THE GERMAN SHEPHERD SENTINEL
October 2007 - NEWSLETTER
OF THE
GSDC OF GREATER RALEIGH
Janine Hamlin, Newsletter Editor
2013 Ruddy Road, Raleigh, NC 27616
PH: 919-649-4112, E-Mail: jhamlin@nc.rr.com
Website: www.gsdcofgrraleigh.org
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Board Policy on Dogs at Club Sponsored Events
2. October, November, and December Meeting Information
3. August and September Minutes
4. Doggy Therapy - How To Tell If Your Dog Has A Problem
5. Holiday Trips With Your Pet
6. Cold Weather Tips From The ASPCA
7. God and Dog
8. Dogaholics Anonymous
BOARD POLICY ON DOGS AT CLUB SPONSORED EVENTS
The GSDC of Greater Raleigh welcomes your German Shepherd at our events, including meetings. However, the following rules must be followed:
1. Anyone with an aggressive dog (one that growls, snaps, or is in any way aggressive towards other dogs or people) must be muzzled.
2. Dogs will be free of loose hair and external parasites (fleas or ticks). Please brush your dog prior to bringing it to the meeting as we must clean up the room after we are finished.
3. For the safety of all members, guests and their dogs, it is strongly recommended that all dogs be kept up to date on their vaccinations. ALL dogs that are old enough MUST have a current rabies shot.
OCTOBER 2007 MEETING INFORMATION
Dr. Audra Alley from Bowman Animal Hospital. She will be discussing acupuncture as a complimentary care for pets. She arrived at Bowman Animal Hospital in 2004 after working in private practice in both West Virginia and Tennessee. As a native of Alabama and a 1996 graduate of Mississippi State University School of Veterinary Medicine, she can truly be called our “Southern Bell!” In 2003 Dr. Alley was awarded the Certification of Veterinary Acupuncture and has brought integrative veterinary medicine to the forefront at Bowman Animal Hospital. Her mixture of Eastern and Western Medicine has provided her with a fast growing and loyal clientele.
Refreshments will be furnished by Sarah Bridges.
NOVEMBER 2007 MEETING INFORMATION
Discussion and demonstration of temperament and Canine Good Citizens testing.
Refreshments will be furnished by Rebecca Justice.
DECEMBER 2007 MEETING INFORMATION
Christmas Party
Meeting Minutes From
August 1, 2007
Program: Today’s meeting was our annual picnic, held inside to beat the heat and the bugs for the benefit of both people and dogs. The club provided the entrée and members brought all sorts of side dishes and desserts. Thanks to everyone who came to our picnic and we hope it kicks off a great year of events for our Raleigh club.
Meeting: No meeting was planned for this event, but Bill Pfeiffer did make a motion to have our club donate a full class of trophies for the Parent Club’s National show this year. The motion was seconded and passed.
We want to welcome our members back for another year and hope our visitors will join us in making our club even bigger this year.
Meeting Minutes From
September 5, 2007
Program: Dr. Jared Conley of Falls Point Animal Hospital discussed caring for elderly dogs in this very informative meeting. He talked about preventative vet care first and recommended fish oil with Omega 3 at a minimum of 3-5mg per pound per dog, although you can go a lot higher. Some of the problems he talked about were arthritis, degenerative myelopathy, kidney failure, liver disease, heart disease and hyperthyroidism. He did say they are seeing less hip dysplasia but more elbow dysplasia. Also covered was bloat and torsion and the symptoms and treatment for each. Finally Dr. Conley talked about terminal disease, hospice care and the difficult decisions that often must be made.
Meeting: No meeting was held due to the length of Dr. Conley’s presentation. Treasurer Sarah Bridges did pass out an updated report and a new membership list.
Doggy Therapy - How To Tell If Your Dog Has A Problem
1 - Does your dog know the spelling, Latin root and French translation of the word "walk," yet is unable to grasp the meaning of the word "come"?
2 - Does your dog immediately leap on a cat, bunny rabbit, or child upon hearing the words "Don't worry he LOVES cats, bunny rabbits and children"?
3 - Is your dog shameless, graceless, without dignity and extremely in touch with his inner puppy?
4 - Does he wake you up in the middle of the night to warn you of the dangers of a kitchen chair, then sleep through the theft of all your valuable possessions?
5 - Does he develop a tragic and profound deafness at the sound of "It's time to go home," yet possess bionic hearing at the sound of a can opener?
If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, relax, your dog is normal!
Holiday Trips With Your Pet
Holidays are about family and friends. Often that means either you are a guest in someone's home or they are a guest in yours - overnight or over a turkey. What about the little ones - children and pets? Guests, never assume a hostess is prepared for the needs of an active 2-year-old. And pooches might be the accessory du jour but no fair arriving with uninvited guests.
Is Fido going with you?
Plan ahead.
"It is easier for a cat to stay at home with a pet sitter," says Diana Smith, animal behavior trainer at Hearts and Paws, "but a dog needs more social contact." Generally older, smaller pets (less than 40 pounds) are easier to travel with, Smith says.
Once you have your host's permission to bring Spot to the holiday gathering, plan where he will sleep, eat and go to the bathroom. If the host has animals, introduce the visiting animals in the yard rather than the house, Smith says. Bring the animal's crate and find a quiet area of the house. Even the most social dog sleeps 14 hours a day and needs some alone time.
Heads up! Children and other pets in the home you visit might make your normally serene pet nervous. Clues? Heavy panting, refusing to eat or uncharacteristic bladder problems.
In addition, holiday decorations might be a source of danger. A gift of chocolates (albeit wrapped) under the tree smells alluring to Fido, for whom chocolate is potentially poisonous. The water in a live-tree base and those homemade dough ornaments might also tempt him. Smith's advice? If your pet has not traveled and stayed in a home before, do not make the first time over the holidays.
Pet perils
•Chocolate (baker's, semisweet, milk and dark) can be potentially poisonous to many animals. The less sweet the chocolate, the more toxic it could be.
•Keep pets out of the garbage. Holiday leftovers — greasy, spicy and fatty foods — can cause stomach upsets. Poultry bones can splinter and cause blockages.
•Alcohol, if ingested, could cause an animal to become very sick and might cause a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.
•Eating aluminum foil and cellophane candy wrappers can cause vomiting and intestinal blockage.
•Mistletoe and holly berries are potentially toxic. Mistletoe berries might cause gastrointestinal upset and cardiovascular problems.
•Ribbons or tinsel can become lodged in the intestines and cause intestinal obstruction.
Numbers you might never use but still need
1-(888) 426-4435: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. A $50 consultation fee can be applied to credit card.
1-785-532-5679: Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Poison Control Center (Not toll free, but the inquiry is free).
Source: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Cold Weather Tips From The ASPCA
The following guidelines will help you protect your companion animals when the mercury dips.
1. Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm—dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags.
2. Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
3. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk.
4. Never leave your dog alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
5. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.
6. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities? Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him - and his fur - in tip-top shape.
7. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol.
8. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.
God and Dog
On the first day of creation, God created the dog.
On the second day, God created man to serve the dog.
On the third day, God created all the animals of the earth to serve as potential food for the dog.
On the fourth day, God created honest toil so that man could labor for the good of the dog.
On the fifth day, God created the tennis ball so that the dog might or might not retrieve it.
On the sixth day, God created veterinary science to keep the dog healthy and the man broke.
On the seventh day, God tried to rest.......but He had to walk the dog.
Dogaholics Anonymous
Good Afternoon. I am a DOGAHOLIC. I would like to welcome all of you to this month's meeting of "Dogaholics Anonymous". Some of you are here tonight because a friend or relative brought you. You may be sitting here thinking that you are OK, and that you really don't need
any help.
It is not easy to admit that you are a Dogaholic, and it is even harder to bring yourself to a DA meeting for help. DA is here to assist you. I have some questions to ask. If you can answer YES to three or more of the following questions, you have come to the right place.
* Can you say "BITCH" in public without blushing?
* Do you drive a station wagon, van, RV or 4x4 when everyone else drives a real car?
* Do you have more than one car? One for you, and one for the dogs?
* Do you spend your vacations and holidays going to shows, specialties, and seminars, when everyone else goes on a cruise?
* If you do go overseas, is it London in March to attend Crufts, or Finland in June to attend the World Dog Show?
* Do you discuss things at the dinner table that would make most doctors leave in disgust?
* Do you consider formal wear to be clean jeans, and freshly washed tennis shoes?
* Is your interior decorator R.C. Steele?
* Was your furniture and carpets chosen to match your dogs?
* Are your end tables really dog crates with tablecloths thrown over them?
* Do you know the meaning of CD, CDX, UD, UDX, TD, TDX, HIC, JH, SH, MH, OTCH, CH, AJ, AJX, MACH, FD, VST, FTCH, WC, FC, OAJ, NGDC and AFC?
* Is your mail made up primarily of dog catalogs, dog magazines, show photos and premium lists?
* Do you get up before dawn to go to training classes, dog shows and seminars...but have trouble getting up for work?
* If you have dresses, do they all have pockets? Do those pockets often contain freeze-dried liver, Rollover, clickers, or squeaky toys?
* When you meet a new person, do you always ask them what kind of dog they have... and do you pity them if they don't have one?
* Do you remember the name of their dog before you remember their name?
* Do you find non-dog people boring?
If you answered YES to one of the above, there is still hope. If you answered YES to two of the above, you are in serious trouble.
If you answered YES to three or more, you have come to the right place.
My advice to all of you with three or more YES answers is to sit back and smile, turn to the smiling person next to you, and know that your life will always be filled with good friends, good dogs, and it will NEVER be boring!
THE (REAL) EDITOR AT THE COMPUTER
