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Official Newsletter of Thames Dog Training Club December 2006
From the Chair ........ Many of you will have already noticed that this is (probably) the largest version of “Our Post” we have ever had! As a consequence, the Editor has told me to “be brief” and “keep the Chairman’s report to a few lines”!! ………. Oh well!! As an update to my last report, I have a Post Script to add so far as the Obedience show is concerned: Firstly, I have had some discussions with the Members of the Kennel Club’s Working Trials and Obedience and Agility Committee (WTOA), and understand from them that there are proposals for 2 or 3 new Obedience Championship shows to be added to the existing 43 shows to make 45/46 from end of 2007. Once the WTOA has discussed this, it will then go to the Main KC Committee for agreement. I further understand from the Members of the WTOA that we at Thames are first in line for a Champ show if and when it is agreed. Secondly, and more unfortunately, Litchfield & District DTS have changed the date of their Champ show to the date of our current show. We have lodged a formal protest at that date change in light of the above, as the KC do not allow 2 Champ shows on the same date. I will keep you all posted as to the outcome. We have no further news as to the possible new venue for the Obedience section, since, and as we all know, local Government will always move at their own pace! Again, we will keep you posted. Taking heed of my comments in the last report, Jeff Holloway FINALLY got the win he deserved and is now Advanced in Agility. Huge Congratulations to him from us all. Details of the Winter League results are reported later in this Newsletter……. but a quick note from me to say Excellent Guys – keep it going!! Finally on Agility, I would like to wish Dave Jolly with Moss, Natasha Wise and Maddie and James Cook with Panda the best of luck in the Novice Finals at Olympia! Do us Proud! Can I remind everyone that, if you attend the early section of Agility training on Tuesday night, please can you try and be there by 7.00pm to help put the equipment out. Also, at the other end of the evening, if you have been involved in the second section, you are expected to help put the equipment away. I do know that it can be difficult sometimes with work or family commitments, but please can you try.
As this is the last “Our Post” of 2006, can I take the opportunity to wish
all our Members a VERY Happy Christmas, and an even more successful New
Year. Dates for your Diary December 2006 Tuesday 12th Agility Diploma Night, Judges Peter Edney (agility) and Caroline Freeman (jumping) Tuesday 19th Agility Christmas Party Games with dogs at Burchetts Green Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th Club Closed!!!!!!!!! Friday 29th Thames DTC Social Evening, Ring O’Bells from 8pm January 2007 Tuesday 2nd Agility Reopens
INVITATION TO ALL FULL, ASSOCIATE AND LIFE MEMBERS, THEIR PARTNERS AND FAMILY You are cordially invited to an evening of Social Interaction at The Ring O’Bells, Bath Road, Maidenhead
On Friday 29th December 2006 from 8pm til Close
Free Buffet, Licensed Bar and Charity Raffle Donations for the Raffle gratefully received
RSVP please to Sandra Curry or Becky Coleman as soon as possible and no later than the 22nd December, thank you
sandra.curry1@btinternet.com or Rebecca.coleman2@ntlworld.com
CHRISTMAS COMPETITION TIME
Want to win a £20 M&S Voucher????? The Christmas Competition is a mental agility test to keep your mind active over the festive period!! 1) In an Open Agility Class, Xada came second and Scoobie came fourth. What position did Millie and Moss finish? 2) The children listed below were told by their mum they could have a dog if they could arrange their names in the grid to give the dogs breed down the shaded column. What breed of dog were they allowed? Their names were: Bella, Jason, David, Sally, Roger and Bruce.
3) Along a (very dog friendly!) street there are 11 Collies, 13 Spaniels and 16 Retrievers. How many Poodles are there? 4) If ‘Diamond Holly’ is worth 60 and ‘Shanowl Virtuoso’ is worth 69, how many is ‘Just a Quick Trip’ worth? 5) Present at Thames Christmas Party were: a father in law, a mother in law, a daughter in law, two sons, two daughters, two sisters and a brother, four children, three grandchildren, two fathers, two mothers, a grandfather and a grandmother. However, family relationships can be complicated. One man’s brother can, of course, be another man’s brother in law and at the same time, someone’s son. With that in mind, what is the smallest number of people needed at the party for the above relationships to exist? 6) If it takes 5 dogs to dig 5 holes in 5 hours, how many dogs does it take to dig 100 holes in 100 hours? 7) In a (very large!!) kennels, there are 80 whippets, 100 dalmations, 90 labradors and 150 Hungarian Vizlas. How many Bernese Mountain Dogs are there? 8) Dave owns a dog, has a daughter called Alison and drives a van. Does he choose to go to Dashin Dogs Show or Easter Celebration Show? 9) Luke and Lucy are collecting lost tennis balls on the exercise area and putting them in a bag. Without knowing its dimensions, calculate how many tennis balls can they get into the empty bag. 10)
DARTFORD
????? MILES
TUFFLEY
310 MILES
CHIPPENHAM
440 MILES
TONBRIDGE
450 MILES
Send your answers to Sally Edney by email to sally.edney@btinternet.com or by post to 20 Charlecote Close, Farnborough, Hants, GU14 7EG. The closing date for the competition is 7th January 2007. The winner will be the entry with the highest number of correct answers. In the event of a tie it will be the first one out of the hat!! The Autumn Wordsearch Competition prize of a £10 M&S Voucher was won by Caroline & Connor Braddick following a tie break question! The runners up were Alison Wells, Dave Jolly and Ian Preston. Well done and thank you to all those that entered! The Wordsearch answers are attached to this newsletter.
SHOUT ABOUT
SUCCESS!!!!
Well done to all the handlers and puppies who passed their assessment for the Agility puppy class which starts in January!
Peter Edney & Magic Millie with their long awaited ‘winning out’ Elementary Trophy & Rosette! (photo courtesy of Dave Jolly) Update from Down Under!!! G’day from down under! Agility in Australia, well, lets first say, it’s different from the UK. There are 5 jump heights. Dogs are officially measured by 2 Agility judges before their 1st competition, and ALL dogs need a height card to compete. The different dog height (measured at highest point at the withers) to jump height is shown below:
The equipment is also a tad different, especially the weave poles which are thinner and taller than the UK. In summer the shows take place at night as it is cooler. Most of the shows in Perth (in every discipline) take place at the grounds of the Canine Association of Western Australia. They have fantastic grounds and facilities. Check out their website at: http://www.cawa.asn.au/ Generally, Agility is still new in Australia and Western Australia. The only Agility specific club in Perth has only been running since 2002. So, hopefully what I learnt at Thames, I will be able to pass onto them. Any instructors wanting to come out here for a bit of WA sunshine??? Their website is: http://www.agilityclubwa.com/ I have not yet entered into a competition (I seem to run out of time), but am looking forward to it. I will start off entering Tembe, and will start training up Aisha, my younger bitch soon. Other than that, we have been busy doing herding training, as we acquired 10 Ozzie sheep, entering conformation shows and having Bouvier fun days (not many Bouv’s out here though). We are all well but the weather is hotting up, which none of us are really enjoying! Thank goodness for Air Conditioning!!! Will keep you updated, hopefully with some news of some wins, now that we will not be competing against WSD’s and BC’s!!! Yippee for us. Kerry Hamerton and the Beaukene Bouviers, Tembe, Aisha and Kito
AGILITY INTER CLUB winter league 2006/2007 The Winter League series of four agility matches with five local clubs competing is upon us again, and Thames have been doing very well! Our Club Members results are as follows: October Overall result: 1st Watford 276 2nd Thames 240 3rd Vyne 228 4th Cranbourne 226.5 5th Cippenham 187.5 Individual results not available
November Overall result: 1st Thames 277 2nd Watford 249 3rd Cippenham 240 4th Cranbourne 202 5th Vyne 202
Individual results:
Roll on January!!
Memories of Summer!!!!
Dogs In Need, August 2006 It was discovered that every Dog Training Club needs a well balanced Chairman ……
high flying agility co-ordinators ……
a personal trainer …………..
and a golf pro??????????
What happened next??????
You’ve guessed it!!
‘MEET THE MEMBER’ INTERVIEW
SANDRA CURRY – OBEDIENCE TRAINER & AGILITY MEMBER Sandra, how long have you been a member of Thames? I would think it must be about ten and a half years now. Teresa introduced me when we left Windsor and Maidenhead D.T.C. We were at Ray’s Hall then and Pam Albrow was the trainer when I first joined. I started instructing about 7 years ago when Don and Jackie at Briafield Kennels, Twyford, asked Teresa to take over the Wednesday class. She persuaded me to help and I helped her for about 2 years. I first started instructing at Thames about 6 years ago, and have been taking the top class for 5 years. When did you have your first dog and what was it? I was a teenager and a boyfriend at the time presented me with a 10 week old yellow labrabor as a birthday gift. When I think back I am full of remorse about this episode, as I had no idea how to look after and train a dog. Needless to say I just thought the dog would do everything that was expected of her, (you have now probably guessed the outcome) she was totally out of control and had to be rehomed. In hindsight I feel so guilty that I was so ignorant. The trouble is there are loads more people out there still making the same mistake now. What dogs do you have now? I have Buster, a collie cross that I rescued when he was 3 years old who came with all the baggage of a rescue and the reason that I am into dog obedience now (this is my redemption after failing Sheba the yellow Lab). Buster is now nearly 15 years old and apart from going deaf and having trouble with his back legs is doing fine. I also have Chad a Working Sheepdog who is 8 years old next March. What a dream dog he is, he has taught me so much and taken me from pre-beginner to Championship C in obedience. He is a “gentleman” with so much desire to please and do the right thing. Then there is Jovi, a Border Collie, who will be 2 years old in March. He has been quite a handful, but I am pleased to say he is settling down very well now. At the last but one show of the season he won a Novice in Obedience. He also seems to have an aptitude for agility. What do you do for a living and what did you do in the past? I had a Carpet Retail Business that I ran with a business partner for 23 years, only leaving in May of this year. The reason for closing was that the lease had been up for 3 years and they wanted to double the rent. I then started my own Dog Training School, which I have called Mutt Mates. I am taking classes and doing 1-2-1 with behaviour and competition obedience. I have since starting became a member of the APDT and also have acquired Kennel Club listing for the club and I am able to do the KC Good Citizen Dog Scheme training and test now (another redemption for Sheba!). Do you have time for any other hobbies? Not really, what with now training Jovi for agility and running my classes there is very little time. I like reading novels, my favourite is Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. We have just come back from Cornwall where we visited Jamaica Inn and went in the museum so renewed the interest to read the books again. I am also teaching myself to use the computer, which is very time consuming. I am also interested in photography, albeit not very good, but am getting some help from Becky Coleman who is very good. What are your ambitions for you and your dogs? My main ambition is that we are all healthy and happy. I would so love to win a Ticket and get to Crufts with Chad as he so deserves it, but if that it not to be I would just like him to carry on enjoying what he does (I know that the group that I am in at agility cannot believe that Chad does as he’s told at obedience because he doesn’t at agility!!). With Jovi we will take it as it comes, no pressure at all. Thanks Sandra!! Bad Joke Corner – submitted by Andrew Dicker So I fancied a game of darts with my mate. He said, "Nearest the bull goes first" He went "Baah" and I went "Moo". He said "You're closest" This lorry full of tortoises collided with a van full of terrapins. It was a turtle disaster.
I was
driving up the motorway and my boss phoned me and he told me I'd been
promoted. I was so shocked I swerved the car. He phoned me again to say I'd
been promoted even higher and I swerved again. He then made me managing
director & I went right off into a tree. The police came and asked me what
had happened.I said "I careered off the road" AGILITY DIPLOMA NIGHT RESULTS 3rd OCTOBER 2006
NURSERY
STARTERS
NOVICE
SENIOR/ADVANCED
CHAMPION
1 x open hem navy sweatshirt, with Thames logo, size - large 1 x open hem navy sweatshirt, with the words 'Thames Dog Training Club', size - large Both brand new, still in bags, make - Fruit of the Loom Any offers? See Kate at agility or phone 01189 320619
Thames DTC Agility Show T Shirts Navy Blue with the logo ‘Bin there, done that, got the T shirt, Thames DTC’ Limited Sizes available, £2 each which will go to the Charity Fund
See Sally at agility or phone 01252 377961
Thames DTC Agility Points
PLEASE REMEMBER THERE ARE ALSO JUNIORS, SMALL & MEDIUM CLASSES, GRAHAM.
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