December Newsletter

Officers Board Members

President – Don Watson Anne Crum

Vice President – Randall McCurry Mike Shelton

Treasurer – Rhea Spence Jan Moore

Secretary – Jerri Dandelske Merry Carol Houchard

AKC Delegate – Mike Houchard Renae Watson

Our Christmas Party is DECEMBER 13, 2010 at BANKOCK GRILL, 5135 Highway 278, Covington, GA 30014, 770/784-7747 at 6:30.

If everyone coming to the Christmas party could bring a bag of dog or cat food Jackie said the food bank would be very appreciative.

-President Don Watson opened the meeting at 7:40pm by welcoming members. He asked for any corrections or additions to the minutes as published in the newsletter. Merry Carol Houchard commented that the entry for the Essay Contest was not the largest. Correction noted and with no further corrections or additions a motion to accept the minutes as published was made by Mike Houchard and seconded by Audrey Lycan.

-Treasurer Rhea Spence distributed copies of the Treasurers report for member review. There were no questions at this time. Don reported that he had not been to the PO Box so did not have the most recent statement for the investment account.

-We are almost out of the CKC mugs and the new price for these is $3.00 with a minimum order of 500. Motion made by Linda Jackson, seconded by Rhea Spence. The order will be placed.

-Don reported that Newton County had their meeting concerning the new fee schedule. There were 30-40 people present for the meeting. The Chairman had spoken with other municipalities that had enacted similar licensing fee structures. The matter will be discussed at an upcoming workshop and then put out for public vote. Don requested to be an active part of the upcoming discussion as we are very active in the community and do a lot for the county canines. He also advised them that we as a club are very opposed to the fee structure and there are other ways to help the over population and rabies problem. He let them know that we would like the opportunity to help with the solution. This is an issue that we need to keep an eye on and participate in being part of all discussions. The workshop will be held after the first of next year and Don will be kept informed. Nancy Donahue is now on the mailing list and will advise us on any meetings and the meeting agenda.

-Monday, November 15^th at 7:30 there will be a Cluster Meeting to discuss the addition of the forth club to the Cluster.

-The Cluster agreement was discussed and the necessary changes will be suggested. There was discussion on the subject of the Judge Selection committee. There is supposed to be three members from each club. At this time CKC has two members on the committee. Audrey Lycan volunteered to be the third person but Don said that due to past issues the cluster had agreed to not have any member judges on the committee.

-Linda Jackson reported that most of the members have responded with menu choices for the Christmas Party. At this time it appears that most members are attending.

-Linda also reported that the handling class made $300 this session which covered most expenses. The spring session will start the Tuesday before the Perry show. Rhea will work on reserving the Pavilion.

-Steve Donahue discussed the Field Trial Demonstration that we discussed earlier this year to take place this fall. With the RDOD and show there was not a good time to schedule this. Steve will discuss the possible dates and costs with the facility in Jersey to see if we can do it this spring. In the future we may try to do both pointing and retrieving work also.

-Mike Houchard reported that over the weekend Dr. Carmen Battaglia had decided to run for the AKC Board and the petition has gone out to include him. Mike asked for the clubs feedback on supporting him. Nancy Donahue made a motion, seconded by Linda Jackson to have Mike sign the petition to support Dr. Battaglia.

-Anne Crum reported that the nominating committee findings will be in the next newsletter.

-Nancy Donahue asked about the possibility of the club doing Obedience training as there seems to be a need for it and there are not many options in the area. Jan Moore will look into holding beginning obedience classes.

-Don reported that he has asked Commissioner Nancy Sholts to come speak to us in the beginning of next year.

Jackie Dilworth reported that Great Dane Bridlewood’s Dream Machine, handled by co-owner Dawn O’Cain, was WD/BOW in Atlanta last month. Litter sister Bridlewood’s Divine Design, handled by co-owner Melissa Bennett, was WB and also scored her third major the next day. Diesel and Diva repeated the brother/sister wins in Marietta, allowing Diva to become Chimo’s 22^nd Champion offspring.

Hero’s younger brother, CH Thorncrest Cash In Your Assets CD, RE, owned and shown by Gabrielle Kostiuk, plays the role of Charlemagne in the Lucy Liu movie on the Lifetime Channel next month.

Linda Jackson reported that her friend and breeder, Jay Hafford’s CH Thon’s Mowgli took back to back BOB at the National Specialty.

Wayne Dandelske reported that CH Riverrun Maine Raider took Select Dog in Atlanta for a major and two more majors in Marietta.

We as a club want to send our deepest sympathy to Jackie Dilworth in the loss of her special friend and companion AM/CAN CH Thorncrest Image Of A Hero.

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LISA GONZALEZ HIRED AS VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

New York, NY - The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) announces the appointment of Lisa Gonzalez to the newly-created position of Vice President of Marketing and Communications effective Oct. 27, 2010. In this role, Gonzalez will provide marketing leadership for the AKC to ensure the long term sustainability of the AKC brand tradition as well as its future relevance. Her main focus will be growing AKC Registrations and Canine Partners enrollments, in line with AKC's mission of promoting responsible dog ownership.

Gonzalez comes to the AKC with more than 20 years experience in brand marketing and sales in the healthcare industry. She most recently worked for GlaxoSmithKline, Inc. in Research Triangle Park, NC holding executive positions including Vice President of Respiratory Marketing, Vice President of Central Nervous System Marketing, and as a Vice President of Sales. She started her career in Brand Management in the Health and Personal Care Division of The Procter & Gamble Company. Gonzalez holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and a BS in Marketing from the University of New Orleans.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two Coton de Tulear, Cady and Nola, at her home in Chapel Hill, NC. When not playing with Cady and Nola, she enjoys cooking for friends, decorating, and reading mystery novels.

"We are pleased to welcome Lisa to the American Kennel Club in this new position," said AKC Chief Operating Officer John Lyons. "Her extensive background in marketing and promoting existing brands will benefit the AKC and our overall business goals geared towards all dog lovers."

To become a fan of the AKC on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/americankennelclub. To follow the AKC on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/akcdoglovers.

Podcast About Veterinary Management of the Stud Dog with Dr. Lin Kauffman Released [Thursday, November 4, 2010]

The AKC Canine Health Foundation is pleased to release the next podcast in the Genome Barks series. This week on Genome Barks, we welcome Dr.. Lin Kauffman, a faculty clinician at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Kauffman discusses veterinary management of the stud dog, including initial physical examination, cryptorchidism, trauma and other things to watch for such as infectious disease.

A variety of conditions can affect the stud dog and his ability to produce viable sperm. It is important for a stud dog owner to understand the importance of cryptorchidism (retained testicle), testicular degeneration, testicular torsion and testicular trauma and what those conditions can do to their stud dog's breeding potential. Some of these conditions are temporary and some can have lasting outcomes. Azoospermia (a lack of sperm) can be noted during a routine breeding soundness examination and can be attributed to a variety of different causes. Once again there may be some causes that are temporary while other causes may be permanent. Motility and morphology of sperm can also be assessed during a breeding soundness examination. Veterinarians can help counsel stud dog owners about potential genetic disease and infectious (venereal) disease testing that is now available for their stud dogs. It is also important that stud dog owners be aware of the various ways that stud dogs can be utilized in assisted canine reproduction (ex: fresh chilled semen shipment, cryopreservation of semen).

Canine prostate disease is a class of diseases that stud dog owners need to be aware of. There are distinct clinical signs to watch for in their stud dogs and veterinarians have specific tests to determine the difference between benign prostatic hyperplasia, infectious prostatitis, prostatic abscess and prostatic neoplasia (cancer). Some of these diseases carry specific treatment plans and good outcomes, where others carry a more somber outcome..

Dr. Lin Kauffman received her bachelor of science in veterinary medical technology with minors in biology and chemistry from Wilson College located in Pennsylvania. She received her DVM from Iowa State University in 2003. She is a faculty clinician for the Primary Care service at ISU Veterinary Medical Center in addition to being involved in the theriogenology (reproduction) alternative training program at Iowa State University.

She is an active member of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Iowa Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA), Society for Theriogenology, American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), Iowa Veterinary Rapid Response Team (IVRRT) and the Phi Zeta Gamma, Veterinary Honor Society. She is a faculty advisor to the student-run AAHA chapter. She has core lectures to the freshman and junior ISU veterinary students over reproduction and has developed and instructs an after-hours canine dental wet laboratory elective for the senior ISU veterinary students.

The Genome Barks podcast series features lectures from the highly successful AKC and CHF Breeders Symposia and provides responsible breeders and pet owners an inside look at the work being done by the AKC Canine Health Foundation.

Podcast About Vaccination Protocols with Dr. Christy Petersen Released [Thursday, November 18, 2010]

The AKC Canine Health Foundation is pleased to release the next podcast in the Genome Barks series. This week, we welcome back Dr. Christy Petersen, a member of the faculty of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Petersen discusses the different types of vaccines available and what makes up these vaccines, as well as core vaccines and the best way to time the vaccination process.

Dr. Christy Petersen received her BA in Biology from Johns Hopkins University, DVM from Cornell University and PhD in immunology and infectious diseases from Harvard School of Public Health. Prior to starting her PhD, Dr. Petersen worked in small animal/exotic practice in Beverly, MA and continued to moonlight through her PhD studies. This work evolved into being the staff veterinarian for the Worcester Animal Rescue League in Worcester, MA.

Through AKC Canine Health Foundation funding, Dr. Petersen has developed highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tests to determine Leishmania and Brucella infection in dogs prior to seroconversion and is working on assays to determine the likelihood of a good immune response to these fatal infections of both dogs and humans. These new technologies may lead to vaccine candidates for chronic diseases including but not limited to canine leishmaniasis and brucellosis.

The Genome Barks podcast series features lectures from the highly successful AKC and CHF Breeders Symposia and provides responsible breeders and pet owners an inside look at the work being done by the AKC Canine Health Foundation.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

New podcasts are released every two weeks and can be accessed from the AKC Canine Health Foundation website at www.akcchf.org - click on "Podcasts." They are also available on Apple's iTunes® or directly at www.genomebarks.com.

Clubs are encouraged to add the Genome Barks Podcast link to their home pages. Contact the AKC Canine Health Foundation to obtain graphics and links.

Contact:
Erika Werne, MIM, CFRE
Director of Education & Communications
AKC Canine Health Foundation
919-334-4010
888-682-9696
www.akcchf.org

New York, NY – The American Kennel Club’s Chief Operating Officer John Lyons is pleased to introduce AKC‘s new Director of Agility Carrie DeYoung. Formerly the Senior Agility Field Representative, she was promoted on November 2 after 11 years in the department. In her new role she will enhance AKC’s Agility program as well as develop numerous new initiatives. Carrie will also continue to manage the AKC Agility Invitational in Long Beach, California as she has done for the past 4 years.

“Since my very first Agility run and later as an employee in the AKC Agility department, I’ve witnessed firsthand the dedication our exhibitors have for the sport,” said DeYoung. “I am excited to work both with and for our AKC Agility exhibitors to honor the time they put into training and exhibiting their dogs by developing new initiatives to move our Agility program forward. I look forward to seeing everyone at the upcoming AKC Agility Invitational, the National Agility Championship next year and events across the country, and I welcome comments and suggestions about how we can better serve our exhibitors.”

Andy Hartman will serve as consultant to the American Kennel Club Agility program during the transition stage to Carrie DeYoung. “I congratulate Carrie and wish her well as we work together to advance AKC Agility for the benefit of all our skilled exhibitors, their dogs and clubs,” said Andy.

DeYoung will continue to be the voice for AKC Agility on AKC’s Facebook page posting live results and commentary from the talented exhibitors throughout the AKC Agility Invitational on Dec. 4-5 in Long Beach, CA. We invite and encourage participants to join us on Facebook and Twitter sharing your amazing experiences from this fast-paced fun event.

DeYoung has had a life-long involvement with purebred dogs. She began as a 4-H Member with a Poodle, exhibited many different breeds as a Junior Handler and then started training and competing in Agility 20 years ago. In addition to Agility, she has also finished Conformation championships on her Belgian Tervurens and has trained and competed in Obedience and Herding. Since 2006, as Senior Agility Field Representative, DeYoung has been responsible for supervising judges as well as teaching and approving new judges for the AKC Agility program.

She is the Co-Chairman of the AKC Agility National Championship and the AKC Agility Invitational as well as a former AKC Agility and Junior Showmanship judge. In addition, she has successfully raised three guide dogs for Guide Dogs for the Blind and is a member of the American Belgian Tervuren Club, Belgian Tervuren Club of Southern California and the San Fernando Valley 4-H Club. She holds a BS Degree in Business Management from California State University, Northridge. DeYoung lives in California with her two Belgian Tervuren and an All-American dog.

From the Nominating Committee: Jan Moore Chair person, Jackie Dilworth, & Sue Shelton

Board Members: Anne Crum, Mike Shelton, Jan Moore, Susan Puckett, Steve Donahue

Conyers Kennel Club Newsletter

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