summer 2002

SUMMER TURNS TO FALL AND ITS BACK TO SCHOOL. I hope you and your dogs have been able to stay safe and cool over this very hot summer. Summers have always been way too short to me. It always seemed that school had only just ended when it was Back to School Again School”:

Mark your calendars for 2002-2003. Classes will meet on Thursday evenings from Sept. 5^th thru June 26^th (the weather and the military permitting). Dates for Beginner and Puppy Classes are:
Session 1: Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, & 17
Session 2: Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21, Dec. 5 & 12;
Session 3: Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Feb. 6 & 13
Session 4: Feb. 20, 27, Mar. 6, 13, 20, 27 & Apr. 3
Session 5: Apr. 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8, 15 & 22
May 29^th – June 26^th: Adv. Beginner, Novice, Open and Utility classes will be held as scheduled. There will not be Beginners or Puppy class during this time.

Dec. 19^th is an open date that is being considered as a good Christmas Party date. Watch your mail (e- and snail) for particulars.

On June 26^th the Club will hold its Annual Canine Good Citizen Test!!

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS! And we have quite a few; how wonderful. The folks at the other end of the leash are Kristina Stinson and Malinois Django; Emily Evans and mini-Aussie Robin; Paul and Eileen Moreira and their Lab Buddy, Paul and Mary Ann Crank come with Malamutes Juneau and Kiska; Zoe Anderson and Eve Porter joined with their dogs, Baloo the Berner and Pikis the Black Lab; Ron Gilboa and his family attend with their Wheaten Toto,; Kathleen Beyerman accompanies her mixed breed Migo; Roderick O’Flaherty tags along with Odin the Leonberger; Linda Magni is escorted by her cockapoo Dusty; Kathleen Hennrikus can be seen sharing the mats with her Berner MacAleer; Maria Flanagan and her Wheaten Cleo will be attending Adv. Beginners; and last but not least Ed Forrester and Dave Van Besheme are brought to class by Trevor their Airdale. Welcome to you all.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:

SUNDAYS? Although the club will not be offering Sunday Beginner Classes this next year, the time will be put to good use. So…

SAVE YOUR SUNDAYS FOR SEMINARS!!: Nancy Thompson and Charlotte Moore (Board Members extraordinaire) have been beating the bushes for hot topics to offer on selected Sunday afternoons (from 2pm to 5pm) throughout the training year. Watch the website and/or your mail (e and/or snail) for particulars. If the first two are any clue to quality, we are in for a great season.

Nancy Thompson is in the process of finalizing the particulars for 9/29 and 10/20. Read the details below, then go mark your calendars so you don’t miss a minute.

On September 29^th Canine Behaviorist Ray McSoley will speak on problem behaviors in dogs. Ray is the founder of Animal Behavior Associates and the author of Dog Tales. He is also working on a new book entitled A Ray of Hope - Helping Dogs with People Problems to be published soon. Ray (who has made it his life’s work to help owners understand their dogs) has been in practice for over 25 years. Over the years he has traveled extensively both here and abroad working with dogs and their owners and, as a result, he has saved thousands of animals from being euthanized or becoming pound dogs. Ray is also the behavior consultant at the Buddy Dog Humane Society in Sudbury, MA and the Best Friend Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.

Pet CPR Certification Seminar: On Sunday, Oct. 20^th a representative from the American Red Cross (RI Division) will be at the Armory teaching a Pet CPR Course. Attendees will be eligible for American Red Cross CPR Certification..

Yankee Golden Retriever Club (YGRC) will be holding an evening VST match on August 10, at the campus of the University of New Hampshire in Durham NH.

AKC STAR SEARCH COMES TO BOSTON.
On August 20-23, the AKC will hold open casting calls for dogs and owners in the Greater Boston area for parts in 2 commercials they will be filling in the area. commercials in the greater In advance of the shoot, they need to identify a range of well-trained and titled purebred dogs – both common and rare breeds to appear in the commercials. Dogs may appear with or without owners. The ads will feature beautiful footage of purebred dogs competing, performing and interacting with people. At the casting call, owners will fill out a form, including contact information, availability and information about yourself and your dog. Photographs and video will also be taken. WHEN and WHERE: At various sites throughout the area: On Saturday, August 10th from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Exercise Finished Dog Training Center, 35 North Chicopee St., Chicopee, MA; on Saturday, August 17th from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at The Wachusetts Kennel Club All-Breed Dog Show in Fitchburg, MA . Look for the "AKC TV Casting" signs that will lead you to the casting tent located outside The Royal Plaza Trade Center, 150 Royal Plaza Drive, Fitchburg, MA. On Sunday, August 18th from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Gemini Dog Training Center, 53-B Ayer Road, Littleton, MA 01460 (978) 486-9922.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: You must be available at any time August 20- 23rd (exact times, dates and locations may not be given until day before shoot begins). AKC is seeking only dogs with Conformation, Agility, Obedience and/or Performance titles. The shoot will be held outside - exact location to be determined. Water will be provided as will a small rest area with air conditioning. Only those chosen to attend the actual shoot will be paid a stipend -- $350 if both you AND your dog are chosen, or $250 for just your dog. For more information contact: Gina Lash at gml@akc.org or 212/696-8350.

TEMPERAMENT TESTING ANYONE: The North Shore Kennel Club will be holding its first annual Canine Temperament Tests on September 22, 2002 at the Middlesex County 4H Grounds - Horse Arena Area in Westford, MA. For more information and registration forms go to the NSKC website at: http://www.geocities.com/northshorekennelclub.

South Shore Dog Training Club is holding a Fall Show & Go starting at 9:00 am on Sunday, Sept. 29th, 2002 at the National Guard Armory in Quincy, MA (corner of Hancock St. & Furnace Brook Pkwy.). FMI ThreeEngies@aol.com.

Two Seminars Sponsored by Monadnock Humane Society (Keene, NH area).

· October 19 & 20, 2002: Donna Duford on Dog Behavior: Aggression & Impulse Control and

· Nov. 9 & 10, 200 Beginner Tracking Seminar with Miles Garrod. FMI on both seminars, contact Denise, 603-352-0035 x140, denisem@humanecommunity.org; www.monadpets.org

Does your unregistered dog bear a striking resemblance to one of the more than 140 breeds recognized by AKC? Would you like to enter him in AKC events? Then what about an Indefinite Listing Privilege or ILP?

The ILP allows unregistered, [believed-to-be] purebred dogs to compete in AKC Obedience Trials, Agility Trials, Herding Tests and Trials, Lure Coursing Tests and Trials, Tracking Tests, Earthdog Tests, Field Events, and Junior Showmanship Competitions.

To be eligible for an ILP number a dog must be:

· distinguishable as belonging to an AKC-recognized breed. (Hey, does it look like a dog? Okay, NOW, does it bear any resemblance to one of the 140+ AKC breeds? Can you say it does without laughing? Good to go!)

· spayed or neutered (Isn’t everybody?) (certificate or written proof required)

· at least six-months old (Don’t know when it was born? Does it have it’s adult teeth? Good enough!)

· $25 fee (You’re doing great so far; don’t stop now, write that check.)

· Put it all together with 2 snapshots of your canine best friend and you are set to go.

Go to the AKC website at www.akc.org and download the ILP application from the “forms” menu and you are all set.

The advantages of training and/or competing with a dog are tremendous. Both dogs and owners benefit from the physical and mental exercise of teaching and learning new skills. Dogs that are well-trained are easy to live with, and gain self-confidence and security knowing they have a purpose or "job" to perform. Most importantly, training and competing builds bond between dog and owner that cannot be duplicated--not to mention that it's a lot of fun.

So if you're looking for something special to do with your unregistered, purebred dog, consider getting an ILP number and jumping into competition. It may be the best thing the two of you ever did.

EDITORIAL MUSINGS (a/k/a I digress). Aside from loving my dogs (and other animals), my other great passions are antiques and do-it-myself around the house. My 2 favorite TV channels are Animal Planet and HGTV; and my best magazines are the AKC Gazette and Country Living. I thought these were diverse interests until the current issue of Country Living showed me they were just two sides of the same coin. There, nestled between hints on how to make the most of my hydrangeas and a celebration of Steiff Bear’s 100^th birthday were 2, short but wonderful articles on animals; and they had nothing to do with how to decorate for or around them.

The first was an absolutely dead-on, singing-the-praises article about the benefits of Puppy Preschool (aka, Kindergarten). The author, who is not a trainer, had observed a well run, positive-method class and was absolutely effusive in her praise. She could not say enough about how the class enhanced the puppy/owner bond and how happy all participants were. The article stated unequivocally that “Puppy kindergarten helps shape the right behavior [and] all this leads to less need to correct and control, more time to praise and enjoy your puppy…And it’s fun.” A great shot in the arm from a national periodical.

A Call for Help for Songbirds. Not that you were sitting over your morning cup of coffee wondering how you could help the songbird population of the world, but if you were to ask such a question, the answer is right in your cup. And this brings me to the second article in Country Living. To quote, “It might come as a jolt to know that forests are being razed and bird habitat destroyed to cultivate the beans ground to make our favorite brew” … because “large-scale growers have clear-cut … forests and planted in straight rows in full sun fields” to accelerate the production cycle and double the yield. BUT “traditional coffee plantations cultivate coffee plants under the protective shade of trees [and] the forestlike farms provide habitat for insects, small mammals and songbirds.” The article explained that slower growing coffee beans taste better. As Julia Alvarez notes in her recent publication, A Cafecito Story, “It’s amazing how much better coffee grows when sung to by birds.” We can all help the songbirds of the world by making a small but significant change and buy only certified, organic coffee from a roaster you can trust. The movement is happening. Outlets abound. Go online to www.americanbirding.org or www.roastyourown.com. Even Starbucks is somewhat on board and has begun selling a shade-grown Mexican coffee (be nice if all their coffees were) and Green Mountain also offers a dozen or so shade-grown organic blends. Fresh Fields and Bread and Circus are two stores that carry organic beans which they will grind to order. Here is a simple way to help an entire animal population (actually more than one – it’s good for the farmers, it’s good for the birds and it’s good for us) without having to foster anything or send a check! Can’t beat that with a stick!! And how do you take your coffee?

WHAT HAVE OUR MEMBERS BEEN UP TO SINCE LAST WE SAT DOWN TOGETHER?

Joanie Muse entered her GSD Bessie in their first USDAA show (sponsored by All Dogs Agility) and they got their first leg in Standard P1!! She qualified and place 2nd!! Bessie also got a leg and placed fourth place in Novice Regular, at the NADAC agility show in April.

Earlier in April, Joanie and Bessie were in Canada where Bessie got 2 legs on Open A at the Lakeshore D.T. shows in Quebec, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. Placing 2nd place in both shows!! This gave them 2 legs in AKC and CKC. (Joanie said she felt a little like Old McDonald, 'two legs here, 2 legs there, here a leg, there a leg'… And it didn’t end there. In May this unstoppable team entered the York County Kennel Club trial and got their 3rd leg in Open A with an awesome score of 192 ½. Oh yeah, they took 2nd place!!!! WHAT A TEAM!! Good going both of you.

Attention Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at sea! This just in Bessie was in a couple of shows on July 19^th and 20^th where she Q'd in a CPE (Canine Performance Events) agility show in Level 3, Snooker and Standard. On August 3rd she got her first leg in a UKC show in Open B put on by the Amoskeag Obedience Association.!

Cathy Shea entered Jet in a couple of Open B classes since she got her CDX after which Jet promptly got her 1^st leg in OB and HIT with a score of 197 at the Labrador Retriever Club of the Pioneer Valley Specialty. And she just kept rolling along, going first in OB at Ladies with a 196. Teller is following right along in Jet’s pawprints, earning his first Junior Hunter leg at the Labrador Retriever Club of Greater Boston's April hunt test. Can the remaining 3 legs be far behind? Great job, Cathy, Jet and Teller!!

Ruth Ivers’ Beardie Spriggan received her first CD leg at the NEDTC spring trial. She also received her first Novice Agility (NA) leg (1st place) last fall and her second NA leg (4th place) this spring.. Now that little lady is really coming along.

If you want to know what Louise Shattuck has been doing, just pick up a copy of the May issue of the AKC Gazette (the one with the gorgeous collie on the cover). A super article about a very gifted lady that also gives some insight into club history.

Geoff Stern received this email in response to his stories of Quip’s medical difficulties and thought it worth passing on. I agree; it’s a wonderful story from a lovely lady and her dogs. “Our currently falling apart old dog has amazing staying power. Twice he's made a "last trip" to the vet's. Each time, we said well, let's see. We are not trying any heroic measures (this is Basil who will be seventeen the end of July if he's still here then) but just trying to improve quality of life. The last time he visited the vet, I said, "Can't you just give him something to settle his stomach?" He's been on a half a Tagament tablet three times a day for a couple of months now, eating mainly Old Mother Hubbard dog biscuits because he will --- no soft food for him --- usually eating during the night and sleeping all day. Four days ago, he couldn't get his feet under him on the tile kitchen floor, and surely acted as though he'd had a stroke, but after a day and night's rest he has been up again and spry, practically single-tracking in his gait. The point of my story is: you never can tell.” Margherita

Crossings of The Rainbow Bridge

Lowry Heussler’s Big Bear lost his battle with age-related crippling at the tender age of 13+.

Geoff Stern and Roseann Mandell said goodbye to Duchess (aka, Duchess CD CGC, YGRR#559) on June 3^rd at the ripe young age of 14+ years.

Jean Berman’s Borzoi Lancelot (DC Silkenswift Lance Du Lac, SC, CGC, ASFA Fld. Ch. 10/29/89-06/25/02) has gone from his usual spot on her bed. Jean can be reached at her new email address atgarzoi@rcn.com.

To All of Them and All of You.

They will not go quietly,
the dogs who've shared our lives.
In subtle ways they let us know
their spirit still survives.

Old habits still make us think
we hear a barking at the door.
Or step back when we drop
a tasty morsel on the floor.

Our feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be,
And, sometimes, coming home at night,
we miss them terribly.

And although time may bring new friends
and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts
belongs to them...and always will.

True or not, I LOVE (even the idea of) this: Supposedly, the following personal ad appeared in The Atlanta Journal: “SINGLE BLACK FEMALE.....Seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I’m a very good looking girl who LOVES to play. I love walks in the woods, hunting, camping, and fishing trips, or just lying by the fire on cozy winter nights. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. Rub me the right way and watch me respond. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Kiss me and I'm yours. Call 404-xxx-xxxx and ask for "Daisy."

Over 150 men responded and found themselves talking to the local Humane Society about an 8-week-old black Labrador Retriever.”

And on that note…Until next time.

Pat “Scoop” Sullivan