No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as much
as the dog does.
--Christopher Morley
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President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Training Director
Assistant Training Director
Training Secretary
Trial Chair
Trophy Chair
AKC Delegate
Obichaff Editor
Members at Large
New Membership Information
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We are in the dog days of summer. Milo and Magic do not want to go out or do much during the hottest part of the day. Magic waits until the cool of the evening when she puts on a Weimaraner worthy demonstration of the zoomies.
The ancient Romans called the hottest, most humid days of summer the dog days. The name came about because they associated the hottest days of summer with the star Sirius known as the “Dog Star." Sirius is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. Sirius also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky. Sirius is so bright that the ancient Romans thought it radiated extra heat toward Earth. During the summer, when Sirius rises and sets with the Sun, they thought Sirius added heat to the Sun's heat to cause hotter summer temperatures.
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Police Dogs - Protect and Serve
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What does it take to be a police dog? To start, police dogs are normally bred specifically for the job. Not all dogs have the innate ability to become a police dog, as it requires a certain natural instinct. The German Shepherd is the most common breed for police dogs, but other dog breeds include Belgian Malinois Shepherds, Dobermans, Rottweilers and Weimaraners.
All police dogs must first become experts at basic obedience training. They must obey the commands of their handler without hesitation.
A police dog has to be healthy. The dog doesn’t just have to be physically fit, but also mentally alert. They need to have the intelligence, willingness and drive to catch the criminal or pick up that vital piece of evidence for years to come. Of course, fitness is a huge part of the job. Each dog is acclimated to city life, because a dog that's nervous around people won't make a good police dog.
A police dog can be of either sex yet, whether the dog is male or female, there is one weight limit for all and that is generally between 55 and 70 lbs. Dogs start their training between the ages of eight and twelve weeks. They become fully operational in the job at around 2 or 3 years old. They usually work for around 5 or 7 years.
Of course, there needs to be a great relationship between the dog and its handler. Police dogs closely bond with their handlers and are often very protective of the officer they work with. The dog needs to be able to be obedient and understand that they are doing a job. It can’t be scared to interact with humans.
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Each dog receives specialty training. Many dogs are trained to search for drugs, though some are bomb or gun sniffers. Police dogs can also track missing persons or suspects. Drug sniffing dogs are trained to associate the smell of drugs with their favorite toy. The toy used most often is a white towel. Police dogs love to play a vigorous game of tug-of-war with their favorite towel. To begin the training, the handler simply plays with the dog and the towel, which has been carefully washed so that it has no scent of its own. Later, a bag of drugs is rolled up inside the towel. After playing for a while, the dog starts to recognize the smell of drugs as the smell of his favorite toy. The handler then hides the towel, with the drugs, in various places. Whenever the dog sniffs out the drugs, he digs and scratches, trying to get at his toy. He soon comes to learn that if he sniffs out the smell of drugs, as soon as he finds them he'll be rewarded with a game of tug-of-war.
As training progresses, different drugs are placed in the towel, until the dog is able to sniff out a host of illegal substances. The same method is used for bomb-detection dogs, except various chemicals used to manufacture explosives are placed in the towel instead of drugs. When a police dog finds what he's sniffing for, he lets his handler know it's there by giving the alert signal. Drug dogs use an aggressive alert -- they dig and paw at the spot where they smell the drugs, trying to get at the toy they think is waiting there.
However, there are some specialties where an aggressive alert would be bad news. If a dog searching for a bomb digs and scratches at it when he finds it, the results could be disastrous. In these cases, a passive alert is used. A good example of passive-alert dogs are the beagles used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to sniff out produce that isn't allowed to enter the country. The Beagle Brigade, as they're affectionately called, sniffs people's luggage while they wait in customs lines at airports and border crossings. Because no one wants a dog digging at their belongings, the USDA beagles have been trained to simply sit down when they smell fruits or vegetables.
Police dogs are often on the front lines in the fight against violent criminals. For that reason, many police dogs have been fitted with bulletproof vests. Police departments often do not have the funds to purchase vests for police dogs. So vest for police dogs are often paid for from donations by private citizens.
Sadly, police dogs do fall in the line of duty. A life-size bronze memorial statue stands at police headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida. A monument in tribute to police dogs' close relatives, war dogs, stands at March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California.
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New Study Sheds Light on Dog Aging
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A new
study
by a team of geneticists and biologists at the University of California sheds light on dog aging. Applying the well-known rule of thumb, we convert one year of human life to seven years of dog life. This is not a terribly accurate formula. A dog at one year is fully grown and sexually mature, not so a human child. The scientists have devised a far more accurate formula for the human-canine conversion — one that front-loads the aging process for dogs and accounts for such variables as breed size.
Dogs and humans progress through similar stages during life, from early development to puberty, aging, and death. The study found that there was strong agreement between the approximate times at which humans and dogs experience common milestones. For example, 8 weeks in dog’s life translates to about 9 months in an infant’s life. In seniors, the expected lifespan of Labrador retrievers, 12 years, correctly translated to the worldwide lifetime expectancy of humans, 70 years. Dogs mature faster than humans, the study suggests that a 1-year-old dog is approximately equivalent to a 30-year-old human. After that the aging process levels out, so that a 2-year-old dog is approximately equivalent to a 41-year-old human. While a 4-year-old dog is 50 plus in human age. This study may be more accurate than the linear 1 year of a dog’s life equals 7 years of a human’s life, but there is still a great deal to learn. It is hard to imagine a 2-year-old dog, which still has a lot of puppy characteristics as physiologically being the same as a 41 year old man.
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“Now for Something Completely Different”- Quigley!
On Rehoming a Big Dog
By Jodie Jeweler
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As outreach education chair for my regional breed club, I often get emails from people seeking advice when getting an Irish Wolfhound puppy. I recently got one such email, which was slightly out of the norm. First, the writer and I are probably distantly related! Second, he lives less than 5 miles from me! We wrote a lot, he and his wife attended meetings, and we became friends.
This couple tried to do everything right, and it was obvious they loved the puppy, but something wasn’t working. His emails and calls were increasingly desperate. Her comments were increasingly negative. I offered to help them train Quigley, when she began jokingly (at first) saying I should just take him.
They already had 3 small dogs, and 2 cats. The cats hadn’t left the basement since Quigley arrived. The small dogs, all elderly, were stressed and unhappy. One had taken to peeing in the house, and growling any time Quigley moved. They were all living in a state of détente, and everyone was stressed.
They had family in, and asked if I would puppy sit Quigley for the day, at my house. The next day, they called and asked if I would consider adopting him. They had realized, even in the stress of family visiting, that the household dynamic was significantly better, without him. We met to talk it over, and formulated a plan for transfer.
She called the day after, in tears. Did I think she was terrible? Did I hate them? Would I let them visit Quigley, and could they walk him in parades? I said that I didn’t hate them! I didn’t think badly of them at all! While a dog IS for life, sometimes we need a divorce. Properly rehoming a dog who just doesn’t fit with your family or life, should not be “criminalized.” If we can divorce someone we loved and married “till Death do us part,” why is rehoming a dog so terrible? They followed their contract with their (just slightly better than BYB) breeder, by not dumping him in the pound, when they realized things weren’t working out. They reached out for help, tried various options, and decided it was in Quigley’s best interests to rehome him.
When I was young, my parents co-owned & bred Great Danes. But along with the Danes, we always had a rescue dog around. However, there (luckily) aren’t many Wolfhounds to rescue. First, they’re not that popular a breed. We try to scare off people who want hounds for the wrong reasons, or who can't live with the reality. Second, our parent club strongly advocates that breeders take back any dog who needs rehoming. So, a rescue hound wasn’t my first choice. I was lucky enough to be on a committee with a breeder, and become great friends with them, even to staying with them to help with 2 of the litters.
All 4 of my previous hounds were from them, and all 4 were closely related. Quigley, however, despite the Irish Wolfhound’s relatively small gene pool, is completely unrelated to my other boys, going back 6 generations! Hence his brand-new AKC registered name, “Now for Something Completely Different.” However, there is one neat coincidence, a “sign,” if you will my heart hound, Corky, was born on Thanksgiving… so was Quigley! (different date, of course!)
I intend to train and compete in obedience and Rally with him. He’s very smart, and very mouthy - I hope that will lead to easier retrieve training! He’s 7 months old, so we need to get our butts in gear! I’m also looking forward to being forced to walk daily!
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Team ZeZe (Shirley Harry and Doberman ZeZe) earned the Dock Diving Senior Excellent Title and also her CAT Title for Lure Coursing. DSX title 7/3/20 and CAT on 6/21/20.
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Sue Faber reports that her dog Dazzle has earned her CGC title.
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Sue Faber and Dazzle have been very busy. Dazzle got her
Novice,
Intermediate, and Advanced Trick Titles. What a team!
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Sandi Atkinson
has shared more of her artwork this month
."Cavalier Dreaming - Pink" is the mixed-media companion piece to the "blue" one in the last
Obichaff
. The black & tan dog on top of the roof at the center was Hannah, the sister of my dog Zenith. She lived in Mississippi with her owner Judie Farthing. Zenith (1997-2011) is in the lower foreground on the left with flowers on his ear, in the center under the blue rosette, and at about 11 o'clock lying down (below the dog with its tail curled up). Trifle (1989-1997), my first Cavalier, a Blenheim, is in the front on the left with wings, and also to the right of the rosette, running and jumping. The other images were taken from various Cavalier publications.
I used real first-place rosettes in the artwork. When I attended a rally trial with Zenith in 2005, I received the appropriate green ribbons and first-place blue rosettes (for Excellent and Advanced). Later, I received by mail two more rosettes, also marked with the trial date.
"Top of His Class" and "A Little Hot Stuff" are miniatures in acrylic paint done from photos of Bazl, my daughter Maurine's long-coat Chihuahua (2002-2017).
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Zander happily celebrates his fourth birthday at home with his younger brother, Moose. The Hamburger Cake was prepared and served by their staff, Martha Perkins.
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Mariah Stover writes: "My new rescue pup, Reid J. Kennedy! He is a 1-2 year old cocker mix rescued from a backyard breeder in northern Maryland by Oldies But Goodies Cocker Spaniel Rescue. He's very shy and anxious so I can't wait to get him in obedience class to build his confidence!" What a handsome guy! We at CDTC can't wait to meet him.
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Pam Coblyn writes: Border Collies are smart enough to know how to mask up properly. Fenway makes it easy to understand. Stay safe, peeps!
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Mary Carson did some serious herding work last month. She writes that "Despite the heat, and with proper social distancing, we completed the 6 runs I had entered us in at the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Greater Baltimore on July 3rd at Keepstone Farm. And even with the >90 degree temperatures, we came away with 6 passes. So Bramble can now add "HT" to his name and Holly can add 'HT' and 'PT.'"
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Milly B. Welsh sent the video below of
Polly enjoying her physical therapy on the water treadmill.
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Dogs of the Rich and Famous
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Amanda Seyfried loves her Australian Shepard, Finn, so much, she even made him an Instagram account called
finnsite
. (He currently has 82 k followers. Amanda ensures that
Finn is allowed on set in all of her work contracts. "I make it clear that he's a non-negotiable entity in my life. He's family. Obviously, if I'm shooting somewhere where pets aren't allowed, then I make exceptions. But people in the industry know that when they're working with me, they’re also working with my canine companion."
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Book Review:
What It's Like to be a Dog?
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What is it like to be a dog? How do dogs’ brains respond differently to words they know as opposed to words they do not know? Is a familiar human scent more likely to trigger a response than an unfamiliar scent? Wouldn’t be cool to know what your dog is thinking? To find out neuroscientist and author Gregory Berns and his team did something nobody had ever attempted: they trained dogs to go into an MRI scanner--completely awake--so they could figure out what they think and feel. As Berns writes in his book: “Sedation was out of the question for two reasons. She would have to be completely awake so that we could see how her brain processed things like smells. Sounds and, most importantly, communication from her owner – me. And because we set out to treat her in the same way that we would treat a human participating in an MRI study, she had to be able to leave the scanner whenever she wanted. So how did Berns train dogs to voluntarily stay in an MRI scanner? He built an MRI simulator which he kept in this home. As the program expanded, more dogs became involved and they would meet to practice staying in an MRI simulator. Not all dogs could be trained to do this, but most dogs were remarkably successful. Berns’ book
What It’s Like to Be a Dog
, is part dog story, part training manual and part serious neuroscience. As Berns says: “Instead of asking what it’s like to be a dog, we can be more precise. What is it like for a dog to experience joy?”
Gregory Berns, M.D., Ph.D. is a professor of psychology at Emory University, where he directs the Center for Neuropolicy and Facility for Education and Research in Neuroscience. He is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestseller, How Dogs Love Us. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and too many dogs.
Below is a video of Dr. Berns explaining how he trained dogs to go into an MRI machine.
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ADDENDUM TO CONNIE CLEVELAND SEMINAR
August 29th 8:30 to 5:30 with breakfast items and lunch.
We will have the seminar on Saturday only. For members of Capital it will be $150 and for non-members $175 due on or before July 29th. The checks may be sent to: Sue Faber 20412 Remsbury Place Montgomery Village MD 20886. There will be two short breaks and a lunch break. We will practice social distancing with plenty of room for crating our dogs. Please wear a mask when in the clubhouse.
We have one working spot left and 5 audit spots. The audits will be $50 for the day. Let me know if you are interested.
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Upcoming Classes
Click
here
for more information.
Puppy Kindergarten
Instructor: Eileen Freedman, Sundays at 9:00 am from 9/27/2020 – 11/15/2020. Registration opens 8/10/2020.
Basic Obedience
Instructor: Shannon Hall, Mondays at 7:30 pm from 9/14/2020 – 10/19/2020. Registration opens 8/10/2020.
Instructor: Shannon Hall, Mondays at 8:30 pm from 9/14/2020 – 10/19/2020. Registration opens 8/10/2020.
Advanced Basic Obedience
Instructor: Arthur Belendiuk, Sundays at 1:30 pm from 9/13/2020 – 11/02/2020. Registration opens 8/10/2020.
Canine Good Citizen
Instructor: Melissa Dilla, Thursdays at 8:00 pm from 9/10/2020 – 10/1/2020. Registration opens 8/10/2020.
Canine Good Citizen Test
Evaluator: Melissa Dilla, Thursday at 8:00 pm on 10/8. Registration opens at a later date.
Intermediate Tricks
Instructor: Melissa Dilla, Wednesdays at 6:00 pm from 9/09/2020 – 9/30/2020. Registration opens 8/10/2020.
Tricks Test
Evaluator: Melissa Dilla, Wednesday at 6:00 pm on 10/7. Registration opens at a later date.
Scent Work
Instructor: Arthur Belendiuk, Sundays at 12:30 pm from 9/13/2020 – 11/16/2020. Registration opens 8/10/2020.
Beginning Conformation
Instructor: Janice Kopp, Saturdays at 10:00 am from 9/26/2020 – 11/14/2020. Registration opens 8/10/2020.
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Scent Work Class Starts September 13th.
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Does your dog want to get in touch with his or her inner drug or bomb detection dog? CDTC is offering a 10-week course in scent work starting Sunday September 13
th. Scent work is fun for both dogs and humans. Any dog can participate, form puppy to senior citizens. It is a great way for you and your dog to build teamwork and confidence. The same training techniques used by the police and military to train detection dogs are used in the sport of scent work. Instead of drugs or explosives, in scent work dogs are trained to find essential oils like birch, anise, clove and cypress.
Dogs experience the world through their nose. When you step into your kitchen you may smell the beef stew simmering on the stove. Your dog smells the individual ingredients such as beef, carrots, tomatoes and all the spices that went into making the stew. Your dog can be trained to find a tiny scented q-tip placed is among a group of containers, or buried underground, or hidden outdoors. In scent work you and your dog will learn how to search an area, how to identify odor and how to alert to a trained odor. Most importantly, both of you will have lots of fun.
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Can Dogs be Trained to Detect Covid-19?
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Does sweat from someone infected with COVID-19 have a unique scent? Researchers in Paris, the University of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, believe it does. If so, dogs can sniff it out.
A new study from researchers at the national veterinary school in Alfort, outside Paris trained 8 Belgian Malinois shepherds to identify the smell of COVID-19 in the sweat of infected individuals.
The dogs’ overall success rate was near-perfect, correctly identifying an average of 95% of samples. Four dogs in the study successfully identified a positive COVID sweat sample 100% of the time.
Using dogs would greatly increase the speed at which people could be tested. Dogs can also be used to identify Covid positive individuals in public places such as airports, train stations and other places people gather. One dog could potentially screen hundreds of people per hour.
For the Coronavirus study the authors collected 168 samples of armpit-perspiration from Covid-positive individuals. They used 18 dogs that had been trained to detect explosives, colorectal cancer, and survivors during search and rescue missions.
Jars containing samples of Covid-positive perspiration were placed in a line. Funnels were inserted into the jars allowing the canines to put their noses close to the sample. Trials were done with 3, 4, 6, and 7 jars, with only one containing a positive sample.
“The results of this first proof of concept study demonstrate that COVID-19 positive people produce an axillary sweat that has a different odor, for the detection dog, than COVID-19 negative persons,” write the authors of the study.
I can’t wait until I am checked by a Covid alert dog at the airport. I don’t care what the sign on its service collar says, if that dog gets anywhere near me, I’m going to pet it.
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Delegate's Corner
By Joyce Dandridge
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T
he AKC Board met the week of July 10 and decided there will be a September meeting with Delegates but it will be done by Zoom. It was decided that all the Delegate Committee elections will be held at that time. Some committee members on all committees are up for elections. Information on how this will be done electronically is forthcoming to the Delegates. NY state is temporarily allowing this due to the current events.
The AKC Board is also deciding whether to allow breed parent clubs to have 2 National Specialties next year since most of the clubs cancelled theirs this year. This would allow clubs to use already custom-made rosettes and trophies that are dated. It would also allow reserve winners dogs and bitches to count as a major which can only be done at a National. Anyone wanting more details on this topic, feel free to contact me. The Delegates will be voting on this in December.
AKC Reunite has sent pet recovery trailers to Colorado to assist with the fires. In addition, Rita Biddle was elected Chairperson of the AKC Reunite Board, Vice Chair is Harold Tatro, Secretary/Treasurer is Ted Phillips, Managing Director is Mark Dunn and President and CEO is Tom Sharp. and new members on their board are Karolynne McAteer and Ted Phillips.
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CDTC members, if you have not done so already, please join
mailto:cdtc@groups.io
. It is a great way to keep up with the day-to-day activities of our club. To sign up, go to
https://groups.io/g/cdtc
and click “Apply for Membership.”
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