The Elemental Poodle October, 2009 Volume 6 Issue #4 Copyright © UPBA, 2009

From the President’s Pen By Eleni Stevens

How strange it feels to be trying to write this instead of reading a message from Sally, who has led us so ably! My first goal as President would have to be to continue the good things she has started and try not to mess it up! With her to guide me, hopefully the transition will be smooth and seamless. To introduce myself to those of you who don’t know me – I’ve been a member of UPBA since July 2005. I live in San Diego. The UKC shows I’ve participated in out here have been in Claremont, which is in Los Angeles County, put on by the Alaskan Klee Kai Club and the American Pit Bull Terrier Club. My obedience club, All Breeds Obedience Club, is a UKC affiliate club. We are planning a trial with obedience and rally obedience in April 2010, which I volunteered to chair, primarily to hopefully learn enough to be of some use in planning a UPBA show out here in the not too far distant future. I have standard and miniature poodles, some parti-colored but mostly solid. I do some AKC showing and have three UKC Champions. Both my standard boys are AKC Canine Good Citizens. It seems like I’m always at obedience class with one dog or another although I haven’t really gotten far enough to do anything competitive with it and probably never will. I call myself a breeder although I haven’t had any standard puppies in over two years. I did have one litter of miniatures last year and one this year. I’m committed to health testing and posting results on OFA – good or bad. I do medical transcription to support myself, the poodles and my cockatiels, who live in aviaries right outside my office window, so I’m at the computer most of the time, with a pile of poodles curled around my feet. On to club news - we had a great show/trial this fall and a real testament to that is the fact that we had five new members sign up at the show. What a wonderful group we had working on it to make it such a rousing success!

In the past, we have discussed trying to have a show on the West Coast or maybe in Texas to enable more members to participate and to give the East Coasters an excuse to come west. In an effort to reach this goal, I would like to see us make a concerted effort to get more members from the western part of the country. I hope to start this off by sending letters to the poodle people in California and Arizona that I have met at shows, etc. Hopefully in 2010 we will be able to make use of the six month free membership for puppy/adult dog purchasers by encouraging members to register all their litters UKC and get the word out. This would also help us increase our membership. Sue and Jennifer and the committee are doing a FANTASTIC job on the newsletter – so please continue to get your brags and news items in. I’m honored to be your President and hope that we can continue with the momentum from this past year to grow and be even more successful in the coming years.

UNITED POODLE BREEDS ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL MEETING Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the United Poodle Breeds Association Submitted by Secretary Kelsey Wolf Date: September 18, 2009 Time: 4:00 pm Board Members Present: Sally Eller, President Gloria Ogdahl, Secretary Ann Addison, Treasurer Members Present: Kelsey Wolf Andi Hungerford

Gray Hungerford Teri Carter Sue Dearholt Rina Phillips Candace Sullivan Janice Bennett Midge Tucker Karen Scopel Brenda Melillo A Welcome to new members who joined at our Fall Show: Mary Watson Jacky Young Patty Reid Denise Spotila Natalie Hefner Kelly Hefner Reading of the Minutes: Reading and approval of the minutes of the 2008 Annual Meeting of September 24, 2008. Motion: Ann Addison moved that we approve the minutes of 2008 Annual Meeting. Motion carried Report of the President: Sally Eller: September 18, 2009 for the period September 24, 2008 to September 18, 2009 Motion: Gloria Ogdahl moved that we accept the President's Report as presented. Motion carried. Report of the Secretary: Eleni Stevens: September 18, 2009 for the period September 24, 2008 to September 18, 2009 Listed Online at Yahoo Groups Report of the Membership Secretary: Elizabeth Glew: September 18,2009 for the period September 24, 2008 to September 18, 2009 Listed Online at Yahoo Groups Report of the Treasurer: Ann Addison: September 18, 2009 for the period September 24, 2008 to September 18, 2009 Report of Committees (Listed Online at Yahoo Groups) NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE: Jennifer Girard PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE: Becky Baxter WEB SITE COMMITTEE: Kelsey Wolf ELECTION OF OFFICERS: Slate of officers as presented by the Nominating Committee, no additional nominations received the slate was to be declared elected President: Eleni Stevens Vice-President: Sue Dearholt Secretary: Kelsey Wolf Treasurer: Gloria Ogdahl Membership Sec. Elizabeth Glew Old Business: None

New Business: None Meeting adjourned at 4: 1 0 pm on September 18, 2009.

Meet the Officers By Jennifer Girard

Meet Elizabeth Glew, Membership Secretary

Elizabeth got hooked on poodles by accident. She went to her local shelter looking for a small mixed‐breed dog, met Gus (pictured right), and it was all over. Her current poodles are Mo, age 10, and Lucy, age 8.

Lucy (pictured above) has a UCh and a UWP.

Mo has a UCD. They would love to earn more titles, but it’s difficult

for Elizabeth to find time and money to do it.

Elizabeth is a charter member of UPBA and, in a sense, the very first member, since it was she who got the ball rolling to start a UKC poodle club. She wanted to get more poodles active in UKC because in her opinion UKC, with its Total Dog emphasis, is the perfect registry for our versatile poodles. Elizabeth was honored to serve as the club’s first president. She left the Board after two terms in that position, and enjoyed a brief vacation before Sally asked her to come back as Membership Secretary when Theresa Brandt had to resign from that position mid‐term. Elizabeth states, “This term will be my last on the board, at least for quite a while! I am delighted that the club has grown to include a large number of competent and dedicated members who are willing and able to take leadership positions!” Elizabeth’s vision for UPBA’s future is laid out in the club’s constitution. She hopes that UPBA will continue to grow until we are able to become UKC’s National Club for the poodle breeds. She also hopes that we will be able to expand our education efforts, and that we will foster ever‐increasing participation by poodles in all the UKC events for which they are eligible. Our first step, in her opinion, should be to increase the number of shows and trials we offer, and to expand those beyond the east coast. In closing, Elizabeth says “Serving on the Board is very rewarding! I truly enjoy working with a group of poodle‐lovers to do good things for our breeds. The time commitment is moderate, and it has been very worthwhile for me.”

Meet Sue Dearholt, Vice President Sue has been a member of UPBA since the year after UPBA started and she joined to learn more about poodles and the UKC. Sue states, “I've really enjoyed getting to "know" everyone involved. It was my first "internet" club.” Sue has been owned by poodles for 11 years. Her phantom miniature, Marnie, just turned 11 in August. “If anyone would have told me I'd own a little dog even a year prior, I would have laughed them out of the room. But my eldest sister retired and got a little poodle that we would care for on occasion and I fell in love. Marnie and I have been inseparable for 11 years. We've been to 18 states together,” explains Sue.

When she got her standard poodle, Quigley, Sue really got interested in showing. Sue & Quigley started when he was little going to local fun shows and got the bug. Now it's all‐consuming for them. “We just love rally!” exclaims Sue. They show in APDT, UKC and now C‐Wags. They have also competed in conformation (UKC and IBACA), obedience (UKC and CDSP), dog sport (UKC family obedience) and Quigley has his CGC. Sue and Quigley are currently working on a freestyle routine for competition which Sue says, “will be good for a laugh anyway!” They are having a great time and love the travel associated with the shows.

Sue and her poodles are involved in several activities. She explains, “This year we made it to Premiere for the inaugural rally show ‐ you all got to see our travelogue in the last newsletter. This winter we are going to service dog training, so we can regularly visit my mother and her friends in the nursing home. We currently demo freestyle to entertain Adult Day Services and handicapped adults. They are a very forgiving audience. And Quigley just loves them. We love hitting the trails with our dog‐powered scooters and this winter, we are going to try mushing. We're always up for a new challenge. Quigley regularly helps me out on the farm. He herds our goats for me and our geese (his choice, not mine!) We stay very active and have a ton of fun!” As for UPBA’s future, Sue hopes for UPBA to grow ‐ in membership and presence in the UKC. “We have great members and need to engage everyone more; there is so much knowledge and experience among our wonderful members. I look forward to a great 2010!”

Join the

United Poodle Breeds Association on

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=64275251141

Upcoming Health Clinics Symbols for tests: Heart (Cardiac) ; Eyes ; Hearing ; Blood ; X-rays ; Other tests +; Microchip

STATE/ PROV CITY DATE TESTS

AZ Gilbert 11/3/09 " " 12/1/09 " " 1/5/10 " Tucson 11/4/09 " " 12/2/09 " " 1/6/10 " Lawndale 12/6/09 " Tustin Monthly " Upland 11/25/09 " " 12/30/09 " " 1/27/10

CO Pueblo 11/7/09 CT Clinton 11/1/09 FL Brooksville 1/16/10 " " 1/17/10

" Orlando 12/12-13/09

MD Annapolis Monthly " Salisbury 11/7/09

MA Rehoboth 11/15/09

" W.

Springfield 11/21/09

MI Auburn Hills 12/11/09

" East Lansing 11/28-29/09

" " 11/28-29/09

" Southfield 11/16/09 MN St. Paul 11/7/09

" " 11/14/09 " " 1/9/10 " " 1/16/10

MS Southhaven 10/31/09 + " " 11/1/09

NE Eagle 11/14/09 NJ Red Bank 11/8/09

" Summit 1/3/10 +NC Charlotte 10/31/09 " " 1/16/10 " Greensboro 11/7/09

OH Akron Monthly

" Tallmadge 11/21/09 OK Chickasha 11/14/09 ON Belleville 11/14/09

" Dunnville 11/13-14/09

" " 11/13/09 OR Beaverton 11/22/09

" Portland 12/13/09

" Roseburg 11/14-15/09

" " 11/14/09 " Salem 11/7-8/09

PA Lansdale 12/13/09 +" York 11/6-7/09 " Willow Street 11/21/09

SC Mt. Pleasant 10/17/09

SD Rapid City 10/16-17/09

" " 10/17/09 " Sioux Falls 10/23/09

TN Nashville 12/5/09

TX Copper Canyon

10/24/09 +

" Houston 11/14/09 + " " 11/14/09

" Huntsville 10/16-17/09

VA Purcellville 12/13/09 +WA Monroe

11/14-15/09

" " 11/14-15/09 +

" " 11/15/09 " Ridgefield 12/5/09

Thank you to Rod Russell,

for permission to use their health clinic listing. You may obtain further information at their site:

http://www.cavalierhealth.org/health_clinics.htm

RECOGNITION CERTIFICATES AWARDED

URO1 UCD GRCH PRAIRIEDOGS’ BALLROOM DANCER

Karen Scopel/Midge Tucker

CH ACAPELLA N’ SEEMARNAN IPOD MARION VALASCO & JUDY ACKER

GRCH CYPRESS SCHEHERAZADE FRONT PAGE

LINDA HOWARD/DAVID WELSH

GRCH TINTLET PETITE FILLE GRAY HUNGERFORD & GLORIA OGDAHL

CH KALI’S LIL END OF THE LYNE MARCIA GERMAN/EUGENE GERMAN

GRCH TINTLET TRES JOLI D’PECKERWOOD

ANDREA HUNGERFORD & GLORIA OGDAHL

CH TE-AWA'S STARRY STARRY NIGHT MIDGE TUCKER

UCD GRETARA JACKSON OF RIVERTON SALLY ELLER & TIM ELLER

GRCH HIGHVIEW BUILT FOR SIN KELSEY WOLF & BECKY BAXTER

CH HIGHVIEW WELSH WITCH O’TINTLET

KELSEY WOLF/JERI KELSEY WOLF

GRCH TINTLET NAMESTE KITCHEL KELSEY WOLF/GLORIA OGDAHL

GRCH TINTLET HERE’S YOUR SIGN KELSEY WOLF

UWP GRCH SISCO’S I LIKE IT LIKE THAT BECKY BAXTER & GLORIA OGDAHL

CH SISCO’S RAISIN’ CANE AT ECOLA JUDY ACKER

URO2 URO1 FO CH TAJ MY DAWG OF MELODY

RINA PHILLIPS

CONGRATULATIONS to these fantastic poodles for their UKC accomplishments! We commend you for your commitment.

Complete instructions and request form for UPBA Recognition is available in the files section of our Yahoo Group. Or you may email Sue Dearholt directly at patsy508@paulbunyan.net

Brags & Announcements

Linda Howard shares GRCH Scheherazade Nightingale's advertisement in More magazine. Watch for Norah in a Capital One Bank ad too! Louann Curry and the poodle pack in NYC have had a busy summer! She reports that “Nick earned his APDT Rally Veterans title with an Award of Merit, and earned 2 legs towards his URO1 title.

Ree (above) earned 3 legs towards her UACHX (5 legs are needed for the title), several AKC Masters (MX) and Masters Jumpers (MXJ) legs, and 2 legs towards her URO1 title—one of them with a High in Trial.

Mia (above) took and passed her ATTS Temperament Test. She also showed in conformation and earned 2 Champion wins towards her Grand, a Best of Breed, Group 1 and RBIS. In addition, she also earned 2 URO1 legs.

Dommie earned her first UACH points, her OAJ, OA, AXJ and her first AX and MXJ legs. In addition, she earned 2 legs towards her URO1. Cody earned 2 legs towards his URO1—tying his mom Ree’s scores. Evie earned her CGC and 2 legs towards her URO1 title and Monty, co owned with and handled by my good friend Dolores McDermott, earned 2 legs towards his URO1 title with 2- 1st place wins out of the A class. Monty is Ree’s litter brother. Our club had a UKC rally trial—I entered 6 and handled dogs in each trial and all 6 qualified in both trials. I was SO proud of them and SO exhausted!”

Janice Bennet had a great time at the Fall Show in Hickory! Benet Cowboy Jackson (below) finished his Championship and was BOW both shows on Friday, and BM Saturday afternoon; his first weekend out!

Benet Bold and Spicey (below) also finished from the solid mini classes. It was also his first weekend out!

Benet Old Enough To Know Better (not pictured) won once and went to a Group 3. Eleni Stevens had happy testing results! Ch Cabryn Triple Platinum (ZsaZsa) is PRA clear and normal knees.

Cabryn Moonstruck Glory Days (Georgie) is PRA Clear!

.

Karen Scopel and Midge Tucker of Prairiedogs Poodles came all the way from Greeley, CO and had a wonderful time at the Hickory shows. Sherman,

URO1 UCD GRCH Prairiedogs' Ballroom Dancer RN

took BOB after winning the GRCH class and CH Te-Awa's Starry Starry Night (Twinkle), who’s image photo from the show appears above in the recognition section, won the Champion class at our show. Sherman also took BOB at the Friday AHTA show and on Saturday won the GRCH class, qualified in Nov C so he received a Total Dog award and was also High Scoring Poodle.

Member Spotlight: Kadelia Hamilton By Jennifer Girard

For this Member Spotlight, we make a journey to Little Rock, Arkansas where we meet Kadelia Hamilton of Halo Poodles. She is a co‐owner of a veterinary clinic/boarding kennel along with her husband. She also has one son who helps out at the clinic.

Kadelia is fortunate to live on 5 beautiful acres, 3 ½ of which are under fence, that the dogs enjoy, combing every inch of the property investigating wildlife and searching new hiding places for their “yard treasures” and cow femurs as a result of a home made diet. Kadelia states, “I’m sure the neighbors are curious why our yard resembles Jurassic Park with “dinosaur” bones everywhere.” Kadelia has been involved with poodles since 1956. It all started with a Christmas present. Hung from the arm of a chair was a pink velvet stocking filled with what appeared to be a stuffed toy, until it blinked. It wasn’t a stuffed toy, but a white Toy Poodle. Kadelia couldn’t believe her eyes and remember it as clearly as if it were yesterday. She fell in love with the breed and has lived with a poodle ever since. Other breeds (German Shepherds, Afghans, Akita, Doberman, Cocker Spaniel, Chow, Beagle, and various mixed breeds) have been part of her life along the way, but none were able to make the human/animal bond and connection with her as the Poodle has. Presently, Kadelia lives with a white Toy rescue, Shelly, and Matthew, a black Standard that finished his AKC championship in puppy trim. Matthew’s pedigree goes back to a favorite dog she had that was campaigned in the ‘80’s. She is able to get the best of both worlds.

She enjoys her hobbies which include horse shows as a spectator, traveling, gardening, cooking, reading, and most of all, enjoying the Poodles. She he has a special interest in solid black poodles. She also, is involved in educating and opposing Animal Rights agendas/legislation. Kadelia still helps with Poodle Rescue on a limited basis. Since Kadelia is no longer breeding, she is still able to live with a “family member” but does not have the responsibility and work involved with breeding and raising a litter. “However, I really miss puppies as I love seeing their transformation from fuzzy little lumps into hopefully beautiful & healthy companions that enrich their families’ lives,” states Kadelia. What she enjoys most about poodles are their intelligence, beauty, and sense of humor. She also enjoys their company as companions. In her younger days, she showed for a brief period of time in obedience with her “Christmas Toy” and a Standard rescue, actually she was an owner surrender. The Standard did earn her CD and Dog World’s Award of Canine Distinction. She showed her Toy in a few conformation shows, but was side‐lined because she was still in high school and showing horses (Saddlebreds) was her main focus. “We did start obedience classes when she was five and showed in a few trials where she was Highest Scoring Toy in Trial once,” explains Kadelia.

She also showed for a number of years in conformation before turning that responsibility over to a good friend and handler, who was especially helpful in successfully campaigning several dogs’ “specials” careers. Kadelia recalls a few very important wins which were breeding a Group I winner at WKC, winning the variety at PCA at Dallas, and BOB at PCA on the occasion of the

AKC Centennial at Philadelphia. Although they weren't UKC shows they were very exciting wins for her. Kadelia is somewhat limited, due to health issues, but plans to help where and when she’s able and attend more UKC shows in the future. She joined UPBA for the preservation, promotion, and protection of the breed, with an emphasis on health, temperament, function, type, and beauty. For UPBA’s future, she would like to see a good judges’ education program as well as a variety of seminars for the members and open to those interested. Kadelia was nearing the end of showing & breeding when she joined UPBA. She regrets not being able to participate in UPBA & UKC shows as she did in PCA & AKC shows. Kadelia states, “I like the atmosphere of UKC shows which reminds me in some way of AKC shows when I first became involved in the ‘50’s. Although I don’t know most of the members of UPBA, from what I’ve read and observed I believe we have a group concerned about the well‐being of our Poodles, present and future. I also believe the less experienced have an open mind and are willing to listen to those who are knowledgeable and have sound advise to offer. Also, they seem to have the willingness to deal with the problems that we did not necessarily create but are left to us to deal with and correct to the best of our ability while preserving the integrity of our breed standard.”

History of Dog Agility By Becky Baxter

I have just gotten back into the agility show world again after an extensive break to have my human twins. I found a great trainer here in San Antonio who is British and full of interesting information. As most fellow agility people know, you sit around and do a lot of ‘chit chatting’ during class while waiting for your run. Somehow we started talking about how agility started and wouldn't you know my instructor was happy to fill us in. He was proud to announce it started in the UK, why it started, and how it has progressed. That lead me to do research of my own, feeling this subject might make for a good article for UPBA. I was unable to find an article specific to the subject of agility’s history, and as most of you know my twins are a serious time sink, leaving me no to real time to write up something after doing hours of research. However, we have a wonderful resource available to us in the

form of Wikipedia. It had a great deal to say about the History of Dog Agility, which seems to mesh with the research I have done thus far. So, with that, I am reprinting the Wiki information here for your reading pleasure. I hope you find this history lesson as interesting as I did. Enjoy!

Becky Baxter Performance Committee Chair.

History in the United Kingdom The first widely-documented appearance of dog agility was as entertainment at the Crufts dog show in 1978. John Varley, a committee member from the 1977 show, was tasked with coming up with entertainment for the audience between the obedience and conformation competitions in the main ring. Varley asked dog trainer Peter Meanwell for assistance, and they presented a largely jumping-style course resembling something from the equestrian world to demonstrate dogs' natural speed and agility. Many obstacles recognizable to modern handlers were already present at that demonstration, including the 'Over & Under' (A-frame/tunnel combination), 'Tyre Hoop' (tire), 'Weaving Flags' (weave poles), 'Canvass Tunnel' (collapsed tunnel) and 'Cat Walk' (dogwalk). It was reported in Our Dogs newspaper that in 1974 Meanwell had either been a witness to or participated in such a competition at an agricultural fair, thus predating more widely published accounts for the start of dog agility. By some oral accounts, there was an earlier demo with similar intent using playground articles such as a seesaw (or teeter-totter) and a tunnel, although this has not been documented. Another account attributes the obstacles used in displays by the Royal Air Force Police Dog Demonstration Team as seen at various country wide exhibitions of the time as obstacles were used in the day to day training of RAF Police Dogs. At the 1978 Crufts, the demonstration immediately intrigued dog owners because of its speed and challenge and the dexterity displayed by the dogs. People wanted to see more, and indeed wanted their own dogs to be able to participate. The demonstration was so popular that it went on to grow into local, then national, and eventually international, competitions with standardized equipment. By 1979, several British dog training clubs were offering training in the new sport of dog agility, and that December the first Agility Stakes competition was held at the International Horse Show at Olympia in London.

In 1980, The Kennel Club became the first organization to recognize agility as an official sport with a sanctioned set of rules, and the first agility test to be held under the new regulations was the team event at Crufts that year. The event was judged by Peter Meanwell, with Peter Lewis as his scribe. Peter Lewis and John Gilbert (one of the few original 1978 competitors who continue to participate in agility competition, training, and judging) went on to play a major part in spreading the sport of dog agility across Europe and around the world. 1983 saw the founding of the Agility Club, the first national agility club in the UK publishing the Agility Voice, the first agility magazine. During the early years, smaller dogs were not well catered for in the UK, with all having to compete over the same 30" jump height with the large dogs. This started to change during the early eighties with classes being introduced for Mini dogs (up to 15" at the shoulder, jumping 15"). The first Mini Agility Dog of the Year competition took place at Olympia in December 1987. Classes for Midi dogs (15-17" at the shoulder, jumping 20") were introduced in the Nineties, though it was not until 2005 that they too had their own competition at Olympia. In 1992, the first weeklong agility show (Dogs in Need, in aid of dog charities) was held at Malvern in England, with a total of 885 dogs entered and 5,879 class entries. Dogs in Need is now one of several weeklong Kennel Club agility shows to take place each year, part of a busy calendar of day and weekend shows. Dog agility has grown in the UK to the point where the most popular Kennel Club shows regularly run ten or more rings a day, with up to 450 runs in each ring (or more if two judges are used in each ring). Throughout the Nineties, dog agility in the United Kingdom was dominated by the Kennel Club, with KC shows the only ones that were widely publicized. This situation finally started to change in 2003 with the appearance of shows run by East Midlands Dog Agility Club (EMDAC). The Kennel Club initially attempted to defend its monopoly, before finally accepting that clubs and organizations outside its jurisdiction should also have the right to put on agility shows without any fear of disciplinary action against members or competitors from the Kennel Club. This decision led to an explosion in the number of non-KC agility shows from late 2003 onwards. Many of these were (and still are) held by independent

clubs as one-off events, but a small number of distinct agility organizations have also started to emerge. These include UK Agility, Agility Addicts and It Barks, all of which were founded in 2004. In 2006, EMDAC launched the British Agility Association (BAA). In addition to providing agility competitors with a wider range of choices in the type of show they wish to attend, these shows have acted as a catalyst in encouraging the Kennel Club to review its own agility rules and attitude towards the sport.

History in the United States In the United States, several people experimented with dog agility based generally on the British rules. The first exhibitions took place in the early 1980s. The pivotal founding groups were the NDCA and the USDAA. Today, the NDCA has merged with the United Kennel Club leaving the USDAA as the dominant force in the U.S. world of agility.

NDCA and UKC agility - The Merge In 1984, using information from articles describing English agility, Charles (Bud) Kramer began developing the idea that became the National Committee for Dog Agility (NCDA). He built and experimented with equipment through the winter of 1984/1985. He published a series of articles describing his ideas for Front and Finish magazine, which eventually were published as a book, Agility Dog Training for All Breeds, in 1987. In 1987, Kramer founded the NCDA in Manhattan, Kansas with the goal of convincing the AKC to recognize agility as a sport. Kramer's agility was briefly affiliated with AKC agility in the early 1990s, but became separate under a new name, National Club for Dog Agility, in 1991. In August 1994, NDCA merged with the United Kennel Club, and agility under Kramer's rules has been performed under UKC auspices since then. UKC agility has evolved into a different kind of sport than that provided by AKC, USDAA, and international agility organizations, involving more control of the dog over complicated obstacles rather than speed and accuracy over basic obstacles.

USDAA's Influence In 1985, Kenneth Tatsch collaborated with his local obedience club and others, and began putting on all-breed exhibitions in Garland, Texas. A year later, he founded the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) and incorporated in January 1987 in Texas. To promote the sport, USDAA secured Pedigree Dog Food (formerly Kal Kan Dog Food, a sister company to Chum Dog Food, the guiding

sponsor in the UK) as a sponsor, and the first national championship tournament series in North America — the Grand Prix of Dog Agility — was introduced in 1988 at the Astro World Series of Dog Shows in Houston, Texas. Until 1990, USDAA agility competitions were only for placement ribbons, but at that time the USDAA began offering agility titles, for which the dog had to perform to certain standards in several competitions to earn scores towards the various titles. At first, the only titles offered were the Agility Dog (AD), or starters-level title; the AAD Advanced Agility Dog (AAD), or intermediate-level title, and the Master Agility Dog (MAD), or expert-level title. This increased the appeal for all dog owners; one's dog did not have to be a superstar to succeed at agility, but could simply be good enough and fast enough to meet the requirements to earn title points. USDAA's vision was far broader than a single class, and in 1994, USDAA introduced an expansive titling program to incorporate title recognition in each of four nonstandard classes (those other than the basic form) — gamblers choice, jumping, snooker agility, and relay. In 1988, almost no one had heard of dog agility in the United States, while meanwhile in England it had become an extremely popular sport, drawing hundreds of spectators. By 1989, however, when the USDAA Grand Prix of Dog Agility was first filmed for TV, nearly 2000 spectators attended the final round. Just a year later, attendance neared 4000. The event's popularity sparked interest around the country, and in 1989, Tatsch expanded the tournament to include local qualifying events, hosted by groups formed by competitors in attendance at the Grand Prix the prior year in Texas. The tournament grew rapidly, jumping from 8 events in 1989 to more than 150 local and regional championship events in 2004, in five countries, leading to a World Championship event. Tatsch also named his first Advisory Board composed of experienced trainers and agility enthusiasts from different parts of the country, who began working on a set of regulations for titling programs that were adopted in May 1990. Meanwhile, the agility equipment used by the USDAA mirrored its British counterparts, as did the basic rules for the standard agility course. USDAA also introduced Jumpers Classes and other nonstandard classes from Great Britain, such as Gamblers and Snooker, which encourage handlers to design their own courses under strict sets of rules

established by the judge on the day of competition, and the Relay, which pairs up two dogs and two handlers to take on a course resembling the standard agility course.

ASCA and NADAC Meanwhile, in the early 1990s, the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) decided to provide its own sanctioning rules for agility. In July 1991, Sandra Katzen became the agility chairperson to pursue this project. Initially, ASCA considered mirroring USDAA's rules; however, because each individual ASCA club would have had to become a member of USDAA, ASCA decided against this proposal. In 1992, ASCA began working with Sharon Nelson of Idaho, who had been a member of the first US team in international agility competition, to develop a program based on the international programs. Jacqueline Taylor and Sally Sheridan, among others, contributed heavily to the program. In 1993, ASCA began considering the proposal for ratification, but the process stalled. As a result, Sharon Nelson formed her own agility organization in 1993, the North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) using the rules developed for ASCA. In 1994, ASCA approved using the same set of rules in lockstep with NADAC, so that competitors could earn either ASCA or NADAC titles, or both, at dual-sanctioned events, starting in January, 1995. At that time, NADAC and USDAA used the same equipment and had similar rules for the standard numbered and jumpers courses; NADAC also included the Gamblers event in its rulebook. However, over time, NADAC moved away from the International standards, focusing on its own vision of a faster and much safer agility environment. It has gradually eliminated or changed many of the obstacles so that its equipment specifications and many of its rules no longer match those of the USDAA, AKC, or FCI. The AKC and USDAA have slowly adopted many of the safety improvement developed by NADAC such as lower jump heights and improved surfacing on the contacts. As of May 31st, 2006, ASCA and NADAC no longer dual sanction trials, and the ASCA agility program has returned to an older set of rules that more closely match those of the rest of the agility community.

AKC

Bud Kramer's NCDA provided an early influence on, and was briefly affiliated with, AKC before AKC developed its own rules. The AKC, which for

decades had sanctioned conformation shows, obedience trials, and other dog sports, showed a growing interest in agility over a period of several years. The AKC's first agility advisory committee met in August 1993 and started the process of creating its own agility rules and standards. When the AKC entered the field, each competition had only one standard course. The first AKC sanctioned agility match was held in 1994[5], at the Houston Kennel Club show held at the AstroArena in Houston, Texas. Sanctioning by the AKC made the rapidly growing sport nearly explode in the United States, as AKC handlers began exploring USDAA and NADAC competitions as ways to expand their agility experience. A few years later, AKC introduced its own version of the Jumpers course, which included weave poles as did the International rules but which NADAC and USDAA did not include.

Additional organizations Bob and Marliu Basin created the American Agility Associates in Colorado. This organization didn't last much beyond the early 1990s. When the FCI introduced its international agility championships, it continued its affiliation with purebred kennel clubs around the world, including the AKC, allowing the AKC to choose a team from among its registered competitors. As a result, many top-level American dogs without AKC registration were shut out of international competition. To compensate, two additional organizations — the International Agility Link (organized through email) and the World Dog Show — sponsored international competitions starting around 1996 that allowed any competing dogs to be part of their country's teams; the World Dog Show affiliated with the USDAA, while the IAL remained independent. The World Dog Show hosted a couple of international championships but financially could not continue, so the USDAA began pursuing its own affiliations with other organizations and clubs worldwide to start its own International Championships. In 2001, the Grand Prix of Dog Agility, previously national in scope reached beyond North American boundaries and became a truly international event, hosting teams from several countries on other continents. In 1998, Canine Performance Events (CPE) was founded by Linda Eickholdt, who took suggestions from other exhibitors, judges and host clubs, and created an organization with more common and new

unique games classes as well as the standard agility course. Jump heights do not exceed a dog's measured height, although an owner may enter a higher height if they wish to. CPE agility continues to grow in the United States. Bud Houston founded the Teacup Dog Agility Association (TDAA) for small dogs. The purpose of the TDAA is to provide challenges similar to that experienced by larger dogs in other venues. Obstacles are placed closer together and obstacle sizes are miniaturized to accommodate smaller dogs.

Continuing changes The sport of agility continues to grow and change in the United States. Every year brings the addition of new clubs and new classes. The rules for each organization go through periodic review as well, requiring that competitors in each organization keep up with the current rules, regulations, and class offerings. Resources: Page name: History of dog agility Author: Wikipedia contributors Publisher: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 7 September 2009 20:25 UTC Date retrieved: 12 October 2009 21:23 UTC Permanent link: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_dog_agility&oldid=312454442 Primary contributors: Revision history statistics Page Version ID: 312454442

CREATING ENTERTAINMENT

FREESTYLE ROUTINES Author: Charlene Dunlap www.caninehorizons.com

The Poodle has a long history working as an entertainer. With his outgoing personality and striking good looks (when beautifully groomed), he is a dazzling performer. In a musical canine freestyle routine showcasing his naturally elegant movement, the Poodle is magical. Most musical canine freestyle routines are choreographed for and performed at competitions. The primary competition freestyle organization in

the United States is WCFO (World Canine Freestyle Organization). Ring size is typically 30’ x 60’ or 40’ x 80’ and coverage of all quadrants of the ring is mandatory. Depending on the class, routines (in the U.S.) are between 1:30 to 2:15 minutes in length. Routines are subject to guidelines and are evaluated by a panel of judges. In addition to, or in lieu of, freestyle competitions, there are venues where Poodles and their partners can dance together strictly for entertainment purposes. Routines for these can be as short as 45 seconds long. Where space is available, venues include retirement homes, school libraries, and local theaters. I often use a freestyle theme in making movies (my main focus of interest). Another venue that has a broad viewer base is the Internet. Space is often limited in entertainment venues so the routine should be short, condensed, and as interesting as possible . . . a perfect recipe to keep the attention of the typical Poodle. Mostly flashy moves should be used with transitions that take you and your dog smoothly from one move to the next. (Long sequences of perfect heeling may appeal to trainers; however, it bores the average audience.) Keep in mind that most people don’t have long attention spans, and routines much over two minutes in length, no matter how brilliantly performed, risk losing the viewer’s interest. It’s better to leave the audience wanting more than to have them wondering when the routine will finally be over. Routines for entertainment venues can be very short. If you take one verse, one chorus, and the end of a piece of music, your modified piece for the routine will usually end up about 45 seconds long. This length works especially well when several people are performing routines in a program, each person’s different style making a diverse line up. When just one or two people are doing a program, a quick change of costume such as a vest and hat between numbers gives a whole new look to each routine and adds more variety to the show. Short routines will not only help keep the audience’s attention, they are really fun for most Poodles to do. Costumes make the performer look more professional and should fit the flavor of music for each routine. Some people prefer fantastical costumes; others choose costumes that give a suggestion of the music type such as a cowboy hat and vest for a western piece or a satin vest and top hat for a Broadway number. Costumes can be anything you like; however, the more conspicuous

your costume, the more the audience will focus on you, thus the more impressive your dog’s dance skills need to be for him to be noticed. The dog’s costume should not inhibit his movement – perhaps a theme scarf, ruffle, or vest. One of my friends, whose black Standard Poodle is in a Miami cut, uses a glittery band around her dog’s neck with matching bands at the top of the ankle puffs – to striking effect. Use music that your audience can identify with. Generational music is often a good choice, and music with a definite beat works best. Marches work well in almost any venue as they have a strong beat that most every generation will respond to. Show tunes and children’s music usually have catchy melodies that even adults end up humming afterwards. Short entertainment routines are less problematic to create, practice, and perform than competition ones and choreographing them gets easier with practice. Once you have trained your dog some basic freestyle moves, visualize these moves as you listen to a piece of music, putting them where they seem to fit naturally. Then try the moves out with your dog to see which transition will best blend one move seamlessly into the next one. Continue doing this until satisfied that your dog’s moves and yours link smoothly throughout the piece. Don’t forget an opening pose that the audience sees before the music starts and an ending pose which leaves them with the final impression, and which you will hold for a few seconds after the routine ends. These make the routine look more professional. In addition to practicing with your dog, practicing to the music by yourself (and practicing inside your head) is very beneficial to insure that all of your own moves and transitions are so engrained that you don’t have to think about them while performing. Nothing breaks the flow more than when the human partner has to obviously redirect herself in the middle of a routine. Your moves should be second-nature as your dog depends on them as cues in the routine. Approaches to training a routine differ. Once I have choreographed a routine and tested that it works for me and my dog, any changes I make are small adjustments only, not content. When the routine is finalized, I teach my dogs the sequences in their order of occurrence for each individual dance. This works for my dogs; however, it may not be what works best for others.

After each move has been individually trained (to the point the dog will do the move fluently several times in a row), I go through the entire routine with the dog about once a day. A couple of times during the day, I also practice just a move with its transition and the beginning of the next move. I begin by rewarding every move and every transition until the dog learns the sequences, then I randomly reward a move here, a transition there throughout the routine. By the time I’m ready to video the routine, my dogs are conditioned to think they will be rewarded at some point or another, and are willing to keep working in anticipation. How much actual dancing you as the human partner do in a routine is a matter of preference. Some people do very little dancing, some people do a lot of dancing. My favorite routines are those where the handler sticks to very simple body movements allowing the dog to be the primary focus of the dance. What type moves a dog looks best doing is usually based on his energy level and body structure. Some people prefer high-energy, athletically built dogs, and their routines typically feature a lot of stunt-like moves such as jumping, rolling over, spinning, and hind-leg work. Dogs with lower energy levels and less agile bodies can do beautifully in routines with more flowing dance-like moves. Not all popular freestyle moves suit all dogs . . . the important thing is to select only moves for your routine that your dog looks good doing. Don’t worry about trying to please everyone – no matter how well a routine is choreographed and executed, some people will love it and some won’t. Performing a routine that best suits you and your dog will enhance not only your own satisfaction with the presentation but the audience’s enjoyment of it as well. Since beginner choreographers find it helpful to see how others use moves and transitions, I have created a short routine that has mostly basic moves. Okay, “skipping” is advanced, but you could substitute leg weaves. This routine is especially good for an older dog as there are no moves that are hard on the joints. The routine is performed to The Entertainer and features my Standard Poodle Sydney.

Opening pose: Sydney is standing diagonally in middle-stage, facing stage-front. I’m standing about six feet behind facing her back, posed and waiting for music to begin. Music begins – First move: Sydney backs until she backs through my legs, and I swing around to face her (my back is 3/4 to audience).

Second move: I move backwards as Sydney skips forward diagonally all the way across to stage-front. I stop and Sydney goes through my legs and around to right-heel position.

Third move: On the same diagonal track toward back of stage, Sydney at right-heel position, we side-step three steps then turn inward together. Sydney is at left heel, we side-step three steps and turn inward together. Repeat one more time. Stop – Sydney will be in left heel position and our backs are ¾ to audience. Fourth move: Sydney swings her hips around moving from left heel position to right heel position (I move with her until I’m facing the audience) – then swings back to left heel position . . .

Fifth move: . . . and immediately backs around me as I turn back with her one time. I stop when I’m facing the side of the stage and she continues backing around me until she ends up in front position. (This position puts our sides to the audience for the final pose.) Sixth move and ending pose: Sydney stops and sits up (“teddybear”) as I raise one arm in our final pose. Choreographing routines requires thought, effort, and planning; however, once you have created one routine, the next one is easier. Performing is second nature to the Poodle, and musical canine freestyle is a wonderful way to show off this delightful aspect of our breed. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Click this URL to see above routine and another short routine: http://www.caninehorizons.com/Performances.html These routines are not polished; however, they will give you ideas to use. The Entertainer (with Sydney) has mostly basic flowing moves. Itsy Bitsy Spider (with Jyah) features more bouncy moves. Click this URL to see 45-second polished routines: http://www.boogiewoogiebowwows.com/ Last Dance is performed by Standard Poodle Sam, Col. Boogey is performed by Longhaired Dachshund Tucker.

2009 Fall Shows in Hickory, NC

Financial Report: Conformation 32 in regular classes 17 NL classes 2 Jr Showmanship Conformation Income of $823.00 Rally Obed income (27,28) 1053.00 Obed income (14,14) 546.00 Total entries $2422.00 Raffle income $324.00 Trophy & Ribbon Donations $293.00 Total income $3039.00 Expenses: UKC event fees 135.00 UKC recording fees ($1.50 per dog) 190.50 Building rental 3 days 500.00 Ribbons 423.29 Toys (pet edge) 146.25 UKC event fees 135.00 3 HIT/Rally HT bowls 75.00 Conformation Judge ( w lodging) 100.00 Rally Judge (+meals, travel, 2 shows) 354.00 Obed Judge(+meals, travel, 2 shows) 301.50 Lodging 83.03 Judges dinner 48.78 Judges costs 887.31 TOTAL Expenses $2492.35 Net profit $546.65 The shows went very smoothly. Friday, Show Chair, Candace Sullivan, Show Secretary, Gloria Ogdahl and Raffle/Trophy Chair, Kelsey Wolf had everything organized and decorated in festive fall

and Halloween colors. Candace’s mother, Barbara Russell, tirelessly watched over our table, getting tickets into everyone’s hands. Here’s a great video of the table and awards; as Candace put it, “So many wonderful donations were made by members - the

table was sagging with the weight of it all.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMiLoHoFyQg Our show was dedicated to the memory of one of our own, Melinda (Mindy) Pedery,

who will be greatly missed. We were honored by the presence of her mother.

Many attended the Advanced Handling Class. The show went smoothly and we set up a rally course for anyone to try and had several take advantage of the opportunity.

The Annual meeting was well attended with many new members present. We had a quorum and swept

through the agenda so we could all have Gloria’s cake and cider! Yum! Saturday and Sunday’s Obedience and Rally shows went smoothly as well. Our judges were great and we were welcomed and complimented by many competitors for running a great trial. Many were surprised it was our first rally trial! At one point on Saturday, if the people weren’t in a ring showing conformation, or participating in weight pull, they were watching rally. We had a very large crowd observing the show. All in all, we had a great time and were well received.

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United Poodle Breeds Association

Application for Membership and Renewal of Membership: 2010 UPBA membership is open to all persons in good standing with the United Kennel Club. Name: ____________________________________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip :_____________________________________________________________________ Telephone: (Day)__________________________ (Evening):________________________________ E-mail and/or Website:_______________________________________________________________ Number of Standard Poodles ______ Poodles (Miniature) ______ Poodles (Toy) ______ you own Club Affiliations: ____________________________________________________________________ � I would like my information posted on the UPBA Website What UPBA activities would you be interested in volunteering for? Indicate all that apply. O Education/ Health Committee O Fund-Raising Committee O Performance Committee O Judging/Stewarding O Membership / Publicity Committee O Newsletter O Show Committee O Web Site Committee Other _________________ Please tell us about your prior club experience (e.g. committees, judging, newsletter). Please tell us who (if anyone) invited you to join UPBA? What dog activities do you participate in? Indicate all that apply: O Agility O Assistance Dog O Conformation O Disk Dog O Dog Sport O Hunting /Field Trials O Fly-Ball O Freestyle O Herding O Lure-Coursing O Obedience O Scootering O Search & Rescue O Skijoring O Sledding O Therapy O Tracking O Weight-Pull O Other___________ Membership Type O Individual (1 adult 18 or over) $20.00 or $20.91 if using PayPal. O Household (2 adults, 1 address) $30.00 or $31.20 if using PayPal. O Senior (1 adult 65 or over)$10.00 or $10.61 if using PayPal. O Junior $1.00 (1 youth under 18) or $1.33 if using PayPal.

The Association year begins on January 1. Dues are good through December 31. A new member who has joined the Association during the months of October, November, or December shall be considered automatically paid up for the next year. Dues are non-refundable and are not pro-rated. Make check payable to: United Poodle Breeds Association and mail with completed application to our Treasurer at: UPBA Treasurer, Gloria Ogdahl, 474 Sugarfork Church Rd, Franklin, NC 28734 OR for PayPal, email to UPBAtreas@verizon.net Use this link to get to PayPal http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/ema/index-outside O By paying my dues, I indicate that I have read the Constitution and Bylaws, and the Code of Ethics of the United Poodle Breeds Association and agree to abide by them, and to do my part to support the goals of the UPBA in preserving, protecting and promoting versatile Poodles and Standard Poodles. I am in good standing with the United Kennel Club. Name:________________________ Name: _______________________ Date: _______/________/________ Date: _______/________/_______