Kay Dahlinger’s “Elle” Takes aKay Dahlinger’s “Elle” Takes aKay Dahlinger’s “Elle” Takes aKay Dahlinger’s “Elle” Takes a

UKC “Best in Show” UKC “Best in Show” UKC “Best in Show” UKC “Best in Show” March 11th was a big day for Kay Dahlinger and CH Eriksro Valerie Electra when “Elle” took “Best in Show” at the UKC show in Kiowa, CO. Says Kay: “First of all, it just never happens that a Lundehund gets a Group 1 over the more recognized breeds in the Northern Group. So, that was the first shock of the day. O.K., so now we actually get to try the big one. ‘Well, yeah, sure’ goes through your mind. ‘That’ll never happen.’ “Judge Grimes began her cut; put a Great Pyrenees up, then Elle, then a Tibetan Spaniel, and the rest of the group. I thought ‘Well, yeah, maybe we’ll get Reserve…nah, that will never happen either, not with a Lundehund.’ “She moved us around twice so we ended up facing the audience. Elle was just strutting her stuff responding to the audience’s applause as if she knew she was the winner. Judge Grimes stopped us, walked over to me and said ‘You are my Best in Show.’ Of course, I said ‘ME??? Oh, My God!’ and the tears began streaming

down my face. “She named her Reserve and came back over to me with the ribbon, the director’s chair and all kinds of beautiful homemade items and says ‘do you think you can handle this?’ “The crowd had been screaming and cheering the decision and then they rushed into the ring. All I could think to do was pick up poor Elle so she wouldn’t get stepped on. It took 10 minutes to get out of the ring with all the congrats. I was sore the next day from all the hugs! “Everyone has been rooting for this little dog from Norway for almost two years now and it finally happened. It was the thrill of a lifetime. What goes through your head when you hear them say ‘Best in Show’ is kind of like a dream. It replays and replays in your head several times—in just seconds—and then the emotions just break loose. It really takes a day for it all to sink in.” Congratulations to Kay and Elle on a great accomplishment! Let’s hope this is just the start of lots of Lundehund “Best in Show” winners in the years ahead.

The Lundehund LinkThe Lundehund LinkThe Lundehund LinkThe Lundehund Link

April 2005April 2005April 2005April 2005

� Lundie Wins a Best of Show!Lundie Wins a Best of Show!Lundie Wins a Best of Show!Lundie Wins a Best of Show!

� Lawn Edging HazardLawn Edging HazardLawn Edging HazardLawn Edging Hazard

� What Pet Stains??? Dealing with Them…What Pet Stains??? Dealing with Them…What Pet Stains??? Dealing with Them…What Pet Stains??? Dealing with Them…

Newsletter of the Norwegian Lundehund Assoc iat ion o f Amer ica , Inc .Newsletter of the Norwegian Lundehund Assoc iat ion o f Amer ica , Inc .Newsletter of the Norwegian Lundehund Assoc iat ion o f Amer ica , Inc .Newsletter of the Norwegian Lundehund Assoc iat ion o f Amer ica , Inc .

Metal Lawn Edging HazardMetal Lawn Edging HazardMetal Lawn Edging HazardMetal Lawn Edging Hazard By Angela Sapio of Colorado

My husband spent the past two weekends ripping out metal lawn edging. This border, buried in 10-foot segments, is heavy steel with a razor-like edge exposed along the top. (Ed. note: older edging may be iron, which, rusting and disintegrating, can be even more dangerous.) It’s no fun to pull up, wobbly to carry and the sharp edges are not amusing. But after learning of this hazard from our veterinarian’s lecture on canine first aid, we decided this must be done ASAP. Most dog owners don’t realize the danger that may be present all over their yards. Our vet joked that the metal edging must have been invented by a mad veterinarian because she gets countless cases of badly cut paws every year, She believes it should be banned—if children were getting cut up as often as dogs are, it would have been taken off the market by now. If your dog (or you or your kids) step on the metal edge, the wound can go very deep and even sever a tendon which cannot be repaired surgically. Use of the limb is lost. But because it can appear to be only a small surface cut on the paw or ankle, you might ignore it until it’s too late. Severe infection may set in. Worse, if the blood supply is cut off too long, the surrounding muscle and nerve will die and the foot might even have to be amputated! Sorry—didn’t mean to scare you, but it’s just not worth the risk to keep the old metal edging around. Some say just to cover your lawn edging with plastic tubing made for this purpose. The problem is that plastic quickly deteriorates in the sun, becomes brittle and cracks off, exposing sections of bare metal to innocent toes.

It’s not only a summertime problem; beware of metal edging lurking somewhere just beneath the snow where your dog can’t see it. Kind of takes the fun out of playing in the snow. So now that our metal edging is removed, does anyone have any ideas what to put in its place? Gardening just never ends. It’s hard to believe anybody begins it on purpose!

Good Move for BalderGood Move for BalderGood Move for BalderGood Move for Balder By Caren Lorber

I wanted to share a wonderful experience I had in Oslo recently with Sharon Pederson. We had the pleasure of meeting wonderful Lundehund owners and bringing Balder, a 1-year-old Lundie to America and his new home. In Oslo, he was showing signs of stress due to low-flying planes over his home. His owner seemed unable to cope with him any longer. In the few days we had him, I noticed a happier Balder and I’m pleased to report his delight in meeting his new owner in Palo Alto, CA.

AKC Library Now OnlineAKC Library Now OnlineAKC Library Now OnlineAKC Library Now Online The AKC now has the catalogue of its world-renowned library available online at http://www.akc.org/about/library/index.cfm The online bibliographic research tool helps to identify information sources on various subjects associated with dogs. It allows users to browse thousands of the library’s bibliographic offerings (18,000 volumes in 7 languages) by keyword, phrase, author, title, subject and format. You can now research your subject before visiting the AKC library in New York. Reference information includes that for bound periodicals, newspapers, foreign and domestic stud books, art, literature and children’s books. It will also feature magazines and videocassette collections, as well as its foreign collection.

Talking DogTalking DogTalking DogTalking Dog A guy sees a sign in front of a house: “Talking Dog for Sale.” He rings the bell and the owner tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes in the backyard and sees a Lundehund just sitting there. “You talk?” he asks. “Yep” the Lundie replies. The guy says “So, what’s your story?” The Lundehund says, “Well, I discovered this gift pretty young and I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA about my gifts, and in no time they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valuable spies eight years running.” “The jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger, and I wanted to settle own. So I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security work, mostly wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings there and was awarded a bunch of medals. “Had a wife, a mess of puppies, and now I’m just retired.” The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner how much he wants for the dog. “Ten dollars,” the owner says. The guy says, “This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap???” The owner says, “Because he’s a chronic liar. None of that stuff he told you is true.”

What??? Accidents???What??? Accidents???What??? Accidents???What??? Accidents??? If your doggy puddles on the rug, here’s what to do. First off, it it’s not obvious, find the area using your nose. Old stains will show up under a black light and you can lightly outline the areas with chalk. DO NOT use a steam cleaner to clean urine odors from carpet or upholstery. The heat will permanently set the odor and the stain by bonding the protein into any man-made fibers. If it’s a fresh accident, first soak up as much of the urine as possible with a combination of newspaper and paper towels, or 4-5 paper towels folded to the size of the affected area. Stand on this padding for about a minute—you’ll get more pressure if you put all your weight on one foot. Remove the padding and repeat until the paper comes up dry. The rug should be barely damp now. Rinse the accident zone thoroughly with clean, clear water, then remove as much of it as possible by blotting or using a wet-vac or extractor. Avoid using cleaning chemicals, especially those with strong odors such as ammonia or vinegar. From your pet’s perspective, these don’t effectively eliminate or cover the urine odor and may actually encourage your pet to reinforce the urine scent.

Once the area is really clean, you should use a high-quality pet odor neutralizer available at pet supply stores. Test for staining first, then use as directed. (Ed. note: I’ve used “Nature’s Miracle” for years but was recently told by a pet store owner that the company’s partners have split the business with one keeping the name and the other the formula. To get the original formula, buy the product called “Petastic.”) If you’ve previously used cleaners or chemicals of any kind on the area, neutralizing solutions won’t be effective until you’ve rinsed every trace of the old cleaner from the carpet. Even if you haven’t used chemicals recently, any trace of non-protein substance will weaken the effect of the enzymatic cleaner. The cleaner will use up its effectiveness on the old cleaners instead of on the protein stains you want to remove. To remove all traces of old chemicals and clean old or heavy stains in carpeting, consider renting an extractor or wet-vac. These do the best job of forcing clean water through the rug and then forcing the dirty water back out again. Don’t use chemical cleaners in the machine—just water. Once the old cleaner is removed, you can proceed with the enzymatic solution. If the area still looks stained after it’s completely dry from neutralizing, try any good carpet stain remover. (Advice from the American Humane Society)

Why Dogs Are Better Than Why Dogs Are Better Than Why Dogs Are Better Than Why Dogs Are Better Than

Teenagers….Teenagers….Teenagers….Teenagers…. …They eat less, don’t ask for money all the time, usually come when called, don’t drive your car, don’t worry about wearing the latest fashions, and don’t wear your clothes. They don’t drink or smoke or hang out with drug-using friends. They don’t need a gazillion dollars for college and, if they get pregnant, you can always sell the results.

Brags and CongratsBrags and CongratsBrags and CongratsBrags and Congrats Angela Sapio recently celebrated “Bobo’s” graduation from Beginning Obedience class. Paul Gluck’s Ch. Lady Skadie Boden celebrated her 8th birthday in January and Cliffhanger Prince Mathias his 7th in October. Kay Dahlinger’s “Bliss” had her first litter in January: 2 boys, one girl. Cliffhanger had a litter in January: 3 boys from “Petra” and “Kellen.” Ray and Mary Waldmann had a litter in February from “Nikki” and “Odie”: one bouncing (and big) baby girl.

The Cat ToyThe Cat ToyThe Cat ToyThe Cat Toy From Kristina LeachFrom Kristina LeachFrom Kristina LeachFrom Kristina Leach

It has been said that the Lundehund is very “cat-like” in many ways, and we have a great way of demonstrating this to people that might otherwise not see these behaviors. “The cat toy” is what we call Tuffy’s (Cliffhanger Cortie) favorite toy. It is a homemade toy that consists of a straightened wire hanger and a piece of plastic grocery bag or cloth.

To make it: straighten the hanger and make a loop at each end, one large for the handle and one small for attaching the “lure”. Tie the piece of plastic bag or cloth to the small loop, than flatten it with pliers so your dog cannot catch a toe, lip or tooth on it. The plastic/cloth acts as a lure that Tuffy will chase until he catches it or poops out. We play with him by making large and small circles, swooshing motions, and running with it close to the ground. We have also trained him to stand on two legs for long periods of time as he “begs” for the toy held over his head. We can entertain him and show off his front leg rotation ability, how he swats, and his amazing speed and agility. A toy like this costs nothing and can provide hours of entertainment and exercise for your Lundehund. Do be careful when your dog does catch the end, as they can sometimes get their teeth on the metal part of the hanger.

Pet Health InsurancePet Health InsurancePet Health InsurancePet Health Insurance Did you know that the AKC has a pet health insurance program? While pet health insurance is just gaining momentum in the U.S., it is a proven success in the United Kingdom where it has been available for more than 25 years. The AKC Pet Healthcare Plan features two options, one of which provides preventive care as well as illness or accident-related. Both plans carry a $100 deductible. After it’s met, 80% of covered claims are paid up to the annual limit. For more information, visit the AKC homepage or call (866) 725-2747.

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raymondjwaldmann@msn.com.