Happy 4th of July !

Showmanship Info

      

Hi everyone! In my 4-H dog training class, the first year kids are just starting to work on their showmanship skills...Here the URL addresses for a couple of great sites put together by Oregon 4-H teams. 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HGzYd2YSd4


http://vimeo.com/album/1608856 

And here is some examples of showmanship leads . Have a little fun, this is a chance to express yourself and show your personality a little ! They come in all different styles, colors, and prices !
 

Are you a dog breeder, or Just breeding dogs ?

Fall into a conversation at any dog show with someone who has been in the sport for 30 years or more and inevitably the subject turns to the decline of overall quality in so many breeds. I’ve had many such conversations recently. Glamorous, showy, beautifully schooled and presented dogs abound at American dog shows, and many people are dazzled by their condition, trim and showmanship, and feel these dogs are amazing and so deserving of everything that they win. And then there are those of us of the Old School who remember when dog shows were as much about the dog as they were about the show. The quality of the dog came first; the showmanship and fancy trim were icing on the cake. These days, they seem to be pretty much the whole cake, including the icing! We lament that so many top-winning dogs lack a number of breed characteristics so basic yet critical that we simply cannot believe that these dogs are heralded as great ones. Either few breeders and judges are reading the breed standards and striving to interpret them, or they have no true understanding of the requirements in those standards, or they simply don’t care as long as the dogs they are producing and pointing at are fancy and showy.

Many people who have been in dogs for a very long time are of the opinion that it is the demise of the large breeding kennels that has so adversely affected the quality of current show dogs. Those breeders with 100 dogs to choose from and the opportunity to create many litters a year did for sure have more room for error, more chance to experiment with pedigree combinations and many more dogs to pick from when choosing one for the show ring. For every one that surfaced as a show dog, there were probably 20 back in the kennel that were never seen by the public. Certainly there were advantages to this method of breeding, but I personally do not see the loss of these kennels as the reason for the decline in the quality of many of today’s breeds. In my mind it is not that current breeders lack large numbers of dogs to work with but instead it is that they lack real knowledge of their chosen breed because they missed the true opportunity to gain the in-depth schooling that comes from long-term mentorship.

 Please go to :http://www.dogchannel.com/dogsinreview/are-you-a-dog-breeder-or-just-breeding-dogs.aspx for the rest of this interesting article! 

What are some of the qualities that make a committed dog breeder? I agree with the author of this article's opinon that the best breeders take the time and make the effort to :

1. Gain knowledge from mentors

 "...She instilled in me an ethic about dog breeding that I strive to uphold to this day. She was my go-to person for the rest of her life. I never outgrew her, and I surely never thought I knew more than she did about dogs. She was my second mother, my friend, my conscience and my strongest critic. She guided me, schooled me, reined me in when I needed it and forced me to think for myself by always offering me a choice when I needed help. (She never just gave me the answer: She gave me two, and then helped me work through to the correct answer.) Betty taught me many things, one of the most important being how to create a breeding program and build a family of dogs that would breed true to a vision of perfection that I would eventually create in my mind..."

2. Study your breed standard 

If you were the architect who had created the blueprint for a functional building that was going to serve a particular purpose, do you think that the contractor hired to do the actual building should be able to make changes to suit his own whims because he "likes it better that way”? Of course not. And if he did, the end result would most likely be a building that failed miserably at its intended function or even collapsed. The same theory should apply to our dogs when we breed them. We need to keep them capable of easily performing the functions for which they were originally developed, not change them into caricatures that exude some sort of beauty but are riddled with failings when compared to their breed standard.

 3. Understand the Influece of Type and Style

 Instead, breeding should be based on years spent learning about your chosen breed from knowledgeable mentors who are willing to share; understanding your standard and applying that standard to produce a family of dogs that breed true in type while having a style distinctly their own; and, most importantly, fit the breed standard as closely as possible generation after generation. If this is how you are breeding dogs, then you are a dog breeder.

From the June 2014 issue of Dogs in Review magazine. Subscribe to receive 12 months of Dogs in Reviewmagazine, or call 1-888-738-2665 to purchase a single copy.

The Toy Group !

Small breeds can be found in every group, but these canines showcase diminutive size of body paired with "large hearts" and winsome expressions ! Toy dogs continue to be a favorite with people that live in apartments or those seeking loyal companion in a smaller package -- don't let their tiny stature fool you , though-- many Toys are tough as nails ! They live to warm your lap, and while many have "diva" personalities, their quickness to learn and eagerness to please are worthy of consideration. Some of the toy breeds are smaller versions of a larger dog while others offer a unique, tiny breed.

• Affenpinscher
• Brussels Griffon
• Cavalier King
                          Charles Spaniel
• ChihuahuaChinese Crested
• English Toy Spaniel
• HavaneseItalian Greyhound
• Japanese Chin
• MalteseManchester Terrier
• Miniature PinscherPapillon
• PekingesePomeranian
• PoodlePug
• Shih Tzu
• Silky Terrier Toy Fox TerrierYorkshire Terrier

Size of dogs not to scale

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Heartworms - Stop them before they Start!

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STOP heart worms before 

they start !!! 

Heartworm disease has not only spread throughout the United States, but it’s also now found in areas where veterinarians used to say “Oh, we don’t have heartworm disease.” Areas like Oregon, California, Arizona, and desert areas -- where irrigation and building are allowing mosquitoes to survive. And if you have mosquitoes and you have animals, you’re going to have heartworms. It’s just that simple. The cure is sometimes fatal and often time consuming, expensive, and uncomfortable. STOP heartworms before they start !!! Protect your dog with flea and tick and mosquito repelling products per your veterinarians recommendations ! There are many effective, easy to use, cost efficient products available. 

It takes about seven months, once a dog is bitten by an infected mosquito, for the larvae to mature into adult heartworms. They then lodge in the heart, lungs, and surrounding blood vessels and begin reproducing. Adult worms can grow up to 12 inches in length, can live 5-7 years, and a dog can have as many as 250 worms in its system.

Q: How do dogs get heartworms?

A: Only by the bite of an infected mosquito. There’s no other way dogs get heartworms. And there’s no way to tell if a mosquito is infected. That’s why prevention is so important.

Q: Can people get heartworms from their dogs?

A: It can only be passed on by mosquitoes. It’s a specific parasite that only affects dogs and cats and ferrets and other mammals. In rare cases, heartworms have infected people, but it does not complete its life cycle. The heartworm will migrate to the lung and cause a round lesion that looks like a tumor. But these are very rare cases.

Q: If one of my dogs has heartworms, can he give it to my other dogs?

A: No. Again, the only way heartworms are transmitted is through the bite of an infected mosquito. And even if an uninfected mosquito bit your infected dog, and then bit your uninfected dog the same night, he wouldn’t transmit the parasite from one dog to the other. That’s because when a mosquito bites an infected animal, the heartworm needs to undergo an incubation period in the mosquito before the mosquito can infect other animals.

Q: Is it OK to adopt a dog with heartworms?

A: It’s a very common problem in animal shelters today, and public shelters rarely have the money to treat heartworm disease. It’s perfectly acceptable to adopt a dog with heartworms, but you have to be dedicated to having the disease treated appropriately, because it’s a horrible disease that can lead to a dog’s death if left untreated

Canine Obesity

We all know that many of us could "stand to shed a few pounds" 

       --- and how hard it is to diet and exercise ! 

Just like with humans, carrying extra weight can  contribute to a lot of health

issues including :

* pancreatitis 

*diabetes

*congestive heart failure

* worsening of arthrits, hip dysplasia , and other skeletal problems

*shortness of breath / decreased energy

But how do we know how to tell if our dog is overweight ???

And what can we do to help???

Try cutting back on "treats" , table scraps, and canned food 

Try feeding your dog twice a day and if they are a "gobbler"

feed them in a bundt pan or special dish sold to help

slow down there eating.

Making sure they have plenty of clean water

Daily exercise, even when it's cold out

If they are still begging and you can't resist, one treat my vet has reccomended is green beans ! They are filling but not fattening and the fiber aids in digestion. 

  You should be able to easily feel your dogs ribs, but not see them. 

Older dogs, specific breeds, and dogs with health problems may be heavier .

The Humane Society of the United States does NOT support your area shelter !

HSUS is NOT 
affiliated with any local humane societies or SPCAS ! 


They are directly affiliated with the following animal rights organizations:

Humane Society Legislative Fund

Humane Society International

Doris Day Animal League

Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association

The Fund for Animals

Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust

Many people are led to believe that their HSUS donations are going help animals in shelters and to rescue groups...These multiple entities successfully provide a smokescreen
for their main agenda... Animal Welfare and Animal Rights are NOT THE SAME POLITICALLY OR LEGALLY ! Know the facts . 

Only 1% of donations to HSUS actually go to animal
shelters ! 

PLEASE DO NOT BE FOOLED BY SLICK ADVERTISING AND POWERFUL LEGAL LOBBYING ~ YOU DESERVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH WHERE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY  ACTUALLY GOES AND THE ANIMALS DESERVE THE HELP YOU MEANT TO GIVE! 

Kudos to a NYC shelter that Welcomes Pets !

 70% of pet owners who enter a shelter say the abuser has threatened, injured, or killed family pets, and as many as 48% of domestic violence victims stay in abusive situations out of concern for their pets.

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URI PALS Project - People and Animals Living Safely - launched in June 2013, gave families at Urban Resource Institute (URI), NYC's largest emergency shelter, a safe, private retreat to heal with their cats and other small animals.

Among the 50 domestic violence shelters in NYC, URI is the only one to accommodate pets in residence.

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To learn more about URIPALS and for tips on keeping your family safe in domestic violence situations, visit www.urinyc.org.

Every Dog Deserves An Education !

On behalf of the Rusk County 4-H Dog Project,

Jennie Kottke will again be offering a 10 week Dog Obedience Class

Orientation Meeting : 

May 22nd, 2014 

no dogs needed, register and find out about the classes

7PM at the Memorial Park gazebo in Ladysmith

First Class :

May 29th, 2014

7PM at the Mount Scenario ballfields parking lot - acrosss street from Wal-Mart 

Equipment Needed:

*8 foot leather or cloth (no rope or chain) leash

* proof of rabies vaccination

* chain training collar - measure snug but not tight around your dog's neck and add 2 inches...you can

show at the fair using a flat nylon or leather collar, but I strongly recommend a training collar for 

classes

Cost :

$45 per dog/trainer team, with a cap of $75 per family

4-H youth will receive a $5 discount 

A portion of the fees will be donated to the Rusk County Animal 

Shelter with the remaining funds used to cover project expenses at the fair

For more information please contact Jennie at:  715- 532- 0204 or jennielaatsch@hotmail.com

Dangerous Garden Mulch

 Even if you don't have a pet, please pass this to those who do.
Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. The dogs loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Halfway through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's web site,

This product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that "It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it."

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Snopes site gives the following information:http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp .asp>

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other garden supply stores contains a lethal ingredient called 'Theobromine'. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks.

Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

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**PLEASE PASS THIS ON** Please note, while I have looked into this and believe it to be accurate, I can not take credit for the writing of this post or it's contents. This information was copied from a FB post. Thanks! 

Dogs Detect Cancer

Studies have shown that dogs can successfully detect cancer in the early stages 

 with 88% specificity, and 99% sensitivity. Dogs could  provide an accurate, low-cost, non-invasive,  screening for cancer.  This awesome website features an organization that is dedicated to  training dogs to detect cancer in humans. Check it out to get the facts and be inspired by their amazing stories !

http://www.dogsdetectcancer.org/

The Triangle ring Pattern for a dog Show

Hello everyone. One of the more popular posts on my blog has been 

about dog show ring patterns. If you go to this YOU Tube video page, you will

see she also has the "L" pattern and a "down and back" video demos....The L is rarely used, but 

is great practice for getting you and your dog's teamwork as fluid as possible. There is some debate as

to if the dog should be switched to the handler's RIGHT side to always keep it presented to the judge

(the famous never get between your dog and the judge rule ), but unless you are preparing for 

advanced Jr Showmanship competition, in my opinion this is not something to stumble over. This

would also apply to doing a "T" pattern....Hope this is useful information for everyone ! See you in 

the ring ! :)

Teach show dogs the triangle pattern, which is used in dog competitions, in this free video. Expert: Gretchen Brown Contact: www.commanddogtraining.com  00:01:48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWtrqs70wwI