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Obichaff
Proud Member Club
of the AKC Since 1938
The Monthly Newsletter of the
Capital Dog Training Club of Washington, D.C., Inc.
May 2015
Volume 71 • Issue 4
Bridget Carlsen Comes To Capital!
— by Carrie Solomon, President, CDTC
C
apital hosted Bridget
Carlsen at the clubhouse on April 1819, 2015. Twenty working
teams and a half dozen auditors attended the workshop
entitled, “Training Novice
through Utility with Enthusiasm!” Bridget brought her
golden retriever, Saucy, fresh
off of their 2015 National
Obedience Championship,
and another golden, Hootie, to
help demo the exercises. We ordered a special celebratory cake
to honor their accomplishment
that was shared by all who
attended. Bridget was thrilled!
Bridget has been showing in
AKC obedience for many years. Like many successful
trainers, she has spent a lot of time thinking about how
to improve her dog’s performance in the obedience
trial ring and developing exercises towards that end.
Her goal is to have a dog that is highly accurate, motivated and enthusiastic when showing in the trial ring.
Some might think her dogs are way over the top but
her results speak for themselves. I have rarely seen
dogs that happy and excited to work!
Bridget uses a lot of food rewards in her training.
In This
Issue
However, she never rewards for just one successful exercise attempt. “No onesies” is her motto. Instead,
once a dog knows an exercise she expects her dog to
do that exercise three times perfectly before rewarding
with food. She does use praise to let the dog know she
likes what it’s doing, but no food reward until after the
third perfect execution of the exercise. A training sequence would look like this: When training a front, she
will have her dog do three perfect fronts before rewarding. If any of the three fronts is not perfect, she marks it
with a negative marker and starts the three attempts all
over before rewarding her dog.
The thought behind this training philosophy is that
you only need your dog to do something one time in
the trial ring. If you reward your dog in training after
one successful execution, then your dog will expect a
reward after a successful exercise in the trial ring.
When that reward is not forthcoming, the dog will either lose their enthusiasm for performing the exercise
or start offering variations and other behaviors in hopes
of getting the reward. It makes sense when you think
about it and helps explain some of the “I’ve never seen
my dog do that before in training” moments we experience when trialing our dogs.
Bridget also trains a lot of motion-type exercises that
can be used in the trial ring to help keep a dog motivated and energy level high in between exercises, i.e.,
motion creates drive, more little moves = more drive.
(continued on page 17
Bridget Carlsen Seminar at CDTC....................1
From the Editor..................................................2
From the President............................................3
AKC Delegate’s Corner.....................................4
Therapy Dogs Test ............................................4
Outstanding Sportsmanship Nominee..............5
CDTC Trial Brags ...........................................6-9
Capital Dogs Celebrate Spring .......................10
Bosco’s Big Week............................................11
NAVDA Natural Ability Test..............................12
Spring Cleaning At Capital ..............................14
Our Talented Capital Member .........................15
Pat & Rika Honored for Therapy Work ...........16
Rally Nationals Wrap Up .................................16
Calendar.....................................................18-19
Back Cover ...............................Announcements
2015 Board of Directors
President
Carrie Solomon
cssolomon@mmm.com
Vice President
Eileen Freedman
eileenmark@msn.com
Secretary
Brad Smith
jloucks1@verizon.net
Treasurer
Jake Jurgens
jej555@verizon.net
Training Director
Wendy Wilkenson
wendla276@gmail.com
Assistant Training Director
Abigail Carter
cdtcagility@gmail.com
Training Secretary
Shannon Hall
cdtcclasses@gmail.com
Trial Chair
Burton Goldstein
burton@bgcommunications.com
Trophy Chair
Sue Faber
bobf1040@verizon.net
AKC Delegate
Joyce Dandridge
justuschows@verizon.net
Obichaff Editor
Pam Coblyn
pamcoblyn@comcast.net
Associate Editor: Melitta Carter
Members at Large
Lisa Barry
lisabarry9@aol.com
Charma Le Edmonds
ce@shelterstudios.com
Nan Marks
njmatmarks@aol.com
New Membership Information
Charma Le Edmonds
ce@shelterstudios.com
Coordinator for Capital Points
Lisa Daniel
lisadaniel20814@gmail.com
Sunshine Person
Lois Kieter
lkietur@gmail.com
On-line Roster Manager
Mary Carson
maryccarson@gmail.com
Website Manager
Carolyn Henry
caro.e.henry@gmail.com
2
From the Editor
— by Pam Coblyn, Editor, Obichaff
Something In the Air!
“Big dreams have the magic to inspire you.”
I
t’s a beautiful time of
year and all manner of
growing things are especially welcome after our
rough-tough winter. I am
looking ahead to endless
walks on balmy mornings
and late walks on gentle
nights. Enjoy the season of
promise and renewal!
My dreams and goals are inspired by more than nature. Just this past
month, I witnessed some wonderful things that prove hard work, luck, a
lot of persistence, faith and love pay off big. At our club’s annual agility
extravaganza, the magic took place not in the Masters-Excellent ring, but
in the NOVICE and OPEN rings! Teams that I have watched and taught and
believed in had wildly successful runs—Q’s and new titles run with confidence. I cannot even express how proud and happy I am to have witnessed
that—elated handlers and their dogs who made their dreams come true.
One very green team (you know who you are!) went from not being able
to focus enough to run in the morning to negotiating nearly 2/3 of the
course—with a happy smiling dog at the end. I watched “non-traditional”
breeds (meaning not border collies!) run with purpose, fire and joy.The
Capital agility program is thriving—consider taking a class!
One last note and this is about sportsmanship.At a recent obedience
trial in Timonium, Fenway was going to be seated next to a fidgety dog
who I would have bet the mortgage money on breaking his long Sit Stay.
The gracious owner—a member of the CDTC!—leaned over and whispered to me, “Would you prefer it if I took my dog out of the ring? I want
to give your dog a chance.” Who knows if her dog would have settled
down but I was so struck by her selflessness and generosity of spirit.Way
to go! I know now that my mission is to pay it forward.
Website: www.cdtc.org
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Capital Dog Training Club of Washington, DC
Follow us on Twitter:
@CapDTC
Obichaff is published monthly, except in January, for the benefit of members of Capital Dog Training Club. Members are encouraged to submit articles that would be of interest to other members.
All submissions to Obichaff must have the author’s name. Previously published material must include permission from the publisher to use the material in Obichaff. The Editor has the right to
edit for space, content and tone. If significant changes are made (i.e., more than just for clarity,
punctuation, spelling, etc.), the author will be given an opportunity to review the edited article.
Material published in Obichaff does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editor or of CDTC.
Newsletters of other clubs may quote any part of this publication, provided proper credit is given
and a copy sent to Capital Dog Training Club.
May 2015
From the President—May, 2015
I
recently attended the Bridget Carlsen seminar at
Capital with my dog, Dexter. It was a wonderful
experience and I learned many new ways to
improve my training and engage my dog. But it also
got me thinking about our world of obedience. I have
to admit that I am a relative newbie when it comes to
training and showing in obedience. I showed my first
Frenchie,Tick Tock, in Novice A at our club’s annual
obedience trial in October 2007. It was my first time
doing anything like this and I was fortunate enough to
have a smart and willing partner that helped me
be successful.
Over the years, I have watched our sport go through
changes. When I first started showing, it was common
to have classes of close to 30 dogs. That number has
dropped as the years go by and there has been much
angst among both participants and AKC at the dwindling numbers. Various theories have been trotted out
there on what the problems are and how to fix them
but the numbers have continued to drop or stay about
the same.
But I have also begun to notice something else. The
quality of performances in the ring have generally gotten better. And another thing I am noticing is a growing and dedicated group of younger handlers out there
showing their dogs at a very high level.
The seminar this past weekend bore
witness to this theory of mine. We had a
number of younger handlers there with
their dogs—in some cases very young dogs—that were
executing many behaviors and exercises at a very high
level. Their dogs were precise and enthusiastic partners.
Are we seeing signs of a new trend in obedience?
I’m not sure but I see encouraging signs on many
fronts. It may have taken a while for young people to
discover our sport once they lifted their eyes away
from their iPhones and computers. But I would like to
think that dogs are as popular as ever in our lives and
our sport has a lot to offer young people in terms of
challenge and reward. It may be that we are beginning
to see them notice us and are getting excited about
spending time with their dogs. Perhaps the naysayers
are wrong and our sport isn’t dying at all, just changing
and evolving as all things must. I am hopeful and embracing the changes!
Happy Training!
Carrie Solomon
President, CDTC
The Rally Training Group
Train, polish, learn and have fun with your dog!
Set up for Rally Training Group is 1:00-1:25pm. Walk-thrus 1:25-1:40, run-thrus 1:40-2:45.
IF you need walk-thru—which is highly recommended—please come early enough to do so.
IF you come late and miss the opportunity to do a walk-thru, you can look at the posted map
and watch others. There are always people around to offer help with the course and training ideas.
It can get quite BUSY this time of year with lots of pending trials,
so please come early to help set up the course or stay late to help take it down (it’s easy!).
We want everyone to get a chance to participate!
Also, if you have adequate knowledge of all rally signs, please offer to assist in judging.
Come by on Saturday afternoons—check the back page for dates!
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Don’t want to receive a copy of Obichaff in the mail? No problem. Just email Pam Coblyn at pamcoblyn@comcast.net
and ask to have your name removed from the Obichaff mailing list. All club members subscribed to the CDTC
listserv will receive notification when the PDF of Obichaff is posted to the web site.
May 2015
3
Delegates Corner
— by Joyce Dandridge, CDTC AKC Delegate
Our next Delegates meeting is in June—stay tuned!
I received word that the Companion Events Committee in June will be discussing Allowing Deaf Dogs in Agility
and Tracking at the Delegates meeting in June.
If any member has any thoughts they want me to convey to the committee and the VP and Director of Companion events, they can email me at justuschows@verizon.net .
Therapy Dogs International (TDI) Test
—by Shannon Hall, Training Secretary
C
apital hosted another Therapy Dog test on 26 May; three lovely new teams are now preparing make the
world a nicer place. Let's get the “thanks to” stuff done up front: Susan Hertz evaluated and Tom Hertz
handled neutral pony (IWH, whatever, same size) Seamus. Robin Seigel operated the wheelchair while
Jackie Stillwell, Nan Marks, and Marsha Iyomasa did everything else required. All were good, experienced volunteers....except:The TDI Child!
My own child, who has served as TDI Child for years, is now 12. She is as tall as Jackie and Nan, she is self-consciously quiet to the point of being sullen, and she refuses to run. In short, she makes a crummy TDI Child. So, my
plan was to recruit a more childlike-child. Initially, this plan met with great success—one of the entrants has two
young children and was happy to bring them—Yay! What could be more convenient! Except, a couple weeks
prior to the test, she observed some behavior that indicated her dog was not quite ready to pass. Very wisely, she
told me she'd wait and train a bit more. Good decision! And yet, boo. No child.
On to Plan B: beg the list for a child. No joy—Laura’s grandkids were booked, Marsha tried to recruit a couple,
who were likewise unavailable, and, frankly y’all, we are not well provided with young children in our club.
Plan C? Recruit my daughter Naomi’s shortest friend Sara, who is the size of an 8
year old and happy to yell. No joy—busy with her Bat Mitzvah prep. One day left and
out of options. I am down to making do with what I have.
Let's see, we want her to present a noisy spectacle for the dogs, but she will neither
run nor scream. Hmmmm, hey, look! I still have her old razor scooter! “Naomi, are
you willing to ride your scooter?” “Yes”. Score! One need down. Now for the noise.
YouTube to the rescue. My Google search for “screaming child video” netted this
gem:
The Best of Little Kids Screaming:Volume 1—YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnteh2FIhL4
Oh wow, perfect! I planned to play it loudly on my phone while Naomi rode her
scooter, but arriving at the club, I saw our lovely large flat-panel TV. Yes! Even better!
So while Naomi raced past the dogs on her scooter, the whining, screaming, and angry
yelling of a multiplicity of raging small kids played on the TV behind her. The dogs
stayed serenely in place, bothered by neither motion nor noise. Well done all!
Don’t you love technology?
Stay tuned for a big wrap-up of our club’s agility trial in next month’s issue!
4
May 2015
Nomination for the 2015 AKC
Outstanding Sportsmanship Award
— Submitted by Nan Marks and Donna Cleverdon
I
t is our honor to nominate Dr. Joyce Dandridge for
the 2015 Outstanding Sportsmanship Award. In her
many years at Capital Dog Training Club of Washington, DC, Dr. Joyce Dandridge has exemplified the highest and best of what this award stands for. Dr. Dandridge
has bred and shown Chow Chows for thirty years. She
joined Capital Dog Training Club in 1989 with her first
obedience Chow quickly adding expertise in obedience
to her already significant knowledge of the breed. During
the years since she has made enormous contributions
to the world of dog training and dog sports actively taking on increasing responsibilities. Her impact has been
enhanced by the fact that she brings not only a wealth
of knowledge about dogs and dog training but also a
wealth of knowledge in the areas of education (her
doctorate is in that area) and in leadership (as a former
executive in the Prince George’s County School System).
Her professional credentials have served her well as an
ambassador, coach, teacher and mentor both to members
of the club, member candidates, students, and trainers
May 2015
who avail themselves of club classes, competitions, and
other dog related events
Specific examples include Dr. Dandridge having
taught a number of classes for the club including
Puppy Kindergarten and Basic classes where she laid
both a strong foundation for the dog and also for the
love of training in the owner and conformation classes
where her students have excelled. For more than a
decade, she has served on the Club’s Board of Directors
and for almost ten years she has served as the Club’s
AKC delegate also serving on the AKC committee with
responsibility for obedience events. In both positions
she brings a well informed and thoughtful point of view
coupled with wonderful listening skills and respect for
the views of others positioning her well to bring difficult and sometimes controversial issues through to successful outcomes that best advance the overall
objectives of supporting the fostering of the knowledge
and practice of dog training. As the AKC’s Delegate, she
ensures that club members are kept current on all AKC
initiatives and at times she has even traveled straight from
the airport to a club or board meeting with an update.
Joyce is perhaps most notable for her quiet but invaluable work behind the scenes. Seeking no credit, she has
been a major force in initiatives to bring in and support
new members and to re-inspire long-standing members.
Her wonderful well-stocked gift bags provided to all
Novice A competitors at Club obedience trials have
been a tangible encouragement to these competitors,
almost all of whom came back again and again. Although
she is, herself, a conformation judge (of the Nonsporting
Group), she graciously serves as steward and ring captain at club events coaching and mentoring others. She
also actively explores new ways of engaging people
and advancing the sport. In this last year, for example,
she was the moving force behind two very successful
initiatives at the club, a genetic testing initiative and a
highly successful fundraiser to fund an AKC disaster
relief trailer for a local jurisdiction.
In Summary Joyce Dandridge has been a vital part of
the success of our club and has made significant contributions to the world of dog training and dog sports
seeking only the pleasure of seeing other people catch
her excitement. She richly merits recognition for Outstanding Sportsmanship.
5
Brags—CDTC Members & Dogs Take To the Ring!
CDTC Dogs Had Fun & Success At Our Club’s Trial!
Frenchies Were Fired Up
at the CDTC Agility Trial!
Charma LeEdmonds’ sweet Pie
earned two legs in Novice
Jumpers (JWW)—both 1st Place
and her Preferred Novice Title!
Pie also got two legs in FAST, both
1st place and her Preferred
Novice Title
Ernie got two legs in JWW, both
in 2nd Place. He also got his first
leg in Standard Novice with a
1st Place.
Go Pie and Ernie!
A Very Talented Son!
Benita Bottom finished Galley’s
(son of Savoy), breed championship
with three Majors and all points from
the Bred By Exhibitor class in York,
PA on Saturday March 14th.All their
work in CDTC handling seminars
and classes paid off. Benita bred and
co-owns Galley with Cindy Miner
and she is now Ch Tagalong’s Starry
Night BN CGC.
An amazing family and handler!
Pointing Griffon Displays
Q Consistence!
Laurie Cook’s Wirehaired Pointing
Griffon Gator qualified in 6 out of 9
runs at the Capital trial.This included a triple Q. (QQQ)
Gator is at the top of his game and
a superb athlete to watch!
6
A Very Talented Mama Dog!
Benita Bottom’s Savoy, a working girl
and mother, nabbed 2nd Place in the 20"
Excellent Jumpers class on Saturday,
April 4 to earn her AXJ title! She will
now be known as Ch Tagalong’s High
Tea for Two, CD RN AX AXJ CGC. Savoy’s
puppy Tonio, who just turned 4 months
old, attends Alice’s puppy class is proud
of his Mom.
What a wonderfully talented girlie!
Young Rat Terrier Earns
Agility Title With Big Win!
Lois Kietur’s Teddy (WarrenMtn’s
O’ What a Knight) earned his Open
Standard title at the Carroll County
Kennel Club trial on April 17 with a
1st Place win!
An amazing family and handler!
May 2015
T
he Sheehan Border Collie Gang had a great time on Saturday and Sunday! Dodger earned his highest score
ever in FAST (79 out of 80 points) to earn 1st Place in Excellent. He also earned 1st Place on Sunday in
both Master Standard and Time2Beat! Best of all, he kept most of the bars up over the weekend and ended
every run with his happy bark dance!
Meanwhile, Lucky—who started things off for in agility six years ago for the Sheehans at CDTC—had been a
possible scratch due to a funny gait but was cleared to run (after a visit with Greg Paul). He proved himself by running four happy Master's Preferred runs with three Q's including two yellow ribbons! The best part of the trial
was seeing all our friends from Capital -- especially watching the DeBremond/Wohl's sweep their classes with the
Schipps (how many little black dogs WERE there?!) Meanwhile, puppy Speed Dawg Racer, got to meet and greet
quite a few people and dogs -- including a sibling from his rescued litter! (It looks like Speedy liked Winnie a lot
more than she liked him!)
It’s A Family Affair at the CDTC Trial!
The deBremond family —April, Ted and daughter Carie Wohl—had so much to celebrate after the CDTC trial.
Their schipperke’s, fondly known at our club as “those little black dogs” were all wildly successful. Nitro’s Standard Novice run with handler Carie earned him a new NA title! “I am so proud of my Lover boy!” exclaims Carie.
Nitro’s daughter Elle Q’d with Carie, his son Ryder Q’d with Ted, his “wife” Echo Q’d with Carie and his Uncle
Colby Q’d with April. Colby surprised me with his first Q and leg of his AKC Standard Novice Title with a 2nd
Place finish! This is truly Schipp Family Agility!
May 2015
7
Puppy Bests Her Elders in the Breed Ring!
Joanne Riddle’s Elspeth (Merrie Munro’s Dark Endora) went Best of
Breed out of the 9-12 month Puppy Class at the York Kennel Club Friday
March 13 under respected terrier judge Richard Powell.At the Blue Gray
Cluster in Harrisburg, PA, she also went Winners Bitch three out of the
four shows and Reserve Winners Bitch in the other one. Joanne wants to
give credit to Jeff Harab, her handling instructor at CDTC
Elspeth is certainly off to a strong start in conformation!
Young Sibe Is a Howling Success in the Show Ring!
Dawn Thompson reports that Jacob (Huskavarna’s Tell Me a Story)
completed the requirements for his AKC Championship in spectacular
style at two specialty shows in Perry, Georgia.At the Siberian Husky
Club of Atlanta on Saturday,April 11, 2015, Jacob was awarded Winners
Dog & Best of Winners.At the same club’s second specialty show on
Sunday,April 12, 2015, he was also awarded Winners Dog & Best of Winners. Both shows gave him the required two majors to complete his
championship campaign that began in earnest in January 2015.
Jacob sends a shout out to Prez Carrie who was his PK instructor at
CDTC a few years ago.
Competitions, Success and A Nice Hike!
Megan Hemmer reports that on March 19, in Raleigh
NC, Jasper earned his 1st RA leg. On March 26 in Concord, NC, Jasper earned his CD and his 2nd RA leg. On
March 29 in Boonsboro, MD, Jasper earned his RA and
an extra CD leg. Anna earned a 4th Open leg!
The Hemmer Crew showed in Toledo, OH on April 12
and NQ’d. Megan stopped at Coopers Rock State Park on
the way back and spent a day hiking the trails with her
beloved dogs! They did the Overlook Trail, the Underlook Trail, the Henry Clay Furnace Trail, the Raven Rock
Trail & Rattlesnake Trail. Megan says, “So even though we
didnt Q, we had a fun adventure!” Grace is retired from
showing and has been sick, but really enjoyed the hike!
You all know how to have a good time both in and
out of the ring!
8
May 2015
Luna Speeds to An Agility Title!
Sue and Chris Jolly report, “We’re very happy to announce that our Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Luna (Heritage
Hill Luna del Gato) earned her JWW Open title at the
CDTC trial April 5, 2015 in 1st Place with a perfect
score and—surprising all who have trained with us!—
with the fastest time of all qualifiers in any height. She
earned her Standard Open title at the Potomac Valley
Golden Retriever Club trial on April 19, 19/15 taking a
1st Place. Luna’s relieved parents are celebrating being
at the same level in both events and no longer having
to navigate the tricky scheduling of different levels!
Way to go, efficient and speedy Luna!
Rally Success X Two Dogs!
Kate Green had a successful Sunday at the Cherry Blossom Cluster!
Jacques au Roux (BN RA CGC) get
his second RE leg with a happy, attentive performance. Later in the
day, puppy Reba (Rebecca Reaches
for the Stars) earned her second RN
leg with some solid heeling. She’s
gotten a 90 in both of her attempts!
What a wonderful way to celebrate
spring with your two talented pups!
Success X2 in Two Different Venues!
Bob Reinhardt is so pleased with his lovely black labs Cole
and Ben. Cole (on the left) and Ben show off their newly
acquired spring finery. Cole and Bob earned their Rally Excellent
Title at the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac Specialty
trial. Ben and Bob earned their Open Agility Standard Preferred
Title in front of a cheering crowd at Capital’s agility trial.
What beautiful boys and great teammates!
CDTC Agility Dogs OWN the FAST Ring!
Kathy Sheehan’s Dodger took 1st Place in Excellent FAST
with a near perfect score of 79 out of a possible 80 points. Pam
Coblyn’s Fenway won 1st Place in Masters FAST, completing
all possible obstacles but one.
Fen is trash talking to his buddy Dodger, “CDTC border
collies threw down for the blue ribbons!”
May 2015
9
Capital Dogs Celebrate Spring!
What's up buttercup? Gordon
embellished himself for spring.
Apparently he does take time to
smell the flowers.
Ken and Betsy Harringer’s goldens Bruno and Rudy
bask in the fresh green grass.
At the CDTC agility trial,
Fenway celebrated both
Passover and Easter with
his special headwear—
bunny ears and a yarmulke!
Joan Danzansky’s Biscuit enjoys
the green grass!
From left to right: Reba, Fenway, Rush, and Maverick!
10
Sandi Atkinson’s Figaro strikes
a pose at the Tidal Basin’s
Cherry Blossom Festival.
May 2015
Bosco’s Big Week
— by Bosco Harab, CDTC Canine Member
B
oy did I have a big week. On Monday, Jeff and Dianne took Hershey and me for the annual Cherry
Blossom stroll through Kenwood. I knew something was up, Jeff kept checking the Washington Post
website once an hour tracking the blooming cherry
trees. We went for our walk in the afternoon. Who
would have thought there would be so many people
gathered in Bethesda on a
Monday afternoon, but it was
packed; cameras were snapping everywhere and there
were loads of dogs enjoying
a perfect spring day. After a
hard winter the spring
weather was delightful, the
trees were beautiful and I
even got my picture taken in
a cherry tree!
The highlight of the week
was the Bridget Carlsen seminar. Capital Dog Training
Club puts on the best programs and Carrie Solomon
worked hard to arrange a great program. I knew something was up on Saturday morning when Dianne was
particularly attentive; I even got a good brushing. We
were off to the Club early with my soft crate and a bag
full of goodies in the car. When we got to the club there
were dogs and people I knew, but I was told not to visit
and laid down for a good snooze in my comfy soft crate.
Bridget started off giving the handlers valuable information on how to get your dog motivated to train. Bridget started off teaching spins and twists in front of the
handler which led to spins in heel position as rewards
for good behavior. I already knew how to spin and
twist, the first part was easy. Spinning in heel position
was a little more difficult, but I was given a treat after
every three spins, so this was fun!
Next we did target training. Wow, this was really
great; all I had to do was run from Dianne to the target
a distance away, retrieve a treat, turn around go through
Dianne’s legs and retrieve a treat from another target.
We did this several times with variations including
fronts and a novice recall.
The next exercise was using the dumbbell. I love
working with the dumbbell so I had no problem holding the dumbbell for a Graduate Novice recall, dropping
the dumbbell for a treat, picking up the dumbbell and
presenting it to Dianne. I got more treats for doing
May 2015
fronts at the end of this exercise. Yipee, I was really enjoying day one of this seminar.
Dianne and I picked up some Chinese Food on the
way home. After I had my dinner, I fell asleep and was
snoring. Boy, Dianne and I were dog tired.
Day Two brought even better treats (hot dogs). For
Day One, Dianne had lower value treats: zukes and
string cheese. I went
through three hot dogs, I
love hot dogs. One of Bridget’s assistances asked Dianne about the hot dogs and
she knew they were not the
cheap kind; turns out they
were left over Kosher for
Passover ones. Yummy!
I learned how to stand
perfectly still, not moving a
paw, while Dianne pushed
hard on both sides in a sit
position and a stand for
exam position (opposition reflex).
Next we practiced drop on recalls. Dianne had a
food bowl loaded with treats and I had to do three
spins and then back up in the down position three
times before I was released and given the treats in the
food bowl. This was awesome.
Now on to fun stuff: jumps. First I had to jump, go
to the target for a treat, return over the jump and get a
treat from Dianne. What could be easier! Trick or treat.
From there I had to focus as Dianne directed me to one
of the two jumps that were set up, high jump and bar
jump, and then get a treat from the target and return to
Dianne to for another treat (Directed Jumping). This
was a bit harder but I got it.
Now for the hardest exercise of all: Go Outs. I had to
really listen and pay attention. Dianne had us turned
around so I could not see anything and then do a pivot.
She then pointed at a target that was a distance away
and I had to get the treat and then return to her. This
one will take some work but we have time to work on
this Utility exercise as we are working towards Open.
All I can say is that this Seminar was a ton of fun. Dianne and I learned a lot of new training techniques.
This was Dianne’s first seminar and it is great that Capital Dog puts on such wonderful programs, thanks to all.
We will be working hard to implement these methods
into our training routines.
11
The NAVHDA Natural Ability Test
— by Laurie Cook, CDTC Member
10 month old Tessie, a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, on point. She is great at finding birds in the field and will stop
and point them when she smells them. But then she wants to chase them as puppies tend to do. She is learning to
be steady to flush, shot and fall. This means she needs to hold her point as we kick in the grass in front of her to
make the bird fly (flush), and to continue to point as the bird is shot and then falls to the ground. She has just gotten
steady to flush. The orange check cord that is attached to her is used to grab her to keep her from chasing the bird.
P
uppies. So much potential. So much unknown.
The joy of watching them learn. The frustration
of inconsistent progress.
The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association has a puppy test that they call “Natural Ability” or
NA. It can only be taken before the pup is 16 months
old. It is to assess the potential that any given puppy
has for becoming a superb hunting dog. Our 10 month
old Wirehaired Pointing Griffon,Tessie, took her first NA
test on March 28.
There are three parts to this test. The first part is
field work. Each pup is allowed 20 minutes to search
the field for partridge and quail. They need to demonstrate that they are actively hunting; not just running to
have fun. When they smell a bird, they must point it.
But unlike the adult Utility dogs, they are not required
to hold the point for long. Chasing a bird is a huge nono for a Utility dog, but a good thing for a puppy. It
shows desire and enthusiasm. There is no shooting of
birds nor retrieving on this test. That, too, is for older,
trained dogs.
12
Tessie was beautiful in the field. She was bold and
confident, eagerly searching for her quarry with no
concern about working 20 or so yards in front of her
handler (my husband, Randy). The first bird she encountered flew as she approached, so she never pointed
it, but she happily chased it. The next two she pointed
nicely and held her point until Randy flushed the bird
(to make it fly) by kicking the grass near it. She happily
chased those as well and actually caught one. But she
came back to Randy each time she was called off the
chase and started looking for the next bird. Her only
problem in the field was that 20 minutes was not enough
for her. She was not ready to stop hunting! We needed
to coax her out of the field with the quail that she had
retrieved earlier.
Part two of the test is tracking. A pheasant has
his flight feathers plucked and is released in a field to
run into the woods while the puppy and handler are
out of sight. The puppy is then brought to the place
the pheasant was released and is supposed to follow
the bird’s scent into the woods. Tessie started on the
May 2015
track, but lost it. She started to hunt, found the track as
she crossed it once or twice, but never truly followed it.
As she was hunting more than tracking, we knew she
would not score well on her track.
Part three is water work. All that is required of
the puppy is to show that it will willingly enter the
water past the point where its feet can touch the ground
so that it is truly swimming. She needs to do this twice
to show that the first time was not an accident. Both of
my other Griffs love the water to the point that it is
hard to keep them out of it. They have been this way
since they were 8 weeks old. Tessie, on the other hand,
is indifferent towards the water. She swims very well,
with no splashing or flailing. She doesn’t seem to have
any fear. She just doesn’t see the point. And, unfortunately, with the frigid winter, she hadn’t been in the
water since last September.
The handler is supposed to throw a bumper into the
water to encourage the dog to go in. He can try to get
the dog excited. He may not push the dog, nor go in
the water himself. If he has to throw a dead bird to get
the puppy to swim, the pup’s score is lowered dramatically.The water was quite cold the day we tested. Tessie
wanted no part of it. She would not even go in after
the dead bird.
The puppies are graded in 7 categories with a score
of 0 to 4 in each category. Each category then has a
multiplier. Maximum score is 112.You need to have a
certain number of points in each category for different
“prizes”. Prize 1 is the top (99-112 points), prize 2 (80108 points), and prize 3 the lowest “passing” grade (58106 points).
Tessie’s score:
Nose: 4 (x6 =24)
Search: 4 (x5 =20)
Water: 0 (x5 = 0)
Pointing: 4 (x4 =16)
Tracking: 2 (x2 =4)
Desire to work: 2 (x4 =8)
Cooperation: 3 (x2 =6)
Total = 78 points, No prize
In comparison, Gator got prize 3, 94 points at 11
months, and Hattie got a prize 1, 112 points (perfect
score) at 12 months.
We knew that Tessie wasn’t really ready for this test,
but it is our home NAVHDA chapter, so we thought we
would give her a try. She is signed up for a second test
in Delaware in June, and one more as a final try in July.
More tracking and swimming lessons ahead. Hopefully,
I will have a better report this summer.
(The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association is a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to
foster, promote, and improve the versatile hunting dog
breeds in North America; to conserve game by using
well trained reliable hunting dogs on both land and
water; and to aid in the prevention of cruelty to animals
by discouraging nonselective and uncontrolled breeding, which produces unwanted and uncared for dogs.)
For Sale: All chain link kennel WITH CHAIN LINK ROOF (4 sides & the top)
Size: 6' wide x 10' long x 6' tall. Door on a 6' side and it closes securely. It can be fitted with a clip or padlock
if necessary.
This is good-quality chain link—same type used
for fences. Kennel can be set up either indoors
(e.g., basement) or outdoors. It is in very good
condition because it has been used only indoors.
If you are looking for a secure place for your dog
while you are out during the day or evening, this
is it! The dog can get up and move about but
can't escape. There is plenty of room for a bed,
litter pan if needed and can accommodate more
than one dog. The roof or top is sturdy enough
that you can store items on top of it (very handy if
you set it up in your basement). $325.
Please feel free to pass this message along to
anyone who might be interested.
Contact Sandi Atkinson: idnasa@aol.com
May 2015
13
CDTC Spring Cleaning At Capital
— by Eileen Freedman, Vice President, CDTC
The clean-up committee is about to SPRING into action
to get our clubhouse tidied up. In reality, this is an ongoing job, but we plan to SPRING into action now to attack the club “big time”
Some of what is listed below you will notice has already been done. Some of what is listed below is in the
process of being addressed. Some of what is listed
below is on our radar and we plan to deal with it soon.
Done
• New window coverings
• New supply closet security system
• New heaters
• New TV/Video System
• New rack for holding folding chairs in an orderly fashion, tucked behind crates
• New location for the agility A-frame
Doing—In Progress
• Supply closet reorganization
• Hanging leashes
• Instructor files in file cabinet
• Foyer book shelf, wall and table will be organized
To Be Done
• Rethink need for bulletin boards
• Order new gates and stanchions
• Order new lightweight obedience equipment
• Balcony items to be shredded, tossed, sold…
The clean-up committee is not an exclusive group.
Anyone who likes things organized is welcome to help.
Over the years, many of you have already pitched in to
help and that has been greatly appreciated.
The clean-up committee wants to give special thanks
to club members willing
to climb the ladder to put
supplies away.
The clean-up committee want to give special
thanks to those of you
who drink water from our
water dispenser and remember to throw your
cups away when you are
finished.
The Clean-up Committee
The After.... What a transformation!
14
May 2015
Our Talented CDTC Member
— by Sandi Atkinson
The original 3 ¼” square miniature acrylic painting “Top of His Class” features Guichon’s Bazl
years ago when he was just a puppy. Bazl is my daughter Maurine’s long-haired Chihuahua who
will be 13 in June.
The “Cavalier Dreaming—Blue” mixed-media collage original is 22 ¼" x 28 ¼". There is one photo of Stellar Zenith in it.
At one of the rally trials Zeen was in some years ago, we got
our rosettes at the trial but later received duplicates in the mail.
For some reason the Superintendent thought we hadn’t received the rosettes at the trial. No point in returning them because they had the date
and place on them. So I
saved them and used the
center rosette in two
mixed-media collages,
one of which is shown
here. The second, “Cavalier Dreaming—Pink”
includes photos of Zeen
and my first Cavalier,
Saintbrides Trifle.
I have a few extra prints
of these and more artwork. For more information, contact
Sandi Atkinson, idnasa@aol.com.
The Before.... How did we find anything?
May 2015
15
a
k
i
R
&
PatMaking the World A Better Place
Last Thursday, Pat Wells and her dog
Rika received the Walter Reed National
Military Medical Center Command Volunteer of the Quarter Award!
Pat and Rika are one of the twenty
handler and dog teams that make
weekly visits throughout the hospital,
fulfilling special visit requests and participating in events across the Installation.
Her colleagues hail her as a great leader,
a wonderful mentor and the brightest of
lights that warm the hearts of so many.
Perhaps most importantly, Pat is compassionate, never forgets a patient, and is
devoted to her Rika. Pat and Rika (together with their fellow companions
and handlers) are committed to one
goal: improving the lives of others!
Congratulations Pat and Rika! You are more than deserving of this special recognition!
Rally Nationals Wrap Up
Brad Smith, Josie McAuliffe and Sue Faber toast
to good times and friendship at the RNC.
Brad Smith and Tula looking dapper and in
perfect harmony while negotiating the course!
16
May 2015
Bridget Carlsen, cont. from page 1
She teaches a
hand touch where
the dog must
reach towards and
push into her
hand with its
nose. The front
feet should come
off the ground at
least a little to create this drive.
She also trains small circles to the right and left and
then incorporates those small circles into finishes and
fronts. For example, when training a left finish, she will
circle her dog left into a left finish three times. The dog
must complete the exercise three times perfectly ending in perfect heel position before it is rewarded. In a
trial, she would do this once or twice before an exercise begins to get her dog in the correct heel position
with drive. Because she always trains it three times
with reward in training, she
explains that her dog will
keep trying when she only
asks for one of these return
to heel exercises at a trial in
anticipation of getting a reward eventually.
Other Bridget training tips:
• How we use food as a reward is directly related to
how much drive our dog has.
• Expect more repetitions of a behavior in training
than you do at a show.
• Practice every scenario you use at a trial in first
in training.
Bridget also uses a lot of targets in her training, e.g.,
recalls, Figure 8s (as distractions), dumbbell retrieves,
stays, signal exercises, high
jump exercises and directed
retrieves. All of these target
exercises are designed to
help the dog perform the
exercises in high drive, with
accuracy and get rewarded
when they are right. Bridget
emphasizes this clarity in
everything she does with
her dogs, “Love it, tell them/
hate it tell them.” She is def-
May 2015
From Linda Baron and Domino,
her Tibetan Terrier
Fantastic! If only I had this seminar years ago. I
was hesitant to sign up because Domino is 10.
But it's amazing when having fun an old dog can
learn new tricks. Bridget's motivational style had
Domino readily performing things she had never
done before and it was pure joy watching her.
Bridget's techniques with the incorporation of tricks
and games eliminates boredom creating an eagerness to work. Her seminar taught me solutions
whether it be how to overcome the constant reward expectation by rewarding after every 3 actions in training or how to build drive. Now to
incorporate all that I learned. Bridget is the best
and I hope she returns soon.
initely not an “all positive all the time” type of trainer
but is very lavish with praise and reward when her dog
is right.
Bridget was very generous
with her time, working individually with each working team
at least once through every
exercise. We also had “Bridget’s
Groupies” as I called them, a
group of three working teams
that came from Richmond to
attend the seminar who were
already familiar with Bridget’s
training methods and also
helped work with each team
on the new methods. This was
extremely helpful and gave all of us a lot of opportunities
to really work the exercises so we gained proficiency.
We had a good representation of members at the
seminar that are training at all different levels from
barely Novice dogs up through dogs that are already
working and trialing Utility exercises. Every team
was able to perform the
exercises no matter what
level of training and it
appeared like they and
their dogs were having a
ball! Many thanks to all
who attended and
helped out. We hope to
have Bridget return again
next year!
17
CLASS SCHEDULES
Day
Date
Time
Instructor
Time
Class
Instructor
PUPPY KINDERGARTEN
Tue
3/17-5/5
6:00-6:50 pm Hathaway/Jeweler
Fri
5/8-6/26
1:00-1:50
Freedman/Verbin
TRICKS
Tue
Sat
GOOD MANNERS
Sat
1/17-3/7
7:30-8:50 pm
Melchior
BASIC
Mon 3/9-4/13
Tue
3/24-4/28
Thur 1/8-3/12
Sat
5/9-7/4
Hall
Reinhardt
Miller
Solomon
AGILITY
Wed
Wed
Sun
Sun
Sun
Sun
6:00-7:15 pm
7:15-8:45 pm
11:00-12:30 pm
5:00-6:15 pm
6:15-7:30 pm
7:30-8:45
FREESTYLE
Mon C
Sat
10:00-12:00 pm Ely
11:00-12:30 pm Guzman
8:30-9:20 pm
6:00-6:50 pm
7:00-7:50
9:00-9:50 pm
BEGINNER, ADVANCED BASIC & SUB-NOVICE
Mon C
7:15-8:05 pm
Adler/Dwyer
Thur Sub-Novice 9:30-10:20 am Adler
Thur Sub-Novice 7:00-7:50 pm
Harringer
Sun
Adv. Basic 1:00-1:50 pm Crawford/McCowan
NOVICE
Mon C
Tue
C
Thurs C
Thurs C
OPEN
Mon
Tue
Tue
Thurs
7:30-8:20 pm
7:00-7:50 pm
9:30-10:20 am
6:00-6:50 pm
Daniel
Merchant
Holt
Dwyer
C
6:00-7:15 pm
LaDieu
C (Beg.)
7:00-7:50 pm McMunn/Cleverdon
C (Retrieve) 7:00-7:50 pm
Merchant
C
8:00-9:00 pm Harry (Intermed.)
UTILITY
Mon C
Thurs C
Thurs C
8:15-9:05 pm
6:00-7:00 pm
7:00-8:00 pm
Adler
Harry/Prep
Harry
RALLY
Thurs
Rally Class Set Up: 11-11:30 am
Thurs C
11:30-12:20 pm Daniel/Comp.
Sat Rally TG
1:30-3:00
McAuliffe, et. al.
11:30-12:20 pm Rosen
7:30-8:45 am Melchior/Henderson
Tait
Briefel
deBremond
deBremond
Carter
Hall
FLYBALL
Sat
Beginning
6:30-7:30 pm Dwyer
Sat
Intermediate 7:30-8:30
Dwyer
Sat
Competition 8:30-9:30
Dwyer
TRAINING GROUPS
Mon C
10:00-12:00 pm Ely (Freestyle)
Tue
C
6:00-6:30 Cleverdon (Open & Utl)
Wed C
9:30-10:20 am McCown
Wed C 11:30-12:00 pm Spodak (Obedience TG)
Wed C 12:00-1:00 pm Spodak (Open Discussion)
Wed C
1:00 pm Spodak (Freestyle TG)
Wed C
4:30-5:30 pm
Cleverdon
Thurs C
10:30-11:30 am Holt
Thurs C
12:30-2:20 pm Goldstein
Fri
C
7:00-9:00 pm
McAuliffe
Sat
C
12:00-1:00 pm Larkin
Sat
C
1:00-3:00 pm McAuliffe/Harab/Smith
Sun
C
9:00-11:00 am Bob Reinhardt
BUILDING CLEANING
Tues C
Before 8 am and 1-4 pm
Montgomery Cleaning Company
TG = Training Group
C = Continuing Class
18
May 2015
CLASS SCHEDULES
Time
MONDAY
10-12 noon
6:00-7:15
7:15-8:05
7:30-8:20
8:15-9:05
8:30-9:20
TUESDAY
11:30-12:20
1-3:30 pm
6:00-6:50
6:00-6:50
6-6:30
6:00-6:50 pm
7-7:50
7-7:50
7-7:50
8-10:00
0
Class
Instructor Ring
Freestyle TG
Open
Sub-Novice
Novice
Utility
Basic, 3/9-4/13
Ely
1-2-3
LaDieu
2-3
Adler/Dwyer
1
Daniel
2-3
Adler
1-2
Hall
3
Tricks
Rosen
1-2
Building Cleaning
Basic Reinhardt 3/24-4/28
1
Basic Reinhardt 3/24-4/28
1
Open/Utility TG Cleverdon
2
Puppy K, 3/17-5/5 Hathaway/Jeweler 3
Novice
Merchant
1
Open Retrieve Skills Merchant
1
3/24-6/16
Beg. Open McMunn/Cleverdon 2-3
CDTC Meetings
Bldg.
WEDNESDAY
9:30-10:20 am Novice TG
McCown
1-2
11:30-2:20 pm TG: Obed. Handling Spodak 1-2
Discussion & Freestyle
6:00-7:15
Agility: Adv. Handling Tait
Bldg.
7:15-8:45
Agility: Competition
Briefel
THURSDAY
9:30-10:20 am Sub-Novice
Adler
9:30-10:20
Novice
Holt
11:00-11:30
Rally Set-up
11:30-12:20pm Competition Rally Daniel
12:30-2:30
Open/Utility TG Goldstein
6:00-6:50
Novice
Various
6:00-7:00
Utility Prep
Harry
7:00-8:00 pm Utility
Harry
7:00-7:50 pm Sub-Novice
Harringer
5/14 - 6/18
8:00-9:00
Open Intermediate Harry
May 2015
Bldg.
3
1-2
2-3
2-3
Bldg.
1-2
3
2-3
1
Time
Class
Instructor Ring
FRIDAY
10:00-12:00
Freestyle
Ely
1-2-3
SATURDAY
7:30-8:45 am Tricks 5/9-6/27 Melchior/Henderson 2-3
9:00-9:50 am Basic Solomon 5/9-7/4
2-3
10:00-10:50 Conformation
J. Harab
1-2
10:00-10:50 Beginning Rally D. Harab
1-2
11:00-12:00pm Fun With Freestyle Guzman Bldg.
12:00-1:00 pm Heeling Training Group Larkin 1-2
1:00-3:00
Rally Training Grp. McAuliffe/ 1-2-3
Harab/Faber/Smith
3:00-3:50
CGC Prep
Jeweler
2-3
4/25-5/16
4:00-4:50
Basic, 4/11-6/5
Daniels
2-3
6:30-7:30
Beg.Flyball
Dwyer
1-2-3
7:30-8:30
Intermediate Flyball Dwyer
1-2-3
8:30-9:30
Competition Flyball Dwyer
1-2-3
SUNDAY
9-11:00 am Open TG
11-12:30 pm Agility: Beginner
Starts 5/3 - 6/28
1-1:50 pm
Advanced Basic
3/8-5/3
2:00 pm
CGC Test, 5/17
5:00-6:15
Agility: Intro
5/3 - 6/28
6:15-7:30
Agility: Handlng A
5/3 - 6/28
7:30-8:45
Agility: Handling B
5/3 - 6/28
Reinhardt
1-2
deBremond Bldg.
Crawford
1-2
Hall
Bldg.
deBremond Bldg.
Carter
Bldg.
Hall
Bldg.
More Doings At the Club!
• General Meeting: May 12, 8 pm
• Board Meeting: May 26
• CGC Test May 17, 2 pm
1-2
19
May Rally
Training Group Schedule
Set up at 1pm. Walk-thrus at 1:25.
Runs start at 1:35, end by 3pm.
The next training dates will be:
May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30.
Please check our club’s listserv for
any cancellations.
Clubhouse/Information Phone: 301-587-5959 (K9K9)
Yahoo! Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/cdtc
Website: www.cdtc.org
Obichaff email: pamcoblyn@comcast.net
Classes: www.cdtc.org/classes/classes.html
Events: www.cdtc.org/events/events.html
Facebook: Capital Dog Training Club of Washington, DC
Twitter: @CapDTC
eCommerce Site: www.CapitalDTC.blogspot.com
Obichaff
The Monthly Newsletter of
Capital Dog Training Club
of Washington, DC, Inc.
Pam Coblyn, Editor
2758 Garfield Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910-1823
Originators of AKC’s Brace
and Graduate Novice classes
General
Membership
Meeting
Tuesday, May 12 at 8 pm
CGC Test
Sunday, May 17
Please contact the Training Secretary
to register