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The Gang
Ain't We Got Fun?
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
New Herding titles for SAWHDA dogs
This weekend, CKC Herding trials, hosted by the Rottweiler and Australian Cattle dog Clubs, were held at Phantomridge Farms in High River. Our Southern Alberta Working/Herding Dog Association was well-represented at the trial. And what a great time it was. The weather was good,the stock was perfect for all levels of competition, the food was amazing, the prizes were wonderful and everyone pitched in to make the days' events move smoothly and quickly.
Our judges, Shelley Fritzke (BC) and Barb Davenport (USA) were very impressed with the quality of herding presented this weekend.
And those of us who attended came away with huge smiles on our faces and hope for a bright future in the world of CKC herding.
Joan Michaud had two of her Belgian shepherds, Dani and Dex entered in the trial. She reports,
"What a nice turnout for the CKC Herding trials this weekend! Prizes were great and everything really organized. Very proud of my 2 boys today!!! Dani was in Herding Tested and Dex in Herding Started. Dani earned his HT title in the 2 trials I had him in Saturday. Morning trial was his best, afternoon one I stressed him out too much but we worked through it and he got the job done. Seems a huge hunk of sheeps wool was better than wanting to listen to mom yell "lie down".... So Dani is now Windmar's Fandango HT (leg on pre-novice and leg on Rally Novice). Dex , my started dog, had a decent run this morning but we had issues and I know it was the handler causing the problems:)) His first run was 80.5/100 Q and his second run was awesome and fast! Course mom cost him some points off with handling skills but he got quite a few elements with a perfect score:) 90/100 with a 3rd place finish out of 13 Started dogs!!! Sunday, we picked up our last leg and so, Ch. Windmar's Dex Treme, CD, RE, HIC, can add HS to his list of credentials. "
Lore Bruder and her cardigan Welsh corgi, Daisy Mae, whipped around the course like gazelles, (well, maybe not gazelles, but fast) as Lore raced from obstacle to obstacle with sheep and Daisy in hot pursuit. The technique worked 4/4 trials and we think Lore should put out a herding video entitled, "Dog aerobics for arena herding". East Dawn Victory Ridge HT, was indeed victorious and added the Herding Tested title to her Obedience and Rally Obedience titles.
Hunter, German shepherd dog owned and handled by Judi Snowdon, had a blast at the trials. He gained more and more confidence with each of his four runs in Herding Tested and came away with with his HT title, a ceramic sheep bank (piggy bank) and a fluffy sheep toy that grunted its little bah, bah, as Hunter played with it in the van almost all the way home from High River to Lundbreck. Ch. Shadowbar's Pardon My Dust, completed his Herding Tested title in style qualifying 4/4 trials.
The three breeds mentioned above are not "eye" breeds, in that, unlike the border collies, they do not use "eye' to control and move sheep and they do not crouch down to move the sheep. They are considered 'upright' breeds and herding with these breeds is somewhat different. For example, when a German shepherd enters the arena, the sheep are on guard and wary far earlier and they automatically display more anxiety than when a border collie enters. The sheer mass of the dog and the fact that it moves upright is enough to cause the sheep to move away sooner and more quickly. The German shepherd moves with a fluid trot most of the time, switching to high gear as needed, so once the sheep become accustomed to it, things can settle down. But it takes some of the ten minute time limit to accomplish this.
The Belgian shepherd, on the other hand, is large enough to worry the stock, plus it moves with a jump start and a burst of motion that requires much fore-thought on the part of the handler to maintain a calm flow during the run. The cardigan Welsh corgi, because of its short stature, has to remain engaged with the sheep at all times as it needs to pace its energy and use its capacity to move quickly only as necessary. All these breeds differ from the "eye" breeds as well as from each other in their herding styles. Yet each of them showed that over the hundreds of years that they have been in existence, they have retained their natural herding ability.
Congratulations to all of you, and happy herding in the future!
The Prez
Judges Shelley Fritzke, and Barb Davenport with Judi and Hunter
Lore and Daisy Mae on the ready.
Our judges, Shelley Fritzke (BC) and Barb Davenport (USA) were very impressed with the quality of herding presented this weekend.
And those of us who attended came away with huge smiles on our faces and hope for a bright future in the world of CKC herding.
Joan Michaud had two of her Belgian shepherds, Dani and Dex entered in the trial. She reports,
"What a nice turnout for the CKC Herding trials this weekend! Prizes were great and everything really organized. Very proud of my 2 boys today!!! Dani was in Herding Tested and Dex in Herding Started. Dani earned his HT title in the 2 trials I had him in Saturday. Morning trial was his best, afternoon one I stressed him out too much but we worked through it and he got the job done. Seems a huge hunk of sheeps wool was better than wanting to listen to mom yell "lie down".... So Dani is now Windmar's Fandango HT (leg on pre-novice and leg on Rally Novice). Dex , my started dog, had a decent run this morning but we had issues and I know it was the handler causing the problems:)) His first run was 80.5/100 Q and his second run was awesome and fast! Course mom cost him some points off with handling skills but he got quite a few elements with a perfect score:) 90/100 with a 3rd place finish out of 13 Started dogs!!! Sunday, we picked up our last leg and so, Ch. Windmar's Dex Treme, CD, RE, HIC, can add HS to his list of credentials. "
Lore Bruder and her cardigan Welsh corgi, Daisy Mae, whipped around the course like gazelles, (well, maybe not gazelles, but fast) as Lore raced from obstacle to obstacle with sheep and Daisy in hot pursuit. The technique worked 4/4 trials and we think Lore should put out a herding video entitled, "Dog aerobics for arena herding". East Dawn Victory Ridge HT, was indeed victorious and added the Herding Tested title to her Obedience and Rally Obedience titles.
Hunter, German shepherd dog owned and handled by Judi Snowdon, had a blast at the trials. He gained more and more confidence with each of his four runs in Herding Tested and came away with with his HT title, a ceramic sheep bank (piggy bank) and a fluffy sheep toy that grunted its little bah, bah, as Hunter played with it in the van almost all the way home from High River to Lundbreck. Ch. Shadowbar's Pardon My Dust, completed his Herding Tested title in style qualifying 4/4 trials.
The three breeds mentioned above are not "eye" breeds, in that, unlike the border collies, they do not use "eye' to control and move sheep and they do not crouch down to move the sheep. They are considered 'upright' breeds and herding with these breeds is somewhat different. For example, when a German shepherd enters the arena, the sheep are on guard and wary far earlier and they automatically display more anxiety than when a border collie enters. The sheer mass of the dog and the fact that it moves upright is enough to cause the sheep to move away sooner and more quickly. The German shepherd moves with a fluid trot most of the time, switching to high gear as needed, so once the sheep become accustomed to it, things can settle down. But it takes some of the ten minute time limit to accomplish this.
The Belgian shepherd, on the other hand, is large enough to worry the stock, plus it moves with a jump start and a burst of motion that requires much fore-thought on the part of the handler to maintain a calm flow during the run. The cardigan Welsh corgi, because of its short stature, has to remain engaged with the sheep at all times as it needs to pace its energy and use its capacity to move quickly only as necessary. All these breeds differ from the "eye" breeds as well as from each other in their herding styles. Yet each of them showed that over the hundreds of years that they have been in existence, they have retained their natural herding ability.
Congratulations to all of you, and happy herding in the future!
The Prez
Prizes, Qualifying ribbons and score sheets
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Dr. Jean Dodds Seminar
Jean Dodds, DVM Seminar
on Canine Health Issues
sponsored by the Flathead Kennel Club of Montana
Continuing Education Credits Available
When: August 4, 2012 – Lecture starts promptly at 9 am - 5 pm/ Lunch included
Where: Hampton Inn, 1140 US Highway 2 West Kalispell, MT
Registration: Check-in starts at 8am – Register EARLY to reserve your space!
Fees: $75 if paid before July 1, 2012; $80 after July 1, 2012; Same day registration: $90
Dr. Dodds received the D.V.M. degree with honors in 1964 from the Ontario Veterinary College. She accepted a position with the New York State and there began as a Research Scientist and culminated as Chief, Laboratory of Hematology, Wadsworth Center. Later she also became Executive Director of the New York State Council on Human Blood and Transfusion Services. In 1986 she moved to establish Hemopet, the first nonprofit national blood bank program for animals.
Vaccine Issues - 9 am – 10:30 am
Modern vaccine technology has permitted us to protect companion animals effectively against serious infectious diseases. However, the challenge to produce effective and safe vaccines for the prevalent infectious diseases of animals has become increasingly difficult. Animals of certain susceptible breeds or families appear to be at increased risk for severe and lingering adverse reactions to vaccines.
Nutrition - 10:45 am – 12:15 pm and (resumes following lunch break) 1 pm – 2 pm
Wholesome nutrition is key to maintaining healthy immune function and resistance to disease. Discussion will focus on the basic ingredients and trace vitamins, minerals, and immune-balancing nutrients that promote healthy endocrine and immune function as they apply to health and disease.
Thyroid Disease - 2:15 pm – 5:00 pm
Hypothyroidism is the most common endocrine disorder of dogs, and up to 90% of cases result from an autoimmune disease that progressively destroys the thyroid gland (autoimmune thyroiditis). Once more than 70% of the gland is destroyed by this process, classical clinical signs of hypothyroidism appear. Because the condition is heritable, it has significant genetic implications for breeding stock. Accurate diagnosis of the early stages of autoimmune thyroiditis offers important genetic and clinical options for prompt intervention and case management. However, it is often difficult to make a definitive diagnosis.
Confirmations will be made by email, unless you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Name (s) ____________________________________________________________________________________
Organization/Dog Club/Vet Hospital _______________________________________________________________
Address__________________________________________________ City __________ State ______ Zip ______
Phone____________________________________________________Email______________________________
Continuing Education Credits (6.75) - Please check here □
I have enclosed _____ for the one-day registration fee for _____ people.
Mail registration with checks made payable to: Flathead Kennel Club of Montana PO Box 2547 Kalispell, MT 59903
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Seniors' Week Celebrations
Last week was Seniors' week and our Due South dog group visited Crestview Lodge in Pincher Creek to
offer some canine entertainment. Our presentation was met with great enthusiasm on the part of the residents. Despite the cold wind, the dogs managed to provide lots of entertainment and some laughs, too.
We hope to return to do our square dance sometime later this summer.
Practice for demos every Monday evening at Shadowbar at 7:15 p.m. New members
welcome.
The Prez
offer some canine entertainment. Our presentation was met with great enthusiasm on the part of the residents. Despite the cold wind, the dogs managed to provide lots of entertainment and some laughs, too.
Practice for demos every Monday evening at Shadowbar at 7:15 p.m. New members
welcome.
The Prez
SAWHDA Fun Day at Shadowbar Shepherds Saturday, June 23rd!!
9:30 scent hurdle racing
10:00 relay sprints, barrel racing
10:30 rally O obedience (course set up)
11:45 arm and pedal flyball
12:15 obedience
12:30 draft dog work
Refreshments on hand.
Non-member drop in fee $5.00 payable at the start of the day.
Members free.
Hope to see you there!!!
The Prez
Hall of Fame Winner
I am not certain that you would call this news, but on June 8th, the winners of the Best Buddy contest met at the Alberta Royal Museum in Edmonton for a preview of the Wolf to Woof summer exhibit which will run from June 9th to September 16th, 2012. Thirty winning photos and stories were chosen from over 250 entries to represent 3 categories:
Hall of Fame, Hall of Shame, and Best Friends Forever. The photos and the stories that accompany them are on display as part of the large exhibit.
Shadowbar's Tuxedo Rose, a German shepherd owned by Judi and Darryl Snowdon, of Lundbreck, was chosen as a winner in the Hall of Fame category for her work in the Humane Education Program at Isabelle Sellon School in the Crowsnest Pass.
Rose accompanied Judi daily to school where a student with spina bifida learned to handle Rose in competition obedience from a wheelchair as part of her Humane Education project. After many weeks of practice, this student and Rose entered
and obedience fun match and passed their obedience test with 186/200. It was a memory this student will not forget.
A caricature of Rose still adorns the wall outside the counsellor's office at ISS.
As part of the presentation at the Alberta Royal Museum, winners were provided with a wonderful, framed, matted photo of their dog and their story and they were asked to 'pay the news forward' by placing the picture and story in noted public places to encourage families to travel this summer to see the wonderful exhibit, Wolf to Woof, the story of dogs. It is definitely worth the trip.
The Prez
Rose and Judi
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