Scout's Paw Tracks

Saturday, December 01, 2007

AKC Syndicated News Consumer Alert

Consumer Alert!

© 2007 The American Kennel Club, Inc.

The AKC and the Council of Better Business Bureaus have received an alarming number of reports over the past few months from consumers who have lost money after responding to online or newspaper classified ad offering free or inexpensive puppies.

Consumers are taken in by the sincerity of the scammer, who will claim to only care about finding a good home for their beloved puppy. Before consumers realize that they are being conned, they will have paid hundreds of dollars in shipping fees for a puppy that will never arrive.

“This is certainly not the only scam to be aware of, but it is a common one,” says AKC spokesperson Lisa Peterson. “Because of the emotional investment, consumers are more vulnerable to being taken advantage of when it comes to a cute cuddly puppy than with any other purchase.”

In an attempt to protect other potential puppy buyers from being scammed, the AKC and CBBB offer the following advice:

Do your research. Ask if the breeder is a member of an AKC-affiliated club and contact that club to verify membership. Request references and speak to other people who have purchased dogs from this breeder—especially if the breeder does not live near you.

Beware of breeders who seem overly concerned with getting paid. Any reputable breeder will be far more concerned with the appropriateness of the potential pet home than what and when they are getting paid.

Don’t be fooled by a slick web site. At the very least speak with the breeder on the telephone and ideally meet the breeder, the puppy and the dam in person. If you locate a breeder online, never send money without checking their references and credentials first.

Take your time. Beware of breeders who claim to have multiple breeds ready to ship immediately. It’s highly unlikely that your perfect puppy will be available for shipping on the very day you call.

Report a scam. Anyone who has experienced a dog-related scam should report it to their local authorities as well as their local BBB (http://www.bbb.org) to file a complaint. Consumers can also direct questions and concerns to AKC Customer Service at 919-233-9767, or e-mail .

“If you are sure you are dealing with an actual breeder who has a dog to sell, there are still things to be aware of,” adds Peterson. “If you expect the dog you are buying to be AKC-registrable, you must obtain documentation when you pick up the dog. Wait until you receive it before you pay for and take home your puppy. Once you have completed the financial aspect of the transaction, there is little recourse for an unsatisfied buyer.”

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Is It Your Gun, Is It Your Dog, Is It You? Quail Hunting Fixes from MDC's Mark Goodwin

Hunting birds in Missouri can be both fun and challanging, not only the hunt but finding the time.  Honey do list on Saturday, rain on Sunday ah but it is a three day weekend and Kathy works on Monday sounds like a perfect day to take in a morning hunt. 

On a lazy Sunday afternoon like today when it is raining I find it to be a perfect opprotunity to catch up on my reading at the Missouri Conservation Department (MDC) website and also serves as a reminder I need to renew my hunting license on-line.

For those that have not been to MDC On-Line you are missing the countries best conservation department website.  Along with all you want to know about hunting in Missouri you can also access the Missouri Conservationist On-Line.  Always well worth the read and personally I find it is more relavent to the hunting I do than any publication I could buy in a book store magizine rack.

So what does any of this have to do with Quail Hunting Fixes you ask.  Well Mark Goodwin one of the contributors to MDC On-Line wrote the following article, it was such a good article related to our breed and Quail hunting that I felt my visitors even if you are not from Missouri would find it both entertaining and educational. So with no further rabblings from me here is the story.

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Veteran quail hunters know about the highs and lows of their sport. When all goes well in pursuit of bobwhites, the level of satisfaction and pride transcends words. On days when problems predominate, however, feelings are best expressed in colorful words.

Most quail hunting problems stem from hunter mistakes and oversights. The four most common problems that quail hunters face afield involve dogs, equipment, shooting and locating birds. Let’s dive into each of these and identify solutions that will put more spring in your step, more birds in your bag and more smiles on your face.

Dog Dilemas

Quail hunters’ canine woes often start when hunters unknowingly pick a bird dog from the wrong bloodlines. This is one of the most serious errors a quail hunter can make, for an incompatible pedigree often ruins any chance of a good relationship developing between hunter and dog.

Genes serve as powerful influence over a bird dog’s actions, including the most important trait, how far a dog ranges. Some hunters prefer bird dogs that run far and wide in search of game, Others prefer dogs that hunt close. If hunter and dog are mismatched concerning this preference and trait, both hunter and dog will likely suffer.

Before purchasing an adult bird dog, a hunter should ask to see the dog hunt. If the dog hunts well and at a satisfactory range, it’s important to ask if the dog’s hunting style is more a reflection of its nature or of rigorous training. I prefer a dog that is genetically programmed to hunt my way.

When in the market for a bird dog pup, a hunter should buy out of a sire and dam that possess his or her preferred hunting style. By observing an eight-week-old pup, you can’t determine if it will have the hunting characteristics you want. If the parents hunt the way you like, however, chances are their pups will, too.

Pay less attention to a pup’s more distant relatives. Their traits are not likely to vitally important. A pup receives its genes directly from its parents, and those genes will affect a pup’s intelligence, scenting abilities and hunting style.

Regardless of breeding, bird dogs require training. Some hunters buy a pup and, when it is fully grown, think they should have a dog that will find birds, hold points and retrieve. It seldom works that way. To develop their instincts, bird dogs need time afield and training.

A hunter can take a dog to a reputable trainer and, after considerable expense, receive a dog ready to hunt. However, quail hunters must be schooled in how to handle a dog. No matter how well trained, dogs will test their owners. If allowed to disobey, dogs will quickly “forget” what they have learned. Accordingly, most professional trainers make serious efforts to ensure that their clients know how to give and enforce commands.

Before the hunting season, bird dogs also need refresher training. Two weeks of work on commands and time afield will have a bird dog ready for opening day. Hunters who forego this effort before the season usually suffer with poor dog work until their four-legged partners sharpen to task.

You also can over-handle a bird dog. This problem is the opposite of a failure to train. Those who succumb to this tendency are often new to working with bird dogs. A hunter wants to make sure his dog honors its training, so he or she gives command after command: “Here!” “Heel!” “Stay!” This can cramp a dog’s hunting efforts and leave it confused and distracted. Commands should be kept to a minimum, such as “Whoa” when the dog is on point, “Dead” when a bird has been downed and “Here” when a dog is headed in the wrong direction.

It’s also possible to overhunt a dog. Bird dogs are like athletes in that they need time to recuperate from the physical rigors of their sport. Hunting bird dogs for days on end, with insufficient time to rest, leaves them vulnerable to injury. I learned this the hard way.

Some years ago I had only one bird dog. She loved to hunt, and so we hunted birds day after day. I had no idea she was physically worn down until she dislocated a shoulder while running a field edge. She didn’t trip or stumble. Her joints had taken a pounding from overhunting, and her shoulder simply gave out. The injury plagued her the rest of her life.

Preventing this kind of problem is simple; own more dogs. I now routinely keep four pointers. Taking care of that many dogs is a lot of work and expensive, but with four dogs I can hunt two dogs one day and the other two the next. This gives each dog a day’s rest between hunts and keeps them fresh for the season. The same can be done with two dogs by hunting one dog at a time.

Dogs that bring downed birds to hand are a joy, but some develop the habit of “hard-mouthing,” or chewing, what they retrieve. A hard-mouthed dog can quickly puncture and pulverize a quail, rendering it unfit for human consumption.

A dog’s tendency to bite into game is often magnified by hunters who attempt to forcefully pull game out of their dogs’ mouths. Tugging encourages a dog to clamp down harder.

If a dog refuses to give up a bird, place your hand along the skin that joins hind leg to side and pull up while at the same time saying “drop.” The sensation will cause the dog to reflexively open its mouth. With stubborn dogs I have had to lift their hind feet off the ground before getting them to drop the quarry ino my hand, but I never tugged, regardless of how stubborn they were.

Playing fetch games using a frozen quail is a good way to practice this release system. The bird gets slimy and dirty after a couple of retrieves, but it is good training. A frozen bird further discourages a dog from clamping down.

It also pays to feed a dog an hour or so before a hunt. This reduces a dog’s feeding instincts, which makes it less prone to bite into birds. If a dog doesn’t want to eat, drizzling honey or maple syrup over its food is often all the encouragement that’s needed.

Force-breaking a dog to retrieve also solves hard-mouth problems. A good description of this method can be found in Bill Tarrant’s book, Best Way To Train Your Gun Dog–The Delmar Smith Method.

Wing Shooting Problems

Why do you miss when you shoot at quail? You can come up with plenty of technical excuses for your shots straying, such as the fit of shotgun to shooter, mounting of shotgun to shoulder and cheek, stance, swing and lead. However, most quail hunters miss their birds for two basic reasons.

One is a lack of shooting practice. Your mother may have told you to practice the piano when you were a kid. If you didn’t, you probably didn’t develop into much of a pianist. The same principle goes with wingshooting. You have to practice to gain proficiency.

Most of us, even if we gave our best efforts, would never make the Olympic shooting team. That level of shooting requires superior talent, hand-eye coordination and reflexes, but most of us can become solid wing shots through regular practice.

I’m not a great shooter, but I usually connect with quail because I work at it. After quail season I shoot a little hand trap–maybe a box or two of shells every month. In late summer before dove season, I get more serious about practice. Over a two-week period, using a full choke to provide extra challenge, I’ll shoot a case of shells as I work on fundamentals. During dove season I will shoot another case or two of shells. This “practice” hones my shotgunning skills and leaves me ready for quail season.

The other reason many hunters miss quail relates to the choke, or muzzle constriction, of their shotgun barrel. During the quail season I enjoy the company of friends who like quail hunting, but they go only a few times a year. Their guns are choked for general purpose–modified–and they have a tough time hitting birds.

Shooting quail over pointing dogs is close-range business. Most shots are under 20 yards. Accordingly, chokes should be open. Improved cylinder is a favorite of many veteran quail hunters.

A few years back I bought a straight cylinder-bore choke tube for my 12 gauge to see what type of pattern I would get.

In comparison to the improved cylinder choke I had been using, the cylinder-bore choke–in combination with an ounce-and-a-quarter of 7 1/2 shot–provided a wider pattern and one that was just as dense out to 25 yards. This load and choke combination improved my quail success immediately.

Finding Birds

Hunters who can’t find quail in Missouri need to look harder. Granted, density varies across Missouri. In some counties where fescue and clean fence rows predominate, quail may be limited to pockets of prime habitat, but birds are there.

Quail hunters who hunt frequently need many places to search for bobwhites. Once a covey is shot down to eight birds or so, the covey should be left alone to repopulate the area for the next year.

I quail hunt, on average, 40 times a season. That amount of hunting requires lots of hunting spots. So year-round, when in rural areas, I keep my eyes open for new places to hunt. I study county plat books, determine land ownership and ask permission to hunt. Some hunters feel uncomfortable about asking a stranger for permission to hunt, but it does no harm to ask, and often it’s the only way to get new places to hunt.

I do my best to honor the privilege of hunting someone else’s property. I don’t run my dogs through uncut crops; I ask landowners if they would like to join me on a hunt, and I offer them the quail I kill–dressed and ready to eat. I help put up hay, dig potatoes and cut wood. I drop off a pie now and again. I don’t overdo the thanks, but I want a landowner to know I appreciate the privilege of hunting his or her land. In this way I have become good friends with many landowners.

With places to hunt, a quail hunter needs to know how best to look for birds. Persistence is important. On many occasions I have found coveys early in the season but had difficulty finding them on subsequent hunts. The birds were in different places. Last season at one of our hunting spots, my dogs found a covey of 15 birds along the edge of a cut bean field surrounded by timber. We failed to kill a bird on the covey rise and had no luck working singles in the woods.

I worked through that spot four other times during the season and never again found the covey. I thought maybe the birds had moved on. The last hunt of the season, we looked for the covey one more time. On the north edge of the bean field, one of my dogs pointed. We walked in, and 15 quail took flight. This spot is hunted hard by other hunters, which shows that quail can do a good job evading detection.

Another key to finding quail is knowing where to look for the birds in relation to their daily routines. Some bird hunters spend most of their time walking brushy draws in their quest for quail. In doing so they often overlook many coveys.

Quail tend to relate to specific places during different times of day. At first light they are often found in open fields of knee-high grass where they roost. Shortly after first light, quail typically feed. To find them at this time, it’s good strategy to hunt 20 to 30 yards out along the edge of cut grain fields or other feeding areas.

Once quail have filled their crops, they move to brushy areas. Here you can find them loafing until about mid or late afternoon. Later, they move to the fields again to feed before going to roost. With persistence and a hunting approach that matches the habits of quail, hunters in Missouri should find birds.

Equipment

Quail hunting is not a sport that requires a lot of gear. A few items, however, might well be considered necessities.

On most hunts, even with well-trained dogs, hunters will need a leash. Most bird dogs have a rude streak. If a hunt starts close to a farmer’s house, bird dogs may urinate on the farmer’s flowers, defecate close to the front porch or do any number of equally inappropriate things. Discouraging such behaviors by way of commands is usually futile. Fresh out of their kennels, bird dogs are excited and prone to disobey. This is time for a leash.

A leash also has other uses. It offers control and safety for dogs when crossing roads and other hazards. It also provides a means of controlling a bird dog that has disobeyed a command.

For safety, every quail hunter should wear hunter or blaze orange. A hunter-orange cap should be the minimum. Visibility in thick cover is often poor, and blaze orange helps hunters keep track of one another. It’s a good idea to have an extra hunter-orange cap handy in case a hunting partner fails to bring one.

Aside from hunter orange, quail hunters have other specific clothing needs. Boots should be a special concern. Quality hunting boots are expensive, usually well over $100, but what you pay for is cushion, support and comfort–exactly what a quail hunter needs in footwear. On a half-day quail hunt, it’s common to walk six miles or more over rough and irregular terrain, and that can be tough on ankles and knees.

Walking generates a lot of heat, so quail hunters should dress as lightly as possible. On a typical winter day in Missouri, a long-sleeve sweat shirt, game vest, brush pants, hat and gloves provide for comfortable hunting. Going light on clothes also tends to improve shooting. On bitter, windy days when a hunter needs layers of clothes to stay comfortable, the bulkiness can lead to awkward and slow gun work.

For all-day hunts, food is another important concern. I’ve been on bird hunts where the dog work was poor, shooting was awful and equipment broke, but I’ve never had a bad lunch. Lunch offers an opportunity to sit back with buddies and recall the morning–to laugh over the bad shots and compliment the good, to console over poor dog work and brag over that which was admirable. It’s part of quail hunting–a fine sport made finer through thought, planning and work.

This article is reprinted within the provisions of the MDC Copyright Notice Copyright © Missouri Conservation Commission. All rights reserved.  Scout’s Paw Tracks is a non profit/commercial website dedicated to German Shorthair Pointers and their owners. 

Monday, November 05, 2007

How To Clean Quail and Dove

With small birds like doves and quail it is not worth plucking the entire bird like it is with a chicken, duck or turkey.  The reason is the amount of meat on wings and legs is very small.  We don’t like to be wasteful, but on small birds the breast meat is the significant portion of meat.  So the process we use to clean quail or doves is called breasting, which leaves you with the breast meat.

You will need a few tools to get started.

Small sharp knife
Kitchen shears
A paper bag for waste
Running water to wash them off birds
Plastic Freezer bags if you’re going to freeze the birds once cleaned

Getting Started

Take the kitchen shears and cut the wings off the bird.  Put the wings in the paper bag.  (Note: It’s good to clean up as you go, otherwise feathers can get everywhere and make quite a mess that take much longer to clean up at the end).  Some of these I will save as teasers for young pups.

Remove the head by either pulling it off with your hands which involves putting the head between your index and forefinger and while holding the body of the bird in your other hand, twist and pull.  Alternatively, you can use the kitchen shears and cut the head off at the base of the neck.

Flip the bird over so that the breast or underside of the bird is facing you.  With your thumb and index finger pluck the feathers from the breast.  Make sure your hands are dry, otherwise the feathers will stick to your hands.

Now where the breast bone meets the back if forms a point.  Put both of your thumbs on the point and press to break the skin.

Insert your thumbs about one inch and pull the body in half. This will separate the breast from the back

Clean out the guts, pellets (if it was shot) and wash with cold water.

Place the cleaned bird in the pot and do the next one.

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.

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.

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

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Is your Town, City or Village Dog Friendly? It is the little things.

I was reminded this week while I was in Springfield, Illinios for a dog show of what a dog friendly versus a dog hostile community really means.  All things considered equal I will assume you know something of being a responsible dog owner.  I could write an entire thesis on that subject.  This blog posting is focused on if your hometown is dog friendly or not. 

I will start with Springfield Illinios.  My personal experiance is the town is very dog friendly and it is the little things that will make my point.  Lets start with places we all go to, the park.  Two specific parks I will highlight are the Washington Park in Springfield and second is the New Salem Lincoln Village State Park, seventeen miles outside Springfield.  New Salem where President Lincoln lived prior to moving on to bigger and better things.  This is a part of history with nearly the entire village rebuilt like it would have been during Lincoln’s days as a young man.  It is a walking park of living history.  What surprises you first is they allow dogs on leash to be walked through the park and no one is surprised they are there.  People both working there and walking the park say hello and are enquisitive about our two since many of them have never seen German Shorthair Pointers before.  You can spend hours walking the grounds taking in the peaceful environment and talking with the voulenteers who dressed in period clothing explain what life during that period was like.

While New Salem is an unique experiance, Washinton Park in Spring field is more traditional.  A fairly large park in the middle of Springfield it uncludes some unique dog amminities.  The water fountians in the park anyone of us could drink from include a fountian at dog level.  Dog or human can step on a ground plate and fresh water becomes available.  While we were there kids could carve pumpkins and display them around the park, dogs welcome, though they were not allowed to carve pumpkins. =D Also was an outdoor art exhibit for local artist to display and sell artwork.  Again dogs welcome, actually we could not walk more than a few feet before we would be stopped by patrons asking questions about the dogs or commenting on how good they looked.

This is the second year we have been to this show, and last year I needed to go get some asprin, of course it is one AM not much of a chance something would be open.  I did remember there was a Walgreens a couple of blocks away and decided I would take take a chance it was open.  Anyways it was a good opprotunity to take Scout with me for a quite walk.  I make way to Walgreens and to my surprise it was still open.  In we go the store clerk behind the counter, I expected her to say I could not bring him in I asked from across the store anyways if it was ok to bring Scout in.  The young lady behind the counter looks at me like I am crazy, and says “...of coarse it is!” Well I might be crazy I am walking my dog into a Walgreens at one AM in the morning so maybe I am crazy, but I realized the response was more one of your not from around here are you.

Of course knowing the corporate sensitivities around being sued it was still a surprise but a plesently.  My wife had a similiar experiance at Starbucks.  Mc Donalds on the other hand is sticking to it corporate guns, no dogs ever and you can not walk through the drive through even if it is four AM.  Obvious that none of them have ever had a eight AM show time and did not feel like getting in the car just to go through the drive through of the resturaunt next door to your hotel.

Over every experiance I have ever had in Springfield has been a positive one when it comes to taking dogs places int he city.

Now I live in a town known as Lake St. Louis.  Lake St Louis is a bedroom community west of St Louis.  Now we moved here from Milwaukee, Wisconson another dog friendly city.  I grew up in the St Louis area which in general is dog friendly except for some specific breeds owned by some less that responsible dog owners.  There are some very specific restrictions in some of the communities in the St Louis area.  Like some communities Lake St Louis is not overtly anti-dog in nature it is more of an subvertive attitude ; much as you can have a dog but you can not have a fence and an invisible fence is not considered to be a means of positive control by its own statues.  More specifically communities who say you can have a dog but you can not have a fence. 

Add to that a number of places you see no dog allowed signs and you have yourself a community that in general is not dog friendly.  Do people here still have dogs?  Sure they do, but the dogs have limited mobility.  The rules for dogs in this community are more designed to prevent pet ownership or at least create an environment that makes pet management a little more challenging.

Is you town dog friendly or dog hostile?  Share your comments.

Monday, May 29, 2006

Tail Doc Legislation in New York (Please Read) Bill 11242

From the the American Kennel Association.
Dock Tail Legislation

Assemblywoman Sandy Galef has introduced A. 11242, a bill to prohibit ear cropping and tail docking. It is imperative that New York fanciers and concerned dog owners contact their representatives immediately to oppose this legislation.

A person found guilty of tail docking would be guilty of a misdemeanor and could be sentenced up to one year in jail and/or fined up to $500. Ear cropping would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a fine of up to $1000.

In order to show or compete in any event, including conformation, field trials, performance events and companion events, an owner will have to prove that the dog’s tail was docked prior to September 1, 2006 or the surgery was performed in another state.

Finally, the bill sets up a private right of action that would allow any dog owner or animal rights organization to sue a person who violates this section. Therefore an animal rights group could sue a breeder, owner or veterinarian under this proposal.

A. 11242 has been assigned to the Assembly Agriculture Committee, but a hearing date has not been announced. AKC will be posting new information as it becomes available. Please watch our web site for additional updates. To read the bill in its entirety please click here.

Points to Consider:

When appropriate veterinary care is provided, ear cropping and tail docking are safe, acceptable practices.
Owners, in close consultation with their veterinarians, should make informed decisions about their pets’ health care - not the government.
Once legislators determine they can ban certain elective procedures, they may be just a short step away from removing veterinarians’ and owners’ rights to make informed decisions about animal care and treatment.
What You Can Do:
Fanciers should immediately contact their own Assemblymember and ask him or her to oppose A. 11242. To find out who represents you in the New York State Assembly, click here: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/. It is critical that legislators hear from their own constituents!
Purebred dog owners should also contact their veterinarians and urge them not to support A. 11242. Point out that veterinarians should be concerned about allowing the government and public opinion too much control over their practices.
Share this information with other fanciers and dog clubs. We need everyone’s help!
Print and Distribute Call to Action Flyer on A. 11242 (color flyer) (black and white flyer).
Your voice is especially important if your representative sits on the Assembly Agriculture Committee. 

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Dog trainers can get certified

Source: UPI

Since there are no U.S. government licensing requirements, a non-profit group wants dog trainers to become certified.

The Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers is certifying dog trainers if they qualify by being at least 18 years old and having a high school diploma or the equivalent; having at least 300 hours of dog training experience within the last five years; having references from a veterinarian, a client and a colleague, and passing a 250-question exam that costs $350.

So far, about 1,000 trainers have been certified since the organization at Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers (CCPDT) was established in 2001, The New York Times reported Saturday.

While most dog trainers don’t have national certification, many have certification from a dog training school, the Times said.