THE BEACONSwissy Club of New England Newsletter

1st Quarter 2012

In this IssuePresidents Letter...1-2SCONE Upcoming Events..3Regional Upcoming Events.....4Long Island Pack Hike Report...5-6HM&M and Robert Frost Trail Pack Hike Report..7-8Treasurers Report9Board Information9Newsletter Info.9Flyer for Maryland Draft Test10Flyer for Ohio Draft Test11Member App for 2012 ...12

A Message from the President

Happy New Year to all of you!!! Hope you all have recovered from the holidays, 2 legged and 4 legged friends as well. We all know about those infamous counter surfers and how they can get into tummy trouble sometimes. If you like the lack of snow and the mild temperature, we had a fantastic winter so far. Sorry for the snow bunnies but there are always the mountains to enjoy the snow. Well, the winter isnt over yet and as we all know anything can happen in New England.

This year should be an exciting one for all New England Swissy owners as SCONE will host its first Specialty in conjunction with the Pioneer Valley Kennel Club show at the Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, Massachusetts. I would like to encourage all SCONE members to either compete in the various entries at the show or come as cheerleaders to support the contestants. Pack Hikes and other activities will be offered throughout the year and the Grand Daddy event of them all, the 2012 National Specialty will be this year in Loveland, Colorado.

A lot of new members with young Swissies joint the club last year and there will be more this year. Therefore I would like to share with you the top 10 pet-owner mistakes someone may makes having a dog.

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Dont forget to renew your membership for SCONE and the GSMDCA.

Stella

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Mistake 9: Failing to make your home pet friendlyWhy this is a mistake: A cat without a proper litter box will just use the carpet. A dog without a cozy bed will end up on the couch.

Mistake 10: Punishing your petWhy this is a mistake: You might think Chewie knows youre screaming at him because he ate the loaf of bread on the counter, but he wont connect your behavior with this action.

I hope this few points will help you to raising your Swissy or any other dogs the proper way and I wish you all a good start for the upcoming year.

Peter Ziegler

Mistake 1: Buying a pet spontaneouslyWhy this is a mistake: That doggie in the window may be darling, but he might not be the right fit for your family.

Mistake 2: Skipping obedience trainingWhy this is a mistake: Bad habits can be difficult to train out of a pet. So unless you have the know-how to school an animal you need the help of a pro.

Mistake 3: Being inconsistent with the rulesWhy this is a mistake: If one child lets the puppy on the bed and another punishes him for it, the animal will be confused. Bad behavior is inevitable.

Mistake 4: Dispensing too many treatsWhy this is a mistake: Treats lose their training value if your pet gets them for no reason.

Mistake 5: Neglecting to socialize your petWhy this is a mistake: Pets that arent exposed to a variety of animals and people at a very young age can develop fears and aggressive behavior.

Mistake 6: Skimping on exerciseWhy this is a mistake: Pets have pent-up energy that needs to be unleashed through physical activity. Otherwise it will be channeled into barking, jumping, or even hostile behavior.

Mistake 7: Neglecting to keep your pet mentally activeWhy this is a mistake: Bored pets are more likely to get into trouble.

Mistake 8: Leaving a pet alone for too longWhy this is a mistake: A lack of proper companionship can lead to separation anxiety and destructive behaviors.

Otto

Emma

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SCONE Upcoming Events

Pine Barrens Long Island Pack HikeSat and Sun, March 10th and 11th, 2012Manorville & Ridge, NYContact: Laurie Carmody (LcarmodyR@aol.com)Sat Meet at 10:30 a.m. (Pine Barrens Visitors Center, Long Island Expressway exit 70, Manorville, NY) Hike starts at 11:00 a.m.Sun Meet at 8:30 a.m. (Parking area at intersection of County Road 25 and Pine Bark Way, Ridge, NY) Hike starts at 9:00 a.m.$20 for dogs packing for legs ($5 off for SCONE members), free for those along for the walk

2012 SpecialtyApril 21st, 2012Eastern States Exposition, Springfield, MAIn Conjunction with the Pioneer Valley Kennel Club ShowConformation, Sweepstakes, all-breed Rally and Obedience

For Trophy Sponsorship or more information about the Specialty see the website or contact Cheryl (Alastairgsmd@comcast.net)

We have booked the rings at Daves Soda and Pet City in Agawam, MA (just around the corner from the BigE at 151 Springfield St.) from 2-5PM on the 21st for some fun and games.

Beaver Brook Pack Hike, April 28th and 29th, 2012Hollis, NHContact: Peter Zeigler(peter.ziegler@charter.net)Contact Peter for Start times and more details.

Mt. Moriah Primative HikeSat and Sun June 16th and 17th, 2012Gorham, NHContacts: Kelly Nevin (kelly@prismgsmd.com_) and Chris Powell (chris.powell1@gmail.com_)Trailhead at end of Bangor Rd._This hike is a primative, includes overnight camping in a tent and 3000+ feet of elevation gain over Mt. Moriah. Contact Kelly or Chris for more details.

Two new Carmody lap dogs

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Other Regional Events of Swissy Interest

C&P Draft Test , Mt Airy, MDApril 14th and 15th, 2012, seeFlyer at end of Newsletter

Crooked River Draft Test, Royalton, OHMay 26th and 27th, 2012Flyer at end of Newsletter

American Pulling Alliance Weight Pull2/25/2012Location: 65 A P Gates Rd East Haddam, CT 06423Surface / Format: Rails/Carpet/MWPP$20.00 per dog, $25.00 per dog for both showsStart Time: 12:00pmWeigh-ins: 10:45-11:30amhttp://www.weightpull.com/events_uc/home.asp?idd=1022

IWPA Weight PullsSee http://www.iwpa.net/files/39993863.htmlFor more information

7th Annual Lake Placid Snow PullFebruary 25 - 26, 2012Lake Placid, New York

John and Ringo Dressed Up

Emma on her 2nd birthday

Princess Lillabit

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Long Island Hike Makes GSMDCA Pack Hike History!

As the first organized Pack Hike to hit the Island on December 3rd and 4th! The first day of the Hike we had a great turn out, some just came out to walk along with their Swissy and some other non-Swissies , we even had a few folks come out to meet the breed and walk along with us. Of course folks hiked for Pack Dog legs as well. We had several non-Swissies pack for legs, they were Alex with Bella (Border Collie), Melissa with Daegan (Belgian Sheepdog). On the second day of the hike we had all the Hikers hiking for legs, everyone had a great time and the weather was spectacular! Swissies hiking for legs were, Bogi, Comet, Hailey, Ollie and Marty. We are doing the same hike which has been approved for March 10 and 11th 2012, we are looking forward to seeing you all there!-Laurie Carmody

X

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More Long Island Pack Hike Photos

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Robert Frost and Metacomet-Monadnock Trails Pack Hikes

We had a small group this year the hike being the weekend after the Long Island one. Molson and Hailey completed their NWPDs and Helios completied his WPD. Lester packed for a WPD leg. And our Rottie friend Arvo with the hike photographer Dori Almann (thanks!). People may remember Dori from previous Mass hikes, she titled another of her rotties with us previously. I just love these hikes, so pretty can classic New England scenery. Come join us next year.-Kelly Nevin

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More M&M Robert Trail Hike Photos

Scary Spider Tino

Lily and Ranger waiting for Santa

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Treasurer Report

On 12/31 the treasury balance was $6500.48.

The 2011-2012 Board of Directors

PresidentPeter Ziegler (peter.ziegler@charter.net)Vice PresidentCheryl Gerzabek (alastairgsmd@comcast.net)TreasurerLaurie Carmody (LcarmodyR@aol.com)Secretary and MembershipKelly Nevin (kelly@prismgsmd.com)

DirectorsDiana Iannaccone (diana961@optonline.net)Lynn Kenney (BKenney1@optonline.net)Nicole Kerrigan (nicoleakerrigan@gmail.com)Deanna Never (deanna_never@comcast.net)Mike Warburton (mwarburton@csimail.org)

Newsletter Info

The SCONE Beacon is published quarterly.Next newsletter will be sent ~5/1, content due 4/15.

Photos, articles, new title and new puppy announcements are welcomed. Share a story about the antics of your swissy.

Membership is encouraged to contribute to the content of the Newsletter.

Advertisements are $30 for a full page and $20 for a half page.

Any content for the newsletter should be directed to the club secretary.

WebPage

The SCONE webpage is www.swissyclubofne.org.

Otto

Well Trained Hounds make for cute group photos!

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Entries close at the Test Secretarys address on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at 5:00 pm.

Premium List

Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America

BACK-TO-BACK DRAFT TESTS Saturday May 26, 2012 Sunday May 27, 2012

Hosted By

The Crooked River Swissy Club

8740 Boston Road North Royalton, OH 44133

Basic Control, Maneuverability and Freight Haul will be outdoors.

Test hours begin at 9:00 a.m. both days and

will continue until all teams have competed.

www.crookedriverswissyclub.com This test is open to all breeds in accordance with GSMDCA Draft Regulations.

Carting Test in Ohio

SWISSY CLUB OF NEW ENGLAND Application for Membership

Please return completed form with payment (payable to SCONE) to: Kelly Nevin PO Box 883 Amherst, MA 01004-0883

Miss ion Statement

We, the Swissy Club of New England, are committed to protecting and preserving the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog through ethical breeding practices, rescue intervention, and show & working events open to all purebred Swissies. Furthermore, we seek to promote camaraderie by providing information and education, encouraging responsible pet ownership, and offering regular social events for our dogs and for ourselves. Member Information Dog Information Please note that having a Swissy is not a requirement for membership Name Reg. Name Address Call Name City, State, ZIP Sex Male Female Phone Date of Birth email - please include others on back -

Please denote the areas of interest in which you are or would like to be involved: am would like to am would like to am would like to

Agility Conformation Drafting

Herding Obedience Packing

Therapy Tracking Weight Pulling

Other (please specify)

If currently involved, may we refer others to you for information and guidance? Yes No

Please indicate the areas in which you would like to help SCONE, if applicable: Fundraising / PR Newsletter Website creation / maintenance

NE Rescue Membership Other (please specify)

Hold Office Shows/Matches/Trials If so, which?

Comments / Feedback Type of Membership Please note that full membership is reserved for those who share or have shared their lives with one or more Swissies. Associate $15 non-voting membership Single $20 full membership for 1 member Family $30 full membership for 2 or more

members per household

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