® Today’s Breeder A Nestlé Purina Publication Dedicated to the Needs of Canine Enthusiasts Issue 78 BREEDER PROFILES Brillow German Wirehairs Alpine Falls AmStaffs Juniors Handle the Future GI Tract in Health & Disease International Canine Festival We are so proud of our pups out March in Glasgow, Ky. Lauren Weaver, of Dual Grand Champion Poindexters who owns Rocky, also got High Snoop Dawg and Grand Champion Scoring Black & Tan. The rest of the Shaker Hill Liz, owned by Jim Free- litter is doing well too. man of Beatrice, Neb. These 1-year- Jim and I are proud to be plat- olds, raised on Purina Puppy Chow, inum Pro Club members. Thank you, already are making their mark. Purina, for supporting our sport. Sugar Creek Rocky placed second Max Poindexter and took 10th overall at the ACHA Poindexter Black & Tan Coonhounds (American Coon Hunters Associa- Bonne Terre, MO tion) Little World Championship in Glenn and Sandy Meyer are shown with CH Kellykerry Peggy Sue of Aerie, who won Best of Breed in May at the Irish Wolfhound Club of America National Specialty. Breeder-judge Jacqueline Carswell is left. The Aerie and Kellykerry Irish Wolf- Aerie, trotted right along and was hound kennels had a great week at the awarded Best Puppy in Show. We are Irish Wolfhound National Specialty in the breeders, owners and handlers of May at Purina Farms. Our good friends, both hounds. Glenn and Sandy Meyer of Manheim, We and the Meyers have fed Purina Pa., took Best of Breed with CH Kelly- Dog Chow for over 30 years, are mem- kerry Peggy Sue of Aerie. They are bers of Purina Pro Club and participate the breeders, owners and handlers. in the Purina Parent Club Partner- We won Best of Winners and ship Program. Winners Dog with Riverlawn Exit of Thank you Purina! Aerie, who earned his AKC Champion Doug Marx & Amy Benjamin title that week. Keeping it in the family, Aerie Irish Wolfhounds “Exit’s” daughter, Hound Hill Vale of Landenberg, PA An Honored Beagler Pro Club member Ron Roth of Herculaneum, Mo., pictured at the Missouri State Champion- ship in March in Troy, Mo., holds a plaque signifying his induction into the National Brace We enjoy hearing from our Pro Club members about their dogs. Please send your Beagling Breeders Hall of Fame. Presented by the American Brace Beagling Association, letters and photos to: Today’s Breeder, c/o Editor, Nestlé Purina PetCare Com pany, the award is given to those who have bred a minimum of 15 brace Field Champions. Roth, 2T Checker board Square, St. Louis, MO 63164 or via e-mail at today’sbreeder@purina. who has finished more than 40 Top Spot brace Beagle Field Champions since 1956, says, com. Today’s Breederretains the right to edit and publish letters, including names “The joy of raising a puppy and training it to become a Field Champion never grows old.” and addresses, and photos, to a worldwide audience. Today’s Breeder Advisory Board Steve Crimmins, Vice President Michael Allway, Manager, Breeder-Enthusi- Pat Lamantia, Area Manager, Sporting Group, Diana Allen, Field Promotions Repre sen - Today’s Breeder articles may be reprinted of Marketing, Pet Foods ast Services, and Breeder, Pembroke and Breeder, German Wirehaired Pointers tative, and Breeder, American Eskimo Dogs provided the following guidelines are used: Welsh Corgis, Akitas, Pointers and Tibetan That the article be used in its entirety. If Candy Caciolo, Portfolio Director, Spe- Terriers Dean Reinke, Area Manager, Sporting Group, Peggy Schilling, Field Promotions Repre- the entire article is not desired, submit in cialty, Breeder & Pet Acquisition and Breeder, English Springer Spaniels sentative, and Breeder, Great Danes writing what you plan to use; that it be Brock Fitzgerald, Director, Purina Farms used in a positive manner; that credit be Connie Wagner, Senior Manager, Confor- Today’s Breeder is produced and published Ann Viklund, Director, Breeder-Enthusiast, and the Purina Event Center given to Today’s Breeder as the article’s mation, and Breeder, Dalmatians by Nestlé Purina Public Relations. Conformation, Sporting and Breeder Mar ket - source. The credit should be as follows: Kaite Flamm, Manager, Purina Event Center ing, and Breeder, Labrador Retrievers and Used with permission from Today’s Norwich Terriers Robert Ekle, Area Manager, Plains, and Keith Schopp, Vice President, Public Relations Deborah Greco, D.V.M., DACVIM, Breeder, Dalmatians Breeder, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company. Gianna DeiSanti, Senior Brand Manager, Senior Research Scientist, and Breeder, Barbara Fawver, Manager, Pet Influential Breeder-Enthusiast Group Standard Poodles Carol Grossman, Area Manager, West, Communications, Editor, Today’s Breeder and Breeder, Great Danes, Rottweilers Magazine, and Breeder, Brace Beagles Lisa Hoffman, Communications Manager, Bob West, Director, Sporting, and Dachshunds Breeder-Enthusiast Group Breeder-Enthusiast Group Adam Williams, Senior Communications Ann Balotti, Area Manager, Midwest Specialist, Pet Influential Communications Steve Remspecher, Director of Marketing, Rod L. Carter, Area Manager, Sporting Group, Sporting, Breeder-Enthusiast Group, and and Breeder, Beagles, Boston Terriers and Marci Sale, Area Manager, East, and Sarah Meyer and Angela He, Contributing Breeder, German Shorthaired Pointers Yorkshire Terriers Breeder, Labrador Retrievers Writers, Today’s Breeder Magazine 2 ISSUE 78 ® PURINAToday’s Breeder A Nestlé Purina Publication Dedicated to the Needs of Canine Enthusiasts Issue 78 If you have moved or changed your name, please let us know by calling 1-877-776- PARTNERSHIP IN PARADISE 2582 or write us at: Purina Pro Club, 1400 4 South Highway Drive, Fenton MO 63099. Professional trainer Jim West of Wild West Kennels ANY QUESTIONS? and Rhonda Haukoos of Brillow German Wire- When you have questions about Purina haired Pointers met at a field trial. He started Pro Club rebates or Starter Kits, please call 1-877-776-2582 between 7 a.m. and training some of her dogs, and eventually they 5 p.m. CST Monday through Friday (hol- started dating. Today, on 300 acres in bird-dog idays excluded). paradise in southwestern Iowa, the couple works Today’s Breeder is not responsible for un- solicited submissions, manuscripts, pho- together training dogs for horseback field trials. tographs, and other submitted material. Submissions will not be returned. Sub mis - sion constitutes permission for Today’s 12 HANDLING THE FUTURE Breeder, at its sole discretion, to use the Shaped by their experiences, junior handlers gain submitted materials, in whole or in part, without compensation. For reasons of far more than practical knowledge and skills to space and editorial content, Today’s succeed at dog shows and field trials. Driven by Breeder reserves the right to delete or alter any solicited or unsolicited information, or their love for dogs and guided by mentors, they part of, that is submitted or received for con- learn lifelong lessons that build self-confidence, sideration for inclusion in this publication. teach good sportsmanship and promote time- Today’s Breeder is sent as a courtesy to mem- management skills. bers of the Purina Pro Club. Extra copies are available for $2.95 each. Make your check or money order payable to Today’s THE GUT’S ROLE IN DISEASE Breeder and send to: Today’s Breeder, c/o 20 Editor, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, 2T The key role the gastrointestinal tract plays in Checkerboard Square, St. Louis, MO 63164. health and disease was the focus of the recent Trademarks owned by Société des Produits Nestlé Purina Companion Animal Nutrition (CAN) Nestlé S.A.,Vevey, Switzerland. Summit. Long-held beliefs about the mechanics © 2012 Nestlé Purina PetCare Company of disease processes are changing as scientists learn more about how the GI tract functions as a physical barrier against the outside world. 22 12 22 THE FIRE OF ALPINE FALLS Having finished 16 Champions since breeding their first litter together in 2005, Alpine Falls AmStaff breeders Ed and Karen Thomason are fueled by a desire to produce top-winning dogs. Their BIS/BISS GCH Alpine’s Highway, the No. 1 AmStaff since 2010, is a fiery blend who thrives on intense competition and the exuberance of winning. Regular Departments 2 The Readers’ Page 32 News to Use 10 Spotlight 34 Breed Snapshot 28 From the Field 36 Circle of Champions 30 Purina Farms On Our Cover FC Brillows Big Wild Western (“Wiley”) is a 2-year-old male German Wirehaired Pointer bred by Rhonda Haukoos and handled by Jim West, both of Randolph, Iowa, and owned by Todd Tuls of Shelby, Neb. Cover photo by Adam Williams. See story on page 4. TODAY’S BREEDER 3 BREEDER PROFILE S TORY AND P HOTOS B Y A DAM W ILLIAMS hile the sun casts fresh shadows across morning in southwestern Iowa, professional bird dog trainer and handler Jim West of Wild West Kennels stops his pickup next to an alfalfa field and sizable pond. Jim takes a last sip of coffee before setting his mug atop the dash, and then steps out to release dogs. He and Rhonda Haukoos of Brillow German Wirehaired Pointers only had to drive from across the gravel road, where they make their home near Randolph, Iowa, during the spring and fall months. Jim and Rhonda live on 300 acres that offer plentiful bird dog training opportunities with fence rows, creeks, tree lines and crops. Their land is farmed by cordial neighbors, freeing Jim and Rhonda to focus on training bird dogs for field trials. FC Brillows Big Wild Western (“Wiley”), a German Wire- So, why did the trainers cross the haired Pointer road? The answer is as simple as the well-trod query about the road-cross- ing chicken: to get to the other side of bird-dogging paradise. Rhonda and Jim’s neighbors allow them access to thousands more acres for unimpeded dog work.