Pamela Levy

Australian Terrier International

Meeting The Needs Of Aussie Owners Globally

© 2010 Australian Terrier International

   Holiday Greetings From Belgium  

Happy Holidays

Henny van den Berg (The Netherlands) 

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2012

Bibbi (Birgitta Sundell)

Merry Christmas from RedSky Kennel

Fendi, Fergie, Razzee, and our Mom, Elaine Strid (USA)

Ryba Kennels Wishes You The Happiest Of Holidays

 Wishing all My Friends At ATI A Happy 2012.

Janet Maas (USA)

Ch Akiba’s Perfect Alibi (RB)

Charity & Jackie

Puppies out of Ch Bearsteps Outback Annie (RB)

**RB Over The Rainbow Bridge

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from 

Jim and Cheryl Mechalke and our pups! (USA) 

Cooking With Cheryl

Photo Courtesy Of Cheryl Mechalke “Prince”

Christmas Cheese-a-licious Cookies 

Click Here

Published Dec 19th, 2006

By Renée

Cheese-a-licious cookies are excellent as a party appetizer or as dog training treats. Because of the “rich” ingredients used in this recipe, you might prefer to reserve this treat for a special occasion, like Christmas. Hence the name for this recipe Christmas Cheese-a-licious Cookies, aka C.C.C.!

With  it only being days away from Christmas Eve, you still have plenty of time to perfect this recipe to your liking or your dog’s. For your dog’s health reasons, you might want to opt out almonds (about 411 calories), otherwise it is as good as presented here-darn delicious!

Warning: Be prepared for second baking. Some human guests will eat them without your knowing. So don’t blame the dogs for eating too fast. Dogs aren’t the only greedy ones, you know!

Servings: 18 C.C.Cookies

Ingredients:

• *120 ml  of low-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded  – ½ cup
• *120 ml of low-fat cottage cheese  –  ½ cup
• *30 ml of canola oil  –  2 tbsp
• *470 ml of whole wheat flour  – 2 cups
• *180 ml of almonds, chopped. ¾ cups Optional,
•                                  (NEVER substitute almonds with macadamia nuts)
• *60 ml of water  – 1/4 cup

Methods:

1.  Preheat oven at 190 degrees C /375 degrees F
2.  Mix cheeses, flour, oil, and almonds thoroughly.
3.  Add water and stir until dough forms a ball.
4.  Divide dough into 18 pieces, rolling each into a ball and placing on greased  cookie sheet.
5.  Use a fork to press down on each ball.
6.  Bake for 30 minutes or until brown at the edges.
7.  Either serve them when cool or chill them overnight in  the refrigerator for next  day serving.

Special note:

It doesn’t have to be 18 cookies if you want them to be smaller or bigger. If you have a chubby dog, just make the cookies much smaller. If your dog has lactose intolerance, limit his intake. If your dog is in excellent health, go ahead and double up the cheese. This means double the fun. If you fear your human guests will consume way too much for your liking, you could use a dog bone cookie cutter instead of the traditional cookie shape. This might ward off some guests. This method used to work for me but ever since friends and family discovered my “recipe secrets”, they could care less whatever shape my food is, they just eat.

* You may wish to consult with your veterinarian before feeding new foods.

From Nicole Orr  Korczynski (Australia)

Terraozzi Australian Terriers

 Susan & Winston Wish You the Happiest Of Holidays (USA)

 Winston and and I have had a very fun year in Agility.  Here’s the little man with his AKC Open Agility title ribbon.  But the best prize is what joy he brings to our family.  We wish you Aussie families all over the world a wonderful year with your great little dogs.

Susan Clayton and

Seasons Greetings to all Aussie-world from Finland.

  Arja Säily & Annunriihen Australian Terriers

My Dogs Live Here

My dogs live here, they’re here to stay.

You don’t like pets, be on your way.

They share my home, my food, my space;

This is their home, this is their place.

You will find dog hair on the floor,

They will alert you’re at the door.

They may request a little pat;

A simple “no” will settle that.

It gripes me when I hear you say,

“Just how is it you live this way?”

They smell, they shed, they’re in the way.”

Who asked you? Is all I can say.

They love me more than anyone,

My voice is like the rising sun;

They merely have to hear me say,

“C’mon guys, time to go and play.”

Then tails wag and faces grin,

They bounce and hop and make a din.

They never say “no time for you;”

They’re always there, to GO and DO.

And if I’m sad? They’re by my side.

And if I’m mad? They circle wide.

And if I laugh, they laugh with me;

They understand; they always see.

So once again, I say to you,

Come visit me, but know this, too.

My dogs live here, they’re here to stay.

You don’t like pets, be on your way.

They share my home, my food, my space;

This is their home, this is their place.

                                      Author Unknown

“Joy to you and yours this wonderful holiday.”

I’m a Forever Dog

Not An “Until” Dog.

I’m not an “until you get bored with me” dog.

I’m not an “until you find a boyfriend” dog.

I’m not an “until you have a baby” dog.

I’m not and “until you have to move” dog.

I’m not an “until you have no time for me” dog.

I’m not an “until I get sick and cost me money” dog.

I’m a forever dog.

If you can’t give me forever

I’m not your dog.

WE HOPE YOU’VE ENJOYED THE 2011 NEWSLETTERS.

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Please pay before the next issue which we will send out

February 1, 2012.

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 Emme our hiking wonderdog will be 11 years old this January.

Her advice for 2012…

Leave the past behind, live in the present and look forward to the future!

Meeting The Needs Of Aussie Owners Globally

© 2010 Australian Terrier International

____
What a delight for me to write a testimony about Gillian Bartlett.

While I do not have the pleasure of knowing Gillian for several years as many other Australian Terrier folks do, I’m delighted to share a little bit about my experience with our friend and dedicated Australian Terrier person, Gillian Bartlett.

When I was new to the breed, like most people I wanted to learn everything I could about the breed. Trying to locate information such as health, grooming, vaccinations, as well as the history of the breed from other experienced breeders,was not easy.

At that time I did not meet the qualifications to join the Australian Terrier Club of America (ATCA). One of those requirements was that you must know two members of the club for more than two years.  As I was new to the breed it was not possible for me to meet that requirement. Therefore, I needed to gather my information from other sources.

I discovered the website for the Australian Terrier Club of South Australia. I contacted Gillian, who was the secretary, for assistance. She welcomed me with open arms. She sent me their handbook and provided me with the answers to my questions. Gillian was welcoming and kind to me, a person she had never met who was new to this wonderful breed. I was a welcomed member of their club immediately and have been ever since.

I thank her for her dedication to Australian Terriers and congratulate her on this award of lifetime member from Australian Terrier International.

Theresa A. Goiffon

Gillian Bartlett

Did you have dogs as a child?
We had a well-loved Scottish Terrier called Heather. I admire the terrier temperament – loving, intelligent, no fool, spirited, who knows its own mind.

When did you become acquainted with Aussies and how did you become interested in showing?
In 1974, my young son David wanted a dog of his own, and the only puppy we could buy in Alice Springs, where we lived, was an Australian Terrier. We took the 8 week old puppy home and fell in love with him – Winton was the perfect dog. His parents were both Tineetown stock and he was very handsome. When we were on holidays a few years later we went to visit an Alice Springs friend who was showing his Old English Sheepdog at the show week in Canberra. We wandered over to see the Australian Terriers and thought that our dog was much better than those being shown. When we all were back in Alice Springs, our Old English Sheepdog friend helped me join the N.T. Canine Association, transfer pedigree papers, and enter a show. He showed me how to get up at 5am on the day of the show and shampoo and blow dry the dog’s coat (no mention of any trimming, stripping or tidying). We entered the ring and the judge said “Oh no dear, see me afterwards.” This kind lady gave me a quick lesson on how to strip a coat and groom the dog. At the show the next day we got our first Challenge Certificate, so her advice worked.

What other breeds have you owned?
My husband fell in love with a photo of a Norwich Terrier, and when we were on holidays in Melbourne in 1982 we visited a breeder who had the first Australian litter from English imports. The 8 month old Norwich wrapped himself around David and wouldn’t let him go – we loved him, and he went back to Alice Springs with us. We imported a female from New Zealand 3 years later, but only had the one litter as the two didn’t really like each other.

How many Aussies do you have currently living at your home?
Currently we have seven Australian Terriers – two geriatrics (13 and 15),

and a 10 month old female puppy.

What is it that you like about Aussies?

They are so handsome, easy to maintain and the right size dog to live with.

Each Aussie has its own different character traits and is never boring – I can sit for hours watching them play, having adventures, trying to catch passing birds, anything that moves, or annoying each other.

How many years have you been involved with Aussies?

Our first Aussie arrived in January 1975. I started showing in 1980, bred the first litter in 1982.

You have been very involved with your club in Australia. Can you share with us the positions you’ve held?
When we came to Adelaide, South Australia, I was keen to see an Aussie breed club, and in 1997, with the support of a friend, we called a public meeting and got it under way. We did not have enough show people to have a big club so it was meant to be a club for ALL Australian Terrier owners or anyone interested in the breed. We currently have about 70 members. I was the secretary from the start until 2009. I have produced the club AUSSIE NEWS every two months since 1999 and am still currently the editor.

In your years with Aussies, how do you feel we are progressing or aren’t we, with regard to health?
Care of pets has generally improved over the years, and hopefully with more information we are educating owners through breed publications.
In compiling the ‘AT Database’, I have been amazed at the past when some dams had so many litters, on consecutive seasons, and some even at 9 years of age. I think we are more conscious now that close matings are not desirable and thatinbreeding causes problems. We are checking the health of our breeding dogs’ ancestors, and having more humane breeding programs. It is good to see Australian Terrier clubs gathering information on the health of the breed.    With regards to health, what more would you like to see, if anything, done?  There is always room for more education of owners regarding diet, exercise, vaccinations and training, which all affect the dog’s health. (I think everyone should attend a course and have a licence to prove competency to have a dog!)

How many litters have you bred?  

I have bred 15 Australian Terrier litters. I would have liked to have bred more, but have been limited because of work commitments for many years. Later, I was limited for lack of suitable stud dogs or new lines available.

Do you feel the breeders in Australia are on the right course with their breeding programs?
Some are, some not. Some strive hard to keep an extended gene pool available by widening breeding lines even to bringing in interstate and overseas lines, maintaining a viable gene pool for the future.
In the past each Australian State has used mostly the same local gene pool and with a different emphasis on a type. South Australian Aussies were admired for the rough texture of their coats, with their rich tan and blue colour.

What if anything would you like to see more emphasis on with regard to breeding programs?
Personally I would like to see more use of ‘outcross’ dogs. This can import possible problems, but it would also breed a more standard type of dog. The top show dog is often used in preference to the dog not shown but may sire better progeny. Every breeder should know the Breed Standard thoroughly and strive to produce dogs that conform to the standard .
Our Canine Association Rules state that a bitch should not be bred from more than once in a 12 month period; I do not think the practice in some countries of having three consecutive litters is humane.

Have you imported dogs? Exported?
I would have loved to have had the female promised to me from the US (!!!!) but now I have a great little girl from New Zealand – Mystral’s Bright N Breezy, who is doing well at the shows, and hopefully will contribute to the gene pool available when she produces puppies late next year.
I have exported a dog to Finland, and he has helped with the breed there by siring many litters.

How did you find those experiences and why?  

Importing is complicated because of Australia’s strict quarantine regulations. The New Zealand girl enjoyed her trip (aged 5 months) and was well looked after en route.
My male who travelled to Amsterdam/Helsinki at the age of 6 months was well cared for, with no problems and had a very excellent home in Finland.
It is hard to export and ensure the dog will have a good home, not just used in a breeding program and then sold, which is why I have not been too keen on sending dogs far away.

Have you made international friends as a result of those experiences?  I have life-long friends in Finland. They have been so kind and loving to Jacko, and I don’t think he could ever have had a better home. The breeder in New Zealand I knew and trusted; we are both proud of Breezy’s success.

In 2010 you attended the US National Specialty. How would you compare the US dogs you saw to the Australian Aussies?
They are developing to their own style in the US. – all so immaculately groomed and well behaved. Our Breed Standard says: “Its untrimmed, harsh coat with definite ruff around the neck extending to the breastbone and its long strong head assist in developing its hard bitten, rugged appearance.” In Australia, we know of the breed primarily as a family dog, more than a show dog. Of course, the dogs that are shown have been bathed, tidied (hair removed from in front of eyes, feet tidied, etc.) but not shaped and groomed to the extent that I saw on most of the dogs in the US in 2010. Many of the US dogs were a little larger, but we still have some variations here – some of the dogs range from 14 lbs. to 18 lbs., and may be 10 to 11½ inches at the withers.

Our judges like to have expression/fire in the dog, looking alert and interested in what is going on. Zeb’s handler had him ‘fired up’ which I thought was great, showing he was alert and ready to go!

How has viewing the Aussie world through “international eyes” impacted your own breeding program?
Happy with what I am doing – getting outcross dogs, and knowing the ancestors in the lines I use. Handsome, healthy dogs with good temperaments have always been my aim.

What has been your high point in the breed?
Winning Best in Terrier Group four times at major all-breeds shows, and In Show several times with Canto and Bradman rate highly, but gaining obedience titles with Toby and Canto would rate higher. The ability to train a terrier/earth dog to act like a working dog takes time and tenacity and they both did me proud!

Have you had any favorite Aussies and why?
Canto, Toby, Della, Sappho, Trixie, Brad, Penny – where do I stop? Just love them all for being such beautiful dogs, good fun and company and enhancing our life.

What do you feel your contributions have been to the breed?
Preserving their history by establishing the “Australian Terrier Database” of pedigrees of Australian born Aussies (www.worldpedigrees.com);
being active in the formation of the Australian Terrier Club of South Australia,
and editing the AUSSIE NEWS for the club.

How would you like to be remembered in the breed?
As someone who was interested in maintaining the uniqueness of the breed, preserving its quality for the future and trying to improve each Aussie’s quality of life.

Sue: I was fortunate to travel to Finland in 2003 to the Finnish specialty. The day before I left we attended an all breed dog show. I met Krista there. She had a lovely puppy with her, and I would have liked to bring that puppy back to the US. It didn’t work out for me to bring that puppy back, but we began corresponding via email.

Krista: Exactly as Sue stated.

How did you decide to import/export/ work together?

Sue & Krista: We both had an interest in broadening our breeding programs.

Reimin Meadows of Heaven. She has 2 CAC from shows. Sire CH Redwing Rhinestone Cowboy and dam Reimin Sweet Child O Mine. Owners Chrisse Asikainen and Krista Riihela (breeder)

What were the reasons you picked each other?

Sue: During that first year that we spoke via email, I learned that we shared breeding philosophies and liked the same type in Aussies. Krista has a good eye for a dog and is straightforward and honest. I liked that and felt I could trust her.

Krista:I really did like Sue`s Aussies that I had seen in pictures and I did feel that they could be very good for my breeding program as they have different strengthsin their looks. I like the way Sue looks for an ideal Aussie and then I did feel that I can trust Sue.

Have you had other experiences working with people from other countries?

Sue: Yes, Sweden.

Krista: Yes, but not in the same way that I did with Sue.

How did those experiences work out?

Sue: It was fine, but I didn’t develop the close friendship that I have with Krista.

Photo Courtesy Of Sue Holsinger

Fin CH Redwing Mona Lisa Smile (Julia) Owned by Krista Riihela

What if anything did you learn from those experiences that helped you with your “partnership”? 

Sue: People are the same worldwide. Once I realized that, I used the same criteria to evaluate potential international partnerships that I use for screening partnerships in this country. It helped me to put things in perspective.

How do you handle contracts between each other? Are they written, verbal?

Sue: I’m not sure we’ve ever had a written contract. Maybe at first, but that was a long time ago. Now everything is verbal. Krista is a very generous person and is easy to deal with. We both have the other’s interests at heart.

What would you recommend others do if they are starting a new breeding “partnership” with someone in a different country?

Sue:  Read the answer above. Trust your instincts. Ask the same questions you would ask someone in this country before entering into a puppy sale. Take your time to get to know the other person.

Krista: Try to get to know the person and her/his ideas of breeding. But I must say that you should very carefully trust your instincts.

 Reimin Master of Puppets. He has 1 CAC and 2 reserve-CAC. Sire CH Redwing Rhinestone Cowboy and dam Reimin Sweet Child O Mine. Owners Mari Winqvist and Krista Riihela

How has working together changed your “eye,” from a conformation standpoint or a health standpoint?

Sue: I think I’m more aware of traits that we’re in danger of losing in this country because we tend to have different faults than they do in Finland. For example, many dogs in this country don’t have enough shelf behind or enough rear angulation. I notice this when I see pictures of Krista’s puppies, many of which have very strong rears.

Krista: Well, I have learned very much and I am very grateful to Sue for that. I have learned that American Aussies have much straighter front feet, smaller ears and they are much tighter built up. When I compare these things to Nordic Aussies, that are in some ways a little more stylish and maybe with more rear angulation, I think I do get a little closer to the Aussie that I have in my mind.

Have you noticed that dogs in other countries or from certain lines mature faster or slower than others? (I ask because I heard that dogs in Europe mature slower and that the European muzzle takes longer to reach its full growth.)

Sue: This is true. My dogs tend to mature very quickly and look adult at a year old. Krista’s bloodlines take much longer. They typically wait until they’re older to begin showing. The upside is that their dogs are still sound and lovely as veterans.

Krista: Yes, I think my bloodline takes quite a long time to mature and now that I have mixed with Sue`s breeding I have some Aussies that have matured more quickly; they have had nice results from puppy classes.

As life goes, sometimes we all have a rough patch. That could be with showing, health, etc. How does working together help you stay afloat during those times? Or does it?

Sue: Krista is a good friend. I know if I hit a rough patch that I can call her and bounce things off her and she will give me support and her honest ideas.

Krista: We can deal with a rough patch if and when they come. I trust Sue and I know that she is my friend and we can talk about everything.

Photo Courtesy of Krista Riihela

Fin CH Redwing Under Your Spell (Noita) Owned by Krista and Pihla Riihela

Sire CH Redwing Court Jester and dam Reimin Kiss Me

How do the logistics work? Do you ship the dogs or puppies? Do you fly with them? Is it expensive? What about vaccines and shipping times?

Sue: I have both flown with dogs and had them shipped. Either way it is expensive. There isn’t a lot of difference between the two cost wise. The dogs seem to do fine either in cargo or under the seat. The regulations have changed recently, so now a third party shipper must be used to export from Finland. Vaccine requirements are standard with rabies after 12 weeks. I don’t believe puppies under 12 weeks can be shipped.

Krista: I agree with Sue

How does tail docking vs. natural tails affect an American/European partnership?

Sue: Well, dogs can’t be shown there docked. So I have left tails on puppies until we make the decision which ones will go to Finland. It is easier to dock one for show here than try to guess which will be the export puppy at 3 days of age. Pet people don’t care whether their pets have tails or not, and once you have a tailed litter your eye quickly adjusts to that. Some overseas breeders have strong feelings about the natural tails and will not export a puppy if it’s going to be docked. That’s one of those things that need to be addressed well in advance.

Krista: I think that the Aussie itself is important, not the tail, so if it has a docked tail we can show only in those countries that allow it. I do not breed tails, only Aussies.

Photo Courtesy Of Sue Holsinger “Jekku”

Redwing Rhinestone Cowboy

When choosing a sire for a bitch, in the event of a disagreement with which dog to use who gets the final word? 

Sue: That hasn’t come up for us. Krista always asks my opinion, but I trust her judgment. It doesn’t make sense for me to micromanage her breeding decisions when she knows more about the dogs there than I do.

Krista: I normally ask Sue for her thoughts about males that I am using and she says to trust your instincts and so I do.

Do you co-own all the dogs that are a result of your co-breeding program? 

Sue & Krista: We don’t co-own.

FI CH Reimin Spotlight Kid “Sulo”. Sire CH Redwing Rhinestone Cowboy and

dam C.I.B Reimin No One Like You. Owner Anu Puotsaari

How do you choose what kennel names are given to each litter?

Sue: If I do the breeding, they are Redwing puppies; if she does they are Reimin, regardless of whether one comes back to live with me.

Krista: Sue breeds under Redwing and I breed under Reimin.

Do you use skype or how do you evaluate a litter together with both of you in different countries?

Sue: We use skype and evaluate by photograph.

Krista: We use skype and evaluate by photographs. I must say that when choosing a puppy I trust my feeling and instinct. I go with my heart and what it says. That may not be a very clever thing to do but sometimes it works. I many times choose the puppy that no one else does and Sue always tells me to trust that feeling and look how that puppy turns out.

Do you feel that you have improved the health of your lines by working with someone in a different country?

Sue: Yes. They tend to have different health issues there than we do.

I have benefited in so many ways from my association with Krista and my import/export experiences. I have a wider view of the breed (and the world) as a result. And I have a great friend in Krista.

Krista: Yes I do. I think we really do need new bloodlines for healthy Aussies.

I am so grateful for all Sue`s help and her trusting in me. Sue is a dear friend to me. These years of our partnership have given me so much. Sue has sent me beautiful Aussies and she has helped to make some of my dreams come true.

Photo Courtesy Of Sue Holsinger “Katie”

FI CH & EE JCH & NORDIC JUNIOR WINNER 2009 & ESTONIAN JUNIOR WINNER 2010 Reimin Seventh Sign “Stara”. Stara was TOP BOS PUPPY 2009.
Sire CH Reimin Rhinestone Cowboy and dam C.I.B Reimin No One Like You. Owner Anne Nuutinen-Mäntylä

Reimin Dirty Dancing 10 months old. She received 2 CAC’s at her first shows. Her sire is CH Reimin Air Force One and dam is CH Redwing Mona Lisa Smile. Owner Mrs. Anne Nuutinen-Mäntylä

Happy Holidays!

Send Your Photos for The Holiday Edition Going Out On Dec 24th.

BIS Ch Regency Lord of Summerville – first Red BIS Aussie

In 1971 Mrs. Fox imported one of the breed greats Ch Tineetown Talkback known to most Aussie folks simply as “Joey.” Later that year, “Joey,” handled by Charles Deer, won his first Terrier Group under Robert Graham. “Joey” eventually became known as an Australian, Canadian, Colombian, Bermudian, Mexican, International and AKC champion. In his show career in the US he obtained 29 group 1’s and 54 other group placements. He won 4 All Breed Best In Shows, a record for that stood for 37 years!

BIS BISS Ch Tineetown Talkback

One of the most impressive records has come from Marge Regnier’s Crestwood Kennels with multiple BIS BISS champions. They include Ch Crestwoods Crackerjack, multiple BIS Ch Crestwoods Jackson, BIS Ch Crestwoods Song Of The South and BIS Ch Crestwoods Contender  “Cody”. Crestwood dogs have not only been successful in the show ring but in the whelping box with Crackerjack being the top producing sire of all time and other Crestwood Aussies also being top producers. In 2000 Ch Crestwoods Contender started the decade by winning an all breed Best In Show.

BIS BISS Ch Crestwoods Crackerjack

Also competing successfully during this time was Ch Benayr Nessun Dorma owned by Pamela Levy. “Tucker” won breed at the National Specialty, Westminster and the AKC Eukanuba. Pamela followed with Ch Benayr I Believe In Love, Alfie. “Alfie” also won breed at the National Specialty, Westminster and the AKC Eukanuba.

BISS Ch. Benayr Nessun Dorma

 BISS Ch Benayr I Believe In Love, Alfie

Already well known and highly respected in Shetland Sheepdogs Susan Bentley brought her knowledge and expertise to the Australian Terriers. Her Benayr dogs have been some of the top winning dogs of the last 15 years, as well as, contributing to the bloodlines of dogs throughout the U.S.

Long time breeders/exhibitors Sue Bachman and Teresa “Petie” Schreeder have had several successful dogs in the ring including Ch Ryba’s Tom Foolery, Ch Ryba’s Diamond Jim and Ch Ryba’s Call Me Irresponsible. They joined with Susan Bentley breeding Ch Ryba’s Batteries Not Included to Ch Benayr Raisa Ruckus, the duo produced 9 champions who were not only successful in the show ring but in the whelping box.

Marilyn Harban, was successfully exhibiting her striking dogs Ch Dreamtime’s Frontiersman and Ch Dreamtime’s Dark Victory while Sue Holsinger’s Redwing Aussies proved that reds could win big also with her Ch Redwing Court Jester and his dam Ch Redwing Comic Relief.

Ch Dreamtime’s Frontiersman

 Ch Redwing Comic Relief

Many of these dogs have not only been top show dogs but they have become top producers. Ranked in the top ten sires are the previously mentioned Ch Tineetown Talkback, Ch Jeralen’s Christopher Tobin and Ch Taralee Sekelutu. Other top show dogs who became top producers are Ch Redberry Comrade, imported and owned by Ida Ellen Weinstock, Shelia Dunn’s Ch The Farms Freestyle, and Ch Yaralla’s Rock The Ring. Illustrating continuity many of these top dogs’ offspring have become top show dogs and producers themselves.

In 1998 Ch Tatongs Eclipse Of The Moon “Konsta” owned by Orvokki Lamsa and bred by Jill Greanne was imported from Finland to the United States. He made his mark by quickly finishing his AKC championship, winning an Award of Merit at both Westminster and the ATCA National Specialty and becoming a group winner and placer. Most importantly when “Konsta’s” year long visit was up he left 8 champions behind. A “Konsta’s” daughter produced a top show dog, Ch Akiba’s Sixty Minute Man owned by Anne and Craig Mitchell. The Mitchells bred him to one of their bitches resulting in Ch Kambara’s Zebulon “Zeb.”

In 2009, shortly after finishing his championship, “Zeb” won breed at Montgomery County under Australian Terrier breeder judge Lenore Riddle. But his specials career really began in 2010 when he became the breed’s first Grand champion. He soon rocked the Aussie world, breaking a 10 year drought, by winning an all breed Best In Show. A few weeks later “Zeb” went on to prove this was not a fluke and won the ATCA National Specialty; the following day he won his second all breed Best In Show. In 2011 he broke “Joey’s” 37 year record by winning his 5th Best In Show. To date he is the only Aussie to win breed at Montgomery County, Westminster, Eukanuba, the ATCA National Specialty, multiple Terrier Group Best In Shows and to date, six All Breed Best In Shows.

BIS BISS Ch Kambara’s Zebulon

With the legacy from our founding breeders and the dedication of current breeders hopefully Aussies have arrived and the dog show world will see more top winning Aussies in the ring and discover these “Grand Little Dogs”.

First Published in Showsight Magazine.

So, indulge yourself, but don’t share everything with your dogs. Share a small piece of that turkey with them instead and review the list below from the Animal Poison Control Center.

Apple Seeds: Can have varied effects on pets.
Apricot Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.
Avocado: The leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of avocados contain Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs. Birds and rodents are especially sensitive to avocado poisoning and can develop congestion, difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation around the heart. Some ingestions may even be fatal.
Cherry Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.
Candy containing the sweetener Xylitol: Can cause liver damage and even death.
Chocolate: Although pets should never have any type of chocolate, milk chocolate is not nearly as dangerous for animals as semi-sweet or unsweetened bakers chocolate. Chocolate poisoning can cause irregular heart rate and rhythm, restlessness, hyperactivity, diarrhea, vomiting, panting, muscle tremors, abdominal pain, bloody urine, increased body temperature, seizures, coma and possibly even death.
Coffee: Can result in increased breathing and heart rate, restlessness and affects the central nervous system.
Grapes: Large amounts of grapes can be poisonous to pets and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and kidney damage.
Hops: May cause panting, elevated temperature, increased heart rate, seizures and possibly death.
Macadamia Nuts: Can cause vomiting, lethargy, hyperthermia, abdominal pain, stiff joints, lameness and tremors.
Moldy Foods: Can have varied effects on pets including vomiting and diarrhea.
Mushrooms: Different types of mushrooms can have varied effects on pets such as, depression, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, tearing, hallucinations, defecation, liver failure, seizures, drooling, urination, kidney failure, heart damage, hyperactivity and in some cases, death.
Mustard Seeds: Can have varied effects on pets.
Onions and Onion Powder: Can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Peach Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.
Potato Leaves and Stems: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.
Raisins: Large amounts of raisins can be poisonous to pets and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and kidney damage.
Rhubarb Leaves: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.
Salt: In large quantities can cause electrolyte imbalances.
Tea: Can have varied effects in pets.
Tomato Leaves and Stems: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.
Walnuts: Can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, as well as respiratory issues such as sneezing, breathing and coughing.
Yeast Dough: Can be dangerous as it will expand and result in gas, pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

NOTE: If you suspect that your pet has been poisoned, contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435. This is a 24 hour a day hotline.

Recalls:

http://www.aspca.org/Home/Pet-care/pet-food-recall-overview.aspx

Poinsettia Toxicity: Toxic to dogs

Toxic Principles: Irritant Sap

Clinical  Signs: Irritating to the mouth and stomach, sometimes causing vomiting, but generally over-rated in toxicity.

ATI suggests you always check with your veterinarian before changing foods.  

_______________________________________________________________
 

Cargill has announced a voluntary dog food recall involving two of its brands due to contamination with aflatoxin.

Both River Run and Marksman dry dog foods were produced at Cargill’s Lecompte, Louisiana plant.

The recall includes 13 states and 2 territories: Kansas, Missouri, Northeast Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Southeast Indiana, Southern Illinois, Hawaii, and limited areas of Florida, California Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

The FDA has confirmed the Cargill recall in its latest news bulletin.

Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by a certain species of mold commonly found in cereal grains.

The products listed have Lot Codes 4K0335 through 4K0365, 4K1001 through 4K1335, LL0335 through LL0365, and LL1001 through LL1335 on the tag or bag and include:

• River Run Professional Formula 27-18 Dog Food 50#
• River Run 21% Protein Dog Food (50# and 40#)
• River Run Hi-NRG 24-20 Dog Food 50#
• River Run Hi-Pro No-Soy Dog Food (50# and 40#)
• Marksman 28-18 Dog Food 40#
• Marksman 24-20 Dog Food 40#
• Marksman 20-10 Dog Food (50# and 40#)

What to Watch For

According to Cargill…

“Exposure to excessive levels of aflatoxin, especially over extended periods of time, can lead to reduced liver function.

Call your veterinarian if your dog has had a product that may have contained aflatoxin and exhibits sluggishness or lethargy combined with a reluctance to eat, vomiting, diarrhea, or yellowing of the eyes or gums.”

What to Do

If a dog shows any of these signs, consumers should stop feeding the suspected products immediately – and consult a veterinarian.

You can report complaints about FDA-regulated pet food products by calling the consumer complaint coordinator in your area.

Or go to http://www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.

Cargill has suggested consumers return any unused portion of the recalled dog food to the store where it was bought for a full refund. For more information, call the company at 855-460-1532.

WARNING: At NO time use Comfortis (for fleas) and Ivermectin together.

Top Australian Terrier Junior Handlers in the US through September 30, 2011

Christina Worley 118

Samantha Gray 110

Eleanor Goiffon 27

Lydia Goiffon 7

Fiona McGroarty 3

Taylor Toms 1

BUILDING WINNING PEDIGREES

E. Katie Gammill, AKC Judge/Exhibition Editor, TheDogPlace.org August 2011

SUCCESSFUL DOG BREEDING

LINEBREEDING, INBREEDING, OUTCROSSING – AND WHY

Do you count your litters or do your litters count?  Are you a “dog breeder” or a “breeder of dogs”?  What is your ratio of producing dogs that finish?

E. Katie Gammill, AKC Judge/Exhibition Editor

BREEDING A FLASH IN THE PAN!

A “flash in the pan” winner is a sight to behold. Finishing from Puppy Class is wonderful but is the dog still a “flier” at maturity?

All Breed Stats as of 11/25/11

Eukanuba Rankings as of 11/27/11 for 2012

1   GCH RYBA’S NOTHING BUT BLUE SKIES

2   GCH NELLYSON MR DON’T SKIP THE ZIP

3   GCH DREAMTIME’S LATIN LOVER

4   GCH BENAYR CLAY TUCKER

5   GCH DUNHAM LAKE SCOUT MASTER

6   CH WILD WEST DOUBLE CAT

7   CH SAMABEL AKA INU SHINE ON ME AT CELESTIAL

8   TEMORA’S P’S NEW GUY IN TOWN

9   DREAMWEAVER’S CAROLINA COWBOY

10 CH ARISTA’S ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

 Reprinted with permission from The American Kennel Club.

As usual I loved the newsletter. Of interest to me was your interview with Sabine (Baker) and Michelle (Bell.)  I own a Fleetwood Mac son and a grandson. Both are champions.  The Grandson, Ch Kambara’s Wild Blue Yonder RE, is my best dog friend and shadow. Anne Mitchell

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© 2010 Australian Terrier International

The first Aussies came to Sweden through Denmark in the early 1960´s. In 1963 the first Aussies entered at a show. It was the Danish imports Stella Polaris Cassiopeja, Steffi Pride and Stella Polaris Jupiter owned by Stebs kennels. The first litter was born and registered in 1964 at kennel Stebs.

Stella Polaris Stardust

Another early pioneer was a sea captain named Karlsson, who fell in love with the breed during a stay in Australia. In 1964 he brought home the male Narrung Roger Dean to Sweden. He became Swedish Champion.

In 1969 he brought home a bitch, Narrung Ses Sprite, who later whelped two puppies by Roger Dean.

Elvyne Bewitched Tina

Other dogs were imported from Denmark by the countess Birgitta Mörner. She bought the bitch Stella Polaris Ceres in 1965. Raminas kennel bought the bitch Busses Harsh Juditha from Finland in 1966. A few other kennels started and bred a few litters and then disappeared. Mrs Ingeborg Brännland, Bianceborgs kennel, took over kennel Stebs dogs and bred them under her own prefix Bianceborgs from 1969 to 1973.

Mrs Renata Nilsson, kennel Reni´s, was the most successful and dominating breeder during the 1970´s and 1980´s.

She built her breeding on several imports from Australia. In 1975 came her first import, the male Ch Bonzer Just Fred, who was the father of several winning dogs from Reni´s kennel. She also imported the dogs Ch Hfarmist Here I Am, Ch Negura Billy Buttons and Ch Tonee Town Twistnriggle.

Agrippas Debbie

The first dog to become an International Champion was Int & Nord Ch Blue Benjamin, bred by Lars and Birgitta Hellkvist, who later took the kennel prefix Bikarol.

Bernt Bolin, kennel Cooctown, brought home two male puppies from a trip to Australia in 1987. They were Taralee Small Potatoe and Llandrow Pegasus. Both became champions but Pegasus was the one most used and he left some nice champion offspring at Cooctown kennels.

Someone who had a big influence on the Swedish Aussie breeding was Mrs Anne-Marie Hamilton Bartter. She was born in Sweden, but married an Australian and lived there for 25 years. She decided she wanted to do something for the Australian Terrier in Sweden, so in 1985 she brought with her the bitch Ch Tahee Charade, who was mated in Australia and had a litter in Sweden. The puppies were sold to breeders in Sweden, Denmark and Finland and their line can be found behind lots of Aussies today. In 1987 Anne-Marie came back to Sweden with the male puppy Tahee Night Hawk and the bitch Ch Tahee Special Girl. They produced a litter in Sweden and again the puppies were sold to breeders in the Nordic countries. The only bitch puppy was Ymsens Yarrawonga, who was one of the foundation bitches at kennel Twee-Dle-Dee.

Two Dogs From Sweden In The 1980’s

She built her breeding on several imports from Australia. In 1975 came her first import, the male Ch Bonzer Just Fred, who was the father of several winning dogs from Reni´s kennel. She also imported the dogs Ch Hfarmist Here I Am, Ch Negura Billy Buttons and Ch Tonee Town Twistnriggle.

Tahee Special Girl went back to Australia with Anne-Marie and became Australian Champion and obedience champion.

She was later mated to the famous Ch Tahee Dirty Harry. Anne-Marie kept the male Wyangan Storm Petrel who became Australian Champion. When Anne-Marie became seriously ill Storm Petrel was sent to kennel Winthertorpet in Sweden.

The oldest active kennels in Sweden today are Cooctown, Bernt Bolin, Vitterklippen, Ulla-Britt Norgren and Twee-Dle-Dee, Carin Sandahl, who has been breeding for almost 30 years.

The most winning kennel name in the show ring is Jaskarin, Saija and Markus Walldén, who moved to Sweden from Finland about 10 years ago. But there are several new breeders coming on and the breed is growing here in Sweden, so we look upon the future with confidence.

It is an honour to see an article about a breeder colleague who, in my opinion, has made great contributions for the development of the breed. She is Sweden’s first lifetime member and I cannot imagine anyone that deserves it more than she does.

 Carin showing Twee-Dle-Dee With Makeup On

Karin has always had the best of the breed in mind and is always ready to help and give valuable advice for breeders and hobbyists alike. She has generously shared her blood lines to ensure the future of the Australian Terrier in Sweden. Many kennels have borrowed a Twee-Dle-Dee male and many have a Twee-Dle-Dee bitch in their pedigrees.

The blue-and-tan colour has a special place in Carin’s heart and therefore she has chosen to specialise on blue-and-tans. Aside from her kennel, Carin has been involved in the Swedish club of the breed and spent numerous hours on non-profit work. She was also the chairperson of the club.

In 2011 Carin and undersigned wrote a book of the breed, Aussieboken (Swedish for The book of Aussie), to compile and share all that we have found and discovered about the breed during our years as breeders.

Thus, in what better way could I present her breeding than by an extract from Aussieboken? I hope that we will see a lot more Twee-Dle-Dee-dogs in the future since Carin has an extraordinary feeling for the breed. She has a healthy attitude to the world of dog shows and does not let herself be fooled by the whims of fashion. Her motto has always been a well-composed dog without exaggerations.

“Bobo” Twee-Dle-Dee Thru The Looking Glass

Carin and Roger Sandahl first began breeding poodles but became so fascinated by an article of the breed published in Hundsport (a Swedish dog magazine) in 1983 that they bought their first Australian Terrier the following year. The newly acquired Aussie was the bitch puppy Ch Sassatown Laughing Imp from Finland. Carin later mated her in 1985 with the Finnish male Ch Juuso von Bienehof and she became the mother of the first Australian terrier litter of the kennel. Carin also bought Ch Ymsen’s Yandilla in 1985 and in 1987 she bought Ch Ymsen’s Yarrwonga from the true Aussie-enthusiast Anne-Marie Hamilton Bartter, who had Ymsen’s kennel in Sweden and Wyangan kennel in Australia.

Ch Ymsen’s Yandilla had three litters, 1987 with Reni’s Äxtra Strong, 1988 with Ch Trolding’s Kerry and in 1991 with Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Tophat’s Tail. Several of her offsprings became Swedish champions and were used in breeding. Yandilla herself became 14 years old.

Ch Ymsens Yarrawonga left four litters. The successful siblings Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Knockout Drops, Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Good Vibrations and Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Punch-Line was born in Yarrawonga’s second litter.  Yarrawonga became mother to seven champions all in all.

In 1991 another bitch from Anne-Marie Bartter joined kennel Twee-Dle-Dee. This time the bitch was born in Australia and came from Anne-Marie’s last litter. Her name was Ch Wyangan Banksia.

I n 1993 a couple of Carin’s first Australian Terrier CH Sassatown Laughing Imp’s grandchildren was born in Norway. The mother of these puppies was Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Tribute To Norway and the father was the from England imported male Zellamere March Past Brimartz. The same year the kennel bought the bitch

Ch All The Best. Funnily enough, also she became the mother of seven champions, among them the male Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Join The Circus (after the Australian male TineeTown Tryiton) and the bitch Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Take All Of Me (after Ch St.Capes Black Bumpkin). Carin chose to keep these two in the kennel.

Take All Of Me upheld the tradition and became the mother of seven champions. Another of All The Best’s sons, Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Banana Bender (after Ch Bluepepper´s Terri-Er) moved to kennel Bluepepper’s in Finland.

In 1995 the male Ch Rebelglen Time Bandit was imported from Australia but to Carin’s and Roger’s great disappointment Time Bandit turned out to be sterile, and was given to Carola Eriksson/Per Berg who showed him quite a bit and he became, among other things, The Aussie of the Year in 1996. There were other rules and regulations concerning importing dogs at that time and there was great deal of drama when he travelled to Sweden.

In 1996 the bitch Ch Bluepepper’s Milla Magia was bought from Finland and in 2003 the bitch Ch Tatong’s Heavenly joined the kennel and in 2005 the male Ch Tatong’s Spy In The Sky came from Denmark. The kennel has exported dogs to all of the Scandinavian countries and to USA.

Ulla-Britt Norgren

Translated Sara Norgren

This month ATI welcomes Carin Sandahl as the first  

Lifetime Member  from Sweden.

We want to congratulate Carin and thank her for her years of  

dedication to the breed.

The Kennel name Twee-Dle-Dee is behind many top winning  

Swedish and International dogs.

Thank you so very much! It is a great honour to have become an ATI Lifetime Member and it feels really overwhelming. I’m very happy and flattered. 

I can really feel it´s a small world, and that ATI is a fantastic organization that ties us Aussie-lovers together all over the globe. I am proud to be a part of it!

Carin Sandahl

From the left: Ch Tatong’s Spy In The Sky, Ch Tatong’s Heavenly, Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Without Makeup, Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Laughing Face and Twee-Dle-Dee Dark Angel.

How did you get involved or started with Australian Terriers?

I was breeding standard poodles for some years and wanted to try a smaller breed as a complement to the work-demanding poodles.  I found a long article about Aussies in the Swedish Kennel Club Magazine in 1983. Both my husband and I became very interested and visited a breeder to see Aussies in real life and get to know more about the breed.

That year, 1983, only 13 puppies were born in Sweden and after that article in the KC Magazine all the puppies were sold. Later that summer we took one of the poodles to a show in Norway and ran into a man with two Aussies. He turned out to be Mr. Harto Hallikas, of kennel Sassatown, from Finland. We kept in contact and the year after we were offered the best bitch puppy in a litter he had. Her name was Sassatown Laughing Imp, a tough little girl with a big personality. She later became our first Aussie champion.

We just loved the breed and slowly we ran out of poodles and ended up with only the Aussies.

Sassatown Laughing Imp did not love getting her nails done.

How did you choose your kennel name?

That was when we started with poodles. I bought my first bitch pup from another breeder and could chose a name beginning with T and somehow came up with Twee-Dle-Dee, which I thought suited the poodle mentality. She was Creols Top Twee-Dle-Dee.  When I decided on my own kennel name it was an easy choice.

How many years have you shown Aussies?

Since I got my first Aussie in 1984.
How many years have you been breeding Aussies?

We had the first litter in 1985, so that is 27 years this year.

How many litters have you bred?

I just had Aussie litter number 46, and we also had 10 litters of standard poodles.

Do you know how many champions you have produced?

I know it is at least 40 Aussie champions, but I might have overlooked someone.

Do you enjoy mentoring other people in the breed?

Yes I do. I think it is important to pass on the knowledge you have gathered during the years. We want the breed to live on, be true to the standard, healthy and to have the wonderful temperament it has today. To achieve that we have to help and mentor the new and upcoming breeders so they can continue our work into the future.

Who were the people who mentored you in the breed?

After I bought my first Aussie from Harto Hallikas, we kept in contact via old-fashioned letters (before e-mails) for some years and he taught me a great deal about the breed. The rest I had to learn myself.

What do you look for in the bitch to make her worthy of your breeding program?

Health and temperament of course, but that comes without saying. She should be well constructed with good proportions and good bone, good angulation and a good carriage with long neck if possible. A long head with good muzzle and expression is also important. Coat and colour – the wish-list could be long. You can´t get all you want in one dog, but I want her as near my ideal as possible.

What do you look for in the stud dog to make him worthy of your breeding program?

About the same as in the bitch, but I try to make him complement the bitch and have the benefits that she lacks and vice versa. I don´t look so much at the pedigrees when I breed, except to make sure the two are not too closely related. I look more for type and try to find dogs as close to my ideal Aussie as possible.

Can you define your idea of breed type?

I think it´s important to keep in mind for what purpose this breed was once made and pay attention to the standard when you create your ideal Aussie in your mind. It should be a “low set, sturdy dog” robust enough to be able to work most of the day. He has to have a good chest and body to support lungs and heart. He can´t be too weedy or too heavy to do his work, but have medium bone. He needs a long head and strong muzzle with good bite to catch rodents and snakes and he must have those quick reflexes and alertness to do so. Good coat quality is also important. A too soft coat was not practical in the outback. A good carriage and a long neck make this sturdy dog quite elegant and pretty to look at.

What have been your proudest moments in the breed?

That is difficult. There have been so many proud moments through the years, but one memorable moment was when the blue/tan male Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Knockout Drops won BIS at our National for the fourth year in a row. He won 1991 to 1994 and was the most winning Aussie in the Swedish rings at the time.

BISS Ch. Twee-Dle-Dee Knockout Drops

How did you learn to groom?

I had done a lot of dog grooming earlier, and not just poodles, which is a totally different type of grooming, but also some terriers like Airedale, Welsh, Cairn, so I knew what terrier grooming was about. However, there was nobody nearby that could show me how to do an Aussie, so I had to learn that by myself. My first Aussie had a very harsh coat that did not grow much and was easy to keep tidy.

At the same time I looked at photos of good Aussies and talked to people at

shows and looked how their dogs were groomed and tried to copy the good

parts at home. Slowly I learned how I wanted an Aussie to look and how I

wanted it groomed.

Have you exported Aussies?

Yes, I have exported to Norway, Finland, France and USA.

Have you imported Aussies?

Yes, from Finland, Australia, Norway and USA.

Do you see a difference in personalities between dogs from other countries and dogs from Sweden?

I don´t think I have enough experience to say there is a difference between countries. I have a feeling there can be a slight difference between different blood lines. But then again every dog is an individual, so that is hard to say unless you get to know a larger number of dogs from different countries.

Did you find it difficult to produce a nice natural tail?

Yes, I think it will take some time before we see only nice and straight natural tails. If you could breed only on the look of the tail you could probably have straight tails in 2-3 generations, but in a small breed like ours you have to consider the whole dog, and you cannot afford to take an otherwise good and healthy dog out of breeding just because his tail is a bit curled, so my guess is that we will continue to get both straight and curled tails in the litters for quite a while. Unfortunately you can´t say for sure what the tail will look like on the grown dog until the puppy is 3-4 months old. It can change when the pup grows.

Can you describe what a good natural tail should look like?

I think the best way is to show it with photos.

Do you have a few favourite Aussies that you owned or bred?

All the Aussies that have lived here with us have been favourites and loved for their personalities and the individuals they have been. I cannot say that one has been more of a favourite than the others.

If you mean best show dogs I have bred, those who are closest to my ideal Aussie, I would mention the male Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Join the Circus. He was a handsome boy, well built with a lot of style and reach of neck, dark colours, and he moved very well. In bitches Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Take All Of Me was a very pretty bitch with a very good front and unusually good neck and carriage for that time. Today I have her great grand-daughter Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Without Makeup, who not only is a successful show dog, but also a fantastic brood bitch, who whelps her big litters without problems and who is the best possible mom to her puppies.

Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Join The Circus

Ch. Twee-Dle Dee Take All of Me

Ch Twee-Dle-Dee Without Makeup

How has the Aussie changed since you started breeding?

Here in Sweden I think it has changed a lot for the better during my 27 years. Backs and top-lines are much better, tail-sets and hind angulations are a lot better. Fronts are better but could be better still. We don´t see many triangular heads anymore and most dogs have all their teeth, which was not the case earlier. I also think the temperaments are better.

What concerns you about the Aussie of today as it relates to conformation and health?

As I said the Aussies here have improved a lot during my time, but we have to keep on working with the fronts. Shoulder/upper arm angulation and straight front legs could be better.

When it comes to health, I think we have very few problems compared to most breeds. There are very little knee problems; cataracts are very rare. There are a few cases of thyroid diseases and sometimes a case of allergic reaction. The biggest problem must be older dogs that get diabetes.

What have Aussies added to your life?

My Aussies ARE my life. I live with them and sleep with them and they are my first priority all the time. I am surrounded by them all the time at home. Because of them I get to meet a lot of interesting people and go to a lot of places for shows. To watch the dogs interact with each other, play and do crazy things is so amusing, and to experience the very special bond between me and the dogs is priceless.

Ch Twee-Dle-Dee With Makeup On is using our Labrador to get a better

view through the window.

You recently published a book about Australian Terriers. What made you decide to write a book and can you tell us a little bit about it?

There is nothing written about Australian Terriers in Swedish, and my puppy buyers now and then ask me about where they can read about their breed. So the idea to write a book came up years ago. When I talked about it with my friend and fellow breeder Ulla-Britt Norgren, Vitterklippen kennels, we discovered that we both had the same idea and decided to do it together. We started breeding Aussies about the same time so we both have a long experience of the breed in Sweden.

We decided that our book would only be about the breed, what it´s like, what you can expect living with an Aussie, stories about Aussies told both by us and by our puppy buyers, the breed history and of course lots and lots of photos. We decided not to take up space with “how to breed” or “how to train your pup” – things you can find dozens of books filled with. We wanted to pass on information about the breed that we have gotten from breeders before us and that we don´t want to be forgotten.

We have only received positive response so far, so hopefully we have succeeded in creating the book that we wanted. We had a lot of fun doing it.

Most importantly, with all you’ve done and your years of dedication to the breed……

How would you like to be remembered in the breed?

As somebody who was breeding good and healthy Aussies that can be an asset to have in the pedigrees in the future, and as someone who always had the best of the breed in focus and not my personal success.

ATI could not be more proud of members Carin Sandahl and Ulla-Britt Norgren.

They have published the first book, ever written in Swedish, about Australian Terriers. Congratulations to them for this amazing accomplishment. Now if you can’t read Swedish, this book is full of wonderful Aussie photos that are sure to delight you.

A note from the authors:

We have had the lovable and tough Australian terrier in Sweden for almost fifty years but it is not until now that the breed has got its own book in Swedish. Two of the breed’s most loyal breeders have compiled experiences and material which have been collected for decades. In this book you will find information which has never before been published in Sweden. The book contains, for example, the history and the development of the breed, grooming description and anecdotes about owning an Australian Terrier. These stories are both humorous and heart-warming. The book is both for the beginners and for the out-and-out enthusiasts of the breed. The book is written in Swedish but contains a lot of beautiful photos.

Photo Courtesy of Birgitta Sundell

NO UCH SE UCH Ålhammarens Ruzzin

Photo Courtesy of Birgitta Sundell

NORD UCH Ålhammarens Ruffa Koppartroll

Kille = NORD UCH Övikspojken Av Falchebo

(NEJ UCH SE UCH Vargtass Av Falchebo /NORD UCH

Tinee Town Thequeenoharts)

Owner: Vitterklippens kennel

Breeder: Marthe Falch Norway

 Baccus = SE UCH, SE V-03 Vitterklippens baccus

 (NORD UCH  Övikspojken Av Falchebo /Vitterklippens Wissla)

Owner: Forsén Hans-Erik

Breeder. UB Norgren

“Amorina”

The Aussie on a Constant Involuntary Diet from “Aussieboken”

Vitterklippens Amorina is the undisputed ruler, legislator and police woman of our house. She considers herself to be the complete polity of the kingdom of Vitterklippens kennel. That is the way she has always been, although now when she is older she has also become a lot more stubborn, more unforgiving as well as selectively deaf, which basically means that she hears what she wants to hear.  This is a phenomenon that we call the seniority effect (after my dear grandmother who displays these characteristics to an ever increasing extent as she gets older).

Another recurring characteristic of hers is a tendency to gain weight quickly and to lose excess weight slowly – considerably more slowly than the actual weight gaining – and this is not helped by the fact that she steals other dogs’ food as soon as she gets any kind of opportunity. This means that we have been forced to attempt to make her slim down numerous times, something which is unappreciated both by “Amorina” and by her surroundings. She gets cranky, moody and since necessity is the mother of invention, extremely inventive and resourceful. As her servings get smaller she becomes increasingly desperate and tries to steal food or terrify the rest of the dog population into abandoning their servings. This means that we have to confine her to a room during feedings or guard her constantly. For the last solution to be completely effective at least two people are needed.

She does not hesitate to steal food from puppies – not even from her own – or to steal the food of the cats (despite them being armed absolutely everywhere!). Countless of times have we glimpsed a long red tail sticking out from a tilted bag of cat food. To yell at “Amorina” is meaningless, since she does not understand that anyone could possibly be mad at her and, surprised at the raised voices, she starts looking around for the target of what she considers to be a completely unfounded anger.

She has never been unintelligent either and therefore she quickly figured out that the food we give our dogs comes from the white box with a flip top lid. We could not figure out how she could be so extremely overweight despite us giving her small servings, confining her to a room during feeding and relocating the cat food into a barrel with a type of burglar proof lid that we had considerable difficulty opening ourselves.  One day my mother walked past the room where we keep the dog food (with a gate high enough to prevent “Amorina” from jumping over, especially at her current weight at that time) and heard a sound coming from the white plastic container. It was the unmistakable sound of dry dog food being transferred in large quantities. She looked into the room and saw a long, red tail sticking out from the lid of the white box. Suddenly the mystery behind “Amorina’s” weight problem was solved. She managed daily to get past a gate (which she should not be able to handle), open the lid on the plastic box and crawl inside to eat at her own “all you can eat buffet” and also avoid being caught red handed. I am sure that she would have been an extremely skilled criminal – either as a burglar or the leader of a coup d’état – had she not been a dog of course.        Sara Norgren

Bellybands are a way to show concern about oneself, others and one’s dog.

I started making bellybands to help others who had problems with male dogs that tended to mark their territory even inside the house or when they brought the dogs with them during visits. Bellybands could be bought in most pet shops but why did they have to be so very ugly and fit the dogs so poorly? That actually got me thinking and I started making belly band patterns since the fit of the belly band varies according to the bodies of the breeds. A greyhound cannot have the same belly band as a pug.

For bellybands fitting our breed I have, naturally, had many to try the models on and I have personally made a couple of bellyband-models which I think fit our breed perfectly.

The bellyband should be used to prevent accidents and as an attempt to get rid a bad habit. They can never be used as a way to get out of walking the dog. You also have to exclude other potential reasons for the peeing.

Used properly, the bellyband is a wonderful aid to hinder marking male dogs and it enables you to bring the dog everywhere. But, to be fair, there are also bitches – who have their seasons – and I also make pants for them.

I think that it is important to not be ashamed of your dog but to take responsibility for its actions.

Wise words from male dog owners:

“I am not going to be ashamed of the fact that my dog sometimes lifts his leg to mark. However I chose to take responsibility for the fact that he might do that and therefore I use a bellyband.”

“If I bring my dog to places where there are a lot of smells, then his instincts take over and he sometimes pees on inappropriate places. It is not especially fun for me or for the person I happen to be visiting. Now I always put on the bellyband when I visit someone which means that both my dog and the person I am visiting are much less tense.”

            Care of The Bellyband

Wash the bellyband in 30-40 degrees Celsius. Do not choose harsh centrifugation. Remember to attach the Velcro tape, otherwise they will get stuck to each other or other items. If you have any buttons, button them.

After washing, either hang them and let them dry by themselves or dry them on low heat in the dryer. Think about the hygiene and change the insertion, if you use one, often.

Vitterklippens Kalmus

Vitterklippens Blondie

Owner: Kennel Stebas

 Vitterklippens Myran and Vitterklippens Lindy-Sue

Vitterklippens Lindy-Sue

Vitterklippens Myran and Vitterklippens Lindy-Sue

Vitterklippens Elijah

Owner and photographer: Benita Andersson

Minozzy Colombine “Maggie”

 Vitterklippens Keira

Owner and photographer: Klöfver Mariah

“Nokia” Twee-Dle-Dee Connecting People

Owner: Ulla-Britt Norgren and

Vitterklippens Loke

Xita Av Falchebo Owner: Ulla-Britt Norgren

 Vitterklippens Keira

Owner and photographer: Klöfver Mariah

The competitions are open for all dogs, pedigrees as well as mixed breeds. They just have to be over 18 months old. The dogs are divided into three different size classes, small, medium and large, and they compete against dogs of their own size.

“Tiger”

In Sweden agility can be competed in official and unofficial competitions. The unofficial competitions are often open for everyone, regardless how experienced the equipages competitors) are, but there can be special classes, for example novices, but this is not so common.

In the official competitions there are three different classes, I, II and III. Class I is the easiest and required of everyone. When you have earned three promotion points you can, and have to, compete in class II. It is the same from class II to class III. To get a promotion point you have to do an error-free round and have a place among the 15% best equipages. It is the dog, not the equipage, which gets promoted. To qualify for the Swedish championships you have to get three promotion points in class III.

“Tiger” demonstrating his flexibility.

Agility can also be competed in teams with 3-4 dogs. In a team one handler cannot have more than 2 dogs.

My first contact with agility was around 10 years ago. At that time my family had Jack Russell Terriers, so the first dogs I did agility with were Jack Russell Terriers. All of them had their own ideas of how they should do agility and I can tell that their ideas often deviated from my ideas.  The last Jack Russell I had, used to bite me when she thought that I was too slow or when she got frustrated.

Today I have recently taken up agility again after a break and I have begun to train and compete a little with my mother’s Australian Terrier called Tiger. My mother has attended two agility courses with him, the first one for beginners and the other one just a continuation of the first one.

We have only had time to compete twice, but he has been doing a great job. He is a little slow, but he is careful so most of our runs have been clear rounds, except from the time faults. It seems like he thinks that agility is tremendously fun. Tiger is my mother’s dog, and he is almost obsessed with her, and wants to be with her all the time, but as soon as we start our run, he forgets everything about her and just focuses on the agility and me.

For me it is different handling him compared to the Jack Russell’s. They were doing things first and thinking afterwards. Tiger thinks first and does things when he knows what he is supposed to do. He can get frustrated when he doesn’t understand me, but he would never bite me.

I have observed that the Australian Terriers I have seen doing agility have a characteristic technique when they are jumping over the hurdles. Unfortunately it’s not a very good technique and it takes a lot of time for them. The long body of an Australian Terrier doesn’t seem ideal for agility, but they can be very flexible. I have seen Tiger bend his body in the most peculiar ways when he is in the air, to prevent himself from knocking down a bar, or just for turning as quickly as possible.

So would I say that agility is something for an Aussie? Yes, I surely would. I believe that an Aussie can do everything it has set its mind upon doing, and when agility is so fun, why wouldn’t an Aussie want to do that?

I really hope that Tiger and I will have time to train agility this summer, and to compete. I’m also looking forward to training our young Aussie when he is old enough. Who knows, perhaps I will have two Aussies competing on the Swedish courses next summer.

Therapy Dogs In Sweden By Ursula Skanefors-Winbjörk

project “Dogs for All”.

In this program we want to create opportunities to socialize with dogs in an easy and safe way. We’re currently visiting a few homes for the elderly and we visit facilities for disabled children. We hope to expand our operations and provide more opportunities for others to meet our dogs. The ability to use public areas in the lodging is small and slows down our progress

“Mister”

Our dogs have been tested to manage different kinds of life situations that can be unusual for them. A therapy dog works to increase the patients’, residents’ or students’ motivation, well-being and health. The aim is to improve the quality of life with the visit.

Studies have found that interaction with dogs in the form of touch, care and play leads to:

Increased physical and mental activity
Increased motivation

Well-being and calmness

Faster and better rehabilitation

Some of our project team have seen examples of older people who have been silent for a long time and then they suddenly start talking to the dog. An elderly woman decided not to wash herself before the next visit from “Frasse” because she got so many good kisses. Being able to bring joy in the simplest way is wonderful.

“Frasse”

The dogs do not assess, they do not judge and they do not try to justify the calls for assistance or the contacts. The dogs are trained and must be strong enough to be pet and cuddled by strangers. To experience a warm body next to you or to be able to place your nose into soft fur should be a human right for everyone!

Ursula Skanefors-Winbjörk

The little Aussie, Twee-dle-Dee Breakfast at Tiffany’s,”Tiffany,” has made a real achievement. She has now passed the tests and is the only Aussie in Sweden that is officially a Diabetes and Service Dog (perhaps also worldwide)!

Her owner, Leif Linder, explains: Becoming an approved and fully trained alerting service dog (diabetic dog) is not easy. It requires a long and thorough training. Training time is around 1 year and we started in October 2009. Before training begins, many application forms and certificates have to be completed. The dog should be HD-free (hip dysplasia free) and completely healthy otherwise. HD-X (x-ray) on an Australian Terrier may seem unnecessary, but those are the rules.

When the application is approved, there is an aptitude test, a variation of mental description. Then there is time for the three-day try-on Fetch and Carry, where theory is integrated with practical exercises and tests under the supervision of three instructors. “We were nine participants, of which three would become diabetic dogs,” Leif informs.

Tiffany helps with setting the table. Balance and precision is required.

Further Education
Six months later there is another three days of education to prepare for the final examination tests. A personal trainer is appointed to supervise and support the training. In scent training Tiffany will “alarm” when glucose levels begin to approach low or high values. “Never thought she could distinguish between different values, but she was fantastic!” Leif explains. The goal is that she will “tell” me before I start to feel bad.”

Most obedience elements are included in the training, everything from Come to Heel to Go Fetch. “Tiffany has become a master at helping to set the table!”  A big advantage of having a service dog, according to Leif, is that she can follow in places where dogs are not otherwise allowed to be. “We have been to IKEA and we even ate in the restaurant without any problems.”

Tiffany at Scent Training

The organization which Leif and Tiffany belong to is called Swedish Service and Hearing Dog Federation (SoS). It is a non-profit organisation whose goal is to help people with a disability to train their dogs to be helpers in their lives. During the education time the dogs wear a red vest, which tells that they are in training. The vest means that the dog is working and should not be disturbed by people or other dogs, something that the owner is depending upon to be respected by the public.

Outdoor Training

Final Examination  

In October 2010 the education came to an end and it was time for the final examination. In a shopping mall full of people, six dogs and their handlers went through a series of tests to make sure that they were ready for certification. Among others the dogs were to stay on location for five minutes then find their hidden handlers, meet people and dogs without showing too much interest, retrieve car keys and other items, etcetera. Being able to be in places where otherwise the dog may not be allowed is of course important for a SoS dog.

The second part of the examination was an outdoors test in stormy weather with rain pouring down. Various obedience tests like Stay and Here were followed by a written test for the handlers.

The third part of the examination was “alerting.” “Tiffany was to show that she can run and get help if I should get a severe hypoglycaemia,” Leif explains. She was also to “tell” me when my blood sugar is low or high and to fetch a ringing phone. Soon she will be able to answer it I suppose ,” Leif jests.

Tiffany passed all the tests with honour and is now the proud carrier of the yellow SoS vest that proclaims that she is a certified rescue dog. “When the protocol was compiled we got the yellow blanket, diploma, graduation cap to Tiffany and a jacket for me,” Leif concludes. They are now allowed to visit most countries and even places where dogs are not normally allowed.

“Now I’ve graduated! I received a medal and everything!” (Tiffany and Leif Linder)

 Read more: http://www.soshund.se/

Both shows were very interesting and there were many very nice Australian Terriers presented at each show.  The first show was held in an event center, much like we have here in the U.S., with stadium seating above you and the dogs being shown on floors with mats.

Helsinki Ice Arenaon – Kirsi Ola with Melukylan Sininen Supernova

May 21, 2011

Krista Riihela with Remin Holy Diver

The second day of the International Show was an outdoor show,  held at a historic Finnish site,  which was very close to the coast line and offered a very different experience!  The show was under a huge permanent tent on dirt and the surroundings were just magnificent! (I just marveled at how much the Denver International Airport  looks like a copy of this lovely site!)  This site had been a military strong hold along the coastline of Finland, which you can see in the photos. It has now been converted into an event center.  As it is very near the coast line it can become very cool and windy at times, so everyone brings or dresses in layers. I even saw some in the show rings wearing winter coats!

Show Site Sunday

Many thanks to my wonderful tour guides,  Irma & Satu Harden & Kirsi Ola!!

Here is an link to  all show results in Finland.

http://www.australianterrierikerho.fi/nayttelyt/tulos11.htm

 All photos Copyright and Courtesy Of Cheryl Mechalke

AKC Breed Stats through June 30, 2011

Photographer: Rich Bergman

     1    GCH CH Ryba’s Nothing But Blue Skies “Indy”

Photography by Kit

2    GCH CH Kambara’s Zebulon  “Zeb”

 Photographer: Miguel Betancourt

 3    GCH CH Black Back Firefly “Ringo”

Photography by Kit

4    GCH CH Abq San Isidro Christhill “Izzy”

Photo Courtesy Of Lisa Weaver

5    GCH CH Benayr Clay Tucker “Tucker”

Photography by Holloway

 6    GCH CH Nellyson’s Mr Dont Skip The Zip “Zippy”

                  Photo courtesy of Jane Steinmetz

   7    GCH CH Dunham Lake Scout Master “Scout

(Photo Unavailable)

8    GCH CH Aka Inu Story Teller

(Photo Unavailable)

9    CH Aka Inu Babu Apu

Photography by Perry Phillips

10  GCH CH Merrigangs Wild N Crazy Guy OA NAJ SE “Reggie”

Breed Points

1 GCH CH Ryba’s Nothing But Blue Skies 169

2 GCH CH Kambara’s Zebulon 145

3 GCH CH Black Back Firefly  85

4 GCH CH Abq San Isidro Christhill  84

5 GCH CH Benayr Clay Tucker  60

6 GCH CH Nellyson’s Mr Dont Skip The Zip  59

7 GCH CH Dunham Lake Scout Master  39

8 GCH CH Aka Inu Story Teller 37

9 CH Aka Inu Babu Apu  35

10 GCH CH Merrigangs Wild N Crazy Guy OA NAJ SE  28

For More Stats you can Go To

Showsight Magazine

All Breed Points with Photos will be in the next issue.

Photo Courtesy Of Cheryl Mechalke

1 lb. –  raw ground beef  – 500 grams

¾ cup- oats – 180 ml

1 biscuit of Shredded Wheat

1 egg

1 tablespoon-  Molasses  – 15 ml

Mix the raw beef, oats and crumbled shredded wheat all together in a large bowl. Add the egg and molasses then mix until all ingredients are combined. Then form into meatballs.  Feed immediately or wrap, then refrigerate or freeze for future use.  Makes about 12 medium sized meatballs.   I make this recipe in bulk and freeze the meatballs in a single layer in a Ziplock plastic bag. Just pull out as many meatballs as you need to feed that day and leave in them in the refrigerator to defrost.

“Cheyenne” Goiffon

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas writes in The Hidden Life of Dogs: “All dogs smile, which is to say their faces become pleasant and relaxed, with ears low, eyes half shut, lips soft and parted, and chin high. This is a dog smile.”

“Miles” Bustamante
“Yet a few dogs will also imitate human smiles. In the presence of human beings, these dogs will draw back their lips grotesquely to bare their teeth, making the same face as we make. At the same time, these dogs may also roll over to reveal their bellies submissively, showing they understand exactly what our smiles mean.”

“Anya” Melton

Research demonstrates that dogs even laugh. To view this fascinating research and hear the sound of a dog laughing click here.

“Rocky” Levy

They also have a sense of humor. Sometimes, they play keep away, they do play bows to try and get you to play with them and they like to hide your things.

“Leila” Shear

Do you have a photo of your Aussie smiling?  

Has your Aussie done anything that demonstrates his sense of humor? Please share your photos and stories with us.

click here   

“Nacho” Jones

Please send us your story about what you did this summer with your dog. Please include photos. We will publish them in the next two newsletters.

Maybe you learned a new sport like earthdog, rally or agility. Maybe you went on a holiday with your family or went to a dog camp. Maybe you learned how to swim. Share your story with us! 

 Learning how to do earth dog.

Recently we asked our ATI facebook members how many times  

a day they fed their dogs.

Photo Courtesy Of Tina Nordgren

Poorrmans Another Story “NELLIE”

Poormans Amorous Angel “INA”

Nellyson´s Bhalunsa Bruntotth “JUPPIE”

Nellyson´s Goody Goody “MINO”

Nellyson´s Need My Nightie “NATTIE”

Nellyson´s Red And Blue Baby Roo “EMMELI”

Nellyson´s Karrolina “PIPPI”

Devil In Disquise Av Falchebo “FISTER”

Tatong’s Let The Music Play “MUSICA”

Here are the results.

Once a day-6%

I feed once a day to mimic the feeding pattern in the wild. Occasionally they have a  fasting day (no food). They have a variety of raw food, lamb, beef, chicken, fish and pork occasionally.

Twice a day-81%

I feed twice a day. My 7 dogs eat in different places since some eat quick and some take a little longer, so all can eat in peace. Bowls are taken away after eating. I feel they are less hungry and more content eating twice a day.

Three times a day-6%  

I feed 3 times a day. I give a small portion of dry dog food produced in Switzerland. It’s a mix with a little pop rice and I add few cooked vegetable bits or apple bits raw (the vegetables not salted of course.) I mix the dry food with water and serve it immediately so it is still crunchy. I also give a chewing stick for clean teeth but not every day. She has always the same weight and perfect digestion. Our former Aussies often had problems with diarrhea until we fed dry dog food also mixed with water. Since then no problem. I watch closely where the dry food is produced and hope for the best to get good quality here in Switzerland.

Leave food out all the time-6%.

Pick up the food after 10-15 minutes.- 8%

There is never any food left to pick up!!!! – 91%

What are our dogs eating?

Our dogs get treats in between meals and their share of whatever is ready in the garden. Right now, that’s strawberries and snap peas. They would probably like whipped cream on their strawberries, but I draw the line there.

They eat raw chicken, (a chicken leg generally) sweet potatoes, or whatever vegetable we eat. Before bed they have a chicken strip or venison beef jerky.  

They love strawberries and raspberries. When in season, they help us harvest our raspberries. They literally eat them off the bush.

They like little carrots after dinner. Gave up on the garden as they ate the  

tomatoes and strawberries as soon as they were ripe.

Since they are crated when I leave the house, they get CET dental chews, Sam’s Yams treats, dental cookies, or Charlie Bears as cage treats. I usually have raw carrots with my lunch and I do share with them. They get a bit of canned pumpkin with breakfast and help me eat fruit snacks of apple, pear or blueberries. My dog has low grade chronic pancreatitis, so he is fed a low fat veterinary prescription diet by Royal Canin.

I give a raw egg including shell once every 10 days. I feed tinned pilchards in tomato sauce, some table scraps, occasional steamed vegetables, as well as, raw food, raw bones, chicken wings, pigs trotters, lamb ribs etc. Food is put down and  

if not eaten in 5 minutes it is removed, but they always eat their food! I believe dogs do not need carbs. They get their calories from fat/protein.

Mine like to eat eggs or oatmeal in the am with blueberries, bananas, strawberries (all organic) or Grandma Lucy’s re-hydrated food. They love organic carrots and apples as snacks. 

ATI is not endorsing any food or diet. We are sharing information as to what other Aussie owners are feeding only. Before changing your diet you may wish to consult with your veterinarian.

Photo Courtesy of Henny van den Berg

GREAT NEWS: APRIL 1-AUGUST 31, 2011, CERF tests mailed in to CERF will receive the kennel rate of $8.00 instead of $12.00. This is a wonderful savings. You must download the voucher here and send it in with your CERF paperwork. This is for everyone. If you have completed the CERF test but not filed it with CERF now is the time. If you have not tested your dogs eyes, please consider doing so.

To print the Voucher click here.

Photo Courtesy of Cheryl Mechalke

Walking on Sunshine

Dogs having a fun day at the beach. ( No Aussies in the video)

Our ATI store will be caring these products soon!!!!!

Toys

The Cuz    To view Aussies Playing With the Cuz   Click Here

Furniture

Outdoor Patio Furniture For Your Dog  Great Futon

For The Car

Co-Pilot Seat Cover by Kurgo

Backseat Bridge

This is a wonderful, brilliant product for your car. It gives your Aussie more room and with the seat down prevents you dog from slipping between the seats.

Made by Kurgo.

Photo By: Amber Bechtholdt

Fierce “Fergie” Strid

 Juniors Are Our Future!

Photo and Information Courtesy of Kim Floyd

Here is a pic of the three Juniors with their Aussies.  I am very proud of these girls!

Left to Right

Samantha Gray with AKC CH Akiba’s Southern Exposure (UKC UWPV, UWPCH, USR, GRCH)

Christina Worley with AKC CH Johmanda’s Delilah Ku’a (UKC GRCH)

Taylor Toms with AKC CH Kambara’s Aviatrix RN, NAJ (UKC AGI, AGII, GRCH)

UWPV = United Weight Puller Versatile

UWPCH = United Weight Pull Champion

USR = United Steeple Racer

AGI = 1st level Agility (3 Q’s)

AGII = 2nd level Agility (3 Q’s)

GRCH = Grand Champion Conformation

The American Heartworm Society has three “platinum” sponsors and five “bronze” sponsors. All eight are major pharmaceutical manufacturers.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the AHS recommends year-round, birth-to-death heartworm prevention drugs – no matter where you live, the time of year, the age of your dog, his size or health status.

What’s Wrong with This Picture?

Three things, specifically:

1. Huge conflict of interest potential. Heartworm prevention through the overuse of potentially toxic medications sold by pharmaceutical giants like Bayer Healthcare, Merial and Pfizer, is a virtual money machine for drug manufacturers, online retailers, testing laboratories, veterinarians and any other entity that can find a way to cash in.When there’s money on the table – in this case billions of dollars – your pet’s health and quality of life can quickly become a secondary concern.

   Note also that the ASH recommendation for year-round dosing is not because your pet needs it year-round in every state, but because it’s assumed dog owners will forget to re-start the medication when the weather warms up.

   And by the way – heartworm “preventives” don’t actually prevent your pet from getting worms. What they do is poison the larvae at the microfilaria (L1-L2) stage of development, causing them to die.

2. Relatively low actual incidence of life-threatening infection.Heartworm disease is more difficult to acquire – and less lethal – than the dire warnings and marketing claims for chemical preventives would have you believe.In order for heartworm disease to take hold, a precise sequence of events must occur involving the right climate, the right temperature for the right amount of time, the right species and sex of mosquito, and your dog’s less-than-optimal immune system function.

   This information is not intended to minimize the need to protect your dog, but only to point out the actual potential for heartworm disease is less than you’ve been led to believe by financially-motivated marketing campaigns designed to scare pet owners into buying 12 doses of preventive, year in and year out, regardless of where you live!

3. The existence of less toxic recommendations. There are less harmful protocols to prevent heartworm in your dog than a lifetime of once-monthly, year-round doses of toxic drugs.

How Heartworm Disease Happens

Heartworms are a variety of roundworm with the clinical name dirofilaria immitis. They are spread by mosquitoes.

Dogs can only get heartworm disease through infected mosquitoes. They can’t get it from other dogs or other types of animals, from dog feces, or from their mothers while in the womb or through nursing.

Only certain mosquitoes can transmit heartworm to your dog. These mosquitoes must meet certain precise criteria, including:

• They must be female.
• They must be of a species that allows development of the worms in the cells of the body (not all species do).
• They must be of a species that feeds on mammals (not all do).
• They must have bitten an animal infected with stage 1 (L1) heartworms about two weeks prior, since approximately 14 days are necessary for the larvae from the other animal to develop to stage 3 (L3) inside the transmitting mosquito.

This mosquito must then bite your dog. When the larvae reach stage L4-L5, which takes three to four months, under
the right conditions they can travel via your dog’s bloodstream to the lungs and heart.

If your dog’s immune system doesn’t destroy these invaders, they will reach maturity (L6), the adult stage, in which males can grow to six inches in length and females to 12.

Two other critically important features in the transmission of heartworm are:

1. The right temperature. During the time the heartworm larvae are developing from L1 to L3 inside an infected mosquito, which is approximately a two-week period, the temperature must not dip below 57°F at any point in time. If it does, the maturation cycle is halted. According to Washington State University heartworm report from 2006, full development of the larvae requires “the equivalent of a steady 24-hour daily temperature in excess of 64°F (18°C) for approximately one month.”
2. Humidity and standing water. Mosquitoes are a rarity in dry climates.

As you can see, in order for your dog to develop heartworm disease, a number of things have to happen with near-perfect timing under a precise set of circumstances.

Information on how many cases of canine heartworm disease occur each year in the U.S. is scarce. The AHS provides a heartworm incidence map for the years 2001, 2004 and 2007 which you might find helpful. Keep in mind it is a very general guideline and shouldn’t be viewed as the only decision-making tool at your disposal.

Assessing Your Dog’s Risk

There are only a few areas in the U.S. in which giving a nine month to year-round heartworm preventive might be advisable – those areas are in south Texas, south Florida, and a few other locations along the Gulf coast. The rest of the U.S. ranges from three to seven months of high exposure risk. The majority of states are at six months or less.

Given that heartworm preventives are insecticides designed to kill heartworm larvae inside your animal, and therefore have the potential for short and long-term side effects damaging to your pet’s health, the first bit of information you need is your dog’s actual risk of exposure to infected mosquitoes.

I recommend you talk to a holistic veterinarian in your area to get this question answered. If you don’t have a holistic vet, you can find a directory at www.ahvma.org. Many holistic vets do phone consultations, which can be an alternative if there are no doctors practicing in your immediate area.

A holistic vet will be knowledgeable not only about the risk of heartworm disease in your location, but also potential side effects of chemical preventives, and alternatives to over treating with these products, as well as suggesting detox options.

And if the vet you consult has already seen or treated your dog, he or she will also be able to assess the risks and benefits for your particular situation.

First Things first

The next consideration is how to best protect your dog from heartworm disease with the least amount of impact to her overall health, including:

• Feed a balanced, species-appropriate diet. The healthier your dog is, the less attractive she’ll be to all types of pests and parasites, and the better able her immune system will be to fight off invaders. Parasites are more attracted to weak animals.
• And speaking of keeping her immune system healthy, take care not to allow your pet to be overloaded with toxins through unnecessary vaccinations and repeated courses of antibiotic or steroid therapy – two of the most overprescribed drugs in veterinary medicine.
• Control mosquitoes. Use a non-toxic insect barrier in your yard and around the outside of your home. Don’t take your dog around standing water. Stay indoors at dawn and dusk. Make liberal use of a safe, effective bug spray.

Safe and Sane Heartworm Prevention

If you live in a region of the U.S. where mosquitoes are prevalent and you’ve determined your dog’s risk of exposure to heartworm disease is high, my recommendations are:

• Go the natural route — using heartworm nosodes and/or other homeopathic treatments and/or herbal/dietary supplements — under the guidance of a holistic veterinarian, with heartworm testing every three to four months (checking more frequently is critical as all natural heartworm prevention doesn’t guarantee your pet will never contract the disease).
• Providing your dog is healthy with good kidney and liver function, go with a chemical preventive at the lowest effective dosage (compounded if necessary for dogs that weigh at the low end of dosing instructions), at six (not four) week intervals, for the minimum time necessary during mosquito season.
• Don’t use ‘silver bullet’ all-in-one products that prevent against every known GI worm and external parasite. If you use traditional heartworm preventives, the goal is to use the least amount of drug that successfully prevents heartworm. Using the heartworm ‘plus’ products, which unnecessarily deworm your pet monthly for GI parasites she doesn’t have, are more drugs your pet doesn’t automatically need.
• Follow up treatment with natural liver detox agents like milk thistle and SAMe, again with guidance from your pet’s holistic vet. And don’t add to your dog’s toxic load by administering chemical flea or tick preventives during the same week.
• Calculate the month you need to begin (and discontinue) prevention based on temperatures in your area. Please view the charts for State to State guidelines: CLICK HERE

Dr. Becker is the resident proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian of HealthyPets.Mercola.com. You can learn holistic ways of preventing illness in your pets by subscribing to

MercolaHealthyPets.com

, an online resource for animal lovers. For more pet care tips, subscribe for FREE to

Mercola Healthy Pet Newsletter

Thank you ATI Member Debby Miller for sharing the information on heartworm and encouraging the story.

 ATI is sharing information only.

Please consult with your personal vet before making any changes for your dog.

From Dr. Becker

To Watch Her YouTube Video Of This Recipe  Click Here

Skunk Rinse Recipe

Tomato juice isn’t nearly as effective as this recipe, and it’s easy to follow.

In a pail mix:

• 1 quart hydrogen peroxide (the 3 percent hydrogen peroxide variety)
• ¼ cup baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Dawn dishwashing liquid

If you have a large breed dog, you may need to double, triple or even quadruple the mixture.

Wear dishwashing or other household gloves if you like during the whole de-skunking process.

Don’t wet down your pet. Apply the mixture to your pet’s dry coat from the collar back toward the tail. Don’t pour it near the eyes because the hydrogen peroxide solution can burn them.

Lather the mixture into your pet’s coat and skin. Rub the solution around for about five minutes or until the skunk smell starts to dissipate.

If the front of your pet is as stinky as the back, use a sponge to apply the solution to your pet’s chin, cheeks, forehead and ears, being very careful not to go near the eyes. When you rinse the head area, tilt your pet’s chin upward so the solution does not run down into the eyes, instead allow the water to run back off his neck.

Do a complete rinse once the smell starts to decrease, then repeat the entire process again.

You may need to repeat the lather and rinse process up to three times, but it’s a very effective method for removing the skunk smell from your pet.

Make sure to completely rinse the solution off your pet. Your final rinse should be very thorough.

You can’t prepare this solution ahead of time and store it – it won’t be effective when you need it. It must be made fresh, right before you apply it to your pet. So it pays to make sure you have all the ingredients ahead of time!

Good luck … and I hope you never have to use my skunk rinse recipe!

____________________________________________

There is also another product on the market called G.G. Bean Skunk Kleen. Judy Stallings recommends this product from personal experience. The phone number for the new company manufacturing the product is 800-293-5357. I will give you more up to date information as I learn it.

What is K9 Nose Work?

K9 Nose Work is the specific sport created and sanctioned by the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW).  This sport was inspired by the training methodology of detection K9s and borrows elements of that training for recreation.  The terms nose work, fun nose work, scent work, search work are all commonly used references to describe any activity where the dog is using its nose to locate a target scent or odor.  K9 Nose Work is the term that defines this detection inspired sport that has evolved from the pursuit of many dogs (with their handlers) to practice nose work and have fun.

One of the many challenges faced by working K9s and their handlers is encountering new environments and scenarios daily.  This challenge will be reflected in the sport through differing search environments and requirements of each trial location.

To view dogs learning to do the scent work

Click Here

 Digital AKC Gazette   

The AKC will no longer be publishing the AKC Gazette in its present form after September. Beginning with the October 2011 issue they will have a free online electronic PDF format. You will be able to access it by going to www.akc.org

July Issue 

June issue

May issue

Oh, I just love every edition!! Sometimes I find myself getting a bad case of “Aussie envy” but then I just count my blessings (which are so many) and I know I will own another Aussie again someday when the timing is right.  Meanwhile, I can DROOL over these wonderful Aussies and learn so much while I am at it.  I loved reading the history of this wonderful breed in the UK.  So great.  Beverly Powell

__________________________

I have no clue how you find and prepare all the material you do for ATI. Just wonderful. Great job! Chuck Bessant

_________________________

I had a chance to look at the newsletter and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  We don’t get many newsletters in UK these days and so it was really good to sit down with my coffee and enjoy reading all the articles and looking at the pictures.Well done to you and everyone who has been involved and a thank you for producing it for us. I was delighted to help.  Lynn Bell

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Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Sprite’s article came out great.

Thanks again! Georgette LaPorte

__________________________

I love the newsletter and I love Australian Terriers. I met my first Aussie puppy about 10 years ago and was confused because I thought it was black and tan Cairn. I quickly feel in love with this rarer breed and did my research. They are such smart and wonderful little dogs. I really enjoyed reading this article. You guys are very passionate and dedicated to your breed, I love it!  We really appreciate the FitPAWS® segment in this article. Thank you so much for the international FitPAWS recognition, this really means a lot to us. Having a strong core will prevent injury and improve performance. Thanks again for your support,

Check out the

terrier video

from TOPS:

  – FitPAWS® 20″ wobble board Terrier Demo video

Catherine Rios

FitPAWS Specialist

Ball Dynamics International, LLC

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© 2010 Australian Terrier International

It is with great pride that ATI honors Sabine Baker with a Lifetime Member Award.

Sabine has worked tirelessly on behalf of Aussies in the USA.  Both she and her daughter, Michelle, have championed the cause of Aussie health and have been in the forefront of full disclosure with health, in their breeding program. She has been a mentor to many in the breed. She is always there for us at ATI helping so many with health issues. ATI is proud and fortunate to have Sabine and Michelle, with their high standards and even higher ethics, as part of the ATI family.  We thank them both from the bottom of our hearts.

“Justin” and “Pixie”

We are also thrilled to be able to present their dogs, Aussome Aussies as part of our ongoing Featured Family series. Please click here to see their beautiful dogs.

Sabine: My family’s love affair with purebred dogs began when my great-grandfather received a show quality boxer bitch as a gift. My grandmother never bred a litter herself but enjoyed putting championships on the dogs she bought. My aunt bred English Cockers and Schipperkes. My mother bred, showed, and trained German Shepherds during my early childhood, followed by 30 years of successfully breeding and exhibiting Standard Schnauzers. My current Schnauzer goes back to her lines. When my mother started having health problems, she became interested in Norfolk and Australian Terriers, which she considered a more appropriate size for her age.

Did you have dogs as a child?

Sabine: During most of my childhood we had multiple Standard Schnauzers and occasional litters of puppies. My brother and I leash trained the puppies and often taught them “sit” and “shake hands” before they went on to their forever homes. The Pinscher and Schnauzer breeds had been greatly reduced in numbers during WWII and their breeders realized that, in order for their breeds to thrive, they needed to make an active effort to get young people interested in the dogs. As a result Pinscher and Schnauzer specialty shows were very kid-friendly and I had a chance to meet and pet most of the great Standard Schnauzer foundation dogs. Standard Schnauzers became the love of my life. I hope to always have one but am deterred from breeding them by their large-sized litters.

Michelle: Yes, I grew up with a Standard Schnauzer who lived under a footstool. She was devoted to me. She loved to sneak out from under her footstool to steal my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Later we had a black lab that had seizures, a lab mix that could jump anything, and a Giant Schnauzer that looked like a bear. Then we got Rassi, our first Aussie. I still remember when she came to live with us from Oma (my Grandmother).

How did you become interested in showing?

Sabine and Tho-Lilucas

Sabine: I didn’t. I was perfectly happy to be just a “pet person” until my mother railroaded me into showing. See below.

Michelle: Mom had an interest in it; I went along as kennel help for a number of years. Eventually I was promoted to videographer. Once I graduated pharmacy school I had paid my dues and got Bruce (Ch. Aussome Enter the Dragon).

When did you become acquainted with Aussies?

Sabine: I met my first Aussie during a visit to my mother in Germany during the spring of 1991. I was sitting in my mother’s kitchen as she was lamenting the fact that her charming little Aussie bitch, Rassi, which happened to be on my lap at the time, did not get along with her Norfolks. When my mother said she’d need to find another home for Rassi (Europasieger ’89, Dk D Am CH Rachell), foolish me said, “I’ll take her”, not realizing what a life-changing decision this would turn out to be. For one thing, I had to promise that I would breed Rassi, who at the time had her Danish and German championship titles. For another, my newly acquired, adorable little girl, being a dominant bitch and every inch a terrier, contrary to what my mother had predicted, decided to rule our household with an iron fist. Our Lab and Lab mix did not object to being dominated by the little terrier, but our Giant Schnauzer was not at all pleased. I couldn’t blame her. Rassi asserted her dominance by jumping up and biting the Schnauzer’s ear during her first evening in our home. Those two always had a slightly rocky relationship. After Rassi had been living with my family in the United States for six months, in order to ensure that I was good and truly hooked, my mother gave me a male Aussie puppy. She had picked up Tho-Li Lucas in Denmark a few months before I was to pick him up from her. Lucas earned a reputation as the worst behaved puppy to ever stay at my mother’s house, but for us he was a perfect fit. Our big dogs adored him and he would play with them for hours on end. Having received two very nice Aussies, showing and breeding naturally followed, especially since the dogs had a blast at shows. I still have one of their daughters, 17-year-old Evie (CH Aussome Miss Eveready).

Ch. Aussome Miss Eveready as a youngster.

“Evie” now at 17 years old.

Michelle: I became acquainted with them when Rassi came home with my mom since she apparently was terrorizing my Oma’s dogs. Oma talked Mom into taking her; Oma was quite slick.

What other breeds have you owned?

Sabine: Standard and Giant Schnauzers, Labrador, and a kleptomaniac, fence jumping, Labrador mix, who, had she been my first dog, would have been my only dog ever.

Michelle: I currently have a Standard Schnauzer, a cat, tropical fish, and a Mealy Amazon parrot.

What is it that you like about Aussies?

Sabine: I enjoy their intelligence and happy nature, and love the fact that they’ve not lost their ability to do the job they were bred for. Being natural hunters has occasionally had a downside, as Tessie would catch frogs, bring them in through her doggie door, and release them indoors. Though I love toads, I don’t really want them living indoors under the hot tub. You also don’t realize how many feathers are on a dove until a dog has eaten one in the house. Feathers were still coming out of nooks and crannies a year later. Also, I never knew how messy snakes could be until Mellie killed a copperhead and shook it until bits of snake were splattered all over the walls.

Michelle: Aussies are fun, exasperating and interesting because they challenge you.

My Schnauzer does what I ask immediately with no question. The Aussies are always evaluating “is this in my best interest? Perhaps we can negotiate this.” Each one is different, but full of personality.

How many years have you been in Aussies?

Sabine: Since 1991.

In your years with Aussies, how do you feel we are progressing or aren’t we, with regards to health?

Sabine: Judging by the results of the two health surveys, we’re not making much progress.

Michelle: I think the breeders in this country are still not as open about health problems as they should be. If you ask Mom or me about our dogs we will tell you what health problems the dog has, as well as, the health of its litter-mates, its parents, and the grandparents, etc. We will probably tell you so much you will think we must have the most unhealthy dogs in the world. I don’t believe that’s the case; I think we work hard to keep up with our dogs, and we are very open about health. I wish everyone was that way.

With regards to health, what more would you like to see done?

Sabine: I think we need to accept that Aussies are not an especially healthy breed. According to ATCA’s two health surveys diabetes and other endocrine diseases are a major concern in the breed, plus health incident reports of Addison’s Disease in two recent ATCA newsletters should set off alarm bells.

Michelle: See my comments above.

How many litters have you bred?

Sabine: Including the ones I’ve co-bred, 22.

Michelle: I have bred two on my own and I have assisted Mom multiple times.

Do you feel the breeders in the US are on the right course with breeding programs?

Sabine: Yes and no. There are some truly beautiful dogs out now, especially in the red variety but, sadly, that is likely to be detrimental to the blue/tans. Judging by what we saw at the recent specialty, I think we need to be careful not to lose the correct outline. Front legs should be set well under the dog. If they’re not the dog will look generic, not like an Aussie. Also, at the National I noticed many rears stayed under the dog at all times.

Michelle: That’s hard to answer. There is always room for improvement. I do wish there were more quality blue tans being bred in this country.

What if anything would you like to see more emphasis on with re: to breeding programs?

Sabine: Health. Sharing information honestly and voluntarily. No amount of health testing (which cannot address the BIG problem in the breed anyway) can be as beneficial to anyone’s breeding program as honesty. I would also love to see more emphasis on clear blue/tan color that doesn’t come out of a bottle (dyed or chalked dogs). The good ones hold their color into old age. I see popular sire syndrome as a potentially huge problem in the US.

Michelle: Blue tans, correct size (they should not look weedy, like giraffes, or be 12+ inches tall), and they should be able to move. In my opinion at the specialty the veterans moved much better than the majority of the class entries and that’s a problem. At a minimum the movement should be balanced, rears should not be along for the ride so to speak.

Have you imported dogs? Exported?

“Tailor” in Denmark

Sabine: Yes, my two foundation Aussies came from Tho-Li kennel in Denmark. Tailor (Dk Am CH Aussome’s American Tale ROM) spent a couple of years at Tho-Li where she earned her Danish title and whelped a litter. After that she came back to us in whelp to Dk CH Kisamba’s Always Happy, and out of that litter we kept Mellie (CH Aussome Kiss of the Dragon) and Bruce (CH Aussome Enter the Dragon). I also imported a bitch puppy from Norway and ended up placing her as a pet with friends, because her patellas were grade 1 in both knees. You have to be willing to accept the fact that what you import may not be of use to your breeding program. Our insistence that puppies must be picked up here in person puts a considerable damper on exporting.

How did you find those experiences?

Sabine: Excellent. I’ll always miss Rassi and Lucas. Tailor returned from Denmark with lovely manners, and our half-Danish puppies, Mellie and Bruce, finished very easily and produced well for us.

Ch Aussome Kiss Of The Dragon “Mellie”

Have you made International friends as a result of those experiences?    

Sabine: Yes

How has viewing the Aussie world through “international eyes” impacted your own breeding program?

Sabine: I have the greatest respect for the breeders of the country of origin and try to keep in mind the FCI breed standard as well as the AKC one when making breeding decisions and deciding on a puppy to keep.

What do you think the advantages are of being a mother and daughter in the same breed?

Sabine: Being able to bounce ideas off one another. Sharing knowledge. We also compensate for each other’s shortcomings. I’m the better groomer, Michelle the better handler. Together we do a nice job.

Michelle: For me it’s been priceless. Mom has a wealth of knowledge, and is a top-notch groomer. No one is harder on me.     

Do you think being in a multi-generational family, involved in Aussies, is advantageous to the breed?

Sabine: Yes. I believe that is the case, even if other generations of one’s family are in different breeds. I gained much knowledge from my aunt, who had a great deal of interest in nutrition, and my mother, whose area of expertise was canine behavior. I think we should be concerned that so often much information disappears with older breeders. It is unfortunate that many breeders only last a few years in their chosen breed. Clearly this is not good for any breed for so many reasons.

Michelle: Absolutely, there is a continuity of knowledge and breeding decisions. I think you can have that outside of a family though. The older folks in the breed should be nurturing relationships with the newer folks to the breed, and the newer folks should be listening, watching, and asking questions. It’s wonderful when you see these types of relationships.
Should the breed be encouraging and cultivating Junior showmanship?

Sabine: Yes, I think Aussies make great dogs for juniors, and it helps ensure a future for the breed.

Michelle: Absolutely

What has been your high point in the breed?

Sabine: Fleetwood’s first fun match win at 5 months. He showed perfectly! Nothing will ever be able to equal that. Of course his perfect behavior underwent a transformation as soon as he hit 6 months.

Michelle: I would say when Fleetwood won the specialty, but also the year Mellie and Bruce won at Montgomery. Showing the two of them was special. When I traveled to Westminster by myself with Lucy, that was also a lot of fun and a trip I will never forget.

Who has been your favorite Aussies and why?

Sabine: I’ve had many favorites. Rassi was perhaps the most charming. Lucas was my most devoted buddy ever. He was tough as nails, totally devoted to me, had a great sense of humor, and was never happier than when he had puppies dangling from his neck ruff. How can anyone resist that? Fleetwood (BISS CH Aussome Fleetwood Mac) made friends with everyone he met. He was a love! He would greet visitors with a toy in his mouth, talking all the while. I loved his personality as much as his looks. I hope to live long enough to have a chance to use his frozen semen. If not, Michelle will inherit it.

“Bruce” , “Shannon” and “Buffy”

Michelle: I can’t pick one, so here is my current crew.

Bruce- the party guy, 10 years old and hasn’t slowed a bit. Never met a stranger.

Shannon- the mastermind, I took classes with her and trained her for over 2 years before we learned to respect each other. When she decides to do something for you though she is flawless.

Bridget- the best personality hands down of any Aussie since Fleetwood. This was also the first time I picked a dog for myself from a litter different from my Mom’s pick. Thankfully it worked out.

Columbus- The red dog, many underestimate him because he is so laid back. He is however Shannon’s son, and quite capable of manipulating the other dogs if it gains him food. He is my favorite dog to show.

I also loved Lucas. He was such a high-energy dog, but he could settle down and be quite sweet. And Lucy was the consummate show professional. And Rassi and Fleetwood were charmers.

What do you feel your contributions have been to the breed?

Sabine: Hopefully, a push towards honesty.

How would you like to be remembered in the breed?

Sabine: As a darned good pet owner.

Michelle: As someone who put the dogs first.

Michelle Bell enjoying her dogs.

The Aussies

Jane Tenor and a Red Beauty.

Sheila Dunn and  “Poppe,” Twee-Dle-Dee My Boy Lollipop

Breeders: Carin & Roger Sandahl (Sweden)

Sheila Stoddart visiting from the UK

“Betty Boop” Photo Courtesy Of Lynn Hahn

If Your Aussie Sleeps In The Bedroom Does He Or She…

Sleep In Your Bed? 54.1%

Sleep On The Floor? 10.8%

Sleep On The Bed Or The Floor It’s Their Choice? 32.4%

Sleep In Your Bed Under The Covers? 10.8%

Sleep In A Crate? 18.9%

“Lottie”  Photo Courtesy Of Chris Foskett (UK)

“Bridget” and “Columbus” Photo Courtesy Of Michelle Bell

“Bruce”  Photo Courtesy Of Michelle Bell

“Archie” Photo Courtesy Of Kelly Allhands

If Your Aussie Sleeps In Your Bed Does He Or She… 

Sleep At The Foot Of The Bed?  51.7%

Sleep On A Pillow? 24.1%

Sleep On Your Pillow? 34.5%

“Louis” Photo Courtesy Of Deborah Sommer, Denmark

If Your Aussie(s) Sleeps In Another Room….

Do They Sleep In A Crate In The Other Room? 64.3%

Have Free Run In The Room?  50%

“Marley” Photo Courtesy Of Cindy Brennan

Kayausts Dreamtime “Roo” asleep on the bed after a hard day at play.

Photo Courtesy Of Lydia Bigras

“Bodie” and “Stryker” Photo Courtesy Of Teresa Cleland

“Matilda” Photo Courtesy Of Lisa Dunnet, Australia

Additional Comments

*Ozzie loves his crate, but must have his pillow to be happy. This is a standard size bed pillow which he uses just as a human does! He is allowed in our bed every morning around 5:30AM to snuggle until we get out of bed, but this is only when my husband is home. When he is traveling, Ozzie knows mom will not let him in bed and he stays in his crate. Smart Aussie!

*It’s all about Lily!

*Ours is an excellent “snooze button.” She wakes us up by licking our noses if we ignore the alarm clock!

*I wish I could sleep as well as they do!

*Loves to sleep totally stretched out or curled up in a ball. Nothing in between.

*My girl must sleep between my husband’s and my pillow. She will walk over her sister to get there. That has been her spot since she was 9 weeks old and she will be 3 years old in September. Her sister sleeps in the bed but she moves around.

* As soon as the TV or lights are shut off, he jumps off our bed into his crate. He stays in the crate until the sun comes up…then jumps back into our bed for a while until we get up. He does snuggle under our covers for a bit in the winter when it’s cold, but heads to his crate when he gets too hot. It’s his choice to get into his crate – I wouldn’t mind one bit if he stayed in our bed all night!

Some may exhibit a fear when quite young and some dogs who have never exhibited a fear of thunderstorms may show signs of fear later in life.

First and foremost don’t get angry or upset with your dog for showing signs of fear to thunderstorms.

Try to stay cheerful yourself and be confident. You don’t want to baby your dog but do not be punitive either.

You can help diminish the sounds of the thunder by turning on music or the TV.

You can distract your dog with play.

You can create a safe place. If he or she has a crate, cover it and create a den like atmosphere.

Several Aussie owners have experienced the amazing effects of the Thundershirt.

ATI will now carry the Thundershirt to order Click here.

For more information about the Thundershirt and how to put them on Click here.

“Colbie” Kirkpatrick

Fearless GCH Wild West’s Double Cat modeling her friend, Ernie’s, Thundershirt.

Thundershirts are also excellent for separation anxiety, fireworks, crate training, travel anxiety, problem barking, hyperactivity, leash pulling and so much more.

Bachflower practitioners suggest using rescue remedy when you feel the barometric pressure changing or see your dog starting to respond to it.

If your dog’s safety is in jeopardy, you may want to talk to your vet about medication.

Australian Terrier Testimonial for The Thundershirt 

Pamela Levy was visiting on her way to Vermont and we were discussing my concerns about Nacho being upset by the fireworks and hot air balloons he would be exposed to in New Mexico. She mentioned someone telling her about a Thundershirt.

I researched them online and was encouraged by what I read and that they were used by veterinarians and dog trainers.

A Thundershirt is a pressure wrap that helps to calm your dog during situations that cause them anxiety.

Nacho had experienced fireworks at our camp in northeast Iowa and was quite upset; shaking, crying, barking and running! I did an overnight delivery order as we were leaving for New Mexico in two days.

“Nacho” and his Thundershirt

On the first night of fireworks, he started to shake and whine, so I wrapped him in the Thundershirt. I was holding Katy as she was a bit nervous, but not upset like Nacho! Dave held Nacho who was extremely upset; shaking, whining and barking. After just a few minutes with the Thundershirt on he stopped his whining and barking. Just a bit longer and he settled down in Dave’s arms and was quiet for the rest of the fireworks.

Previously, holding him did nothing to relieve his anxiety, but it was very noticeable how much calmer he seemed with it on. We used it a couple more times on the trip when there were large crowds around our trailers and he wasn’t nearly as stressed by all the “strangers” he needed to protect us from and there was much less barking!

Witnessing how anxious and upset he was and then watching him become a calm little dog was all the convincing I needed to say “this thing works”!!!!!!!

Candy Jones

____________________________________________________________________

Photo Courtesy of Arja Säily “Tiito”

You wanted to know about the Thundershirt. Well it works! Tiita (3.5 months old) was frightened on a walk; two scooters passed us much too closely, accelerating heavily. After that Tiita didn’t want to go for a walk; she just refused to step out of our yard. She was in a panic when I would try to get her out of our gate. We live in a quiet, peaceful, forest like village with small paths and sandy roads. Normally they’re quiet, but when Tiita got scared, the kids had their summer holiday, and there was lots of traffic.

I trained Tiita for three days, first just showing her the Thundershirt, letting her sniff it. Then I put it on her for 2 evenings for a short while and walked out in the yard with her. On the third day I put on the Thundershirt shirt and leash, and walked her out of the yard, straight to the sandy village road, and she didn’t panic! We’ve been walking ever since quite peacefully and calm.

I sure can recommend the Thundershirt to everyone, who’s having similar problems with dogs.  Arja Säily (Finland)

Ch Tinee Town Talkbac   “Joey”

Ch Sprite Lea Nevil v Knockland “Nevil” 

Ch Jeralens Christopher Tobin  ” Tobin”

Ch Crestwoods Crackerjack       “Jack”

Ch Crestwoods Jackson       “Sonny”

Ch Tinee Town Talented      “Polly”

Ch Bearsteps Jowillie       “Jowillie”

Ch Feathertop Riproarious       “Rusty”

Ch Regency Lord of Summerhill   “Arnie”

Ch Crestwoods Song Of The South   “Singer”

Ch Vaneicha Singer’s Aria   “Diva”

Ch Yaralla’s Dunn Deal  Rose Parker   “Sting”

Ch Crestwoods Contender     “Cody”

Ch Kambara’s Zebulon “Zeb” 

Best in Show Dogs and Judges

*             1st American Bred BIS

**           1st Owner/Breeder/Handled BIS

***          1st Bitch to win BIS

****         1st American Bred Bitch to win BIS

*****       1st Red Aussie to win BIS

MEMBERS ONLY, CLICK HERE, FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF DOG, OWNER, BREEDER AND JUDGES FOR BIS DOGS.

FOR A LIST OF JUDGES WHO HAVE USED AUSSIES FOR GROUP PLACEMENTS, IN THE US, 1989-2010 ACCORDING TO AKC AWARDS BOOKS

CLICK HERE

* Bluepepper´s Thunder King

Breeder: Marjo Ahola
Owners: Eve Steele & Marjo Ahola

“Hiski” 

C.I.B, NORD CH, FI CH, SE CH, NO CH, DK CH, AM CH, WW-02, EUJW-99, NORDW-01, NORDW-02, KBHW-02, FIW-07, SEW-00, NOW-01 NOW-02, WA-02

* The very first Australian Terrier who has been Best in Show -winner in all breeds International dog show in Sweden.

* Bluepepper´s Golden Cap

Breeder: Marjo Ahola  Owner: Maire Jääskeläinen

  “Jonsku”

C.I.B, NORD CH, FI CH, SE CH, NO CH, FIW-06 EUVW-06 Owned by Maire Jaaskelainen
Best in Show 1 in Kuopio 2006 all breeds show, handled by Marjo Ahola

* Best in Show 1 -veteran in European Winner 2006 in Helsinki
* Several BIG and BIS-results during years. Jonsku turned 14 years old in August, 2011. He has still been Best in Show 1 -veteran during this year in Keuruu, Finland.
* He has been Finnish Kennel Club´s  2nd best veteran show dog (all breeds) in Finland.
* He was still the best Aussie male in Finland, year 2009, at the age of 12 years old.
* Father to Bluepepper´s Golden Cap is Best in Show -winner C.I.B Bluepepepr´s Woody Woodpecker.The both males are owned by Maire Jaaskelainen.    

* Bluepepper´s Smile

Owners: Maritsa Pietikäinen, Marjo Ahola & Päivi Saarinen

“Simo”

INT CH, NORD CH, FIN CH, DK CH, N CH, S CH, EST CH & LTU CH,
BALTW-05, BalterW-06, LTUW-05, LVV-05, Ki.N-05   

* C.I.B. Bluepepper´s Funny-Bunny

      Breeder/Owner Marjo Ahola

“Selma”

TOP TERRIER 2011 in Finland

* Bluepepper´s Devil-Again; Breeder/Owner Marjo Ahola

 “Eki”
INT CH, NORD CH, FIN CH, N CH, S CH & EST CH

Owner: Leena Rautiainen, Saija Reiman-Walldén & Marjo Ahola Photo: Elina Alanen

* Jaskarin Peperoncino

Breeders: Saija Reiman-Walldén and Markus Walldén.

“Kino” made his debut at Crufts and became a UK CH.

He received a Best in Show 1 in Birmingham.

Curently “Kino” is in the UK with Paul Eardley and Sue McCourt.

Other wins include:

– ATC Speciality: Best in Show 1
– National Terrier: BIS2, BOB, CC
– Crufts: BOB, CC
– Annual open show of the Australian Terrier Club of GB: BIS 1, BOB
– Potteries and District Canine Society All Breeds Open Show: BIS 1, BIG 1, BOB
– Championship show “WELKS”: BIG2, BOB
– Birmingham: BIS 1, BIG 1, BOB, CC -> UK CH
– Championship show Scottish Kennel Club: BOB, BIG2

* Wild West´s Regency Red Devil

Breeder: Eve Steele & Katherine S. Vega owner: Marjo Ahola & Eve Steele

“Beasley”

INT CH, AM CH, FIN CH, S CH

photo: Markus Saloniemi

Devon Dog Show Best of Opposite Sex under Judge Terry Stacy

I am 12 years old; I live in Wisconsin, USA. Along with my sister, Lydia, I began to show at AKC dog show events in 2008, in both conformation and Junior handling, when I was 9 years old. I was the number one Junior Handler for Australian Terriers in both 2009 and 2010. My sister, Lydia, was number two. I was invited to and participated in the 2010 AKC Eukanuba show for both conformation and Junior Showmanship. I also enjoy breeding and raising Australian Terriers with my mom.

I have worked with my Aussie Ch. Dunham Lake Gabriella Touched by an Angel “Gabby” (born 12-06-09) quite a bit this past year, training at home, and going to a few shows in our area. I have always shown her myself so this year when I finished her championship in the Bred by Class, I was very happy with that accomplishment.

This year we decided to drive to the National Specialty in a RV rental because we had a 22 hour drive from where we live to Pennsylvania. We packed up three of our five Australian Terriers and, along with my sister, Lydia, and my mom, headed out. The RV was pretty much a disaster, but the trip was a blast!

Pennsylvania is a beautiful state. The weather was very warm and it reminded me of parts of Minnesota. The show site on the first and second day was in Hatboro, which was pretty easy to locate. The ring at Hatboro was an inside ring. The first day there were 38 Australian Terriers entered. I showed Gabby in the Best of Breed Class. I thought she showed well for me and I was so happy when Judge Mrs. Barbara Keenan picked Gabby for the Best of Opposite! I was very proud of Gabby and so excited.

The second day Gabby did not place, but she made the first and second cut. I was pleased with that.

Hatboro Dog show Best of Opposite Sex under Judge Kathleen Ferris

The third day the location changed to Devon and I was extra excited because we were going to see our friends Brian and Chris Foskett from England. They had stayed with our family for 5 days prior to the show, where we met up with them.

Our Friend, Australian Terrier Breeder and Judge in the UK,  Chris Foskett with Ellie and Lydia Goiffon, sightseeing, in Duluth, Minnesota.

We were also going to finally meet Felicity Freer, a handler and very close friend of the Foskett’s. I really liked her too! We picked them up in our RV and my mom, who isn’t the best with directions, proceeded to get us lost. It was a difficult location to find, but we made it in plenty of time.

It was an outside show and it was very hot. There were 56 Australian Terriers entered and again I showed my Gabby in the Best of Breed Class. There were many nice Australian Terriers represented and I was excited when I thought the judge that day, Mr. Terry Stacy, was looking seriously at Gabby. Then he pointed to us and awarded her the Best of Opposite win! I was so happy and proud of Gabby. I knew my family would be so proud of us too.

The competitors were very nice and congratulated us on our wins. The final day of the Australian Terrier National was at the All Terrier show in Montgomery. It was another outside show. It was very hot, but very well attended. Gabby did not place at this show, but she did make the first cut, so I was pleased with that as well.

Ellie and “Gabby”

Congratulations to the other winners!

Thank you to all of my mentors and to the judges for awarding us the Best of Opposite on two days of the Australian Terrier National Specialty weekend.

What’s next for us? Maybe participating in Eukanuba this year; Gabby was invited. My mom said, “We are going to think about it.”

Congratulations Junior Handler, Taylor

Photo Courtesy Of Kim Floyd

Johmanda’s Greatest Story Ever Told “Booker” at 3 months old

UKC Best Puppy in show July 30, 31

CH Tall Oaks Kapi Ku’a (Gidget) X CH Tekoah’s Tangled Up In Blue (Dylan)

Photo Courtesy Of Kim Floyd

(Left to Right)  “Booker” with handler, Taylor – Best Puppy, “Palmer” with Trent 2nd, and “Tivo” with Christina.

There were 12 puppies entered in the puppy match.  I think it’s pretty awesome that 2 Australian Terriers made it into the placements.  Booker is a pup that I bred and is just 3 months old.  Tivo is also my pup from Kambara Aussies.  He is just 4 months.

1    GCH KAMBARA’S ZEBULON    6714

2    GCH ABQ SAN ISIDRO CHRISTHILL    2089

3 GCH NELLYSON’S MR DON’T SKIP THE ZIP  783

4 GCH RYBA’S NOTHING BUT BLUE SKIES  631

5 GCH DREAMTIME’S LATIN LOVER  476

(Photo Requested-Unavailabe)
6    GCH AKA INU STORYTELLER    286

7  GCH DUNHAM LAKE SCOUT MASTER    276

8    GCH BENAYR CLAY TUCKER    247

(Photo Requested-Unavailable)

9 CH TEMORA RI DIERCE  155

10 CH BENAYR BIBBIDI BOBBIDI BOO 154

BREED POINTS as of 10/24/2011  

1    GCH KAMBARA’S ZEBULON    305

 2 GCH RYBA’S NOTHING BUT BLUE SKIES 221

3 GCH ABQ SAN ISIDRO CHRISTHILL 139

4    GCH NELLYSON’S MR DON’T SKIP THE ZIP    133

 5 GCH BLACK BACK FIREFLY 97

6    CH LODIAH RED HAWK    68

7 GCH BENAYR CLAY TUCKER 66

(Photo Requested-Unavailable)

8 GCH AKA INU STORYTELLER 60

9 GCH DUNHAM LAKE SCOUT MASTER 51

10 GCH DREAMTIME’S LATIN LOVER 45

Therapy Dogs From Diana Wilke  

courtesy of Diana Wilkie, Daily Press

Gloucester County salutes Diana Wilkie as an outstanding community volunteer. Wilkie, known as Miss Bugs at Petsworth Elementary School, works as a team with her Australian Terrier Certified Therapy Dogs Mikey and Pistol, also known as Chrystal.

Ch. Aussome Chill Chaser, CGC, CD, RN,RA, RE “Mikey” (Right)

UKC Champion Aussome Derringer CGC, CD,RN, RA, and RE

“Pistol”  is the red Aussie on the left.

Sabina Baker bred, “Mikey”, and “Pistol” was bred by her daughter, Michelle Bell. “Mikey” is a Great Uncle to “Pistol”

Wilkie has volunteered at the school since October 2004. Mikey retired from service about two years ago, but Chrystal is still going strong.

Wilkie and has brought one of her dogs to assist with Petsworth’s reading program. She and her dog listening patiently to young readers as they read.

County officials said in a statement, “It is wonderful and exciting to hear the thrill of children and see their great big smiles as they eagerly point and say ‘hey, here comes Chrystal.'”

School staff said the atmosphere of the school seems to immediately change when Wilkie and one of her dogs enter the building.

“With just a wag of a tail and the touch of his fur, they can soothe a soul and create a sense of tranquility,” officials said.

Students are excited and eager to receive the individual attention from Ms. Bugs and either dog. They know that on Thursdays, Chrystal will stop outside the classrooms, waiting for a lucky student to read to her.

Chrystal and Ms. Bugs stay for a little over an hour and will sometimes visit special education students, too.

Wilkie and Chrystal not only volunteer at Petsworth Elementary School, they also visit the Gloucester Cancer Center and local nursing homes.

Wilkie gives lessons on dog obedience and grooming and is quick to instruct the students on the proper ways to work with and approach dogs.

Wilkie has a strong rapport with students, parents and colleagues, county officials said.

She offers assistance and guidance to help each child reach the greatest potential in their reading abilities.

Wilkie also travels to dog shows. She is a member of the Gloucester Kennel Club. Mikie is a champion in the dog world.

Wilkie always seems to have a positive disposition, wearing a cheerful smile and offering a helping hand. She is compassionate and an exceptionally caring individual.

County officials concluded, “We are certain that over the years Diana have definitely made a difference in the lives of our students and adults here at Petsworth. On the heading from a Therapy Dogs International Newsletter it states ‘A Dog Will Love You Forever.’

“Pistol”

“At Petsworth we are certain that Mikie, Chrystal and Ms. Bugs will be loved and remembered forever by the many students, staff and parents who have witnessed their wonderful dedication and act of kindness over the past several years.”

I practiced Freestyle – and started learning new and different exercises for C-Wags obedience and rally.

I practiced Flyball.

I don’t like the ball shooting out at me but OH BOY do I want that ball.

I was introduced to Treiball.

The judge’s decision is posted. (The judge is a professional trainer. Click below to view her site.) http://oncuecanines.blogspot.com/2011/05/and-winner-is.html

My family was forced to evacuate twice because of the fires we had actually named the Monument Fire.  We had a reverse 911 call and had to evacuate right away.  Most of my friends had to evacuate too, but none of them lost their homes.

“Prince” Mechalke Fishing       Photo Courtesy of Cheryl Mechalke

Spinach and Salmon Scramble 

MAKES about 1 ½ cups    PREP  5 Min    COOK 5 MIn

1 Tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil- EVOO  –  5ml.

½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained  –  125ml.

Half of a 6 oz. can skinless/boneless salmon, drained  –  90 ml.

2 eggs

In a small  non-stick skillet, heat the EVO over medium heat.   Add the spinach and salmon and cook until heated through.  Add the eggs and stir continuously until cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Let cool slightly and serve in a dog bowl.

As every dog is different, so please check with your vet to see if this recipe is suitable for your pet.

Recipe by Andrew Kaplan for Every Day by Rachel Ray

Note:  I used  about 2 cups of  fresh spinach and just warmed it in a pan with the EVOO and drained the liquid from it when was cooked through and then added about 3 oz of a can of Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (with bones and skin). And our pups who love to eat fish and eggs just adored this recipe.

Showsight Magazine On Line  

Doggone Fun! DogFriendly.com’s 2011 Top 10 Dog-Friendly Cities

To Visit In the U.S.  

Portland Oregon

tops DogFriendly.com‘s 2011 list of the pet-friendliest vacation cities in the United States. Home to the famous and dog-friendly Rose Gardens and the Lucky Lab you and your dog would have a great time in Portland. These top cities are chosen for their pet-friendly accommodations, transportation, beaches, park, attractions, stores, dining and more. Here are the remainder of this year’s Top 10:

2. Chicago– Visit the Navy Pier, dine in elegance, cruise on a pet-friendly tour boat or walk the parks of the city.

3. San Diego– The country’s best dog beaches and trails and world class pet-friendly shopping centers.

4. Seattle– Take public transportation with your leashed dog. Many pet-friendly venues in a dog-friendly city.

5. Philadelphia– Get a famous cheese steak. See historic early American sites and stay in a downtown luxurious hotel.

6. Minneapolis– Great hiking trails and parks, pet-friendly dining. A pet-friendly atmosphere throughout.

7. Austin– Dog-Friendly parks. Outdoor cafes. Take tours and see the sites. See the Zilker Gardens and the Congress Street bats.

8. Alexandria/ Washington D.C– See the capital’s sites, walk in charming Old Town, take a dog cruise on the Potomac.

9. New York– Luxury hotels welcome dogs, Central park beckons, off-leash parks everywhere. Shop the famous stores with your dog.

10. Indianapolis– Many historical sites, Nature preserves, trails and parks. Many of the cities tourist sites can be viewed with a dog.

Honorable Mentions: Charlotte, Dallas, Nashville, Orlando, Raleigh.

Since 1998, DogFriendly.com has been providing information for people who travel with Dogs world-wide.  Find the dog-friendly guides on the web, as a free iPhone app, Android app and mobile website and as paperback books and Kindle, Nook and other ebooks.

As approved, Senate Bill 917 makes it a crime to willfully sell or give away, as part of a commercial transaction, a live animal on any street, highway, public right-of-way, parking lot, carnival or boardwalk. It will also be illegal to display or offer for sale, or display or offer to give away, as part of a commercial transaction, a live animal if the act of selling or giving away the live animal is to occur on any street, highway, public right-of-way, parking lot, carnival or boardwalk.

A number of exemptions are provided, including exemptions for pet stores and, under certain circumstances, cat shows, dog shows and bird shows.

First time violators will be subject to a fine of up to $250. First time violators who cause or permit any animal to suffer or be injured, or who places the animal in danger, will face misdemeanor charges. Second or subsequent violators will face misdemeanor charges and fine of up to $1,000 per violation. A notice describing the charge and the penalty may be issued by any peace officer, animal control officer or humane officer.

In addition, SB 917 increases the penalty of animal neglect by allowing a maximum sentence of up to one year in county jail for animal neglect and a fine of up to $20,000.

Bill sponsor Ted Lieu said the penalty for animal neglect is now consistent with animal cruelty.

The measure takes effect Jan. 1, 2012.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals called the new law a victory for California’s animals.

“SB 917 was one of the first animal protection bills to cross Governor Brown’s desk and we applaud him for helping to protect California’s animals,” said Jill Buckley, senior director of government relations for the ASPCA. “By signing SB 917, Governor Brown recognizes the need to safeguard animals sold in public parking lots and roadside venues, and puppies, kittens and other pets will no longer be left to suffer in unsanitary and overcrowded cages without proper food and water.”

ASPCA Launches ‘No Pet Store Puppies’ Campaign in Ohio 

Posted: August 10, 2011, 8 p.m., EDT
In Columbus, Ohio, today, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals launched a new phase in its national “No Pet Store Puppies” campaign to get customers to stop doing business with pet stores that sell puppies.

Nineteen billboards have gone up throughout the city with the message, “Most pet store puppies come from puppy mills.”

The campaign includes the distribution of fliers at local shelters encouraging people not to buy anything from any Columbus pet stores that sell puppies.

The ASPCA, a New York organization, said if all goes well with the Columbus campaign, the next step is to take it to other cities across America.

“We’re going to see what the results are in Columbus before we proceed on a more local level,” said Cori Menkin, senior director for the campaign. She said the goal is to take a bite out of the bottom line of puppy-selling stores but also to encourage consumers to shop at pet stores that do not sell animals.

“The test market for the local push is Columbus, because Columbus has quite a few pet stores that sell puppies, and also quite a few pet stores that don’t,” Menkin said.

ASPCA volunteers in Ohio have identified more than 50 pet stores in the state that sell puppies, six in Columbus. The campaign “raises awareness about puppy mill cruelty and aims to reduce the demand for puppies that come from puppy mills by urging consumers not to buy anything at pet stores or on websites that sell puppies,” according to an ASPCA statement.

Reprinted from Pet Product News, International

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 Honoring Brenda Brown of Ralindi Kennels   

I am HUGELY honoured to accept.

I must be honest – this honour makes me feel truly humble.

I have always done my absolute best to promote the Australian Terrier, the breed that completely stole my heart as a teenager and that has given me so much pleasure for so many years.

May I say a huge “Thank You” for honouring me in such a fantastic way.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish ATI every success in the future and to Australian Terrier owners all over the world – have the most wonderful time with the best breed in the world! Brenda Brown, Ralindi Kennels

 _______________________________________________________________________________

An Interview With Brenda Brown By Pamela Levy

Brenda Brown

This month ATI welcomes Brenda Brown as the first Lifetime member from the United Kingdom.

We want to congratulate you (Brenda) and thank you for your years of dedication to the breed.

The Kennel name Ralindi is behind many top winning UK and International dogs.

How did you get involved or started with Australian Terriers?

I first met Aussies in 1965 at my cousin, Keith McIntosh’s, home in North Wales. We were both teenagers at that time but, like me, Keith had been brought up in a small dog showing/breeding kennel. His parents showed Cairn Terriers but Keith decided Aussies were the breed for him.

Why did you choose Aussies at that time?

I was brought up with German Shepherd Dogs. My parents showed, judged and occasionally bred GSDs and I have been involved in showing dogs all my life. I went to my first dog show when I was 6 weeks old! When I met Aussies for the first time in 1965 I thought they were the most fun-loving dogs I had ever seen – I absolutely adored them for that!

Ralindi The Executor  Photo: Lorna Brown

How many years have you shown Aussies?

I have shown Aussies since 1970 – I was young then!!!!! I went to a few Ch shows where Aussies were being shown in the mid – late 1960s and, through Keith, I got to know some of the Aussie exhibitors and their dogs fairly well.

How many years have you been breeding Aussies?

I bred my first litter in April 1971.

How many litters have you bred?

I have bred 26 litters in the past 40 years producing about 90 puppies in total. No-one can ever say I flooded the market!!!

Do you know how many champions you have produced?

Ralindi has won 60 CC’s and campaigned 8 Aussies to their UK Championship titles – no mean feat in this country – and we also bred 1 Swedish Ch Australian Terrier bitch. Ralindi owned the top-winning Aussie bitch of all time in the breed in the UK and she held that record for 14 years, until 1999.

Ch. Future Vision Of Ralindi

Do you enjoy mentoring other people in the breed?

Yes, I do! – but nowadays, only if I am asked. In previous years I would happily give advice and, I’m delighted to say my advice was always greatly appreciated.

Have you mentored anyone from another country?

No, but I am more than happy to answer anyone’s questions from anywhere in the world! I have been on International Aussie Forums over the years and I have contributed to them. Nowadays, it’s much, much easier to communicate with people from overseas by email, Facebook, etc than it ever was in previous years.

Who were the people who mentored YOU in the breed?

My mentors in the breed when I started were my cousin Keith McIntosh (Trailblazer) and Rene Sanderson (Spenmoss). Both helped and encouraged me enormously. Joan Garlick (Tippon) was also very helpful.

How old was your daughter Lorna, when she got involved with Aussies?

Lorna came home to the Ralindi Australian Terriers as a new-born baby, so she has been involved with the breed all her life. She will be 29 years old in early July of this year so, basically, she has been involved with Aussies for almost 29 years. That’s much longer than most people in Aussies in the UK at present!

What is that like sharing a passion with your daughter?

It’s wonderful! We have many discussions about Aussies. My daughter Lorna is just one of only 2-3 young people under the age of 40, who is directly involved in Australian Terriers in the UK at the present time. That is a fact that truly concerns me. The future of our wonderful breed here in the UK is in great danger as young people are simply not coming into the breed. That, sadly, applies to many of the terrier breeds here in the UK at present.

Ch. Ralindi Islay Mist      Photo: Diane Pearce

Do you breed together?

Lorna also owns the Ralindi affix but in a “separate interest” from me. The term separate interest means both Lorna and I can breed a litter of Aussies – or any other breed – and register all the puppies with the Ralindi kennel name at The Kennel Club.

Do you always agree on what dogs to keep and which dogs to place out of a litter?

Yes, we do! We also find when we see other people’s litters of Aussies, we choose precisely the same puppy.

What do you look for in the bitch to make her worthy of your breeding program?

She must possess true breed type.

What do you look for in the stud dog to make him worthy of your breeding program?

Again, breed type is of paramount importance. I was always taught by my mentors and the old-time breeders that without true breed type you had nothing!

What have been your proudest moments in the breed?

When I won my first-ever CC in the breed in 1977. I was hugely proud of the times I owned the Top Australian Terrier in the UK in various years. As to judging I am proud to have judged Aussies at National Terrier, the ATCGB Ch show, Crufts in 1996 and The Australian Terrier Club of New South Wales in 1994 – I was hugely proud of that invitation! To have an appointment to judge my chosen breed in its homeland was an honour I shall treasure for the rest of my life! No other Australian Terrier breed specialist from the UK had ever judged our breed at a Breed Club/Speciality Ch show in Australia, either before or since. I must also say I am very proud of the fact I have been made a Lifetime Member of the ATI – what an honour!

Australia

The two Aussies with me in the picture from Australia were my top winning dog and bitch when I Judged at the ATCNSW CH show on 3 April 1994.

How did you learn to groom?

Initially from my cousin Keith McIntosh who taught me how to hand strip, something that was totally new to me. In later years Pat Connor of the world-famous Tinee Town Kennel in Australia stayed with us for a good few days and she gave my husband Bill and me a personal “Master Class” in how to present an Aussie for the showring. Nowadays of course we have Aussies with full tails, so that became a new challenge. When trimming I prefer to leave a small amount of hair on the tail as I feel that is more in balance with the body coat rather than have the tail looking like a pipe cleaner.

Have you exported Aussies? If so, to what countries?

Yes, I have. I sent a four-month old red bitch to Sweden who became a Swedish Ch and one of her daughters became the foundation bitch for Tina Nordgren’s Nellyson kennel in Sweden. I have also sent a bitch to Germany and a dog and a bitch to the south of France but I knew none of them would be shown, their owners wanted them purely as companions.

Have you imported Aussies?

A bitch was due to be imported in whelp to the UK from our good friend Pam McDougall Douglas’ Tahee Kennel. We quickly booked a puppy from that litter. When the litter was born we were to get “first pick” of the dog puppies. When we got the phone call to say the puppies could be released from quarantine my husband Bill drove to the far south of England accompanied by our good friend Abe Harkness, who was to co-own this dog with Bill, to see the litter in the quarantine kennels. They soon picked the dog they wanted, Bill put him in the travelling box and brought him home. The minute he came out of the box he ran over to greet me and promptly lifted his leg on my slippers as if to say “You’re mine”!! He was just over 10 weeks old at the time! Herbie loved life and above all else, he absolutely adored puppies – he was brilliant with them. He lived all his life with us here at Ralindi and he holds a special place in my heart. I’m delighted to say we campaigned him to his UK Championship title.

Do you see a difference in personalities between dogs from other countries and dogs from the UK?

To be honest, no.

Did you find it difficult to produce a nice natural tail?

The last litter I bred was born in early June 2009. This was our first litter in almost four years so I have only bred one litter with full tails. I’m delighted to say all six puppies from that litter had lovely tails.

Can you describe what a good natural tail should look like?

In my humble opinion a good natural tail should have a fairly gentle curve and it should be in balance with the dog. Time will no doubt tell as this is still in its infancy here in the UK. Other countries have much more experience of Aussies with full tails than our UK Aussie breeders.

Did you have a few favorite Aussies that you owned or bred?

I have to be honest and say there were a few that completely stole my heart.

Who were they and why were those your favorites?

My very first Aussie was a great favourite, and she of course took me in to this wonderful breed. She was very rarely shown as she never coated up. My very first Ch (Ch Spenmoss Blue Marcus) was a real character with a huge personality as was our big-winning bitch Ch Future Vision of Ralindi. When she put her mind to it she could be a real madam and in fact she would respond to the word “Madam” as well as her true call name which was Holly. She loved to play with a rubber ball and would spend ages tossing it in the air, catching it, running about with it in her mouth before tossing it in the air again! She was an absolute joy to own.

Ch. Spenmoss Blue Marcus     Photographer: Diane Pearce

How has the Aussie changed since you started breeding?

The Aussies of today tend to be bigger than in past years. The way Aussies are presented for the showring has changed a lot since I started in the breed.

Do you think the Aussie has improved?

Overall, fronts have improved a lot over the years. There were a small number of Aussies in the past that had very good fronts but they were very few and far between.

What concerns you about the Aussie of today as it relates to conformation and health?

Here in the UK I personally feel a number of the Aussies of today lack the strength and depth of muzzle required for the breed and some Aussies do not have the correct almond-shaped eye. Good, ground-covering movement showing drive and the desired springy action continues to be an area of concern. As to the health of our breed the breeders here are aware of diabetes and some cases of epilepsy have been reported. Both are currently being monitored.

What have Aussies added to your life?

I absolutely love their great sense of fun! They make me laugh. Showing them over the years has been an absolute joy and we’ve made lots of good friends with other Aussie owners in various countries throughout the world.

Ralindi Eartha Kitt    Photo: Lorna Brown

You have put your heart and soul into working for the Club, your Newsletter and your annual trip to Cruft’s.

Can you share how many positions you have had at the club?

I served on the Committee of the ATCGB in both the 1970s and the1980s and I have been, and still am, Honorary Secretary of The Australian Terrier Club of Great Britain, a position I have held since 1995.

Is Honorary Secretary the same as President of the Club in the US?

As I don’t know what’s involved in being President of the Club in the US, I really can’t say! What I can say is that being Secretary of the ATCGB involves me in booking judges, show venues, veterinarians to be on call for our shows, applying to The Kennel Club for licenses for our shows, applying for Ch status and for the date of our annual Open show, dealing with all the Club’s correspondence, sending out all the paperwork for our AGM and all meetings of the Club, taking notes at all our Club’s meetings and turning those notes into the minutes of those meetings, liaising with The KC on all sorts of things, dealing with enquiries that come in re puppy availability and a whole lot more besides all of the above!!! We may be very much a minority breed in the UK but it’s a very busy Club.

Can you tell us about your Club’s Newsletter? Can International people subscribe and how would they do that?

My daughter Lorna is the Newsletter editor. I also contribute a great deal to our Club’s Newsletter. International people can become members of the ATCGB and that entitles them to receive copies of our Newsletters.

Does your club have International Memberships?

Yes, we do. A Single Overseas Membership costs £7.00 and a Joint Overseas Membership costs £9.00.

How does one become a member (if so)?

People who wish to become members have to fill in an ATCGB Membership Application Form which needs to be proposed and seconded by fully paid-up members of the ATCGB. Their application for membership then comes before the Committee for approval.

Ralindi Express Yourself   Photo: Lorna Brown

Can you tell us how your annual trip to Crufts came about?

The first few years I went to Crufts (in the 1960s) I went in a group on the overnight train from Edinburgh to London. Later that changed to an overnight coach from Fife to London. Later still the above-mentioned Abe Harkness used to organise 2-3 overnight coaches from here in Lanarkshire and I always took charge of one of his coaches for him. In those days overnight coaches to all-breeds Ch shows was the way many exhibitors chose to go to the bigger Ch shows. It was more cost-effective and the exhibitors didn’t have to drive there and back to do the shows. If they were tired, they could have a sleep as someone else was driving! Through time, and as more and more people became car owners they would team up and share the costs of taking their own cars and they would share the driving to these shows so going to shows by coach became a lesser option but going to Crufts by coach was still very popular. When Abe changed his breed, his coach to Crufts was for a different day to Terrier & Hound Day so Bill and I took over organising the overnight coach to Crufts, initially running two coaches to the show. When the show moved to Birmingham which was nearer for exhibitors from Scotland we organised just one coach to take the exhibitors, their dogs and spectators to Crufts and I still run a coach to this day.

Have you had any funny or disastrous moments?

Many years ago Bill and I were on a coach going from Fife to London for the Ladies Kennel Association Ch show in December. We were in London when a car careened into the front of the coach and the radiator burst. We all piled into taxis and went to the show, not knowing whether the coach company could get a replacement radiator in time to take us back home that day or whether the coach company would manage to get a replacement coach to get us back home.

One other time, about 30 years ago, Bill and I had driven to the LKA Ch show and we had a nightmare journey home, driving in blizzard conditions for most of the way. We were the last car allowed through the M74 here in Scotland before it was completely closed as it was deemed to be too dangerous to drive on!! Winter tyres were unheard of in those days and, in fact, they are still not widely available or used in the UK. I will never, ever forget that journey.

Most importantly, with all you’ve done and your years of dedication to the breed……

How would you like to be remembered in the breed?

As someone who worked tirelessly to promote the best breed in the world and who did my very best to give something back to the breed that has given me so much pleasure for most of my life.

How do you sum up just how special a woman like Brenda Brown is?

To the breed she has campaigned, loved and adored for over 40 years, to the countless people she has supported along the way and to myself, after all she is my mum!

She’s a second generation dog exhibitor, originally born into the Alsadene German Shepherd Kennel.  She became intoxicated by the Australian Terrier in the late 60’s and founded the Ralindi Kennel in early 1970. Ralindi has been the proud owner/ breeder of 8 champions and over 60 CCs, (Challenge Certificates) including

Ch. Ralindi Future Vision who held the bitch record for 14 years.

Whilst on a 2-month trip to Australia in 1994, she was invited to judge the Australian Terrier Club of New South Wales Championship show.  She is to this date the only UK Breed Specialist to have had this honour. Two years later she judged Aussies at Crufts, a highlight in any judge’s career especially breed specialists.

Dogs and dog showing are not only in her heart, they run through her veins and this is proven in the commitment and passion she has for our wonderful breed.

Lorna Brown

 Left to right – Mum, Dad, George & Beryl Ness (Negura Australian Terriers

from Australia) This picture was taken during a visit by the Ness’ to our home

in Scotland.

 ———————————————

Two years ago I made my first pilgrimage to Cruft’s. Brenda was most inclusive and instrumental in the planning of my trip. A most gracious hostess would be difficult to find. She introduced me to all the exhibitors and made me feel most welcome and at home. Her daughter, Lorna, was exactly the same way. She has also been a dear friend to ATI since it’s inception. I can never thank her enough. She was however nominated for this honour by her countrymen. That makes me even more proud to know her. Thank you so much Brenda for all you have done and continue to do to foster our Grand Little Breed. Pamela Levy

The History of Aussies in the UK by Brenda Brown

My husband, Bill, and I have extensive records here at Ralindi going back to 1933, the year that the Australian Terrier breed was officially recognized by The Kennel Club. The ATCGB, founded in 1929, was officially recognized by The Kennel Club in 1933 making 1933 a pivotal year in the annals of Australian Terrier history in this country.

The first Aussies came into the UK in 1896 with Mr. Hew Millburn who entered three of his Aussies at The Kennel Club show in 1906. Our records indicate that he showed two of them. Around that same time the Governor General of Victoria, who was later to become Lord Hopetoun, returned to the UK bringing a male Aussie back with him. These two gentlemen are credited with introducing Australian Terriers to our country. (My daughter, Lorna, has a contact at Hopetoun House, a stately home near Edinburgh located not far from us. Lorna asked her contact about the Australian Terrier but, sadly, no record of this dog was found.)

Mrs. J. R. Wood did a great deal to promote Aussies by showing them and actively seeking publicity for the breed. She even had show results for Aussies telegraphed to Australia! She sought recognition for the breed with The Kennel Club in 1908 but there simply were not enough Aussies in the UK at that time to get that official recognition.

More Aussies then came into the UK from both Australia and India. There were a great many Australian Terriers in India in the 1910s and 1920s and Challenge Certificates were on offer for our breed in India during those years. (Challenge Certificates are the major awards given to the top winners of each sex at conformation shows.) The Aussies being imported into the UK at that time came in mainly on ships sailing here from India.

The Earl and Countess of Stradbroke brought Aussies back to the UK after each of the Earl’s two terms of office as Governor General of Victoria ended. The Earl and Countess worked extremely hard to promote our breed and to get a number of people involved in Aussies. This was a very concerted push to gain official recognition for Australian Terriers and by 1933 there were enough Aussies registered with The Kennel Club to gain that much sought-after recognition and, with it, Challenge Certificates, i.e. championship status.

The first Australian Terrier to become a champion in the show ring was Ch. Sam of Toorak, born in August 1930, owned by Miss Jenny Rodocanachi. He was a drop-eared Aussie, a fact that was perfectly acceptable in the Breed Standard at that time. The second champion in the breed was Sam’s full sister, Ch. Sally of Toorak, born in February 1931 and owned by Miss Daphne Rodocanachi. Sally was a prick-eared Aussie.

The Rodocanachi’s Tooraks and the Earl and Countess of Stradbroke’s Henham Aussies were the two most successful kennels in the show ring in the early years following The Kennel Club’s recognition and championship status. At that particular time the nobility and wealthy people owned Australian Terriers, as they were the only people who could afford to import dogs from Australia and India. Because people were importing Aussies from various different kennels in both countries breed type was quite varied, so the Earl and Countess decided it was high time they did something to fix breed type which they did, in fact, achieve.

Mrs. Anna Stillwell imported Ch. Torres Blue Jacket from Australia which did much to improve breed type. Other early owners included The Honorable Mrs. Bassett (Majiga) and The Honorable Wilhelmina Alexander (Faygate) whose father was Sir Claude Alexander. Sir Claude first met Aussies in their early days and he used Aussies in an (unsuccessful) attempt to recreate the old Clydesdale Terrier. Mina Alexander owned Aussies right up to the time of her death in the 1980s.

Cruft’s circa 1980

The exhibitor on the far left in the pic from Crufts is Rene Sanderson of the Spenmoss Aussies.

The first sandy Aussie arrived in 1938 when Neville Dawson (Master of Foxhounds) imported a sandy bitch in whelp from Australia. She produced a litter of sandy and red puppies, which established those colours.

During World War Two breeders farmed out their dogs to various parts of the country in an attempt to preserve the very best breeding lines, which they managed to achieve successfully, so much so that after the war ended good breeding stock was still on the ground to carry on producing quality stock.

A red dog called Ch. Dandy of Zellah, born in 1940, proved to be hugely influential as a stud dog when breeding began again after the war. He went to Miss Evelyn Swyer in 1947 and he really took her Elvyne Aussies to the fore in the show ring. There were many Elvyne champions over a good many years, particularly in the 1950s and 60s, and Elvynes were exported to various countries, including Australia (yes, Australia!), Denmark and the USA. The dog, Elvyne Regal Salute was an early import for the breed in the USA, imported by Nell Fox.

Nell Milton Fox imported three Aussies from Evelyn Swyer in the very early days of Aussies in the USA, namely Am Ch. Elvyne Regal Salute of Pleasant Pastures CD Ex, Elvyne Blue Taffeta of Pleasant Pastures and Elvyne Betty’s Toff of Pleasant Pastures. Regal Salute’s dam, E Red Sunset, was born in March 1954 and his sire, E Red Sporran, was born around that time too, as he won a CC in 1956, although we don’t have an actual date of birth for him. Elvyne Blue Taffeta was the dam of Cooees Straleon Aussie, the very first Aussie champion in the USA.

Mrs. Winifred Dunn’s Dunhall Aussies were very successful in the 1950s and 60s and Joan Garlick’s Tippon Aussies were another successful kennel. Harold and Irene (Rene) Sanderson’s Spenmoss Aussies were hugely successful, winning many Challenge Certificates (known as CCs), particularly in the 1960s, the 70s and the 1980s. One of their Aussies was G2 at the Blackpool Championship show. That was a huge achievement for the breed as Aussies were very rarely considered for top honours in the Group in those days.

There were of course other Australian Terrier kennels but, post-war, the Elvynes, the Dunhalls and Spenmoss were by far the most successful kennels in our breed. They take us up to Sheila Eardley’s Sherex Aussies which began in the latter part of the 1960s. Her son Paul was a small boy at that time but in the 1970s he often handled his parents’ Sherex Aussies. Sheila owned a couple of Ch Aussies in the 1980s, co-owning a further Ch in much more recent times.

Mrs Win Pearson’s Rivelin Aussies were another very successful kennel campaigning a number of Aussies to their Ch title in the 1970s and 80s. Win had the distinction of winning the Bitch CC at Crufts for three years in succession with the same bitch. She also exported quite a few Aussies to Canada over a period of time and she was Hon Secretary of the ATCGB for teens of years.

Ralindi kennels started out in January 1970 and it was this kennel which owned the bitch record-holder in the breed for teens of years. Ralindi was a very successful kennel in the 1980s with a number of Ralindi Aussies gaining their Ch titles.

Brenda and Bill Brown and their daughter, Lorna

Ch. Ralindi Impact Maker   Born: 1985 Photo: 1988

Full Litter Mate to Ralindi Islay Mist

Photographer: Diane Pearce

The next longest-serving breeder/exhibitor still actively involved in our breed began in the 1980s.

Lynn Bell came into the breed in the early 1980s. Lynn campaigned three Aussies to their UK championship titles in the late 80s and the 90s, plus one further Ch she bred and which she co-owns who is now a veteran. Lynn was the first person in the UK to show Aussies in Europe. She campaigned two of her Belyndi Aussies to their Belgian Ch titles, one a bitch she bred herself and her other Belgian Ch is a male she imported from Esther Krom’s Shastakin kennel in the USA. Lynn imported four Aussies from Shastakin. She was Chairman of the ATCGB for a few years in my early days as the Club’s Honorary Secretary and she was our Newsletter Editor, Handbook Editor and a brilliant PR Officer.

The late Brian Hodgson and his wife Velma’s Brimartz Aussies also started out in the early 80s and they had the most successful kennel in the 1990s. Several Brimartz Aussies were campaigned to their Ch title and one of their bitches was Reserve Best in Show at the National Terrier Club’s annual Ch show. The late Dorothy Snook and her daughter Felicity of the Pitcombe Aussies imported an in-whelp bitch from the Tahee Kennels in NSW and from that litter they kept a dog and a bitch who both had a successful run in the1990s. They also imported a dog from NZ and both he and his son became champions in the breed.

Paul Eardley also imported two Aussies from the Tahee Kennels, taking both to their Ch titles and he also campaigned a son and a daughter from these two imports to their Ch titles.

Sheila Stoddart’s Millvalley Aussies came to the fore in the latter part of the 1990s. Sheila has the distinction of owning the first-ever Aussie to win a Group at an all-breeds Ch show in the UK which she did with Ch Dinky Di Southern Cross, a bitch she imported from the USA. I’m delighted to say I was part of that history-making day – I judged our breed at that particular show!

Millvalley Blue Dashwood At Ralindi

Bred By: Sheila Stoddart   Photo By: Lorna Brown

Sue McCourt (Silhill) acquired two bitches from Millvalley and these two reds became the foundation for her Silhill Aussies. Sue bred her very first litter of Australian Terriers in 2004 and this kennel has gone on to become hugely successful in the UK.

GB CH Silhill Tufty With Sherex – Top Aussie 2008

Photo: Ann Carol Johnson

Paul Eardley has the distinction of owning the first-ever Aussie to win Best in Show all-breeds with a Silhill-bred dog and Sheila Stoddart has the distinction of owning the first-ever Ch and Am Ch Australian Terrier.

And that, as they say, brings us right up to the present!

Photographs of early Aussies in the UK belong to the ATCGB and are copyright-protected. The Club bought them from Thomas Fall, Photographers, a number of years ago.

Belyndi Liberty Belle DOB: 01/04/1998

Dam: Shastakin Belle For Belyndi  Sire: Pitcombe Red Crystal at Belyndi

Breeder Miss Lynn Bell

“Belle” Today   Photo Courtesy Of Chris Foskett

Belle was one of the first Anglo/American bitches born in the UK. Her mum Maddy came from the Shastakin Kennels of Esther Krom in New Jersey. Shastakin Belle for Belyndi had been chosen by Lynn initially for her to show in the USA. Her sire Multi CH Shastakin Chucko Jo (Junior) had been a successful show dog for Esther and had even been shown in Germany. His image can still be seen on many Australian Terrier mugs, key rings, etc. However, Lynn decided to bring Maddy to the UK to be part of the Belyndi breeding programme. At this time quarantine was the only option and Maddy came to the UK with Shastakin Witches Brew as a companion and they served their time at the Ryslip Kennels. They coped so well which is a credit to their temperaments and the care they received.

Belle’s dad was Toohey who was bred here in the UK by Felicity Snook and the late great Dorothy Snook who owned the Pitcombe Kennel. Toohey was the result of breeding two of their Antipodean imports. When Dorothy and Felicity visited Australia they met up with Pamela McDougal Douglas and brought back Tahee Golden Crystal. For her second litter, she was bred to Ch Temora Ted of Frederick of Pitcombe who they imported after their judging visit to New Zealand.

Belle is truly a dog with an international heritage. Her pedigree contains many of the most well known kennels of the time. This made her a sensible choice for me to have as the founder of my Wilfnbell Kennel, and my very first show dog.

“Belle” at 6 Years Old Photo Courtesy Of Chris Foskett

I think I was very lucky to have such a beautiful girl for my first show dog. I soon learned that Belle is a Madam and knows she is Queen of Wilfnbell. She does love showing more than she loves maternal duties. She passed this gene down to her daughter, Lottie; both of them were convinced that once they had given birth it was over to me to do the hard work. That’s called sharing the pups! Belle thought that licking bums and being suckled was beneath her dignity and I have to say it took a lot of patience and sitting in whelping boxes to make sure she got the message about being a mother. I distinctly remember making some cookies within a couple of days of the pups being born. The choice of cookies or pups was obvious to Belle and she was practically climbing out of the whelping box. We had to have her penned in to make sure she fed the babies and couldn’t get to the cookies!

On another occasion, I remember sitting on the settee in the early hours of the morning, with all the pups, during a really bad thunderstorm just in case they were scared. As I was acting as nanny, Belle took the opportunity to run upstairs to join my husband and Wilf on the bed. Could I get her back downstairs with her pups, could I hell?
In her showing career Belle really came into her own as a veteran. She won and was placed in many of the veteran stakes classes at Championship shows in the UK. I was very excited in 2009 when she won the Veteran Bitch Stakes at National Terrier under Bill Browne-Cole, and then the Veteran Stakes at Windsor Championship Show under Jeff Luscott. The day before her win she had broken into a large bag of food and spent most of the night and next day being rather ill. Her last show was Crufts 2010 under Sheila Stoddard where she won best Veteran.

She only missed one Crufts in all her years of showing and that was because her breeder was judging.

I have done my apprenticeship with my lovely Belle; I have made her too fat and too thin. I have been embarrassed in the ring by her. (Once in the ring she decided, “nah, not today” and slipped out of her show lead and ran back to her crate!) I have been disappointed and I have had many highs, as she has been a great source of comfort as well. Her granddaughter Lula went to live in Belgium and was mated to a German stud dog Dustin Vom Struthwold. That litter went to Germany, Holland, France and my lovely Wade came to live with me. Hoochie is a French Champion so she is very proud of him.

More importantly Belle is a wonderful individual. When she first came to us we had a Springer Spaniel called Wilf (Wilfnbell, get it?) and he loved Belle. They were like a married couple and when she had pups I am sure that he thought they were his. She is rather stubborn, aloof sometimes, but always loyal. She loves her walks and even now at 13 years old she does an hour a day keeping up with her great grandson Wade and even overtaking him on occasions. They say dogs don’t grieve, well I truly believe they do as when Wilf died it was obvious that Belle was very depressed for a long time. Strangely enough even after all these years I am convinced she still misses him.

My son Andrew adores her and she him; she goes mad when he comes to visit sitting on his lap and kissing him. She has never been a dog for children but strapping lads over 6 feet she is very at home with. She is also great with horses but only came across them later in life. This is something I love about Australian Terriers; they are very adaptable. She has given me my wonderful Lottie, Christy and my lovely Lady who died of cancer last year. All of them are great characters.

Long may her legacy last.

 Vegas The Chump         Photo Courtesy Of Christine Foskett

To view the link please click here.

Ch Silhill Sweet Pea (B) 1 x GW2 ,2 x GW3 ,1 x GW4 ,7 x BOB ,7 x CC

Ch Bluepepper’s Rock-et to Sherex ex Ch/Int/Sw/Fin Ch Millvalley Styled In Red for Silhill

Ch Silhill Blue Velvet from Wyeafon (D) 2 x BOB ,3 x CC

Ch Silhill Limited Edition at Wyeafon ex Ch Silhill Glitz ‘N’ Glamour

Ch/Am Ch Millvalley Red Rufus (D) 4 x CC

Ch Millvalley Fire Cracker ex Millvalley Lady Bird

Ch Silhill Limited Edition at Wyeafon (D) 1 x BOB ,1 x CC

Ch Bluepepper’s Rock-et to Sherex ex Ch Millvalley Monopoly at Silhill

Millvalley Rantin’Robin at Sherex (D) 1 x CC

Ch Bluepepper’s Rock-et to Sherex ex Ch Millvalley Red Ruby

Am Ch Temora’s The Simple Life (B) 1 x CC

Am Ch Benayr Wild Again ex Am Ch Benayr Natalie Attired

Hisnibbs (D) 1 x CC Dustin vom Struthwald ex Wilfnbell Be Bop A Lula

Int/Sw/Lat/Lit/Ger/Rus/Blr/Est/Fin Ch Truozzy’s Hand In Hand (B) 1 x CC

Est/Lat/Lit Ch Temora’s American Express ex Fin/Lit/Pol/Lat Ch Somehow Some Tru’N Oz

Wyeafon Red Hot ‘N’Sassy (B) 1 x CC

Ch Bluepepper’s Rock-et to Sherex ex Wyeafon Crimson Sky

Photo Courtesy Of Gillian Bartlett (ATCSA)

Princess Mary (sister of King George VI) taken late 1920s.

Below are the numbers of Australian Terriers registered with The Kennel Club

over the past ten years:

2001 – 47

2002 – 34

2003 – 38

2004 – 60

2005 – 60

2006 – 62

2007 – 38

2008 – 55

2009 – 57

2010 – 36

Those numbers total just 487 Aussies registered with The Kennel Club over the last 10 years, averaging out at 48.7 puppies per year.

Photo Courtesy Of Gillian Bartlett (ATCSA)

 Australian Terriers had been imported into England since 1898 and had become a favourite with the rich and famous, which helped it to become accepted and popular. It looks like a Red or Sandy Australian Terrier.

Official breed status was granted in the UK in 1933 and in the US in 1960.  

The Australian Terrier was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1969.  

Breed Clubs and Societies

        AUSTRALIAN TERRIER CLUB OF GREAT BRITAIN.

The ATCGB was founded in 1929 and the Club was officially recognised by The Kennel Club in 1933.

Secretary: Mrs Brenda Brown.

To View the ATCGB’s most recent newsletter click here

        SOUTHERN COUNTIES AUSTRALIAN TERRIER CLUB.

They have 55 members and continue to grow!

Secretary: Ms Christine Foskett.

*Terrier World Publication

“Tallulah”, Belyndi Fly The Flag on a special mission every day!

Sire Int, Bel Ch Shastakin Blaze of Glory for Belyndi

Dam: Belyndi Too True Blue

Bred by Lynn Bell and Owned by Jean Garon

“Tallie” relaxing. Photo Courtesy Of Jean Garon

Tallie celebrated her 6th birthday by passing the very thorough test set by a Pets As Therapy accredited assessor who put her through her paces to ensure she could cope in the potentially stressful environment of a hospital ward in an emergency. Also, she had to be calm and happy when meeting ill people of all ages as she toured the wards. She passed with flying colours living up to her kennel name. She also had to have two character references and a vet health certificate. The examiner described her as “gentle and affectionate. Quiet and with a wagging tail.”

Tallie has now joined the 4,500 dogs and 108 cats that “work” for the charity in the UK every week. These specially chosen calm friendly dogs and cats give more than 130,000 people, young and old, pleasure and a chance to cuddle and talk to them. The charity, founded in 1983, provides therapeutic visits to hospitals, hospices, nursing and care homes and special needs schools to name just the main thrust of their work. Since its beginning, over 23,000 temperament tested dogs have been registered into the Pets As Therapy charity including, for many years, my own very special black Labrador named Phoebe. She worked tirelessly in our local hospital and helped raise funds on street collections until her own health declined.

“Tallie” hard at work with owner Jean Garon.

When Tallie the Aussie arrived she helped Phoebe. Together they were a winning combination when it came to collecting donations from people. Tallulah has now taken over her duties! She has great eyes that certainly help to make people give that bit extra and every penny counts these days.

Over the years that I have visited these facilities, I have found many patients, who were initially withdrawn, gradually open up and begin to smile and talk as the dog relaxed them. The dog reminded them, no doubt, of happier days and the comforts of their home. As the charity rightly states in its literature, “the constant companionship of an undemanding animal that gives unconditional love is often one of the most missed aspects of their lives when ill.” The Pets As Therapy charity, with their hospital-visiting dogs, was formed to help make this loss more bearable, lift peoples’ spirits and help speed recovery.

I am starting slowly with Tallie. Already we have two local hospitals and a nursing home hoping we can make regular visits. The plan was to start with one facility to gently ease in this very willing little Aussie. But she loves the work and is in much demand.

It is a marvelous way to give so much pleasure. In my experience the dogs quickly know where they are going as soon as they wear their special yellow ID working coat. Immediately, it sets them apart from all other dogs as they strut up the corridors to go to work on the wards. Dog on a mission! It is very rewarding, too.

“Tallie” not only has a big heart she also has a Reserve CC from Crufts

to her credits.

This is Tallie at work; steady as a rock with no one holding her lead. We are all so very proud of her. Mind you, going around at teatime isn’t easy; her eyes see all the cakes, but not even a crumb comes her way. Like so many Aussies she loves her food, but when at work she knows that sharing afternoon tea is not part of the job. Sleepy eyes are because she has been there all day, but no matter how tired she is, she knows she must visit all her people.

“Tallie” and Jean Garron.

To give an example of the work she does, sometimes it is just a case of being there, being spoken to and reminding people of their dogs long gone. Her presence allows for great conversations. However, we have times when her work is quite special. She is brilliant visiting with a dear chap of just 54, a doctor from the local hospital, who has some ghastly degenerative disease and is fading just so fast. Although he can no longer speak, his face lights up whenever Tallie comes calling and his desperately seeking hands caress her constantly. It breaks my heart.

Recently after she had been doing the daily rounds for 2 hours at Harwood House, Teresa May, the Home Secretary from Coalition Government paid a visit and was delighted to meet Tallie at work. She even posed for pictures with Tallie. So her work is being seen and is known in high places. Let’s hope it spreads the good word for just how special an Aussie can be and of course for the PAT program.

Jean Garon

Marlow, England

Editor’s Note:

Jean Garon has had Australian Terriers for over 50 years. She got her first Aussies when she lived in Australia.

Jean as a young girl with her first litter of Aussies in Australia.

As you can tell she has been hooked on the breed ever since.

Phoebe and the Aussie “Cassie”, Elve the Lady

Photo taken by Lord Lichfield (The Queen’s cousin)

Phoebe was also mentioned in the story. “Cassie” another member of Jean’s Aussie family received her Reserve CC at Crufts handled by Lynn Bell.

We live in East Sussex, on the South Coast of England.  All our walks are either on the South Downs (which has National Park status), the cliff top (very secure fencing!) or the lower beach promenade.  “Louis” (his kennel name is Bethane Swagman) came from Mr and Mrs Alan Small of Kennel Bethane, of Walsall in the Midlands of England.  One of “Louis’ ” litter mates placed in the breed at Crufts recently. His father was bred by Ruth Jones of Wyeafon Kennels and he also placed in Crufts this year.

I have known the breed for several years, and met Chris Foskett at Discover Dogs one year in London.  We kept in touch and when I was ready for another little dog (I had previously had Yorkshire Terriers), Chris helped me find Louis.  I am eternally grateful to her as he is wonderful.

All photos Courtesy Of April Revell.

April and Louis

Louis as a young puppy.

Louis grown up.

Louis enjoying the winter weather.

ATI Congratulates Sue McCourt, Paul Eardley, Marjo Ahola, Eija Hyvönen  and Breeder Saija Reiman-Walldén.

C.I.B NORD & FI & SE & DK & NO & EE CH

Jaskarin Peperoncino “Kino”

Photo Taken By: A. Seymour

Ch Silhill Red Rock at Sherex “Ayers”

Photo Taken By: Markus Walldén

At the Birmingham National, which is the UK’s 2nd largest show, “Kino” went

Best-In-Show.  The show had an entry of over 10,300 dogs.  Every breed had

CC’s at that show. This is a huge win in the UK and only the 2nd time that it has been done by an Aussie at this level. The first time was Ch Silhill Red Rock at Sherex back in May 2007, who is Kino’s half brother.

__________________________________________________________________

I like to thank Paul and Sue from great work that they have done with our Kino. Really special thanks to Paul and Sue! I´m really happy about it.  Regards, Marjo

As a digital designer, Kennel Club judge and a great admirer of dogs, I decided to go one step further to show that the dog is no longer just a companion and supporting figure in art, but the main protagonist of the events, and so receives well-deserved role.

I used the works of famous artists from the old century to the early twentieth-century and adapted the personalities and expressions of different dog breeds, to create unique works reflecting the nobility of dogs.

Today, our assortment of nobility dogs expands from fine art prints to unique brooches, scarves and shoulder bags.

All of our prints are produced on state-of-the-art, professional-grade Canon printers. We use giclee canvases with archival inks to guarantee that your prints last a lifetime without fading or loss of color. Giclée canvas prints are extremely high quality digital art prints produced with archival quality inks and artist’s canvas. A giclée print on canvas is the perfect option for clients who want to have the look of an original oil or watercolor in their wall. Artist Sij Sandra

For Kennel Clubs please email: nobilitydogs@gmail.com for a discount.

For Prices and to visit the store Click here.

All photos are copyright protected by  Nobilitydog.com  

Buddy was bred by Ruth Jones in Builth Wells, Wales and is now nine months old.

These are photos of Buddy as he is growing up. I took all the photos.

Recently my friend, mentor and fellow ATI member, Darlene Evans of Tera-K kennels, resigned as both editor of the ATCA Talkabout, as well as,

Chairmen of the ATCA Awards Committee.

Darlene Evans at Morris and Essex

Best in Show Brace 2005

“Parson” and “Jingles”

They are the only Australian Terriers to have held that title.

Her newsletter inspired me and helped create the vision for ATI. Darlene has dedicated herself to the breed she loves so much. She continues her wonderful work as President of Australian Terrier Rescue. I want to thank her for her friendship, kindness, wisdom and dedication to the breed. She is an inspiration in so many ways. Her resignations will leave shoes that are difficult to fill.

Her integrity, business principles and fairness will be missed by many.

We wish her only the best.

USA 2011 AKC National Agility Championship

“Sprite” and Georgette LaPorte

ATI congratulates “Sprite” and Georgette LaPorte for their clean runs at the

Agility Nationals 2011.

The 2011 AKC National Agility Championship was held April 1-3, 2011 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia.

We were represented by one Australian Terrier, MACH Wilgent’s Mischief Maker, CDX, NAP, AJP owned by Georgette LaPorte. “Sprite” was born 5/5/01 making her almost 10 years old at the time of competing. We are very proud of both “Sprite” and her owner.

Can you tell us about your trip to the Agility Nationals?

The AKC Nationals was a blast! However, it was a trip that almost didn’t happen. Even though “Sprite” had qualified for the 2011 Nationals in the beginning of 2010, I wasn’t planning on attending. Well, things changed. I was talking to a friend at an agility trial and she said she needed two double Qs to qualify for the Nationals. (A double Q is when one qualifies in both the Excellent B Standard class and the Excellent B Jumpers with Weaves class in the same day.) For some reason, I told her if she got the two double Qs, I’d make the hotel reservations and off to the Nationals we’d go. Well, she got the double Qs and off we went, to Lexington, Virginia, to show at the Nationals! This was Sprite’s first Nationals! The goal for the weekend was for us to enjoy each moment, have a blast and for me to run her like I normally do. I didn’t want her to think … who is this person? Well, we had a wonderful time! It surpassed my expectations!!! Not only did Sprite Q in Jumpers, she Q’d in Standard and the Hybrid class! So, I thought WOW, we had our “perfect” weekend. Well, it’s a good thing we planned to stay for the Challenger’s round, because to top off our weekend, our names were announced as one of the 8″ Preferred Challengers! Could this weekend get any better? Unfortunately, we dropped a bar, but what a great time we had! My little Aussie and I accomplished what we set out to do … enjoy each moment, have a blast and have some great runs!

How long have you been competing?

About 12 years

How old is “Sprite”? 

Sprite turned 10 years young, on May 5.

How old was she when you started training and then competing?

I started “training” Sprite when she was a puppy. We did a lot of playing around, which had some training aspects to it. She never really knew that she was training. As she was playing, we were learning the foundation work for our agility career. We’d play on very low contacts, run through tunnels and chutes, jump on the table for a quick treat and play lots of chase me games. Our training became “serious” after she turned 1 year old. That’s when jumps and weaves became involved. Sprite started competing when she was about 1 1/2 years old.

Did she take to agility naturally or was it a lot of work? 

Yes, I think she’s a natural! She loves the “game.” Agility has always been fun and never stressful for her. She loves working. If I don’t keep her busy and entertained, she can get herself into trouble.

I am sure “Sprite” has brought you many proud moments but do you have any that stand out in your mind?

Wow, that’s hard. What proud moments stand out? I’d have to say, when Sprite’s had those “ahha” moments when she’s doing obedience or agility or just figuring something out. It’s neat to see the light bulb go off in her mind. She gets so proud of herself! I’m proud of her every time she’s been invited to the AKC Agility Invitationals and when she earned her Master Agility Champion title, (MACH) and her Companion Dog Excellence title, (CDX), I was ecstatic! However, most of all, I’m proud of her in the way she “attacks” life. Sprite has ruptured both her anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) and has had surgeries on both of her back legs and each time she comes back, she comes back stronger. She has the drive to succeed and there isn’t anyone or anything that will keep her down. She took her injuries in stride and came out fighting to get back in the game. She’s like the little engine that could.

Does “Sprite” know when she has had a clean run? 

Sprite thinks every run is a clean run! She doesn’t know the difference between a clean run and a run, where most likely I’ve messed her up. Each run that we do, I know she’s giving me a 150% and I don’t want to let her down. So, in her mind, I want her to think she’s had an awesome clean run every time!

Can you tell us about “Sprite’s” personality at home?

Does she have any favorite toys? Is she calm, smart, driven?

Sprite’s personality is mischievous, energetic and busy. She can be a snob when she wants to be or obnoxious when no one is paying attention to her. She can be ready to go in a heartbeat or can be a snuggle-bunny in the next moment. She doesn’t want to miss out on anything! If there’s something going on, she’s probably in the middle of it!

Sprite loves the good/bad cuz toys. They’re these tough rubber toys that are about 3″ around and have feet. They bounce all over the place and have an obnoxious squeaker. Another thing she goes crazy for are plastic water bottles that are filled with dry noodles or rice.

Can you share what “Sprite” has added or brought to your life?

Her love of life! Whether we’re hiking, swimming, training or simply hanging out, it’s an adventure! She enjoys each and every moment to the fullest.

What would you like the reader to know about “Sprite”? 

Sprite’s an awesome little dog with a big heart! She gives me her all, all the time. She just amazes me with her attitude and zest for life. She just makes me smile!

Who was the breeder of “Sprite”? 

Alice Williams, from Wilgent’s Kennels, in Lakeville, MA.

How long do you expect to compete?

Right after “Sprite” earned her Master Agility Champion title, (MACH), in the 12″ division, she unfortunately ruptured her second ACL. When she recovered from her surgery and rehab, I thought that even though she could still jump 12″, I didn’t want her to. I felt that she had accomplished everything I wanted her to do and then some. So, since she wasn’t by any means ready to retire, I dropped her to the Preferred 8″ division. Her second agility career began! She’s now closing in on her Perferred Agility Excellent title (PAX). I thought about retiring her once she gets her PAX, but I don’t think she’s ready to give up her agility career. She is having way too much fun! So, I figure she’ll let me know when it’s time, until then, we’ll be having a blast!

Would you recommend an Aussie for agility? Why or why not? 

Sure, they are a great little dog and fun to train!

Do you have any advice for someone new interested in starting their Aussie in agility? 

Don’t let “it’s a terrier thing” become an excuse. Terriers are great little dogs. They are smart, have a mind of their own and can’t be forced to do anything. Get them to love the game of learning. Keep it fun! Enjoy the journey!

If you’ve done agility with other breeds and are interested in doing agility with an Aussie is there something you should look for in a litter that would make a potentially better agility dog?

I got my first Aussie from Alice Williams and was very happy with her. I ended up,  by chance, doing obedience and agility with her. So, when I was looking for another Aussie, I went back to the same breeder. Honestly, I had Alice, the breeder, pick Sprite out for me. Since I live in Kentucky and Alice lived in MA, I went on fate that Sprite was the puppy for me. I told Alice that I was planning on doing obedience and agility with him or her. I knew I wanted a puppy with a high drive and who was curious and inquisitive. One who didn’t just go after the toy, but one who pounced on it or tugged with it. I wanted one who’d take that extra step. (I would like to add that even if your dog’s a bit shy, believe it or not, agility can give a dog confidence.)

So, I look for a dog who’s brave, curious and inquisitive and who wants to learn. One who like to play with me. But most of all, I want a dog with attitude and who has that spark in their eyes!

ATI sends it’s deepest sympathy to

Judy Ruggles who lost her beloved Haley and

Sue Bachman who lost her beloved Sky.

“Haley”

I just happened to take photos of her two weeks before she died, right after Petie Schreeder groomed her.  Haley was born Nov. 7, 1999, and died May 6, 2011.  Haley was the daughter of Molly, who died Dec 29, 2010, and Monte, who is still with me at the age of 14 1/2. “Haley,” Ch. Chaucer’s Hey, Look Me Over, won her championship when 7 weeks pregnant, at Cal Expo.  I still have one of her puppies, Glory, age 9. Haley was my beloved and faithful companion and she is very, very missed. Judy Ruggles

Haley leaves behind a space in the world and in Judy’s heart that can never be filled. She also leaves behind love and light and sparks of joy and hope that live on in Glory. Judy we hope those wonderful memories of Haley will give you strength.

“Sky” as a puppy

Ch Ryba’s Sky’s The Limit was born a month short of 15 years ago.  Sky lived every day of her life with me and helped raise all of the puppies born with the

Ryba name.  In later years she shared the house with Brady and me.

She will be forever missed.

The flowers of spring let us know that life continues on and that summer is coming. We can look up to the “Sky” and know that love is all around us.

To Print The Flyer On Poisonous Mushrooms Click Here

On August 17th, I lost my sweet little Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, Donato. To this day, I still have moments of disbelief and will forever ask the unanswerable question, “Why?” We had been celebrating a warm summer day at a friend’s house in Carmel Valley and unbeknownst to us he ate a Death Cap mushroom (Amanita Phalloides).  Within 12 hours he was violently ill, in 24 hours he was failing, in 48 hours I knew I was losing him.  Even with the valiant efforts of a team of incredible vets and vet techs at Adobe Animal Hospital, his spirit left us 60 hours after he ingested the deadly Amanita Phalloides.

Donato’s name means gift in Italian.  He was barely six months old and yet we packed in what will have to be a lifetime of memories.  He ran on the beach, saw the Sierras, shopped at Bloomingdales and rode a gondola to the top of Mammoth Mountain to see the snow.   With his tail always wagging, he had a boundless enthusiasm for life.  He loved me and I him.  We were a team ordained by the stars and had plans on going oh, so very far.  I always told him he would be a very important dog.  Little did I know what that would come to mean.

Since that dreadful day I have learned so much about this deadly mushroom.  One of the best descriptions that I’ve found was on the Bay Area Mycological Society’s website.

The Amanita phalloides is a strikingly beautiful mushroom and the number one cause of fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide.  Originally found in Europe, it has proved to be highly adaptable to new lands and new mycorrhizal hosts.  Death caps now occur around the world, from Australia to South America, but nowhere have they found a place more to their liking than in the oak strewn State of California.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Amanita phalloides can be found at all times of the year. Death Caps are most abundant during the heart of our fall and early winter rainy season, but they can also appear through late spring, and even during rainless summers, in areas of coastal fog drip or in stands of irrigated oaks.

Like all amanitas, young Amanita phalloides are completely covered by a tissue called a universal veil.  This tissue is tough and membranous.  As the young mushroom expands, the veil tears cleanly.  This normally results in the mature mushroom having a bald cap.  Color in many amanita species can be quite variable, but a classic phalloides will have a greenish-yellow cap. Death Caps can also be green, yellow, brown or tan or rarely white, and often take on a metallic sheen with age and drying. The veil drops as the cap expands, to form a delicate skirt or annulus around the stipe.  The scent of a Death Cap can be pleasant and sweet in youth, or foul and fishy as it decays.

– from the page “Amanita phalloides: Invasion of the Death Cap”

What puppy wouldn’t give a sniff to that? Though the highest density of occurrences of Death Caps is around the San Francisco Bay Area, there are two distinct ranges in the United States.  One is along the west coast (as far south as Los Angeles County and north to Vancouver Island, Canada) and the second is on the East Coast (from the Atlantic Coastal Plain of Maryland northward to the White Mountains of New Hampshire and east to the coastal islands of Maine).  In California, Death Caps are associated with Coast Live Oak trees, in Oregon with chestnut or filbert trees and on the East Coast with pines.

Death Caps contain acutely toxic amatoxins, which can result in liver failure or death. The most promising treatment is intravenous Silibinin, a derivative of milk thistle, however, even this did not help my sweet Donato.  More research needs to be done and more grant money needs to be allocated.  Experts say that the range of the Death Cap is spreading and they are becoming more prolific. Dog owners need to take heed.

If you see Death Caps in your yard or dog park, pick them and bag them. But as a local ranger said….err on the side of caution… pick everything, bag it all and throw them out. There are other mushrooms out there that can kill.  (i.e. , Amanita ocreata, The Death Angels and Galerina marginata, the Deadly Galerina)

If a Death Cap is ingested SEEK MEDICAL HELP IMMEDIATELY. Now, I’m sure to carry Hydrogen peroxide in my first aid kit. If I’m on a hike and my dog has ingested a mushroom, I’m prepared and can induce vomiting if necessary.

It has become Donato’s legacy and my mission to spread a warning about the danger of mushroom toxicity.  With the help of friends I created a flyer to raise the awareness about Death Caps.  Donato’s flyer has rapidly spread throughout the dog community and via the internet.  It has been posted in pet shops, veterinarian offices, dog parks, grooming salons, published in dog club newsletters, linked to websites and has been in local newspapers. Let Donato help keep our loved ones safe. So far my little pup’s story has saved the lives of three dogs. In the spirit of paying it forward I’m happy to say their owners are making flyers and continuing to spread the word.

Today, as I look at our beautiful California Oaks, I pause and search the ground for mushrooms before I let my new pup, Tesoro, run and play. Let what happened to Donato and I not happen to another. This is Donato’s final gift.  My sweet Donato, you really have become a very important dog.

IMPORTANT LINKS

Bay Area Mushrooms or Bay Area Mushrooms Amanita

To contact Diana Gerba you can email her at: dgerba@mac.com

Canine Chronicle lists the:

US Grand Champions

US Breed Points

US All Breed Points

Did Someone Say Dinner?

 Photo Courtesy Of Cheryl Mechalke   “Tipu”

Parsley Meatloaf Sliders

Makes 4 patties , Prep 10 minutes, Cook 10 minutes

½ lb ground beef- .23 kg

1 egg

½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped – 118 ml

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil-EVOO-15 ml

In a medium bowl, stir together the ground beef, egg and parsley.  Form into 4 ½ inch or 1.25 cm patties.  Heat a small skillet or gas grill to medium heat.  If using a skillet add the EVOO to the pan; if using a grill, brush the EVOO onto the grate of the grill. Add the patties and cook, turning once for about 8 minutes, for medium to medium-well burger.  Remove from the heat and let cool (for the pups).

Copyrighted EveryDay by Rachel Ray

www.rachaelraymag.com

Note: For those of you who might feed raw, just make these up in  large batches, roll the mixture into balls and freeze in bags.  Take out, defrost and use as needed to make you and your pups some dinner!

 ATI is excited to tell you about this new product for your Aussie.

FitPAWS® Canine Conditioning Equipment can be used by our four-legged friends for core strengthening, increased range of motion and flexibility, neuromuscular facilitation, sensory and perceptual stimulation, joint alignment, and balance control. Whether your dog is involved in agility, dock jumping, other dog sports, or is a working dog or a couch potato with healthier aspirations, core strength is a fundamental element used by your dog to control its body when jumping, turning, running and to help prevent injuries.

Get the edge over the competition with NEW FitPAWS Canine Conditioning Equipment! Core conditioning is an essential part of any athletes training program, including the performance dog. If your dog participates in agility competitions, you’ll want to make sure your dog is in prime physical condition. Once on top of the FitPAWS conditioning equipment, your dog’s body will automatically react to the shifting movement, causing your dog to use different muscle groups simultaneously in order to remain upright. Adding this strengthening activity to your dog’s cross-training activities 3-4 times a week, has many benefits, including:

·    Improved reaction and control

·    Increased trunk and core strength

·    Stabilization of weak areas

·    Improved balance and proprioception

·    Increased range of motion in joints & elongation of the muscles

·    Improved sensory & body awareness

To watch a demonstration of the product, click here.

For More Information Contact  gloria@fitball.com

April Issue

May Issue

To view these issues click on the months
and if you don’t already subscribe, please do.

 Bella and Puppy Pippi

 Bella

Bella and Pippi

All Photos Courtesy Of John Hansen (Denmark)

I just love the ATI Newsletter and read it all the way through … even when I should be doing something else!  Your interview with Jill Grenaee was especially good.  I like her emphasis on temperament which is why I chose the breed.  Also my other dog is a Lab.  It’s a perfect combination.  I’d love to hear from others who are doing agility.  Winston has just started competing and is doing great.  Such a fun dog!

Photo By: Karen Moureaux.

He got his AKC Novice Jumpers title at our last show.

Susan Clayton and Benayr My Man Winston

_____________________________________________________________

A well-deserved honor and as always interesting piece on Jill Grenaae, whom I consider a friend and huge mentor. We’ve never met but have been in contact for many years. I can say without qualification that Kennel Tatong is largely responsible for most Pineterri (and surely other kennel) successes over the years, in the ring. More importantly, Jill’s breeding has produced, in my view, the very best temperaments in Aussies. Case in point:

Jill sent me Tatong’s Music Man (Sammy) approximately 6 years ago. Sam is a kind, gentle and noble guy while still a terrier through and through. He does not like the ring – my impression has always been that he feels it is a waste of his time and true talents. His true calling became evident when he went to keep my 88-year old

Uncle Jim company after he lost his first Aussie (Allie). Sam took up residence on my uncle’s sofa, never more than a few feet away. He has been there through several near death experiences with Uncle Jim. In fact, two years ago while Uncle Jim was in an urban teaching hospital (and Sam was temporarily back with me) for what we thought was the last time due to his serious medical condition, his primary care physician sent word that if there was any hope for my uncle’s survival, Sam needed to make an appearance (totally against hospital rules of course). Well, I left work immediately and brought Sam to the hospital, receiving some peculiar glances from hospital employees and visitors and patients alike. From the moment Uncle Jim saw him and weakly rubbed Sam’s ears from his hospital bed, things turned around.  He needed to recover to be with “his dog.” Two years later they are still inseparable. Uncle Jim’s three daughters credit Sam (not the many fine doctors he had!!) with saving their father’s life and allowing him to spend more time with them. True story.

Jill Grenaae believes that one of (if not) THE most important traits for an Aussie is temperament. In this regard Tatong’s Music Man sets the standard. Thank you Jill.

Jerald Walsh, Pineterri Kennels

 _____________________________________________________________

I could not wait to write this email even before I read the Newsletter again in details. It is as usual, a nice one, with nice photos. Moreover I learned a lot about the Breeders in Denmark.

But, here is the news,  I was delighted to learn that for Jill Grenaae, her Best Dog was Cartoon’s grandfather: Tatong’s Silvermoon Dancer and it really means something to me when you know that she has produced about 400 dogs. Moreover she mentions “Le Clos de Windorah.”  That is my dog, Cartoon’s father! It makes me feel so proud.  Marie-Francis Petry, Belgium

AKC Breeder Of Merit Australian Terrier Banner

Requirements

*Has a history of at least 5 years involvement with AKC events.

*Earned at least 4 Conformation, Performance or Companion event titles on dogs they bred/co-bred.

*Member of an AKC club.

*Certifies that applicable health screens are performed on your breeding stock as recommended by the Parent Club.

*Demonstrates a commitment to ensuring 100% of the puppies produced are AKC registered.

Harban, Marilyn – Dreamtime Aussies

Levy, Pamela – Arista Aussies

Maas, Janet – Akiba Aussies

Mitchell, Anne – Kambara Aussies 

Popovits, Jeanne – Blue Moon

Roache, Ann – Roachan’s

Vaught, Debbie – Tekoah

Weigle, Sandra – Marble Arch

For a complete list of Breeders Of Merit Click Here

Direct links are provided for ATI Members

Nontoxic

Safe for people and pets

Effective, yet affordable

Easy and convenient

GREAT NEWS: APRIL 1-AUGUST 31, 2011, CERF tests sent in will receive the kennel rate of $8.00 instead of $12.00. This is a wonderful savings. You must download the voucher here and send it in with your CERF paperwork. This is for everyone. If you have completed the CERF test but not filed it with CERF now is the time. If you have not tested your dogs eyes, please consider doing so.

To view and print their brochure click here.

WE HOPE YOU’VE ENJOYED THE NEWSLETTERS

AND WILL JOIN US.

WITH YOUR PAID MEMBERSHIP YOU WILL GET ACCESS TO THE WEBSITE, BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD FREE ARTICLES, GET THE LATEST NEWS ON VACCINE PROTOCOLS, BE ABLE TO SHOP IN THE AUSTRALIAN TERRIER  MARKET AND SO MUCH MORE.

 To Join Click here $20 US

You can also join our Group Australian Terrier International

on Facebook!

“Moondancer” IntCh Tatong’s Silver Moondancer (Owner Jill Grenaae)

By Angie Cross Bly

When Pamela asked me to contribute “a little something” about Jill Grenaae, I was a little stymied.

How can I write “a little something” about a mentor, a role model, a shoulder to cry on, a booster when things go well, and above all a friend.

Just about every breeder in Scandinavia has Tatong dogs in their pedigrees; this fact is well known. Her dogs are known for beauty and soundness and it is a great loss to Australian Terriers that she left the breed.  In spite of her no longer breeding Aussies, I feel I can turn to her for advice, consolation, needed scoldings and praise.

When she and Tina Nordgren came to visit me in Colorado, we took a drive through the Rocky Mountain National Park.  It was before GPS was widely available and I had to plot my course on my desktop.  Little did I know that I had to place the dots directly on the road; consequently, when often there was a drop of hundreds of feet off the right side, the “voice” would tell us “in 100 feet, turn right.”   By the time we finished the drive we were hysterical with laughter and the “voice” was named “the Bitch in the Box.”  I count Jill as one of my most treasured friends and I hope to see her again soon.

By Sheila Dunn

What can I say about Jill?
I can say that the world of Australian Terriers lost a great friend and guardian

when Jill switched her breeding program to Labs.
I can say that the world of Labs has gained a great intellect,

and a breeder of great ethics.
I can also say Jill is the first one I contact when I have an issue that

needs reason and knowledge beyond my own.
What else can I say about Jill?
She is one of the funniest Ladies I know!

And I thank her every day for Bessie’s wagging tail.

 ______________________________________________________________________________

An Interview With Jill Grenaae by Pamela Levy

__________________________________________________________________ 

To print this article without background color click here.

We want to thank you, Jill, for your years of dedication to the breed. The kennel name Tatong is behind many top winning Danish, American and international dogs. We would love to know how you became involved or started with Australian Terriers?

First of all I want to thank the ATI and the Aussie people of Denmark for the honor of being awarded an ATI Lifetime member – Thank you!
A friend of mine bought an Aussie puppy back in 1979. At that time we were studying and living in Copenhagen and wanted a small dog that could go everywhere with us, one we could take with us on the bus or train or could be transported in the basket of my bicycle. Having met my friend’s Aussie puppy the choice was not hard and in July 1981 our first Aussie, Emma, entered into our lives. Unfortunately Emma was quite a nervous dog; she loved other dogs, but was not comfortable around people she did not know, so when she was a year old we decided that she might benefit from the company of an older dog with a more even disposition. Emma’s breeder knew of another Aussie breeder who had an adult female, Sam-Zu Ngulati, for sale on breeding terms and the rest is, as they say, history. Ngulati was a lovely bitch with an outstanding temperament and as she turned out to produce equally lovely offspring, she became the foundation of the Tatong Aussies, primarily through her son MultiCh Tatong’s Silver Moondancer.
Looking back, I did not choose the breed as much as it chose me. Firstly I stumbled over the breed by chance and secondly I had no option but to breed two litters from Ngulati if I wanted to have her. Also the first puppy I kept from her was one that the family that was supposed to have her “forgot” to pick up when the time came for the puppies to leave home so somewhere something had really decided that this was to be my breed. This “forgotten” puppy ended up staying with us and, by the way, became my first champion.
How many years did you show Aussies?
I began showing Aussies in 1980. The first dog I showed was Emma, our first Aussie, and when she won the bitch ticket and BOS at her first show, I was hooked.
How many years were you involved with breeding Aussies?
Our first litter was born on June 29th, 1985.
How many litters did you breed?
I don’t know; I never counted litters, but according to the DKC database, I have bred a little less than 400 Aussie puppies in about 25 years.
Do you know how many champions you have produced?   
That I DO know – 78, several of them with multiple champion titles.
Do you enjoy mentoring other people in the breed?
I do and mostly when the “student-mentor” relationship turns into a friendship and the student into an accomplished breeder.

IntCh Golden Moonraker du Clos de Windorah

(Breeder Muriel Froelich, Owners Jill Grenaae, Pia Lindqvist)

Have you mentored anyone from another country?

Yes, several and it has been a pleasure.
Who were the people who mentored you in the breed?
Betty Bryde of Mariendal Australian Terriers and Ibeth Carlsen of Ibeth Aussies were my mentors. They were both dedicated to the breed and I know that, even if she can no longer keep dogs, Betty still is. I had two lovely dogs from Ibeth, IntCh Ibeth Orange Blossom and IntCh Ibeth Mister President that are both behind many successful Tatong Aussies. From Betty I got a wealth of knowledge about the breed. Betty is a dear, much loved friend and a breeder whose opinion one would be a fool not to value.
What do you look for in the bitch to make her worthy of your breeding program?
A happy, outgoing, even temperament, good health and correct breed type and anatomy – in that order. It has been my goal to get all in one package so to speak, but it is my firm belief that, first and foremost, no dog with a faulty temperament should reproduce.
A very good friend of mine says that an Aussie should be a terrier first and then an Aussie. I completely disagree and I do so because of the unique disposition of the Aussie. I love that this breed is bold and forward, but it should never be so to the point of stupidity. This is why, unlike many other of the terrier breeds, Aussies thrive in packs and are so easy to keep.
What do you look for in the stud dog to make him worthy of your breeding program?
I look for the exact same things as in a bitch. An additional thing that really comes under health is that both should be able to reproduce naturally. Now that I am involved with another breed that has marathon whelpings, I can see how privileged I was with the Aussies. Aussie bitches are great whelpers and the dogs are good studs that usually have their timing exactly right.
How did you learn to groom?
I learned grooming from Ibeth Carlsen.
Have you exported Aussies and to what countries if yes?
Yes, I have exported several dogs – just off the top of my head to: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Italy, Croatia and The US.
Have you sold Tatong dogs to many people in the US?
I have had the pleasure of selling dogs to several breeders/good friends in the US: Sheila Dunn of The Farm’s Aussies, Angie Cross-Bly of Sundog, Jerry Walsh of Pineterri, Cheryl Mechalke of Araluen, Mrs. Edla Cummings of Edwyre.

Are there others elsewhere in the world that you helped start with showing and breeding?
Yes, I have helped breeders in France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, The Netherlands, Italy and of course Denmark. All have started breeding with dogs from us.
Have you imported Aussies?
Yes, also several. From The UK, The US, Sweden, Finland, Norway and The Netherlands. A few stand out in particular, among these, two bitches from Finland, IntCh Selendia Blue Moonshine, a daughter of our own Silver Moondancer and bred by our good friend Pia Lindqvist. The other Ch Avocation Double Action, a beautiful red, bred by another wonderful friend Orvokki Lämsä. Double Action proved to be a wonderful producer that gave us several lovely champions. From England I had Ch Elve The Flirt. I got her when she was three years old. She had only a few puppies and sadly got diabetes at the age of 7, which is why the few puppies she had were never bred but she was a lovely dog that, with the proper treatment, lived to a very old age despite her diabetes. Writing this I still miss her even though she has been gone for several years now; she was a real character. The two daughters The Flirt produced here have, luckily, both been healthy. One

is still active as an agility dog at the age of 13 and the other is the head of her

pack at 14.
Do you see a difference in personalities between dogs from other countries and Danish dogs?
No, but I see differences in personalities between dogs from different breeders of course reflecting what the breeder values.
Did you find it difficult to produce a nice natural tail?
Docking was banned in Denmark in 1992, which was well before I stopped breeding. I absolutely hate the curled up tails, so I selected for tails that were as straight and short as possible and I don’t think it was a problem at all.
Can you describe what a good natural tail should look like?
A good natural tail should be quite similar to a Cairn Terrier tail, carried at approximately 90-80 degrees with the back. I will accept a tail that is carried a little gaily, but never curled.

Did you have a few favorite Aussies that you owned or bred?
MultiCh Tatong’s Silver Moondancer (Intch Ibeth Mister President x Sam-zu Ngulati) and MultiCh Tatong’s Crocodile Dundee (Ch Asterix x Ch Tatong’s Obiana) are my absolute favourites among the dogs that I have owned and bred, but also dogs owned by others such as MultiCh Tatong’s Red Oak (Ch Sassatown Gianni Schicchi x Ch Avocation Double Action),  IntCh Tatong’s Dr. Jekyll (Ch Selendia Galaxy Kid x Ch Avocation Double Action),

“Galaxy Kid” Ch Selendia Galaxy Kid (Breeder Pia Lindqvist, Owner Jill Grenaae)

Ch Tatong’s Eclipse of the Moon (IntCh Tatong’s Silver Moondancer x IntCh Ibeth Orange Blossom), IntCh Tatong’s The Exorcist (Ch The Farm’s One Hell of a Devil x IntCh Tatong’s Red Orient Ruby) and his son Ch Tatong’s Don Corleone are among my favourites.

“Sally” IntCh Tatong’s Wrapped in a Riddle (Owner Irene Thye)

“Konsta” Ch Tatong’s Eclipse of The Moon (Owner Orvokki Lämsä)

“Leo” Ch Tatong’s Don Corleone (Owner Agnethe & Paul Dietrich)

Photo: Markus Wallden

Two dogs I also want to mention are IntCh Golden Moonraker du Clos de Windorah (IntCh Tatong’s Silver Moondancer x Ch Dare Devil’s Neelah Nyhree)

and Ch Devil in Disguise av Falchebo (IntCh Tatong’s The Exorcist x Ch Tineetown The Queen O’Hearts). I was fortunate enough to be able to have the pick of the litters when I chose these two and they each stayed with us for a year or two until they went to their homes in Finland and Sweden respectively. I am proud of both these dogs that have done wonderfully in the show ring and as studs as well as been great companions for their owners.

I have owned several lovely bitches, special favourites have been Ch Avocation Double Action (Ch Moomba Red Butch x Ch Avocation Red Kamilaroi),

IntCh Selendia Blue Moonshine (IntCh Tatong’s Silver Moondancer x Ch Sinimarjan Abigail), IntCh Ibeth Orange Blossom (Ch Ymsens Yarrangobilly x Ch Ibeth Calypso Queen), Ch Tatong’s Bloody Mary (Ch Tatong’s Red Mustang x Intch Ibeth Orange Blossom), Tatong’s Cruella De Ville (IntCh Tatong’s Silver Moondancer x Ch Avocation Double Action), Ch Tatong’s Fickle Finger of Fate (Tatong’s Inner Circle x Tatong’s The Devil’s Daughter). All time favourite was the litter sister of Ch Tatong’s Red Mustang and Ch Tatong’s Motown Sound. Her name was Tatong’s Red MG. She held no titles, except for that very personal one as my “Once in a lifetime dog.”

Looking at the question again I see that you ask me to mention “a few favourites”….these are perhaps more than just a few, but being used to thinking in pedigrees, the thought of one dog reminded me of another and since they have all been much loved, it is hard to choose.

Who were they and why were they your favorites?

Elaborating on them all will be too much, but my all time favourite is Tatong’s Silver Moondancer. He was a fantastic dog in every aspect. How often do you get a wonderful show dog, a super family dog and an amazing stud dog in one gorgeous package? Having been a breeder for over 25 years I can tell you: “Not often.” Smiley, as he was called, can be found in many, many pedigrees the world over and with good reason. He produced beautiful, sound offspring and I was so fortunate to be able to breed and own a dog like him. Another of my favorites I want to mention is IntCh Tatong’s Wrapped in a Riddle (Ch Bearstep’s Tonganoxie x Ch Tatong’s Fickle Finger of Fate), Owner Irene Thye, Kisamba Aussies. I also want to mention another favorite Ch Selendia Galaxy Kid (Ch Tasdale Kraka Kid x Intch Selendia Disco Dancer.)

Ch Devil in Disguise av Falchebo     Photo:Kenneth Holmberg

(Breeder Marte Falch,  Owners Jill Grenaae, Tina Nordgren, Ida Nordgren)

How has the Aussie changed since you started breeding?

When I began breeding we sometimes saw some quite nervous and aggressive Aussies, mainly among those not registered with the Danish Kennel Club. This has changed radically over the years and luckily all for the better. More focus is on the dog as part of society and as such more attention has been placed on temperament. Today, thanks to dedicated and serious breeders, the Aussie is considered a happy and outgoing breed here.

Do you think the Aussie has improved?

Yes and no. This is a small breed that is very sensitive to fluctuations. One serious and accomplished breeder can have a huge effect on the overall quality as can, unfortunately, one less accomplished and less serious, so I think that overall a breed as small as ours will have its natural ups and downs as breeders come and go. In general I think that the breed is lucky to have some very dedicated fans and breeders such as the people involved with this newsletter. You have the potential through this media to have a great impact on the breed by educating and bringing breeders together from every corner of the world and that can only benefit the breed.

What concerns you about the Aussie of today as it relates to conformation and health?

Temperament is always a concern of mine. Please, please breeders, do not just look at pretty pictures on web sites, but get to know the dogs you choose to breed from.

Another concern is of course diabetes. Most cases of diabetes in the breed seem to be type 2 with late onset, but as one breeder of Welsh terriers once remarked when we were discussing this: “Many Welsh Terriers live to 14 or older and hardly any get diabetes.” Diabetes is a problem in Aussies and it is great to see that some breed clubs choose to support research into this.

With regards to conformation, I think the breed, like SO many others, could benefit from breeders being more focused on fronts and overall movement. An Aussie should have sufficient upper arm, a good layback of shoulders and a keel/forechest. It should NOT have a “leg in each corner.” If the front assembly is correct, the dog will also have a nice flow of neck into shoulders instead of a marked 90-110 degrees angle of neck to shoulder, and the movement will be nice and floating.

Ch Devil in Disguise av Falchebo    Photo: Kenneth Holmberg

Illustration of how correct anatomy translates into correct movement.

Finally I think we see many dogs that could be better proportioned. Many are very long and very low – I have bred a few myself.

What have Aussies added to your life?

First and foremost the Aussies have added many wonderful contacts and friendships to my life. It may sound strange to mention this before the joy that the dogs themselves have obviously brought, but dogs have a short lifespan however much we wish it were different. Never-the-less almost every one of the dogs now gone have resulted in a great friendship with a breeder and/or owner; to me that is the greatest addition the Aussies have made to my life.

In 2007 we saw the birth of our last Aussie litter and in 2009 we handed in our kennel prefix Tatong. Besides Aussies we had then, for a couple of years, also been breeding Labrador Retrievers and since I had become more and more involved with training and doing field work with the Labradors, I realized that I just could not breed both Labs and Aussies; it was simply too much work having both breeds. Also the many years of grooming has taken its toll on my hands and shoulders, so all in all it seemed like the right time to let go. We now have two 9 year old Aussies, Ella and Victor, that will probably be our last, but after more than 25 years of breeding I think I am allowed to say I have done my bit. Besides, there are so many skilled and clever breeders out there who do great work with their Aussies and it makes me confident this breed is in very good and capable hands.

“Bastian”

“Bastian”

“Bastian” enjoying agility!

“Terry” enjoying the snow!

I grew up with Dachshunds and Tommy with Cairn Terriers.  Tommy and I decided to get our first dog 4 1/2 years ago. We totally lost our hearts to the Australian Terrier. We read and learned about the breed and it seemed to be a good fit for our lives. We also spent a lot of time speaking with our breed representatives and learned more about the breed before we finally decided to buy an Australian Terrier.

We bought our first Australian Terrier, Santomay´s As Good As It Gets “Bastian,” in November 2007.  We got him from Santomay Kennels in Norway. From that day on our lives changed as “Bastian” became a big part of our daily lives.  We trained him in obedience and for conformation.  We also played with him a lot and took him for very long walks every day.

Approximately 2 years after buying “Bastian,” our breeder (Santomay) told us they had a 10 month old Aussie male. I fell in love with him and agreed with our breeder to buy him.  His name is Santomay’s Catch Me If You Can “Terry.”  Now we had 2 dogs, “double trouble,”  as we call them. Both Tommy and I are very interested in this breed and we do love them so much. Both dogs are a big part of our lives and we have so many wonderful experiences with them. We also meet so many nice people when we are training and at dog shows.  We actually miss the dog shows and the other Aussie owners when there is an activity break during the summer and at Christmas.

I think we did well at training and at the dog shows. However, and most importantly, it is always the same dog we bring home. Win or lose, we enjoy the dogs so much. We dream about using both dogs for breeding someday and having more Aussies. We are both quite sure that the Aussies will be a part of our lives for a very long time.

Regards to everyone from Bethina and Tommy

Later on other kennels started breeding f.eks: Kennel Tjoernely, Kennel Tungehave, Kennel Sparius, Kennel Ravnegaard, Kennel Mariendal , Kennel Tippe,  Sam-Zu,  Ibeth, Tho-li, Lille Regina, Tatong, Borchorst and Danschaefer.

In 1973 Kennel Mariendal (Betty Bryde) imported the first red Australian Terrier “Ilukas Tammi Do” from The Netherlands.

This is a list of kennels in Denmark that have been active for more than 10 Years according to the DKK database:

Kennel Mariendal, Tungehaves, Tippes, Sam-Zu, Ibeth, Tholi, Lille, Regina, Tatong, Katonga and Kisamba.

In 2011 The kennels registered as active:

Rumle – Kurt Andersen and Jette Rybak

Kisamba – Irene Thye

Blue Ayers – Jorgen Gronlund and Deborah Sommer

Chatham – Minna Chatham

In Denmark, Australian Terrier owners are part of the Danish Terrier Club (DTK).  All breeds have their own group and they select a Breed representative, who again chooses an assistant.  In Denmark we don’t have an Australian Terrier Club, we have an Australian Terrier Group. (I’m the Breed Representative and Joergen Groenlund is my assistant.)

DTK arranges all the Shows such as obedience, rally, and agility.  If we want to have separate arrangements for Australian Terriers such as grooming courses, shows just for our breed, activity days, or seminars, we arrange it ourselves.  Our finances are separate from the DTK but we have to report to the DTK.

For many years we’ve had grooming courses close to where I live every spring and we try to arrange courses in the east part of Denmark as well. I don’t know why but the interest is bigger in Jylland and Fyn.

Every year we have our Activity Day and we all really enjoy the day!

We all have breakfast together and following breakfast we have 12-14 fun competitions (games) for the dogs.

Some of these competitions are:

1. Potatoes on a spoon

2. Sack race with the dog

3. The dog has to run under a “human bridge”

4. Jump – adult dogs both ways -puppies only one way

5. Ladder – the dog has to walk where the ladder is

6. Slalom in between the participants both back and forth

7. Treats in a small bucket or tube (has to be tipped to get the treat)

8. Dress the dog in a T-shirt

9. Going out dogs jump covered barriers-on the way back they go through them    10.Tunnel – adult dogs both ways – puppies only one way

11. Butter tubs with treats

12. Balance over 4 chairs

13. Stand on owner who is laying down

14. Stand on the back of the owner on all four legs

15. Stand on the shoulders of the owner

Following the games it is possible for the dogs to try tracking and agility. Finally later in the afternoon we have a barbecue party and at this point all the Aussies are tired and ready to relax.

Population and Health by Jorgen Gronlund of Kennel Blue Ayers

The breed had the largest number of registered pups in the 1980´s, but the Aussie has never been a trendy dog in Denmark, and the number of registrations has never been astronomic.

Beneath you can see the number of DKC registered Aussies over the last 32 years.

The imports, approximately 3 per year, are included.

The Danish Kennel Club has introduced a recommendation concerning inbreeding,

represented by the so-called inbreeding coefficient. This coefficient should not exceed 6,25%, which corresponds to a first cousin mating. The Danish Kennel Club has a database, which includes, of course, pedigrees, health info etc. of all registered dogs. Here you can enter a possible mating and the program will tell you the exact inbreeding coefficient.

Health

Our experience regarding health is based on collected information from present and former breeders along with knowledge from the contact we have with a large number of Danish Australian Terrier owners.

Among the diseases that occur in Denmark we can mention diabetes, patella luxation, Calve-Legg-Perthes, Cushing’s disease and allergic reactions (i.e. due to flea bites.) We also see runny eyes (this could be due to lack of trimming of the hair around the eyes or to entropion.)

Today you cannot really say that any of the diseases mentioned appear on a larger scale. Some years back we had a number of diabetes cases, but at present we hardly see any. However, in dogs as well as in humans, lifestyle diseases have appeared. We do occasionally see diabetes 2 in obese dogs from the age of 6-7 years.

Since there is no official register of inherited diseases within the breed, it is difficult to give a detailed picture of their frequency.

Her work has a copyright and you must write to her for permission to reprint.

Betty also wrote and illustrated a book, entitled, “Australsk Terrier” which was published in 1977 by Clausen Press. The book is out of print, but available in libraries. If you are lucky, you can still find the antiquarian.
The book is 55 pages and covers topics such as breed, breeding, diet, grooming and exhibition.  The book is illustrated with many photos.

Thank you to Jorgen Gronlund

for taking the time to go to Betty’s home and to photograph her art for us to enjoy!

How did you become interested in Aussies?

During my childhood our family had cats. It was not until I was married that we got our first dog. My husband, our eldest daughter and I lived for some years in Tanzania and it was here we got our first dog; it was a proper “Tanzania breed”.

For our family it was a lovely dog though it was clearly racist. Whenever a native came to our house or just passed the house it went nuts. Regrettably, when we

left for Denmark, we had to leave the dog with some neighbors.

Having settled in Denmark again, we bought a dachshund. Unfortunately, at the age of only 4, it had a slipped disc and we had to have it put away.

After losing our dachshund we started studying books about dogs in order to find out which breed we should choose. We focused on finding a breed without any breed specific diseases such as the slipped disc with the dachshund. It was a terrible situation living with a completely paralyzed dog that was only 4 years old. We are all still deeply touched by the memory. We all agreed that we did not want a big dog and that it should be friendly to guests and especially children. The dachshund had caused some concerns when our girls celebrated their birthdays and we had had to keep it separated from the children. We were afraid it might snap at some of the playing children. This dog also ran away whenever it got a chance and it did not return home until it felt like doing so. We found this very nerve-racking. We crossed our fingers each time it ran away hoping it would not get run over in the traffic.

We visited a dog show looking at some of the different breeds and we were keen on the Westie, which was very “in”.  However, in the next ring the Aussies were showing and the “Grand Little Dogs” charmed us and we went to talk to some of the owners.  After the Aussies had been shown we contacted Jill Grenaae and after talking to her we decided that our next dog would be an Aussie, something we have never regretted!  We bought “Mikki” from Kennel Tatong and our eldest daughter started training the dog for obedience and show and together we started participating at dog shows.

With the Aussie we found a loving family dog. They simply love guests and enjoy playing with the children. Our Aussies enjoy everything from playing football to catching soap bubbles. Normally we do not have any problems with our dogs running away. Ours like to stay close to us, keeping a close eye on our every movement.

What was your first Aussie?

Of course “Mikki” was the best Aussie in the world. Our girls simply loved him and enjoyed having a playful dog compared to the dachshund we had earlier. Very soon after having “Mikkie,” a 1 1/2 year old Aussie girl “Sisse” moved in.  Our girls started training the dogs in obedience and show training. “Mikki” they showed until he was DKCH (A Danish Champion).

Agility caught my interest and I started training and participating in competitions with Mikki. When we started agility some of the instructors asked me why on earth I had bought an Aussie. They had bad experiences with Aussies and their tempers. Very soon after working with “Mikki”  they all loved him and I never heard anything about Aussies having “bad tempers” again!

Sadly “Mikki” died at only 4 1/2 years old.  He suddenly became very ill and an X-ray showed a foreign body in his stomach. He underwent surgery and had a peach stone removed. Unfortunately it had perforated his intestines to such a degree that he did not survive surgery.  We nearly cried our eyes out!  He was buried in our garden and his grave was nicely decorated with flowers.

We were lucky and were able to get a lovely puppy from Jill’s next litter.

Later on I became an agility trainer and brought more of our Aussies to agility training.

Have Aussies changed since you started breeding them?
Well the size of the Aussie has been going up. In fact very few of the Aussies are the size listed in the standard.  I guess we’ll have to work on that problem.
At some shows the Aussies are very different in type. Anyway I think the quality of the Aussie is pretty high and focus on health is improving.
Mentally the Aussie hasn’t changed; it is still a loving and active dog.
What do you think we need to look at, internationally, to improve the breed?  
To improve the breed, it is necessary to strengthen the connection between breeders. We need to have more transparency with regard to diseases and weaknesses in the breed so we can improve our breeding programs. I think that ATI will allow for better cooperation across the borders. By getting to know each other, breeders can have a better chance at making really good breeding arrangements.
Do you work with the European Community to strengthen the Danish breeding programs and do they work with you to strengthen theirs?
The DKK and DTK do a great job of continually strengthening breeding programs. Denmark lacks a system to register diseases in each breed but hopefully it will soon be possible.

Can anyone breed their Aussies or do the dogs and bitches need to be approved prior to breeding?

The breeder has to be a member of the DKK or DTK to have the puppies registered. The dogs have to be awarded at least a Very Good but they need not be championed.

It’s legal to have two litters without getting the Kennel registered but after that the breeder has to participate in a breeder education and the DKK will inspect the Kennel.

We have to follow the DKK restrictions: