Conyers Kennel Club Newsletter
Officers Board Members
President – Don Watson Anne Crum
Vice President – Randall McCurry Mike Shelton
Treasurer – Rhea Spence Jan Moore
Secretary – Jerri Dandelske Susan Puckett
AKC Delegate – Mike Houchard Steve Donahue
CONYERS KENNEL CLUB JULY 2011 NEWSLETTER
Hello Everyone, our meeting will be next Monday, July 11, 2011 at our regular time, 6:30pm to eat and the meeting will start around 7:30pm at IHOP as usual.
Conyers Kennel Club
Minutes 6/13/2011 Meeting
President Don Watson, opened the meeting by welcoming members. Don asked if all members had received the minutes and for any corrections or additions. With no changes to be made, a motion to accept the minutes as published was made by Audrey Lycan and seconded by Sandra McCurry.
Treasurer Rhea Spence distributed copies of the budget for review and discussion.
Don reported that the premium revisions are complete and have been sent in.
Handling classes were discussed. Don asked Linda Jackson if she would be willing to extend the handling class by adding two additional classes. There has been several requests for additional classes. Jan Moore has agreed to do CGC Testing when requested at Handling Class. Doing two basic obedience classes with Handling Class was discussed. Gaylord Cleveland has agreed to help. Don also let everyone know that there are Agility classes at the Gwinnett Fairgrounds in Lawrenceville the week after Labor Day that will run for eight weeks.
Don advised that there will be a Cluster Meeting on July 12th at the Holiday Inn at 285 a & LaVista Road. The meeting will start at 7:00pm, 6:30 if you want to eat. Don will be leaving his house at 5:45 for anyone that wants to ride with him.
Nancy Donahue reported on the Newton County Council meeting that she attended. The Pet License proposal is still being discussed. Our club has offered to discuss partnering with Newton County to help with the rabies problem if that is truly the issue at hand. Many believe the issue is a way to increase revenue for the county. One councilman is against the proposal and is hoping the entire issue will be tabled. Nancy has agreed to be the CKC rep and will report to the club as necessary. There was also discussion about the pit bull attack on a 9 year old boy in Porterdale. This was not a dog at large problem but a family pet that for some unknown reason bit the child. Porterdale is talking about banning the breed from being allowed in the city limits. We as a club need to join this fight as once one breed is banned it can quickly mushroom into including other breeds. Mike Houchard will get information from the AKC. Gaylord will also get a presentation that he has of the history of the pit bull.
Mike Houchard reported that he was unable to make the June AKC Meeting.
Don is going to contact Erin Mayfield about setting the date for Responsible Dog Ownership Day. Merry Carol Houchard has volunteered to do the essay contest. Notice needs to be sent to the schools soon.
Don reported that he has spoken with the tax advisor and that the club should not have to make any major changes to the way we are currently doing taxes or paying judges due to the new tax laws. There was discussion about sending a W-4 form to all judges with the contract package so the information will be available if needed.
Don has also asked members to volunteer to form a Program Chairman/Committee.
With no further business to discuss a motion was made by Merry Carol to adjourn the meeting, motion seconded by Jan. Goodnight!
Recorded by Jerri Dandelske, Secretary
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
-- Grand Champions Win Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum -
New York, NY - To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the AKC Grand Champion title, we are pleased to present the new Grand Champion Achievement Levels of Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum to honor your dogs' accomplishments. Since the program's inception, more than 5,800 dogs have achieved the prestigious Grand Champion title and AKC clubs have received nearly 51,000 more Best of Breed entries as a result.
Many exhibitors have told us that they've enjoyed bringing their Champions out of retirement and would like to continue competing. Due to the excitement fanciers have expressed to us and the increased Conformation entries our clubs have received, we developed the Grand Champion Achievement Levels. Multiple achievement levels have worked well in other dog sports, with many Agility dogs earning numerous MACH titles, so we're happy to introduce something similar in the Conformation world.
Beginning May 11, 2011, concurrent with the implementation of the 2011-2012 AKC Point Schedule, AKC Grand Champions will now have the opportunity to become Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Grand Champions. To obtain the Bronze level Grand Championship, a dog must achieve 100 Grand Championship points. Silver will be 200 and Gold 400 points earned while our ultimate Platinum level will require 800 Grand Championship points.
Upon reaching each level, AKC will mail special recognition medallions and certificates to the owner of record. To keep up-to-date with the competition, a new Top 100 All-Breed Grand Champions list will be featured at
www.akc.org/grandchampionship/. In addition, the online GCH Breed Lists will be expanded from the top 25 to 100 dogs including Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum level designations. We hope exhibitors will enjoy and embrace the newest enhancements to the Grand Championship program.Grand Championship judging will not change with the introduction of the Achievement Levels. All Champions of Record entered in the Best of Breed/Variety competition will be eligible to compete for "GCh" points at all-breed, group and specialty shows at no additional entry fee. Points are awarded, at the judge's discretion, to the following placements: Best of Breed/Variety, Best of Opposite Sex, Select Dog and Select Bitch.
After dogs have completed the initial Grand Championship title, points will continue to accumulate and the dog will be recognized upon reaching 100, 200, 400 and 800 points.
We look forward to honoring our Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Grand Champions and celebrating your dog's achievements as you strive to make breed and AKC history. For more information, visit:
www.akc.org/grandchampionship or contact eventplans@akc.org.
Sincerely,
Ron Menaker
Chairman
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
-- AKC Introduces New Therapy Dog Title -
New York, NY - I am pleased to announce an exciting new title open to all AKC dogs. The AKC Therapy Dog title, or "THD," will launch June 27th as an official AKC suffix title and will reward dogs and their owners that have provided ongoing community service to help improve the well being of others.
Currently, it is estimated there are 50,000 certified and active therapy dogs in the United States. Volunteerism has exploded over the past decade, especially those with dog and owner teams working in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and at natural disasters.
As you know, the AKC annually recognizes an outstanding Therapy Dog as part of the annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). We receive so many great nominations that we know there are many more dogs out there that deserve recognition. We have also received many requests from the fancy to award titles to therapy dogs as a way to recognize the "great work their dogs do." Additionally, earning a THD title builds on the skills taught in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen programs, which create a sound and friendly temperament needed by a successful therapy dog.
The AKC will not certify therapy dogs. Instead, we're working with therapy dog certification organizations to recognize the work done by therapy teams. The certification organizations are the experts in this area and their efforts should be acknowledged and appreciated.
The title will be open to all AKC dogs that have completed a series of criteria. To qualify, dogs must be certified by a participating therapy dog certification organization and have performed a minimum of 50 community service visits.
To obtain a title an owner must complete an application along with evidence of documented visits. Application forms are available on the website at
www.akc.org/akctherapydog. The program will accept documentation going back to January 1, 2000.If your dog qualifies we encourage you to apply for the title. For more information visit
www.akc.org/akctherapydog or email akctherapydog@akc.org.Sincerely,
Ron Menaker
Chairman
AKC AWARDS GEORGIA CANINE COALITION WITH WALTER BEBOUT MEMORIAL AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP IN CANINE LEGISLATION
New York, NY- The American Kennel Club is proud to announce the Georgia Canine Coalition (GCC) as the first quarter 2011 winner of the Walter Bebout Memorial Award for Leadership in Canine Legislation.
Named for the late Director of the AKC Government Relations Department, the "Bebout" award recognizes those federations and owner/breeder organizations that have been actively involved in educating legislators about responsible dog ownership issues and have worked to preserve the rights of responsible owners and breeders. Winners of the Bebout award are announced quarterly and receive a $1,000 donation to help offset the costs associated with their legislative efforts.
"The Georgia Canine Coalition, led by Gail LaBerge, has done a wonderful job educating local lawmakers and serving as a voice for the state's dog owners," said Sheila Goffe, Director of AKC Government Relations. "We're thrilled to honor the Coalition in Walt's memory as they continue to perform the work he believed in so strongly."
The Georgia Canine Coalition is the AKC's state federation for the state of Georgia, representing approximately 25,000 Georgia dog owners. The Coalition is dedicated to advancing and protecting responsible dog ownership in Georgia through education, communication and legislation. The group is active on the local, state and national level and retains an attorney who serves as one of GCC's two registered state lobbyists.
Some of the Georgia Canine Coalition's accomplishments include:
* Opposing dog limit laws and unwarranted breeder restrictions.
* Helping pass a stronger state anti-dog fighting bill and a vicious dog law.
* Working for passage of a state animal cruelty law.
* Working with counties and cities to oppose breed-specific legislation and to create enforceable ordinances.
* Working with kennel clubs across the state to create educational programs for children and to promote responsible dog ownership.
* Working with the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association to oppose a fee on veterinary services as proposed in a Georgia State Assembly tax bill.
For more information about the award, visit
http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/awards.cfmFor an award nomination form, visit
http://www.akc.org/pdfs/canine_legislation/BeboutAwardNominationForm.pdf|
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Three New Breeds Join AKC
Family The American Kennel Club expanded its litter of registered breeds on June 1 to welcome the American English Coonhound to the Hound group, Finnish Lapphund to the Herding group, and Cesky Terrier to the Terrier group – growing AKC's family to 173 breeds. The #American English Coonhound is an avid hunter known for its tremendous speed and loud voice. Originally these hounds were used to hunt fox by day and raccoon by night in the American colonies. Today, they still need regular daily exercise to stay in shape. American English Coonhounds are sociable animals that get along well with people and other dogs. They are very trainable and eager to please. The first #Finnish Lapphunds were the helper dogs of the Sami – a tribe of semi-nomadic people in the northern region of Finland, Sweden, and part of Russia called Lapland. Because they were originally bred to live and work outside north of the Arctic Circle herding reindeer, Finnish Lapphunds have a thick double coat. They are intelligent, eager to learn, and are calm and friendly with people. Intelligent and full of energy, the #Cesky Terrier was bred to hunt vermin, fox, and badger, among others. They are active dogs that love to play, and require daily exercise. Cesky Terriers are loyal to their families, patient, gentle, and get along well with people of all ages, making them a wonderful family pet. Their coat requires daily grooming as puppies and brushing twice a week as adults. |
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Summer 2011
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Canine Genetics and Breeding Strategies: The Basics By Arliss Paddock Dogs have been the companions of humans for more than 12,000 years, and over this time humans have developed Canis familiaris into the most diverse animal species on the planet. From the Chihuahua to the Irish Wolfhound, dogs exhibit an amazing size range and a staggering variety in physical features such as ears, tail, head shape, skeletal structure, and coat type, as well as in behavioral characteristics. Worldwide there are now more than 350 distinct dog breeds suited to a wide array of functions, situations, climates, and terrain. #Read more. 
Mentorship Joanne Reed, of Windrift Keesonden, discusses the breeder's responsibility to the breed. When I was asked to write and article on one of my passions regarding breeding, I struggled! I wanted to write a great article that would hold your interest. There have been so many great and fabulous articles regarding breeding dogs, picking out studs, outcross breeding, inbreed breeding, to mention a few, that there are very few subjects left to cover. And to say that I can write a better article about any one of these subjects is preposterous. So, in the back of my mind, I was thinking about what is a good or great breeder responsible for? It's a very important question that hasn't been covered. Honesty is the most important quality; the breeding and selling of puppies, breeding healthy stock, information about which traits your stud dog or brood bitch might pass on. Mentoring is the next most important responsibility. #Read more.
# The Science of Breeding by Royal Canin Whelping Management Even for experienced breeders, whelping can be a very stressful experience, especially when dealing with a new mother-to-be. Concerns can escalate when the anticipated event seems to be late in starting or past due. The importance of knowing the time of ovulation, as closely as possible, is essential to have a predictable date for when whelping might occur. This is even more vital when planning cesarean sections for certain breeds. #Read more.
What's in a Name Can Hurt You Canine Legislation, and What You and AKC Can Do About It It’s hard to be a breeder or an AKC club member without hearing warnings – at least occasionally – about the vast amount of canine legislation introduced throughout the country each year. So far in 2011, the AKC Government Relations team (AKC GR) is tracking over 1,000 legislative proposals, and over one-third of them directly impact those who breed dogs. For hobby breeders, one of the most significant new trends – and threats – are bills that define all breeders as commercial enterprises. For many, the concept of being a “commercial” or “high-volume” breeder sounds so foreign that it’s hard to imagine such legislation could impact them. But the truth is, commercial breeder legislation can impact anyone who keeps intact dogs, and especially anyone who has ever bred – or may breed a dog. #Read more.
Responsible Owners, Well-Mannered Dogs AKC and Hartford team to help your pet clients do the right thing Every responsible breeder hopes that their puppies will be going to good homes where they are cared for, provided with basic training, and loved. Many first-time puppy owners want to be responsible, but they just don’t know where to start. Not all of the puppies you place in loving homes will go on to become conformation champions, but there are two AKC programs in which everyone can win. #Read more.
7 reasons to protect your dogs from ticks – and one easy way to do it Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are a serious threat for dogs. Ticks can transmit organisms that may cause diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and others. The good news is there's an easy, effective way to protect the dogs in your care from ticks. #Read more. #
Ronald N. Rella, Director, Breeder Services #AKCbreeder@akc.org or (212) 696-8303 To be removed from our mailing list: #Unsubscribe Here If you have changed your email address: #Change Address Here American Kennel Club | 8051 Arco Corporate Drive, Suite 100 | Raleigh, NC 27617 Customer Care Center (919) 233-9767 | #info@akc.org #© 2011 American Kennel Club
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Whelping can be stressful, even for experienced breeders. Knowing how
to accurately calculate the gestation period, the recognition of
whelping indicators and knowledge regarding the stages of whelping can
help raise the comfort level for even the most novice of breeders. Royal
Canin's article this issue on whelping management, by Melinda Fleming,
DVM, is sure to be informative to all breeders.
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Podcast on the Advantages of Purebred Dog Research Released
June 16, 2011
In this edition of Genome Barks, we welcome C.A. Sharp, President of the Australian Shepherd Health and Genetics Institute, an organization dedicated to sharing knowledge about the genetics of the breed. C.A. is also a prolific writer on canine health.
In this podcast C.A. discusses the reasons why purebred dogs are good research models; why purebred dogs are helpful to human medicine and to veterinary medicine for all dogs; and the need to participate in research by providing DNA samples.
Listen to the PodcastNew podcasts are released every two weeks. They are also available for direct download at Apple's itunes® or
www.genomebarks.com.For more information contact the AKC Canine Health Foundation at 1-888-682-9696 or
chf@akcchf.org.
Podcast on Familial Heart Disease
Released
June 30, 2011
In this edition of Genome Barks, we bring you an interview with Dr. Kathryn Meurs. Dr. Meurs recently relocated her laboratory to North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine where she is Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies as well as the director of the NCSU Veterinary Cardiac Genetics & Holter Laboratories.
A board certified cardiologist, Dr. Meurs has focused her research efforts on familial heart diseases. Dr. Meurs has been funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation for research on
subvalvular aortic stenosis in Newfoundlands, Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers; dilated cardiomyopathy in the Doberman Pincher and Great Dane; and ventricular arrhythmias in the Boxer. In this podcast, she discusses her research, the symptoms of the diseases and the available genetic tests. Listen to the PodcastNew podcasts are released every two weeks. They are also available for direct download at Apple's itunes® or
www.genomebarks.com.For more information contact the AKC Canine Health Foundation at 1-888-682-9696 or
chf@akcchf.org.BRAGS
Renae Watson reported that 8 month old Shih Tzu, Ruby, went WB on Saturday and Sunday in Southhaven, MS for one point each day!
Newsletter-Sandra McCurry
