If you were unable to join our August 12th meeting, we discussed a few new ideas as fund raisers to help offset some of our Specialty show costs. A suggestion of having an online auction was presented and during this time of so few in-person activities taking place, it is a great idea. If anyone has any experience with this please let me know if you might be willing to help organize this event.

Another idea is to have different baskets, ie red wine and cheese, white wine basket, a man cave basket with beer, were a few of the ideas. There were four members who committed to donate baskets during our meeting. We need several more, so if you would like to donate one please let me know. We can raffle these at the Specialty with minimal contact setup. We also have a spaniel bowl set, donated by Hannah Dingman, that will be raffled at the show.

If you have any suggestions for other ideas for fundraisers, please share them with us at our next meeting in September.

I hope more people will be available e participate in our September teleconference meeting. We will continue having our regular and board meetings by teleconference for the foreseeable future. The Christmas party will be an exception though. Hope everyone will be able to attend. Details will be sent closer to the party date.

Stay safe be well and thank you,

Linda Whitmire

AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB

CONFORMATION

May 12, 2020

Suggested Best Practices for the Well-Being of Dog Sport Participants The AKC supports each club’s informed decision to reschedule, postpone, or cancel their respective events, as well as supporting clubs ready to hold events in locations that are open and permit gatherings. As events resume across the country, people need to feel safe while enjoying their dog activities. The AKC urges clubs to take appropriate precautions for the benefit of their participants. Events need to be held in a manner that emphasizes the safety of participants and event officials over efficiency. The following is a list of suggested best practices that may be helpful when planning or attending an event. Event locations, facilities, and dates will differ. With a situation that is continually evolving, it is up to the clubs to determine the guidelines that best fit their event. In order to inform participants, specific guidelines established by the club/cluster should be published in the premium, show catalog, club website, and posted on signage/flyers at their event. General Practices 1. Clubs, officials, and participants are required to follow state, local, and facility guidelines that apply to the area and site where the event is held. 2. Practice social distancing consistent with guidelines in effect at the time of the event. Avoid congregating to the extent possible. 3. Consider wearing masks when in close proximity to others. Clubs should provide masks if desired for officials, judges, and volunteers. 4. Consider wearing disposable or washable gloves. 5. Wash hands as frequently as possible. Have disinfecting spray at bathroom facilities for people to spray door handles (or anything else they touch). Consider hiring bathroom attendants to maintain maximum cleanliness. 6. If you utilize portable toilets, please ask for a handwashing station(s) to be delivered as well. 7. Avoid shaking hands, hugging, or other physical contacts. 8. Avoid touching dogs that are not your responsibility. 9. Avoid common use of pens/pencils – bring your own. 10. Disinfect surfaces in common use areas as often as possible (tables, chairs, doorknobs, etc.) Clubs and facilities may consider not providing chairs. Conformation May 12, 2020 11. Meals - Avoid or stagger group lunches/dinners if possible. Hospitality areas should avoid community items such as salt and pepper shakers, condiments, creamers, etc. Participants should consider bringing their own lunch/drinks. 12. Vendors should follow retail guidelines for the area. 13. Parking – Park with sufficient distance between vehicles if possible. If there is a parking fee, ask exhibitors to bring exact change. 14. Indoor show sites should work with facilities to have as many entrance/exits points open as possible. Hand sanitizer should be available at every entrance to the site and at multiple locations within the site. 15. Parking/unloading staff should wear masks and sanitize their hands following the assistance of each individual. Event Practices 1. Opening Date – In order to provide clubs flexibility during times of uncertainty, clubs may specify a date in the premium when entries will start to be accepted. The “opening date” should be selected to allow time for mailed entries. 2. Site Set-up - The size and layout of a site will determine the opportunities available to clubs. • Separate the rings if possible, otherwise set-up buffers within rings along adjoining sides to provide separation. • If individual rings are not possible, avoid placing gates, stewards, and judges’ tables next to those in neighboring rings. • Consider two gates per ring, one for dogs entering and one for dogs exiting. • Stewards should be responsible for finding the dog in the catalog if the exhibitor does not know the armband number and for handing out armbands. Stewards should not hand their catalog to exhibitors for review. Stewards should sanitize their hands frequently and consider wearing a face mask and gloves. • For outdoor shows consider marking off areas near the rings for exhibitors to set-up personal pop-up tents. This can also be done for areas near the buildings holding indoor events. • Create a ready ring area outside the show ring for exhibitors showing the breed being judged. • Clubs should consider not providing chairs. Private chairs should not be placed in higher traffic areas. 3. Scheduling – With the efforts to make shows safer, the event may take longer. Modified scheduling may assist with congestion and provide a better experience for exhibitors. If using a superintendent, work with them to create a schedule that assists with the situation. • Consider published judging segments shorter than one hour. • If possible, schedule groups to start following the completion of the respective breeds. This allows exhibitors the option to leave for the day. • As per AKC rules, Groups and Best in Show are optional for the group and all-breed shows • Some shows may consider implementing entry limits. 4. Exhibitors • Prepare to be self-sufficient: bring sanitizer, bring a generator for electricity, bring personal use masks. • Know the armband numbers for your entries before going to the ring. • Do not congregate at the ring or ring gate. • While showing your dog, maintain social distances with other exhibitors. 5. Grooming • Recommend grooming beside the exhibitor’s vehicle including the use of pop-up tents should weather conditions warrant. • Design the layout of grooming areas and spaces to comply with the social distancing guidelines in place at the time. Marking off individual grooming spaces is encouraged. • Prohibit the use of forced air dryers in indoor grooming areas. 6. Judging is where the ability to socially distance becomes challenging. Taking care to protect the parties will require a concerted effort between the judge, steward, and exhibitors. • Judges should consider wearing face masks if otherwise not required. • All classes should be called in the catalog order to provide order and efficiency. • Judges must practice ring awareness, be conscious of spacing, and take appropriate measures to avoid crowding of exhibitors. • Judges are to have the exhibitor display the oral exam and may personally examine the mouth ONLY if absolutely necessary. By the nature of the procedure, judges must conduct thumb exams. • Judges should sanitize hands after examining each entry. Re-examining of dogs should be minimized. • Judges are encouraged to personally pull ribbons for placements. Coupled with frequent hand sanitizing, this will help mitigate contact exposure. • Equipment used to measure and/or weigh dogs must be sanitized before and after each use. • Clubs should consider providing boxed lunches for judges and volunteers. 7. Photographers should consider using a process where a photo of the judge is added to the photo of the dog. • Consider taking photos of each judge in the morning as though they were standing for an award photo. • Take win photos without judges. • Digitally insert the judge with the wins to finalize the photo. • Consider not using trophy presenters. Temporary Changes to Help Clubs 1. Event Application Late Fees – Event application late fees are waived through the end of October. This provides clubs more flexibility in planning or rescheduling their events. 2. For events canceled in 2020, AKC will apply Event Application fees to the club’s next event of the same type. 3. Assignment Conflicts for Conformation Judges – The 30 days/200-mile conflict distance policy for assignments has been suspended for shows held in 2020. 4. The same day exhibiting restriction for judges assigned only NOHS Groups and/or NOHS BIS has been waived for shows held in 2020. This will provide clubs greater flexibility and more options in the panel assignments. 5. Juniors that have turned 18 on or after March 1 may compete until Oct 31. Participants are expected to follow state, local government, facility, and event guidelines. Clubs should be prepared to enforce the guidelines that apply to their event. The conformation field reps will assist as always in an advisory capacity. These Suggested Best Practices may be periodically updated. Please check the AKC conformation website (www.akc.org/sports/conformation/) for the most up-to-date version. CDC - How to Protect Yourself and Others: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html For questions or additional suggestions, please contact the Club Development Department at clubdevelopment@akc.org. Stay Safe – Enjoy Your Dogs

6 WAYS TO NATURALLY PREVENT AND GET RID OF FLEAS ON DOGS

I share my life with many four-legged friends, owning 2 dogs and fostering at least 2 others at any given time. My canine companions make up a huge part of my life so, naturally, I want to care for them…naturally. Like human medications, popular dog medications, such as flea and tick preventatives, are full of strange chemicals that could have potentially harmful side effects. If you have little ones running around the house, you don’t want them getting into the medication or touching the dog after it’s applied. Since I foster and have rescues coming in from all kinds of places, I have to be up on the flea care year-round. Instead of constantly applying synthetic repellents, there are natural substitutes I can turn to that can help keep the little beasties at bay.

Why the ingredients: The essential oils/ingredients used here are all-natural insecticide/pesticides, shown to either kill or deter the pests due to their various compounds/naturally occurring chemicals. Indeed, many of them are found in commercial flea/tick preventative.

1. Flea collar

A flea collar is a great way to ward off fleas without always having to reapply something topically, and it keeps the flea control constant and steady.

You will need…

-3-5 drops of cedar oil or lavender oil
- 1-3 tablespoons of water
-Bandana OR your dog’s collar
-an eyedropper (optional)

Directions

Dilute 2-3 drops of your chosen oil in 1-3 tablespoons of water. Some people use the oil undiluted, but I personally feel it should always be diluted, even if it’s only by a little. Next, pick out a bandana to be the flea collar-I think a bandana is preferable because you can take it on and off and your dog’s collar won’t smell. It’s always fun to get creative with patterns and colors here. If you go up to ½ teaspoon you can use up to 5 drops of the liquid. Using an eyedropper or other similar means, apply 5-10 drops of the mixture to the bandana and rub the sides of the fabric together, and then tie it about your dog’s neck in a snazzy way. Reapply oil mixture to the collar once a week. In conjunction with this, 1 or 2 drops of oil diluted with at least 1 tablespoon of olive oil can be placed at the base of your dog’s tail.

2. Flea deterring drink- can be used alongside any of these remedies.

You will need…

-1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Directions

For every 40 pound dog add 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar to 1 quart of their drinking water. We highly recommend using Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Not only does it deter fleas, it improves a pup's skin and coat condition from the inside-out.

3. Flea comb

This contains lemon and lemon contains something called limonene, which is a chemical that kills and repels fleas but is harmless to us or our pets.

You will need…

-1 freshly sliced up lemon
-1 pot of freshwater
-a comb, sponge, or brush

Directions

Boil a pot of water and add the slices of a freshly cut lemon to it. Turn off the heat after the lemons have been added and cover the pot, letting the mixture steep overnight. The next day dip a comb or your pet's brush in the liquid (make sure it’s sufficiently cool) and run it through their hair. A sponge works as well, especially if you have a very short-haired breed. A quick version is to bring water to a vigorous boil and then pour over a freshly sliced lemon. Then just dip the comb, let it cool, and use it as above.

4. Flea spray

As a bonus, your pup will get a nice gleaming finish to their coat after using this flea spray.

You will need…

-1 cup white distilled vinegar OR 1 cup apple cider vinegar OR a 50/50 blend of both
-1 quart fresh water
-2-3 drops of lavender or cedar oil
-a decent sized spray bottle

Directions

The essential oil isn’t vital, but it certainly gives the spray an extra edge (and a nice smell.) If you’re using it, add 2-3 drops as you add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar/apple cider vinegar/both to 1 quart of freshwater. Fill your spray bottle, and mist your dog, being careful not to get it in their eyes, nose, or ears-aka avoid spraying near the face. To get up around the neck and behind the ears/their chin area, dampen a soft cloth with the mixture and wipe it on. Spray your pet's bedding and around it with this mixture lightly as well.

5. Flea (be-gone) bag

This little sachet contains things that smell pleasant to us, but that drive pests away from your pet.

You will need…

-Two 6 inch squares of breathable fabric (such as muslin)
-a rough handful of cedar chips
-1-2 teaspoons of dried lavender buds
-the peel of 1 lemon

Directions

Follow the instructions on how to make a sachet here if you need more detail. Cut 2 6 inch squares of fabric and place them together inside out. Sew all but 1 side and turn inside out. Fill with a rough handful of fragrant cedar chips, 1-2 teaspoons of lavender, and 1 lemon peel. Leave enough room at the top so you can tie it off with a ribbon or sew it shut (tying allows you to reuse it when the contents lose their potency.) Place under your pet's bed/bedding or near it to ward off fleas. Change the mixture every month or so.

6. Flea bath- wash your pup with this weekly to deter fleas.

You will need…

-A half a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice*
-1 ½ – 2 cups of freshwater
-1/4 –1/2 cup of mild pet-friendly soap or shampoo

Directions

Stir together half a cup of lemon juice, 1 ½ cups of water, and ¼ cup of mild pet-friendly shampoo or soap. Bottle and label and bathe weekly to keep fleas away.

*amounts will vary depending on the size of your dog. As a general rule of thumb, use 2 parts water to every ½ cup of soap and lemon juice.

NOTE: You must always dilute essential oil before using them. Pay attention to and read and respect your dog’s body language. It may sound odd, but let them sniff the different scents and see how they react. Whichever one you think they “like” the most, or will tolerate should be the one you use. It is estimated that dogs can identify scents 1,000-10,000 times better than humans. Imagine something you hate the smell of, and then imagine it being rubbed all over your body and smelling it 1,000 times stronger!

I cannot begin to say how engrained into my life dogs are. Their wellbeing is of the utmost importance to me, and if I can avoid strange chemicals, I will do so in the same way I avoid them myself. Dogs are natural beings, just as we are, and should rightly be treated as such.

Shared from www.EverydayRoots.com

GCH CH Legendcrest Finnickyskye Dream Catcher (Jim & Sharon Utych) was awarded Best of Breed Owner Handled on three of the four days of the Carolina Foothills Cluster shows in Greenville SC. Catcher was also awarded an Owner Handled Group Four on Sunday. Catcher is currently the number two cavalier in the 2020 AKC NOHS series.