Paws for Tails a Waggin'

Newsletter of the Dog Obedience Club of Las Cruces, Inc.

Nancy Chanover, Editor
4210 Sotol Drive, Las Cruces, NM 88011
(505) 522-0812
chanover@zianet.com
DOCLC Club Phone Number: 527-3983

July 2004

The next meeting of the Dog Obedience Club of Las Cruces will take place on Sunday, July 11, 2004, at 5:00 pm at the home of Charlene and Jack Curry (1700 W. Union). Thank you Charlene and Jack for graciously allowing us to have our summer picnic at your lovely home! This will be a combination general membership (i.e. business) meeting and potluck dinner, so be sure to bring a side dish of some sort. Because we will be conducting business while eating and enjoying each other's company, we will not have doggie games this year. Hope to see you there!

The Patricia McConnell Seminar was a GREAT success, thanks to everyone who helped. Pam & Kim did a great job with the sales table. We knew things were going well when Trisha said she usually did about $3000.00 in sales a day, and Saturday's sales were $4500.00. Gene was a great help with the lights, and thanks to Julie & Gayle for their early morning help with the check-in table. We would never have gotten the word out so professionally without Judy's help at Instacopy, or Nancy's web site abilities (of which I have none). Cheryl's moral support was on-going and steadfast; when I'd say, "what haven't I thought of?" She could usually tell me. Two days before the seminar, when Summer was in the midst of a medical crisis Brian sent the most wonderful email offering to take over at a moments notice if I needed to leave. I thank him for that.

Trisha had nothing but great things to say about our club and how smoothly everything went. She enjoyed the people in the audience more than usual, feeling that the energy level was just so positive.

I have received many emails and several phone calls to thank us for the wonderful time we showed everyone. The compliments encompassed everything from the food, to the Hilton hotel rooms, to the staff who assisted several people and of course to Patricia herself. It is my hope that everyone who heard her came away refreshed and renewed in their love for dogs. I hope that those who still cling to old fashioned, punitive training methods will consider her words carefully and change something, anything about their training programs. Only time will tell.

So, after almost two years of thinking about this seminar on some level I find myself a bit at loose ends. I can't believe it's over. I am so thankful that the DOCLC embraced my idea and helped when asked. We are a strong force when we have a goal. Trisha thought we were an extremely educated, interesting group of people. She loved her La Posta dinner with us and saw in us what we sometimes forget to see in ourselves. So, thank you my friends for all of your support and help.

See you at the next meeting,
Janet

July 2004

Janet did it! The McConnell seminar was a great success and it's all Janet's fault! In all seriousness, we had a great turnout and the comments that I received were all very positive. I know Janet has been receiving more feedback by phone and e-mail and I am hoping that she will share some of the comments with us.

It's that time again...time to arrange for the Club leadership for 2005. The Nominating Committee is forming now. I will need three non-Board members to serve on the Committee. Please volunteer so that I don't have to demonstrate my rope tricks on anyone. Also, if you have a burning desire to hold an office, or serve as a Board Member at-large, please speak up!

Since we have some unfinished business that must be addressed, rather than a picnic, we will be having a "Pot Luck" dinner at the Curry's home. It will take everyone a few minutes to serve your plates, so I would like to plan dinner to begin at 5:00 p.m. I donÕt know about you, but I think we always have really good food and I am looking forward to it!

Until then,

Cheryl

MINUTES OF THE DOG OBEDIENCE CLUB OF LAS CRUCES

June 3, 2004

MEMBERS PRESENT: President Cheryl Smith, Vice President Pam Smith, Secretary Marjorie A. Henson, Treasurer Janet Miller; OTHERS: Nancy Chanover, Lynn de Beauclair, Julie Goodrich, Brian Owen, Kim Ramsey, Steve Stochaj, Gayle Treakle; VISITORS: Lisa Westbrook

President Cheryl Smith called the meeting to order at 7:30. Introductions were made. Nancy Chanover moved and Janet Miller seconded that the minutes be approved as presented in the newsletter. The motion passed.

The treasurer's report was made. The information has been taken to the accountant for this year's taxes. Since it is a problem having a different tax year than the standard year. Janet Miller will have the accountant look into changing our fiscal year to January-December and will let us know how to change it.

SEMINAR: Trish McConnell is coming in on Wednesday night, a rental car has been arranged for Thursday & Friday. Dr. McConnell would like to have the dinner with club members on Friday night instead of Saturday. Julie Goodrich will take her to the Airport Hilton on Sunday afternoon. She has been in contact with the people bring dog to the Sunday session but would like to meet with the people bringing dogs to the Saturday session either Friday evening or early Saturday morning. Registration begins at 7:30 with the Seminar to start at 9:00. The dog potty area is very limited. The packets have been made up with 120 pads of paper & pens. Janet also got 200 bags to put things into. Acceptance letters for those involved in the continuing education program for the vets as well as certificates of attendance and name badges will be in the bags with the pads of paper & pens. Two people are needed at 7:30 to check in people as they arrive. People are needed to man the book & video sales tables. Price sheets are available. Sales will be during breaks, the lunch hour and for _ hour after the seminar is over. The books are discounted for the seminar. Pam Smith volunteered to be in charge of sales and Kim Ramsey volunteered to help her. Julie Goodrich & Gayle Treakle will hand out the registration packets. PoopÑoutside poop buckets with bags will need to be available. Pam Smith will get the buckets and bags out of the storage shed. Janet will see that everything gets to the Hilton. Trish would like to meet the demo dogs after dinner on Friday. It was decided to do this at 8:00 am on Saturday instead. The possibility of buying some of Trish's books to offer as door prizes was discussed with a drawing to get them was discussed. Brian Owen moved and Julie Goodrich seconded to scrap the idea. Motion passed.

CANINE AMBASSADOR: Jacque Armstong had a 5th grade class from Christ Community School come to her home on a field trip on April 13 for an assembly with a demonstration of obedience and agility being presented to the class of 25 (including teacher & chaperones) after the Canine Ambassador presentation. On May 13 Jacque had an assembly for the ResCare New Mexico at her home. 10 developmentally delayed adults with their aids and chaperones attended the presentation of the Canine Ambassador program and the agility and obedience demonstration that followed.

OBEDIENCE: Classes are happening and the agility classes will start on June 8 & 9. There is a list of 10 for the Wednesday 7:00 class with the other classes almost full. The next registration date is August 18. Flyers will be gotten out earlier.

OBEDIENCE TRAIL: Judges have been gotten but approval hasn't been received from AKC. Should we give prizes just for placements and not for breeds. Perhaps HIT & HC prices only. If we do placement prizes we know how many we need to get while with breed trophies we always end up with a lot of extras. The pottery was expensive and we spent more than $600 on prizes. Pam Smith will do ribbons. Kim Ramsey will check on bulk toys for qualifying scores but not to be listed in Premium List. Julie Goodrich moved & Nancy Chanover seconded to only give ribbons for the fall show. Motion passed with one nay. Entry fees will be as before since we hadn't requested (told) AKC of a change in the prices.

AGILITY TRIAL: AKC has approved the Agility trial that we have scheduled for November 26-28 but we have no show secretary or show chairman. AKC has approved judges for 2 shows and needs a signature for the other one. The Parks department says we may not have power at the show site and we need power for the computer. Kim Ramsey volunteered to be Trial Chairman. If we only have the weekend trials with 1 ring at a time, & limit entries it would be easier with the data entry. If we don't have our trial and people find other trials to go to we may lose our trial forever. Also problems may cost us people coming. We have to get the premiums lists out with the opening day at September 1. We still need a Trial Secretary.

A potluck supper will be held at St James on July 1.

Brags were made.

The meeting was adjourned.

Submitted by Janet Miller:

The ad in the Albuquerque Journal read, "AKC Doberman puppies, Marienburg bloodlines, serious inquiries only." Except Josh read to me, "serious injuries only." I couldn't imagine someone selling seriously injured puppies, so I forgot about it. That night Rick read the same ad in the Alamogordo paper, only he read it correctly. (Josh doesn't like to read).

Summer was my first Doberman and first dog after 8 years spent mourning the loss of my Golden Retriever, Max, who had died at the age of 4 from osteosarcoma. I figured I'd get away from Goldens who were known to be cancer factories and get a Doberman. Hence Summer came into my life.

I knew nothing about the Doberman temperament, so Summer and I learned together. She was perfectly willing to work, but happier when in the closet with the shoe or sock I had just taken off in her mouth. She'd go to sleep many a night, with her muzzle deep in the toe part of my tennis shoe. Yucky

I remember never feeling sure that we should be going to trials, she seemed to buckle down and do what I asked, but was never very comfortable in the process. She earned her CD in 3 out of 3 tries, the fourth leg was a security leg and involved a run-off with Julie & Cozy. Well, Summer stood at the beginning of the heel pattern and never moved, watching while I did a beautiful job as if to say, "been there - done that." Once we figured each other out in agility, it was pretty smooth sailing, she got her MX & her MXJ within a week of each other. Then it was off to Doberman Nationals, October 2003 where she was invited to participate in the Agility Top Twenty (she was #18). It was an amazing week topped off by the Top Twenty competition. I was a nervous wreck, but she never made a mistake and took 3rd. By the end of the evening it was pretty obvious she was wishing she could just go home, but she gamely played the "weave-pole relay" with the best of the best and helped our team win.

My Christmas card last year involved Summer, Rion, Jesse & Midge in Santa garb. Jesse looked like he loved every minute, Rion just looked goofy, Midge was game and Summer refused to look at the camera, oozing disdain over being forced into such a humiliating scene. She even got the "elegant" collar, but it didn't seem to matter. It was all beneath her. In March of this year Rick felt a lump in her groin. It turned out to be the worst form of cancer: mast cell tumor grade 3. Summer & I went to a homeopathic vet in Albuquerque and then an oncologist in Tucson. She was given 6 months to a year. I refused to believe it and we started chemo. The cancer spread like wildfire and 3 months and 1 week after she started chemotherapy she died. The tumors filled her lungs, leaving her very little room to breathe. On her last day, she asked to get on our bed. I picked her up and laid her on the bed and got on with her. She loved the bed. I knew then that this was where she should be when she died. So Rick came home and with Jesse laying behind her, Midge beside her and my arms wrapped around her, she died as peacefully and as gently as she had lived.

I miss her desperately, but I can now cry because I miss her rather than out of fear for her life. I plan to see her again, and hope that Max has shown her the way. . . . .

When tomorrow starts without me, and I'm not there to see;
The sun will rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me.