The weather God’s were not kind this year with respect to our Puppy Picnic. We moved it from the end of March to April 16th and then at the very last minute the board decided to move the event to April 15th to fit it in between the most current weather prediction of a couple of rainy days. We had a nice sunny day. I have to give a huge THANK YOU to Pat Mixon, our judge for the day, and her flexibility with the date changes. We added a new event this year, a helium-filled dog balloon competition. Pay did a great job embracing the spirit of the competition and added to the fun all 9 competitors were having with their dogs. Considering the changes and how we messed up people's calendars we still have a very nice turnout of members and non-members alike. Thank you to Linda and Bart Whitmire for hosting us once again. Looking forward to next year's Puppy Picnic in the spring of 2024. Please look for a more detailed summary of the picnic and pictures later in the newsletter.

Sadly, I must mention the loss of a charter member and most currently an honorary member of the club. Marlen Anderson passed away a few weeks ago. Please see a more detailed memorial of her later in the newsletter. Please keep her family in your prayers during these difficult times.

Please keep your Calendars open for the Puppy Social at Paula’s house on June 25th. There is nothing better than good friends, good food, and a bunch of puppies to play with.

Thanks and hope everybody has a nice and safe spring

May 9, 2023 @ 7:30 pm – Regular meeting / Annual Election (Zoom conference call)

June 13, 2023 – Board meeting (Zoom conference call – time TBD)

June 25, 2023 (Noon to 4 pm) – Quarterly Puppy Social at Paula Ayers July – NO MEETINGS

We sadly learned of Marlene Anderson’s passing this month.

Marlene was a founding member of our club and also was given Honorary membership when she moved to Arizona to be with her daughter. Marlene led an extraordinary life, and with her husband, she bred Saint Bernards, Bichon Frise, Briards, and later Cavaliers. She produced many top-winning Saint Bernards in the 1960s and 1970s. She was a devoted dog fancier, an accomplished author, a regular columnist for Popular Dogs magazine, and was well-loved by many people.

Our deepest condolences to her family and close friends. She will be dearly missed.

To honor Maureen’s memory, the Club will be dedicating the 2024 Sunday Specialty show in her honor and will have a ringside tribute and cake

The weather just DID NOT cooperate with us this year! We had to reschedule our Puppy Picnic March date due to bad weather. Unfortunately, the doctors for our health clinics were not available for any weekend dates in April, but we still planned and rescheduled for Sunday, April 16. Then, the weather was not cooperating with us again with rain in the forecast for Sunday. The board met and decided to move the picnic to Saturday, April 15 in between the rainy days.

We had a smaller group attending but the day was filled with fun, food, and cavaliers! We had delicious food – sliders and hot dogs on the grill, fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, potato salad, cole slaw, chips, veggie tray, fruit, and scrumptious desserts!

There were also three new AKC Canine Good Citizen graduates at the picnic! Congrats to Lennyn, Collins, and Logan! Thank you as always to our evaluator, Alice Alford!

Our fun classes were filled with, well, fun and friendly competition! Our multiple biscuit-eating champion, Grissom, was unable to attend and the crown this year went to Collins. Kyrina blew the competition away in the cone weave contest with an amazing 10.34 seconds! We added a few new classes this year which were fun – longest sit/stay, best trick, and waggiest tail!

We added a new fun match contest – the Dog Balloon competition! We had nine participants judged by Pat Mixon and it was hysterical to watch the handlers attempting to keep their dog's paws on the ground! Eventually, the best award went to Alice Alford with her Doxie balloon and then to Paula Ayers with her three-legged doggy dog, and then best junior to Andrea Ayers with her balloon dog. Check out the club’s Facebook page to view a few of the videos of the balloon dog competition! The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club of Greater Atlanta | Facebook

Lastly, our Fun Match was judged by Pat Mixon (Tudorose US).

The winners were:

Best in Match, Winners Dog, and Best Novice in Match – Collins. Owned by Beth Lassiter

Best of Opposite, Winners Bitch, Best Puppy in Match – Gina. Owned by Linda Whitmire

Best Exhibition in Match, Best Veteran in Match – Edgar. Owned by Jim & Sharon Utych

Reserve Winners Dog – Turley. Owned by Linda Whitmire

Reserve Winners Bitch - Vera - Owned by Jim & Sharon Utych

We hade some gorgeous prizes and rosettes for our fun match also! Everyone said they looked beautiful!

WHAT TO DO IF A PET IS CHOKING

You can perform the Heimlich maneuver on animals.

• Lift a small pet, or reach over the back of a large one and raise the back legs, so that the rear end is elevated over the head.
• Place your hands around the lowest part of the chest and give a quick, gentle thrust inward and upward.
• Remember to scale the force of your thrust to the size of your pet. For small pets, imagine you are performing this on an infant or toddler.

This month we continue a series of educational articles concerning all aspects of dog showing and breeding. Many of our members are not in the show/breeding world and have shown great interest in learning about both areas. Through this series of articles, hopefully, you will be able to learn and also determine if you might wish to take the step towards showing or breeding. if there is any specific topic you would like addressed, please let me know at Fitchpatrick@Earthlink.net. Mark Fitchpatrick, Newsletter Editor

The information below is shared from AKC.org

OBEDIENCE

Think your dog is an A+ student? Are your friends and family jealous of how well you’ve trained your dog? Then you might want to take things to a new level by participating in Obedience competitions (known as “trials”).

Developed in the 1930s, Obedience is one of the AKC’s oldest sporting events, and it’s open to all dogs. From walking on- and off-leash to retrieving and jumping, or demonstrating your dog’s ability to stay, Obedience trials feature dogs that are well-behaved at home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs. It is essential that the obedience dog demonstrates willingness and enjoyment while it is working with the handler.

Whether or not you want to compete, every dog owner should consider some form of obedience training. It’s the best way to establish good communication skills between you and your dog – and to make sure that your dog is the most well-behaved one in your neighborhood!

Obedience: Get Started

Obedience training may just be the best gift you can give yourself, your family, and your pet. It teaches your dog appropriate social behavior with both people and animals; helps correct annoying behaviors like jumping, digging, barking, and chewing; and keeps your dog entertained and happy. A win-win all around!

When to Start Training

The sooner, the better! It’s easier to train a puppy how to act properly than it is to retrain an adult dog who may have already established less-than-ideal behaviors. Still, it’s never too late to train your dog—it just may take a little longer before he adopts new behaviors. Much like people, every dog is different. Some are hyperactive. Some are laid-back. Some are serious. Others are silly. Some are shy, and yet others have too much confidence. Regardless of these differences, training is necessary for all dogs and beneficial to your entire family.

Take a Class and Practice at Home

Taking a class at your local AKC club is the best way to train your dog in obedience. But that’s really just a stepping stone because you can’t rely on classes alone: you have to practice at home as well, and your instructor will tell you how often and how long practices should be. While it’s important to practice regularly and frequently, sessions should be short and interspersed with playtime and rewards.

All dogs—purebred and mix breeds—are welcome to participate in AKC obedience training classes. Classes are taught by experienced trainers who have won obedience competitions with their own dogs. They know the latest training techniques, are familiar with training all breeds of dogs, and oftentimes can help solve behavior problems.

Your local club will usually offer three types:

• Puppy class, designed for dogs 3-5 months old. Young pups will learn basic household commands and how to socialize with people and other puppies. You’ll learn about nutrition, grooming, housebreaking, and troubleshooting common problems.
• Basic class, for dogs 5 months and older. You’ll learn essential training commands to keep your dog safe, such as heel, sit, stand, down, stay, and come. Instructors will also teach you about proper nutrition, grooming, and solutions to common problems.
• Companion events classes, which prepare you and your dog for competition in obedience and other AKC events like rally, agility, and tracking. You’ll learn about the various levels of competition and titles available, how to teach your dog the required exercises, and will help you to learn the regulations for competing.

Additionally, Canine Good Citizen® (CGC) Class may be a separate class or a part of a beginner class at AKC clubs and other organizations. CGC is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs that have good manners at home and in the community. Your dog will need to know the commands and exercises taught in a basic training class to qualify for a passing score on the CGC test. Dogs that pass the CGC test receive a certificate from the AKC and are recorded in the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen Archive. Get more information about CGC.

Go Further! Consider Competing

For many dog owners, obedience classes are their own reward. But for others, the experience of obedience training inspires a desire to continue onto the competitive level. If that’s you, there are two types of AKC Obedience competitions (“trials”) to explore:

• All-breed Obedience trials: The most common types of trials, these offer competitions for the 200 breeds and varieties of dogs recognized by the AKC; also eligible are Foundation Service Stock breeds. Mixed-breed dogs are also eligible, but they must be spayed or neutered in order to compete.
• Specialty trials: These competitions are restricted to dogs of a specific breed or to varieties of one breed. But under certain circumstances, specialty clubs can be allowed to hold trials with all-breeds and mixed breeds alike.
• You may also want to explore Rally trials, which are similar to Obedience trials, but rally is a fun way to show how your dog can complete exercises all while you are able to communicate with them throughout the performance.

To compete, your dog must be:

• At least 6 months of age.
• Physically sound.
• Have an AKC number via one of the following:
  • AKC Registration as one of the 200 recognized breeds.
  • AKC Canine Partners, which is for mixed-breed dogs and dogs ineligible for AKC registration.
  • Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) program, which is for purebred dogs that cannot be fully registered with the AKC to participate in AKC events.
  • Foundation Stock Service®(FSS), which is for recorded breeds on the road to full AKC recognition.
• Spayed females and neutered males are eligible to participate but females in season are not.
• Dogs that are blind are not eligible to participate.
• No dog can compete if it is taped or bandaged or in any way has anything attached to it for medical purposes.

No matter how far you go, Obedience is arguably the most valuable training you can do with your dog. It will provide life-long skills, and each time he does something you ask him to do, you will burst with pride (and your family will be super impressed!)

Jim & Sharon Utych are bragging on their boy, GCHS CH Brookhaven The Dream Lives On CGCA, “Edgar”.

Edgar was awarded Best of Breed at the Wednesday Lawrenceville shows and Select Dog on Saturday and Sunday at the Birmingham/Tuscaloosa cluster shows.

Edgar is now just 8 points away from his GOLD Grand Championship – ALL owner handled!

The newsletter is only as good as the information shared with the editor. Please be generous with the sharing of your brags and any additional information you would like to see in the newsletter. That information can be sent to me at Fitchpatrick@Earthlink.net