CANINE SPORTS AND AGILITY
Helps Build a Bond With Your Brittany
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"Never be afraid to try something new, because life gets boring when you stay within the limits of what you already know."
- Unknown
Brittanys are intelligent, energetic and want to please. As owners of rescues, we are always looking for ways to bond with our dogs. A fun way of building this bond and letting them use their innate skills and talents might be through a canine sport. No matter if you and your dog are young or moving a bit slow, there are exciting activities waiting for you. Will Agility, Rally-O, Flyball, Barn Hunt, or Nosework be your dog’s favorite new sport?
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AGILITY
Does running down a course with your dog as they fly over hurdles and run through tunnels sounds like a blast?
Agility
might be a great way to learn new skills and strengthen your bond. In this sport, you and your dog work in tandem to navigate a course that has tunnels, hurdles, a teeter, a table, A-frames and a dog walk. Using hand signals, you direct your dog to the next obstacle as they speed through the course. The event is timed with points given for a clean run. Agility began in England in 1977 as a fun diversion during a break in a dog show competition. The excitement grew and today it is the fastest growing sport for dogs.
For More Information
Website:
www.akc.org
has a beginner’s section on how to get started in agility.
‘Brittany Agility Championships’
Book:
The Beginner’s Guide to Dog Agility
by Laurie Leach
Video:
Brittany Agility
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RALLY-O
Do you want to work side by side with your dog, but at a slower pace than agility?
Rally-O
(Rally-Obedience) might be the ideal sport for you. Rally-O is a course set with 10 – 20 signs that is completed with your dog by your side. At each sign, your dog will perform the task listed. Working as a team without a leash and only using verbal and hand commands, you complete a timed course. Rally –O was recognized by the AKC in 2005. This sport is physically easy and increases your dog’s obedience skill level
For More Information
Website:
www.akc.org
has a section with a beginner's guide and set of Rally signs.
Book:
The Ultimate Guide to Rally-O: Rules, Strategies, and Skills for Successful Rally Obedience Competition
by Deb Eldredge, DVM
Video:
What is Rally-Obedience?
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FLYBALL
Does your dog love to run and catch tennis balls? Then look no further for fun.
Flyball
is a relay race for a team of four dogs. Each dog takes a turn running down a course and jumping over several hurdles. At the end of the track is a spring loaded box that the dog hits to eject a tennis ball. Once the dog has the ball, it races back across the hurdles and across the line so the next dog can go. Flyball began in the late 1960’s and today there are over 440 clubs and 6,500 competing dogs.
For More Information
Book:
The Beginner's Guide to Flyball
by Lisa Pignetti
Video:
What is Flyball?
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BARN HUNT
What incorporates your dog’s natural ability to smell prey and hunt?
Barn Hunts
are an exciting way for a dog to hunt in a controlled area. This is a great sport for all ages. If your dog can fit through in 18” wide bale height tunnel you are good to go. Dogs are timed as they hunt through hay bales looking for tubes that contain rats. No rats are harmed in Barn Hunts. The tubes are aerated, large enough for the rat to turn around and cannot be crushed by the dogs.
For More Information
Book:
Barn Hunt Trial Workbook and Journal
by Laura De La Cruz
Video:
Learn the Basics of a Barn Hunt With Your Dog in 5 Easy Steps!
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NOSEWORK
How does your dog track the lingering scent and follow it to the source? In
Nosework,
team up with your dog to find the hidden scents in various locations and containers. This sport combines your dog’s amazing nose with its hunting instinct. Different scents are hidden around an area and then the fun begins. You are not able to point out the locations to your dog, but you must be able to read your dog’s body language when it finds a scent. The first NACSW (National Association of Canine Scent Work) K9 NoseWork trial was held in January, 2009.
For More Information
Book:
Canine Nosework Vol. 1: Teamwork and Fun With Your Dog, Nosework Basics to the Odor Recognition Test
by Abby Razer
Video:
K9 Nosework: Catch the Craze!
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Straight From a Sports Trainer: Interview With Kristen Phillips
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Can you tell us a little bit about you and your background?
My name is Kristen and I am the owner of
Advances in Animal Behavior
. I have been helping people train their dogs since 1995. My philosophy is that education and positive reinforcement are the key ingredients in pet training. We offer classes in Agility, Nosework, FlyBall, Rally-O, Obedience, and more.
When can someone begin Agility training with their dog?
It is important to get to know and bond with your new dog, for at least a few weeks before taking it to a group training class. Some dogs may also need a 6 or 7 week basic obedience course prior to starting agility classes.
Does Agility help with bonding with your dog?
Any type of training will help you bond with your dog. The more activities your dog is involved in, the better it is. The most important thing is that you and your dog are having fun and learning new things. Make sure that the classes use primarily positive reinforcement methods, such as, food/toy rewards.
What does the dog get out of dog sports training?
Agility and Nosework are confidence boosters for dogs. In many cases, handlers report seeing a more confident dog at home after only a few weeks of training. These sports are more mentally and physically challenging than just chasing a ball. The dogs learn to follow signals and trust their owner. Handlers learn to trust their dogs. Dogs are smarter than people sometimes give them credit for. They love to work and use their brains. Agility gives them that chance to be fast and make quick decisions. Nosework give dogs the chance to work at what most are bred to do and communicate with their handlers.
What does an owner get out of it?
Owners get so excited and happy when they see their dog go through the tunnel for the first time or complete the weave poles. Agility training also increases the owner’s confidence in their handling skills. This increased confidence spills over into other areas of life with their dog. An owner learns off leash control, understands how their dog behaves around other dogs, and how they handle being in new and novel setting. Owners also get a tired dog after class.
Any special concerns with a rescue?
The challenge is not that the dog is a rescue, but that it is typically an adult dog. A puppy will try anything, but an older dog is a bit wiser. Why would they want to go through weave poles when they can go around them? Working with the owners and dogs to bond as a team gets stronger as they progress through the classes. Just because someone buys a dog for performance work doesn’t mean it will perform better. A dog from a breeder might still have issues of temperament and health.
Any last words?
The average dog is capable of so much more than their owners realize. Many behavior problems can be prevented, reduced, eliminated by giving a dog a job or work. Dog sports are a great way to have fun with your dog. The added bonus is that the sports create a strong bond, a smarter dog and owner, and a tired team.
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YEAR OF THE DOG - ABR's International Rescue Mission Trips
Dedication & Hard Work!
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For folks unfamiliar with the logistics of ABR’s international rescue trips, it might appear that they provide a free and fun-filled way to travel overseas while saving the lives of dogs. In reality, these missions prove both physically and emotionally demanding. And although ABR reimburses volunteers for airfare and lodging, many of them elect to pay out of pocket for these and other expenses.
Peggy Adams-Russell, who started volunteering with ABR in the early 1990s, has completed three ABR trips to Greece so far. “These trips are not a vacation. I have heard them be called a ‘workcation’, but there is no ‘cation’ for these trips,” she says. “It is a lot of work with long hours and little sleep.”
Arranged many months in advance, the trips involve a great deal of teamwork and careful planning. It all starts with ABR’s International Coordinator, Nancy Hensley. Nancy developed a network of individuals and shelters who contact her when a dog needs help. She determines if the dog is an Epagneul Breton (Brittany) through emailed photos and other information. If it is a Britt, ABR orders a blood test to screen for various illnesses. All dogs must test negative for disease before ABR proceeds. Each dog is fully vetted and vaccinated before leaving its home country.
ABR recruits the travel volunteers through email and social media. Those who qualify are issued a 15-page guide detailing instructions and protocol. The guide provides crucial information on booking, checking in and landing through the various airlines. It also includes a long list of supplies the volunteer must bring. That ranges from everything to collars to crates.
The airlines impose a limit of three dogs per person, so each volunteer hopes to handle three dogs. This goal enables the trips to become more cost-efficient and more importantly, to save as many lives as possible. Volunteers are responsible for each of their assigned dog’s passport and medical records. Each person manages their own cart containing the crated dogs. That, along with their own luggage and numerous dog supplies equals strenuous work.
Between the long flights and at least one layover, travel time eats up 16 to 17 hours each way. Most of the missions are conducted in only four to five days, so there isn’t any ‘tourist time’ or sightseeing involved. In Greece, a pet taxi driver named Makis travels to the various islands where the dogs wait and then delivers them to the volunteers at the hotel. In Spain, volunteers rent a van and drive a “crazy” number of miles to pick up the dogs from various locations.
Because of the horrific abuse and neglect these abandoned Brittanys endure, many are frightened, traumatized and distrustful of their rescuers. For a devoted dog-lover, that can be a heart-rending experience. Many, like Jason, suffer from injuries. This sweet pup’s leg was so badly damaged that it required an amputation.
The volunteers tend to the dogs and tackle unglamorous jobs such as pulling burrs and ticks from matted fur and providing much-needed baths. And of course, since they are street or shelter dogs who have never been house-broken, there is also “poop clean-up all day long.”
Rather than enjoy dinner out, volunteers generally purchase groceries or carry-out so that they can supervise the dogs to ensure they all get along with each other. On the day of departure, Peggy and the others awaken at 1:30 A.M. to tire out and ‘potty’ the dogs in order to prepare them for the long flight. Then they break down and secure the crates and attend to other tasks so that Makis can transport them to the airport by 3 A.M. Understandably, once they get on the plane, most simply ‘collapse.’
As part of the pre-planning process, ABR works with various State Coordinators to secure foster homes for each dog upon arrival in the U.S. Because as many as nine to 17 dogs land at one time, they arrive in different parts of the country to avoid overwhelming one area.
Those areas are limited to airports in which an international carrier accepts live animals. Destination cities include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C. The dogs stay in these homes for a number of months so that the foster families can assess their personalities, determine how they relate with people and other pets and work to resolve any behavioral issues. Most have found a forever home. Nancy follows up on those not yet adopted.
The International Rescue Mission does not in any way detract from helping Britts already living in the U.S. In fact, ABR has done so well in rescuing them these past 25 years that in many cases, there are more people wishing to adopt than Brittanys longing for forever homes. ABR maintains separate funds for people who prefer to donate specifically to the international dogs, as they do a number of additional special cases.
Many of the travel mission volunteers work with ABR in other capacities. Peggy, for example, served as Secretary/Treasurer for several years. She currently works with the Brittany Express transport team and pulls Brittanys from shelters.
The rescue missions involve hard work and sacrifice, but volunteers revel in those ‘happy endings.’ Peggy reports that Jason was determined to become the alpha dog in his new foster-to-adopt home, but with lots of love from that family and coaching from Nancy, it all ended ‘beautifully’. She says that little guy is “unbelievable and his digging skills with just that one front leg are epic”.
The volunteer’s shared goal often results in an additional bonus. “You meet wonderful people,” Peggy says. “Every trip I have been on I have met at least one person who becomes a life-long friend.”
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BRITTANY FEATURE FOSTERS
Spring-in-their-Step Seniors
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"Rescuing one dog will not change the world... But for that dog the world will be forever changed."
These wonderful Brittanys are currently available for adoption.
Click on their picture for more information, and if you think your family is a good fit, please
complete an adoption application here.
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Oscar is a perfect gentleman and very bright. He quickly adapted to the rules of the house and knows all the basic commands! He is active and loves to go for walks and does nicely on a lead. He is sharing his foster home with 3 cats and 3 dogs, and would now enjoy a home and family of his own. Oscar is a true gem!
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Lady is just a love! She is an owner surrender after spending her life primarily outside and is very much enjoying the comforts of the indoors with her two foster sisters. She loves her couch time and snuggling with foster dad. Lady will thrive with someone who is primarily home, able to walk her and take her out regularly for quick potty breaks. A canine companion would be great, too! Foster dad wants to make sure “Lady Bird” gets the best home, so no sight unseen adoptions for this sweetheart.
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YOU ARE INVITED to
American Brittany Rescue
"Year of the Dog" Paw-ty
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You are invited to American Brittany Rescue “Year of the Dog” Paw-ty, but you don’t need to buy a fancy dress or rent a tux because it is a virtual paw-ty. By going to our website and RSVP'ing, you will give to a Brittany in need of your help. You can choose from the list below to help our dogs with a specific need or make your own charitable gift in honor of your past or present dog.
- $500 – 2 Spay/Neuters
- $300 – Heartworm Treatment (Typically ¼ of the full treatment cost varies between states.)
- $100 – Vet Visit & Vaccine
- $50 – Heartworm Medication
- $25 – Dog Food
- $10 – Collar
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You can also select to use your gift for the greatest need or designate your gift to our
International Rescue
effort.
Remember we are a volunteer-driven organization and will use your donation for medical care, food and microchipping of adoptable dogs. Also, American Brittany Rescue is dedicated to senior and special need Brittanys that would otherwise be overlooked in shelters. Your gift will help a wide variety of dogs in our care.
Send your RSVP: ABR Treasurer
731 Ridgehaven Dr.
LaHabra, CA 90631
Thank you for your “Paw-tying” with American Brittany Rescue.
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Congratulations to these Brittanys who have found their forever home!
Bruno, GA
Lincoln, IN
Marshall, IL
Molly, IL
Paco, FL
Sailor, FL
Sierra, WI
Wyatt, OH
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DATE: June 23, 2018
TIME: 9:30am to 3:00pm
CITY and STATE: South Park, PA
LOCATION: Agricultural Hall at South Park Fairgrounds at 2100 Brownsville Rd
The 15th Annual Hearts & Paws pet fair is an event you do not want to miss. It is an enjoyable day for the whole family with two large buildings full of rescue organizations and pet-related vendors, a silent auction and boutique, ask the vet, and delicious food. Please stop by our ABR booth and say “hi” to our ABR mascot, Annabelle. Hope to see you there!
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If you would like to give to American Brittany directly, please click on the button below to make your gift and help a dog in need.
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ABOUT THE AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE
American Brittany Rescue, Inc. is an organization that was formed in 1991 as a cooperative effort of Brittany owners, breeders, trainers, and fanciers who ABR believes have a responsibility not only for their own dogs and the dogs they produce, but for the breed as a whole.
THE AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE MISSION
ABR's mission is to provide the leadership and expertise via a network of trained volunteers to take in stray, abandoned, surrendered and/or impounded purebred Brittanys, provide them with foster care, health and temperament screening, an opportunity for any necessary rehabilitation and to assure their health and placement into new homes. In order to fulfill this mission, ABR's volunteers remain flexible and adaptable to current and future business environments and they remain dedicated to the organization.
ABR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Terry Mixdorf, President
Tina Leone, Vice-President/Co-Treasurer
Michelle Falkinburg, Secretary
Diana Doiron, Co-Treasurer
Tiffany Dexter
Terrie Johnson
Nancy Hensley
Monica Rutt
Maria Smith
AMERICAN BRITTANY RESCUE E-NEWSLETTER TEAM
Lisa Bagwell
Brittany Boler
Jeannine Connors
Judie Cutting
Autumn Fenton
Lori Gartenhaus
Patricia Gillogly
Melissa Tapply
Rachel Schollaert
Maria Smith
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