Posts by Laura Reeves
347 — Tracy Szaras: “Pretty Good, but it’s Not Perfect Yet”
Tracy Szaras: “It Looks Pretty Good, but it’s Not Perfect Yet”
Professional handler Tracy Szaras, whose Hungarian heritage leads her mother to describe her as a “real Gypsy,” says the pursuit of perfect is her secret to success.
Szaras showed her first dogs in grade school, because her mom showed dogs. Her mom was a great trainer, Szaras said, who helped her process questions. Mom taught her proper conditioning and basic animal husbandry.
Szaras’ first breed is Lakeland Terriers, so her mom took her to Montgomery County Kennel Club for the first time almost 30 years ago.
Montgomery County started it all
“I saw all these dogs looking awesome, everybody dressed to the nines. I really got into it that weekend. That next year I went to work for Greg Strong. I thought I knew how to pull hair until I went there. He showed me how to do flatwork, to do it correctly. I became driven. Greg taught me more, about trimming, skittish dogs, etc. I learned a lot in a short time.
“Then I went to Bergit Coady and learned about low-legged terriers. On my days off I went to Gabriel Rangel‘s kennel to learn more.
“I was a sponge. I didn’t even date. All I wanted to do was learn and know everything about terriers.
“I learned detail work from Gabriel. Learned by watching. I learned to trim, especially heads, from Gabriel.
“I thought I was going out on my own. Next came Maripi Wooldridge. When she was considering quitting, she wanted me to take over her clients.
“I was amazed. I thought I’d learned all I could. There’s always something to learn. Now, I’m always looking. It looks pretty good, but it’s not perfect yet. I want to be the best. I don’t want to shortcut anything, thanks to Maripi.
346 – Safely Incorporating Our Dogs in Holiday Festivities
Safely Incorporating Our Dogs in Holiday Festivities
Dr. Marty Greer, DVM and Host Laura Reeves riff on safely incorporating our pets in the holiday festivities, from electricity to plants to food to weather.
Greer’s recommendations include:
- Electric cord safety – wrap thin cords with metal safety coil
- Jingle bells on low branches for warning that the dog is in trouble
- Unwrapped candy canes that aren’t dangerous on low branches
- Keep the canned spinach on hand
- Secure tree to ceiling or wall
- Crate the dog during dinner with a stuffed kong or chew bone to entertain them.
- Beware of alcohol consumption. Guests don’t always take the dog into consideration when setting down a glass.
- Make your dog part of the meal with snacks of raw carrots, small bits of meat instead of fats
- Save broth cooked with bones, carrots, celery for food dressing
- No more than 10% of meal should be additive. Commercial kibble is precisely formatted to meet the dogs needs. Substantially altering the contents of the meal can cause problems.
- Mistletoe and Easter Lilly and Yew plants are highly toxic. Poinsettia actually isn’t. Macadamia nuts and raisins are food items less known to be toxic.
- Boots are good for dogs in extreme cold or wet snow. Greer recommends the musher boots used in the Iditarod.
- Pet safe deicer and antifreeze — both products are excellent. If dogs walk on salt or deicer that isn’t suited to pets, rinse their feet thoroughly as soon as you can.
- Dressing up our dogs entertains us, but not all dogs find it funny. Let your pet make the choice on outfits.
- Slushy snow is bad as it can freeze in the feet and undercarriage.
For more information about preventing and dealing with potential intestinal blockages, listen here.
345 – Ideas to Grow Our Sport: Amateur CH, Critiques, Welcome
Ideas to Grow Our Sport: Amateur Champion, Critiques, Welcome
Join a conversation between judges and exhibitors brainstorming ideas to grow the sport of purebred dogs. Lesley Hiltz, Karen Ericson and Sid Marx join moderator Laura Reeves along with exhibitors at the Whidbey Island Kennel Club.
This is part two of the Pure Dog Talk Saturday Symposium posted last week. The Q&A discussion examined various perspectives on ideas to help increase conformation numbers and enthusiasm.
Building on a suggestion from Marx in part one, audience questions focused on the idea of creating an actual amateur championship, akin to the same title in field trials, for the sport of conformation.
“I’ve always thought there should be an amateur division and an open division everyone can enter,” Ericson said, similar to horse shows.
“In Australia, every kennel club is only allowed one Championship show a year and are required to hold an open show, where no points are awarded,” Hiltz added.
Marx spoke to the idea of a “breed level show” judged by provisional judges and “group shows” judged by regular status judges. Provisional judges can learn at the “breed level” where they can take more time.
Critiques redux
A common theme in our exhibitor conversations is the ongoing desire for critiques.
Our judge panelists, who judge internationally, spoke to the practice in other systems.
Hiltz noted that in Denmark, for example, judges receive extensive training in the skills required to offer useful critiques. She also noted that technology is such that the judges words are uploaded almost instantaneously.
One exhibitor comment referenced the common practice in livestock/4-H judging whereby judges give reasons for each placement
“We give critiques to the rep after we judge when we have provisional breeds. If we can do that, we should be able to give them for exhibitors as well,” Marx observed.
Ericson noted that all judges have a learning curve. “It’s easy to pick out faults. There’s a real training process to pick out virtues and achieve positive judging.”
On those same lines, Marx made a point about the process that judges go through and that while adult learners do best when they use their knowledge right away, the process in place functionally means judges receive provisional approval and it might be a year before they have a chance to judge.
Ericson reminded the participants that dog shows can be intimidating for new folks. “We just have to be a lot more welcoming.”
344 – Inspiring True Story: From First Show to Best in Show
Inspiring True Story: From First Show to Best in Show
Antoinelle Vulpis and “Archer” winning BIS Sunday at The Kennel Club of Philadelphia.
Antoinelle Vulpis chose a Skye Terrier as her first show dog. Two years after their first show, Vulpis and Archer won Best in Show at The Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s National Dog Show.
Vulpis offers another inspiring “newbie” story as she shares her journey, the importance of her breeders/mentors and the support of the dog show community.
“I grew up like any kid watching Westminster on TV. We had Golden Retrievers as family dogs, but I always kind of wanted something a little different. I was a total dog geek,” Vulpis said.
After college, Vulpis got a job at AKC that required her to attend dog shows.
“I decided I wanted to try this myself. Then I saw Larry Cornelius and Charlie the Skye Terrier. THAT was the dog for me,” Vulpis said.
Parent Clubs and Handlers
Vulpis made contact with Michael Pesare through the Skye Terrier Club of America. She then waited a year for the right dog from the right litter.
Her puppy arrived exactly two years before her first best in show.
“My mentors drove three hours one way without a dog entered just to cheer me on at my first dog show,” Vulpis said. Her breeders helped her learn how to groom the rare breed and supported her at every step, she added.
“My handler friends are so willing to help me and share. They’re the people who inspire me. I try to learn from them,” Vulpis said. “Asking someone more experienced than you will really pay off.”
Vulpis counts professional handlers from Greg Strong to Ernesto Lara in her list of people who have helped her along the way.
Listen to the input
“I asked all kinds of people for advice,” Vulpis said.
Vulpis’ favorite grooming product is #1 All Systems Invisible Hold “It’s the holy grail for keeping the part to stay in place.”
“I don’t brush him every day because it takes hair out. Only once or twice a week to keep mats under control. I keep him clean, and bathe him weekly,” Vulpis noted.
“Now that I’m realizing I can make a difference in how he’s presented and how he looks. I get to the dog show early and spend time bathing his under-carriage and blow dry him. The extra time and care really has paid off,” Vulpis said.
For more stories from new people to the sport, listen here and here.
343 — Saturday Symposium – Preservation Breeding With Experts
Saturday Symposium – Preservation Breeding With Experts
Host and Moderator Laura Reeves is joined by breeders/judges Lesley Hiltz, Sid Marx and Karen Ericson at the Whidbey Island Kennel Club with a robust conversation about preservation breeding. This is part one. Part two, including audience participation, conversation and more idea generation will be posted next Monday.
Preservation of our breeds to save their place in history
Lesley Hiltz
“When you judge in Europe,” Hiltz noted, “the average exhibitor age is mid 30s. There are lots of families, often three generations together. It’s a family sport. But they also only have one show a month. If we had fewer shows we could see more support for the ones remaining.”
Marx observed that too often exhibitors haven’t even read the standard for their breed.
“People become captive to what’s winning. Breeding to what’s winning rather than what’s correct. We want to get as many new young exhibitors involved in the sport as we can. But they need to make an effort to find mentors and learn the history of their breed,” Marx said.
Sid Marx
Ericson encouraged folks to “Get our dogs out among the public.” Clubs need to do things besides dog shows, she added.
“To get a dog from a breeder, you might as well apply to be a CEO of a fortune 500 company,” Erickson said. “Trust people with your best, not your worst. Tell them you are trusting them with a piece of my heart and legacy.”
“Dog shows in Australia are less stressful and more fun,” Marx said. “Certainly more wine is drunk. It’s a party at their shows. It’s an event.”
Proactive policies
Karen Ericson
Some ideas from the panelists:
- Encourage altered dog competition
- Encourage anyone who shows a spark to come to the dog show. Stop what you’re doing and share with public. Share excitement about the show.
- Bring back dog shows that stop at the breed level. Rankings are hurting us. The average person isn’t at the dog show to fight for Group 1.
- Follow Austalia’s lead: “class in group awards.” So if your 6-9 puppy wins his class, he competes in 6-9 competition in group. People stay for group, talk to other people in other breeds. Gives a whole lot of other people the chance to win something in group.
To hear previous discussions on this topic, click here and here
342 – History: To Understand the Present, Must Know the Past
History: To Understand the Present, Must Know the Past
Lesley Hiltz, long-time Beagle breeder and conformation judge, details a new history project launched by Beagle enthusiasts worldwide.
“The Beagle History Resource is a non-profit website with the aim to preserve the history of beagles and the community surrounding it for the future. All is maintained by volunteers and beagle enthusiasts, and we rely purely on donations to keep the service free for the public,” according to the website.
The driving forces behind this initiative are: Toke Larsen from Denmark, Hiltz from the USA, Jonathon Willis from New Zealand, and Alice Cancikova from the Czech Republic. Additional volunteers are needed, Hiltz noted. Email the committee to help in any way, she added.
Saved to the cloud
Hiltz praised Larsen for his technical skill and abilities to preserve history utilizing the “cloud” into perpetuity “or whatever comes next.” The website has the capacity to host photos, writings, and other documents.
Other breeds also have developed similar concepts, including:
https://whippet.breedarchive.com/home/index
Beagles at sea
Hiltz’ story of transporting two of her early Beagles from England to Australia via cargo ship is mesmerizing and puts all current import/export complaints in context. Actively involved in Beagles since the early ‘60s, in Australia, England, and the United States, Hiltz offers a wide-ranging and compelling narrative of her personal history in the breed.
Preserving her breed and its history is the driving force for Hiltz in working on the development of this online resource. But she envisions it as an opportunity to develop a worldwide, all-breeds repository.
“I can envision a kennel club taking up this project and having a central location for all of the information that’s out there,” Hiltz said. “To understand the present, we must know the past.”
341 – How One “Dog Person” is Revolutionizing Flying Our Dogs
How One “Dog Person” is Revolutionizing Flying Our Dogs
Pilar Kuhn is revolutionizing flying purebred dogs. Kuhn and her husband Rod Ott are breeders of Scottish Terriers and Bouvier des Flandres. They also run a shipping company transporting dogs for breeders and exhibitors world-wide.
In her work, Kuhn has established strong relationships with the major US carriers. When she identified a problem, specifically crate sizing and helping her clients meet the needs of the airlines, she just naturally decided to devise a solution.
“After six months working with the airlines, I said, ‘how can we solve this!’,” Kuhn said.
K9 PreCheck
Kuhn’s solution was enabled by understanding both sides of the equation:
- exhibitors and breeders’ needs to get their dog from point A to point B without any hassle or concern about the dog being in the proper crate for the airline’s requirements, and
- airlines’ needs to provide safe, reliable transport for the dogs in their care.
Kuhn’s new domestic service means your dog will fly in cargo with zero complications. A nominal membership fee with K9PreCheck, means your dog is “in the system” and is guaranteed to fly. Kuhn also has negotiated lower rates with the airlines and can often save owners money on the flight.
The basis of the service is that exhibitors and breeders need (not just want) their dogs to get to point A at a certain time and get home again. Clients provide Kuhn with photos of the dog, crate, buckets, etc, as well as proof of entry or other timeline. K9 PreCheck assures the airlines the dogs and owners are “following the rules” and removing the “discretion of the agent” worries aside.
Kuhn’s service is not for exhibitors flying *with* their dogs as “excess baggage.” It is specifically for clients flying dogs as “cargo.”
Contact Kuhn at her pet shipping website, www.casafairviewk9s.com or call 310-742-2242 for more information.
340 – The Uber Dog Needs a Job: German Wirehaired Pointer
The Uber Dog Needs a Job: German Wirehaired Pointer
The German Wirehaired Pointer is generally the smartest dog in the room, according to panelists at the GWPCA national specialty show.
“They’d rather break in to your house than out of your house. They want to be with you. They want lots of attention and want to be part of the family. I want to sell a dog to someone who is active, does a lot, tries new things. You need to do something with the dog.” — Breeder and Judges Education Coordinator, Judy Cheshire
Robin Nelson
“They do require a tremendous amount of time. You have to be with them. You cannot not have a plan regarding all the events you do with them and commit to that from day one. I can’t even imagine not crate training a wirehair. I love how they learn, I love how they think. They’re people in their previous lives.” — Veterinarian and GWP owner, Robin Nelson
“Owners with small, furry, edible pets are screened out from the beginning. They’re incredibly smart loyal and manipulative. To successfully live with GWP, you need structure. Left without structure they are sort of like Dennis the Menace crossed with Home Alone. It’s not enough to just exercise the dog. They enjoy doing things. But they tend to thrive in a benevolent dictatorship.” — Breeder, Conformation, Hunt Test and Field Trial Judge, Laura Myles
Versatile hunting dogs, versatile performance dogs
“The Germans in the late 1800s wanted a dog that could do everything. Hunt fur and feather, retrieve on land and in water, track wounded game, dispatch small predators, guard hearth and home,” Cheshire said.
“A lot of breeds were being developed at that time. This splinter group broke off who decided performance was most important. The early GWP motto was ‘Breed as you like, be honest, tell what you’re breeding to, make progress,’” Cheshire added.
“They don’t quit. They go til they’re dead. I love their drive. I truly believe you can teach them anything,” Nelson observed.
“If you can break it into the steps, there is nothing you can’t teach them. They get bored easily and they rewrite the lesson plan for you. The dog needs to buy in to the lesson plan with you. You have to be prepared. And always stop on a positive,” Myles noted.
For more information, visit: https://gwpca.com/
339 – Crowd Sourcing Knowledge of Devastating Disease
Crowd Sourcing Knowledge of Devastating Disease
Barb Jenness, chair of the Newfoundland Club of America Forelimb Anomaly Committee, joins host Laura Reeves to talk about the crowd sourcing their group is doing to identify and research this little-known but crippling disease.
A 1981 case study conducted in Norway first described the condition:
ABSTRACT
A description of a litter of Newfoundland dogs of which six out of seven puppies suffered from, more or less, deformation of the elbow joints, is presented. The two male dogs were, because of the condition, destroyed at 20 weeks of age. The patho-anatomical examination revealed abnormalities of the joint cartilage of all the major joints of the extremities. The condition is described as a generalized fibroid, proliferative degeneration of the joint cartilage.
Photo courtesy of NCA Charitable Trust, Forelimb Anomaly Committee.
Jenness said puppies affected with FLA “their front legs bow out. It’s not dwarfism, but that’s what it looks like. Dwarfism affects all the legs, this is just the front legs.”
According to the FLA website: “We believe it is not viral, bacterial, caused by rapid growth, or a specific diet. Most researchers believe it is genetic but the exact mode of inheritance is unknown.”
The defect is often not recognized until eight to 12 weeks of age and the puppies may be in their new homes before anyone determines there is a problem, Jenness said.
Not Just Newfoundlands
A current study, and working with OFA, has enabled the Committee to identify other affected breeds, including Tibetan Mastiffs, Saint Bernards, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. Jenness noted that all of the breeds with affected puppies have some relation to the Newfoundland.
Jenness’ committee was established to create a clearinghouse of xrays and information because the disease is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Her other primary goal is to “get the word out” to owners and club members so that if a puppy is affected, it’s xrays, DNA and case history can be added to the committee’s crowdsourcing approach to gathering data.
“Nobody wants to come face to face with such a crippling disease,” Jenness said, addressing the challenges of working with breeders on the problem. “Overcoming stigma is a challenge.”
Jenness said a test breeding was done in the ‘80s, before the availability of DNA and genetic testing available today. The test breeding mated two affected dogs, which produced zero affected progeny.
From that test, Jenness said, “We have determined it is not a simple recessive. At this point we believe it is a polygenic trait with a trigger that turns it on or off, although this still unconfirmed.”
“It’s hard to get studies funded that are focused on just one breed,” Jenness said. “As we’ve identified other breeds affected, we have ongoing studies and promising information is coming out. But we need more samples, more x-rays, more confirmed cases to be reported so we can add to the information.”
Anyone with questions or concerns about their dogs, or who would like to participate in the studies, contact Jenness at forelimbanomaly@gmail.com
338 — Intestinal Blockages: Prevention, Treatment, Recovery
Intestinal Blockages: Prevention, Treatment, Recovery
Dr. Marty Greer DVM shares some horror stories of what and why dogs eat things they shouldn’t that cause intestinal blockages. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, Greer said.
Puppy Proof Your House
Puppies explore their environment with their mouths, Greer noted. “If it’s smaller than their head, they may swallow it,” she said.
Be careful with your pets’ access to anything they can eat, bottom line. The dog that eats things often will repeat the behavior. The owners need to learn from the dog’s mistakes and be sure their environment is safe.
Even a crated dog isn’t always out of danger — be sure not to put anything on or near the dog’s crate.
Retrievers at High Risk
Teaching young dogs to trade something inappropriate in their mouths for a treat is a helpful way to set the dog up for success and avoid dangerous blockages.
Induce Vomiting
We have all been told to use hydrogen peroxide to make the dog vomit if you see it eat something inappropriate. Greer strongly recommends, instead, a trip to the vet for a dose of Apomorphine. This is a safer alternative than the peroxide, which can have dangerous side effects.
Difficult Diagnosis
Even when you suspect the dog might have eaten something, the x-rays are not always successful at showing a blockage. Cloth and non-metal items won’t show up.
A lethargic dog that doesn’t eat and has repeated vomiting, can’t keep down food or even water, is one that is going to be suspect for a blockage.
Pregnancy Increases Danger
Pregnant bitches may have nausea that they will try to assuage by eating whatever they can get ahold of, Greer said. Hyper awareness with them is imperative.
Treatment
Intestinal blockage is a life-threatening situation. The dog will need emergency and often exploratory surgery. The recovery is extended and difficult. After surgery, the dogs are required to stay on IV fluids for 48-72 hours.