The Beagle Bugler
March 2007
What a difference a month makes! As opposed to January’s frigid temperatures, the weather was practically spring-like at the SPO Field Trials on February 17 & 18. Sixteen Beagles participated in the two-day trial.
CWBC Members Janet Armstrong and Gary Flightner found themselves judges for the event at the last minute when the scheduled judges were unable to attend. Gary also ran the chuck wagon, cooking up a pretty tasty beef stew which was served with biscuits and cookies that Janet had baked.
Melissa Winkelman again served as trial secretary for the event.
(click here for the complete story & pictures).
AKC is considering allowing mixed breeds to compete in AKC Companion Events and to be “listed” with AKC. They are conducting an on-line survey of the “core constitutency,” which may be assumed to be owners of AKC registered dogs, to gauge support for these proposals.
There are at least two possibilities being considered that would allow mixed breeds to be part of AKC. One would be creating a listing service for spayed and neutered mixed breed dogs. In other words, mixed-breed dogs could be “registered” with the AKC. The second possibility would be exploring the possibility of listed (“registered”) mixed-breed dogs being eligible to compete in separate classes at Companion Events (agility, obedience, rally, tracking).
AKC has prepared an informational packet that contains background and facts regarding mixed-breed dogs and AKC’s interest in mixed-breed dogs. This material may be useful as background information prior to taking the on-line the survey. AKC is asking that people complete the survey by March 31. They estimate the survey should take only 10-15 minutes to complete. The survey and the informational packet can be accessed at http://www.akc.org/mixedbreed_survey/
Lamar was incorrectly identified in last month’s Bugler as a Beagle-Border Collie puppy. He is a 7-month-old purebred Beagle. He was adopted and now lives with an active older couple who have another Beagle.
As expected, 13-year-old Shelby was also adopted last month. The couple that took Shelby adopted 13-year-old Melissa last year. Melissa was only with them 6 months before she died. They loved her, gave her a wonderful home, and are happy to have Shelby with them now.
Ollie has an adoption pending. His potential new owners live in Eugene and are expecting to pick him up the weekend of March 2nd.
Four-year-old Ruby, a red and white female with tons of personality and plenty of love to give, is still waiting for her “forever home.” If you or someone you know is interested in Ruby, contact Beagle Rescue at brescue@cwbcrescue.com.
Rescue Chair Judy Eckhart is still looking for help with Rescue. Judy is recovering from jaw surgery and is not healing as quickly as hoped. If you’d be willing to help with Rescue and/or foster rescue Beagles, please contact Judy at brescue@cwbcrescue.com
Webmaster Lauded — Receives President’s Circle Award
Congratulations and HUGE THANKS to Gary Miller, the CWBC Webmaster and our most recent recipient of the President’s Circle Award. President Claudia Anderson announced the award at the February 20th meeting. The award includes a gift certificate to the Olive Garden and a certificate that reads:
“This President’s Circle Award is given with gratitude to Gary Miller for the great job he is doing reviving the club website. Gary has donated many hours learning how to use the website program, and then applying his new knowledge and skills to the actual website design and maintenance. The website has a fresh new look as well as being regularly updated with current information. Kudos to Gary for this valuable service he is providing to CWBC.”
If you haven’t already checked out the terrific work that Gary has done on our club website, surf over to www.cwbeagles.com and see for yourself.
Ear Care
The following article is a summary of “Monitoring Ears for Infection is Good Preventive Measure” from Purina Pro Club’s January 2007 “Hound Group Update.”
Owners of hounds with long, hanging ears, like Beagles, need to be vigilant in caring for those ears. Because long ears can trap moisture and harbor yeast, bacteria, or parasites, preventive care and watching for signs of trouble can help keep our merry little hounds healthy.
Experts recommend checking and cleaning your dog’s ears weekly. Clean ears by filling the ear well with a veterinarian-recommended ear cleaning solution. After filling the ear, massage the solution into the ear, working it down the side of the head into the ear canal, holding the earflap away from the dog. Wipe the parts of the ear that you can see gently with cotton. Do not probe into the ear since this could push wax and debris further down into the ear canal. Be careful not to get ear solution into the dog’s eyes since some cleaners can damage the dog’s cornea. If solution accidentally gets into the eyes, flush them with water.
In your weekly check, look for ears that are soft, pliable, and cool to the touch, with no odor, and ears that are dry and pink inside the ear canal. Any of the following conditions should trigger a trip to the vet for follow-up:
· Unpleasant odor
· Unusual/excessive scratching of head or ears
· Unusual/excessive head shaking
· Ears that are warm, swollen and red
· Discharge that is black or yellow
· Excess of dark brown wax or bleeding
· Resistance to being touched on the head
· Moaning in pain
· Head tilting to one side
· Lethargy, depression, or irritability
While most of our Beagles are not water enthusiasts, those that do go swimming, especially in lakes or ponds, may be more susceptible to ear infections. Allergies, autoimmune disease, and endocrine system conditions such as thyroid condition may also predispose dogs to ear problems. According to Purina Pro Club’s January 2007 Hound Group Update, “Dogs can be allergic to the same things as humans: trees, grass, house dust mites, weeds, flea saliva, foods, and even other pets.” In dogs with frequent or chronic ear infections, it is important to determine the cause so that the cause can be treated or prevented.
For most of us, Beagle ears are one of their most endearing features. It behooves us to take good care of those ears so our Beagles can enjoy a lifetime of good ear health.
CWBC Welcomes the Thuns!
We’re whistling a happy “tune” as we welcome new members Tracy Thun and her sons Connor and Kyle. The Thuns (pronounced “tune”) have three Beagles, including CH. Bakerstreet’s Cool Pool whom Tracy handled to her championship last November. While Tracy exhibits in conformation, sons Connor (9) and Kyle (12) show the family’s other two Beagles in Juniors. They have only been showing for 6 months and are already both ranked in the top 20 Juniors in the country handling Beagles. In addition to AKC Junior Handling, Connor and Kyle participate in 4-H events. Tracy, a school nurse in the Vancouver School District, previously owned a Labrador Retriever that she trained in obedience, earning a CD and CDX, as well as a field test working certificate, a Canine Good Citizen award, and a “Temperament Test” title.
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