ASC BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 | 3 | In This Issue: January 2024 Show Information........ p.10 ASCF Updates & Announcements ...... p.32 2023 National Specialty Report.......... p.52 July 2025 Judge Nominations Form... p.83 2024 National Specialty Memorabilia. p.96 AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BOARD MEMBERS, 2020-2023 Copyright 2023, American Spaniel Club, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission President Diane Kepley [email protected] First Vice-President Dee Torgerson Rismyhr [email protected] Second Vice-President Douglas McFarlane [email protected] Corresponding Secretary David Roberts 103 Lyndenbury Dr Apex, NC 27502 919-637-1003 V 866-243-1068 F [email protected] Recording Secretary TBD Treasurer Beth Williams [email protected] Assistant Treasurer Kevin Carter [email protected] Director, Class of 2025 Julie Virosteck [email protected] Director, Class of 2025 Linda Pitts [email protected] Director, Class of 2025 Vivian Hudson [email protected] Director, Class of 2023 Linda Bennett [email protected] Director, Class of 2023 Laurie Foley [email protected] Director, Class of 2023 Lisa Arnett [email protected] Director, Zone I Per Rismyhr [email protected] Alternate Director, Zone I Heidi Armour [email protected] Director, Zone II Dale Ward [email protected] Alternate Director, Zone II Kathleen Patterson [email protected] Director, Zone III Laura Heidrich [email protected] Alternate Director, Zone III Linda Wright [email protected] Director, Zone IV Stephanie Kaul [email protected] Alternate Director, Zone IV Mariecel Torres-Young [email protected] Director, Zone V Deann Jepson [email protected] Alternate Director, Zone V Lisa Barras [email protected] Effective January 2023
| 4 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 President’s Message Because of the efforts of all our members, we have seen an increase in membership and support has grown for our club activities including the National Specialty, stand-alone agility trials and the Flushing Spaniel Show. There is also a growing interest in educational programs, therapy dog programs and through the ASC Foundation a renewal of support for rescue efforts around the country. The Foundation has also initiated a new Health Survey which will provide a basis for future support of research projects which will directly benefit our dogs. This year’s National Specialty at Purina Farms saw an increase in entries in conformation, obedience/rally, and agility. The show committee deserves the credit for its hard work and dedication that made us all proud. A new feature this year was a decision by the ASC Board to award the breeder(s) of the Best in Futurity win with a check for $1000, and the breeder(s) of the Best of Opposite to Best in Futurity winner with a check for $500. The cash awards will continue for the futurities at both the Flushing Spaniel Show and the National from now on. So, if you have litters planned, don’t forget to nominate your bitches, enroll your puppies, and enter them! The winner of the 2023 National Specialty Futurity was Black bitch, Toybox Bunny Hop, bred by Lindy Bennett and Regina Beinhauer. Best of Opposite to Best in Futurity was Black dog, Misty Hollows No Splash, bred by Saiko Nakagawa. Congratulations to all the breeders who participated! Best of Breed at this year’s National Specialty was awarded to the lovely black and tan dog, GCHS CH Rejoice’s to the Point, bred by Joy Stevens, owned by Joy Stevens, Pamela Maher, Bonnie Pike and Per Rismyhr, handled to his win by Per. Best of Opposite to Best of Breed was Parti-Color bitch, GCHG CH Jasmine Camilla Lester FDC CGC, bred by Per Rismyhr, owned by Susanne Lester and handled by Stacy Dobmeier. Congratulations to everyone who entered. The variety lineups were lovely! Next year’s National Specialty will be held at the Norris Penrose Event Center in Colorado Springs CO, and we will return to Purina Farms in July 2025. Make your plans now! We’ll be back at the Knoxville Convention Center for the 2024 Flushing Spaniel Show with a few changes. ASC has contracted with Rau Dog Shows to handle the show superintendent’s responsibilities. There is also a new Show Chairman—Julie Virosteck. She is working overtime to ensure the show is the quality we all expect from this premier event. Sadly, we said goodbye this year to Jane Williams who passed away this summer. Jane was a life member who served as President and a member of both the ASC Board and the ASC Foundation Board. As the Show Chair for the Flushing Spaniel Show she did an amazing job coordinating all aspects of this wonderful event and developed a productive relationship with the hotels, the convention center, the other Flushing Spaniel breed clubs and so many others. We all owe Jane Williams an enormous debt of gratitude for her dedication to the American Spaniel Club. To honor Jane, the Board has voted to dedicate the 2024 Flushing Spaniel Show in her honor. By DIANE KEPLEY, ASC President ANOTHER YEAR IS COMING TO AN END—AND I’M PLEASED TO SAY IT HAS BEEN A PRODUCTIVE ONE FOR ASC AND ITS MEMBERS! continued >
| 6 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 As I said at the outset, we are nearing the end of the year, and as we do, I would like a moment of personal reflection. In accordance with the ASC Bylaws, my time as ASC President is coming to a close. When I assumed leadership of the club nearly six years ago, I considered it an enormous privilege and a humbling honor. I still feel that way—but I also feel a great deal of pride in the progress we have made as a club and in the obstacles we have overcome together. None of us could have foreseen the toll the COVID pandemic would take on all those involved with purebred dogs. But through hard work and dedication of our members and volunteers, we persevered, and I see the strength of our club growing each day. A simple thank you is not enough to recognize the work of all our volunteers. Each one has contributed personal time to ensure all the efforts of the American Spaniel Club, no matter how big or small, is a success. You are the backbone of this club and deserve credit for all its accomplishments. I hope I will see many of you in Knoxville. Until then, hug a dog—and strive to become the person your dogs think you are! Parti Colors & Browns for Pet and Show Parti Colors & Browns for Pet and Show Breeder of Merit and Breeder of Heart Sautee Nacoochee, GA > PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
| 10 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 In five months the 106th Flushing Spaniel Show will be held in Knoxville, Tennessee. Make your plans to be part of the show. The show will again be in the World’s Fair Exhibition Hall, and the host hotel will be the newly renovated Marriott Knoxville Downtown Hotel which was the former Holiday Inn. At this time, the judging assignments for the specialties for the other flushing spaniel breeds are being made. Expecting to have specialties in conjunction with the Cocker Spaniels are Clumber Spaniels, English Cocker Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, and Welsh Springer Spaniels. These breed clubs plan to host one or two specialties and others are still considering the opportunity. Here are the judges for the Friday cocker specialty and the Flushing Show breeds: ASC REGIONAL SHOW COCKER SPECIALTY: Best of Breed . . . . . . . . . Ann Yuhasz Cocker Spaniel (Black) . . . . . Cindy Lane Cocker Spaniel (ASCOB) . . . . Patty Keenan Cocker Spaniel (Parti) . . . . . Calvin Ward FLUSHING SHOW: Best in Show . . . . . . . . . Marissa Clark American Water Spaniel . . . . Ann Yuhasz Boykin Spaniel . . . . . . . . Ann Yuhasz Clumber Spaniel . . . . . . . . Ann Yuhasz Cocker Spaniel (Black) . . . . . Patty Keenan Cocker Spaniel (ASCOB) . . . . Calvin Ward Cocker Spaniel (Parti) . . . . . Cindy Lane English Cocker Spaniel . . . . . Ann Yuhasz English Springer Spaniels . . . Cindy Lane Field Spaniel . . . . . . . . . Ann Yuhasz Irish Water Spaniel . . . . . . Cindy Lane Sussex Spaniel . . . . . . . . . Ann Yuhasz Welsh Springer Spaniel . . . . Ann Yuhasz Cocker Spaniel Futurity . . . . John Zolezzi Juniors . . . . . . . . . . . . pending Obedience/Rally . . . . . . . . to be announced 2024 UPDATE F L U S H I N G SPA NIEL SHOW SCHEDULE JANUARY By JULIE VIROSTECK, Flushing Spaniel Show Chair Thursday, January 11 ASC Board Meeting Friday, January 12 Specialties Sweepstakes Judges Education Seminar Saturday, January 13 Obedience and Rally Specialties Cocker Spaniel Futurity Cocker Spaniel Classes through WB English Cocker Classes through WB Welsh Springer Spaniel Classes through WB Sunday, January 14 Obedience and Rally American Water Spaniel Classes through BOB Boykin Spaniel Classes through BOB Clumber Spaniel Classes through BOB Cocker Spaniel Black BOV Cocker Spaniel ASCOB BOV Cocker Spaniel Parti BOV English Cocker Spaniel BOB English Springer Spaniel BOB Field Spaniel Classes through BOB Irish Water Spaniel Classes through BOB Sussex Spaniel Classes through BOB Welsh Springer Spaniel BOB Junior Showmanship Best In Show We will need stewards to work the rings; if you are interested, please let David Roberts or I know. This is a volunteer role, but if you steward at least a half day, your lunch will be provided. Please check the ASC Website for 2024 Flushing Spaniel Show updated information at: www.americanspanielclub.org/events-results/2024-flushing-spaniel-show If you have questions about the show, contact Julie Virosteck at [email protected].
| 12 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 From the Secretary Submitted by DAVID ROBERTS, ASC CORRESPONDING SECRETARY JUDGING PANELS AND BALLOT RESULTS Judge Panel – January 2024 Flushing Spaniel Show 1/12/2024 • ASC Regional Specialty ASCOB Cocker Spaniels – Patty Keenan Parti Cocker Spaniels – Calvin Ward Black Cocker Spaniels – Cindy Lane Best of Breed – Ann Yuhasz 1/13/2024 – 1/14/2024 • ASC Flushing Spaniel Show Futurity – John Zolezzi Black Cocker Spaniels – Patty Keenan ASCOB Cocker Spaniels – Calvin Ward Parti Cocker Spaniels – Cindy Lane American Water Spaniels – Ann Yuhasz Boykin Spaniels – Ann Yuhasz Clumber Spaniels – Ann Yuhasz Field Spaniels – Ann Yuhasz Irish Water Spaniels – Cindy Lane Sussex Spaniels – Ann Yuhasz English Springer Spaniels – Cindy Lane English Cocker Spaniels – Ann Yuhasz Welsh Springer Spaniels – Ann Yuhasz Best in Show – Marissa Clark Judge Panel – July 2024 ASC National Specialty 7/25/2024 – 7/27/2024 • National Specialty Futurity – Astrid Lawrence All ASCOBS, Parti BOV, All Intervariety Competitions – Billie Hayes All Blacks, Parti through WB – Mariecel Torres-Young 7/28/2024 • ASC Regional Specialty Eilene White Hall of Fame Nominations The Hall of Fame is open to any former or current member of the American Spaniel Club who it is felt has made a significant contribution to the American Spaniel Club organization itself or to the Cocker Spaniel breed. Nominations are intended for people and not organizations or kennels. Nominations can be made for an individual or couple as appropriate. Significant contribution is defined as one that is important and had profound impact in shaping the breed or the club as it is known today. Significant contributions go beyond the bounds of normal volunteerism, standards of ethics or animal husbandry and successful breeding programs. Nominations are accepted during the month of October. Send nominations to: Kathy Patterson [email protected] The Ruby Award The Ruby Perpetual Memorial Award was established by the American Spaniel Club, Inc., together with the Friends of Ruby, to honor the achievements of CH. Pett’s Southwest Breeze, SH, MH, CD, WDX, the first Cocker Spaniel ever to attain this group of titles. The Ruby Memorial Award recognizes the comprehensive achievement of any Cocker Spaniel who earns all titles carried by Ruby: a conformation championship, obedience title, Master Hunter title and a Working Dog Excellent title. The Ruby Perpetual Memorial Award reflects a high level of performance and breed type as defined in the breed standard and tested in competition and trials. The Ruby Perpetual Memorial Award will be presented during the January ASC Annual Meeting in recognition of the honor and prestige it carries. Applications are due by November 1. Send nominations to: David Roberts ASC Corresponding Secretary [email protected] Versatility Award The American Spaniel Club, Inc. will offer a Versatility Award to members in good standing who have a flushing spaniel achieving at least three titles at AKC authorized events in the following categories: Breed Conformation Hunting Test Obedience Tracking Rally Master Agility Field Trial continued >
| 14 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 Earning three titles out of the seven listed is necessary—one title must be a conformation Championship, one title must be in either Obedience, Rally, or Agility and one title must be in either Field, Hunting or Tracking. During the time the titles were earned, the flushing spaniel must have been owned by a member of the club. The award will be an engraved plaque. Only one plaque will be awarded if jointly owned. To apply, members must submit a copy of the AKC registration papers, a copy of the AKC conformation Championship certificate, and a copy of two other AKC titles from the list to Versatility Award Chair, Jeanne Grim, by November 1. The award will be presented at the ASC Annual Meeting in January. Performance Versatility Award The American Spaniel Club, Inc. will offer a Performance Versatility Award to members in good standing who have a flushing spaniel achieving at least three titles at AKC authorized events in the following categories: Obedience Hunting Test Rally Master Tracking Field Trial Agility Earning three titles out of the six titles listed is necessary—one title must be in either Obedience or Rally Master, one title must be in Agility and one title must be in either Field, Hunting or Tracking. During the time when two of the three titles were earned, the flushing spaniel must have been owned by a member of the club. The award will be an engraved plaque. Only one plaque will be awarded if jointly owned. To apply, members must submit a copy of the AKC registration papers, a copy of the three AKC titles from the list to Versatility Award Chair, Jeanne Grim, by November 1. The award will be presented at the ASC Annual Meeting in January. The Bentley Memorial Award The Bentley Memorial Award was established by the American Spaniel Club, Inc. and Carolee Douglas (Kapewood’s Versatile Cocker Spaniels), to honor the achievements of CH LaMar’s Bentley UD TD AXP AJP, the first sporting dog to win an all-breed BEST IN SHOW and multiple BESTS IN SPECIALTY SHOW while holding the titles of CDX, OA, and OAJ. The Bentley Award recognizes the versatility of the cocker spaniel that excels in conformation while holding performance titles. Complete applications, including all of the documentation below, for the Bentley Memorial Award are due November 1st and should be sent to: David Roberts ASC Corresponding Secretary [email protected] • Copy of the dog’s AKC Registration Certificate • Copy of the Conformation title Certificate • Copy of performance title certificates • Proof of conformation award(s) earned after dog fulfilled performance requirements The cocker spaniel being considered for the award must be owned/co-owned by a member(s) of ASC while the titles and awards were achieved. The Bentley Memorial Award will be a ceramic statue of a cocker spaniel along with a $500 check. The Bentley Memorial Award will be presented at some time during the January ASC Flushing Spaniel Show in recognition of the honor and prestige it carries. Requirements for the award: The dog must be a conformation champion. The performance titles may be earned before the conformation championship. The required conformation award(s) are earned while holding the performance titles. Acceptable Performance Titles • Titles in 3 areas of performance at the novice level (CD; NA/NAJ (both); TD or TDU; JH) — OR — • Titles in 2 areas of performance if 1 title is from an advanced level (CDX; OA/OAJ (both); TDX or VST; SH or higher). The advanced title must be from a different area than the novice title. Acceptable Conformation Awards (must be earned after performance titles) • 1 All Breed Best In Show or Reserve Best in Show • 2 All Breed Group Placements (1-4) • 3 Best in Specialty Show wins • 1 Owner-Handled Best In Show or Reserve Best in Show • 2 Owner-Handled Group Placements (1-4) > FROM THE SECRETARY
| 18 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 Treasurer’s Report Submitted by BETH WILLIAMS, ASC TREASURER JULY 2023 Here I have summarized our current finances. Be reminded that ‘Restricted Funds’ are those invested in Fidelity accounts, the interest on which pays for Perpetual Memorial Trophies (for which we are taxed). Our ‘Unrestricted Funds’ include our checking accounts with Regions Bank and a surplus cash investment account with Fidelity. Also consider that the checking balance is currently inflated in anticipation of the Cocker Spaniel National in July. As always, if you have any questions, please e-mail me at: [email protected]. Unrestricted Funds Regions Bank $188,157.70 Fidelity ‘Cash Surplus’ Account $28,306.54 Total Unrestricted Funds $216,464.24 Restricted Funds $113,172.30 (PMT Investment Accounts) ANNUAL FLUSHING SHOW 2023 2023 Revenue 2023 Expenses 2023 Net 2022 Net 2023 Compared to 2022 Candid Photo License 300.00 — 300.00 0 $300.00 more earned Catalog Ads 573.26 — 573.26 239.66 $333.60 more earned Catalog Sales 2,320.00 — 2,320.00 2,440.00 $120.00 less earned Donations — — 0 0 none were explicitly solicted in 2023 Flowers — 382.38 - 382.38 - 437.00 $54.62 less spent Food & Beverage 3,000.00 8,490.59 - 5,490.59 - 4,256.24 $1,234.35 more charged Foy Trent 13,939.54 331.25 13,608.29 10,125.10 $3,483.19 more earned Fundraising (on site) 500.00 — 500.00 — $290.00 less earned Futurity — 162.00 - 162.00 - 162.00 $61.50 more awarded in prizes Insurance — 600.00 - 600.00 - 600.00 no change Judge's Education 906.63 —* 906.63 2,277.86 $1,371.23 less earned Judge's Expenses — 5,687.18 - 5,687.18 - 4,661.94 $1,025.24 more spent Host Hotel 2,400.00 8,456.32 - 6,056.32 - 6,276.90 $220.58 more earned (thanks to rebate that was absent 2022) Online Auction 5,743.38 — 5,743.38 0 no designated auction in 2022 Rentals — 6,400.24 - 6,400.24 - 6,709.33 $309.53 less charged Ring Supplies — 236.69 - 236.69 - 422.16 $185.47 less spent/reimbursed Seating 3,490.00 — 3,490.00 3,470.00 $20.00 more earned Silent Auction 4,569.00 — 4,569.00 910.00 $3,659.00 more earned Sponsor Seating 6,590.00 750.00 5,840.00 4,151.99 $1,688.01 more earned Tack Room 15,162.93 — 15,162.93 13,587.75 $1,575.18 more earned Trophies & Rosettes ** (Flushing / Regional Show) 13,022.44 775.34 } 14,602.08 } - 804.30 0 Donations covered trophy expenses in 2022; 2022 rosettes included in Superintendent contract total Unclaimed Sweeps Money 71.45 — 71.45 114.66 $43.21 less claimed as prizes Vendors 2,075.00 — 2,075.00 1,1250.00 $825.00 more earned Venue — 29,590.94 - 29,590.94 - 27,871.70 $1,719.24 more charged TOTALS 75,438.97 75,689.67 -250.70 Net Loss 2023 -6,919.19 Net Loss 2022 * The expenses ($710.64) are listed in the general budget and do not go against the show budget. ** The $804.30 overage is the amount Obed/Rally overspent.
| 22 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 I know it feels really early to be writing about next year’s American Spaniel Club National Specialty, but I’m just too excited not to spill the beans. Next year’s show will host the inaugural ASC Scent Detection trials! Details are still being finalized, but I can say that we will have three days of trials, to allow people to earn titles. We will have two judges and one awesome trial secretary who will keep us organized. I will be the trial chair and am very excited to share this journey with everybody. For those that aren’t familiar with it, AKC Scent Detection has four components per level that ultimately result in a level title. The four components are containers, buried, interiors and exteriors. So with three qualifying scores, you can earn a component title, for example, SCN is Scent Containers Novice. When you earn titles in each of the components at a level, you will earn a level title, such as SWN for Scent Work Novice. The odors used by the American Kennel Club (AKC) are Birch, Anise, Clove, and Cypress. These oils can be purchased on Amazon. Try to ensure that you order 100% pure extract. I order oils made in North America, rather than oils made in Asia, but that is a personal preference. Purity and quality are important, so please take that into consideration. If you start training scent work now, you and your dog can be ready to compete next year. It would be very cool to have a huge Cocker entry for our club’s first scent work trial. There’s no requirement to enter all of the components—so you can just enter containers if that’s where you’re at when entries are open. Maybe you aren’t sure, so you want to enter only a single component on a single day. Guess what? That’s allowed too. Nobody can dictate what you enter and how often, so just do whatever you’re comfortable with. I will be looking for volunteers to help run the trial smoothly and efficiently. I’ll need 5-6 people at a minimum. We can do nice, short shifts so that you aren’t tied up all day and can still enjoy the show itself. There is definitely more information to come, but I thought I would start shouting it from the rooftops now. I will also be looking for donations for our prizes, to help defray costs. I also plan to have a Sniff N Go on the Thursday, to allow people to warm up for the trials. I haven’t settled on a price and I still need to work with Stephanie Kaul on what our location will be for both the Sniff N Go and the trials, but this is just an alert that some practice will be available. I will gladly set hides for people to practice on. I am a judge for a number of organizations so will be able to set level-appropriate hides. I highly recommend Fenzi Dog Sports Academy for online scent work classes. They have high caliber instructors and you can take a variety of scent work classes to suit your needs. Otherwise you can do a Google search for scent work classes in your area and you should get some results that way. As scent work has exploded in popularity over the last several years, instruction has become Experiences Scent Detection Opportunity By KELLY LADOUCEUR, KLAD Cockers » [email protected] SNIFF N GO AND MORE COMING SOON TO A BELOVED EVENT.
AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 | 23 | easier to come by. Try to find instructors that have trial experience as they will understand the challenges you will face at a trial. There are certainly some very good scent work instructors that haven’t trialed, but they are few and far between. Watch the ASC Facebook groups for more information as details are firmed up. We are going to have a fantastic time and I can’t wait to share my passion for scent work with a group of like-minded people. I look > EXPERIENCES forward to celebrating your successes with you and helping you figure out what you can learn from any "Not Quites" you might earn. So join me next year in beautiful Colorado Springs, CO and let’s play with our dogs and let them do something that comes naturally to them. Kelly and the KLAD Kids Kelly Ladouceur has been breeding and competing under the KLAD prefix for almost 20 years. She is involved in conformation, obedience, rally obedience, scent hurdle, nosework, and therapy work.
| 26 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 Sassy is a five year old reddish-buff cocker spaniel. She is honored with a championship she earned when she was younger. Having been trained for the breed ring and then actively showing to her championship afforded her many opportunities to be more confident, obedient, while supporting her natural sweet temperament. When my buff cocker spaniel, Suzie, turned 13 and DeeDee was six, almost seven, years old, I began looking for a mature young adult female cocker spaniel. DeeDee’s breeder and the breeder of three of my “McCocker Girls” was not planning any breedings, so I needed to look in a different direction for my next girl. DeeDee was very bonded to Suzie so when she suddenly became sick and went to the Rainbow Bridge in three days, DeeDee was completely lost as to why Suzie wasn’t home. I knew I needed to speed up my search for our next McCocker Girl. I was also looking for one with a temperament for pet therapy. I began my search without a lot of success. I found out quickly that buff females were not easy to find…especially a mature adult. DeeDee is my fourth therapy dog and in the back of my mind I wanted to train another one for pet therapy. I knew I was looking for a canine companion for DeeDee as well. The search began and I had decided I would be open to all varieties of Cockers. After almost three years of searching for our next McCocker Girl, for one reason or another that could not be helped, I had not found her. Just when I thought it wasn’t meant for me to have another girl to train for pet therapy, a reddish buff, cute Cocker Spaniel female found me. My daughter and granddaughter met the owner and in a few hours she was in her forever home with her family. My new McCocker Girl had found me! She was so attached to my daughter and granddaughter since they were the ones that brought her home. When they arrived, she just came right on in the house with them. I don’t usually bring a new dog right in, but it was no problem. DeeDee was glad to have her with us and she was comfortable with DeeDee. Of course things were strange and different and she stayed very close to my granddaughter, Sydnee. She gradually moved around and looked around. We took both dogs to the patio and backyard. When she came back in, she jumped in my husband’s lap. She has loved him from the very beginning. I thought to myself, she is home! She had a comfortable crate ready for her to have a good night’s sleep. I fed her the food that was sent with her, took both girls out again, and she was ready to go to bed. I changed her food to what DeeDee was eating and I even changed her name to SassyRose (Sassy for short). Sassy didn’t miss a beat and learned her new name very quickly. She wanted to sleep in the crate and I had a snap in stainless bowl for her meals which she wanted in her crate. She discovered two dog beds that were comfortable and she was allowed on the sofa and furniture. Sassy did not bother anything and never has since. She and DeeDee would lay by each other and go outside together. She watched DeeDee for leadership and became comfortable with us very quickly. She even discovered she had a dog next to our fence that liked to run up and down the fence line. His name is Gus and he was glad to have her run and play as DeeDee never gave him the time of day. THERAPY DOG IN TRAINING J J J J JYY By JOYCE MCINTYRE, ASC THERAPY DOG COMMITTEE CHAIR INTRODUCING SASSYROSE... Owned by Joyce McIntyre & Lorrie Spears ADJUSTING TO HER NEW HOME AND IN TRAINING!
AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 | 27 | The next morning I began the transition process of a new dog. I put Sassy on a leash and she was with me all her waking hours for about two weeks. Then I let her drag the leash a week or so. Before all this was over, I had two dogs on my every step. I worked on praising her for things done correctly, talking to her, and playing with her. She learned to play “Find It.” She came with multiple positive habits. Sassy loves car rides and is a great passenger. We take them everywhere dogs are allowed. She walks on a loose leash, knows sit, and sits for treats. She doesn’t bother anything and my home has decorations and things she could get into. DeeDee doesn’t bother anything either. Sassy is totally house trained. She loves toys and loves to play and sits in my lap and especially my husband’s lap. She is not afraid of the vacuum, thunder, or fireworks. Sassy is very alert and loves to hunt. SassyRose loves living in the house as a member of our family. We love her and want to give her the confidence of knowing she is in her forever home. Sassy is part of our family and we want her to live a life she has never known. She does not mind being left in the crate if we have to leave them home. We gate a couple of rooms and DeeDee is not crated. I make sure she is engaged with us, brush her regularly, and I groom both DeeDee and Sassy. She is a doll on the grooming table too. One thing she couldn’t do well was to catch a kibble as a treat. DeeDee could catch one as far as I want to toss it, but Sassy didn’t know what to do. It would sometimes hit her on top of her head. That quickly changed because what she didn’t catch, DeeDee recovered for herself. Since I am established with my long-time vet, I scheduled a complete check-up so he would have a baseline in case anything came up. She loves her vet and all the staff. She loves people especially children. There is a public park behind our property and she will go to the back fence and watch them. Sassy does not bark at people unless they ring the doorbell. Even though she has a sweet temperament, she still needs advanced socializing as part of her training for pet therapy. I had planned to take her to dog friendly stores and get her out with me for bonding and training. Unfortunately, the city closest to me suffered a horrible tornado in May. The town is still a mess and some businesses are not open yet. We pick up a lot of things curbside still and she has come to know the people that come to our car. She goes to the window to see the workers hoping for some petting. She is loved, fed a healthy food, given supplements but most of all love. She is a beautiful girl in my eyes and I’m very thankful DeeDee has a canine companion friend. DeeDee has become a lot more active since Sassy came to live with us in mid-March. > TRAINING > PET THERAPY
| 28 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 SASSY’S THERAPY DOG TRAINING PLANS…… Being a member of Oklahoma City Obedience Training Club, all of my Cockers have been trained there for competition and therapy dog. The location of our club is about an hour and a half one way from our home, so I decided to find someone closer to train Sassy. A friend of mine introduced me to an owner of a training facility that trains private or small group lessons. Sassy is enrolled to attend this training facility in a few weeks. I can train at home and expose her to medical equipment here in addition to the obedience school. I have already started training with a walker, moving it around while I vacuum or do house chores. She has become at ease around the walker, as well as a cane and an oxygen tank on a cart. This training will continue for several months. I’m in no hurry to rush Sassy through training. I’d rather she become extremely confident around medical equipment, different people, places, and businesses that allow dogs. I have many “field trips” planned for her. Sassy begins obedience classes next week. Even though she has a great temperament, I want to give her every opportunity to gain even more confidence and advanced socialization. This will set her up for success for pet therapy in my opinion. Sassy had a photo shoot this week, which was a new experience for her. Not only did I get some special pictures of her, she gained even more confidence by being around lights, camera, and action from a very great photographer that made funny sounds to get her attention. She wore clothes, accessories, and was put on sit stays and down stays in unfamiliar surroundings. She handled everything well. In one picture she helped bring my life memories full circle by wearing a crown that was earned by my daughter, mother of my grandchildren. That picture will always be special. I’m encouraged by her natural reaction to life and everything it has to offer. It is such a blessing for me to give her a chance to live life at its fullest and have her family beside her. DeeDee is there for her also and they will do a photo shoot together when the weather becomes cooler. Evaluators are few in my area and, even though I am an evaluator, I cannot evaluate my own dog. I do have a contact in Oklahoma that is submitting an application to become an evaluator. With the activities, lessons, and experiences I have planned for Sassy, this will be a good timeline for an evaluator to be ready to test her in the spring. I’d rather take time for Sassy to become confident in her forever home and experiences she will encounter. She will have an opportunity to ride in an elevator, climb stairs, be around medical equipment, and experience the loud play of children while she maintains her confidence and enjoys all of these experiences. She has been with us for about five months and in those months, she has been easy and a pleasure. Her family has enjoyed watching her bloom in her forever home. She is loved by all of us. Those are my training plans and Sassy has shown she is up for the activities. She is a very alert little girl and as soon as Oklahoma weather gets cooler, she will be introduced to barn hunt. I have a friend close by that has a nice barn arranged for barn hunt training. I can tell Sassy loves to hunt so I plan to give her that experience as well. > PET THERAPY Professional photo credit: Francine Wilson Photography
AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 | 29 | > PET THERAPY I’m looking forward to being at the end of Sassy’s leash while she navigates these new experiences. DeeDee will also be at Barn Hunt classes even though she has been doing Barn Hunt for some time. We play “find it” with kibble now and DeeDee has to work hard to find the kibble before Sassy does. I’m so thankful for these two special cocker spaniels that I call the McCocker Girls. DeeDee is back to in-person visits now and I plan on SassyRose being able to be a part of pet therapy next year spreading joy to those who need it. In fact I plan to test with SassyRose and then test with both of them, so I can take DeeDee and Sassy together on therapy visits. They are very bonded already and going on therapy visits together will be something they can and will enjoy. I will update Sassy’s progress on becoming a therapy dog later. After this article I have several articles planned to highlight dogs that are involved in pet therapy as well as excelling in canine sports. If any of you reading this would like more information on training or getting your dog involved in pet therapy, contact me at [email protected]. I’m happy to help. Joyce McIntyre ASC Member ASC Therapy Dog Committee, Chair Cocker Spaniel Club of Central Oklahoma, President Oklahoma City Obedience Training Club, Member Therapy Dog Evaluator AKC CGC Program and Trick Dog Evaluator Handler of therapy dog, DeeDee, and SassyRose, therapy dog in training Dakota Cockers | Kent Gudger 635 Peacehaven Rd, Kannapolis, NC 28083-6971 (704) 905-1084 Fx (704) 932-8265 email: [email protected] website: www.dakotacockers.com
| 32 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ASC FOUNDATION SURVEY RESULTS AVAILABLE—WHAT IS NEXT? FOR THE FOUNDATION: We intend to use the results of our recent ASCF Health Survey to evaluate potential and current health research in light of the need for the breed. We hope that by working with other Spaniel breed Foundations we can source new breed-specific research for a particular health issue or find existing research we can accelerate with our joint funding. We expect to factor into our decisions the prevalence of a health issue and its impact on the quality of life as well as its impact financially and emotionally on the family owning that affected dog. Disease research is not always a winning bet and failures are expected. All research requires funding and supportive DNA from breeders and owners of Cockers. As we move into the future, we hope for continued financial strength through legacy giving and contributions of the Cocker fancy as well as the support of breeders and owners in participating with their dogs in various studies as required. FOR BREEDERS: In the future, as we identify well-qualified veterinarians and researchers willing to present on survey topics, we plan to hold free online and recorded webinars. One such webinar was held late last year and is available on our website at https://asc-f.org/seminars/. The seminar is BLOOD PRODUCTION AND CLOTTING: WHEN IT GOES WRONG and is presented by Dr. Tracy Stokol, Professor of Clinical Pathology at the Cornell Veterinary School. Additionally, we suggest you take some time to read through the survey results which can be found at https://asc-f.org/disease-research/. Just as we consider conformation and temperament in our pedigrees and forward breeding plans, the Foundation hopes you will give equal attention to potential health risks in those pedigrees. I think everyone can agree that health issues affect the quality of life of our Cocker companions and the impact these health issues have financially and emotionally on the owners of that affected dog. The Foundation will continue to consider and evaluate ways we can assist in these efforts. If there is a suggestion you may have, please email the questions to [email protected]. FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF PA AND DR. AGUIRRE CATARACT RESEARCH: The midyear report on research progress should be on the ASC-F.org website by the time you get the Bulletin. Dr. Aguirre will be making a recorded presentation on the research progress in September and when that is available, we will announce it on the ASC Chat Group and our Foundation Facebook page. ASCF RESCUE UPDATE As some of you may remember, one year ago a large breeding kennel of cocker spaniels in Florida faced a crisis when the owner suddenly died and no arrangements had been made for the 60 cocker spaniels on the premises. Thanks to Lee, of Cocker Spaniel Rescue of Austin and San Antonio, and Andrea Floyd, ASCF Rescue, most of the dogs were transported and placed in foster and permanent homes shortly after the kennel owner’s death. There were, however, a handful of cockers that were pregnant or nursing or had medical issues that needed to be addressed here in Florida before they could leave the state. The last of those 12 cockers were transported to Texas by Michelle Walls last month, where they have been promised foster and/or permanent homes. This was a massive undertaking for Austin Rescue and ASCF, as all the dogs were intact and needed routine neutering and spaying prior to their placements. AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB FOUNDATION Health, Education, Rescue continued >
| 34 | AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB, INC. BULLETIN | SEPTEMBER 2023 Luckily, although this was a large scale ‘puppy mill’, the dogs had routine veterinary care; otherwise, the costs would have been beyond the two agencies’ financial resources. It is a wake-up call to all of us to make plans for our dogs in case of our death or disability, even though preservation breeders would typically never have 60 cockers for which to make arrangements. Create an estate document for your dogs. Spell out how to place your dogs with family or friends and make arrangements for a trust or account for their care. Life can be pretty unpredictable, as this event demonstrates. Again, we are eternally grateful to everyone who participated in this rescue operation: Lee, of CSRASA; Andrea, from ASCF Rescue; the volunteers that flew to Florida and rented a van to take the initial group of cockers west, Michelle, who drove the remaining cockers to Austin, and to Michelle’s vet, who saw to all the necessary vaccines and health documentations. Let this be a reminder to get your ‘DOGGY’ affairs in order! > ASCF UPDATES Thank you for thinking about us, in the PAST, in the PRESENT, and in the FUTURE. Regina [email protected] 548 Justabout Rd.Ph. 724-941-3898 Venetia, PA 15367Cell 724-255-0980 Jackie Makoujy AKC Breeder of Merit www.MaxCockers.com [email protected] 201-410-4034