The Journal June 2011 a Publication Bringing News and Up- Dates to the Members

The Journal June 2011 A publication bringing news and up- dates to the members

CH/FDCh-S WOODS-N-WATER’S KEYSTONE CD, TD, TDI, CGC

―Stoney‖ in a Flyball tournament.

without written permission of the American Water Spaniel Field Association, Inc. board of directors. 2 The Journal June 2011 The Board of Directors President & Director: Secretary & Director: Treasurer & Director: Paul Morrison Ron MacDonald Gary McCullough 11450 Durand Road 1909 Main St. 2352 Palm Dale Drive Howell, MI 48855 Stevens Point, WI 54481 Wyoming, MI 49519 (517) 553-1663 (715) 344-0059 (616) 532-2965 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Committee Chairs Honor Awards Chair: Membership Chair: Newsletter Editor: Linda Ford Ron MacDonald Linda Ford 4919 Conejo Road 1909 Main St. 4919 Conejo Road Fallbrook, CA 92028 Stevens Point, WI 54481 Fallbrook, CA 92028 (760) 723-1706 (715) 344-0059 (760) 723-1706 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Puppy Paw Chair: Website: Sharon Dougherty Paul Morrison 2408 73rd Ct E 11450 Durand Road Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076 Howell, MI 48855 (651) 455-4830 (517) 553-1663 [email protected] [email protected] Publication Dates

The next Journal will be published in October. Final dates for any news to go into the Journal will be September 15. This is your newsletter so be sure to send brags, news, articles, pictures, etc. All items received are appreciated but are subject to review for appropriateness and space limitations. The editor must return to the author any letter containing obscenities or vilification by direct word or innuendo of any individual, committee, dog, or club.

Articles about breeding shall not mention living dogs or breeders in any way. Living dogs mentioned in casual articles may be referred to by call name. Cover Written by Jan Heck

CH/FDCh-S Woods-N-Water‘s Keystone, CD, TD, TDI, CGC ―Stoney‖ loved the game of Fly- ball, tracking and visiting nursing homes. He never missed a ball or a jump. He was my first AWS. He was the ―height‖ dog which means the jumps were set for his height of 13 inches. The dog before him had dropped the ball. Stoney was sent anyway even though the other team had finished.

3 The Journal June 2011

Inside this issue:

Message from the President………………………………... Page 4

Meet Jan Heck……..……………….…………………….. Page 7

North American Flyball Association…………..…………… Page 8

Brags ………..……………...…………………………….. Page 11

Meet Art & Evelyn Heun………….……………………… Page 12

First AWS to Receive AKC Retriever Title……..….……… Page 13

It‘s a First!...... …….……..………………………………... Page 14

―Mean Seeds‖ Threat to Sporting Dogs…….…………….. Page 16

Researcher Aims to Develop Atopic Dermatites Treatment… Page 18

Hunt Test—Northern Colorado……..……………………. Page 21

Puppies—Litter Box Training…..…………………………… Page 22

AKC Retriever Tests…..……………….…………………. Page 26

First Try at HRC…..…..……………….…………………. Page 28

Welcome New Members & News………….………………… Page 29

Meet Sandra Holmes & Greg Peter…………………………… Page 30

Mushroom Poisoning in Dogs……...………………………… Page 31

Honor Awards……………….……...………………………… Page 34

Gardening and Landscaping…………………………………. Page 36

Historical Information……………………………………….. Page 37

2011 Event Calendar…………………………………………….Page 38

Breeders………………………………………………………. Page 39

4 The Journal June 2011 President’s message – AKC Hunt Tests by Paul Morrison

Well, the saga of the AWS and hunt tests has taken a dramatic turn over the past year and a half. I believe (although I bet some will disagree with me) that it all started with a write-in campaign to the AKC by AWS owners fed up with having to ―jump through hoops‖ to get their AKC titles. Those letters and emails sent to Doug Ljungren, Assistant Vice-president Performance Events, at AKC asked for him to ―remove this impediment [the RCT] from all American Water Spaniels seeking to obtain the coveted AKC Spaniel Hunt Test titles.‖ Although it was reported by Doug that he had received more than 50 such requests he did not take action within the AKC and passed the buck, as the AKC always does, to the parent club, the AWS Club. Still, it was obvious that Doug recognized that there was a large segment of the AWS community that wanted a change and we saw a greater interest from the AKC with regard to the Retrieving Certification Test (also known as water certification within the AKC Spaniel Hunt Test rules) program or RCT.

Tom Meyer, AKC field representative and long-time spaniel enthusiast, attended an RCT event and began compiling information on what was happening with the program. In a meeting that I had with Tom he stated that the AKC had taken notice of the fact that the number of AWS participants in the AKC Spaniel Hunt Test program was not only rather low but they constantly saw the same people in the same general areas. It seemed as though he felt that it was obvious that this program was not working although he never came out stating that specifically. Unfortunately, both he and Doug also continued to stress that the change would have to come from the AWS Club as the AKC had no intention of overruling the parent club, even though we were talking about changing the AKC‘s own rules. Repeated emails, letters and phone calls to Doug and Tom failed to budge the AKC and by late in the summer of 2010 many of us had thrown up our hands and sworn off all future participation in AKC hunt tests. The only ray of hope came from people at the AKC and AWS Club that kept telling a few of us that there were conversations going on between the AKC and the AWS leadership. We were told to be patient. Since the AWS Club was not telling us anything official about such conversations we remained skeptical that anything good was happening.

Beginning in July of 2010 we saw glimmers of hope as the AWS Club announced that it had been approved to hold AKC Spaniel Hunt Tests. It was hoped that this move meant a real interest in the Spaniel Hunt Tests was now coming into place within the leadership of the AWS Club; a leadership that, unlike its predecessor, had never shown much interest in embracing the AKC program. Per- haps, we thought, this would mean a greater understanding of the difficulty the average AWS owner faced, because of the RCT, when trying to obtain AKC Spaniel Hunt Test titles. This hope arose de- spite the fact that within the same document announcing the club‘s approval to hold tests came a vi- cious berating of the RCT opponents by the club‘s president; a berating that was full of half-truths, tweaking of statistics and lopsided opinion; such is politics.

The AWS Club began to release some information regarding its discussions with Doug Ljun- gren about having the RCT requirements integrated into the Spaniel Hunt Tests whenever an AWS would run. From what I have been told by Doug and Tom, and a couple of AWS Club insiders willing to share information with me, there was some agreement reached on integration at the JH and SH levels but not at the MH level. Since agreement on all three levels could not be reached, that attempt was deemed a failure but since the AKC and AWS Club were talking the conversation apparently ex- panded into what else could be done and the idea of ―cross testing‖ was put on the table.

5 The Journal June 2011 Once the AKC Board approved the request of the Irish Water Spaniel Club of America to allow that breed to participate in both AKC Retriever and AKC Spaniel Hunt Tests, the AWS Club Board made a similar request of the AKC. In announcing this move, the president of the AWS Club stated, “…and as controversial an issue as this may be, it is worth mentioning here. The request for participation in AKC retriever tests is a separate issue from the polarizing is- sues of classification and the RCT. If the AKC approves the request, classification of the AWS will still remain as "spaniel" and the RCT program remains status quo. The ability to participate in retriever tests would be an additional venue.‖ Many of us were excited to read that the AWS Club Board had made this request of the AKC but dismayed, angry and disappointed at the stub- bornness of the club‘s leadership to not pursue healing within the club‘s ranks by getting rid of the RCT if the request made to the AKC was granted. At its February 11, 2011 meeting, the AKC Board approved the AWS‘s participation in AKC Retriever Hunt Tests starting on April 1, 2011. This spawned a great deal of outcry by many of us vocal RCT critics who called for a vote on the RCT issue; a vote that would determine whether or not the RCT would be removed or continue in place.

As seems to be typical of these things, those of us who cried out calling on the AWS Club Board to hold a vote faced ridicule, personal attacks, misleading statements and innuendo apparently directed at somehow undermining our credibility. Still, within little more than two weeks of the announcement that the AWS would soon be able to run in AKC Retriever Hunt Tests, the AWS Club Board sent out the following announcement: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT At the board meeting on February 27, 2011, the AWSC Board of Directors unanimously approved a vote by mail on whether the club should retain the Retrieving Certification Test requirement for earning AKC spaniel hunt test titles.

I don‘t believe that this vote took place because of our outcry. Quite the contrary, I think this vote was planned all along and I am happy that it was because of this announcement that came out on April, 4, 2011. Results of the Vote to Remove RCT Requirement Official results of the vote on whether or not to retain RCT requirement for AKC Spaniel Hunt Test titles: 177 ballots cast 131 votes to remove the RCT requirement (74%) 46 votes to retain the RCT requirement (26%) The next step in the process will be to inform the AKC of the results. The AWSC Board an- ticipates that the AKC will approve the removal of RCT. More details to follow as they become available.

But we have not yet been notified of just when the RCT will officially be gone and that has some people skeptical about the RCT actually going away. However, we also hear that it could be gone around August 1, 2011. Why it would take some four months to remove the RCT when it took only two months to have us running in AKC Retriever Hunt Tests is a bit puzzling

6 The Journal June 2011

to me but I am sure there is some posturing going on behind the scene that is causing this delay.

The end result is that, as one member of the AWS Club said, the vote was a landslide victory for those wanting the RCT removed. Still, the politics continue and people are pointing fingers to blame and shame. One prominent long-time leader has even said she prays ―that people will not ignore the retrieving side of the AWS – especially the water work. We don’t have great water work by our dogs now – I hope we don’t see their skills going downhill in the future.‖ I see this last comment as both a commentary on our breed and a stab at those who enjoy AKC Spaniel Hunt Tests over retriever tests. What is surprising is that this comes from a person who for years has espoused that the breed is a solid retriever. Well, if it is such a solid retriever then why would she say that we don‘t have great water work by our dogs now?

The way I look at it is this. After more than 20 years of fighting with ourselves and the AKC, the AWS community finally has the ability to participate - unencumbered - in the AKC Retriever and Spaniel Hunt Tests. Members of our community can seek enjoyment with which- ever program suits their interest and hunting style and that is just the way it should be. I believe that the AKC, the AWS Club, the AWS community as a whole and, most importantly, the breed will benefit from this move. By the time you read this I will have returned to AKC hunt tests after nearly two years away. A couple of my dogs will have run along side a few other AWS at a local test. How all of those dogs will fair at the tests remains to be seen but at least we will have been able to get out and run the tests knowing that, in the future, we will not have to jump through the hoops imposed upon us in the past. If you decide to try the AKC tests yourself, whether they would be retriever or spaniel tests, be sure to let us know and send in a story or two about your experiences.

The Journal 7 June 2011

Meet Jan Heck of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

Greetings to all AWSFA members. Although my family always had pets (cats, parakeets and a house trained rabbit), I did not get a dog until I was about 13 years old. The dog was a Labra- dor/cocker spaniel. I had a lot of fun teaching him to sit up, roll over, fetch balls and walk nicely.

My first purebred dog was a collie. I started training my collie in 1970. I continued to breed and show collies for several years. I really got tired of brushing my beautiful collies.

My first AWS was Stoney. Carolyn Kraskey was the breeder of Stoney. Although I do not hunt, I did give Stoney a lot of field work in the form of tracking. I didn‘t think I could handle ticks but I have since become ruthless in my search for ticks on dogs.

My second AWS was diagnosed with Lupus. She lived only 6 years. Keeper was certified to enter a Tracking Dog test but she died two weeks before the test.

Currently I have AWS Lyvia and Rocky. Lyvia has her Tracking Dog and Tracking Dog Ex- cellent (first AWS to earn a TDX). She also has Rally Novice title and we hope to finish her Championship this year. Lyvia is in the top ten UKC for 2010.

Rocky is under 2 years old. He is ready for a tracking test. While I wait for a draw to enter a tracking test, I will continue training him towards both the Track Dog Excellent and Variable Surface tracking.

I hope to put obedience titles on both dogs at some time in the future. I look forward to meeting AWSFA members in the future.

The Journal 8 June 2011

North American Flyball Association by Jan Heck

A mix of Canadians and Americans worked together to devise a fast moving, exciting sport that uses a team of four ball crazy dogs wildly barking to be released to race down four jumps, hit the box and grab the ejected tennis ball and run back over the four jumps and then a split second later a second dog runs, then a third dog and finally the fourth dog runs to win the first heat. The four dogs are happy even if they don‘t beat the opposition. The handlers pull out the ear plugs and shake hands congratulating the winners. Each team will be pitted against all of the other teams entered in the game. There will be a first, second, third and fourth ribbons for the top four teams. Each individual dogs will earn points towards titles.

The game called Flyball was started in 1970 when Californian Herbert Wagner developed the first tennis ball launcher. The first ever Flyball tournament was held in 1983. Most of the tournaments were held outside. The judges would wave their arms up and down three times and the race would be started.

Today‘s Flyball tournaments use electronic timing equipment. There are also extra helpers who watch for mistakes (dropped ball, missed a jump, incorrect pass at the start/finish line. North American Flyball Association, Inc. was organized in 1985 and has standardized the rules and the records for each tournament. Currently NAFA has over 700 registered clubs with more than 16,000 registered dogs.

Two teams of 4 dogs will race side-by-side over a 51-foot long course. Each dog will run in relay fashion over the four jumps, trigger a Flyball box which releases the ball, retrieve the ball and return over the jumps. The next dog is released to run the course but can‘t cross the start/ finish line until the previous dog has returned over all 4 jumps and reached the start/finish line. The first team to have all 4 dogs cross the finish line without any errors wins the heat. The team that earns 3 wins will earn the most points. Teams are ranked for first through fourth place.

Individual dogs earn points for every run and can earn these titles: (a) NAFA® will award a certificate of achievement and the title Flyball Dog (FD) to any dog receiving 20 points. (b) NAFA® will award a certificate of achievement and the title Flyball Dog Excellent (FDX) to any dog receiving 100 points. (c) NAFA® will award a certificate of achievement and the title Flyball Dog Champion (FDCh) to any dog receiving 500 points. (d) NAFA® will award a certificate of achievement and the title Flyball Dog Champion-Silver (FDCh-S) to any dog receiving 1,000 points. (e) NAFA® will award a certificate of achievement and the title Flyball Dog Champion-Gold (FDCh-G) to any dog receiving 2,500 points. (f) NAFA® will award a certificate of achievement, a commemorative pin and the title Flyball Master (FM) for any dog receiving 5,000 points. (g) NAFA® will award a certificate of achievement, a commemorative pin and the title Flyball Master Excellent (FMX) for any dog receiving 10,000 points. (h) NAFA® will award a certificate of achievement, a commemorative pin and the title Flyball The Journal 9 June 2011

Master Champion (FMCh) for any dog receiving 15,000 points. (i) NAFA® will award a commemorative pin, plaque and the title ―Onyx‖, named after its first recipient, for any dog receiving 20,000 points. (j) NAFA® will award a commemorative pin, plaque and the title Flyball Grand Champion (FGDCh) for any dog receiving 30,000 points. (k) NAFA® will award a commemorative pin and plaque for any dog receiving 40,000 points. (l) NAFA® will award a commemorative pin and plate for the 40K plaque at each 10,000 increment from 50,000 through 90,000 points. (m)NAFA® will award a commemorative pin, plaque and the title ―Hobbes Award‖ named after its first recipient, for any dog receiving 100,000 points.

Flyball races offer fast paced action with plenty of excitement for dogs, handlers and specta- tors. Many teams run all 4 dogs through the course in less than 20 seconds. The newest records are approaching 15 seconds finishes.

Each team needs to have a Flyball box to specifications from NAFA. Judges will determine the safety of box. Dogs on the team learn to turn either left or right and land on the slanted box top. When the dog hits the slanted box top, a lever inside the box will pop the tennis ball forward and the dog must grab it and turn toward the series of 4 jumps. The box loader stands behind the box and puts a tennis ball in the box for the next dog. Handlers usually raise their arm to the right, left or center so the box loader will put the ball correctly for the dog to catch.

Each team must have four dogs running in each heat with a maximum of two alternates as standbys. The alternate(s) may be used at the team‘s discretion. Often, Flyball teams will use small dogs as the height dog. The larger dogs will jump the lower height and have less inci- dents of injury.

The jump height will be determined by height of the shortest dog. The jumps are at 10 feet apart and most dogs jump once between each set of jumps. Dogs must be measured if they are less than 14 inches. The judge officiating at the tournament will measure the dog during times designated by the host club. Each dog needs to be measured from three different approved NAFA judges. NAFA will give Height cards if the owner applies to NAFA and the dog is over 1 year old. The dogs are measured at the withers of the smallest dog on the team. The lowest whole number for the jumps is 13 and 3/4 inches.

Veteran‘s class jump heights shall be set at the minimum 13 and 3/4 inches.

All dogs in the sport need to have a CRN (Competition Registration Number) from NAFA pri- or to competing in a NAFA sanctioned tournament.

NAFA records indicate that there are 5 American Water Spaniels that have competed in Fly- ball. I could not find the names or people of the other three American Water Spaniels. How- ever, here are the stats for the other two AWS Flyball dogs.

Peggy Will had the first AWS that earned the Flyball Dog title and the Flyball Dog Champion

The Journal 10 June 2011 titles. Peggy‘s dog was CH/FDCh Little Brownies Lady Heidi Am/Can CD, CGC with 946 points December 4, 1994. Her team was called Wiz Kids.

Jan Heck ran the second dog to titles. CH/FDCh-S Woods-N-Water Keystone CD, TD, TDI, CGC (call name Stoney) that earned the Flyball Dog title, Flyball Dog Ch. and Fly Ball Dog Champion-Silver with 1,271 points. His team was called TCOTC High Spirits. He retired March 22, 2003. ———————————————————————————- From Peggy Will They sell special Flyball collars with large loops. In the picture, I‘m hanging on for dear life as Heidi is the first dog on her team and we‘re waiting for the lights to turn green.

Heidi doing a demo. The ―light box‖ can be seen to the right of the jumps.

Canadians are really into Flyball so anyone living near the border should have no problem locating a Flyball group.

11 The Journal June 2011

Brags Rick Zilka: Just three weeks after earning the AWSC Started Dog title, Rick and his dog Mal- ly have moved up and earned the first three passes needed for an AKC Junior Hunter title. Running in the Wisconsin English Springer Spaniel Association sponsored hunt tests, Mally completed all the requirements to earn a pass each of the two days. (Sept. 4 & Sept. 5) Then she got her 3rd pass on October 17, leaving her one pass shy of earning her title.

Art Heun: Splash earned his first AKC Senior spaniel hunt test pass on February 13 in Georgia.

Splash earned his AWSC WDX the second weekend in March in South Carolina.

On April 2 Splash was the first AWS to get an AKC retriever pass. Junior marks were 100 yard marks with one being a live flyer landing in 3-4 foot sage grass that also required the dogs to go through cover changes that included tall sage grass. He also passed on April 3.

Butch Norckauer: March 13—Cay Cay got 91 MACH points and three double-Q this weekend. That puts her 38% to MACH3 since Jan 8th when she got her MACH2 and with the double-Qs for MACH4. Now, she has 359 of the 400 points needed for a Nationals invite and until December to get the remaining 41 points.

April 5—At the CCRCA National Event in Alabaster, AL. Cay-Cay earned a Double Q and 31 MACH points in agility.

April 9th and 10th—In Columbiana, Al. Cay-Cay had a second and third in Utility B earning 3 OTCH points and her 37th UDX leg in obedience.

April 15, 16, 17—In Harriman, Tennessee Cay-Cay had a fantastic weekend. She went eight for eight, with three Double Qs and two Excellent B FAST Qs. She‘s kind of stuck in a rut, earning 28 MACH points each day, but 28 points is a really good day, so it is a good rut. She‘s now well over 50% to MACH3.

Cay-Cay ran a three day agility trial in Huntsville, AL over Mother‘s Day weekend. For the weekend she was five for five with two Double Qs and 75 MACH points - 30 points each Sat- urday and Sunday. The standard course was very, very technical and tightly measured from a provision judge with the AKC rep watching over her. Cay-Cay did it like the champion that she is earning that last 15 points. She earned two fourths and a third, as well as for the first time I remember exceeded the 5 yards per second mark in JWW—5.03 YPS!

Martha Sbarbori: CH California Coast Redwood Burl, RN, CGC, TT got his first BN leg at County-Wide Dog Training Club‘s trial in Petaluma on March 27, 2011 under Judge Carol Riback.

Peggy Will: Peggy and Little Brownies Namaste (Namy) got a 191 in Novice B (at Namy‘s first show!) on April 1, 2011. She also qualified in Novice B on April 2 & April 3, 2011.

Gerda Smith: Gerda and Wine Country Rollin Rock, CD (Rocky) got a lst place in Graduate Novice on April 1, 2011.

12 The Journal June 2011

Meet Art and Evelyn Heun of Dyersburg, Tennessee

Hi All. I am Art Heun. My wife, Evelyn and I are currently owned and regulated by two AWS, Millie and Splash, along with two black cats, Boo and Shadow. We live in Dyersburg and Memphis, Tennessee.

Evelyn owns a retail business and I am employed in local law enforcement. We have four children and seven grandchildren.

I have been a member of the AWSFA for several years now. Over the years I have served on the board of directors and several committees of the parent club. I first became involved with American Water Spaniels in 1995 with my first, Bailey. He was acquired strictly as a hunting dog to retrieve ducks. In 1999 I became aware of hunt tests, attended an AWSC one, became interested in them and participated in a few AWSC spaniel hunt tests. As time went by I became more interested and involved. I was then very fortunate to acquire my third AWS, Cuda. We became very involved in hunt tests, participating in AWSC, AKC and UKC-HRC tests. Cuda took me all over the country in our quest for hunt test events where we have met and made many friends. Unfortunately he met his demise, at age three, after acquiring his Master RCT and AKC senior title.

Evelyn and I then acquired California Barracuda Delta Splash, ―Splash‖. He is now taking us all over the middle and south eastern parts of the country making new friends as we participate in hunt tests. This has been a busy spring for us as Splash has earned an AWSC WDX, and AKC spaniel senior pass and an HRC seasoned pass. We began participating in AKC retriever tests the first weekend in April where Splash became the first AWS to earn a retriever hunt test pass. Sunday May 1, 2011 Splash earned his AKC Junior Retriever Hunt Test title becoming the first AWS to earn an AKC retriever hunt test title.

I also enjoy hunting with both of my AWS, Splash and Millie. We duck hunt and have been known to hunt pheasant and quail.

Hopefully we have been good ambassadors for the breed as we travel around participating in different events.

I am looking forward to meeting many more of our fellow AWSFA members and seeing some old friends.

Bailey Millie Cuda & Art

13 The Journal June 2011 FIRST AWS TO EARN AN AKC RETRIEVER PASS AND AN AKC RETRIEVER TITLE SHR California Barracudas Delta Splash, JHR WDX

Art Heun took his dog, Splash, to the Western Kentucky Wildlife Management Area located in Kevil, Kentucky on April 2 and became the first AWS to earn the first AKC Retriever Hunt Test pass. On May 1, Splash earned his AKC Junior Retriever Title at the Magnolia Retriever hunt test in Flora, Mississippi. Art said the judges seemed to be very excited with the AWS participation.

Splash has had a busy spring. He has one HRC seasoned pass, one AKC Spaniel Hunt Test pass, earned his AWSC WDX and senior RCT passes, and then earned his AKC Retriever title.

Congratulations to Art and Splash!

14 The Journal June 2011

It’s A First! Article written by Paul Morrison in 1995 when Peggy and Heidi became the first AWS to receive the Flyball Title

December was the month for yet another first in the American Water Spaniel community. Hei- di, owned by Peggy Will of Grand Island New York, became the first AWS to receive the title of Flyball Dog Champion (FDCH) from the North American Flyball Association (NAFA). To earn this title a dog must accumulate a total of 500 points with the titles of Flyball Dog and Fly- ball Dog Excellent being bestowed along the way.

Flyball is a team event. Any team racing in a NAFA sanctioned tournament, with a recorded time of under 24 seconds, earns each dog on the team 25 points toward its titles. Teams that are not quite so fast can still earn points with times of under 28 second bringing in five points and un 31 seconds one point. If you think these times are fast, your right!

Lynn and I watched our first Flyball tournament on the third of December when Peggy came to town to run Heidi in a local tournament. When we arrived at the event, the intensity of the dogs and handlers were almost overwhelming. Dogs were barking, no screaming, to get on with the race and handlers were struggling to hold them back and make them wait their turn. The first thing I realized we needed, but did not have, was a good pair of ear protectors, something we saw a few of the handlers wearing.

We found Peggy and Heidi just before they were to get ready for the first race of the afternoon. Heidi, with her curly brown coat, looked a little out of place as she stood there with her Border Collie team mates. Lynn and I went to the gymnasium where the races were being run and found a seat right along the course that Heidi‘s team was running. As the team entered the gym, they started the bouncing, pulling, and screaming I mentioned earlier. It was obvious that they knew what they were there for. By the way, Heidi no longer looked out of place for she was as intense as any dog there and was obviously approaching this event with typical AWS enthusi- asm.

The course is a lane that is 61 feet long and 4.5 feet wide. There are four jumps placed 10 feet apart with the first jump being six feet from the start line and the last jump 15 feet from the Fly- ball box. Jump heights are based upon the height of the smallest dog, on the four dog team, Heidi‘s 16‖ height helps here. The box releases a tennis ball when a dog jumps on the box‘s pedal. Each dog is to run the lane from start line to box and back again. When the dog reaches the box it releases the tennis ball, grabs it and runs back down the lane to its handler. This is a relay type of event so as the first dog crosses the start line on the return the next dog is leaving the line. And so it goes until the entire team has run. There is a total accumulated distance of 488 feet, with 32 jumps, run by the team. With some teams completing their runs in as little as 18 seconds you have to realize that these dogs are moving like lightning and they are.

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It’s a First! - Page 2

Heidi‘s team times have been very good, although it is not the fastest team in the club Peggy belongs to. It is fast enough though that Heidi earned both her Flyball Dog (FD) and Flyball Dog Excellent (FDX) titles in one weekend. On September 24 and 25, 1995 at the Borden Blasters Flyball Tournament, in Borden, Ontario, Heidi achieved the needed points to earn her FD and FDX. Then in December she earned her FDCH at the Canine Express Winter Flyball Tournament in Flint, Michigan. It takes people like Peggy and dogs like Heidi to prove that the AWS is truly a dog that can do it all. Congratulations Heidi and Peggy!

Small dog jumping onto the box to trigger a ball.

This dog is beginning to learn to jump onto the box.

16 The Journal June 2011 ―MEAN SEEDS:‖ A THREAT TO YOUR SPORTING DOG?

Whether you own a retriever, setter, a pointing or spaniel breed, a beagle or one of the coon- hound breeds, they all have one thing in common: they are canine athletes bred to perform a specific task in what can be a very harsh environment. Your sporting dog may be one that com- petes in field performance events or is used for hunting or both. You have invested many dol- lars in training, feeding and veterinary care for your dog, because he/she is worth it, he/she is your hunting companion. He/she provides countless hours of dedicated service to you as you pursue your hunting passion. And nothing can ruin your day or hunting season like when your dog is injured or becomes sick.

The AKC Canine Health Foundation, the non-profit world leader in funding sound canine health research, has allocated more than $450,000 over the last several years to investigate prevention, treatment and cures for injuries that occur in the field. More than ten grants have been funded to study anterior and cruciate ligament rupture and nearly twenty grants have been funded to study various infectious diseases that threaten our sporting dogs including ehrlichia, bar- tonella, brucellosis, leishmaniasis and Leptospirosis, among others.

The most recent grant to benefit sporting dogs investigates ―mean seeds‖ and the role they play in grass awn migration disease. In the sporting dog world, there is a perception among owners that there has been a dramatic escalation in the incidence of grass awn migration disease in the last 20 years.

Grasses occur in a single large plant family that contains approximately 11,000 species (Chapman 1996). Although the grasses share many important characteristics of their reproduc- tive structures, only a portion of the species have awns and an even smaller group possess barbed awns of the type of concern to dogs. The awn is part of the sheath that encloses the grass ―seed.‖ The awns extend beyond the seed and those with barbs aid in dispersal of the seeds. One of the ways the seeds disperse is by attaching to things that come into contact with them. Animals and their fur are important ways grass seeds get transported to new locations. From an ecological standpoint, the attachment of grass seeds to sporting dogs is an important nature process. From the perspective of dogs and their owners, it is a dangerous threat. (AKC Canine Health Foundation Grant Application submitted)

The barbed grass awns or ―mean seeds,‖ attach to a dogs coat and pierce the skin or are ingested or inhaled. Once in a dog‘s body, these mean seeds tend to migrate, leaving a trail of infection behind. These infections cause illness that is difficult to diagnose, and can even be fatal.

It is suspected that the increase of grass awn migration disease is due to inclusion of problem grasses such as Canadian Wild Rye and Virginia Rye in the approved lists for Conservation Re- serve Program (CRP) lands. The CRP was first described in the 1985 Farm Bill and it has reau- thorized in each subsequent Farm Bill. The first land was enrolled in 1986. The most important feature of CRP is to encourage farmers to convert their marginal cropland acreage to perennial vegetation that will protect the land from wind and water erosion (Farm Service Agency 2010). In addition to the protection against erosion, hunters and sportsman have seen the favorable response from wildlife to the CRP habitat improvements. In a large number of

17 The Journal June 2011

contracts the perennial vegetation planted consists of a mixture of grasses. Country wide there are more than 31 million acres in active CPR contracts in 2010 (Farm Service Agency 2010). (AKC Canine Health Foundation Grant Application submitted)

David Hopkins, AKC Delegate for the English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Club of Illinois and Chair of the Delegate Field Trial and Hunting Test Committee was instrumental in bringing this concern to the attention of the AKC Canine Health Foundation‘s grants committee. Mr. Hop- kins worked with Dr. William Lauenroth of the University of Wyoming and principal investiga- tor for the study to submit the application to the AKC Canine Health Foundation.

The primary goal of the study is to determine the frequency with which these barbed seeds are planted, so that sporting dog owners and field trailers can begin discussions with the U.S. De- partment of Agriculture to modify their recommended list of grasses to be planted on CRP lands.

Dr. Lauenroth stated, ―If it can be determined that there has been a dramatic increase in both the incidence of the disease and the quantity of barbed seeds planted in CRP lands, such determina- tion would surely factor significantly into improvements in veterinary diagnostic and treatment protocols, overall education for dog owners, and preventative or remedial measure for the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s approach to CPR plantings.‖

This important research has been sponsored by the Golden Retriever Foundation, English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association, English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association Foundation, National Amateur Retriever Club, Labrador Retriever Club, Spinone Club of America, German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America, Boykin Spaniel Society and the AKC Humane Fund.

For more information about this and other research the AKC Canine Health Foundation has funded or how you can help fund additional research visit www.akcchf.org/research.

Sources Chapman, GP, 1996. The biology of grasses. CAB International, Oxon, Farm Services Agency 2010. http:// www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp (accessed July 11, 2010) Lauenroth WK and Hopkins DH, 2010. Assessment of CRP plantings of grasses with barbed awns. AKC Canine Health Foundation grant.

18 The Journal June 2011

Researcher Aims to Develop Effective Atopic Dermatitis Treatment

Reprinted from Purina Pro Club Update

When Karen Moriello bought 3-year-old ―Lefty‖ a male yellow Labrador Retriever, she hoped to provide a loving home in Brooklyn, Wisconsin, for a dog who could no longer compete in field trails due to exercise-induced hyperthermia. Lefty enjoyed hunting recreationally with Moriello and her husband, but a year after moving to Wisconsin, the dog developed an irritating skin disease.

―When he was 4-years-old, Lefty began suffering from pruritus, or itchy skin,‖ Moriello says. ―He began scratching his ears, licking his paws and rubbing his face. He also had skin infections from the constant scratching. He rolled on his back a lot and used furniture and walls as back scratchers. By the time he was 5-years-old, he had severe pruritus year-round.‖

Moriello, D.V.M., DACVD, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin- Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, first thought her Labrador Retriever had become in- fected by a parasite while hunting.

Moriello ultimately diagnosed Lefty with canine atopic dermatitis. Atopy is one of three major causes of allergic skin disease. The other causes are flea and food allergies.

When a dog has an allergic skin disease, the body‘s mast cells release immunoglobulin IgE, which attacks the allergen as a foreign particle, causing the allergic reaction. The most common signs of atopic dermatitis are pruritus and erythma, or redness of the skin, as Lefty experienced. Scratching often causes self-injury, which can lead to open sores and infection, particularly around the ears, forelimbs and groin.

―Pruritus may be manifested by scratching or behaviors not necessarily recognized as itching.‖ Moriello says. ―These include face rubbing, ear flapping, foot licking, biting of nails, rolling on the back, or scooting.‖

Avoiding Skin Disease

Disease management for atopic dermatitis involves treating pruritus and inflammation. A two- year, $84,861 study of canine allergies focuses on developing an effective treatment to help prevent the allergic reaction. Funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation, the study is sponsored by the American Sealyham Terrier Club, Bichon Frise Club of America, French Bulldog Club of America, Great Pyrenees Club of America, Versatility in Poodles and Welsh Terrier Club of America.

Led by Bruce Hammerberg, D.V.M., Ph.D., professor in the department of population health and pathobiology at North Carolina State University, the research is based on a breakthrough in human allergy management. A longtime canine allergy researcher, Hammerberg has spent the past decade studying the function of mast cells and IgE in canine allergic disease.

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Researcher Aims to Develop Effective Atopic Dermatitis Treatment—Page 2

The new human treatment uses a monoclonal antibody, produced by a single group of identical cells, that specifically binds and neutralizes the IgE responsible for activating inflammation- producing cells. The new product, called Xolair, has been used safely by millions of allergy patients for more than five years.

―The genetic and physiological risk factors for dogs with allergic diseases are highly complex,‖ Hammerberg says. ―Different combinations of genetic backgrounds and environmental and individual physiological conditions can increase the risk for allergic disease when a dog is exposed to allergens.‖

Though there is no way to predict if or when a dog will develop allergies, certain breeds are more prone to allergic diseases. Among them are the Australian Terrier, Belgian Tervuren, Bichon Frise, Chinese Shar-Pei, Clumber Spaniel, French Bulldog, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Pharaoh Hound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Sealyham Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and West Highland White Terrier. Between 10 and 15 percent of dogs seen by veterinarians are estimated to be affected by allergic diseases, Hammerberg says.

Treatment for canine allergic disease typically includes desensitization injections, which can be effective in some dogs. However, most cases are not resolved by desensitization and require a combination of allergen avoidance and anti-inflammatory drugs. Unfortunately, prolonged use of drugs such as corticosteroids can result in severe side effects, such as increased thirst, appetite and urination, behavioral changes, weight gain and/or predisposition to develop diabetes.

Moriello suspected that Lefty‘s pruritus was atopic dermatitis caused by allergies to environmental allergens. ―After months of food testing, we performed an intradermal skin test and determined that Lefty was allergic to grass, weeds and house dust mites,‖ Moriello says. Though Moriello began Lefty on a desensitization injections treatment, it was nearly a year before she saw results.

―Lefty responded well to therapy. Today, for 10 months of the year, he needs only the allergen injections, but when he is challenged due to exposure to environmental allergens, such as during intense hunting periods, he needs a topical steroid therapy and occasionally oral prednisone. Overall, the quality of his life is much better than prior to treatment.‖

Lefty, now 10 years old, drinks and urinates more frequently when he receives oral prednisone. He also overeats on numerous occasions, as the steroid increases a dog‘s appetite. While Lefty benefits from this treatment, it needs to be used with care only on a short-term basis, Moriello says.

―Because contributing causes are so complex, response to treatment can vary greatly.‖ Ham- merberg says. ―Identifying food or environmental allergens to avoid requires a major invest- ment in time and money.‖

Hammerberg and his research team hope to develop an anti-lgE peptide treatment for canines, which he predicts will help dogs suffering from any type of allergy.

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Researcher Aims to Develop Effective Atopic Dermatitis Treatment—Page 3

The study has two objectives. The first is to isolate and modify a mouse monoclonal antibody that binds canine lgE.

―The process involves identifying the small part of the monoclonal antibody involved with binding lgE and isolating the DNA sequence from the mouse monoclonal cells that represents this part of the antibody. We then can create a recombinant peptide, which includes only the antibody‘s binding sites.‖

This peptide will be injected subcutaneously and will prevent lgE from attaching to the binding sites on mast cells and producing an inflammatory reaction. ―Neutralizing lgE prevents mast cells from causing the clinical signs of allergies, such as itching and redness,‖ Hammerberg says. ―Our proposed lgE-binding peptide specifically binds lgE just as the Xolair antibody does in humans.‖

The second objective is to create a cost-effective way to produce the anti-lgE antibody using plants. ―The cost of generating proteins from cell culture is very high,‖ Hammerberg says. ―Plant leaves are susceptible to viruses and bacterial infections that naturally change the proteins they produce. This is how viruses develop in plants and spread from plant to plant in natu- ral infection processes.‖

Using plants to reproduce proteins is an established technique used to produce human insulin. The DNA encoding the monoclonal antibody is injected into the plant leaf, which begins to produce the protein encoded by the injected DNA. Once enough has been produced, it is extracted from the plant leaves.

―The lgE-binding peptide will be purified to removed plant proteins, and this purified peptide will be injected into a dog suffering from allergic disease,‖ Hammerberg says. ―We anticipate that the injections will be given once or twice a month, depending on the severity of the disease. The peptide injection will avoid the side effects associated with chronic use of corticosteroids and hopefully greatly improve the qualify of life for dogs suffering from allergic diseases.‖

21 The Journal June 2011 Spring Hunt Test Hosted by Northern Colorado Springer Spaniel Club April 9 & 10, 2011 By Lori Tufts

Fun was had by all! John & I entered Maggie in the Northern Colorado Springer Spaniel Club Hunt Test event. We had a beautiful ride from California, through Nevada, a bit of Arizona, Utah, and into Colorado. Those Rocky Mountains are an example of moments that take your breath away.

I have to say, as a native Southern Californian, the weather was an adventure in itself. We arrived to beautiful, sun- ny, fair to moderate wind, and temperatures in the 60s. But, by Sunday, we woke to about 2-3 inches of fresh soft snow with temps in the low 30s. Maggie sure didn‘t seem to mind. In fact, the cold snowy day was her best.

We met lots of nice people and great dogs. The food was yummy. The judges were fair and helpful, great bird planting, accurate gunners, and well organized marshals. The hunt test grounds were great. Even cover, no Fox- tails, nice water (I bet cold, but the dogs didn‘t seem to mind).

It was an extra bonus to also get the chance to enter a Spaniel Hunt Test with other American Water Spaniels. Deb Parker, the Hunt Test Secretary, had her Sprit entered for both the Hunt Test & RCT, & Lilly & Taz for the RCT only. Charlene Curtis-Dihel entered Fudgie, and we had Maggie. Maggie qualified for her first Senior Hunter pass, Sprit picked up another Senior pass, and Fudgie earned a new Junior Hunter title with 2 qualifying passes for RCT.

We had a fantastic time and look forward to the opportunity to return again!

22 The Journal June 2011 Raising a Litter – Litter Box Training by Paul Morrison with help from Sandy Holmes While many of you know who I am only a few of you have had the privilege of meeting Sandy Holmes so let me give you a brief introduction. Sandy is a member of the AWSFA who happens to own Welsh Springer Spaniels (WSS). In fact, Sandy and her husband, Greg Peter, are respected and well known WSS breeders who have done well in both the show ring and field events. They own Trystyn Welch Springer Spaniels and, as both a Veterinary Technician (Sandy) and Veterinarian (Greg), are very knowledgeable about the rearing of puppies. That is why, when Sandy suggested a new way of raising puppies, Lynn and I thought that we would give it a try. The end result is that, after nearly 20 years of breeding, we have learned a better, cleaner and probably healthier way of caring for a litter; one that could have residual benefits to puppy buyers down the road. Here is the scoop… so to speak.

Back in the early 1990s, I did a lot of training with some of the top canine trainers and be- haviorists in North America. One theme that some of them often discussed was that of caring for the older dog and how obedience training and early litter training could serve the geriatric canine well. You read that correctly, litter training. The thought was that as the dog ages and incontinence sets in having an older dog trained to use a litter box would be very helpful and minimize the anxi- ety for both the dog and the owners. What was also stressed was that this training should take place early in the dog‘s life and could be eliminated by the age of about six months. Early training was needed to etch the concept of litter training into the dog‘s mind so that it would be an easier re -learning process when the dog reached old age. Back then I had not had much experience with older dogs and did not think much about what would be occurring when a dog got to be more than 13 or 14 years of age. That is certainly not the case today and so, when Sandy brought up the idea of litter training puppies and some of those conversations of nearly 20 years ago came back to me, Lynn and I were intrigued and decided to give her system a try.

Our experience with puppy rearing is much like that of most breeders. The pups are born in a whelping box and when they reach a certain size or age they are then transferred to a larger pen. The floor of that pen is a combination of carpet and newspaper or, in the case of some breeders, simply newspaper. The newspaper is very absorbent and soaks up the urine but, of course, not the feces. As the pups move around the pen they run through the feces and make a real mess of themselves and the pen. The trick is to keep ahead of them by cleaning the pen frequently and changing papers whenever needed or possible. As you might imagine, keeping ahead of a bunch of peeing and pooping pups is a real chore and the system does breakdown from time to time. On top of that you have to constantly search out sources for the newspapers; friends, family, recycle centers and the like became great sources for us; it was as though we were holding our own minia- ture paper drive, and we were.

Cleaning up a puppy pen can be a real chore when using newspaper as a bedding surface. Think about it, you have a pen that is about 6‘ x 6‘ and it has some six to eight pups running

23 The Journal June 2011

Raising a Litter - Litter Box Training Page 2 around inside of it. When being cleaned up those pups have to go somewhere so you stick them outside in another pen, if the weather is good, or you let them run around the room outside of the pen while you are cleaning it up. Of course, they are going to make a mess of the room while you clean their pen so you are going to have to clean the room up when you are done. You will have to strip the bedding down completely and then put down at least three layers of fresh newspaper when you refresh the pen. Once you put the pups back in the pen you will have to clean up after those that decide the fresh paper needs to be initiated. This will be a bit of a chore because the pups will try to help you pick up the mess and that will make more of a mess. Some will grab the papers and begin shredding them, turning your well laid-out pen into something that resembles a teenage boy‘s room. Keeping a clean pen can get to be a bit exasperating and I have not even mentioned what can hap- pen if the pups get diarrhea… oops, there I mentioned it. It‘s not pretty. Needless to say, it takes a lot of time and energy to keep on top of the mess.

Earlier this year we had a litter of 11 puppies. When Sandy and Greg heard about the size of the litter they told us that we really needed to try out their litter system and gave us more detail about the program. Sandy had learned of the system from other breeders several years earlier and decided to give it a try herself. Back then, most of those breeders had used alfalfa pellets as litter but Sandy knew the alfalfa pellets were probably not the most absorbent things on earth and set out to find something that was reasonably inexpensive and safe if eaten by the puppies; as we all know, puppies are like kids and want to put just about everything in their mouth. She searched the Internet and found a few breeders using wood stove pellets as bedding. When urinated on, the pellets turn to sawdust and when a puppy defecates on them the pellets seem to absorb the moisture along with the odor. There was no evidence that they would harm a pup if eaten.

At the time that Sandy was doing her research she owned a horse and was using a product called Woody Pet as bedding in her horse‘s stall. The bag it came in stated the product could be used as litter for small animals such as rabbits, cats, and pocket pets. The pellets are made of white soft wood shavings and sawdust. It is processed to remove all toxins, oils and water. The end product is a very clean and non-toxic wood pellet that is both absorbent and has a clean smell. The Woody Pet made a very good litter for use with puppies but there was the question of how to contain the pellets.

Sandy found that a crate pan – about ¾‖ high - worked well for young pups just beginning to walk. She lined the pan with a rubber mat to give traction beneath the pellets. As the pups grew they began to spill litter onto the floor as they moved in and out of the pan so a larger pan was in store. A great source for litter pans ended up being www.bunnyrabbit.com where they sell polytrays. These lightweight trays are durable, easy to clean and come in several sizes. Because these pans have a slippery surface it is best to line them with non-skid stair strips – 4‖ to 5‖ wide – as a way of providing traction to the pups. Sandy recommended one litter pan for every five to six pups. Since we had eleven that meant that we needed two pans.

On Sandy‘s recommendation, we began to use the pans the instant we moved them from the whelping box and found that the pups began to use the pans on their own in a very short period of time. In fact, in less than two days our pups were using the pans 90% of the time and not long after that it was pretty darn close to

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Raising a Litter - Litter Box Training Page 3

100% of the time. We did help them out a little bit by quickly grabbing any pup that looked as though it was about to potty and putting it in a pan to do its business. When we set up the puppy pen we used a floor covering called Drymate as the primary surface covering and set the litter pans on top of that. This provided the pups with sound footing and an absorbent surface that can easily be removed and washed as needed.

When the litter pans need cleaning we scoop the poop out of the pan using a makeshift scoop that traps the poop but allows the intact pellets to drop back into the pan. Cleaning is done as needed but at least three times a day. Once the poop is scooped the pellets are stirred to mix them in with the sawdust brought on by the urine. After about three days we sift the pellets through a screen to separate the sawdust from the pellets. The pellets can be reused and the sawdust can be recycled back to the earth. This system is not only easier than using newspaper it is also economical (we use a product called Equine Fresh that costs us $7 for a 40 pound bag) and eco-friendly. To give you an idea of how much easier the litter system is from that of newspapers consider this. It would typically take me 20 – 30 minutes to clean a puppy pen and re- place all the newspapers. With the litter system, I can thoroughly clean up the pen in less than ten minutes. That means that this system saves me at least an hour a day in clean up time.

There are other advantages to the system as well. It is healthier as the pups tend to not run in their own feces as much. It is less smelly as the pellets appear to absorb the odors of both the urine and feces. It is less messy as the majority of the defecating and urinating takes place in a confined area that is primarily used for that purpose and that purpose alone.

We found that litter training the puppies has other advantages too. Our pups are kept in our walkout basement and, when they are not in their pen, get to run around an area that is about 300 square feet in size. By moving a litter pan out of the pen and into this open area we are able to direct the pups to pee and poop in the pan and not just anywhere they feel like. We have observed pups looking for the pan as they were running around and suddenly had the urge to potty. As we have moved pups upstairs to become integrated into our home environment we have brought the litter pan with them. They can romp for hours with the adults and whenever they suddenly have to go they run right to the pan. Having the pan by the door leading to the outside helps us to get the pups out and into the yard if we catch them heading for the litter pan. Thus, the system has made it easier for us to minimize accidents in the house and, at the same time, speed up their housebreaking. If Dunbar, Evans and a couple of others were correct, this litter training may also payoff down the road when the young pups are elderly dogs. If you are a breeder, I would certainly encourage you to consider this system the next time you raise a litter. I think you will be pleased with the outcome.

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Raising a Litter - Litter Box Training Page 4

Puppy pen with two litter pans.

Importance of Registering your Puppy

Reasons it is important to register your pup:

If you or one of your children should decide down the road you want to show your dog in obedience, agility, conformation, or hunt tests, the dog will need to be registered with AKC.

If a change in your household and you must give up your beloved pet, the next person who would be interested in adopting your pet might want it to be registered so they can do some of the above events.

It is a way to keep a record of the dog and to tie that dog in with their littermates.

26 The Journal June 2011 AKC Retriever Tests – an overview

by Paul Morrison

I thought that it might be good to dig into the AKC Retriever Hunt Test rules a bit and give everyone a quick rundown of what is required at each test level. Those of you who may be interested in running a dog in this venue will then have a better idea of what you will need to prepare for before entering a test.

As in all AKC hunt test programs there are three test levels; Junior, Senior and Master. As you would expect the easiest test level is Junior and the tests progressively increase in complexity as you advance to the Senior and Master levels. To earn a Junior Hunter (JHR) title a dog must obtain four passes. A Senior Hunter (SHR) title requires a dog to earn five passes unless it has already earned a JHR, in which case that dog need only earn four passes. The Master Hunter (MHR) must earn six passes unless it has earned the SHR title, in which case it need only earn five passes.

The retrieves should not exceed 100 yards in distance but, of course, there is a difference between should not and cannot. Some retrieves are over 100 yards distance.

In the case of Senior and Master tests at least one live flyer must be used. There are exceptions to this rule but expect to see live fliers.

Junior tests:

A Junior dog is expected to complete four single marked retrieves; two on land and two on water. While these tests are to be realistic they are supposed to be relatively simple hunting situations. They can incorporate the use of numerous decoys, islands, points of land, rolling terrain, cover, etc. A dog can be sent on a retrieve more than once but only if there is confusion where the dog appears uncertain as to whether it was really sent on a retrieve or not; don‘t expect to be allowed to recast very often. The dog can be handled to a mark but only one mark and the handling has to be crisp, it will be better if you don‘t need to handle the dog. A Junior dog can be brought to the line on a lead with a flat buckle collar and it can be gently restrained by a slip cord or held gently by the collar before being sent to retrieve. All retrieves must be to hand.

Senior tests:

The Senior dog will be tested in four hunting situations including a land blind, a water blind, a double land mark and a double water mark. At least one diversion shot and at least one walk-up is required. These dogs must be steady at the line and will be scored lower for creeping or a controlled break. As in the Junior test, retrieves must be to hand, dogs may be send more than once if there is confusion and although handling to a mark is allowed it will result in a lower score. Diversion shots must be used in the test but diversion birds may also be used and switch- ing will result in the dog not receiving a qualifying score.

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AKC Retriever Tests – an overview - Page 2

Master tests:

Master dogs are tested on five hunting situations including multiple land marks, multiple water marks, multiple marks on water and land, a land blind and a water blind (at least one that shall be a double blind in any combination). With a minimum of three series at least one of the series must include a walk-up. Likewise, diversion birds and shots must be used at least once. At least one of the multiple marking situations must include at least three falls before the dog is sent to retrieve. The Master dog must honor the work of another dog in at least one testing situation. Finally there is this, ―Master Hunting dogs that require excessive handling on marks and blinds, that refuse voice or whistle commands, or appear unwilling to perform their work must be viewed in a different light than Senior Hunting dogs where a degree of tolerance is necessary for those not-so-seasoned Senior dogs. Master Hunting dogs must exhibit those qualities expected in a truly finished and experienced hunting companion.‖

Good luck to all who try this new venue. A couple have already succeeded at the Junior and Senior level and there is at least one AWS trying for a MH title. I hope to hear of some other successful participants in the future.

28 The Journal June 2011 FIRST TRY AT HRC BY Rick Zilka

We ran Mally in a started HRC test April 16 & 17th at the Kankakee River Hunting Retriever Club test in Hebron, Indiana. Mally came home with one ribbon from Sunday‘s test.

The one thing she had a problem with was the length of the water retrieves. Both days, there was at least one retrieve of 60 yards with a strong wind that blew it into a 70 yard retrieve. The water I‘ve been working her in only gave us about 35 yard retrieves. On Saturday she entered the water, checked out the decoys (my fault again for not getting her used to them in the water) looked towards the bird and back at me like I was crazy for wanting her to swim that far. By the time I gave her a recast you couldn‘t even see the bird. After that, we ran the shorter bird and she did fine.

Sunday on the longer bird, Mally stepped into the water and danced around like she wasn‘t sure what to do. This time instead of a recast, I just encouraged her to get it. We had a little scare on the second bird. On her way back swimming between two little islands, she took a little break along the edge of one island. When she tried to go back to swimming, she couldn‘t get away from the edge of the island. I finally noticed fishing line coming from the island going to somewhere by her head. Mally never did let go of the duck. Just when I told the judges about the line and they were gong to call for the bird boat, she broke free and came back without a problem. I checked her out well and didn‘t see any sign of hooks or injuries.

The folks at the HRC event were all very nice and we‘ll be back to try our luck again!

She wasn‘t the only one pooped after a long weekend.

Little Brownie Mallard, SD

29 The Journal June 2011

New Members

James and Lizanne Gatto Joe and Allison Nies 13 Ski Hill Drive 204 Lindy Lane Bedminster, NJ 07921 Holland, MI 49423-9135 [email protected] 616-990-0014 [email protected] Susanne Hogan & Stephen Churchill 1179 North 400 E. Chesterton, IN 46304-9542 219-929-5765 Members - Remember, you can earn [email protected] puppy paws when you get new members to sign up. Get enough puppy David and Ann Hough paws and you can get a free member- 2891 E. 150 N. ship for the next year. Be sure to Rolling Prairie, IN 46371 check out this program on the website 219-525-8597 and review it once again if you have [email protected] forgotten how it works.

News

Know Our Members: For the newsletter in June, if your last name begins with D-G, please send in an article and pictures (maximum 2 pictures) telling us about yourself, your dogs, and your family. The article should be 250 words or less.

30 The Journal June 2011

Meet Sandra Holmes and Greg Peter from Chelsea, Michigan

My name is Sandra Holmes and I live in Chelsea, MI. I am a licensed veterinary technician and I also have a BS in biology/psychology from Eastern Michigan University. I was employed at Parke-Davis/Pfizer for 23 years until Pfizer closed its Ann Arbor site 3 years ago. I am currently employed part time at the University of Michigan. My SO (significant other) Greg Peter is a veterinarian (retired from Pfizer), and an avid hunter.

My first breed was the Golden Retriever but after several attempts to find a healthy show quality dog I gave up and decided to get another breed that I could show and Greg could hunt with. We decided on a Welsh Springer Spaniel. We got our foundation bitch (CH Ky-Bryn‘s Await- en Wings ―Kinsey‖) from Peggy and Bill Ruble in Erie, KS. She turned out to be a wonderful hunting dog and the dam of seven champions (one of them winning BOB at the American Spaniel Club).

A year or so ago I decided to get more involved with the hunting aspect of our breed and contacted Paul Morrison about the AWSFA field training days. I started attending the field days (which are great) and after seeing Paul‘s dogs work in the field decided to have him train one of our dogs. After just a few months of training ―Josey‖ is ready for her first hunt test in May (Paul did a wonderful job with her!).

Although we do not have American Water Spaniels, I can certainly see why you enjoy them. They are wonderful, attractive hunting dogs!

Greg & Kinsey Greg , Kinsey and Stetson

31 The Journal June 2011

Save your Pets from Toxic Mushrooms

Did you know that mushrooms can pose hazards to our dogs? As they run outside to exercise, play, and hunt, they can be at danger with possibilities of ingesting mushrooms which can not only cause illness, but could be fatal. While 99% of mushrooms have little or no toxicity, a dog is not able to identify whether or not a species is toxic. They can be attracted to mushrooms through their smells, for example, some give off a ‗fishy‘ odor. Unfortunately, a number of these ‗fishy‘ smelling kinds of mushrooms can prove to be deadly to our pets if they ingest them. Sometimes even a single bite can do great harm.

The important thing is getting the dog to the Veterinarian ASAP if there is a suspect poisoning. In the most common scenario of ingesting the most poisonous types of mushrooms, there is a 3 step sequence to try and save a dog. 1) First work to get the dog to vomit the mushroom imme- diately, before harm is done. 2) After it is in the digestive system, an intravenous IV can save a dog if the liver is still relatively intact. 3) The last resort is a liver transplant to save the dog, just as in humans. Poisons such as Amatoxins, found in a number of mushroom species, work very fast.

There are three stories of Mushroom types of poisonings of dogs more recently brought to my attention. I received a call last spring from Dr. Nolan Kaiser in Mt. Pleasant to assist him in poison prevention for his forthcoming new Guide dog for the blind. His former beloved working dog companion, Chester (a Golden), had died in November of 2009 in a 3 day episode, very similar in character to human deaths from some of our most toxic species. So, it was suspect that the dog had ingested such in his fenced in back yard.

After visiting and interviewing Nolan, I recommended removal of all wood chip mulches and similar debris in his back yard, and began to inform him about various poisonous species of mushrooms. He in turn has shared this information with the Professionals at the Guide Dog Foundation of Smithtown, New York to educate other owners/users. I then contacted Dr. Mi- chael Beug, Chair of NAMA‘s (North American Mycological Association) Toxology Commit- tee. Later, they produced an excellent detailed article which is available at http:// www.namyco.org/toxicology/pet_poisonings.html. This is written in non-medical terms and has pictures to help in identifying the most frequently ingested toxic specimens. It also speaks of the varying degrees of illness which can follow ingestion. I recommend that every dog, cat, and pet owner read this.

In our own AWS_Chat Yahoo Discussion group, in April of 2010, there is a story of a mushroom poisoning that affected two of Paul and Lynn Morrison‘s AWS dogs. They reported that two of them, at four months of age, were seen ingesting some mushrooms on the farm referred to locally as ‗mouse ears‘ in November of 2009. Within a short time, about an hour or two, these pups began to get ill and showed symptoms of drooling, vomiting, a little diarrhea, and leth- argy which Lynn, an R.N. , recognized as possible muscarine poisoning. This toxin fortunately is not usually fatal. Many of the other AWS were seen eating mushrooms that day, so it is not really clear what happened to those two who did have the symptoms, but it most likely was that they ate some other kind of toxic mushroom growing in the same area along with the kind they saw the humans pick. When Paul saw these symptoms, he decided to contact local and national mushroom club experts on mushroom poisoning. This included those from his

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Save your Pets from Toxic Mushrooms - Page 2

own local Michigan Mushroom Hunters Club, and the National NAMA Toxology Committee. Paul reported that these people were extremely helpful and did a great deal to allay concerns. As predicted, the pups returned to normal within a couple of hours and there were no lasting effects. In this case there was a happy ending.

Also from AWS_Chat, on October, 11, 2010, message #1326, there was a story forwarded from California by Martha Sbarbori ‗Death Cap Mushrooms are growing…..‘ It was about a case of a dog, Donato, who died from eating a species of a mushroom identified by a forest ranger as the, ‗death cap‘, which is most commonly found out West. Go to http://bernese.biz/ MushroomFlyer.pdf to see the flyer which was created by a relative of the dog‘s owner, amaz- ingly depicting the stages of growth of this mushroom, probably Amanita pantherina, designed for posting to warn all pet owners. Be sure to take a good look at the stages of growth repre- sented here, as the fruiting bodies of mushrooms do take on different sizes and shapes in their development. In fact, most species of the Amanita family of mushrooms have some degree of toxicity for both humans and dogs, so it is best to leave them alone unless you have been spe- cially trained.

In the case of the Amanita pantherina, this relatively small sized species grows predominantly in certain areas of California, especially in the San Francisco Bay area, and some other places in the West. However, that does not mean it would not appear in other states or on a random basis elsewhere, so we all need to be careful.

You may also want to read some other suggestions from this section of the AWS Chat archives from our own AWS owners. Simple search with ‗mushrooms‘ to enjoy the discussions. For example, on November 30, 2010, there is a reference to view a special newscast from KTVU which is a great segment with FFSC's Lee Yamada, with Dr. Todd Mitchell who pioneered the live-saving treatment of Death Cap, Amanita phalloides, poisoning with extract of milk thistle in the USA. While this refers to humans, the process would be pretty much the same for dogs. I guarantee that this ‗first-hand‘ account of a person who survived a liver transplant after ingesting one of the deadly species will impress you to be careful. http://www.ktvu.com/ video/25917015/index.html By the way, Amanita phalloides is also found mainly in the West, but there are comparable Amanita species in the rest of the USA, equally as deadly.

Pet owners can always call their local poison control center and/or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center for help. For identification of the ingested mushrooms, members of your local state mushroom club can help. NAMA‘s website at http://www.namyco.org has links to local mushroom clubs and you can also contact the members of their Toxicity Committee directly . 1) You will need to find some specimens and pick them, along with the entire ‗root‘ of several mushrooms at various stages, if possible. 2) Be sure to also photograph the mushroom from a variety of angles, and to also do this after it is cut in half through the stem. 3) Take a picture of the underside of the cap. These can be easily emailed if they are digital.

The VLPP (Veterinary Lifeline Partner Program) Newsletter, fall 2007, has an interesting case study followed by questions to test what we really know about toxic mushrooms and how to treat ingestion. Scroll down to the middle of the page in http://www.aspcapro.org/fall-

33 The Journal June 2011

Save your Pets from Toxic Mushrooms - Page 3 2007.php#case under ‗Case Study‘. Be sure to check out the pictures there of the most toxic species.

In my readings I have concluded that it is best to thoroughly train your dog with the ‗leave it‘ command as that can ensure that the dog will never eat anything without your permission. Ac- tually, I‘ve read that the biggest killer of dogs who died from eating something is tennis balls, so this reinforces the practical value of training the ‗leave it‘ command.

So, protect your pets, and do spread the word to your Veterinarian. Be sure to tell them about the article ‘Mushroom poisoning in dogs‘, from the February 2007 Veterinary Medicine maga- zine, which you can download from http://www.aspcapro.org/mydocuments/download.php? f=zd-vetm0207f_095-100_.pdf . It tells specific details about kinds of mushroom poisonings and appropriate treatments for various animals in terms the Vets understand.

In Dr. Nolan Kaiser‘s case, his appointment with his Vet was in the afternoon of the third day after symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea occurred. Their office said the schedule was too full on a Tuesday to take the dog when he called; the original symptoms starting on Monday had sounded like regular gastric problems and neither he nor the veterinary office staff had any idea of the seriousness of the matter. The Vet administered IV‘s on Wednesday afternoon, but the dog died at home early that evening, so it was way too late. Of course, Nolan was devastated.

By keeping the Veterinarians informed, by education of dog owners, by training your dog soundly with ‗Leave it‘, and by some very fast action should your dog ingest a toxic specimen, your AWS dog, and those of many other breeds can be saved from mushroom poisoning.

By Sister Marie Kopin, C.PP.S., NAMA (North American Mycological Association) life member, and Secretary of the Michigan Mushroom Hunters Club, member of AWSC and AWSFA (American Water Spaniel Club and the American Water Spaniel Field Association). May 12, 2011

(I have permission from Dr. Nolan Kaiser to use his story, and he will want a copy of this article to pass on to his guide dog association and other dog owners)

Foxie demonstrates the interesting smells of morel mushrooms 34

HONOR AWARDS

Don‘t forget about the Honor Awards Program we have set up to honor the dogs for their work (and for all the work you have done with your dogs). If you need a refresher on the program, please go the AWSFA website and review the Categories and Points to get these honors.

Platinum Award Winner

CH Mountain Star Tazmanian CDX RAE2 JH NA NAJ CGC SD TDI (41 Points) SR 046048/01 Owner: Debra K. & Frank L. Parker Breeder: Sharilee Malik

Gold Award Winner

CH Mtn Star Lady Genevive CD, RE, JH, SD, CGC (24 Points) SR 026700/01 Owner: Frank L. & Debra K. Parker

Breeder: Tim & Sharilee Malik 35

HONOR AWARDS - Page 2

SILVER AWARD WINNERS

CH Aspen Springs Water Lily CD, RE, JH, NA, NAJ, CGC TDI (19 Points) SR246869/01 Owner: Debra K. & Frank L. Parker Breeder: Frank L. & Debra K. Parker

CH Aspen Springs Wind Spirit CD, RE, JH, NA, NAJ, CGC TDI (15 Points) SR246869/06 Owner: Debra K. & Frank L. Parker Breeder: Frank L. & Debra K. Parker 36

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Article by Bobbye Land

Almost everyone knows to keep their gardening chemicals under lock and key, safe from children and pets, but how many people would know to keep up a barrier from something as innoc- uous as their mulch? The pet owner who raced out to sniff her newly arrived mulch wasn‘t neu- rotic, she was simply using her nose to determine that no cocoa mulch had slipped into the mix. While it‘s true that some brands of the mulch claim to be pet friendly, most dog lovers agree that it‘s better to be safe than sorry.

Cocoa mulch has an intoxicating scent that chocolate lovers enjoy adding to their garden, but that scent comes with a deadly price no dog lover is willing to pay. Most have been educated in the need to keep chocolate away from their dogs, knowing that it contains theobromine, a caf- feine-like chemical that has no ill effects on humans but is poisonous to animals less well equipped to metabolize it. Unfortunately, the chocolate scent in cocoa mulch does indeed come from chocolate. (The mulch consists mostly of cacao bean shells, which contain a much higher concentration of theobromine than even most of the chocolate that is available for human con- sumption.) Also, unfortunately, humans aren‘t the only ones attracted to the chocolate scent...dogs are equally attracted, except they don‘t stop at sniffing it. They do what dogs do best. They chew on it. This can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and in severe cases, death.

When you decide to landscape your property, you should start by determining what your top priority will be. Naturally, your utmost concern should be safety. That means you will have to make a lot of concessions in the way you‘d ordinarily do things, such as going organic instead of reaching for a fast chemical fix when it‘s time to fertilize or deal with insect pests.

A garden can also be designed as a fun place for dogs to learn. Basic agility equipment can make attractive accents. There‘s no rule that says they have to be painted a certain way or even be made out of certain materials.

Use creativity in designing an agility course that includes plants and shrubs, and make your wooden or plastic equipment works of garden art. A dog can jump through a circle of ivy or over a low hedge of bushes as easily as one made of wood or plastic.

Nothing excites dogs more than finding a treasure trove of goodies in a plot of dirt that they‘re sure has been pre-dug just for them. Not only can this get expensive, several kinds of bulbs can be toxic if ingested.

The smell of mothballs will keep most dogs from coming anywhere near your bulb bed. How- ever, since mothballs are highly toxic to your dogs, a safe way to use them is to put mothballs inside a glass baby food jar with holes punched in the lids. Bury the jars along the bulbs leaving just the lids exposed.

However you choose to design your garden, remember: The most important aspect should be that you are creating a place to share with your pet.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION The American Water Spaniel was developed in the Midwest as a multi-purpose hunter. He was used by the old-time meat hunters of the 1800s, and his field of activity encompassed a wide variety of game. Ducks, geese, grouse, pheasant, quail, woodcock, rabbit, and squirrel were displaced and retrieved with dispatch. His curly coat repelled the thorny brush and was insulat- ing and waterproof, leaving him indifferent to the frigid temperatures.

But what the old timers said of him in comparison to other sporting breeds was that he had ―moxie‖ - the ability to face difficulty with spirit, into the thicket he would go in search of crip- ples, admirably persistent in his efforts. Being several inches shorter than the setters, pointers, and retrievers, he could slip beneath the branches of the bramble, nose to ground, tail whipping eagerly as he neared his quarry.

This hunting savvy and spirit of moxie, combined in a dog of medium size, had been developed by American sportsmen at a time when meat was hunted for the table, the hunting parties trav- eling miles of river in canoe or skiff. Frequently they stayed in the marsh, sleeping in the skiff to await the sunrise shooting. The large retrievers, while powerful and capable, had been found to be a hazard in the canoe. So, the versatile, compact American Water Spaniel with its curled, protective coat became a common sight in Midwest marsh and field.

The Ameriacan Water Spaniel has been a familiar sight in the area of Oshkosh, Wisconsin since 1850, valued as a hunting dog. No records of its development exist. There is a close similarity to the English Water Spaniel, now extinct. This Engligh hunter was a like size and credited with exceptional scenting powers.

Today‘s American Water Spaniels possess the instincts, confidence and intelligence of their early ancestors.

1906 in North Dakota

The Journal 38 June 2011 2011 AWSFA EVENT CALENDAR

Field Training 9:00 AM - ? JUNE Luncheon 1:00 PM Cohoctah Meadows Farm Annual Meeting ? Howell, MI Saturday, June 4

JULY Field Training 9:00 AM - ? Cohoctah Meadows Farm Howell, MI Saturday, July 9

AUGUST Field Training 9:00 AM - ? Cohoctah Meadows Farm Howell, MI Saturday, August 20

SEPTEMBER Field Training 9:00 AM - ? Cohoctah Meadows Farm Howell, MI Saturday, August 10

Visit www.awsfa.org for any changes/new events.

The Journal 39 June 2011 BREEDERS Beavercreek Aspen Springs Kennel American Water Spaniels Frank and Debra Parker Lola Thorsness 2837 S. Eastover P. O. Box 205 Benneth CO 80102 Beavercreek, OR 97004 303-644-3508 503-632-1564 [email protected] http://beavercreekaws.tripod.com [email protected]

Edie’s American Water Spaniels Kraskey’s Grand Kennel Gary and Tonja McCullough Carolyn Kraskey 2352 Palm Dale Drive S.W. 2600 Grand Street N.E. Wyoming, MI 49519 Minneapolis, MN 55418 616-532-2965 (h) 612-789-8077 [email protected] [email protected]

Wine Country Little Brownies Kennel Bill and Gerda Smith Paul and Lynn Morrison 1853 Flat Street 11450 Durand Road Penn Yan, NY 14527 Howell, MI 48855 315-536-2674 517-552-1663 http://s126.photobucket.com/albums/ www.LittleBrowniesKennel.com p98/1hounddog/ [email protected] [email protected]

Visit us at www.awsfa.org ______A PUBLICATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN WATER SPANIEL FIELD ASSOCIATION, INC. Official mailing address: AWSFA 1909 Main Street Stevens Point, WI 54481

40 The Journal June 2011

AWSFA 1909 Main Street Stevens Point, WI 54481

TO: