JANUARY S A S K A T O O N R E T R I E V E R C L U B 2013

CALLBACK

Greeting to all you winter weary retriever folks. With the holidays come and gone, and the days lengthening oh so slowly, I'm sure that many of you are tenderly nourishing the hibernating hope of training in the fresh spring air. Ah, but until then, we must heed the words of the great philosopher Chief Dan George and "endeavour to persevere". Recently, some of our less acquiescent members gathered at the Club grounds and welcomed the New Year in with a bang. Nothing like fireworks, appetizers and refreshments to help lose the winter blues and reaffirm our hardiness. Thanks to all the organizers and contributors. What a great idea.

Some of you may be aware that the recently formed CKC Hunt Test Council has been looking at rule revisions for the next publication of the rule book in 2014. We have had two teleconferences so far and have discussed a number of proposed changes. Club members will be able to get a look at some of these proposals later this month. Look for an e-mail listing the date and time of a meeting to be held at St. Joseph High School.

Planning is on – going for the 2014 National Master. We are still looking for people to fill a few of the jobs, so don't be shy about signing up and sharing your skills and talents.

Finally, John and Lynn and I have been discussing a fund raising option for the club that will help some of us gain garage and basement space. We want to hold a Club garage sale near the end of August with a focus on hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear. Look around and see what you might be able to bring to the event. Do you really think that you will ever fit into that upland vest again?Are you really going to use those decoys that have collected dust for the last six seasons? How many camo hats does a man really need? We have the potential to do very well at such an event, so earmark a few of your old treasures and join the fun.

All the best for the New Year.

From the

President’s Pen–

Click on These Links for Some Interesting Viewing

http://www.findretrievers.com/news/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/JUDGING-HANDBOOK2.pdfSome interesting thoughts on the principals and mechanics of judging retrievers.– Submitted by John McDonald

A blast from the past – the way they used to train retrievers – in the good old days.– submitted by Sue Taylor

Now I lay me down to----------

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yHoM-bFmcc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Cabelas Great Hunting Days Demonstration August 25th 2012

The arrival of the new Cabelas store in Saskatoon generated a lot of excitement this past year. In late August, we put on a demonstration in conjunction with Cabelas' Great Hunting Days promotion. A wet and windy day necessitated setting up in the parking lot in front of the store, but that mattered little to those who saw the show. Mark Dolan began the demo with a some basic obedience and retrieving work. Sue and Lynn performed some of the drills used to teach handling to younger dogs. Reg Campbell came up from Moose Jaw to show what an asset a dog can be in simulated field work. Finally, Doug and Garry teamed up to demonstrate what fully trained and experienced retrievers can do with multiple marks, diversions and blinds.

Despite the less than ideal conditions of decoys on asphalt, ducks hidden on parking medians, and customers walking through the set up, both dogs and handlers put on a captivating show. An appreciative audience braved the driving rain to watch the work. The smiles and murmurs along with occasional applause gave testimony to how impressed our audience was. Dawn Davies, our Cabelas contact thought the presentation was "simply awesome!"

As usual, Club members pitched in to make the day a success. A special thanks to Tim and John who helped with the set up, and to Garry and Sue who brought a trailer full of gear to make the spread as realistic as it could be. John's strategic deployment of his new flapping goose decoys generated a lot of interest, and no doubt some sales for Cabelas. In fact, some of the presenters got so caught up in the spirit of the day that we could not resist the deals being offered. (After all Rhonda, a new shotgun is not as much a want as a need.)

All in all, we enjoyed working with Dawn and Cabelas, and look forward to involving the Club in future events.

Jeff Ed.’s note: Thanks to Jeff for capably organizing and narrating the event.

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C ABELAS’ DEMONSTRATION

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Thanks, Jeff!

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PICNIC TRIAL NOVEMBER 18

ALTHOUGH THE WEATHER HAS BEEN BRUTAL THIS WINTER FOR DOG TRAINING, THE SASKATOON RETRIEVER CLUB DID MANAGE TO GET OUT A FEW TIMES TO ENJOY THE OCCASIONAL DAY OF NICE WEATHER AND ALLOW OUR RETRIEVERS TO STRETCH THEIR LEGS.

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CHRISTMAS PARTY AND AWARDS

THIS YEAR’S CHRISTMAS PARTY WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS, FOR WHICH LYNN CAMPBELL DESERVES OUR HEARTFELT THANKS!

AFTER A TIME OF DRINKS AND SOCIALIZING, WE ALL SAT DOWN TO A DELICIOUS MEAL.

EVERYONE ENJOYED THE GIFT EXCHANGE, WHERE IN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, ONE WAS ABLE TO STEAL A GIFT FROM A FELLOW MEMBER.

WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF CLUB MEMBERS AND THEIR DOGS OVER THE PAST YEAR.

THANKS, LYNN!

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2012 AWARDSWORKING CERTIFICATE

Ch Prairielight Little Orfin Annie CD WC owned by Hans and Margareta Berin

WORKING CERTIFICATE INTERMEDIATE

Kasomor’s New Monster Shoes WCI CDX RA (Sully)Owned by Mark Antonini and Shelly Campbell, handled by Shelly

Prairiestorm Harvest Moon CD WCI (Rusty) handled by Don Allwell

Prairielight Sweet Dreams CD WCI owned by Margareta and Hans Berin

Prairiestorm Emmy Loubrador CD WCI JH owned by Danielle Greanya and handled by Wally Turk

WORKING CERTIFICATE EXELLENCE

Prairiestorm Hawk”s Lil Gunner JH WCX owned and handled by Joe Parker

Bigsky’s Pollyanna CD WCX JH owned by Lynn and Ross Campbell, handled by Lynn

JUNIOR HUNTER

Dawnlit Blackeyed Susan WC JH owned by Mark and Lu Dolan, handled by Mark

Dawnlit Bog Laurel WC JH owned and handled by Louise and Jeff Thorpe

Dawnlit Blazing Star JH owned and handled by Jeff Thorpe

SENIOR HUNTER

Prairiestorm Get’Em Gator WCX SH owned by Danielle Greanya

MASTER HUNTER

Bluegoose’s Montana Rose MH owned and handled by Rob McDougald

Prairiestorm Tar CDX WCX MH owned by Mark and Lu Dolan, handled by Mark

Prairiestorm Top Gun WCX MH owned by Danielle Greanya

Ch Prairielight Up at Dawn CDX WCX MH owned by Margareta and Hans Berin

GRAND MASTER HUNTER

GMH Bluegoose’s Double Deal owned and Handled by Chandra and Rob McDougald

GMH Prairiestorm Peppermint Patti WCX CDX owned and handled by Ross Campbell

FIELD TRIAL

TaylorLab’s Sweet Cheeks JFTR ( Junior Field Trial Retriever) owned by Sue and Garry Taylor, handled by Sue (Cheeky)

FC FTCH AFTCH NMH GMH TaylorLab’s Sugar and spice (Candy) owned by Sue and Garry Taylor

Prairiestorm Little Little Miss Jill WCX SH QAA (USA) owned by Tracy Auschstatter

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MORE PHOTOS FROM THE CHRISTMAS PARTY

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CHRISTMAS KETTLES

ONCE AGAIN THE SASKATOON RETRIEVER CLUB PARTICIPATED IN THE ANNUAL SALVATION ARMY CHRISTMAS KETTLE CAMPAIGN ON DECEMBER 19. FROM ALL REPORTS OUR MEMBERS AND DOGS ENJOYED THEMSELVES WHILE RAISING A LOT OF MONEY FOR A MOST WORTHY CAUSE. THE SALVATION ARMY WOULD LIKE TO THANK:

CHAR AND JIM COUCH

DANIELLE GREANYA AND LOUISE THORPE

WALLY TURK AND SHELLY CAMPBELL

ROSS AND LYNN CAMPBELL

LORI AND DALE JOHNSTONE

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®

Shortly after World War 1, Dave Elliot, a young gamekeeper/trainer in Scotland, took a day off to attend a herding dog trial. There, he saw handler after handler send his dog on a long run to the far side of a distant herd of sheep. Then, the handler used a whistle signal to tell his dog to stop, turn to face him and sit. Next, the handler directed his dog this way or that with an arm signal so the dog brought the sheep toward a pen. Whenever the sheep strayed off course, the handler again stopped and redirected his dog. Thus, the handler guided his distant dog in ways that forced the sheep toward and eventually into the pen.

“Amazing,” Elliot thought. “If I could control my retrievers that way, I could wipe lots of eyes in trials!”

In British field trials, several handler/dog teams are at the line at a time. Distant beaters flush birds toward them, and nearby shooters shoot them as they approach. The judges tell each handler which bird his dog is to retrieve. These are marking tests, of course, but with so many birds falling in so many places, not every dog sees every bird. The British call these unmarked birds “unseens.” If a dog fails to retrieve a designated bird, whether seen or unseen, the judges tell another handler to “have a go” at that bird. If the second handler succeeds, he is said to have “wiped the eye” of the first unsuccessful handler. Wiping eyes was not only a celebrated game of one-upmanship, but also a good way to win field trials

British retriever field trials – like the British hunting methods they simulate – have always been a sport of wealthy estate owners who employ gamekeepers to manage their estates, breed and train their dogs and even handle them in trials. Having so much time for training, these gamekeepers have always bred for a high level of trainability.

Back at home, Elliot began training his string of Labs to handle like herding dogs. It worked! His nicely trainable dogs soon learned what we now call the three parts of the blind retrieve: lining, stopping and casting.

In subsequent trials, Elliott became a terror to the other handlers, not only because he wiped so many eyes by handling his dogs to unseen birds, but also because his own eye went practically unwiped. It didn’t matter whether or not Elliot’s dog saw a fall. If Elliot knew where it was, recovery was almost certain.

Elliot became a legend, first in Great Britain and later in the United States. In 1932, American financier Jay Carlisle, after visiting England to hunt and watch field trials, imported a few labs and established his Wingan Kennel. In 1934 he hired Elliot to manage his kennel and train his Labs. Elliot and blind retrieve arrived in America shortly after the first American Kennel Club retriever field trial in December 1931. Thus the blind retrieve became a major part of AKC retriever trials almost from the beginning.

Here’s something to ponder: Herding dog handlers long ago stopped using arm signals to direct their dogs because it was too distracting. They do all handling “ on the fly” through a variety of directing whistle signals. This brings up two unanswerable questions: Had herding dog trainers handled on the fly in Elliot’s day, would he still have invented the blind retrieve? And if so, what would it look like? Would retriever owners also handle on the fly using a variety of whistle signals, but no stops and no arm signals?

INVENTING THE BLIND RETRIEVE

This article appeared in the 2010 Wildfowl Magazine’s Equipment Issue. It was brought to the attention of CALLBACK by Reg Campbell of Moose Jaw. He wonders why we have never adopted the system of whistles in our sport like the herding handlers use. Any comments?

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FIDO FUNNIES

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Terry and Lauraine Armstrong were very active members of the Saskatoon Retriever Club while they were living in Saskatoon. They continue to lead very active and involved lives. This is their annual “Holiday Greetings”

Happy New Year!

2012 was a busy year, so busy that I missed the end of the world on December 21st. So did a lot of other people.

Terry and I both did a lot of work related travelling in 2012. One or both of us went somewhere every month. Most of my travel was to Yellowknife, although I did make it to Fort Simpson and Ottawa. Terry’s travels took him to Fort Providence, Yellowknife, and Fort Simpson.

There was a huge anthrax outbreak in the Mackenzie bison herd in the summer. Terry spent 22 days in July and 10 of the first 12 days of August in Fort Providence dealing with the outbreak. By “dealing” I mean locating and cremating, on site, each animal. When all was said and done, they lost 440 animals, approximately a third of the herd. Fort Providence is located on the north side of the Mackenzie River just west of Great Slave Lake. The Mackenzie River flows out of the southwest end of Great Slave Lake. You might have heard about the opening of the Deh Cho Bridge on December 1st. It crosses the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence and replaces the ferry service.

Life in Fort Smith during this same time was busy. We had one of our hottest summers ever. On the plus side, it was a stellar year for fruit – raspberries, cranberries (of several types), Saskatoon berries, pin cherries, red currants, and crab apples. The dogs quickly figured out that if I was the one dilly-dallying on our walks then I was picking Saskatoon berries and over they came to investigate. Indy’s approach was to circle out around me to find bushes to pick before I got to them. Monty’s approach was to stand between my legs and try to pick from the same bush or knock me over and eat the spilled berries. I pick into a ziplock bag, rather than an ice cream pail, as I am less likely to spill berries when the 80 lb. dog bumps the bag or me. The negative side to the hot weather was the extreme forest fire conditions that we had for most of the summer. We had a couple of fires fairly close to town but we didn’t have to leave.

We also had our first municipal strike, ever. It went on for 2 weeks, coinciding with record- breaking hot sunny weather (second part of July). Garbage was, of course, the major concern for those people who were not away on holiday. Garbage is a serious business in a place where it is collected twice a week and most people can’t even be bothered to take in their beverage containers for the refund. As the regional vice president for the union, I spent half days at work (I work for the territorial government and this was a town strike) and half days visiting picket lines, putting up signs, etc. It was a little bit stressful as the then-mayor is also a personal friend. It wasn’t quite as disruptive on my work front as it could have been, largely because the College president and the vice-president to whom I report both resigned in early June. As I repeatedly tell people, “I write policy; I don’t set policy.” Between changes in senior administration at the College, changes in membership on our Board of Governors, and changing deputy ministers with the GNWT Department of Education, Culture and Employment there weren’t many people around to set

2012 was a busy year, so busy that I missed the the end of the world on December 21st. So did a lot of other people.

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policy. An interim president was appointed in July; she won the hiring competition and officially became president in early December. My previous boss was persuaded to come out of retirement in mid-August and is here until the position is filled. Global warming has not had a noticeable impact on the glacial pace of government bureaucracy. (Yes, I know that I am part of that bureaucracy.)

Terry and I went moose hunting in September, so we did get to do some camping and paddling. Alas, we saw only one moose, from the plane at the beginning of our trip. We had glorious weather. I was able to pick low-bush and bog cranberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea and V. oxycoccus, respectively). Terry discovered that he could park me in a bog, go call moose, return 2 hours later, and I’d only moved about 3 feet. One particularly windy day we were sitting in camp after lunch when Terry looked up and saw a small black bear coming out of the water and shaking like a Newfoundland dog. The bear must have been working its way around the shore of the lake and had swum across a narrow channel and landed on the shore just beside our canoe. As we were downwind of the bear and sitting still, it hadn’t noticed us. Terry stood up, clapped his hands, and called, “Hey bear!” Poor bear took one look and scampered off without a backward glance. That was the last we saw of it.

We had snow on the ground before Hallowe’en this year. We didn’t have any huge dumps of snow, but many small accumulations. That combined with daytime highs no warmer than -25C for the past week pretty much guaranteed us a white Christmas, also a bright one. The days may be short (9:31 sunrise and 3:28 sunset today) but they are sunny.

Terry was invited to help make sausage yesterday – a first for him. I dropped off snacks mid- morning and left them to it. His was not the only group in town making sausage, as I discovered when I bumped into a friend at the post office. Perhaps this is a “how to survive the excesses of the holiday season” strategy. Head out to the heated garage with sausage making stuff and beer (amounts vary depending on the group) because it’s a little chilly for the usual outdoor activities (skiing, fishing, snowmobiling) but it’s time to escape the shortbread, chocolate, leftover turkey, etc. I think Terry said they made about 300 pounds of sausage! It is supposed to get warmer over the next few days (highs of -18 on Monday and -16 on Tuesday) but still be sunny, so I think we may get skiing or fishing then. In the meantime there are books to read, world junior hockey to watch, dogs to walk, yarn to knit (or tangle, depends if you have thumbs or not).

We have no firm travel plans for our spring trip, yet, but as far as I know we will be going to Ontario in April or May. If our travels bring us near to you, we’ll let you know.

That’s it for us for 2012. Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2013.Lauraine, Terry, Indy and Monty

We have no firm travel plans for our spring trip, yet, but as far as I know we will be going to Ontario in April or May. If our travels bring us near to you, we’ll let you know.

There will be a meeting on Monday, January 21st, 2013 at St. Joseph High School (Room 209) at 7:00 pm for all those interested in looking at rule changes being considered by the CKC Hunt Test Council. Many of the proposed changes affect the Senior tests, but there are also revisions that could impact the Junior, Master, and Grand Master levels as well. This is an excellent opportunity to provide input and feedback, since the Council has yet to have any changes approved by the CKC. Jeff

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FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, WE HAD A SOCIAL ACTIVITY AT THE CLUB LAND IN THE DEAD OF WINTER. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A SPECTACULAR SUCCESS, WITH UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNTS OF FOOD AND DRINK, A WIENER ROAST, A MARSHMELLOW FLAMBE’ AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE, THE MOST SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS DISPLAY THE BRADWELL AREA HAS EVER SEEN. MANY THANKS TO JOHN FOR THE IDEA AND ORGANIZING IT AND TO GARRY, TIM AND DARYL FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE.

FUN IN THE SNOW (or Fun in the Warmth of the Clubhouse, for Some) on January 6th

Thanks, John!

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