NEW YEAR NEW BOARD NEW VISIONS

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1 The Scramble JANUARY 2014 Contributions to the Scramble are welcome. Deadlines are: December for January issue March for April issue NEW YEAR NEW BOARD NEW VISIONS June for July issue September for October issue Send to: Toni Ginnetti 207 N. Greenwood Ave. Park Ridge, IL Board of Directors Officers Aliss South, President Tom Francis, Vice President Julie Donatelli, Secretary Lou Bogart, Treasurer Directors Paul Glombowski Barb Krynski Cheryl Pyrek Nancy Reyes Lisa Bobis Dolores Valerio As a new year arrives, Windy City Agility Club starts 2014 with a new board of directors, including two new officers and two new directors. All are longtime members, some with training experience as well, and each looking forward to sharing new ideas for the coming year. Tom Francis takes over as vice president and Julie Donatelli as secretary, joining returning president Aliss South and treasurer Lou Bogart. Tom is a veteran competitor and also a trainer for the Advanced class. Tom has been a regular contributor to The Scramble, sharing his training videos as well as the trials and tribulations of ``life with an allergy dog his series of essays on making life better for his canine partner, Tilley. Julie and her Sheltie partner Sparky have been longtime members Sparky definitely the more vocal of the team! Returning to the board is veteran WCAC member and past director Barb Krynski. She and her many canine companions have crisscrossed the country competing nationally, but Barb has been a mainstay here and is past editor of The Scramble. She s also an experienced trainer for the club and For Your K9. Continued on page 2

2 JANUARY 2014 Page 2 NEW YEAR NEW BOARD NEW VISIONS Continued from page 1 Cheryl is another longtime member and WCAC trainer as well and a Cocker Spaniel aficionado! Member Gayle Weyland also was elected last fall, but she has since resigned. Many thanks go to the retiring officers who have given so much of their time and assistance to the club, including retiring vice president Jeff Wykowski, retiring secretary Donna Wykowski, and former board members Gail Kalina, Karen Schaubel and Diane Lauer. IT S NATIONAL TRAIN YOUR DOG MONTH! January is, indeed, National Train Your Dog Month. The designation came because so many dogs/puppies join families during the holidays but statistics show only a very small percentage of the new family members get basic obedience training. If you have a new addition, enroll in WCAC s beginner remember: there s no longer a wait to agility class. WCAC IS ON FACEBOOK.REMEMBER TO ``LIKE US

3 JANUARY 2014 Page 3 REMEMBERING. SKEETER AND SASSI LUND (The year ended on an incredibly sad note for Sonja Lund, who lost both her wonderful Schnauzers in December.) Sassi passed away suddenly on December 14 from an aneurysm. She had just started her life; she was only 4 1/2 years old. Skeeter, 13 1/2 years old, started acting sad the very next day. I discussed this with my friend, Sue, who is a vet and she suggested we put her on some flower essence for the mourning. It perked her up the very next day. But a week later, she started laying around and sleeping more and not eating all her food. I made an appointment with my vet for a wellness check. He examined her and thought he felt a tumor, took x-rays, did a blood panel and found she had a fast growing, cancerous tumor by her liver. She went to the Rainbow Bridge on December 28. In two weeks, I lost both my precious little girls. I'm having a very hard time with this. The house is much too quiet. I'm so grateful for the lessons my girls taught me -- to love every minute spent with them, to have fun and laugh, and to have patience. If I didn't understand these lessons, I would have missed so many beautiful moments in life. The following is helping me cope ``Grieve not, Nor speak of me with tears, But laugh and talk of me As if I were beside you. I loved you so... 'twas heaven here with you. -- Isla Paschal Richardson Sonja Lund Continued on page 4 ``A dog is a gentleman. I hope to go to his heaven, not man s. Mark Twain

4 JANUARY 2014 Page 4 REMEMBERING..SKEETER AND SASSI Continued from page 3 SASSI 6/3/09-12/14/13 MAZROC'S SHE'S SASSI EH U-RO1, CGC, BN, RN, Rainbow AAT Therapy Dog Sassi's breeder is a friend of mine in Canada who I met years ago when I was showing my dogs. I called her and told her I needed one of her puppies when one was available. We met in Buffalo, NY, and I flew home with a 4-month-old puppy. Sassi started out immediately as a "spit-fire." She took to obedience and agility with enthusiasm and loved to be in the ring with me. She earned her obedience beginners titles with ease and placements in almost every event. Agility was another story! Sassi was a work in progress from the beginning. She would make up her own course, and if there was a teeter on the course, that's where she would go and do it over and over. We never had time to get a qualifying leg. Sassi passed the Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy Dog test and was going to start a medical program. Her tricks were many and made everyone laugh--waving, shaking paw to the phrase "How do you do?", playing patty-cake, and peek-boo. ********************************************** SKEETER 7/7/00-12/28/13 BLAQ GEMS LITEN SKIT U-RO2, U-CD, U-ACHX, CGC, CD, BN, RAE7, AX, AXJ, NAP, NJP, NF,CL3-R, TDI, FDCh Rainbow AAT Therapy Dog From the very beginning Skeeter never met a person or dog she didn't like. She was the only dog I ever had who would "play" on command with any dog. When she was 2 years old (ironically on her birthday), we entered our first trial which was a U.K.C. agility trial at Windy City Agility Club. Boy did she take to agility. Skeeter got out on that course and ran like crazy, getting a perfect score, first place in her Class; she earned High in Division and High in Trial. What a way to start! Her big ears were flying and full of expression. She made us all laugh. I loved being in the ring with her we had fun. Then, between agility, obedience and rally, we had fun learning flyball. When it was her turn to run, that little schnauzer turned into a border collie, screaming to get the ball. Everyone laughed! She earned her Flyball Champion title before she retired. Continued on page 5

5 JANUARY 2014 Page 5 DESIGN YOUR OWN AGILITY COURSE Practice can make perfect or at least help ``improve. In the case of agility, practice is also about fun. And practicing on a designed course makes it better. The WCAC instructors who design class courses often use the ``Clean Run Course Designer software. The full feature program costs $80. But, ``if all you want to do is view courses someone else has created, you can use the demo version for free, WCAC vice president and instructor Tom Francis says. ``Just download it and you can use all the features (create, edit, etc.) free for 30 days. When the 30 day demo period expires, you can only use the program to view a course which is what most need to do. Where do you get it? Go to `` Look for ``try it free for 30 days and click the download button and run the program. ``It s a small file, compatible with Windows XP, Windows 7 and 8. A MAC version also is available, Tom adds. REMEMBERING..SKEETER AND SASSI LUND Continued from page 4 Skeeter was hired to model pet products, mostly for catalogs but also for Macy's Online. The camera loved her, especially her ears. What a ham she was! Several years ago, she became a Therapy Dog for Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy. We tried the Read to the Dog program, found it successful, and did the Morton Grove Library for several years. Boy did the kids love her almost more than she loved them! Rest In Peace, Skeeter and Sassi

6 JANUARY 2014 Page 6 REMEMBERING. ABBY EASTWOOD Abend Abbington of Eastwood: U-AGI, U-AGII, U-ACH, U-ACHX, NA, NAJ, OA, OAJ, CL3-R By Chris Eastwood Of course, all of our dogs are, or have been, remarkable in any number of ways, but Abby was more. He was a true heart dog. Abby was and still is a very, very bright light in our lives. He was with us 14 1/2 years, starting as a rescue who was a dog-fight bait dog, and going on to earn nine agility titles, amongst many other things. He presented me/us with a huge variety of challenges, all of which taught me an enormous amount about dogs, agility, and life itself. Throughout it all, he was always HAPPY - he was a dog who actually smiled and seemed to have a good time doing pretty much anything. We started agility because he was crazy and needed another job - Barb Krynski taught him the dog-walk in our first lesson at the Altenheim in Nancy Reyes and Bandit were in our first official WCAC agility class, and Abby and Bandit earned their first titles together. He earned his U-ACHX in 2010 at age 10 and placed seven out of eight runs at a CPE trial at age 11, including two Level-3 Firsts. He has been featured a number of times in the Scramble - if any of you are interested in reading or re-reading about him, go to: July, 2005 (Interview with his parents, Susan and myself), October, 2005 (his rescue story and an encounter with rabies), and October, 2010 (his Road To Glory older dog s achievements). The good and the not-so-good and even the bad with Abby were priceless lessons in learning about dogs: -Three sessions of obedience training, after which we got into agility, which changed our lives forever.. Continued on page 7

7 JANUARY 2014 Page 7 REMEMBERING...ABBY EASTWOOD (Continued from page 6) -Teaching us how to deal with and adapt to every negative behavior in the competition ring including, sometimes more than once: pooping, peeing, puking, wandering, visiting, barking, charging, exiting the ring, returning to the ring (and Qualifying!), going 13 consecutive runs without getting past the third obstacle, and charging and nipping an AKC judge which banned him from AKC performance competition FOREVER, plus leaving the table when he heard the count-down voice of his instructor, the judge, and wanted to say hi. -Teaching me the value of intense and intuitive behavioral observation when it finally dawned on me that his distraction was due to stress, and not blowing me off, as so many other handlers claimed. -Showing me how the direction of a dog is based in hips, shoulders, toes rather than hands, arms, voice: my first lesson in running with my hands in my pockets. He was the best tandem turn (rear cross on the flat) dog I ve ever seen, and working through that handling maneuver was one of my best agility learning experiences. -Showing me the pure joy of dancing with your dog, when it all comes together and you re working as a true cross-species team, as partners. He gave me that joy so many times. -A thousand-plus laughs, including wondering what the heck he was doing in the tunnel, and then realizing he was scratching his back against the inside upper surface. Defining Abby-vation and Abbylicious for me. -Seeing the pure pleasure he had in doing Nosework when agility became too physically difficult for him. -The lesson he taught me about Zen, the art of being in the moment and learning what to overlook. He was almost always smiling, always up for something new and, as one of my fellow WCAC members mentioned after a run late in his life, the best compliment: he looks so happy out there. Abby and his friend, ``baby MoTu Wykowski, now a grownup agility champion Continued on page 8

8 JANUARY 2014 Page 8 THE NAME GAME: 2013 The days of Fido and Fifi are long gone. Once again, Bella reigned as the top name for female dogs last year. But former No. 1 male name ``Max was supplanted to No. 2 by ``Charlie. According to surveys from the U.S., England, Australia and New Zealand, these were the Top 10 dog names last year: MALES FEMALES 1. Charlie 1. Bella 2. Max 2. Molly 3. Buddy 3. Daisy 4. Rocky 4. Lucy 5. Bailey 5. Maggie 6. Jack 6. Sadie 7. Cooper 7. Chloe 8. Riley 8. Coco 9. Tobey 9. Sophie 10.Bear 10. Ginger Remembering...Abby Eastwood Continued from page 7 They whom we love and lose are not where they were before. They are now wherever we are. Abby is a forever part of Windy City, and he is still alive in me now.

9 JANUARY 2014 Page 9 WINDY CITY WEEKEND AT CPE MARCH 22 AND 23, 2014 LOCATION: FOR YOUR K9 Join us for our first event to help aspiring competitors learn the ``ins and ``outs of agility trials. What s it about? Learn more about agility Learn about agility trials Learn about the CPE venue Who s it for? WCAC members who ve never entered a trial WCAC members who d like to enter a trial but do not know how WCAC members who ve never thought about entering a trial, but would like to spend a day with their dog and their friends doing agility WCAC members who would like to just observe a trial while having experienced exhibitors from Windy City on hand to answer their questions What will WCAC do? For first time competitors, WCAC will have members experienced in trialing available to help you at your first trial. Before the trial we ll help you fill out the forms and enter the trial. On trial day, WCAC will have a dedicated crating area at the trial. WCAC members will be available at the trial to help you get through the day - from measuring, to course walking, to competing, to learning the jobs needed to work at a trial. For members who wish to observe, but not compete (yet), we will answer your questions as they arise throughout the trial. What if I want more information? Contact Cheryl Pyrek (cherylpyrek@ameritech.net) or Barb Krynski (klevrk9@att.net) or ask at Thursday class.

10 JANUARY 2014 Page THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CPE By Donna Wykowski [Editor s note: CPE stands for Canine Performance Events, one of the most popular agility venues. Teams can compete in different levels and in different events, from ``standard runs to ``games the variety that has made CPE a fun and growing venue. As WCAC plans its first CPE Weekend, here is veteran member and competitor Donna Wykowski s excellent primer good for ``newbies and experienced competitors alike.] 1. You must register with CPE to compete. Registration forms may be requested from CPE does NOT accept online registrations, so plan accordingly. 2. At a trial, exhibitors and judges are very friendly and always willing to help newcomers. 3. Your dog needs to be measured at least twice to receive a height card. This will be done before the trial starts. Heights are and 24. Veterans (dogs 6 and older) and Enthusiast jump 4 inches below height card, Specialist 8 inches lower. Enthusiast and Specialist are in a separate class from Veterans and Regular. A spot for everyone!! 4. The CPE rule book can be very confusing; ask a seasoned exhibitor or judge if you have questions. 5. Levels are 1 (very beginner), and C (champion very advanced), you can start at level 1, 2 or You can be at a different level at the same time example: Level 2 Standard, Level 3 Colors. 7. CPE has Standard and games. The games are categorized as such: Handler Games- Colors and Wildcard. Strategy Games- Jackpot and Snooker, and Fun Games- Jumpers and Full House. You get a nice certificate after completing every category example: Handler Games Level 1 you get a certificate. 8. You can still place ( ribbon) even if you don t Q (qualify). 9. What s Q or qualifying? Completing the course under the course time within the amount of faults allowed at your level, and for some games, accumulating the minimum amount of points at the allotted time for your level. 10. Before the trial begins, exhibitors will receive a course map of each course that will run. Before each course, the judge will give a briefing to explain the course and game rules, if necessary. Exhibitors can ask the judge specific questions during the briefing. Continued on page 11

11 JANUARY 2014 Page THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CPE Continued from page Standard Well...is Standard: courses are more challenging as the levels go up. 12. Colors Pick and run one of the two 8-12 obstacle courses. 13. Wildcard The object of Wildcard is to run a short course that contains three wildcards. A wildcard is a pair of obstacles placed approximately parallel to each other, five feet apart. One obstacle of the pair is easier and one is more difficult. The easier obstacle is assigned one point and the more difficult obstacle is assigned two points. For level 1 and 2, one 2 pointer is needed and two 1 pointers are needed. 14. Jackpot Is a two-part point game you must earn a minimum number of points before time expires in order to Q. Points are earned by completing any obstacles you choose (play-time) and also by performing one or more gambles. Play-time Points (each obstacle can be completed twice for points) Single bar jumps 1 point Tires, Tunnels, Spread Jumps, 6 weaves 3 points Contacts, Combinations, 12 weaves 5 points Judge s choice 7 points Gamble Points: The judge will explain the gamble in the briefing which is held before you play the game. Your course map will also explain the gamble. A gamble is often, (but not always) a series of four obstacles that must be completed with the handler at a set distance from the dog. The gamble is usually (but not always) worth 20 points. You MUST successfully complete the gamble in order to qualify. 15. Snooker Is another two-part point game in which you must earn a minimum number of points before time expires. In the first part, or opening, your dog must take a red jump followed by a numbered obstacle (color) and then a different red jump and a color, and then a third, different red jump, followed by a color. In the second part or closing, you run the numbered course in order, from #2 through #7 and end by touching the table at the finish line with at least one paw. Continued on page 12

12 JANUARY 2014 Page 12 MIXING IT UP AT WESTMINSTER: AGILITY OPENS A DOOR TO THE DOG WORLD S EXCLUSIVE CLUB ``Best In Show will mean something more next month at the 138th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York. The ``top dog still will be a purebred from more than 3,000 entrants. But before that trophy is awarded on Feb. 11, Westminster will crown another champion on Feb. 8 and it very well could be a mutt. The nation s premier dog show event is opening its Masters Agility Championship to all dogs competing at Excellent and Masters levels. ``The Mixed Breed category is especially significant, bringing non-purebred dogs to a Westminster event for the first time since the very earliest days of the show, WKC s announcement said. "We're very excited about the fact that Westminster can play a leadership role in embracing, really, the sport of dogs," purebred or not, said Westminster president Sean McCarthy. 20 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CPE (Continued from page 11) 16. Full House Make your own course! You need to have three 1-point obstacles (single jumps), two 2 point obstacles (circles tunnels, tire, chute), and one joker (contacts, weaves, broad, double, triple jumps and combo jumps). The more points the better, but watch your time!! 17. Jumpers A course with only jumps and tunnels. 18. After completing all of level 5 requirements you will receive a C-ATCH (CPE agility team champion) title. You will receive a large ribbon and decorated jump bar from the hosting club and a plaque from CPE. Want more? Try for a C-ATE (CPE agility team extraordinaire) title for champion (C) level only requires a lot of points and perfect runs. A real challenge!! 19. Once a year CPE holds The Nationals were you can compete with people from all over the United States and Canada. The 2013 Nationals were held in Springfield, Ohio, for level 4-5 and C dogs only and there were 680 dogs!! Lots of fun!! 20. To get comfortable, you can just sign up for standard and one game, or jump right in and sign up for everything! Frequent trials are held at For Your K9 in Melrose Park. Come join us and have some fun with your dog!!

13 JANUARY 2014 Page 13 As the owner of a ``tri-paw, I loved this touching strip, courtesy of Barb Krynski. We share it to make you smile...and remind that limitations are only of our own making. Toni Ginnetti

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15 JANUARY 2014 PAGE 15 THE ``GOOD IN GARLIC By Toni Ginnetti In my household, garlic is a seasoning staple. I grow it. I use it. I like it. So do my dogs. And I always assumed garlic was good for them, too, because I would see it as an ingredient in dog cookie recipes and in supplements like brewer s yeast for dogs. But when I saw a list of foods that SHOULD NOT be fed to dogs like coffee, chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions it included garlic. Huh? I found some clarity in an article called ``Garlic s Many Health Benefits on the website ``onlynaturalpet.com. It explained, as I had always believed, that garlic has ``many health enhancing effects such as aiding digestion, eliminating internal and external parasites, stimulating immune functions and increasing killer cell activity and more. ``Fresh garlic also has powerful antibacterial and antifungal properties, it said. The recent questions about garlic arose because of ``its properties as a member of the lily family, along with onions and shallots. One component in onions ``in LARGE DOSES causes damage to red blood cells and, if ingested in LARGE DOSES frequently enough, can lead to anemia and death, the article explained. It said a dog would need to ingest 0.5% of its body weight in onions (think a 5 ounce onion for a 60 pound dog) to even begin the damaging process. But because red blood cells are constantly regenerating, a dog would likely need to ingest that much onion on a repeated basis to cause harm. Garlic contains much less of the harmful compound in question and in fact is a good addition to pet diets in moderation of course. The author of ``Herbs For Pets: The Natural Way To Enhance Your Pet s Life, suggests 1/8 tsp of garlic powder per pound of food is okay 3 to 4 times per week. Fresh garlic is less concentrated than dried, so as much as 1/2 to 3 cloves a day for dogs is tolerable, with a day off per week a good practice. WEBSITE WATCH Founder Lyndsey Drago started her company in 2010 after crafting a coat for her dog from a vintage blanket. The small company makes handmade coats, bandanas and accessories from vintage and dead stock items. ``By using existing resources and creating longlasting quality goods, we hope to contribute to a more sustainable future for both humans and dogs.

16 Class Schedule and Upcoming Events THURSDAY EVENING INDOOR CLASSES (Held at For Your K9, 1975 Cornell Ave., Melrose Park) Session I: January 9 through Feb. 20 Session II: March 6 through April 17 Session III: May 1 through June 12 Session IV: June 26 through Aug. 7 Session V: Aug. 21 through Oct. 2 Session VI: Oct. 16 through Dec. 4 [No class on Thanksgiving, 2014] Class Times: Beginner and Uninstructed (open to Intermediate and Advanced students) 6:45 to 7:30 P.M.; Intermediate 7:45 P.M. to 8:30 P.M.; Advanced 8:45 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. (flexible) WCAC BOARD MEETINGS Meetings are at For Your K9 Inc. usually on the second Friday of each month. Members are always welcome. Quiet and well behaved dogs are also welcome. For more information, call Ask any Board member (names are on the cover page), or visit our website at Windy City Agility Club reserves the right to cancel classes, trials, meetings and events or change dates, times or location without notice. Club members may request copies of WCAC board meeting minutes from the board secretary. Windy City Agility Club c/o Toni Ginnetti 207 N. Greenwood Ave. Park Ridge, IL INSIDE THIS ISSUE; NEW YEAR NEW BOARD REMEMBERING SKEETER AND SASSI LUND REMEMBERING ABBY EASTWOOD DESIGN YOUR OWN COURSE THE NAME GAME: 2013 WINDY CITY CPE WEEKEND 20 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CPE MIXING IT UP AT WESTMINSTER THE GOOD IN GARLIC