Becky Baxter. Marquis Anutta Fine Wine CD, NA, CGC - “MERLOT” received his NAJ agility title. Merlot is owned by Becky Baxter and bred by Kathi Johnson. Moonstone’s Anutta Lucky Charm - “CHARM” is now a UKC conformation Champion. Owned by Becky Baxter and Gloria Ogdalh and bred by Kim Koopman. Debbi Cole, Fl Debbi reports that her bitch, CH. Debonair Da Maya First Belle CGC, NA, NAJ, VC and Ch. Huffish Entrapment, TP, produced a litter of Standard Poodle puppies was on Jun14th. This litter has wonderful potential for field , agility, obedience and conformation showing. Debbi is looking forward to the next “Versaility Poodle” to show at PCA in 2008. There are SEVEN male puppies in this litter. Correction: In the brags section of the April VIP newsletter the owner of Ch Cosmic Kabiri CDX, RN was incorrect. She is owned, trained and loved by Miriam Hillier, CA and not Grace Blair, who is the breeder and lives in MT rather than CA. Warning...Our Dog Ownership Rights Are in Danger!!! Letter to the BOD: The newsletter is always full of useful information-I read it cover to cover the moment I receive it. what to do with my Poodles now that Albuquerque, NM passed such draconian pet laws with mandatory spay and neuter. It’s disgraceful how a political body can, with a vote (not listen to the dog people) take so much pleasure out of living, loving and working with dogs. Animal Control here has taken on a gestapo attitude about mandatory spay and neuter or pay $150.00 per year per intact dog (limit 4). It’s a scary proposition when one considers Animal Control can come onto your property and confiscate your dogs from an anonymous telephone call. This brings me to a real issue to me about Dog Fancy, the magazine. Several of us in Albuquerque and across the country asked what is the criteria for #1 Dog Friendly City (as listed by Dog Fancy Magazine). The answer from Dog Fancy was “a city that has mandatory spay and neuter laws”. Because of this Animal Rights criteria, several people unsubscribed and pulled their ads. I would hope VIP places their educational ad NOT in Dog Fancy but in a magazine of the Animal Welfare philosophy not Animal Rights pholosophy. An aside: The bill HB1106 for mandatory spay and neuter in New Mexico was withdrawn by the sponsor. She vows to be back at next year’s legislative session, however. We have another insidious bill SB458/HB453 called Sheltering Services that has made it through committees with DO PASS. Unfortunately, this bill(s) if passed by the legislature forms a NM Department of Euthanasia with tax money funding to train people off the street to euthanize animals, puts controlled substances into their possession and trusts them to safeguard these substances properly. This department would not be under the Veterinary Board but under the Animal Protection NM jurisdiction which is the Animal Rights group with lots of money behind it. APNM has Governor Bill Richardson’s blessing. Richardson is running for nomination for President on the Democratic ticket. He is very shrewd and knows how to use the media to his advantage and has lots of dollars behind him. Sincerely, Frances Lavender-Fish P.S. Use my dues toward anything but an ad in DOG FANCY. Dr. Carmen Batagglia has written a detailed article about the erosion of our rights to own animals: Dr. Carmen Batagglia’s article: http://www.charlestonkennelclub.org/ (go to the bottom of the news section to find the link) Dog ownership is under a severe attack in California. (And the rest of the USA as well.) A bill I’m sorry to send my dues check so late. My quandary is called AB 1634 has passed the California Assembly and is now before the California Senate. Vote is set for July 9. This bill mandates the spay or neuter of ALL dogs over the VIP Newsletter 2007 June 19 age of four months unless the breeder/owner has a costly permit which can only be obtained by proving that their dogs compete in certain approved dog events. This bill is just the tip of the iceberg which is sweeping across the US. Please, if you value the companionship of a dog, get yourself informed and work to defeat this bill and those who sponsor such draconian ideas. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) are two of the most insidious organizations which want to eliminate all animal ownership. I am not kidding! Their stated goal is the elimination of ALL animal ownership. How could anyone be against the “ethical treatment of animals”? The details are in the understanding of the meaning of the statement. These people are eco-terrorists and individuals supporting them have been prosecuted for such actions as releasing thousands of domestic fur-bearing animals into the countryside where they were slaughtered by the hundreds on an interstate highway and the rest quickly killed by predators. These AR people have performed many more horrendous acts including taking “rescue dogs” from veterinarian offices (after telling the vets that the animals were going to loving homes which were waiting for them) and killing them and dumping them into dumpsters in shopping malls. There are literally hundreds of examples of the actions and ideas that the PETA and HSUS organizations condone with the goal of eliminating animals from our lives. “Better Dead than Owned” is their motto. They would like to FORCE each of us to become vegan vegetarians as well. Many wealthy and well-meaning people donate to PETA and HSUS, believing that the names of the organizations indicate their goals. If you are unaware of the ethics, morals and goals of PETA and the HSUS it is time that you did some studying! Read articles in the Canine Chronicle, go to the National Animal Interest Alliance website < http://www.naiaonline. org/> and study the links. Sign up for news bulletins from http://www.petpac.net/, http://saveourdogs.net/ and http:// www.saova.org/. And then also go to the PETA and HSUS websites and critically read their information. Some of the impacts of a successful “Animal Rights” program would be: 9. No more police dogs for officer protection and criminal apprehension 10. No land mine detection animals 11. No more equestrian events 12. No more 4-H activities for the education of children about farm animals 13. No more aviaries or pet birds 14. No more zoos or captive breeding for the preservation of endangered species 15. And of course, no more pet dogs, cats or other animals 16. Mandatory spay/neuter laws don’t work http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/BigLieGraphs.pdf http://www.naiaonline.org/issues/California_graphs.htm https://petpac.net/PetPAC_Truth_Graph.pdf After you have become educated on the issues and dangers then please consider some of these actions: 1. Donate to the organizations working to protect our rights to own and live with our animals (NAIA, PetPAC, SOAVA, ADOA and Save Our Animals for instance) 2. Vote with your pocketbook, don’t buy from stores and organizations which support and/or donate to any of the “Animal Rights” organizations 3. Talk to your neighbors, friends and family members to help them understand the dangers of the legislation being proposed and the dangers of the AR agenda 4. Write to your local, state and national legislators as soon as they are elected and regularly thereafter in an attempt to help to educate them about the “Animal Rights” agenda 5. Vote, vote, vote at every opportunity 1. No more dog shows or performance events 6. Write to organizations which support the “Animal Rights” ideas to let them know why you are not buying from them 2. No more dairy products on the store shelves 7. Let AKC know that you are opposed to supporting any and all AR activities, including holding dog shows in cities which support AR policies (For instance, the big AKC show in Long Beach, CA, schedules for this autumn should be moved to a different state because the Long Beach members of the CA Assembly voted in favor of the AB 1634 bill!) 3. No more meat or eggs to eat or cook with 4. No more drug detection dogs 5. No more search and rescue dogs 6. No more leather products 8. Continue to stay informed, educate others and VOTE 7. No more use of animals for medical research so new vaccines and drugs would be nearly impossible VIP Newsletter 8. Minimal new genetic tests for human diseases would be found June 2007 20 New VIP Fundraiser Sponsored by Jac Harbour This statue, made from a plastic-like material, is about 30 1/2” tall by 23” long and weighs approximately 10 pounds. It is probably not weather resistant. The raffle will run for 6 months from June 19 until December 19 with delivery after Christmas. Winner to pay shipping and handling charges. Tickets are a $1.00 each or 3 for $2.00 or 15 for $12.00 Contact Jac Harbour at [email protected] or send money to 58380 S Division Rd, St Helens, OR 97051, USA VIP Newsletter June 2007 21 Versatility In Poodles, Inc. OFFICERS President: Irma Shanahan, Baldwin, MD Treasurer: Grace Blair, Sheridan, MT Recording Secretary: Roslyn Beaman, Oshawa, ON, Canada Vice President: Dudley Fontaine, Fletcher, NC Corresp. Secy: Becky Baxter, Elbert, CO NEWSLETTER POLICIES CONTENTS The aim of this newsletter is to publish articles, stories, pictures, etc. which will educate Poodle owners and breeders about the health of the breed and promote the welfare of the Poodle as a versatile breed of dog. Contributions are welcomed. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the newsletter, it’s editors, the Versatility In Poodles, Inc. or it’s members. All content is subject to final approval by the editors and/or the Board of Directors of the organization. COPYRIGHT: 2007, Versatility In Poodles, Inc. Any portion of this newsletter may be reprinted for educational purposes, provided that correct acknowledgement is given to Versatility In Poodles, Inc. or the author of the item. ADVERTISING: rates: $15-full page; $10.00 half page; $6 1/4 page or business card size; subject to approval of the Board of Directors and/or editor. CIRCULATION: The newsletter will be sent to members and subscribers. Complimentary copies will be sent to non-member clubs and contribotors. Requests for subscriptions and address changes should be sent to the Treasurer at the address below. Membership: $25 USA, $30 foreign countries. Subscription: $20 per year USA and $25 foreign countries. Dues and subscription fees are due by December 31 of each year. Dedicated to the health and welfare of Poodles everywhere! Treasurer: Grace Blair, P.O. Box 892, Sheridan, MT 59749 [email protected] Canadians may pay in Canadian funds to: Barbara O’Donaughy, P.O. Box 1436, 370 4th Ave, Hope, BC, V0X 1L0, Canada Editor: P.O. Box 892 Sheridan, MT 59749 VIP Newsletter June 2007 22
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