THE NEWSLETTER OF THE BAY AREA CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL CLUB FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 1

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1 The Cavalier Wag THE NEWSLETTER OF THE BAY AREA CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL CLUB FEBRUARY 2014 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 1 z President s Message z INSIDE THIS ISSUE President s Message A Word from Willie Recent Events Special Thanks Rescue Update Sportsmanship AKC Corner Editor s Notes Club Calendar Book Nook Committee Notes Awards & Recognition -12 Newsletter Editor: Victoria Marina-Tompkins vmtompkins@gmail.com Happy 2014! Best in the West! That s our plan for 2014 for the BACKCSC! We asked for suggestions after the Specialty, and one was to make it the Best in the West! The board decided that was a worthy goal for all areas of the club. We hope to see better communication between the board and club members and more participation in club events. Our club members span a wide geographic area, and I know coming to a meeting is an almost day-long commitment for some of you. Although it might help to move the meeting locations around to accommodate different areas, it has worked out well to have one familiar place where dogs are allowed. We submitted our date requests early enough this year that it looks like we will be able to hold all of our meetings at the SPCA in Dublin. The Board Meetings will now end by noon, and we would like to encourage committees to hold meetings and Continued on Page 3 BACKCSC BOARD MEMBERS Molly Hughes, President; Jo Anne Mittelman, Vice President; Jeanne Kestner, Treasurer; Susan Gonyo, Recording Secretary; Allyson Gonyo, Corresponding Secretary; Directors: Elisa Rosenberg, Melissa Percivalle, Kevin Ellingson, Beverly Meyer All contact information is available on 1

2 A Word From Willie Thou knowest, winter tames man, woman, and beast. - Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare Dear Cavaliers, Here we are in a New Year, and I hope it will be a wonderful year for you and your people, full of fun, treats, and hugs. I pondered what to write about, and I remembered a quote from the Bard after whom I am named: Thou knowest, winter tames man, woman, and beast. - Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare This has been a record cold winter, and I hope all of you have stayed cozy and warm. My people are in Tennessee where the temperature was 2 degrees with a wind chill of 7 below zero. And that is not as cold as some places have been. Brrrr! I guess winter HAS been trying to tame us! However, it is my experience that there is an event coming up that proves winter cannot really tame everyone. I refer, of course, to the Super Bowl. It is still a couple weeks off as I write this, but the excitement in the air is so thick I can smell it! And I have started training in nose work, so I know my nose tells the truth and I trust it. I must say that I am at this moment partial to the Seattle Seahawks. We have real Seahawks, aka osprey, in our area, and they are really magnificent birds. I have often dreamed of chasing one down the beach. But back to the big game. What is not to like? My people get excited, there is lots of food around that MIGHT fall on the floor, there are extra people around to fuss over me and my canine family, and then there are all those balls to chase! I think there may be something weird about the balls in that game - they look kind of big and they move through the air differently than the tennis balls I play with, but I love to watch the game and run this way or that to try to keep up with the ball. It sometimes goes one way, and then I chase it and it disappears, but I still love the thrill of the chase! Our TV is kind of big, and sometimes the ball looks huge, but other times it is really small and I have to watch really closely to see it. Either way, the family is just as much fun to watch! Dad usually is really quiet until the ball gets near the big "H" at one side of the TV. Then he jumps up and starts to talk really loud (which wakes up my mom, Kate) and keeps being noisy until the man in the skunk suit holds his hands over his head. If that doesn't happen Dad flops back on the couch and groans like his stomach hurts. At first I thought he ate too much when he did that, but now I think it has something to do with the football game, because then he gets excited again, and then he groans some more. Continued on Page 3 2

3 Sometimes the game goes away and some really cool animal things appear. My favorite is the one with the really big horses that pull a wagon. There is always at least one time that they come on. Sometimes there are squirrels, or a green lizard that talks, or even some cats. There once was a great one with dogs riding in really fast cars. Not Cavaliers, unfortunately. We would like that too, right? Anyway, my people seem to pay even more attention to these commercials. I wonder which animals will be talking this year? Or maybe one of us will be there! As always, A Word From Willie cont. And after the Big Game is over we can look forward to Valentine's Day. May you not be tamed by winter, and may you have love all around you! Onstage William Shakespeare President s Message cont. members to bring lunch and socialize with others. We have also added a Committee Update page to the Wag that will list committee reports and volunteer opportunities. Thank you to those of you who participated in our 2014 Member Survey. There were a few glitches with Survey Monkey, and I apologize if you filled out the survey but it wasn t recognized. There was some excellent input. I am currently analyzing the results, and they will be presented to the board as soon as possible. We will also publish some of the results in the next issue. We plan on using a few other shorter surveys to get your input on specific events like Fun Day and fundraising for the club. Our annual health clinic is coming up on March 2. Dr. Kienle of VCA Bay Area Veterinary Specialists will be the cardiologist again; auscultations will be $40.00 for members and $45.00 for non-members. Color dopplers will be $ for members and $ for non-members. We eliminated the eye clinic because we haven t had many sign ups the past few years. If you know of a CERF clinic in your area, please let a board member know, and we will share the information with members. Details of the clinic are posted on the website ( Championship pictures and brags have been moved from the newsletter to the website. Please check out Wins & Brags under the Club tab. Litter Bits will continue to be a part of the Wag. Happy New Year (a little late!)--and here s to the best year yet! Molly 3

4 Recent Events November Meeting Holiday Photos Our November meeting is always our annual meeting. In addition to presenting the new BACKCSC Board of Directors, some of our members participated in a fund raiser for the club-- holiday photos. This was a learning experience and all of the models were excellent sports! Next year we will probably do it inside in an environment with fewer distractions! Thank you to all members and guests who helped out with this event! December Meeting-- Holiday Lunch & White Cavalier Gift Exchange--Thanks to Jim Nash for playing Santa again! A great time was had by all! January Meeting--Annual Acknowledgements of Awards--check out page 12 for a complete list. In addition, Molly Hughes bestowed two President s Awards for Recipients were Joanne Nash and Mary Wissenbach. Both were charter members of the BACKCSC in They were instrumental in the formation of our Club and were involved in putting on the events that qualified us for Licensing as an AKC Club. Golden Gate Kennel Club Show-- Thank you for all who helped meet and greet the public at Golden Gate. The show was much smaller, but it s still a terrific way to educate the public about Cavaliers! 4

5 Special Thanks 12 ANNUAL SPECIALTY The BACKCSC held it s 12th Annual Specialty on 10/19/13, and, it was another great club event!!! I want to acknowledge all the members who made the event possible. Work on the show begins long before October. Trophy Chair Allyson Gonyo contacted artist Jennifer Barajas early in the year, and together they came up with the beautiful boxes for our Trophies. Even the judge wanted to take one home! Dominique Oboyski created a new image that reflects the Harvest Moon theme for the Welcome Bags, and Mary McHenry did another spectacular job garnering donations to fill them up! Thank you to all members who contributed as well. Beverly Meyer took over this year as Raffle and Auction Chair, and she did an amazing job collecting wonderful items. Our ringside raffle and silent auction as well as the live auction at the banquet were very profitable! Kathy Tegg wowed Sandi Harrison and Veronica Hull with her warm hospitality and beautiful gifts for the judges. Thanks to Jo Ann and Jo Anne for organizing the Friday activities; Jo Ann Weise organized the Welcome Reception and Jo Anne Mittelman coordinated the program on the Breed Standard. Dominique s husband, Jeff, was a huge help with transporting all the raffle and auction items to the show site--as well as decorating the ring. (Volunteer opportunities aren t limited to members!) Thanks to Jeanne Kestner for handling the money for all events and selling tickets the day of the show. Jo Ann Weise also arranged for our two vendors at the show-- Sophie s Closet and Doggies Bag. Allyson and Susan Gonyo and Julie and Kevin Ellingson were the ad hoc clean up committee extraordinaire at the fairgrounds! Not the most popular job, but a very important one. Susan Gonyo and Elisa Rosenberg suggested the Cattlemens Restaurant for our banquet this year, and a popular idea it was. The food was yummy and plentiful! Thank you also for doing the decorations. Thank you to all who presented their lovely dogs to us by entering the show, and thank you to all members who came to cheer them on. I apologize to anyone I ve forgotten. HOLIDAY PARTY Santa Nash visited the BACKCSC again on December 15 at Zio Fraedos in Pleasant Hill. The tables were decorated festively by Carolyn Vertuca--thank you Carolyn. Jeanne Kestner put together the gift bags. Thank you so much to all three! 5

6 Rescue Update Louie, Nigel, and Tallulah (aka Tullie) ask that you please adopt them soon!!!!! Please!!!! They don t want to have to dress up for Valentine s Day and St. Patrick s Day. Send in your application now and make these three sweeties the happiest dogs in rescue!!! Check out for more information. Louie Louie is a goofy, but very sweet young guy. He s around 3 years old, but we don t know his exact age. He was very skittish and lacking in confidence when he came in. He is still a work in progress, but he d love to go to a home with a family willing to continue his training! Nigel Nigel is a dignified older gent who would love to be an only dog (10 years old). Sadly, he lost all his teeth when he had his dental, but he doesn t feel that should be a deal breaker. He s very handsome and quite a sweet heart. He d love to be your Valentine! Tallulah Tallulah (also known as Tullie) is the daughter of a Cavalier. She is very healthy for her age (over 8 years old) and loves walks and playing with other Cavaliers. However, she is used to being an only dog, and would be happy with that arrangement again. How about a ruby for Valentine s Day? A puppy in rescue is almost as rare as the gem. Rocko is about 10-months old & ready to go! Sweetie is back...she was very shy when she came into rescue. Her new home wasn t able to help her progress so she is back in rescue. She loves walks and really does live up to her name! Rescue Success! Daisy with her new owner. She now lives with several Doxxies & a cat! Daisy is very pleased with her new family. 6

7 Sportsmanship To Post or Not to Post: Social Media s Golden Rules by Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton, Esq.-Mediator Social media hit the dog show world like a tsunami. We can share our wins and the birth of that special litter; we can help if someone is in trouble on the road or has a bitch in whelp. Everyone is literally only a few keystrokes away. The Canine Chronicle has been published in its entirety online for over 5 years and it runs its website like a real-time newspaper. This allows the reader to give immediate feedback to what they have read. Yet, the ability to immediately respond to a post or tweet can come back to bite us and cause unwanted conflict. We react in the moment and repent at our leisure. Facebook and Twitter are a gift and nemesis to people who are quick to speak their minds. They feel free to say whatever they think to the benefit or detriment of others. Those others then feel the need to respond in kind. It can be as innocuous as wishing someone a Happy Birthday or as insidious as commenting viciously about a breeding program or the quality of an exhibit. Once posted on social media, it is out there for the world to see, intended or not. We can t take it back. We sometimes forget this! You know the stories. The handler who complained about his client on Facebook, because his client is not a friend only to have one of the handler s friends share the post on his Facebook page where the owner criticized is a friend. The breeder who speaks their mind about another breeder s dog, who happens to be number one in the breed, to a close friend via which then is mistakenly forwarded to the breeder criticized. Worse yet, the judge who speaks out of turn in a private about a breeder, their dogs and breeding program while offering some suggestions; then that unintentionally gets shared with the criticized breeder. Fur flies, no pun intended! The handler may lose their client, often to the party who shared their comment. The breeder who made the remarks about the number 1 dog has to see the breeder of that dog ringside the following week, along with all their friends who used to be friends of the commenting breeder. Finally, the judge winds up with egg all over their face when the breeder of the dog discussed answers the private , line by line in a posting on Facebook. UGH!! As a user of social media, I have gotten caught up in the rhetoric at times. I then look back on my thread and think, wow, what was I thinking? Who cares? Why did I think it was important to engage again and again? My trigger is usually a post discussing an instance where conflict is brewing or being energized. I am a sucker for trying to conflict coach from afar! As a mediator of conflicts between people about animals, I like to educate people who are engaging in that conflict conversation about the virtues of mediation over litigation. In one particular post I recall, an attorney suggested a clause could be put in a breeder sales contract to prevent annoying pet owners from irritating their breeders. As an attorney, myself, it seemed a bit far-fetched and may have been said tongue in cheek. Yet, I engaged and said such a clause would be foolhardy at best. This is a perfect example of how social media can be misunderstood or misused even with the bestintentioned exchanges. I realized the exchange was fruitless when a reader commented that with the government in shutdown is this really the best use of our time? She was absolutely right! For the New Year, I have adopted three new strategies when it comes to social media. I share them with you here in an effort to help you start the New Year off with a template for avoiding Continued on Page 8 7

8 Sportsmanship cont. future conflicts from unintended exchanges. I am a hopeless conflict coach and mediator. Take it for what it is worth and implement as/if you see fit. When you engage in social media why not follow these 3 Golden Rules. 1.) Say only what you would want to hear. 2.) Ask not what you want to say, but what people want to hear. 3.) Wait a full hour/day before posting. These are not hard concepts to put into practice. The mnemonic SAW makes them easy to remember. I saw it coming and I did it anyway. I saw the light and refrained from adding my two cents. Put the 3- letter word up next to your computer. It will remind you to ask, is it worthwhile to have this exchange? Will it make a positive difference? Will I regret it in the morning? The best scenario is to write a response and hold it for an hour or a day. Posts sometimes get sent by accident. Take care to place it in a folder to assure no unintentional mailing can occur. In the old days, it took a lot to sit down and write a letter to someone with fond greetings or personal thoughts, wanted or unwanted. Now we can do it in an instant, to our delight or peril. Use the 3 Golden Rules to temper the immediate desire to respond. They are rules that will serve you well. (Reprinted with permission from The Canine Chronicle) AKC Corner JANE MYERS HIRED AS AKC EXECUTIVE FIELD REPRESENTATIVE New York, NY The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce that Jane Myers has been hired as an Executive Field Representative. She will join the staff on January 6, 2014 and will be based in Reno/Carson City, Nevada area. Jane has been immersed in the sport practically since birth, and her extensive involvement in AKC conformation events and in-depth knowledge of handling and breeding will be valuable assets as an Executive Field Representative, said Patricia Proctor, AKC Senior Executive Field Representative. We welcome her to the AKC staff. Myers is a third-generation dog person who went to her first show at five weeks old and showed her first dog when she was eight. She has been an all-breed professional dog handler for several decades, finishing over 200 AKC Champions from all seven groups and winning 12 National Specialties with seven different breeds. Over the course of her career, Myers handled the top-winning German Wirehaired Pointer bitch of all time, the top-winning Clumber Spaniel of all time and the top-winning Petit Basset Griffon Vendeén male of all time. Clumber Spaniel CH Clussexx Country Sunrise won Best in Show at Westminster in 1996 with Myers on the lead. (Reprinted with permission from Toy Talk) 8

9 Editor s Notes Please remember that this is your publication! If you come across any information or articles that you feel the rest of the club members would enjoy or benefit from, please forward them to me. Also remember, we must have written authorization from the author to reprint any or all of their articles. Please submit pictures in jpeg format and articles in Word format. We are not able to work with a PDF file. I am also looking for a volunteer or volunteers to take pictures at each meeting and event so we will have pictures for the The Cavalier Wag. No special camera needed--a phone will do. Please let me know if you are willing to cover a meeting! Finally just a reminder that we have moved Championships and Win announcements to the website. Litterbits and other brags will remain part of The Wag. Please include the picture with the corresponding verbiage in the same . Please send all submissions for The Cavalier Wag to Victoria Marina-Tompkins, Editor vmtompkins@gmail.com Club Calendar Sunday, February 9: Sunday, March 2: Sunday, March 16: Sunday, June 22: Sunday, July 27: Sunday, August 10: Sunday, September 28: Saturday, October 18: Sunday, November 2: Sunday, December 14: Dates for 2014 Vicki Ronchette, Introduction to Nose Work Tri-Valley SPCA, 4651 Gleason Drive, Dublin Health Clinic--Dr. Kienle at VCA Bay Area Veterinary Specialists in San Leandro--see for details St. Patrick s Day Theme TBA TBA TBA FUN DAY & Responsible Dog Ownership Event 13th Annual BACKCSC Specialty Annual Meeting Holiday Party 9

10 Book Nook Book Reviews by Julie Bond of Read Booksellers in Danville Nonfiction: The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think by Vanessa Woods and Brian Hare. This is a New York Times bestseller and a very interesting look at how we have changed the way we view dogs and what we ve learned about the way that dogs think. Hare is a cognitive scientist who has proven that dogs have a unique ability for communicating and getting along with people. Based on work conducted at the Duke Canine Cognition Lab, this book offers information on improving your relationship with your canine companion.fascinating! Poetry: Dog Songs by Mary Oliver. A beautiful book of poetry all about our connection with dogs. Some of the poems are funny, some more serious, all are thought-provoking and enriching. Fiction: walking in circles before lying down by Merrill Markoe. This book is hysterical! The main character is watching her life fall apart around her and she begins to question all of her relationships and priorities. She begins to see the only being she can trust is her mixed breed dog, Chuck. As she begins to confide in Chuck she discovers that he can talk and truly offers the best advice ever. Is she losing her mind or finally seeing Chuck for who he truly is? The best companion a girl could ever have. Very clever read that is hard to put down! Kids: Dog Heaven by Cynthis Rylant. A beautifully rendered book about what it s like for our dogs when they cross the Rainbow Bridge. A life of freedom, dog biscuits, and endless games, this book provides children and adults alike with a feeling of relief as they learn that their dogs have gone on to a better place. Perfect gift for anyone who has lost a beloved dog. 10

11 Committee Notes In an effort to help our BACKCSC Committees visibilty and effectiveness, we have added this page to your newsletter! Also, we will be ending the BACKCSC Board Meetings at noon so that committees can hold meetings between 12:00 and 1:00 pm at our meeting venues. (Or just come before the meeting and have lunch or hang out with your fellow members!) Our current committees are: Fun Day: Co-Chairs are Joanne Chan, Susan Gonyo, and Elisa Rosenberg. They are currently working on a location for They will be recruiting helpers shortly for various roles such as cooks, game leader, and the raffle coordinator. Fund Raising: We are looking for a Chair; Current member is Beverly Meyer. We are considering holding a small raffle at each meeting in addition to one larger fund raiser. Legislature: Chair is Janet Doherty Membership: Chair is Jeanne Kestner Programs: Chair is Jo Anne Mittelman Public Education: Chair is Jo Anne Mittelman. Current members are Julie Ellingson, Karen Ferrell, Susan Gonyo, and Jo Ann Weise. There are resources for Public Education presentations at Please let Jo Anne know if you have any ideas for presentations in your area. Refreshments: Chair is Kathy Rankin. Kathy has sent out an asking for help for the next two meetings. Please her if you are able to help. (tkrankin@comcast.net) Specialty: Co-Chairs are Molly Hughes and Kevin Ellingson. We are currently working with Del Valle on AKC approvals. Other show committees & needs are: Banquet--Susan Gonyo and Elisa Rosenberg Concessions--need Chair Decorations & Clean Up--Molly Hughes. I need a set up and clean up crew! Judges Hospitality--need Chair Program--Jo Anne Mittelman Raffle and Silent and Live Auctions: Beverly Meyer & Elisa Rosenberg Trophies--Allyson Gonyo Welcome Bags--Mary McHenry is the undisputed Queen, but I think she is willing to train a replacement!!! Welcome Reception--need Chair Website: Co-Chairs are Allyson Gonyo and Molly Hughes If you are interested in helping on any of the above committees, please contact the Committee Chair or Molly Hughes. Thank you! 11

12 Awards and Recognitions January 5, 2014 was our Annual Acknowledgement of Awards Meeting. It takes dedication and focus to achieve a title in AKC whether it be for Conformation or Performance. It represents ongoing training and conditioning as well as bonding with your Cavalier. We would like to congratulate each member and each Cavalier that was recognized in 2013! The BACKCSC is proud to announce that our members had 22 total awards in 2013! #1 Cavalier in Breed Standings in the U. S. -- GCH Quail Garden Loch Lomond Deja Vu owned by Jo Anne Mittelman & Kumar Subramanian. Bred by Linda Geller. #2 All Breed Standing in the U. S. -- GCH Quail Garden Loch Lomond Deja Vu owned by Jo Anne Mittleman & Kumar Subramanian. Bred by Linda Geller Gold Grand Champions GCH Crizwood's Undeniable owned by Karen Ferrell; GCH Quail Garden Loch Lomond Déjà vu owned by Jo Anne Mittelman & Kumar Subramanian Grand Champions GCH Benchmark Up in the Air owned by Joanne Chan & Paul Mitchell; GCH Pinecrest Mountain Dew owned by Elisa & Lacy Rosenberg; GCH Greyhawk Remembrance at Del Sol owned by Mary McHenry; GCH Allegria Made You Look owned by Mary McHenry; GCH Royalmark Crystal Blue Persuasion owned by Sue Barrett DVM; GCH Dallarock Rose Tiara owned by Paula Columbo Champions Ch Covington Javier owned by Allyson Gonyo & Heidi Mohn; Ch Harrington Loch Lomond Here For A Good Time owned by Jo Anne Mittleman & Kumar Subramanian; Ch Benchmark Holiday of OntheMark owned by Joanne Chan & Paul Mitchell; Ch Royalmark Out of the Clear Blue Sky owned by Dr. Susan Barrett DVM & Todd D. McCoy; Ch Quail Garden Tis Magic owned by Paula Columbo & Linda Geller; Ch Pinecrest Mountain Dew owned by Elisa & Lacey Rosenberg; Ch Lilium Quince at Crownrose owned by Elisa Rosenberg; Ch Covington Elphaba owned by Allyson Gonyo & Heidi Mohn. Canine Good Citizen Lilycroft Madeir Lady Emma Rose BN, CGC owned by Carol and Glenn Karcher. Beginner Novice Lillycroft Madeir Lady Emma Rose BN, CGC owned by Carol and Glenn Karcher. Agility Excellent Preferred Covington Darby CD, BN, RA, AX, AXJ, AXP, AJP, OF, NFP, CGC owned by Jeanne Kestner Excellent Agility Jumper Northwynd I'm A Believer CD, BN, RA, AX, AXJ, OF, CGC owned by Jeanne Kestner We are proud of what the BACKCSC is today, and we are proud of what each member who received an award has accomplished. And thank you also to each member for what you contribute to make our Club the Best in the West! 12