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June 2010
Tails News Issue # 5
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WHAT'S NEW AT TAILS
Summer Sizzle Agility Run Thruswith Bonnie HendersonMonday July 5th, 5 - 8:00pm
Two nested courses and runs are $5 each. Teams will have ample time to work on contacts, weaves and motivation. Run-thrus will be outdoors if the weather is good or indoors if it rains. No pre-registration is required, and any level is welcome to attend.
New
Canine Cross Training Class with Nancy Allen Start Date: Saturday 9:00 AM Join anytime FMI Cross Training Nancy's Bio Canine
Cross Training with Leslie Nelson Monday at 7:45 PM has a few openings for new students Friday
Fun Agility Ability Fun agility for the Family Dog with Cindy LaPorte Start Date: Friday evenings @ 6:30PM in July 9th FMI Agility Ability Cindy's BioIntermediate K9 Nosework
with Tricia Heldmann
Start Date: Friday July 30th @ 6:30 PM
Advanced K9 Nosework
with Tricia Heldmann
Start Date: Friday July 30th @ 7:30 PM
New! Beyond Advanced - The Indication
with Tricia Heldmann
Start Date: Friday July 30th @ 5:30 PM
Novice
K9 Nosework for beginners with Tricia Heldmann Start Date: Fridays starting in September @ 5:30 PM FMI K9 Nosework Novice K9 Nosework with Sean McMurray and Nancy Allen Start
Date: Thursday, July 8th at 9:00 AM
FMI K9 Nosework Therapy Dog Classes Saturday, July 24 - levels I & II FMI: Sue Gagnon For a complete list of all our classes and upcoming events check out our website at Tails-U-Win!
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2 Dogs 2 Thousand Miles
The Top Hat and Tails
Canine Dance Troupe had a fabulous day in Boston, MA on June 19th,celebrating
the completion of Luke Robinson's incredible walk from Austin, Texas to raise
awareness for canine and comparative cancer. Our group's freestyle
demonstrations were the main entertainment at the event on Boston Common and
the crowd loved them. Animal Planet was filming so who knows, we might even be on TV again.. Our friend
Dot Drobney was with us taking lots of pictures and which you can see at: Dot Drobney Go to the 2dogs2000miles - Boston gallery.
At the dinner and
auction Saturday night, Luke gave a moving speech about his journey and next
phase of his mission to help eradicate cancer. We were informed
about exciting work that is being done to help both dogs and humans who are
afflicted with similar cancers. You can learn more about one of the
projects that we were introduced to at: helping dogs We were all happy to have our dogs
donate DNA swabs to this study.
You will be hearing lots
more about Luke, and "the boys", Hudson and Murphy. We are so
thrilled to have been able to be a part of this event and Luke definitely wants
us to continue our involvement. To find out more about the next phase, you
can check out his website, 2dogs2000miles.org.
"Puppy Up"
Nancy Triou
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CALLING ALL MEMBERS
June is Membership Renewal Month
Thanks to all of our members for your continued support. Please take the time to fill out your renewal form completely so that we have your correct information for the coming year.
If you are interested in a tails membership you may also follow this link to access the new member form.
Tails membership
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INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR
Millie talks with Instructor Lorna Godsil
How did you get stated and how long have you been training dogs?
I got my first dog in 1984.... pretty much on a whim, without
researching and without knowing there were great differences in
breeds. What I did know was that summer was coming and it would be fun to have a puppy to play with. I found an ad in the paper for
Weimaraner puppies and came home with a wonderful little bundle of energy who I named Rosie. I began right away teaching tricks and having fun.
Back then it was thought that pups couldn't go to class until they were six months old. When I went back to teaching in the fall everything fell apart. Separation Anxiety set in, the destruction
increased, the potty training went out the window (All things I would
have been prepared for if I had done my research.)
Training began in earnest in the fall but I didn't enjoy the techniques that were used and I kept looking for new places to train. I finally found Tails and training started to make sense to me.
What do you believe are the three most important things to teach a dog?
I think it is extremely important to build trust and a strong
relationship between dog and owner. That means taking responsibility for figuring out how your dog learns and finding what he finds really rewarding. The recall is extremely important to teach. Coming to you when called (the first time) can be life saving.
The dog needs to learn self control, to minimize impulsive behavior. Having Weimaraners, this is an ongoing project.
What types of cases do you find most challenging? What techniques have you found helpful in dealing with those cases?
I have worked with dogs that aren't food motivated, aren't crazy about play and don't care for physical touch. I try to have the owner not leave the food bowl down all the time, set up definite feeding times and hand feed at least a portion of the breakfast and dinner asking the dog to do something to earn the kibble. With such busy lifestyles these days, this is sometimes hard for owners to do. My job is convince them how important this is. The really intelligent dog is also a challenge. They figure things out so quickly,.want to change the rules and seem to always be a step ahead of the owner (and me) . I love figuring out how to best use their intelligence to work with the owner.
What advice or tips would you give other trainers about working with dogs and their owners?
I taught middle school for 36 years. We had multiple workshops in the variety of ways that children learn. This carries over to dogs and
their owners. Dogs have individual ways of learning based on their
breed, background, and relationship with their owners. The owners have individual ways of learning that work best for them. As an instructor, the more ways you can present a lesson the better.
What are some of your other interests?
I enjoy kayaking and getting out and enjoying nature. I love
photographing and adobe photoshop and creating designs on the
computer. I want to get back into doing more art work. I keep
promising myself that I'll set some time aside for that. I do agility,
obedience, field work, tracking with my dogs.
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MEMBER BRAGS!
Great Accomplishment!
Taffy Wilcox and her Cocker Spaniels
Hospice care is one of the fastest growing segments of health care in the United States today. Utilizing a special team of health care professionals and trained volunteers who assist a patient and his or her family during the last stage of life, the team adds a special dimension to the care the patient may already be receiving from doctors. The hospice team typically consists of a nurse, social worker, spiritual counselor, occupational and physical therapists and trained volunteers. The focus is palliative care, which means making the patient as comfortable as possible, when curative treatment is no longer appropriate. The hospice team helps the patient work through the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of being near death, as well as helping the family who is also experiencing the loss of a loved one.
A fairly new phenomenon in hospice care is the use of pets, specifically dogs, for therapy. A former Granby schoolteacher, Taffy Wilcox, has been using her cocker spaniels as hospice therapy dogs for the past seven years. Wilcox started doing pet therapy for Masonicare Partners in East Hartford. More recently, she has committed her time to the McLean Hospice program in Simsbury, and is very busy visiting patients at McLean and other local nursing homes that are receiving care under the McLean hospice program.
Wilcox owns three cocker spaniels; Tani, Kiza, and Shukuru. Their names come from the language of Tanzania, which is Swahili. The oldest dog, Tani, is 14 and when Wilcox first got him, her daughter was serving as a missionary in Tanzania and suggested her mom name the dog Mtani, which means "special friend." Mzindikiza is 8 years old and her name means "one who walks by your side." Shukuru, the pup of the family, has a name that means "give thanks." Wilcox got him at Thanksgiving a year and a half ago.
When Wilcox first began offering pet therapy services, Tani was the dog who sat in patients' laps and allowed himself to be stroked and loved. Now that Tani is fourteen, Wilcox is using Kiza for patient visits. If allowed, Kiza will lie down next to the patient in bed and provide love and comfort. It is quite a special moment.
Along with her background in education and pastoral counseling, Wilcox received training as a hospice volunteer from McLean. Tani and Kiza also received training and are officially registered as therapy dogs with the national organization, the Delta Society. They are also part of a local organization called Tails of Joy, from the Manchester area.
Wilcox has also used her dogs for a different kind of therapy called READ. READ is an acronym for reading education assistance dogs. Wilcox would bring her dogs to schools in Hartford and New Britain where children would read to them, leading to noticeable improvements in the children's confidence and reading skills. The READ program is in decline because increasing demands on teachers result in lack of time to pursue special programs like READ. Also, there is concern over allergies that some children have to pet dander. Wilcox does bring her dogs to local libraries that have programs available for children to read to the dogs.
Taffy Wilcox is a very special volunteer who is using her resources to give back to the community she loves. For awhile she felt some frustration doing hospice care, because even though she knew she was helping patients during the last days of their lives, it was hard to face their deaths. Now she realizes that she and her dogs are providing a special gift for the patients as they leave this earth.
Congratulations!
Penney Baker and the ZEN MAN
Zenny, my 4yr old male labrador retriever was entered in his very first ever Rally trial, outside on June 17th. While I am pretty good at Rally and I absolutely love to teach it, I wasn't so sure how this day was going to go. Zenny has been teaching me that every black labrador is NOT the same and his way is okay even though it doesn't match mine! Well I finally got it and in a burst of insanity decided to enter him in a
Labrador Specialty. I knew the outside grounds and liked them very much and figured I would be comfortable in a world of other labrador folks.
The judge was T. Chase. If you know her, you know that she always does her best to have fun, make you feel comfortable and is just an overall wonderful person. We were the last dog in Novice B. I gave my disclaimer that this was the first time in the ring with him (shame on me!) and Tibby says great, have fun, Forward! Wow, was I surprised. Zenny was on, attentive, HAPPY, tail high and wagging. Zen Man was awesome. We lost some points on a particular station that I know we have the skill for and I now know how to approach it the next time. We ended with a nice score of 85 and a really happy handler and companion which are the most important things!
When I first entered I said to Anne at Tails, "well, we'll see, who knows" Her response, always a good eye opener for those who know Anne, was "well, I never pictured Zenny not doing it, he'll just go along like this is something you always do together". Boy was she right!
We were so excited about the outcome that I have signed him up for 2 days at the Springfield shows in July. Can't wait! So proud of him!
Sister Lucy also received her Rally Novice B title at this same trial. It was a good day for the labradors!
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Leslie's Corner
Thanks to everyone who answered my call for volunteer assistants. I had a great response and we now have some wonderful new assistants. If there anyone still interested in assisting and I haven't contacted you please email Leslie again
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Training Director
Leslie Nelson Instructors and Staff
Sean McMurray
Joyce O'Connell
Pamela O'Day
Cathy Guglielmo
Shelley Wurst
Anne Hassett
Lliz Baker-Pinell
Bonnie Henderson
JoAnn Kenny
Penney Baker
Nancy Allen
Cindy LaPorte
Lorna Godsil
Nancy Triou
Tricia Heldmann Stephanie Shafer
Assistants
Christine Valls
Jessica Briere
Christine Cosby
Bev Isch Nina Grahm
Millie Cullen
Casey McMahon
Pat Wardwell Susan Lamoureux
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ASK LOLA
Lola's Training Tip of the Month
Lola says: Observational learning can be a powerful tool to help some dogs learn!
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In the News
Governor Rell has signed the anti-tethering bill into law. Public Act No. 10-100-formerly SB 274-will prohibit the dangerous and inhumane chaining/tethering of dogs. The new law goes into effect on October 1. Read it here.
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CLASSIFIED
Do you have something doggy related you want to sell or are looking for a particular item? Send a description to Millie at
Millie
and put Tails Newsletter in the heading.
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POMPOMS ON PARADE
Calling all poodles!
Here's
your chance to have a boatload of fun showing off our fabulous poodles,
to help poodles who need rescuing and...maybe even garner a little
fame!
Honey
Loring, Founder of Camp Gone to the Dogs, poodle lover to the nines,
wanted to be part of a poodle freestyle team. She wanted to have fun
with others who also love playing and dancing with their poodles. A
serendipitous meeting with Linda Claflin, coordinator of the New England Pet
Grooming Professionals Fall Fest, gave the fire power to make this idea
a reality. Linda jumped at the chance to showcase this team at the
banquet of their 30th Anniversary on November 6, 2010 in Warwick, Rhode Island.*
The board loved the idea, too. This is a big deal event for them and
it's an honor to be asked to perform there. Honey asked if through the
team's efforts, money for poodle rescue could be raised. The board agreed that passing the hat would be just fine.
Lucky
for us poodle lovers, Tails-U-Win!'s freestyle instructors Nancy Triou
and Laura Rabschutz of Top Hat and Tails Canine Dance Troupe, have
agreed to take on the project and Leslie Nelson, Tails' owner and
poodle person herself, agreed as well. The idea is to meet once a
month at Tails-U-Win! in Manchester, Connecticut, probably on a
Saturday. Dates and fees to be determined.
You
do NOT have to have Freestyle Experience, but do need some basic
obedience. Being part of a team requires much less training as it's
the effect of seeing so many dogs at once that gives a great punch.
(Sort of like the Andy Warhol tomato soup poster.) All sizes
welcome-imagine the toys weaving through the standards' legs! Nancy
and Laura are quite imaginative as well as being very experienced
competitors and trainers and so who knows what shenanigans we'll come
up with. Tutus and purple pom poms, for sure.
A professional videographer will record us at the banquet and with YouTube
being what it is, we might even get famous! All the better as we'll be
able to help more poodles in need and most of all, have fun with our
dogs. As always, Honey's motto is "Tails UP". If it's not fun for the
dogs, we won't do it.
The deadline for getting this into the show (with a color page in the catalog) is July 5th!!! Don't hesitate. Let's make this FIRST-EVER group a reality. Maybe "America's Got Talent" will be next! Check out the website at www.nepgp.com if you want to learn more about the New England Pet Grooming Professionals Fall Fest Nov. 5-7th, 2010.
Contact Honey by email or call 802/387-5673 for more information and to join the group. Even if
that date doesn't work for you, don't hesitate to join as Honey's idea
is to have this group be ongoing.
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