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Sanction Match
Application for CKC Sanction
Match pdf download
here
 Skype
http://www.skype.com/intl/en/download/skype/windows/downloading/
Yahoo List for Members
If you have not joined the Saint List yet here is the member
link.
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/StBernardFanciersClub
"He is my other eyes that can
see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the
winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea.
He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason
for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he
thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows
his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes
him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.)
When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am
angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is
joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I
succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With
him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself. He has taught
me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret
comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding
where before I was ignorant. His head on my knee can heal my
human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against
my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait
for me... whenever... wherever - in case I need him. And I
expect I will - as I always have. He is just my dog." - Gene
Hill
When One Becomes Two-Do
You Think You Are Ready?
by: Mark Grant
With one dog in the family, why not add
another one? What are the pros and cons? When is the right
time? Will it change the things you love about the dog you
have now?
It’s possible to re-home a dog if things don’t work out, but
this can be hard on the family’s emotions and even harder on
the dog. The experience can also damage your first dog. It’s
worth spending plenty of time to make your best decisions.
Choosing the Dog
Leaving aside for a moment all the changes a second dog
would bring to your family’s life, let’s assume you’ve been
through all that and it seems right to you to add a dog at
this time or some planned time in the future. Of course you
need to look at all the normal things about choosing any
dog. Those things include: size; grooming required; activity
level; disposition for interactions with the people and
animals in your environment; genetic tendencies to make
noise (and your facilities for keeping noise from disturbing
neighbors); matching the dog’s training needs to your
training ability; and other factors. I know from first- hand
experience with Saint Bernards!
Before settling on a breed,
think about the gender of the dog. For the happiest dogs and
the safest household, opposite sex dogs almost always do
best together. Many same-sex combinations of dogs will
fight, sometimes to the death. Those who work out a
dominance order may not fare much better. The dominant of
two males will become more dominant (toward other dogs, not
humans) than he would have otherwise been, and the sometimes
submissive one will be pushed into more submission than
would have otherwise been normal for him. Because they live
with humans rather than in the wild, they are stuck in this
situation. It can be stressful.
Two females are more likely to fight to the death than males
are. It’s as if neither is willing to admit the other girl
is “better than” she is, so they cannot come to a stable
pack order. The males make that decision more readily in
some cases, but the one who has to be submissive can take it
more to heart than the female.
Living with another dog of the same sex can impair a dog’s
working ability, which is why many dog professionals
(breeders, trainers, handlers) don’t keep their dogs
together except perhaps for short periods at a time. This is
probably not the lifestyle you have in mind.
Be sure to check out gender differences in any breed or
combination of breeds you are considering. For example, in
the toy breeds, males can be difficult to housetrain, or in
some cases not really possible to ever fully housetrain. In
breeds with strong guarding instincts, a male may not be a
suitable dog for a novice owner to manage, but a female is
more feasible. In some other breeds, the opposite is true.
Talk to experts in any breed you’re thinking about
(including all breeds involved in a mix), before making your
final choice. Responsible dog ownership is a life time
commitment.
Read The Entire Article Here. |
Dognapping on the Rise: How to Keep Your Pets Safe
Experts Say Many Pet Owners Are Unknowingly Putting Dogs at Risk
By: GARY WYNN and SARAH NETTER
A quick trip inside the post office to mail a package. A dash into the coffee
shop for a latte.
Pet owners often don't think twice about leaving their dogs outside while they
run a quick errand, but experts say pet thefts are a rising trend and owners
need to take more precautions.
"The American Kennel Club has been tracking pet thefts for over two years," Lisa
Peterson, director of communications for the American Kennel Club, told "Good
Morning America."
"We have seen a dramatic increase in this type of crime. In fact, the FBI
National Crime Information Center tracks stolen pets and pet owners don't know
that if their dog is stolen and has a microchip that they can file a police
report to help them get their pet back."
The number of U.S. pet thefts has risen 30 percent in the past year alone,
Peterson said.
"Good Morning America" safety and security expert Bill Stanton said that it's
not hard to remove a dog from a car parked with the window open or to untie the
animal from outside a cafe.
Gretchen Dirks let Stanton prove how easy it is to steal a dog by leaving her
standard poodle Brando in a Colorado store parking lot and walking away.
Within minutes, Stanton was prowling around her car, telling passersby he was
thinking of taking the dog and no one batted an eye.
He even asked women walking by if Brando was their dog, telling them, "It's a
beautiful dog. It's just ripe for the taking. I'm thinking about taking him."
The women simply continued on their way and Stanton made off with Brando minutes
later.
"I feel really bad," one of the women, Christy Loudon, told Good Morning
America.
"If it was a real situation, the dog would be gone, obviously. You need to pay
more attention to things around you."
Experts say many owners believe their dogs will be safe for the few minutes they
are out of sight, but that's all it takes for a thief to move in.
"I think pet owners need to be informed and aware that when they do tie their
dog up outside a coffee shop or if they leave their dog in the car to run a few
errands that they are making their pet a potential target for crime," the Kennel
Club's Peterson said. "And that is when a number of these pet thefts do occur."
How to Keep Your Pets Safe
Here are a few tips to keep your pets safe:
Don't leave your dog unattended. If you need to run an errand, leave the dog at
home or make sure someone you know is keeping an eye on the dog while you are
gone.
Don't leave your dog unattended out in the backyard. Dognappers will notice if a
pet is outside on his own and take advantage of that.
Have your pet outfitted with a microchip. The chip is inserted between the dog's
shoulder blades and can hold the owner's personal information, including address
and phone number. If a stolen dog is found, the chip can help authorities
determine the owner. Most vets and shelters have equipment to scan a dog for
microchips.
Keep your dog on a leash. Off-leash dogs are more likely to wander off and into
the hands of a thief.
Consider the AKC's Lost Pet Alert if your pet is stolen or missing. The service
works like an Amber Alert for pets and sends out an e-mail notification to
veterinarians, shelters and animal control agencies within a 50-mile radius
asking them to be on the lookout.
"Many people look at their dogs as priceless or their children," Stanton said.
"Treat them as such."
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Top Saint in Canada by Group Wins |
|
Rank
|
Name of Dog
|
G1
|
G2 |
G3 |
G4
|
BIS |
Total |
|
#20
|
Ch. Trusts
The Boss V Kudos |
4
|
4
|
2
|
8
|
2
|
1343
|
|
#28 |
Ch. Lasquite's
Lohlah V Orlando |
2 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
1 |
1025 |
|
#175 |
Winward's Kyrat V Orlando |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
96 |
|
#360 |
Ch.Regalbear's Sherman V Trust |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
35 |
|
#472 |
Mickey III |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
10 |
|
|
Members, help out Shelley by
reporting any show results to her.
Shelley
showresults@hotmail.com
No Show Results Available for this
month.
Dr. Marty
Becker on Training Your New Puppy
Vet Marty Becker Guides You Through Doggie
Chewing, House Training and Dentistry
It's the holiday present that every kid
dreams of: an adorable, snuggly puppy.
Accentuate the Positive
If you want a well-rounded, gently mannered
dog, there's one secret you must know:
Overdo positive experiences during the
critical socialization period in puppyhood,
which ends when your puppy is about three
months old.
This means more than training. Expose your
puppy to everything it might encounter --
objects, sounds and so forth -- and reward
the behavior you want to teach.
Make Puppies Work for Their Food
Although owners may think all they need to
do is measure food and put it in a bowl,
things have changed. Remember, all dogs are
descended from wolves. Wolves had to hunt
for their dinner, but we've made it easy for
dogs.
Instead of searching and capturing their
food, they laze over to the bowl. This takes
between 30 seconds and three minutes, while
hunting would take hours.
Instead, try giving your puppy a food
puzzle, like the Canine Genius, the Buster
Food Cube and the Busy Buddy.
Rather than making eating an ultraquick,
mind-numbing activity for the puppy, it
infuses thought, manipulation and skill into
meals.
Teach Constructive vs. Destructive
Chewing
Dogs are just like babies with an obvious
oral fixation, They teethe and try to put
everything in their mouths. It's natural,
normal behavior for dogs and necessary for
puppies; their adult teeth start coming in
at about 3˝ months.
Older dogs like to chew as well -- for
enjoyment and to relieve boredom or stress.
It also helps reduce dental tartar, so you
don't want to stop it.
You have to teach your pet the difference
between constructive and destructive
chewing. To do this, praise them when they
chew the right things while preventing them
from chewing the wrong things.
It's a good idea to have chew toys that are
designed for puppies. Praise them when
they're chewing them. Say, "Good chew.
That's a good chew."
With some chew toys, you can stuff a treat
inside, making it a combination chew
toy-food puzzle. With the Stuff'n'Sniff, you
can put something of yours inside. It will
carry your scent and instead of chewing on
your favorite shoes, your puppy will chew on
the toy instead.
Ultracomfort Dog Beds
Dog beds have come a long way from throwing
a blanket in a cardboard box on the floor.
Now, they come with heaters, memory foam,
and even a simulated mother's heartbeat.
The Comfort Pup helps comfort new puppies by
simulating a mother dog's heartbeat. The
soft pad and plush dog pillow include a
digitally mastered heartbeat on a 30-minute
timer in the heart area of the 21-inch plush
mother dog. The Comfort Pup includes an
on/off push button on the paw and removable,
machine washable, chew-resistant bed with a
pocket for a warmer. It's also excellent for
calming new puppies or dogs that get nervous
or chew when left alone.
It's also available in the Comfort Heart, a
15-inch-tall, heart-shaped pillow in pink or
blue.
How to Housebreak Your Dog
Puppies have to urinate a lot. The rule of
thumb is that they can hold it for one hour
longer than their age in months.
For the puppy version of disposable diapers,
try training pads. Training pads can hold a
lot of liquid. They also feel dry to the
touch, and have plastic backings and
tear-resistant materials to provide strong
protection for surfaces and easy disposal.
A more expensive version of the training pad
is a carrier insert. This is supposed to
keep your dog more comfortable if he has an
accident in his crate while traveling or
being crated. These disposable inserts
contain two pads with super absorbent
polymers, a rigid insulating core, and a
soft, clothlike cover for comfort.
Curing Bad Doggie Breath
Although owners want kissable doggie breath,
taking good care of their pets' mouths --
regular brushing, special dental diets, and
regular professional care -- will let them
live 15 percent longer (an average of two
years) than they would without it.
An estimated 85 percent of all dogs will
have some level of periodontal disease by
age 3, making it the most commonly diagnosed
problem in veterinary medicine. Pfizer
recently developed a dog vaccine called
Porphyromonas, which fights periodontitis.
The vaccine can be given to puppies as young
as 7 weeks old. The product is injected
below the skin, with two initial doses three
weeks apart. While the duration of immunity
has not been established, it is expected
that this product will be boosted every six
months to 12 months.
Ask your vet whether it's right for your
puppy or your dog.
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Use of
treats in training
By Gillian Ridgeway, ARTICLE, TRAINING
The debate about using treats for training
is turning from “should we” to “how do we.”
The who, what, when and why of treat
training is the new norm, and while we will
touch on them briefly, the where of treat
training deserves special consideration.
Who?
Most educated dog trainers of this decade
are using treats and rewards to indicate
correct behaviour. Behaviourists also use
food to help change dogs’ minds, rather than
using force to push them into submission.
When we know better, we do better.
What?
A treat needs to be something that your dog
will work for. It can be his daily kibble or
a special tidbit. A wide assortment of food
and treats is now available for dogs on a
special diet or with allergy restrictions.
When?
Treats can be used to teach a skill, then
weaned off once the dog is proficient. There
are many articles about random reinforcement
and proper timing. It’s nice to know that
the when of treat training is becoming
common knowledge to dog trainers and the
informed public.
Why?
We use food to train our dogs and modify
their behaviour because it is clear and
concise information. Dogs will work for the
food initially and continue to comply if the
treats are weaned off properly. And, it’s a
lot of fun for dog lovers to use treats,
praise and toys to motivate and teach their
canine buddies.
That brings us to the last W.
Where?
Where will the dog receive his reward and
where will the treat come from? When
teaching a dog to lie down, we often use a
reward to lure the dog into position. As the
pup is lying down, we reward him as soon as
we can’t see light under his belly. Most
people will do this correctly, but it’s easy
to see where it falls apart.
Dog’s position
Once the dog understands “down,” we graduate
to the down-stay. You ask our dog to lie
down, leave him to stay and all is well.
But, it’s not uncommon for the dog to get up
as the owner returns. Many people, delighted
that their dog was at least partially in
position and not romping around the room,
treat the dog. Now the dog thinks he’s being
rewarded for sitting up when his owner comes
back.
Clarity is one of the most important
concepts in teaching. When you return to
your dog, bend and reward him while he’s in
the down position before he pops up into a
sit.
This principle can be applied to all basic
dog-training words, but the dog’s position
is only the tip of the ice-berg. The
position of the treat also needs
consideration.
The treat’s position
Holding a treat in your left hand when
teaching your dog to walk beside you on a
leash will improve his ability to understand
what you’re asking him to do. Although it
might feel awkward having your hands full
with your leash, clicker and treats, it’s
just a matter of practice. By using a treat
in your left hand, you can indicate that
your dog is correct by using a clicker or
“Yes” and treating him every few steps. You
can then start to ask for more steps from
your dog, while still having his focus. Once
that is mastered, you can periodically use
food in the left hand, then none at all.
If your dog has become used to treats
arriving from your left, he is more inclined
to stay on the left. Of course, there are
reasons to reward from your right hand. In
competitive obedience, the judge is looking
for a dog that heels on the left side,
shoulder in line with the handler’s left
leg. For dogs that tend to lag, using treats
in the right hand to motivate the dog to
keep pace is a good training option.
The position of the treats can also be used
to the handler’s advantage when teaching a
skill like jumping. Once you have taught
your dog how to jump, it’s important to help
him understand where he should land. You can
use the position of the treat or reward to
keep your dog centred. Place a reward
slightly further away from the jump than the
estimated landing zone. Practise sending
your dog over the jump to get his reward in
the correct place, and he will continue to
jump straight out.
Your positioning with the reward can be
utilized in many areas. If you are running
with your dog rather than sending him to
jump, you’ll want to have him run centred.
During training, you’ll need to meet him
with the reward in his landing zone. If you
reward him outside the landing zone, he’ll
soon cut the corner off the jump to meet up
with you faster.
When you’re teaching your dog to go over a
jump and return to you, you would not meet
him in his landing zone. Send him over the
jump, and encourage him to come around it
and back to you. His treat will come when he
is in position.
We can benefit from considering where the
treat is from the dog’s perspective, and
where the dog is when rewarded. Just some
food for thought.
The director of Who’s Walking Who (Toronto
and Ajax), and co-author of the book Citizen
Canine, Gillian Ridgeway has been working
with family dogs for over 35 years. She can
be reached at whoswalkingwho.net. |
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