Butler Dog Training Association Trainer s Tales BDTA Web Site: President s Message. April 2012 Volume 67 No.

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1 Butler Dog Training Association Trainer s Tales BDTA Web Site: April 2012 Volume 67 No. 4 President Betty Scarnato President s Message Vice-President Sam Abbott Secretary Jeanette Nestor Treasure Billie Jo Edwards Director of Training Nancy Kieffer Board of Directors Kim Colella Debby Neigh Debbie Hulick Dari Harding Dear Club Members, Great meeting! By the time you read this, I hope we are celebrating our successful Obedience Trial. All the committees reported they are ready and have everything under control. Thanks to everyone who has used their time and talents for this event. Pat Malis, a longtime member, who passed away last year is being honored at the Trial. She was a special person who enjoyed her life and her dogs. We have now learned from Casey Casali, when he gave the building fund report, that she donated $15,000 to our building fund. What a special gift! Georgia Slater reported that two realtors have indicated now is not a good time to try to sell the property as the value has declined. One suggested we buy ajoining land instead and then try to build on it. Thank you Georgia for your time and efforts. No decision at this time; our heads are on the Obedience Trial. There were no nominations from the floor for the slate of officers so they will stand as given last month. Check out the entire newsletter for all the upcoming events and detail on other activities. Spring has arrived so get out there and enjoy those canines! Editor Georgia Slater 137 Sharon Drive Butler, Pa Have a great month. Betty Chewy, Wickett and Archie

2 Sit Happens.Or So They Say.! So it s already the end of April.the Penguins are in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a do-or-die game coming up.there is snow the forecast since we ve all been wearing short sleeves these past weeks and our Trial is only days away!!! This will be a fast week!! I can t believe it will be May next week.how does time keeping getting away from us?? The little white(?) dog has been busy throwing her toys around and leaving them in just the right places to be stepped on or tripped over in the early morning hours. Did you know that bare feet can be damaged by stepping and then rolling on a Kong?? (Yikes!) The circus dog is hunting some microscopic creature known only to her breed. She has decided that every blade of grass needs pounced on since that is the only possible way to eliminate this unknown invader. My dogs have taught me many, many things. A conversation with one of our members made me start to think about some of the things I may have taught my dogs.especially the not so proud behaviors I may have instilled in them. I have trained both of my dogs to stop at my desk at home when I m working and beg a treat from me. That was pretty easy to train.just keep a small baggie of treats within reach and feed without thinking every time a paw touches your knee. Most of you could train that exercise in one session. Another really quick exercise to train is The Stare. This is another version of Watch Me, but it is done while you are eating. Sometimes the stare is accompanied by the whine or the You re so Mean song. This exercise was actually trained by another member of the family by rewarding the dogs for every stare or whine. This behavior can be fully shaped and firmly reinforced with only one or two practice sessions. It s sure to impress visitors. The last behavior I ll explain how to teach is called the Save the Neighborhood exercise. Again, this was trained by a family member. The commands are the words squirrel or cat and they are associated in the early stages of shaping with seeing these critters while working on loose lead walking (hah!). These commands then transfer easily in the house with the end result being that the dogs can catapult onto the back of the couch at thirty miles an hour from any room in the house. They are able to stop within a micro-inch of flattening their snouts on the window as they try to spot the offending intruder. This exercise rarely needs any physical reward and becomes a very reliable behavior in usually one or two sessions. Now since I ve been guilty of some not so great training, I need you to think of any behaviors you may have trained in the past that make you shake your head and say to your dog Where did you learn that?...shame on you! (We realize it s shame on us, but we re only human.thank goodness our dogs accept us for what we are.) Enjoy each day.. Nancy, Maddie & Sprite

3 Obedience Day/Time Length Cost Puppy Class BDTA Club Building Thursday 6:30-7:30pm 6 Weeks $60.00 BDTA Bldg Beginner Class BDTA Club Bldg. Monday & Wednesday 7:00-8:00pm 8 Weeks $80.00 BDTA bldg. ($10 discount if attended BDTA Puppy Novice Class Tuesdays 6:00-6:45pm 8 Weeks $75.00 (No discounts) Advanced Class Tuesdays 7:00-8:00pm **No Advanced class on meeting nights All Month MEMBERS ONLY Agility Class ****Senior Citizen Rates - $10 discount for any class No classes available at this time 8 Weeks Beginners 1 & 2 $85.00 Practice & Competition $80.00 $10.00 discount for members Obedience Classes All BDTA Members: You must register for all BDTA classes by sending the applications and deposits to: Obedience - Sande Winters, 430 Mushrush Road, Butler, PA and Agility Linda Arnold, 102 Coverdale Road, Butler, Pa If you have any questions or need Application forms, call Sande at or Nancy at Classes fill up very quickly and applications are taken as they are received. Deposits required for class registration will be half of the total class fee (this applies to members also). The Training Building is available to all members. If you need a key, please see one of the board members. With the privilege of using the building comes the responsibility of cleaning up after use. It's very difficult for instructors and assistants to come into the building and discover that a room needs cleaned before students arrive. So please use the vacuum cleaners and also the other cleaning supplies for spilled drinks, etc. Please wipe the mirrors clean. Our customers deserve a clean place to train and so do our members. Please be sure to turn lights off, leave the furnace setting on low or off during the warmer months and make sure all doors are locked! Don t forget the sign up sheet for Clean-up duty posted on the door to the Training Room to take care of our facility at the end of each Advanced Class and the Meeting Night. Everyone is responsible for keeping our facility clean and this will help spread the duties among us. BDTA Meeting Notice The next Membership Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 15 th at 7:15PM There is no Advanced Class on Meeting Nights!! We encouraged all Provisional Members to attend meeting nights. It s a good way to meet others in BDTA and we get to meet YOU!

4 Therapy Visits FACILITY CITY DAY OF THE WEEK TIME Irene Stacy Mental Health Center Butler 1 st Tuesday of the Month And 2 nd Wednesday of the Month And Last Wednesday of the Month 10:00 am 3:30 pm 10:30 am Sunnyview Butler 1 st Thursday of the Month 6:30 pm VA Hospital Butler 2 nd Thursday of the Month 1:00 pm VA Long Term Psych Care Butler 2 nd Thursday of the Month 2:00 pm Valencia Woods Valencia 2 nd Thursday of the Month 6:30 pm Shelbourne Assisted Living Butler 3 rd Wednesday of the Month 6:30 pm Butler Memorial Hospital TCF Butler 3 rd Thursday of the Month 6:00 pm Passavant Retirement Center Zelienople 3 rd Thursday of the Month 6:30 pm Concordia Adult Day Care Cabot Last Tuesday of the Month 10:00 am Lowrie House Butler Last Wednesday of the Month 6:30 pm If you would like to learn more about Therapy Dogs or how to become a Therapy Dog, please contact Nancy Kieffer ( ) or Frances Cashdollar ( ). Submissions for the next newsletter will need to be in by the Friday following the meeting. (May 18 th Is the next deadline) Submissions should be sent to chocomistmom@zoominternet.net or sent to: Georgia Slater 137 Sharon Drive Butler, Pa Chocomistmom@zoominternet.net BDTA Canine Ambassador Program Please contact Bernie Abbott, Public Education Coordinator at , for more information concerning the Canine Ambassador Program. There are local Boy Scout, Girl Scout, YMCA and Elementary Schools that need to learn more about dog safety, pet management and dog training. Bernie can help arrange the dates/times necessary to meet with these groups. WE NEED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND PROMOTE OUR CLUB

5 Special Announcements Welcome New Members: Brooke Dingel Our new Provisional Member(s): Current Provisional Member(s) Please take time to get to know them and welcome to our club. Jodi Johnston is our provisional member s liaison for the Club. She will be keeping in contact provisional members so they can make an easier transition to Club membership. If you have any questions call: NEWSLETTER Attention all of you who are proud of your dog's achievements...all of you who have worked so hard with your dog(s) to attain those titles...whether it be a CGC title or Rally title, Obedience title or Agility, breed, freestyle, etc... a photo of your dog (or of the both of you) to our website editor (Tammy Boice) at racindalz@hotmail.com. Let Tammy know you would like your photo to be in the Winner's Circle of our website. Add a couple of lines about your dog and the achievements you have earned. Don't forget about those photos for the Photo Gallery, also. Same process as above... For those of you who aren't able to photos, send your photos with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Tammy Boice at the following address: 714 West Old Route 422 Butler, Pa MEMORIAL PLAQUE There are many places available on our Memorial Plaque at the Training Building. Please remember, this is a wonderful way to remember our dogs that have left us for the Rainbow Bridge. If you would like to purchase a spot on the plaque, you can pick up applications at the club or contact Cherry Sauers at

6 CONDOLENCES Our thoughts and prayers go out to Wendy and Nick McClaine on the passing of Wendy s dad. We hope time will heal their hearts. Those we love can never be more than a thought apart, for as long as there is memory, they ll live on in the heart. ~Unknown Our thoughts and wishes also go out to Dave Pistorius on the loss of his determined Cesky Terrier Cruz. Cruz was a true terrier and did everything in his own style. He will be deeply missed by family and friends. We derive immeasurable good, uncounted pleasures, enormous security, and many critical lessons about life by owning a dog. ~Roger Caras We are keeping Jeanette Nestor and her family in our thoughts as they recently said goodbye to their senior Cocker Spaniel Lady. Lady held a special place in their hearts and will be missed so much. Dogs make us believe we can actually be as they see us, and it s often only when they re gone that we realize their role in what we ve become. ~The Monks of New Skete Barb Snyder said a sad farewell to her senior Airedale Ginger. We know how much Ginger s family will miss her presence in their lives. Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog. ~Sidney Jeanne Seward We also send healing thoughts to Jack and Jane Sirkoch on the loss of their little Papillon Judy. She was a sweet little girl with a big heart. She will be dearly missed by her family. Dogs find our soft spots, keeping us in touch with a more honest vision of ourselves ~The Monks of New Skete BRAGS Sprite (the Fright) and her mom (Nancy Kieffer) received a delightful surprise in the mail: A certificate recognizing Sprite s 12 th place National Ranking in Rally Level 1 for the year 2011 through APDT. Over six hundred dogs competed in that level last year and with Sprite sometimes living in two alternate universes this was quite a numbing award.

7 Spring Obedience & Rally Trial Schedule Friday, April 27 th 5:15 PM..loading at BDTA s training building 6:00 PM.unloading and set-up at Roebling Hall, Saxonburg Saturday, April 28 th 6:30 AM.Roebling Hall s doors open 8:00 AM.Obedience rings start (stewards remember to arrive 45 minutes prior to your ring time) 3:00 PM.approximate time for closing and locking up for the day Sunday, April 29 th 6:30 AM.doors open 8:00 AM.Obedience rings start 1:30 PM.approximate clean-up and loading times 3:00 PM.approximate times for unloading at BDTA training building Please remember to wear your BDTA shirts this weekend if you have them! Smile and be kind even if you think the person you re giving that smile to doesn t deserve it.they might really be having a bad day.remember, we re the hosts of this classy Trial.we want people to always come back next year HELP NEEDED We need help in loading and setting up on Friday, April 27 between at 5:15 PM at the club and again on Sunday, April 29 at Roebling Hall in Saxonburg to tear down, load and unload equipment. We have rented a van but desperately need manpower to assist us in preparing for our Obedience Trial. If you can help us out, please let Georgia Slater ( ) or Nancy Kieffer ( ) know. Thank you in advance.

8 Calendar of Events.Saturday Sunday, April 28 th & 29 th BDTA s Spring Obedience/Rally Trials Saxonburg, Pa Watch for sign-up sheets in the coming months May 6 th (Sunday) Blessing of the Animals 1:30 PM Alameda Park.Masonic Shelter (next to the Purple Playground) We have been invited as an organization to be part of this day. Bring a chair and join us! Friday, June 15 th Therapy Dog visit at Camp Lutherlyn (More information in the coming months) We have the newsletter posted on the web site. There is a change in the password. You can access it by taking the following steps: 1. Go to this URL address (webpage) : 2. The Username box, type in bdta member (this is case sensitive - must be all lowercase letters) 3. In the Password box, type in BDTA2010 (this is also case sensitive - ALL CAPS - and that is a zero, not the letter o) 4.Click on the "April" link. If you need to download Acrobat Reader there is a link at the top of the page. Acrobat reader is a free application for reading special non-editable documents. There is an excellent chance that you already have this application. Please remember to look at the up-to-date Members List on our website. Check to see if any corrections need to be made and send those to Georgia Slater at chocomistmom@zoominternet.net. We will be updating the listing as often as possible. (You might need to Refresh your screen (F5) in order to get into the members listing.)

9 Hounds About Town Schedule 2) Tuesday, May 8 th, 7:00 P.M. Downtown Butler, Parking Lot next to Phillips Gas The lot is on Main St between North St and Brady St. We will park towards the rear of the lot (right behind the library.) We will walk in groups of three or four. Dogs must sit at handlers sides at each corner before crossing streets or alleys. If someone approaches asking to pet your dog, you may permit them to do so if you feel comfortable with the situation. Again, ask your dog to sit or stand quietly while being petted (no jumping!!!) Be prepared to help your dog feel secure with the different sights & sounds of the town: sirens, church bells, motorcycles, loud trucks, hecklers meowing out the car window, etc.have plenty of high-value treats with you. 3) Tuesday, June 12 th 6:45 P.M. Alameda Park We will meet in the parking lot near the new gazebo(where we had our pizza picnic last year.across from the field where Doggie Fun Day takes place.) We will hopefully have room right there to work a Rally course and some obedience. Join us for some fun! Bring your chair and some water for your dog. 4) Tuesday, July 10 th, 7:00 P.M. Mazzanti s Beans & Cream This is located on the corner of Mercer Rd. & Rt. 8. Can t get enough of summer.! 5) Tuesday, August 14 th, 6:30 P.M. Alameda Park This will be our last Tuesday night outing for the season.it will be our Pizza and Game Night. We will divide into teams to play the Tail Wagger s Choice. Bring your chairs, creature comforts for your dog(s)..and enjoy!!!!

10 BDTA Newsletter 137 Sharon Drive Butler, Pa 16001