Waggers Dog Club News for Sept 2010

DATE MOVED

As I feared... it IS Labor Day weekend and many will be out of town, so I am proposing that we change the date of the WRAP-UP DOG MEETING FOR WARREN WAGGERS DOG CLUB

TO Sunday September 19th at 2:00 PM at POST ROAD PARK Picnic Shelter.

Next Saturday, September 11th, is the IN State 4-H Dog Committee Meeting where leaders and anyone else interested will attend to wrap up the year, make comments about what did and did not go well, suggest improvements, etc.

So IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE ME TO BRING TO THE COMMITTEE PLEASE LET ME KNOW. It is best to put it in writing, but there is no comment either positive or negative that is not taken into account and every suggestion helps us try to make the 4H Dog project better.

Waggers Dog Club News for Sept 2010

Dog Advisory Committee Meeting

DATE: Saturday September 11, 2010

Time: 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Type: Meeting

Location: Indiana State Fairgrounds

, Meeting location is the Normandy Barn on the north side of the fairgrounds.

Showmanship & Agility Clinic - Jackson County

DATE: Sunday Sept. 12, 2010

Time: 11:30 - 5:30 pm

Location: Jackson County Fairgrounds, Brownstown, Indiana

I have attached the pdf flyer for this (click here). It is going to be especially good for teaching teeter totter and some intermediate skills, so I am really looking forward to going. IF you want to go, please note that it asks you to email or call to preregister.

Link to Map & directions to Jackson Co. Fairgrounds, Brownstown, IN

And HERE is something that I think would really be fun to go watch as a group outing! If you've never seen it before, it's fun to check it out!

DOG Flyball Coming to The Indiana State Fairgrounds

NAFA^® Flyball Tournament Seeks Record as World‘s Largest

A new world record, “Largest Flyball Tournament,” will be attempted at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 9, 2010, during the 2nd annual NAFA^® CanAm Classic Flyball Tournament.

NAFA^®, the North American Flyball Association, is hosting the international tournament and hoping to set a Guinness World Record™. (www.nafacanam.com)

“’Largest Flyball Tournament’ is a new category established by Guinness World Records™ specifically for this event,” says Lee Heighton, NAFA^® Executive Director. “In order to set the record, we will need at least 500 dogs to participate.”

“Last year’s inaugural CanAm Classic was attended by 123 teams that competed in a four ring tournament layout” added Leerie Jenkins, Chairman of the NAFA^® Board of Directors. “This year we will have six rings spread over four acres indoors. Teams will be traveling to Indianapolis from across the United Sates and Canada. We are looking forward to having the ultimate authority on record-breaking achievement recognize both our sport, and the enthusiasm of the dogs and people who play it.”

The NAFA^® CanAm Classic takes place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds October 8 through October 10, 2010. For more information, visit http://www.nafacanam.com.

Also check out http://www.flyball.org/

Wolf Park

information at http://www.wolfpark.org/admission.shtml

(PLEASE check your calendars and submit times to Ellen as to when you'd like to go as a group)

Howl Nights Location: Bleachers, main pack enclosure Time: 7:30 pm

May 1 - November 30: Fridays and Saturdays

December 1 - April 30: Saturdays Only Duration: 1.5 hours

Visit Wolf Park in the evening, and see our animals in a whole new light. As the night falls and the air cools, the wolves get frisky. Guests will have an opportunity to hear a more in-depth discussion of the wolf's "trademark" behavior -- the howl. They will have front row seats to a sing-along as Wolf Park's expert wolf handlers enter the enclosure and interact with the main pack of wolves. Guests will be encouraged several times during the performance to howl, and will be able to see and hear our wolves return the call.

No flash photography, please, as it can startle or upset the wolves. There will be lights on in the enclosure. Generally the wolves come right up to the fence and can be seen clearly. In cold or inclement weather, a building with floor-to-ceiling windows is available, with sound from the enclosure piped in through a speaker.

FOCUS is FIRST

If you have been attending our club meetings you may have noticed that I have really been stressing the importance of the command "look". Although it is not something that you will be asked to perform for a score in the ring, I am convinced that the best training comes when you have your animal's attention. Think about it. If your dog is so intent on trying to see what is going on across the room, is he really paying attention to you or what you want him to do? That's a no-brainer, right?

So, I will continually "hound" (pun intended) you to get your dog to "look" at you. If you don't have his attention, he is distracted. If he is distracted he is likely to disobey. I am not saying that your dog needs to constantly focus on you every second of the day. You do want him to be alert to what is going on around him. Rather, I am stressing the importance of you being so aware of what has his attention that if a squirrel were digging at the base of a tree while you have him in a sit stay, that you notice his eyes watching the squirrel and you can get him to look back at you for a glance to praise him for staying; BIG praise for overcoming that kind of temptation.

The same thing applies with the sound of crinkling potato chip bags, or sudden bangs, a bouncing ball, flying bird; any kind of distraction that can take his attention from you. You should be getting to know your dog's temptations and be ready to use them to help train him.

How do you get your dogs attention? Easy. You make him watching you one of his favorite things to do. Training is just reshaping behavior and you can do that. But it takes practice and consistency.

Step 1: Say "Spirit [Dog's Name] Look"
Step 2: EVERY time the dog looks at your face they are treated as you SMILE and say "GOOD look!"

Gradually after repeating the above you can move on to the weaning away from treats and rewarding the noncommanded performance of the task.
Step 3: Don't ask them to look, but praise them for volunteering to look by giving the treat while smiling and saying "GOOD look!"
Step 4: Don't ask them to look, don't give treat but DO smile and praise verbally only or some petting and play session.

You can reinforce this at Non-scheduled training times whenever they look at you with a smile and a "GOOD look". Watch their tail wag! It doesn't always take you asking them to look, and it doesn't always take a treat, but praise IS important in positive shaping of the behavior.

Finally -- ignoring temptation to look back at you deserves HUGE praise!! Our goal is to always have them look back at you to check if it would be permissible to go check out that temptation over there.

Step 5: Proofing: You can set up scenarios with temptations nearby and regain their focus. Of course they will look, but we want them to refocus back on you when you call them and that deserves the greatest praise of all. So let them be showered with a gigantic celebration everytime they chose YOU over some other kind of tempting thing!

Successful County Fair Show

HAPPINESS IS DOING YOUR BEST AND BEING RECOGNIZED FOR IT !

It was great to see such a good result from those who came to the Marion County Fair 4-H Dog Show. I was extremely proud of all of you. I know that the low pressure weather bothered a few dogs behaviors, but you trainers (yes, that's you) handled it like pros. It's just the way it is and you deal with what you are given.

It was sad that a couple members of our club did not come to the county show, but those of you that came shone like the stars that I know you are!!

It was absolutely button-popping to know that each and every one of you took the Top Dog Test knowing that if you don't at least try, you can't place. And, a few of you received honors because of it. ALL of you received your tests back, so learned from the experience, right?

Because, I was in charge of running the Agility portion of the show in another building, I didn't get to witness your prowess in the obedience and showmanship rings. However, I can testify to your outstanding handling in the agility setting. All of you demonstrated exactly what we worked on all year. Even when a challenge came up for your particular dog.

The other exciting thing about the 2010 year in particular was the addition of the TROPHIES. Yes, some of your parents, other clubs, and our club contributed to be able to purchase those for the winners. They were beautiful and I believe gratefully accepted by the winners. IF you were one of those who received one of those AND it had an attached envelope with the sponsors address on it PLEASE be sure to send a thank you letting them know how much that trophy means to you. Maybe you could tell them about how special that day was to you and a little about your dog.

A special thanks to Mr. Miller who helped transport the agility equipment. Those who helped set up and take down. Leader Mrs. Miller for staying with the Obedience building show, and Leader Christi who I didn't get to see but in passing, but I am sure was helping facilitate those of you getting to your classes at the appointed times.

It all gets a bit chaotic on a show day, but if we all work together, it will get done and there is ALWAYS room for suggestions for improvement.

Here are a few photos that I managed to get... I am still hoping to get some more from parents.

Above from Left to Right:
Mackenzie C. and Oscar; Melissa M. and Macy; Jennifer B. and Carlisle; and Kiersten T. and Pedey.

If the rest of you will send in photos, I would love to post them as well.

Township Show On July 1st

Our own Warren Township Dog Show was held on Thursday July 1st, 2010.
There was a nice crowd of parents and friends in attendance.
We began with showmanship competition being judged by Christine Weger's mother who has experience in judging showmanship and was able to do so without any bias whatsoever. The club treasury did award her a modest Target gift certificate for her efforts.

Leader Christine Weger was excellent at helping to register and keep record of scoresheets as the shows progressed. Thanks Christi!!

Leader Michelle Spencer judged the dog obedience classes. Then we finished up with Leader Ellen Spencer judging the agility competitions. Because we held all the competitions in one night, the show went quite late. A very special "Thank You" goes out to those parents who stayed a little longer to help clean up afterwards.

And to ALL who attended, thank you for making this a special occasion for all the kids. It means a lot to have you hear to witness them putting their skills to the test. Those of you who contributed food and funds for the sake of the club helped to make this a great event : 0 )

Preparing for Show and Deadlines

We are in the heart of training season now. School is out. The temptation may be to just hang out at the pool ALL day instead of working with my four legged partner on that problem he's having with his crooked sit. But, you and I both know it only takes a commitment of a few minutes every day to fix any problem and that you both always feel better afterwards. Am I right or am I right? That's quite a choice you have there.

Seriously, we are counting down to only a couple more weeks of practice before our township show. For some of you, this may be your first time ever to show your stuff in a show ring before family and friends and with a score card and ribbon at the end of it all. So you will probably want to make the best use of your practice time. If you have ANY questions at all, just ask us leaders, we are here to help you and your dog have a successful partnership.

DEADLINES
There are a few important deadlines for you to note:

Forms for County Award Sponsors have a Tues. June 22nd, 2010 deadline...
link to the form turn in to Ellen on June 17 and she will mail.

Forms for July 31st Marion County 4-H Dog Show Pre-Registration Deadline is July 1st, 2010 link to the form turn in to Ellen on June 17 or 24 and she will turn in. A few of you have already turned yours in, good for you!!

Registration for the Aug. 21-22 Indiana STATE Fair Dog Show Deadline is July 1st, 2010 and must include a $15 entry fee.
link to the state form Please let the leaders know if you are planning on attending the State fair, keep a copy of your registration form for your records.

Remember, these are DEADLINES. . . allow for mailing time. It is your responsibility to be sure that these things are done in a timely fashion and there is no better time than right now. Please be sure that your class and height information is absolutely correct on the forms because it can be very difficult to change and it really messes up the show schedule. A little accuracy now, makes for a much faster, smoother show. If in doubt, just double check with the leaders, we have your classes and dog heights on our master list.

Time to Go! See you at Club.

Meet Mary

Hi everyone!

My name is Mary Myers. I am SO excited to join the Warren Waggers!

I grew up in Lafayette, participating in the 4H dog program (among MANY other projects!) in Tippecanoe County! When I "aged out", I stayed with the Tippecanoe County dog club as a leader, focusing mainly on showmanship. After I graduated from Ivy Tech, I got a wonderful job offer in Austin, Texas. My husband Kyle and I lived there for nearly two years, and then we moved to Hampton, Virginia for family events.

In January, we returned to our home state of Indiana! I am very glad to be home. I am now a student at IUPUI majoring in Pre-veterinary Biology. This fall, I will be applying to Purdue's Vet School. It's been my lifelong dream, and I cannot believe it's happening. Hopefully I will start vet school in 2011.

In addition to being a student, I'm involved with dogs both professionally and personally. I have six (Yep SIX!) dogs. I have 5 Pointers (sometimes called "English Pointers", but their breed name really is just Pointer) and one pomeranian/sheltie mix. Her name is Gidget, and she runs the house. She's 12 years old. I've had her since she was 4 months old, and she was my first dog I showed in 4H. She's incredibly smart and I took her through 6A obedience and three years of agility. My Pointers are all show dogs, but do "work" also. They are trained to hunt birds in the field. Some are therapy dogs, some are trained for obedience, and some even do agility. I have 3 show champions and 1 who has a hunting title (one of my dogs has even been to the Westminster dog show!). I don't just show my dogs! I am a professional handler also. That means I show other people's dogs in conformation (which is almost like showmanship).

I look forward to meeting all of you and having a GREAT 4H season! If you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to e-mail me. (envypointers@yahoo.com) I will get back to you as quickly as possible! I can't wait to see everyone! Good luck, and hug your dogs!

Mary Myers

Mary and Maverick

Mary is currently going through the process to become a registered 4-H Volunteer Leader and will be joining us at our regular meetings in May.

Know Your Dog

(Click on image to enlarge) One of the things that we strive to do in Warren Waggers 4-H Dog Club is to help you to know your dog better. Today we will be looking at the different body parts of your dogs. I am posting a copy of an illustration from your 4-H Wiggles and Wags Handbook here for you to be able to help memorize the body parts on a dog.

DOG BUCKET LIST

Here is a list of all kinds of dog equipment that you may be using as you train your dog in while doing the 4-H Dog Project. You will NOT need ALL of this. But you should keep what you need to go with you in a show bucket or bag. I personally like a bucket with the handle : ) Carry only what you will need. KEEP your equipment in the bucket when you are not using it and it shouldn't get lost . Then when it's time to practice or leave on a trip, everything is in one place.

THE ITEMS THAT ARE CAPITALIZED ARE THOSE THAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR BUCKET EVERY TIME.

VET FORM - you must have proof that your dog's required shot's are up to date. If you have not yet done so please visit your vet to have them complete your 4-H Vet Form. A new form is required every year.

LEASHES -6 FOOT leather or nylon, chain leash, retractable, martingale

COLLARS - TRAINING (choke chain), flat (agility), household collar, showmanship

TREATS- (small) string cheese, "sausage" pressed (ask Ellen), hot dog, pellets or cookies. Most important is that is something special that your dog will love and that it is easily carried, given and consumed. Only treat when rewarding for successes. A Ziploc or treat dispenser to carry treats in.

PICK-UP KIT - Poop bags or Ziploc baggies, and some paper towels or napkins.

Toys squeeky, jack, kong, bone, rope, frisbee

Grooming - any kind you use, curry, paddle brush, rubber brush, T-comb single, T- comb double coat, any grooming spray or perfume. Toe nail clippers or file.

First Aide Kit (optional) few bandages and whatever else

Advanced Training: Dumbell, Scent Articles

Clicker (if used)

Hand Sanitizer (good idea)

WATER - In a well-sealed bottle, & bowl to drink from or reusable glad containter.

VET FORM - ALWAYS HAVE IT (put it in a large ziploc or page protector.

Armband for Show Number (optional)

DON'T FORGET ABOUT YOU:

CHAIR- camp or folding chairs if not at site.

NOTEBOOK: Paper, pen, calendar

DRINK: waterbottle, juice or whatever. Plus any snack if you need it.

MONEY: If you are going to another show, it's always good to have a little $.

NOW.... What's in YOUR bucket? (or bag)

Youth Leaders - Club Officers

At the last meeting of Warren Waggers 4-H Dog Club the youth members of the club voted on club officers. The elected officers are as follows:

President - Shelby Trees

Vice Pres. - Kiersten Tuggle

Secretary - Matthew Uhrig

Treasurer - Mackenzie Carr

Sgt. of Arms - James Reed

Hospitality - Melissa Miller

Historian - Erin Lego

Congratulations to you all! Thank you for offering to serve the club by performing the duties of your office. Now, let's have a great year.

BASIC WAGGERS DOG CLUB INFO

Complete your Online Marion County 4-H Enrollment at:

https://www.four-h.purdue.edu/enroll/

After enrolling online be sure to print, sign and mail to the address indicated BEFORE May 15th to be able to show at the county fair.

About Warren Waggers 4H Dog Club Dog Club

Our club meets Thursday eves at the Marion County Fairgrounds Exposition Hall 6:30 - 8 pm (April-June) with additional times added by club calendar.

2010 Dog Vet Forms, State Fair Forms, and other Dog Forms at:

http://www.extension.purdue.edu/CES/Marion/4-HForms.htm

County Fair Registration and State Fair Registration are both due July 1, 2010 at their respective places.

Marion County Dog Committee Chair: Sue Barlow: fredandsue@aol.com

www.extension.purdue.edu/CES/Marion/4-H%20Clubs%20&%20Projects/Dog.pdf

We focus solely on: Obedience, Showmanship, Agility, Poster and other information. We are open to all enrolled Marion County 4H members grade 3 and above.

Bring to Club:

Completed Vet Form - MUST have all required shots up to date

Your Dog - healthy, clean, and not "in season".

He or she is your partner, so work and play with them throughout the week to have the best experiences.

Your Show Bucket/Bag should include at minimum:

Appropriate collars:

OBEDIENCE- training color (slip chain);

SHOWMANSHIP - Martingale Show Lead;

AGILITY- flat collar with NO tags.

6 Foot leather or nylon leash.

Dog Mess Kit: p/u after your dog

Training treats -

Dog water bowl

water or snacks for yourself

Yourself - be accountable to someone when you can't make a meeting :-D

Be sure to be wearing sneakers. No flip flops, crocs or such. Safety and movement first.

Please dress casually, but modestly.

If you have any questions please contact

Warren Waggers 4-H Dog Club Leader,

Ellen Spencer 317-351-9503 Home or email

VOTE FOR CLUB OFFICERS This Thursday

Club Officers for our Waggers 4-H Dog Club will be tallied this Thursday at club.
If you have a conflict and cannot attend club, OR if you just wish to vote before club time you may do so by emailing your choices to ellenspencer22@gmail.com before 1 p.m. on Thursday.

VOTING -
Each clubber will receive one ballot and should vote for a person to hold one office. In other words, do not vote for the same person to hold more than one office. Of course it is acceptable for you to vote for yourself in the position you'd most like to accept.

Here is a brief description of the offices and their responsibilities.

President- regularly runs meetings.
Start meeting on time & run according to schedule.

Vice-president- assists president, lead pledges. Recruit demonstrations.

Secretary- takes attendance, announces calendar events, notes "meeting summary". Gets familiar with paperwork filing of the club papers (Ellen will oversee that part).

Treasurer- keeps monetary record, reminds people of money related items. Adult help will be provided.

Sergeant of Arms- facilities: set up & clean up. Chairs, tables, flags, posters, handouts, etc.

Hospitality- welcome guests and coordinate any refreshments. Make sure we have hand sanitizer, napkins, plates, cups, etc. Recruit volunteers and give reminders.

Historian- create/keep scrapbook; use a three ringed binder to keep a record of our year. Be creative with photos, fliers, notes (secretary can help). It is important to be neat and as complete as possible, as this record will stay with the club for future reference to history.
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As an officer it is important to come to club early if possible so that you are ready to fulfill your duties. You will be a representative of what it is to be responsible young 4-H leader. So be a good example not only to our club, but to others you meet. My goal is to be at club at 6 p.m. so you can arrive anytime after that. That is also a good time to come to club early if any clubber has need for additional information (like missed previous week).

Don't worry about uncertainties of your office. As a club leader I will make sure you are equipped and help you in any way possible. You will get the hang of it, develop skills as you serve in your office and be good at it. :-)

As officer you are chiefly responsible for your duties, however --- you may ask for help from others. One of the greatest characteristics about our club is the willingness of fellow clubbers and even adults to offer help. Just ask for help when you need it, or offer it when you have it to give.

I am very excited about our 2010 Warren Waggers 4-H Club Year.
Now vote for who you believe to best fulfill the office.
We will announce the results at the end of club on Thursday (4-15).

THE OFFICER BALLOT

President: Shelby Trees, Erin Lego,

Vice President: Kiersten Tuggle, Melissa Miller, Allissa Arnold

Secretary: Matthew Uhrig, James Reed

Treasurer: James Reed , Mackenzie Carr , Shelby Trees

Sgt. of Arms: Erin Lego, Shelby Trees, James Reed

Hospitality: Melissa Miller, Shelby Trees, Kiersten Tuggle, Shelby Cleek, Erin Lego, James Reed

Historian: Shelby Trees, Erin Lego, Melissa Miller

If you are voting early send your ballot selections to ellenspencer22@gmail.com
BEFORE 1 P.M. of this Thursday.

Can My Dog Come?

"Can my dog come to dog club?" That is a question that I have been asked repeatedly. Here is the answer.

In order for your dog to attend our Warren Waggers 4-H Dog Club the following must be true:

* the clubber is (or is in the process of getting) registered as a 4-H member with Marion County. NEW MEMBERS need to leave their dog at home for at least their first meeting.

* the animal is healthy: Current on required vaccinations (you need to be able to prove it with vet papers, so keep a copy of papers with you), dog is not "in season", and mustn't show fleas or other communicable malady. Returning members may utilize last years vet paper for first few meetings IF shots are still current to allow for vet visit. Please have current year 4-H Vaccination Form completed & signed by your vet by May 15! 

* Dog's age - the animal will be at least six months old at show time. Dogs under one year must not jump in agility. 

* Dog's Behavior - a dog that the leaders deem as a danger to any other person or animal may not attend club. Dogs which have excessively disruptive behavior may be pulled aside for additional behavioral training.

There you have it. I hope that helps make it clear for you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

2010 WARREN WAGGERS YEAR STARTUP

Let's Get Started
It is once again time for our Warren Waggers 4H Dog Club Kickoff meeting. This year we will still be meeting at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana. However, we will be holding our meetings in a different building. We will be meeting in the Commercial Building.

How do you get there?
Enter the fairgrounds from the main gate (SW corner) drive up the far West drive all the way onto the main West-East road. Continue on that to the far East end of the grounds. The Commercial building is located South of the Poultry building and East of the little fairgrounds Office building.

This initial meeting will be: Thursday, April 8th, 2010 6:30 PM - 8 PM in the Commercial Building.

DO NOT BRING YOUR DOG TO THE FIRST MEETING.

We will be continuing our meetings at the same time weekly with a couple of date exception which will be shown on the calendar.

Share the Fun
Feel free to introduce your friends to the possibility of joining 4-H and maybe our club by inviting them to join us. Participants will have to be in 3rd to 12th grade of school, and their dog will need to be healthy, an not "in season", and must be current on vaccinations before it can come to club meetings (here is a form which your veterinarian needs to sign).

Questions: Just post a "comment" below.

WHERE's The Marion County Fairgrounds

The Marion County Fairgrounds is located in the Southeast corner of Marion County near the intersection of I-465 and I-74.

Marion County Fairgrounds
7300 E. Troy Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46239
Click here for interactive Mapquest map!

ENROLL IN 4-H

Our Warren Waggers 4H Dog Club is focused on the Dog Project however we are more than happy to help you enroll in Marion County Indiana 4-H. This year the process has become more streamlined with the introduction of the option to enroll electronically. I encourage all of you who sign up for the dog project to also sign up for the dog poster as the two projects work well together and will be easy for you to do as you learn more about being a responsible dog owner/handler.
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This from the Marion County Extension Office:

We are happy to see that so many of our 4-H families are responding to our on-line enrollment system. We think giving them the option this year to enroll either electronically or with the traditional paper method is making it very easy for new and existing members to sign up.

It's hard to believe that we're already into our first full week of April and our Marion County fair enrollment deadline is coming up next month. We want to make sure every family understands that while they can enroll in 4-H at any time over the course of the year, if they wish to enter their projects in the fair they need to enroll by May 15. Can you please assist us in getting the word out to your 4-H families that it's time for them to send in their enrollments? They can visit www.indy4-hyouth.org and click on "Enroll in 4-H" to begin the process. As leaders you also have the capability from the site to click on the "Forms" tab and print out enrollment forms for those club members without computer access.

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So, if you would like to enroll in 4-H in Marion County, just click that link above and then on the Green Link that looks like this >>Click here to ENROLL IN 4-H
and follow the detailed instructions including the printing and signing part. This enrollment process needs to be completed by May 15th, 2010 to be able to show in the Marion County Fair.