JUDGING SCANDAL ROCKS THE DOG OBEDIENCE WORLD!  In a scandal likened to the recent Olympic figure skating judging fiasco, the Dog Obedience world has been shocked and rocked by the recall of NEDTC's  two highest awards.  At the Club's Annual Banquet, held at Finnerty's Restaurant in Wayland this February, Training Director Pat Sullivan awarded both the annual trophy for highest qualifying score in regular classes at the annual NEDTC Obedience Trial and The Selma Meyer Memorial Trophy to Barbara Beckedorff and her corgi, Annie.  Suspicions were immediately aroused by the absence of Ms. Beckedorff from the award ceremony.  Later claiming to have been called away by the birth of a grandchild elsewhere,  Ms. Beckedorff declared herself "stunned" to learn of her victory from friend Ruth Ivers.  The ever-modest Beckedorff is widely perceived to be innocent in the scandal because, as she later told officials, she had not even entered the NEDTC trial(s)!!  Ms. Sullivan could not be reached for comment but in a press release acknowledged full responsibility for the faux pas and announced the true winner of the trophies to be Joanie Muse and her GSD Bessie!!  No further explanation has been forthcoming, but rumor and speculation run rampant.  Were the Russian and French judges colluding again?  Is the entire sport in need of revamping?  How can Joanie and Bessie be adequately honored after the fact?  Do we take a page from the Olympics and have another awards ceremony?  Ahh, the possibilities.    Further in her press release, Training Director Sullivan cited medical issues as possible reasons for the mistake saying that she suffers from "dyslexia,  lapses in synaptic connections, chronic senior moments and hot flashes that rival the Mt. St. Helen’s eruption in force and intensity.”  She has sent her apologies to all parties from an undisclosed location, reputedly shared by Dick Cheney.   And, in an effort to assure the Board of Governors that such a travesty cannot and will not occur again, she has engaged the Arthur Anderson accounting firm to audit her calculations in the future.

For its part, the Board hired Arthur Anderson to audit T.D. Sullivan’s calculations on the balance of the awards before the results were made public.  That audit has been completed and Anderson execs have declared the awards untainted and scandal free, saying, “We stake our reputation and good name on the results of this audit.”  [Okey-Dokey then…]

Canine Good Citizen awards were given to Joyce Ellen Baker and her Springer Spaniel, Fancy, Emma Parsons and her Golden Retriever, Benjamin, Nancy Thompson and Wonder Collie, Duncan and Christine Weiner and Catahoula mix, Spartacus.

Trophies for Companion Dog (CD) titles were presented to Barbara Beckedorff and Annie; Joanie Muse and Bessie, Leland Perry and Mini-Aussie, Matilda,  Phyllis Stein and GSD, Abby, Geoff Stern and Belgian Terv, Quip, Lisa Witham and Dobie, Dana and Anya Wittenborg and Bernese Mountain Dog, Bacio.

The team that won the trophy for the CD title with the highest total score were Lisa Witham and Dana!!    [Now for the rest of the story.  Picture it.  Boston.  A dark and stormy night.  A lonely, hungry and frightened red Doberman wanders the unforgiving streets until she is rescued by City of Boston Animal Control.  Animal control checks it’s list of breed rescuers and delivers this sweet lady to foster mom Lisa for evaluation and placement.   Her name becomes Dana.  She takes one look at Lisa and thinks to herself, “I am HOME!”  But Lisa will not be easily won; she’s been wooed before and always managed to keep a healthy emotional distance from her charges.  Thus it will also be for this little girl, thinks Lisa.   The process of preparing Dana for her new home begins in earnest.  Dana’s in need of obedience training, so it’s off to NEDTC.  All that training time is time well-spent by Dana as she digs a hole through Lisa’s well-developed façade and curls up in that special spot in Lisa’s heart that makes it impossible for her to let Dana go.  Dana is the first foster dog Lisa could not part with and the first dog Lisa has EVER taken into the ring!  This winning team trained almost exclusively at NEDTC (as well as privately with Linda Holway) and earned scores of 191, 192 and 193, a blue ribbon, and HIGHEST SCORING CD FOR 2001.  [Talk about Kismet!…Ed.]

Trophies for Open Dog (CDX) titles were presented to Cathy Shea and her black lab, Jet and  Margaret Stubbs with Jet’s brother, Jack. 

Of these two, it was Margaret and Jack who went home with the trophy for the CDX title with the highest total score (578 out of 600).

Margaret and Jack also had the highest score in a 3-way tie (193.5) for the most blue ribbons!  This team is unstoppable!

NEDTC offers a trophy to any active member whose dog has acquired any other AKC performance title.  This year's winners were all for AKC Agility titles.

Leland Perry and Tsunami for Novice Agility Jumpers w/weaves (NAJ);  Leland and Matilda  had 2 agility titles -  Agility Excellent (AX) and Masters Excellent Jumpers w/Weaves (MXJ); and Joanie and Bessie (when they weren’t busy in the obedience ring) earned 3 agility titles - Agility Excellent (AX), Agility Jumpers (AJ) and Agility  Excellent Jumpers w/Weaves (AXJ)!  You guys are AWESOME!!

Trophy Addendum.  In a private ceremony on Sunday evening, 3/17, Liz Sullivan (who had forgotten to send in the form in time for the banquet) was presented with CGC ribbons and trophies for two of her boxers who earned their titles last June.

THE STATE OF THE CLUB IS EXCELLENT.  Puppy and Beginner Classes are full to overflowing.  A smaller Beginner Class has been added, taught by Joice Himawan in the Puppy Room.  The drop-in classes also flourish.  Our training staff is just the best and I would like to acknowledge their hard work and dedication which went a long way towards making it such a great year.  Linda Holway, Head Trainer, Puppy Kindergarten and Novice Class Instructor; Ruth Ivers, Open and Utility Instructor, Emma Parsons, Advanced Beginner Instructor, Joice Himawan, Beginner Instructor and Assistant –in-Other-Classes-as-Needed, Lowry Heussler and Gert Foster, Training Assistants Extraordinaire; thank you one and all.

SAR DOGS STEAL THE SHOW AT FINNERTY’S!  SAR dogs Xoe and Bacco assisted their owner/ handler Gail McCarthy give a riveting presentation on canine search and rescue work.  Gail is Vice President of the Massachusetts Canine Response Team, Inc. as well as a member of the FEMA Massachusetts Task Force 1, one of only 28 federally authorized Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces strategically located around the country and which make up the National FEMA USAR Network.  The Massachusetts Task Force 01 was among those at Ground Zero after 9/11.  It’s amazing the amount of time, dedication and work on the part of both dog and handler that it takes to become (and continue to remain) a working search and rescue team.  SAR is truly a commitment of time, energy and money.  Handlers pay all their own expenses including training and travel, making it a true labor of love.  Maybe you’d like to help sponsor a team or simply learn more about the wonderful work this team does.  If so, log onto their website at www.MCRT.org; you’ll be amazed.  Thank you Gail for joining us. And thank you for being so dedicated.

Out With The Old.   Outgoing Board members Emma Parsons, Barbara Beckedorff, Greg Parsons, Liz Sullivan and Leland Perry were honored during the night’s festivities.  Emma presented Leland with a gift from the Club thanking him for his 5 years of service to the Board and the Club.  Jean Berman then presented Emma with a special gift for all her hard work over the years as a Board member, officer, trainer and friend to the Club.   Well Done Everyone and Thanks!

Emma informed the membership that she has also retired from the NEDTC training staff in order focus more time on personal goals.  We wish her all the best and hope she stops by to visit occasionally.  Her classes are now being taught by Pat Sullivan.  

In With The New!  Another order of business for the Annual Meeting is the election of a new Board of Governors.  Running unopposed and elected unanimously [by acclamation] for 2001 – 2002 were Jean Berman, Mary Ann Dionne, Lowry Heussler, Joice Himawan, Sharon Long, Charlotte Moore, Margaret Ormes, Barbara Sandler, Sheldon Sandler, Phyllis Stein, Patricia Sullivan and Nancy Thompson.

New Officers:  The first order of business for the new Board at its first meeting on Monday, 2/25, was the election of new officers.  No smoke-filled backroom antics here.  (Okay, maybe some nominees were coaxed and sweet-talked, but it was front-room coaxing and sweet-talk – AND no one smokes in Phyllis’ front room!)  All officers were elected unanimously and by acclamation. 

President                    Lowry Heussler
Vice President           Phyllis Stein
Treasurer                   Jean Berman
Secretary                    Margaret Ormes
Public Information   Joice Himawan
Education                  Nancy Thompson
                                    Charlotte Moore

Liz Sullivan will remain as AKC Rep.  Her report can be found further on.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT NEDTC. The following job postings are for this training year and the only requirements are club membership and a willingness to learn. 

Fall Trial Chair.  A perfect opportunity to learn the ins and outs of trialing.  Be in charge.  Show off your management skills.  Work with fun people.  The successful candidate need only ask and former trial chairs will be glad to offer advice and support.  No experience required.  

Massachusetts Federation Representative.   The successful candidate will be treated monthly to dinner, a mesmerizing speaker and a lively discussion with other “doggie people” on various issues concerning dogs and animal legislation, etc. in the Commonwealth.   You will need only to file a brief report of the presentation with the NEDTC Board.  No experience required.

Webmaster.  Unlike the previous positions, it would be real helpful if the successful candidate had some (not necessarily a lot of) prior experience because the Webmaster is responsible for updating the NEDTC website (www.nedtc.org).

If you are interested in any one of these positions, or want to learn more about them, please contact any Board member.  PLEASE.

Welcome To New Members.  Kristina Stinson and her Malinois Django and Emily Evans and Mini-Aussie, Robin were voted in as our newest members.  Kristina and Django are in Novice Class and Emily and Robin are working hard in Advanced Beginners.  Please make them welcome.

CRDTC Trial Results of Our Members!!  On Saturday, 3/16/02 Joanie Muse and  Bessie did it again, getting their second leg in Open with a 189!  They did an awesome job and will be burning up the mats at New England’s trial on March 30^th  at the All Dogs’ Gym in Manchester, NH.  Anya Wittenborg and the Celestial One earned their first CD leg with a 194!!!  YOWZAH!!!  And a lovely performance it was!  If you want to know how big an achievement that was just think of Celeste (and, if you’re like me, any visual image of Celeste has her in MOTION!)  Now, think of all that energy remaining still in the down position for 3 long, whole minutes in a noisy gym with dogs and people making all kinds of sounds just begging to be investigated!  What a dog!  [Now picture Anya standing across the mats from Celeste and not going into cardiac arrest from the pressure!]  What a handler!

Cathy Shea explains how her two Black Labs, Jet and Teller, performed on Saturday.  “Teller (Candlewood's Time Will Tell, WC) earned his first CD leg with a 195 and a 4th place in Novice B.  Jet (U-CD Plymrock Jet Propelled, CDX, JH, WCI) took second place in Open B by winning a run off with a score of 198+.  She also took home the prize for high scoring Lab in Open B.”  [Gotta love Jet, “Anything Boys Can Do, Girls Can Do Better!”]  CONGRATS! WOW!

AKC Delegate’s Report, by Liz Sullivan – Highlights of March 2002 Meeting, San Diego, CA.  The Delegates elected the new AKC Board of Directors in only 2 ballots.  Elected were Ken Marden, Asa Mays (both incumbents) and Nina Schaefer, delegate of the Back Mountain Kennel Club, a nominee from the floor.  Current Board Chair David Merriman decided not to sit as chair again, having already served 5 ½ years - 6 months more than any previous chair.  By choosing not to serve longer, Mr. Merriman has set a term limits precedent for that position.  A new Chairman will be chosen from the Board and the results will be reported when received. 

Of Interest to Breeders and Exhibitors.  A motion was passed seeking to change the bred-by exhibitor class in conformation competition and "return it to it's original intent" (as claimed by the motion’s sponsors).  The new language would make it no longer possible for a dog in this class to be shown by anyone except the named breeder/owner.  This proposal would exclude family members (spouses, children) from showing a dog bred by another family member, unless they are named specifically as the breeder and owner or co-owner of the dog on its registration papers.  The AKC has been prompted to make such changes after being dragged into court in the past by the litigants in disputes between co-owners.  AKC feels the answer to the problem is  to eliminate the category of “co-owners” in the traditional sense and replace it with  that of “registrants”.  If there is more than one registrant, one has to be designated as “signatory” by that group of registrants.  Only the signatory will be allowed to sign AKC paperwork related to that dog (i.e., litter registration slips).  Under this proposal, AKC would require co-registrants to have a legally binding, written contract with each other before the dog could be registered.  Voice your opinion on this proposal by contacting the AKC directly thru www.AKC.org or contact Liz Sullivan and your remarks will be forwarded to the appropriate AKC office.  This proposal will be voted on at the June delegates meeting in San Antonio.

Obedience Advisory Committee Meeting.  The Committee is working to finalize Rally regulations and make it a titling sport; they hope to be finished by January 1, 2003.  It is clear that only those rally competitions held in conjunction with regular obedience classes at the same trial will be sanctioned by AKC.   The committee is concerned about the decline in the numbers of obedience exhibitors and does not want to add to the decline.  Another concern is the source of the pool of judges for rally.  One AKC official commented that a majority of obedience judges are not interested in judging rally and suggested the CGC evaluators database as an alternative source.  Judging candidates would have to pass a test and possibly be subject to a provisional judging evaluation period.  Whatever the qualifications for judges ultimately become, it is clear that experience with multiple breeds (either by titling or teaching classes to different breeds and handlers who then went on to title) will be a necessary requirement.

 Companion Dogs Tournament.  Incoming entries indicate a good response for the tournament set for April in Perry, GA.  There are plans in the works to hold another tournament  later in the year in Utah.  If all goes well, a third regional event would be schedule for next year in the mid-west.  The AKC was hoping the tournament(s) might be televised on the Animal Planet Network.  However, there is at present no interest for such an undertaking on the part of the network or Eukanuba (who usually sponsors such events).  If you would like to see the tournaments televised, please contact the Animal Planet Network and/or Eukanuba.  Submitted by Liz Sullivan, AKC Delegate

The Rainbow Bridge.   It is our sad duty to inform you of the recent passing of Corinne Burton.  Many of you have fond memories of Corinne, who was a long-time Club member as well as a Board member and officer.  Our sympathies go out to her family, and especially her husband Don.

Until next time,

            Pat “Scoop” Sullivan pasullivan@goodwinprocter.com

PS:  Before I was a Dog Mom:

I made and ate hot meals unmolested.
I had unstained, unfurred clothes.
I had quiet conversations on the phone, even if the doorbell rang.

Before I was a Dog Mom:

I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got to bed; or if I could get into my bed.

Before I was a Dog Mom:

I cleaned my house every day.
I never tripped over toys, stuffies, chewies
Or invited the neighbor's dog over to play.

Before I was a Dog Mom:

I didn't worry if my plants, cleansers, plastic bags, toilet paper, soap or deodorant were poisonous or dangerous.

Before I was a Dog Mom:

I had never been peed on, pooped on, drooled on, chewed on or pinched by puppy teeth.

Before I was a Dog Mom:

I had complete control of my thoughts, my body and mind.  I slept all night without sharing the covers or pillow.

Before I was a Dog Mom:

I never looked into big, soulful eyes and cried.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop a hurt.   I never knew something so furry and four-legged could affect my heart so deeply.

Before I was a Dog Mom:

I had never held a sleeping puppy just because I couldn't put it down. 
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was well.
I didn't know how warm it feels inside to feed a hungry puppy.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Dog Mom:

I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being

A Dog Mom.

By Carol Wat

Thanks to Terri White for sending this to me.