WAGGIN TALES DECEMBER The official monthly newsletter of the Timberline Basset Hound Club

Transcription

1 WAGGIN TALES DECEMBER 2014 Much quicker than bunn The official monthly newsletter of the Timberline Basset Hound Club We will be getting together sometime in January date, time and place to be announced after everyone comes down following the holidays. Stay tuned! Much quicker than bunnies, in packs Bassets came and Santa Paws whistled and called them by name. "Now Cleo! Now Clarence! Now Maggie and Molly! On Caruso! On Dudley! On Mandy and Raleigh! Sniff out the homes of the good little hounds, then onto their roofs, we'll arrive with a bound!" As dust bunnies in the homes of hound's fly, when they meet with a broom and float to the sky, so up to the roof tops the pack of eight flew, with a sleigh full of chewies and Santa Paws, too. Now all the hounds were awake with the noise and excitedly pranced around for their toys. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, when all though our home, Not a Basset was playing, not with pig ear, nor bone. The stockings hung neatly, red cloth paws in a row, marking the home of good Bassets Santa would know. The hounds were tucked in, nice and warm in my bed while sweet dreams of snausages danced in their heads. In warm flannel PJ's, I checked on each hound, Then turned out the light, when I heard a strange sound. The Bassets were snoring, but that wasn't it - It came from the roof, a sound that wouldn't quit. I jumped out of bed without waking a hound, Cranked open the window and looked all around. The moon's reflection on the new fallen snow Gave the illusion of Frosty Paws to objects below. Then I saw it - this is what made the strange sounds... A shiny red sleigh and eight baying hounds. With Santa Paws driving and steering the sleigh, He had gifts for the Bassets, I knew right away. 'Shhhh', I told them, 'Don't make a sound' Just then Santa Paws came in with a bound! On his back was a sack full of wondrous toys All ready for good little hound girls and hound boys We tried to be quiet, but then one hound sneezed, and said, Santa Paws, fill our stockings - we've been very good -- please?' Santa's eyes spied the Bassets and he smiled a smile that stretched cheek to cheek; he smiled a mile. 'Ho Ho Ho!', he bellowed, 'What a wonderful home, With a house full of Bassets, you're never alone.' Santa laughed a big chuckle with his hands on his belly that jiggled and shook like a bowl full of jelly. We stared in amazement and watched happily as the old elf took each gift and put it under the tree. After the stockings, he gave each hound a pat, then flew back up the chimney, where his own pack was at. Each hound got a biscuit, then he sprang to his sleigh, 'Hurry!' he said, 'before Christmas day!'

2 Onto all Basset homes, Santa steering the hounds, Away they all flew with the most magical sounds. Yet, I heard him exclaim as they drove out of sight, Happy Howlidays to All, and to All a Good Night! Vickie, TK & Amber - Bearpaw Bassets And to Medora Harper for the cartoon! BHCA is asking that member clubs donate gift baskets containing items representing their home state. The completed basket will be shipped or driven to Sacramento for the October 2015 nationals. Chris Orlikowski has volunteered to head up this project. Chris will purchase the basket and will be collecting items from club members this could be canned food items, arts and crafts anything that is Colorado. There is a cash prize for the best basket. So anytime between now and September, please start collecting items for the basket so Chris will have an opportunity to put them together. Bring to one of the meetings or events. We want Colorado to be well represented at Nationals. Thanks to Chris for taking on this project Mishka: BRAGS Is in the process of purchasing a house and 40 acres in Ramah, Colorado and plans to move in late January. Plenty of room for goats and llamas. Mishka says there are rabbits! Pictures to follow. Upcoming Events TBD March 1, 2015 April 10, 2015 January meeting TBHC Combined Tracking Test, TD and TDX Chatfield State Park BHCA Regionals; TBHC Specialty It s time once again to submit nominees for Timberline Basset Hound Club s specialty in Please send your suggestions to Carol Makowski bristleconebassets@yahoo.com so they can be published in the next newsletter. Include the judge s name and place of residence. Also include a short paragraph on why you think this judge would be a good candidate. Timberline has traditionally hired only Basset Hound breeder judges. Judges for next year are Bill Russell for the Regionals; Jim Tysseling for the Specialty. Butch Engle will do our Sweepstakes. Karen Lamb will judge rally and we are still searching for an obedience judge.

3 DOG RULES FOR CHRISTMAS Be especially patient with your humans during this time. They may appear to be more stressed-out than usual and they will appreciate long comforting dog leans. They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts. Do not assume that all the gifts are yours. Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you. They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing how you look with fake antlers. They may bring a large tree into the house and set it up in a prominent place and cover it with lights and decorations. Bizarre as this may seem to you, it is an important ritual for your humans, so there are some things you need to know: Don't pee on the tree. Don't drink water in the container that holds the tree. Mind your tail when you are near the tree. If there are packages under the tree, even ones that smell interesting or that have your name on them, don't rip them open. Don't chew on the cord that runs from the funny-looking hole in the wall to the tree. Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit during this season. These parties can be lots of fun, but they also call for some discretion on your part: Not all strangers appreciate kisses and leans. Don't eat off the buffet table. Beg for goodies subtly. Be pleasant, even if unknowing strangers sit on your sofa. Don't drink out of glasses that are left within your reach. Likewise, your humans may take you visiting. Here your manners will also be important: Observe all the rules in #4 for trees that may be in other people's houses. (4a is particularly important) Respect the territory of other animals that may live in the house. Tolerate children. Turn on your charm big time. A big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from your fireplace in the middle of the night. DO NOT BITE HIM!!

4 COLD FEET Think about it. If people walked in the snow barefoot, the blood vessels would constrict, redirecting blood away from the skin to help conserve core body heat. With less warm, oxygenated blood going to the skin's surface, the foot tissue could become white, numb and eventually freeze. But that doesn t seem to be the case in dogs. Research now shows the circulatory system in dogs paws may be uniquely adapted to help them tolerate cold better than people. The Advantages of a Dog's Cold Feet In the 1970s, researchers wondered how foxes and wolves could hunt on their feet for extended periods, despite bitter temperatures. They found that even when immersed in a minus 31 degrees Fahrenheit bath (yikes!), foot temperature remained about 30.2 F. That s just warm enough to prevent tissue from freezing, but cool enough to help limit the amount of body heat lost through the paws. Researchers suggested that an infusion of blood to the paws helped keep them from getting too cold. How the Core Stays Warm Recently, researchers at Azabu University in Japan set out to see if modern-day dogs share similar paw features with their arctic counterparts, given that many domesticated canines can be traced back to wolves. Using electron microscopes, scientists discovered that the blood vessels in dog paws (in this case, Beagles) are organized to create what s called a countercurrent heat exchange system. It s the same sort of arrangement found in penguin feet, whale fins and seal flippers that helps these poorly insulated body parts withstand exposure to the cold while conserving body heat. In simple terms, the veins in these locations run parallel to the arteries. As the arteries carry warm blood from the heart to the paw, heat is transferred to the neighboring veins. Since the arterial blood is cooler when it reaches the paws, less heat can be lost through the paws to the environment. In the same way, cool blood entering the veins in the paw is warmed as it returns to the heart to help conserve heat and keep the core body temperature up. In other words, dogs may have cold paws, but, as we all know, they also have warm hearts. This unique circulatory design is not found in cat paws, which led researchers to assume that cat feet may be more vulnerable to cold temperatures. And, of course, even the heartiest of winter-loving dog breeds shouldn t be left outdoors for long periods of time in freezing weather, because all dogs can be vulnerable to hypothermia and frostbite. Should I Still Get Foot Protection for My Dog in the Winter? The recent research from Japan helps explain how dogs are able to walk around barefoot in winter, but it doesn t mean every dog is suited to have his paws on the ice for long periods of time, which is why it is important to be careful. Winter footwear serves several purposes, ranging from providing additional foot insulation to preventing ice balls from collecting on the fur between foot pads and protecting against potentially toxic deicers on sidewalks. Even dogs in the grueling Iditarod race across Alaska wear booties to prevent abrasions caused by ice and snow. So winter booties for dogs are still a good idea. That is, of course, if you can get your dog to wear them.

5