Retriever Magazine

RETRIEVER
magazine
year 4 - number 7 - RCI newsletter
Neon shines bright
at Sandringham
Field Trials
for retrievers
Dysplasia in
growing pups
Backstage with
Massimo Perla
l’editoriale
We can hardly believe this is our last issue…
This project began towards the end of 2008. Full of enthusiasm, we wanted to create a
specialist magazine dedicated solely to retrievers. We spoke with Elena Casolari Videsott,
President of Retrievers Club Italiano, and Laura Sgorbati Buosi, another board member.
It was a special moment for the Club: we had just launched a new structure segregating
the Club into individual breed sections and a working section, and we liked the idea of
creating a publication that could be a gathering point for all of the breeds and that would
speak to everyone: Labrador, Golden and Flat lovers, fanciers of the ring and of field. A
magazine that would also report important news from beyond our borders, and that would
be a pleasure to look at and read!
in this issue:
•RCI Editorial – by the magazine staff
made in Italy: a look at pedigree dogs with Enci judge Paolo Dondina
•BIS
by Laura Sgorbati Buosi
•Neon shines bright at Sandringham: report of the 2010
With much enthusiasm we discussed the guidelines in which to move. We were fortunate
to receive a great deal of support from Elena and Laura, and later from Stefania Sammaruca
Roche who succeeded Elena as President.
Retriever Championship – by Phil Wagland
•Field Trials for retrievers: from the old to the new
Thanks to skype we were able to hold interminable meetings without moving an inch from
our desks: Milan, Borgosesia, Sassari and Vicenza connected, so that we could dream
and discuss for hours how to construct the magazine. It had to be for “everyone”,
independent, impartial, with something for every member - breeding, shows, work – we
wanted readers to find at least one interesting article in each issue. It had to have pleasing
and elegant graphics, and to talk to “retrieverists” of all breeds about the activities in
which our dogs excel, without forgetting their origins as gundogs.
by Angelo Zoccali - introduced by Martino Salvo
•What can you get from KCAI? – by Anthea Lawrence
•Dysplasia in growing pups – by Marco Morlotti
•Backstage with Massimo Perla: he’s with the dogs – by Ilaria Martinelli
•A Legend in the field – by Susan Brown
•Dogs that smile – by Donatella de Lucia
•The Growl – by Cinzia Stefanini
Notonlyretrievers – books, tv, gifts, news
•edited
by Patty Fellows and Alessandra Franchi
Martino Salvo
editor
Patty Fellows
writers
Alessandra Franchi
writers
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this issue,
and to Tiziano Cagnoni for photo on the cover.
Leonardo Langiu
layout/graphics
The RCI does not necessarily agree with or support the ideas published in every article, which freely express the opinions of individual authors.
Now that the “product” is well established and has received favorable feedback – we’re
proud to have been asked to allow some of our articles to be reprinted, even in other
countries – we’re giving it back to the Club, so that new forces are free to improve it and
make it grow. We believe strongly in the utility of a breed club dedicated to all retrievers,
and thank everyone who is willing to dedicate their time and energy to the cause!
We salute all of you and thank all those that have helped us over the years in a thousand
ways: with advice, translations, by sending photos and passing on interesting topics:
GRAZIE DI CUORE!
Martino Salvo, Patty Fellows, Alessandra Franchi and Leonardo Langiu
show world
show world
clear, therefore, that I have never
followed so-called ‘fashions’ and
have always judged dogs in the ring
by comparing them to the phenotype
of their written Standard.
For many breeds, especially those
within the sporting group, I have
sought to adequately and with
discernment favor the ‘historic
model’.”
How do you think we can avoid
following the latest trend when
interpreting breed Standards?
“I repeat: by applying breed
Standards in a rigorous and correct
way.”
BIS MADE IN ITALY
A look at pedigree dogs with Enci Judge Paolo Dondina
by Laura Sgorbati Buosi
What is the dream - rarely confessed - of any show judge? Surely to be called upon to judge Best in
Show at Westminster and at Crufts, two of the most coveted and important expo’s in the world. Well, this
year the double dream became reality for Italian judge Paolo Dondina, who made history in the annals of
pedigree dogs, while bringing along – for the first time – both Italy and the FCI.
A breeder of Beagles since the 1970’s, Dondina has
always favored England. From there – from Mr. Sutton’s
Rossut kennels – he imported his first important dogs.
With his friend Benelli, in 1975, he won Best in Show
at Crufts presenting a splendid rough-coated Fox
Terrier bitch, Ch. Brookwire Brandy ofLajven. Standing
out among his most significant accomplishments
there are: Top Hound in England, 2001; fifth place in
Top Dog rankings, again in England in 2002; and the
much coveted Cajelli Trophy in 2004 with Ch. Dialynne
Gambit.
Now, with Crufts and Westminster, Paolo Dondina has
reached the vertex of an already prestigious career.
What person would be better than him to help us take a
look at the dog world today? For this reason we asked
him for this interview.
unsurpassed in the world. Whoever has not yet attended
this ‘school’ (and immediately afterwards those in
America, Germany and France) in my judgment lacks an
indispensible baggage of experience and, furthermore,
of approach and sensibility to ‘judging’. But I could be
wrong!
England is the country where I judged my first BIS (1969)
and also my last: at Crufts, precisely, this year. I had the
honor – and the responsibility – to judge several breeds,
along with Group placements and repeatedly BIS at
many of the most important Championship Shows in
England.
Incidentally, next year I’ll judge Terrier Group placements
at Crufts and in 2014 I might be back at Crufts for an
important finale!
Over past decades I’ve visited many
of the most important breeding
kennels; I’ve also learned a great
deal from past judges, true leaders of
the movement that are unfortunately
missing in most of the world today. I’ve
had many positive experiences (but
also some negative ones). It would
take a book of memories to describe
them all. Perhaps one day, when I’m
close to a hundred years, and my
strength begins to decline, I’ll sit down
to write an autobiography of my long
life with dogs.”
When you judge in the ring, do you
always use the same approach?
“I always try to have the same
approach, but possible differences
depend on a great many conditions:
the state of the judge, that of the
handler, how the dogs are groomed,
the quality and number of dogs
shown, the venue…”
You have said to be especially
interested in the “type” of dog that
represents historic standards. Can
you elaborate on this idea?
You have said that England was your “school for
dogs”. Before this important assignment at Crufts,
what experiences did you have there and what did
you learn?
“There is only one ‘type’, the one that
is described in the original Standard,
because Standards, if changed over
the years, have only introduced
minor changes (except those recently
modified in England for several
breeds to respect the wellbeing and
functionality of pedigree dogs). It’s
“I consider England the true fatherland of purebred
dogs, and of the most famous breeders and judges. It is,
in particular, the nation where, in the 1800’s, standards
were created for pointing, hunting and retrieving breeds,
almost all of the terriers and many companion dogs, not
to mention hounds. All of these breeds were selected
over decades, until they reached levels of excellence
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5
show world
show world
How much do you think a judge is responsible for
influencing the evolution of dog breeds?
“This evolution also depends on the preparation and
experience of breeders, not to mention the honesty
(also intellectual) of judges.”
Regarding the pedigree dog scene, how would you
compare Italy to America and England?
“To be sincere we’re well behind, even if I recognize
that progress has been made in recent years. There are
countries very close to us, especially looking towards the
East, that are even worse off. My impression is that we
need to get rid of a certain ‘provincialism’ and a certain
presumption that Italians are the best at everything.
Other countries most certainly see in Italy a kind of
‘creative gift for improvisation’ and we suffer from this
perception also with dogs. But, beyond this paradox,
I would like to recognize the more than good results
of many serious breeders, as well as their well merited
victories in Italy and abroad - in England, the US and
Northern Europe.”
Following this milestone, what are your future
plans?
“It has become a ‘must’ for me to select among the
many invitations I receive to judge, and to continue to
enjoy myself thanks to this hobby, until those close to
me create an impediment and threaten to disqualify me.
I’m only joking, but I’ll most certainly stop when I retain,
to the best of my mental faculties, that it is the right
moment to remove myself for the good of everyone.”
Retrievers Club Italiano thanks the British Kennel
Club and Westminster Kennel Club for the photos
of the two events, and RCI member Franco Barberi
for his help with the interview.
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PAOLO DONDINA TALKS
ABOUT AWARDING BIS AT CRUFTS
PAOLO DONDINA TALKS ABOUT
AWARDING BIS AT WESTMINSTER
“My final decision, after an attentive evaluation
of each subject in the ring, both at stand and in
movement, was to award BIS to the Flat Coated
Retriever Sh Ch Vbos The Kentuckian, who has
won many important competitions and was
presented on the day in perfect condition.
This mature nine-year-old dog won me over for
his great type, solidity, physical condition,
brilliant black coat, well-proportioned body and
ideally balanced psychophysical state.
The superb movement in the ring of the winning
dog enthused not only the judge, but also the
many fans present! His handler truly facilitated
my decision with a perfect presentation both in
stand and in movement.
I gave reserve BIS to the only female present,
the very beautiful eighteen-month-old Solestrad
Peek a Boo, a Petit Griffon of Vandea that I
believe will have a great future, gifted as she is
with an extroverted and festive temperament,
an ideal head with a soft expression and dark
eyes, a perfectly harmonious body, and a rough
and rustic coat. Movement was another great
strongpoint of this promising young bitch who
well merited being crowned ‘Miss Crufts’.”
“The fame of the Westminster Show is exalted
and increased by direct television coverage
broadcast across the United States for at least
three hours a day. Credible sources have told me
that about nine million people followed
Westminster 2011 from their homes on television
every evening.
Also the specialist press was very much present,
along with direct radio coverage, and these
journalists were all involved in the crowded press
conference at the end of the event. As in the past,
the BIS winner was considered – as I later learned
from the press – a real star of the entertainment
world, and she was invited to appear on numerous
television programs.
I chose this six-year-old Scottish Deerhound,
GCH Foxcliffe Hickory Wind, among seven
finalists. She was bred and raised in a vast farm
in Virginia by Cecilia and Scott Dove, famous
breeders of Scottish Deerhounds, a dog originally
used to hunt deer. ‘Hickory’ was presented by
Angela Lloyd, a young professional handler and
winner of the ‘Junior Handler Showmanship’
award in 1998, also held at Madison Square
Garden.”
working world
working world
Report of the
2010 Retriever
Championship
NEON SHINES BRIGHT
Nel rispetto degli altri concorrenti, crearsi il proprio spazio.
at Sandringham
by Phil Wagland
Despite the December freeze the 2010 IGL Retriever Championship was able to take place at Sandringham by gracious invitation of Her Majesty the Queen. A record 58 had qualified, with 54 runners on the
first day, Tuesday 7th December. Experienced management of the ground and game supply by Headkeeper David Clark and the estate staff meant that we could still finish by 2pm on the Thursday with the top
dogs having had 11 retrieves. As expected, Black Labradors predominated, but there were 14 Yellow
Labradors and 4 Golden Retrievers. 7 former Championship winning handlers competed, including last
year’s winner John Halsted, who was handling four dogs. With last year’s 1st and 2nd, plus 2 young dogs
he would be a strong contender. However 15 newcomers would also have hopes of success.
Smooth organization by IGL Secretary Philip Wainwright and his helpers ensured the trial flowed smoothly, with
generally good viewing for the many spectators, including contingents from several European countries. The
experienced judges were Roger Tozer and Darren
Hales on the right flank, with Tess Lawrence and Ian to show their marking, handling and gamefinding.
Openshaw on the left. Throughout they were to judge The first day took place in two large fields of sugar beet
positively and give the handlers and dogs the chance at Ling House Farm. The weather was fine but very
cold. In the low temperatures snow filled the
spaces between the rows of green-leaved beet.
The low numbers were soon in action with
retrieves on pheasants or hares. Things went
smoothly until one pheasant was dropped in the
woodland on the left. After four dogs had been
tried the judges picked the bird by hand to
eliminate all four. More good work followed
including accurate marks by David Latham’s
young yellow dog F.T.Ch.Delfleet Neon of
Fendawood. After one dog failed to get to the fall
of a runner newcomer Roger Ketley took his
chance and succeeded with Highroost Brooke.
Another runner was picked by Merryway Purdey
of Holway. Handled by previous championship
winner Robert Atkinson, this Golden bitch then
picked a hare second dog down. F.T.Ch. Cherwood
Ace of Spades (2nd last year) also looked smart,
J. Halsted with Rocket and Ian Openshaw
handled by the experienced John Halsted. As he
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Kirsty Cousins and Mike Tallamy waiting in line
was handling four dogs they could not always take their
place in the line at the correct time, so the gallery had to
wait to see last year’s champion F.T.Ch.Roberto
Rannaldini of Bolton Abbey which was running as
number 32. Several Yellow Labradors
caught the eye with smart work, Jim
Swindlehurst, Alan Schofield and Linda
Partridge running one after the other.
Several dogs had dry runs on birds not
picked, which affected subsequent work
so some suffered eyewipes or first dog
failures. After lunch we walked another
beet field. There was plenty of game as
we approached the cover surrounding a
pond. Two hares were shot close to the
line on the left. The two right hand dogs
failed. Moved across from the left Jenny
Hankey’s bitch picked one, but the other
eluded both Alan Rountree’s dog and
Jenny’s which almost trod on the hare
without scenting it. Four gone. A flush of
pheasants from the pond hole produced
several retrieves. One pheasant in the
cover defeated three more dogs, which
were eyewiped by F.T.Ch.Emmanygan
Ramble a yellow dog owned by the
Duchesss of Devonshire and handled by
John Halsted. Continuing through the beet the first
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round was completed and the second round of one
retrieve commenced. The lower numbers did some
good work, notably another eyewipe for John Halsted
with litter brother to “Ramble” Emmanygan Rocket of
Chatsworth owned by Lady Celina Carter. Jim Swindlehurst’s Adoraden Quinn was another yellow dog to
shine, as it took a line on a strong runner. Thus Yellow
Labradors were showing strongly. Among the Black
Labradors, Roger Ketley’s Brooke gained an eyewipe
to maintain a challenge. However as scent deteriorated
problems ensued. Four dogs failed to find a woodcock
10m from the line, first to go being the promising
Ramble, back in for his second round. Although the
judges also could not pick, Ramble had to be discarded
as first dog down. So the day ended with a bag of 106,
27 hares, 2 woodcock and 77 pheasants. At this point
25 had been eliminated, 11 eyewiped by dogs, 6
eyewiped by the judges, 3 first dog failures, and 5 for
misdemeanors.
On Wednesday we met close to Anmer village. The
weather was still cold, with a few snow showers. 29
started the day, 26 Labradors and 3 Goldens. A few
had to finish the 2nd round, of which 2 were quickly lost
for misdemeanors. The judges decided on 2 retrieves
in the third round, utilizing cross retrieves when
appropriate to stretch the dogs. Two of the low numbers
were eliminated for faults. Richard Ashdown’s Golden
Mistybrook Bracken impressed working second at
great distance on a strong runner, but was unsuccessful
and had to be content with marked retrieves on dead
birds. The six guns continued to shoot well, with only
occasional runners, one of which was quickly picked by
Jim Swindlehurst with winners David Latham
and Deefleet Neon
working world
Ace of Spades. David Latham, Alan Schofield, and
Linda Partridge (all with Yellow Labradors) completed
eyewipes. In all 7 dogs were out in the 3rd round,
leaving 17 Labradors and 3 Goldens to tackle 2 more
retrieves in the 4th. Sandra Halstead was running at 4
with F.T.Ch.Levenghyll Silvercloud of Drakeshead,
placed in the last two years. Following son John with
Rocket at 3 she produced consistently good work but
was given no chance of an eyewipe. Despite patches of
weed in the beet the standard of work was high. Jim
Swindlehurst was pleased with an eyewipe by Quinn,
and Roger Ketley’s Brooke maintained a challenge
with another eyewipe. Alan Schofield’s Eastdale Harry
took a strong runner a long way down the rows. Most
impressive was the work of the Golden Retriever
Gortons Red Ruby Rascal handled by Kirsty Cousins.
After straight marks in earlier rounds she rose to the
challenge, earning credit for an eywipe, followed by a
strong runner collected in style. After lunch a nearby
field produced the few birds needed to finish the 4th
round. The bag for the second day was 85, 12 hares, 1
rabbit and 72 pheasants. 14 dogs had completed 7
retrieves, but Robert Atkinson’s Golden was discarded
at this stage. This left 13 for the final day, 2 Goldens, 5
working world
final bird was a runner far left, but a good effort by
Schofield’s Harry was to end in the disappointment of a
first dog failure.
Five dogs had completed 10 retrieves, and four others
had enough good work to be selected to sit the final
drive. A long game plot was driven towards the six guns
concealed alongside the entrenched Wolferton Creek.
The leading five dogs were then sent in numerical order
for retrieves across the creek to the far bank, followed
by the other four that had sat the drive.
A. Schofield with Eastdale Harry
fence, beyond which was a belt of scrubby woodland
with cover to test the dogs. The line was extended to
stretch the dogs with some guns amongst the trees.
John Halsted’s Rocket had 2 retrieves across the fence
into the trees. Richard Ashdown’s Bracken failed to
handle when through the fence and was eyewiped by
Dave Latham’s Neon. Sandra’s Silvercloud had retrieves
to the left in the grass and on a bank. Ketley’s Brooke
had a woodcock forward and a partridge in
thick cover beyond the fence. Swindlehurst’s Quinn picked a bird in the wood and
a hare in the grass. Beyond a cross fence
the rough grass gave way to a maize plot
and plough. The wood on the right produced
birds for retrieves by Schofield’s Harry and
Linda
Partridge’s
F.T.Ch.Braidenvale
Spinnaker, which needed rather more
handling. Birds flushed from the wood, with
a wounded cock dropped in the wood and
dead partridges on the plough. Kirsty
Cousins’ Ruby Rascal was sent for the
pheasant. Live game made work on a
runner difficult and the Golden failed to
find. Harry and Spinnaker were then tried,
Judges T. Lawrence, D. Hales, R. Tozer and I. Openshaw
Black Labradors and 6 Yellow. Five handlers had
previously won the Championship : Sandra Halstead
(1979, Mike Tallamy (2002), David Latham(2003), Jim
Swindlehurst (2005), and John Halsted (2009). John
had 3 dogs to handle. Linda Partridge, Alan Schofield,
and Richard Ashdown had competed previously, and
Roger Ketley and Kirsty Cousins were running for the
first time.
The final day was held on the levels near the Wash.
The dogs walked up tussock grass, bordered by a wire
A long walk back had the gallery and helpers agreeing
it had been a well organized, positively judged and
closely contested championship all made possible by
the marvellous supply of game and variety of ground.
This view was echoed by President Richard Parker’s
closing address as he thanked the sponsors and
organizers and welcomed the Sandringham agent
Marcus O’Lone to present the awards.
Gathering in a barn we awaited the results. With so
many Yellow Labradors in the run-offs would they
manage to snatch victory from the Black Labradors?
Would a newcomer win, or would the experienced old
hands triumph? It proved to be a Yellow victory, and
experience just held sway over new enthusiasm.
R. Ketley sends Highroost Brook (2nd place) on his last
retrieve
followed by Ace of Spades as J Halsted now had that
dog in line. When the judges looked the bird had gone
the last three were given retrieves for partridges on the
plough, but the Golden, which was a leading contender,
had to be discarded. The line turned back across a new
stretch of tussock grass. Mike Tallamy’s black dog
F.T.Ch.Brindlebay Butler had been consistent so far, but
failed on a runner in front of the gallery on the left. Ace
of Spades and Dick Sorley’s yellow bitch F.T.Ch.Anson
Anne of Denbank were tried on the runner, and then on
a wounded hare. Next Ace of Spades had success on
a long mark on a distant partridge. This allowed John to
bring Rannaldini into line. Sorley’s Anne picked a
partridge, then Rannaldini a pheasant. A forward gun
had dropped a partridge a long way off. Anne was tried
but after the two dry runs earlier went off the whistle and
was reluctant to return. John Halsted handled last year’s
winner to the area, but could not find and it was picked
by hand, thus ending a worthy defence of his title.
The top seven dogs were then brought in for one more
retrieve. Another partridge out front was nominated for
John Halsted and the young yellow dog Rocket. After a
lengthy effort he was called up and Sandra finally got
her chance for an eyewipe which was duly completed
by Silvercloud. Latham’s Neon, Ketley’s Brooke, and
Swindlehurst’s Quinn completed retrieves either in the
grass or through a fence to cover under pine trees. The
Ace of Spades (4th place) retrieves to J. Halsted
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R. Ashdown takes retrieve from Mistibrook Bracken
working world
working world
from the old
to the new
FIELD TRIALS
FULL RESULTS
Phil
Wagland
1st David Latham’s Yellow Labrador dog FT
Ch Delfleet Neon of Fendawood
(F.T.Ch.Mediterian Blue x Delfleet Dawn Flush
DoB 02-06-08)
for retriever
by Angelo Zoccali
2nd Roger Ketley’s Black Labrador Highroost
Brooke
A retired teacher, Phil Wagland has bred
working Goldens for the past 35 years.
He is an“A” panel Field Trial Judge and
Secretary for two retriever clubs.
QUOTES
Tess Lawrence (Judge and previous winner)
“It has been an honour to judge an excellent
Championship on this prestigious ground. All four
of us have got on so well as a team and offer our
thanks to David Clark and his staff for their hard
work.”
Roger Ketley (First time competitor)
“I have exceeded my expectations and hopes in
completing 11 retrieves over three superb days.”
Axel Schaefer (German visitor)
“Wonderful organization to produce so much
game so that so many dogs could be thoroughly
tested.”
Steve Jolly (Former winner)
“It brings the memories of 1998 back and it is nice
to see some old faces as well as new handlers
enjoying trials.”
*RCI thanks author Phil Wagland and Shooting
Times magazine for the permission to reprint
this article.
Field Trials for retrievers in Italy have undergone a radical renewal thanks to the new regulations that
came into effect this year. The project originated with the Committee of the Working Section of the RCI
setting up a commission of technical experts selected from among the most highly qualified in the
sector. This project had two main objectives. On the one hand consideration was given to handlers and
dogs who wish to confront the first experience in the world of this type of competition offering, at last,
an occasion for evaluating the natural qualities of and attitude towards retrieving, and to verify that the
dog is typical of the breed. On the other hand we proposed a structure subdivided into various levels in
order to offer situations suitable for more homogeneous groups of handlers and dogs up to the highest
competitive level.
3rd Sandra Halstead’s Black Labrador bitch
FT Ch Levenghyl Silvercloud of Drakeshead
4th Mrs Cherry Finlan’s Black Labrador dog
FT Ch Cherwood Ace of Spades (handler
John Halsted)
DIPLOMA OF MERITS
(Members of the RCI Commission: Chiara Berzacolo, Cinzia Masetti Fedi Sgorbati, Beppe Masia e Angelo Zoccali.)
Lady Celina Carter’s Yellow Labrador dog
Emmanygan Rocket of Chatsworth (handler
John Halsted)
Principal innovations and differences between the
old and the new regulations
Jim Swindlehurst’s Yellow Labrador dog
Adoraden Quinn
Compared to those of the past the new regulations
offer many more opportunities both for participants and
for those who organize and evaluate the dogs.
Mr & Mrs Schofield’s Yellow Labrador dog
Eastdale Harry (handler Alan Schofield)
The subdivision of the trials into five levels, based
on qualifications obtained, allows for having dogs of
similar levels of training and experience in the line. This
permits the judge to plan and evaluate the trial more
effectively.
Linda Partridge’s Yellow Labrador dog FT Ch
Braidenvale Spinnaker
Kirsty Cousins’s Golden Retriever bitch Gortons
Red Ruby Rascal
NAMES OF GUNS ON THE THIRD DAY
Marcus O’Lone, Alex George, Tom Goodridge,
Simon Hickling, Ian McKenzie, Peter Ord.
*Photos without captions kindly lent by Tiziano Cagnoni.
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The official recognition by ENCI (the Italian Kennel
Club) of the role of a person with overall responsibility for the trial (introduced in the new regulations)
guarantees professional running of the competition
and organization. The person fulfilling this role can be
nominated by the organizing committee from a list of
experts and he/she will be responsible for all aspects
of the trial regarding terrain, supply of game, organizing
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the guns, the disposition of the line and will be the
essential link between the guns and the judges. His role
is to ensure that the trial is technically appropriate for
the various classes.
The Attitudinal Hunting Test was introduced to provide
the opportunity for beginners with little or no preparation
to be evaluated, allowing breeders and newcomers to
working world
working world
champion dogs had to gain three Attitudinal Certificates
of the Italian Championship (CAC).
The long-awaited new field trial regulations for retrievers became operative on January 1st 2011.
Important innovations were studied to better adhere to the multiple functions of these trials. Of course
the main aim is to select the best retrievers for breeding for the continual improvement of the breeds
but we must not forget that this sport is practised by many amateurs who just want to put their team
- dog and handler - to the test in a formal competition. The extremes of many aspects of the trials,
even if technically correct, risked keeping newcomers away as the level of proficiency required of a
dog was very high just to be able to reach the end of the trial or to get a good result. Owners of show
line dogs who wished to get a qualification in a trial to complete an international championship faced
great problems, finding themselves competing against dogs with a very high level of preparation. In
fact, we must not forget that our sport demands two fundamental requirements: the natural abilities
of each dog and a high degree of formal training that channels these abilities and adds competency
that has nothing to do with the DNA of a retriever. A greater number of classes in competition, under
the new regulations, has sought to rectify this aspect. But another problem raised by many was the
lack of clear rules as I’ll describe below in my brief introduction to Angelo Zoccoli’s excellent report.
‘English’ style field trials: This was a field trial at
a higher level with dogs off lead. Normally at this
level an International Attitudinal Certificate (CACIT)
could be awarded. Dogs gaining a certificate at this
level were not expected to return to competing at the
lower level.
For fun, about fifteen years ago I ventured into retriever Working Tests with my first dog. I came from
a background of obedience training. I asked my trainer to teach me how to confront the exercises
involved in the basic level of Working Test (then called PAR ‘D’), and the answer was “get them to
send you the regulations with a descriptions of the exercises”. And so I did. We studied the regulations
and I confronted my first test quite well. I cannot say the same for when I wanted to try to attempt my
first field trial. Internet did not exist then. I realised that one competed using an ‘oral’ tradition of rules
that originated in England. I went to ENCI (the Italian Kennel Club) and they gave me the regulations
that contained about 4-5 articles and nowhere did it say anything about Eye-wipe, First dog down,
spitting the game, hunting with the game in the mouth, eliminating errors and serious errors…all
things that the experts knew very well but were not to be found written anywhere. Just think that until
a few months ago no formal regulations existed for the so-called ‘French’ style field trials. The new
regulations have, therefore, brought great benefit to this sector; the most urgent. After all, where’s the
sense in playing football if you don’t know where to kick the ball?
The new field trials
Field trials after January 2011: national field trials are
divided into five levels.
Martino Salvo
1) Attitudinal Hunting Test
2) Novice field trial
3) Open field trial
4) Champions field trial
5) Championship
participate in a field trial. This was previously impossible
due to the higher level of preparation required. There is
no classification in this class but each dog is evaluated
individually and given a qualification.
Higher competitive levels were introduced up to
championship level, the final field trial reserved for the
best dogs in order to identify and award the top dog of
the year.
Bitches now have an abbreviated path to becoming a
champion to allow for breeding which necessitates long
absences from the competitive world.
1) Attitudinal Hunting Test. This is the first level of
the hunting tests with the aims of encouraging dogs
at the beginning of their hunting test experience even
if they have not yet reached a sufficiently complete
level of training, of identifying the best dogs and,
above all, of evaluating the natural qualities of the dog
in his first hunting test with the objective of obtaining
a qualification under the present regulations.
Hence each dog will be evaluated separately, given a
qualification and not entered in a classification.
Attitudinal Hunting Tests are for dogs over 18 months
of age that have not yet obtained a classification of
Excellent in any field trial held in Italy. The regulations
provide for making some exceptions with respect to
that foreseen in other higher level trials.
Partial use of cold game is possible in an Attitudinal
Hunting Test.
If the dog completes the test successfully he will be
given a qualification of Good, Very Good or Excellent.
The qualification is valid for entry in Working Class at
shows and also for obtaining a stud number.
The title of Field Trial Winner was introduced as an
intermediate award for dogs that, having won a trial, are
continuing with training and participation in trials
A glance at the past
Field Trials prior to 2011. Previous to the new regulations
coming into effect field trials were divided into two types:
‘French’ style field trials and ‘English’ style field trials.
‘French’ style field trials: This type of trial was for
dogs not yet made up to champion. The use of the
lead was at the choice of the handler. To be made up to
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2) Novice Field Trials. This is the second level of
field trial where dogs compete for a CAC, are given a
qualification and are entered in the classification. Dogs
working on or off lead makes no difference to the result.
Dogs must be steady also on lead, which must not be
held under tension.
All dogs are given the chance of a second retrieve
unless an eliminatory error was committed on the first
retrieve.
To assist the dog if a retrieve is at a long distance, the
Judge can decide to take the dog and handler nearer
to the area of the presumed fall of the bird. The first
retrieve should demonstrate the natural abilities of the
dog so the handler and dog should be put in such a
position to be able to carry out the retrieve without
excessive handling.
Dogs of any breed of retriever that has not yet obtained
a CAC in a field trial in Italy can compete in this class.
3)Open Field Trial. Open field trials are organized for
dogs with a higher level of preparation who are not yet
made up to champion. The open field trial must bring out
the natural qualities of the dog after adequate training
that must never make up for the lack of natural abilities.
Dogs of any breed of retriever that have not yet obtained
three CAC’s in a field trial in Italy can compete in this
class.
working world
working world
4) Champions Field Trial. This class is organized dogs
with a higher level of preparation that should justify the
title of Champion.
All dogs made up to Field Trial Champion or have
obtained three CAC’s in an Italian field trial must
participate in the class. Made up champions in other
countries (recognized by FCI) and ratified British
champions can also compete.
5)Championship Trial. The aim of the Championship is
to identify the top dog of the year. Participating dogs can
compete only on merit obtained in Open and Champion
field trials held during the proceeding season (from
after the last Championship up to the present field trial).
Dogs must have been placed in the top three positions
in the classification and awarded the qualification of
Excellent in an Open, Champion or International field
trial organized in Italy.
WHAT CAN YOU GET FROM KCAI?
Becoming a qualified dog instructor with the British Kennel Club
by Anthea Lawrence KCAI (WGA)
In 2010 I was honoured to be invited to put on a one-day training course for members of the Italian
Retrievers Club and further honoured to be invited back in 2011 to instruct on another course. In 2011 I
came with a friend and fellow instructor, Mary Ward. Mary and I thoroughly enjoyed working with everyone
on the training day and thank you all for your kindness, attention, friendship and hospitality.
FAQs
Champions and Titles
Italian Field Trial Champions - the Board of ENCI (the
Italian Kennel Club) can confer the title on retrievers
that have obtained the following qualifications in Italy:
•N° 3 CAC (dogs) only one of which can be gained in
Novice Class.
•N° 2 CAC (bitches) only one of which can be gained
in Novice Class.
•the test in water (as in art. 16).
•the qualification of Very Good in a Club show or
‘Speciale’.
Field Trial Winner - the Italian Retrievers Club (RCI)
can confer this title on dogs that have obtained the
following qualifications in Italy:
In which class do I enrol my dog?
1. If the dog has not gained a qualification in a field trial
held in Italy: Attitudinal Hunting Test, Novice or Open
classes.
2. If my dog has already got a qualification of Excellent
in a field trial in Italy?
Novice or Open classes.
3. If my dog has already got a CAC in a field trial in
Italy?
Open class.
4. If my dog is already a field trial champion?
Champion class (Dogs that are champions abroad can
enter this class provided their title has been ratified)
5. If a CACIT is to be awarded it is an International field
trial and hence comes under international regulations.
Any dog can be entered except in cases where there
is a closed number of participants based on awards or
title previously obtained. This must be communicated
by the organizing committee.
•N° 1 CAC in a field trial.
•N° 1 minimum qualification of GOOD in an Open,
Champion or International field trial held in Italy.
•the qualification of Very Good in a Club Show or
‘Speciale’.
•the test in water (as in art. 16).
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Both Mary and I are qualified instructors with the U.K.
Kennel Club and we both have our accreditation at
advanced grade in working gundogs KCAI (WGA).
The initials KCAI stands for Kennel Club Accreditation
for Instructors and the initials in brackets denotes the
specialist area/s in which the person is qualified – in
our case Working Gundogs with the A denoting this
is at Advanced grade (90% or above in our specialist
area).
handling ability and having at least 5 years experience
of instructing. After several years of discussion and
piloting ideas which were worked on by founder
members of the scheme, it was finally available in 2004
for those who wished to embark on it formally. At this
stage I, together with some other founder members,
was invited to embark on the final stages and apply for
assessment.
At the end of this year’s event, I was asked to write
an article for the newsletter about the accreditation
scheme and this, therefore, is a brief account of what
it means.
My assessment took place in the autumn of 2004 and I
was awarded my accreditation certificate at a ceremony
held at ‘Discover Dogs’ in London in November 2005.
I was the first person to achieve this qualification and
It was in 1999 that the UK Kennel Club first started
investigating the possibility of a qualification for all those
involved in instructing other people about dog training
in its many, many different forms from pet companion
dogs to those involved in top level competitions.
Anyone can say they are a dog training instructor and
no-one is required, by law, to prove that they are either
competent or qualified to teach on a voluntary basis or
to set up, what is for some, a very lucrative business.
This scheme set about providing an opportunity to
acquire a universal qualification whereby anyone
claiming to be an instructor had proved: by completing
extensive study, by being assessed on a practical
level, by demonstrating a high standard of knowledge
of their subject, by providing evidence of their own
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working world
the scheme now has 64 qualified instructors plus many
hundreds of others around the world who are members
of the scheme and studying for the qualification.
Information about the scheme can be found on the
Kennel club website or by email: [email protected].
Mary Ward receives a diploma from the President of
the Kennel Club.
Before anyone can apply for final assessment they
must have 5 years instructing experience and, in
addition, have worked through all aspects concerning
theory, practical, knowledge, handling ability in their
chosen field of instruction and knowledge of study
concerning numerous other dog disciplines in addition
to one’s own field of interest. Work and study is done
at one’s own pace and, using a series of charts, the
scoring system is used to assess one’s own level.
Whilst studying, a portfolio has to be kept and evidence
provided to justify all scores claimed and these are
checked, questioned and agreed to at assessment
time. In that way no-one is able to score themselves
more highly than warranted but also assessors will
give a higher score if an applicant has under-valued
their ability and knowledge. Evidence is in the form
of award cards, letters regarding judging, certificates
from any courses etc.
working world
Briefly the studying is broken down into Modules. There
are 10 theoretical A modules consisting of 10 sections
in each, 10 practical C modules with 10 sections in each
and another set of B modules concerning competitive
and non-competitive events. In working gundogs these
B Modules will include Field Trials; Gundog working
tests; Show Gundog working Certificate; Working
Gundog Certificate and Working Gundogs and
one can add any other activity or competition
to this list such as for example Competitive
obedience or Agility etc. – anything in which one
has knowledge about or experience and interest.
There is also a B Module entitled ‘Responsible
Dog Ownership’ and everyone must complete this
particular module no matter what their specialist
area. In the B Modules one has to show evidence
of knowing the rules and regulations; handling
ability in that activity; judging and assessing and
how one has contributed to the activity in other
ways for example being on a committee, throwing
dummies, stewarding or helping to develop the
activity.
In 2010 an additional qualification was added to
the KCAI scheme and now, if KCAI is achieved,
the City & Guilds NPTC (National Proficiency Test
Council) certificate is also awarded.
The scheme does not seek to qualify someone
concerning the methods they use or how training
and instruction is given, instead it expects the
candidate to look at what they do, how they do it,
be able to justify why they do the things they do
and the way they do them and consider how they
arrived at where they are. All related experience
is relevant, is worth points and even experience
which could be said to have nothing to do with
dogs may well be worthy of some additional points
if it has a bearing on being an instructor. e.g.
Care of animals in general, teaching experience,
managing a business, legal qualifications, financial
experience.
The KCAI qualification is unique. It brings together three
areas of expertise and although someone qualified in
one of these areas such as having a degree in animal
welfare or psychology, would be able to use this to gain
points, the degree in itself would not be sufficient to gain
the KCAI qualification. This is because although the
theory aspects would score highly the practical aspects
of running training sessions will not have been covered
in a degree course and handling a dog in a variety of
activities would not have been covered either.
If all this sounds like a lot of work, well that is true! It is
however, work which most people find very rewarding
as, after all, it is work relating to something in which
one has a great interest either in terms of a career or
as a hobby. It is also a very personal type of studying
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small way we can help a person and dog to
achieve something or reduce a perceived
problem in a relationship then that person
and that dog will have a better life together in
the future. The dog will usually have a richer
life by being involved in an activity and it will
therefore be given opportunities to use its
brain and share the time with the person they
love best in the world.
Anthea Lawrence with a training group.
not only in terms of studying alone at one’s own pace
but in a journey of self-discovery. Many people are
surprised at how much they already know when reading
and working through the different modules and from my
own experience of the scheme the enjoyment was in
discovering how I knew something and researching
the theory behind what I already knew, thinking about
who had influenced me and remembering what I had
rejected in favour of what I now do.
I can thoroughly recommend the scheme to anyone
wishing to become a dog training instructor or in fact
wanting to become a better instructor who then has a
qualification too! There are numerous mentors ready
and willing to help anyone who needs some help along
the way and we are all available to share our knowledge
and give advice concerning any part of the scheme. A
large part of mentoring is conducted by email but we
also have regional meetings where people can meet up
and discuss aspects of study or obtain help in filling in
forms. We meet hundreds of people at Crufts annually
too and are able to encourage those who are uncertain
about joining and help those who need a bit of help to
keep going.
There are people all over the world studying under the
KCAI scheme at present. I’m afraid that the paperwork
is all in English but, that apart, I hope there may be
some instructors from Italy who join and we can
welcome them into this growing band of dog training
instructors. We believe that we should be proud of what
we do and how we do it and our qualification, although
recognising a personal achievement, is also additional
proof to the general public that we will be professional
in our standards and attitude and will strive to help them
in whatever dog related activity or discipline people
require help. We all love dogs, it is what brought us into
instructing in the first place but one also has to be able
to communicate with the whole range of personalities
encountered in humans too! Although instructing is
never an easy job it has great rewards and if in some
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Anthea
Lawrence
has owned,
worked and
competed with
Golden Retrievers
for the past 25
years, and breeds
Goldens today
under the affix Courtridge. Since 1989 she
has held training courses with gundogs in
Worcestershire, England, where during the
winter she does picking up with her dogs.
Mrs. Lawrence collaborated with the Kennel
Club to formulate the accredited instructor
scheme (“KCAI”) and in 2005 became its first
qualified instructor. She also helped prepare
the rules for the “Show Gundog Working
Certificate” used to qualify retrievers as full
champions in the UK. She is the author of
many successful books on gundog training
including ‘Training the Working Retriever’
(Quiller); ‘Taking Control. The How & Why of
Basic Gundog Training;’ (Trafford); ‘Further
Control. The How & Why of Advanced Gundog
Training’ (Trafford); ‘Respect & Leadership in
Dog Training’ (Trafford).
health and wellness
health and wellness
the beginning, live a life of normal relations with its
fellow creatures.
Lameness in puppies
DYSPLASIA
IN GROWING PUPS
by Marco Morlotti
It was with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I accepted the invitation from the Labrador section to
make a presentation on this “hot” topic, very close to me and my work. The idea came to me during
an exchange of ideas at ringside and from my perception that many concepts should be clarified and
elaborated in the most relaxed and collaborative atmosphere possible. Before beginning to summarize
in the limited space available the many points that emerged during the presentation, I would like to thank
the Labrador section for giving me this opportunity, and the participants of the conference, who from
the beginning were able to enliven the meeting and bring it to a more practical level, encompassing both
clinical experience and real situations. Finally, I would like to thank, also in the name of the Retrievers
Club Italiano, the pharmaceutical companies Candioli and Innovet for their sponsorship of the event.
In addition to well-known advice about how to properly
manage a puppy I added some personal reflections,
derived from increasingly substantiated evidence of the
hereditary component of osteoarticular dysplasia. The
idea that owners be actively involved in and responsible
for the welfare of their pets should not lead to blaming
them for any pathology manifested. What an owner can
This parameter assumes a new and greater importance
for prognostic, decisional and selective purposes.
Some numbers: a few studies report a rate of heredity
of ID close to 80% - values under 0.4 predict a normal
development of joints, while in contrast, values above
0.7 lead in a very high percentage of cases to the
manifestation of dysplasia.
In Labradors the pathological limit is considered around
0.6. This is a fundamental parameter and it would be
beneficial for every breeder to know the ID value of each
of his breeding bitches and of stud dogs he intends to
use.
Early diagnosis
The objective of the conference was to clarify a series
of aspects that are often misinterpreted, creating a
wall of diffidence between breeders and veterinarians
that often leaves new puppy owners caught in the
middle. The principle points of the presentation were:
managing a puppy; the importance of not underestimating lameness in a young animal; an elaboration on the
causes and development of dysplasia; the importance
of early diagnosis; and, above all, how to help breeders
and owners understand medical proposals, so that they
can take an active role in choices for their own animal.
Managing a puppy
A typical characteristic of a puppy that limps is an
ambiguous gait, often masked by the presence
of bilateral lameness, all of which contributes to a
tendency to underestimate the condition and to impute
it to a presumed trauma, erroneously placing it in that
cauldron known as problems related to ‘growing up’.
My personal approach is to consider each case of
lameness in a growing puppy as a symptom of a
serious pathology, until proven wrong, by immediately
performing a radiographic study, to preclude any therapy
unsupported by precise diagnosis. It is also important
to convince owners to accept and consent with serenity
the idea of sedating their dog – only X-rays performed
under sedation are well executed and reliable!
and that certain breeds, among which retrievers (in
particular Labradors), tolerate in terms of biomechanics
levels of laxity much superior to the norm. All of this
translates into a new and reliable arm against the
disease, the index of distraction (ID), which can be
obtained from X-rays taken under sedation.
Hip dysplasia, anything new?
do is control environmental factors (with regular physical
activity, a balanced diet, the use of condroprotectors).
It goes without saying that a healthy pup will unlikely
develop the pathologies of dysplasia. However, bad
management of a puppy that is predisposed to these
pathologies can be a detrimental factor that potentially
aggravates an already genetically predetermined
clinical outlook. A healthy puppy can and should, from
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All recent studies on this topic lead in the same
direction, that is a greater conviction that lax ligaments
constitute the most important risk factor behind the
development of dysplasia. Lax ligaments is a condition
that is not in itself pathological but a predisposition to the
development of hip dysplasia, in that it allows a greater
passive mobility of the head of the femoral, allowing the
bone to move further away from the acetabular cavity in
which it is housed.
This reinforces the theory that this parameter is far more
hereditary than was believed in the past. Emerging
studies also show that this parameter is breed related
21
A central idea and objective of this presentation is to
make breeders aware of the enormous utility of early
X-rays, and to show their limits but also their reliability,
purpose and real use and, above all, to explain how to
recognize a well-executed early radiographic study as a
prognostic tool to make the correct therapeutic choice.
During the meeting there arose a certain confusion
over the ideal age at which to carry out this diagnostic
screening on puppies; this study is reliable from the age
of three-and-a-half to four months for hips and from four
to four-and-a-half months for elbows. Any exam carried
out later will, on one hand, be more refined, but on the
other hand, risk losing precious time – as we will see
later on in the section discussing therapeutic options.
Early clinical radiographs should gather a minimum of
data and should therefore comprise all of the positions
foreseen (Standard, Distraction, DAR, Frog-leg for hips
and neutral lateral and dorsal-ventral for elbows), as
well as values measured during the visit under sedation
health and wellness
health and wellness
For elbow dysplasia, an early diagnosis is also based
on a critical evaluation of every small radiographic
sign; in particular, the incongruent growth between the
radius and ulna and subtroclear sclerosis constitute
the first signs of anomalous joint stress and assume
great importance, even in the absence of other signs
of articular pain or of primary pathologies such as
fragmented coronoid process (FCP) and osteochondritis dissecans of the medial humeral condyle (OCD).
Hip dysplasia:
Pubic symphysiodesis
Performed up to five months of age, not very invasive,
entails a quick recovery, low cost, does not always
resolve the problem, is destined to failure if not indicated
for a particular case. Any dog having this surgery must
not undergo official screening for dysplasia and must
be excluded from the breeding pool.
Total hip replacement
For subjects with compromised articulation, only one
operation can be undertaken at a time, very expensive,
potential complications but an optimal functional
recovery, requires extensive training on the part of the
surgeon, there exist different types of surgery but not
all adequately surveyed. Only surgeons with extensive
experience should be trusted.
Elbow dysplasia:
Dynamic ulnar ostectomy (DUO)
(Ortolani and Barlow signs, angles of reduction and
of subluxation), especially when the need to propose
surgical solutions emerges.
Another concept, not always obvious, is that the study
needs to be executed in deep sedation; ignoring this
aspect signifies obtaining false data that is useless
for prognosis and interpretation. It is also important
that the referral report all of the useful data collected
for the evaluation of another expert, because one
should always consent to a second opinion, especially
in dubious cases or when therapeutic surgery is
proposed. Here is a list of the minimum data that should
be presented in a referral: Ortolani and Barlow signs,
angles of subluxation and reduction (AS, AR), position
of the center of the femoral head, signs of acetabolar
filling, index of distraction (ID), angle of the inclination of
the dorsal acetabolar rim (DAR). A clinical radiographic
study that is incomplete or undertaken without necessary
relaxation will increase the risk of interpretive error and
may require new x-rays to be performed as well as the
dog to be sedated a second time.
Why perform an early radiographic study? The
answers to this question are multiple: dysplasia,
even when serious, is often asymptomatic to the
point of irreversibly compromising joints, and an early
diagnosis offers more therapeutic options as well as a
better prognosis, is less invasive and leads to a more
rapid recovery.
To simplify this report, I have not cited the ununited
anconeal process (UAP) as it is not typical of retrievers
and other pathologies not usually grouped within elbow
dysplasia, actually quite rare.
Triple/double pelvic osteotomy
Performed from five to eight months of age, invasive,
relatively expensive, entails a quick recovery for
very young patients, is possible to
perform bilaterally in one session,
if not indicated does not halt the
progression of arthritis.
Acetabular arthroplasty
Therapeutic options
As this is an extremely complex and technical
topic, especially for non-experts, I will only discuss
a few clear concepts that may help guide owners
through the numerous proposals for therapy. A first
important point is that, below certain parameters,
a conservative approach is absolutely justified,
as all dogs subjected to X-ray studies are not
necessarily destined for surgery. A second point is
that therapeutic options are well defined – nothing is
invented – and only a complete clinical radiographic
study can indicate one type of surgery over another.
There are “windows” of therapy that are correlated
to the age and parameters measured; to not respect
these would subject a patient to an operation that
does not resolve the problem, or worse, is too
invasive. For the same reason, a surgeon should
choose which surgery to perform on this basis and
not because he is more familiar with one procedure
over another. A third point is that, on an ethical level,
any dog submitted to surgery intended to modify the
evolution of dyplasia should be removed from the
breeding pool: principal examples are juvenile pubic
symphysiodesis (JPS) for hip dysplasia and dynamic
ulnar ostectomy (DUO) for elbow dyplasia.
With this in mind let’s clarify the therapeutic options
and their positive and negative aspects.
22
For patients over eight months
that are no longer candidates for
TPO, use debatable, does not
halt the progression of arthritis,
potential complications, practically
abandoned.
Femoral head ostectomy
For subjects with compromised
joints that do not respond to medical
therapy or subjects that cannot be
given a complete hip replacement,
low cost, will not guarantee a full return to functional
joints.
Performed ideally within first five months, can be
performed bilaterally, rapid recovery, contained costs,
if serious articular pathologies exist (FCP, OCP) or
arthritic processes are in place, this leads to a reserved
prognosis.
The patient of this surgery must not undergo official
screening X-rays and must be excluded from the
breeding pool.
Arthroscopy
Executed by itself or in combination
with DUO, in the case of primary
pathologies (FCP, OCD) or evident
arthrosis with a reserved prognosis.
Total elbow replacement/
corrective osteotomy
Still being experimented.
Conservative multimodal
therapies and condroprotection:
This combined group of therapies
assumes enormous utility and
importance during the early stage
of prevention for growing puppies,
both in cases where surgery cannot
completely resolve the condition
and in those where arthritic degeneration excludes the
candidate from surgery. In particular, condroprotectors
play an important role because they reduce the daily
requirement for anti-inflammatory medicines as well
as the collateral effects of these medicines. They also
slow down the progression of arthrosis and muscular
hypertrophy by interrupting the vicious circle that
characterizes chronic articular pathologies. Condroprotectors are substantially innocuous and as such can be
utilized at any age.
Before concluding this presentation I would like to say
something that I believe in very strongly: often I am
asked the question “where should I go and where should
23
health and wellness
dogs on film & tv
I send others to do X-rays?” There is no easy answer but
I would recommend to breeders to create a long term
relationship with an orthopedic veterinarian whom they
trust, and new puppy owners to go to the professional
that is already collaborating with their breeder. I believe
that collaboration and long-term relationships between
veterinarians and breeders will lead to the collection
and exchange of more data, and will allow us to have
more knowledge in less time about these conditions. It
is up to both parties to reduce and avoid those errors
in interpretation that undermine reciprocal trust in each
other’s work.
BACKSTAGE WITH MASSIMO PERLA
He’s with the dogs
by Ilaria Martinelli
Marco Morlotti
What does Massimo Perla - the famous dog instructor for television spots and cinema - have in common
with retrievers? Everyone remembers Shonik, the fantastic Border Collie of Infostrada, and Ettore, the
Dogue di Bordeaux who appeared on tv next to stars like Sophia Loren and Naomi Campbell. But probably
very few of us remember that the trainer of these dogs used to prepare retrievers for RCI trials.
We asked one of the original members of our Club – Ilaria Martinelli – to go back in time with Massimo so
that he would tell us the fascinating story of his life with his best friends…
graduated in 1999 from the University of Milan, and joined the
Order of Veterinarians in Bergamo in March 2001.
From 2001 to 2008 he worked in practices specialized in medicine
and emergency surgery for small animals.
In June 2001 he opened his own practice specialized in
orthopedics and trauma.
He has been a member of SCIVAC since 2000, SIOVET since 2003,
ESVOT since 2004 and SINVET since 2005.
In 2001 he participated in the FSA course entitled “The Control
of Hip and Elbow Dysplasia in Dogs” and in 2002 was accredited
by the FSA to execute official screening X-rays for the diagnosis
of hip and elbow dysplasia. Since 2002 he has participated in
the following courses: SCIVAC course on reductive orthopedic
surgery and techniques; Master AO-Vet on reconstructive bone
surgery for small animals; SCIVAC course on surgery and
traumatology of distal extremities; FSA course on the official diagnosis of luxating patella and HP/
ED updates; AO-Vet Masters course on advanced corrective osteotomies. Since 2001 he has regularly
participated in seminars and conferences concerning orthopedics and traumatology given by
specialized organizations.
From 2003 to 2008 he attended Dr. Aldo Vezzoni’s clinic in Cremona as a “Visitor” during sessions of
orthopedic and trauma surgery.
Since 2002 he has consulted in orthopedics and traumatology, as well as general surgery and
screening X-rays for official early diagnosis of hip and elbow dysplasia for many colleagues and
breeders in the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia.
In 1997 he acquired his first Labrador. He is a member of RCI since 2000 and shares his passion for the
sea and underwater diving with his love for this exceptional breed.
Ciao Massimo, and thank you for coming back to
tell us a bit about your life…have you always loved
dogs?
“Yes, I’ve always loved animals since I was a child. But
in a city like Rome it wasn’t easy to meet many animals,
so my attention became focused on dogs, and I began
to know more about them, to observe and study them.
In your recently published book “Io sto con i cani”,
co-written with Susanna Mancinotti, you describe your
first job with dogs at Villa Borghese in Rome. What
exactly did you do there?
At Villa Borghese, an historic park in the center of Rome,
we created the Valley of Dogs or “Valletta”, where we
brought dogs after collecting them in a minibus from
their homes across Rome. The dogs stayed outdoors
with us, in the open air, for a good part of the day and
then we took them back home. We were “evolved” dog
sitters: evolved in the sense that in addition to allowing
the dogs to run free and socialize, we tried out with
them our first training techniques. We taught them
basic commands and some tricks. We were preparing
ourselves to become real dog trainers”.
Was there a dog in this period that you remember
the most, and what did he or she teach you?
“My very first own dog arrived during this period,
Cochise, a German Shepherd that I had wanted with all
of my heart, notwithstanding the aversion of my father,
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dogs on film & tv
dogs on film & tv
How did you end up working on television and
movie sets?
“Aside from a few small parts, the first real occasion
arose with Tarkovskij for the film “Nostalghia”. I worked
with Zoi, a German Shepherd chosen primarily for
his contrasting colors, very black and very light. Zoi
was very good, so much so that the director decided
to increase his number of appearances from 4 to 21,
putting him into many new scenes”.
who reckoned that dogs shouldn’t live in apartments.
Since Cochise made me leave the home where I lived
with my parents, I would say that the first thing this dog
taught me was survive on my own! I also learned from
Cochise that the principles of consistency and coherence
are necessary to communicate
effectively with dogs”.
When did you open your first
center for dog training?
“Towards the end of the 1980’s I
opened along with some friends the
center La Valletta, in remembrance
of La Valletta at Villa Borghese. I
dedicated myself to basic education
and training as well as to canine
sports like utility and defense.
Cochise was very well trained and
also good at sports, and this gave
me a great deal of satisfaction”.
How would you describe your
approach to training?
“Today the best and most effective
techniques are based on positive
reinforcement and the use of a clicker.
Dogs learn more quickly if we use these techniques.
Very different is a dog’s need for a leader. Leadership and
training are not synonymous, as many people mistakenly
think. Training refers to what the dog knows how to do:
to respond to different commands, to carry out exercises
or activities. Leadership concerns instead the way we
explain to the dog his role, his status, the right way to
confront new situations, limits to his behavior. When an
owner doesn’t have leadership, conflicts arise with the
dog because, as a social and hierarchical animal, he is
compelled to substitute the role of leader he cannot find.
A good leader is consistent, coherent, controls access
to limited resources (food, toys, outings, etc.), and uses
rewards (even a caress is a reward) to reinforce the right
behavior.
A leader is not violent or aggressive, to the contrary he is
decisive and assertive”.
complex scenes was on the beach. I had to place all 60
dogs at sit on the beach so that they could be filmed,
all perfectly still. It wasn’t easy and there was even an
unexpected movement caused by signals the crew gave
me to tell me I was in the wrong place. The dogs all got
up together and some started to play, others to run and
others to swim the water. It wasn’t easy, I tell you”.
Which breeds have you worked with on tv and in
film?
“Once the dogs most used were German Shepherds,
a bit because in Italy there weren’t as many breeds as
there are today, a bit because it was considered “the
dog”. As the years passed by, requests for different
dogs increased. Today I work with any breed and often
with mixed breeds, which are like prototypes – each
one is an original that cannot be reproduced or copied”.
How is training dogs for the cinema
different? Have you had to invent
any special tricks to create special
effects?
“No, the training is the same, you teach
the same games and tricks, but in front
of the camera these can be used to
portray in a thousand different things.
For example, if I train a dog to give me
his paw, on a film set I can use this
trick to make him knock on a door, call
a person, or even (as in certain spots)
to turn off a remote control”!
Which criteria do you use to
choose a dog that acts in a film or a
television spot? Is it important that
the dog is well balanced or has the
right psychology?
It depends a bit on the film’s plot or the
story behind the spot, and on the characteristics needed
for the dog - courage, trustworthiness, sweetness, aggressiveness – based on these requisites one breed is
chosen over another. In any case, it’s important to have
dogs suited to this kind of work. They should have a
great amount of trust in man and be able to interact with
strangers in different kinds of situations.
It’s difficult to create spontaneity in a dog that sees an
actor for the first time. Sometimes it happens that an
actor doesn’t have any feeling with the dog or that he is
even afraid of it, in fact this has happened a few times.
You can find out more about Massimo Perla and
his training center Indiana Kayowa at
www.massimoperla.org/.
At what point in your life were you involved with
retrievers? Do you have any memories you can
share with us?
“In the late 1980’s I became an official trainer for the
Retrievers Club Italiano and prepared dogs for field
trials. I have innumerable good memories because
retrievers remain in your heart, for instance Sherlock,
a Labrador bred by Emanuela Ruggiero. He was a
great champion and I remember him with affection and
nostalgia. I stopped working with retrievers in official
trials because I don’t agree with using live animals;
dummies are ok but, as far as I’m concerned, I prefer to
see ducks fly away in the sky”.
Was it a challenge to work with many dogs at once
in films like “C’era un castello con 40 cani”?
“Think that on that set I had to work with 60 dogs at
the same time. It was a difficult and complex job that
kept me occupied for more than a year. One of the most
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Aside from the activities at your center, are you
involved in any volunteer work with dogs for a
good cause?
“With my friend Sirio Paccino, president of ConFido
Association, I embarked years ago on the project
ConFido, a dog education course held at a female
detention center, the women’s prison Rebibbia in
Rome. Here we taught detainees to re-socialize
and educate dogs taken from shelters to prepare
them for adoption by families that made the
request. The most promising were also trained
for assistance work with the disabled and, in this
case, the dogs were Golden Retrievers”.
In his recently published book Massimo Perla
tells stories about his life with dogs, gives
advice for good behavior and reveals secrets
about training dogs for movies and tv.
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retriever breeds
retriever breeds
handler with Peter in a field trial in 1909,
and they were a formidable team. In 1910,
they won two open stakes, and in 1911, they
won the International Gundog League’s
Retriever Championship, the first trial in
which all the entries were Labradors. In
1911, a reporter for the Kennel Club wrote:
“Peter to my mind combines to perfection all
the qualities that are claimed for Labradors,
great speed, sagacity, excellent nose,
and absolutely tender mouth, and while
splendidly endowed with initiative, he is not
above taking a hint from his master.”
led to a specialty in purebred dog portraits. Her
extraordinary ability to capture individual canine
personalities took her paintings beyond skillful
renderings of a dog’s physical appearance and won
her the admiration of Queen Victoria and the Prince
and Princess of Wales, whose royal patronage
assured her success.
A LEGEND IN THE FIELD
This beautiful painting of Peter of Faskally and
Dungavel Jet is undoubtedly one of Maud Earl’s
commissioned portraits and exhibits the naturalism,
fluid brushstrokes, and rich color that marked her
work during this period.
A highlight from this year’s Bonhams dog art auction recalls a brilliant gundog who set
the stage for the rise of the Labrador Retriever
by Susan Brown - photos courtesy of Bonhams
On February 16, Bonhams New York sold at auction a superb Maud Earl painting of two black
Labrador Retrievers in the field. The male, who holds a cock pheasant in his mouth, is Peter of
Faskally, one of the most celebrated field champions of the early 20th century; his partner, Dungavel
Jet, was also extremely adept in the field and produced two litters of Peter’s considerable progeny.
Maud Earl achieved acclaim in an era when women
took up painting as a genteel pastime to keep the
occupied until they got married. Being taken seriously
as an artist in a male-dominated profession was not
easy, but Earl’s exceptional talent made her one of
the most respected and sought-after animal painters
of her day. She was born in London and raised in
an artistic household. Her father, George Earl, and
uncle, Thomas Earl, were noted animal and sporting
artists. Although Maud attended the Royal Female
School of Art, her father was her most influential
teacher, grounding her precocious drawing skills
with studies of anatomy and skeletal structure.
Earl was already an established artist by the age of
21 when she showed her first painting at the Royal
Academy in 1884. Her love of dogs, combined with
her thorough mastery of canine anatomy, soon
Dungavel Jet, the second dog in the
painting, was acquired by Archibald Butter
and his wife, Helen, in 1911. Jet was bred
by Nina, Duchess of Hamilton, an early
animal-welfare advocate and the first “lady
owner” to enter a field trial in 1907. Jet was
also a highly regarded field-trial competitor.
It is interesting to note that in contemporary accounts
Jet is said to belong to Mrs. Butter and Peter to Mr.
Butter.
Tough nose, tender mouth
In 1912, the dated of the painting, the Labrador
Retriever was becoming the dominant breed in British
field trials. Originating in Newfoundland as the St.
John’s dog, Labs were prized for their retrieving ability.
They were imported into England and Scotland in the
early 19th century, a time when the landed gentry
had taken up the organized shooting of game birds,
creating a demand for sporting dogs. Throughout the
19th century, the 5th and 6th dukes of Buccleuch and
the 2nd and 3rd earls of Malmesbury had breeding
programs that played major roles in developing and
establishing the Labrador breed.
Peter of Faskally, bred by George Watson, was
born on February 2, 1908 and acquired by Captain
Archibald Edward Butter, a gentleman and retired
military officer who began training gundogs when he
returned to the Faskally family estate in Scotland.
Butter was an innovative trainer, and Peter was the
first retriever to be handled in field trials by hand and
whistle signals. Butter made his debut as a Labrador
Peter of Fascally at a 1911 trial
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Mrs. Butter and Dungavel Jet
above: FTCh Peter of Fascally
retriever breeds
people and retrievers
Peter of Faskally has been called “the father of all
chocolate Labradors,” but was he? “Peter of Faskally
most certainly figures prominently in the bloodline of
modern day chocolate Labradors,” says Dr. Michael
Woods, a native of Newfoundland who has been
involved with Labrador Retrievers for over 40 years
as a breeder, exhibitor, and judge. “Peter’s intrinsic
importance to the breed is indisputable, not only
for his own accomplishments but for his role as the
grandsire of one of the breed’s seminal dogs, Dual
Champion Banchory Bolo [1915], the breed’s first
Show and Field Champion. But it would be incorrect
to perceive him as ‘the father of all chocolate
Labradors.’ That designation must go to Buccleuch
Avon [1885], Peter’s great, great, great grandsire, to
whom Peter goes back seven times in a six-generation pedigree.
of the breed in England. Purists believed that the
‘true’ Labrador was a black dog. Both other colors,
however, existed in the breed, and there is evidence
that chocolate existed in the kennels of the aristocrats
who championed the breed in its crucial early years.
In the 1930s, chocolate became prominent in two
highly regarded kennels, Cookridge and Tibshelf,”
says Woods. “Cookridge eventually produced the
first chocolate English champion, Cookridge Tango
[1961]. Since the Labrador was only recognized as
a distinctive breed by the Kennel Club in 1903, it
was a comparatively short time to the first chocolate
champion. With the advent of Tango, color barriers
were quick to fall, and chocolates became more and
more popular. Many early chocolates did lack breed
type, but today the color is absolutely equal in quality
to blacks and yellows.”
“In his very extensive research on the chocolate
Labrador,
Jack
Vanderwyk
(LabradorNet)
establishes eight routes that lead to the modern
chocolate Labrador. Avon is the source of all these
routes, although all lines do run through Peter and
Bolo,” observes Woods, who has judged the breed
worldwide, has published on the breed, and has
presented seminars on the Labrador for breeders
and judges. “Some might argue that Avon’s sire,
Malmesbury Tramp, is the source of all lines, but
we do know that Avon produced chocolate, while
we cannot be certain if Avon received his chocolate
genes from Tramp or from his dam.
In less than a century, the Labrador Retriever went
from a new breed to one of the most popular dogs
in the world. Maud Earl has captured two fine dogs
from the breed’s early history in a work of art that
enchants us still.
“The chocolate color (called liver or brown in other
breeds) is inherent in the Labrador, as it is in closely
related breeds like the Chesapeake Bay Retriever,
Flat-Coated Retriever, and Newfoundland dog. Like
yellow, chocolate was not valued in the early years
*Susan Brown is former director of The AKC Museum
of the Dog.
The RCI thanks The American Kennel Club
for its permission to reprint this article, which
originally appeared in the March 2011 issue
of AKC Gazette. For more information about
subscriptions to the Gazette visit
www.akc.or/pubs/index.cfm.
DOGS THAT SMILE
by Donatella de Lucia
When I got back home yesterday afternoon I was in a terrible mood. It’s been a period when everything
that happens is a high or low, more often low than high, I’m always in a rush and the people I meet are
more and more stressed. As a result I am as well. I think this is normal. On the other hand life changes
and makes you change, problems seem to mount in direct proportion to your added years and sometimes
even the slightest obstacle can seem an insurmountable barrier.
With the gate closed behind me, I got out of the car and
looked at the sky. An intense blue, dark and limpid, the
sun starting to set but still warm, and the silence of the
countryside. I felt so out of place… I was a grey spot in
that great, small immensity of colors and scents of
spring. And here they were running to meet me, a blond
crew fast as the wind. They always hear me when I
arrive. They recognize the sound of my car, even before
I pass the gate their barks have a different tone… “Here
you are, you’ve finally come back! But do you realize
how much we’ve missed you? But now that you’re here,
everything’s much better.” I know this is what they think,
I recognize it from the intense expressions they have
when they give me a thousand kisses, while they go
and look for all of the free sticks in the world, and do a
triumphal march to celebrate my homecoming. But
yesterday I wasn’t in a mood for playing. I looked at
them, pet them and sat on my favorite wall looking
towards the North, towards Florence, and I began to
think, or maybe not to, about nothing, I didn’t want to
and I didn’t want anything.
I eclipsed for I don’t know how long, not very long,
perhaps five or ten minutes. I turned around and they
were all sitting behind me, silent and immobile. I had a
doubt that they were also holding their breaths. With an
alert expression, slightly vexed, liquid eyes and nostrils
A highlight from this year’s Bonhams dog art
auction recalls a brilliant gundog who set the
stage for the rise of the Labrador Retriever.
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seeking my scent to interpret my state of mood. They
surprised me, I looked at them first with an absent air,
then, putting my feet back on the earth, I felt a bit
stunned.
A few seconds that seemed an eternity, my eyes
looking into theirs in the stillness, a strange
communication, made of looks and unreal facial
gestures. Then my first dog Camilla timidly lifted her
front leg as if to give me her paw. “Come on, make
peace with the world, we’re here!”
health and wellness
people and retrievers
She made me smile, a smile that
came from my soul. And looking at
them I continued to smile…all of them
with their front paws raised. And they
all began to smile also, wagging their
tails they slightly lifted their whiskers
and showed their teeth, crinkling their
noses with a sweet and charming air. I
made a slight movement towards
them and before I knew it they were all
over me in an explosion of joy and
incredible love.
THE GROWL
by Cinzia Stefanini
I got the keys to my car from my bag
nearby, opened the trunk, put down the
back seat, and in a moment they were
all in ready to go to the nearby lake, to
freedom, play and splashing leaps into the water. My
gloomy thoughts stayed behind on that wall towards the
North, and they dissolved into themselves.
While I, with Them, my life’s pack, of yesterday, today
and for ever, with smiles and without words, lived yet
another time the essence of love and the taste of
another one of those afternoons that I almost risked
losing. Thank you Camilla, Sharon, Honey, Kira,
Tulipan, my true and loving companions, and thanks
to all of the others that I have with me that - even if
they aren’t Goldens - know how to interpret each
moment with the loyalty and dignity that only animals
possess.
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Vocal sounds are a basic component of communication between dogs. We always place great emphasis
on a dog’s body postures and their relative meanings but often we forget to listen. What is our dog
“saying”? I remember a conference I went to several years ago mostly attended by canine experts at
which the speaker, instead of making the usual slide presentation with photo after photo, made us listen
to different recordings of dog vocalizations and asked us to deduce the emotional state of the recorded
animal… Well, many of us got it wrong! The growl is one of the vocalizations that most identifies a dog.
It’s true that some other animal species growl – think about felines – but if we ask someone to list the
typical sounds a dog makes he will probably start with a bark and a growl. I believe that many people are
no longer used to living in a familiar context with animals from a young age; this very often leads them
to misinterpret dogs, especially when they growl.
Let’s start off with a definition: growling first appears
during the transition period (from the 14th to the 20th
day of life; the beginning of relations with others)
and remains until adulthood; it is emitted during the
appetitive phase (the phase composed of behaviors in
response to the presence of a stimulus; specifically, the
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appetitive phase entails anticipation and the approach
to a stimulus) of aggressive behavior due to irritation,
hierarchy, territorialism or during play. [“Medicina
comportamentale del cane e del gatto”; Raimondo
Colangelli; Poletti publishing]
We can therefore easily understand that growling
is a behavior found in the ethogram (a grammar of
behavior, the most complete and exhaustive catalogue
possible of natural behaviors for a given species. It
is compiled following attentive observation and is
designed to furnish an inventory of easily understood
quantitative data that can be compared to the results
of preceding and successive studies) of the dog. From
the above-cited definition we can also infer that the
reasons underlying this vocalization are multiple. It is
important for me to understand in the first place if the
behavior described by an owner is a case of play or
aggressive behavior. In the first instance it is important
to reassure the owner that it is a normal behavior and
that many very well socialized and nonaggressive dogs
health and wellness
health and wellness
“growl” while playing, especially if they are by nature a
bit competitive. This case, furthermore, can be easily
discerned by an expert in the field: the dog’s posture is
mellow, the rules of play are clear to both the dog and
his owner, his tail is moving, his eyes are relaxed and
the game can easily be interrupted while maintaining
a relaxed atmosphere. My lovely Flatcoated Luna,
one of the most docile animals I’ve ever known, made
everyone smile whenever she growled and pretended
to compete with me for a toy. The point was that she
was “pretending”… A bit like when we play Risk, no
one seriously thinks he is invading a continent, he just
“pretends to”. I know that these subtleties are easily
comprehensible to anyone who works with dogs but I
often have to reassure new owners, perhaps without
any experience of dogs, that their little Labrador just a
few months old does not intend to tear them apart but
only to play fight while pretending to be, in that moment,
a big Canadian wolf.
Very different instead is the case in which a dog does
NOT growl for fun. Here is a succinct list of different
types of these growls:
the behavior. If you scold a frightened dog
that is growling out of fear, he could become
even more frightened to the point of biting
you. If you excessively scold a dog that is
growling because he is insecure, he could
lose trust in you. It’s worth considering
some of the effects tied to our adverse
reactions to growling: by severely punishing
a dog (also a puppy) that growls without
understanding the underlying reasons, and
without removing or resolving them through
re-education, we may teach the dog not to
growl; but, without having removed the real
cause of the behavior, the dog could be
induced to bite without warning in the future.
The more growling and aggression obtain
positive results for a dog, the more likely
he will react quickly and the appetitive phase will be
suppressed. For example, if a dog growls to defend
a toy, his owner takes it away and the dog bites him,
the next time (we are talking about inexpert owners) as
soon as the dog puts a toy in his mouth his owner might
feel frightened remembering the bite and behave in an
insecure manner, in this way speeding up the aggressive
response of his dog. Over time whenever the dog puts a
toy in his mouth he’ll react in an aggressive manner as
soon as he sees his owner, sometimes without growling
first.
For this reason aggression problems should never be
underestimated even if they involve a puppy or if they are
manifested in a good-natured retriever! It is necessary
to ask for the help of an expert who understands the
motives underlying the behavior, which are often more
than one (fear and insecurity; anxiety and possessiveness…), and who will put into action an educational
program aimed at resolving them.
Quiet, low: A dog growling this way is asking for space,
while threatening. Generally the other party that hears
this will move (often thereby reinforcing the behavior).
With a bark, low: Indicates that the dog is ready to
attack.
With a bark, from middle to high tones: A dog using this
tonality is insecure and worried, but ready to react.
Wavering: Goes from middle-low to middle-high tones
with added a “semi-bark” in the acute phase of growling.
This vocalization is produced when a dog is terrorized
and would like to escape but if he is not able to is also
ready to attack. It is important in these cases to stop
what you’re doing and cease threatening the dog (even
in the case of a puppy) and to ask for the help of a
behavior expert. It is important to try to understand the
underlying emotions and to uncover the reasons for
It is absolutely normal, instead, to hear
an adult use this vocalization as a signal
to a puppy to stop what he is doing.
Very often this situation leaves owners
a bit off-guard when they are convinced,
having purchased a Labrador or a
Golden, that they have a “good” dog! It
is important in these cases to reassure
them that growling and showing teeth
does not necessarily signify that their
dog is aggressive, and that these
situations are not only normal but highly
desirable. Puppies that exaggerate
during play or use their teeth in an
inappropriate manner are “scolded” and stopped by
their mother when she growls and shows her teeth.
These stop signals are fundamental to teaching the pup
to inhibit his bite, to cope with frustration and be calm;
never take away the mother in these situations – these
first lessons are the basis for creating well-balanced
and adapted dogs in the future. Halting signals will be
displayed by other adult dogs your puppy comes into
contact with in his first months of life: puppies that are
exuberant and a bit badly behaved are able to receive
these lessons without getting hurt or injured
or becoming frightened, and will learn how to
relate to others better as an adult. In the future
he’ll know how to be more respectful, approach
others more calmly and not be excessively
excited in the presence of other dogs. Puppies
that are deprived early of these slightly stormy
relations, that signal important social limits,
will tend to act in an infantile manner even as
adults. This is a problem in that other dogs
will no longer limit their response to a growl
but will be ready to bite in a decisive manner,
as infantile behavior exhibited by an adult is
considered unacceptable.
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At times other owners are curt with me and my Lab
Scarlett when their hyperactive puppy - that bites too
much, hangs with all of its forces from her ears or
continually insists on playing – is halted by a deep growl.
We both know, however, that in this instance the puppy,
far from being harmed or frightened, has received an
important lesson on etiquette that may very well help
him avoid getting a bad bite as an adult.
*In loving memory of Ringhio, a special friend
Notonlyretrievers: books, tv, gifts, news, etc
Notonlyretrievers: books, tv, gifts, news, etc
edited by Patty Fellows and Alessandra Franchi
to read
Teach Yourself Train Your Dog 2010 by Association
of Pet Dog Trainers UK, Hodder & Stoughton (English
only)
Written by an organization of
professional trainers, a guide
that explains reward-based,
motivational training for all
types of dogs and give essential
advice to ensure that your dog
is an obedient and well-behaved
member of the family. Also gives
tips for dealing with puppies
and problem dogs, advice about
equipment, sample training
exercises and progress tests.
Il cane secondo me by Danilo Mainardi, Cairo
Editore 2010 (only in Italian)
In his latest book Danilo Mainardi, an Italian
ethologist, talks about
dog’s mind and how he
communicates with us. The
book traces the history of the
species from its wolf origins
to more than 400 domestic
breeds today and in doing so
interweaves fact with personal
stories and reflections, often
surprising and unorthodox.
Also interesting are his
reflections about mixed breeds
and the refined interactionsbetween dogs and cats.
Lost & Found by Jacqueline Sheehan, Avon 2007
(English only)
A novel about Rocky Pelligrino, a
psychologist who tries to escape
her past and her grief over her
husband’s unexpected death
by moving to an island in Maine
and taking on a new identity as
Animal Control Warden. In her
new line of work she ends up
saving an injured black Lab and
edited by Patty Fellows and Alessandra Franchi
becomes involved in unraveling the mystery behind
its accident. With the help of this extraordinary dog
she finds her way back to herself and to relationships
with other people.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein, Harper 2008
(only in English)
In this inspirational novel Enzo,
a mixed breed pet, tells the
story of his human family and
how he keeps them together. In
his intense relationship with his
owner Denny, a racecar driver,
he learns all about racing and
develops a personal philosophy to help everyone
navigate through the ups and downs of family life.
Dominance in Dogs: Fact or Fiction? by Barry
Eaton, Dogwise 20 (only in English)
Author Barry Eaton challenges theories about
dominance in wolves and dogs that underpin most
dog training methods. He elucidates to the reader
new research on wolves in
the wild and the effect of
selective breeding on dog
behavior to dispel myths
about rigid hierarchies in wolf
packs. He also gives new
guidelines on how to raise
and train dogs in a positive
manner, without reverting
continually to the notion that
“my dog’s doing this because
he wants to dominate me”.
difference between owning a toy and an animal. In
each episode trainer Simone Dalla Valle takes an
aspiring owner to the local dog shelter to adopt a
puppy, then follows step by
step the pup’s first days in
his new home, giving advice
about feeding, potty training,
playing and socializing with
other dogs. At the end of the
transmission he gives advice
about matching breeds with
different kinds of people. The
new season promises lots of
surprises.
Presa di Punto on Caccia e Pesca
From April 1st every week
on the channel Caccia e
Pesca (Sky tv 235, 236)
a new program called
“Presa di punto” presents
selected dog competitions
under the Italian Kennel
Club (Enci) and gives a
summary of the results of
the week’s most important trials. Each competition
is accompanied by a detailed commentary and
explanation by an Enci judge.
Shadowbrae Retriever Training Series with
George Ridley, Paul French Video
to see
Third season of “Missione Cuccioli”
The new season of the popular tv program “Missione
Cuccioli” started at the end of May on DeaKids (Sky,
channel 601), broadcast on Mondays at 9pm. This
“reality dog” show teaches kids hoping to get a puppy
how to respect and care for their new friend, and the
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In this new box set of four dvd’s (305 minutes), British
trainer and field trial judge George Ridley presents
a comprehensive and detailed,
step-by-step training program for
young retrievers. We watch the
progress of two Labradors from
their early days as pups until
they are fully trained. Especially
interesting are the exercises
that go wrong: Mr. Ridley helps
us understand why and shows
what to do to put things right and
prevent future problems from
developing, all in a very calm
and fair manner. Mr. Ridley has behind him many
years of experience in shooting, picking up and field
trials, having qualified 13 times for the IGL Retriever
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Championship and has judged it twice. The dvd’s are
available separately or as a set at
www.paulfrenchvideo.com.
gift ideas
Pedi Paws nail trimmer
With this novel nail
trimmer you can set up
a professional beauty
parlor for dogs! It is a
battery operated, hand
held device containing
a precision filing wheel
to gently file your pet’s
nails in just a few
seconds. For details
visit
www.pedipawsnailtrimmer.com/.
O’Tom tick remover
This easy to use tick remover
is an alternative to traditional
tweezers. Each package
contains two hooked removers,
one for small ticks and other
for bigger ones, that allow
you to remove a whole tick
with one easy movement and
without leaving the tick’s head
embedded in the dog’s skin. Can be ordered from
www.zooplus.it/.
Yowza! Pet groomer
Use this hand-held vacuum
attachment to brush your dog
and at the same time vacuum
away dead hair and dander
from his undercoat. You’ll
prevent fur from getting all over
you and your house, even when
your dog is shedding. It has a
universal adapter that fits most vacuum cleaners and
works on all kinds of coats and dogs. Check out the
video www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT6OEhgx7ec.
Notonlyretrievers: books, tv, gifts, news, etc
Notonlyretrievers: books, tv, gifts, news, etc
edited by Patty Fellows and Alessandra Franchi
Brain teasers from Sweden
Since 1990 dog trainer Nina Ottosson has designed
a range of interactive toys in wood and plastic
guaranteed to stimulate your dog’s mind and improve
his relationship with you,
great for rainy days when he
can’t get as much activity
and stimulation outdoors.
In each toy Fido has to
figure out how to find a
hidden food treat in different
ways – by lifting blocks,
turning discs, pushing
blocks, putting blocks inside
something, etc. In Dogsmart, treats are hidden in
hollow white bone-shaped blocks, which your dog
has to push away with its nose or paw. In DogTornado
there are four layers of rotating discs, each containing
compartments to hide treats, and your dog has to
rotate them in different directions with his nose or
paw. Available from www.zooplus.it/.
New training dummies
Working Dog Company won an award in 2010 from
Shooting Times for the innovative design of these
new training dummies. They come in “pheasant” and
“partridge” sizes. Their soft
oval shape mimics the feel
of real birds to help your
dog learn how to hold onto
game and to encourage a
soft mouth. The dummies
are buoyant in water, easy
to throw and bounce on the
ground leaving a scent trail.
Aside from traditional green
the dummies come in red,
purple and black & natural for
marking. Buy from www.workingdogcompany.co.uk/.
latest news
Standards aren’t what they used to be…
Richard Edwards, a noted British show judge, author
and expert on the history of the Labrador Retriever,
recently pointed out an interesting omission in today’s
breed standard. The original description, drawn up
by breed luminaries like Lorna, Countess of Howe
edited by Patty Fellows and Alessandra Franchi
(Banchory) and Lord Knutsford (Munden), appeared
in 1917 in The Labrador Retriever Club’s Rules
and Regulations booklet. The first section, entitled
General Appearance, went like this:
“The general appearance of the Labrador should
be that of a strongly built, short coupled, very active
dog. Compared with the Wavy or Flatcoated Retriever
he should be wider in the head, wider through the
chest and ribs, wider and stronger over the loins and
hindquarters. The coat should be close, short, dense
and free from feather.”
In today’s
standard the
section has
been shortened
to “General
Appearance:
Strongly built,
short coupled,
very active,
broad in skull,
broad and
deep through
chest and ribs, broad and strong over the loins
and hindquarters.” No comparison is made with
the Flatcoated to give a specific context and sense
of proportion to the description, leaving room for
a much wider interpretation of what a Labrador is
supposed to look like. As Richards comments, the
original standard specified “WHEN COMPARED TO
A FLATCOATED, not when compared to a Rottweiler
or a Newfoundland or a Sherman Tank. If people saw
the context of the original standard they would realize
not to exaggerate”!
Stem-cell therapy for dogs
Veterinarians in the United States and other countries
have begun to use stem-cell therapy to treat dogs
that have joint injuries or suffer from osteoarthritis,
often caused by hereditary conditions like hip and
elbow dysplasia. This cutting-edge technology can
even be performed alongside surgery to repair joints,
tendons and ligaments. Still in the early stages of
development, the therapy requires more study and
empirical data, but so far results have proved very
encouraging.
The procedure was pioneered about 10 years
ago with horses at the Royal Veterinary College
in England by extracting stem cells from a horse’s
own bone marrow, growing them in a laboratory and
then injecting them into the horse’s injured limb. In
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the United States a similar orthopedic therapy was
developed by Vet-Stem, Inc. using regenerative stem
cells extracted from a horse’s fat tissue, and the
procedure was eventually extended to dogs.
While most cells in a dog’s or horse’s body have a
specialized function, adult “mesenchymal” stem cells
that are found in developed tissues appear to be
able to renew themselves and assimilate the role of
specialized cell types, including fat, cartilage, bone,
tendon and ligament and bone. While the mechanism
is not yet fully understood, it is believed the stem
cells migrate to dying
or injured cells and
secrete growth factors
that improve organ
function.
Prime candidates
for the therapy are
dogs that have joint
or cartilage disease
before severe arthritis
develops, or those
undergoing orthopedic
surgery to help stimulate cartilage and connective
tissue growth and speed recovery. Dogs already
suffering from osteoarthritis can also benefit, but may
require more than one procedure.
For more information visit Vet-Stem’s website at
www.vet-stem.com/.
Source: “Exploring Stem-Cell Therapy” by Tracy
Libby, AKC Gazette March 2011
Smartphones for smart dogs
“App” is short for “application”, a computer software
designed to help you perform a variety of specific
tasks. Many are already embedded in your device
– pc, ipod, ipad, smartphone…) but a staggering
number are now available
free or for a modest price
to be downloaded onto your
smartphone. A growing
number of apps have now
plugged into the booming
pet industry to help anxious
owners keep their pets
healthy and happy. Here
are a few of the top picks
on the market:
AmicoCane (0.79 euro on iTunes)
An Italian app now sold also in English that offers
lots of practical advice and information for dog lovers.
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Includes training tips - choosing and bringing up a
puppy, basic education, phobias and stress - and
descriptions of more than 200 breeds, accompanied
by photos and video from YouTube. With the aid of
Google Maps you can search for local vets, boarding
kennels and breeders.
Pet FirstAid:For your Dog, Cat, Puppy or Kitten
(2.99 euro on iTunes)
A great app for those moments when your vet has
switched off his cell phone and you’re miles away
from the nearest clinic. It’s loaded with descriptions
of common ailments and emergency situations and
accompanied by videos and step-by-step illustrations.
You can find out about bleeding, poisoning, CPR and
bite & stings and much more.
Train Your Dog Kits (free on iTunes)
This fun interactive app helps you train your dog
in obedience and discourage bad behavior. Tools
include a clicker for positive reinforcement training, a
bell to teach pups when to go to potty and a whistle
for gundog training commands. Each tool comes in
different frequencies to suit your dog.
Paw Cad: Pet Tracker for Your Dog and Cat
(free on iTunes)
Store your pet’s vital information – vaccination
records, microchip number, medications – so that
you can access it and send it to your vet or dog sitter
wherever you are.
Dogbook (free on iTunes)
The social network for owners that don’t want their
pets to miss out on all the fun on Facebook. You can
connect with doggy “friends”, make status updates
and keep a doggy diary.
Stuff it!
The list of things you can stuff inside a Kong toy to
keep your dog happy and occupied – and satisfy his
natural foraging instincts – is virtually endless. The
basic idea is to put layers of dog treats and/or human
foods inside the toy, packing the stuffing tighter as
the dog becomes more expert and securing it all
inside with a biscuit or treat wedged in the bigger
hole. For instance, at the bottom layer you can place
the “tantalizer” or yummiest treat (ie, chopped dried
liver or cheese) topped by dog kibble, followed by
canned dog food and all topped off with a doggy
biscuit. For health conscious owners, pieces of fruit
Notonlyretrievers: books, tv, gifts, news, etc
edited by Patty Fellows and Alessandra Franchi
and vegetables like bananas, apples, tomatoes
and carrots can be stuffed in along with yogurt and
linseed or wheat germ.
Our dogs go crazy
over baby food! For
hot summer months,
Kongsicles are a favorite
– put a dab of peanut
butter or Rio Mare tuna
patè in the small end to
plug the cavity, turn the
Kong upside down and
fill with chicken broth (for
best results give outside
in the garden!).
Here are a couple of good sites for Kong recipes and
suggestions:
http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/2006/02/dog_
recipes_for_kong_chew_toys.php
http://westwoodanimalhospital.com/BhvArticles/kong_
stuffing.htm
Vito, “Canis sapiens”
A Labrador named Vito was recently applauded at
the University of Milan’s research laboratory “Canis
sapiens” as the smartest dog of the day – he didn’t
fail a single test and resolved in record time a puzzle
that required him to press on a yellow pedal to open a
blue box hiding a food treat.
Vito was one of the participants in an ongoing
experiment led by a team of researchers, biologists
and psychologists studying different aspects of
dogs’ social cognition and communication with
man. In the experiment a series of tests look at how
dogs communicate by looking at us. They also look
at to what extent dogs are influenced by people
when making choices. So far 450 pet dogs and
owners have taken part in the experiment and more
volunteers are needed (to sign up go to www.comportamentoanimale.it/).
Emauela Prato-Previde, professor of Psychology at
the University of Milan Medical School, explains that
the study hopes to prove that mental capabilities
are “the result of evolution and that the mind has an
adaptive and cognitive function”.
So far breeds historically selected for work in
cooperation with man (retrievers and herding dogs)
have been found to look earlier and for a longer
period at their owners, compared with guarding and
primitive breeds (huskies, malamutes and basenji).
The study has also found
that dogs used to taking
part in activities with
their owners like agility or
search & rescue are more
enterprising and resolve
problems more quickly.
Pet dogs not used to
these activities tend to ask
for more help from their
owners and give up sooner.
Origin wins again
The Glycemic Research Institute, USA, has awarded
Origin “Pet Food of the Year” for the third year in a
row, in a comparison of all dog and cat foods sold in
the UK, USA and Canada. According to the Institute,
“Origen best exemplifies a food that is based on the
evolutionary and biological needs of the canine”.
To select the winner the Institute made an in-depth
analysis of ingredients as well as the biochemical
needs of cats and dogs.
Compared to the majority of pet foods on the market,
Origin is grain free and contains 80% meat. More
information about the award can be found at
www.gripetfoods.com/.
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RETRIEVER
magazine