The Schaferhunde News
The German Shepherd Dog Club of Greater Kansas City
Founded 1923
Issue - September 2016
You're Invited!
Sept. 13: General Meeting 7 p.m., Comfort Inn, 7300 NE Parvin Road, Kansas City, Mo., near Worlds of Fun. Guest speaker is Cathy (Pratt) Lowe, discussing herding. She has raised and trained Australian Shepherds for more than 35 years. She has been involved in many aspects of dog training: obedience, herding and conformation. Cathy started trialing in the late 1980s. She went on in the early 1990s to help train other breeds, including Bearded Collies, GSDs, ACDs, Shelties and Corgis, to name a few.
Above, Cathy Lowe herding with Sally Hamm's Heidi
Sept. 17: 11 a.m. The KC Metro Police, with their Canine Partners, host a training seminar each year led by the National Police Canine Association. The event is offered to all K9 officers in the KC Metro and surrounding cities. The GSDCGKC will have a table at this event. Location: 9701 Marion Park Drive, Kansas City, Mo. This event is open to the public.
No GSDCGKC meeting in October – Plan to attend the GSDCA National Oct. 8-15 at Purina Farms near St. Louis!
Nov. 8: Annual Thanksgiving Dinner. American Legion, 2607 NE State Route 92, Smithville, Mo. More info coming soon.
Dec. 10: Holiday luncheon and awards presentation, 1 p.m., Shoal Creek Golf Club, 8905 Shoal Creek Parkway, Kansas City, Mo. Members are asked to bring a gift for the holiday raffle to the luncheon.
New Meeting Location
The GSDCGKC has a new meeting place. The Sept. 13 meeting; and 2017 regular meetings will be at the Comfort Inn, 7300 NE Parvin Road, Kansas City, Mo., across from
Worlds of Fun. After the September meeting, the next regular meeting will be the January annual meeting and election of officers at the Comfort Inn
2017 Club Dues Remain the Same as Prior Years
An early heads-up: Dues must be paid no later than Dec. 31 in order to vote at the annual meeting in January. Dues are $20 for individuals and $30 for families. Make your check payable to: GSDCGKC and send to Mike Kennedy, GSDCGKC treasurer, 4917 N. Galvin Road, Sibley, MO 64088
No October Newsletter
Since there is no October meeting, we won't have a newsletter in October. Please submit items for the November newsletter to cherylmayk9@gmail.com no later than Oct. 29.
President's message from Chris Kimerer
We have another set of shows "in the books." On Aug. 27 and 28 the GSDCGKC hosted our Specialties along with the Topeka Kennel Club's Capitol City Cluster and we had a decent entry.
Ms. Cyndi Flautt and Mr. Lee Brown were our judges and both were wonderful to work with. In spite of flight delays due to severe weather in the Midwest, causing late arrivals to their hotel, along with an unprecedented early start the next day for both; they were very gracious and rolled with it. Cyndi and Lee both are part of and put on big all-breed shows in their respective areas. We had a very interesting conversation regarding entry numbers and the future of shows. Our entries, even though down from last year, are pretty much the numbers seen in the Midwest and South, Cyndi and Lee's area.
I'm happy to say we had majors on the bitch side and had a very large Best of Breed/Specials entry. Our total numbers were 25/22. We had several handlers come in for these for the third consecutive year, so that is encouraging. Our show committee will be discussing and reviewing this and will present a final report to the membership.
I would like to thank several people instrumental in making the weekend run smoothly. Cheryl May and Nancy Kennedy were show chair and co-chair. Chief Ring Steward Amy Edwards also provided transportation to Topeka for the judges, along with Debbie and Mark McHenry. It ended up being two late nights for all three of them. Sally Hamm, who is always on deck to help with whatever is needed, provided transportation back to Kansas City for Cyndi Flautt after her judging assignment and took her to dinner and shopping at Zona Rosa. Thank you Cheryl and Nancy for doing the same with Lee Brown. I think both judges were very pleased with their Kansas City experiences.
Thank you Bobbie and Charlie Schiffelbein, who coordinated our concurrent event with their local All-Breed Club, the Topeka Kennel Club. Bobbie is a board member and assisted with their shows plus ours, and Charlie put up with all of us for two weekends in a row, not an easy feat.
Thank you Carmi Swift and Tiffany Bartley for coordinating the "Wine Pull" fundraiser, which was a HUGE success. We collected $340 for the Canine Officers' workshop which will be this month. Our club has been invited to attend graduation day Sept. 17, when we will be presenting the check to Officer Nelson, who coordinates this workshop every year. Everyone is welcome to attend — it is open to the public and quite impressive. The GSDCGKC is very committed to our "Boys in Blue" and their canine partners and we are very pleased to help sponsor them again this year.
Many people stopped at the table to take pictures of the Wine Pull. It was my first experience with a Wine Pull, and it was a huge success and people loved the idea. It's a wonderful fundraiser. So many people love wine and even those who did not drink wine participated due to the cause. Next year we hope to make this even bigger. We were out of inventory after 3-4 hours, so with more time to plan, we should be able to raise double that amount easily next year. Great idea, Ladies!!!
Thank you Bobbie for getting us that primo spot —everyone had to walk by the table. The visibility of this was also a major part in the success.
Last but not least, thank you to the handlers and exhibitors who supported these shows along with the all-breed shows as well. Without them, there would be no dog show!
In closing, I encourage you to check out our new meeting place. Thank you Mike Kennedy for making the phone calls and finding our awesome new meeting place, FOR FREE!!!!!! It is the breakfast area at the Comfort Inn on Parvin Road right off I-435, across from Worlds of Fun. It is easy to access and a very nice hotel with a super-friendly staff.
Our next meeting will be about herding, presented by Sally Hamm's friend Cathy Lowe, who has been involved in herding for at least three decades, and is a wonderful instructor.
--Chris
Congratulations!
Chris Kimerer reports: "So very pleased to share another wonderful accomplishment for our girl Trinket. We needed 7 final Grand Champion Points to reach the Bronze Grand Champion point requirements of 100 total Grand Champion points. "We entered Trinket in both the Kansas City Specialties which were Saturday and Sunday Aug. 27- 28. The judges were Breeder Judge Cyndi Flautt and long-time specialty and Best in Show Judge Lee Brown. In a huge specials class, Trinket gaited her way to Best of Breed under both judges, and to quote Lee Brown, 'It was my pleasure to judge her and she made that ring hers. Beautiful bitch who gave a great performance.' Cyndi Flautt said, 'Thank you so much for entering her under me.' "Upon AKC confirming the wins and number of points, Trinket will add the title Bronze Grand Champion to her name. Thanks to co-owner Tiffany Bartley for expertly guiding her to these wins. All of Trinket's 'moms' were there and it was great celebrating with everyone. Thank you Elizabeth Stiefferman for capturing this moment in time for us."
Lynette Stone reports: "It is now CH Jalyn's Living the Life of Rylie, pending AKC confirmation. She captured her championship Saturday, Aug. 20, with Tiffany Bartley as her pilot. Thank you Tiffany and thank you to judge Eric Ringle for this win. Rylie is sired by CH Charbo's Colt 45 and GCH CH Hicliff's Razz Ma Tazz v Zytut.
New Champion: Ch. Jalyn's Living the Life of Rylie
"Rylie continued her winning ways through this 8-day circuit in Topeka with Jeff Pyle picking up several grand champion points including a BOS under Judge Robert Shreve. Thank you Jeff. Co-owner is Bobbie Schiffelbein."
More photos from Topeka
Trinket asks for Best of Breed from Judge Lee Brown. Co-owner Tiffany Bartley handling.
Becky James shows Stoicks Bullwinkle Von Darkwing.
The table for the Wine Pull fundraiser at the Topeka shows was in a prominent location so everyone who walked into the show building had a chance to see it. The club raised $340 to donate to the Heartland Police Canine Training and Trials. The Wine Pull was the brainchild of Carmi Swift, who chaired the effort along with Tiffany Bartley.
Send New Title Information to Lew Bunch for Annual Awards
Has your dog earned a title in 2016?
Lew Bunch, chair of the awards committee, asks members to let him know whenever your dog earns a new title during the year. He will compile this information to order plaques for the annual awards presentation at the December holiday party.
Lew said it is helpful to receive this information as your dog earns the awards, rather than waiting until the end of the year.
Lew needs the following information:
1) Dog's full name, complete with all current titles;
2) list the new title(s) earned
3) your name
Send to: Lew Bunch 13100 Woodland Ave. Kansas City, MO 64146 or email lewieb@aol.com
August Meeting Summary of Minutes
Guest speaker Dr. Roger Becker presented the latest information on health issues facing German shepherd dogs.
Conformation show. Details were discussed and Amy Edwards, Nancy Kennedy and Cheryl May are stewarding both days. Sally Hamm, Debbie McHenry, Nancy and Cheryl are providing transportation for the judges.
Social media chair Carmi Swift reported, "Our website is gathering attention and our Facebook page is also doing very well."
Twitter. Carmi has taken over administration of the club's Twitter account. Carmi suggested that club members send pictures of their dogs for both Facebook and the website.
Newsletter. Carmi’s vision for the newsletter is to have all the social media linked. Cheryl does not feel she has the computer expertise to follow this vision, so will do her last issue December 2016.
Debbie McHenry reported that the club's Barn Hunt outing has been postponed until spring due to roadwork being done on the property.
Sally Hamm reminded members that Cathy Lowe will present a program on herding at next month's meeting. She will show videos of dogs herding.
Sardine Dog Treats
1 sleeve of graham crackers (cinnamon or honey graham)
3 large eggs
1 can of sardines in oil (If sardines are in water, add 2 tsp olive oil)
Crush the crackers and mix everything together. A food processor or blender works well for this step. Line a shallow baking pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with a vegetable oil spray. Pour mixture into pan and spread out to 1/4" thickness. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Check every 10 minutes. If bubbles appear, poke with a toothpick. Cool completely. Cut into 1/4" squares. Refrigerate. Use or freeze within one week.
ARTICLE SUBMITTED BY LEW BUNCH
Dear Friends of the German Shepherd Dog: (Letter from Professor Dr. med. Heinrich Meiler, submitted by Lew Bunch) Editors note: Printed as received without editing.
In the course of the past couple of decades, mechanisms and procedures in terms of both shows and examinations have become common practice that are to be considered detrimental to our cause and public image – and this point of view does not only apply to external parties but also to our very own members and representatives. Therefore, corrective action is more than required.
The Area of Breed Shows For decades the problem of the German Shepherd Dogs height has been discussed without ever seeking a practical and serious solution to the issue pending. The very first real approach was made on the occasion of the BSZ conformation show in 2015 where participants had a chance to have their dogs’ measurements taken – however on a voluntary basis. During the general annual assembly of the SV in May 2016 the so-called Breed Plan for Height was approved of by the delegates and will from now on be strictly implemented. The breed value is legally binding and will from now on be firmly implemented, too. Sanctions will be imposed on those dogs who considerably and clearly exceed the limits that have been determined. The Breed Plan for Height will be uncompromisingly put into practice and will have a direct effect on the placement that a dog can obtain at the BSZ conformation show.
The requirements according to the Breed Plan for Height do – and that goes without saying – apply for all events and competitions as scheduled and organized within the SV and the WUSV and thus the practical application is mandatory.
A second big problem is the sloping back line of the German Shepherd Dog which is abused to present our breed in a false light by lay people and the media lacking professional respectively cytological background knowledge. Many of us do surely still remember the events that took place at the CRUFTS Show in Birmingham in spring earlier this year. Due to an exceptional set of unfortunate circumstances but in part also intentionally with disregard to a scientific and journalistic code of conduct our breed was publicly discredited.
Scientific works as published for instance by the university clinic of Gießen were quoted wrongly and out of context obviously with the intention to stagily bring our breed into disrepute. In a completely unjustified fashion our breed was associated with so-called torture- and aggression breeding. The criticism that is reiterated time and time again is the so-called sloping back line which is associated with all kinds of disease patterns and diagnosis such as hip dysplasia. I am an orthopedic surgeon myself and well familiar with the common specialized literature. And thus I dare say that those associations are fundamentally wrong and scientifically completely unfounded. Unfortunately, the term “downhill dog” has become that engrained into the minds of lay people in terms of cytological terminology that corrective action is more than mandatory in order to once again establish a more objective public view with the aim to improve our breed’s image again.
A very simple way to cope with that imminent problem would be that dogs may no longer be touched and have to be allowed to stand unsupported and not being forced into the “downhill position” during the judgment in show stance. The same applies for the exercise of free gait while the dogs pause. If we allow our dogs to stand in a natural position and refrain from manipulatively pulling their hind legs into an unnatural position, we could already prove those arguments raised against our breed wrong. Another aspect that needs to be considered in this respect is the so-called “instable hind leg” or more precisely worded the excessive angulation of the rear extremity (limb), which is basically caused by a disproportionate growth between the upper and lower thigh on the one hand and in relation to the forehand on the other hand. We need to fight those excesses and to strictly apply sanctions on this disfiguring and performance reducing behavior.
In the future to come only pictures and photos may be approved of and published – particularly regarding the BSZ conformation show – if the requirements as pointed out above will be met accordingly. In consideration of the habits and customs that developed among our “clientele” in terms of that appearance they became so familiar with I am sure we will have to face considerable challenges and also problems which need to be addressed and tackled accordingly.
Another distortion of competition is based on the fact that people have become familiar with a rather untypical kind of gait of our dogs – namely the fast or better said racing trod during the decisive phase of the judgment of a particular class of our dogs. Apart from the sensational effect that this kind of gait has on our spectators it is of no cytological relevance at all and is even counterproductive. The attention required and the presentation of the dog can be much better judged while exercising the other kinds of gaits. The German Shepherd Dog was made for medium trod. Everybody who ever seriously studied the field of kinematics is familiar with those facts. The procedure as described above has become very common by now and supports a distortion of competition to the benefit of those participants of shows and competitions who focus on the training of dogs in “irrational fields and ways” with the help of accordingly professionalized handlers. This entails a totally unacceptable and dissuasive discrimination and thus discouragement of “regular competitors”. Therefore, it is mandatory that the exercise of gait with a slack leash and off the leash have to be carried out at a speed that can be coped with by every respectively normal handler.
Area of Trials and Exams The implementation of the Protection of Animals Act and the examination regulations as issued by the VDH umbrella organization in Germany (2014 preamble of the SV for trials and competition) still seem to be subject to discussion. This discussion once again was sparked to life when a trade journal showed the incumbent winner of the WUSV championship in 2015 posing on its cover holding a device used for training purposes in her hand that is forbidden under German law. Apart from the aspects of animal rights and ethics which of course enjoy highest priority we also need to consider a harmonization of regulations at an international level in order to avoid a distortion of competition given that the individual member countries within the WUSV all have a different kind of legislation. The common aim has to be that the SV and WUSV implement and comply with the German regulations, laws and statutes since those rules and standards are also part of the WUSV statutes and thus apply for all member organizations. Evidence of training methods that are not species-appropriate or violate the animal protection act have to be strictly sanctioned. However, I am aware of the problems in terms of a justiviable realization of the above mentioned. It will be a future challenge and work order of the respective task forces and committees to provide possible solutions and approaches in order to objectify these issues still pending.
Responsibility of the Judges (within the SV and the WUSV) The work of the SV-judges is one of the main pillars of the work of our association because that is the only way to ensure the further development of the breed in terms of anatomic, performance, and temperament related fields. Therefore, a judge has to exclusively adhere to the stipulations and statutes of the association. For that reason, the board of directors expects the judges appointed for main competitions and events to sign a letter of commitment to ensure that the above mentioned is complied with. The content of the letter of commitment is self-explanatory, and based on the breed standard, the breed- and examination regulations as well as on the requirements of the ethic regulations (as announced on the occasion of the conference of show judges on December 06, 2015 in Lahnstein/ Germany), and last not but not least it is based on the general responsibilities of the judges towards our breed. The letter of commitment will be attached to this release and applies to all office bearers and judges, regardless whether within the SV or the WUSV. And we do take it for granted that every member of the judge corps within the SV and within the member countries of the WUSV will consider this letter of commitment binding and mandatory without being personally addressed. We will dedicate all our efforts towards the consequent implementation and further development of this aim and appreciate your support. With kind wishes,
-- Professor Dr. med. Heinrich Meiler
Lumps and Bumps on Your Dog or Cat
By Dr. Jean Dodds from her Pet Health Resource Blog,
http://tinyurl.com/acq448j
If you find a lump or a bump either on or underneath the skin of your dog or cat, you may want to rush to the Internet to find out what it is. The problem is that many of the possible reasons look identical, which may result in undue panic. So, images are unreliable. In fact, look at the photos of diagnosed conditions that our readers provided and even you can be confused.
At the end of this article, I have included a reference list of common lumps and bumps. First, I would like to discuss initial steps to take and three common conditions: 1). Subcutaneous (under the skin); 2). Cutaneous (on the skin); and 3). Omnipresent.
First Step: If you find a lump or a bump under the skin or on the skin, I strongly encourage you to make an appointment with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian usually will advise a fine needle aspiration, which is just a very thin needle that draws some substance from the mass. It is the initial diagnostic tool to finding out if the formation is benign (non-cancerous), pre-cancerous, cancerous or something just a little suspicious that needs further investigation. While some veterinarians may adopt a “wait and see” policy, I believe we need to pursue suspicious masses early.
Here is an excellent example. Dr. Susan Ettinger, a veterinary oncologist, wrote a heartfelt article about complacency. She fully admitted she also fell into the trap. She was seeing a dog, Smokey, for several years that had noncancerous fatty tumors or just regular lumps. Smokey developed a new lump but the practice became overwhelmed the day he came in, so she did not make time to perform an aspirate. She assumed it was fine but had him return the next week. Turns out, this new lump was cancerous but was fortunately of low-grade and caught early enough. She still felt horrible.
Fatty Tumors (Lipomas) Lipomas are benign noncancerous fatty soft tissue globs that lie just underneath the skin or can grow down into the muscle. Typically, we think of certain breeds that are older, overweight and larger as the most prone to lipomas but any dog, of any age, any size, and any breed can develop a lipoma.
Western medicine generally likes to remove fatty tumors. I disagree with this treatment protocol unless the tumor is impeding mobility, pressing on an internal organ, pinching a vein, or affecting quality of life. It is unnecessary to put a dog under anesthesia since lipomas do not become cancerous. (But, Liposarcoma is a malignant fatty tumor.) Other treatment options include steroid injections (not advisable), and liposuction. Holistic veterinarians may use therapies such as chiropractic care, acupressure, liposuction, supplements or probiotics to reduce the size of the lipoma.
My esteemed colleague, Dr. Marty Goldberg, asserts that lipomas are caused by an excessive amount of grain found in dogs’ diets these days that leads to improper fat digestion and an imbalance of the immune system. Indeed, other holistic practitioners maintain that the body is attempting to rid itself of toxins by pushing them away from the vital organs instead of through normal processes.
While some conventional veterinarians will maintain the standard line that all dogs can get lipomas no matter what you do, holistic practitioners seek ways to prevent them as much as possible.
* Feed a fresh, organic whole foods diet.
* Give milk thistle, curcumin and other detoxifiers to improve liver function.
* Minimize vaccines and use Thuja and Lyssin to help prevent vaccinosis.
* Detoxify your companion pet’s environment.
Sebaceous Cysts Colloquially, epidermal inclusion cysts are called sebaceous cysts. They are benign, very common in dogs, but rare in cats. What happens is that when a hair follicle is damaged, the epidermal cells (outer layer of skin cells) wall it off and secrete keratin into it. Keratin is a fibrous protein that is found in hair, fingernails, claws, hooves, etc. Most of the time, the body isolates and resolves the problem on its own.
Caution: these cysts can come to a head. I ask you to suppress your urge to pop it. Squeezing it can release the granular and cheesy feeling, brown or yellowish colored keratin into the surrounding tissues causing a severe inflammatory response and leading to cellulitis. Your pet may then need a round of antibiotics. If your veterinarian has chosen to wait after a fine needle aspiration confirmed that it is not cancerous, that is perfectly fine. However, if it erupts or appears that it might erupt, please take your companion pet to the veterinarian and have him take care of it. I agree with Dr. Karen Becker that preventative measures such as regular grooming, adding fish or coconut oil to your pet’s diet should be employed.
Mast Cell Tumors (Mastocytoma) Mast cell tumors (MCT) are annoying and aggravating; they are one of the most common types of canine cancer. Felines, too, are prone to this cancer. Often called “the great pretender”, MCT can take any shape and any form; can be located under the skin, in the skin, on the skin or embedded deep in the body. Essentially, they are camouflaging themselves as another condition. They can be non-cancerous (benign), but are usually cancerous (malignant). They can be localized or can spread throughout the body (metastasize). They generally spread by the lymphatic system but not always. They can get bigger or smaller. On top of that, we do not know the underlying cause that provokes mastocytoma to develop but do know about some relevant genetic mutations.
Most importantly, I want to emphasize that MCT can present upon examination exactly like a lipoma, epidermal inclusion cyst, or any of the other conditions listed below. So, again, we need to aspirate the lump to make sure it is not malignant.
If the tumor is diagnosed as malignant, treatment protocols are best discussed with a veterinary oncologist. Cancer is a big topic, but I want to point out the benefits of anti-angiogenesis treatments. These FDA-approved drugs have been proven effective for several MCT sufferers, particularly those that have the c-Kit mutation. As well, continued therapy with these drugs has been shown to stave off recurrence of the disease.
What is angiogenesis? Angiogenesis is the growth of new capillary blood vessels in the body. We definitely need them for healing and reproducing. However, if the regulation of these blood vessels is disturbed, the body can have a deficiency or excess of them. If an excess exists, cancer feeds off them. Antiangiogenic therapy interferes with the process of blood vessel growth to starve the tumor of its blood supply.
As the eminent Dr. William Li, President and Medical Director of The Angiogenesis Foundation, adroitly points out: once cancer diagnosis is made, we are playing catch up with the disease.
Why not seek out preventative techniques? In humans, he realized that diet accounts for 30-35% of environmentally-based cancers. Instead of wondering what we could remove, he wondered if foods had anti-angiogenic properties that literally starve cancer. His team proved that countless foods contain these properties. Here is an abbreviated list that works for dogs so long as they do not have a food sensitivity:
Apples
Avocado
Blackberries
Blueberries
Coconut
Cranberries
Pears
Bok choy
Cherries
Curcumin (turmeric)
Ginseng
Kale
Lavender
Maitake mushrooms
Olive oil
Parsley
Pumpkin
Sea cucumber
Asparagus
Broccoli
Spinach
Honey
Anchovies
Sardines
Dark Turkey
Salmon
Dark Goose
Peanuts
Lentils
Appendix of Tumors
• Mast Cell Tumors
• Fatty Tumors (lipomas)
• Liposarcoma
• Sialocele
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Adenocarcinomas
• Fibromas
• Fibrosarcoma
• Melanomas
• Melanosarcoma
• Histiocytoma
• Transmissible venereal tumor (TYT)
• Plasmacytoma
• Hemangiopericytoma
• Sebaceous Cysts (actually, the true condition
is epidermal inclusion cysts) – noncancerous
• Sebaceous Adenomas – noncancerous
• Warts
• Soft Tissue Sarcoma
• Meibomian Gland Adenoma
• …and more