The Delegates’ Newsletter

Volume 31, No. 3 September 2018

THE WAY I SEE ITby Sylvia Thomas, Editor

SPEAKING FOR MYSELFby Daniel J Smyth, Esq., Chairman

THE DELEGATES’ NEW EMAIL LIST by Pat CruzWhy and how the Google email list was developed.

MEET THE AKC STAFF: ALAN FAUSELby Steven HamblinExciting news about the Museum of the Dog and its Director.

AZAWAKH: COMING TO A SHOW NEAR YOU ONJANUARY 1, 2019by Sylvia ArrowwoodIntroduction to the Azawakh, the newest addition to theHound Group.

JUNIOR AMBASSADOR PROGRAMby Rachel MurphyOverview of the launch of the Junior Ambassador Program.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: JUDITH SMITHby Sylvia ThomasIntroducing new Delegate who views the role of a Delegateas a way to give back.

WHERE ON EARTH?by Joyce EngleFinding a Scent Work Trial takes more than sniffing!

UNDERSTANDING PET INSURANCE IN 2018by Erin TursamIs pet insurance a good choice for your dogs?

IF YOU ASK MEby Monica Henderson StonerDelegates comment on this issue’s question.

STEWARDSHIP OF A LEGACY, PART 3: THE AKCby Steven HamblinA thought-provoking look at AKC’s Legacy and how thatlegacy is defined.

AKC CODE OF SPORTSMANSHIPby Bruce VoranAre integrity and sportsmanship alive and well?

AKC CLUBS AND FACEBOOKby Vicki Kubic Using social media to grow your club, control the message,and spread the good word.

STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT PAWBy Kathy GregoryStarting a puppy on the right track to Scent Work.

SPEED DATING – AKC STYLEby Dan SmythTaking a cue from speed dating, changes are coming to theDelegates’ orientation.

JUNIOR BEAGLER PROGRAMby Blaine GroveBeagle Clubs find a way to involve, encourage, and developthe next generation of Beaglers.

DOGS OF WAR: ANOTHER SIDE OF THE COIN,PART 1by Sherry WallisTale of sled dogs used during the war effort in Europe.

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In this issue…Page 8

Perspectives WRITERS’ GUIDELINES

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Perspectives.Following are guidelines we ask our contributors to follow.They simplify our jobs as editors and yours as writers andhelp us produce a quality publication while enabling us to getPerspectives out on time.• Write for your audience. Perspectives is prepared by

and for AKC Delegates who represent a wide variety ofmember clubs through the country. Our readers are veryknowledgeable dog people.

• Be certain that any facts in your article are accurate.Double-check them. Clearly state when a statement is yourown opinion.

• Whenever possible and appropriate, try to includeinput/quotes from others who are experts on yourtopic. Always attribute any quote to its original source.

• Articles should be submitted electronically, via e-mail. Solicited articles should be sent to the committeemember who requested the article. Unsolicited articlesshould be submitted to the Issue Coordinator and the Editorfor the upcoming issue.

• We suggest articles be approximately 500 to 1500words in length.

• Do not rely solely on spelling and grammar check, as theydo not proof word usage. After preparing your article,read it once more before submitting it. Use a diction-ary to check word meaning and spelling.

• Send in your article electronically, as a Word document,as early as possible. Submissions will be due by the 15thof the month following each Delegates Meeting. If yourarticle arrives after the issue deadline, it may not be usedin the current issue and may be returned to you or helduntil the next issue.

• A submission to Perspectives may not be reproduced inother publications without the written permission ofthe author and the Perspectives Editor.

• Any product in the name of a committee must be ap-proved for release by the committee prior to publicationin Perspectives.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Perspectives is a publication for, and written by, the Delegates,with an occasional article solicited by Editorial Board membersONLY from acknowledged experts in their field. It is a forum for

the exchange of ideas, for argument, for news. Through this medium, we hope to become better informed and, thereby,better equipped to fulfill our responsibilities as Delegates. Your contributions are welcome, and necessary, in makingthis publication a useful enterprise. Please assist the Editorial Board by submitting material via e-mail. We reservethe right to reasonably edit all copy submitted. Opinions expressed in Perspectives are not necessarily representativeof the views of the Editor, the Perspectives Editorial Board, or of the American Kennel Club.

Sylvia Arrowwood, Charleston Kennel Club

Marge Calltharp, (Secretary), Chinese Shar-Pei Club ofAmerica, Inc.

Gini Denninger, Genessee Valley Kennel Club, Inc.

Joyce Engle, Northeastern Maryland Kennel Club

Steven Hamblin (Asst. Chair), Pekingese Club of America

Don James, Leonberger Club of America

Dr. Geno Sisneros, American Pomeranian Club, Inc.

Daniel J. Smyth, Esq. (Chair), Burlington County KennelClub, Inc.

Monica Henderson Stoner (Asst. Editor), Saluki Club ofAmerica

Sylvia Thomas (Editor), Kennel Club of Riverside

Sherry E. Wallis, Akita Club of America

PerspectivesThe Delegates’ Newsletter

The Coordinator for the December 2018 issue is Joyce Engle, joyengle@comcast.net

The deadline for submission is October 22, 2018 pm with a copy to Sylvia.Thomas@rccd.edu

It’s been a long hot sum-mer, several consecutive

days of triple digit heat,and way too many smoke-filled days with my pooland vehicles covered withash from the Holy Fire. I’mthankful I wasn’t in harm’sway. Like many of myfriends, I began thinking

about what I would grab if I had only a few minutesto evacuate. Dogs and people first and then what?I’ve created a list I hope I’ll never need of things totake in an emergency. It’s an interesting exercise toconsider just in case the unexpected occurs.

Over the years, what and how we read haschanged. As a Reading teacher at heart, I missbooks and magazines. Recently, I was cleaning out atrunk and found copies of Life, Look, and Kennel Re-view along with old issues of the Gazette and Per-spectives. While I miss having them in my hands, Ihave adapted to reading them online. Not quite thesame, but the content, effort and dedication to theproduction remains the same. I encourage you toread what your fellow Delegates and others havewritten on the following pages. They have a lot tosay and have taken time to share it with you!

If you haven’t heard, the Museum of the Dog ismoving to New York. Steven Hamblin helps us getto know Alan Fausel who is charged with the enor-mous responsibility of overseeing the move, assist-ing with fundraising, and about a million otherthings.

To date, roughly half of the Delegates have “optedin” to the new Google Email list. Pat Cruz gives ussome background on the new list. I was an “early

adopter” and hope that all Delegates take advantageof the opportunity to network, communicate and ex-change ideas and information on the Delegates’Google email list.

Sylvia Arrowwood introduces us to the Azawakh,a new breed joining the Hound Group in 2019.Speaking of new, AKC recently launched the JuniorAmbassador Program which encourages Juniors toparticipate in different club activities. Blaine Grovewrites about another great program for youngstersthat awards their club participation and encouragesthem to become Beaglers. Find out what otherclubs are doing for Juniors in Monica HendersonStoner’s column If You Ask Me.

Kathy Gregory shares her Scent Work trainingpuppy primer with us and Joyce Engle reminds usof everything we need to know when looking for asite for a Scent Work Trial.

In this issue, you’ll meet Judith Smith, an accom-plished horse and dog woman, who is one of ournew Delegates. DAAC has reimagined the New Del-egate Orientation and will host the event in a “speeddating” format. Should be interesting!

Vicki Kubic provides insight on a club’s success-ful use of social media. Have you ever consideredPet Insurance? Erin Tursam has information andtips on the topic.

Steven Hamblin and Bruce Voran introduceprovocative and stimulating issues for our consider-ation. Steven writes about AKC’s legacy and Brucemuses about integrity and sportsmanship.

Finally, War Dogs have been a much written aboutsubject, but Sherry Wallis presents a different storybeginning in Gold Rush Alaska, sharing the story ofthe use of sled dogs in Europe during World War I.

THE WAY I SEE ITSYLVIA THOMAS, Editor

Intro

duction

•1 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

Delegates, we love hearing from you!We welcome your input! Send us your suggestions and articles. What’s on your

mind? We are interested in hearing from you and reading about what’s workingfor your club, your experiences, and/or your opinions about a topic or issue. Ifyou don’t know how to get started or where to begin to bring your article to life,we are here to help.

Contact Sylvia Thomas, Sylvia.Thomas@rccd.edu for information or assistance.

•2 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

Since becoming an on-line publication, it

seems that not only thiscolumn, but much of Per-spectives goes unread by aportion of the DelegateBody for whom it is writ-ten. We understand thatreading an electronic ver-sion is not the same as hav-

ing a hard copy in your hands to read on the planeor elsewhere, but it is our reality. My hope is that asmany Delegates as possible read this column andmany of the articles in the issue. Please do the com-mittee the honor of reading this and pointing it outto other Delegates and let them know what they aremissing!

As an alternative to communicating through aprint publication, many Delegates began looking atthe Delegate e-list as their source of information.The issue was that the e-list was often wrong, some-times filled with inaccurate conclusions and infer-ences which were based on incomplete information.It had become a list of harsh complaints and nega-tive commentary, often voiced by ex-Delegates whowere not purged from the list. It was unmonitoredfor content. It became obvious that there was a needfor a better list restricted to active Delegates onlyand maintained responsibly for their use. The inten-tion was to have a site to share ideas, communicatewith one another, and to build our connectivity. Thiswould absolutely be a good thing for the DelegateBody and its growth towards a cohesive communitysharing common goals and values. Differences ofopinion and viewpoint are healthy and vital, buteveryone should feel comfortable participating.

Many of us have recently joined the new “Google”email list and ran head first into what I will call TheMuseum Debacle. An invitation was received how-ever it was inarticulately drawn by the senders. Thereaction was immediate and by all accounts nega-tive. The date for the preview fundraiser was incor-rectly assumed to be the opening of the Museum.The timing, two days after the Delegates’ meeting,

appeared to be intentionally exclusionary, and greatumbrage was taken by many of the Delegates. Theirunhappiness was “voiced” on the Delegates’ emaillist. I watched for about 18 hours over which time,the “slight” became outrage on the part of some. Ihad to check to see if our new list, in its infancy, wasthe list where these messages were being posted.Unfortunately, it was. In a flash, the negativity of theold list transferred like a virus to the new list. Icould not believe how fast it occurred.

The sad point here is that the invitation was notfor the opening of the Museum at all, which takesplace in 2019. Rather, this was a preview fundraiserscheduled at a gallery apart from and at a differentlocation entirely. The preview being given was simi-lar to the preview already given to the Delegates byDominic Carota at a recent Delegates’ meeting. I be-lieve the intent of the invitation was to be inclusive ifyou were interested in attending and making a sig-nificant donation. No new information would begiven; in other words, you would have learned noth-ing new by attending.

My point is not to criticize anyone. It was a perfectstorm of improperly presented information receivedby a sensitized group of people who went down thewrong path in their understanding of what was hap-pening. It is remarkable how fast we reverted tobeing back on the prior email list. Some of the state-ments made on our new list, were mirror images ofprior negative messaging that we were trying toavoid.

Once the situation was explained, the fires wentout quickly, but the ashes remained. Sure peoplewere angry and fuel was added to the flames withanger and assumptions, it grew proportionately. It isunfortunate that this was the reaction and it markedthe launch our new informational list.

I don’t walk in anyone’s shoes but my own, and Ido not condemn the errors or misunderstandingsmade by all involved. I only ask that the new list beconsidered a safe place to properly discuss issues.It’s a great place to question something and obtain aclarification. It’s an appropriate place to share yourissues and concerns for your club. It needs to be a

SPEAKING FOR MYSELFLet’s ThinkALittleBeforeWeReact. PleaseTakeTheTimeToReadThis.DANIEL J. SMYTH, Esquire, Delegate, Burlington County Kennel Club

CHAIR, Perspectives Editorial Committee

Opinion

•3 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

SMYTH, cont’d

place where all Delegates feel safe and interested inreading the contents. All should feel comfortablequestioning something and obtaining the facts. It isnot a place for what they used to call flaming (a hos-tile and insulting interaction). If that happens, peo-ple will stop reading and contributing. It will onlybecome a new version of the old list and the reader-ship and participation will be affected.

It’s behind us now, but the aftershock remains.We can never improve by being hostile, we knowthat is something that makes most of us uncomfort-able. My thought here is to give your organization abreak. We are all here on a voluntary basis in an or-ganization in which we have dedicated and well-in-

tentioned participation. My suggestion, which isjust that, is to consider approaching this new list asa communication tool, and not an outlet for frustra-tion or negative communication. We need everyoneto look at this list as a valid source of informationand a venue for the exchange of ideas, and to partic-ipate in an appropriate manner. Let’s take care ofour new list so it remains a source of true informa-tion. It might be good to stop and think before weleap in and start a fire. This is our chance to startover and avoid our old propensities. We need thislist to be valid and civil. It is up to all of us to make itthat way.

The decision to use the Google platform wasmade at a Board meeting in late 2017 in response toreports that many Delegates had been hacked usingtheir yahoo email addresses.Who hasn't received a requestfrom a Delegate stranded in aforeign country asking formoney to get home or blankemails from Delegates thatwhen opened provided accessfor hackers or a computervirus? How often have we been asked to add or re-move Delegates’ names?

The Board decided it was time to explore otheroptions. Discussion with our talented IT staff con-cluded that a Google list or platform provided betterspam filters than other free mailing lists, and wasthe most secure way for Delegates to interact witheach other, to exchange ideas, to work with Com-mittees, and to share documents and pictures. All ofthis in an easy-to-use Delegates’ email list, that eventhe most “tech challenged” Delegates like me coulduse!

Delegates can join the Delegates’ Google Listusing any email address. One does not need aGoogle ‘gmail’ account to participate. Users can getemail messages from Delegates as soon as they are

posted to the list. Or, Delegates can choose to getmessages in digest form sent only once a day or in aform that combines the updates of as many as 25

emails at one time.Amy Hamernick, Executive

Assistant, who stepped into NeilSinger’s position after his retire-ment, was asked to provide ad-ministrative support for theDelegates’ List. She will nothave access to content, but will

be responsible for adding/removing Delegates tokeep the group updated and current. As of mid-July,350 members of our Delegate body have signedonto the new Delegates’ Google List and hopefully,there are more to come.

Access to the Delegate Group/Google Email Listand the Delegate Portal are exclusive to those whoare current, approved AKC Delegates. Invitations tothe sub-committees will be sent by Amy on behalf ofthe respective Committee Chairs. Members will beable to work within their Committees and then,when ready, share information such as their min-utes, proposals and decisions with the Delegatebody. Daniel Smyth, Chair of the Coordinating Com-mittee and Chair of Delegate Advocacy Committee,will serve as moderator for the Delegates’ List.

NEW DELEGATE LIST: WHY GOOGLE? HOW DOES ITWORK?PAT CRUZ, Delegate, Heart Of The Plains Kennel Club, AKC Board Member

Delegates’ Em

ail List

This change to the email listwas made to provide a moresecure platform and better

spam filters for every Delegate.

•4 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

CRUZ, cont’dDe

legates’ Em

ail List This change to the email list was made to provide

a more secure platform and better spam filters forevery Delegate. Tips and troubleshooting will beavailable on the Delegate Portal. Specific Google listquestions will be answered by IT staff during calland screen share sessions that will be announcedon the Portal. Submit your questions toakcwebsupport@akc.org. Demo session times anddates will be organized by Seth Fera Schanes, AKCDirector Operations and Planning, with an agendaprepared based on Delegate questions.

Thanks to our great IT Staff, Torraine, Seth,

Wlad, and the entire team in New York and Raleighand, of course, Amy. Their grace, patience and un-derstanding of the whole process as it unfolded andprogressed is greatly appreciated. This was aBoard of Directors directive and they all stepped upand provided the expertise to make it happen. Weare fortunate to have them with us. They go unseenby most Delegates, but knowing they are there forus makes it easy to do what we do for the Clubs,volunteers, and Delegates to help advance AKC’smission.

On March 5, 2018,the American Ken-

nel Club issued its pressrelease announcing thehiring of Alan Fausel asthe Director of AKC Cul-tural Resources. Oncethe AKC Museum of theDog makes its move toNew York, and the St.Louis collection is com-

bined with the New York collection (displayed atAKC headquarters), Mr. Fausel’s role will changefrom focusing on the logistics of relocation to over-seeing the Museum in its entirety. In that Marchpress release, Mr. Fauselwas quoted as saying,“The Museum has auniquely beautiful collec-tion of art. I’m excited tohelp bring these pieces tothe thriving art culture ofNew York and share themwith the new audiencesfrom around the world.”Beginning in 2019, theworld will be able to seethat collection on display.

In the meantime, all of the preparation work – andthere’s a lot of it – continues at a snap pace.

I caught up with Alan Fausel to pose some ques-tions so that we could get to know him better, and tounderstand not only what he does, but what hehopes to see in the future of the Museum.

SH: What brought you to AKC? Can you de-scribe a bit of the recruiting process?AF: I did an appraisal for the collection in New Yorkin 2008 when I was working for the auction houseBonhams. Last December (2017), Jim Crowleycalled me in to inquire about updating the appraisal.In the course of our meeting he mentioned that theMuseum was moving to New York in 2019 and they

were looking for a Director. Iknew the AKC collectionvery well as I had appraisedit and helped the collectionacquire works over theyears. I also had been to visitthe Museum in St. Louis onseveral previous occasions. Ialso knew the people at theAKC. From 1999-2016 I over-saw a sale of dog art origi-nally with Doyle andBonhams and then Bonhams

MEET ALAN FAUSEL, THE MAN WORKING TO BRING THEMUSEUM OF THE DOG TO LIFE IN NEW YORK CITYSTEVEN HAMBLIN, Delegate, Pekingese Club Of America

AKC S

taff

•5 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

HAMBLIN, cont’dAKC S

taff alone. From about 2002 we held “Barkfest,” a char-

ity brunch, on the Sunday morning prior to West-minster, with the funds going to AKC charities.Through that connection I came to know Jim Crow-ley, Dennis Sprung, Daphna Straus, Gina DiNardoand many others on the AKC staff.

SH: Describe your education, and how your ca-reer progressed. AF: I got my start in Art History at UCLA in the70s. I had been in pre-med, but went to the Hunting-ton Library and Art Gallery outside Pasadena forclasses in British Art. Somewhere along the way, Isaid, “This is what I want to do.” I went to Stanfordfor graduate studies in Art History, which led to mu-seum positions at the Fine Arts Museums of SanFrancisco and the Frick Art Museum in Pittsburgh.I then spent 20+ years working for the auctionhouses Butterfields, Doyle NY and Bonhams prima-rily in the areas of European and American paint-ings. Along the way, I have participated in PBS’

Antiques Roadshow for 23 years and will continue todo so. About my transition from the museum worldto the auction house and back to the museum, a col-league remarked that I had gone from “Game-keeper to Poacher and back to Gamekeeper.”

SH: What is your scope of responsibility cur-rently, and how will that change once the Mu-seum opens? How do you spend your days?AF: These days it is a race against the clock. Theresponsibilities are daunting. I have to:

Supervise the deaccession of a number of ob-jects from the present collection Oversee a massive move of the entire collec-tion from St. Louis to New York

Plan an exhibition schedule for the next 3-5yearsHire and install a new staffPlan and provide content for an array of cuttingedge digital interpretations Work with the architects on all aspects of thebuild-out of the new MuseumImplement a new inventory system for the col-lectionHelp construct a new websiteAssist with Museum fundraising Oversee the move of the AKC collection fromthe present offices to their new spaces at 101Park AvenuePlan a marketing strategy for the opening ofthe Museum and beyondPrepare for a gala fundraiser at the openingReincorporate the present Museum in NewYork.

The list seems endless. Going forward, once weare up and running, there will be an exhibition andprogramming schedule that will focus on the pure-bred dog, service dogs, and dogs in general. It is agreat opportunity for the AKC to show the worldwho we are and how we are integral to the Sport ofDogs and to maintaining the health and treatmentof dogs overall.

SH: Were you aware of the AKC’s private artcollection prior to interviewing for your role?What were your impressions when you finallysaw the collection for the first time?AF: As I mentioned above, I was aware and very fa-miliar with the collection in New York for years,having contributed to it in some sense and apprais-ing it as well. I also had a knowledge of the St. Louiscollection, however, was a bit surprised at the num-ber of objects that had accumulated in storage overthe years.

SH: What are your thoughts and hopes aboutcombining the AKC’s private collection withthe existing Museum’s collection that is mov-ing from St. Louis? AF: It is a great opportunity to show what we reallyhave. There are fabulous objects in both locations.

•6 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

HAMBLIN, cont’dAKC S

taff We now have the chance to mix and match the col-

lections rather freely through exhibitions, as theywill be under one roof.

SH: The focus of the Museum seems to be “thedog” in fine art, but there are also the accom-panying artifacts (trophies and collectibles)that touch on the Sport of Dogs. Do you see afuture where more of the history of the Sportis celebrated and displayed? If so, what wouldthat look like? If not, why not? AF: Actually, there will be a lot of emphasis on theSport. We will have interactive displays focusing on“Meet the Breeds” as well as a “Hall of Fame” fea-turing famous champions as well as other dogs. Per-haps most importantly, there will be a portion of theMuseum dedicated to our library and archives. Itwill be introduced by a display featuring the AKCand its long history. Housing more general volumesthat would be of interest to the general public, it willserve as a gateway to our archives that will be main-tained on the fifth floor of the building for those en-thusiasts who wish to delve further into the Sport.

SH: For years, dog art has been in demand andselling for a premium to both avid collectorsand to interior designers. Do you think the Mu-seum’s high-profile opening in New York willimpact the market of dog memorabilia and col-lectibles? Should we all be collecting NOW??AF: I wish I could tell you that the interest in col-lecting dog related art was burgeoning. Alas, it isnot. Across the board, younger generations are notpicking up on traditional activities. They are oftendescribed as being more interested in the experi-ence rather than the obtaining. I hope the collec-tions and displays will get them engaged in theSport as a new experience and perhaps seeing sucha wonderful collection they may be interested inowning the art.

SH: Does the Museum have an acquisitionstrategy to continue to grow the collection offine works of art? Does that include seeking be-quests of the many collectors in our sport?AF: We certainly are looking for quality works thatwill balance the collection. At present, some breeds,such as Mastiffs, Bulldogs and German Shepherds

are over represented in the collection, while otherbreeds are underrepresented or not at all. Over theyears, the Museum received large collections of dogcollectibles from a number of collectors. As for be-quests, the Museum has become more selective.Several years ago, the Museum formally drafted agift policy which can be found on the Museum’swebsite which explains the process of giving objectsto the Museum. Going forward we may look atpaintings of dogs in the performance of their dailyduties and their interaction with humans to help bal-ance out the great collection of dog portraits weown.

SH: What do you want the Delegates to knowabout the Museum, and how can we best helpyou achieve success from day one?AF: I think the best way is to come and visit uswhen we are open and hopefully become a member.We are planning on doing something special for theDelegates at the March 2019 meeting after we areopen. Stay tuned for more details.

SH: Please share any personal or anecdotalinformation about your life as it relates todogs.AF: My wife and I lost our English Springer Spanielafter 14 years. We recently welcomed a Welsh SpringerSpaniel puppy to our home. Prior to my life at AKC, Ihad been just a “painting guy.” We are now looking atjoining the Sport and showing her in the future.

Please welcome Alan Fausel to our AKC family!Join the Museum as a member when it opens.Take your friends and family to visit the Museumwhen you are in the greater New York metropoli-tan area. When you see Alan and his wife ringsideat a show, encourage them. And watch for him onPBS’ “Antiques Roadshow.”

•7 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

On January 1, 2019 the Aza-wakh will receive full AKC

recognition and will compete inthe Hound Group rounding outthe number of breeds in thegroup to 32. The Azawakh is anancient sighthound breed origi-nating in West Africa and moreprecisely the Sahara Desert andthe Azawakh Valley. For hun-dreds of years the Azawakh ac-companied the desert nomads asa sleek, slender, swift hunterwhich was its original purpose aswell as guarding the tent andfamily from strangers. But due to the dwindlingamount of game, today it is mostly utilized as a

home alert dog and a family pet. The Azawakh to the unanointed AKC dog person

might be mistaken for a Saluki or Sloughi as thethree breeds have many similarities. That said, theAzawakh is more similar to the Sloughi than theSaluki. The body length of the Azawakh is 90 per-cent of its height so it presents as a vertical rectan-gle in shape, higher than long. There is an overallimpression of elegant fineness. Weight of males is44 to 55 pounds and females range from 33 to 44pounds. If the dogs are in correct, acceptableweight, the bone structure and muscles are trans-parent beneath the skin, and three to five ribs canbe seen, Heads are long, fine boned, with skulls ex-

tremely flat and elongated.Gait is very light, almost as if

floating. At a trot the front footshould not extend past the end ofthe nose. At a gallop, the dog ap-pears to be leaping. The Aza-wakh’s movement is light andagile and is an essential elementof the breed.

Because the Azawakh lived anomadic desert life for hundredsof years, it is best for owners tostart early with socialization withother dogs and touching andtraining with human companions.

This breed is described as having the “intelligenceand heart to protect” and was bred for centuries tobe wary of strangers. It would be wise to introducethe Azawakh to others who visit the home as thebreed can be distant and reserved with strangers.

As is true of many breeds, the Azawakh is not thebreed for everyone. The breed has some very inter-esting and desirable traits. As an example, thebreed is simple to groom; there is no drooling; andno to low barking.

If this brief introduction has piqued your intereston the Azawakh, more information is available atwww.akc.org, www.azawakhs.org, and of course youcan you check out the Internet for a ton of other in-teresting facts and pictures. Thanks to Deb Kidwellof the American Azawakh Association who fur-nished me with these interesting facts about thebreed.

Azaw

akh: Ne

w Breed

AZAWAKH: COMING TO A SHOW NEAR YOU ON JANUARY 1, 2019 By Sylvia Arrowwood, Delegate, Charleston Kennel Club

•8 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

AKC’s Juniors Organization, in collaboration withthe AKC Public Education Department,

launched the AKC Junior Ambassador Program atthe Educational Summit onJune 10, 2018. Realizing thatnot all junior handlers have thetime or means to compete inevents every weekend, theJunior Ambassador creativeteam, led by Mari-Beth O’Neill,V.P. Sport Services, sought away to recognize Juniors who participate in thesport beyond the sole activity of event participation.“Junior handlers are smart, eager to learn, and havea desire to help.” per Mari-Beth, “We thought, whatbetter way to not only encourage Juniors to partici-

pate in different activities, but also to encourageclubs to reach out to this younger generation andteach, mentor, and develop them into good sportsand future club leaders? “

The Junior Ambassador Program also allows yourclub an opportunity to collaborate with local 4-Hdog programs and encourage 4-H members to be-come involved with AKC activities,events, and potentially become juniormembers of your club. Reaching outto local 4-H clubs can be both fun andrewarding for everyone involved. Oneeasy way to connect with 4-H clubs, isto offer a CGC/Trick Dog test at your

events (many clubs offer these free to Junior Han-dlers). To help and encourage 4-H members tolearn about the AKC, the Juniors Organization of-

fers free processing of AKC CaninePartner/Purebred Alternative List-ing numbers to 4-H members whosign up for or have their AKC Jun-ior number. What a great way tohave fun and to get 4-H membersstarted in participating in AKCevents. It’s also a good opportunity

to connect with the families of 4-H members whomight want to join your club. If you would like thespecial CP/PAL/Junior form we have created for 4-H members, please send a request tojuniors@akc.org and we can email you a copy, along

with instructions for submitting the 4-H membersCGC/Trick Dog applications for processing.

The team created a chart of activities that a Juniorcould complete to earn the Junior Ambassador Pin.Juniors must complete at least six activities fromthree categories to be eligible for the Junior Am-bassador pin. This unique pin was created to rec-

ognize Juniors who participate in theprogram.

A new pin will be issued each succes-sive year a Junior completes the requiredactivities. Juniors may submit additionalideas via email to juniors@akc.org orpubliced@akc.org.

THE AKC JUNIOR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM RACHEL MURPHY, Sport Services, Juniors Organization 4-H Liaison

“We thought, what better wayto not only encourage Juniorsto participate in dif ferent

activities, but also toencourage clubs…

Junior Am

bassador Program

The faces of AKC’s JunorAmbassador Program

•9 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

This issue, it’s my pleas-ure to introduce you to

Judith Smith, new Dele-gate for the DobermanPinscher Club of America(DPCA). Judith is accom-plished as both a dog andhorse woman and I lookforward to visiting withher at a future meeting. Icould tell you more, butbetter to have Judith tellyou herself!.

I acquired my first Dober-man in 1968 from the Spaf-fords, who werewell-known breeders fromSan Franciso. Mr. Spafford was an Obedience per-son and Mrs. Spafford was a Conformation person,and DPCA President long ago. While I was a noviceto dog shows, I was experienced with horses. I wasable to win some points on my male, but whencorporate and my company came calling, Iturned my dog over to Marj Brooks, pro-fessional dog handler, who easily finishedhim. I was familiar with the “show world”with my Hanoverian horses which I bredand showed. Adapting to dog shows waseasy enough since I had been involvedwith showing animals.

I worked for American Airlines and my jobchanged as I moved into a corporate setting whichrequired a move to the new headquarters in the

Dallas/Fort Worth area.My job gave me access tothe European horse breed-ing market as well asbeing able to work andride in European dressagebarns, specifically. I wasable to acquire top breed-ing stock from Europewhen dressage was be-coming a popular disci-pline here in the states.

I had a great foundationof “pedigree stars” and hadmulti BIS, BISS, and Top20 dogs of my breeding. I

was very proud of the dogsMargaret Downey and I sent to the show ring. I’vealways considered myself to be a horse person firstand as a result, soundness and the ability of an ani-mal to use itself is very important. I went into judg-

ing in 2002 and now adjudicate the WorkingGroup and most of the Sporting Group in

addition to Best in Show. I’ve served onmany committees with DPCA as Chair ofthe Lifetime Achievement Committee,Board member, and was Chief RingSteward for the DPCA National for nearly

16 years.It’s an honor to serve my breed club as a

Delegate. I look forward to the education I’m be-ginning to gain at the meetings and to the opportu-nity of making new friends.

Delegates

Thank You!Special thanks to Issue Coordinator, Sherry Wallis, who helped with the collection, submission,

and reviewing of articles for this issue. I’d like to acknowledge the help of Perspectives members,

Don James and Steven Hamblin for their time and assistance with proofing. Monica Henderson

Stoner, Assistant Editor, is consistent in her help with proofing of articles and a great sounding

board for ideas and suggestions. Finally, kudos to Delegates for submitting articles and contributing

to the issue. We appreciate your interest and the sharing of your ideas and experiences with us!

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: JUDITH SMITHSYLVIA THOMAS, Delegate, Kennel Club Of Riverside

Judith Smith awarding Best in Show at Shawnee KC

•10 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

Your club is chafing at the bit to join the ScentWork Trials game and they want YOU to lead

the charge. So where on earth are you going to findlocations for your Scent Work Trials? It can be chal-lenging, but it’s fun and you can do it! There arefour steps to finding where to hold a Scent WorkTrial: 1) brain storming, 2) process of elimination,3) visiting, and 4) final cut. Begin brain storming bylisting places that may work well for a trial. Can youhold the trial along with club shows or trials to savemoney and combine resources? If not you shouldconsider halls (churches, fire, social and commu-nity), recreation centers, fair grounds, police depart-ments, colleges, schools, dog shelters, dog kennels,parks, farms, and camps to name a few. Some placesprovide discounted or free space to not-for-profitand non-profit organizations.

Move on to step two, the process of elimination.First consider what is unac-ceptable to your club to ruleout locations and save yourselftime. My club had a list of re-quirements: safety, parking,bathrooms, potty area fordogs, member training, andmaking enough money to cover costs. The entiresite needs to be safe for dogs, exhibitors, and volun-teers. Don’t even consider the site if safety could bean issue. We needed at least fifty parking spaces forexhibitors or the location was ruled out. Parking,bathrooms or porta potties must be provided, buttheir locations can’t allow a line of sight into any out-door search area. The income from trial entriesmust be sufficient to cover the rent plus other trialexpenses. Anything more is a bonus! Limiting en-tries to fifty or sixty helps volunteers learn newroles and is hopefully enough to pay the bills!

For the process of elimination, there are simpletricks to help you determine parking space and po-tential trial flow. Most places have a website you canuse to look for potential search areas, or you canuse Google Maps to enter the facility address . Ifyou select the satellite in the left corner, you canzoom in to count parking spaces. If you know thesite at all, you may even be able to determine if theflow would be safe. You will need an AED (Auto-mated External Defibrillator) on site or an ambu-

lance. A veterinarian should also be nearby. Don’tforget that we must be compliant with ADA require-ments, see http://images.akc.org/pdf/2018/ADA-compliance-checklist-032018.pdf for details.Reviewing this checklist may eliminate a site andsave you time before any contacts or visits aremade. Always think about any normal operationsthat could intersect with the trial area. Can you holdthe trial in a way that doesn’t interfere with normaloperations? Interfering with business operations oranother event can be dangerous or at the very leastdisruptive for everyone.

Visiting potential sites is step three. Contact thecompliant sites and arrange to meet with those incharge. Remember that most classes can be heldoutdoors. However, if outdoors, you may wantsearches under a pavilion. This keeps things dryand equal for each dog. If a facility is concerned

about spills indoors, you can put atarp down to protect the floor.When visiting, measure each areathat you could potentially use. Thiswill tell you the highest difficultylevel you can offer at a trial. Youcan find element and space re-

quirement tables in Chapter 7, pages 40, 44, and 47of the Regulations for Scent Workhttp://images.akc.org/pdf/rulebooks/RSW001.pdf .Discuss the trial flow carefully. Photograph thesearch areas so you remember all the places, espe-cially large places like camps. You will then alsohave photos to send to any judge that you hire. Also,check for line of sight, air flow and safety. You mayneed extra volunteers to keep exhibitors away froman area or make large blinds. Make sure an ex-hibitor walking nearby can’t hear an “Alert.” This isan unfair advantage as to where the hide is located.Finally, if you are still interested in the site, checkfor available dates and any rental fees.

After seeing the locations, it’s on to step four, thefinal cut! You’re well on your way to selecting triallocation(s) and sending in applications. For each lo-cation you select, determine which classes and diffi-culty levels you can offer, create a budget andconsider the dates available. Check for conflictswith your club’s scheduled events that may narrowdown your choices. Is there a place for exhibitor

WHERE ON EARTH?JOYCE ENGLE, Delegate, Northeastern Maryland Kennel Club

Scent W

ork

So where on earth are yougoing to find locations foryour Scent Work Trials?

•11 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

With the popularity of pet insurance on the rise,breeders are getting more and more puppy

buyers inquiring about pet insurance. Should I getit? What does it cover? Is it worth it? What does itcost? As a breeder, you want to be able to answerthose questions.

Pet insurance has seen immense growth in recentyears, and is making huge strides in what it canoffer pet owners. What you knew about pet insur-ance ten years ago is most likely dramatically differ-ent from what it is today.

A Shift in Thinking A recent Harris Poll showed that 91% of pet own-

ers consider their pets as family, and 81% considerthem as equal to human members of the household.Those are some encouraging statistics! With moreand more pet owners considering their pets as fam-ily, they are also caring for them like family, whichmeans more visits to the vet and higher quality vet-erinary care. High-quality care comes at a cost.

According to the 2017-2018 American Pet ProductAssociation (APPA) National Pet Owners Survey,US pet owners spent over $17 billion on veterinarycare in 2017. This staggering statistic is indicative ofthe shift in thinking of American pet owners whichis resulting in more and more pet owners turning to

pet insurance as a means to help keep their petshealthy.

Pet Insurance on the RiseThe 2018 North American Pet Health Insurance

Association (NAPHIA) State of the Industry Reportrevealed that the number of insured pets in theUnited States saw a 17.5% increase in 2017 with themajority of insured pets being dogs at 84%. Despitethis impressive growth, still only 1.7% of dogs are in-sured in the United States.

The Breeder is the AuthorityEducation and awareness begin with authority fig-

ures, like breeders and veterinarians. The breederis often the first interaction a puppy buyer has witha seasoned pet expert. This is why it is so importantthat breeders have a solid understanding of pet in-surance and can confidently talk about it with theirpuppy buyers and to answer their questions. Puppybuyers are going to get the information from some-where. Make sure they are getting accurate, rep-utable information, and let that somewhere be fromyou!

Straight from the Pet Owner’s MouthThe #1 reason pet owners invested in pet insur-

Pet Insurance

UNDERSTANDING PET INSURANCE IN 2018Erin Tursam, Marketing Manager, AKC Pet Insurance

check in? Put a lot of thought into trial flow! What ifyour flow is exemplary, but there are no restroomsnear search area(s) for volunteers and judges?You’ll need a relief team to keep the trial moving.Dogs can become reactive because of the hunt driveand food rewards, so it’s critical with regard tosafety, to plan how dogs will enter and exit eachsearch area. This is when you’ll need those picturesyou took at each location. You will probably want toget more pictures!

With the trial flow in mind, you can also deter-mine the number of volunteers you need. If youhave limited volunteers, you can limit the number ofclasses. Perhaps there’s a club nearby that has ex-perience and can help. If so, rotate your club volun-teers into different roles to learn from them! Make

sure you take care of the volunteers! You know howmuch space you need for hospitality now. This areashould be covered, have seats for volunteers andjudges, electricity and water for breakfast andlunch. Can you provide pop-up tents in stagingareas and seating for volunteers and exhibitors?Does the facility provide tables and chairs or willyou need to bring them? The hospitality area canpossibly double as the trial chair’s area. If largeenough, it may work for the awards ceremony too.

Where on Earth can be challenging and fun. Nowyou can do it! The first time we do something, it’schallenging. Each time afterwards, it becomes eas-ier.

Don’t be afraid of exploring to find … where onEarth!

ENGLE, cont’dScent W

ork

•12 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

ance is to be able to “make decisions about theirpet’s healthcare without worrying about whether ornot they can afford treatment.” Anyone who hasbeen faced with a large veterinary bill can identifywith this sentiment.

Many new puppy owners may not know to plan forsuch unforeseen events. One of the many ways apuppy buyer benefits from choosing an AKCbreeder is all the knowledge and expertise they canprovide. Breeders use their experiences to helpguide their puppy buyers into making good deci-sions for their puppy’s future, which includes deci-sions about healthcare and pet insurance.

Breeder ResourcesBefore sending their puppies off to their new

homes, good breeders ensure their puppy buyershave all the tools and re-sources they need to get offto a good start. This includesinformation about AKC reg-istration, vaccinationrecords, proper nutrition,basic training, safety, andmore. If you aren’t alreadyproviding it, consider addingpet insurance to that list.

What Breeders Need (and Want) to Know A lot of questions and misconceptions surround

pet insurance. Below are answers to some of themost commonly asked questions.

What is pet insurance and how does it dif-fer from human health insurance?

Pet insurance works slightly differently thanhuman health insurance due to differences in insur-ance laws and regulations. Many of the frustrationswith pet insurance are actually out of the insuranceprovider’s control. Much is dictated by individualstate insurance regulation or underwriting rules.

How does pet insurance work and whatvets can I go to?

Pet insurance works on a reimbursement basis,which allows pet owners to go to any licensed vet-erinarian of their choice within the United States

and Canada, including veterinary specialists andemergency clinics.

The pet owner pays the vet for the services ren-dered, submits a claim, and then the insuranceprovider reimburses the pet owner for eligible ex-penses. Time to process claims varies with insur-ance companies.

How much does it cost and what affectspremium amounts?

The average premium amount for a dog in theUnited States in 2017 was $44 per month. AKC PetInsurance monthly premiums can range anywherefrom $10 per month to $100+ per month dependingon the coverage and limits chosen.

The key factors that affect premium costs are: ageof dog, geographic location (zip code), breed/sizeof dog, and coverage chosen. Annual rate increases

can occur, however at AKCPet Insurance, rate increasesare completely objective andnot based on an individualdog’s health status, numberof claims filed, or amountpaid in claims.

The biggest factor affectingcost is what coverage options

were chosen. AKC Pet Insurance offers customiz-able plans. Pet owners can build a plan that meetstheir individual needs and budget by choosing theirown coverage, deductible, coinsurance, and limits.

When should I get insurance and how do Iget started?

The younger the better, however, puppies must be8 weeks of age or older to be eligible for coverage,so the answer is—as soon as the new puppy ownergets them home! The younger the puppy, the loweryour premium, and they are less likely to have anypre-existing conditions.

AKC Pet Insurance makes it easy for breeders tohelp their puppy buyers get started with the 30-DayPet Insurance Certificate. This is a benefit includedwith AKC registration that provides new registrantsin most states with 30 days of accident and illnessinsurance coverage at no cost to the breeder orpuppy buyer. Puppy buyers simply complete their

TURSAM, cont’d

According to the 2017-2018 American Pet Product Association(APPA) National Pet Owners

Survey, US pet owners spent over $17billion on veterinary care in 2017.

•13 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

AKC registration and activate the policy. The policydoes not require that a credit card be provided orrequire a commitment to enroll; the policy automati-cally expires in 30 days.

What does it cover? Pet insurance is not just for unexpected accidents,

illnesses and emergencies. AKC Pet Insurance offerscoverage for routine and preventative care, examfees, hereditary and congenital conditions, alterna-tive and holistic care, behavioral issues, and more.

Insurance covers the common and more advancedtreatments and diagnostics like x-rays, ultrasounds,CT scans, MRIs, hospitalization, surgery, lab tests,prescription medications, physical therapy, cancercare, and emergency care. (Note: The treatmentsand diagnostics listed above are only covered whenbeing used to diagnose or treat an illness or injurythat is eligible for coverage under the policy.)

Become a Pet Insurance Expert BreederThere have been a lot of changes and advance-

ments in pet healthcare in recent years, includingimprovements in pet insurance. Pet insurance ishere to stay and is only getting better. Now is the

time to become a pet insurance expert breeder sothat the next time a puppy buyer asks you, “Whatabout pet insurance?” you can correctly answertheir questions with confidence!

Whether you want to learn about pet insurance forthe first time or learn about what’s changed in the in-dustry, you can take advantage of the resource youhave as an AKC breeder! Conveniently, AKC breed-ers have direct access to a pet insurance resourcethrough AKC Pet Insurance, provided by PetPart-ners, Inc., the exclusive pet insurance provider ofthe American Kennel Club since 2003. Though abreeder-specific insurance policy is not yet available,AKC Pet Insurance offers breeders many resourcesin order to help their puppy buyers select coveragethat meets their needs. AKC breeders have direct ac-cess to a Breeder Support Specialist, who can helpwith breeder-specific questions and concerns. Addi-tionally, there are a variety of benefits and discountsexclusive to AKC registered puppies.

Visit www.akcpetinsurance.com/breeders. Note: There are many companies offering Pet Insur-

ance. Buyers should carefully explore each and makean informed decision in selecting the plan and com-pany that best meets their needs

TURSAM, cont’d

We asked Delegates….

"What does your club do to encourageJuniors? This could be at shows, at trials,with memberships or scholarships.”

Steven Hamblin, Delegate, Pekingese Club of Amer-ica

A cluster that I belong to in Santa Barbara (SimiValley KC, Santa Barbara KC, and Los Encinos KC)all agreed this year to waive the entry fee for Jun-iors for the weekend. Personally, I would like to seethe Superintendents and AKC waive their fees forJuniors (which are still absorbed by the host clubs)so that clubs are not out of pocket or forced to raiseother entry fees to offset costs.

BarbaraMann, Ph.D., Delegate, Dayton Dog Train-ing Club

The biggest thing we do is to give juniors a highlydiscounted entry fee for all of our trials. At our Obe-dience and Rally trials, for example, first entry foreverybody else is $25, but all entries for juniors are$10.

Sylvia Thomas, Delegate, Kennel Club of RiversideMy Club has taken a couple of important steps in

supporting Juniors. The entry fee for Junior Show-manship has been eliminated. It is now free to enterJunior Showmanship. At this year’s shows, theaward for Juniors is a Director’s Chair from theClub and a $25 gift certificate donated by a vendor.In 2017, with Johnny Shoemaker’s help and guid-ance, the Club held its first Pee Wee Event. It has

Opinion

IF YOU ASK MEMONICA HENDERSON STONER, Delegate, Saluki Club Of America

•14 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

HENDERSON STONER, cont’d

now become an annual part of our show. We haveasked the Superintendent to avoid scheduling Jun-ior Showmanship during the lunch hour to enableand encourage Juniors to watch the Pee Wees andto help. We try to get the word out about both Jun-ior Showmanship and Pee Wee by reaching out tothe local 4H group and email announcements to theSuperintendent’s list serve.

Jon Green, Delegate, Central Ohio Kennel ClubIn my opinion, Central Ohio Kennel Club has not

done the best, and we have no junior members atthis point, but we are trying. We did have one, butshe aged out, and we have no others.

We do each year award two Youth Awards (notscholarships). They are not predicated on atten-dance or showing at our shows, but are based on asubmitted essay, 400-600 words in length, detailingthe activities of the junior in the sport, in school, intheir extracurricular activities, with a heavy weight-ing on GPA. We decided it was unfair to haveyounger compete against older, and established twoage divisions, 9-16 and 17-21. We established a uni-form set of criteria to evaluate the essays, and thispast year, with input from Cathy Rubens and Mari-Beth O'Neill, put out the announcement on Face-book Juniors page. We ended up with 123 entries. Itis interesting to note that for the past three years,AKC has also awarded, in their case, Scholarships,to at least one of our winners each year. With that,we think we have sound criteria. The one area I ad-

vocate we change is to require junior membershipin an all breed club, while now we simply award 5points in our competition for membership; threepoints for a parent club membership. We thinkbuilding relationships in a parent club is important,but vital for an All-Breed Club.

Monica Henderson Stoner, Delegate, Saluki Club ofAmerica

Junior Showmanship entries fell off for the SalukiNational, and SCOA chose the option to combineclasses, holding only Novice and Open. To encour-age participation, we reduced then eliminated theentry fee. We also added a Junior membership cate-gory and revitalized the Esther Bliss Knapp JuniorScholarship award. A small group of Saluki peoplehelped continue the Junior coaching at the Nationalalong with a pizza party and in the last few yearsthey added a water balloon fight.

Pee Wee Juniors debuted at the 2018 National, en-couraging an exciting number of young Saluki own-ers who attended the entire five days of Nationalcompetition. Seven competed for judge Robert Frost.I had the honor of judging this year’s Junior Show-manship entry of twelve, ranging from first show topolished competitors. The connection between han-dler and Saluki gave promise to a new generation ofSaluki enthusiasts. Next year we will offer the entirerange of Junior Showmanship classes.

If you were wondering, one thousand water bal-loons were deployed to help burn off energy.

Pee Wees at Saluki Club of America National Specialty

•15 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

We are on the cusp of great transition with theAKC. The headquarters are packing up and

preparing to move to the new offices in the KalikowBuilding at 101 Park Avenue. Simultaneously, theAKC Museum of the Dog is packing up in St. Louisas it prepares to move to New York City and blendwith the AKC’s “private” fine art collection that hasadorned the walls of the New York offices. Thismove launches a grand public foray into elevatingawareness of the purebred dog. There is no doubtthat in this age of dog fanatics in the United States,the Museum will find ample attendance from inter-ested people eager to celebrate all things “dog” in abeautiful setting in the middle of one of the greatcultural centers of the world. Only time will tell ifthe public relations blitz that will naturally accom-pany the opening of the Museum will actually movethe needle on public percep-tion of purpose-bred dogs,and whether or not the Mu-seum will function, longterm, as the public relationstool that we all hope it willbe. The human/canine con-nection is formidable, andthere will always be a needfor man to want to celebrate and “see” his bestfriend. As a “Club of Clubs,” what is the AKC’s re-sponsibility to the membership that is the founda-tion of the AKC? Dogs in art predate the AKC, butproliferation of images of dogs in fine art explodedin the Victorian Era and complement the creationand growth of the AKC. As we look at paintings ofspecific breeds – not only images capturing theirpurpose (i.e. engaged in the hunt), but of imagerycelebrating their beauty (generally in vanity piecescommissioned by proud owners) – we are facedwith the eternal chicken/egg question. Did thedogs create interest in dog sports, or did dogsports create interest in specific breeds? Answeringthat question really defines the AKC and its ongo-ing responsibility. Did the AKC fulfill a need or cre-ate a need? That question holds the crux of AKC'sresponsibility in Stewarding our Legacy.

If our Legacy is solely advocating for and advanc-ing purebred dogs, AKC has done a formidable jobcreating a full-service operation truly championing

dog causes. We have so much to be proud of in theCanine Health Foundation, Reunite, Pet DisasterRelief, the Humane Fund, the Museum, and Gov-ernment Relations – to name but a few. Our leader-ship at the AKC has thoughtfully rounded out andexpanded the reach of the AKC in an attempt to po-sition the AKC as the “go to” resource for all thingsdog. The Museum enhances this portfolio. Butbeing the Dogs’ Champion entails so much morethan advocacy and elevating awareness. TheAchilles Heel in my opinion, is in how we choose tofocus on the Library and Archives moving forward,for therein lies the documentation of our history inall of its successes and struggles.

In previous articles, I’ve advocated for individualsto take the mantle of recording and transmittingthe legacy of the people in our sport who define ex-

cellence and quality withinour respective breeds. Insome instances, those keypeople may have been hardworkers whose contributionsadvanced our clubs to keepthem alive for future genera-tions. I’ve also admonishedclubs and their boards to

stay focused on making choices and decisions thatadvance the sport, the breed, and the club for thebenefit of future generations. And, I’ve encouragedthose clubs to continue to record, share, and storetheir histories for posterity. Each piece of this puz-zle has ownership in our collective drive to advancepurebred dogs and dog sports. What do we expectand require of the American Kennel Club in the bigpicture? Since the mission of the AKC includes pro-moting the sport of dogs and breeding for type andfunction, there is an intrinsic responsibility to cata-log and store appropriate materials narrating thatjourney. The sheer volume of data AKC logs onstuds, litters, and points and titles earned certainlyencapsulates the competitive portion of the sport,while recording the advancement of bloodlines.Moreover, the Executive Secretary – through thevarious divisions within the executive offices – hasbasic history of the activity of clubs: date added toAKC membership, logged correspondence, num-ber of shows held, and locations of those shows.

AKC C

lub H

istory

THE STEWARDSHIP OF A LEGACY, PART THREE: THE AKCSTEVEN HAMBLIN, DELEGATE, PEKINGESE CLUB OF AMERICA

Our leadership at the AKC hasthoughtfully rounded out and ex-panded the reach of the AKC in anattempt to position the AKC as the“go to” resource for all things dog.

•16 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

HAMBLIN, cont’dAKC C

lub H

istory The existing Library and Archives houses printed

catalogs from 1877-1983, studbooks, The Gazette(and other bound periodicals), and some archivedmaterial that has been donated over the yearswhich is relevant to people and dog sports. Is all ofthis enough to create an historical narrative of“who” we are: the members who make up a Club ofClubs?

I don’t know that the AKC should be the reposi-tory for the collections of various clubs lackingspace or expertise to house their own archival ma-terial. The Archivist can certainly be a great re-source to help clubs understand how to curate andmanage their own collections. But does the value ofhaving a central repository outweigh the potentialloss of a member club’s heritage should that clublack the ability to carry on their own collection ofhistorical documentation? Is there an audience orwill there be a future demand for the ephemera ofdog sports extending back over a century – somuch so that the cost of a central repository makesfiscal sense? In my own experience, had the Li-brary and Archives not held data about my localSpecialty Club, I would never have been able to re-construct the rich history of a once-prominent clubin Los Angeles society. My research and subse-quently compiled data has inspired my club mem-bers to seek ways to return to the prominence ofour early roots. We may not find the membershipnor the funding to match the “quality of life” thatour club enjoyed in the Roaring Twenties, but wecan proudly celebrate our role in the rich fabric ofthe history of our club while seeking to emulate thepassion, drive, and joy of those who came before.Our history has taught us the significance of thePekingese in California, and we know that oursmall core of members today shares the enthusi-asm of our founders more than 100 years ago.

I have grand ideas and romantic notions of whatthe future could and should be. As with all dream-ers and romantics, money is not a consideration! Ienvision a world-class and world-renowned re-search center where breed enthusiasts, re-searchers, students, and journalists can find theirneeded resources for whatever their project maybe. I see the AKC Library and Archives as the “goto” resource for all things dog. (It’s important tonote that I firmly believe that the next tide of inter-

est has yet to surge, but will come – and that weneed to prepare now for the demand of the future.)People should not be looking to the Kennel Club inEngland for resources and references, nor shouldinstitutions of higher learning be holding our re-sources in their research centers. The first thoughtof anyone seeking knowledge and informationabout purebred dogs and the sports that celebratethem should be the American Kennel Club. But,alas, that is one man’s dream – and it exists in aworld where money is no object. The reality is thatthe space and human resources needed to acquire,manage, and house that vast a collection is consid-erable – as is the price to pay for it.

As fanciers, sporting enthusiasts, and representa-tives of member clubs of the American KennelClub, we need to decide how we define our Legacy.If it’s enough to be The Advocate for purebreddogs, then we can celebrate our wins while seekingways to refine and advance our purpose. But youcannot gauge a milestone if you don’t set a markerfrom the start. Our history tells us where we’vecome from and how far we’ve come, and allows usto see how much further we need to go. Recordedhistory tells us the ebbs and flows within the sportand within breeds. The documentation of our be-ginnings reminds us why we’re here, and inspiresus to perpetuate those grand founding principles.And a resource library tells future generations howwe started, how we progressed, and, in many in-stances, how we passed into obscurity. If you buildit, will they come? We are on the cusp of great tran-sition with AKC.

•17 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

“Sportsmen commit themselves to values of fairplay, honesty, courtesy and vigorous competition,as well as winning and losing with grace.”

“Many believe that these principles of sportsman-ship are the prime reason why our sport hasthrived for over one hundred years.”

• They Call It Integrity: Wholeness, SoundnessGeneral William F. Dean was the highest-ranking

American soldier captured during the Korean War.He was told to write a letter to his wife and, assum-ing he would be taken out and shot the next morn-ing, he wrote only a few lines. One of those linesread: “Tell Bill the word is integrity.”What would any of us write to our only son? Some-thing of happiness, success, popularity or security?Dean chose integrity. A word that means wholenessor soundness, a serious striving after an incorrupt-ible character. Integrity is expressed in the AKCCode of Sportsmanship. Reprinted in catalogs atdog events, but equally overlooked and not read.

Many years ago a town was destroyed by fire. Allthe chimneys built by a certain firm were stillstanding while others crumbled and fell. At thebase of a standing chimney was a plaque that read:“This chimney was built by such and such a com-pany who are [sic] still in business and still doinghonest work for their customers.”

• “Shared Values”Those elected to the AKC Board of Directors,

Delegate Committees or who are AKC employees,as well as those who attend Delegate Meetingsneed to value personal integrity. We who judge orserve on show committees or exhibit our dogs atConformation shows, Performance, or CompanionEvents must cherish our personal integrity and thatof others. In 2001 at our September meeting, manyran to the window to look across the river at thetragedy unfolding in New York. Many of the AKCfamily hurried to find portable x-ray machines andmedical supplies for the injured search and rescuedogs. This is prefaced in the AKC Code of Sports-manship as “shared values.”

• Wobbly On The Truth, Growing Crisis In EthicsAnd IntegrityRex Tillerson, former US Secretary of State,

spoke on May 17, 2018 at the graduation cere-monies for Virginia Military Institute. He talkedabout the nation’s “growing crisis in ethics and in-tegrity” and about our leaders who “conceal thetruth.” “When we as people, a free people, go wob-bly on the truth, even on what may seem the mosttrivial of matters, we go wobbly on America.” Hisremarks were aimed not only at political or privateindividuals and businesses, but also at non-profit or-ganizational structures. Being whole and beingcomplete, ethically and morally, will serve as build-ing blocks of a successful future. Otherwise, thecitizenry of a free peoples, as well as organizationalstructures as meaningful as AKC is to us and theiremployees, will become as if they were builders ofpoorly constructed chimneys that at critical mo-ments crumble.

• Integrity Has Many Faces And Right AnswerSolutionsIntegrity has many faces shaped by the factors of

individualism and societal, ethnic, and geographicalindividualization. Freedom of individualism reachesfor the progression of higher values. Individualiza-tion shapes the view that fears the corrosion of so-cial cohesion and other negative symptoms. Asolution where there is a “right answer” is not theresolution of these views. A more precise view is ofthe content and of the different framework in whichthe concept of integrity expressed in the AKC’sCode of Sportsmanship can be implemented.

• Several Colors, Black, White, And Shades OfGrayThe word integrity gives rise to an argument of

definition. Integrity comes in several colors, black,white, and shades of gray. Black and white moralityas advocated by Tillerson seems less common nowthan shades of gray. This change in ethical bound-aries comes about as recent generations are reluc-tant to accept something as right or wrong justbecause authority or tradition has proclaimed it tobe. Moral freedom is where people tend to deter-mine their own morality. Some declare that it is not

Opinion

AKC’S CODE OF SPORTSMANSHIPBRUCE VORAN, Delegate, Myrtle Beach Kennel Club

•18 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

VORAN cont’dOp

inion possible to eliminate all moral uncertainties. Gray

areas can be useful especially where a theoreticalstructure of right or wrong is not available. Thechoice to not make a choice between right andwrong is not always a neutral choice in that grayareas provide wiggle room in coping with ethicaldilemmas.

• FearsGeneral George Patton has said: “The time to

take counsel of your fears is before you make animportant battle decision. That's the time to listento every fear you can imagine! When you have col-lected all the facts and fears and made your deci-sion, turn off all your fears and go ahead!”

Fear may encourage or cause one to not say any-thing or to act wisely. Facts founded on integrity,ethics, morality, and personal character need not beoverridden by fears. A shameless disregard of theessence of integrity need not be realized.

• The Sound Of SilenceSilence does not necessarily imply consensus or

acceptance that integrity is a foundation uponwhich AKC’s Code of Sportsmanship is built. Toremain silent may simply imply that the concept iscorrect and nothing further need be said. Or, thetopic is utter nonsense. Or, voicing an opinion oneway or another is just not worth the effort. Thereis, however, a burden to speak should there be adisagreement whether or not a violation of theCode and the integrity upon which it was built ac-tually occurs.

In the face of a violation of the Code, it is unwiseto remain silent. By ignoring negative interpersonalbehaviors, a powerful message is sent to ‘do moreof that.’ To use negative interpersonal behaviors orsimply look the other way, to allow people to sabo-tage each other to win rewards, and withhold infor-mation from one another to appear more powerful,creates a culture endorsing negative interpersonalbehaviors. “Permitting” sabotage and withholdinginformation by not noticing and/or not addressingbehaviors, is to endorse more negative behaviorsthat people may see as similar, like bullying and ha-rassment. Inadvertently a message is sent that con-dones negative behavior in a broader context.

• It Is Neither Safe Nor Right To Go AgainstConscienceMartin Luther in 1521 said in a different context

related to his writings that “…it is neither safe norright to go against conscience.” At least one of thehandwritten transcripts of the proceedingsrecorded that Luther concluded his defense of hisworks in German. “Hier stele ich. Ich kann nichtanders.” (Translation: “Here I stand. I can do noother.”) He might just as well have been defendingAKC’s Code of Sportsmanship today.

There are decisions we, as Delegates, will makeprimarily for the benefit of the dog show worldbased on our belief in the AKC Code of Sportsman-ship. “Sportsmen commit themselves to valuesof fair play, honesty, courtesy and vigorouscompetition, as well as winning and losingwith grace.” This adherence must extend to lifethat continues well after the Delegates’ luncheon isbut a distant memory. “Many believe that these principles of

sportsmanship are the prime reason why oursport has thrived for over one hundredyears.” Our work as AKC Delegates may seem toend with chocolate covered cheesecake in Newarkor Orlando, or at our local dog shows. It does not!The AKC Code of Sportsmanship touches all thingsand reaches beyond time and geography.

• Integrity Is The Word Integrity is a word that is not wobbly on truth nor

a shade of gray. It is a word that “reaches beyondtime and geography.” It is a word, a Code, thatmust be defended at all cost.

•19 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

Facebook is the perfect venue for Parent, Regionaland Local clubs to showcase our wonderful purebreddogs! The American Miniature Schnauzer Club(AMSC) has been on Facebook since 2009. I havebeen managing the page since 2014. After 4 years "onthe job” I have ironed out a lot of the kinks and havea good feel for what works and what doesn’t work.Visit our Facebook page to get a better idea of theway it is used.https://www.facebook.com/AmericanMiniSchnauzerClub/

This will give you an idea ofthe demographics we’ve devel-oped. We have about 37,000 fol-lowers. Our followers are mostlyfemale,72%: 56% are between theages of 25-64, and 70% live in theUS.

To engage our existing follow-ers and encourage new followers, I try to keep thepage on the lighter side yet also use it to educate. Itry to use a mix of about 70% light and 30% educationso I don’t lose too many followers in the process.That education includes federal legislative issues, ex-posing Animal Rights groups like HSUS, PETA, etc.,challenging the “adopt don’t shop” mantra, links toour AMSC website, the AKC website, and various ar-ticles pertaining to the onslaught of imported rescuedogs and their impact on our dogs and our citizens.The Animal Rights(AR) organizationshave had a huge headstart on us and mostpeople still believe wehave a serious petoverpopulation in thiscountry and that“puppy mills” areeverywhere. Thechallenge is to helpthe general popula-tion understand andbelieve that most ARstatements are totallyincorrect or mislead-ing!

I typically post once a day. The average “reach”ranges from 2500 to 10K people daily depending onthe content of the post. Extremely popular ones thatare shared frequently can reach many more people!One particularly fun post of a Schnauzer acting afraidof a mouse was shared over 800 times and was seenby 96K people in a matter of days!

We recently “pinned” an exposé piece at the top ofour page regarding the proliferation of “merle”Miniature Schnauzers with blue eyes and merle col-

oring. We called them out as noth-ing more than mixed breed dogsbred by unscrupulous breeders.We also pointed out that somebreeders are fraudulently register-ing them with the AKC. That postalone under 2 separate postsreached more than 145K Face-

book members!!! I solicit pictures from our members and scour

Facebook for additional photos. I normally will say“grabbing for AMSC Facebook page” so people real-ize they will be used. People are tickled when theysee their dog on the page! To keep things simple, Ido not give photo credit.

I find historical photos in old Terrier Type andSchnauzer Shorts magazines, and members sendolder pictures to me. We will post upcoming National

and Regional special-ties and events. I try toshowcase all thesports our dogs cando, like Conformation,Barn Hunt, Agility,Scent Work, Earthdog,and even Dock Diving!But the most popularposts are usually thecute pet pictures! Ourdogs just being greatdogs!

I don’t let anyonepost directly to thepage, but any followercan post pictures to

Social Media

AKC CLUBS AND FACEBOOKVICKI KUBRIC, AMSC Website And Social Media Chair

Invited By BARBARA DONAHUE, Delegate, American Miniature Schnauzer Club

Facebook is the perfect venuefor Parent, Regional and Local

clubs to showcase ourwonderful purebred dogs!

Popular post: “I’ll just sit right here until you find that scary mouse!”

•20 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

any thread. Captioning posts creatively has a big im-pact on the reach. Sometimes we ask for interactionwhich really increases engagement. For instance, ona Friday, I might post a picture of a dog doing some-thing fun and ask what the owner and their dog aredoing that weekend. Ask them to post a picture oftheir dog in front of their Christmas tree or one ofthem playing. One Halloween we asked people topost a picture of their Miniature Schnauzer in a cos-tume! Other successful threads have been asking thefollowers what they feed their dogs, or what they

have done to help whiten beards. Engaging the fol-lowers makes them feel they are a part of somethingfun and educational!

As administrator, I try to keep a watchful eye forposts to our threads and hide pictures of Schnauzersthat do not meet our Standard (like Whites, Parti’s,etc.) or hide overly negative comments. Over theyears, I have had to ban a few troublemakers, animalrights activists, and anti-purebred fanatics. But over-all, the page runs extremely smoothly consideringthe amount of activity we have on it.

KUBRIC, cont’dSocial Media

Afew weeks ago, my husband and I looked at ourtwo Doberman Pinschers, littermates, and

thought, “This is their seventh birthday already!They’re VETERANS! How didthat happen?!” This was quicklyfollowed by, “We need a succes-sion plan!”

So, two weeks ago, we camehome with a beautiful eight anda half week old red Dobermangirl we named Rias. She is beau-tifully conformed, has great attitude, and smells likea “puppy!”

On the ride home, all the craziness of raising apuppy came rushing back to me as she threw up onme three times. Since she has not yet received herlast inoculation, she has been confined to our prop-erty. Socialization so far haslargely been confined to mak-ing sure the adult dogs aregetting along with her. Myboy loved her at first sight.My girl…not so much. Aftertwo weeks, my adult girl haspretty much prescribed theboundaries for Rias: no charg-ing into my face with your bigwhite ear posts, no biting mylips or ears and I will playwith you at MY invitation,only. It’s funny, but I seem toremember she got this exact

same treatment from her aunt when she came homeas a puppy, herself. Who knew there is “dog karma?”

After years of training and molding mature dogsinto fine competitors who antic-ipate your every move, begin-ning again with a peeing,pooping, mouthy puppy whodoesn’t know how to sit quietlyand has the attention span of agnat, is quite a training and cul-ture shock! Let me say at the

outset that I am not a professional behaviorist. I amsimply someone who has successfully trained dogsfor sport competition for 46 years using only positivereinforcement and am now steeped into Scent Workcompetition. But, enough about me, back to thepuppy. I am extremely careful not to upset the puppy

tummy. Rias came home witha fat folder of instructions withthe breeder’s recommendationon feeding. In Rias’ case, thefood of choice is a commercialkibble, readily available atmany dog food outlets. I usethis kibble, one tiny piece at atime, to reward the behavior Iwant.

When we start training anydog for Scent Work, the pri-mary behavior we want to re-inforce is the “head down”position. It’s important to re-

STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT PAW KATHY GREGORY, Delegate, Port Chester Obedience Training Club

Scent W

ork a

nd Pu

ppies

When we start training any dogfor Scent Work, the primary

behavior we want to reinforce isthe “head down” position.

Rias at 12 weeks. The Scent Work World awaits her!

•21 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

member Rias is 12weeks old andthat’s all I will do atthis young age. Ilook for opportuni-ties to reward mypuppy when shehas her head downand is sniffing inour yard or house.As always, timingis everything, and

you want to be absolutely sure that you are quick toreward only the behavior you want with single littletreats (emphasis on little)! This means you shouldhave treats in your hand, ready for quick delivery.Be careful your quick movements do not frighten orstartle your puppy! Train slowly and quietly. There isno need to add a verbal clue at this time. Scent Workputs the dog first and we try to interfere with naturalcanine behavior as little as possible. This translatesto training ourselves to be calm and peaceful.

I have recently become very conscious of the set-tings and circumstances we establish to train ourdogs. Do we consider their readiness to be trained ata given moment? If your dog is nervous, listless, dis-tracted or not into training for any reason, at the par-ticular time you have set, they will not learn well. Justbecause we have decided to train when we get homefrom work because it is most convenient for US doesnot mean that 5:30pm twice a week is good for yourdog. Before starting any training session, I recom-mend that you carefully observe your dogs to see ifthey are ready to be what we call in banking a “willinglearner.” It’s the same with puppies. Keep your ses-

sions really shortand joyful. Two min-utes, tops. Just longenough that you cansee the developingbrain is engaged.Take your clue fromyour puppy. If yourpuppy is like mine,a lot of their timewill be spent in justexploring their newhomes and experi-encing the sun,bugs, sticks, and grass. This is their primary job atthis time: explore and gain confidence. It helps if youhave other adult dogs who can give the puppy cluesabout what to be afraid and cautious about, and whatis no big deal. Once they have checked out their usualplay area, then it’s time to start training.

In the coming weeks, as Rias is able to socializemore, I will be taking her to her first puppy classesso she gets used to being confident in differentplaces with other dogs present. I can’t tell you howimportant this is in the scheme of things to developa well-trained dog. The reliable Scent Work dogknows his/her job and will successfully accomplishit regardless of the distractions or setting. This abil-ity comes from self confidence, confidence in theirhandler, and exposure to many experiences.

As time goes by I will address this journey againwith additional training tips. Right now, Rias and Iare just really enjoying looking at the world with newshiny, sparkly eyes!

GREGORY, cont’dScent W

ork a

nd Pu

ppies

Well it’s that time of year again when DAAChosts the New Delegate Orientation. Realiz-

ing our material and system was getting repetitive,DAAC will introduce a new orientation format forMonday evening following the Delegates’ Caucus.We will be trying a new take on “speed dating.”There, will of course, be a few twists, but we hope it

will be received in the spirit it is intended. Atten-dees will have a chance to “date” a.k.a. “meet with”individuals from all branches of the AKC.

The room set up will be engaging and more like asocial event than a meeting. There will be four mainstations, with one smaller area, “table top” for Per-spectives. Each station will have a presenter. Travel-

SPEED DATING – AKC STYLE DANIEL J. SMYTH, ESQUIRE, Delegate, Burlington County Kennel ClubChair, Delegate Advocacy And Advancement Committee

Deleg

ate Or

ientat

ion

•22 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

ing from station to station in groups, Delegates willhave 10 to 12 minutes at each area, where they canengage with the speaker. While we welcome ques-tions pertaining to the overall functioning of theAmerican Kennel Club and the Delegate Body, weask that you refrain from asking questions specificto your club unless they are relevant for all clubs.Our timer, yes, we will have one, will announce thestart and end of each discussion. When the time isup, each group will be asked to move to the nextstation. Each presenter will have helpful informationand handouts.

The presenters will be Gina DiNardo, ExecutiveSecretary, who will present on the role of Staff andthe Executive Committee of the AKC. Doug Lund-gren, Executive Vice President of Sports andEvents, will provide information on holding Per-formance Events. Dominic Carota, AKC BoardMember, will discuss the Board, access, and someinsight into what happens “behind those closeddoors.” You might even ask him about the Museumand its progress! As Chair of the Coordinating Com-mittee, I’ll discuss the committees, our functions,charges and how you can access the committees. Atthe Perspectives area, Sylvia Thomas, our hard-working Editor, will be available to discuss the pub-

lication, how you can participate, and some tips onputting your thoughts into a published article.

Now, a word about the “social” part of the event!We plan to have a no-host bar nearby. You will beable to buy the beverage of your choice and makeyour hour with us even more enjoyable! There willalso be some delightful snacks.

Adding to the ambiance of the hour, Dick Blairwill be our Master of Ceremonies, who will tell youthis Orientation will be very different from themorning quick review you received at your firstmeeting. Please consider attending. This is a terrificopportunity to network with fellow Delegates. Weeach have a lot to share and learn from each other.Look for an announcement of the room and exacttime. Word to the wise, make your dinner reserva-tions no earlier than 7:30pm.

Lastly, we invite the Board, Senior Staff, rhinoceros,and Committee chairs to stop by and say hello.

While the “target audience” for the orientation isDelegates who are new, approved during the last 12months, as well as Delegates who want to refreshtheir knowledge, all Delegates are welcome. Younever know what you may hear or learn!Please attend! Hope to see as many Delegates as

possible on Monday, September 24, 6:00pm!

SMYTH, cont’dDe

legate

Orien

tation

Blaine Grove, Delegate for New England BeagleClub, Inc. and Terry Gerhart, Director of the JuniorBeagler Program, are proof positive of what cancome out of a casual conversation between twofriends with time on their hands while hunting!Seems Blaine had been imagining a Program foryoungsters with Beagles for some time. The moreBlaine and Terry spoke, the more obvious it becamethat they needed to start a Program. With the sup-port of Terry’s family (wise man who knew the restof the family would be involved one way or another),Blaine, Terry, and other Beaglers joined forces tobegin the Northeast Regional Junior Beagler Pro-gram.

1. What is the Junior Beagler Program?The Program is a joint effort supported by several

clubs in the northeast including the Northeast Beagle

JUNIOR BEAGLER PROGRAM BLAINE GROVE, Delegate, New England Beagle Club, Inc.

Juniors

The Gerhart girls, Bailey 4 years old (left) and Elizabeth 7(right)at Presque Isle Beagle Club LIC Trial

•23 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

Gundog Federation, Pennsylvania Beagle Gundog Fed-eration, New England Hunting Beagle Association, andIroquois Beagle Gundog Association. The Program in-troduces children to working with and training dogs,participating in Trials, becoming a responsible clubmember, taking part in club activities, and understand-ing good sportsmanship. Each Junior in the Programcompletes a registration form that includes basic con-tact information, their acceptance of the Program rules,and dedication to participate in the “future of the Sportand the betterment of the breed.” Parental consent isrequired.

2. What is the purpose of the Program? Why was itstarted?

The intent was to introduce Beagle handling toyoungsters in the Northeast region, to reward andencourage them, to provide incentives, and to setgoals for achievement. While other programs havebeen rewarding for young handlers, the idea was tobegin a Program that could be both effective andconsistent.

3. Who is eligible for the Program? The Program is intended to be inclusive, and to start

kids at an early age. Thus, there are no minimum agerestrictions. While the program is intended for young-sters between the ages of 7 and 17, one or two havestarted as young as 4 and 5 years of age.

4. How do the youngsters earn points in the Pro-gram?

There are two ways for kids to earn points: • Participation in Club Activities

The children earn points for their participationin club activities. These activities can be thingssuch as helping in the kitchen during events, as-sisting at a work party, attending judging semi-nars, being a Marshall, handing out collars, orserving as an apprentice judge. Any worthy actto help a club in any way is accepted and en-couraged. Due to the age differences within theprogram, each club activity is counted as onepoint.

• Participation in TrialsAll Junior Beaglers must register and run thesame AKC registered Beagle for the Trial year;

this dog is referred to as #1 Dog. The Junior Bea-gler does not have to own the Beagle. The JuniorBeagler may handle one other AKC registeredBeagle, #2 Dog, for additional award points. TheJunior Beagler must be listed as the handler onthe entry form for the day’s Trial. Points areawarded based on the placement of the JuniorBeagler’s #1Dog and #2Dog in the Trial.

It is the Junior Beagler’s responsibility to sub-mit Trial forms with placements and/or club ac-tivity event participation to the Director whomaintains a log of the Junior Beagler’s points.

5. What is the Collar Program?The Collar Program is a progressive achievement

program that begins at age seven. Any points earnedprior to age seven are saved and awarded when thechild turns seven. As a progressive achievement pro-

GROVE, cont’dJuniors

Mitchell and Max Johnson getting ready to take their dogs inthe field, Lycoming Beagle Club

Tyler Long, 2017 NE Regional Junior Beagler of The Year with#1 Baxter

•24 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

GROVE, cont’dJuniors

Trevor Hammerle filling feeders,Paskamansett Beagle Club

Laylah Hall (right) and Trinity Grube (left),receiving awards for Junior Beagler

Program 2017-2018

Great Two Days, Great People, Breakneck Beagle Club

Austin and Aydyn Santos receivingawards, hats and shirts for Junior Beagler Program

gram, there are requirements thatmust be completed at each level beforea youngster can progress to the nextlevel. Generally, only one collar can beearned in a year. The exception is achild who starts the program at a laterage, for example, 11 years of age. Thatchild is permitted to acceleratethrough the program by completing re-quirements that would have been com-pleted at ages 7 through 10. While thetwo Programs, Junior Beagler and theJunior Beagler Collar, are separate,youngsters usually participate in bothas the two complement each other.

6. How do the kids find out about theProgram?

Information about the program is posted on everyFederation website. Terry makes a conscious effortto go to every Club and asks for their support whilegiving an update and providing information about theprogram.

After all of this, you might be wondering if the Jun-ior Beagler Program is working. It has taken time andeffort to grow the program, but the results have beengreat. The Junior Beagler Program began in January2016 with 17 kids. The following year, there were 32kids involved. This year there are 50 and theyoungest is 4 years old! The good news is kids andadults are enjoying the experience. Each Club has a

representative who introduces the programand mentors the kids at the Club level. Therepresentative helps the kids in differentways including helping them get an AKCregistered dog to run and mentoring themon the Trial experience and hunting withBeagles. The kids are learning valuable les-sons. They understand that they receivepoints based on their dog’s performance. InTerry’s words, “This isn’t a gimme pro-gram!” The Juniors know they can’t showup with an untrained dog and expect to dowell. The majority of awards are donated bysponsors and the Clubs have funds to sup-

port the program. The looks on the faces ofyoung Beaglers who earn collars (redthrough silver) or a vest or chaps tell it all.

The kids are proud and happy; they are becomingBeaglers and some even learn how to cook!

Cheyenne Colon with hergreen, orange and yellow

collars

Perspectives, and many other publications, haveprinted articles about the involvement of dogs

with the military during various wars, but the em-phasis here and mostly in the others is usually withtheir work as sentries, for detection, and as guards.Several monuments speak to their valuable service.However, one branch of the canine tree that hasbeen largely ignored in this regard is the servicesprovided by sled dogs during both world wars andin service before and since. Their service isn’t oftenknown, even by their parent clubs. One of thelargest deployments on record goes back to WorldWar I(WWI), and has its roots in the Alaskan GoldRush.

During that period, men from the “outside”flocked to Alaska and the Yukon Territory ofCanada. Of necessity, most became acquainted withsled dogs in order to transport their supplies totheir claims. The rush began in 1896 and lured over100,000 prospectors to the two areas between 1896and 1899. Although gold was still being found intothe late 1890’s, the lure of new discoveries in Cali-fornia prompted an exodus to the more hospitableclimate and better living conditions. During oneweek in August, 8,000 people left Dawson. The ad-vent of WWI drained even more of the population,as loyal Canadians and adventurous Americans en-listed in the armies of Britain and France.

Two of these men, Captain Louis Moufflet andLieutenant René Haas, ended up serving with theFrench army in the mountainous Vosges region,better known to most of us as the Alsace-Lorraineterritory, the bitterly disputed area taken byNapoleon from Germany, and then ceded back tothem after his defeat. Fighting along this front hadbeen ferocious throughout the war, since theFrench were most unwilling to give it up again toGermany. Snowfall during the winter of 1914-1915had been unusually heavy blocking attempts to re-supply the French soldiers on the ridges they held.The roads were blocked so that trucks couldn’t getthrough the drifts, which reached several meters inheight. Attempts with horses and mules failed. At-tempts to have men carry the material, also metwith failure, because the men were really only ableto carry enough for their own survival.

Moufflet and Haas, being very familiar with the

use of sleds and dogs in the Yukon, approachedtheir commanders and suggested that obtaining thenecessary supplies and dogs might solve these is-sues during the upcoming campaign the followingyear, should the weather repeat itself. The Frenchwere familiar with dogs used in the mountains astrail or pack dogs or pulling carts, but the idea ofusing them for freighting in the snow was novel.Undeterred, the two men came with documents andphotos. They told of their own travel experienceswith the Eskimos on the Arctic border, and that ofthe Klondike gold diggers. They also explainedabout the postal teams that crisscrossed the farnorth for thousands of kilometers, that nothing, noteven severe storms, stopped.

In July, 1915, with winter approaching, General deMaud’Huy, commander of the 7th Army, issued se-cret orders to Moufflet and Haas. They were in-structed to embark for North America to purchasemore than 400 dogs, equipment, and food. Haas im-mediately sent a message to Scotty Allan, the mostfamous musher in Alaska, to ask for his support.

Like many men who ended up in Alaska, Allanwasn’t born there. He was from Scotland and hadextensive experience working with both horses anddogs. He came to America as the escort for aClydesdale stallion sold to a ranch in the Dakotas,and then followed the gold rush adventurers toAlaska where he got a job with a freighting com-pany. Alaska’s climate didn’t lend itself to sports thatmost people from elsewhere were familiar with, so,over the years, men turned to something that they

•25 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

War Do

gsDOGS OF WAR: ANOTHER SIDE OF THE COIN PART 1SHERRY E. WALLIS, Delegate, Akita Club Of America

Start of a sled dog race in Nome

•26 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

had learned, sledding.Sled races becamevery popular, and es-pecially important dur-ing those early yearswas the All-AlaskaSweepstakes whichwas run from Nome toCandle and back.

It followed the tele-graph lines along theBering Sea coast.Scotty Allan was thethree-time winner ofthe Sweepstakes withhis lead dog Baldy.Allan’s partner in rac-ing and the freightingbusiness was an au-thoress, Esther Bird-

sall Darling, whose most well-known book Baldy ofNome, tells about Baldy’s entrance into Allan’s teamand some of their adventures together on the trail.Interestingly, Allan and Baldy are purported to bethe inspiration for the man and dog in Jack Lon-don’s White Fang. London spent time working inAlaska, and greatly admired Scotty Allan.

When Moufflet and Haas arrived in New York,they were unable to secure a ship for the return toFrance. At this time, the US was still neutral, and noone wanted to take sides. They decided to deal withthe return later. Moufflet went on from Quebec Cityto find 300 dogs, while Haas went to Alaska chargedwith finding another 100. To help with this, he en-listed Scotty Allan’s help. They visited various Inuitvillages, buying dogs and equipment. They traveledby boat from Nome to Vancouver, and then by trainfrom Vancouver to Quebec City, through Canada.

Along the way, Haas had to foil several attempts byGerman spies to poison the dogs.

Once they met up in Quebec, the dogs were hid-den in a hangar near a munitions factory. The test-ing explosions going off during the day helpaccustom the dogs to the noise. Time had flown byfor the two men and their cargo. With winter fast ap-proaching, they needed to get the 400 dogs, alongwith the seventy sleds, harnesses, five tons of food,supplies, and equipment for the trail to France. Se-curing a ship for transport was their next challenge.Fortunately, they did manage to find an old boat inQuebec that would take on the challenge of sailingthe winter Atlantic and braving the German U-boats.This ship was the last one to leave Quebec City inthe winter of 1915. They reached Le Havre, Franceon Dec 5, 1915 where their next task would be acrash course, teaching French mushers how to usethe dogs and equipment.

The French code name for this operation was

WALLIS, cont’dWar Do

gs

6000 miles from home, the dogs arrive in France

Some of the Nome dogs with the Chasseur Alpin learning todrive a team

100 Year Anniversary Parade in 2016. Descendants of soldierscommemorate Vosges Campaign by carrying pictures of their

relatives.

Alexander “Scotty” Allan and hislead dog Baldy

•27 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

Poilus d’Alaska, or Hairy from Alaska. Daniel Du-hand has written a book in French called La Verita-ble Histoire des Poilus d’Alaska and a movie inFrench was released some years back called Nomede code: Poilus d’Alaska. On the hundredth anniver-sary of their arrival on French shores in 1915, thedogs and soldiers were commemorated by the dedi-cation of a statue, sponsored by the Nanook canineclub of Bischwiller, an Alsatian sled dog associationand the Serret Museum of St. Amarin near Alsace.

When the fighting resumed in the following year,the sled teams proved invaluable in bringing sup-plies to the French forces despite the snowy passesand roads. They brought reinforcements, food, win-ter clothing, charcoal, and ammunition, and carriedwounded men back to field hospitals.

The teams were composed of many differentbreeds, from mixes to Malamutes and Siberians, sowhile they were not flat-out speed dogs, as we see inraces today, they were quite capable as freightingdogs with heavy loads. The best distance coveredwas 120 km (almost 75 miles) with 300 kilos (about660 lbs.) in a day by a 9-dog team. Included in theload were 3 men with arms and ammunition. In onenight, 30 kilos of telephone cable were laid to re-store the connection to a French position which wasisolated by the Germans. Once communicationswere established, commanders were able to directthe encircled forces on how to rejoin the Frenchlines.

Many of the dogs and soldiers were decorated fortheir service. At least half of the dogs were killedduring the fighting, and many were kept by their

handlers. Their descendants are still seen in thearea today.

Part II will continue discussing sled dogs servingin war time.

WALLIS, cont’dWar Do

gs

Lt. Haus with his team. He is shown wearing the AlpineHunter’s beret.

Many of the Mountain Division men had grown attached totheir dogs and kept them after the war.

A NON-SCENT SEEK AND FINDHere's a little quiz to see who's reading the issue.1. When did the AKC Junior Ambassador Program launch?2. On what page is the word rhinoceros hidden?

The first three Delegates to contact Assistant Editor,

Monica Henderson Stoner, tsent@ix.netcom.com, with

the correct answers will receive a Panera gift card.

January8 Board Meeting9 Board Meeting

February8 Board Meeting9 Board Meeting

March12 Delegate Committee Meeting13 Delegate Meeting

April9 Board Meeting10 Board Meeting

May7 Board Meeting8 Board Meeting

June 11 Delegate Committee Meeting12 Delegate Meeting

July9 Board Meeting10 Board Meeting

August13 Board Meeting14 Board Meeting

September24 Delegate Committee Meeting25 Delegate Meeting

October8 Board Meeting9 Board Meeting

November12 Board Meeting13 Board Meeting

December13 Delegate Committee Meeting14 Delegate Meeting

FEBRUARY 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

JANUARY 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

MARCH 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

APRIL 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

MAY 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

JUNE 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

JULY 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

SEPTEMBER 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

AUGUST 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

OCTOBER 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

DECEMBER 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

NOVEMBER 2018 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

BOARD & DELEGATE MEETINGS

2018All meetings, except December, are in the NYC/NJ area. The December meeting is in Orlando, FL.

Revised at the January 8 & 9, 2018 Board Meeting

•28 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018

January7 Board Meeting8 Board Meeting

February7 Board Meeting8 Board Meeting

March11 Delegate Committee Meeting12 Delegate Meeting

April8 Board Meeting9 Board Meeting

May13 Board Meeting14 Board Meeting

June 10 Delegate Committee Meeting11 Delegate Meeting

July8 Board Meeting9 Board Meeting

August12 Board Meeting13 Board Meeting

September9 Delegate Committee Meeting10 Delegate Meeting

October14 Board Meeting15 Board Meeting

November11 Board Meeting12 Board Meeting

December12 Delegate Committee Meeting13 Delegate Meeting

FEBRUARY 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

JANUARY 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

MARCH 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

APRIL 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

MAY 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

JUNE 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

JULY 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

SEPTEMBER 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

AUGUST 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

OCTOBER 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

DECEMBER 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

NOVEMBER 2019 S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

BOARD & DELEGATE MEETINGS

2019All meetings, except December, are in the NYC/NJ area. The December meeting is in Orlando, FL.

Revised at the January 8 & 9, 2018 Board Meeting

Back to Table of Contents

•29 •PERSPECTIVES September 2018