Brainerd Kennel Club Gazette The Newsletter for Our Club Summer 2013 The Brainerd Kennel Club exists to provide an opportunity for dog owners to train their dogs to be good citizens and companions. We educated members on topics pertinent to dog ownership, care and training. We also provide community services and programs to provide dog owners the chance to meet and socialive with others who care about dogs. The Brainerd Kennel Club sponsors training classes for both beginning and advanced dogs. We hold and annual fun match for both obedience trained and conformation dogs. We provide educational programs for members and also provide community service programs such as visits to schools and nursing homes in the area. Brainerd Kennel Club meetings are held the second Thursday of each month. Contact information: Phone: 218-838-6070 Email: bkcdogs@hotmail.com The snow is finally gone! After a long winter like this year, we really appreciate the warmer weather. I am sitting at a campsite enjoying the sun as I write this. I wanted to make the membership aware that we are again going to try to get AKC recognition. To meet the qualifications that AKC has established, we need to have an up-to-date roster that includes the individual members activities related to dogs. You will be receiving a questionnaire in the mail from Brainerd Kennel Club soon. This questionnaire will come with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Please fill this form out and mail it back. Having this recognition will allow us to eventually hold Licensed Trials and provide more activities and exposure for our club. I have enjoyed working with many club members to help make our club successful. I look forward to more new things and growth in our club membership. Have a great summer! See you at the picnic in July, and good luck at all the shows. Colleen Adrian President, Brainerd Kennel Club
Have Leash Will Travel Hitting the Road with a Four-legged Friend When summer looms on the horizon, Americans get anxious to vacate their normal environment and activities and heed the call of the open road or the friendly skies. Today s citizens come by the urge naturally; the country was settled by those with a yearning to be free, to see the other side of the ocean or bank of the river or shore of the continent. Most early explorers set out with an entourage, be it covered wagon train, barge crew, or family expedition. Each group included livestock to provide meat and milk and haul the worldly goods, and many included a dog or two for protection and tracking game for the table. Today s family traveling on vacation has different goals and schedules and most don t need a dog for protection or hunting. Companionship, however, is another story. Preparing Phydeaux for the journey Mom should take Phydeaux to the veterinarian at least two weeks prior to the trip for a complete physical and update on vaccinations, including Bordatella for kennel cough. The visit should include a discussion of diseases and parasites that may be prevalent in the destination area to determine if he needs additional protection. Some pesky problems to be aware of include Lyme disease, leptospirosis, leishmaniasis, hookworms, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Flea treatment should be part of the package; if the pooch doesn t have the wretched parasite, he could get em in the country, so forewarned is forearmed. If he does have fleas, it s good practice to eliminate them before the trip to avoid infesting cars, motel rooms, cabins, etc. There are several flea treatments on the market that do not involve poisons, particularly those with flea growth inhibitors or the chitin blockers, and at least one heartworm medication also protects against fleas. Tick treatments are also a good idea if hiking is part of the vacation package. Ticks carry diseases such as the afore-mentioned Lyme disease and spotted fever; prevention is definitely in order. If the vacation involves hiking, Phydeaux should be in good shape for the terrain and the altitude. Conditioning should begin months before the trip. Daily walks of a mile or more, particularly up and down hills or on parcours trails, will help get him ready. If Phydeaux is less than a year old (or less than 18 months if he s a large breed), strenuous hiking is a poor idea. Check with the vet to make sure the dog s weight and muscle condition are appropriate for the challenge. About a week before the trip, Phydeaux should get a thorough home grooming and bath or a trip to the grooming shop for a trim, ear-cleaning, and nail treatment to reduce shedding in the car and at the motel, decrease opportunities for ear problems, and cut the potential for claws to tear furniture and bed linens in motels or cabins or damage tent floors. If he s a heavy-coated dog and is shedding, the grooming session can be postponed to a day or two before departure.
Travel tips Be sure to check pet policies when making reservations at motels, hotels, inns, lodges, or campgrounds. Many motels and hotels require a deposit, often non-refundable. Some limit travelers to small dogs. Some communities have breed restrictions, rules about clean-up, and noise ordinances. Campgrounds may limit or forbid dogs during the busiest seasons, and state and federal facilities may ban dogs from certain hiking trails. Phydeaux s travel kit should include: a crate a First Aid kit familiar toys a supply of his regular food and treats at least two six-foot leashes and a retractable leash if desired a spare collar food and water bowls water bottle for hikes proof of license and vaccination a brush or comb for removing coat tangles a recent photograph for identification in case he gets lost an identification tag attached firmly to his collar temporary tags in case he loses his on the trail. (Make a temporary tag out of heavy paper or card stock; include the rabies tag number, license number, microchip registry information, and a telephone number your cell phone or a friend s number. Laminate the tag, punch a hole in the corner, and attach it to the collar.) Additional items include: windshield cover to provide shade shades or lattice inserts for the car or van windows towels to clean muddy paws plastic bags to clean feces from public areas a couple of sheets to protect motel beds from dog hair and dirty paws a blanket or sheet to place under the crate in the car or van for easier cleanup in case of car sickness or toilet accidents clean-up supplies for indoor toilet accidents flashlight for walks after dark. The crate is a bed inside the car or van, at the motel or lodge, or next to the tent or picnic table. Many motels insist that the dog be crated while in the room. Small dogs can ride in a crate on the back seat or floor; large dogs should ride in the crate in the rear of a station wagon or van. If there s no room for a large crate, the dog must learn to sit or lie quietly in the back seat or cargo area, with or without a harness that can be attached to the vehicle s seat belts. Crates or carriers placed on the seat should be buckled in so they do not shift when the vehicle turns. Wire or molded plastic crates are preferred for travel; soft-sided crates are lightweight and easy to carry, but they do not provide protection in an accident.
Dogs should not ride in the front passenger compartment where they can interfere with the driver or get hurt in an accident. A minimum doggy first aid kit should include a topical antibiotic such as Bacitracin for cuts and abrasions; veterinary eye drops for eye irritation from allergy; buffered aspirin (not ibuprofin or acetminophen) for muscle or joint ache; gauze and wrapping tape to keep wounds clean; tweezers for removing imbedded ticks or splinters; Pepto Bismol, Immodium, or a veterinary prescription for diarrhea; any regular medication, including heartworm or other parasite preventive. Identification All dogs should wear identification of some sort. The most common but least reliable is the license tag hanging from a hook on the collar. The tag can be lost in the brush or can be removed. A tag riveted to the collar is only slightly more effective; it cannot be lost unless the collar is removed. A tattoo on the inside of a hind leg provides permanent identification. Tattoos can be registered with a national organization that can trace the ownership of any dog if the number is reported. Trouble is, the guy at the gas station in Podunk, Iowa, won t know who to call even if he does find the tattoo. And finders even at animal shelters are often reluctant to flip a dog on its side to search for a tattoo. The newest rage in identification is the microchip, which is implanted under the loose skin on top of the dog s neck. The chip is cemented in place with a bio-glue that does not damage tissue and can be read with a special scanner. Microchips are gaining in popularity since a universal scanner came on the market. Now the chips can be read by a single scanner no matter which company did the implant. Chips and tattoos are only good if the number has been recorded with a registry. For more information about tattoos, visit www.tattoo-a-pet.com/ on the Internet or call (800) TATTOOS (828-8667). The American Kennel Club Companion Animal Recovery program registers microchips. See page 18 in this issue and browse http://www.akccar.org/ for more information about microchips. Good travel manners Although formal obedience training is not necessary, a traveling pooch should have good manners. He should sit and lie down on command, stand to have his paws cleaned and his coat brushed, come when called, climb in and out of the car without rushing, and ride quietly. He should also sit to be petted, walk quietly on a leash, and not steal food. Dogs that bark excessively or at all hours are not welcome in motels or campgrounds, so make a Herculean effort to get barking under control before leaving home. If Fido can t seem to learn to hush on command, try an electronic or herbal no-bark collar available at pet supply stores and catalogs.
Most dogs need some acclimation to travel so they know when to bark at strange noises or activity. Many dogs will be alert to every sound the first night or two and settle in nicely when they come to grips with the situation. On the way If Rover gets car sick, try a desensitization program a couple of months before the trip. Take him to the park or other places he will enjoy. Take him on short runs to do errands. Don t feed him before the trip. If car sickness persists, ask your veterinarian for a remedy. While on the road, use the air-conditioning to keep the car cool. Stop at rest areas every three or four hours so Fido can stretch his legs and relieve himself. Seeing the sights without Rover The rule of thumb is Don t leave Rover in the car during the day! Even with the windows cracked. Even in the shade shade moves. Rover can stay in the car after twilight if he is in a crate and the windows are opened an inch or two. If you want to spend a day touring museums or a zoo or wild animal park, make arrangements to leave Rover at the motel or hotel or find a kennel that offers one-day boarding. Don t leave him tied to a tree at a campsite. If he s to stay at the hotel, leave a message at the desk so the maid doesn t walk in on an animal determined to protect his new turf. Many hotels will not clean the room with a dog inside even if the dog is crated. If Rover is to be left alone in the room for several hours, take him for a brief walk, put him in a crate, say goodbye, firmly close the door, and walk away just as you would do at home. If he s quiet, keep going. If he s noisy, grab a quick bite to eat and return as if this was your intention all along. Then find a kennel for the day or change plans; a prolonged bout of separation anxiety in a strange place is bad for Rover and wears out your welcome really fast. For more information about traveling with Phydeaux, see www.takeyourpet.com. -Norma Bennett Woolf Copyright 2013 by Canis Major Publications. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Upcoming Events: June 20 - CGC Testing, call for more information June 20 - Summer Classes begin at Hunt s Point July 27 BKC Fun Match and Picnic Bring a dish to Share! See flyer page in newsletter!
Wags and Brags Jaci Peterson Jaci Peterson and Nestle (pictured here) received their OTCH on May 5 th. "OTCH" - Obedience Trial Championship! The "OTCH" is one of the hardest and rarest titles to earn. You must have three first places, one in Utility - one in Open - and one more in either class, only one of these can be from a specialty. Then you must accumulate 100 "OTCH" points which are awarded by placements according to the number of dogs competing. Jaci and Nestle went to Duluth with several first places [and "High in Trials"] but needed 21 points to title. They titled in style by winning three first places in Utility B and taking second in the fourth to add 37 points over the weekend! Most obedience competitors call it a "campaign" to get an "OTCH". It takes a lot of training and competing to earn. These are almost exclusively "owner-handler- trainer" teams.through all this training and competing Jaci and Nestle have developed that extremely strong bond which you need to compete at this level as a team! The Peterson household is extremely proud of them to say the least! That we are aware of, there are only 4 "OTCH" Labs in Minnesota. Two of them now live at the Peterson's. WAY TO GO JACI AND NESTLE!!!!!!!!!!!
Kip Dixon Kip Dixon and his dog Gracie (pictured at right) attended the Obedience Trials, May 4-5, in Duluth, MN. Kip and Gracie took 3 first places and finishing the weekend with a CD Title! Trinita Mestuzzi Frankie and I passed our Therapy dog test! We are now a Therapy team! We had a really nice comment from the Instructor who tested us; he said he has never seen a dog do so well, especially when offered a treat!! He actually said out loud to the room how amazing Frankie was, even though the treat was practically put in his mouth he did not take it nor did he try! I was very proud! As soon as our info come back from the TDI, we will be going out and making people smile! We also have a new puppy - little Irishpictured here between Frankie and Autumn; he comes from a big-name kennel that has been raising and showing parti color and red standard poodles for over 30 years. We hope to show him in the future in conformation, obedience and or agility! He has started his puppy training and is a very smart little man...oh yah, he has grown quite a bit since this picture.
Sheridan Wilson Sheridan Wilson and her dog Sagmar Shadow's Lunar Eclipse (Lunar) have earned three points so far toward their conformation championship. Sharon Orser Kati earned her RA (Rally Advanced) and CD (Companion Dog) titles from my recent show in Duluth. She also earned one leg toward her Rally Excellent. Pictured is Kati and me with judge Phil Rustad. Kati has also passed her Therapy dog test and has her TD title. Carol Manley Carol Manley and her Bernese Mountain Dog "Rumble" recently competed at their national specialty in Colorado. Rumble scored a perfect 100 and 1st place in the rally excellent class. He followed with a score of 95 in the rally advance B class. This gave them a combined score of 195, they and were given the High Combined Rally Dog award. This also gave Rumble one qualifying leg towards his Rally Advanced-Excellent (RAE) title. Only 9 more to go! Carol's younger BMD "Quin" also made his debute at the national specialty in agility. He ran hard and performed well in the 90 degree heat.
Kay and LaMar Gunnarson Monte and I traveled to Waukesha, WI, for the Poodle Club of America s Inaugural Upland Test Event. Poodles have long been recognized as waterfowl retrievers, but just as much, they are upland hunters. Monte successfully passed the test and now has the title UIC, Upland Instinct Certificate. He is the first Miniature Poodle with a UIC title as well as the first Bench Champion with a UIC. Monte (pictured at right) is now CH Refinne the Full Monte CGC, RN. BN, UIC. Jetta traveled to Baldwin, WI, May 18 and 19, to test for her AKC Master Hunter title. She held the title of Senior Hunter with three of five legs towards her Master Hunter title. She and LaMar ran on Saturday morning in the pouring, cold rain and were able to receive a pass! The conditions were very difficult and she was the only dog to receive a Mast pass. On Sunday, the weather did a complete turnaround, and it was 80 degrees and humid. After Jetta and LaMar spent the required 30 minutes in the field completing test requirements in 6 different areas, the judges were so impressed with her abilities that they gave them a perfect score of 60 which is a 10 in the 6 different categories! Jetta (pictured at left) is now MBISS GCH Aimn Hi Jet Stream CGC, MH.
Sally Ihne Sally is pleased with hear Shelties progress after the long dormant winter. At the Fargo Moorhead Obedience Trial in April, Cash (C-Mar Monetary Value RN CD GN CDX) won a first place and a third place in Open B. At the Key City Kennel Club Show in St. Peter over Memorial Day Weekend, Cash finished his Graduate Open Title in three straight shows, winning first place each day. In addition, on that same weekend Ernie (Odyssey Ernie of Wyowind RAE2 CD GN CDX GO UD) picked up his fourth leg toward his UDX and won a third place in Utility B. Pam Wible Pam and Tory have been having great fun at dog shows. He is maturing nicely and is now an International Champion as well as UKC Champion. Way to go T! This summer, Tory has a new, upgraded pen a real improvement! Peggy and Jim Wills At the Fargo show Peggy Wills and Bailee (at right) earned their CDX and Jim Wills and Cross (below) had a High In Trial.
This is a potluck! So please bring a dish to share!
Brainerd Kennel Club P.O. Box 622 Brainerd,MN 56401