tibetan terrier club of america · eight auspicious symbols ... n. palm beach, fl 33410 (561) ......

Volume XXVIII Issue 9 November 2005

Tibetan Terrier Club of America

In this Issue President's Message

• Aggression...

• Legislative Liason Needed

• Secretary's Report

• Membership MattersGoddessofLovelySounds

• Make a Date With Your TT

• Nominations forOfficers & Directors

(Continued on page 3)

Eight Auspicious Symbols

One of my favorite dog shows is the Kennel Club of Phila-delphia Dog Show, which happens in a few weeks, Novem-ber 19 & 20. One of the five benched AKC dog shows each year, it is a spectator’s wonderland. The show is also known as the Purina National Dog Show, and is televised on NBC Thanksgiving Day after the Macy’s parade. Exhibitors are assigned a numbered space for each dog’s crate and groom-ing table. Spectators stream up and down the rows of dogs, arranged by breed, asking exhibitors every question you can imagine. I met the Tibetan Terrier at this show back in 1987. Like many people, I was not familiar with Tibetans, and so I innocently remarked that they looked like my very large Lhasa. Little did I know what I would be doing eighteen years later!

Attending the Philadelphia show is a tradition now, and I look forward to it each year. Who will I be set up next to this year? Which campaigned dogs will be coming? It’s cozy, and maybe a little too close for comfort, but what fun! It’s great spending time talking about my favorite subject, my dogs. And talking is what we do, all day…asking and answering questions, giving and getting advice. It’s two full days, very fulfilling days of giving back to the breed. I hope to see some of you there!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Jackie Faust

Dogs Help Humans in Research to Fight aTerminal Disease

Extensive Canine DNA Bank part of genetic researchprogram at MU

COLUMBIA, MO - Dogs are more than just man’s best friend; at the University of Missouri-Columbia, dogs are helping with life-saving research. Tibetan Terriers are contributing to an extensive canine DNA bank in an on-going research program studying the genetic bases of diseases that affect both dogs and humans. The Tibetan Terriers can be stricken with a neuro-logical disease, known as neuronal ceroid lipo-fuscinosis (NCL), which has a human equivalent called Batten disease. NCL diseases are inher-ited neurological disorders that have no cure. Though rare, children of parents who are carri-ers each have a one in four chance of inheriting the terminal disease.

In order to better understand the pathology of

2004 JournalDeadline Extention

The deadline for submitting new titleholder information to be included in the 2004 Journal has been extended until December 5, 2005. Please direct any questions to:

Sue Mechem940 Five Pines Road

North Huntingdon, PA 15642412-751-4297

[email protected]@att.net

President

Jackie Faust58 Ark RoadMedford, NJ

08055(609) 953-5472

[email protected]

Second Vice-President

Linda Immel281 Roselawn Blvd.

Greenbay, WI54301-1303

(920) [email protected]

Secretary

Stacey LaForge87 Pleasantview Ave.New Providence, NJ

07974(908) [email protected]

Recording Secretary

Sharon HarrisonP.O. Box 528Pleasanton, TX

78064(830) [email protected]

Treasurer

Alice Smith2 Leslie RoadIpswich, MA

01938(978) 356-5693

[email protected]

AKC Delegate

Carole Miller1444 Harbour Pt. Dr

N. Palm Beach, FL33410


First Vice-President

Director

Victoria White1807 Prelude Dr.

Vienna, VA 22182


Director

Sue Mechem940 Five Pines RdN. Huntingdon, PA

15642(412) 751-4297

[email protected]

Director

Linda Nagao1795 Youngfield Ct

Golden, CA80401


Director

Ron WileyP.O. Box 970

Tracy, CA95378-0970


Director

David Van Pelt15247 S. Michael Dr.

Plainfield, IL 60544

(815) 436-9576vanpeltd@firstenergy

corp.comm

Tibetan Terrier Club of America November 2005 Newsletter

Margy Pankiewicz1645 Seaks Run Rd.

Glen Rock, PA 17327-9544


Nominations for Officers and Directors

In accordance with the Tibetan Terrier Club of America, Inc.’s Constitution and By-Laws, Article V, Section 3, the Nominating Committee, through Chairperson Robert Kreis, has informed me of the Nominations for Officers and Directors for the Club Year 2006-2007 as follows:

President: Jackie Faust New JerseyFirst Vice President: Margy Pankiewicz PennsylvaniaSecond Vice President: Linda Immel WisconsinSecretary: Stacey LaForge New JerseyRecording Secretary: Shannon Shetler IndianaTreasurer: Gail Toracinta Rhode IslandDirectors: Susan Mechem Pennsylvania Linda Nagao Colorado

Kate Stanuch Maine AKC Delegate: Carole Miller Florida

According to Article V, Section 3(b): Additional nominations of eligible members may be made by written petition addressed to the Secretary and received at his regular address on or before December 1st, signed by five members and ac-companied by the written acceptance of each such additional nominee signifying his willingness to be a candidate. Such additional nominations must be sent to the Secretary by Registered Mail, Return Receipt Requested. Except for the position of Delegate, no person shall be a candidate for more than one position, and the ad-ditional nominations, which are provided for herein, may be made only from among those members who have not accepted a nomination of the Nominating Committee.

If you should have any questions pertaining to the above, please do not hesi-tate to contact me.

Respectfully submitted,Stacey La Forge, Secretary

87 Pleasantview Ave.New Providence, NJ 07974


Secretary’s Report

Board News

The following motion was made by Margy Pankiewicz and seconded by Ron Wiley: I move that the TTCA donate $1000 to the Salvation Army Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund.

APPROVED: Faust, Pankiewicz, Im-mel, LaForge, Harrison, Nagao, Van Pelt, White, Wiley.OPPOSED: Mechem.ABSTAINED: Smith.NOT RECEIVED: None.MOTION PASSED.

Comments: LaForge- Although I have voted to support this motion, I would have preferred if the donation had been made to an organization that directly benefits both dogs as well as people. Mechem- While I have great sympathy for the people on the Gulf Coast, I feel as a dog club our responsibility with member funds is to donate to dog-oriented causes. Smith-I do feel as a Dog Club we should give our small amount of money to protect dogs.

The Board agreed by consensus to hold a Regional Specialty in Springfield MA on November 26, 2006.

Respectfully submitted.Stacey La Forge, Secretary


the disease and develop therapies, Martin Katz, professor of ophthal-mology with dual appointments in the School of Medicine and the College of Veterinary Medicine, is looking to the Tibetan Terriers for help. “The purebred dog population provides an ideal model for genetic research,” said Wayne Ferguson, president of the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation. “The dogs’ pedigrees provide de-tailed multigenerational relationship information. The shorter lifespan of a dog allows researchers to compress studies that would take much longer with people.”

Katz is searching for the genetic bases of the disease by studying the large pool of DNA provided by the dogs’ owners. The normal canine genome, which has been sequenced, is compared to the DNA of the af-fected and unaffected Tibetan Ter-riers to pinpoint the NCL mutation in this breed. Katz said in order for genetic mapping to be successful, information about the disease sta-tus of the dogs and their pedigrees must be accurate. Because of the excellent record-keeping by breed registries and close observations of their dogs by owners, registered purebred dogs are ideal subjects for genetic studies.

Using the “candidate gene” ap-proach, Katz sequenced, or identi-fied, the genes of affected Tibetan Terriers in specific areas thought to be comparable to those where human markers associated with the condition have been identified. Using this approach, he was able to eliminate mutations in known NCL genes as the cause of the Tibetan Terrier disease.

The next step is the identification of the NCL mutation in Tibetan Terriers. This now requires that the mutant gene be located through a process called mapping or linkage analy-sis. This analysis involves detailed

comparison of the DNA from a large number of affected dogs with the DNA of their parents and affected littermates.

“The organization of genes in a genome is like the organization of books in a library,” Katz said. “Genes are arranged in a specific order on a number of different chromosomes, much like books are placed in spe-cific orders on specific shelves in a library. Determining the precise location of a disease-causing muta-tion within the genome will identify the disease gene, just as going to a specific location on a specific shelf in a library will result in a particular book being located.”

Once the NCL mutation in Tibetan Terriers has been identified, a simple test for the mutation can be performed on any dog using DNA extracted from a blood sample. This will enable breeders to screen dogs prior to breeding to prevent generat-ing affected dogs in the future. Iden-tification of the Tibetan Terrier NCL mutation also will make it possible to determine whether any humans with NCL have the mutations in the corresponding human gene.

According to Katz, human NCL of-ten goes misdiagnosed because the disease is rare and early symptoms overlap those of other disorders. Eventually, affected children develop an array of symptoms that include blindness, seizures, cognitive decline and loss of motor function. Often, it is not until these symptoms are well advanced that a correct diagnosis is made.

Research currently is underway to develop gene and stem cell therapies for the NCL diseases, but to be effec-tive any therapy will have to begin early in the course of the disease. Identifying the NCL mutations will enable definitive diagnoses of these diseases to be made on the basis of DNA tests early enough to make therapeutic interventions effective.

“Dr. Katz’s work with Tibetan Terri-ers has the potential to fast forward the entire research process.” said Lance Johnson, executive director of the Batten Disease Research and Support Association. “As we are in-creasingly able to correlate canine research efforts with human studies, we expect the crossover opportuni-ties to be phenomenal.”

The Tibetan Terrier DNA bank was originally conceived and developed by Stuart Eckmann and Linda Bell, who oversee the Tibetan Terrier Club of America’s health programs. In a collaborative effort with MU, Eckmann refers owners of affected dogs to Katz for examination of reti-nal and neural tissue. The result of this effort has been a more complete description of the condition than ex-ists in any current textbook. Using Eckmann’s model, MU has expanded canine DNA banking for genetic stud-ies to many other dog breeds and diseases including epilepsy, cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

Support for Katz’s work has been provided by the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, the Batten Disease Support and Re-search Association, and Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. Eckmann, Johnston, and Katz presented their collaboration at the 2005 National Parent Club Canine Health Confer-ence held in St Louis, MO, October 21, through October 23, 2005.

Research (continued from page 1)

Legislative Liason Needed

I am resigning as Legislative Liaison because of my health. This is a very

easy position as you receive the Taking Command Newsletter via email and send the proposed laws

that are upcoming in each state to a TT person living there. This position

does not take a stand on any law it just presents them so owners know

what is going on.Jackie Liewer


Every Friday night my TT’s and I go out together to our obedience club’s training pavilion and practice agility. Sometimes we stop at Burger King or Subway for dinner as well. We meet our friends, both canine and human, do a little agility training and hang out with people and pups that have some of the same inter-ests as we do. If you don’t already have a weekly date with your TT you should consider establishing one. Not only will you deepen the bond between the two of you, it gets you out of the house for some socialization with people and dogs you may not normally meet, and you get a little exercise as well.

There are all sorts of canine activities you can consider taking up, however it is important to choose the right activity for both you and your pup. The most popular canine sport with TT’s is agility, however agility requires alot of energy and fitness of both the TT and handler. Obedience and rally offer less physically strenuous options for training and competition. Rally, a cross between agility and obedi-ence, is a little less formal than obedience and a little less physically demanding than agility. Freestyle, flyball and tracking are three possible activities, although you may end up having the only TT in the US that does any of these events.

Once you have decided on the perfect sport for you and your TT, you need to locate a club or instructor in your area to help you get started. This is an important step because if you are to have fun on your TT date you need to feel comfort-able with the people and training methods used. Talk to other dog owners, go watch a class or two (be sure to ask the instruc-tors permission before doing so) and be-come informed about different training methods. The Web is a great source for locating this sort of information. Remem-ber the only ‘right’ method of training is the one that you and your dog are com-fortable with. Usually when training TT’s

a good bag of treats (no kibble), and lots of praise work the best.

If your TT hasn’t had a basic obedience class it might be a good idea to enroll in one before pursuing your canine sport. Most canine sports utilize some of the basic obedience skills (recalls, stays, sits and downs) and if your TT already knows these before you start, you won’t have to go back and train them later. In addition to teaching your dog the basic obedience skills you will also learn how to train your dog. A skill that will be useful for the rest of your life.

Finally one last bit of advice...do what feels right for you and your TT. Progress at a pace that is comfortable for both of you. Setting training goals that are easily attained will help keep it fun! Soon, if your like me, your night out with the pups will be the highlight of your week.

The Performance Column will be a monthly feature of the the TTCA news-letter. Please send any comments, sug-gestions or performance brags to me, Sarah Osmeloski, [email protected] I would be thrilled to hear from anyone wishing to contribute an article for this column, the only requirement is that it be related to training TT’s.

Sandy White and Cruiserearn UDX leg number 9

On October 9th, Ganden’s Ti-Chang Cruiser, UD (“Cruiser”) and Sandy White earned their 9th UDX (utility dog excel-lent) leg, just 6 days after earning their 8th UDX leg! Upon getting UDX leg number 10 they will have completed the requirements for the AKC UDX title and will join an elite group of 4 other TT’s and their handlers that have achieved this title. The UDX is the second highest obedience title offered by the AKC. It requires obedi-ence teams to earn qualifying scores in

Make a Date With Your TTboth the open B and utility B classes at ten separate obedience trials. Congratulations Sandy and Cruiser! Good Luck for number 10! Till next time…keep your tail up!

Sarah Osmeloski, Boo, CD, MX, MXJ and Felix NA, NAJ

Performance Committee-Chairperson2180 Dryden Rd.

Freeville, New York 13068(607) 844-4003

[email protected]

Kolbas Akbar Mida “Tinker” is now a new CH. He finished with “5” three point majors. All his points were in Bred By Exhibitor. Judge Molly Martin “Thank You” Tinker is out of our first litter we bred and are so pleased with all our puppies, but expecially him. He has really done well.

Other news, his mother, CH Taragiri Shin-tsa took BOB 10/8/05 and 10/9/05. Thank you judge Molly Martin, and Judge Ambrosio. This was her first show after her litter last year.

Jackie KaarKolba Tibetan Terriers

BragsCh. Merryway’s White Tie N’ Tales (Ch. Atisha’s Millenium x ch. Merry-way’s Frosti Bear) went BIS under Judge Martin D. Dougherty at the Carrol County Kennell Club show September 11, 2005. He was handled by owner Brendar Algar Fountain of Maine.

Checkers also took a Group 1 Satur-day under Judge Robert Stein and the Group win on Sunday was under Judge Mrs. Robert (Carolyn) Thomas. “Checkers” turned two in August – what a way to celebrate!


AGGRESSION...WHAT ARE WE TEACHING OUR DOGS BY MISTAKE?

Submissions to the newsletter aredue by

December 1, 2005 for the December Newsletter.

Letters are not to exceed 250 words. We look forward to hearing

from you.

Contact:Gail ToracintaP.O. Box 153

Rockville, RI [email protected]

Caryl Crouse38 Spring Street

Plainville, MA [email protected]

Newsletter Rates:

Full Page Ad (Member) $ 35.00Non-Member 75.00Commercial 100.001/2 Page Ad (Member) 20.001/4 Page Ad (Member) 15.00Small Ad (Member) 5.00Litter Basket (Member) 5.00Brags (Member) FreeObituaries (Member) Free

The #1 cause of aggression in dogs is pri-marily due to a fear response. In a fearful situation, a dog will try one of two things. The dog will either, a) attempt to scare or force whatever, or whomever, it is fright-ened of away, or; b) try to quickly put as much distance possible between itself and the object of fright. Dogs come equipped with a survival instinct similar to our own. It is known as the fight or flight syndrome. Dogs, like people, come preprogrammed as to which tactic they will try first. If the first response either fails or is unavailable, they will immediately switch to the other option.

Early socialization of puppies (exposure to as many different sights, sounds, smells, etc.) is especially important. That way as puppies mature they have already been exposed to different situations and do not need to respond in a fearful manner.

Humans communicate primarily through words, whereas, dogs communicate through tones and body language. In training three tones are used:

1) Higher tones - which denote our pleasure and are used for praise and to reinforce a behavior.

2) Middle of the range or conversational tones - which are used for com-mands.

3) Lower/Bass tones - which indicate our displeasure and are use to correct or reprimand.

One of the biggest mistakes owners can make while socializing their puppies oc-curs due to a communication misunder-standing. If their puppy shows fear the owner immediately attempts to reassure or coddle the puppy. In reality the owner is sending an entirely different message.

When an owner tries to reassure a fright-ened puppy or dog the owner is depend-ing on his/her verbal words (i.e., it’s O.K.

puppy. It can’t hurt you). However, think about what the puppy is hearing. Reas-surance is primarily given in high soft tones - Praise tones - so what the puppy is really hearing, in that situation, is good dog, right response, show fear when this occurs. Now the owner is inadvertently teaching their puppy to be fearful when in reality they want to teach it just the opposite.

Remember it’s not always what you say but how you say it when you’re working with your dog.

If you have an older puppy or dog (5 months or older) that is exhibiting ag-gressive tendencies it is recommended that you contact a reputable trainer or behaviorist to help you with your train-ing program.

(Article published Canine Companion Newsletter - August 1997)

Caryl Crouse,Assistant Editor

The following people have applied for membership. If you wish, you may ad-dress comments regarding the applicants, within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the Newsletter to:

Kate Stanuch, Membership ManagerP.O. Box 260

Newcastle, ME [email protected]

Ms. Marci Cerqueti-Baker, 2683 Vista Rise, Apartment D, Tallahassee, FL 32304-1295. Marci is a dog whisperer and currently lives with one TT. She does not exhibit on conformation or obedience and has no plans to breed in the future. Her sponsors are Loretta Tully and Marjorie Veerkamp.

Carolyn Yamamoto, 934 Lake Village Drive, Watsonville, CA 95076. Carolyn is a registered nurse and lives with two TT’s. She currently exhibits in confor-mation. Her sponsors are Tina Wasemiller and Ron Wiley.

Membership Matters

Gail M. Toracinta, EditorPO. Box 153Rockville, RI 02873

Politically CorrectDog-Speak

Old: Dog New: Domestic Partner

Old: Hound New: Canine Companion

Old: Person New: Quadruped-impaired

Old: Pet New: Roommate

Old: Owner New: Automatic Door Opener

Old: Command New: Suggestion

Old: Pot Roast New: Dog food

Old: Groomer New: Spa

Old: “Accident” New: Self-expression

Old: Barking New: Discussing

Old: Discipline New: Assertiveness Training

Old: Obedience New: Self-actualization

Old: Shedding New: Self-renewal

Old: Digging through trash New: Recycling

Old: Dog pack New: Fraternal organization

Old: Guard dog New: Defense chief

Old: Sheep dog New: Agricultural management

professional

Old: Lap dog New: Personal advisor

Old: Stray New: Explorer

Old: Kids New: Assailants

Old: Bath New: Obsolete

Old: Cat New: Mobile Toy

Old: Chewing New: Domestic Renovation

tibetan terrier club of america · eight auspicious symbols ... n. palm beach, fl 33410 (561) ......

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