RETRIEVERmagazine

England tackles caninehealth and welfare

Snowy championshipin Scotland

Debby Kay and thefunctional Labrador

A dog’s diet: starch

year 2 - number 2 - RCI newsletter

in this issue:

•Editorial from the President - by Elena Casolari Videsott

•England tackles canine health and welfare - by Patty Fellows

•Let’s enter the ring - by Cinzia Sgorbati

•An English-style field trial with quails - by Martino Salvo

•Snowy championship in Scotland - by Phil Wagland

•Tellington Touch - by Fabio Nicodemi

•Debby Kay and the functional Labrador - by Patty Fellows

•A dog’s diet: starch - by Lucia Casini

•Let’s help this puppy grow - by Cinzia Stefanini

•Fuga d’inverno in Liguria - by Patty Fellows

•Winter escape in Liguria - by Gianni Dainotti

•Notonlyretrievers – books, tv, gifts, news edited by Patty Fellows and Alessandra Franchi

The RCI does not necessarily agree with or support the ideas published in every article, which freely express the opinions of individual authors.

Martino Salvoeditor

Alessandra Franchiwriters

Patty Fellowswriters

Leonardo Langiulayout/graphics

l’editorialel’editoriale1979-2009: Thirty years old and the Club is off to a new start

Every birthday is an occasion for taking stock of one’s life. Thirty years for our Club is a milestone that has brought with it great novelties. Last year the restyling of the Club saw the creation of individual breed sections together with a section dedicated to work. From January of this year, these sections have become autonomous, also in an economic sense, and this should act as a catalyst for them to launch their own initiatives

Skimming through old year books of the Club, I noticed that at the first Club Show in October 1981 there were 20 entries, and the event was described as a nice day spent among friends. It was the beginning of an adventure bringing us to where we are today, with more than 400 entries at Club Shows. With regards to the atmosphere – well, that is not always so friendly. Competition and the wish to be first at all costs is pervasive, shadowing what could be the opportunity for appraisers of our breeds to confront subjects in a serene setting. At times discussions around the ring are similar to comments overheard at the pub, about ‘bought’ and ‘sold’ referees and so forth.

It may seem unpleasant that I use the context of our 30 year- anniversary to talk about this unpleasant topic. Nevertheless, improving the atmosphere at our competitions – whether shows or working trials - by isolating those who do not behave properly and, at the same time, helping new people feel at ease in our world, is one of the toughest challenges that our Club faces in the immediate future.And here I arrive at our second painful topic: today we have 500 to 600 members, and this number is not sufficient to represent the thousands of retrievers in Italy. Attracting more people to our Club has to be one of our priorities, and we can accomplish this, as we have started to do with Family Days, by offering events and courses to help people deal with owning pets, or simply by offering occasions for lovers of our breeds to get together.

The future of the RCI rests with its future members.We hope that by creating individual sections to decentralize a series of activities, the Central Council will be able to focus its energies on important institutional themes linked to breeding, illegal importations and the welfare of our dogs – making you hear loud and clearly the voice of the Club.

Dr. Elena Casolari Videsott – RCI President

For many, it signaled the ‘before’ and ‘after’ of dog showing in Britain. BBC documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed sent shock waves throughout the UK dog world, generating negative publicity for the UK Kennel Club (“KC”) and purebred dog breeders. As a consequence, this year’s Crufts, Britain’s premier showcase for dogs, will no longer be covered by the BBC and has lost the support of its major corporate sponsor and a few animal charities. On a more positive note, exhibitors and show organizers are working together in an unprecedented fashion to ensure that Crufts 2009 is an even bigger success, and the KC has stepped up its campaigns to deal with canine health and welfare issues.

Aired last August, Pedigree Dogs Exposed portrays a crisis within the world of purebred dogs, suggesting that serious genetic diseases and conditions are the result of decades of inbreeding and the emphasis to win at all costs in the show ring, placing “looks over and above function and health”. Sensational footage shows a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in agony with the brain disease syringomyelia, estimated by the program to affect up to 1/3 of the breed, and a boxer suffering from epilepsy. Scientists at Imperial College are cited for finding that pugs in the UK are so inbred that “although there are 10,000 of them, it is the equivalent of just 50 distinct individuals - making them more genetically compromised than the giant panda.” The documentary also mentions breeds like the bulldog, whose physical exaggerations have led to “such an unnatural shape that they can no longer mate or give birth unassisted.”

Steve Jones, Professor of Genetics at University College London, comments in an interview during the broadcast that dogs

by Patty Fellows

in some breeds are paying a terrible price for the inbreeding being carried out: “If dog breeders insist on going further down that road I can say with confidence that there is a universe of suffering for many of these breeds and many, if not most, will not survive.”

The first setback for the KC following the BBC documentary occurred on September 15, when the RSPCA, an animal welfare charity, cancelled its stand at Crufts and the KC’s Discover Dogs show, citing the need to develop more health-focused breeding strategies and steps to increase genetic diversity. This decision was closely followed by Dogs Trust, another dog welfare charity. Dogs Trust explained that its decision to withdraw support was intended as a message to the KC and breeders to take immediate action to ensure that the health and wellbeing of pedigree dogs is ranked over appearance and breed standards. Unlike the RSPCA, Dogs Trust stated that it was engaged in talks with the KC to help bring about changes, and that it hoped to reassume its relationship once animal welfare points were put into place.

The following month pet food brand Pedigree ended its 40-year sponsorship of Crufts, estimated at £500,000 per year. Spokesmen for the manufacturer Mars refused to comment on whether the decision had been influenced by the documentary, stating only that the Pedigree brand had decided to prioritize initiatives supporting a broad community of dog owners. Another blow for Crufts occurred on November 5, when the PDSA, the UK’s leading veterinary charity, announced that it had also decided

to suspend its involvement with all KC dog shows and events, including Crufts.

The RSPCA explained that one of the reasons behind its decision to pull support for Crufts was the “worryingly low genetic diversity in pedigree dogs” today. In the field of population genetics, the level of inbreeding (the “COI” or coefficient of inbreeding) in a particular population, such as a dog breed, is influenced by several factors: population size, the number of founders, use of popular sires, genetic isolation due to a closed registry as well as the practice of cosanguineous matings. This use of the term ‘inbreeding’ can create confusion, as evidenced by the BBC program’s accusation that the “deliberate mating of dogs that are close relatives is common practice.” As the KC responded, mating close relatives was a practice used in early years to establish breed attributes, but is a rare practice among responsible breeders today. The KC recently decided to preclude the possibility of close matings by imposing a ban on the registration of puppies from any mother/son, father/daughter or brother/sister mating, taking place on or after 1st March 2009.

Since the controversy erupted, the KC has attempted to allay dog owners’ concerns and present fairly their position and the work the club has undertaken to address canine health issues. Their 2004 Breed Health Survey, carried out on 52,000 dogs in the UK with the help of the Animal Trust, found that 90% of surveyed dogs do not suffer from health problems negatively affecting their quality of life. Furthermore, the survey shows that only 2% of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels suffer from syringomyelia, a long mark from the 1/3 reported in Pedigree Dogs Exposed.

The KC has outlined three ongoing strategies to deal with canine health and welfare. Regarding science and research, the KC actually enabled the study of dog

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show worldshow world

Health screening stand at Crufts

Golden Retriever being assessed in Crufts show ring

Crufts agility competition

Crufts 2009 moves aheaddespite row overBBC documentary

BRITAIN TACKLEScanine health and welfare

group competitions at the show. Twelve of these breeds are under review by the KC, to which the BBC added the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Rhodesian Ridgeback, citing viewers’ reaction to Pedigree Dogs Exposed. The BBC has televised Crufts for the past 42 years, and last year was estimated to reach over 14 million viewers in the UK and thousands more overseas.

KC Chairman Ronnie Irving regrets the impasse, commenting that Crufts this year will focus on dog health and welfare, care and training and charitable work. The event will highlight “the remarkable diversity of dogs and activities on show at Crufts”, with a special tribute to “the unsung heroes who take part in breed rescue.” Mr. Irving has

called on breeders and exhibitors to “join forces, stick together and defeat those who would like to see an end to dog shows.”

Author Jessica Holm - a BBC journalist, breeder and exhibitor – called the row over Pedigree Dogs Exposed a nightmare that has nontheless functioned as a “wake up call”. She believes that what is needed now is more exposure, not less, with attention directed towards the many positive achievements of the purebred dog world. Her recent article in Dog World newspaper elicited 150 comments from readers, many supporting the KC and dog shows. If this is any indication, hopefully British people and their dogs will indeed move ahead together.

by Cinzia Sgorbati

Article 2 of the SPECIAL RULES FOR CANINE EXPOSITIONS recently approved by ENCI (the Italian Kennel Club) and in effect from 1 January 2009 states: Canine expositions are trials in which dogs are examined and judged for their beauty and exterior conformation, with respect to the official standard for each breed. From this examination exhibited subjects receive a qualification based on a comparison of their qualities to the ideal traits of the breed to which they belong. A classification is also obtained by comparing the relative qualities of these subjects….

The above article explains the aims of the dog exposition, which should function as a comparison of subjects belonging to different owners and breeders. An open and correct competition is, in fact, a useful way to gain an understanding of the relative quality of dogs presented at a show.

Shows are an opportunity to continually learn more about your breed, so that you can gain personal, first-hand knowledge, which will also help you to develop a critical sense. A judge’s critique should not be regarded as foolproof: it is important to be able to distinguish correct evaluations from those that are less appropriate. Judges are not always breed experts

and at times their opinion can lack complete technical understanding.

We should also remember that the critique, even when formulated by a judge who is a breed expert, is nevertheless subjective. This can lead to confusion in the minds of people who attend shows for the first time and find it difficult to understand how, for example, in one weekend the same dog can receive the qualification of “Very Good” on Saturday from judge A and the next day win under judge B.

In any case bad behavior on the part of exhibitors towards a judge is inexcusable. If you believe that a judge’s critique is incorrect, the best action is to refrain from bringing your dogs to be judged by him in the future.

It is important to remember that the exposition plays a double role, as both a competition and a form of aggregation. In fact, it provides us with the possibility of sharing many experiences with our dogs, at times exciting, and to pass a pleasurable day in the company of friends and other competitors.

Shows can take place, in some seasons, outside on grass lawns or in a large open space. Otherwise, they can take place inside an exposition hall or pavilion. In Flat Coated presented “free stand”.

genetics at Imperial College cited in the documentary, and is planning to use its findings in future work. As well as funding other research projects, the club actively promotes health testing schemes and DNA tests, and publishes the results of these tests. It also works with individual breed clubs, like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, to find ways to improve breed health and help eliminate disease.

Another strategy is the Accredited Breeder Scheme, which offers guidelines of responsible breeding practices to safeguard the future health of purebred dogs. Over 2,500 breeders have already signed up, and the KC actively monitors their activities and encourages people to buy puppies only from these breeders.

Thirdly, the KC’s ‘Fit for Function – Fit for Life’ educational campaign – aimed at breeders and judges – seeks to curtail “the process of exaggeration of some features to the detriment of dogs’ health” and to train judges to “ensure prizes are given only to healthy dogs.” In early December, the KC issued health plans to all breed clubs, made up of revised interim breed standards and information about diseases and conditions within each breed. Revised breed standards include amendments to preclude excessive weight in Labradors, and a move to stop breeders from exaggerating substance in Clumber Spaniels, to ensure that they are fit for their original purpose of working in the field. Once feedback has been received on these plans, the KC will go to the next step, examining genetic diversity in each breed’s gene pool.

The KC met its latest setback when protacted talks with the BBC about televising Crufts 2009 reached an impasse: the KC refused to comply with the BBC’s demand to exclude 14 breeds considered ‘at risk’ from

Chairman of KC Charitable Trust withrescue dog

Yorick and Yasmin, two rescue mongrels who arenow Hearing Dogs for the Deaf

The RCI would like to thank the Kennel Club for having reviewed the content of this article for its fairness and accuracy and for providing photos from the Kennel Club Picture Librarywww.dogimages.org.uk/.

show world show world

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An introduction toshowing dogs

LET’S ENTER THE RING

both cases we should always keep in mind that it a stressful situation for our dogs, most of all for those that experience it for the first time. Bringing a cage will give your dog the possibility to relax during the time you have to wait before and after presenting him in the ring. You often see people at shows who chat for long periods of time while keeping their dogs on a lead, without realizing how difficult it is for them to support the stress created by the general confusion.

It is difficult to present an overexcited dog when entering the ring, as he will not concentrate on his handler. On the other hand, a tired dog, who has had to endure the show atmosphere, will probably enter the ring exhausted and cannot be presented in the best condition.

It’s a good rule to arrive well ahead of the starting time. You will then have time to calmly find the best place to place your cages, settle your dogs and allow them to

drink, pick up your numbers, and so on. Remember that your mood is transmitted to your dogs, and if for some reason you are irritated or agitated they will sense this.

It is very important to present your dog well. Your aim should be to show the judge your dog in the best condition, so that he can evaluate his type, qualities and even temperament in relation to the canons of the breed standard.

It is also indispensable to recognize your dog’s assets and defects, so that you can try to valorize the first and minimize the second. For a good judge the first impression is important, so try to enter the ring and immediately position your dog to his best advantage.

Assuring that the judge immediately makes a favorable first impression is important and can be very helpful to what follows.

Showing dogs is not as easy as it seems when observing from ringside. A good presentation should never be too evident or invasive. Your dog should be presented in a natural way, with his attention focused on you, and you should avoid being the protagonist and stealing the scene in such a way that the judge is focused only on you.

In most countries the Labrador is presented “free stand”, that is, in front of his handler with a loose lead around his neck (never leave the lead on the ground: in England it is prohibited and considered too theatrical). In “stacking”

the dog is held in position generally with one hand under his chin and the other under his tail (see Golden).

With the Labrador free stand is generally preferred because he is considered a very active and joyful dog,

Moving your dog to his best advantage requires good training beforehand.

and it is very nice to see him positioned in front of his handler, wagging his tail while he observes him with an attentive expression.

It is very important to study the terrain.

In mild weather, when the ring is outside, it is a good habit to inspect beforehand the terrain to avoid holes and depressions, so that you can position him on a flat surface and avoid placing his forelegs on lower ground.

In covered shows, usually held in exposition areas, it is useful to check if there are strips of carpet, manholes or changes in surface (for example, from a carpet strip to cement) that can disturb your dog.

As the judge will ask all dogs and their presenters to repeat the same presentation sequence, it is a good idea to understand what he wants so that you can be prepared ahead of time.

Be especially careful with male dogs: growling and barking are unacceptable behaviors in the ring, where dogs’ temperaments are also being assessed. A retriever should always be docile and without signs of aggression. Finding himself in a stressful situation in which many other males are present can certainly influence your dog’s behavior, however, and it is up to you to reassure him and calm him down.

With respect to fellow competitors, try to create your own space. You should neither be “timid” by allowing others to position in front of you to capture the judge’s attention, or too invasive so that you penalize other exhibitors. When running all together be careful to keep a distance from those ahead of you and behind you.

When it is your turn to be judged place your dog a

good distance from the judge, at the same time considering the terrain as mentioned earlier.

If necessary, help you dog stay relaxed and docile while his teeth and trunk are examined. When you are asked to move, your dog should move as elegantly as possible, without force and a good distance from you so that he can be observed perfectly and so that he can be free to place all of his force in the action. Preparatory training is useful because each dog presents himself best in movement at a different speed, which can be completely different from one subject to the next.

When you choose a puppy you hope to show in future remember that his disposition is also important. Some are naturally more “exhibitionist” and love to be shown. It is much easier to tone down the excitement level of a happy and exuberant dog than to heighten or give determination to a “limp” dog, and for this reason training for the ring and to be presented to a judge should always have positive connotations.

An enthusiastic subject is much more eye catching than a dog who performs perfectly but only out of duty.

The foundation of a good presentation should be, as in work, a good rapport between you and your dog. If he loves and respects you, with trust and dedication, he will always look at you as if you are the most important thing in the world, and he will willingly do whatever you ask of him.

show world show world

Create your own space with respect to other exhibitors.

Golden presented in “stacking” position.

In outdoor shows exhibitors and their dogs can spend a nice daytogether.

Cinzia SgorbatiWith her husband Sergio,Cinzia breeds Labradorsunder the name ofDolphingham. She is also a field trial judge for retrievers.

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working worldworking world

by Martino Salvo

In this issue we’d like to continue talking about retriever field trials in Italy by turning to what is currently a hot topic: the high cost of game and how this reflects on the organization of “English-style” field trials.

A good walk up trial requires plenty of game on the ground so that a sufficient quantity can be found by the flushing or pointing dogs (usually Springer Spaniels) while the line of guns and competitors advance.

Unfound game will fly away, never to be found. Consequently, the organizing committee has to find the right balance between keeping costs reasonable and the need for multiple retrieves to assess dogs.

In this article we’ll talk about a new experience we recently had in Sardinia at the beginning of December, in a trial that all agree produced some good results.

Three days of trials in the “French” and “English” style were held in Sardinia, near beautiful Aggius, a favourite resort of the 20th century Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. For the second year RCI members Nando Langiu and Massimo Balata organized the event for approx. 30 handler-dog teams, on the estate “Il Muto di Gallura”, well known for its wild and fascinating grounds.

Due to regional regulations in Sardinia only autochthonous species can be hunted. In consequence trials can be organized only on ducks, quails and Sardinian partridges (Alectoris Barbara). As pheasants were not available, the choice fell upon the first two: in the three French- style trials partridges were hunted, and in the English-style trial quails.

In the past few years trial participants have felt the increasing weight of entry fees, which must take into account organizational costs (judges’ expenses and game), as well as their own costs of travel and lodging. As the cost of partridge or pheasant can range between 20 and 27 euros per head, in order to keep entry fees as low as possible, competitors are normally allowed just a couple of retrieves in each trial (with the exception of the few dogs that finish the trial).

As it is impossible to significantly reduce entry fees (normally about 75 euros for each dog on each day of the trial), alternative solutions are being explored in order to make more game available to dogs during trials. In this instance, the local partridge is found naturally only in limited numbers in Sardinia, Corsica and

Morocco and is difficult to rear in captivity. With a cost up to 35 euros, it is almost impossible to be able to buy enough game for a trial with 30 dogs.

With this in mind, the organizing committee proposed to the Club to hold the first field trial in English style on quails only, offering only the CAC (national title), and excluding the CACIT (international title). Given their greater numbers, quails cost about 2 euros each, and this would certainly mean many more retrieves for each dog.

When news spread about this novelty competitors were at first puzzled and doubtful, concerned that:•a trial not offering CACIT would probably attract fewer participants;•the use of small birds in such difficult and harsh grounds would make retrieves more difficult and increase the likelihood of hard mouth.

In fact, both in training and hunting, pheasants are normally used. They are much bigger and heavier than quails, and gundogs are used to finding and retrieving them properly.

Nevertheless, a good 11 dogs met at the trial, and the experience was a very good one.

One thing that could be appreciated was that, with the absence of the CACIT, participation was limited to dogs that probably still needed experience in this type of highly selective competition. They also had the opportunity to make many retrieves, as many as 7 or 8, which is very uncommon in our CACIT trials.

We asked the two judges, Franco Abati and Moira

Frank, to tell us what they thought about this trial:

What was your general impression of this trial?

Moira Frank: “I think it has been a fascinating and difficult trial, both in consideration of the small size of the quails and the very difficult grounds. This trial

brought to light the dogs with the most experience and most control, very often being asked to hunt a narrow area, whilst temptation to hunt at large was very high. I remember in particular the last day in which the two best dogs were unable to find the last quail, which was then found by the judges, giving them an eyewipe (the penalty for not having found a bird that could have been found). This proves the difficulty of the ground. Overall, this has been a very positive experience, more adapted to dogs that also go hunting and therefore have more experience.”

Franco Abati: ”It has been a useful experience from all points of view, that should be repeated and improved upon. This has been the first trial with a lot of game.”

What about our retrievers on this new kind of game?

Moira Frank: “I would say they all behaved really well. Considering the distances and obstacles (ie, stone walls and thick Mediterranean vegetation), the retrieves would have been difficult even with pheasants. Certainly in this trial dogs needed impeccable marking, excellent game finding ability, as well as experience and training. Handlers needed to be very concentrated

Judges Franco Abati and Moira Frank

A group of contestants with the spaniel used for the walk up

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AN ENGLISH-STYLEField Trial with Quails

“there’s alwaysa first time”

to mark the small birds, which fell into thick cover, so they could help their dogs if needed. No dog proved to be hard mouthed.”

Franco Abati: “ All dogs did well. Fear that dogs could crush many quails proved itself ungrounded. I’m pretty certain that hard mouth has no connection with the dimension and weight of game. If a dog is hard mouthed, he will be so with any kind of game. In this trial no dog was eliminated for being so. Moreover, to be able to find quails dogs must have a really good nose. I would like to compliment Carlo Guggia for his spaniels, which did a really good job, and presented us with three super walk up trials”

Did you experience any difficulties working with quails?

Moira Frank: “I didn’t encounter any particular problems. Nevertheless I think that in a future trial it would be better to use quails along with other game to be able to test the dogs in different situations.”

Franco Abati: “Thick cover doesn’t suit quails. And as quails do not easily fly in bad weather, trials on quails can be risky with bad weather forecasts. We were lucky and the weather was very good during the three days, so all went well.”

As we can appreciate, even the judges gave positive feedback on the use of quails in an English-style trial. But aside from game considerations, this experience shows that a competition without an international title

can be a first step to preparing teams for CACIT trials. In other countries such as France, where there are two titles for field champions – “French” and “English” – this solution has already been used and has allowed many dogs and their handlers to “get their feet wet” before going on to compete against teams at an international standard: the same rules and difficulty, but with more

of a chance for less expert teams to succeed.

The results of this trial can be viewed on the RCI website:www.retrieversclub.it.

Contestants wait their turn during a walk up

Even with small quails retrievers had asoft mouth, indispensable for gundogs

A Labrador returning to his handler after retrieving a quail.

Spaniel searching quails during the walk up.

working world

by Phil Wagland

Competitors make their way to the ground atBurncastle on the first day.

Wintry weather in early December made it a memorable Retriever Championship as the Lammermuir Hills were clothed in snow. The IGL was provided with three superb days of trialling through the kind invitation of the Duke of Northumberland and Messrs Landon, Young and Wallace, and with the co-operation of Eskdale Shooting Services. 48 dogs had qualified, but last year’s champion and three others were unable to run, including one of the two Golden Retrievers. Black Labradors naturally predominated, but 8 Yellow Labradors were on the card.

The first ever Chocolate Labrador to qualify, Pintail Hector of Styleside was handled by Ged Leeson.

The first foreign competitor to qualify contributed to the uniqueness of the event. Kurt Becksteiner

from Austria was running his Golden Retriever, Int.F.T.Ch. Bell Oktave Apollo. One Welshman, one Irishman, and 8 Scots were also competing.We met on 1st December on Burncastle Estate, keepered by Colin Adamson, who had worked hard to prepare the ground. In cold, fine weather there was a light cover of snow on the flanks of the valley of Earnscleugh Water. The line stretched up the steep slopes of the west flank, with the gallery watching from the east side of the valley. Bill Ferguson from Scotland and Welshman Mark Bettinson judged on the lower slopes to the right, whilst Englishman Nigel Rowson and Dermot Donnelly from Ireland were the left hand judges on the upper slope. Early retrieves were on the hillside, with Billy Steel Sr, soon in action with F.T.Ch. Leadburn Viceroy. Phil Highfield then

made his mark with Levenghyl Bee of Featherfly

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working world

Report of the 2008 Retriever Championship

“SNOWY CHAMPIONSHIP IN SCOTLAND”

the next block of kale. The next dog to try was the older Billy Steel’s “Viceroy” and after a hunt through the next block of cover the runner was collected to earn significant credit in the judges’ books. Four more soon fell by the wayside. Richard Hinks’ “Tide” picked after it was called up. Then Judith White’s “Scout” failed first dog down on a runner, and Lynn Mitchell’s yellow dog “Just William” lacked control when second dog down. Next John Douglas’ fast yellow dog was eyewiped by Keith Broomfield’s “Aperitif”, which also picked a woodcock quickly. Others managed to stay the course. Several rabbits were shot, lying on snowy rides, These provided retrieves for Mrs Reid’s “Clyde” handled by young Billy Steel, for Noel Bayley’s Craighorn Abby, and for Sandra Halstead’s “Silvercloud”.

The round was completed on pheasants, including two for Tess Lawrence with “Cranefly”. The action was not over, as two pheasants were shot beyond the boundary wall and fence. The first was a runner, which put paid to Alan Schofield’s chances with F.T.Ch. Eastdale Guss. After a delay the other was picked by Sandra Halstead’s “Silvercloud”, at 2 years old the youngest on the card. One more bird was shot behind the line, but Philippa Williams’ black dog “Aaran” struggled to find in high kale. Thus the third round had accounted for 9 dogs, 3 eyewiped, 3 first dog down, two taking too long to pick, and one lacking control. This left only 6 for the final day. More snow fell overnight and care was needed on snow-packed lanes approaching the meet back at Burncastle. Three of the six handlers had previously won the Championship : Sandra Halstead, Billy Steel Jr, and Tess Lawrence defending last year’s title. Of the others Billy Steel Sr. has been runner up. Noel Bayley from Cheshire and Keith Broomfield from Hampshire were the other contenders. We started with a walk up in the rape cover crop, more snowy and frosty than on the first day. A hen shot in the

of the kale. Walking up the tall snow-covered kale was difficult and dogs needed to mark accurately as scent was poor. Richard Hinks’ F.T.Ch. Claravale Tide of Garronpoint completed an eyewipe, and Eddy Finn put out two dogs with the 8 year old Lochmuir Shannon of Tirgarve. Next a woodcock in the deep kale defeated 3 dogs and was picked by the judges. A hen flew on and dropped a long way forward, and the retrieve by F.T.Ch. Hillus Clyde drew applause for Billy Steel Jr. Sandra Halstead’s “Cloud” took time to pick in the kale, then Kurt Becksteiner went out when “Apollo” picked the wrong bird of two shot at a narrow angle. Philippa Williams’ Levenghyl Isle of Aaran quickly picked the other. This was the last retrieve of the round. Of the 28 second round contenders 4 had been eyewiped by other dogs, 3 eyewiped by the judges, 1 picked the wrong bird, and 5 were discarded for poorer work.

This left 15 dogs for a third round, of two retrieves each. Snow was falling and this stage of the trial was to prove quite eventful. Dick Sorley’s “Anne” immediately mismarked down the line and was eyewiped by Mike Jennings’ F.T.Ch. Tripalong Toby of Fordleymoor. Soon after “Toby” went out first dog down on a runner. Jayne Coley’s bitch F.T.Ch. Waterford Easter built on earlier nice work, with a classic blind retrieve on a wounded woodcock tucked into bracken on the hillside. Unfortunately her next bird was a strong cock runner, and as “Easter” hunted the kale the bird escaped across a path into

there were some retrieves uphill on moorland into the wind. Here there were eyewipes for Sandra

Halstead with F.T.Ch. Levenghyl Silvercloud of Drakeshead and for the Austrian Golden Retriever “Apollo” handled by Kurt Becksteiner. From the left the dogs were sent behind or across the valley for birds lying on short snow-covered grass. As we closed for the day the first round had been completed and the second just commenced. The 44 runners had been reduced to 28, 2 out for unsteadiness, 9 eyewiped, and 5 discarded for less good work. Tuesday was cloudy and more snow had fallen overnight. The Tollishead beat of the Faccombe Estate, keepered by Gary Wright, was the venue. With the crowd watching from near the Kelphope Burn, the walk up started in rough grass on the west side of the valley. Dick Sorley’s F.T.Ch. Anson Anne of Denbank impressed with an eyewipe on a runner. Another yellow dog, Keith Broomfield’s Noiroche Aperitif did excellent work on a wounded woodcock near some pines. As we came close to a fenced area of kale Tess Lawrence came into line. She was immediately asked to send for a rabbit already down. F.T.Ch. Levenghyl Cranefly picked it from the edge

completing an eyewipe on a runner going a short way into bracken. As the walk-up progressed there were a number of retrieves downhill over a fence onto a steep bluff facing the river. There was a steady supply of pheasants, plus occasional rabbits, woodcock and partridge.

Rape had been sown on a gentler sloping field bordered by fences with parallel wire. This proved good holding cover for game. As there was no barbed wire and good visibility the judges were able to send dogs for cross retrieves. Some dogs tackled the fence more confidently than others. There were eyewipes for the Labradors handled by Richard King, Polly Dunckley, Vicky Bruton and John Halsted Jr. The yellow Labradors of Scotsmen Dick Sorley and John Douglas caught the eye for their pace and style. Lunch was taken at the end of the rape field.

The afternoon commenced with a drive, birds being flushed from woods on Lylestone Hill, presenting challenging targets as they flew to the valley. The high numbered dogs were in line for the drive on two sides of a broad tributary valley. On the right

Kurt Becksteiner with Bell Oktave Apollo(1st foreign competitor at the Championship)

The judges go through their books.

The valley of the Kelphope Burn was the setting for the walk-up on the second day.

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M Bettinson (judge) watches John Halsted juniorcomplete an eyewipe with F.T.CH.Dargdaffin flissof Snowdell over Keith Bedford’ dog standing nearby.

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working world

working world working world

middle of the line was smartly marked by “Viceroy”, a comfortable start for Billy Steel Sr. The next bird was a wounded cock. As the only yellow dog left in, “Aperitif” had impressed for two days, but this time overshot the mark, was slow to respond to the whistle, and Keith Broomfield’s challenge came to an end. As second dog down, Tess Lawrence kept “Cranefly” close to the fall in the kale, but scent was poor and when she lifted her head for help a couple of times she was called up. This was Noel Bayley’s chance, with “Abby” hunting resolutely to pick the runner a short distance away in the heavy cover. An eyewipe at this stage is always a bonus, and this meant there were only four left. Next two hen birds were killed simultaneously. “Clyde” needed no help from Billy Steel Jr, but Sandra Halsted handled “Silvercloud” briefly for the second. A cock bird was shot on the far right. The 3 year old “Viceroy” was handled the distance by Billy Steel Sr. to pick successfully.

“Abby” and “Silvercloud” each completed the round with marked pheasants in the kale. Meanwhile a woodcock had been shot on the far right. Billy Steel Jr. handled “Clyde” over the fence on the right, and

over the brow onto a steep bluff facing the river. There the dog found out of sight, to complete an excellent retrieve. After seven retrieves for all four dogs the judges went through their books and then called for a drive. This is standard practice as Field Trial Champions need to be steady and quiet at drives as well as in the traditional walked up trials.

The 8 guns lined up high on the slopes, a good distance from the watching crowd, as the beaters brought in the ground of Trow Hill. More than enough birds were quickly dropped. Following this three of the dogs retrieved woodcock, and the fourth collected a pheasant. Four dogs had managed to complete 8

Walking up the snow covered kale. With judge Nigel Rowson are Sandra Halstead and Kurt Becksteiner.

The four award winners in line for the run-offson the 3rd day.

The winner Noel Bayley with Craighorn Abby, which became a Field Trial Champion by winning the 2008 IGL Retriever Championship.

The four judges. From L-R Nigel Rowson (England),Bill Ferguson (Scotland), Dermot Donnelly (Ireland),Mark Bettinson (Wales).

retrieves and the 2008 Championship was concluded. As always the judges had been looking for the best game-finding dogs, showing accurate marking, handling when necessary, but also showing good noses and hunting ability. Some had shone on longer, harder retrieves, collected runners, or completed eyewipes, where other dogs had failed. The dog which had been most consistent and taken its chance was a 3 year old Black Labrador bitch “Craighorn Abby”, bred in Scotland and sired by last year’s Retriever Champion Willowyck Ruff. Abby was owned and handled by Noel Bayley from Cheshire.

The IGL President Richard Parker gave profuse thanks to the sponsors Skinners, the landowners and keepers, the guns, and to Secretary Philip Wainwright and his helpers. All who were there will agree it was a Championship memorable for the stunning snow-clad scenery, exemplary organization, and some firsts among the competitors. The prizes were kindly presented by Earl Percy, on behalf of the landowners.

As the winner was announced supporters sweetly sang “No-el, No-el, No-el, No-el, he is the king of the I G L” to the tune of the well known carol.

RESULTS:1) Noel Bayley’s Labrador dog Craighorn Abby (born 25-5-05). 2) Billy Steel Senior’s Labrador dog F.T.Ch. Leadburn Viceroy3) Sandra Halstead’s Labrador bitch F.T.Ch. Levenghyl Silvercloud of Drakeshead4) Mrs A Reid’s Labrador dog F.T.Ch. Hillus Clyde (Handler Billy Steel Junior)

QUOTES:Mark Bettinson (Judge) “It was very exciting and interesting to judge the Championship on such super ground.”

Chris Brain (First time competitor) “A fantastic experience, I look forward to doing better next time”.

Kurt Becksteiner (from Austria) “It was a privilege to be the first foreign competitor to qualify. Amazingly I was not nervous, though trials are more stressful than flying an aeroplane. ”

Kevin Jackson (Spectator) “The setting was spectacular and the best dogs showed through in the end.”

Noel Bayley (Winning Handler) “ The dog has gone well this year, but now I am on top of the world”.

PhilWagland

I am a retired teacher aged 70, who has had working Golden Retrievers for 35 years. I am an A panel judge, and the secretary of two Retriever Clubs.

The Retrievers Club Italiano deeply thanks the author Mr Phil Wagland and Shooting Times for letting us have this report

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the resulting effect is generally more lasting. Other movements, such as gently lifting and dropping various parts of the body are used in combination with the circular movements. Then, there is the use - somewhat different from normal - of bandages, T-shirts and other “tools” (leads, collars, harnesses, sticks etc.) used in a coordinated way during the exercises for increasing self-confidence and body awareness.

To the casual observer all this could appear to be an educational method or traditional training as leads, collars and harnesses are often employed.

The difference, however, lies in the way the possibility to learn is provided. These techniques encourage and lead the animal to concentrate and think for himself in ways often not seen in traditional training. This method has nothing to do with methods based on operant conditioning or with other traditional systems.

I believe that this method should not be underestimated either when used on its own or in combination with other methods of educating and training dogs. Neither should it be overlooked in assisting with recovery from illness or injury alongside more traditional veterinary therapies. I see it also being used, in general, in combination for the various functional uses of our retriever breeds.

The techniques, that have much in common with the Feldenkrais Method® for people, were first developed by Linda Tellington-Jones to use with horses and, after having had great success, were adapted for other animals.

TTOUCH involves very light movements of the fingers and hands in various positions and in various

combinations to manipulate the skin rather than the deeper muscular system.

TTOUCH differs from massage, which works on the muscular system, in that it activates the cells and stimulates the nerve endings just under the surface of the skin to awaken the central nervous system - a little like “turning on the electric lights of the body”. Awakening this connection means having the possibility to reorganize the models of behaviour previously learnt and being able to improve the general well-being of the animal along with the more specific e.g. assisting pain. New and more appropriate behaviours can be learnt more easily and the rapport between animal and animal, and animal and human improved.

From scientific knowledge we know that we humans deal with emotional problems in the cellular receptors over all the body. And, also from scientific knowledge, we know that for animals it is the same!

TTOUCH recognizes the locations influenced by the emotions and by behaviour and hence, modifying the locations to release the schemes of tension with the body our animals can become more open to change. This is the motive why an undesirable behaviour can diminish or often disappear altogether.

There are many uses of TTOUCH. It can be employed to resolve behavioural problems such as aggression,

excessive barking, chewing, vomiting, reluctance to travel in the car,, fear of loud noises, unsociable behaviour towards people , other dogs or other animals, excessive timidity, excitability, lack of equilibrium, jumping up, pulling on the lead, hyperactivity, nervous behaviour, rigid articulation, awkward movement, slow learning, lack of concentration, lack of trust, jealousy, separation anxiety, reluctance to be touches (veterinarian, groomers, when injured etc).

TTOUCH is not to be considered as a replacement for the veterinarian but they themselves can use these techniques to calm

the animal and to help deal with pain and shock. It is also used to assist with recovery from injury, surgery and illness.

Some kennel workers and volunteers use the TTOUCH method in rescue centres to help the animals stay

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health and wellnesshealth and wellness

TELLINGTON TTOUCH®

by Fabio Nicodemi

Some time ago, after I stopped actively competing in the show and working world, I turned my attention to searching for answers to a couple of increasingly pressing questions: why was the relationship between my dogs and myself becoming so important and indispensable to me? What could I do to insure that the second phase of our life together should be of the best possible quality?

While I was searching for possible answers, among the various seminars I attended at the time, there was one that particularly impressed me. It was one which involved using a combination of specific touches with the fingers and hands all over the bodies of the dogs present (one of which was mine). It also involved a new way of walking with the dogs using more than one lead at a time. There were small obstacles which seemed banal to me and also surfaces that differed slightly from the more normal. I realised that many of the dogs, some of which came to the seminar with various behavioral or physical problems, seemed to be greatly changed over the two days we were together.

Some years have passed since then and I am more than happy to assure you that what I had to guess at then has become, with some experience after studying the method in depth, really something quite extraordinary and useful for the physical and mental well-being of our animal companions.So, Mind and Body! Here then, finally, is what I have been able to learn and to share with my dogs. Today I am completely convinced that this method has played no small part in increasing the reciprocal understanding and communication between my dogs and myself and has given me a complete answer to the questions I was posing.

Tellington TTouch (abbreviated as TTOUCH) is a method of training animals involving “work on the body” and “exercises on the ground” which contribute to an improvement in coordination, equilibrium, mental capacity, attention span, communication, understanding and respect between the animals and their owners.

TTouch, then, is a mix of very gentle techniques suitable for all animals, old and young.

The foundation of the TTouch method is based on a series of circular movements (touches) of the fingers and hands all over the body. These touches are often mistaken for caresses or massage but, unlike massage, we work on manipulating the skin and

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improve the mental, emotional and physical well-being of animals

healthy and to lower the levels of stress during their stay awaiting future adoption.

Breeders, trainers and instructors can use the method from puppyhood to help with increasing body awareness, to develop trust and self-confidence, and to provide them with a state of mind to learn more efficiently. It can be a help both in containing an over-exuberant character and with drawing out a timid or diffident character.

Handlers in both the show and work environments could profitably employ the techniques as an addition to the tiring preparatory training or as a valid system for increasing precision, attention, movement, steadiness and will to please that are required in competition. It is also beneficial for controlling pre- and post- competition stress.

I am convinced that our retrievers can benefit enormously from the use of TTOUCH in all situations where a change in behaviour is desired for whatever motive, and perhaps merely to increase the general level of well-being of our dogs.

Whatever the motive or situation for applying the method, these techniques are really simple to learn. They can be used by anyone as it is not necessary to have any prior knowledge of anatomy.

In short, by using TTOUCH in any situation our dogs can learn to “act” rather than “re-act” instinctively. Or, more simply, they...”learn to learn”!

If you are interested in learning further about TTOUCH you can consult the official Italian website HYPERLINK “http://www.tteam.it for information about courses or other initiatives, to find the nearest qualified instructor, or just to have further information.

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by Patty Fellows

In the spring of 2007 a few RCI members were invited to the Spring Specialty - the largest Labrador event held in the world today - by members of the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac (“LRCP”), a regional breed club covering Mid-Atlantic States on the East Coast of the United States. The Italian guests returned very enthusiastic about the visit, and told their friends about the friendly atmosphere, excellent organization, many innovations and, last but not least, wonderful dogs.

When I decided to visit Maryland the following summer, I got some contact numbers for LRCP, hoping to learn more about the Spring Specialty and the people behind it. Since the early 1970’s the event has grown to attract over 1000 exhibitors from the US, Europe and Asia. It takes place over three days and its activities include conformation, obedience, tracking, educational forums, a Lab rescue parade and more. I made contact with Debby Kay, a LRCP founding officer, who lives in the historic town of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. She agreed to host me on a Sunday morning, to share photos and memories and to tell me about her views on trends in show world in the US today.

The historic town of Harper’s Ferry is at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers meet, at the corner of West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. The town played an important role in the American Civil War and today you can visit old Harper’s Ferry and its museums, take scenic nature hikes or go white water rafting down the Potomac River.

Debby and her husband Samuel Cochran live in an old farmhouse on the outskirts of town, near the Potomac

River, with lots of land and surrounded by dense woods. Their farmhouse has been renovated to house their dogs on the ground floor, with a large adjoining kennel outside. On the first floor Debby shows me her extensive library, replete with rare historic volumes, textbooks on animal learning and behavior, a collection of breed manuals from around the world and some very special signed books from women she remembers as her early mentors, such as the British breeders Mary Roslin-Wil-liams and Susan Scales, and the American breeder Helen Warwick. She also points out her collection of Italian Labrador books, bought when she visited Italy many years ago to train dogs for airport detection work.

The ground floor also houses Debby’s office, where there are many photos and a nice display case of awards and other retriever memorabilia. Downstairs Samuel gives us a tour of his winemaking laboratory and cantina. He has planted vineyards along with other crops on their farm and also imports grape juice from around the world to create many different kinds of wine, for which he has won several awards. We open a bottle of 2004 Barolo and a delicious black currant Merlot. His cantina is well-stocked and cheerfully decorated (including a Lab portrait of “Barkus – the Dog of Wine”), but the wines

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people and retrievers

FabioNicodemi

lives in Rome with his three labradors and one cat. As a member of the RCI he has frequented the world of show and work. He is increasingly interested in the problems of man - animal relationships and assimilating the dog into the social world.He began practising Tellington TTouch in 2004 and now, in the sphere of the triennial training programme, he is an authorized Practitioner in Training

DEBBY KAYand the functional Lab

required to work in water or upland in all temperatures and conditions. An easy way to identify a correct coat is by the tail, which should have an outer coat wrapping neatly around the undercoat to the tip without any loose feathering underneath.”

“In show rings. today, winning dogs increasingly display an incorrect, open coat, seen as a longish top coat that does not adhere to the body. Because this type of coat is often coupled with an abundant, fluffy undercoat and appears thick, it can easily be misinter-preted for the correct type. The Lab is not intended to be flashy in the ring, like some more attractive breeds. Unfortunately, in the desire to win group placements, breeders can sometimes make the wrong decisions with regard to coat type. This has already happened with other sporting breeds, like the Cocker Spaniel, whose long flowing coat makes a pretty picture as he runs around the ring, but no longer serves its original purpose for hunting in the field.”

In light of these trends today, and the fact that few judges possess in-depth knowledge of the functional aspects of sporting breeds, breed clubs can help by providing strong guidance to their members. One fun way to promote a common understanding of conformation among judges, breeders and owners is to hold what is referred to in the U.S. as ‘parts’ matches, educational seminars in which judges teach particular aspects of conformation such as movement, head or tails. During these matches judges conduct an oral critique of exhibited dogs, with the aim of helping people to understand conformation in a non-competiti-ve context. They are allowed to see and touch as well as ask questions.

the show ring today. She explains that the original St. John’s water dog was recorded as having three types of coat: 1) a longish, wavy coat, found in today’s Newfoundland Retriever, 2) a broken coat – featuring a longish outer coat that bends inwards - preserved by the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and 3) a short, dense and harsh outer coat with a thick undercoat, the correct type for the Labrador. She explains:

“The first two coat types can be carried through successive generations as a recessive trait and crop up from time to time in any bloodline. Early breeders I mentored under warned this can be a real problem if you do not stay on top of it in your breeding program. The third type, the correct one, can be easily identified by sight and touch because it wraps closely around the contours of the body, fitting like a jacket. A correct coat repels water, burrs and dirt, an extremely important function for sporting dogs that may be

and keenness to work under pressure and under any conditions. These could be icy or rough water, hot weather or heavy cover. Secondly, with respect to conformation, a correct head, coat and tail.”

“While most Labs today still possess innate working traits such as the desire to retrieve, the ability to mark and a good nose, many break down when things get tough. The drive to work at any time and under all conditions can be considered one of the hallmarks of the breed, and one of the reasons the British brought St. John’s dogs over from Newfoundland.”

“Likewise, today’s winning Labs should also exhibit the essential conformation traits that typify the breed: a correct head, coat and tail, as described in the standard written by the breed’s founders a hundred years ago. A Lab should look like a Lab. Why should I improve upon or a change a standard that was written to reflect the functions that the breed was created to perform?” she asks.

Debby has conducted seminars for judges and breeders across the U.S. to explain from an in-depth and historical perspective what conformation means for a functional Lab. She has particularly focused on the importance of a correct coat, a trait that is at risk in

are not for sale, only for tasting. To compliment Sam’s wine Debby offers some of her gourmet goat cheeses. In addition to dogs, she breeds American Alpine dairy goats and some very pretty rare heirloom chickens. With their delicious cheese and wine in hand, we return to Debby’s office and she began to tell me her story about the challenges facing breeders today in the US.

“When I started breeding in 1969, just about all Labs in the United States could pass the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.’s Working Certificate. This test is a non-competitive assessment, in the sense that participating dogs compete against a standard and not each other. It qualifies show Labs for the title of Champion and involves a few simple retrieves on land and in water, and proof that your dog is not gun shy. Sadly, many show Labs today would not pass. Since I first started about 40 years or 10 to 15 generations ago, show dogs have continued to lose their basic working abilities, and with this, the unique traits that distinguish the breed. If nothing is done to stop this trend, the Lab will end up like the American Cocker Spaniel. This dog can be an excellent family pet and is pretty to look out, but should be classed today as a ‘non-sporting’ breed.”

She continues, “I’m particularly concerned about two aspects of show breeding today. First of all, in terms of temperament, Labs are losing a kind of “boldness”

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Multichampion Chilbrook Aurora receives“Dogs for all Reasons” award

Chilbrook Lone Ranger on the move in the ring

Multichampion Chilbrook Aurora sits with a retrieved duck

Mom Chilbrook Morgan with pups (Ross Stanfield)

Chilbrook Lone Ranger receives hisCompanion Dog Obedience title

people and retrievers people and retrievers

respect for animals and a desire to teach infuses all that she does, and can be observed in her website:www.chilbrook.com.

In all her work to date, Debby has also fulfilled a special request made to her by a person we all regard as one of the functional Lab’s greatest benefactors - Mary Roslin-Williams of Mansergh kennels. When Debby visited Mrs. Roslin-Williams for the last time, Mary asked her to carry on her efforts to preserve the dual-purpose Lab, so that her legacy might not be forgotten. Two weeks later she passed away. I think that Mrs. Roslin-Williams would be happy to see that Debby has not forgotten that promise.

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people and retrievers people and retrievers

Another suggestion Debby makes is to create a conformation certificate for field Labs, and to promote as a national parent club dual prizes and titles. Recently, one of Debby’s favorite bitches, Chilbrook Aurora RN SH, earned the coveted “Dog for All Reasons” award at a LRC National Specialty in Oregon: over the course of several days she qualified in the hunt test, placed in two rally obedience trials and won the Hunting Retriever Conformation Class.

Debby has engaged in many kinds of training over the years: detection, search and rescue, service work for the blind and disabled, as well as performance-related training for conformation, field, obedience, rally obedience, tracking and agility. When asked whether we can preserve the Lab’s true nature by training for any of these disciplines, Debby replies:

“The Labrador is versatile, and can excel at many jobs. But his original purpose was as a water retriever, and the only way to preserve his true nature

is to test him at what makes him unique. Any qualifying assessment should include a retrieving test in water, along with any other tasks.”

At present there are no dual-champion Labs in the U.S., largely because American field trials require highly specialized training and very talented dogs, capable of precision handling up to about 400 meters. However, hunt tests have bridged the gap by qualifying dogs at three levels (Junior Hunter, Senior Hunter and Master

Hunter) in tests that recreate more accurately ordinary hunting situations in North America. Master Hunter is a coveted title, and requires participating dogs to complete difficult tasks on land or water, such as triple marks and blinds, within distances that never exceed what could realistically be encountered in an ordinary shoot. As a non-elimination trial, participants compete against a standard and not against each other, allowing more than one dog to qualify in any trial. Today in the U.S. there are 50 Champions with the MH title, a positive sign that the good looking, functional Lab survives.

Debby is also the author of the book The Labrador Breeders Handbook, a reference book offering useful advice gained from many years experience as a breeding consultant. One interesting chapter explains how to maximum the pedigree using the line breeding technique of “convergent improvement”. With the aid of useful charts and tables, the text treats complex scientific concepts in a straightforward and practical manner. Debby started her career as a chemist and later moved on to geochemical exploration with the US Geological Survey. She grew up on a dairy farm and has spent her whole life working with animals in many capacities. A clear scientific approach, love and

Am Can Ch Chilbrook Solitaire jumping for retrieve on the Potomac River, famous for its waterfowl hunting.

FCI MC Chilbrook Fedora (Dory)

Chilbrook Lone Ranger dives into the water

above - Debby gives a demonstration of Rally Obedienceright - Debby con Chilbrook Edora at 13 months..below - Chilbrook Galliard (“Gillie”).

The 34th annual Potomac Spring Specialty will be held this year on April 8, 9 and 10 on the grounds of the Holiday Inn in Frederick, Maryland.

In the show ring bitches will be judged by Lynn Minchella (Abbeystead) and dogs by David Craig (Davricard). Other activities will include Obedience and Rally Obedience trials, a special program for junior handlers, an education seminar on puppy structure, the Parade of Rescue Dogs, an optigen clinic and Canine Good Citizen tests.

The renowned Potomac Gala will celebrate veterans and junior handlers, and “yellow, chocolate or black tie” is optional. Find out more about this 3-day event on the LRCP website at www.lrcp.com/.

adapt itself to producing more amylase but needs time. The substitution of old food with new should always occur over at least four days, but it would be better to complete the changeover in one week or even 10 days. The health of our dogs depends also on the correct management of their diet; it is therefore not only important which food you use but also how you administer it, the reciprocal rapport of its components and the production processes it has gone through.

by Lucia Casini

In the last article we talked about nutrition for working dogs. At this point, however, it would be useful to take a step backwards to understand more about dogs and how to manage their diet in a correct manner.

Dogs are not defined as strictly carnivorous, and they do not need to eat food only derived from animals. Their digestive system is in fact able to digest and utilize some foods of vegetable origin as well; in particular, they can utilize for energy starches contained in cereals and potatoes. Their ability to digest starch has, however, limits that we should understand.

Starch is a complex carbohydrate constituted of a long chain of smaller molecules: glucose. Due to its large size starch cannot pass through the intestinal lining, but must undergo a digestive process that breaks up chemical bonds to liberate the glucose. In man digestion of starch starts in the mouth. Saliva and

the act of chewing start to digest starch, which is then completed in the stomach and the intestines with the help of ‘amylase’, an enzyme produced by the pancreas.

As we well know, also by observation, dogs do not chew food. Their teeth are not made to grind up food but only have the function to tear and reduce it to pieces of a size that can be swallowed. Furthermore, the saliva of dogs does not contain enzymes to break down starch. With this there is the fact that their pancreas does not produce large quantities of amylase; so, even in the intestines, starch is not digested as efficiently as in man.

There are some suitable techniques to help dogs digest starch. The first and most important is to cook food correctly. In the case of home-made diets, all of the foods containing starch – like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes – should be well cooked. Heating food modifies the structure of starch and renders it more digestible, a process called ‘gelatini-zation’. Once cooked, food should not be administered when cold or after conserving for a long time. This is because in food that is cooled and dried out, starch will partially return to its original state and lose the positive effect of cooking.

Dry commercial pet foods such as kibble are subjected to a special and highly efficient thermal treatment called ‘extrusion’.

This treatment is carried out at a high temperature (170-200° C), under pressure and for a few seconds so as to totally gelatinize the starch. Some dog foods contain instead cereal flakes. Flaking is another thermal and mechanical treatment that renders starch more digestible, but it is less efficient than extrusion and causes starch to be only partially gelatinized. The second thing we should be careful about, above all with commercial diets, is administering the daily dose. It is noted that the German Shepherd and northern breeds produce on average less amylase and are therefore more sensitive to variations in the quantity of starch in their diet. There is however a noted variability among individual subjects that should be taken into consideration.

Bearing this in mind, let’s have a look at how to reduce the incidence of intestinal disturbances tied to the excessive presence of foods rich in starch. What is the percentage of starch in the food that we are giving our dogs? Even if we are unable to find the indication of the amount of starch we can nevertheless calculate it from other information given on the chemical analysis that must always be reported on the package (see box).

We should also avoid changing pet foods frequently, especially when there is no real necessity to do so. If we really have to substitute kibble we should do it in a systematic manner, always changing over foods very gradually. A dog’s pancreas can

Example 1Moisture 9%Crude Protein 23%Crude Fat 14%Crude Fiber 3%Ash 8%

Total 57%Starch 100-57=43%

Esempio 2Moisture 9% Crude Protein 30%Crude Fat 17%Crude Fiber 3%Ash 7%

Total 66%Starch 100-66=34%

How to compute the quantity of starch present in a pet food.

On every package a standard chemical analysis must be reported.

1- Look for the percentage of moisture, protein, fat, cellulose (or fiber) and ash.

2- Don’t factor in other percentages reported, such as minerals and vitamins, which are integrated into the food.

3- Sum up the percentages. You’ll see that they do not add up to 100.

At this point subtract this value from 100, which is the final result representing sugar, constituted almost entirely of starch.

Clearly, with higher percentages of protein and fat, there is a lower percentage of starch.

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health and wellness health and wellness

A DOG’S DIET:starch

Too often I have found myself having to follow puppies with major problems inserting themselves into new contexts because they were raised in a kind of sound isolation: think of how terrifying cities like Milan or Rome must seem to a puppy that has lived his first two months, or more, in a place without sound, cared for perhaps by only one very nice and competent person, without ever having seen, smelled or interacted with other people.

In these cases it is fundamental that puppies are manipulated by many different people, possibly of both genders and of different ages. We know that puppies are not “politically correct” and that, in their eyes, a child is “different” from an adult, as a man with black skin is “different” from one with white skin. The puppy needs to learn, during the socialization phase, to overcome similar generalizations.

We can also expose puppies to sounds, perhaps with the help of acoustic devices, make them play with objects of different materials, make them walk on different types of surfaces (wood, carpet, tiles, grass…). When they are a bit older they can take a trip in the car, perhaps in a city, to expose them to sounds and smells they’ll need to get used to. We can make them interact with puppies of “different” breeds, naturally only if they are healthy and “safe” from a social point of view. These simple strategies can “equip” the puppy with a baggage of experience that prepares him better for his new life with his adopted family. It is important

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by Cinzia Stefanini

Puppies are born with a great deal of potential, as well as the capacity to develop every cognitive ability within genetic limits. With the passing of days and weeks, however, these numerous possibilities gradually reduce as experience molds personalities and “shapes” neurons.

It is our responsibility to guide this shaping in the desired direction and limit it, to obtain the most elastic cognitive abilities. Puppies are born deaf and blind but this does not signify that they are unable to communicate with the external world. During the neonatal phase, the strongest sensory channel is thermal-tactile, along with that of hearing. Puppies live through seven phases (see box), each equally important for their correct development, but the most relevant is the phase of socialization. It is important to consider that this phase concludes at the 12th week of life. Given that breeders generally give pups to their newly adopted families around eight weeks, one realizes that most of socialization is the responsi-bility of the breeder, who must expose the puppy to various stimuli – olfactory, visual, tactile – so that he will not only form the highest number of neural maps possible, but also so that he will be “more able” to form them in the future.

Naturally, a fundamental part of this work consists in finding out how to expose puppies to increasingly more intense stimuli in such a way that they can be tolerated. It is therefore important to calibrate the type,

quantity and sequence of stimuli so that they become part of their knowledge rather than phobic impulses that may create insurmountable fear. With this in mind, it is important to identify more sensitive pups that may be more easily frightened; you can “expose” them more often, but with lower-intensity stimuli. I personally believe that breeders that live in very quiet areas and in isolated dwellings should be especially concerned about this work, particularly if they raise guarding breeds or dogs of medium-large size that may later live in cities.

to understand that new owners are rarely as prepared as they should be to socialize a puppy and they rarely have the necessary time; this is why breeders should carry out a correct socialization themselves and explain correctly to owners what they need to do with a new puppy.

It is really sad to be called by dog owners to help a “timid” or “aggressive” puppy and find yourself in front of a subject terrified of people (maybe only of men or of children, because he has never seen them) or the sound of cars, or that manifests exaggerated reactions when a bicycle passes by or a door bangs. It is truly difficult to communicate to the owner that it is an uphill battle, that his puppy is suffering and will probably not recover completely. We know that breeders do an excellent job at selecting for puppies that are exempt of hereditary illness or respect breed standards, but it is also important to urge them to work at raising puppies that are healthy from a behavioral point of view and predisposed to accept life’s challenges in the most effective way.

TWO DIFFERENT BOOKS, CORNERSTONES OF THE NEW APPROACH TO EDUCATING PUPPIES:

Ian Dunbar - Before you get your puppy - After you get your puppy.Jean Donaldson - The culture clash.

health and wellness health and wellness

LET’S HELP THISPUPPY GROW

Phases of development

1) PRENATAL PERIOD: In this period the subject acquires information through the environment; the mother’s body mediates this information.

2) NEONATAL PERIOD: After birth, the puppy has not yet fully formed his image of the world and must complete neuron development.

3) TRANSITIONAL PERIOD: This period is the true birth of the puppy: he slowly completes his image of the world. The sense and coordination of movement is stabilized.

4) PERIOD OF SOCIALIZATION

5) SEPARATION PHASE: In this phase the subject begins to explore the surrounding world and separate himself from his mother.

6) SEXUAL MATURITY: This is an important and difficult period in which impulses of competition and self esteem become prevalent; in species with social systems subjects must find a role within the group and try to reach a higher rung – a guarantee for reproduction.

7) SOCIAL MATURITY: This phase is characterized by a strong tendency to develop social intelligence, the capacity to individuate ways to obtain an advantage from/across social relations.

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Walking down to the sea with our four-legged friends…

by Patty Fellows

While alpine resorts are a often a popular choice for winter vacations with our four-legged friends, trips to Liguria off season can offer a welcome respite from the cold fog and drizzle of inland towns and cities. During winter months you can find mild, sunny weather, a relaxed unhurried atmosphere and beaches that often allow dogs.

Retriever owners can take walks along the beach, scenic hikes and excursions in the ‘entroterra’, practice water retrieves and even sit outside at bars and restaurants on a sunny day. We’ve listed below a few suggestions of where to go with your retriever. To set the atmosphere, we’ve also asked RCI member Gianni Dainotti to tell us about his life with his nine-year old Lab in the city of Savona…

There are lots of interesting places to stay with dogs listed on the website www.dogwelcome.it , run by a nonprofit association and dedicated to dog owners traveling in Italy and abroad. In Liguria we found 22 pages of hotels, farm hotels, b&b’s and apartments that welcome pets in the provinces of Genova, Imperia, La Spezia and Savona. All structures listed have been thoroughly checked out to make sure there are no unnecessary restrictions on pets, and many have

been inserted by dog owners visiting the site, who also leave their comments.

Here are a few suggestions:

Agriturismo ‘La Casa sul Poggio’ www.lacasasulpoggio.it/Santo Stefano d’Aveto

Located at 1000 meters in a quiet valley in the Apennine mountains, the hotel is surrounded by pastures, pine forests, beech groves, lakes and streams. Nearby there are many hiking trails and cross country skiing in the winter. Pets are allowed in rooms, the breakfast room and a large fenced-in garden. Co-owner and RCI member Maddalena Massone also organizes basic education and agility courses, as well as activities for children. The structure offers six mini-apartments, each offering a unique solution. Dog beds and cages are available on request.Agriturismo La casa sul poggio Agriturismo Bedogni von Berger

Agriturismo ‘U Baregu’www.ubaregu.it/

Diano San Pietro (IM)

A newly restructured rustic house immersed in olive groves in the hills behind Diano Marina, 6 km from the beach. The structure sleeps up to four and features a lovely view and an outdoor terrace and barbecue area. Visiting dogs are allowed to run freely in the large private grounds. The Sagueto family rents the house on a weekly basis and also sells typical Ligurian products like olive oil, olives, pesto and fruits and vegetables.

Agriturismo ‘Bedogni-von Berger’ www.agriturismogolfdeipoeti.com/

Golfo dei Poeti (La Spezia)

This quiet romantic hotel is in the middle of a farm of over 20 hectares in the hills of La Spezia next to the National Park of the Cinque Terre, an uncontaminated area of olive groves, terraced vineyards and forests with rare wild animals. There are guest rooms and apartments for 2 to 6 persons in two restructured stone Ligurian houses from the 16th century with a panoramic view over the Golf. Each apartment has a separate entrance, chimney, kitchen and an external garden or patio. Guests can take walks in the property, visit nearby towns like Porto Venere or take hikes in the National Park.

Agriturismo U Baregu

Rules about dogs’ access to beaches in Liguria is the responsibility of local municipalities and port authorities, as in Italy there is no national legislation. Generally dogs are accepted on beaches outside the bathing season (usually from October to the end of March) but it’s best to get information from the local authority before risking a fine. In Liguria there are also many parks and hiking trails for taking walks with your retriever, extending from sea cliffs over hills and olive groves to the Apennine mountains. The Parchi di Nervi in Genova is made up of several botanical gardens that used to belong to private villas and includes a 2 km path that was used by fisherman and farmers in the early

1800’s to reach the sea. As with beaches, visit local tourist offices in each locality to find out whether dogs are allowed in individual parks and whether any specific rules apply.

people and retrievers people and retrievers

WINTER ESCAPEin Liguria

on watching me and waiting for the next command, she would be even more surprised when Brett came to my side at the command “heel”, ready to leave the bank.With advancing age, joint problems gradually led to the cessation of physical exercise. Against his will, Brett had to end his “field” work. When preparing to leave home, he would fix with his eyes the bag of dummies. During brief walks along the beach or in the woods, he would arrive with his tail wagging and a stick in his mouth. At all costs Brett wanted to reassume his

natural activity of retrieving. We came to a sort of tacit agreement: “retrieving without getting tired”. In the city, the fortress Priamar is a few steps from our house. Renovated with large green areas, the citadel is well adapted to practicing simple retrieves. In accord with our implicit pact, we would down from the fortress in Spring and Summer and head towards the bar in the usual piazza in the historic center. Sitting in the shade with friends in the tranquil atmosphere of late afternoon, our talk and laughter would attract other friends. While Teddy, between one client and another, reviewed a new book at the table, petting Brett, our friend from the sports clothing shop would tell me about the activities of

the charity L.A.V. and of the city animal shelter.

From then not much has changed. Walking along the avenues in the center of Savona I often turn around to the exclamations: “look, the dog from the bookshop”, or “look, the dog from the bench”. Whether seated obediently at the entrance of the bookshop, or lying along a bench in the port to relive his ancestral memories, with his happy and sociable attitude, the Labrador communicates with man in an expressive language, dense with instinctive feelings. The affection for animals, as opposed to that for man (beset by delusion), can become the most durable and deepest love. In the emotional ties between man and dog, the feelings of man, no matter how noble, are always come “second” with respect to the love of the animal. I watch Brett display in a typically doggish way his irrepressible love for man. Despite his advancing age, like a funny and touching puppy, he says goodbye to the friends from the bar who leave for home. With eyes that talk and express feelings, he communicates his friendship to man, a sort of salutation until the next meeting: “see you tomorrow…we’ll see each other again at Teddy’s”.

decorated ceilings of the portico in Via Paleocapa. The “caruggi” (alleys) evoke an antique atmosphere, made tangible by the presence of historic buildings with fine portals from the Renaissance era. In the middle of the historic center we reach Via Pia and Piazzetta della Maddalena. It is in this pulsing crossroad, a well-known promenade and meeting place, that Brett and I stop to meet friends. The meeting point is Teddy’s bookshop, located at the edge of the piazza. Always welcomed by Teddy, from a tender age Brett has become accustomed to stopping in the shop on

the way home from our walk together.During our chats with friends, silent and composed at our side, Brett is pet by clients who recognize him as the bookshop mascot.For a certain period, these visits to the bookshop when returning from dog shows or training sessions had a positive effect on Brett’s behavior. Being in fact rather emotional, the lively atmosphere of the bookshop helped Brett to free himself of the stress accumulated during dog competitions.Initially with the help of old English texts, and then with the help of expert instructors, Brett became a well-balanced Labrador through the practice of retrieval training. The dog enjoyed this commitment was as much as it was necessary to maintain and transmit his innate working abilities to offspring.Participating in field activities also helped develop our understanding and rapport in everyday situations. Excellent in obedience, he followed me everywhere. He was adaptable to people and different environments, and even became used to coming with me to the bank. Even today, when it’s my turn at the bank counter, Brett waits in a corner without disturbing the other clients, perfectly “steady”. “How do you manage to hypnotize your dog?”; an amazed client would ask me. Observing my dog, intent

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by Gianni Dainotti

Distant sounds from the fields and the peaceful atmosphere of the courtyard were fading in a matter of minutes. With paws glued to the car window and a melancholic whimper, the little Labrador I had adopted left the farmhouse where he had spent the first three months of life.

For Brett, his arrival in the city was a shock. We found ourselves in tumultuous pre-Christmas traffic, immersed in the rumble of vehicles and people that invade city streets.To calm him down I carried him in my arms across the center of the city to reach home. Along the way festive crowds of people continued to stop to pet the “little bear” that had just arrived in the city.With his loveable and extroverted character, Brett is known today throughout the city center. He considers every single person his friend rather than a fearful stranger, and becomes familiar with whomever he meets. During the nine years of our singular and happy life together, making use of his “educative arts”, Brett has even conquered the affection of some shopkeepers in the city center.I remember well one of his first encounters with Mrs. Letizia. In that period, as my student Brett had reached an excellent level of education. With much patience, I had dedicated myself some time before to teaching him correct behavior. This kind of training was aimed at controlling his exuberance and making him more well-balanced, suited at living within a family and an ideal companion for walks.Once he reached full control over his behavior, my mother decided

to take him with her on her daily shopping errands. He was impeccable while walking at heel, following her every step without getting in the way of her shopping bags. All went smoothly until my mother decided to shop at the municipal covered market.Even if she was busy working behind the large fruit and vegetable stand, Mrs. Letizia recognized the dog that had arrived a few months earlier in the city, to whom she had given the name “piccolo orsetto” or “little bear.” Hearing his nickname, and instinctively recognizing her voice, Brett let himself be overtaken by uncontrollable joy, forgetting his model behavior. We were dismayed. From that day until now, whenever he is called by that voice in a perfect Savonese dialect, Brett is overtaken by an exuberant display of feelings.

A few steps away from the municipal covered market, along the port, lapping waves resound in the old dockyard. On the original “Quai du bois” (wharf for timber landing), fishing nets lay along the ground to receive necessary repairs before embracing again the sea. The intense sea smell recalls Brett to his ancestral memories. While I watch him sniff the salty air with eyes half closed, my thoughts drift to the arrival of Labradors aboard schooners that docked in antique English ports.Adjoining the antique port, the city center appears on the waterfront, in a rare urban contrast. In a few moments we are walking under the

people and retrievers people and retrievers

A LABRADOR meets the city

The colloquial English expression “the hair of the dog that bit you” refers to the custom of drinking alcohol to cure a hangover on the morning after a drinking binge. The origin is literal and dates back to medieval times, when the hair of a rabid dog was placed in a bite wound to promote healing. It began to be used as a metaphor in William Shakespeare’s time, even though the practice tends to make a hangover worse, not better!Do you know of any other popular sayings involving dogs? Send them to us atredazione@retriever-magazine.it

Author John Grogan collaborated on the film and ended up adopting Woodson, one of the puppies who played Marley, a calm and mellow Lab with “giant, floppy ears and heart-stealing eyes.” Grogan advises people who adopt Labs to do their homework so they know what they’re getting into - a big commitment requiring time, patience and a fair bit of money. If he had to do it all over again, this time he would crate Marley from day one, work more at being the boss and be consistent about the rules.(source: “Marley goes to Hollywood” by Rebecca Wallwork, AKC Gazette, December 2008)

“The new Seasons” on SKYThis popular TV program from Umbria about hunting, agriculture, fishing and the environment is now aired on Sky channel 943 on Saturdays at 21 and Sundays at 11.30. Presented by Diego Baccarelli, the transmission is divided into 40 episodes. Each week invited guests and experts present a different aspect of hunting or fishing.

The British dog supplies vendor Canine Concepts at www.canineconcepts.co.uk/ sells a puppy essentials kit for small, medium and large breeds. The kit contains everything they think you’ll need when getting a new puppy at an overall discounted price. Items include their most popular

dog crate, a fleece padded bed, a grooming kit, stainless steel bowls with a stand, training treats, a Puppy Kong (toy that helps teething and promotes play), a stain and odor remover for accidents and a

puppy comforter. The kit for large breeds costs £103.58 (about 111 euro).

The film version of journalist John Grogan’s bestselling novel Marley and Me will be released in Italian cinemas on the 3rd of Apr. The comedy stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston as a young couple who decide to learn about becoming parents by adopting a rambunctious but loveable Labrador puppy, who manages to turn their world upside down and steal their hearts. The film was at the top of the box office when released in the States at Christmas, hitting a new record by grossing over $100 million in just two weeks.

It took 22 Labs of different ages to play the role of Marley, and three trainers working on the set were faced with a new challenge - training dogs to be “bad”, what trainer Mark Forbes calls “anti-training.” Forbes comments: “We just encouraged everything. Especially if it was in the vein of a bad behavior – jumping on the couch, chewing something up, jumping up on you. All those things that we would normally train out of a dog, we encouraged.”

The dog that distinguished himself the most was Clyde, a working-bred Lab with the energy and intelligence that made him ideal for playing the role of Marley. “He was our classic example of the dog who had all this personality”, says Forbes, “and we encouraged him from day one to go wild with it.” The director loved him so much that the trainers were forbidden to rehearse scenes, and many of the best moments in the film were spontaneous, like the scene in which Marley knocks over a bookcase to get into his food container, which he manages to open, spilling food everywhere.

Forbes says that once shooting was over, Clyde had to fall into line and became a good dog again. He emphasizes that high-energy Labs like Clyde need plenty exercise before you can train them, as well as clear rules if you want to avoid the kind of destructive behavior shown in the film.

Retriever Training – A Back to basics approach by Robert Milner (ed. Ducks Unlimited).

A simple and comprehensive training manual for retrievers based on common sense and an understanding of dogs, written by Robert Milner, a professional trainer for nearly 30 years. During his career he has trained at least 1500 retrievers. He also taught obedience at the University of Minnesota for 10 years, and has judged retriever field trials in both the United States and in England.

Gundog Sense and Sensibility by Wilson Stephens (ed. Swan Hill Press).

Gundog training books often forget to explain the foundations of training, taken for granted by experts. This book helps you to understand the inner nature of dogs, their behavior patterns and reflexes, so that you know not only “what” to teach the dog, but also “how” to teach it. Wilson Stephens tells us what he has learned through trial and error in over 20 years of practice and study. An English classic.

The Dog Listener by Jan Fennel (HarpersCollins Publishers).

A highly readable book, best seller in England and Europe, written by a popular British trainer who has also made TV programs. Fennel has created her own personal method to relate to dogs and train them.

to buy

it’s said that

to buy

it’s said that

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Notonlyretrievers: books, tv, gifts, news, etc Notonlyretrievers: books, tv, gifts, news, etcNotonlyretrievers: books, tv, gifts, news, etc Notonlyretrievers: books, tv, gifts, news, etcedited by Patty Fellows and Alessandra Franchi edited by Patty Fellows and Alessandra Franchi

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