The Dane Dribble

^{A Monthly Publication for the GDCWNY}

Volume 7 Issue 5 5/25/04

Editors Note

I am always looking for articles, brags, upcoming matches or any information you would like to see in the newsletter. If anyone has anything they would like to see in the newsletter please send your information to:

Charlie Vaughn

34 Hiawatha Trail

Spencerport NY 14559

cvaughn1@rochester.rr.com

Officers & Board of Directors

Sarah Blakeslee President

Rosiland Bayne ___________ 1^ST Vice President

Kathy Blakselee __________ 2nd Vice President

Robert Mondry Recording Secretary

Kathy Vaughn ___________________ Treasurer

Ruth Piatoff _________Corresponding Secretary

Ruth Piatoff _______________ GDCA Delegate

Jim Richards _________________Director 2004

Kenneth Bayne _______________ Director 2005

Charles Vaughn Director 2006

Scott Linderman_________________ Ex-Officio

Next Meeting

Our next meeting will be at the Blakeslee’s.

Sun June 6, 2003 @ 1:00

7346 Akron Road

Lockport NY 14094

Directions:

From Thruway

1) Exit 49, turn left (North) at light onto Rt. 78

2) Go 13.3 miles to light at Rt. 93 Robinson Rd Lockport. There are 2 car dealerships, a mobile station & the Fieldstone Restaurant at the intersection.

3) Turn right (East) onto Route 93 & go 3.4 miles to Oak Lane.

4) Turn left (North) onto Oak Lane. Go .9 miles, almost to stop sign.

5) Meeting is at the yellow house on the right corner.

From RT 31

1) Go south at the light onto Gasport Rd

2) 2) Go 3 miles on Gasport Rd (1 mile past Rt. 77 intersection)

3) Turn right (West) onto Lincoln Ave Ext

4) Go 2.6 miles to stop sign on corner of Keck Rd

5) Turn left (South) onto Keck & go .5 miles to Akron Rd stop sign.

6) Turn right (West) onto Akron Rd. Go .1 miles & turn left onto Oak Lane.

7) Meeting is at the yellow house on left corner.

Membership

Membership Fees

Single Memberships: $25.00 plus $10.00 for trophies.

Family Memberships: $40.00 plus $10.00 per person for trophies.

There is a one time library fee for new members of $10.00

Reinstatement Fee $10.00

Web Site

The web site has been taken over by Kyle Preston. If anyone wants a picture of their dogs on the website you can email it to Kyle @ hamlinfireboy@hotmail.com or bring it to the next meeting and he can scan it in and then get it back to you.

http://www.geocities.com/gdcwny/

You can also get any pictures to Pete Blasklee.

Litter Box & Brags

At the Alexander show on Saturday:

Davisdane’s Absolutely Amazing (Sadie) went WB BOS for 2pts

Sasdania's Arrow To My Heart (Bentley)
Bred by Steven Stevens and David Vitagliano Owned by Bob and Nancy Kilger, S. Stevens and D. Vitagliano was BOW for a 3 point major

On Sat. May 22 at the match in Batavia, NY...Sasdania-Vitag's Headliner...
"Hallie" went Best In Match under Judge Patti Nagel.

Evan Nelson ranked ninth junior handler

Christmas Party

The club is looking for any suggestions for a new Xmas party site. The club also would love to have more members to attend. Any ideas to increase attendance can be given to Kathy Blakeslee.

GDCWNY Match

The date of the match will be 6/20/04. If you haven’ signed up to help out please do so.

By Dr. Carmen Battaglia

Recently I read an article in a judge’s newsletter that suggested the need for some fundamental changes in dog shows. The writer argued that dog shows are out of step with our times because they no longer are the places to go to evaluate breeding stock. The judge who wrote the article claimed that breeders no longer needed to meet at shows to see what others have bred.

She writes, (parenthetical) “the dog show has become a community of dog lovers where information can be shared, a place where the sport requires training and competence in the ring. A place where one goes to see dogs from other bloodlines that may compliment their own”. She further explains, “I think we have become more of a sport and less of a gathering of people who evaluate breeding stock. To that end, I would be totally in favor of allowing neutered or spayed dogs to compete with fully intact dogs. Many people don’t have the time, facilities or the talent to breed a litter, yet they enjoy showing their dogs. Why create pressure on them to breed their bitch”.

Others would disagree and argue that the fundamental need and purpose of dog shows has increased since their inception over 100 years ago. We know that the early breeders first used dog shows to compare and test breeding stock. If anything has changed, the shows are bigger, involve more people and include over 150 breeds. These changes suggest that they have not lost their place of importance or their sense of direction. What has changed are the number of venues and the quality of the competition. In addition to conformation and obedience, clubs are hosts for hunting, agility, lure coursing, tracking, herding and earth dog events. When taken together, these venues attract larger entries and they also present new challenges. For example, each year there are more novice breeders who are beginning to test their skills. There are also growing numbers of exhibitors anxious to learn about the sport. In 2001, the AKC reported that entries for all venues exceeded 1.8 million. While there may not be total agreement about the role of each venue, breeders and judges continue to use them as their central place to meet and see the improvements made in breeds.

Before we consider abandoning or changing this time-tested tradition and all of the core values that have successfully been used by breeders for decades, let’s examine a few of the key issues. Has the purpose really changed and should dog shows as we know them be abandoned for something else? Let’s begin by looking at some facts and some of the ways that shows can be improved.

No one would argue that there are many positive social values and interactions that continue to be an important part of every dog show. The public, exhibitor, judge and breeder each attend for a variety of reasons, but common to all are the dogs and the competition they provide. First and foremost, dog shows remain the place of choice for breeders to see what others consider their best stock based on a breed standard.

On the other hand, not all shows are the same. Some limit their entries to one breed in order to attract those whose common interests and appreciations are focused on a single breed. These are the specialty shows. They are unique in that they provide opportunities to see not only the breadth of a breed, but also its depth and strengths along with the individual characteristics of the best dogs. They are the best places to find a majority of a breed's specialists discussing what corrections are needed and what improvements have taken place. Specialty shows are regional and national in scope. They produce a gathering of people who are all involved with the same breed standard. The All-breed club serves a different purpose. They serve a diverse group of breeders, exhibitors and judges. All-breed clubs host shows that attract more than 150 breeds. Their goal is to provide a venue where all of the recognized breeds can be observed and judged. In some ways the specialty and all-breed clubs are similar. Both recognize and appreciate the role of the breeder who is central to every event. They recognize the importance of the breeder because they determine what bitches will be bred and which stud dogs will be used. They are key to every event because they produce the pups and provide the puppy buyer's with information about the breed, AKC registration, the importance of positive identification (microchip), DNA, etc. This places them and the shows they attend in the center of the dog world and the sport itself.

The common denominators at every event are the dogs, judges, breeders and exhibitors. Common to all of the breeds are their special characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. Many clubs offer continuing education activities, which range from seminars to clinics. These activities continue to make the dog show the key place to meet and discuss dogs. They also produce the opportunities to see the best animals and those who breed them.

Improvements

There are other reasons for dog shows to be the meeting place for breeders and judges. When a breeder shows a faulty dog in the hopes that it can win, it becomes the judge’s job to keep the faulty one from winning. In this sense, the show and the judge become part of a check and balance system. Let’s take an example that is a common problem for many breeds such as missing teeth. If breeders ignore the problem it will become worse. After a few generations missing teeth will spread throughout the breed and over time it will have its adverse effect. In some breeds it will first affect the lower jaw, then the shape of the skull. Once it becomes widespread there will eventually be a noticeable shift in the appearance of the head.

We need only to look at some history for insight into this matter. Without a doubt, one of the major steps in the evolution of mammals from reptile-like ancestors was the development of their complex chewing apparatus. Unlike fish, amphibians, and reptiles, mammals have four kinds of teeth: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. Each type plays a different role in food processing and the structure of each differs from species to species according to the diet of the species. But teeth are only one part of the dietary picture. Muscles are needed to put teeth into action. They are designed for breaking particular foods, which explains the size and arrangement of their chewing muscles. Teeth and muscles also vary from species to species in relation to their diet. The size of the head muscles, jawbone and teeth all serve to provide shape and appearance to the head.

For many breeds, the problem begins when breeders and judge’s over look a fault. At first they consider it as just small and unimportant problem. You should become suspicious that a problem is about to get worse when you here breeders describe it as “a minor, slight or insignificant deviation from the standard ”. In the case of missing teeth the typical expression first begins with the sentence; “they don’t walk on their mouth”. When repeated often enough, it becomes the rationale for not faulting missing teeth no matter the number that are missing. After the problem has been allowed to spread throughout the breed, certain things about the head begin to change. Usually it is the expression and shape of the jaw. Once this has occurred, a new phrase is used which is also repeated. This time it is of a more serious tone. It sounds something like this - “Missing teeth have become another serious problem of the breed and our heads are no longer what they used to be”. Scenarios like this involve many traits and are not limited to just missing teeth. When they are heard, there is usually a long track that leads back to a large number of breeders and judges with relaxed attitudes about the breed standard and the purpose of the show.

The old timers know that unless breeders and judges work together to make improvements, a breed will slide down hill. It is the judge who determines what is acceptable, who will win and how the standard will be interpreted. When judges become lax in their attitude about breed standards or fail to appreciate a breed’s function, the breeds they judge will suffer. This is why clubs should be careful to invite only those judges to officiate at their shows who they believe will provide a service to their breed. For example, judges who forgive more than they should in areas of temperament, structure and other important breed characteristics, contribute to breeds problems by allowing the less desirable specimens to win and thus perpetuate their faults.

Some judges, when they notice a trend, will call it to the attention of the breeders through their critiques. Recently, I spoke to a judge who had just finished judging 47 Great Danes at an all-breed show. By the end of the puppy classes, he had noticed an unusual number of youngsters with missing teeth. It prompted him to begin to keep count. By the end of his assignment he had totaled 19 out of 47 or 40% that had two or more missing teeth. In conversation with another judge, he learned that she also had a similar experience. At her assignment she noticed that 12 of 21 or 41% had missing teeth. If both of these judges had passed their findings on to the breeders or the parent club, they might have raised the level of awareness before the problem gets out of control. When judges and breeders understand this relationship and how they fit into the equation for making corrections and improvements, a breed can improve. If they don’t, the breed over time will suffer. When I mentioned this scenario to some judges at a judge’s institute, I was surprised by the reaction of a few. One said, “the Great Dane standard does not fault missing teeth so why should I check them”. Another replied, “that’s true, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look and give feedback to the club”.

As the reader of this is material, which one of these two judges would you want to judge your breed?
The notion that the show has lost its place of importance for evaluating breeding stock cannot be supported. With the growing number of inexperienced breeders and the decline in the number of large breeding kennels, the dog show has become the best and most suitable place to evaluate dogs and one of the best places to learn about a breed.

There are always opinions on a subject like this and I would be interested in knowing what the readers think about the future of dog shows and their purpose. Those who would care to comment should drop me a note in care of the editor.

References:

• AKC Judges Newsletter, Winter 2001 Volume 3, Number 19
• Burgis, Arnold. The American Kennel and Sporting Field, (Editor's remarks) New York, J. B. Ford and Company, 1876, P. 188.
• Willis, Malcomb, "Breeding Dogs" Canine Health Conference, AKC Canine health Conference, Oct. 15-17, 1999. St. Louis, MO.
• Willis, Malcomb, "The Road Ahead", AKC Gazette, August 2000, Vol. 117, number 8, p-47.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carmen L. Battaglia holds a Ph.D. and Masters Degree from Florida State University. He is an AKC judge, researcher and writer and has been a leader in the promotion of breeding better dogs. He has written many articles and books on the subject.

Dr. Battaglia is also a popular TV and radio talk show speaker. His seminars on breeding dogs, selecting sires and choosing puppies have been well received by the breed clubs throughout the dog world. Those interested in learning more about his seminars should contact him directly or visit his website for breeders at http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com.

Minutes May Meeting of GDCWNY

 Date: 5/18/04

 Location: Alexander NY

Present:

Bob Mondry, Sara Blakeslee, Lisa Williams, Evan Nelson, Charlie & Kathy Vaughn, Dayle & Mark Lewis, Robert Cretelli, Steven Stevens, David A. Vitagliano, Ken & Roz Bayne, Kathy & Peter Blakeslee

Guest:

Patricia S. Alexander

Called to order at 4 pm

Reports:

Corresponding Secretary: no report

Recording Secretary: Thank you note sent to “Pink Belly Gifts”

Minutes of the last meeting motion to accept mad by Kathy Blakeslee seconded Kathy Vaughn. Motion carried

Treasurer: report handed out

Motion to accept made by Kathy Blakeslee seconded by Ken Bayne carried

Advertising: We can have a full-page ad in the Yearbook for a $4 charge. Lisa will look

into it.

Flyers for the match are being distributed and are ready to be mailed.

Ed. & therapy: no report

Fun Match: Ribbons and Rosettes are in

Duffel Bags & 4x6 picture frames - donated by RB

Receipts for costs of Ribbons & Rosettes $310. Motion to reimburse RB

made by PB seconded by DV carried

Ken B made offer to supply ring markers for match

Delegate: No report

Library: No report

Membership: Patricia Alexander introduced

Sunshine/Memorial: No report

Picnic: no report

Raffle: Tickets for the 50/50 raffle at the Specialty show were handed out

No raffle at this meeting

Dribble: receipts for dribble mailing and printing were submitted $40.38. Motion

To reimburse editor made by Roz Bayne seconded by Pete Blakeslee. Carried

Show: ready

Contract issue with judge settled

RSA: no report

 Trophies: Mona to be contacted re: cost of her trophies

Judges gifts are ready

Website: any new pictures can be given to Pete Blakeslee

Old Business: Xmas party site any suggestions welcome can be given to Kathy Blakeslee. More

Members need to attend. Ideas to increase attendance can be given to

Kathy Blakeslee

New: none

Next Meeting: June 6^th at the Blakeslee’s

Liter box & Brags: DV “Bentley” 3 pt major reserve bitch/best of opposite

Evan Nelson ranked ninth junior handler

CV Sadie winners bitch

Adjourn: motion made by KL seconded by RB carried

 Respectfully submitted:

Bob Mondry

This is an occasional publication of The Great Dane Club of Western New York Inc. Friends of the club may receive three issues free. A subscription is $10.00 per year following the free issues.

http://www.geocities.com/gdcwny/

Minutes GDCWNY April 2004

Present: Bob Mondry, Peter, Kathy and Sarah Blakeslee, Kyle Preston, David Vitagliano,Roz Bayne, Mark and Dayle Lewis, Roger Kayleish, Robyn Millimam

Called to order at 2:10 pm

Reports:

Corresponding Secretary: no report

Recording Secretary: minutes of the last meeting were approved motion by KBl seconded by KP

Treasurer’s report: no report

Plaque sent to Carol Magnata cost $15.91. Motion to reimburse PB made by RB and seconded by DZ. passed

Letters sent out to members concerning 2004 dues

Advertising: no report

Premium list sent to printer

Catalogue info will be worked on

Education& Therapy: no report

Fun Match:

Need a list of workers Rosettes have been ordered Ribbons to be ordered Judges assignments made still awaiting to hear from advanced obedience judge Flyers should be ready in time for Albion match Setup will be on June 19^th. Camping sites available for members Individually wrapped baked goods would be appreciated for food concession

Delegate: no report

Library: no report

Membership: no report

Sunshine: card sent to Marnie on loss of Summer

Picnic: no report

Raffle: items will be raffled of and a 50-50 raffle is planned

Newsletter: no report

Show:

all set Trophies: 9 balls from JB cannot be returned & will be used as raffle itemsSome plates were returned because of wrong color of edging

Websites:

Web master will look into domain prices and will report back to membership Site at geocities is still operating

RSA: no report

Old Business:

Champion plaques will e replaced with framed certificates Xmas party at Red Osier first Sunday Eve in Dec. Question was raised to see what could be done to have more members attend?

New Business:

Site for tailgate part at specialty

Brags:

Dave Vitagliano: Bella 5 pt major on Sat. has finished Merlin winners dog and 5 pt major Congratulations to Jenny Blakeslee on her pregnancy

Next meeting: at Alexander on Sat. when judging is finished

Motion to adjourn made by KP seconded by DL

Respectfully submitted;

Bob Mondry