Welcome To My View

Zachary's Story of Cancer

Stem Cell Harvest and the Phersis Machine

Cancer is never a diagnosis that any one wants to hear, especially a 23 year old young man.  I get the information and I can't catch a breath, my ears are filled with white noise and my brain is racing,  trying to make sense of the information.  I look over at my nephew and he seems so vulnerable and sick.  I could not even imagine the long roller coaster ride we were about to undertake together.  

It started as a tiny little annoying cough.  Zachary would do one of those little coughs like you are trying to clear your throat.  When nothing seemed to bring relief, I took him to his family doctor.  After Dr. B examined Zachary, he really couldn't find anything significant and determined that this was one of those OCD habits that Autistics acquire.  We go home and I don't completely ignore it, but I don't pay as much attention to it as I should.

Winter came and Zachary seemed to cough more in the cold air and he complained about coughing when he shoveled the snow.  I thought he was trying to find a way out of shoveling, so I told him to suck it up and do his job.  Zachary has always needed encouragement to get up and moving and to do his chores, so I didn't think much about it.

Spring came and I went out of town for a week to visit my sister and when I got home, Zachary's appearance shook me.  I saw things that you don't notice when you are with someone day in and day out.  He was thin and he was gray.  I made an appointment to see Dr. B the very next day. 

Dr. B was very alarmed.  He could not get any breath sounds on his right lung at all.  He sent him immediately for a chest xray and told me to check back with him that afternoon.  We went directly to the radiology location 15 minutes away.  When Zachary was putting his shirt back on, the radiology assistant said that the Radiologist had just read the xray and giving me that special look that says this is very bad, she advised me to call Dr. B immediately.  I got in the car and called Dr. B.  Normally you don't get to speak to Dr. B immediately and I was expecting him to have to call me back, but to my surprise he came on the phone.  He instructed me to go home and pack a bag for Zachary and go directly to St. Joe's ER, that Zachary was in serious condition.  He had faxed over his report to the ER and that they would be waiting for us.  He also wanted someone to come to his office and pick up a copy of the information that he faxed just to be on the safe side because faxed papers can go missing in ER.

At this point, I go into Mother/CEO/World Leader mode and I start taking charge.  I call Lyle, my husband, and send him ASAP to pick up the documents at Dr. B's office then he was to come directly to the hospital ER.
Zachary and I do as instructed and we go directly to St. Joseph's Emergency Room.  As Dr. B said, they take Zachary back immediately, they have reviewed his xray and Dr. B's notes and they take him to an exam room straight away.  Blood is drawn.  More xrays and CT Scan are done.  Then we are surrounded by Thoracic Surgeons and Residents.  They are examining him again and again.   They give us the news.  Zachary has cancer and he has a huge mass in his chest.  They move him to ICU and we spend the next seven days there with the doctors putting him on steroids that helps his breathing.  Once, they have him more stable, they tell us that they are fast tracking him to Juravinski  Cancer Centre.  Zachary get's discharged from St. Joes and sent home and advised we will hear from Juravinski very soon.

They weren't kidding.  We just got home and set Zachary's suitcase down and the phone rings.  It's is Juravinski  Cancer Centre Hematology Clinic calling and we are to be at their clinic on the 2nd floor in 20 minutes.  The lady on the phone advises me that Dr. Benger  is going to be our Hematology Oncologist .  Again, I get Zachary in the car and we go to meet Dr. Benger.  We arrived on the second floor and as we are entering the Clinic area, a silver haired grandmotherly lady dressed in a doctor's coat stops us with her hand out and she announces that she is Dr. Benger and she motioned to a tall lady standing next to her and introduced us to Wendy, her nurse assistant and Dr. Benger proclaimed that they are our team that will be working hard with us to get through this cancer.

Zachary was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  Hodgkin's lymphoma — formerly known as Hodgkin's disease — is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of your immune system.  Hodgkin's lymphoma is most often diagnosed in people between the ages of 15 and 30, as well as those older than 55. Males are slightly more likely to develop Hodgkin's lymphoma.  Zachary's cancer was diagnosed as Stage IIB.  They explained that Hodgkin's is one of the cancers that typically is easy to cure.

Zachary underwent a bone marrow biopsy that first visit along with a lot of blood work and a CT Scan.  I was allowed to stay while the bone marrow biopsy was done and I must say that Zachary was my hero from that day forward.  Perhaps he was too weak to protest, but he willingly did everything that was asked of him even though he was pretty exhausted.  They did a needle biopsy of the mass in his chest.  He actually watched that  in a mirror and the doctor joked that he has a morbid curiosity.

After  the regular 3 months of chemo they determine he needs another round of chemo.  Then he had 2 months of radiation.  All during this time he is having CT Scans and PET Scans and we are getting no cure.  His tumor has shrunk some but it is still quite the mass in his chest.  He still has trouble walking for any distance without gasping for air and he still has the annoying cough.  After

consultation, we find out that Zachary's cancer is very aggressive and he has a resistance to chemo and radiation.  In the time most patients need to allow chemo therapy to complete its work, Zachary's cancer keeps  growing and repairing itself.  To explain it easily, Zachary's tumor builds a protein that protects the tumor or cancer cells rather than allowing the chemo and radiation to destroy the tumor or cancer cells. 

Dr. Benger consulted with her colleagues and they determined that a stem cell transplant would be needed, but prior to getting there they wanted to do some specialized chemo therapy which is much harsher and condensed in hopes that chemo would kill the cancer cells.  Zachary had a Apheresis Catheter inserted in his chest that would allow for his own stem cells to be collected for the transplant.   He had to go for several chemos at the Jurasvinski Cancer Hospital Day Oncology Services.  Nothing is ever quick in this process.  You want to attack the cancer with everything medicine has but each thing has another side effect and a waiting period.  Time drags and drags and drags. 

Meantime,  Zachary completes the round of chemo that is like an introductory chemo, then they put him in the hospital and they do a week of really hard, mean chemo trying to kill as many of the cancer cells as possible before harvesting his stem cells for transplant.  After this horrible chemo, we go home and give him shots that build him stem cells very quickly in his bone marrow, so we will have enough to harvest.  The shots make Zachary feel like his has a bad case of the flu and his bones ache.  Up until this time, he has been a trooper and never complained and we would get through vomiting and being weak and having brain fog from chemo.  But, these shots made his hips and legs hurt so bad, he could hardly walk.  He finally broke down and cried in pain.  It was so hard for Lyle and me to see him like this, that we broke down and cried with him.

Harvest time - we have to be at the Aphersis lab at 6:30 am.  Nothing to eat since the night before.  Once he is hooked up, there is no walking to the bathroom and you must use a bedside toilet.  Believe me, there are dozens of ways to take away dignity and free will during cancer treatment.  They put him in bed and hook him up to the Aphersis machine using the catheter in his chest.  There are two lines coming out of his chest.  His entire blood is removed and returned three times during this process.   One line is used to remove the blood from his body to the machine and the stem cells and some platelets are separated out of the blood and stored in the machine, the rest of the blood is returned back to his body.  We didn't get enough stem cells the first day so we had to go back for a second day of harvesting.

We went home and waited for our latest Scan and it showed that we didn't have any improvement but the tumor had not grown, so we would proceed with the stem cell transplant.   We got the call to be at the hospital on August 15 at 2:00 pm, on Friday.  We arrived and they started fluids and anti-nausea meds via IV.  Saturday and Sunday they did the last and the meanest chemo.  There is no way anyone can prepare you for  what happens during the chemo and the stem cell transplant.  I don't care what you read or hear, it doesn't compare to actually being there.  Up until the chemo before, Zachary had not even lost a hair.  Now he doesn't have any hair and the Saturday chemo drug burns the inside of Zachary's mouth until it looks like his tongue and the inside of his cheeks have been put through a grater.  He can't talk, eat, drink or spit.  This chemo drug seeps from his armpits.  It burns his armpits, scrotum and belly crease above his navel.  All those areas literally sloth off all skin to raw meat.  It is during this time that Zachary acquires pneumonia and had to be rushed to ICU for a week.  There is vomiting and explosive diarrhea.  A real sense of despair and weakness so bad you must turn all bodily functions over to someone else.

During all this, we had the best medical care bar none world-wide.   Dr. Benger and Wendy, Michelle, Jenn, all our nurses, aides, housekeeping, physical therapy,  home nurses, CAP (Cancer Assistance Program)  have been there for us.  They not only were our professionals, but they treated us like family

Nursing Staff Clowning With Zachary

and showed genuine care and love for Zachary and me.  They went above and beyond to make it as easy as possible and to grant every wish.  They allowed Zachary to have visits with his dog, Chase and puppy, Ellie.  We will spend the rest of our lives finding ways to show our appreciation for them.

We were told that the Stem Cell Transplant has only a 30 - 50 percent success rate.  We are waiting for our next scan to see if we got lucky.  It does feel like a Hail Mary Pass for the win!  If it didn't give us the cure we pray for, we have an experimental drug to try. 

Strange how to start feeling at this point.  At least for me it is.  I want to have hope that we got our cure, but there is a part that makes it hard to hope for fear we will be disappointed.  So suffice it to say, "I am cautiously optimistic"!

The end of Zachary's Cancer story still remains to be told.  I pray it's a story with a happy ending.

Zachary got to have a visit with his dog, Chase, while in ICU.

Dog People Have Huge Hearts When Called On

During Zachary's treatment, it was getting harder for him to be happy about anything.  Everyone loves to get greeting cards, so I reached out to the Dog Community and asked that they send Zachary  cards.  Man did they ever respond.  There hasn't been hardly a day go by since I asked that there hasn't been a card received and most days its several cards and maybe a package with a surprise.

Along with cards, Zachary has received, a handmade Wirehair Dachshund pin

Zachary having some fun before Transplant. l - r me, Zachary
Wendy Reyn and Shelby Lynn.  

from Spain , hand crafted soap that he loved,  money, gift cards, a fabulous cape for Super Zachary to wear that he loves, a  hand painted Zelda cap, a cap from Alaska, a Zelda shirt, a handheld game with a game, Zelda posters, Japanese Candy and treats and Anime Posters, mustache straws, glow n the dark Silly Putty, a solar robot dog kit, EB Games gift cards (One I have no idea who sent it and EB Games would not tell me).  Friends of Friends of Friends sent cards.  He has received cards from all over the world.  Friends have sent words of comfort, support and love on Facebook.

Never will we be able to thank you all enough.  But, I want to tell each of you thank you, again.  Here is a list of people that have made Zachary, Lyle and me feel the love during our battle.

The names with a * are members of our dog community.

Lynn Holland                         Melody Bagwell Greco

Kandice Kostic *                    Carolyn Mills *

Marcello Tulipano*                Sybyl Swan*

Heather Brennan*                 Lynda McFadden*

Deborah Bowan Harple        Lee Jolliffe*

Maureen Hepples                 Maureen Merkler

Helenne Belanger Sassytails*     Laural Brown*

Rhonda Smith Giannini        *       Lois Langille

Sari Hirvonen*                       Sandy Alexander*

Dawn Watters*                      Pat Blenkey*

Yvonne Howcroft                   Katheryn Murray*

Tammy Timpany McAllister*  Amanda McAllister*

Kerrie-Lyn Taylor         *         Melissa Doherty

Trina Caird*                            Emma Doherty

Ashley Parker                        Jan Carpenter*

Heinz  Rueetschli*                 Debbie Hendrix

Chuck Lamers*                      Nancy Downing*

Summerford Newfoundlands*

Diane Albin*                          Timothy Andrews*

Wiebke Kumbhani*               Angel Wagner*

Jayne Stewart*                      Adri Lland*

Wendy Reyn*                        Pat Ward

Lynn Cope*                           Gail Josephine Tutt*

Marian Van Ekelenburg*       Katarzyna Ciupek*

Judy Pruitt                             Karen Fasciano*

Josephine Lambert*              Nicole Cooper*

Kathie Ellingson Roth*          Aleisa Colbert Mckinlay

Toni Hoover- Mendenhall*   Debby Krieg*

Susan Wesson Cain*           Nuria Trujillo*

Karen Kuhn                          Shirley Ray*

Bob Boxma*                         Harambee Kennels*

Gyverscots Karen Prokopetz*

Brenda J Nichols*                 Tam Pregent*

Donna Cullen*                      Amanda Ferris*

Leslie E. Shelby Savoye*     Kay Reil*

Penny Osborne*                   Marlene Ness*

Lisa Maki*                             Brian Casey*

Tylor Atkins                           Shawna F. Babby

Scott Bell                               Shelby Lynne*

Jenny Best*                           Donna Tomson Castlekeep IW*

Dianne Miller*                        Kaileigh Gonzalez*

Kristi Martin*                          Trish Gould

Shawn Nies*                          Bernadette Wagner*

Laurie Chemaz                      Steven Parker

Sharon Betker*                      Marsha Strawn Perry

Yolanda Bowan Pound          John Robson*

Karen Taylor*                        Lori Payne*

Carol Ellingson*                     Katherina  Dueck*

Rob Paterson*                       Gloria Bracchetti*

Ashley Cawthen                     Katy Mason Cargill

Lynn Blackbourn*                   Lynn Shannon

Sharleen Weatherley             Christa Wilkin

Catlin Cahill*                          David Bryan Swartwood*

D DPhoto Graphy*                 Heather Dowell

Kathy Black Lanier                 Tommy Cawthen

Beata Lamentowicz*              Katherine Zayas

Brenda Gale*                         Loren Bressers*

Patti Adams Pollock               Linda Ploom Metham*

Jenn Fournier-Stooke*           Jeffrey Boehne*

Kitty Kalas-Durst*                  Cindy Niles*

Dustin Hall                             Patricia Romanelli*

Freckashpeng Hounds*         Michelle Atkinson-Fielding*

Nancibeth  Koutstaal*            Paul Wilson*

Carol Gravestock*                 Gabriella Lorincz*

Peggy Michau Marasis*         Patricia Grant*

Mardell Wingo Clanton          Anne Burgess McDougall*

Doreen Calvin*                      Jean Tremblay*

Randy & Nancy Rhodes*       Lucza Vertes*

Karen Norton*                        Michelle Scott*

Michelle Therrien*                 Gwen Giles*

Jane Mangat                          Steve Lambert*

Chris Pollen*                          ExSentia (Ina Malecka)*

Barbara Heal*                       Kristen Weatherley   

If I left your name off the list, please forgive me.  But, let me know.  I want to include you in my next blog.  You are very important to us.             

The Canadian Dog Fancier Magazine is now offering  Dog Fanciers another excellent product.  It's weekly summary of dog shows is a budget friendly way to get your advertising out there without sacrificing quality of artwork or audience.  The ad prices are unbelievable.  It's a great way to supplement  your magazine advertising.  You get the same great service as you get from the magazine.  Plus it's a great way to keep up with who's who in the winning world of Canadian Dog Shows.

Angel Wagner would be happy if you contacted her about finding a great spot in the upcoming summary!  Contact Angel Wagner at  angel@canadiandogfancier.com

 Handling Classes in Southern Ontario

Lyle and I regularly attend Monica Park's handling classes. Keeps our dogs sharp and our skills honed. If you are a beginner or experienced, Monica can offer you instruction and insights like none other in the

area. 

Drop-in Handling Classes with Monica Park in Milton  

Fall session Classes will be held every Tuesday from now until December 16 @ 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Winter session Classes will start again Tuesday January 6 until June 23 @ 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM

Boyne Community Centre Milton (Regional Rd. 25 & Britannia Rd.)

Call or text 905-876-6663
E-mail monica.park66@gmail.com

Be sure to go to Canuck Dogs, http://www.canuckdogs.com, to see all the upcoming events and to check stats.  You should  bookmark it.  That's where you will find my blog. 

XXXOOO

Welcome To My View

Photography at Dog Shows

We have been experiencing some issues in Ontario regarding photography at dog shows.  I hope the problem is isolated to just Ontario, but if not, perhaps I am addressing something that will help everyone.  If your area hasn't had any of these issues, I hope by discussing our situation, you will learn how to avoid it in the future.

The problem is that there have been occasions that the show photographer has left their booth and gone ringside to tell spectators, exhibitors or photo hobbyist that they are not allowed to take candid photos ringside.  The professional photographers have insisted that they pack up their equipment.  

Personally, I enjoy both type photos.  Who among us doesn't get a winning picture of their dog with the judge and our latest rosette?  I will admit, that we don't always get a picture if money is very tight or if we don't really love the photographer's work, but as a general rule, we get a show photo.  We have a favorite photographer that we look forward to seeing at the shows.  We are disappointed when he isn't the official photographer.  

At our Ontario shows, the official show photographer normally has a booth set up with the necessary equipment and backdrop.  We have our photos taken and then the photographer will display the shots on a computer monitor for you to select your picture.  They print it out while you wait or you can get a CD.  If there is a minor correction needed, like removing your knee from your dog's fore-chest, they will make that correction while you wait for an additional fee. Seldom if ever, have I ever seen the show photographer outside taking candid shots for exhibitors to purchase.  Let's face it, the photographer can't be both places at once.

I have also received many beautiful movement shots and stacked shots of Lyle yand my dogs in the show ring.  I love these shots.  I get to see a still shot that allows me to evaluate what I may not have seen otherwise.  Let's face it.  We all love to see our dog's beautiful and correct movement shots.  Those pictures prove we are right about our dog and they are what we thought they would be.  To Lyle's dismay, I also use these photos to show him if I think something should be improved.  

When the professional photographer comes out and reprimands a lay person for taking pictures ringside, it makes me believe that the photographer may be lacking confidence in his ability to bring business to his booth.  The ringside picture taker isn't taking pictures over the official photographer's shoulder, stealing setup or composition.  Neither is the ringside picture taker selling the pictures.  The pictures are taken and emailed to the recipient for free or posted on Facebook for anyone interested to download for free.  The hobbyist that take the ringside pictures are better than the folks with their Iphones or tablets trying to quickly snap a shot of their dogs.  They have better equipment with the knowledge on how to use it.  But, they do it because they love the dogs and they believe they are combining two loves at once.  They also satisfy the need of the other exhibitors to have the candid shots.

I went to my friend Warren Cook who is a very successful professional show photographer in Washington State, USA.  I asked him what his opinion on this situation.  

Here is what he told me:  "The more photos taken: The more people want photos. As long as we all understand that the composition of the photo is something that I create, lasts a moment, is the result of my knowledge and experience, and belongs to only me, and that no one else may shoot that photo, I am happy. If you shoot from the side, you are at the wrong angle. If you shoot with a cell phone, you are using a crappy camera (relatively) and shooting from the wrong height, and all that will result is that you get a poor photo with my name in it so it ascribes your poor work to my Copyright. Also, cell phones put out radio waves that interfere with digital cameras and I don't want the best photo to have banding going through it.

Other than that, I think it is perfectly acceptable to have people shoot photos of dogs from 

ringside. When they want a good photo, they can come to me.

1. A camera is a tool. I am certain Ansel Adams could have done well with Yosemite and a Kodak box camera.

2. There should be no dispute between the Pro Photographer and the people taking ringside pictures,  because they are complementary to one and other in giving people what they want.

If there is a dispute, then the principles do not understand the concept of collegial workforce competition, which means to know how to work with your colleagues,  In General, the two are not competing for the dollar that is earmarked for a win photo."

So the final word on this subject is, Professional Photographers should appreciate the pictures being taken because they are not competing with your expertise nor will they harm your ability to make the money that you would have made if they were not at the show.  To complain to the Ringside picture takers is showing your lack of understanding of what your paying customers want and if you get the reputation of bullying the picture takers you are shooting yourself in the foot as coming off as a bully.  Also, please remember that the dog shows are a public event and unless they are charging an entry fee and it states on the ticket "no cameras allowed", you can not regulate what anyone does ringside.  There is no way to police hundreds of people that own cell-phones, cameras, tablets and sketch pads.

To the Ringside photographers, I just would like to remind you that the professional photographer makes his living taking winning photos.  Show respect.  Never try to shoot over his head or use his set up after the show has closed.  That is just plain rude.  

Here are photos we have had taken both professionally and by hobbyist and friends:

Picture taken ringside by Wendy Reyn

Picture taken by John Robson

Picture Professionally taken by Lynne Oslach Photography

Picture Professionally taken by Lynne Oslach Photography

Picture taken by Josephine Lambert

I have been reading everyone's opinions about what is wrong with our sport and why it is dying and it seems to me everyone pretty much agrees on some basic problems.  What is crippling our sport and not allowing us to bring it back to full bloom is the lack of cooperation, closed minds, petty feelings and everyone sitting on their hands waiting for someone else to fix it.

I watch the posts and I am amazed at how people take offence at the some of the statements. Do we want to fix our problems for the betterment of the whole or do we just want to be self-indulged?  Stop looking for ways to be offended.  Start looking for value in what is being said.

We want to blame the CKC for not doing enough.  What the heck do you want them to do? They are a regulatory agency.  They are working with registrations, rules enforcement, conformation, herding, field, tracking, agility, obedience, earth dog, and on and on and on.   Rather than pointing a finger at the CKC, why don't you look around your own house and decide to fix what ails you.  

We want to blame Puppy Mills and Backyard breeders for selling more puppies at higher prices and poor quality.  OK, what are you doing to publicize your breeding programs and the quality and health of your dogs.  What are you doing to educate the public?  

We want to blame the lack of new blood coming into the sport.  What are you doing at your level to make our sport inviting.  What are you doing to get people interested.  When was the last time you sponsored a junior?  Are you inviting your puppy buyers to a show?  Perhaps your puppy buyers have kids that would be interested in learning your breed and showing.

We want to blame poor judging.  What have you done to let the kennel club know what you liked or didn't like about their judging panel?  Please remember to be respectful no matter if you like or disliked a particular judge.  

We want to blame the economy.  Well since there is little we can do to make an big impact on that, then you need to find new and creative ways to spend your money to support the sport and the clubs need to find new and creative ways to draw exhibitors.

We want to blame the kennel clubs.  You need to be a member of a kennel club in your area. The clubs need to be realistic about the economics of hosting a show.  Perhaps rather than always demanding the same date of your show year after year which competes with another show in the province, you should think of alternative dates.  The clubs need to be thinking bigger and do more to publicize their events and bring out more of the general public.  The clubs need to be realistic and take pride off the table and if it makes better economic sense to join another club for a cluster, do it.  Share expenses and get more exhibitors to your show.

We want to blame everyone and everything but ourselves for allowing our sport to die a slow

and agonizing death.  Be a thinker.  Be open minded to solutions.  Stop with the "not in my backyard" mentality.  Stop making this personal.  Treat it like a business.

We need to work at the grassroots level out. Talk to each other about what is working and what isn't.  Each individual makes a difference, but it will take the whole group to save it.  Don't be the tail wagging the dog!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------








 Heather Brennan is a successful free-lance writer, a GSP breeder and CKC judge.  I respect her immensely. I asked her to give us her thoughts on what is wrong with our sport and what needs to be done to save it. Here is her perspective.

The issues facing our sport and how to keep it alive have been a topic for discussion for several years now. We've seen many shows have declining entries for a few years now and it becomes really apparent even to those with their heads in the sand that we have a problem when an all-breed, summer show in southern Ontario has an entry of less than 100. Not surprisingly, this has sparked numerous debates across the country about the state of the sport and its future.

As a community, we have a terrible habit of simply pointing our blame fingers at the first convenient target, most often the Canadian Kennel Club(CKC).   As an exhibitor, breeder, judge, and all breed show chair it is an issue I spend a lot of time thinking about, I tend to find myself coming back to three basic issues that, in my opinion, contribute to the problem.

The economy.

The lack of new blood coming into the sport - when you look around at a show or at a club meeting, how many new people do you see?

Exhibitors’ perceptions about show politics and judges.

Because I am a firm believer that you don’t get to complain unless you are honestly working to change the situation, I’d like to suggest some ideas and ways to help address these problems. I firmly believe that we cannot lay all the blame at the feet of the CKC. I also believe that there are things that all of us can do to improve the situation.

The economy is really not something we can change. Most of us have had to tighten our belts. This means less money to spend on shows and it makes competition for exhibitor dollars much tighter. With exhibitors picking and choosing which shows to enter rather than being out every weekend, they are going to go with shows that offer value for their money. Different exhibitors will have different priorities but for most the judging panel, venue, and amenities offered by the show will likely play a role in the decision. What we can do, as clubs, is put on a show that meets our exhibitors needs and makes them feel it was money well spent.

I think that it is worth noting that not all clubs are experiencing a decline in entries. Some are showing an increase year over year. Obviously continuing to do what has always been done will not suddenly yield an improvement in entries. For clubs that are not willing to change with the times, the end may well be in sight. In southern Ontario, this might not be a terrible thing as we have far too many shows here already. What are the clubs that are succeeding doing?

Look at their panels, their non-regular events – like Best Bred By Exhibitor competitions and judges’ commentary during group and best in show judging, and the general feel of their shows. They don’t see the end; they see an opportunity to do better and are reaping the rewards.

For smaller shows and shows that occur on a weekend where there is another show, the cluster option is well worth considering. The biggest expenses for most shows, excluding CKC fees which are based on their total entry, are the venue and judge expenses. A cluster allows multiple clubs to each take one day – they can split the venue fees and judge expenses. I imagine CKC permission would be required but with valid reasons for doing it, they would likely be amenable. For some clubs, reducing their expenses would allow them to diversify their panels a bit more and use funds for other events. Wouldn't it be better to work together than to continue to die apart?

The lack of new blood is an area where the CKC may be able to help with a campaign that promotes purebred dogs and all the wonderful benefits that come with them. But, there is a lot that we can do as breeders and exhibitors, also.  Consider inviting your puppy owners to spend a day at a dog show with you so they can see firsthand what shows are like. Encourage and support your puppy owners – they are not point fodder. When you see someone struggling at a show – whether it’s with grooming the dog, showing, or any other aspect of the experience – stop and offer some help. Rather than snickering, let’s reach out and make a new friend.

Shows can offer assistance to new exhibitors and make sure that they know it’s available. They can offer classes for newcomers. Most importantly, they can reach out to people who are not involved in dogs, particularly children. Consider contacting local groups like the girl guides, boy scouts, Big Brothers and Sisters, etc. Have a fun session with the children, giving them a taste of what purebred dogs and dog shows are all about. Many children love animals. Get them involved from a young age.

The final problem – the ongoing perception that judges are crooked and pro handlers win everything – is perhaps the hardest one to overcome. It means overcoming a bias that is deeply ingrained in many exhibitors. Do I think judges are crooked? No. Do I think that pro handlers always win? No. We have many successful owner handlers with top ranked dogs that frequently do well in group and at the best in show level. They have some characteristics in common with one another. They all handle their dogs extremely well – so well, in fact, that others often approach them to handle their dogs. They believe in their dogs and always present a clean, well groomed animal. Many of them have been handling for a long time and they have a lot of practice. Yes, some are just naturally gifted too.

Is it easier for a judge to find a well presented dog? Absolutely. Poor presentation can make a stunning dog look ordinary or worse. As owner handlers we need to do a good handling job. Are some judges less skilled than others at finding a good dog despite the handling errors? Of course. Just like handling, some people will be better at it than others.

The area where the CKC might make a difference here is in allowing judges to make comments or even critique the dogs in their ring at the best of breed level and higher. Transparency could make a huge difference in how exhibitors perceive a judge’s decision.

I don’t know about other show chairs, but I watch how well judges draw an entry. Judges that do not draw well, do not go on my list of potential judges to hire. Exercise your entry and avoid the judges that you truly feel pay more attention to the handler than the dog. Successful shows take note of who does and who doesn't draw a good entry. A judge that overdraws is worth every penny because of the entry they bring in.

Hopefully I have given you something to think about. I really believe that we can all play a part in keeping our sport alive. We all love dogs and, conceivably we all love showing our dogs or we wouldn't be doing it, so we should all be willing to work towards its future. 

It's time to stop complaining and pointing fingers and to GO TO WORK.  Start with yourself and find ways to make your local situation better.  Then work with your club correcting one problem at a time.  Share what works and what doesn't with the rest of us.  Be sure to check your personality and ego at the door.  It isn't about you.  It's about all of us.  Then let's keep communication open on a national level to put all our ideas and solutions to work.  We can either be the PROBLEM OR THE SOLUTION.

For all the cards that the fabulous dog community has sent to Zachary.  You have lifted him up in such a wonderful way.  He looks forward to getting the mail every day.  Words will never be enough to show our gratitude for each of you.

If you haven't sent a card, yet.  Please do.  Zachary is our nephew that lives with us and has a very aggressive form of Hodgkin's Lymphoma and is battling for his life.  You can send the card to:

Zachary Noble

108 Greeningdon Drive

Hamilton, Ontario L9A 4W7

Please no get well cards.  Send funny or handwritten or even a little naughty cards.  Your cards take him away from being sick for a few minutes every day.

For the most up-to-date Dog Fancy stats and event information in Canada, go to www.canuckdogs.com. That website is maintained with your advertising dollars and is strictly a volunteer labor of love. Advertising is very reasonable and you get a lot of national exposure.  Be sure to check it out.


Also, be sure to sign up to receive the weekly CDF Summary for up-to-date stats and beautiful ads.  There is never a deadline to adding your next ad to the CDF Summary. Same great design and audience as the Canadian Dog Fancier Magazine.  So to keep your ads fresh, check out their rates for a fabulous deal. Go to their website for more information.
http://www.canadiandogfancier.com/

XXX