On the Road to Fame and Fortune: Traveling to International Dog Shows

For individuals leaving their home country to show their dogs internationally the first step is to make sure you are familiar with the visa process and the importation restrictions (if any) of dogs. You need to determine if your dog requires specific vaccinations or a health check within a specified period of time by a qualified veterinarian and is micro-chipped. Most likely there will be a stack of formal papers requiring formal signatures and lots of important stamps.  


For participants in shows who wish to visit the USA and who are not USA citizens visa information can be found here. 


Then of course you will need to be certain that your dog has the appropriate kennel for flying and is ticketed in a timely fashion as many airlines limit the number of animals on board public carriers. 


The next and most important concern is to keep the dog healthy and in good show condition, ready for the flight and the show upon landing. As I write this section we nervously wait for tomorrow's doctor visit to see if Natasha will require surgery to remove a wart-like tumor that seemed to spring up just to plague our first attempt at an international showing in her homeland in Argentina. Unfortunately, flight tickets have had to be pre-purchased, regrets given by our handler to other dogs who also wished to attend, and now at nearly the eleventh hour we cross our fingers and hope for a small miracle with  fast healing and a replenishing of any fur shaved for the procedure. Yes the hobby of raising and showing dogs is at best break even proposition at and a gamble at worst while you always must be ready to face cutting your losses.

Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders

Jorge receives 2 month old Natasha Rose at the hotel 

Were these same proposed regulations in effect in the USA, I would have had to make different arrangements with the breeder when I received Samson, my Maltese and internationally, when we received Natasha Rose.

The breeder from whom I purchased Sammy lives in West Virginia, while I lived in Northern Virginia. A friend of hers and frequent purchaser (the woman owned three dogs from her kennel) offered to help the owner out by bringing down Sammy and his brothers and sisters to be sold from her home, which was only a few minutes away rather than a full day's drive. I had been in constant and frequent contact with the breeder, had seen the puppies now adult dogs from the kennel.  With the proposed regs in place the breeder would now have to be classified as a retail store,  or I would have to go all the way to West Virginia to pick up the puppy there.

And while this is a USA regulation, we faced the same situation with Natasha Rose when we met with the breeder in Buenas Aires, Argentina along with his entire family (pregnant wife and three children). But because we met at a location convenient for us (a hotel) and not at the breeders home were we in the USA he would then be obligated to be classified as a retail breeder, or we would have had to extend our time in Argentina longer to make the trip up north to his home.




Reposted from the American Kennel Club:

The American Kennel Club has created the Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders petition in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) new proposed regulations which would create harsh and unintended consequences for responsible small and hobby breeders in this country.

Please join us by signing the Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders petition before July 16 when the public comment period to the Animal Care Division of the USDA’s Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service ends. The petition, along with AKC’s comments on the proposed rule change, will be sent to the USDA.

Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders — Petition

We join with the American Kennel Club to express our concerns about the harsh and unintended consequences that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed regulations (RIN 0579-AD57) to redefine “retail pet store” would have on responsible small and hobby breeders.  Currently, responsible small and hobby breeders across this country provide Americans with healthy, well-socialized, loving family companions.


Under the proposed regulations, breeders or others who sell a puppy sight unseen, by any means including online, by mail or by telephone, would now be regulated in accordance with USDA standards, if you own more than four "breeding females" of any of the listed species, including dogs and cats. The effect of these proposed regulations would be to take away the public’s opportunity to obtain puppies from those breeders, who in many cases have dedicated their lives to breeding for health, breed type and temperament.


As the leader and expert in breeding and maintaining dogs for more than a century, the AKC supports responsible breeders and dog owners through its educational and inspections programs. As the only purebred dog registry with a care and conditions of dogs policy – which we have recently enhanced to create a comprehensive policy for the welfare of all dogs – more than 55,000 inspections have been conducted since 2000. We know through experience that regardless of the number of dogs owned or the manner in which breeders interact with potential puppy buyers, a “one size fits all” breeder regulation is unfair and unenforceable.


We sign this petition in order to alert the USDA that a “one size fits all breeders” type of regulation is not in the best interest of dogs and/or consumers in this country. We stand in support of the AKC’s comments to the USDA in opposition to the proposed regulations as written.  In so doing, we demonstrate our commitment to the continued breeding of dogs by responsible small and hobby breeders throughout this country.

Visions of Vizslas

Visions of Vizslas, a gallery on Flickr.

So many really beautiful V's romping, posing, being their naturally gorgeous, regal, energetic, and sporting selves.

Venezuelan Rescue Team Helps Thousands of Dogs and Cats

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/venezuelan-rescue-team-helps-thousands-of-dogs-and-cats.html#ixzz1y5668SNS

by Laura Simpson, June 6, 2012, 11:20 pm 

 

For every place of darkness, there are also points of light and we at the Harmony Fund take great pleasure in introducing you to rescuers who illuminate this great big planet of ours.  Today we’re talking with Sol Martínez, Founder of Red de Apoyo Canino, a Venezuelan charity that is quilting together the compassion of neighbors, veterinarians and community groups in a united effort to soften the lives of dogs and cats among them.

Red de Apoyo Canino works with local teams to help organize free or low-cost spay/neuter days in a multi-step process that begins with training the veterinarians themselves to provide safe, high volume, low-cost surgical sterilization of dogs and cats. To date, the group is responsible for altering more than 6,000 pets and strays, which not only greatly improves the lives of those animals, but prevents a direct escalation of the population in generations that would undoubtedly exceed a half million, even by the most conservative estimates.

An Uphill Battle With Incredible Rewards
“The Venezuelan Association of Veterinarians were opposed to this idea in the beginning because they complain that by offering low costs services, we are taking clients from them,” Sol Martínez explains.  “But we are starting to see a shift in their attitude and some are starting to offer low cost spay/neuter services in their private practices.”

Responsible pet ownership takes on a different shape here in Venezuela where pets typically wander freely. Abandonment is an epidemic that Red de Apoyo Canino is trying to stop.
“Dogs come and go as they please, with females getting pregnant every time they get in heat,” Sol explains. ”The fact that they can get shelter and food makes these dogs strong enough to reproduce. (They eat rice, pasta and leftover chicken skin, bones, animal fat and whatever they can get from the trash cans.) Usually the first and second time there is a pregnancy, the puppies get placed among friends and neighbors. After that the puppies are usually abandoned in a landfill or dumped into the streets to fend by themselves.”

A Growing Source of Light for Dogs and Cats
Regardless of the low income, about half of the population vaccinate and deworm their pets and care for minor (and not so minor) injuries with what they have on hand, which can be very basic stuff most of the time.

“They cannot afford spay/neuter procedures and that is why they happily take their pets when the Red de Apoyo Canino offers this service in their communities at a very low costs and for free on many occasions,” Sol said. “After spaying the female pets (males are infrequently sterilized for cultural reasons), they keep them instead of dumping them on the streets when they get pregnant.”

Red de Apoyo Canino regularly conducts humane education programs which not only help to educate pet guardians, but also drum up volunteers to help expand the roll out of their services to other communities. However there is no public funding, and here in Venezuela, donations to animal welfare are not the norm. So today we’re raising funds for the animals here with the hopes of spaying/neutering large numbers to prevent more mothers and pups from being driven away from their homes and dumped to fend for themselves. Every gift, every dollar is an invaluable and powerful source of fuel in this effort. Donations may be made here and will be automatically restricted to Red de Apoyo Canino.

Inspired to be retired just like Jack Sharkey

Clergyman Harry Emerson Fosdick is credited for saying ~  "Don't simply retire from something; have something to retire to."  As Jorge and I begin our adventures with our Vizsla, Natasha Rose, we have now included in discussions of our eventual retirement a dream of becoming even more involved with the breeding, showing and field and trial training/competition. In my researching on the topic I came across the incredible Jack Sharkey of Rapidan Vizslas and his dogs, Chartay, AKC's first quintuple Champion and hall of famer, Hunter, Huntly, and Lady Brinkley. Yup, when I grow up and slow down I want to be just like Jack! And to think, he lives in northern Virginia where we we had our home prior to moving to Chile.



Jack's website includes many articles on the accomplishments of his dogs and his retirement to dog raising, training and handling.  In 2006 he also wrote and published Winning Ways -- Training your Pointing-Breed for Hunting and Competition (Read a review of the book here). I can't wait for our copy to make its way here.

AKC Board minutes reference pointing breeds

The Board convened on Monday, May 7, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. All Directors were present except for

Dr. Garvin, Mr. Gladstone, and Dr. Battaglia. Dr. Garvin participated via teleconference. Also 

present were the Executive Secretary, the Chief Operating Officer and the Assistant Executive 

Secretary. To read the full minutes of the board go to: http://images.akc.org/pdf/board_minutes/0512.pdf

Several changes made affect pointing breeds:

National Walking Gun Dog Championship For Pointing Breed Trials 

The Board VOTED to approve an annual AKC Pointing Breed National Walking Gun Dog 

Championship event. The purpose is to acknowledge and encourage the trend that is occurring 

in Pointing Breed field trials toward more foot handled Gun Dog stakes. The winner of this event 

would be awarded the prefix title “AKC National Walking Gun Dog Champion of 20__.” 

(NWGDC). 

Use of Blank Guns in Pointing Breed Field Trials and Hunting Tests 

The Board VOTED to change Procedure 1-G of Standard Procedures in the Field Trial Rules 

and Standard Procedures for Pointing Breeds and Chapter 3, Section 7. Blank Guns, in the 

Regulations for AKC Hunting Tests for Pointing Breeds (changes underlined below).  

Procedure 1
1– G Blank Guns.  In any stake, except in puppy or derby stakes, a blank
cartridge must be fired by the handler over any dog on point after the game has
been flushed. Handlers should be aware of the potentially harmful impact the
repeated discharge of a blank gun can have on the hearing of people, dogs and
horses. The following Regulations apply to the use of blank guns/ammunition.
  Blank pistols used to fire a blank cartridge must have a solid barrel incapable of
discharging live ammunition. All calibers up to .32 are acceptable. Blank pistols
that fire shotgun 209 primers are also acceptable. .22 caliber “acorn” crimps shall
not be used. For .22 caliber blanks produced for other purposes (not specifically
for blank pistols), handlers should be guided by the recommendation of the
manufacturer with regard to the safety of their use in blank pistols.
  .410 gauge shotguns with blank shells may be permitted if specified in the
premium list. No shotgun larger than .410 gauge is allowed. Shotguns must be
fired skyward and away from the direction of the gallery and judges.
CHAPTER 3
Section 7. Blank Guns. Only blank pistols may be used by handlers in Pointing
Breed Hunting Tests. Blank pistols used to fire a blank cartridge must have a
solid barrel incapable of discharging live ammunition. Handlers should be aware
of the potentially harmful impact the repeated discharge of a blank pistol can
have on the hearing of people, dogs and horses. The following Regulations apply
to the use of blank guns/ammunition.
 .22 caliber (6mm) blanks are preferred but all calibers up to .32 are acceptable.
Blank pistols that fire shotgun 209 primers are also acceptable. .22 caliber Bd. Pg. 5
May 7-8, 2012

“acorn” crimps may be used. For .22 caliber blanks produced for other purposes
(not specifically for blank pistols), handlers should be  guided by the
recommendation of the manufacturer with regard to the safety of their use in
blank pistols.
 Promiscuous firing of guns or blank pistols on the grounds is prohibited.
Handlers in Hunting Tests shall fire one blank and no more for each flush of one
or more birds provided the bird is not being shot at by official gunners.
  Handlers should not hold the blank pistol against their body when firing as there
is a discharge of gases which may burn or otherwise harm.
  The handler must shoot within the time that would be required to kill a bird at
natural shotgun range. Any deliberate delay in shooting must be severely
penalized.

These changes place an upper limit on the caliber of blank guns that are allowed at Pointing 

Breed field events, address the uses of new types of ammunition, and caution handlers on the 

potentially harmful impact that firing a blank gun can have on the hearing of humans, dogs and 

horses. This is effective June 1, 2012.

Pointing Breed Grand Field Champion Title 

The Board VOTED to amend the Field Trial Rules and Standard Procedures for Pointing Breeds 

Chapter 14, to create two new Pointing Breed Field Trial titles – the Grand Field Champion and 

the Grand Amateur Field Champion. Points toward these titles must be earned in one hour 

stakes. A dog must have previously earned its Field Champion or Amateur Field Champion title 

before it can earn points toward the Grand titles. This is effective January 1, 2014. 

Pointing Breed Field Trials - Roading a Dog Behind the Gallery 

The Board VOTED to amend the Field Trial Rules and Standard Procedures for Pointing Breeds 

Procedure 6 Running and Handling - to allow “roading” at Pointing Breed Field Trials that are 

longer than three days. “Roading” will be allowed at the host club’s discretion and under 

conditions specified in the Pointing Breed Field Trial Standard Procedures. This is effective 

June 1, 2012

Gun Dog magazine announces Vizsla as lead story

We have subscribed to Gun Dog and still await the arrival of our first issue. Hopefully we will get the August issue as our first one:

From Gun Dog's Facebook page:
We know you've been patiently waiting for the August 2012 issue, so we thought we'd give you a sneak peak, seeing as it arrived on our desks yesterday afternoon.