Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 1

Pat Hastings’ Seminar - PUPPY DEVELOPMENT & STRUCTURE

On March 24th, three VDC members participated in the “Structure In Action” workshop presented

by Pat Hastings. Well-known as an educator, judge and for her puppy evaluation techniques, Pat also

discussed at length the value of structurally evaluating adult dogs that are being considered for a

breeding program, working trials or performance competition along with a veterinarian’s perspective

on how to reduce the risk of structural injuries in working and performance dogs. The more we learn

of canine structure, the more we are better able to understand what is a reasonable expectation of

our dogs’ performance, given their physical strengths and weaknesses.

The presentation included an evaluation of a litter of 8-week-old *Sheltie puppies which provided

visualization of their structure. Pat has evaluated more than 38,000 litters and has found that examina-

tion of puppies 8 weeks old, plus or minus 3 days yields the most accurate results of structure evalua-

tion. Structure changes very little from a puppy at that young age to adulthood. The program also

included the basics of canine structure and how to evaluate the structural quality of the adult dog,

what your dog can do and should not be doing, a vet’s ideas on how to strengthen structure and re-

duce the risk of injury, and questions and hands-on work with attendees’ dogs.

The workshop was very innovative and informative. Everyone who loves their dogs tend to think

their dogs are capable of doing anything we ask them to do. But, as Pat pointed out, once we evaluate

our dogs with our eyes and hands, rather than our hearts, we can better judge whether the dog is

able to perform the tasks for which that breed was developed.

The Club Barker

P.S. VDC still needs a representative for the FMDC meetings. Requires 4 hours monthly.

Board Meeting 7:00 pm

General Meeting 7:30 pm

LOCATION:

Barron Center, 1145 Brighton,

Ave., Portland, ME, 04103 just off

ME Turnpike Ex 48 [Westbrook].

Treasurer’s Report

Recording Sec. Report

Corresponding Sec. Report

Cluster Meeting Report

FMDC Report

the monthly “Bark About”

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

V ACAT IO NLA ND

D OG CL U B , I NC.

F O U N D E D 1 9 4 5

The News

www.VacationlandDogClub.org

A P R I L 2 0 1 2 V O L U M E 6 7 I S S U E 4

S P E C I A L P O I N T S

O F I N T E R E S T :

Its Cluster Show

Time in Maine!

www.FedMeDogClubs.org

www.akc.org

April 18 Meeting

Club Barker 1

Member Corner 2

Rover the Reporter 3

Slackers Unite! 4

AKC Updates 5

Deer Ticks & U 6

Seminar: Behavior 7

Herding Intro 8

Match-OB & RallyO 9

Show-Southern ME 10

Show--Chickadee 11

Calendar 12

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 2

For Members Only

This is the story of our little good luck fairy: WAYFARER ON A WHIMSEY

Wayfarer Shelties, AKC Reg., Penny Overton, since 1982

Once upon a time Ch. Wayfarer Different By Design “Zoe” decided to have a litter, her second to

be clear. Hmmm, yes, that was in the year of 2002.

And, low and behold, there was this little urchin plunked right down in the middle all of the other

four babies. Well, being the bestest of moms, Ch. Zoe was sprucing up her new born babes.

But she decided that one just needed a wee bit more sprucing then the others. There was Ch.

Zoe acting so natural, but what … that did warrant further investigation.

It appeared to be a little *foot she was sprucing up. Hmmm, again.

So it was decided by me, myself and I that that little foot was a such beautiful little foot, it was spruced up quite enough. Ch. Zoe simply needed to

get all others spruced up as well.

Oh, yes, did we mention that was on St. Paddy’s day? No? Ok. Let us continue.

Well, we had this Ebay net-pal, like a pen-pal, from Ireland and recounted the story to Davoc. What to name this “child” that defiantly had to stay

if only for the story? Our net-pal suggested “Ashi” which roughly translated in Irish meant … yes, you guessed it, Lucky Fairy.

Ashi turned out to be our last puppy from Ch. Zoe and the only one we ever kept from her. Ashi’s sire Mainstay Easy Street “Billie” was an in-the-

field change, spur of the moment choice, picked on arriving at Steve Barger’s for breeding.

Unfortunately in 2003, Ch. Zoe contracted Pyometra after being bred a 3rd time. So the Ashi litter turned out to be her last. Ch. Zoe was lucky to

survive the pyo but not before having to be spayed.

Ashi, or fondly called the Sloth, then carried on our line and was the dam of Ch. Wayfarer

Black Powder “Flint” and his full litter brother, Dawn Osmond's MACH Wayfarer Push Me Pull

You “Bugg” (originally destined to be nick named Tugg!) x Majestyk B’croft Secret Service

“Colin”. Ashi was also a full litter sister to GSSSC Member Joanne O’Brien’s 2 time MACH

Wayfarer Light Up My Life “Lucas”.

P.S. * That little foot that Ch. Zoe was so focused on, it only had only 3 toes!

Ch. Zoe & litter with Ashi in front

The VDC NEWS hereby invites you, our members, to submit an editorial or your special story…

no matter how “green to the breed”, or if retired, signed or unsigned. This is your corner!

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 3

On the Circuit-by Feature Writer, Deb Libby

HiP Hips

It all started with a simple question asked over a fine dinner out of pizza and coke with friends. That question was, "How long should I wait after

heat to have Saki's hips evaluated". The smiling answer was: "That would be a good subject for your next newsletter article." So, Google a sim-

ple question and get a huge amount of information and answers to questions one might have asked if only they had been thought of!

OFA says wait one month after estrus. Some other considerations mentioned on the OFA website is the physical condition of the bitch. If she is

out of condition, give her some conditioning first to tone her muscles and ligaments that help keep joints aligned. Here is a link to the OFA

site: http://www.offa.org/hd_procedures.html

PennHIP says estrus doesn't matter with regard to hip evaluation. Their only concern is when the bitch is pregnant or lactating as the hormones

cause joint laxity. PennHIP is essentially a for profit spin off from Pennsylvania State University where the PennHIP diagnosis methods were de-

veloped. There is a study regarding estrus and evaluation done by Pennsylvania State University of Veterinary Medicine that is quoted on the

PennHIP site. That study includes the statement that it is interesting that OFA evaluations showed no appreciable difference between films taken

during estrus and those taken when not in estrus. An interesting thing is it seems that PennHIP can accurately predict CHD on a pup as young as

six months. Commonly asked ques-

tions and answers can be viewed at

this address:

http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/

pennhip/pennhip2006/FAQ/vet.htm

An then, of course, there is always the

wild card. This next selection is in the form of a comprehensive study and written with eighteen references backing it up. This twist is question-

ing the validity of a number of certifications and pointing out the sort of stuff that can fall through the cracks.

http://www.farmdogsusa.com/uploads/2/8/2/7/2827144/hd_part_v.pdf

It seems that canine hip dysplasia is surprisingly not decreasing according to the information from the above sources. It would be difficult to say

for sure as reportedly only one percent of dogs registered each year with AKC are ever OFA evaluated. Most of the symptomatic dysplastic

dogs I have seen and known of were neutered and so they would never have reason to be OFA evaluated and the results registered with the

AKC. A question was posed in the above article asking how two OFA good rated canine parents could produce dysplastic offspring. The answer

in the farmdogsusa article stated that the cause of CHD is purely genetic and evaluation errors can occur either way. However, recall the news-

letter article about the Rutgers study regarding neutering, and there is another contributing cause for symptomatic Canine Hip Dysplasia.

Anyway, I'll wait a month before taking Saki for OFA evaluation. It probably won't make any difference in the results, but she is a tad chunky right

now from not being allowed to romp and play with Teddy in the last three weeks, for obvious reasons. And, I'm not in any kind of a hurry.

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 4

If not you, then who? Committee Members - Backbone of a Club!

For every hundred men hacking away at the branches of a diseased tree, only one will stoop to inspect the roots. - Chinese proverb

... from the SoapBox: We are not all wizards. But, we can shuffle our wizard hats. When joining the club, potential members agree to participate

at shows as expectation, to assist and volunteer where and when needed. Sponsoring an AKC show is a heavy duty event requiring many helping

hands. The fewer the volunteers, the more someone has to pick up the slack. This can create early “burn-out” and loss of a great member.

Being a active member is more than just coming to every meeting, or being a sitting non-contributing board member as that will not “get the show

on the road.” Internal growth is never ending. Many clubs are suffering due to this kind of staleness and are failing by the wayside.

How can you help? Just latch onto a member you might respect, admire, want their job, etc. and ask if you can help them with…whatever! All

members bring something to the table when joining social clubs and we all have busying demanding outside lives and generally show schedules. But

our average member age is 59.5! Think about it. And, offer your smile and helping hand! And, remember, this is our hobby, our down time … to

have fun, to share our doggie experiences, and to grow...did we mention fun?

Member Stats …

MEMBER JOINED /

# YEARS

STATUS AKC CH OFFICERS/

BOARD

COMMITTEE

Sandy Bergeron 1967= 45 Active 8+ O.H. Director Show-B / O Sec.

Harold Davis 2011= 1 Active 0 Director Audit

Peg Dilley 2003= 9 Active 0 President Show Hospitality

Cheryl Dullinger Family 1996= 16 Inactive 1 - Show-B Steward

Carroll Goodwin 2004= 8 Active n/a Dir. Pro-tem Show-B Co-Chair/Grounds

Pollie Goodwin 2004= 8 Active n/a Director Show-B Co-Chair

Richard Hendricks 1981= 31 Active 0 Director Show Advertising

Nancy Hendricks 1990= 22 Active 0 - -

Barbara Hunt 2008= 4 Active 0 Director -

Nancy Jensen-Norris 2001= 11 Active 1-O.H. Corr. Sec. Show-B Chief Steward; NEWs contributor

Tina John-Taylor 2011= 1 Active 0 - -

Rick Joy 2009= 3 Inactive 7 - Show-B Steward

Debbie Libby 2011= 1 Active 0 Rec. Sec. Show Trophies; NEWS contributor

Claire Marx 1975= 37 Active 8 V.P. Show-OB / Rally Chair

Penny Overton 1982= 30 Inactive 4 - NEWS Ed./Pub.; Show-B Steward

Judy Perry 1994= 18 Active 12 Director -

Liz Shampine family 2011= 1 Active 0 - -

Ann-Marie Watson 2011= 1 Active 1-O.H. - -

Teri Welch 1998= 14 Active 4-O.H. Treasurer Cluster Treasurer/Transportation/B Steward

Kay Buffum - 89 yrs. young 1974 Retired 0 n/a former Director

Dot Durgin - 91 yrs. young 1969 Retired 10+ n/a n/a

Bev Maxfield - 82 yrs. young 1971 Retired [1 CA] n/a former Show Chair

Donna Pride—73 yrs. young 1981 Retired 2 O.H. n/a former FMDC delegate

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 5

I’d like to share an update with you on the Ca-

nine Partners program. Since the program’s

inception, cumulative trial entries have topped

30,000. Last year, 85% of the events that were

eligible to allow AKC Canine Partners listed

dogs did invite them to enter. That figure is up

to 89% so far this year.

Clubs welcoming Canine Partners enrollees have

allowed these dogs and their owners to experi-

ence AKC Agility, Obedience, and Rally. Those

clubs offering the Coursing Ability Test, which

also includes Canine Partners enrollees, have

also seen an increase in entries.

We recently reached a milestone by awarding

the first MACH, MACH2 and MACH3 titles to

one accomplished dog listed in the Canine Part-

ners program, “Princey,” who achieved all three

titles.

Staff has also been working on the “My Dog Can

Do That” experience. This program exposes

new owners and dogs to AKC events. It allows

people to try different companion events with

one-on-one attention from a trainer. The “My

Dog Can Do That” program is getting off to an

impressive start. Two hundred thirty dogs par-

ticipated in the program at the Rose City Kennel

Club dog show in Portland, Oregon, and two

hundred four dogs took part in the program at

the Middle Peninsula Kennel Club show in Dos-

well, Virginia. The majority of these dogs had

never tried an AKC event. We hope to wel-

come many more dogs and owners to the won-

derful world of AKC through this program.

Later this month, we are pleased to welcome

dogs listed in AKC Canine Partners to the Na-

tional Agility Championship in Reno, Nevada

from March 30th through April 1st. We are

delighted that a number of Canine Partners en-

rollees have qualified for and will compete in this

prestigious event.

Notably, we’ve continued to see growth in Agil-

ity, with the achievement of over one million

entries in 2011. I encourage you to check the

AKC website and the AKC Facebook page for

complete coverage and results of the NAC. We

wish the best of luck to all entrants.

As we continue to develop programs for all

dogs, we hope you will encourage dog owners in

your communities to participate. It’s easier than

ever to learn the ropes and get involved.

Turning now to another subject, I am pleased to

report that our 2012 budget is projected to

show an operating surplus of $1.7 million.

I extend my thanks to the management, staff and

Board for achieving this important, positive re-

sult.

During my tenure as Chairman, I have been truly

fortunate to have had the support of many dedi-

cated Board members – and especially two out-

standing Vice Chairmen. The first was the Hon-

orable David Merriam, and the second – who

has served as Vice Chairman for the past three

years – is Dr. Tom Davies.

While Tom is also leaving the Board today, I

know he will continue to be an important con-

tributor to the Delegate Body. AKC and our

sport will benefit from Tom’s involvement hope-

fully for many years to come. Tom has been

invaluable as Vice Chairman. While he may be

accused of many things, being a “yes” man or

being too subtle are not among them. You al-

ways know where Tom stands on the issue, and

if he disagrees with you, he will not be bashful

about letting you know. Fortunately for me, we

agreed far more than we disagreed.

The third Board member leaving today – after

twenty-four years of service – is the incompara-

ble Walter Goodman. We talk about legends

and icons of the Sport: Walter is a living legend.

There are few who have contributed so much to

the Sport of dogs over so long a period. As a

breeder, exhibitor, judge, club officer, not to

mention President of the most prestigious ter-

rier club in the world, Walter has done it all,

done it well, and done it with grace and dignity. I

know the Board will not be the same without

him.

Tom and Walter, thank you both for your sup-

port and contributions to AKC, as well as your

continuing friendship.

Sincerely, Ron Menaker, Chairman

———————————————————-

Vote agenda for the March Delegates

Meeting

. Vote on proposed amendment to Chapter 16,

Section 1, new sixth paragraph, of Rules

Applying to Dog Shows, which would create a new

three-point major for the dog designated Re-

serve Winners Dog and the bitch designated

Reserve Winners Bitch at one National Specialty

each year, specified by the AKC Breed Parent

Club. (Note: The Progressive Dog Club has re-

quested to withdraw this amendment based on input

it received. It plans to resubmit an amended version

at a later date. This withdrawal will be accommo-

dated either without objection or by vote if there is

an objection.)

. Vote on proposed amendment to Chapter 1,

Section 3, of Rules Applying to Dog Shows – Dog

Shows Defined, which would remove references

to the entries restricted to puppies, with the

remaining sections to be renumbered to reflect

deletion.

The following four items are interrelated and code-

pendent, and will therefore be voted on as one item:

. Vote on proposed amendment to Chapter 6,

Section 3, of Rules Applying to Dog Shows – Pre-

mium Lists and Closing Entries which would re-

move all references to seven groups.

. Vote on proposed amendment to Chapter 3,

Section 1, of Rules Applying to Dog Shows – Dog

Show Classifications, which would create eleven

groups.

. Vote on proposed amendment to Chapter 3,

Sections 15-20, of Rules Applying to Dog Shows

– Dog Show Classifications, which would remove

all references to seven groups to eliminate a

specific number.

. Vote on proposed amendment to Chapter 2,

of Registration and Discipline - Registrable Breeds by

Group, which would create eleven groups.

Note: The breed allocation indicated in the support-

ing documents for the above changes, reflects the

initial recommendation of the Group Realignment

Committee. The final determination will be made by

the AKC Board, considering the input of the Breed

Parent Clubs.

. Vote on proposed amendment to Chapter 9,

New Section 8, of Beagle Field Trial Rules and

Standard Procedures for Brace, Small Pack and SPO

Field Trials and Two-Couple Pack Hunting Tests –

Entry Requirements and Eligibility, which would

create a new section describing the require-

ments to earn a Grand Field Champion title.

Read on proposed amendment to Chapter 11,

Section 6, of Rules Applying to Dog Shows – Dog

Show Entries, Conditions of Dogs Affecting Eligibility,

which would allow superintendents and show

secretaries using AKC entry verification to cor-

rect entries as appropriate.

General Orders; New

Iris Frankel, Delegate

AKC Chairman’s Report by Ron Manaker

AKC Report from Delegate by Iris Frankel

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 6

Deer Ticks - Dogs and People: Know Ticks, No Lyme

INFECTIOUS DISEASE EPIDEMIOL-

OGY PROGRAM - Vector-borne Dis-

eases - Prevention of Tick-Borne Disease

(Maine.gov - Division of Infectious Disease)

Limiting exposure to ticks reduces the likeli-

hood of any tick-born disease infection. In per-

sons exposed to tick-infested habitats, prompt

careful inspection and removal of crawling or

attached ticks is an important method of pre-

venting disease. It may take several hours of

attachment before microorganisms are trans-

mitted from the tick to the host.

It is unreasonable to assume that a person can

completely eliminate activities that may result

in tick exposure. Therefore, prevention meas-

ures should be aimed at personal protection:

Wear light-colored clothing -- this will allow

you to see ticks that are crawling on your

clothing

Tuck your pants legs into your socks so that

ticks cannot crawl up the inside of your pants

legs.

Apply repellants to discourage tick attachment.

Repellents containing permethrin can be

sprayed on boots and clothing, and will last for

several days. Repellents containing DEET ( n, n-

diethyl- m-toluamide) can be applied to the

skin, but will last only a few hours before reap-

plication is necessary. Use DEET with caution

on children because adverse reactions have

been reported.

Conduct a body check upon return from po-

tentially tick-infested areas by searching your

entire body for ticks. Use a hand-held or full-

length mirror to view all parts of your body.

Remove any tick you find on your body.

To remove attached ticks, use the following

procedure:

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers or shield your fin-

gers with a tissue, paper towel, or rubber

gloves.

2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as

possible and pull upward with steady, even

pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this

may cause the mouthparts to break off and

remain in the skin. (If this happens, remove

mouthparts with tweezers. Consult your

healthcare provider if infection occurs.)

3. Do not squeeze, crush, or puncture the

body of the tick because its fluids may contain

infectious organisms.

Tick Removal

4. Do not handle the tick with bare hands be-

cause infectious agents may enter through mu-

cous membranes or breaks in the skin. This

precaution is particularly directed to individuals

who remove ticks from domestic animals with

unprotected fingers. Children, elderly persons,

and immunocompromised persons may be at

greater risk of infection and should avoid this

procedure.

5. After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect

the bite site and wash your hands with soap

and water.

6. You may wish to save the tick for identifica-

tion in case you become ill within 2 to 3 weeks.

Your doctor can use the information to assist

in making an accurate diagnosis. Place the tick

in a plastic bag and put it in your freezer. Write

the date of the bite on a piece of paper with a

pencil and place it in the bag.

Note: Folklore remedies such as petroleum

jelly or hot matches do little to encourage a

tick to detach from skin. In fact, they may make

matters worse by irritating the tick and stimu-

lating it to release additional saliva, increasing

the chances of transmitting a tick-borne dis-

ease. These methods of tick removal should be

avoided. Also, a number of tick removal devices

have been marketed, but none are better than

a plain set of fine tipped tweezers.

Tick Control Strategies to reduce vector tick

densities through area-wide application of

acaricides (chemicals that will kill ticks) and

control of tick habitats (e.g., leaf litter and

brush) have been effective in small-scale trials.

New methods under development include ap-

plying acaricides to rodents and deer by using

baited tubes, boxes, and deer feeding stations

in areas where these pathogens are endemic.

Biological control with fungi, parasitic nema-

todes, and parasitic wasps may play important

roles in integrated tick control efforts. Com-

munity-based integrated tick management

strategies may prove to be an effective public

health response to reduce the incidence of tick

-borne infections. However, limiting exposure

to ticks is presently the most effective method

of prevention.

This document is also available at:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/ehrlichia/

Prevention/Prevention.htm

———————————————————-

Lyme Disease Awareness Month Activi-

ties

Theme: "Know Ticks, No Lyme"

Rules for Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Poster Contest for K-8th grade students

word* | pdf*

Rules for Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Audio Contest for high school and college

students word* | pdf*

Community Events

Friday March 30 thru Sunday, April 1,

2012

State of Maine Sportsman's Show Augusta Civic

Center76 Community Drive, Augusta

Friday May 04, 2012

Epic Sports Gear,6 Central Street, Bangor

Saturday, May 19 / Sunday May 20, 2012

LL Bean, Freeport95 Main Street, Freeport

Saturday May 26 2012

Cabela's100 Cabela Boulevard, Scarborough

http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/

epi/vector-borne/lyme/month/index.shtml

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 7

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 8

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 9

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 10

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 11

Vacationland Dog Club—The NEWS April 2012—Page 12

V A C A T I O N L A N D D O G

C L U B , I N C .

F O U N D E D 1 9 4 5

The purpose of this club is to encourage and promote the raising, general care and training of purebred dogs; to promote harmony, fair play

and good sportsmanship in the best interests of purebred dogs; to encourage the novice owner and breeder in his approach to the raising,

general care and training of purebred dogs; to assist all members in the showing, breeding and general care and training of their dogs; to assist

the general public to understand dogs of all origins and learn to better care for and enjoy them through educational and instructional pro-

grams, projects and exhibitions, obedience and field trials, all under the rules and regulations of the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB

Penny Overton, Editor

542 Maine St

New Gloucester, ME 04260-2661

USA .00¢ Apr. stamp

VDC Mission Statement

VDC 2012 Officers and Board of Directors President: Margaret “Peg” Dilley

Vice President: Claire Marx

Recording Secretary: Deborah Libby

Corresponding Secretary: Nancy Jensen-Norris

Treasurer: Teri Welch

Carroll Goodwin, Non-Voting Director 2012

Pollie Goodwin, Director 2012

Barbara Hunt, Director 2012

Judith Perry, Director 2013

Harold Davis, Director 2013

Richard Hendricks, Director 2012

Sandra Bergeron, Director 2013

2012 Calendar January

7 Awards Banquet

17 FMDC meeting

February

15 General meeting

21 FMDC meeting

March

20 FMDC meeting

21 General meeting

April

17 FMDC meeting

18 General meeting

May

TBA General meeting

15 FMDC meeting

16 SMCC Show Setup

17-20 SMCC Shows

June

TBA Annual Banquet

19 FMDC Annual meeting

20 General meeting

July

No general meeting

17 FMDC meeting

TBA Equipment Clean-up

August

No general meeting

21 FMDC meeting

September

18 FMDC meeting

19 General meeting

October

16 FMDC meeting

17 General meeting

November

20 FMDC meeting

21 General meeting

December

12 General Meeting

18 FMDC meeting

“Heaven goes by favor. If it went

by merit, you would stay out and

your dog would go in.”

Monthly Quotable: Mark Twain