THE HOUNDS’ BUGLE

Northern California Irish Wolfhound Club

January / March 2008

Northern California Irish Wolfhound Club

OfficersPresident Carol Gabriel presidentnciwc.usVice President Lori Finucane vicepresidentnciwc.usSecretary Chris Thompson secretarynciwc.usTreasurer Jane Schluter treasurernciwc.us

Board Of Directors Ann Gould Maxine Levy Lynne Rosebrock

Mary Sharkey Marcia Walsh

Club LibrarianCarol Jones (916) 961-8981 RoseheartCu@comcast.net

Bugle Editor

Robin Burchett - 2213 Greenbrier Street, Concord, CA. 94520-1441 tory_iw@att.ne

Web Sitenciwc.us

The Hounds’ Bugle is a bi-monthly publication. The deadline for each issue is the

15st of each odd numbered month. Articles submitted are welcome. The editors reserve the right to print or not print all submitted material and to edit in the interest of brevity and readability. Articles appearing in The Bugle are for the information and entertainment of our readers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Club

or any of its members.

Permission is given to reprint if credit is given to NCIWC HOUNDS’ BUGLE.

Subscriptions are $35.00 a year or free with membership.

Advertising rates: Full page with photo $25.00 Full page without photo $15.00 Half page without photo $12.00

The Hounds’ Bugle

The Holiday Season is behind us but the memories linger on, especially the Club’s annual Christmas Party. A huge turnout of a very joyful group. Friendship and love were so apparent. Happy Hounds were milling around everywhere. A delicious dinner, pre-pared by Chef Frank, was served. The Pirate game sent everyone home with a wonderful gift and Mary Sharkey had beautifully wrapped gifts for all the hounds in honor of Torin’s Birthday. Thanks Chris and Megan for sharing your beautiful home. In keeping with the spirit of the season, I want to share a story about one of our members. After most Shows, many of us go out to breakfast. We were at one of these restaurants when 3 service men, dressed in uniform, came in and sat down in a booth. The member sitting next to me called the waiter over and asked to pay the check for these men. When the waiter brought the check over, our mem-ber wrote on it, ‘’Thanks for your service” and paid the bill. The service men never knew who did this but I am sure it made them feel very appreciated. Kudos to you, Jane Schluter! I hope to have the opportu-nity to do this some day. How about YOU? Don’t forget to check the back cover of the BUGLE for the Club’s upcoming activities. (Note that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in S.F. is once again on a Saturday). Please let us hear from you. We always want your suggestions and please volunteer to help out at a Club event. Our annual Specialty Match is approaching quickly and we’d sure love to have some new faces helping out. I have received some very informative new pamphlets from the IWCA. These pamphlets will be available at all our events. Hats off to the Best Club ever - the NCIWC!!LETS GET BUSY - PLEASE get your IW photos to Frank for the Decade Book - we especially need photos demonstrating the great character of our breed !

Carol

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Northern California Irish Wolfhound Club meeting minutes - February 2nd, 2008

Ken & Carol Gabriel’s home at 18 Everett Road, Petaluma

President called the meeting to order at 11:30 am. Officers and Board members present : C. Gabriel, L. Finucane, C. Thompson, J. Schluter, M. Sharkey, A. Gould, L. Rosebrock. Informed absence : Maxine Levy.Members present : R. & T. Burchett, K. Corriea, F. Christian, K. Morris, C. Jones, K. Gabriel, L. & J. Giles, A. Schluter, J. & R. Trifeletti, J. & G. Barnett, C. & K. Wallace, D. & T. Wyn-shaw-Boris.

Previous Minutes : M. Sharkey asked that her No vote be recorded as such, in regard to the Club Computer acquisition. Motion to accept with that amendment m/s L. Finucane/M. Sharkey passed.

President’s Report (C. Gabriel) : Draws attention to letter from 2008 National Specialty chair, Donna Drake, asking for help, and do we want to have a club display at the Show - yes, by acclamation. Do we wish to sponsor placement awards at the Lure Trial and/or to place club ads in the catalog - no, by ac-clamation. IWCA sent their new color pamphlet - we can make copies for distribution. Frank will make copies. The “Hayfork Spirits” Social Club writes to thank us for our tribute in memo-ry of Arline Stockham.Secretary’s Report (C. Thompson) : The Potomac Valley IW Club now has their newsletter on-line. NorCal Golden Re-triever Club has a problem solving seminar on May 31/June 1. A new website has Judge rankings and more at showdays.infoTreasurer’s Report (J. Schluter) : Income since the last report was $ 2,823 including the Boutique, OFC and late Specialty Auction payments. Expenses were $ 3,048.53 including OFC, computer equipment and event insurance which now costs $ 50 per event. Checking account has $ 10,345.75. Savings has $ 1,033.73. Jane recommends opening a CD account. Frank suggests preparing a Budget in October each year, right after

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each Specialty. Jane would prefer to complete a preliminary report during June and then confirm it in October.

2007 Specialty (C. Thompson) : All is on track to date. Asks Board to determine the per-entry Specialty costs. Motion to re-quire $ 27 for the first entry and $ 18 for all other entries. m/s L. Rosebrock/A. Gould passed. Trophies & Boutique (M. Levy/M. Thompson) : No re-port other than a strong admonition to send any spare monies to the Trophy and Boutique committees ! BIG laugh ! Lure Coursing (M. Sharkey) : ASFA Lure Trial on Sun-day 14 September. Details to follow. Field & Grounds (W. Colby) : The layout will be much the same as previously with maybe a couple of modifications.

Activities (F. Christian) : Frank is hiking the Continental Divide from Mexico to Canada this year, so will not be avail-able to lead all of our activities. He has volunteers for the Lake Almanor and Green Island Lake camping trips but would like self-starting volunteers to step up and lead their own (ad)ventures. Carol Gabriel will organise a visit to the Sunrise Assisted Living Home for a “mimic” dog show. It was agreed by acclamation to only support the one St Patrick’s Day parade, in San Francisco. The Celtic Faire is to be in Sonora, March 8 & 9. Please contact any Board member with your new activity ideas.Decade Book (C. Jones) : Only 22 respondents as yet. Need further 30 to make the project viable. As aforementioned, Frank is leaving soon, so will now have to delegate the project completion to others. PLEASE look out your favorite photos, etc and send them in, along with your requirements on layout, etc. The deadline has been postponed indefinitely due to the VERY POOR RESPONSE to date !!! Bugle (R. Burchett) : A little late due to learning curve of new Club Computer and the need to wait for these Board Meeting minutes.Club Historian (C. Jones) : Nothing new, except a few more boxes of donated items to be gone through, cataloged and

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placed in the Club Trailer. Chris T. moved that we acquire a third Club Trailer, but was shouted down for his insolence !Legislature (C. Jones) : Los Angeles Mandatory Spay & Neu-ter ordinance was quickly passed - other similar items being proposed over entire country. These generally allow for breeder exemptions but usually at some considerable cost.NCIWC Lure Coursing (M. Sharkey) : Finally secured AKC permission to hold a sanctioned test and/or trial, this being the first step towards acquiring an AKC operating license. NCIWC has an all-breed trial on February 9 & 10 at Robertson Park Meadow in Livermore. There will be a further two day ASFA all-breed trial in October or November. Mary will not be the chair for these events in 2009, so we must find a replacement.Open Field (C. Thompson) : The Grand Course ofc finals will be on 16 / 17 / 18 February. There are five IWs qualified, though not all are likely to be able to go. Fun Match 2007 (R. Burchett/C. Jones) : All is proceeding well. The Dixon show site is reserved and the Judge engaged. Satur-day, 3rd May. The Scottish Deerhound Club will again co-host.Website (Maxine Levy, Jaime Quevedo) : No report.

Fundraising (A. Gould) : All club members are asked to come together as they did last year. Please begin gathering “stuff” now, for Auction and Raffle donations.Policies (R. Burchett) : Robin will send the revised policy list-ing to Board members.New Members (R. Burchett) : Mark & Kerry Tross m/s C. Gabriel/K. Morris passed. Welcome !

Old Business : 2010 CA National Specialty (Jamie Souza) : All is moving ahead. A final decision is anticipated at the next IWCA Board meeting. Xmas party (F. Christian) : Fabulous ! Forty five members were seated at the Thompson’s Napa County home. The Guys helped Frank roast the pig on a spit and the Gals helped Carol Jones decorate and to prepare the feast. Wayne and Heather Colby very generously donated the 90 pound hog, all of which resulted in a club profit of $ 360 !

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Nominating Committee (J. Schluter) : Results will be mailed out to the membership. Many thanks for their service to Mar-sha Walsh and Maxine Levy, who are stepping down from the Board.The 2008 Cu Fun Match : Joan Trifeletti will chair the event, with new members Chris & Kathleen Wallace as co-chairs.

Next meeting date : At the Vallejo Fairgrounds show site on Saturday, 19 April, 2008.Adjourned : 1.10 pm m/s K. Gabriel/L. Rosebrock respectfully submitted,Chris ThompsonSecretaryNCIWC

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Membership Page

Read into membership December 1, 2007:

Dennis & Kim Johansson460 Indian Springs RoadNovato, CA 94947(415) 892-1426blazez@aol.comDogs: Riley, Willow & SaddieSponsors: Carol Gabriel & Robin Burchett

Read into membership February 2, 2008:

Mark, Kerry & Selena Tross608 Alameda de las PulgasRedwood City, CA 94061(650) 367-1755marktross@netscape.netDogs: BaodanSponsors: Jenny Clark & Janet Souza

New Address:

Diane & Tony Wynshaw-Boris Katrina Wilhelm (was Hayden)480 Warren Drive #107 6480 Jamison RoadSan Francisco, CA 94131 Santa Rosa, CA 95404wynshaw-boris@att.net (707) 546-4966 wilhelmka@sbcglobal.net

New E-mail Address:Terry & Robin Burchett tory_iw@att.net

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Northern California Irish Wolfhound Club27th Specialty Show & Sweepstakes

September 12th - 13th, 2008Petaluma, California

Sweepstakes - Jenny Clark (of Horizons, Oroville)Conformation - Nancy King-Aiken (of Barra

Gwynn, Oregon)Obedience & Rally - Lora Cox

Show Chair - Chris Thompson(707) 965-1531 truebrit@napanet.net

An ASFA lure course will also take place, early on Sunday 14th September

~ Beat a path to the NorCal Specialty !!! ~

We are in the planning stages for this years Specialty Fund Raising Events. We need your help ! I believe we need three people to help me Co-chair the Events. One for Silent Auc-tion, another for the Raffle Baskets, and still another for the Live Auction. This way, no one is completely overwhelmed with the tasks at hand. Remember we raised almost 10K last year. This gave our club some peace peace of mind regarding our expenses for this year, and we hope to make that amount at our next Specialty (or even more !). Without your kind help last year would have been in the “RED” with all of the Specialty ex-penses. Thank you again, and start looking dor all those wonder-ful items to donate to our upcoming Specialty Fundraising Events.

Ann Gould - belledej@aol.com or (707) 310-0098

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Thawing Out at the Ice Cream SocialBy Mary Sharkey

November 3, 2007

After a week of below 50 degree weather in San Francisco, I was a little unsure about driving somewhere to eat something that was frozen. I went anyway and it was great! Warm and sunny, the dogs and I left our icicles behind and enjoyed the sun. Carol and Ken were so welcoming and had everything set up when we arrived – even a seating area so we could have the ex pens behind us and the free-range hounds in front of us. Seamus and Aoifa enjoyed the meet and greet at the fence of the adjacent dog run. While Torin tried his best to escape the puppies (he is scared of puppies!) and avoid eye contact with Declan while walking straight toward him. The attendees this year were, Robin & Terry Burchett with Kira & Bryne, Jane & Alan Schluter with Loretta, Katie, Clarie, Lilly & Gabby, Cathy Kastner with Sammy, Mike & Harrison Reynolds with Rio, Chris & Megan Thompson with Aiden, Liam & Rafiki, Gary Barnett with Tres, Dennis & Kim Johannson with Riley, Corey, Jim & Devon Williams with Kilaney, Frank Chris-tian with Valli & Declan, Don DeRosa & Cecilia Vasquez with Arwen, Ken & Carol Jones with Reilly, Sandy & Caoilainn and of course, myself with Aoifa, Torin & Seamus. It was great to see some new faces and hounds too and all the dogs did a good job of getting along. What a treat to get a rib-bon just for showing up! And it was fun to hear Carol’s notes on previous Socials as to who brought which dogs and how many. It was a really relaxing day and the ice cream hit the spot af-ter sitting in the sun for a few hours. Thank you Carol and Ken for a terrific event!

Attendance: 21 Parents and 24 Hounds

26” Rosettes were presented to the youngest hound in atten-dance, Gabby Schluter @ 1 year & 4 days and the oldest hound, Sandy Jones @ 8 years old.

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Custom made certificates with a ribbon were awarded to the following:To Robin and Terry Burchett for bringing a different pair of hounds each year they have attended. 2003 – Travis & Fable, 2004 – Kira & Lyric, 2006 – Deion & Bryne and 2007 – Kira & Bryne.To Alan and Jane Schluter for consistently bringing more hounds each year they have attended. 2005 – Katie & Claire, 2006 – Katie, Clarie & Lilly and 2007 – Loretta, Katie, Clarie, Lilly & Gabby.To Mary Sharkey, for driving the longest distance, 111 miles one way to attend.

Ribbons for First and Second place scores were awarded to those brave souls who participated in the Name That Hound Contest.Tie for First: Alan Schluter and Don DeRosaThree-way tie for Second: Frank Christian, Corey Williams and Terry Burchett

All hounds were sent home with their own treat bag.

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NEW!!! VACCINATION PROTOCOL by Dr. Jean Dodd ---------------------------------------------------------- All of the 27 Vet Universities in the US have followed the immu-nization protocol as suggested by Dr. Dodd for years. All of these Hospitals will be changing their Vaccination Programs appar-ently. This is welcome news and you should print this out and take it with you to your Vet should you need reinforcement against over-vaccination. VACCINATION NEWSFLASH [CIMDA support] RE; J DODDS VACCINE PROTOCOL I would like to make you aware that all 27 veterinary schools in North America are in the process of changing their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats. Some of this information will present an ethical & economic challenge to Vets, and there will be skeptics. Some organizations have come up with a political compromise suggesting vaccinations every 3 years to appease those who fear loss of income vs. those concerned about potential side effects. Politics, traditions, or the doctors economic well-being should not be a factor in a medical decision. NEW PRINCIPLES OF IMMUNOLOGY Dogs and cats immune systems mature fully at 6 months. If a modified live virus vaccine is given after 6 months of age, it pro-duces immunity, which is good for the life of the pet (i.e.: canine distemper, parvo, feline distemper). If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the first vaccine neutralize the antigens of the second vaccine and there is little or no effect. The titer is not “boosted” nor are more memory cells induced. Not only are annual boosters for parvo and distemper unnecessary, they subject the pet to potential risks of allergic reactions and immune-mediated haemolytic anemia. There is no scientific documentation to back up label claims for annual administration of MLV vaccines. Puppies receive antibod

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ies through their mothers milk. This natural protection can last 8 - 14 weeks. Puppies & kittens should NOT be vaccinated at LESS than 8 weeks. Maternal immunity will neutralize the vaccine and little protection (0-38%) will be produced. Vaccinati on at 6 weeks will, however, DELAY the timing of the first highly effective vac-cine. Vaccinations given 2 weeks apart SUPPRESS rather than stimulate the immune system. A series of vaccinations is given starting at 8 weeks and given 3-4 weeks apart up to 16 weeks of age. Another vaccination given sometime after 6 months of age (usually at l year 4 mo) will pro-vide LIFETIME IMMUNITY. Also: Avoiding Vaccine Reactions in Dogs and Cats Craig E. Greene University of Georgia Athens, GA, USA Back to Infectious Disease Printer Friendly version Veterinarians have become concerned with regard to over vac-cinating and continual annual vaccination requirements for dogs and cats. Much of this concern stems from the recent awareness of post-vaccinal complications that can result with currently available biologicals. Knowledge of the various reactions and their predisposing causes helps to avoid their occurrence. Immunologic Complications Immunologic reactions that can develop following vaccination can be categorized as to the four classical types of hypersensitivity reactions. Type I reactions involve an interaction with cytophilic IgE and antigen with resultant degranulation of circulating basophils and tissue mast cells. In the dog, signs are facial edema, hypotensive shock, weakness, dyspnea and diarrhea. Cats show facial pruritus, salivation, dyspnea, collapse and respiratory

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distress from acute pulmonary edema Type II hypersensitiv-ity reactions, resulting in cellular injury have been suspected or reported following the use of MLV vaccines in dogs. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and autoimmune nonregenerative ane-mias (autoimmunity to erythrocyte precursors) have been associ-ated with MLV parvoviral vaccines in some dogs. The dogs with this association had lower platelet counts, increased trend toward intravascular hemolysis and spontaneous microagglutination, and higher mortality than the other affected animals. Transient subclinical thrombocytopenia also has been reported following the use of MLV combination vaccines in dogs. Type III hypersensi-tivity reaction, associated with immune-complex formation and deposition, is responsible for the anterior uveitis that occurs in some dogs receiving the MLV--CAV-1 vaccine. This local type III, or Arthus reaction results from virus-antibody complex formation within the eye. The process resolves spontaneously unless second-ary complications such as glaucoma develop. Type IV, or cell-me-diated, hypersensitivity reactions can occur following the use of bacille-Calmette-Guérin (BCG) as an immunostimulator or some adjuvants. Large, exuding granulomas may develop at the site of injection. Polyradiculoneuritis has been observed in dogs follow-ing use of suckling mouse brain inactivated rabies virus vaccines and some other biologicals in dogs. Nonimmunologic Complications Local Reactions. Many complications have been associated with either local irritation or production of disease by canine and feline biologics. Local reactions following vaccination include pain, ery-thema, swelling, irritation, and abscess formation. These typically occur within minutes to days after inoculation. Pain can be caused by many components in the vaccine such as stabilizers, high or low pH, high osmolality, or preservatives. Swelling is most fre-quently noted with the use of inactivated products containing adjuvants or with bacterial vaccines containing large amounts of foreign protein derived from the culture media.

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Adventitious Agents. Most viruses grown in cell culture must contain serum and this is usually obtained from fetal calves. Fatal illness occurred in pregnant bitches vaccinated for DA2LPP in the last trimester of gestation from Bluetongue virus inadver-tently contained in the vaccine. MEV vaccination is generally not advised during pregnancy but may be done under unusual cir-cumstances. Signs were abortion 7 to 9 days after vaccination and death within 48 to 72 hours with cardiac failure and respiratory distress. Focal cutaneous granulomatous lesions. These reactions are to adjuvants, which potentiate the immune response by creating a depot effect. A nodule, which forms typically, regresses in 2-6 weeks. These were histologically characterized by a local nonsup-purative vasculitis. Similar reactions have been observed in cats and contain foreign material representing residual adjuvant. An association of these inflammatory nodules to the development of sarcomas has been made. Sarcomas. Neoplastic complications have been reported with increasing frequency following the use of inactivated adjuvanted vaccines in cats with much lower frequency in dogs. Rabies and FeLV vaccines have been most commonly incriminated on an epi-demiologic basis in cats although combination inactivated prod-ucts have also been associated. The component thought to be as-sociated with postvaccinal inflammation is the vaccine’s adjuvant. The inflammatory reactions to aluminum and other proprietary adjuvants may predispose cats to a connective tissue reaction and eventually neoplastic transformation. The estimated time course ranges from 3 months to 3.5 years postvaccination. Multiple vac-cines at the same site and repeated yearly boosters may increase the risk. Vaccination sites should be monitored owners and vet-erinarians and any enlargement be examined. Local, very wide excision should be done for any enlargement that occurs after 3 months. Incomplete excision of a sarcoma usually results in more aggressive regrowth at the surgical site.

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Various recommendations have been made to reduce the frequency of sarcoma development. Manufacturers can assist in determin-ing the substances that are responsible for oncogenesis and mak-ing modifications. Veterinarians need to educate clients and alter their vaccination schedules to minimize the use of unnecessary vaccines. Better recording and tracking of reactions is needed. Clients need to observe vaccine sites and continue to bring their pet in for annual examinations. Systemic Illness. Systemic illness characterized by fever and mal-aise may also occur as a result of self-limiting infection caused by MLV vaccines, usually caused by replication of the vaccine virus within local lymphoid tissues without viremic spread. This com-monly does not last longer than 1 to 2 days following vaccination and often explains the transient anorexia and depression noted in recently vaccinated animals. Prenatal and Neonatal Infections. If MLV vaccines are given dur-ing pregnancy, vaccine infections can result in fetal malformation or death or infertility and abortion in the dam. Neonatal infection can also occur following the use of MLV canine or feline parvo-viral vaccines in puppies or kittens less than 4 to 5 weeks of age. The general recommendation is to never use MLV vaccines in pregnant females. Vaccine-Induced Diseases. Clinical illness can develop as an ex-pected postvaccinal event when intranasal vaccines are used. The mild clinical syndrome is usually self-limiting, but the organisms may spread to other susceptible animals. The immunity to such vaccines is superior to that of parenteral vaccines; however, the clinical disease that these vaccines can produce has limited their use by many veterinarians. Febrile, limping syndrome has been noted in kittens after use of products containing caliciviral or Chlamydophila antigens. Kittens less than 6 months old are usually affected for up to 1 week after

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vaccination. Related Akita dogs have developed immune-mediated polyarthritis within 3 weeks after vaccination. The dogs usually developed signs by 16 weeks of age consisting of cyclical fever and joint pain with associated laboratory abnormalities. The joint aspirates reveal nonseptic, purulent polyarthritis. Treatment with glucocorticoids helps alleviate the clinical signs but relapses are frequent. Young Weimaraners can develop radiographic changes typical of HOD. These are probably systemic manifestations of the disease syndromes. Neurologic disease has been a commonly documented postvac-cinal reaction described in dogs and cats. This may relate to the overt nature of neurologic illness and decreased immunocompe-tence of the CNS against MLV agents. Historically, complications following rabies virus vaccination have received the most atten-tion. MLV vaccines are no longer used in the US for this reason. Vaccine-induced rabies in dogs and cats following MLV vaccina-tion begins with paralysis in the inoculated limb within 7 to 21 days and progresses bilaterally and in an ascending fashion. Encephalomyelitis has been reported after combined distemper vi-rus vaccination in the dog especially in very young pups. Postvac-cinal distemper has also been reported following immunosuppres-sion of dogs with cytotoxic chemotherapy and virulent parvoviral infection. Hypertrophic osteodystrophy has also been associated with modified live distemper vaccines. A number of other immu-nosuppressive influences can facilitate vaccine-induced infections. MLV feline panleukopenia vaccines and canine parvoviral vaccines should not be used in kittens or puppies less than 4 to 5 weeks of age. Cerebellar degeneration and myocarditis may develop in kit-tens and puppies, respectively, from virulent parvovirus or MLV vaccine virus infection. Immunosuppressed cats can become ill following MLV parvoviral virus vaccines. Parenteral vaccination with one previously licensed MLV canine coronaviral vaccine has been associated with illness. This problem was related to the par-ticular strain that was used in the vaccine. Currently available

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MLV coronaviral vaccine does no cause problems of this type. Speaker Information (click the speaker’s name to view other papers and abstracts sub-mitted by this speaker) Craig E. Greene University of Georgia Athens, GA, USA Also: The group Truth about vaccines on Yahoo is a real eye opener. The lists of information and sites and goes on and on, it really is a matter of doing research, then deciding what is best for your dogs. Loraine Jesse

******MARK YOUR CALENDARS******

Please save Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 for our an-nual fun match. The match will again be held at Hall Park, Dixon, and our judge will be Ryan Horvath. So come, enjoy the match, CGC testing, lure practice, grooming workshop, Deerhound costume contest, Boutique, Keeper Of The couch, LUNCH . . .

It’s up to you to make this a very special day !

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News PageMOST IMPORTANT- get your photos to Pat Murk-land for the NCIWC Decade Book - time is running out ! We will not have a Decade Book if we don not

receive your photos !

Pat Murkland(951) 849-9355

pmurkland@aol.com

Looking for a Lure Coursing Field Chair

The NCIWC Trial Secretary is looking for someone to serve as Field Chair for future lure coursing events. Responsibilities include locating and securing an appropriate field, inspecting the grounds for safety on the day of the event, insuring that placement awards and equipment are in place and functioning, and being in charge of the field committee.

If you are interested in participating and/or would like more information, please contact Mary Sharkey at msharkey8@yahoo.com or call 415-596-3881.

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If anyone would like a current club membership list, please let Robin Burchett know. The list can be sent by snail mail, or email (excel). Robin can be reached at (925) 689-9765 or tory_iw@att.net

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Letter to the Bugle editor:

I had such a fantastic time at the NCIWC Holiday gather-ing, and I wanted to mention a few people who made it possible.

For several years I had this notion of roasting a whole pig at some club event; a way to do something special for a great group of people who make up our club. This year it came together by the help of several club members. The procurement of the pig was done by Heather and Wayne Colby. This was not an easy task. They found a friend that hunts wild pig, but it was not the correct time of the year; the wild pigs were eating the wrong food. The Colby’s then went about and located a local farm that processed the pig for us one week before the dinner. The Colby’s donated the cost of the pig to the club.

Don Darosa, and Cecilia Vasquez arrived at the Thomp-son’s home a day early to help set up for the party. Decorations, tables, chairs and all sorts of kitchen activities took place.

Megan and Chris Thompson not only opened their home for our get together but also found and rented the wonderful rotis-serie for roasting the pig. They also set up with their neighbors, space for parking and if needed areas to lure course or exercise our hounds.

Mary Sharkey donated those great party gifts for the hounds. My boy still buries his under the couch.

Carol Jones made all those wonderful table decorations; just the thing for that final touch.

Everyone just stepped up on the day and helped get the job done

And finally, I would like to thank all who came to our holi-day gathering and brought their hounds. It was wonderful to see all of the hounds together.

Again, many thanks to all who came, you made it the best!

Sincerely:Frank W Christian

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San Luis Obispo Kennel Club November 17, 2007Judge: Mr. Dana Cline 1 Dog / 2 Bitches / 1 Dog, & 1 Bitch Sp.

WD Mysham Firelord Of Kerryarc – G. Hawksworth & L. DeckWB/BOW/BOB Quest Corsair Morgana – Ed Powers & Cathy LursenRWB Int’l Kerryarc Gael Aerie Of Mysham – Gail HawksworthBOS Ch Carroy Falcor of Limerick – Eva Harris

San Luis Obispo Kennel Club November 18, 2007Judge: Mr. Douglas Johnson Dog / 3 Bitches / 1 Dog, & 1 Bitch Sp.

WD/BOS Mysham Firelord Of Kerryarc – G. Hawksworth & L. DeckWB/BOW/BOB Quest Corsair Morgana – Ed Powers & Cathy LursenRWB Conchobar Katey Of Limerick – L. Souza & J. Souza Bartlett

Golden Valley Kennel Club November 23, 2007Judge: Dr. Daniel Dowling 3 Dogs / 3 Bitches / 1 Bitch Sp.

WD/BOW/BOS Fleetwind Carroy Duncan – L. Rosebrock & L. ThomassoRWD Bailebrae Curragh Custom Crom – L. Stuart & M. GrotanoWB Int’l Kerryarc Gael Aerie Of Mysham – Gail HawksworthRWB Sunstag D’Lacey – Dixie Howell-HirschBOB Ch Quest Sea Raider’s Alvilda, RN – E. Powers & C. Lursen

AT THE DOG SHOWS

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Golden Valley Kennel Club November 24, 2007Judge: Dr. E. Carolyn Hensley 3 Dogs / 1 Bitch / 1 Bitch Sp.

WD/BOS Quest Corsair Raxx Of Pern – Ed Powers, Cathy Lursen Powers & Kelly CromerRWD Fleetwind Carroy Duncan – L. Rosebrock & L. ThomassonWB/BOW Eirinn’s Bryne McTate Of Tory – Terry & Robin Burchett & Jim & Corey WilliamsBOB Quest Sea Raider’s Alvilda, RN – Ed Powers & Cathy Lursen

San Joaquin Kennel Club November 25, 2007Judge: Mr. David Peat 2 Dogs / 4 Bitches

WD/BOW/BOB Bailebrae Curragh Custom Crom – Lynne Stuart & Maria Theresa GrotanoRWD Aragorn Shire’s Son Brogan – Kathy Bowler & Steve CoonyWB/BOS Sunstag D’Lacey – Dixie Howell-HirschRWB Cabell’s Gabriela Of Folkloire – Alan & Jane Schluter

San Joaquin Kennel Club November 26, 2007Judge: Mrs. Pamela Peat 3 Bitches

WB/BOB Sunstag D’Lacey – Dixie Howell-HirschRWB Cabell’s Gabriela Of Folkloire – Alan & Jane Schluter

Eukanuba National Championship December 1, 2007Judge: Mrs. Gretchen Bernardi 4 Dog & 3 Bitch Specials

BOB Ch Kerryarc Vaquera – Mandy & Chandler Tyler & Carson CollierBOS Ch Cash Of Limerick – Linda Souza & Jamie Souza BartlettAOE Ch Breez’in Sophie – Sadie HellerAOE Ch Kerryarc Bourree Of Eagle – Mandy Tyler

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Oakland Kennel Club December 28, 2007Judge: Mr. Jeffrey Pepper 5 Dogs / 2 Bitches / 1 Bitch Sp.

WD/BOW/BOS Winterdream Montana – Carson Collier & Mandy & Chandler Tyler ***** New Champion *****RWD Applearbor Bronntana O’Tara – Kathy Derby & Mike LubaWB Rua Cu Mara Of Horizons, JC – Ann Gould & Tom BirseRWB Curiann Kerryarc Gem Of Aerie – Judith RyanBOB Quest Sea Raider’s Alvilda, RN – Ed Powers & Cathy Lursen

Salinas Valley Kennel Club December 29, 2007Judge: Mrs. Betty-Anne Stenmark 8 Dogs / 9 Bitches / 1 Dog Sp.

WD/BOW/BOB Gentors Duchas The Patriot – M. & M. WalshRWD Applearbor Devlin O’Tara – M. Luba, A. Curtis & T. TillotsenWB/BOS Eirinn’s Bryne McTate Of Tory – Terry & Robin Burchett & Jim & Corey WilliamsRWB Horizons Sydney McWin, RN, CD – Jenny Clark

San Mateo Kennel Club December 30, 2007Judge: Miss Dorothy Macdonald 7 Dogs / 8 Bitches

WD/BOW/BOB Applearbor Brian Of Tara Hts – M. Luba & A. Curtis ***** New Champion *****RWD Triple E Murray Of Limerick – Maureen McKee-EidsonWB/BOS Horizons Sydney McWin, RN, CD – Jenny ClarkRWB Eirinn’s Bryne McTate Of Tory – Terry & Robin Burchett & Jim & Corey Williams

Inland Empire Hound Assoc. January 4, 2008Judge: Ms. Diane Malenfant 15 Dogs / 13 Bitches / 10 Dogs & 4 Bitch Sp.

WD/BOW BallyMacmoy’s Hon. Thomas Burke – P. & B. PearsonRWD Kerryarc Burning Desire – Carson Collier & Judith RyanWB BallyMacmoy Margaret – Bruce & Pat PearsonRWB Rysheron’s Citadel De-Ja-Vu – C. Riggs, J. Lindley & L. RandalBOB Ch Pinehurst Haxton – Karen Catov-GoodellBOS Ch Kerryarc Vaquera – M. & C. Tyler & Carson CollierAOM Ch Kerryarc Roman – J. S. Strohm, J. Ryan & C. TylerAOM Ch Cill Chuillinn’s Irish Blessing – Susan & John Marvin

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Kennel Club Of Palm Springs January 5, 2008Judge: Mr. Ralph Lemcke 12 Dogs / 9 Bitches / 11 Dog & 4 Bitch Sp.

WD Gentors Duchas The Patriot – Marcia & Michael Walsh ***** New Champion *****RWD Pinehurst Morrow – Karen Catov-GoodellWB/BOW Cu Muirin Tallulah – Donald & Sadie HellerRWB Pinehurst Halsey – Karen Catov-GoodellBOB Ch Ch Cill Chuillinn’s Irish Blessing – Susan & John MarvinBOS Ch Kerryarc Vaquera – M. & Chandler Tyler & Carson CollierAOM Quest Sea Raider’s Alvilda, RN – Ed Powers & Cathy LursenAOM Ch Pinehurst Mason - Karen Catov-Goodell & S. B. CurtisAOM Ch Pinehurst Haxton – Karen Catov-Goodell

Kennel Club Of Palm Springs January 6, 2008Judge: Mrs. Lisa Dube Forman 12 Dogs / 11 Bitches / 13 Dog & 3 Bitch Sp.

WD Quest Corsair Raxx Of Pern – Ed Powers, Cathy Lursen Powers & Kelly CromerRWD Fleetwind Carroy Duncan – L. Rosebrock & L. ThomassonWB/BOW Kerryarc Freestyle – Mandy & Chandler Tyler & Carson CollierRWB Pinehurst Halsey – Karen Catov-GoodellBOB Ch Kerryarc Vaquera – Mandy & Chandler Tyler & Carson CollierBOS Ch Cash Of Limerick – Linda Souza & Jamie Souza BartlettAOM Ch Carroy Fergus McTate – Lynne & Dick RosebrockAOM Ch Dunmadadh Epiphany – Patricia CobbAOM Ch Wild Desert Braeden – Robert & Vicki Gaudette

Golden Gate Kennel Club January 26, 2008Judge: Mrs. Paula Nykiel 5 Dogs / 9 Bitches / 5 Dog Specials

WD/BOW Mysham Edoc’Sil Of Redwall - G. Hawksworth & C. CollierRWD Triple E Murray Of Limerick - Maureen McKee-EidsonWB/BOS Gabriel’s Kaitlin Mericlare - Phil & Kim MorrisRWB Eiriin’s Bryne McTate Of Tory - Terry & Robin Burchett & Corey & Jim WilliamsBOB Ch Kerryarc Roman - Mandy Tyler & Steven Strohm

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Golden Gate Kennel Club January 27, 2008Judge: Mr. Kenneth Miller 5 Dogs / 9 Bitches / 5 Dog Specials

WD/BOW Mysham Edoc’Sil Of Redwall - G. Hawksworth & C. CollierRWD Triple E Murray Of Limerick - Maureen McKee-EidsonWB/BOS Gabriel’s Kaitlin Mericlare - Phil & Kim MorrisRWB Eiriin’s Bryne McTate Of Tory - Terry & Robin Burchett & Corey & Jim WilliamsBOB Ch Kerryarc Roman - Mandy Tyler & Steven Strohm

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Santa Clara Valley Kennel Club February 17, 2008Judge: Mrs. Doris Elaine Werderman 6 Dogs / 5 Bitches / 2 Dog Sp

WDBOW/BOB Triple E Murray Of Limerick - M. McKee-Eidson *** New Champion ***RWD Gabriel’s Jati Longbar - Jonathan & Louise GilesWB/BOS Curiann Kerryarc Gem Of Aerie - Judith RyanRWB Manasota Hope Of Paladin - John & Kay Paz & Lois Thomasson

Santa Clara Valley Kennel Club February 18, 2008Judge: Mr. Thomas Kilcullen 2 Dogs / 3 Bitches / 3 Dog Sp

WD/BOW Fleetwind Carroy Duncan - L. Rosebrock & L. ThomassonRWD Applearbor Devlin O’Tara - M. Luba, A. Curtis & T. TillotsinWB/BOS Curiann Kerryarc Gem Of Aerie - Judith RyanRWB Manasota Hope Of Paladin - John & Kay Paz & Lois ThomassonBOB Ch Kerryarc Roman - J. S. Strom, J. Ryan & C. Tyler

Sequoia Kennel Club February 28, 2008Judge: Mr. Houston Clark 1 Dog / 1 Bitch / 1 Bitch Special

WD/BOS Kaelyn’s Dashiell O’Barragwynn - Melinda ChaneyWB/BOW Zajacz’s Addicted To Love - Carla ZayacBOB Ch Quest Sea Raider’s Alvilda, RN - Ed Powers & Cathy Lursen-Powers

Sequoia Kennel Club February 29, 2008Judge: Mrs. Toddie Clark 1 Dog / 1 Bitch / 1 Bitch Special

WD/BOS/BOW Kaelyn’s Dashiell O’Barragwynn - Melinda ChaneyWB Zajacz’s Addicted To Love - Carla ZayacBOB Ch Quest Sea Raider’s Alvilda, RN - Ed Powers & Cathy Lursen-Powers

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Kings Kennel Club March 2, 2008Judge: Mrs. Kitty Steidel 2 Dogs / 2 Bitches / 1 Dog & 1 Bitch Sp

WD/BOW Quest Corsair Raxx Of Pern - Ed Powers, Cathy Lursen & Kelly CromerRWD Kaelyn’s Dashiell O’Barragwynn - Melinda ChaneyWB Zajacz’s Addicted To Love - Carla ZayacRWB Ballymacmoy Oh Gee Katy - Pat PearsonBOB Ch Ballymacmoy Hon. Thomas Burke - B. & P. PearsonBOS Ch Quest Sea Raider’s Alvilda, RN - Ed Powers & Cathy Lursen-Powers

Kings Kennel Club March 1, 2008Judge: Mr. Donovan Thompson 3 Dogs / 2 Bitches / 1 Dog & 1 Bitch Sp

WD/BOW/BOB Quest Corsair Raxx Of Pern - Ed Powers, Cathy Lursen & Kelly CromerRWD Kaelyn’s Dashiell O’Barragwynn - Melinda ChaneyWB Zajacz’s Addicted To Love - Carla ZayacRWB Ballymacmoy Oh Gee Katy - Pat PearsonBOS Ch Kerryarc’s Bodacious Quest - Ed Powers & Cathy Lursen-Powers

Santa Cruz Kennel Club March 20, 2008Judge: Mrs. Patricia Gellerman 4 Dogs / 2 Bitches / 1 Dog & 1 Bitch Sp

WD/BOW Gabriels Konan - Carol Gabriel *** New Champion ***RWD Gabriel’s Jati Longbar - Jonathan & Patricia GilesWB Rua Cu Mara Of Horizons, JC - A. Gould & T. BirseRWB Cabells Morgandy O’Fionn Macain - Lori FinucaneBOB Ch Quest Sea Raider’s Alvilda, RN - Ed Powers & Cathy Lursen-Powers *** Hound Group Four ***BOS Ch Quest Kings Ransom Of Tory, RN - T. & R. Burchett

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Salinas Valley Kennel Club March 21, 2008Judge: Mrs. Jane Roppolo 4 Dogs / 3 Bitches 2 Dog & 1 Bitch Sp

WD/BOW Vintage Cadus Of Kerryarc - Brian Ness & Michael WeissRWD Rogan Mohan Cu Mara Of Eirinn Limerick - Ann Gould & Tom BirseWB Eiriin’s Bryne McTate Of Tory - Terry & Robin Burchett & Corey & Jim WilliamsRWB Rua Cu Mara Of Horizons, JC - A. Gould & T. BirseBOB Ch Gentors Duchas The Patriot - M. & M. WalshBOS Ch Quest Sea Raider’s Alvilda, RN - Ed Powers & Cathy Lursen-Powers

San Mateo Kennl Club March 22, 2008Judge: Mr. Gary Doerge 7 Dogs / 8 Bitches / 5 Dog & 2 Bitch Sp

WD Bailebrae Curragh Custom Crom - Lynne Stuart & Maria Theresa Grotano *** New Champion ***RWD Vintage Cadus Of Kerryarc - Brian Ness & Michael WeissWB/BOW Kerryarc Bad Girl Of Eagle - A. & J. Schluter *** New Champion ***RWB Cabells Morgandy O’Fionn Macain - Lori FinucaneBOB Ch Eirinn’s Or Of Kaelyn, JC - Chris & Megan ThompsonBOS Ch Cash Of Limerick - L. Souza & J. Souza- Bartlett

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Oakland Kennel Club March 23, 2008Judge: Mr. Del Richards 5 Dogs / 6 Bitches / 2 Dog & 2 Bitch Sp

WD Bailebrae Curragh Custom Crom - Lynne Stuart & Maria Theresa GrotanoRWD Applearbor Devlin O’Tara - Mike Luba, Agnes Curtis & Tammy TillotsenWB/BOW/BOS Cabells Morgandy O’Fionn Macain - Lori FinucaneRWB Eiriin’s Bryne McTate Of Tory - Terry & Robin Burchett & Corey & Jim WilliamsBOB Ch Gentors Duchas The Patriot - M. & M. Walsh

ANOTHER REMINDER:

It is not too late to get your photos to Pat Murkland for the Decade Book. Any photos you have of your IW being silly or serious

should appear in our Decade Book !

Send them now to Pat

Pat Murkland(951) 849-9355

pmurkland@aol.com

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MONTEREY WALK 2008

Sunshine and blue skies greeted the members of the Northern California Irish Wolfhound Club as they gathered the morning of January 19th in Monterey, California. Participants for this year’s Monterey Walk began arriving shortly after 9:00am. By 10:00, after a round of introductions and group pictures, we were ready to go. As in past years, we walked along the scenic Recreation Trail. This year, however, the weather made the already beautiful views even more spectacular. We visited such sights as Lover’s Point, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Cannery Row - John Paz met us with the van at several points, hauling coats, back packs, and bottled water. By noon we were at Fisherman’s Wharf. It was quite a sight, seeing all the hounds ambling down the Wharf. I don’t know which was more entertaining, watching the dogs, or watching all the tourists watch the dogs. When we arrived at Abalonetti’s Seafood Trattoria, we were shown to the back patio, which is right on the water. The staff had specially arranged the tables just for us, and set up an umbrella for shade. Buckets of fresh water were thoughtfully provided for the dogs. Soon the air was filled with lively conversation, and the dogs were relaxing after having some water and biscuits. The service was wonderful, and our delicious food soon arrived, not slowing down the conversation a bit. As lunch was winding down, awards were presented: Traveled farthest: Bill and Celeste Downey with Bailey (from Las Vegas, Nevada) Youngest pup: Dashell, 7mos. (with Norman & Melinda Chaney)

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A toast was then drank to the hounds, and we made ready for our return trip. A few people had made preparations to depart from us at this point, but many of the hardy walkers made it the whole way back. The walk back had an easy, mellow feel to it. The dogs were calmer, the excitement of the day had given way to just enjoying the fresh air. As usual, it took awhile to say our good byes, but dusk was ap-proaching, and the air was growing colder. Ideas for making the next year’s walk even better were discussed, and promises to get together soon were pledged, then we were off, tired dogs at our sides and smiles on our faces. Enjoying the day were: Bill and Celeste Downey with Bailey Ron, Doreen and Rebeka Goldman with Regan, Nikolai, and Ilya Norman and Melinda Chaney with Sequoia, Ronan and Dashell Beth Lee and Denise Park with Padraig AI, Joyce, Bill, Michael & Shiloh Siegling with Merlin Betty Fisher, Kelly Locke & Saundra with Keeper & Tap Larry and Paula Grace with Paddy & Maeve Chris Wright with Glory & Ian Bill & Lynne Gowdy with Heather & Merlin John & Donna Guenther with Willow John & Kay Paz with Hope

Thanks to Robin Burchett for keeping everyone informed of last minute changes, despite technical difficulties!

Kay Paz

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Special thanks to my husband, John, for lugging every-thing around for us, and also to Chris Wright for bring-ing up the rear ... we haven’t lost anyone yet !

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NOFCA REPORTStop the press ! Results of the first breed trial (11-17-2007)by the Hibernians, just in ... Judged by the SaluBrious Sally Barron and huntmastered fairly by our very own friendly Christian. Eight canine souls entered the Antenna field of battle and eight were loosed their leashes, to finish at 10.50 with a finality ... 1. Rafiki Thompson IW131M 2. Liam Thompson IW130M 3. Iona Finucane IW119M 4. Maggie Finucane pending 5. Chelise Powers/Lursen IW127M Also competing were the always-graceful Gracie Powers/Lursen and the decorous, though overly-interested-in-the-girls, Declan Christian. A leisurely start led to a great short-day with an incredibly friendly crowd. The fields are all very low in cover due to a burn last season (not sure if the burn was deliberate or not). There is absolutely no grass cover over much of the area, so we had to resist the idea of just “cherry pick-ing” the few and isolated bushes and half-formed green tumbleweeds. Our restraint paid off when we had our first Rabbit get up to the right, about ten feet in front of the nearest gallery member, Irish Pat. His excel-lent call had the Jack run straight out and parallel along the edge-of-field ditches and then make a perfect break for it into the field out to the left, right in front of the Judge. A long curving run by all three hounds led to Blue breaking off half way (we thought for a scent trail too strong to ignore) and with Yellow (at 16 months old, in her first trial) leading Pink (at 12 months, in her first trial) out far enough that it was difficult to see what was happening. The Judge remarked afterwards that the Yellow dog, seen through binoculars towards the END of her run, was GAIN-ING on the Jack ! Yeehah ! IWs that can RUN ! AND at 123 plus pounds ! No small-frame “ringers” these! Coursers, every one ! < grin > The Jacks had been a little scarce on the ground, though this miraculous-ly and inexplicably changed for the ever-so-slightly better after Dave

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arrived on the scene (he was coincidentally scoping out fields ...) ... I guess if you’ve got it, you’ve got it ... ! p.s. - oops ! regarding the number of hounds slipped ... That’s eight, less a tinker’s dozen, plus a leprechaun’s fistful divided by an Englishman’s sense of humour, which of course equals seven IWs in the field.

Chris Thompson NCIWC and the Hounds of Eirinn

Hi all, Results of the second Irish Wolfhound trial (11-24-2007): Judge Bob Bulman. Huntmaster Frank Christian. Seven IWs entered and were slipped in the south Oil Field. Finished on finals. 1. Rafiki Thompson IW131M 2. Liam Thompson IW130M 3. Maggie Finucane pending 4. Iona Finucane IW119M 5. Chelise Powers/Lursen IW127M 5. Declan Christian IW128M Also running was Gracie Powers/Lursen. For the most part, the field is low in cover due to the extended dry period ... although every one had been careful to show their hounds the water, the canal later claimed three Wolfhounds that were unable to resist the lure of the cooling canal depths. A human chain quickly recovered them undamaged (a couple of years ago, Valli Burchett scraped all of her nails down past the quicks whilst trying to extricate herself up the steep con-crete bank). We were finished early in the morning and went over to an-other field to check out how much is there after the plough was brought into it - there is not much left - the heavy Tamarisk cover is still in place for the most part and a couple of the back meadows survive, though there was absolutely no recent sign.

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Hi all, Herewith the report of the goings on at the NCIWC mixed trial : Sixteen mixed breeds entered, sixteen were slipped. Finished on finals with six hounds competing. Judge Steve Downs. Huntmaster George Bell (assisted by Dave Burt, Michael Keating & Bob Bulman). 1. Linus Keating WM486 whippet 2/3. Pulsar Lewis/Bennett SM816 saluki 2/3. Winter Time Bell GM428 greyhound 4. Cleopatra Bell GM452 greyhound 5. Remo Quevedo/Levy GM442 greyhound with Flutter Kinney (saluki) coming in sixth place ... As secretary, I’d announced we’d be going to south Eagle’s Nest and asked George to lead the group in. He took us to the more northerly, tri-angular, field instead ... I guess he’s saving the lower field for later ... ! The first Jack got up behind (out of a large bush) and took off into the plough alongside the field’s edge. After a looooong pause, the Tally Ho was called and the two Greys and the Whip hauled out after it, catching up in a surprisingly short time. Then a double ended pattern was adopted for much of the remaining time, with the dogs placed at opposite ends of the gallery. This works well when every one is experienced, though one disaster was averted only because one set ignored the Tally Ho which was called at their end when it should not have been. Most of the follow-ing Rabbits were good courses, with some going over various obstacles (to the gallery’s view), though the Judge being on top of his truck had a better look at much more of each course. A small number of Jacks were lost during the back and forth traversing - one when we had stopped to turn around ... it leapt up a few steps ahead, just as we had turned the dogs - and one when we could not turn the hounds in time to get sighted (dogs nor humans). Two excellent finals of pretty much equal quality made a fitting end to a great and thankfully, not too long, coursing day ...

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Results of the 3rd NCIWC Breed trial (12-16-2007): Judge : Frank Morales. Huntmaster : Frank Christian 9 Hibernians entered the Field of the Antenna at 8 am and 9 Hibernians were successfully slipped thereafter. Finished on finals at 3:30 pm 1. Liam Thompson IW130M 2. Iona Finucane IW119M 3. Roxy Walker IW118M 4. Bodie Powers/Lursen IW124M 5. Gracie Powers/Lursen IW123M Also coursing were Declan Christian, Deion Burchett, Patricia Walker and Arwen Vasquez/Da Rosa The largest IW turn out so far this season meant we were looking for four Jacks for the IWs and four more for the Borzoi with whom we shared the field and the Judge ... a coin was tossed and the Borzoi took the first course ... we alternated breed runs until finished ... the ground is reason-ably soft, except for one large patch in the middle which has dried so much that it has cracked into deep fissures - this was avoided as much as was possible. Generally, the brush is now almost non-existent due to a burn and some discing ... the first three courses came up fairly quickly but then an almost two hour gap brought the spirits down a notch ... a few passes through the southern field helped, leading to a regular final for the Borzoi and a four dog IW course (including a bye dog) finishing the day at 3.30. Lots of good hearted sportsmanship and ALMOST a long day ... !

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Results for the NCIWC Breed trial held on Saturday, 29 December 2007. Judge : Bob Bulman Huntmaster : Frank Christian 10 of Ireland’s finest entered below the Antenna’s shadow and 10 were slipped their tethers, to finish on finals at 2 pm. 1/2/3. Declan Christian IW128M 1/2/3. Chelise Powers/Lursen IW127M 1/2/3. Rafiki Thompson IW131M 4/5. Iona Finucane IW119M 4/5. Roxy Walker IW118M Also coursing were Arwen Vasquez/Da Rosa, Deion Burchett, Patricia Walker, Bodie Powers/Lursen and Liam Thompson. We entered the field at 7:45 as the sky brightened. Previous experience had told us to expect the Jacks to be scarce and widely spread ... in this we were not to be disappointed ! There were several “dry” spells, includ-ing one three hour Jack-less gap which became a little dispiriting ! The assembled masses managed to shrug it all off and survive well enough, especially when the two finals proved to be the best of the day, beginning with a well matched, good course of three. The second final became es-pecially entertaining when one handler raced from behind cover to sight his dog (each of the brace were initially headed in the wrong direction), with the second hound responding to a “turn left” shout which got her out of the cover and onto the prey. The Judge felt that the three way first place and two way fourth place ties were justified by the very similar performances given and commented that he was impressed with the stamina of many of the participants. Chris Thompson NCIWC and the Hounds of Eirinn

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Results for the 5th IW hunt Dec 30th

Judge : Bob Bulman Huntmaster : Frank Christian 9 Irish Wolfhounds were entered and 9 were slipped. Antenna initially, moving to Safflower for the finals. 1. Liam Thompson IW130M 2. Rafiki Thompson IW131M 3. Bodie Powers/Lursen IW124M 4. Roxy Walker IW118M 5. Gracie Powers/Lursen IW123M Also coursing were Deion Burchett, Patricia Walker, Iona Finucane and Declan Christian. We began in the broad ditch bounding the east side of the Antenna prac-tice field, running down the full length to the end only about half a mile from the freeway. A certain amount of sparse greenery was evident and we thought that that might be encouraging to the Jacks, especially when we noticed signs of recent cropping ... last year’s rains produced exten-sive mud flows throughout the Antenna fields, which have since dried as shallow pancake jig-saws of dried mud that cannot be safely coursed upon. As we worked the brush, a couple slipped away through the cover. We ended up at the middle field corner which is near a machinery dump. The adjacent large brush piles had produced for us in the past ... this proved no exception, one Jack carving a clearly seen, widely curving course off towards the south in full view of everyone. The second and third Jacks gave the next two courses good runs in the open. Many dry traverses later, Frank changed tactics and used the gallery to sweep the edges, just as we’ve done in the past. This approach found an excellent Jack hiding on the edge that obliged with a nice long run, parallel to the brush line, although the hounds had to run up on some of the aforemen-tioned jig-saw, which slowed their progress somewhat. Lots of walking found us in the Safflower field where the Judge had four IWs running in the final course. Two traverses later, we had our final run. Grateful thanks go to Terry Burchett, Mike Walker and Dave Iseley (he had turned up to walk the field with us), who each helped the very tired with rides back to the cars ...

Chris Thompson

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The results for January 12, 2008:Judge : Al Crume Huntmaster : Jaime Quevedo 5 Irish Wolfhounds were entered and 5 were slipped. Manning, finishing on finals. 1. Chelise Powers/Lursen IW127M 2. Gracie Powers/Lursen IW123M 3. Iona Finucane IW119M 4. Maggie Finucane IW133M 5. Deion Burchett IW132M Firstly, you’ll notice that the Thompsons were not there ... we’re hav-ing puppies ! That explains (though does not excuse ...) the reason why this report is late coming to you ... many thanks go to Jaime Quevedo, Maxine Levy and Lori Finucane for stepping into the breech and doing the necessary ... After more than two long hours, two Jacks got up together which re-sulted in a no course ... the second course was then put on the line and in reasonably short time got one up - it headed straight for the fence and ducked under but the brace ran the fence line in the hope of finding a hole big enough for a Wolfhound to pass - but no luck ! The first course was then put back on the line and found a wonderful hare, 10 feet in front of the hunters, with all dogs sighted. The judge decided to bring up both dogs from the “fence dance” along with the winner of course one and the final course went off in good time, with Chelise winning the day. I would like to unofficially congratulate Gracie (aged 6+) on complet-ing her CM and Iona for being the first IW on record who has achieved 300 plus points (looking at the average running lifetime of our breed and doing the math, we should ALL be quite impressed). Thanks to Al for coming as far north as Manning - it is great to hear he is so much healthier - a new angle on the Monty Python “Dead Parrot Joke” ! ... all respectfully submitted, Chris Thompson, NCIWC, and the Hounds of Eirinn

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Howdy all, Having successfully finished all of our breed trials this season, I thought I should write to announce the (unofficial) Irish Wolfhound qualifiers to the Grand Course, 2008 ... well done pooches ! Iona Finucane Chelise Powers/Lursen Rafiki Thompson Liam Thompson

**********************************************************New NOFCA Coursers of Merit (CM)

(having attained 100 NOFCA points and certain required placements)

Call Name: Bodie Registered Name: Kerryarc’s Bodacious Quest

Owned By: Edward Powers, Cathy Lursen-Powers Bred By: Mandy R Tyler

Call Name: Rafiki

Registered Name: Eirinn’s Rafiki of Limerick Owned By: Christopher Thompson, Megan Thompson Bred By: Christopher Thompson & Megan Thompson

Call Name: Liam

Registered Name: Eirinn’s Liam of Limerick Owned By: Christopher Thompson, Megan Thompson Bred By: Christopher Thompson & Megan Thompson

Congratulations one and all !!!

Chris T. NCIWC

**********************************************************

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___________________________________

2008 NOFCA Grand Course Breed results __________________________________

Congrats to both Chelise Powers/Lursen and Roxy Walker...

sorry we couldn’t be there, Liam & Rafiki Thompson

Round 1 - Judge: Steve Downs Round 2 - Judge: Dave BurtHunt Master(s): George Bell, Jason Hyska, Michael Keating

IRISH WOLFHOUND 2 entered, 2 slipped

1 - CHELISE (IW127M) - Powers/Larsen - 55 + 66 = 121

2 - ROXY (IW118M) - Walker - 48 + 64 = 112__________________________________________________________

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HOUNDS, FLOWERS & ROOSTERS ABOUND Saturday, April 26th, 2008

NCIWC members, Paula & Larry Grace are hosting a day for club members and their hounds in the San Juan Canyon. This event coincides with the April 25th-27th Gavilan Kennel Club show at Bolado Park in Hollister, CA and the 2nd Annual Chicken Festival & Parade in San Juan Bautista. The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. with lunch. (Lunch will be portable for those who wish to pack food on their hike). The Grace’s live in the foothills of the Gavilan Mountains, ten minutes outside of San Juan Bau-tista. (San Juan Bautista, known as the “City of History” is 35 miles due east of Monterey and 11 miles due west of Hollister). The Grace’s rural country home has access along a private ease-ment road to miles of trails. The Hounds, like their people, may come and go according to whim inside the house or outside in the fenced backyard. (For those owners preferring to set up x-pens, there is plenty of room to do so in front of the house.) Members may elect one of the two following walks:

1 - HOUNDS & FLOWERS WALK This walk is up the private easement road and traverses through several wildflower meadows. The walkway (primar-ily a wide dirt path) is not difficult, but the outbound walk involves a steady incline. (This walk is in the foothills, af-ter all). Walkers in this group can walk as far as they like before returning to the Grace home. Endurance walkers will reach an elevation sufficient to see the ocean. Water will be located at several points on the trail.

***Hounds may be off-leash for this entire walk.

2 - THE CITY OF HISTORY WALK For those members electing to walk on flat, paved surface, a short drive down the canyon road will take them into San Juan Bautista. Members of this group can walk their dogs through the village (be sure to stop for roosters crossing

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the street), go into the eclectic little shops, visit the mis-sion grounds and partake in the town’s 2nd Annual Chicken Festival. A local restaurant, Jardines, has a lovely large patio for outdoor dining, and offers a mean margarita.

***Hounds must be on-lease for this walk.

At the end of the day, dinner will be served at the Grace’s (ei-ther BBQ or buffet style, depending on the weather). There is no cost to members for this event. (The Graces are hosting, but members may make a donation to the club if desired.)

PLEASE R.S.V.P. NO LATER THAN APRIL 18, 2008 VIA E-MAIL TO larrygrace@wildlbue.net. ALTERNATIVELY, YOU MAY CALL PAULA OR LARRY AT (831) 623-2429.

DETAILED DIRECTIONS WILL BE PRO-VIDED AT TIME OF R.S.V.P.

Photos like the one below of Abby and Della en-joying each other’s company in the snow are most

welcome for submission to the Decade Book

Contact Pat Murkland(951) 849-9355

pmurkland@aol.com

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1.

Pilates for Dogs? Canine core conditioning prevents injury and improves performance.

Agility Flyball. Freestyle. Disc. Dock diving. Sledding. Lure coursing. Water rescue. Herding. Skijoring. Retrieving. Track-ing. Weight pulling. Schutzhund. And more! Today’s explosion of canine sports has made sports medicine a veterinary specialty. But, says Carol Helfer, DVM, at Canine Peak Performance Sports Medicine & Physical Rehabilitation Center in Portland, Oregon, competing dogs are prone to injury not because their sports are inherently dangerous but because canine athletes seldom receive the conditioning training that keeps them strong, balanced, and coordinated.

“The whole notion of injury prevention through proper condi-tioning is one that’s just beginning to gather attention,” explains Dr. Helfer. “And that’s true for the veterinary community as well as dog handlers and trainers. What I love about this work is that a few simple exercises can dramatically change a dog’s quality oflife. In athletic dogs, the proof is in their continued good health, enhanced performance, and absence of injuries. Elderly and sedentary dogs benefit, too, and they quickly show increased range of motion and a renewed enthusiasm for activities.”

How dogs work

When Dr. Helfer began to explore conditioning exercise, her at-tention was focused on canine athletes.

“I work a lot with agility dogs,” she says, “and I compete a little in agility myself. Just looking at how dogs use their bodies on the agility equipment and thinking about the kinds of injuries I see in

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the clinic got me interested in figuring out how to change things so that injuries would be less common. Once you get past some obvi-ous problems, like poor course design or poor handling skills, most of it has to do with the dogs’ ability to quickly and accurately shift their weight.”

Because not everyone is a world-class handler, she says, people moving with their dogs often end up where they didn’t intend to be, or their commands are late, leaving dogs to twist, run, catch up, or move in a new direction. “In those situations,” she says, “the possibility of injury expands exponentially.”

Dr. Helfer realized that dogs who have good balance and core body strength quickly recover from not-so-great landings and rapid direction changes. Her findings agree with theories developed 80 years ago by fitness gum Joseph Pilates (pronounced Pih-LAH-tees), who focused on what he called “core” muscles: abdominal muscles and muscles around the lower back, pelvis, hips, and but-tocks, all of which support the trunk of the body.

In humans, Pilates exercises flatten the stomach, improve pos-ture, alleviate back pain, enhance athletic performance, improve balance and coordination, increase flexibility, improve range of motion, deepen breathing, alleviate stress and physical tension, reduce injuries, and increase body awareness. As Dr. Helfer sug-gests, there’s no reason why dogs can’t enjoy similar benefits from similar conditioning.

Suggested exercises

To help keep her clients’ dogs active and agile, Dr. Helfer de-signed a series of exercises that she calls “trick training.” Most of the movements are familiar tricks, like rolling over, bowing, or chasing the tail. “What makes them work as core conditioning exercises,” she says, “is their daily application. And when a move-ment can be done in one direction, such as rolling over or chasing the tail, it’s important to do it in the opposite direction, too.”

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According to Dr. Helfer, most dogs have a preferred side - they are righthanded or left-handed, just like people - so it’s easy to de-fault to the side the dog prefers. “But if you’re serious about core body strengthening, you have to work both sides and in many cases do more on the less-used side to bring things into balance.”

No matter what your dog’s sport, says Dr. Helfer, his exercise plan should consist of three basic parts: endurance, strength, and skills.

“Endurance is the bedrock of the wellconditioned dog. To me this means 20 minutes or more of moderate-intensity exercise like trotting or swimming.

“Strength training is high-intensity, short-duration sprinting exercise, like turning on the afterburners for half a minute or so to fetch a ball or bumper, or just running really fast, chasing a Fris-bee, or racing to a flyball. If you have a safe place to ride a bike with your dog running along, that works well, too. You can alter-nate between riding slowly and fast while your dog walks and runs beside you. Many dogs do well with daily sprint work, but you may want to put a day of rest between workouts.”

The skills portion of training is obvious. It involves familiarity with the sport and its equipment as well as regular practice.

All three components have to be in place for dogs to excel as athletes. “Too many people, when they’re competing in dog sports, think that going to class once a week and practicing in the back-yard three or four times a week for 10 minutes at a time is suf-ficient conditioning for competition,” says Dr. Helfer. “When you look at what we ask our dogs to do with their bodies, you can see that that’s totally inadequate.”

When practicing or competing in agility or any other sport, take the time to warm your dog up and, after exertion, cool your dog down. “Give your dog a chance to move,” says Dr. Helfer. “All

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too often in agility, obedience, and other classes, you’ll see dogs and handlers standing around until it’s their turn, then the dog runs or jumps or whatever, and then the dog and handler stop and wait some more. This is a serious mistake when it comes to athletic training. Use that down time to get your dog warmed up, and when your turn is over, don’t just stop, keep moving and gradually slow your dog down. Warmups and cool-downs are two of the most neglected parts of training.”

The right warm-up

To determine the right warm-up exercises for canine athletes, think about the work they’ll be doing. “To warm up the body for competi-tion or practice,” says Dr. Helfer, “use the muscles you’ll use in the event. It doesn’t do much good to do hand stands if you’re going to run a hundred-yard dash. It’s difficult with dogs to isolate muscles that specifically, but when the event is weight pulling or sledding, the muscles you want to warm up are very different from the mus-cles used in agility or freestyle.”

For every patient, Dr. Helfer prepares a written home exercise program with suggestions for appropriate warm-ups prior to prac-tice or competition. Walking, she says, is an excellent all-purpose warm-up that gets the muscles moving. Then consider the sport and whether it requires endurance, strength, or flexibility.

For example, skijoring, sled pulling, and tracking are primarily endurance sports, so dogs need more endurance work than sprint or strength work as part oftheir foundation conditioning. Weight-pulling a strength sport and therefore requires more high-intensity/short-duration conditioning. Agility and disc catching require speed and flexibility.

“As far as specific warm-ups for all of the different sports are concerned,” she says, “I think it’s best not to make things too complicated. Get your dog out of her crate in plenty of time to do a decent warmup before your event. I usually start with a walk, moving into a trot for 5 to 10 minutes. If the event in-volves jumping, there is often a practice jump set up outside the competition area. Once you’ve done your initial warm-up, taking your dog over the practice jump a few times can begin to warm up those jumping muscles.”

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Once the warm-up is out of the way, there is usually a delay before you get into the ring and begin competing. “While I’m standing in line,” she says, “I try to keep my dog moving with spins, begs, high-fives, etc. Doing this also helps you and your dog focus on each other prior to going into the ring.

“There is a fine line between a good warm-up and too much. The goal is to get your dog primed to go in and give her best possible performance. This will likely involve some experi-mentation and observation before you figure out what works best for your dog.”

A daily dozen

Dr. Helferrecommends that young, athletic dogs who are in good health do each ofthe following exercises once or twice per day. Older dogs and dogs who are not used to exercise should begin more gradually, such as two or three exercises every other day, allowing ample time for recovery, then gradually increase the regimen as the dog’s fitness level improves.

“If there is one single thing I wish I could teach all han-dlers,” she says, “it’s that just because the dog will do an ex-ercise doesn’t mean that he or she should do it. People often get into trouble because they don’t realize that their dogs are overdoing it. One reason they don’t notice is because they get caught up in the sport, paying more attention to the time clock or insisting on one more practice run without focusing on the dog, who may be tired, confused, or stressed. Another is be-cause many dogs keep saying, ‘Let’s do some more!’ The Bor-der Collie is the poster child of this ~. problem, but Labrador Retrievers are just as bad, and really, any high-drive dogs who love what they’re doing cannot be counted on to tell you when they’ve had enough.

“We’re the ones with the big brains and the opposable thumbs; it’s up to us to figure out when it’s time to slow down, cool down, and rest - and to do that long before our dogs hurt themselves. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.”

The following exercises can be done in any order and whenever it’s convenient throughout the day.

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“A picture is worth a thousand words,” says Dr. Helfer, “so in ad-dition to studying these instructions and checking the illustrations, I recommend the excellent new DVD by veterinarians Christine Zink and Laurie McCauley, Building the Canine Athlete:

Strength, Stretch, Endurance, and Body Awareness Exercises. It demonstrates most of the exercises I use, and for someone who is serious about pursuing a conditioning program for dogs involved in any sport, I think this is an essential DVD.”

• Roll over

Here’s the perennial favorite. If your dog knows how to roll over on both sides, simply have him do one or two roll-overs in each direction. If, like most dogs, he rolls more in one direction than the other, start strengthening the opposite side by having him roll twice or three times from the less-used side for every time he rolls from his habitual side.

If your dog doesn’t know how to roll over, start with the dog in a down-stay and, holding a treat or toy near his nose, move it to the side of one shoulder, luring the head. After repeating and rewarding that motion, pull the lure up to the spine. When the dog begins to lose his balance, reward and praise him. Eventually, with time and practice, he will roll onto his back and then all the way over.

•Scratch your back

Some dogs love to lie on their backs, and if you rub their bellies, they’ll wiggle from side to side. This is a tereffic core strengthen-ing exercise,” says Dr. Helfer.

Down dog and up dog (bow and stretch)

All dogs bow. The easiest way to teach this trick is to wait for your dog to come out of her crate or stand after sleeping. When she stretches all the way from fully extended front feet to up-in-the-air tail, give a click or praise and reward. In yoga, this is the “down dog” posture.

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Most dogs follow or precede the bow with a second stretch by pulling their bodies forward and dragging the hind feet. In yoga, this is the “up dog” posture.

“I love these positions for their flexibility,” says Dr. Helfer. “There just aren’t many things you can convince a dog to do that will extend the spine like this. Bowing and stretching are easy ways to get that much-needed spine extension.”

• Neck stretch

With your dog standing, use a treat to lure the head up and back as far as it will go, then to the left and to the right, and down to the floor between the legs, pulling the treat back toward the hind legs. Move slowly so the neck muscles really stretch. Pause and repeat, trying for a slightly longer extension and duration.

• Spin (chase your tail)

An easy way to teach this trick is to lure your standing dog to the left or right with a treat or toy. Canine freestylers use this maneu-ver in dance routines, and it’s a fun addition to loose-lead walking. Have your dog spin three or four times in each direction. Alternate between having your dog on your left and on your right while he’s doing the spins. Or simply teach the command and encourage your dog to make as many turns as possible.

• Sit up and beg

“This is a great core-conditioning exercise,” says Dr. Helfer, “al-though I approach it with caution if a dog has any history of back problems, and this is not an exercise for Dachshunds. Dogs who are significantly overweight shouldn’t try it, either, until they slim down and get in shape. Most core-conditioning exercises are very safe and simple, but I suggest that anyone whose dog might have back health issues check with their veterinarian before trying it.

“Other than that,” she says, “this is my favorite exercise for building core body strength. It’s usually very easy for small dogs, but I’ve taught it to large dogs and older dogs, and it’s done wonders for their coordination.

“Start slowly and gradually build up your dog’s duration. Your starting point depends on the dog’s condition; for many dogs, it starts as a simple stretching exercise in which all four feet stay on

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the floor. Using a cookie or other treat, lure the dog’s head up as far as it will go and hold that position for a few sconds. Just thee act of holding the body up, stretching the neck, and reaching up with the head involves tightening and conditioning key muscles.

“There are many variations you can do once the dog is comfortable holding the position for IOta 20 seconds. One variation is to hold a treat as a lure so that the dog looks up, down, to the left, and to the right while maintaining her balance in the beg position.

“If you want to make it even more challenging, put the dog on a slight incline, such as the end of a dog walk or see-saw or outdoors on a hill, first facing down the incline, then facing up, and then to each side on the incline.”• High five Reaching up

Reaching up with one paw exercises shoulders, front legs, and elbows. Do two or three on each side, aiming for a slightly higher extension and slightly longer duration each time. If your dog favors one side, have her raise the opposite paw an extra time or two.

• Walk backward

This isn’t a body strengthening exercise, says Dr. Helfer, but it helps prevent injury by making the dog more aware of where his rear legs are. Simply walk into your dog until he starts moving backward. Working in a narrow area, like a hallway or between two rows of chairs, helps keep the dog moving in a straight line. As your dog becomes proficient, have him walk longer distances backward, then faster, and, where possible, uphill.

• Tug of war

“When I play tug with my dogs,” says Dr. Helfer, “I let them control the movement. I think that letting the dog pull a tug toy straight back is preferable to swinging the dog from side to side, which I see a lot of people do. I don’t know for a fact that a swing-ing motion is harmful, but for core conditioning, I think a straight-back pulling motion works best.

“You can make the game interesting by standing still and resisting while the dog pulls back, then release the pressure slightly and pull the toy back toward you. If the dog wants to go from side to side, he has complete control ofthe motion, and that’s fine. The other

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potential problem I see with tug toys is when a dog comes tearing toward you at top speed and grabs the rope toy. If you hold on tight, which many people do, your dog’s neck gets whipped around se-verely. That always makes me wince.”

Depending on how you hold the tug, your dog’s pulling motions will strengthen his front or back muscles. “Hold the tug close to the floor and he’ll use his front end,” she says, “whereas if you hold it slightly above his head, he’ll use his rear end more. Some dogs haven’t read that rule book, though, and they do the opposite. Just play with your dog and aim for a whole-body workout.”

• Crawl

Some people teach their dogs to crawl by combining the signals for “down” and “come.” Others call their dogs under dining room tables, coffee tables, and other furniture or home-made obstacles, lowering their height until the dog moves forward while flat on the floor.

• Side sit-ups

With your dog lying on her side, place one hand on the dog’s hip and with the other hold a treat near her nose. “You want to lure the dog to lift her head a few inches without pushing up on an elbow,” says Dr. Helfer, “so that the muscles in the neck and trunk do the lifting.” Start with two or three repetitions of gentle movement on each side, and gradually increase the lift as the dog’s muscles grow stronger.

• Keep your balance

If you have a rocking chair and if your dog is small enough to sitin it, simply rock the chair back and forth. Your dog will automati-cally shift her weight to correct her balance with every change of motion.

“With a small dog,” says Dr. Helfer, “you can do something simi-lar with an office chair that swivels. Gently turn the chair one way and then another.”

Dogs can also use products sold for human conditioning, such as BOSU “Balance Trainer” balls. A BOSU Balance Trainer looks like a therapy ball that’s been cut in half so that the person (or dog) can balance on the round side, which is usually easy, or the flat side,

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which is more challenging. “If you gently push your dog from side to side, with your hands on his hips or shoulders,” says Dr. Helfer, “he’ll have to adjust his balance in response. If the dog is too large to stand on the ball with all four feet, try it with the front feet on, then the back feet.

“I do the same kind of thing with couch cushions. Take cushions off your couch, set them on the floor, and have your dog stand on them while you give a gentle push from one side and then the other. Or do this on an air mattress or any surface that’s slightly unpredict-able.”

Never too old

C ore training benefits all dogs, not just those inyolved in competi-tion. “My favorite success story is Jill, a Husky-Labrador mix who was a typical, creaky l4-year-old big dog. 1’d been doing hydro-therapy with her for quite a while to keep her mobile, and then her owner started bringing her to

my Old Dog Exercise Class. Jill’s breakthrough came when she learned to sit up and beg. That was pretty impressive!

“I hear people say their dogs are too old to do much, but they’re mistaken. Old age is not a disease. The longer you can keep dogs active, the healthier they’ll be and the longer you’ll enjoy their com-pany. Sometimes you have to step down the intensity of the activity or its duration, but you’ve got to keep them moving.”

Watch your dog

Some of your best core conditioning training tips, says Dr. Helfer, can come directly from your dog. Just watch to see what he does naturally and what he most enjoys.

CJ Puotinen, a frequent contributor to WDJ, is the author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care and Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats.

The Whole Dog Journal, November 2007

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February 3 yr olds: Lilly Schluter (f) in CA 4 yr olds: Beau Shaw/Kilcullen-Steiner (m ), Bentley Martin/

Kilcullen-Steiner (m), Bella Kilcullen-Steiner (f), Brach & Brogan Kilcullen-Steiner (m’s) Masten & Little Naddy McCombs (m) in CA

5 yr olds: Whiskey Temple (m) in CA 6 yr olds: Aodhan (m) & Ower (f) Thompson, Pharley Paz (m),

Reilly Jones, Conor, Ronan (m’s) & Selkie Schluter (f), Twig, Seafoam & Karat Tyler (f’s), Kira Burchett (f), Where There’s Smoke Soyster & Joe Soyster-Tyler in CA

7 yr olds: Una Gould-Birse, Valli Christian (f) in CA, Huck Thomp-son-Taylor (m) in MO, Creena Steiskal in OR

March

3 yr olds: Caradoc LoPresti-Boulinger (m), Spencer McCombs (m) in Ca., Morann Pearson (m) in NM

4 yr olds: Katy Souza (f) in CA., Ailbhis Anderson (m) in NH, Naughty Chirichiello (f) in MA

5 yr olds: Sophia (f) & Syrus (m) Heller in CA 6 yr olds: Journey Temple (m) in CA 7 yr olds: Topper Barrett (m) in NV., Teagan McCombs (m) in CA 9 yr olds: Paddy Park (m) in CA

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April 1 yr olds: Heart McCombs (f) in CA., Honor Cannon (f) in OR 3 yr olds: Sampson Aiken (m) & Wizard Cannon (m) in OR, Cian Bryson (f) in ID 4 yr olds: Gael Aerie Hawksworth (f) & Goose Aerie Collier-

Tyler (f) in CA 5 yr olds: Odessa Temple (f) in CA, Cumhai Maichel (m) in KS 6 yr olds: Amber (f) & Morgan (m) Owen-Fugere in OR, Riona Grif-

fin (f) in OR 7 yr olds: Sunny Stockham (m), Siofra Pearson (f), Pantalaimon

Cromer (f), Pilfer Smith (f), Brogan (m) & Gemma (f) Souza/Bartlett in CA

8 yr olds: Fable Burchett (f) in CA, Rois Griffin (f) in OR 9 yr olds: Skye Lawson (f) in South Africa

May 2 yr old: Brady Bryson (m) in ID, Bainwen Owen-Fugere (f) in OR,

Dagger Derby (m), Brogan Bowler (m), Siobhan (f), Devlin (m) & Chroe Luba-Curtis (m) in CA

3 yr olds: Konan (m) & Kelly (f) Gabriel, Kaitlin Morris (f) & Jati Giles in CA, Brogue Weeks (m) in CO, Moki Caesar (m) in HI, Keona Orr in CT, Kiera Strelova (f) in OR

4 yr olds: Solitaire Steiskal (f) in OR, Braith (m) & Seven (f) Gunther in Australia

6 yr olds: Kendall Bourdon (f), Eva Smith (f) in CA, 10 yr olds Aisling Paz (f) in CA, Eamon Fitzpatrick (m) in FL

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New pain relief treats it preemptivelyThe latest use of anesthesia and drugs reduces discomfort and speeds recovery

Managing pain in dogs has always been a challenge for the simple reason they can’t say where or how much they hurt. Up until 10 or 15 years ago, little was known about how animals experienced pain, and few drugs were available to help, but today, thanks to grow-ing owner concern and veterinary research, the field has changed.

New anesthesia techniques and ways of using drugs help dogs feel better and recover more quickly from surgeries and other procedures. One example: a new pain-relieving technique, the soaker catheter for large wounds. With its continuous, even infusion of local anesthetic throughout long surgical wounds, the soaker catheter reduces postoperative pain and decreases the need for narcotic pain relievers.

Popular field

“The field of pain management has been very popular and well studied in recent years, and veterinarians nowadays are much more aware of the variety of drugs available for pain control and the larger number of options,” says anesthesiologist Cheryl A. Blaze, B.V.Sc, Ph.D., at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. “There has been greater emphasis on this topic in the veterinary journals and scientific meetings than in the past. It’s just more humane to make sure animals aren’t feeling pain.”

With their increased knowledge, veterinarians are beginning to use pain relief before, during and after surgery. They act preemptively, treating pain before it occurs, Dr. Blaze says. “We can give drugs that we know will last for several hours into the recovery period, and we can use extra doses later if necessary.”

One way the drugs are delivered is through an epidural, an injection into the lower part of the spine. Epidurals help prevent pain in the abdomen and lower part of the body and are especially beneficial for dogs undergoing orthopedic surgery. The procedure has been around for some time, Dr. Blaze says. However, Robin Downing, DVM, of Windsor, Colo., president of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, wishes it were in wider use.

The reason it’s not: “You have to put a very small needle into a very small space, and the dosing and volume of drugs have to be adjusted based on the fact that we’re dealing with a small patient,” Dr. Downing says. “Nonetheless, epidurals being more commonly used in the primary care arena certainly is something new within the last decade.”

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An alternative to the epidural is a technique called constant rate infusion (CRI). The technique involves an on- going, constant flow of pain-relieving drugs - usually fentanyl and ketamine used together - into the circulation over a period of time.

Preventing signals

The CRI drugs target pain receptors in the spinal cord and brain, preventing pain signals from reaching the cortex, the brain’s central processing center. Each drug works on different receptors, producing a complementary effect. These very small doses, trickled into the body, block pain but don’t stop basic func-tions like breathing and heart activity.

If you’ve ever had a cavity filled or a root canal, you know what a regional block is - that shot that numbs your face. Regional blocks, also known as nerve blocks, block the transmission in nerves that would otherwise carry pain signals to the brain.

Facial blocks are a must, Dr. Downing says, if your dog needs to have a tooth extracted, a tumor removed from the mouth or gum tissue removed because of periodontal inflammation.

Dr. Blaze agrees: “If you’re doing any dentistry, especially extractions, local nerve blocks in the skull area that are specific to certain regions of the jaw are very useful. We can block the nerves to the teeth and gums with local anesthetic once the dog is anesthetized. This means there is virtually no painful stimulation during the procedure, so we don’t need to have the animal deeply anesthetized. This in turn leads to safer anesthesia with a faster recovery and a dog that feels much more comfortable than it otherwise would.”

Another technique is the use of soaker catheters, as mentioned previously. The tiny tubes allow even distribution of a drug over a wider area to reduce pain after surgery. They work on the same principle as the irrigation hose you might use on your lawn to spray out a fine mist of water at certain intervals. Veterinarians place the catheters along an incision area during surgery to deliver medication - usually lidocaine. They use them for surgeries such as amputations.

The way veterinarians start general anesthesia has changed as well. The most up-to-date method is intravenous injection. “The anesthesiology community is try-ing to get the word out that masking a pet asleep with gas or putting it in a box that has anesthetic gas delivered to it are not safe techniques for anesthesia because they are not controlled,” Dr. Downing says. “We have safe and effective agents to put in the vein that help the pet go to sleep smoothly. One of the key features of anesthesia is,

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if you go to sleep smoothly, you’ll wake up smoothly. Our pets wake up smooth-ly, peacefully and quietly, and that’s how they should wake up.”

Kim Campbell Thorton is a writer in Lake Forrest, Calif.

Your Dog, September 2007

Five essential questions to ask before your dog has anesthesia:

Advances in anesthesia techniques have made veterinary surgery relatively risk-free, but its administration should be tailored to each dog to insure a safe experience. Here are questions to ask before your dog undergoes surgery:

• Will my dog get an assessment beforehand? “Blood work to look at kidney function, liver function and bone marrow func-tion should be done,” says Robin Downing, DVM, president of the International Veterinary Academy Of Pain Management. “If there’s some abnormality in liver or kidney function or the dog is anemic or has a high white cell blood count, which would indicate a bacterial infection, or a low white cell blood count, which would indicate a viral infection that they’re masking, an-esthesia’s a poor choice for that animal, or anesthesia needs to be modified to meet the needs of that animal.”

• Will my dog have intravenous fluids while he’s anesthetized? IV fluids help prevent dehydration and low blood pressure , which can be associated with anesthesia.

• Will a qualified person monitor my dog’s vital signs? Your veterinarian’s technician should be trained and the latest anes-thesia and monitoring techniques, including monitoring blood pressure. “The most sensitive parameter that we can measure in an anesthetized patient that involves very little work, very blood pressure, very little effort, very little expense and yet gives us volumes of information is blood pressure,” says Dr. Downing.

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• What emergency procedures and drugs will be ready in case of a complication? These should include intravenous cath-eters placed so that drugs can be rapidly injected in the event of a reaction to anesthesia or a change in heart rate.

• How will my dog be kept warm during and after surgery? Dogs can become cold during anesthesia and surgery. Maintaining their body temperature keeps them comfortable and helps the body do a better job of metabolizing pain medication.

Each dog is an individual, so age and health are factors your veterinarian will take into account. For instance, a dog with diabe-tes should have his glucose monitored periodically, but that’s not necessary for a young healthy dog being spayed.

For more information, visit the International Veterinary Academy Of Pain Management’s web site - www.ivapm.org.

Benefits of managing pain before, during and after surgery

Although it was a long time coming, managing pain in animals is one of the defining issues of veterinary medicine today. With proper treatment before, during and after surgery, dogs will:

• Have a reduced need for gas and other drugs during sur-gery.

• Regain appetite more readily.

• Be more comfortable.

• Make a swifter recovery.

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Sonora Celtic Faire ReportMarch 7, 8 & 9

The Northern California Irish Wolfhound Club had a meet and greet the breed space at this year’s Celtic Faire at the Sonora Fairgrounds. Friday was School Day where bus loads of children from about age 7 to 14 came in chaperoned groups to visit the Faire, see live demonstrations of jousting and sword fight-ing, and listen to music. Frank Christian, with Valli and Declan, and Chris Thompson with Aidan, Rafiki, and Liam were there to introduce the students to the Irish Wolfhounds and answer questions. On Satur-day, Chris Thompson returned home but Frank, Valli and Declan remained and were joined by Jackie and Gary Barnett with Shadow and Lily, Karen LoPresti and Richard Boulanger with Hale and Caradoc, and Mary Sharkey with Seamus, Aoifa and Torin. The Faire was packed with visitors all day Saturday. Peo-ple of all ages, from all over the state, came by to see and pet the dogs. The dogs loved the attention (and treats!) and were all very well behaved. Many visitors had never seen the breed, some had never heard of it and there were many, many questions such as, “How much do they weigh?”, “How long do they live?”, “Do they come with saddles/can my child ride one?”, and “Are they for sale?” You never know what some people will say! Frank and Mary, who were wearing period costumes, took Declan and Torin around the Faire to visit the vendors. While walking around the Faire, they were interviewed by a local tv station. Who knows if it made it to air or not but it was great to talk about the dogs nonethe-less. Jackie provided us with delicious sandwiches for lunch on Saturday. And Karen made cupcakes for

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the hounds (turkey and cheese) and cupcakes for the humans to celebrate Caradoc’s birthday. Yum! Our space was directly behind the food vendors so the dogs (and people) were constantly distracted by all the delicious smells coming from the next row. Sun-day was much the same but with fewer Faire visi-tors. We were treated to warm weather (low 70’s) all weekend, clear blue skies and light daytime breezes. The Fairgrounds are relatively small and it was nice to have everything, including the rv parking, so close and easily accessible. Throughout the day on Satur-day & Sunday the Faire ignites cannons that vibrate through the valley of Sonora. It was difficult for the dogs to take but they all made it through. Terrific to have all the dogs not just get along with the fair-goers but also with each other. Many, many thanks to Jackie and Gary for arranging this wonderful event for the club! It was great fun and we’re looking for-ward to next year.

Submitted by Mary Sharkey

San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Rain and thunder storms had been predicted for the day of the Parade so the van was loaded up with umbrellas, ponchos and towels and off we went. The luck of the Irish came through and cleared the skies for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in San Francisco. The weather couldn’t have been better as thousands of people, all decked out in every shade of green including green hair and cheeks covered with green sham-rocks, lined the parade route.

High school bands, bagpipers, Police and Fire units, floats and Irish dancers accompanied our wonderful Hounds. Mary Sharkey and Alan Schluter led the way proudly carrying the NCIWC Club banner. Following behind were 25 gentle giants walking with their families. The Hounds ranged in age from 8 years old down to a newcomer, 9 week old Caera and her owner, Brenda. Caera is the youngest “walker” that has ever been in our group.

“Is that an Irish Terrier?” “Are those Irish Shepherds?” “Is he an Irish Blood Hound?” Just a few of the newer questions.

Picture this: 25 Irish Wolfhounds in SINGLE file zig-zagging like a giant snake in front of the viewing stand. That was our new finale and it was absolutely incredible!!! And, flawless!!! I was asked by a spectator at the end of the Parade how often we practiced. I just smiled.

Carol Gabriel

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April 3, 2008 Yosemite Kennel Club - MercedApril 4, 2008 Yosemite Kennel Club - MercedApril 5, 2008 Sierra-Tuolumne Kennel Club - MercedApril 6, 2008 Sierra-Tuolumne Kennel Club - MercedApril 8th - 11th 2008 IWCA National Specialty - Parker, TexasApril 12, 2008 Sacramento Kennel Club - SacramentoApril 13, 2008 Sacramento Kennel Club - SacramentoApril 19, 2008 Chief Solano Kennel Club - VallejoApril 20, 2008 Chief Solano Kennel Club- VallejoApril 26, 2008 Gavilan Kennel Club - HollisterApril 26, 2008 BARRC AKC Lure Trial - GilroyApril 27, 2008 Gavilan Kennel Club - HollisterApril 27, 2008 BARRC AKC Lure Trial - Gilroy

May 3, 2008 NCIWC Annual Fun Match - DixonMay 3, 2008 MBCA ASFA All Breed Lure Trial - HollisterMay 4, 2008 PHFNC ASFA All Breed Lure Trial - HollisterMay 10, 2008 Camellia Kennel Club - WoodlandMay 11, 2008 Camellia Kennel Club - WoodlandMay 17, 2008 Coyote Hills kennel Club - VallejoMay 18, 2008 Coyote Hills kennel Club - VallejoMay 24, 2008 Hangtown Kennel Club - PlacervilleMay 25, 2008 Hangtown Kennel Club - PlacervilleMay 31, 2008 Reno Kennel Club - Carson City, NV

June 1, 2008 Reno Kennel Club - Carson City, NVJune 5, 2008 Skyline Dog Fanciers - VallejoJune 6, 2008 Skyline Dog Fanciers - VallejoJune 7, 2008 Contra Costa Kennel Club - VallejoJune 7, 2008 BCONC AKC Lure Trial - LivermoreJune 8, 2008 Contra Costa Kennel Club - VallejoJune 12, 2008 Shasta Kennel Club - GridleyJune 13, 2008 Shasta Kennel Club - GridleyJune 14, 2008 Butte County Kennel Club - GridleyJune 15, 2008 Butte County Kennel Club - GridleyJune 15, 2008 NCWFA AKC All Breed Lure Trial - OaklandJune 28, 2008 Lost Coast Kennel Club - FerndaleJune 29, 2008 Lost Coast Kennel Club - Ferndale

NCIWC Calendar