Scout's Paw Tracks

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Pedigree Database Information about the How

With over 7,000 dogs in the database I have been working on record validations. I thought it would be good to share how I go through this process. Basically it is three phase and any record can be in any phase at any specific moment in time. There are even cases where some of the information changes and needs to go through the process again.

This is why you will see some records with very complete information and others with some but not all the information about a specific dog. I do this alphabetically therefore some records later in the alphabet my be missing championship data, color or other specifics. I put something in every field and dogs that have completed validation will have unknown field marked with “Unknown.” The more information on a record more likely that the record is accurate. Ones with registration numbers are normally as accurate as the official record. With 6,800 German Shorthairs in the database today I can guarantee I have probably miss spelled at least one name. =D

To start we have a dog and some basic information normally pulled from a website our some other source.

The first step is to get as much information into the database.

Sources

On-Line web pedigrees
Pedigree databases and paper pedigrees
Studbooks
GSP Year books
Show documents and records including results

Once the information is in the database we then go to the official records and attempt to find further information or validate information we have. Is the name spelled correctly, is the registration number correct and so forth. This information comes from several sources and they are compared for accuracy.

Validation

American Kennel Club records
Foreign Kennel Club records
Various studbooks
GSP Yearbooks
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals - Assuming it is an American dog and fairly recent
Certified Pedigrees

Data integrity

Checks are run after any session for data inconsistencies.

Data Checks

Check for Invalid Records
Missing Parents
Born before parents
Duplicate Registration Numbers
Gender (Making sire males are listed as fathers and females are listed as mothers.
Similar Names

Currently I have 50%+ validated through all three phase. Of the last phase I have 250 records with similar names, all the others are clean. Keep in mind many of the 250 with similar names may not be errors at all since some people name the pups with similar names.

In addition we will be adding photos and links to OFA information for dogs we can find the information on.  I hope you find the pedigree database useful and as always if you see something that is not correct please let me know.  Check back soon for follow up articles why I am doing this.

Monday, March 19, 2007

New law blamed for lower dog show attendance

Reprinted from the Courier Journal

New law blamed for lower dog show attendance
Donna Herzig said absentees were up

By Melissa Gagliardi

The Courier-Journal

When Stephanie Detamore was pregnant with her son Grant, several friends she met at dog shows drove for hours to attend her baby shower.  Detamore is active on the show-dog circuit, where she has made lasting friendships.  “It’s almost another family,” she said.  “Sometimes the best memories are not made in the show ring—they’re made ringside,” she said yesterday.

Detamore, of Carmel, Ind., was showing a friend’s keeshond during the final day of the four-day Kentuckiana Cluster All Breed Dog Show, which featured 3,521 dogs at the Kentucky Exposition Center.  She said she looks forward to the event each year, mainly as a chance to see the many friends she has made on the circuit over the years.  But this year some faces were missing because of Louisville’s new dangerous-dog ordinance and its many restrictions.

“The ordinance has really hurt this show,” Detamore said.  Owners exhibiting dogs didn’t have to worry about their animals being seized. A county attorney said shows on state property would be exempt.  But some dog owners still think Louisville is anti-dog.  The ordinance requires all unaltered dogs to be kept on 4-foot leashes. It gives animal-control officers additional investigative powers and increases licensing fees for dogs.

In addition, it limits the number of dogs people can keep outdoors on lots smaller than 2 acres and sets higher licensing fees for dogs and cats that have not been spayed or neutered.  Donna Herzig, vice president of the Louisville Kennel Club, said this year’s show was down about 600 entries a day, a total of at least 2,400 dogs.  Absentees also were way up, she said, adding that some people paid entry fees as a show of support to the Kennel Club but didn’t come to the show because of the ordinance.  Still, she was glad for the thousands who did come.

“It’s been a good show,” she said. “It’s always fun.” Detamore managed to look past the anger that many participants shared over the ordinance and focus on what the show is really all about—the dogs, and all the camaraderie that has developed around them.  For people with show dogs, it isn’t rare to spend tens of thousands of dollars a year traveling the country to compete every few weeks.

Grooming stations flanked all areas of the West Wing, where terriers were brushed and Pomeranians were fluffed. Metal combs were on hand to calm fly-away fur, and vendors hawked everything from puppy treats to wind chimes reflecting major breeds.

Lori Robson of Mason, Ohio, decided several years ago that she really wanted a pet, and now she shows keeshonden every other weekend. It’s a major commitment of time and money, but she loves doing it and so do the dogs.  As soon as she starts to load up the equipment for a show, her dogs get excited, she said. They know they’re special, that they’re show dogs, she said. Still, they get to have fun and romp and play in mud and sand like any other dog, regardless of their weekly grooming schedule.  “Mine are pets, first,” she said.

Jennifer Burrell of Fort Worth, Texas, was readying her basset hound, Oakes Twist and Shout, for the ring, tempting the pooch with a pouch of treats to keep her focused.  Because of the dog ordinance, she decided to stay in Jeffersonville, Ind., where she also chose to dine rather than spend money in Louisville.

But one area that wasn’t hit financially is an annual benefit for a national charity called “Take the Lead,” which provides help for people in the sport who suffer life-threatening illness.  “People are spending money—they’re spending it on the charities,” Burrell said.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Dog Food Recall Alert

Recalled dog foods described in this Press release.  Menu Foods website Number for more information ::  1-866-895-2708

America’s Choice; Preferred Pets; Authority; Award; Best Choice; Big Bet; Big Red; Bloom; Bruiser; Cadillac; Companion; Demoulas Market Basket; Fine Feline Cat; Shep Dog; Food Lion; Giant Companion; Great Choice; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Key Food; Laura Lynn; Loving Meals; Main Choice; Mixables; Nutriplan; Nutro Max; Nutro Natural Choice; Nutro; Ol’Roy; Paws; Pet Essentials; Pet Pride; President’s Choice; Price Chopper; Priority; Publix; Roche Bros; Save-A-Lot; Schnucks; Springsfield Pride; Sprout; Stater Bros; Total Pet; My True Friend; Western Family; White Rose; Winn Dixie and Your Pet.

Menu Foods Income Fund Announces Precautionary Dog and Cat Food Recall
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - March 16, 2007) -

NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES

Attention Business/Financial Editors

Menu Foods Income Fund (the “Fund") (TSX:MEW.UN) today announced the precautionary recall of a portion of the dog and cat food it manufactured between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. The recall is limited to “cuts and gravy” style pet food in cans and pouches manufactured at two of the Fund’s United States facilities. These products are both manufactured and sold under private-label and are contract-manufactured for some national brands.

Over the past several days, the Fund has received feedback in the United States (none in Canada) raising concerns about pet food manufactured since early December, and its impact on the renal health of the pets consuming the products. Shortly after receipt of the first complaint, the Fund initiated a substantial battery of technical tests, conducted by both internal and external specialists, but has failed to identify any issues with the products in question. The Fund has, however, discovered that timing of the production associated with these complaints, coincides with the introduction of an ingredient from a new supplier. The Fund stopped using this ingredient shortly after this discovery and production since then has been undertaken using ingredients from another source. At the same time, the Fund’s largest customer, for which it manufactures on a contract basis, received a small number of consumer complaints and has initiated its own recall.

Furthermore, for the time being, the customer has put future orders for cuts and gravy products on hold. This customer’s cuts and gravy purchases in 2006 represented approximately 11% of the Fund’s annual revenue. “We take these complaints very seriously and, while we are still looking for a specific cause, we are acting to err on the side of caution” said Paul K. Henderson, President and CEO, Menu Foods. “We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that our products maintain the very highest quality standards.”

While the number of complaints has been relatively small, Menu is taking this proactive step out of an abundance of caution, because the health and well-being of pets is paramount to the Fund.  In addition to changing suppliers, for production after March 6, the Fund has increased testing of all raw materials and finished goods. It is also working closely with regulatory authorities and its customers to learn more and will take whatever additional actions are appropriate.

The Fund estimates that based on currently available information, this recall could cost between $30 million and $40 million, which will be financed from a combination of internally generated cash flow and bank credit facilities. Furthermore, the Fund is aggressively producing product, utilizing a different supplier for the ingredient in question, to replenish customers as quickly as possible.  In order to determine whether cat and dog food in their possession is subject to recall, consumers should refer to the list of brand names ("listed products") at http://www.menufoods.com/recall. This will be available by 6 a.m. Saturday March 17, 2007. Products not identified on the website can continue to be used.

Menu is the leading North American private-label/contract manufacturer of wet pet food products sold by supermarket retailers, mass merchandisers, pet specialty retailers and other retail and wholesale outlets. In 2006, the Fund produced more than one billion containers.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Information about the Tennessee Cluster

The comments on my feeling about the Louisville Show have raised some questions about the rumours out of the Tennessee Show and a cross posting that was done during or after the Tennessee Cluster.  The following was a email I received about the show.  The original note was from Brenda Weiss the chairman of the Nashville Kennel Club.  Cross posted with permission.  I want to thank Myrna for sending this to me.

“I am the show chairman for the Nashville Kennel Club and the cluster chairman for the Country Music Cluster in Franklin, TN.  This story has gotten out of hand and untrue.  No one stole a dog.  A man and small child were at the shows.  Someone overheard him say that he thought it was cruel to keep the dogs in the cages.  He took pictures of a few dogs (all were in approriate size crates and well taken care off).  We were alerted to look for him and make sure nothing happened.  We never found him or the child.  We had alerted our security and watched entrances to the bldg and let people enter through one entrance.  A man fitting the description was seen with a boxer.  He was a a crate, when asked if he was from PETA, he said yes, he was.  Then he proceeded to put the boxer in the crate and leave.  It turned out he was the owner of the boxer and a dog person known to the boxer people.  He thought he was just being funny when he said it an didn’t know we were under the impression that someone might be at the show to cause problems (which it was turned out no one was ever identified).  He apologized for causing the commotion.

PLEASE STOP THIS RUMOUR!!! No one tried to steal a GSD or any other dog.  We took precautionary measures to keep any potential problem from arising.”

Thank you,
Brenda Weiss, Nashville KC

Thanks to Brenda for setting the record straight. 

On an editorial note, I believe the folks at the Tennessee show made a very sound decision better to error on the side of caution.  To be fair to PETA they have a few members who go to extreme measures to get their point across my earlier segment is directed at that and the law in Louisville.  Mix a law like the one passed in Louisville with extreme elements of PETA and you have the making of trouble. 

As this story continues to develop I will continue to cover it if you wish to help the Louisville Kennel Club fight this law I recommend this link (Louisville Kennel Club).  If you believe PETA’s more radical members are beyond releasing animals and you believe Carla’s comments from “Ask Carla” I would recommend reading Wesley J. Smith’s article from the National Review.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Show exempt from dangerous dog law

Reprinted from the Courier Journal

Show exempt from dangerous dog law
Event will be held on state grounds

By Sheldon S. Shafer
and Sara Cunningham
The Courier-Journal

Owners exhibiting their dogs at the Kentuckiana Cluster All Breed Dog Show in the Kentucky Exposition Center this week don’t have to worry that their animals could be seized because of the city’s new animal ordinance.  A county attorney says shows run by the Kentucky State Fair Board on state property are exempt.

And dogs brought into the city during the show or that get loose won’t be spayed or neutered, Louisville Metro Animal Services Director Dr. Gilles Meloche said last week.  But for some dog owners, this news has not changed their opinion that Metro Louisville is anti-canine.  “There are a lot of problems with the new rules and while that would help, it’s not enough,” said Sandi Stephenson, a dog owner from Chicago who says she won’t bring hers to the show this year. “There’s been a lot of confusion about what the rules are and what will happen. People just want to be safe and make sure their dogs are safe.”

The ordinance, signed into law Jan. 4, grew out of concern over pit bulls in late 2005, after a 2-year-old girl was killed by her family’s pet.  The ordinance requires all unaltered dogs be kept on 4-foot leashes.  The ordinance also gives animal control officers additional investigative powers and increases licensing fees for dogs.  It also limits the number of dogs people can keep outdoors on lots of less than 2 acres, and sets higher licensing fees for dogs and cats that have not been spayed or neutered.

Because of the ordinance, the Louisville Kennel Club Puppy Match canceled its event in January and the Dimes and Dollars Cat Club show backed out last December, said Amanda Storment, spokeswoman for the state fair board, which runs the Expo Center.  The loss of each of these shows was about $100,000 for the local economy, Storment said.  Fair board President Harold Workman said he hopes the changes will convince those groups to return.

The Collie Club of America put on hold its plan to book the Expo Center for its 2010 national show, worth about $500,000 to the community, Storment said.  Collie Club spokesman Mike Esch said in an e-mail Friday the club booked its convention on the West Coast because of the uncertainty about whether the ordinance would cover the fairgrounds and hotels.

Tim Tingle, treasurer of the Kentucky State Rabbit Breeders Association, said his group is considering holding its 2008 convention in Louisville. The rabbit breeders won’t decide until they can discuss how the animal-control ordinance would apply.  The convention would mean about $2 million for the local economy, said Storment.

Louisville Kennel Club spokeswoman Donna Herzig said the clarification of the law’s impact on dog shows eases concerns, although the club still opposes the law.  The Kentuckiana Cluster dog shows, scheduled Wednesday through Sunday, had been expected to draw about 10,000 people and generate nearly $3 million for the economy, Storment said.

Louisville Kennel Club spokeswoman Donna Herzig said entry numbers are the lowest they’ve been in 15 years.  Herzig said she and other organizers have received e-mails from people concerned about the ordinance’s spay and neuter provisions.

At a Metro Council Democratic caucus meeting Thursday, Assistant County Attorney Bill Warner advised council members that the city can’t regulate activity that is legal under state law and conducted by a state agency (the fair board) on state property (the Expo Center).  The council is reviewing the ordinance, and members say they will eventually consider major changes.  Council member Jim King, D-10th District, said the council plans to consider amending the ordinance as soon as possible so Animal Services “shall not alter any animal owned by someone who does not live in Jefferson County.”

Meloche said exhibitors feared their animals could be altered.  “That is a stretch from reality,” Meloche said. “It has never happened and never will happen.” King said “the way the ordinance reads,” if animal services impounds a unlicensed animal, “it is to be altered before being returned to the owner. But that won’t happen.”

Dog owner Stephenson said she will come for the shows next week, but plans to eat in Jeffersonville instead of Louisville.  “It will be my own little way to protest,” Stephenson said.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Open Letter to Louisville Kentucky Kennel Club

It was simple; my wife asked do we want to take the boys (our two German Shorthair Pointers) to Louisville for the show?

My response was quick and to the point.  NO!  We will take the weekend off and we will find another dog show to go to in 2008. 

I had read the Onofrio posting by the Louisville Kennel Club and I read the legislation that had passed.  The question is how much risk am I will to take as an owner.  None is the simple answer and there are too many people with bad intentions claiming to be good intentions potentially going to show up.  PeTA may not show up and the show may go off with out a hitch, that’s not a risk I am about to take.  The Louisville Kentucky Kennel Club has been a great host in the past and it is a shame it has come to this.

There are people out there that are willing to do anything to make a point even at the risk to the animals they claim to be defending.  PeTA does not publicly say they support the kind of actions like we saw in Tennessee this weekend but they also do not publically denounce it either.  PeTA does not like dog shows; I do not like PeTA and I make no bones about that fact just as there are puppy mills and pet stores that sell mill puppys (something PeTA and I would agree on and would both work to shut down).

PeTA does not recognize or take responsibility for those within its’ own ranks who place animals at risk and make judgements about people they have never met simply because they show dogs.  I do not buy for one moment that PeTA would not release dogs in a city with a mandatory neuter law.  We will get to that point in just a moment for those say it is not mandatory.

The law in Louisville places my two boys at risk and a risk I consider unacceptable.  Both well trained and well behaved, regardless if they are accused of an assumed nusaince they can be confiscated and/or neutered.  If they are released they would be neutered before being returned. 

Personally I think the hard-working voting citizens of Louisville should politically neuter the Mayor and the voting members who signed off on this law.  Typically over a show like this I would have spent $400 - 500 dollars in the local community.  Not this year or any year in the future.  If I have to pass through Louisville on the way to another show I wont be stopping and if I can avoid Louisville all together I will.

It is a shame the Kennel Club and local merchants have to suffer as a result of this law and I want it to be clear I won’t allow there to be any risk to my German Shorthairs.  Not because of the fine citizens of Louisville or their prestigious Kennel Club but because the city politicians have made it an unsafe place for my dogs.  The Kennel Club has made it clear the show grounds are state property and would not be covered by this law.  I do not know enough about that to know if it is true.  What I do know; there is a very clear and distinct risk in that city for show dogs.

The rumour is out that the Tennesse show was a “dress rehersal” for the Louisville show.  Here is the facts for those that have not read it.  Assume for a moment that someone releases one or both of my dogs.  The city picks them up ....

According to the City’s own website the FAQ for Animal Control says .....

If I am in Louisville for a competition with my dog and it gets away from me and ends up at the shelter will it need to be spayed or neutered before I can get it back?

No. We understand that accidents happen. It helps if you report your missing animal to us and if it is wearing identification or is microchipped. We understand that accidents happen and will not require that your dog is altered.

However if you read the actual ordinance .... Ordinance No. 233, Series 2006

§ 91.036 RECLAIMING IMPOUNDED ANIMAL.

(D) Any unaltered dog which is impounded for any reason after the effective date of this ordinance shall not be reclaimed by an owner unless the dog is spayed or neutered by or at the direction of MAS. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude a determination pursuant to §91.110 that a dog is a potentially dangerous dog or a dangerous dog.

The FAQ may say one thing the actual law says another.

There is the risk one I will not take.  To my friends and other handlers it is each your own choice I have made mine. 

What is a track back?

If you look at many of the stories and information posted on the website you will notice several things at the bottom of each entry.  Some questions arised as to what each one means.  So I thought I would provide a breif description here.

The first item if I do not forget to add the information to one of them one is a CATEGORY.  This is simply an easy way to group related stories.  Information about Blade is in the German Shorthair Pointer category and the sub category of Blade.  Information about Scout is listed in the German Shorthair Pointer category and the sub category of Scout.  Should I add any additional dogs I can sub categorize them as needed.

On the right side near the bottom you will see a list of categories and the sub categories.  If you select a category it will only display the information or stories for that category.  You can also view them by month.

The next item is COMMENTS in the list of options.  Comments are just that if you want to add a comment to a story, share additional information, make a correction ask a question this is the place it can be done.  Anyone that is a member of the site can add comments and becoming a member is free you just need a valid e-mail address.  I do this so not just anyone comes on to the site and make comments.  Regretfully we had to do this since “Surf Trolls” as they are occassionally refered to in the Internet world would come along and add inflamatory comments simply to create trouble.  Requiring a person to create an account on the site has eliminated that issue.  I also do not allow a person to create an account under the age of 18 with out parental consent.  The site follows child on-line privacy guidelies as set forth by COPPA.  Meaning in part that adults can chose to have a public or private profile.  Those under 18 are not given the option they are all private by default.

The final item is probably the most confusing it is the TRACKBACK - PERMALINK option.  This is for websites that find a story on the site they wish to include in their own website.  Rather than having to ask me for permission to reprint the story they can include the trackback link on thier website and it will appear there.  Typically we will provide the source for any information provided on the site and we ask that anyone that pulls information from our site to do the same.  This feature allows that to happen with the least amount of hassle.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Food that can be deadly for your pet ......

This weekend as with any other show weekends there is plenty of down time for talking and meeting people.  Many of the subjects that are printed here are from such conversations and sparks a little research to seperate the facts from the fiction.  This week we came upon the subject of food dangerous for dogs.  Some of them were surprisig others were not.  Breeders that visit the site might consider adding a fact sheet for new owners with thier puppy packages.

Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pet

- Alcoholic beverages: Need I say more .... I know some people this should apply to. (Pun intended) :D
- Chocolate (all forms): Coco is very dangerous and as with all chocolate it can cause a dog to have a heart attack.
- Coffee (all forms): Similiar effects as Chocolate.
- Fatty foods: Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis, somethings we just did not know I can remember as a child watching my Grandmother pour used fat on the dogs food all the time.
- Macadamia or Walnuts nuts:  Can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis, Walnuts have a very high level of toxins not only in the nuts but the leaves, twigs, shell casings, shells and branches.  Walnuts use this toxin to fend off competing plants and is very danerous for pets.
- Moldy or spoiled foods: Need I say anymore.
- Onions, onion powder: Can cause anemia, destroys red blood cells.
- Raisins and grapes: Highly toxic to dogs can cause kidney failure and death.
- Salt:  Excessive exposure to salt can cause kidney problems.
- Avocados: Toxic both plant and fruit.
- Nutmeg: Can cause seizures.
- Apple, Peach, Cherries seeds:  All contain cyanide dangerous to both humans and animals.  One of these consumed by a dog can lead to death in 24 hours.
- Yeast dough: Could not find anything that said why though several sources identified it as dangerous to dogs.
- Garlic: Could not find anything that said why though several sources identified it as dangerous to dogs.
- Products sweetened with xylitol: Liver Failure
- No cold cuts including hot dogs: This one surprised me not sure why after thinking about it, it makes sense cold cuts are high in salt and nitrates, leading to kidney and digestive problems. 

This is not meant to be a complete list just some FOOD for thought.  For more information try these links.

Treshanley
ASPCA
Petalia

Blade Best of Breed #5 at the Belleville Show

Jan rated as #6 and Feb rated as #10 we are looking forward to the March counts.