THE GERMAN SHEPHERD SENTINEL

JANUARY 2006 - NEWSLETTER OF THE

GSDC OF GREATER RALEIGH

Pat Embrey, Newsletter Editor

1390 Sanders Road, Benson, NC 27504

PH: 919-934-6232, E-Mail: VonRillca@aol.com

Website: www.gsdcofgrraleigh.org

1. Board Policy on Dogs at Club Sponsored Events

2. January 2006y Meeting Information

3. Letter From the President

4. Donations to War Dogs

5. What Makes My Pet Itch

6. The Potato Puppy

7. Board-O-Gram

8. Your Dog Should Have a Different Water Supply

9. The Official Don’t List

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:

Anyone with an aggressive dog (one that growls, snaps, or is in any way aggressive towards other dogs or people) must be muzzled.

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.

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.

JANUARY 2006 MEETING INFORMATION

The next meeting of the GSDC of Greater Raleigh will be held at the Exchange Park on Spring Forest Road, in Raleigh on the first Wednesday of January which is the 4^th, at 7:00 PM for socialization and the program to start at 7:30 PM. Please bring your German Shepherd friend and plan to attend this meeting. I will start the year off by furnishing refreshments, and will pass around a new refreshment roster. The program will be given by Karen Bell, which will be an informative discussion of Pet Insurance.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Members:

I am sending a brief letter, with some changes, that was distributed at our Xmas party. By the way, for those who missed the party, it was a great meal combined with a lovely gift made by Mary Bjelica (on behalf of the club) for each member. It was a night light, made from a wine bottle!! It was really different & beautiful!!

I would like to thank each & every one of you for your support of this club in the past year. The personal time invested, the effort, attendance & donations of all kinds by the members have been outstanding.

We have made great progress this year in coming together with new ideas about improving our monthly programs & making new & exciting changes to our annual dog show. All of these changes will hopefully make us a stronger club in attracting new members, keeping the interest of our present members & having an annual show that is stronger in attendance as well as being more profitable.

May we continue to be a club that welcomes all German Shepherds & owners & continue to support & educate those who join us.

The officers & board members have kindly agreed to remain in place for the year of 2006 & I thank them for their continued dedication & support.

The voting for the annual awards will be held at our January meeting, please try to attend.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

Sincerely,

Deeda Duncan, President

GSDC of Greater Raleigh

DONATIONS TO WAR DOGS FROM THE GSDCA

The GSDCA Executive Committee followed up after the November Board meeting to approve GSDCA logo Frisbees and a $1000 donation to the War Dog Handlers to be used in this way: $100 for morale items for the guys and $900 for Cool Vests which keep the dogs cool in the hot weather conditions they encounter in Iraq. More than half the dogs are GSDs. This is the reply that I got from Sheri, the President of the Space Coast War Dog Assn.

Thought everyone would appreciate this especially heartwarming message at this time of year! Thank you to all of you for your support for things like this.
Ginny Altman

“I am so overwhelmed, I don't know what to say... I am so happy.....yippeeee....I was just talking to one of the deployed k-9 handlers and he wanted to know if we would be able to donate some more chilly dog cool vests for the new incoming k-9s.....now we can do that!!!!!!

I cannot thank you enough for your support to our deployed military working dog teams....since the k-9s are rotating more frequently for longer deployments, I guess that they decided to keep the cool vests we had sent them rather than leave them at the deployed kennels...

You have made me very happy....

Please give my heartfelt thanks to all members of the German Shepherd Dog Club of American, Inc.,

Sheri”

WHAT MAKES MY PET ITCHY

Pruritis is the name for itchiness that causes pets to scratch. Several chemical reactions occur in the skin that stimulate the nerves, causing the brain to feel the itch. We treat a scratching pet by attempting to eliminate these reactions at the source and controlling the body's response to them as well. Some of the chemicals involved in itching are prostaglandins, arachodonic acid (a specialized fatty acid) and leukotreines. By using treatments that inhibit the action of these factors at the skin level, such as antihistamines and fatty acid competitors, we can sometimes control the itching without using corticosteroids such as prednisone. If we work to control other irritating factors such as fleas, dry skin and secondary bacterial infections we can also further reduce itching. Each of these steps is very important because pets have an "itch threshold". This is the point where all of the sources of itching finally add up to enough irritation to cause the irresistible urge to scratch. Just like pain thresholds, these levels vary from pet to pet. Control of every possible factor is important to your dog's health and comfort.

Pruritis is a complication of many diseases. Only by careful examination, diagnostic tests and sometimes even trial and error can we come to understand what causes the itching in a particular pet and how we can best control it.

Mike Richards, DVM

Cold water will usually reduce itching and produce temporary relief. It doesn't really matter how the water is applied, but it must be at least cool. This effect doesn't last long, usually less than one-half hour. Adding Episoothe Oatmeal Shampoo, Episoothe Oatmeal Creme Rinse, Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal, Relief Shampoo or Domeboro's solution helps to prolong the effect. All of these products are available over-the-counter. If you use Aveeno, one to two tablespoons per gallon of water, applied as a rinse, works best. Follow the directions on the Domeboro packet and also apply as a rinse. Shampooing will sometimes help to control itching. Some shampoos such as Pyoben and Oxydex, act to reduce the bacteria level on the skin, one cause of itching. Seba Lyt and other sulfer/salicyclic acid shampoos reduce scaling. Lytar, Clear Tar and other tar containing shampoos reduce itching and oiliness. An emollient or moisturizer used after shampooing will restore some moisture to the skin and this also reduces itching. Expar Creme Rinse can be used to kill fleas after itching and moisturize the skin.

Antihistamines are useful in the treatment of itching in some dogs and cats. Used alone, about 15 to 25% of dogs will respond to antihistamines. Used in combination with fatty acid inhibitors, such as DermCaps, EFA-Z and Omega EFA capsules, about 25 to 40% of dogs will respond, reducing scratching behavior to acceptable levels. Antihistamines available over-the-counter are Benedryl (diphenhydramine, 25mg capsules) and Chlortrimeton (chlorpheniramine maleate, 4mg tablets). There are prescription antihistamines, notably Atarax (hydroxyzine) that work better in some cases. It is necessary to get a dosage for your particular dog or cat from your vet. Dogs and cats have individual reactions to antihistamines. Since some dogs will respond better to one than another, it is best to try more than one antihistamine before giving up on them to control itching. Some pets will become drowsy when taking antihistamines. If this is unacceptable, they can not be used, or might be best to use at bedtime. Occasionally a pet will get excited when given antihistamines. These pets should not be given these products.

Fatty acid derivatives compete with arachadonic acid, the trigger for itching in the body. By replacing this compound with an inactive competitor, itching can be reduced. It is important that the fatty acid derivative chosen have gamma-linoleic acid, eicosapentanoic acid, or both. These products work best at high dosage levels and when given with a low-fat canned food such as W/D, which is available through veterinarians. Although they can be fairly expensive, their use is preferable to cortisones if they are effective. It is necessary to use these products for at least 6 to 8 weeks to judge their full effect. EFA-Z and DermCaps are examples of these medications.

Antibiotics are used to control skin infections associated with scratching. The itching leads to scratching, which damages the skin. The damaged skin is easier for bacteria to grow in. The bacteria then contribute to the itching, leading to more skin damage. As this cycle progresses, deeper and deeper layers of the skin are affected, sometimes leading to systemic bacterial infections that can even be fatal. Control of skin infections with antibiotics takes time. The usual defense mechanisms of the body, fever, white blood cells and antibodies do not work as well on the skin surface. Antibiotics must do more of the work alone. For this reason, 3 weeks is the minimum recommended time that antibiotics should be given for skin infections. Often, antibiotics must be continued for 8 weeks or longer to control skin disease. Several antibiotics seem to work consistently in skin disease. When these antibiotics fail, it is necessary to culture the skin lesions to identify which antibiotic might be appropriate in an individual case. Occasionally it is necessary to continue antibiotic therapy indefinitely to control severe bacterial skin disease.

Some dogs appear to be unable to prevent penetration of staph (staphylococcus) bacteria into the skin. These dogs can be benefited by the use of a product to promote immune responses. Similar to vaccinations (but short acting), these products help the body learn to fight off staph bacteria. They are Staph Lysate and Immunoregulin. Although somewhat expensive and necessitating weekly injections, these products can cost less to use than frequent or continuous antibiotic therapy. We have better success with Staph Lysate.

Hyposensitization, or allergy "shots", are used in dogs. Their use in cats is very limited due to difficulties in testing cats accurately for individual allergens. Similar to their use in people, these injections help many pets, but not all. To be used properly, it is necessary to identify the allergy agents affecting a dog and then treat accordingly. This can be done by skin testing, where small quantities of allergens (allergy causing agents such as pollens), are injected into the skin and the response to this monitored. Often, it is necessary for a general veterinary practitioner to refer a pet to a veterinary dermatologist for this testing. Recently, blood tests have been developed to allow allergy testing without injections into the skin. These have become better understood recently and are correlating with the skin testing fairly well, although it is generally agreed that skin testing is still more accurate. Allergy injections require a consistent effort from the pet owner. They are the preferred treatment for inhalant allergies if that is the only condition affecting dog, when effective. Currently, about 70% of dogs are thought to benefit from this therapy.

Fleas cause most the allergic reactions in pets. Flea control is essential to our success in treating itchy dogs. Please ask for flea control information if you have any problem at all with fleas on your pet!

When itching can not be adequately controlled by one of the above methods, we usually use a corticosteroid, such as prednisone. Cortisones are the most consistently effective anti-itch medications that we have. They do have several drawbacks, however. Cortisones increase the amount of water your pet drinks, making it urinate more, too. Sometimes this becomes a problem. These drugs increase appetite and weight control can be difficult while using them. If proper dosage schedules are not followed there can be long-term side effects such as decrease in bone density or an increased chance of pancreatitis. Cortisones depress lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, making it easier for bacterial infections to occur. Accidental overdosage with these medications or inappropriate long-term use can lead to medication induced Cushing's disease, a cause of hair loss, muscle weakness and other problems. For these reasons, we insist on monitoring a pet on cortisones through follow-up office visits. We may ask that you allow us to examine your pet prior to refilling prescriptions for these drugs. In spite of these side effects, cortisones can be the best drugs to make an extremely itchy pet comfortable. If they are the only effective drugs for your pet they are worth the small risk to an individual pet of side effects. These drugs are reasonably safe for long term use if given according to directions. Allowing your pet a good quality of life, by controlling the itching, is worth the small risk of using prednisone and related compounds.

These are the methods we use to treat pruritis, the itchiness that causes your dog or cat to scratch. It may take several tries to work out the proper medications and dosage schedule for your pet, but is worth the effort.

Mike Richards, DVM

THE POTATO PUPPY

My four-year-old son, Shane, had been asking for a puppy for over a month but his Daddy kept saying, "No dogs!

A dog will dig up the garden and chase the ducks and kill our rabbits. No dog, and that's final”

Each night Shane prayed for a puppy, and each morning he was disappointed when there was no puppy waiting outside

I was peeling potatoes for dinner, and he was sitting on the floor at my feet asking for the thousandth time, "Why won't Daddy let me have a puppy?

"Because they are a lot of trouble. Don't cry. Maybe Daddy will change his mind someday,"

I encouraged him.

"No, he won't and I'll never have a puppy in a million years," Shane wailed.

I looked into his dirty, tear-streaked face. How could we deny him his one wish? So I said the words that were first spoken by Eve, "I know a way to make Daddy change his mind."

"Really?" Shane wiped away his tears and sniffed. I handed him a potato.

"Take this and carry it with you until it turns into a puppy," I whispered. "Never let it out of your sight for one minute. Keep it with you all the time, and on the third day, tie a string around it and drag it around the yard and see what happens!"

Shane grabbed the potato with both hands. "Mama, how do you make a potato into a puppy?" He turned it over and over in his little hands

"Shh! It's a secret!" I whispered and sent him on his way

"Lord, you know what a woman must do to keep peace in her home!" I prayed.

Shane faithfully carried his potato around for two days, he slept with it, bathed with it and talked to it.

On the third day I said to my husband, "We really should get a pet for Shane."

"What makes you think he needs a pet?" my husband leaned against the doorway.

"Well, he's been carrying a potato around with him for days. He calls it Wally and says it is his pet. He sleeps with it on his pillow and right now he has a string tied to it and he's dragging it around

the yard," I said "A potato?" my husband asked and looked out the window and watched Shane taking his potato for a walk.

"It will break his heart when the potato gets mushy and rots," I said and started getting out food for lunch, "Besides, every time I try to peel potatoes for dinner, Shane cries because he says I'm killing Wally's family."

"A potato?" my husband asked, "My son has a pet potato?"

"Well," I said shrugging, "you said he couldn't have a puppy. He was so disappointed, in his mind, he decided he had to have a pet..." "That's crazy!" my husband said. "Maybe you're right, but explain to me why he is dragging that potato around the yard on a string," I said

My husband watched our son for a few more minutes

"I'll bring home a puppy tonight, I'll stop by the animal shelter after work. I guess a puppy can't be that much trouble," he sighed, "It's better than a potato." That night Shane's Daddy brought home a wiggling puppy and a pregnant white cat that he took pity on while he was at the shelter. Everyone was happy. My husband thought he'd saved his son from a nervous breakdown. Shane had a puppy, a cat and five kittens and believed his Mother had magic powers that could change a potato into a puppy. And I was happy because I got my potato back and cooked it for dinner.

Unknown

BOARD-O-GRAM

By Ginny Altman
Highlights of the Annual Membership Meeting, November 3, 2005.

President Ginny Altman introduced Mr. Wolfgang Henke, President of the SV and WUSV to the membership in attendance at the Annual Meeting. Mr. Henke was at our National to judge the Working Dog Sport and was present when the Annual Meeting was called to order. He was invited to address the membership. In his remarks he complimented the participants of the Working Dog Trial. He informed the membership that he had an opportunity to visit the AKC offices in New York and this was an opportunity for an exchange of information between the SV and the AKC. He also noted that there is a spirit of cooperation between our two organizations.

Following the recognition of the Board of Directors, brief reports were given.

As President of the GSDCA, Ginny Altman reported that our club is in sound financial position and credited our Treasurer, Bill Pfeiffer and Budget and Finance Chairman, Ken Downing for this. Ginny also had the privilege of representing the GSDCA, Inc. at the Sieger Show in Ulm, Germany as well as at the AKC CHF Health Conference. Information was disseminated through the distributed written reports.

Lori Nickeson presented the 2005 Performance Awards of Merit. The PAM recipients are:
Ch. Carousel Farms Caisson AX, OAJ, TD, PT, NAP, NJP, Owner: Julie Degan
Diva's Solo, HXAs, HXAd, HXBs, CD, OA, OAJ, OAP, OAJP, Owner: Richard & Janis Godfrey.
CH. OTCH DeBrut's Moonshadow, UDX, AX, AXJ, HT, Owner: Lori Nickeson
Wenatchees Nelsa VCD2, CDX, TD, AX, AXJ, OAP, OAJP, Owner: Sharon & Dave Cameron
CT Bittersweet Times Remembered VCD2, AX, AXJ, CDX, Owner: Janice Page July.
OTCH Belcani's Simply Irresistible UDX4, NAP, NAJP, HT, Owner: Ruth Gantz.
OTCH Bella vom Highland Haus VCD-1, UDX2, TD, NAP, NJP, Owner: Kathleen Cook.
Rocknoll's Carly Nike Clayfield VCD1, AX, OAJ, CD, TD, Owner: Larry Ferris.
Geobev's Arizona Sunrise MX, MXJ, CD, HT, Owner: Beverly Melcher.

The 2004 Dual Award Winners
Ch. Brown Hill's Clean Slate CD
Ch. Covy-Tucker Hill's Smart Re-Marc HT
Ch. Danva's Hit Parade CD
OTCH Ch. Debrut's Moonshadow UDX AX AXJ HT
Ch. Elvaston's Southern Byrne PT
Ch. Erem's Little Texas v Lakeridge CD
Ch. Faithrock-Langlitz Joshua HH CD
Ch. Herr Sergekant of Glenwwod III UD
Ch. Kaleef's Havoc AX AXJ
Ch. Kaleef's Plaudit of Jaepaul PT
Ch. Kamedon's Nunzio v Krze UD

Ch. Krze Sergey v Kamedon UD
Ch. Langlitz-Apfelsine Lina Fire PT
Ch. Sondrud's Domino v Ture North CD HT
Ch. Sondrud's Honey Chile Rider CD
Ch. Sugarstone's Private Label CDX NA OAJ
Ch. Windvanes Wyn'n Color Beaufort CD

The Don Cliff Memorial Good Sportsmanship Award was presented to Tami Howard.

The Robert Hamilton Award was presented for the 3rd time to Ashley Miller.

Ann Mesdag, in her usual entertaining format, presented the 2005 GSDCA Newsletter Contest Awards:
Division 1 - Monthy or Bi-Monthly (6 or more issues)
Best Newsletter: "Speak" Liz Leonard, Southern NJ GSDC
1st Runner Up: "The Guardian", Ken Wallace, GSDC of Atlanta
2nd Runner Up: "Tales of Lincolnwood" Judy Braginsky, The Lincolnwood Training Club for GSDs
3rd Runner Up: "Northwest Shepherd News" Kerry Southern, GSDC of Washington State

Division 2 -- Quarterly
Best Newsletter: "The Northland Shepherd News" Kristi Jacobs, GSDC of Alaska
1st Runner Up: "The Double Handler" GSDC of So NH, Becky Tsaro Dickson.
2nd Runner Up: "The Shepherd Space News" GSDC of Houston, Vickie Lewis & Lynn Goswick

ROM Bitch and Dog Awards for 2004 were presented by Cappy Pottle and Gloria Birch. These were printed in the July and August GSD Reviews. The owners present came forward to be recognized.

Lori Nickeson’s Am/Can Ch. DeBrut's Different Drummer UDX, NA was recognized as the #1Top Ten Sire and the #1 Cumulative Sire for the Annual Training Achievement Award. The #1 Top Ten Dam is OTCH Ashmead’s Sizln’ Pyrotekniks UDX HS TD Owner – Jean Rodoski and the #1 Cumulative dam OTCH Lujon’s Dulcimer of Ashmead UDX Owner -- Amy Vose.

Dania Karloff briefly reported in her Membership Committee Report that we received 586 new membership applications most of which were received via the internet. She also mentioned that the 25 year membership awards were presented to a large number of our members. These will be listed in the review.

Election Results: For officers and board members for 2005:
President: Lew Bunch    695
Evan Ginsburg                               523
Vice President: Gary Szymczak      459
Jerry Guzman                                391
Helen Gleason                                  351
No candidate for V-P received a majority and subsequently Jerry and Helen withdrew from the candidacy for V-P and Gary Szymczak was declared Vice President.
Recording Sec. Marge Golant 756
Mishka Bennett                                417
Directors Carmen Battaglia    712
Tish Walker     487
Joan Fox     474
Kris Fasano 451
   C. Martello    439
   Nancy Harper   433
Rita Sandell 429
Lee Brown 387 for a 1 year term to complete Lew Bunch’s director position
Paul Root 376 for a 1 year term to complete Gary Szymczak’s director position

                   George Berstler 349
   Leon Breault   341
   Kathy Casteel 335
   Ed Hill    321
   Randy Darnell   333
   Wayne Davis 263
   Tom. Castriota 260
   Lori Pruitt 280
   David Coleman   231

Victory Dinner Highlights:

The AOE Awards were presented to the following:
Sel. Ex. Ch. Sirius Park's Worth The Trip OFA, PT, TC, Owners: Edward & Leoda Parkhurst & Joe Bihari. Breeders: Edward & Leoda Parkhurst
Sel. Ex. Ch. Welove Du Chien's Patriot, OFA, HT, TC, Owners: Jane Kerner, Jeffrey Moebius, Tedi Ginsburg. Breeders: Jane Kerner & Jeffrey Moebius.
Sel. Ex. Ch. Utopia's Cliché, OFA, RN, TC, Owners: Gary &Patty Szymczak, Breeders: Kathy Aubrey & Marie Chavez.
Sel. Ex. Ch. Shelby's Chimes of Asgard, OFA, HT, TC, Owners: Evan & Tedi Ginsburg, Breeders: S.M. & Marlene Bumthon.
Sel. Ex. Ch. Rivendell's Magnolia, OFA, HT, PT. TC, Owners: Paul & Jennifer Root & Ben Bigornia, Breeders: Paul & Jennifer Root.

President Ginny Altman presented Bob Penny with a plaque commemorating his 50 years of GSDCA membership. Bob was invited to address the membership and recounted some of his memories for us.

Ginny recognized and thanked the Board members and officers for their dedication to serve the GSDCA on the Board of Directors. Ginny congratulated President-elect Lew Bunch and V-P-elect Gary Szymczak. Ginny recognized and presented certificates of appreciation to retiring board members Ken Downing, Lana Jorgensen, Dorothy Linn, Lori Nickeson, and Leon Breault and welcomed new Board members Carmen Battaglia, Tish Walker, Carolyn Martello, Nancy Harper and Rita Sandell.

The results of elections of judges for the 2006 Nationals as follows:

Conformation Judges/Futurity Finals:
Helen Franklin          741
Jamie Walker            733
Dan Smith                715
Lee Brown                 691
Marion Lawrence     648
Joe Larosa                 645
Jack Newton             565
Kathy Casteel          460
Kathy Potter             411
John Bemont            396
Dick Jones                348
Randy Chesnut        235
Walter Falk               230

Obedience Judges:
Pat Scully                  1,476
Harlowe Jahelka       1,471
Victoria Brown         921
Stephen Picciuolo     837

Herding Judges:
Ellen Adomelis         1,333
Peggy Richter           825
Joe Kapelos              731
Roy Sage                   633
Ted Ondraak             563

Agility Judges:
Pamela Sturtz            1,597
Carol Voelke              1,490

Highlights of the Board meeting November 6th 2005

National Show Chairman Report: Nanci Nellis cautions members and exhibitors to please not book rooms for the St. Louis National until after March 2006. You will not receive special prices because they are not yet available.
She informed the Board that Jim Rau is sending out a statement in every judging schedule regarding the new canine influenza that is making its way through the canine population. There is currently no vaccine available and no natural immunity present in the unexposed canine population. Almost all exposed dogs will become infected and nearly 80% have clinical signs. The incubation period is two to five days and dogs may shed virus for seven to 10 days. The disease can spread rapidly. Dogs that are coughing should not be brought to shows or performance events.

The Agility Committee met after the completion of the judging on Wednesday to consider the requirements for Agility Victor/Victrix and other special awards given by the GSDCA. (1) The Agility Victor / Victrix award will be given based on the results of both days of the trial. (2) The dog must have a double "Q" (a qualifying score in both the Regular Excellent B standard Class and the Regular Excellent B Jumpers with Weaves Class) on one or both days of the two-day trial. (3) Only qualifying scores will be used to determine the winner of the award. (4) In case of a tie, the tie will be broken by calculating the Yards per second using a pre-determined formula that will be published in the appropriate flyers and the agility catalog. (5) The dog must meet the other criteria of having no disqualifying faults according to the GSD breed standard to be determined on the day of the trial by an examination of the dog by a judge approved by AKC to judge German Shepherd Dogs.
The requirements for the other special GSDCA awards, High Scoring Dog in Trial, High Scoring Champion and High Scoring Rescue Dog will be as follows: (1) these awards will also be based on the combined score from both days of the two day trial from any level of the Standard Classes (2) Only qualifying scores will be used to determine the award (3) in the case of a tie the same method of calculating yards per second will be used, using the pre-determined published formula.

Following is the schedule for the 2006 Futurity Shows:

Northeast: GSDC of Long Island; Judge: Robert Grady, Alternate: Bob Funk Date: Monday, May 8, 2006; Mercer County Park, West Windsor, NJ
Mid-Atlantic: Southern New Jersey GSDC: Judge: Fred Migliore, Alternate: Michel Chaloux. Date: Saturday, June 3, 2006; Site: The Village Green, Lumberton, NJ
South East: Treasure Coast GSDC: Judge: Charles Mardecz, Alternate: John Vaught Date: Sunday, April 9, 2006; Site: Palm City Park, Palm City, FL
Great Lakes: GSDC of Greater Cincinnati: Judge: Vicki Migliore Roye, Alternate: Leon Breault. Date: Monday, May 29, 2006; Site: Holiday Inn East, Columbus, OH
Mid-West: GSDC of St. Louis: Judge: Randy Darnell, Alternate: Dick Jones Date: Sunday, May 14, 2006: Site: Purina Farms, St. Louis, MO
South West:    San Antonio GSDC: Judge: Bo Vujovich, Alternate: Jean Whalen Date: Sunday, April 2, 2006; Site: The Quality Inn, I-35N, San Antonio, TX
South Pacific:    GSDC of Southern Arizona: Judge: Peggy Douglas, Alternate: Ken Rayner, Jr., Date: Friday, April 14, 2006: Site: Inn Suites Hotel, Tucson, AZ
Mid-Pacific: GSD Fanciers of No. California: Judge: Cyndi Flautt, Alternate: Randy Chestnut; Date: Friday, June 30, 2006; Site: Birch Grove Community Park, Newark, CA
North West: GSDC of Oregon: Judge: Tedi Ginsburg, Alternate: Gary Szymczak; Date: Monday, May 29, 2006: Site: Hammerle Park, West Linn, OR

The Board approved the proposal of the Thirteen Club that all hard copy information be entered into a data base.

Health: The latest updates on canine influenza can be found on the Animal Health Diagnostic Center's web site (printable in PDF format), along with submission information, forms, and test fees. Go to diaglab.vet.cornell.edu and click on "Testing Services" in the box on the left, then on "Sample Submission Requirements."

Membership Committee Report: New membership applications will be mailed to all Regional Clubs after the first of the year. Please make them available to those attending your meetings, shows and other activities and continue to publish it in your newsletters.   Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Please don't forget to send your address changes to Gail Hardcastle at hardcastle@starband.net

Products Committee Report: Gary thanked everyone who purchased items from the GSDCA products table at the Nationals. Watch for our new items on the GSDCA website in the very near future. Gary thanked Ann Mesdag and Sally Bazzell for their dedication, patience, and tenacity in working the products table for the duration of the nationals. Ann Mesdag informed the Board that a representative of the Space Coast War Dog Association was interested in obtaining some products for the dog handler teams that are deployed in Iraq. The Board authorized the Executive Committee to work out the details with the Products Committee.

GSDCA Regional Club Challenge Program for 2006 runs from August 1, 2005 through July 31, 2006. Please review the GSDCA web site.
The Winners of the 2005 GSDCA Regional Club Challenge are:
Small Club Division   1st   Tampa Bay GSDC 495 pts. All performance titles
2nd tied   GSDC of Northern Georgia 375 pts.
GSDC of Memphis 375 pts
3rd tied Bay State GSDC 170 pts
      Iroquois GSDC   170 pts.
   4th   GSDC of Austin   135 pts
   Medium Club Division   1st    GSDC of Alaska 420 pts
   2nd GSDC of Greater Kansas City 370 pts
   3rd    GSDC of St. Louis 355 pts
   4th Santa Maria/ San Luis Bay GSDC 253 pts
Large Club division    1st GSDC of Minneapolis & St. Paul    730 pts
   2nd    GSDC of Atlanta 653 pts
   3rd Delaware Valley GSDC   485 pts
   4th GSD Training Club of Chicago 453 pts
Winners of the GSDCA Regional Club Website Contest are:
   1st    GSDC of Northern Ohio webmaster Birigt Rhoads
   2nd GSDC of Greater Kansas City   webmaster Leah Allen
   3rd. GSDC of Eastern Virginia webmaster Gerry Colligan
   4th   Rocky Mountain GSDC webmaster Todd Reynolds

Liaison to the Board: American GSD Charitable Foundation, Inc. The 2006 Officers are President: Debbie Hokkanen, Vice-President, Ginny Altman, Secretary, Tish Walker, Treasurer, Van Dukeman, and Planned Giving, Peter Cacioppa. Board members: Bob Eaton, Sam (Olivia) Colvin and Sue Godek.
Foundation information is available on the web site: http://www.agsdcf.org/ This site includes the Foundation Officers, Directors, History, Grants, Contributions, Heritage Society, cookbook, Recognition sculpture, Annual Reports, Financial Reports as well as helpful links. The Foundation website has received over 16,000 visitors.

Liaison to the Board: SV/WUSV Liaison
The Team from the United States placed 6th out of 34 teams at the recent WUSV Championship in France. The contact of cooperation between the WUSV and FCI is fully described in the multilingual WUSV Akttuell Newsletter.

Ginny Altman

YOUR DOG SHOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT WATER SUPPLY THAN THE HUMANS IN YOUR HOME

The American Dental Association is going after the bottled water industry and asking them to change their product because they have discovered that the incidence of tooth decay in children has been on an increase that parallels the growth of that industry. They are making their point with the industry and many companies are now adding fluoride to their bottled water. This should be of great concern to the 54% of American households which have family members who should not have any fluoride in their water supply and have relied on cheap bottled water as a good source.

Fluoride, as sodium fluoride, was added to most home water supplies within the U.S. after extensive research showed that it hardened the tooth enamel in children and thus helped to prevent tooth decay. However, the same type of research has been performed on dogs, with the results being quite different. i.e. Research reports (based on the studies by Biester et. al.) showed that the addition of fluoride to the water supply for canines caused mottling of the tooth enamel during the period of calcification of the permanent teeth. Even trace amounts that were less than the .045 to 4.5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, comparable with the quantity found in tap water, caused mottling of the tooth enamel. More research studies (i.e. those conducted by Andreeva) reported findings that the addition of fluoride at 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight daily for 92 days to the diet of month-old pups altered serum calcium and inorganic and organic phosphorus concentrations significantly. There are many other reports showing drinking water that contains fluoride can cause many nutritionally related problems for dogs.

When bottled water first came to market it was hard to find one that contained fluoride. Fortunately for human children, but unfortunately for our pets, this is changing. The reason I buy bottled water is based on the requirements of the animal that will be consuming it. The only member of my household that drinks bottled water is my dog. The humans in my house drink fluoridated tap water. It is my hope that some of the bottled water companies will continue to provide a water supply that is nutritionally correct for the members of my home who have different nutritional requirements than my human children.

THE OFFICIAL DON’T LIST

DON'T let your dog sleep in your bed. It will cause aggression problems down the road.

DON'T make your dog sleep in a crate. Crate is just another word for small cage

DON'T let your dog sleep outside at night. If God had wanted dogs to sleep outside, he would have covered their body with hair to keep them warm.

DON'T let your dog sleep. You should be playing with him all the time

DON'T keep more than two dogs. Each individual dog requires considerable time and energy, and it is impossible for a responsible dog owner to spend quality time with more than two dogs.

DON'T keep less than five dogs. Dogs are pack animals and five dogs is the minimum number for proper socialization.

DON'T feed your dog kibble. Kibble is the invention of evil capitalists who want your money, and kibble has no nutritional value whatsoever. You might as well feed your dog sawdust.

DON'T cook your dog's meat or chicken. Cooking destroys all the nutrients.

DON'T feed your dog raw meat or raw chicken. Raw food contains salmonella, e-coli, and other harmful bacteria.

DON'T let your dog drink out of a plastic bowl. It will turn his nose pink.

DON'T post messages to a dog list. You will surely get bopped on the head for thinking that someone else cares about your silly little opinions

DON'T poke your eye with a sharp stick. It has nothing to do with dogs, but it's a good rule nonetheless

DON'T microchip your dog. A nearby cell phone can cause a microchipped dog to explode, or so says the lady running the tattoo booth.

DON'T tattoo your dog on the ear. A dog thief will cut off the tattooed ear.

DON'T tattoo your dog on the thigh. He'll be a tripod before you can say Ginsu

DON'T keep a collar on your dog when unattended. He could get caught on something and choke

DON'T leave your dog unattended without a collar. He could run away without any identification

DON’T transport your dog loose in the car. The will get injured in a wreck.

DON'T transport your dog in a plastic crate. Plastic crates don't allow sufficient air flow.

DON'T transport your dog in a wire crate. In a car accident, a wire crate transforms into a doggie skewer. On days you plan to have a car accident, it's acceptable to use a plastic crate.

DON'T let your dog drive. It's against the law in many states.

DON'T enter your dog in conformation. It's b-o-r-i-n-g for the dog

DON'T enter your dog in obedience. It's B-o-r-i-n-g with a capital "B."

DON'T enter your dog in agility. The jumps will injure his joints.

DON'T send your dog out with a handler. Only a psychopath would send their beloved pet with a complete stranger.

DON'T handle your dog yourself. You've got a great dog and he deserves a much better handler than you will ever be.

DON'T get a purebred dog. Too much inbreeding has produced dogs with temperament and health problems.

DON'T get a mutt. You don't know anything about their pedigree. In fact, if you're thinking about getting a dog, get a cat instead.

DON'T don't. That's right, you heard me, just don't!

DON'T leave your dog's dewclaws intact. He will rip one off jumping a log or something, which is quite painful

DON'T remove your dog's dewclaws. Dewclaws are acupuncture points that are needed for proper functioning of the kidneys

AND the #1 DON'T

DON'T trim your dog's whiskers. Dogs use their whiskers to determine the size of their head, which is important when they are out shopping for a new hat.

Virginia Cleary

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

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Pat Embrey, Newsletter Editor

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