Welcome To My View

I don't know about you folks, but I'm so happy to move on to 2014.  We had some great moments in 2013 and we had some really crappy moments. Can GCh/Am Ch Daybreak's Design Inspiration, Cara, gave us a very exciting year.  She came into her own and proved that she loved the ring and the applause.  Cara, is Canada's  #1 Owner/Handled Standard Wirehair Dachshund in 2013, #2 in Canada overall and #1 in Ontario. 

Lyle and I learned so much in 2013.  Our skills improved. We learned a lot about advertising and ad design.  We got so much help from so many wonderful people.  We made so many lovely friends.  Lyle and I loved every minute.  

Lyle and I want to thank all the people that helped us along the way during 2013.  It really did take a lot of assistance, help, support and advice.  I hope that we proved to be good stewards of your time and help by listening, implementing the advice and being gracious and thankful.  For fear of forgetting someone that deserves a mention, I won't try to list the names here.  I hope we showed our deep gratitude all during the year.

Dillon Conod, our wonderful Junior Handler, also had a great year.  He got to meet the best in our breed, Dachshunds and he has a large following all over the world. Here are just a few pictures of memorable moments of 2013.

Dillon's very first time in the ring with Marg Brown as his judge.  Dillon has a very special place for Ms Brown.  He will never forget his first time showing or Ms. Brown.

Dillon at the Dachshund Club of America show in St. Louis, Mo at Purina Farms.  He showed his own dog, Ex Sentia Duece Coupe.  Cooper ribboned 4 days out of 4.  Dillon proved he has natural handling abilities at DCA.

Dillon got the opportunity to handle many different breeds during 2013 including the beautiful Great Dane puppy his Aunt, Donna Conod, Whispering Hill, bred.

Some of the other breeds were Shar Pei, Deerhound, Fox Terrier, Pekineses, Bassett Hound, Rhodesian Ridgeback,  Bernese Mountain Dog, Mini Smooth Dachshund and Mini Long Dachshund.

To top off the year, Dillon put a group 4 and finished his dog, Ex Sentia Deuce Coupe at the last show of the year, Elora Gorge.  

Dillon also won his 9th Best Overall Junior at the Elora Gorge show.  

Lyle and I are so proud of him.

The Jenkins Team would like to extend a huge 

CONGRATULATIONS

Can Ch Cahladen's Perfect Ten

"Tenasen"

and her Breeder/Owner

                    Lisa Maki

            2013 Canada's # 1 Standard Wirehair Dachshund

Lyle and I are so honored to be in Lisa Maki's company. Lisa

and her team conducted themselves as fair and worthy competitors. We are enriched by her example, friendship and share in her love of the breed.   Way to go Lisa and Tenasen! We share in your excitement for this great achievement.  

I believe in Corporate Sponsorship working with their community, getting involved in non-profits to benefit their consumers.  I have been a fairly successful fundraiser and I have worked close with Corporate sponsors to donate to the Catholic School Board, Sports Teams, Women's Crisis Centres and Local Vegetable garden projects.

I know that Lance Novak, Executive Director, of CKC agrees with me about the need for Corporate Sponsors to help finance activities within our sport.  I have a particular interest in the Canadian Junior Kennel Club, Junior Handlers Program.  I believe there are Corporate Sponsors that need to be tapped to help fiance new and improved programs for the Juniors.

There has to be an incentive for the company to want to participate.  We must be able to show that our membership is a patron of their business or closely related to their business.  It helps when the companies that we approach have an interest in dogs.  

I bet you would be surprised at how many companies allow their employees to bring their dogs to work.  Companies have figured out that allowing their employees to bring their dog to work actually reduces stress, gives their employees a reason to take breaks because they must exercise and feed their dogs.  It has been proven that employees that are allowed to bring their dogs to work are more willing to work overtime, since they don't have to rush home to take care of their dog.  It has also been proved that people that bring their dogs to work trust their fellow workers that also have dogs and it makes for better teamwork.  

Doesn't it make sense, we should start approaching these companies to join us at the CKC to preserve our sport and the pure blood lines of our breeds.  It makes sense that they would find it of value to support young people in the dog fancy.  The same young people could be the corporate leaders of tomorrow.

Here is a list of well known Corporations that allow dogs at work:

Replacements, LTD - Did you just break a plate from Grandma's beloved antique china set? If so, Replacements, Ltd. may be able to save the day. The company is the go-to place to find a missing piece of fine china, crystal or silver. One would think that china and dogs wouldn't be a good mix, but Replacements, Ltd. has been a dog-friendly workplace for years. 

Google - Google's dog policy provides employees with a basic set of guidelines including cleaning up after the dog makes and being mindful of allergic co-workers.

Proctor & Gamble - Iams and Eukanuba are 

just two of the many brands under the Procter & Gamble label. Employees of P&G's Pet Care division in the Cincinnati area are welcome to bring their dogs to work every day, not just on Take Your Dog To Work Day. The company even has a V.P. of Canine Communications, Euka (pictured right). Euka, a cross between a Labrador retriever and a Bernese mountain dog, will be retiring next year after eight years of service. P&G Pet Care recently announced that Pawl Griffin (left), a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, is already in training to jump into the V.P. role.

Ben & Jerry's - If you're also a dog lover, Ben & Jerry's could be the ideal place to work because you can bring your pooch to the office. 

Autodesk - Autodesk employees are offered a generous benefits package including a six-week paid sabbatical every four years, paid time off between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day, discounts on a variety of group insurance options and, of course, the option of bringing their dogs to work. About 5 percent of the company's nearly 7,000 employees take advantage of this benefit.

Build-A-Bear-Workshop - The company's love of animals goes beyond the stuffed kind, however. Employees at the World Headquarters  can bring their dogs to work. The company even has a chief executive dog, Milford, who celebrates his birthday every year by throwing a grand party for the other company dogs. Build-A-Bear Workshop's dog-friendly workplace policy is just one reason the company has been named one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For three years in a row.

Amazon - Internet retail giant Amazon is also a dog-friendly workplace. Visitors to the company's corporate headquarters in Seattle can expect to find between two and three dozen dogs on any given day.

Here are Canadian Companies that allow dogs in the office:

Reports to: Brett Wilson, chairman, Prairie Merchant Corp.  “Every day that I’m in the office, Cash is here, even if I come in on the weekend,” says Wilson. “He’s the one person in the office that will listen to me.”

MIKA

Reports to: Ryan Holmes, CEO, HootSuite Media Inc.

“When you work long hours, the office can feel like your second home,” says Holmes. “I encourage my employees to embrace it. My dog, Mika, is such a big part of my home life, so my office wouldn’t feel like home without her.”

LEBOWSKI

Reports to: Robbie Eddison, supervisor, Softchoice Corp.

“There’s something about him that embodies our corporate culture,” says Eddison. “We’re a technology company, but we’re unique, fun and different—and that’s what he is.

PENNY

Reports to: Connie Wilson, Editor, Modern Dog

“Penny helps me unwind by reminding me it’s time for a treat, a walk or a tummy rub,” says Wilson. “Her timing is impeccable, making me take a break when I seem to need it most.”

LAILA

Reports to: Shmuel Farhi, president, Farhi Holdings Corp.

“For the past 20 years, I’ve had dogs working with me. I cannot see doing what I do without Laila here,” says Farhi, who refers to Laila as the chairdog of the board. “She gives two woofs for yes and one woof for no.”

DIGBY

Reports to: Frank Bassett, senior director, EA Canada

“It’s fun having dogs at work. It changes the mood in a room when there’s a pet involved,” says Bassett. “He knows where the treats are and where to go for pee breaks. He could probably find my office without me.”

A dog's life at the office!

For many years, Mars Canada Head Office has opened its doors for associates to bring their dogs to work.  Introducing dogs into the workplace plays an important role in bringing to life the values of Petcare.  The dogs offer a sense of comfort,help relieve stress and in some cases, even improve productivity.

I believe that the Solution for CKC and the Dog Fancy Success hinges on the Corporations we can attract as partners.

Christina Heard, Summerford Newfoundlands, photo bombed Donna Conod, Whisper Hill, and Donna Jenkins.  Christina should give lessons to most of us on how to be fun, supportive and all around nice person!  This photo also proves white women can jump!  lol

Happiest of 2014!  Make it a Great Year!

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

        MERRY   CHRISTMAS

Canadian Kennel Club Answers Questions

I asked questions that I believe many of you are looking for answers about our CKC IT issues and upgrades.  Here are the questions and answers from Lance Novak, Executive Director.

What is being done to improve CKC IT and bring our systems up-to-date?

We submitted a business case to the board for a significant investment in our finance, website and backend system and it was approved. The investment will be over three years.

What time frame are you looking at for the system to be completed?

Tangible results will be realized during the three-year investment. The first item being delivered is a new website in the first quarter of 2014. It will be easier to navigate and will have more information. Additional features, such as better and more online forms will be delivered throughout 2014.

Replacing our 28-year-old customized backend system will take longer. Work will begin in 2014 and will be ready in 2015.

Will the membership see improvements in service at all during the upgrade?

Yes. After the new website is launched improvements to current functions, new content and services will be launched throughout the three year period. Improvements that require our new backend system will likely be rolled out at the earliest in Q1 2015.

What service improvements or changes will the members enjoy with the upgrade?

We want to increase the opportunities for members to be able to have more self-serve options. We are also aware that we need to improve the time it takes to register and process event results. We want our website to be easier to use and develop content for members and the public that best serves their needs. We will be forming a committee made up of a balanced matrix of breeders, exhibitors/competitors, junior handlers and public pet owners to assist with determining the right content.

One of the biggest complaints is not being able to register dogs online.  Will

that be happening in the near future?
Currently dogs can be registered online by logging in and visiting the Membership Services -Application Centre and selecting the “Dog Registration” option on the left hand side. It is integrated with the Litter Application. We will be working towards having a clearer process and a greater variety of dog registrations that can be done online.

Second complaint is not being able to have a timely points tracking system online at the CKC.  Will this be something coming in the near future?

CKC recognizes that event results should be timelier.  We will begin to deliver improved event results in 2014.

It took almost a year for the CKC to announce 2012 Top Dog points.  Is this going to improve for 2013 points?

Our aim is to have the results out by March.

I was noticing as I drove around the Juravinski Cancer Centre, where Zachary has been treated for cancer since March this year, that there are still people that have not caught on that smoking kills.  We typically park across the street from the main entrance and must climb a set of stairs from the street to the entrance.  I am always amazed how many people, including the hospital's employees that gather at the bottom of the stairs to smoke.  They gather there because it is technically off hospital property where smoking is not allowed.  I'm sure most people would say that I'm a nice person that doesn't look for trouble, but I must tell you that I've got to where I say something nasty to these people every time we pass them.  I say something like, "You'd rather be a patient than an employee" or "What you don't see enough suffering, you want to see your family suffer, too"!  Or I say something as simple as, "that is revolting, we are here to save a life, please don't smoke in this area"!   

People have become insensitive to others.  Either they don't care if they are disrespectful, or we are failing to teach respect. I don't just see disrespect at the hospital.  I see it at the grocery store, in parking lots, at the movie theaters and dog shows. There is a southern saying, "You can't teach Class, either you have it or you don't".  I hope to see more respect at the dog shows.  Perhaps the list below will give all of us some guidelines to follow and we will be more classy.  

Lyle, Zachary and I wish you and your family the happiest of holiday season.  Make it a season to remember.  Be safe and joyous.

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

Ms Virginia Lyne

Talks about Judging

I am thrilled that Ms Lyne has contributed to my blog.  This is indeed is an honor to have such an esteemed judge like she to take the time to answer my questions.  

Background in dogs – Virginia L. Lyne

                  

I came from a family that always had dogs from the time I could remember, primarily Cocker Spaniels, but I had occasional connections with Dachshunds and Wire Fox Terriers as a child. No one, however, had been involved in the exhibiting side of the sport until I bullied my parents in 1953 into a black Cocker Spaniel and the start of dog shows in my life, a passion which has grown from there. I am totally committed to purebred dogs and the conformation events – it is a passion and an addiction.

In 1960 following University I spent a year in England and returned home with a black and white English Cocker and the start of the Ranzfel English Cockers.  Initially I was very active in Obedience and am still approved to judge all Obedience classes. Under the Ranzfel prefix I have bred numerous Canadian and American Champions with National and Specialty winners in both countries.   In 1969 I started judging with the Sporting breeds and am currently approved to judge All Breeds.

Judging has been a passion for me. I have the privilege of getting my hands on a group of quality dogs and being allowed to ‘sort’ for the best is exciting, challenging and demanding.  I am a strong believer in learning as much as one can about the history and development of a breed. Who has been involved in the development of the breed?  What, characteristics are the ‘drags” on the breed? How has the breed evolved over the decades? What is the function and purpose of the breed?  What is the ‘essence’ of the breed? It is the possibility of putting my hands on that ephemeral ‘goose bump’ dog that keeps me coming back to the show ring.

I am still actively breeding English Cockers and also live with a wonderful family of Whippets. Highlights in the Ranzfel breeding program include Am. Can. Ch. Ranzfel Newsflash and Am. Can. Ch. Ranzfel Ambassador who were Group and Best in Show winners in the USA and Canada. Probably the standard for many judges and breeders of the essence of breed type in English Cockers, Newsflash won the National under Anne Rogers Clark from the Veterans class, the Sporting Group at Santa Barbara Kennel Club, the breed at Spaniel Club and many Best in Shows. He is the sire of over 30 Champions.  Ambassador finished his title at the National the year after he went Best Puppy in Sweepstakes at 6 months. We still finish dogs, primarily around Specialty competition but we are not campaigning dogs any more.

My life work was in Education, and I retired in 1996 after 35 years in secondary education teaching English but working primarily as a Guidance Counselor and Student Services Co-coordinator. Probably as a result I am totally committed to quality judges’ education and have been active in seminar presentations and participation in judges training programs for many years.  I was a presenter at the first AKC Advanced Judges Institute for Sporting Dogs in California, and have given presentations to the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America on numerous occasions.  For the past 12 years I have been mentor and leader of a Judges Study Group on Vancouver Island and have been proud to watch many of the original group go on to achieve Group level status in their judging.

Currently I am Past President of the Canadian Dog Judges Association, have worked as dog show representative, on Canadian Kennel Club Advisory Committees, and on the CKC Ethics Committee, was previously on the Executive of the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America and a past President of the English Cocker Spaniel Club of Canada. At the present time I am chairing a committee for the review of the Canadian standard for the English Cocker.

I have been privileged to judge internationally on numerous occasions and have judged in Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Finland, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and Colombia as well as regular assignments in the Canada and the USA where I have been so very privileged to judge at many of the outstanding shows including Santa Barbara, Westchester, Eastern, Westminster, and other special occasions.  Perhaps the judging I am most proud of are the National Specialties that I have done. In the Sporting breeds these include Golden Retrievers ( 3 times)  English Cockers ( 3 times) Clumbers, Irish Water Spaniels, German Wirehaired Pointers, Pointers, Flat Coated Retrievers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Irish Setters as well as major specialties in most of the other Sporting breeds.

10 Questions Answered by Ms. Lynes

1.  What is the quality of dogs being bred and exhibited today?   

 I think that our best dogs of today are truly outstanding and comparable with the best of any previous decade. That said, I do find that we have too many dogs being shown that are lacking in breed type and the essentials of sound movement. I am not sure of why this is happening but perhaps there is a need to better educate the breeders and provide more opportunities for judges to do

education while they are judging. Judges really need to be able to guide the exhibitor with regard to the quality of the dogs they judge.

2. What is your opinion of using enhancements?

I will fault anything that is going to come off on my hands, stick to my fingers or attract my attention to the detriment of the dog. Done skillfully with a ”natural” appearance I am not going to get excited. Artificial does not appear in any breed standard that I have read. I do not like extreme 'fan' topknots with painted black lines on Shih Tzu, tied ears in Yorkies, and extreme painted faces in any breed. 

3. What advice do you give to new exhibitors to Confirmation?

This question could be a book topic.  I would try to guide them to be patient and learn as much as possible about the breed they have chosen especially to read the standard and watch the dogs that are being judged. Too many novices exhibitors are discouraged because they don't have a good mentor to guide them and they jump in the deep end of exhibiting. I would tell them that they need

to decide what their goal is. Do they want to enjoyed the friendship of people who love dogs and want to learn more about their breed and its purpose? Do they want to become involved in the performance events where the training and competition is exciting and challenging? Or do they want to become a breeder

of outstanding Group and Best in Show dogs?  Do they have a long term goal to eventually become a judge of performance events or conformation? There is so much to learn that after 5 years in a breed you really don't have any idea what you do not know. After 10 years you start to know what you really need to know!

4.  What one thing would you like to see changed in our sport?                   

I think it is probably summed up in one piece of advice.   Play nice and be kind to each other!

5 .  What is the one handling mistake that you see most often?

Probably moving dogs at the incorrect speed both for the breed and the dog being shown. Dogs have an ideal speed that they move best at according to their structure.  The trend to one speed - fast - fits all is very frustrating.

6. How do we attract more people to the dog fancy?

I guess see the answer to question 4. I think we drive the new person away when they encounter some of the back biting and denigrating of people and dogs that goes on around the shows. I also thinks that the experienced dog people need to make it their responsibility to encourage the obvious novice who asks

questions and clearly wants help. I know it is often at the wrong time but at least offer to talk to them when it would be convenient. Dogs shows are an expensive and sometimes confusing avocation. Making them more fun and more meaningful to the beginner might help retain those who come to a show.

7.  Do you think judges get proper training?

Generally I think Canadian judges get adequate training but do not get the feedback on their performance that helps them to grow and improve. We move our judges forward quite rapidly compared to other countries which is a necessity because of our geography and the size of our shows.  When you examine the depth of training that is mandatory In the Scandinavian countries we are

definitely not doing the job.  I think we need a really well thought out and meaningful mentoring of our judges. Senior judges should be required to do interviews and assessments of provisional, beginner judges. These interviews and assessments should be part of the requirements for advancement. I do not believe that a person should move forward to a new application to judge until

they have done a minimum of 5 assignments where they have feedback from designated Senior judges. 

8. Have you ever disallowed or dismissed an exhibitor from your ring.

I have dismissed dogs for menacing and or biting, for faults that are DQ 's under the breed standard, for being so uncontrolled that I could not examine them, for lameness, and withheld awards for Lack of Merit.

9. Is poor sportsmanship a problem in our sport?

I have really not observed a lot of blatant bad sportsmanship though I know it happens.  I have also seen examples of exceptional behavior shown by the owners of a defeated dog. Being classy is such a good feeling!

10.  Has being Best of Breed lost to the need for Top Dog Points

I have long said that training of judges should start with approval to judge Best in Show where the judge sees dogs of quality and trains his eye of the best. Then the learner judge should be allowed to judge a Group in the group of dogs that they aspire to judge.

Finally they should be allowed to judge the breed. It is only North America where the Group and Best in Show awards have taken on such importance. In Europe and the UK the breed win is what the exhibitors value the most.  Because of the emphasis in North America on the Top Dog rankings we have lost the appreciation of what matters, the winners results at breed level. 

Originally established in 1994 under the name "The Aids Assistance Fund", Best friends/Meilleurs  amis was conceived, developed, and operated by founding members who included Bob Boxma, Dick Meen and Tom Touzel. They, in turn engaged others to  become members of this Canadian Nationally Registered Charity formed to support and provide assistance to the members of the Dog Fancy who were HIV/AIDS positive and requiring emergency financial help.

During these early years, little was understood about the disease or the social impact it would have on our community. Through generous support and many fund raising initiatives, Best friends/ Meilleurs amis was able to distribute assistance to individuals who required help.

There have been many advances in research and also the long term treatment of HIV/AIDS, and many organizations have evolved to support those whose lives have been affected.   With this in mind, today the mandate of Best friends/ Meilleurs amis has been broadened to encompass the more diverse needs of our community.  Their mission now is to provide help to any individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to the sport of pedigree dogs,

and who find themselves requiring emergency support during times of extreme personal devastation, either due to illness, or other life changing events.

They are setting up at various shows and hope people will come by our booth to learn more about who we are and our goals to help others.  I know that  dog show people will be generous in their support of the purebred dog community.  If you want to make a donation, you can can by their booth at the dog shows or contact Joanne Griffith, Peter Laventhall or Joy Huntley.  Here is their contact information as well:

Contact: JoAnne Griffith       jogriffith@idirect.com
               Peter Laventhall     peter@laventhall.com
               Joy Huntley            rhuntley@bell.net

We are still in the jaws of cancer in our family.  You may remember that our 24 year old autistic nephew lives with Lyle and me and he was diagnosed with Lymphoma in March.  He has completed his chemo treatments, but as it turns out he is chemo resistant.  We have now started radiation which is daily treatments.  Please keep Zach in your thoughts and prayers.  We surely could use some good news at this address.

I apologize for my blog not being weekly of late.  As you can imagine, it has been chaotic in our family.  I appreciate each and every one of my readers and I love hearing from you, yep, even when you don't agree with me. :o)  

This show year is almost over and I hope to see as many of you as we can before the end of the year.  If not HAPPY HOLIDAYS and GOD BLESS!

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

She makes it look so easy, you may be fooled into thinking it is easy!!!!

I have wanted to write about this lady for a long time.    She has helped me out more times than I will ever be able to repay.  You have a question about show procedures, rules and regulations, upcoming shows and entry information, Vickie is the go to person at the show site.

Vickie is a woman that wears a lot of hats.  She may very well be the busiest woman in

The Busiest Woman in Dog Fancy, Vickie Barrett

Canada.

Vickie has been in dogs for thirty years, starting with Chows.  In fact she still has three Chows.  She currently owns and shows a Newfoundland.

In addition to owning MJN Show Services, Vickie has worked for the Ontario Government for 30 years. She currently works 40 hours a week as IT support for the provincial government.  Vickie is a member of Chow Chow Fanciers of South Central Ontario, where she met Joey Nattrass, the original owner of MJN.  Vickie went to work part-time at MJN in 1990 until 2005 when she took over MJN’s ownership when Joey wanted to retire.

MJN has seven employees that process entries, performs graphic design and assist at the show sites managing the show secretary’s functions.  By the end of 2013, Vickie will have worked 40 different shows.  Vickie makes sure the clubs she works for meet all CKC requirements.  Under Vickie’s guidance, MJN processes entries, provides the premium list, designs and prints the show catalogs, prepares the judges schedules, prints armbands and records and submits the show results to CKC.  The mark of Vickie’s success with MJN is all the repeat business she enjoys.

I asked Vickie what is her one complaint about her job and she said, Entry Forms.  She’d like to ask people to be more careful when they complete their entry forms.  She said, please take the time to look over the entry for accuracy and legibility. 

The one aspect of her job does she love?  The people.  For the most part, exhibitors have a good time at the show and enjoy their dogs.  The dog show atmosphere is fun.

If Vickie could change one thing it would be that the CKC would move into the Electronic age. Currently she has twenty one days to submit the hard copy of the show’s results.  She wishes they would make it possible for her to electronically report the show results.  This would be easier for her and the exhibitors would be able to get their show and point results almost immediately.

Vickie is generous with her time for exhibitors, and she is a friend to the Junior’s program by providing prizes and ribbons.  When your results are listed on Canuck Dogs website, many times it is due to the time Vickie has taken for Canuck Dogs volunteers to go through her paperwork to send the results in for timely publishing.  She is a real friend to the Dog Fancy and deserves kudos for all she does for the exhibitors and many clubs during the year.

Purebreds are for the Rich, Not for the Average Person

BIO: SW is on a leave of absence from her graduate studies after being diagnosed with advanced stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March 2013.  Her major symptoms were swollen lymph nodes under her left collarbone and in her underarm and itchiness for several months.  She underwent 6 months (12 treatments) of chemotherapy at Juravinski Cancer Centre and recently had a PET scan to determine if radiation will be needed.  She is currently applying to medical schools for next year and taking care of her new puppy, Copper.  Happy to report that SW is currently in remission and doing well.  She has asked that her picture and name not be used because she fears that having cancer could jeopardize her chances at finding employment.  We wish her all the best in her long, healthy and successful future.

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About fifteen years ago, my family got my first dog when I was ten years old.  My parents were worried that my dad had allergies so one of the main reasons we chose a cocker spaniel/poodle mix (cock-a-poo) was because they apparently didn't shed.  We didn't know anything about temperament or puppy mills, so when we went to the pet store, we just picked one out and bought him.  We also were under the impression that purebred dogs were unhealthy (with recessive genetic defects) so we thought it would be better to buy a mixed-breed dog.  Unfortunately, Buddy had health problems his whole life, which included many ear infections, itchy paws that he would bite, and an obsession with food (and eating non-food items like toilet paper).  After he passed away two years ago, my parents said we would not get another dog.

However, last March I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  During the week of waiting for the lymph node biopsy appointment and then the two weeks of waiting for the results, my parents took time off work and I basically stopped going to school.  It was a miserable month.  We were all stressed (and I was itchy from the lymphoma), and I was stressed out even more because of how my parents were stressed.

Then, a day after my biopsy result came back with my official diagnosis of Hodgkin’s, my parents told me that we could get another dog.  I thought that this was the best idea ever: it would give my parents something to worry about more than me, and it would give me something to do and think about during my chemotherapy treatments.

I tried getting a dog from a shelter this time, but my dad said he wanted a puppy and I couldn't find any.  I also decided I wanted an active, smart breed of dog that we could go jogging with, and that I could play fetch with.  And we decided to get a medium-sized dog and we didn't mind if it shed (by this point my dad’s allergies were better).  We still thought that purebred dogs had more health issues, and I didn't want to wait much longer, so I turned to Kijiji.  I found some puppies that were a German Shepherd/collie mix from a house in Hamilton that bought them from “out in the countryside” and then sold them in Hamilton.  So we went a few days later, and I picked out a brown one.  In the few minutes I looked at the puppies, he seemed slightly calmer than the other two puppies, which I thought would be good.

           It turned out to be such a great idea!  My parents and I focused on house-training Scout and I started doing a lot of research on training dogs, which we knew very little about even after our last dog.  In between my chemotherapy treatments and injections and doctor’s appointments, my parents and I took him to puppy socializing class and two levels of puppy-training classes.  We learned so much about training and we were trying really hard to be good dog owners. 

Scout turned out to look very much like a Nova Scotia duck-tolling retriever and when I asked the place where we bought him about that, the lady had no information she could/would give me.  And we didn't realize this then (we thought it was normal behavior , but he drank and peed a lot, would get in bad moods and had red eyes sometimes, and wouldn't jump up into the back of the car (we had to lift him).  We think now he had kidney issues.

I brushed Scout almost every day, brought him to my uncle’s so he could play with their dogs, and bought him a new toy after every chemo session.  After my last chemo session in September, I was excited that I was going to be able to take care of him all of the time, not just during the non-chemo weeks.  However, on Thanksgiving Monday when we were visiting my grandparents, Scout ran outside their fenced-in area and was hit by a car on the highway and died before I could find out where he went.

I missed Scout so much, and we decided to get another dog.  The shelters didn't have any puppies, so we went on Kijiji again.  This time on Kijiji, we at least made sure that the puppies were well socialized and that we could see their parents first.  We found a golden retriever puppy and so far he has been wonderful!  We don’t think he has any health issues.

The other option was always to get a registered purebred, but along with our persistent idea about their health issues (never mind that our two dogs from sketchy sources both had health issues), we thought that registered purebred dogs were for rich people.  A purebred dog owner seems like they would be someone in a mansion with a huge property or someone who has owned many dogs before and shows them at dog shows.  On Kijiji, one puppy can cost $300 and can be bought immediately whereas a purebred puppy can cost $1200.  What is the reason for this price difference and what are the advantages of buying from a breeder?  There are breeder websites, but sometimes there isn't a breakdown of what’s included in the price of a puppy, what the breeder wants in an ideal prospective dog owner, or information on why buying from a breeder is better than Kijiji.

I met Donna when both Zachary and I were getting PET scans to see if our chemo-therapies had been successful in eradicating our lymphomas.  While she and my mom were waiting, they talked about breeding dogs and my mom told me everything Donna said on the way home.  We now understand that reputable breeders are people who love dogs and are looking for them to be healthy and have healthy puppies so they can all have healthy, happy lives.  Our next dog will be a registered purebred but in the meantime we will train our new puppy and hopefully do agility, dock diving, or rally obedience with him!

SW would like to get involved in fun activities with Cooper.  She is interested in learning more about rally obedience, flyball, and agility.  If you can help her find these activities in the Burlington/Oakville, Hamilton area, please contact me via email with the details and I will pass them on to her -  djenkins@shaw.ca

Submitted by: Angel Wagner, Canadian Dog Fancier Magazine

I would like to suggest a person for your nice deeds - Lisa Wysminity of Jumpstart Imagery. 

Canadian Dog Show Fancier Magazine includes an editorial profile on a breeder/owner/handler and a professional handler in each issue.  The people asked to participate in these features do not always have high resolution photos to include.  On more than one occasion Lisa has come to the rescue and has provided some of her lovely photographs to be used.  Lisa is a terrific photographer and is never too busy to help out and for that the we would like to say  - thank you Lisa for your Nice Deeds !

Lisa is also a Manchester Terrier Breeder/Exhibitor under the kennel name, Jumpstart Manchester Terriers located in Alberta, Canada.  She started in dogs at the tender age of 9 as a junior handler.

You can visit her website http://www3.telus.net/amstaffmanchester/index.html  or  http://www.jumpstartimagery.com/

Lisa is another example of the good deeds happening all around us in the Dog Fancy.  We should all strive to perform at least one nice deed per show.

There is more to Dog Shows than Competing and Dogs

We make life-long friends through dog shows.  We get to know each other's families, we know about the children's achievements and when someone is going through an illness or a family death.  Just like family, we get together for meals, we share hotels or campers.  We share tips and grooming space and tools.  Sometimes we have spats or get on each other's nerves, but we get over it.  One thing you can say about the Dog Fancy, we will look after each other when the chips are down.  So many friends have passed away recently, it serves to remind us that time can be short.  We should try a bit more tolerance, offer a hand more often and give encouragement when needed.

Thanks to everyone that has shown a kindness to Lyle and me throughout the year.  We genuinely appreciate it and won't forget.

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