THE CAVALIER CHRONICLE
JUNE 2023
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
For those of you that may not have heard, there was a terrible tragedy this past week at the Tamp Dog Show. A handler's motorhome caught fire and several of the dogs did not make it, but he and his family are safe. There was also a vendor nearby who lost two of his dogs. Please keep all impacted by this in your thoughts and prayers.
We have now completed all the paperwork and have full approvals for our 2024 Winter Specialty on February 3rd and 4th, 2024. We are in the process of getting the judges' contracts approved. We have a great judging panel of Jamie Seidman McDonnell for sweepstakes and Norma Inglis and Gwen Wells will be judging the specialties. We have had preliminary discussions on the theme for our Saturday night social and meal. If you have any ideas you would like to share, please reach out to LaVada McCosh. As we get closer to the event, we will open up the sponsorship section on our website to allow you to sponsor various major awards and classes or to make a general donation to help offset the costs of the show. Also, we have many volunteer opportunities during the show weekend including set-up, take-down at the show site, raffle basket donations, catalog sales, raffle ticket sales, and transporting of judges to and from the show site, to name a few.
Lastly, I encourage all of you to please call in and participate in our general meetings. These are all on Zoom and have a call-in option to allow you to connect into the meeting by phone. This is where we do all of our planning for various activities, including but not limited to, the Specialty weekend, Puppy Picnic, Puppy Socials, and our Christmas luncheon. We are always looking for fresh ideas on activities that you, as members of this club, would participate in.
Thanks and have a safe summer.
Jim
EDITOR'S MESSAGE
IMPORTANT REMINDER
I realized long ago that my fire extinguisher was expired. My plan was to go the next day and purchase two....one for the kitchen and one for the bedroom. I am a terrible procrastinator. As is my nature, I did not follow through. Learning of the fire in Tampa has reminded me that I MUST follow through.
As I was writing this, it occurred to me that I do not need to schedule a time to get in the car, drive to Home Depot/Lowes...I can take care of it now! I stopped writing, went to Amazon.com, made a few clicks, and two fire extinguishers will be delivered to my door tomorrow. $51.00 and it is done!
There is a saying, "Listen to the whispers". When we don't listen to the whispers, we eventually are shouted at. I hope all of you will check your fire extinguishers to be sure they are not out of date. If they are, please go immediately and replace them. Once an emergency occurs, there is no time to prepare.
Mark Fitchpatrick
2023 MEETING SCHEDULE
June 25, 2023 (Noon to 4 pm) – Quarterly Puppy Social at Paula Ayers
July – NO MEETINGS
JUNE PUPPY SOCIAL
Mark your calendars for our upcoming quarterly Puppy Social on Sunday, June 25 at the home of Paula Ayers. The time will be noon to 4 pm. It will again be outside under the covered breezeway. This is a wonderful time to socialize and enjoy each other’s company along with the cavaliers!
Bring a snack to share and a chair to sit on! These socials are always a fun time! Come and join us!
FACEBOOK PAGE "SMALL DOG CLUB HALPERS"
Our club has joined up with the Facebook group called "Small Dog Club Helpers" https://www.facebook.com/groups/227094239606076
Please visit this page and consider joining to support our club and other small dog clubs' fundraising efforts.
You must join the group to see the postings. Raffles are done for all sorts of items from Best in Show Trolleys, Ryobi products, whelping boxes, incubators, portable baths, YETI products, and much more! The concept is that you pick a slot(s) and make a payment via Paypal or Venmo. Once the slots are filled and funds collected the admin of the page uses a randomizer program to pick a number. Shipping is included in your bid.
Our club has an item up now for bidding and we hope you will consider bidding on it! It is only $5 a slot! Just visit the posting and in the comments enter your slot numbers you want and then pay Kathy Knoles (the page admin).
We hope that you will invite your friends to like this page and also bid on slots. What is nice is that there is no cost at all to our club, yet we reap the net profit from the posting!
NATURAL REMIDES
HOW TO MAKE A NATURAL FLEA AND TICK REMEDY WITH APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Co-authored by wikiHow StaffUpdated: March 29, 2019
Pet owners have discovered that apple cider vinegar makes an alternative flea and tick repellent. The acidic taste is unappealing to fleas and ticks, so regularly spraying your dog or cat with an apple cider vinegar solution can help keep these insects from taking over. If your pet is allergic to chemicals or you want to try a natural repellent, follow a few simple steps to make an apple cider vinegar wash and solution to help fight the fleas and ticks on your pet.
PART 1 - Getting Rid of a Flea and Tick Infestation with ACV
1 Make an apple cider vinegar (ACV) solution. Instead of putting vinegar directly onto your pet's skin, which can irritate his/her skin, you need to make a diluted solution. Mix up 1 cup of ACV, 1 quart warm water, and 1 ounce of Castille soap. This diluted solution is powerful enough to deal with fleas and ticks, but not so strong that you will be able to smell it.
- If you want to add something extra to help repel the fleas and ticks from your pet, add 2-3 drops of lavender or cedar oil to the mixture. The scent of the oil will help keep the fleas and ticks off and also give the solution a pleasant smell. You can also add 2 ounces of aloe vera to the mix as well. It will help moisturize your pet's skin and repel the fleas.
- ACV is nontoxic to dogs and cats. However, if your pet has sensitive skin, change the ratio of ACV to water in your rinse to one part ACV, and three parts water.
2 Wear gloves and long-sleeved clothing. Fleas and ticks can bite humans too, so it's important to protect yourself when you treat your pet. Wear rubber gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants to avoid getting bitten.
- You may want to tie your pants around the ankles to prevent fleas from biting you there.
3 Treat your pet with the solution. Completely saturate your pet with the ACV wash solution, making sure to cover every part of her fur. Use your fingers to work the solution into the fur all the way to her skin. The Castille soap should lather some at this point, so rub the suds into her skin as well. Let the solution sit for ten minutes.
- Make sure you don't get the solution into her eyes. It will irritate her.
- If you're dealing with live fleas and ticks, it's best to work outside. If it's too cold to be outside, use your bathtub.
- If you're dealing with a bad infestation, have a second batch or two of the ACV solution mixed up so you can give your pet a double treatment.
4 Use a flea comb. Before you rinse your pet, you need to comb through the wet fur. Working section by section, comb through your pet's fur to remove the fleas. Each time you comb through the fur, dip your comb in a bowl of soapy water to get rid of the fleas on the comb. The fleas should come off your pet's fur easily since they are repelled by the taste of the ACV. Once you finish combing your pet, rinse the wash out with warm water.
- If your pet has particularly thick fur, you may have to go over her body twice with the comb. After the first combing, rinse your pet and apply a second round of ACV treatment. Wait ten minutes, then start again.
- Make sure you use a comb designed for flea removal. A regular comb will not effectively remove the fleas and their eggs.
5 Check carefully for ticks and remove them safely. As you are combing your pet for fleas, you should also check her for ticks. Make sure you wear gloves when you check for ticks because you don't want to take the chance of getting bitten. As you comb through your pet's fur, feel her skin to check for tiny bumps. If you see a tick, remove it carefully using a pair of tweezers. Grasp the tick and lift it away from her skin. Do not twist or crush the tick. The goal is to remove the tick without breaking its body away from its mouthparts. Pull directly outward.
- Disinfect the bite site with rubbing alcohol right when you pull the tick off. You should also keep a check on the bite and put more on it every few days so it doesn't get infected.
- Place the tick in a plastic bag. If your pet shows signs of infection, you'll want to have it to bring to the vet for testing.
- Monitor your pet for a few days for redness, swelling, or illness. If you see any of these signs of infection, take her to the vet.
- Have a partner help you hold your pet steady. The procedure might make her uncomfortable
6 Repeat the ACV treatment. Fleas have a life cycle that lasts a few weeks, so if you missed any fleas the first time around, they may lay more eggs in your home and cause a re-infestation. You'll have to keep giving your pet the ACV treatment every few days until you no longer see any signs of fleas.
- Once the fleas are gone, repeat it once every week to ensure your pet doesn't get a new case of fleas
PART 2 - Getting Rid of Fleas in Your Home
1 Clean your pet's bedding. Fleas can live for days or even weeks in carpeting and pet bedding. Wash all bedding and linens your pet has touched with hot water, and dry them using the hot cycle. You should do this a few times as you are fighting the infestation.
- This is so your pet doesn't get re-infested with fleas from her environment as you are working on getting rid of them.
- You should wash any other materials that your pet has come into contact with, including blankets and pillows.
2 Eradicate fleas in your home. Just like your pet's bedding, fleas and ticks can live in the carpet for a long time. Fleas lay eggs on your pet and then the eggs drop off their skin into the carpet and other fabrics in your pet's environment. In order to keep the fleas from hatching, you need to get rid of the flea eggs and any fleas that may be in your carpet. To do this, vacuum your house extremely well.
- Make sure you vacuum off upholstery and fabric, crevices in your furniture, corners of the room, and any place that your pet has been
3 Make a natural spray. Once you vacuum and launder all washable materials, you can make a spray similar to your bathing solution to spray on your carpet and pet bedding to help get rid of the fleas. To make this solution, combine a gallon of ACV, 1/2 gallon of water, 16 ounces of lemon juice, and 8 ounces (230 g) of witch hazel in a large tub. Fill a large spray bottle with the solution. Spray every portion of your house, including carpets, wood floors, crevices and corners, windowsills, and furniture in a thick coating of the spray.
- You may need to repeat this method for 2-7 days depending on how bad your flea infestation is.
- If you are just trying to prevent infestation, you can do this once a month.[8]
- Let the spray dry before you return objects to the wet areas.
4 Make a flea trap. If you don't have a really bad flea problem but want to catch any fleas that might be lurking in your home, you can try a flea trap. Position a few night lights around the room in outlets close to the floor. Under each light, place a dish of water that has cap full of dish soap poured into it.
- Check the dish every morning for dead fleas. Throw out the fleas and fill the dish with fresh soapy water every night.
- You can use this method to check how well the natural spray is working. Once there are no more fleas in the dish, you can stop the spray treatments.
- You can use tea light candles for this method as well, but you have to be around the flea trap all night so you don't risk the possibility of a fire.
PART 3 - Preventing Future Infestations with ACV
1 Make an ACV solution. To keep the fleas off of your pet after you have gotten rid of your home infestation, you can make an ACV solution without the soap. Mix up two cups of ACV and two cups of water. Pour the solution into a clean spray bottle.
- Make sure the bottle is completely clean and did not formerly contain cleaning solution or other chemicals that may harm your pet.
- You can make more if you want, depending on how many pets you have.
- Just like with the wash, you can add lavender or cedar oil to your spray. It makes it smell better and gives your spray an added boost of repellent.
2 Spray your pet with the solution after baths. This solution will help repel fleas and ticks and it is gentle enough that you can use it as a regular treatment each time you give your pet a bath. Spray your pet from head to toe to completely cover her coat in the solution. Rub the solution into her fur and let it dry. The smell of vinegar will go away once it dries.
- Make sure you avoid the face when you spray your pet. To get her ears and face damp, wet a cloth with the mixture and rub it along her face.
- If you don't bathe your pet often, you may need to use the spray more frequently than you bathe her. Try to spray your pet every one to two weeks, especially during seasons when your pet spends a lot of time outdoors.
- Cats and some dogs may not like the feeling of being sprayed. If your pet is sensitive, treat her fur by saturating a clean washcloth with the ACV solution and using the cloth to apply it gently.
3 Put ACV in your dog's drinking water. Having your dog ingest ACV is a great way to repel fleas and ticks from the inside. The dog's skin and fur will smell like ACV if she regularly drinks it. Add a tablespoon of ACV to her drinking water once a day for every 40 pounds your pet weighs.
- If your pet weighs less than 40 pounds, use less vinegar. For example, if your dog weighs 12 pounds, only use 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon in her water.
- Some pet owners feed ACV to cats, but others fear that ACV upsets cats' internal pH balance. In order to make sure your cat doesn't become ill, it's best to use ACV only topically on cats.
- If your dog refuses to drink water with added ACV, don't force it. Using ACV topically works just as well.
4 Clean your house with ACV solution. You can keep fleas and ticks from taking up residence in your home. To do this, use the same ACV solution you used on your pet to clean everything from floors to countertops in your home. It's a completely safe, natural cleaning solution that kills bacteria and germs.
- If you are cleaning surfaces where you prepare food, don't mix the vinegar with baking soda. The two react to neutralize their bacteria-fighting capabilities.
- You can spray your carpets as well to continue to help keep the fleas off.
- Your home will smell like vinegar until the solution dries. As soon as it dries, the smell should go away.
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
ICECREAM FOR DOGS
- 16 oz of plain yogurt
- 1 ripe banana
- 1/3 cup of homemade peanut butter (you could use a bit less if desired)
- **** Be sure to not use peanut butter with artificial sweeteners, they are toxic to dogs
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Once all of the ingredients are blended, pour the mixture into your desired containers for freezing.
- Place in the freezer for at least a few hours to harden.
- Feed to your pups and enjoy their excitement and gratitude.
THE LEARNING CURVE
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
AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Schedule of Points
Effective May 10, 2022
1 POINT 2 POINTS 3 POINTS 4 POINTS 5 POINTS
Dogs Bitches Dogs Bitches Dogs Bitches Dogs Bitches Dogs Bitches
2/2 7/8 11/13 13/16 16/22
SCHEDULE OF POINTS
For complete Conformation Championship requirements see Chapter 16 of the Rules Applying to Dog Shows
The Points toward a Championship shall be awarded to the Winners Dog and Bitch of each breed or variety based on the actual number of dogs or bitches competing in that breed or variety. If the dog designated Winners Dog or Winners Bitch is also awarded Best of Breed or Variety, the dogs of both sexes that have been entered for Best of Breed or Variety competition and that have been defeated in such competition, shall be counted in addition to the dogs that competed in the regular classes for its sex in calculating championship points.
If the dog designated Winners Dog or Winners Bitch is also awarded Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed or Variety, the dogs of its own sex that have been entered for Best of Breed or Variety competition that have been defeated in competition for Best of Opposite Sex, shall be counted in addition to the dogs that competed in the regular classes for its sex in calculating championship points.
After points have been computed for Winners Dog and Winners Bitch subject to the above two stipulations, the dog awarded the Best of Winners shall be credited with the number of points calculated for Winners Dog or Winners Bitch, whichever is greater. If no points are available for the Best of Winners, the number of regular class dogs in both sexes are added together and compared to the point schedule. If the total sum of regular class dogs and bitches meets or exceeds the number of competitors needed for one point in its sex, the Best of Winners will receive one championship point. In counting the number of eligible dogs in competition, a dog that is disqualified, or that is dismissed, excused, or ordered from the ring by the judge, or from which all awards are withheld shall not be included.
Any dog which shall have won fifteen points shall become a Champion of Record, if six or more of said points shall have been won at two shows with a rating of three or more championship points each and under two different judges, and some one or more of the balance of said points shall have been won under some other judge or judges than the two judges referred to above.
BRAGS
I am very pleased and honored to announce my wins and nominations from the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) 2022 contest. This very competitive contest consisted of works from 2020 through 2022. Sincere thank you to the judges, Board, award sponsors and organizers of the DWAA contest. Barbara Magera
Winner of special award:
The AKC Club Publication Excellence Award: “Mitral Valve Disease in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels”
Regular category: Winner of Essays & Short Fiction
“A Day in the Life of Puppies”
Regular column or series: Nominee: ”Walking Your Cavalier Part II”
Nominations as a photographer:
“Effie” Photos, single
“Photographing Your Cavalier” Photos, series
Jim & Sharon Utych are bragging on their boys Edgar and Lennyn.
Our Edgar is our “Golden Boy” having attained his AKC Gold Championship and ending his official AKC show career with a 3-point Select Dog major under judge Diane Landstrom at the Salisbury KC show on June 2, 2023. Edgar is now Group Placing RBISOH MBISS AKC GCHG CH Brookhaven The Dream Lives On CGCA
What a ride this special toy spaniel gave us. It's the end of an era...with a huge goal met through a blown-out knee and COVID-19.
He is probably only one of three totally owner-handled cavaliers we know of who attained their Gold GCH. We are in great company with Janet York and Jay Livesey.
We can’t thank the judges enough who recognized this correct true toy spaniel in the ring. Especially Doug Johnson, Wanda Spediacci, the late Gloria Geringer, Houston Clark, and the late Barbara Dempsey Alderman. Thank you all for your placements and lovely kind words about Edgar's structure. Thank you to all the other many judges who have recognized his time in the ring.
We can’t thank his breeders enough. Paula Lynn Ayers and the late Brenda Martz. They allowed me to have this wonderful little man and also his half-brother, our beloved Finn...both out of Pascavale Pancho. We are eternally grateful to them.
Edgar celebrated his 8th birthday on June 8th as a Gold Grand Champion and now will take a respite from shows. He may show up from time to time but it's time for him to enjoy and rest on his laurels.
Our Lennyn (CH Brookhaven Number Nine Dream CGC) had a great weekend at the Concord NC shows – showing two days and was awarded two Select Dog majors and an Owner Handled Toy Group 3. This leaves Lennyn with just five points remaining toward his AKC Grand Championship!
NEED SOME SUNSHINE?
Do you know a club member who needs some sunshine?
Our Sunshine Committee Chair is Ashley Powell. If you know of a club member that needs to be remembered or encouraged, please be in touch with Ashley.
Ashley can be reached at
770-905-7067
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
THE CAVALIER CHRONICLE
CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL CLUB OF GREATER ATLANTA
Mark Fitchpatrick, editor